Out of death, life!

Out of death, life!

Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the Summer season, is also a time to remember.  We consciously note the sacrifices of thousands who have died defending the interests of our nation, protecting us and our way of life.  We remember that blood was spilled, tears were shed, so that our nation could exist.  My earnest hope this weekend is that we will remember the principles of liberty and justice that first inspired the formation of these United States and press those we elect to govern us to honor them so that those who died, will not have died in vain.  

Christians remember a sacrifice, too.  Jesus, at the Jewish Passover meal on the night before His death, told the disciples (and us) we must not forget the Gift of God that brought us peace. “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:15-21, NIV)

Disciple, we must not allow the ritual surrounding Communion to obscure the memory of the Cross.  Jesus died; not by accident, not solely because of political/religious intrigue, not as a martyr – but to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”   He gave Himself!  His death, which we remember, was foreshadowed in the ancient Passover, the night in Egypt when those households of faith, who put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts, were spared the grim visit of the death angel. (Exodus 12) The slain lamb was then prepared and the meal consumed to give them strength for the exodus that would happen the next day. They acted in faith and obedience, to receive the gift of God’s grace.  So, do we! 

Jesus offered Himself as our Lamb, sparing those who trust in Him, the judgment of God and death.  He feeds us so that we can be strong spiritually, ready for the journey from slavery to sin to joyful and holy freedom in the Spirit. And so, as we remember with saints from all the ages, we will sing and with the angels who praise Him:  “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:11-13, NIV)

If you’re an American, regardless of your political leanings, please remember on Memorial Day. Honor those who paid the ultimate price for this nation.  If you’re a Christian, remember that you are part of a “holy nation,” the people of God.  And give thanks for the Ultimate Sacrifice that makes us free from sin’s judgment, calls us to whole and holy living, and opens wide the Door to our Father’s house.

Lord, from our remembering of Your dying, may we be inspired to noble living. Amen.

Here’s a lengthy word from the Word. 

"Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.

And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 5:13-6:2, NIV)

Still the storm? Still my soul?

I let the expectations of others and demands of myself lead me to this conclusion, from time to time. "You must produce results now!" Naturally, there is just one result - stress on top of stress.  In a time of confession and awareness this morning, I sensed the Holy Spirit’s whisper,  “Jerry, ‘Let the peace of Christ rule your heart... live in peace... be thankful!’ " (Colossians 3;15) Don't you love it when God hands you a prescription for spiritual health? He reminds me that I have a choice in how I respond to the pressure of life, and urges me to choose to receive His peace.  Peace can be an elusive quality. Pressures, conflicts, chaos, misunderstandings, disappointments;   all conspire to give us knotted muscles, furrowed brows, and restless hearts. From there is it a short trip to anger and even disillusionment.  Do you think that peace is circumstantial- coming from a change of place,  position, or greater resources?  True peace transcends our present situation!  Peace is not discovered, it grows from deep faith. It is a gift from our Abba. 

"The LORD is peace." Raiders overpowered God’s people driving them into the hills where they hid in caves. Desperation was everywhere! Gideon, who was a farmer, needed to feed his family in spite of the raids and attacks in Israel. So he ventured from the caves, down to the fields. Judges 6 tells that he was hiding out near a winepress, threshing grain, fearing for his life. Suddenly he is aware of a Presence and a voice! "The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!" {Judges 6:12 NLT} Gideon knew he was no “mighty hero!”   There he was hiding out desperate to avoid detection at that very moment.  “Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." (Judges 6:15, NIV) He goes further and questions God's messenger about the hard times that his people are experiencing. But, when he saw the evidence of God's power and received the promise of God with faith, Gideon's heart changed. "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. (Yahweh Shalom)" {Judges 6:22-24 NIV}

 "Shalom" means more than the absence of conflict.  The Hebrew word, “shalom” includes wholeness, restfulness, and satisfaction. That quality of life is possible in any situation. The only requirement is a willingness to choose to live in the Presence of God. His Spirit produces serenity.   His gift of peace allows us to rise above situations that cause others to be full of fear or to fall apart.  “Lord, teach me to live in your holy ‘shalom,’  that I would choose to hide myself in Him, refusing to allow life's circumstances to steal His gift.  I am a slow learner in this area.  Too often I attempt to fix things and people by imposing a 'peace' of my own design.  Invariably, things get worse! When I accept His offer of peace patiently waiting to receive His wisdom, peace follows. Here’s the paradox - the situation usually remains exactly the same, but I am changed.

God does not ask us to live in a Zen-like detachment. Nor does He want us to run away from life or escape into denial. He wants us to be partners with Him to bring order to chaos, healing to the broken, and the defeat of evil wherever it makes its ugliness apparent – by allowing His grace to flow through us.  How did Jesus say it?  “Out of you will flow rivers of living water.” We can exhausted, yet serene! He stands alongside of us to steady us, to quiet our fear.  To be honest with you, it’s much easier to write than to live. Like Jesus’ disciples that stormy day on the Sea of Galilee, I want to scream, “Lord, don’t you care that we’re drowning?”  He does care.  Sometimes He stills the storm. Sometimes He stills my soul in the middle of the storm.

Today, before you engage with life's challenges, present yourself to your heavenly Abba. Meditate on His Word and give that problem, person, or pressure to Him. Invite the Spirit to impart holy ‘shalom’ to your soul.  Breathe a prayer for peace.  Here’s the word from the Word:  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

_________________

In the presence of Your infinite might,
I'm so small and frail and weak;
When I see Your pow'r and wisdom, Lord,
I have no words left to speak.

And I cry holy, holy, holy God,
How awesome is Your name,
Holy, holy, holy God,
How majestic is Your reign;
And I am changed in the presence of a holy God.

In the presence of Your glory,
All my crowns lie in the dust;
You are righteous in Your judgments, Lord,
You are faithful, true, and just.

And I cry holy, holy, holy God,
How awesome is Your name,
Holy, holy, holy God,
How majestic is Your reign;
And I am changed in the presence of a holy God.

© 1989 Integrity's Praise! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / PDIPraise (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music) CCLI License No. 810055

Oh, those kind of people

Last night I slept overnight on an old couch in the lower level of our church’s fellowship hall.   I was the overnight host as part of our church’s work with Family Promise, a cooperative  that provides temporary shelter for those who are homeless.  It’s been a long time since I thought about what it means to have a home, a bed to call my own, a place to park my stuff and myself!  But, there in that room, alone,  my gratitude was renewed. This morning, as I greeted the guests, one rejoiced that she had found a job.  Another man’s face was downcast. He was defeated by life, simply overwhelmed. Then, as clear as could be, it came to me – they are me!  I could take pride that I have ‘stuff’ but I would be a fool to do so.  I am blessed of God, pure and simple.

Who among us has not,  at one time or another, saw a homeless person and thought, “Oh, those kind of people…”  while we formulated some reason that they, not us, are in that situation. Drugs, alcohol, poor money management, bad work habits, lazy – their fault, right?  Let’s hit the pause button for a moment.  It could it be that a perfect storm of illness, job loss, and being without extended family swept over them.  A significant percentage of families in America live check to check, without a financial reserve.  Just a few things going wrong at the same time could push them into homelessness. Without friends or family, they too, would be looking for shelter.

Even if some kind of poor choice is involved, can I ignore their present plight? The Proverbs arrest us with this wisdom: "The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.” It is sin to despise one’s neighbors; blessed are those who help the poor." (Proverbs 14:20-21, NLT)  The poor are not ‘those kind of people.’  They are our brothers and our sisters, people God loves, worthy of being treated with dignity.  Even if we cannot solve all their problems, we can always make each one know that he is still visible, a person who matters to us, to God.  The Bible is full of instruction about loving the poor.  Under the OT law, a creditor could not hold a man’s coat, given as security for a loan, overnight.  Farmers were instructed to leave the harvest in the corners of their fields so the poor could go out and glean for themselves. There was a complex system for returning a family’s land to them in 50 year cycles to prevent perpetual poverty. (The 50^th year was called Jubilee)

Disciple, I want to encourage you in two ways today. 

 First, be thankful for your blessings. True gratitude is without pride. Adopt the attitude that Paul had.  “Because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste.” (The Message,  1 Corinthians 15:10).   

Second, care! Ask God to keep your heart and wallet open. “ If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" (James 2:2-4, NIV)

____________

We Will Stand

You're my brother, you're my sister,

So take me by the hand;

Together we will work until He comes.

There's no foe that can defeat us,

When we're walking side by side,

As long as there is love

We will stand!

Sometimes it's hard for me to understand,

Why we pull away from each other so easily?

Even though we're all walking the same road

Yet we build dividing walls,

Between our brothers and ourselves.

The day will come, when we will be as one,

And with a mighty voice

Together we will proclaim that Jesus,

Jesus is King.

It will echo through the earth

It will shake the nations,

And the world will see,

See that

You're my brother, you're my sister,

So take me by the hand;

Together we will work until He comes.

There's no foe that can defeat us,

When we're walking side by side,

As long as there is love

We will stand!

James Hollihan | Russ Taff | Tori Taff

© 1983 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Jesus Wept over that 'old time religion'

Did you happen to catch the segment on Anderson Cooper 360 last night (5/21) featuring the Baptist preacher’s rant about segregating lesbians and homosexuals in America?  I cried, literally, as I watched it, broken-hearted by the reproach this foolish man brought on my blessed Savior. Charles Worley’s website boasts about the church he pastors being ‘the home of the Old Time Religion.’  The tragedy is that he is spot on. He is in love with an old time religion, confusing his traditions, born and shaped in ignorance, with knowing Jesus Christ. Here’s what I believe makes Jesus weep:  many Americans think Worley’s ‘old time religion’ and the Gospel of Christ are one and the same!

Forty years ago, we sang a song in church, “Give me that old time religion… it was good for my mother, it was good for my father, and it’s good enough for me.”  It’s an anthem for those who want a dead tradition that avoids engagement with the world that is changing.  I don’t want or need an ‘old time religion.’  My desire is to know Christ; here and now, the living Lord who leads me to intimacy with my Heavenly Father in this time. Some confuse this promise of Christ for our time with spiritual novelty or as an imperative to throw away the teaching of the Church.  Truth never changes!  The living Spirit brings that Truth to bear so that we will be whole and holy people.  The Gospel is the glorious news that Jesus came, “God in flesh,” to reveal the love of the Father to us.  He died to build a bridge of reconciliation to God for us.  He was raised to life to demonstrate that there is eternal life promised for us. 

Do you want to please God?  Don’t mindlessly follow some ‘old time religion!’  And don’t try to ‘make it up’ as you go, which is what many in today’s world of a la carte spirituality try to do. The counsel of God is that we need the wisdom of the Spirit guiding us. "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-21, NIV)

The world we live in is full of evil and deception.  When that evil makes us feel threatened, when we are unsure how to meet it with the Good News of redemption, we will be tempted to circle the wagons of our tradition, to hide in the security of our little ‘bless me’ club, comforted by what is familiar.  The Spirit commands us to engage with wisdom!  The Spirit will fill us, our church community will be a place where worship renews us, but not for personal comfort. Instead, He will prepare us for the mission of spreading light into dark places.

Peter was hauled before a court of men who loved their ‘old time religion.’ They rebuked him for healing a man in the Name of Christ because they did not believe that was how things should be done.  Peter’s reply to them is our word from the Word.  Pray through it, Christian.  An old time religion cannot heal, cannot transform; but a living Christ in us, allows us to be living proof of the Truth.  "If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ”‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:9-12, NIV)

__________

Ancient Words

Holy words long preserved

For our walk in this world

They resound with God's own heart

O let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our faith

Handed down to this age

Came to us through sacrifice

O heed the faithful words of Christ

Words of life words of hope

Give us strength help us cope

In this world where'er we roam

Ancient words will guide us home

Ancient words ever true

Changing me changing you

We have come with open hearts

O let the ancient words impart

Martyr's blood stains each page

They have died for this faith

Hear them cry through the years

Heed these words and hold them dear

We have come with open hearts

O let the ancient words impart

O let the ancient words impart

Lynn DeShazo

© 2001 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Ancient Words, sung by Michael W. Smith

Misophonia, anyone?

Misophonia, anyone?

20/20 reported on a new malady. It’s called misophonia. Neurologists allege that those with the disorder become annoyed, or even enraged, by such ordinary sounds as other people eating, breathing, or coughing; certain consonants; or repetitive sounds. People with misophonia may be diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Even if we do not have this disorder, we all know people who set our teeth on edge. Just the sound of their voice as grating as finger nails dragged on a blackboard! Whatever triggers the irritation, left unexamined or unchallenged, it can quickly grow into offense, and then into a toxic situation.

We don’t have to have a neurological disorder for others to anger us. Human relationships are complex. Why do some people have such an ability to push our buttons? Why is that when ‘that person’ appears, our blood pressure goes up along with feelings of anxiety or anger?

• ... a neighbor and his piles of junk scattered around his year.
  
• ... a co-worker who expects everybody else on the team to carry her load as she whines about how hard life is for her. 
• ...  that person who is the perpetual 'star' in his own show, grabbing the spotlight of recognition.
  
• ... your parents who take the liberty to tell you how badly you are failing as a parent.
• ... that guy who thinks he's charming, but who is really an insensitive bore.
  

So, what's the natural way to deal with irritating people? You can shut them out! Just ignore them and hope they go away. If you see their number on caller ID, let the voicemail take the call. Build a fence so you can't see their junk. You could choose to move three states from your family to prevent them from meddling in your life more than once a year. These all work fairly well, if our goal is to protect ourselves.

But, are those choices what Christ Jesus wants from us? He told us exactly how we are to relate to others, even the difficult people in this world. Take a look. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ... “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:27-36, NIV)

Love, generosity, mercy! Tough words, aren't they? Jesus gives us no excuse to be unkind, critical, or even neutral! He orders us to take active steps to love those people we naturally would avoid. He shows us how to start- with prayer, not the 'get'em God' prayers that we are tempted to pray, either. Supernatural Holy Spirit-inspired love starts with: "Lord, help me to understand them, to know how to meet their needs, to have the right words that help them grow in grace, to be a loving friend to them today."

It is next to impossible to continue to hate someone for whom you are actively praying every day. Difficult people provide us with an opportunity to be a servant. Yes, they serve God's purposes in our lives by teaching us to surrender our rights, drop our defenses, and do what needs to be done for others. "Well, if I do that, they will just keep on being the way they are." Perhaps that is true. But it is also true that genuine love (not the fake air kisses variety that pretends politeness while thinking, 'drop dead!') is life's most powerful change agent. God loved you and me to wholeness while we were still rejecting Him, doing our own thing, and ignoring His offer of grace. Can we do less for others?

Are you feeling anger or even outright hostility towards another person?

How about confessing that feeling to God, without excuse or justification right now?

Tell Him how you feel and ask Him to change your heart. Then, take that step of praying for that person you really do not like. Keep at it. In time, you will discover that the best change happened in you! Here’s a word from the Word. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8, NIV)