Remember and LIVE!

9/11/01 – I still remember the spot in the church sanctuary where I was sitting in a meeting of pastors when I was called to the phone. My son’s panicked voice told me that something awful was happening in NYC. The ‘awful’ turned into the unimaginable as that day went on and we learned about the tragic loss of 3000 lives. America changed that day! I remember with deep emotions to this day. 

“A day that will live in infamy” was what President Franklin D. Roosevelt called 12/7/1941, the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It was a defining day for people in my grandparents’ generation. America entered World War 2 and lives were put upside down for the next 4 years.

My parents’ generation can tell you where they were on 11/22/1963 – the day when America’s young President, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, TX. His untimely death started an era of social upheaval in America that stretched through the remaining part of that decade.   

Americans need to ponder these memories, and more, as we live through the chaos that is the year 2020, looking for lessons, learning resilience. This year, I believe, will be seen in the future as one that changed our nation much like those days mentioned a moment ago. How will we choose to respond? Will our choices be reactionary and costly, or will we choose to be proactive, seeking positive changes? 

Keep this in mind -  our memories to lay the foundation on which the future rests.  Memories shape us - in faith, in values, and can provoke reactions – good and bad – in us. We cannot live in the past but we must remember.

Let me shift focus today to the act of worship that unites Christians, a perpetual moment of memory instituted by Jesus. On the night before He went to the Cross, He sat at Passover dinner with His disciples and when He passed the Cup and the Bread He said -“Do this in remembrance of me!”   As we share Communion, it is to take us back to the Cross when everything changed for humanity. We were reconciled to God, our Father/Creator, restored to eternal life. We must never forget the wonderful gift of our salvation.  

How easily we fall into the familiar patterns, hearing the words, taking the bread and the cup, without really remembering. Let’s come together at that moment expecting an encounter with the Presence of the Lord, inviting our heart and mind to be touched by the Mystery of faith, changed. Christians interpret the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of Communion somewhat differently, but we can all agree that it a critically important part of our faith that ought to be entered into with reverence. 

How many times have we heard these words? "So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. … if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself." (1 Corinthians 11:27, 29, NLT)  If slip into unthinking ritual, without faith and love for that which should bless, we insult the grace and love of God.  Oh, Lord, help us to remember, to worship, and to receive what You prepare for us.  

Do you remember?  "When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “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 22:14-20, NIV)

When we hold the Bread and Cup, we look back, we look up, then we look forward.
We renew our faith in the Covenant of Grace, that gift that transforms us from death to life, from sinner to saint.

I remember, will you?
The blessed body of Jesus, broken for me! 
The precious life of Jesus offered for me! 

As much as we love the new and the novel, we cannot, we must not ever forget the ancient, yet ever new, story of amazing love.

____________________ 

And Can It Be

(Worship with this amazing hymn of remembering!)

 And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior's blood
Died He for me who caused His pain
For me who Him to death pursued

Amazing love how can it be
That Thou my God shouldst die for me

He left His Father's throne above
So free so infinite His grace
Emptied Himself of all but love
And bled for Adam's helpless race 

'Tis mercy all immense and free
For O my God it found out me

Amazing love how can it be
That Thou my God shouldst die for me

No condemnation now I dread
Jesus and all in Him is mine
Alive in Him my living Head
And clothed in righteousness divine

Bold I approach th'eternal throne
And claim the crown through Christ my own

Amazing love how can it be
That Thou my God shouldst die for me

Charles Wesley © Words: Public Domain

But, until then …

 

As 2020 started America descended rapidly into chaos. A virus triggered responses in the world that changed lives, devastated economies, and killed people.  I wonder why?   Do you ever wonder why things happen as they do? Are there circumstances in your life for which you would love an explanation? Me, too! It is not wrong to wonder.  Yes, asking why can lead us to valuable reflection, to greater faith, to deeper devotion- sometimes.  However, rushing to answer that question with half-baked conclusions, spectacular conspiracy theories, or simplistic ideas – will surely lead us away from the true purposes of God.

I have heard some insist that COVID is God’s judgment on the world that has largely forgotten Him. Others are quick to lose the horsemen of the Apocalypse on the earth these days, convinced that the ‘why’ can be found in End Times prophecies. Others blame the our government officials for doing too much or not enough. Social media is full of ill informed ‘experts’ who offer up strange answers.

If we rush to satisfy our need to know and prematurely declare that we surely know ‘why,’ our conclusions may close our minds to the real message of God! Catastrophes, suffering, and social unrest should provoke deep thought, extended reflection and humility that silences our chatter until the Spirit makes His purposes so clear that they are unmistakable! God is not pleased when we guess at His plans and go out to declare what we think we know while invoking His authority for our musings!

Ancient Israel was full of ‘prophets’ who said, “God did that because He wants us to do this.”  God sent a message to a true prophet: “Son of man, speak against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Tell them to listen to the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Destruction is certain for the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!" (Ezekiel 13:2-3, NLT)

IF we presume to speak on God’s behalf to explain ‘why’ life is going as it is we risk a serious sin IF we have not heard from Him on the matter.  The Commandment teaches us “Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name." (Exodus 20:7, NLT)  It is a serious matter to say, “God told me to tell you!”

Times of trouble should always call Christians to prayer and reflection. Some humble fasting is in order, too. Instead of making pronouncements of judgment on the nation, we would do well to reflect on our treatment of the poor, to examine our love of things and comfort, our self-centeredness.

Peter’s inspired word is compelling to me. "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? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Peter 4:16-19, NIV)  Read it again!

Instead of pointing the finger of blame at the ‘world,’ we need to invite the Spirit to show us the content of our heart.  There is wisdom in having enough humility to shut up long enough to let God speak. Join me in this prayer -  “Lord grant me great faith to trust YOU when YOUR ways are hard to discern so that I will keep doing good, not overwhelmed, not ready to quit, not complaining.”  

We need to understand anew what the Word declares of His acts.  He tells us  “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT)

In those lines I find both comfort and caution! The comfort is that He has not forgotten us and that HE is able to use all things to accomplish His purposes in you and me. The caution is that we may have difficulty understanding why: in this moment, this day, even in this lifetime! 

Here’s a word from the Word to keep in your mind today. May it speak deeply to us.
Proverbs 3:5-8 (The Message)

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!”

 Ready to be quiet, to listen, to wait for Him to reveal His plans?
Until then, “Lord, help us to trust You radically.”  Amen

______________

Until Then

(Take a few moments to listen to  David Phelps sing this song of hope and faith.)

 My heart can sing
When I pause to remember
A heartache here
Is but a stepping stone
Along a trail
That's winding always upward
This troubled world
Is not my final home 

But until then
My heart will go on singing
Until then
With joy I'll carry on
Until the day
My eyes behold the city
Until the day
God calls me home

The things of earth
Will dim and lose their value
If we recall
They're borrowed for a while
And things of earth
That cause the heart to tremble
Remembered there
Will only bring a smile

This weary world
With all its toil and struggle
May take its toll
Of misery and strife
The soul of man
Is like a waiting falcon
When it's released
It's destined for the skies

But until then
My heart will go on singing
Until then
With joy I'll carry on
Until the day
My eyes behold the city
Until the day
God calls me home

 Stuart Hamblen © 1958 Hamblen Music Company (Admin. by ClearBox Rights, LLC)

CCLI License # 810055

 

 

Better than you?

 

In an email newsletter for pastors there was a link to a short note from a woman who has been a high-profile Christian. She announced that her marriage of 27 years was ending in divorce. Jen and Brandon are sweet people, sharing ministry, adopting kids, doing cool things for the Kingdom. They were featured in a popular TV program on HGTV a few years ago. They invited us to watch them remodel an old farmhouse for their family. Bev and I laughed along with that show, sharing their joy. The news of the divorce left me deflated, wondering how that happened, and tempted to look for some hidden character flaw in them. It’s so easy to distance myself from the suffering, failure, and pain of other Christians by convincing myself, “I’m better than you!”  But, I’m not!

Christians deal with human frailty and sin with two responses that are held in tension – 
we must be full of love that always seeks to help and heal, and,
we must pursue God with our whole heart at the same time.  

When we fall short of God’s plan for us (sin) we must never excuse our behavior saying:  “Well, I’m only human.” That is true enough but God gives us life and the power of the Spirit to grow in grace. Yet, in the same breath, we must resist the lure of perfectionism that inevitably leads to hypocrisy and self-loathing.

Jesus, on seeing the external perfectionism of some of the religious leaders of His time, pointed out the truth about them: “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too. “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity." (Matthew 23:25-27, NLT)  Was Jesus suggesting that they should abandon their pursuit of lives that pleased God? Not at all.  But, He wanted them (and us) to know that it starts with the heart.

He cautions us about becoming God’s moral police but remaining ignorant of our own issues. "And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." (Matthew 7:3-5, NLT)

At the same time, it is an awful error of tolerance, a failure of genuine love, if we excuse all sin, remaining silent about the wrong choices of our friends and family. When we see them speeding toward a cliff, heading for hurt and/or destruction, the most loving thing to do is to engage, to warn, to invite to change. And yet, we must never do so from the heights of self-righteousness that implies ‘I’m so much better than you nothing like this could ever happen in my life.’  Fact is apart from God’s grace and kindness, none of us has even a faint hope of pleasing the Lord.   

Oh, the wisdom of the Word where we are taught to be oh so loving. "If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived." (Galatians 6:1-3, The Message)

Yesterday, I wrote about the ‘grace and peace’ that God gives which allows us to ‘participate in the divine nature.’  There is no other starting place for the Christian life. Peter finishes that thought by instructing us to a life of faith that commits to living God’s way. "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8, NIV)

Our faith cannot be just a ‘get me ready for Heaven’ idea that is disconnected from 'real' life choices about how we act, who we love, where we go, and the ways in which we invest our lives. Each day we pray for the Spirit to make us fruitful. But, we never allow ourselves to begin to think that we have become better than those ‘ordinary sinners’ that we live among. Paul remembered where he came from and that each day he needed to  “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

A grace-based Christianity will let us take the focus off of ourselves and put it rightly on Jesus.  Through Him we gain the ability to say, 'no' to ungodliness and 'yes' to the Spirit.   What all of our self-discipline,  peer pressure from other Believers, and moral codes can never accomplish - making us truly good and completely acceptable to God- begins to take place from the inside out!  He relieves me of the need to pretend to be perfect.

Brandon and Jen, I am not better than you are!   We are both sinners in need of the grace of Christ.   I love you and pray that you can find light, life, hope, and courage in the love of Jesus and that His family will surround you with profoundly loving grace and give you space to work through the brokenness and pain!  And, I pray for myself in the same moment that I will live in Jesus’ grace, the Spirit’s power, that I will be kept whole and holy for the glory of God.

_____________

Father, Your love for me is astounding.
Your favor extended to me makes me both glad and uncomfortable.
Defeat my sinful tendency to perfectionism and religiosity,
which leads to judgment.

Stir up a love for You in me that spills over to others,
that takes no thought about what they deserve. 

Thank you, Jesus, entering in our world,
mysteriously becoming a Man, “God with us;”
and thank you for the  Cross that shows me Your love and sacrifice,  and
thank you for the Empty Tomb, which assures me that my salvation
is a completed work, that Heaven is my eternal home!

Spirit of God, guide me into all Truth today.
Keep me centered on You.
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me....
yes, for the glory of God alone. Amen.

Yes, you can!

Man of Vision tells the story of Bob Pierce, a man who changed the world following the 2^nd World War, best known as one of the founders of World Vision and later as president of Samaritan’s Purse. It is a fascinating account of a deeply flawed man who was used tremendously by God in spite of his human failures. Pierce terribly neglected his family and lived a life so out of balance that he subjected himself to repeated seasons of emotional collapse brought on by exhaustion. He relentlessly drove the organization he founded while experiencing constant conflict with the board when they tried to establish sound fiscal controls.

And yet, God used him to bring the Good News of Jesus to millions in Asia as well as to house and feed thousands of orphans by creating a sponsorship program that exists to this day.  His sin was not without consequence.  His marriage failed. A daughter took her own life. His wife suffered from his anger and neglect. While reading this inspired, yet oh so sad story, I found myself in tears as I wondered what greater things he might have done IF he had been willing to accept counsel and find God’s power to transform his temperament completely?   

Christian friend, God will do great things in you and through you.  Do you believe this?  That does not mean you will start a world changing organization or lead thousands but, by His calling and power, we can have a measurable effect on our family, our friends, our town.  We cannot even imagine what He can do when hand Him the control of our lives!

One of my favorite promises in God’s Word is written by Peter under the Spirit’s inspiration. "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:2-4, NIV)  Go back and re-read those lines!

Have you surrendered to some broken place in your life coming to the conclusion that is just the way it is and change is not possible?  
Do you find yourself full of regret over some part of your life that you know should change but doesn’t, some habit that you just cannot overcome, some self-defeating attitude that takes hold in you?
Does fear, doubt, anger, lust, greed, or insecurity creep up and fill you with darkness in recurring episodes?  

God’s promise is that we can change and we can know fullness of life! 

We focus, first, on God, not ourselves.

Transformation is, first and foremost, a work of God’s grace. I believe this with my whole being – that the One who knows us best, loves us most. He does not ask us to build a stellar record of achievement, to get ourselves all cleaned up, to rid ourselves of every flaw before we come to Him. He invites us to come and know Him, to receive His love, just as we are, right where we are. One of the lies that keeps us from knowing change has been around for millennia – “God will love me only when …”  I do better, I stop doing, I become more.  A recurring theme of the Gospel is the love of Jesus for us while we are still living in sin. Accept His love and grace.

We begin to recognize the Spirit’s Presence.

God is present everywhere, speaking to us all the time.  As we, by faith, learn to listen, learn to see His work, we become responsive to Him. As we see the amazing splash of color in a sunset, we turn to the One who paints the sky and we give thanks. God is there. He speaks to us in His word, through times of worship, quietly as we meditate in contemplative prayer, in the dark of the night when we consciously reach for His in prayer. And, as we come to know Him, we are transformed by that friendship with the Holy One! 

We practice humility, quick to forgive, ready to receive counsel.

Dying to Self does not come to us without discipline and awareness.  But, what power is released in us when we, having known God’s love and learned to hear His voice, are willing to say, “Yes, Lord!” 

When He causes us to realize that we have hurt another, we choose to seek reconciliation instead of offering excuses.

When someone treads on us instead of rising in vicious self-defense, we choose to trust ourselves to God’s care and we forgive their trespass.

When we find ourselves unable to see the way ahead, we give up bluff and bluster, and receive the counsel of godly friends and the Spirit Himself.

Is this difficult? Yes, it is, but what wonderful change is possible when we accept that we are not the center of our universe and become what Jesus called “poor in spirit.”  (Matthew 5.3)

We live with the knowledge that we are ‘becomers.’

Peter says that we ‘participate in the divine nature.’ We do not become gods, but God, the Spirit, lives in us and changes our sinful nature into a spiritual one. Paul writes that we are "being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)  That change begins with the New Birth that comes to us, by faith in Christ, and continues as we ‘keep step with the Spirit.’  When we fall, we do not conclude we are too flawed to be of use to the Lord. We confess our failure, accept His grace, and seek to understand what led us to that fall so we can be changed. In this way we grow to be more like our Savior. It is a process that continues in us to the day when we step from time into eternity.

Yes, you can live like Jesus. Will YOU?

The word from the Word is same passage quoted earlier, this time from a contemporary paraphrase of the Scripture. Pray as you read for insight and then ‘grow on’ for God’s sake.

"Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust." (2 Peter 1:2-4, The Message)

__________

Here is a great song that focuses on what is possible when Jesus is our Way

Way Maker

You are here moving in our midst
I worship You I worship You
You are here working in this place
I worship You I worship You

Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper,
Light in the darkness, my God that is who You are 

You are here touching ev'ry heart
I worship You I worship You
You are here healing ev'ry heart
I worship You I worship You

You are here turning lives around
I worship You I worship You
You are here mending ev'ry heart
I worship You yeah I worship You Lord

That is who You are That is who You are
That is who You are That is who You are

Even when I don't see it You're working
Even when I don't feel it You're working
You never stop You never stop working
You never stop You never stop working

 Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu © 2016 Integrity Music Europe (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook]))

CCLI License # 810055