I wanna go to Heaven when I die…

The Gospel I ‘heard’ as a young child and the Gospel I love at age 56 are very different in the telling. Both center on the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Both feature the Cross and the Resurrection prominently. But, living the Gospel is where the great chasm opens. I ‘accepted Jesus into my heart’ when I was around 5. What that meant to me for the next 25 years was that when I died I was ‘going to Heaven.’ What was largely lost to me was the calling to be a part of the work of extending His kingdom. If I heard that at all it meant ‘getting more people in the church building.’

My faith was unintentionally self-focused. There was a real concern about morality. The list of moral issues was skewed to sex. Not much was said about greed, abuse of power, or seeking peace. Justice for the poor was an after-thought. If I lived a holy life I could please God. This would earn me a greater reward, a bigger crown, a larger mansion. I did believe in the Kingdom, but understood that to mean that some glorious Day, Jesus would come down to destroy everything and give all of us  nice people a beautiful Eden to live in.  To the extent I was engaged with this present world, it was with a message of ‘get ready for Heaven.’  “Turn or burn,” summed it up! 

But a person cannot become acquainted with the thundering prophets or read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount without coming the realization that there is much more to the Gospel and Kingdom living than getting to Heaven. The Good News is about starting to live the ‘eternal life’ right here, right now! Jesus says, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV) That’s not just after we die. It’s about finding a purposeful, meaning way to live while we’re dying!

Evil came into God’s Creation. It messed everything up, brought suffering and death. It made people mean and hateful. It still robs us of dignity and worth so that we live like mere animals, preoccupied with sex, food, comfort, and security. Where the darkness of evil goes unchallenged, an awful terror develops. Demons rejoice! The Bible describes the way the world looks when God is abandoned: "Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." (Romans 1:28-31, NIV)

Then God sent His Son with the Gospel! "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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17, NIV)  When the Light shines into the darkness, life burgeons. People learn to love. The gifts of the Holy Spirit teach us how to live in harmony, allow us to create beauty, strengthen us to confront evil, and give us courage to die to sin and Self. This Good News changes everything! "Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord." (Ephesians 5:8-10, NLT)

Yes, “I wanna go to Heaven when I die…” and thank the Lord for the promise of my home in the Father’s house. But, until then, I will LIVE the Gospel! With Christ as Lord, I will build the Kingdom, praying “may your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” 

This is my favorite prayer.  May it be your word for today from the Word.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so 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.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21, NIV)

“I put my hand over my mouth”

Anxiety occasionally comes tiptoeing to my bedside in the early morning hours. It jerks me awake and brings tumbling thoughts, feelings of fear and despair. Those emotion can quickly evolve into physical symptoms; racing heartbeat, shortness of breath. Some would call it a ‘panic attack.’ It is not only psychological. I know that there is a spiritual element in it, too. When challenges increase, when answers to questions are elusive, I am more prone to becoming anxious. But, when I allow the urgencies of life to keep me from prayer, the powers of evil find an opening in my weakness. Thankfully, I know where to turn.

In such times, I return to a form of prayer that is called ‘centering.’ Christ Jesus is made the focus of thought and His love is allowed to push all other thought aside. Consciously, I slow my breathing and quietly say, “Jesus.” This prayer is not for complex petitions or beautiful praise. It is a heart-cry, an act of adoration, a time to receive the gift of His peace. The act of centering requires submission to the Spirit and silence. The Bible speaks about tearing down "every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV) In the story of Job, when his suffering drives him to angrily demand a confrontation with the Lord, God comes, not with explanations, but to reveal Himself in greater majesty. Job’s response is humility. He says, "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth." (Job 40:4, NIV) Centering prayer restores Christ Jesus to His place in our mind and heart.

From Isaiah’s words we learn the place of holy submission. "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." (Isaiah 30:15, NIV) When trouble threatened them, the people of God wanted to run off and make an alliance with Egypt. The Lord called them to re-center their hope on Him! He invites us to the same kind of faith, not passive, but actively focused on Him rather than our own resources. Waiting can be much more difficult than working!

If you find yourself pressed by problems, if your soul is battered by doubts, when anxious thoughts drive you to anger or panic; center yourself on Christ! Inhale slowly, and then breath out the name of Jesus. Pray a simple prayer that says, “I receive your peace.” Do not race off to fight. Try to find a place alone and stay there enforcing the quiet on your soul. It’s simply, but it is not easy! The natural responses are either ‘fight or flight.’ Give the Spirit mastery.

Here’s the word from the Word.
"O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.


I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning." (Psalm 130:2-6, NIV)
_________________


Be The Centre

Jesus, be the centre.
Be my source, be my light,
Jesus.


Jesus, be the centre.
Be my hope, be my song,
Jesus.


Be the fire in my heart,
Be the wind in these sails,
Be the reason that I live,
Jesus, Jesus.

© 1999 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) (Admin. by Vineyard Music UK)
Michael Frye
CCLI License No. 810055

I'm Excited!

Anticipation is half the fun of big events. I’m excited as we head for this Sunday’s game. The “SuperBowl” has become an unofficial holiday for Americans, a break in winter doldrums, an excuse to have a party, throw off the serious stuff of life, and get into the hoopla that builds up around two football teams chasing the season championship. Last year, the game drew a television audience of over 100 million in the United States! And, yes, I’m psyched because the Patriots are in Indianapolis to even the score with Giants!

There’s a promise of an event that Christians need to keep front and center in our minds, around which we need to build anticipation. When the slog through the mess and mud of life gets hard, it will keep us going. When we wonder why, it will lift our vision higher. When we’re tempted to give in to the temptations of this present world – power, materialism, sensuality, greed, Selfishness – it will help us to press on. What is this? The promise of the return of Christ!

The Bible says "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (die), or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, NIV)

This is no isolated text, either. Throughout the Scripture, there is a promise of hope, an assurance that the Lord will set things right, avenge the righteousness, and reward faithful service. The last will be first, on that great day! Those who have invested in the Kingdom will be given the victor’s award. Call me what you want to; I’m hanging onto that promise. I believe the lyrics to that Gospel song that says, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.”

Do I understand every word about the promise of Jesus’ return? Not at all. All the charts and explanations that once captivated me hold little appeal. The doctrinal arguments about Millenniums and Tribulation can obscure the central fact – Jesus is coming back! Here’s what He said. This word from the Word is the Christian’s Blessed Hope, the most exciting event, a day worth of our anticipation. “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:25-28, NLT)
_______________

Life's day will soon be o'er, all storms forever past,
We'll cross the great divide, to glory, safe at last;
We'll share the joys of heav'n - a harp, a home, a crown,
The tempter will be banished, we'll lay our burden down.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.
Copyright, Esther Rusthoi

Get Lost! I don’t need you!

The company that owns the social network site called “Facebook” announced a stock offering yesterday.  When it happens,  California will have hundreds of new millionaires, people who made a fortune out of creating friendships in the 21^st century. I use the site that allows me to stay in contact with friends, new and old, near and far. Facebook is better than an occasional note or annual Christmas card.  On the ‘wall’ I see pictures of my friend’s kids and dogs, hear about their successes, and learn about disappointments. To be sure, sharing a meal, laughing together, and being physically in a person’s company is incomparably more fulfilling than a few lines on Facebook.

Why do we enjoy social connections? Because we need a place to belong. The circle of friends in our lives steady us, encourage us, and help us to avoid that sense of meaninglessness that so often accompanies anonymity!

If you want to be healthy, both spiritually  and emotionally, cultivate friendships by investing yourself in other people, hanging with them through the inevitable up’s and down’s.  We all struggle through misunderstandings or hurt feelings from time to time, but the love that comes from the Spirit, propels us past those things. Jesus said, "This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:35, The Message) The quality of that love means that our connection to one another is a priority above our convenience and our feelings! We are committed to one another.

“You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. ... But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don’t need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You’re fired; your job has been phased out"? ... 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." ( from 1 Corinthians 12 The Message)

One of the major ways that the Devil destroys God’s work is by stirring up envy, suspicion, bitterness, or disappointment among Christians! If he is somehow able to deceive us about the motives or sincerity of our faith family, we all suffer. Perhaps more tragic than our personal pain is the disgrace that our infighting brings on the Lord of Love. A frequent reason for not attending a local church is a past experience of some ugly fight that tore Christians apart over some relatively trivial matter. Few things distract the Church from her mission more than internal strife.

Here’s the word from the Word.  "This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.

Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:11-16, NIV)

Let's get connected. Go to http://www.facebook.com/ and create a profile. Once you're finished, bring up this link - https://www.facebook.com/jerscott and send me a friend request.

___________________

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the Church,
for calling me to know the joy of serving
with so many others who love You.
Help us, Lord, to stay connected.
Fill us with love; make us patient.

Give us a revival of authentic and deep love
for the family of faith.
Renew our desire for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
so that we will do the work of Your Kingdom
in a way that is complementary to one another,

Powerful in accomplishing eternal goals, and fulfilling.
We pray all of this in the Name of
Jesus Christ our Great and Wonderful Friend.

Amen!

A different way to see

On Tuesday, I met with a pastor who is a missionary/pastor to the United States from Nigeria and a friend of his who is a pastor in Nigeria. We talked about the church in the United States before we prayed together. American Christians, in their opinion, tend to ignore the realm of the spiritual, explaining sin and suffering only in psychological and/or sociological terms. We do not admit that evil is real and personal, the acts of Satan and his demons who are in rebellion against the Kingdom of God. When we prayed together (what a time of prayer!) I heard the way that their worldview shaped their prayers. They called on the Spirit to rise up and defeat the Devil.

The conversation left me with much to think about. Have my efforts in the work of the Lord focused too much on behavior modification and too little on defeating evil? Am I trying to rehabilitate people instead of expecting that the supernatural power of the Spirit will transform them from the inside out? Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspiracy, asserts that most American Christians settle for a ‘gospel of sin management.’  We do not go to war to defeat evil and we do not expect sinners to become saints! Instead, we aim to manage sin and its effect on us aiming to become marginally better people, centering our religion around moralistic piety. (translate that - We just try to be nice people!)

Imagine Paul going into a pagan city and offering classes on stress management or financial matters. I can’t, can you? His ministry was Christ-centered and expected profound results. "We go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. … to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.”   … Nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it!" (1 Corinthians 1:23-25; 2:4, The Message)

We do not have to discard our understanding or education to work effectively with the Lord. But, we must acknowledge the limits of efforts based solely on those things. The primary mission of the Church is to establish the Kingdom of God. That can only be done in the power of the Spirit and because of the completed work of Christ, who lived, died, and rose again. The promise of Jesus to us is not merely preservation. He offers empowering.  He left His disciples with this promise, which must also be our expectation. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NLT)  We need a new Pentecost, a new outpouring of the Spirit!

Here’s a word from the Word. May it increase our faith and inform our understanding. “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. “What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’ ” (Zechariah 4:6-7, NIV)

________

By My Spirit

Is there a mountain in your way?

Do doubts and fears abound?

Press on, Oh hear the Spirit say,

“This mountain shall come down!”

“Not by might not by pow'r,

By My Spirit.” saith the Lord of Hosts.

“Not by might not by pow'r

By My Spirit.” saith the Lord.

This mountain shall be removed.

This mountain shall be removed.

This mountain shall be removed.

“By My Spirit,” saith the Lord.

Then trust alone the mighty God.

He speaks, the winds obey.

Take courage then oh fainting heart,

For you He'll make a way.

© 1957. Renewed 1985 Gospel Publishing House (Assigned to Lorenz Corporation, 1998)

Almeda Herrick | Cyril McLellan

CCLI License No. 810055

What’s of more value than rubies?

Are you wise? Wisdom is knowledge matched with understanding. There is probably no time in a person’s life that is more packed with danger than the teen years. Why?  Because teens generally have greater freedoms but they have not yet developed the discernment and insight that allows them to fully appreciate the long-term consequences of their choices. I remember at age 17, driving a car incredibly fast because I could! I was smart enough to have a license but not wise enough to understand that I risked serious injury or death as a result of my stunts. 40 years later wisdom has taken root. I know that 2 tons of steel wrapped around me do not make me invincible.

The Proverbs declare that "wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” (Proverbs 8:11) Wisdom says, "Wealth and Glory accompany me— also substantial Honor and a Good Name. My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary; the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus. You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk— at the intersection of Justice Avenue, Handing out life to those who love me, filling their arms with life—armloads of life! " (Proverbs 8:18-21, The Message)

So where do we find this amazing thing?  The Bible says that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.” (Proverbs 9:10-12, NIV) A deep reverence for God is the source.  A person who is willing to admit he does not know it all, who will bend his will to the will of God, will gain wisdom. Wisdom is not simply learning Bible verses! It has been my misfortune to know many religious fools full of Bible knowledge and trivia while lacking insight and discernment totally.

Knowledge can feed pride and nothing makes a greater fool than being proud! In Romans 1, the downward path of humanity from glory to depravity is traced to the growth of knowledge without the humility that leads to true wisdom. "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools." (Romans 1:21-22, NLT)

Each season of life requires a new kind of wisdom. As we become skillful and gain knowledge, we must remember the Lord.  Begin each day with prayer. Take time often to reflect on His majestic holiness. Ask for wisdom! Prepare for discipline. No wisdom comes without the testing that deepens our insight by stripping away superficiality. Study the Scripture and pray for the Holy Spirit to make the truth your foundation.

Here’s a word from the Word. I pray it describes my life (and yours, too)!
"Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts." (Psalm 119:98-100, NIV)
"The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130, NIV)

Salty Talk

Do you find having a civil conversation somewhat more difficult these days?  The high pressure, fast moving way that we live has seriously diminished our ability to discuss things on which we disagree without soon coming to sharp disagreement. We trust others less having seen many people profess one set of beliefs publicly while failing to allow those convictions to guide their own choices. And, then too, we sometimes are guilty of hanging onto ideas without the benefit of reason or careful reflection. Nowhere is this more in evidence than in our political conversation. The political culture in America is poisonous from the top down. Name-calling is rampant, cooperation nonexistent.

About twenty years ago I learned a real lesson about expressing sharp opinions. I made a point in a meeting about an issue on which I felt there was no gray only black and white! I was forceful, as I look back, even offensive. A thoughtful woman attending that meeting took exception to my words with an invitation to explore the issue in depth. She became a good friend and when I learned the circumstances of her life, I was mortified knowing that my words sliced at the emotional wounds that gave her such pain. Paul’s exhortation to “speak the truth in love” gained new importance for me. It’s not just what we say that matters. It’s how we are heard.

I still manage to get myself in trouble with my words from time to time. James points out that our speech is tough to bring to maturity! "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." (James 3:2, NIV) Jesus’ counsel is that we learn to talk less. “Let your ‘yes,’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’” He said. Too often we go on and on and in our flood of speech, we offend others and sin against God.

The Scripture directs us with this: "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6, NIV) Gracious words are considerate of others and contextualized in the circumstances. The gracious speaker does his best to know how he will be heard. That is much easier for me to write about than it is for me to practice, I candidly acknowledge! Then, too, the Lord tells us to practice salty speech. In our culture that little phrase is usually about words that are sprinkled liberally with profanity. Obviously, we are not called to curse. In Biblical times, salt was a very expensive item that was widely used to retard spoilage of food in the absence of refrigeration. In this passage, we are called to use words that add flavor and that control the rot that grows out of filthy, selfish, hateful words.

What’s the only way to learn to salty and gracious words?  It is clear from Jesus’ teaching. May He change the fountain from which our words flow.

“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45, NLT)

Change my heart, O God. Amen!