Thoughts on the Sadness

On Wednesday evening, on a local backroad, a teen-age boy’s life ended in a terrible crash. Yesterday the tragedy compounded when news outlets reported that he took his own life. I did not know him but I cannot shake the sadness. How can a young person with his whole life before him conclude that life is no longer worth living?  It is both unfair and wrong to try to find someone to blame. 

So I have been prayerfully thinking, how is the Gospel I love, the Christ I know, made available to this generation? How can we communicate hope and life with meaning to others?

Then I read about two You-Tubers, Rhett and Link, who are popular in the United States among teens. They recently ‘deconstructed’ their faith.  These two articulate, funny guys who were Christians, active in local churches, explained that they are walking away. It is almost impossible to measure the impact they will have on young minds by stating their conclusions that Jesus’ resurrection is a myth and that Christianity does not stand up to modern science and contemporary sexual ethics. Again, I’m not blaming anyone or anything for this ‘death of faith’ but it makes me do some self-examination. Am I living a consistent, charitable, open kind of faith life that invites others to consider Christ as Savior and Lord?

When people lose hope and transcendent purpose the results are generally not good. We need anchor points in life that can hold us steady when we encounter those rough things that inevitably come our way. Death is going to show up, sooner or later, in our lives when parents die, friends die. Even with faith, encountering mortality is a jolt that shakes people to the core. If faith’s call to greater purpose, to living for something or Someone greater than one’s self, is lost- how does a person remain whole and loving especially when life makes it clear that we are not ‘masters of our own fate?’  We are just small beings surviving in a harsh environment and without faith we can despair or just exist without joy.

I make no defense of the fundamentalism of my youth that mistakenly taught me that ‘absolute certainty’ about the Bible and all matters of faith is possible. It isn’t. Faith is, by definition, wrapped around mystery.  Faith is the bridge between the ‘unseen’ and us. Without it, we cannot know or please God, but it must not be sold as a ‘learn this verse and erase all your doubts’ kind of experience. Faith involves our mind and our heart, our reason and our emotions. Christ invites us to come and find Him good but, if our Gospel is to survive we must make it safe and possible for questions to be asked.  We are authentic if we will admit when we cannot understand the ‘why’s’ or outcomes of life, or all of the ways of an eternal God.

Then, too, I think that Christians need to stop making secondary issues into primary ones. For example if we insist that real Christians must adopt a literal view of 6 days of Creation and declare that the earth is just a few thousand years old, without allowing for discussion, for many minds today the conversation about the rest of the Bible is over.  Do people have very different convictions about that issue? Of course and that is as it should be, but those convictions do not replace Christ at the core of our faith.   And, then too, if we reduce our understanding of human sexuality to a few simple Bible quotes and prohibitions without attempting a fuller conversation about why God made us sexual creatures, how this sacred gift fits into the whole picture of life, we will not connect with those who have been taught that sex is just another natural appetite to be satisfied in any way that does not hurt anyone else.

In Christ Jesus, I find hope that is rich and steady. In His story I find an invitation into life that is fuller now and that has purpose beyond what I see and know in this world.  I hold tightly to these declarations about Jesus - "to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—" (John 1:12, NIV) "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, NIV)  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)  Trusting His love for me, I learn to love Him and the world which He came to restore to the Creator.

Thanks for reading along with my meandering thoughts this morning. My heart is heavy for the world in which I live. I want to know Christ and made Him known. Don’t you?

Before you go, join me in meditation on this sweet invitation of Jesus to a kind of life that knows His power and peace.

Here is the word from the Word.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)  This paraphrase might make His words more accessible for you. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

___________

Abba, I want to know You better,

to live so that the Light shines through me

into a world stumbling around in the dark.

Transform my sorrow over those who have abandoned You,

over the death of faith that is almost an epidemic around me,

into a desire to pray, to listen, to invite, to show You in my words and actions

as the Beautiful One that You are.

Make your Name glorious, Your Presence compelling.

Come, heal us. Revive my heart with the Breath of the Spirit.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Sparrows and Hair loss

Finding the right balance between feeling valued as a human being and becoming an entitled narcissist is not all that simple. Our culture preaches self-love to us constantly, yet millions of people live with insecurity, trying desperately to prove their worthiness. Some pursue beauty, others chase recognition. Some buy latest fashions, while others turn themselves into virtual slaves- people pleasers- in attempts to gain acceptance.

We have turned into a nation of perpetually offended people who are carefully trying to guard ourselves from those who fail to show the respect we feel we deserve. Our national obsession with self-esteem has given us layers of laws that are supposed to protect us from hateful words and actions. And still, we have this epidemic of anxiety about our personal worth.

Christian, we can lay down our defenses, stop clamoring for people to love us, and find security in being loved deeply by God! Jesus said "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31, NIV) Think hard about that statement. God knows YOU, loves You, cares about YOU.  It’s not a cliché nor is that a greeting card kind of sentiment. It is a baseline fact which can radically change the way we live.

Seeing our human plight, God did not hide in His Heavens. He entered the Creation, mysteriously and wonderfully becoming fully Man, to suffer with us, to save us from destruction. Why? "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NIV) We cannot add anything to His Complete Person, nor could we do anything for Him that He could not do for Himself. It is love that causes Him to come alongside of us, to offer us restoration, to give us eternal life. When we receive that love, by faith, everything changes.

Paul prays for Believers this way.  I pray "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV)  That is the heart of God: to love us and to have us know His love so that we will be drawn to become like Him in love.  John says it simply – “We loved because He loved us first.”

Does shame or guilt destroy your sense of personal value? Let Jesus forgive.

Does failure dog your thoughts making you wonder if you are worthy? Trust God, through Jesus, to give you a new vision.

Do others point out your flaws, bringing the pain of rejection? Tell the Lord and meditate on His promise of unconditional love.

Do you hate yourself? Bathe your mind and heart in the promise of His love, letting Him heal you.

Here is a word from the Word. May the Spirit turn the written Word into a living truth for us, making us whole and beautiful for Him. "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own. " (1 John 3:1-3, The Message)
___________

You Say

I keep fighting voices in my mind

That say I'm not enough

Ev'ry single lie that tells me

I will never measure up

Am I more than just the sum of

Ev'ry high and ev'ry low

Remind me once again just who I am

Because I need to know oo oh

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing

You say I am strong when I think I am weak

You say I am held when I am falling short

And when I don't belong oh You say I am Yours

And I believe oh I believe

What You say of me I believe

The only thing that matters now

Is ev'rything You think of me

In You I find my worth

In You I find my identity

Taking all I have and now I'm laying it at Your feet

You'll have ev'ry failure God

You'll have ev'ry victory

Oh I believe yes I believe

What You say of me I believe

Jason Ingram | Lauren Daigle | Paul Mabury

© 2016 CentricSongs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

On A Mission From God

Down deep most of us want to have a purpose, a mission in life, to know: “This is the reason I exist.” Yes, I’m old enough to remember the Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood, who made a punch line out of the phrase “on a mission from God” in the original Blues Brothers film. But, disciple, it is no joke! 

We exist to know, love, serve, and glorify God; all of us, not just pastors and religious professionals. The mission is the same. How we carry it out will be amazingly varied, depending on His calling, our gifts, and opportunities.  Some serve Him by making a Christ-centered home where children learn of His love. Some may be artists who turn people’s hearts to Him with their work. Some may make Him known by their steady integrity at work.

After Jesus called the Twelve who were His first followers, Matthew tells us that He sent them on a mission to the surrounding towns. "Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38, NIV) "As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:7-8, NIV)  I confess when I first read those lines this morning, I found them almost beyond my comprehension. “Raise the dead?” Really?

I may not be resurrecting any actual corpses these days (you can argue that with me if you want) but I am speaking life into those who are dead to God, who receive the Spirit and are ‘raised to new life.’ I am pointing those who are without hope, sick in despair, to the hope that Jesus offers. That grace that I am given in Christ, I now offer to the world in which I live. How I pray that my words and life are living proof of His Kingdom Come!  And, you are called to this mission, too.

Jesus was traveling through the spiritually dead region of Samaria when He paused at midday near a town well. He sent His disciples off to find some food and while they were gone a woman whom we would call ‘dysfunctional’ showed up. The fact that she was getting water at midday shows that she was an outcast, avoiding the social interaction that would be inevitable in the morning when everybody came for water. He spoke with her at length and she came to believe, made whole and new. 

When the disciples returned and found out what had happened they were full of wonder.  Jesus, using the metaphor of the harvest, told them they needed to look around and see the opportunities that existed! "Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35, NIV)

People around us need Jesus. We are messengers with a mission – to make it plain that God’s kingdom is here.  Pastor Bert Montgomery says it like this: “Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into his followers, yet too many of us haven’t realized it yet. We’re still in a dream of “unforgivenness.” Alas, we are unforgiving of the sins of the world, unforgiving of the sins of others, unforgiving of our own sins; therefore sins are retained, sins continue to control us. We live as though Jesus remains in the tomb. Jesus wants to wake us from the dream. Jesus wants us to “make a profession out of this consciousness.” To live in the resurrection, to live in the consciousness of God’s forgiveness of the whole world which God so loves.”

Yes, because He lives, I live as eternal being, reconciled to God, filled with hope, on a mission from God!

Today, pray a simple prayer – “Lord, open my eyes to the opportunities near me and send me.”  Then, courageously follow Him. Show love. Offer hope. Speak life. Pray with and/or for that person who hurts. Share Christ and lead someone to give himself to Jesus. In those choices, you will find a new reason to be and joy of being a partner with God in saving the world, one life at a time.

Our word from the Word reminds us of the mission. "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." (2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV)

___________

Lord Of The Harvest

Lord of the harvest

Place Your fire in me

Use me Lord to touch this land

To set the captives free

Lord of the harvest

Anoint my lips I pray

To boldly speak Your words of truth

To help men find the way

Lord of the harvest

The harvest fields are ripe

Touch Your people with Your pow'r

And send Your fire now

Lord of the harvest

The labourers are few

Lord raise an army by Your pow'r

To work this day for You

Send Your fire

Send Your rain

Holy Spirit come again

Come in power

Fall like rain

Holy Spirit come again

Mark Cole

© 2000 Mark Cole/GT Music