Papa, when are we going to Mackeys?

“Later on today, we will go to Mackey’s for ice cream,” I promised the grandkids.  Adelina, who is 4, held onto my words and every 30 minutes asked, “Papa, is it time?”  When a thunderstorm blew in with pouring rain around 6 PM, she insisted she would still like ice cream, even in the rain.  Thankfully the sun reappeared in an hour and the day was saved!  The anticipation of such a small treat was a grandfather’s delight.  That she would be so excited about a cup of sweetness is a credit to a child’s simplicity.  There was no question if I could or would provide. It was just when it would happen.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3, NIV)  Jesus gave us this promise! Do we live in anticipation of living in that amazing, beautiful, peaceful, prepared home?

The promise of an eternal home is the driving force in a life of true holiness and devotion! That is why the Word tells to keep our eyes focused beyond the horizon of time. “Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.” (1 Peter 2:11 Message)  No matter how hard we try, we cannot hang onto ‘the good life’ here forever.  Troubles will come.  Solomon poetically reminds us that aging will gradually steal our ability to enjoy the pleasures of this world. "Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore…  Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 6-7, NLT)

Some of you are thinking, “Jerry is so morbid. He thinks about death all the time.” No, I don’t, but Heaven is always on my mind!  I love life but given His promises, being at home with Abba is what I anticipate! There is much about life that delights me.  The Lord has blessed me in many ways. I’ve known love, prosperity, success, and lived in joy – but what I have known is nothing compared to what I will know when He welcomes me to His glorious heaven.  Do you believe this?

Those who live the Christian life in all the fullness that Jesus offers are not those who are desperately in love with this present world.  Nothing can unsettle the saint who knows to Whom he belongs and that He is able to keep that which is committed to Him for that Day.

Are you living in anticipation?

Is your faith anchored in eternity, knowing that the Lord who promised is faithful?

"Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. …
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 19-25, NIV)

____________

Soon And Very Soon

Soon and very soon,

We are going to see the King!

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

We're going to see the King.

No more dying there,

We are going to see the King!

Should there be any rivers we must cross,

Should there be any mountains we must climb.

God will supply all the strength that we need,

Give us grace till we reach the other side.

We have come from every nation,

God knows each of us by name.

Jesus took His blood and He washed our sins,

And He washed them all away.

Yes, there are some of us

Who have laid down our lives,

But we all shall live again,

On the other side.

Soon and very soon,

We are going to see the King!

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

We're going to see the King.

Andraé Crouch

© 1971 Bud John Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Crouch Music Corp. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

I’m in a hard place. Did I miss the plan of my Father?

“If I were in the ‘will of God’ these terrible things would not be happening to me.  Doesn’t He promise me that He has a wonderful plan, a hope and future?”  The person asking me those questions is an earnest Christian, devout and faithful.  He had experienced one disappointment after the other for several years. Even some of his Christian friends had backed away as if he had some kind of spiritual disease. I tried to help him understand that he had believed a half-truth. Yes, God is loving and blesses His children and He also allows them to walk through trials for many reasons – His own glory, to bring them closer to Himself.  Another conversation went so much differently. She had many troubles.  With tears in her eyes she said, “As the things of this world are pulled away, His Presence becomes so much sweeter, doesn’t it?”   Her faith was rich!

Christian, if we desire to know the serenity of God’s Presence and to live in the center of His will, we must surrender.  He does ask us to adopt an attitude of apathy, nor does He try to force us into desperate resignation.  He invites us to trust, an active choice like that of Jesus who prayed “Not my will, but Yours be done.”   Psalm 37 shows the way:  “Trust in the Lord… … do good… Delight yourself in the LORD … Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:1-6, NIV)

Assuming that a person has dealt with self-will and/or sin with humility and repentance, what then?  RELAX!

There is a confidence that we own when we are walking in the Spirit. "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Philippians 1:6, The Message)  God has planted the seed of His will in us and it is germinating. We care for it by prayer, by meditation, by worship, and by learning the Word. But, we cannot make it grow.  Imagine planting a row of beans and then each morning digging them up to see if they were growing! You would not harvest many beans from that garden, would you? Even when it seems like life is going backwards for you, when there is no discernable path in front of you, walk on; in faith.

God is at work, 'finishing in you what He has started.'

Consider David, the poet/king of Israel.  He was called to be God's anointed king while still a young teenager in his father's household. A short while after his encounter with the prophet, Samuel, he went off to take supplies to his brothers who were at war. There he was deeply offended by the faithlessness of the Israeli army. Stirred by the Spirit, he took on the giant, Goliath, killing him on the field of battle with a simple shepherd's sling. King Saul summonsed David to the royal court. Looks like the young farm boy just got his big break, doesn't it? It wasn't! For the next two decades, David was a fugitive, running from the insane jealousy of Saul.

So, was David in the will of God? Every indication in the Bible is that he was! Finally, Saul was killed in battle and David took the throne. Even then, several years passed before he consolidated his power and moved forward to lead the nation to greatness for the glory of his God. Did David like waiting through the hard times? I don't think so. During that time, he wrote Psalm 57, where you can sense his questioning of his pathway, even as he bravely declares his faith in God.  Remember, God is not threatened by our honest questions.  Ask them, but in faith and surrender.

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past.
I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
He will send help from heaven to save me, rescuing me from those who are out to get me.

...My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it.
My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises!" (Psalm 57, NLT)

God is with you today!
Present yourself to Him.

He is working out His plans and purposes in your life. Stay steady. Keep on doing the right things even when nothing is making sense. And this is the promise you can take with you:

To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity.

To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.

You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud.

Lord, you have brought light to my life;

my God, you light up my darkness.

In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.

As for God, his way is perfect.

All the Lord's promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. -- Psalm 18:25-30 NLT

_____________________

My stubborn will at last hath yielded;

I would be Thine, and Thine alone;

And this the prayer my lips are bringing,

"Lord, let in me Thy will be done."

Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,

Till I am wholly lost in Thee;

Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,

Till I am wholly lost in Thee.

Sweet Will Of God- Morris, Lelia N. © 1968 Lillenas Publishing Company

Is it time to retreat?

“Why do you even watch the news?” she asked.  “It’s so negative, such a downer.”  In many ways, she is right.  The worst of humanity, the most depraved behaviors, get all the attention. Nobody reports on the country that is stable and prosperous, but the woes of Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan fill our TV screens.  The gun violence of a city neighborhood obscures the serenity of the rest of the country.  

 Do you ever wonder if our world coming apart at the seams? 

Leonard Sweet writes, "It's an old man's hobby to think the world is getting worse- all is in decline and decay. It's a young man's hobby to think that the world is better than it has ever been." How true. As we age, change threatens our sense of stability. Sweet goes on to observe, "The truth is, young and old, the world is getting better, but the dangers the better brings are getting worse." (The Perfect Storm, Abingdon Press, 2008)   Individually, we live longer and better lives than people did a century ago.  Science has helped us deal with diseases that ended millions of lives before age 40 in the past. But, science has also ‘gifted’ us with weapons of mass destruction, with technology that has a major environmental impact.

Despite my optimism, I am realistic about the depravity of humanity.  Our gains in knowledge have given us, on the whole better lives, even as they have made it possible for sinful people to have a greater and greater impact. Now one hate-filled man in Yemen can spread his venom world-wide via the Internet.  Just a few young men full of rage can kill thousands as we learned on that dark day in America called, 9/11.  One teenage boy with an automatic rifle can kill a classroom full of children. Evil is real but I am not ready to retreat or to despair!

Paul wrote to Timothy about the choice he had in dealing with the reality of the time. His words need to infuse us with new courage.  "Fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News." (2 Timothy 1:5-8, NLT) Timothy, a young pastor, saw the might of Rome forming against the little Church, ready to squash these Christ-followers.  He wondered if it time to go underground, to disengage and wait for the Second Coming to rescue the little band of Believers from the big, bad, ugly Roman Empire.   Paul sent a letter that said, “Not now, not ever! Strengthen your foundation of faith. Take the gifts of God that enable you to live with power, love, and self-discipline. Get ready to endure the tough times that may come!"

It’s my opinion that these United States are becoming less hospitable to Christians of conviction with each passing year.  Apathy towards Christianity is turning into real hostility as about half of the nation sees faith as a threat to their right to express themselves in any they choose. “Right and wrong,” are replaced with “best for me at this time.”  Most Americans prefer a bland spirituality or no spirituality at all to a robust faith!  But, I see this as a time of great opportunities if we are filled with the Spirit, living lovingly, hopefully, and engaged with those who are broken and bruised.  The merely religious will fold their hands and bow their heads in despair.

In Romans we are taught that ‘where sin increases, grace increases. Sin’s rule brings death, grace brings life and peace.’   Let’s live in the Kingdom of Christ, experiencing grace, giving grace so that abundant life can grow where sin would make a desert!

Here's a word from the Word. Let it encourage you today.

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed,

for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us,
what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:14-17, NIV)

How to be a fulfilled, happy Christian

The church building buzzed yesterday. Kids were everywhere. Adults were planning games, telling Bible stories, and singing songs about Jesus.  There are people staffing our Vacation Bible School who took a week of their vacation time for it. Laura, who coordinates Children’s Ministry at our church, started working in January to bring this week into being.  Her leadership is a key, but she would not, could not get the message to 200 kids without dozens of others who join in.

Are you part of God’s work in the world, closely connected in some way, taking up the opportunities He presents to you?  VBS is the current effort. Our little fellowship has dozens of people involved throughout the year getting out the Word, serving people in Jesus’ Name.  Bob guides a crew that makes the grounds look good, honoring Christ with their excellence. Terry leads a team that lifts their voices in song and carries us into God’s Presence in Worship. Pat and her team lug boxes of food into our pantry, repack it, and present – with love – to those in need.  Several leaders pull together small groups in homes to encourage discipleship.  And the list goes on . . .

In every congregation that I been privileged to serve, in differing locales in our country, I saw a common thread:   Those who roll up their sleeves and get to work to serve Jesus, His Body, and the world in His Name are the most content, most fulfilled, steadiest Christians.   They tire in their work. They sometimes get dissatisfied with results, they even endure criticism but they are the company of the committed who are focused on serving the Lord of Glory.  They know the great joy of being connected in a meaningful with other people – something that is of great value.

As I reflect on those who link arms in ministry, the ancient poetry of the Psalm comes to mind.
David saw the people of God getting along and doing His work.
He wrote:
"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
 running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133, NIV)

Oils, precious and refined, were poured on the heads of the priests symbolizing the Presence of God.  The fragrance spread to those watching. Everyone was enveloped in the experience, part of the rite even through the sense of smell!

Mount Hermon, the highest peak in Northern Israel, was the place from which the waters of the Jordan flowed, bringing life to the desert areas of Mount Zion in Jerusalem.  God gave the snowfall that fell on that high peak. As it melted and flowed down into the Jordan the whole region was watered, the fertility of the ground preserved.  All were blessed by something happening far away.

David's point is that when God's people work together, sharing grace, loving - it's a 'WOW' experience, the best of the best, spreading out to touch many lives.

Are you a Christian on the sidelines?  Are you reluctant to serve, feeling that life is already too full?   Take another look at the opportunities. Listen again for God’s call.

Get in on the party! Join the family. Find a place to participate in what God is doing. Forget yourself as you focus on the work. You'll find joy!

The word from the Word uses your body to illustrate His Body.  Read it again, asking the Spirit to let you catch a vision of serving.
"God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit.
God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all.

 Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.
All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!
The variety is wonderful: wise counsel clear understanding. ...

You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body.

Your body has many parts-limbs, organs, cells-but no matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body.
It's exactly the same with Christ. ... I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less.
A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge.
It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together." (1 Corinthians 12:5-8, 12, 14, The Message)
________________

Let Your Glory Fall (Click on title to listen and pray along)

Father of creation,

Unfold Your sov'reign plan.

Raise up a chosen generation

That will march through the land.

All of creation is longing

For Your unveiling of pow'r.

Would You release Your anointing?

Oh God, let this be the hour!

Let Your glory fall in this room.

Let it go forth from here to the nations.

Let Your fragrance rest in this place,

As we gather to seek Your face.

Ruler of the nations,

The world has yet to see,

The full release of Your promise,

The church in victory.

Turn to us, Lord, and touch us,

Make us strong in Your might.

Overcome our weakness,

That we could stand up and fight.

Let Your kingdom come!

Let Your will be done.

Let us see on earth,

The glory of Your Son.

David Ruis

© 1992 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Vineyard Music USA)

CCLI License # 810055