Hallmark and Ghirardelli

I brought a  dozen red roses home last night. I paid twice what they are worth. I bought a folded, decorated piece of paper that cost several dollars, too. A few years ago I bought a Valentine's card (just for fun) that measured 16 by 24 inches!   The picture of the rose printed on the front was enormous. When Bev opened it, she exclaimed, "What am I supposed to do with this?"   It was a priceless moment when her surprise overcame her 'niceness.'   

Some might call me a fool but for me Valentine’s Day is another reason to celebrate the gift God gave to me in Bev, my wife of 37 years!   Is my expression clichéd?  Yes and it is matched by more significant love that involves truly caring for her. The cards and flowers would be meaningless if I failed to match them with self-sacrificial fidelity.

On this day of red hearts, chocolates, and flowers, there will be plenty of faux love spread around. Some gifts will be bought to make an impression. Others will come with strings attached. Others will be dutiful, offered to meet expectations.

So, what does real love look like?  The Bible says that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV)  Living that kind of love demands an infusion of Divine Love, which we can receive from God, through Christ Jesus. Yes, "This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. … We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:10, 19, NLT)

Love comes from God and flows from us even to those who are unlovely.  Jesus, in one of his talks on love, includes this: "God gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that." (Matthew 5:45-47, The Message)

I hope you're able to celebrate Valentine's Day.  And you can, even if you're not romantically tied to anyone.   

Love, like Christ loved you!   It will change your world;  yes, that love will come back to change you!
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I give up!

When he was 18 or 19, Jay bought a Jeep Wrangler. One afternoon, he decided to go ‘off-roading’ in the deep woods. On a trail better suited to a small four-wheeler, he drove into a low spot as he over-estimated the ability of the 4 wheel drive. Within minutes, his Jeep was buried to the axles and he faced a long hike out of the woods. We returned to the place the next day with help and pulled it out with considerable effort. Today, it’s one of those family stories that always brings on laughter. We can picture his growing frustration and desperation as he gunned the engine and just dup in deeper!  It’s a parable for life. Sometimes all our struggling does nothing but make the mud hole deeper. 

When Jay showed up that evening long ago, tired and muddy after his misadventure in the woods, I was aggravated with him for being foolish, but thankful he asked for help. The trip to retrieve the Wrangler turned into an adventure we did together, a memory we share. (Thank you, Wayne Finkle. We could not have done it without you.)

In life, I find myself in a bog from time to time. As I cruise along. I get stuck! I try one thing after another, but no matter what I say or do, it is not right. My motives get judged, my words are misunderstood, and the more I try to make it better, the worse it becomes.  You know what I’m talking about, it happens to all of us. There is a time to just give up – in a faith-filled way. With a sigh, I pray the simplest prayer, “Lord, I give up!”  We don’t resign to the circumstances, we surrender them to the Lord asking His wisdom and courage to see it through. That might sound easy, but for most, it is not. Our pride pushes us to solve the problem. Who wants to admit he can’t get himself out of the pit? Who wants to ‘let go and let God?’  We say it and it sounds good, but the doing is much, much harder.

Shortly after the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, the people of God found themselves with no way out! The Egyptian army (the super-power of the day) was a day’s march behind them and the Red Sea was blocking the way ahead. They were a nation of former slaves, with no army and few weapons.  As their situation became desperate, they “panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!” (Exodus 14:10-12, NLT)  Moses, whose faith had been deepening, calls on them to give up!

“Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (Exodus 14:13-14, NLT)  Just stand still. This was not giving in to fate. This was giving up in faith!  Their admission that they could do nothing was paired with their expectation that God would do something. And He did. As Moses obediently responded to Him, God opened up the sea and the people were freed, for good, from the Egyptians who died when they tried to follow.

Is the mud flying, the hole getting deeper? Is your desperation growing? Give up! Turn to the Lord and offer yourself completely to Him.

Here’s a word from the Word. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.Selah" (Psalm 46:10-11, NIV)

________________

Stand still, and see His glory!

Watch as His mysteries unfold.

Bask in the sweetness of pure living waters,

Refreshing reviving the soul.

Stand still, and see His glory!

Hallelujah, 'tis wondrous;

His victories and triumphs;

Stand still ye people.

Be silent and see His glory.

Hallelujah, His glory, hallelujah!

Stand still, and see His glory!

Stand Still And See His Glory

© 1977 New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

Dottie Rambo

CCLI License No. 810055

Winning Heaven’s Lottery?

“Lord, I’m asking for ___________ .” When you pray are your feelings something like those underlying the purchase of a lottery ticket? Only a foolish person would buy a lottery ticket as an investment or with the idea that he was securing his financial future. If a person puts a buck on the counter for a ticket, he does so with only the slimmest hope of a return. That is how many people pray. They do not really expect much but feel ‘it can’t hurt anything’ to try. So they make their request, but go ahead and make other plans!

True faith is anchored in God’s promise. Those who pray in faith, prepare to receive an answer and trust God profoundly. Faith of that quality demands a deeper relationship with God, a daily conversation that goes beyond “Lord, bless me, my kids, and my wife. Give me more stuff and help me not to get sick. Amen.” True prayer involves submission, worship, adoration, acceptance, and petition! It is not an event during the day; it is an attitude that shapes each moment of the day. That is why the Scripture tells us to "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV)

Jesus admired the faith of a Roman officer who came to Him on behalf of a suffering servant in his household. "When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." (Matthew 8:5-10, NIV) This man recognized that faith must be placed in the Lord. He relinquished his will to the will of Jesus realizing the answer flowed from the Lord’s will and authority.

• Do you think that God will answer because you manage to think enough positive thoughts?
• Do you think you have to convince Him to act with a lawyerly argument? 
• Do you think you can bribe Him to give you an answer by doing religious things?

Those are an insult to the Father and reveal a misunderstanding of His nature. Jesus reminds of the love of Abba saying "If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?" (Matthew 7:9-11, The Message)

Please do not get me wrong today. I am not suggesting that prayer is easy or that faith is simple! Prayer is often renewing, but at times praying exhausts me, just as having an intense conversation with a friend can stir up strong emotion and leave me worn out.

Despite many years of walking with Christ Jesus as Lord, I cannot make the claim that I know why some prayers seem to find an instant answer and others yield only silence. Beware of those who offer formulas for ‘getting your prayers answered.’ At best they are mistaken; at worst, charlatans looking to take advantage of you.

There is only one way to learn to pray and that is to pray! There are no shortcuts to knowing an intimate relationship with the Spirit. Time, devotion, and willingness to live with Him in the school of a prayerful life have no substitutes.

Here’s the word from the Word. “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need." (Matthew 6:6-8, The Message)

Amen.

Losing Sight of God

Everyday life includes computers that stop working , cars that don't start, and traffic that doesn't flow. These are just life's normal headaches.  The real tests are those things for which we have no explanations - chronic illness or pain, people who turn against us for reasons we cannot understand, death of friend or family, etc.  How do we reconcile our revelation of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and loving Father God with our experience of pain and loss?  

How does one rejoice when those on whom he leans let him fall?  

How can do we continue to live with joy when temptation rages inside of our head and heart?

How does faith continue to guide our choices when doubt settles over us like a thick fog? 

I'm still working that out!   I imagine, in one way or another, you are, too.   

James says,  "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides." (James 1:2, The Message)   I want to embrace that command, but it is hard to do.   Who likes those moments when questions are many and answers few?   

The story of Abraham's journey to Mt. Moriah reaches out to people who wonder 'what are you doing, Lord?'   In Genesis 22 we read that God told Abraham to take his beloved son, Isaac, and to sacrifice him.  That journey had to be the longest walk in his life! 

He had to go through the same kinds of emotions we feel when our way and God's will do not run parallel.

• Testing can cause us to feel CONFUSION.  

Don't you think Abraham was more than a little confused by a God who gives him a miracle son and then asks for him back a few years later?    

• Testing can cause us to feel DOUBT.  

"God is that really your Voice?  Why would You ask such a terrible thing?"   I've wondered that more than once in my life when tested.

• Testing can cause us to feel ALONE.  

That trip across the plains to the hills had to be the most lonely days of Abraham's life.  He even left his servant and traveled on with just Isaac. How do you tell jokes and enjoy the company of a boy you're going to sacrifice tomorrow?   My reflection on my past reveals that God has often ministered to the deepest place in my life when I was most alone.

• Testing can cause us to feel THAT GOD IS UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS.  

When we have loved Him intimately and deeply, it is hard to keep faith when suddenly, He stops speaking for a time.  We may cry out as His Son did, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"   Of course, He hasn't, but it can sure feel like it.

• Testing can cause us to feel HOPELESS.  

In your imagination, go and stand with Abraham on the top of that little hill called Moriah.  Drag the rocks, one by one, into a heap to form an altar each one becoming heavier as you realize the moment of decision is imminent.  Raise the knife!    The contents of your stomach rise in your throat.  A sorrow beyond description wrenches sobs so violent from your body that you feel like you could die.   Where are you, God?

There we find the stuff of character and the meaning of faith! The real questions are:  Will you stay steady when the wind blows strong?  
Will you obey when your natural self screams to take another way?
Hard questions, aren't they?  

His promise is not based on our performance, but on His eternal will. He says "If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself." (2 Timothy 2:11-13, NLT)   Abraham had known the faithfulness of God through times when he failed.   

So, he trusted - not in his own righteousness, his own ability to please God - but in the faithfulness of God to keep him.   And, at just the critical moment, God revealed Himself as "Yahweh Yireh, the Lord, my Provider."     Remember the story?   Just as Abraham was about to take his son's life, he looked up and saw a ram caught in the bushes, a substitute sacrifice provided by God, Himself!

Paul repeats this phrase again and again in his letters to Believers - "Stand firm!"    Here's the word from the Word. May the Spirit make them bread for your soul, strength for your heart.   "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."
(1 Corinthians 16:13, NIV)

"He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us and in his special favor gave us everlasting comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and give you strength in every good thing you do and say."
(2 Thessalonians 2:14-17, NLT)

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My faith has found a resting place,

Not in device nor creed.

I trust the ever-living One

His wounds for me will plead.

I need no other argument,

I need no other plea.

It is enough that Jesus died,

And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,

This ends my fear and doubt;

A sinful soul I come to Him,

He'll never cast me out.   

-          Lidie Edmunds, Public domain

I want my church to be perfect,too

People tend to idealize most things.  Sally envies Jane’s marriage even allowing herself to think how much better life would be if only she had a husband like that.  In the dead of winter, we are sure that a vacation to the island of Bimini would make everything better.  More than one Christian has thought that if their pastor were as wise as Charles Stanley, as full of smiles as Joel Osteen, and as theologically deep as John Piper;  they would miraculously become a super-Christian.  And, my favorite idealization:  “Why isn’t our church like the one in the book of the Acts?”  We are taken by the description of First Church in Jerusalem. In Acts 2 we read "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles." (Acts 2:42-43, NIV)  Who wouldn’t like a church like that?

It’s a nice picture, but it’s just one snapshot of that generation of Christians!  Read the whole story. A couple of chapters later those Christians are fighting furiously over circumcision and   Law.  Relationships were broken over whether one could truly call himself a follower of Christ if he did not observe the Sabbath, eat kosher, and submit to circumcision. The assumption that Gentiles could not become true Christians persisted in the Church for at least two decades.  That church had hypocrites, too. Ananias and Sapphira sold some property and pretended to give all the proceeds to the apostles, while keeping some in reserve.  God judged them on the spot and they dropped dead in the Believer’s gathering. Imagine if he struck all the hypocrites in church dead on this Sunday! There would be a lot of funerals in the following week.  There was favoritism, too.  The widows from Jerusalem got cared for more generously than the widows from out of town.  The issue led to the creation of the first board of Deacons. (see Acts 6)

The leaders of First Church were flawed, too. Paul and Barnabas were ministry partners, spiritually gifted in complementary ways. Their team  worked.  Paul was hard to get along with, smart, and a real teacher. Barnabas was beloved, a people-person that others related to easily.  Then, they had a fight over John Mark. On a missions trip, he became discouraged and went home to Momma. Paul was aggravated by his lack of faithfulness.  When the next trip was planned, Barney asked to take Mark along. Paul refused. "And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God." (Acts 15:39-40, KJV)  Wow, so much for singing “Kum Bah Ya” around the fire, eh?

They had people who abandoned the fellowship, too. Paul, when he was an old preacher, imprisoned in Rome and awaiting execution reports that at such a critical time, one of the men who had done ministry for years with him had left the faith! "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia." (2 Timothy 4:10, KJV)  You can hear the disappointment in his words.

It’s not my intent to excuse hypocrisy, strife, or love of the world.  Those things are a blight on the Church and weaken her in her work. My point is that perfect is for Heaven! On this journey, we are in in the process of becoming more like Jesus. The greatest miracle is that God’s work gets done around, in, and through flawed people, broken people, imperfect people – just like me. Let’s grow up and get rid of our dreams about a church of perfect people. It doesn’t exist; never has, never will – this side of heaven.

Here’s a word from the Word. "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV)

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“Hallelujah, Thine the glory!

Hallelujah, Amen!
Hallelujah, Thine the glory!

Revive us, again.

We praise Thee, O God,

For the Son of Thy love,

For Jesus who died and

Is now gone above.

We praise Thee, O God!

For Thy Spirit of light,

Who hath shown us our Savior,

And scattered our night.

Revive us again;

Fill each heart with Thy love;

May each soul be rekindled

With fire from above.

William P. Mackay
Public Domain