Relentless Optimism

“The End of the world is coming!”  At least that is the underlying theme of so much news.  Exaggeration distorts our view of the world, our understanding of the future.  Supposedly the United States faces a ‘fiscal cliff’ in the next few days, the implication being that if we go over it, a terrible fate will befall us. No, not really.  Our taxes will go up and government spending will go down.   Life will change;  and . . .   we will adjust and go on.  But, the media hypes the story scaring people half to death.  

We are regularly treated to headlines about the worst storm in history or the deadliest drug every made  (3 died in all of America), or – you know what I’m talking about. This crisis reporting invades the minds of Christians and some buy it with devastating results to their faith.  The end of Christianity has been predicted again and again; yet, millions are coming to Christ every year in African nations, in China, and in Latin America.  Even here in the US, the way we practice our faith is changing, but Christianity is a long way from becoming extinct.  I’m not proclaiming the mission as accomplished; not by a long stretch.  Many indicators of the health of Christianity, especially in the West, are showing us how much work we have to do in order to hand off a living faith to the next generation.  The battle is not over, but it is not lost, either.

God is at work in circumstances in ways we cannot see at the moment; even in the not-so-great ones.  He can take the horrible consequences of sin and speak to the world through them. C. S. Lewis called suffering “God’s megaphone.”  Paul, the apostle, found himself in the grip of the Romans, imprisoned.  He could not travel to preach.  His ability to interact with others to share the Gospel of Christ was severely curtailed.  Terrible, right?  In a sense, yes. But, he realized that something amazing was happening   because of his suffering and restriction.  He wrote of it, "Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly." (Philippians 1:12-14, NIV)  

His guards were drawn from Caesar’s own elite troop, sons of nobility from across the Empire. These young men were standing in Paul’s presence, day in and day out, and they were getting converted!  Many would never had been exposed to the message of Christ in any other way.  Best of all, when they left service, they would head home to plant the seeds of this new faith in their regions. God had a purpose in the prison.  Not only that, but the preachers of lesser influence gained courage to speak out when they saw Paul’s deep faith.   What Paul did not know, but which we see clearly, was that the long stretches of confinement, during which he could only communicate with the churches through letters, provides us much of our New Testament. Those letters were inspired, preserved, and teach us how to live for Christ.  Without prison, we would not have them!

What are you going through today?  Is it the ‘worst,’ ‘the end of the world?’   Have you decided that is the reason to just lay down and quit? I am not minimizing your difficulties as I write this.  I am encouraging you to stay faithful, to keep faith, and to be intentional about asking God how He can use it to make Himself known: to you, to your world.  Some become cynical with age, seeing only the terrible, the failing, and the sad. I am relentlessly optimistic!  If you know me, you know that does not mean that I lack an ability to see things clearly or that I choose to live in denial of reality.  I see them and I weep.  Some nights I ache with fatigue, others I find it hard to sleep.  There are days when there is no end in sight.  But, "I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end. So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It’s as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us." (2 Timothy 1:12-14, The Message)

______________________

The Power Of Your Love

Lord, I come to You;

Let my heart be changed, renewed,

Flowing from the grace

That I found in You.

And, Lord, I've come to know

The weaknesses I see in me,

Will be stripped away-

By the pow'r of Your love.

Lord, unveil my eyes,

Let me see You face to face;

The knowledge of Your love

As You live in me.

Lord, renew my mind

As Your will unfolds in my life,

In living ev'ry day-

By the pow'r of Your love.

Hold me close,

Let Your love surround me.

Bring me near,

Draw me to Your side.

And as I wait-

I'll rise up like the eagle!

And I will soar with You,

Your Spirit leads me on,

In the pow'r of Your love.

Geoff Bullock

© 1992 Word Music, LLC (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.)

Maranatha! Music (Admin. by Maranatha! Music)

CCLI License # 810055

A culture adrift?

A culture adrift?

Our local newspaper reported the story of a high school substitute teacher who was suspended from his job for giving a student his Bible. Yes, that’s all there is to the story. There’s no hidden detail, no scandal, just a nice guy answering a kid’s question and handing him his personal Bible. School policy banned distribution of religious material in the pursuit of neutrality. I get the aim of that policy, but the application of it in this case is absurd. Fast forward to today’s paper. The county executives handed out grant money (tax money, yours and mine) yesterday. Included in their largesse are two local churches, one receiving $150k for a new roof, the other $100K for a stained glass window repair. What? Yes, you read correctly; tax money going to churches for repairs. I wish that they would have paid for our recent new heating plant ($22K). No, actually I don’t. (But that is a thought for another day.)

We are a culture adrift, conflicted about religion. Many push it to the side as an irrelevant relic of yesterday, not to be taken too seriously. At the same time, some realize that becoming a purely secular nation is a certain route to a cruel culture in which the power of the elites is unrestrained and the rights of the poor and weak are trampled underfoot. The terrible social experiments of the last century are proof of that. The atrocities of National Socialism (Nazi) in Germany were followed by terrible suffering that persisted for decades under Communism that spread across the globe. Both systems officially eliminated all things spiritual from public policy and descended into horrific abuses of individuals by the crushing power of the state.

What contemporary Americans have conveniently forgotten is that faith is not merely a private devotion. What we believe about God and ourselves has real consequence for both for the individual and for the society in which we live.

500 years ago, a 34 year old priest named Martin Luther realized that the Church was corrupt to the core. He re-examined the Scripture and renewed the understanding that we all matter to God, that we each can experience the power of the Spirit, and that all of our work can be done to God’s glory. Out of those convictions came democracy, constitutionalism, and religious liberty. He started a revolution that has implications for all aspects of life even five centuries later. Harold Berman of Emory University writes that "the key to the renewal of law in the West from the sixteenth century on was the Protestant concept of the power of the individual, by God's grace, to change nature and to create new social relations through the exercise of his will. The Protestant concept of the individual became central to the development of the modern law of property and contract...."  America was born out of the religious ideas of the Reformation.

The followers of John Calvin, in the 17^th century, enumerated the theology on which rests the ideals of American civil rights and liberties including freedom of speech, press, and religion.

So, why my opening remarks about a teacher and some grants? They reveal the confused nature of the government, growing out of our abandonment of vital faith. Religion is at once reviled and revered, but only for perhaps one more generation. We need a revival! No, I am not longing for the emotionalism that too often passes for spiritual renewal. I am praying for a deep, well-thought faith, grounded in the principles of Holy Scripture, from which grows godliness that nurtures life. While demanding respect for the rights of individuals, it balances those rights against responsibility shaped by the recognition that we will all give account for the way we conduct our lives to a just God.

I do not pine for a Christian nation in which the church is wedded to the State. I pray earnestly for a nation of Christians whose deeply held convictions about God and His Christ once again shape and restrain the powers of the State.

"From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." (Psalm 33:13-19, NIV)

 ___________

Lord, send revival.

Start with me.

Amen.

Are you a giver of good gifts?

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? If you're like a majority of Americans, you still have people on your list for whom there is no gift under the tree. It can be difficult to find the “right” gift for some. Then, too, some of us miss the meaning of the effort. How do you approach your Christmas shopping? Let me point out various kinds of gifting that will happen on the 25th.

The CHEAP shopper is driven by one goal - buying something, anything, that satisfies the need to offer a present.  He wants to spend as little money or energy as possible. My one question to this person is - "why bother?" You have missed the meaning of Christmas entirely. Save yourself the effort because the person who receives your 'gift' will only be obligated to write an insincere 'thank you' note!

The HURRIED shopper just wanted to get it over and done. He darts from store to store, grabbing this and that and checking off the names on his list. Obligation, not love, is the primary drive behind their search.

The "PAY MY DEBTS" shopper hopes that with one gift, usually one that is far too extravagant, that she can make up for her failures through the year. No gift can do this, and this shopper is sadly set up for disappointment already!

The "I'D SURE LIKE THAT" who buys gifts he would like to receive. His gifts are often very nice, they do not bless the recipient; they just don't 'fit.' Why? Because, at the heart, he's selfish. His gifts are not thoughtfully chosen because he is too in love with himself to be aware of what really going on outside of his own skin.

The "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU" finds the heart of Christmas! This person thinks carefully about the tastes, the needs, the personality of the person for whom she is getting a gift and, after a careful search, prepares a gift that she presents for no reason other than the joy of blessing another.  Her gift has no payment, no obligation, nor guilt attached!

This is how God gave to us. The Bible says that “God so loved ____________________ (insert your name here) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)  This passage amplifies the promise: "God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!)" (Ephesians 2:4-5, NLT)  He is totally sufficient in Himself, yet He gave. He has no aim other than to bring us life. His Gift was rich, prepared from eternity, given to settle my debts, based on my need, and shaped by His love for me!

In your gift-giving, make LOVE the reason.

Having trouble finding a gift for someone on your list? Relax and think about who they are, what they need, and how you can express love in a language they'll understand. It will come to you! The best gifts are, like God's gift to us, a gift of ourselves.

________________

How Great Our Joy

While by the sheep we watched at night.

Glad tidings brought an angel bright.

How great our joy (great our joy)

Joy, joy, joy! (joy joy joy)

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

(Praise we the Lord in heaven on high)

There shall be born, so he did say,

In Bethlehem a Child today.

How great our joy. (great our joy)

Joy, joy, joy! (joy joy joy)

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

(Praise we the Lord in heaven on high)

This gift of God we'll cherish well

That ever joy our hearts shall fill.

How great our joy. (great our joy)

Joy, joy, joy! (joy joy joy)

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

(Praise we the Lord in heaven on high)

Theodore Baker

Public Domain

(Yes, you have seen this before. Many commented on it when first written so I offered it again.)

The Moral Majority

The Bible says that we are ‘made in God’s image,’ that we are to reflect His nature in our thoughts, words, and actions. There is just one big problem:  sin!  Though we don’t like to talk about it, sin is  a universal reality.  The image of God in us is marred beyond recognition by a condition we inherit from Adam.  Each of us in our own way knows how we fail, often in spite of our best intentions.  That is why we need a Savior, Jesus, who forgives, rescues, and restores us.  It is a miraculous (literally!) transformation, not a moral reformation.  It is an infusion of grace that produces change from the inside out, not an imposition of rules that forces an external conformity to religious rules.

The Biblical argument for this Spirit-empowered change is sound and compelling.  Yet, many who claim to be Christian do not show any real evidence of being a ‘new creation in Christ.’ They are working very hard at incremental character improvement, and as a result of all their efforts, are usually marginally better people than the irreligious ones around them. On good days, they manage to be kind and gentle.  There are flashes of altruism, glimpses of love; but push them hard and the instinct of self-preservation quickly shows up. Why?  Because Christ is not the center, grace is not the hope, the Spirit is not the power.

Our most basic sin is pride.  When the Spirit is not in charge even our best acts are corrupted by it. Jesus pointed that out when He urged us to do our giving and praying in secret.  He knew what we need to know – we will quickly turn both into a performance designed to impress others rather than an act of worship that exalts God.  Not so long ago, the Spirit showed me this ugly side of myself. As I wrote a check, a rather substantial one, for a ministry, I caught myself thinking about what a good, generous man I was being; about how this check would enhance my reputation as a godly person. Doesn’t that just reek of pride? Yes, it does; and my heart was chastened.  I repented, thanking God for showing me the shallowness of my devotion and praying that He would break that need for approval, replacing it with the joy that can be found in loving Him.

We might ask, where then is hope for us?  Can our love of self ever be broken? The Scripture reveals that it can, but only because of the amazing grace of our Father. "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:1-8, NIV)  We are set right with God, not because we are morally good, but because He declares us ‘just as if we never sinned’ through Christ! Indeed, while we were in the depths of our sinfulness, ignorant of God and His goodness, Christ died on our behalf.  We have no grounds for boasting, none!

There is a tragic misunderstanding of God’s gift. Some reason thus; if God loves me as I am, then what imperative is there to change? Why does morality matter if Christ has forgiven all our sins?  It matters because we are saved to reveal His glory, to become like Christ.  "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms—all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6-7, NLT)  "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York, outlines the process of renewal that should inform our minds as we move from mere morality to true spiritual transformation.

The Plot winds up: WHAT YOU MUST DO.
“This is what you have to do! Here is what the text/narrative tells us that we must do or what we must be.”
The Plot thickens: WHY YOU CAN’T DO IT.
“But you can’t do it! Here are all the reasons that you will never become like this just by trying very hard.”
The Plot resolves: HOW HE DID IT.
“But there’s One who did. Perfectly. Wholly. Jesus the—. He has done this for us, in our place.”
The Plot winds down: HOW, THROUGH HIM, YOU CAN DO IT.
“Our failure to do it is due to our functional rejection of what he did. Remembering him frees our heart so we can change like this…”

The question that begs an answer is this: are you attempting to live the Christian life as a member of the great Moral Majority, those who are moralists?  Or are you experiencing the life of the Spirit, a gift that comes through Christ, that changes the very heart?   

Here’s a word from the Word.  Do not allow familiarity to steal the impact of these magnificent truths. "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses (rule based religion) could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God." (Romans 8:1-8, NLT)

Lord Jesus, this Advent Season renew my hope in You.

Forgive me for trading the glory of grace for the fool’s gold of mere religion.

I trust in You, look to You, hold tightly to Your promise.

"May the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NIV)

Amen

What are you doing here?

“What are you doing here?”

I sometimes wander off into the swamps of doubt, the valleys of fear, or the deserts of selfishness. I allow stinking thinking to take over in my head and it takes me where I need not go; where I should not go!  Faith withers in the gloomy fog of the lowlands of doubt, the brightness of the Son obscured by negative thoughts and by accusations that rise like ghosts from the murk.  In the shadows of the valley of fear I lose hope. The cliff walls close in and the future is hidden.  When I wander into the desert of selfishness, I grow obsessed with finding refreshment.  Desperation grows and with it, a more and more frantic search for something to soothe my troubled soul. And, God is there.

He comes, by His Spirit, and asks, ‘what you are doing here?’  If I respond in humility, as the Scripture says, "He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake." (Psalm 23:3, NIV)  He’s invested in me, I am His child!

Elijah won a great victory for the LORD before the whole nation of Israel. He defeated the false prophets of the local god, Baal, in a show-down on Mt. Carmel.  God sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice Elijah had prepared and all Israel knew that the “Lord is our God!”  But the queen was not happy. 400 of her ‘prophets’ died that day and she sent word to Elijah that she would even the score by seeking his death.  In his fatigue, he let stinking thinking take over and it led him to "run for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:3-4, NIV)  But the Lord did not abandon his man!  He sent an angel to bring him food and water, then He let him rest.

When Elijah was rested, He invited him to listen for a new commission. But first He asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  When the prophet had confessed his doubts, his fears, and his selfishness, God spoke; but not in a thunderous voice. He whispered gently, giving him renewed hope, a vision for the future.

Have you lost your way, wandered off of the path into fear, or doubt, or selfishness?  Is the Spirit calling you back?  Stop. Look. Listen.  Tell Him why you wandered and as you do, ask His forgiveness in Jesus’ Name. He will forgive, He will restore.  When God’s people had fallen so far that they found themselves enslaved by a foreign nation, the Lord sent words of promise that we can claim today: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

We need not take those detours from the highway of holiness. I leave you with Jesus’ invitation. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." (John 10:27-29, NIV)  

Lord, help us to listen for Your voice.

May Your whisper be like music

Breaking through the noise,

Cutting through the clutter,

Bringing us comfort and peace.

Lead us and guide us this day.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

_____________

He Leadeth Me O Blessed Thought

He leadeth me, O blessed thought,

O words with heavenly comfort fraught.

Whate'er I do, where-e'er I be,

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me.

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

Joseph Henry Gilmore | William Batchelder Bradbury

Public Domain