More political than usual

This is Memorial Day weekend. For many it’s just the unofficial first day of Summer, a time to picnic and play. The holiday began after the Civil War that torn these United States apart. With great sorrow, families visited the graves of those whose lives were taken by that blood-soaked conflict. They brought flowers and flags and thus the first name of the day was Decoration Day. After the first Great War, Decoration Day morphed into a time to remember who those who perished in our nation's wars. Today we call it - Memorial Day.

I hope you will remember and not just the sanitized images of flags and soldiers marching in parade in their neat uniforms! Remember the blood and pain, the huge cost in life and material, that this worst enterprise of humanity brings. We have become almost numb to war. Few of us consciously are aware that these United States have been at war for eight long years, the longest war in our history. Perhaps if we paid more attention to that fact, we would pressure our politicians to stop feeding the war machine.

My comments are not in any way meant to diminish the service of our soldiers. I am so grateful for those who serve voluntarily, and at great cost to themselves and their families. I pray that my life is lived in a way that is worthy of their sacrifice. As we remember, we must give thanks to God for this wonderful nation. We must give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy. We must appreciate that we do not live under tyranny because of those who were willing to fight to defend our liberties. But, we must also be true children of God who are known to love and seek peace. And, pray for peace!

Fifty years ago, America’s President, Dwight Eisenhower, a man who had commanded the Allied armies in Europe, issued a warning largely forgotten today. He was a prophet who saw with great clarity the terrible danger of mixing commerce and war. He knew that a strong military presence was a deterrent to those who would attack a nation, but he also knew that the temptation to use that army would be driven, in part, at least, by the greed of those who could profit from war. On this Memorial Day, every citizen should read his words and weep.
"A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be might, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction. . . . American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. . . . This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. . . .Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. . . . In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

The word from the Word for today reminds us of our true calling.
“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good.

Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:10-12, NLT)

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9, NIV)

How to be blessed

Money worries are not at the top of my list. “Oh,” you say, “Jerry is wealthy.” By the standard of 90% of the world, you are right. I am rich! In America, I would not qualify as rich, probably not even as ‘well to do.’ So, why the confidence? Because I have a rich Father who cares for me and promises to provide for my needs. The ministry I lead is not large, nor do we have endowments. We are a ‘faith’ ministry, depending on the faithfulness of God and His people to meet our budget. Seeing how He has provided over the last 11 years, through every season, is a story that is simply wonderful!

God created the world as a place of abundance where every need of every person should be met. It is a consistent theme of the Bible. Genesis tells us that He looked over what He had made and said, "It is good!" Not, “just about right, acceptable and we'll work out the bugs. “ , etc. He created a world that provides us with everything that is necessary for life.

Abraham, when he experienced God's provision at a moment of 'impossibility' named Him, "Yahweh Yireh" – “The LORD, my Provider.” To be sure, Abe's trust wasn't perfect and on more than one occasion he tried to take care of his own needs in his own way. The results of his attempts at self-sufficiency were always less than wonderful. When he lived in faith, his life was full of blessings.

Paul traveled the empire of Rome. He knew how to live in faith and from his own experience of the riches of God, tells us to remember that "this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NLT)

Ultimately, God reveals that poverty is the result of sin. Be careful how you apply that phrase. Don't misunderstand me as saying that you or I can look a poor person and conclude, 'he is a sinner!' That would be both unloving and wrong. It might be the sins of past generations, the sins of his nation, the sin of his extended family, or even the sin of his neighbor. But, the truth is that where people live in God's ways, prosperity is the general result!

The key to enjoying God's provisions is obedience. In Deuteronomy 15 (NLT) we read: "There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. You will receive this blessing if you carefully obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow! You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you!” Isn't that a great promise?

But God also recognized that there would be those who, for one reason or another, were not blessed. And what of them? Take a look. "But if there are any poor people in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year of release (part of a God-designed 7 year cycle to defeat greed and perpetual poverty) is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin. Give freely without begrudging it, and the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some among you who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need." (7-11, NLT)

I take two lessons from that passage.

The first is- God will take care of me.
I don't always live at peace in that promise, do you? But, when I center my thoughts on His Word I am able to trust Him in new ways. Don’t be stupid and run out to buy a new Mercedes, claiming God’s promises to meet your needs! But, life with confidence that your true needs; relational, economic, physical, and spiritual – are a true concern to your Father in Heaven.

The second is- if meeting humans needs is important to my Father, then it must be important to me.
The poor man is my brother. I have not met his needs when I give him a dollar. I must love him as I love myself.
Here's a passage to ponder this day.
Ask the Spirit to make it your way of life so that you can be just like your Abba.

“The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. Curses on those who drive a hard bargain! Blessings on all who play fair and square!” Proverbs 11:24-26 (The Message)

We're all hypocrites (sometime) !

Sometimes I hear words come of my mouth and I think, “Really, Jerry, you can say that with a straight face knowing what’s in your heart?”  Then, too, there are moments when I have feelings that are inconsistent with my beliefs. For example, I accept Jesus’ call to live lovingly and with profound forgiveness. I make it my goal to act in love. However, when Ann’s (name changed!) name comes up in conversation, my emotions are not those of man who is forgiving. I struggle with feelings of resentment. I confess that asking God to bless her life is not easy for me. I know I should reach out to Ann and attempt a conversation that might lead to a change in my heart, yet that has not happened.

We all have gaps between what we profess to believe and how we act. For some, they are great chasms like the Grand Canyon. For others, it’s more like cracks in the sidewalk. Some people go through life apparently clueless about the truth, hurting others, deceiving themselves, playing the part of a fool, and living a lie. Jesus reserved His most scathing remarks for religious frauds who use their pious talk to conceal sin-filled hearts! "You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. … Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons? “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony." (Matthew 23:15, 24-25, The Message)

Hypocrisy is more than silly. It’s sinful. It offends God because when we make excuses for it in the name of just ‘being human,’ we cut ourselves off from His grace to forgive us and His power to change us from the inside out. Allowing ourselves to live one way while claiming to believe something else creates a division in us which the Scripture says makes us "a double minded man - unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8, KJV) In the more radical cases, hypocrisy leads to mental illness, a break with reality! This sobering verse calls us to change: "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity" (Proverbs 11:3, NIV)

Integrity is what God desires from us- being solid, the same inside and out, with thought, word, and action aligned. That does not mean you or I will suddenly become flawless. Oddly enough, David, a man whose sins were grievous is called a man of integrity in the Scripture. Why? Because when his sin was pointed out to him, when his hypocrisy was challenged, he cried out: "You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. … God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life." (Psalm 51:4-5,10, The Message) Confession heals us when it is deep, true, and desires change.

Are you living a lie? Is hypocrisy stealing your credibility, creating a guilty conscience, and keeping you from knowing the peace of God?

Here is a word from the Word.  "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:8-10, NIV) Go to the Cross. Kneel before the One who entered into our lives fully, “who became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.” And find forgiveness and acceptance that allows you to abandon hypocrisy.

_________________

Change my heart, oh God,

Make it ever true.

Change my heart, oh God,

May I be like You.

You are the potter,

I am the clay.

Mold me and make me,

This is what I pray.

Change My Heart Oh God

Espinosa, Eddie

© 1982 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)

CCLI License No. 810055

Raining Sideways

A good storm does my heart good every now and then. Last night the wind blew so hard and the rain came down so heavily, it appeared to be raining sideways! And, I watched it all snug and dry from my window. In light of the terrible devastation and loss of life that storms brought to the South, and more recently to Joplin, Missouri, I felt a shiver of fear. It is that fear that is good for me! How so, you ask? The fury reminded me of how very dependent I am on God, how little real strength I have when it comes to controlling my life. In our world of controlled temperatures, pain-controlling medicines, clocks, and agendas, the illusion of being 'master of the universe' can overtake us. A furious storm is an object lesson in faith!

The last four years in my life have significantly deepened my life and created a much wider tolerance for life's mysteries in me. I walked alongside of my Dad through the valley of the shadow of death and then placed him in a grave. That's a furious storm!  Sixteen months ago, my own health gave way and I faced major surgery for the first time. Another furious storm! Last summer, Mom received a diagnosis of cancer and I am living through yet another storm. I will not lie.  It's not been easy, nor have I always been a tower of strength. God knows those moments when I have wept like a child, feeling the terror of helplessness. Relieved of my need to be large and in charge, I find Him to be my Friend, my Strength.

Jesus disciples were educated by a storm, too. Mark tells the story about a crossing of the Sea of Galilee. A sudden squall blew. Waves whipped up, spilling into the little boat. The Bible says that they 'feared exceedingly.'  (The NT Greek is almost modern there - 'phobos megas' )  They were mega-afraid!  They screamed at Jesus. "Don't you care if we perish?"  Listen to Mark telling the story as he had heard from Peter, who was there! "When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" The disciples were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey him!" (Mark 4:39-41, NLT) A whole new revelation emerged from their fear.

Are you shaking in the fury of a storm? I know it's not at all enjoyable. Life is out of control. Perhaps you, too, feel phobos megas! Let your need to try to control it slip away. Cry out to Jesus. Confess complete faith. Pray the heart-broken prayer that a desperate Dad uttered to Jesus when all hope seemed lost- "Lord, I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief." (Mark 9:24) He is there, He is near.

Here's a word from the Word. If a storm is shaking your world today, adopt this passage as a foundation of worship.

"A Psalm of David.
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?"
(Psalm 8:1-4, NKJV)

______________

Praise You In This Storm

I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again I'll say amen

And it's still rainin'

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper

Through the rain

I'm with You

And as Your mercy falls

I'll raise my hands

And praise the God who gives

And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And ev'ry tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

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Bernie Herms | Mark Hall

CCLI License No. 810055

Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm (Lyrics)

"I quit!"

About a hundred years ago a children’s story first appeared in a Sunday School paper that is now known as “The Little Engine that Could.” A little steam engine is tasked with pulling a line of rail cars and finds a steep hill standing in the way. He manages to do the impossible while repeating the line, “I think I can, I think I can.”  I don’t know who first read that story book to me. However, it lodged deep in my psyche and the lesson in sticking with the task until it’s done is one of my individual core values. It’s not that I have never considered quitting. Every Monday morning, there’s a little voice in my head that suggests I find a different calling. (It’s an occupational hazard of ministers.)

People quit jobs, leave marriages, and abandon faith. Half-complete jobs, unfinished projects, and broken promises are the monuments that quitters leave behind. Are you thinking of quitting? Does the mountain in front of you seem insurmountable?  Pause, reflect, pray, and then move forward with determination.

The Bible tells us to ‘persevere.’ "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 10:36-11:1, NIV)  It’s not stubbornness that keeps us going. It’s faith! Christians go beyond mere optimism which hopes for the best into the realm of faith in God. They take hold of His promise and speak to the apparently unyielding situations saying, "It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit.  … Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in (the) way; it will become a level plain.” (Zechariah 4:6-7, NLT)

If you’re looking for ‘easy,’ don’t walk with God. The path of the godly is against the current, a calling for the courageous. Jesus was not reluctant to challenge. He invited the crowds to follow Him and then told them "anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" (Luke 14:27-28, NIV)  When you’re making your estimates, remember to factor in your resources as well as expenses! Serving the Lord faithfully will demand much of you; courage, sacrifice, surrender. And God, the Holy Spirit, will be there with you, strengthening you for each new day.

Ready to call it quits? Before you do, bend your knees in prayer. Take a long walk alone. Ask for wisdom and insight that sees ALL of your options.

Here is a familiar word from the Word. "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message)

________________

Keep me true Lord Jesus,
keep me true,

Keep me true Lord Jesus,
keep me true. 

There's a race that i must run,

There's a victory to be won.

Every hour by Thy power,
I'll be true.

-      Anonymous

Graves-of-the-Craving!

Just as we were finishing a delicious dinner, the lights went out! A line of powerful storms knocked out the power in our area. For the next 2½ hours we sat around waiting- no water, no lights, no TV – just a book on my Nook. I don’t generally wake up with a gratefulness in my heart for the services of Jersey Central Power and Light but I did this morning. That loss of electricity was really nothing but a minor inconvenience, but it caused me to think about how much goes right in my life. My car starts right up each day, but do I appreciate that? Not until that one morning, it doesn’t!

I tend to focus on the exceptions; spending way too much time talking about the things that go wrong. I am going to work on re-training! I want to start being thankful in all those situations where people show up on time, where things work to make my life more comfortable. Instead of complaining about the rain, I want to give thanks for the sunshine. Rather than gripe about the temperature of my coffee, I want to give thanks that I have coffee to drink.

Some physicians are suggesting that one of the reasons our kids have more allergies is that they are being raised in such clean environs. When their little bodies don’t have to deal with dirt, dust, and allergens as they develop, the immune system actually becomes overly sensitive, kicking up at the least irritant. I wonder if many of us have developed spiritual allergies! Have we been so blessed in life that our ability to cope with the inevitable disappointments is diminished? Are we so sensitive to our own comfort and convenience that we over-react to minor power outages, people that drive too slowly, and other ‘failures’ around us?

Let’s take a lesson in gratitude from the negative example of the ancient Israelites. Every morning the LORD gave them food for the day. Manna (literally – ‘what’s it?’) was a perfectly balanced heavenly food that they just picked up off the ground each morning during their wilderness trek from Egypt to the Promised Land. Were they grateful? Did they appreciate the marvelous gift of their Father? Apparently not. "The riffraff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, “Why can’t we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt—and got it free!—to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna.”  (Numbers 11:4-6, The Message) It might appear comical, but the LORD was not amused and the Scripture says that “God’s anger blazed against them.”  

Many of them died when He gave them what they wanted, thousands of quail, which they caught and ate, choking on the meat! “God swept quails in from the sea. They piled up to a depth of about three feet in the camp and as far out as a day’s walk in every direction. All that day and night and into the next day the people were out gathering the quail …  But while they were still chewing the quail and had hardly swallowed the first bites, God’s anger blazed out against the people. He hit them with a terrible plague. They ended up calling the place Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves-of-the-Craving). There they buried the people who craved meat.”  (Nu 11:31-34)

Here’s a word from the Word.

"Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods." (Psalm 96:1-4, NIV)

Let me suggest that you take a few moments right now to thank the Lord for all the things that are going right, for all the people who make your life better, for His grace and favor which is poured out on us even when we deserve only His rebuke and/or judgment.

__________________

Father in Heaven, I confess my frequent ingratitude.

Forgive me for focusing on the exceptions.

You are a rich Provider.

I thank you for the food on my table,
the friends that surround me,

the ability to work, think, worship, and play.

I pray that “words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
will be pleasing in your sight,  O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Jesus Christ, be Lord of my heart.

Spirit of the Lord, keep me in tune with Heaven’s melodies this day.
Amen.

Second Coming - this Saturday!

The Second Coming – Coming Saturday

Yes another "Bible Teacher" thinks he has found the 'hidden meanings' of the Scripture and determined that God's Judgment Day is May 21! In the run up to his conclusion, he sets aside the clear warning of Jesus about date setting for the Second Coming found in Acts 1:7 where we read: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority." (Acts 1:7, NIV)

Here's why I get so irritated with those who try to figure out a date for the Second Coming or the Judgment or the Rapture of the Church: it diminishes the credibility and importance of the Truth. Even many devoted Christians are skeptical about the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ because of all the false date-setting. The “Blessed Hope” is for many an obscure doctrine relegated to the back pages of our minds.

Jesus Christ will return to earth and that He will establish the Kingdom of God visibly among us. It is a bedrock doctrine of my Christian faith. Every day we live is we are another day closer to the Last Days. Indeed we live on the edge of Judgment. Are you shocked?  "Jerry, do you actually believe the 2011 prophets?" I think they a terrible hindrance to the work of God right here, right now.  Still, I believe that we are living in the Last Days for two reasons.

• ·         The first is that history and prophecy look very different to our eternal God than they do to us who live 'in the moment' and with a grasp on a very short window in time.

•          Second, Jesus knows that for each of us the 'last days' are a reality. Generations come and go so quickly. In our lives the opportunity to do God's work is now, for tomorrow may never come. In that sense, I believe that I am living in the last days.

The promise of the Second Coming is of great comfort, but adds no urgency to my life. Even if I could know for certain that the Second Coming of Christ was 48 hours away, little in my life would change! I am doing His work right now, living for Him right now, trusting His Word right now, and obeying His will right now.  That is as it should be.

Jesus told a story of servants who were prepared for the return of the owner of the household. "Be ready and keep your lamps burning just like those servants who wait up for their master to return from a wedding feast. As soon as he comes and knocks, they open the door for him. Servants are fortunate if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you that he will get ready and have his servants sit down so he can serve them." (Luke 12:35-37, CEV)

Keep the promise of His coming in mind. Hope and pray for that day when evil is defeated, suffering is ended; when the things we did not understand are made plain. It is the day of vindication for all those who gave their lives and fortune for the cause of Christ. Their sacrifices await the Day of His Glorious Return when the jeers of the mockers will be silenced!

I hope that you are living in a way that welcomes the day of His appearing, be it today, on Saturday, or in a hundred years. May Jesus find us living faithfully, hopefully. Here is a word from the Word. Take it to heart today.

"Yes, I’m on my way! I’ll be there soon! I’m bringing my payroll with me. I’ll pay all people in full for their life’s work. I’m A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion. "How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they’ll walk through the gates to the City." (Revelation 22:12-14, The Message)

____________

Troublesome times are here,
filling men's hearts with fear,

Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake;

But, humbling your hearts to God,

Saves from the chast'ning rod,

Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake!

Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon,

Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound,

All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the sky,

Going where no one dies, Heavenward bound!

Troubles will soon be o'er, happy forevermore,

When we meet on that shore free from all care,

Rising up in the sky, telling this world goodbye,

Homeward we then shall fly, Glory to share!

Jesus is Coming Soon
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by Sacred Music, a Trust)