In her column, Connie Schultz reports, "St. John's Reformed United Church of Christ is a 225-year-old church in rural Middlebrook, Va. On Wednesday, the outgoing message on the church phone still invited you to buy tickets for May's spaghetti supper, but that has to be the last thing on the minds of its grieving congregation. Vandals set fire to St. John's just five days after the United Church of Christ's General Synod met in Atlanta and passed a nonbinding resolution to endorse gay and lesbian marriages. ... 'Why,' church members asked. 'Why would they do this to us?' They found their answer in the anti-gay graffiti left behind. After The Associated Press reported the fire, one Web blog led with the headline, "Christians Prefer to Burn Churches Than to Let Gays Marry." What Christians might these be?" (http://www.cleveland.com/schultz/index.ssf?/base/living/1121333444316850.xml&coll=2 )
Indeed, I ask - What kind of Christians might these be that burn down churches, that shoot doctors who perform abortions, who go to the funerals of AIDS victims to wave placards that say, "God hates FAGS," that killed young men who marched for civil rights for black Americans in the 1960's?
It would not be for me to judge whether or not those who do such things are Christians, but I can say, without reservation or hesitation, they have lost their way from the Way of Christ. All Christians, including this writer, err in their understanding of how to apply the Bible to life at some points. It is part of what Paul called, 'seeing through a glass darkly.' Our vision is imperfect, fogged by fear, marred by sin's corruption of our minds. Walking in that fog, those who choose to resist what they see as 'sin' with violent acts, sin themselves. Somewhere deep in their hearts the Spirit informs them that what they are doing is wrong, but His still, small voice is silenced with arguments of expedience - the end justifies the means. But it doesn't!
I do not believe that men or women who practice homosexuality should be according the covenant of marriage, no matter how compassionate our impulse towards them might be. The Bible is quite clear on that issue despite the twisting of its texts by some 'scholars' that allows for affirmation of homosexual practice. But, Christians will not stop the practice by burning churches! No heart is turned to the Truth by such a hateful action. Love cannot be proclaimed with hatred. That is not only unbiblical, it is illogical.
The Bible calls us to be willing to die for righteousness when we take a stand for what's true and right; but not as we swing the sword, or point a gun. Christians who know the Way, know that Jesus calls on us to 'lay down our lives' for His cause. When we surrender ourselves to Christ, we give up our rights to power. His word is that we 'turn the other cheek,' stand tall and brave in the face of withering opposition. We do not conquer but Christus Victor (The Conquering Christ) wins the battle for us. His greatest victory appeared in the moment of His greatest apparent defeat. As He died on the Cross, it looked as though the forces of evil had silenced the Son of God, but 3 days later, He arose and announced the defeat of Darkness - forever. This is our model in the face of evil. We conquer by death.
Those who have concluded that violent and confrontational methods are called for by the times, need to be led to a thorough study of Christianity as practiced from the time of Jesus through the first 3 centuries of the faith. Though often hated, persecuted, and driven from family and home, they loved in the Name of the One who loved them. They fed the hungry, took orphans into their homes, nursed the sick even as their world hated them! Their power was their selfless love, not their swords.
Here's a word from the Word for your thoughts today. May the Truth of His love, bring us steady confidence in these sinful, troubled times, so that we will always bear witness to Jesus Christ in a way that is consistent with His true nature.
"God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won’t be worried about the day of judgment. A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love. We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”" (1 John 4:16-21, CEV)
Friday, July 15, 2005
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Raise the standard!
One of my favorite Scripture stories is that of Daniel - whose Hebrew name means "God is my Judge." Most likely from a family of prominence in Judah, he was swept up in the first Assyrian invasion and taken to become a slave in the Babylonian empire. Despite these miserable circumstances, terrible disadvantages, and having every reason to become a bitter victim, this man was a person of excellence in all he did. Near the end of his life, the Queen Mother in Babylon, speaking to her grandson who is desperate for good counsel, sums up Daniel's resume with these words - There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom as though he himself were a god. ... This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has a sharp mind and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” (Daniel 5:11-12, NLT)
Remember that assessment was not at the beginning of his life based on hopes and promises - it was near the end after a track record of success, faithfulness, and excellence in both his spiritual life and his service to the government who had stolen him from his homeland! I wonder how Daniel's life might have been different in our victim culture where every difficult experience is a reason to be coddled, where a tough childhood is so often seized upon as an excuse for mediocrity, where the remedy for disadvantage is a new set of rights under the law?
To borrow the old cliché, Daniel took life's lemons and made lemonade! There is no record that he moped, sulked, or became embittered at the developments that changed his life forever around age 12. From the first chapter of his story, we see a man who chose to be full of faith, who had the courage of his convictions, and who had the North star of his faith in God to guide him, even in a land where he was an alien. Being taken a slave was just the first in a series of wrongs done to this man. He was frequently accused unjustly. He dealt with palace politics and the envious hacks around him used his integrity against him, even making a law behind his back that got him thrown into the lion's den for praying to his God!
I want to be a Daniel, for God's sake. When I'm at the end of my life, I want those who have worked along side of me to see a record of excellence, of courage, of taking tough situations, disappointments, and injustice in stride and accepting those moments as readily as the ones when success crowned the day. And, I know that such achievement rests on the same secret recipe that made Daniel what he was -- "He has within him the spirit of the holy gods." You and I know that we must be filled with the Spirit of God, overflowing with His Life, and fruitful because of Him.
The same man who helped pen the famous hymn, "It is Well With My Soul," wrote a lesser known song. See the lyrics below, and I hope it expresses your aspiration, even as it is mine.
__________________________________
Dare to be a Daniel,
All hail to Daniel's band!
Many mighty men are lost,
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel's band!
Many giants great and tall,
Stalking thru the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel's band!
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known!
Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God's command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
Hold the gospel banner high!
On to vict'ry grand!
Satan and his host defy,
And shout for Daniel's band!
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
Remember that assessment was not at the beginning of his life based on hopes and promises - it was near the end after a track record of success, faithfulness, and excellence in both his spiritual life and his service to the government who had stolen him from his homeland! I wonder how Daniel's life might have been different in our victim culture where every difficult experience is a reason to be coddled, where a tough childhood is so often seized upon as an excuse for mediocrity, where the remedy for disadvantage is a new set of rights under the law?
To borrow the old cliché, Daniel took life's lemons and made lemonade! There is no record that he moped, sulked, or became embittered at the developments that changed his life forever around age 12. From the first chapter of his story, we see a man who chose to be full of faith, who had the courage of his convictions, and who had the North star of his faith in God to guide him, even in a land where he was an alien. Being taken a slave was just the first in a series of wrongs done to this man. He was frequently accused unjustly. He dealt with palace politics and the envious hacks around him used his integrity against him, even making a law behind his back that got him thrown into the lion's den for praying to his God!
I want to be a Daniel, for God's sake. When I'm at the end of my life, I want those who have worked along side of me to see a record of excellence, of courage, of taking tough situations, disappointments, and injustice in stride and accepting those moments as readily as the ones when success crowned the day. And, I know that such achievement rests on the same secret recipe that made Daniel what he was -- "He has within him the spirit of the holy gods." You and I know that we must be filled with the Spirit of God, overflowing with His Life, and fruitful because of Him.
The same man who helped pen the famous hymn, "It is Well With My Soul," wrote a lesser known song. See the lyrics below, and I hope it expresses your aspiration, even as it is mine.
__________________________________
Dare to be a Daniel,
All hail to Daniel's band!
Many mighty men are lost,
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel's band!
Many giants great and tall,
Stalking thru the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel's band!
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known!
Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God's command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
Hold the gospel banner high!
On to vict'ry grand!
Satan and his host defy,
And shout for Daniel's band!
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Living with Plan 'B'
Robert Burns, the 18th century Scottish poet, wrote of the poor mouse whose nest was torn up by the farmer's plow.
"The best laid schemes
o' mice and men
Gang aft a-gley, (go oft awry)
And leaves us naught but grief and pain
For promised joy."
We think life is planned, that everything is going in the direction we hoped for, and then - a tsunami washes ashore, our job is eliminated, the doctor announces cancer, our teenager reveals a drug habit, our spouse walks out, we lose our nerve, etc. Suddenly our hopes and dreams for tomorrow seem no longer to have a foundation as the road ahead is washed out.
What then? What do we do when plan 'A' disappears? That's the question I wrestled with as I dropped off to sleep last night. In the middle of trying to figure out the next step....
I thought back to another time when life, as I planned it, was swallowed by developments unsought and unanticipated. Two decades ago, due in part to my own foolish choices and, in part, to snow-balling circumstances beyond my control, I found myself unemployed, forced to sell our home, and eventually called to pastor a church 1/10th the size of the one I'd served previously, with one half the salary; all that with a wife and 4 little kids depending on me for support.
It appeared that my life had taken a huge step backward. The grief I felt was terrible and real, but because I mistakenly thought Christians did not grieve, I held it all inside and consequently, suffered a time of terrible depression. My life, at that time, was beyond plan 'B!' For a couple of years I walked each day, step by step, like a man feeling his way in the dark, and wondered if God had abandoned me.
But with time, I realized He gave me a gift of rare and precious value when He allowed things to be turned upside down. That reassignment likely saved my marriage, enabled me to become a real Dad who spent time with his children, and most valuable of all - taught me to drink deeply of the cup of God's grace. He showed Himself faithful to me, even when I was faithless towards Him. I came to love that place seeing it not as the exile it once seemed, but as His sovereign plan for my good, a rich and wonderful place of greater blessings! Years later I was able to say what Joseph said when he was facing the brothers who sold him into slavery decades earlier- "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done." (Genesis 50:20, NIV)
So, as I lay in dark and reviewed my own life story, I found comfort in knowing that God always has a plan. We may not see 'round the bend in life's road, and often that's a good thing, but He does. Life is never plan 'B' to Him, nor for those who live in His care.
Are you struggling with more questions than answers today?
Did the road of life you thought you were traveling disappear in the storms of life?
Wait on Him to reveal His purposes. What surprises you and me, is never a surprise to the Omniscient One.
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you. ...
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. ..." (Psalm 37:2-7, NLT)
__________________________
"The best laid schemes
o' mice and men
Gang aft a-gley, (go oft awry)
And leaves us naught but grief and pain
For promised joy."
We think life is planned, that everything is going in the direction we hoped for, and then - a tsunami washes ashore, our job is eliminated, the doctor announces cancer, our teenager reveals a drug habit, our spouse walks out, we lose our nerve, etc. Suddenly our hopes and dreams for tomorrow seem no longer to have a foundation as the road ahead is washed out.
What then? What do we do when plan 'A' disappears? That's the question I wrestled with as I dropped off to sleep last night. In the middle of trying to figure out the next step....
I thought back to another time when life, as I planned it, was swallowed by developments unsought and unanticipated. Two decades ago, due in part to my own foolish choices and, in part, to snow-balling circumstances beyond my control, I found myself unemployed, forced to sell our home, and eventually called to pastor a church 1/10th the size of the one I'd served previously, with one half the salary; all that with a wife and 4 little kids depending on me for support.
It appeared that my life had taken a huge step backward. The grief I felt was terrible and real, but because I mistakenly thought Christians did not grieve, I held it all inside and consequently, suffered a time of terrible depression. My life, at that time, was beyond plan 'B!' For a couple of years I walked each day, step by step, like a man feeling his way in the dark, and wondered if God had abandoned me.
But with time, I realized He gave me a gift of rare and precious value when He allowed things to be turned upside down. That reassignment likely saved my marriage, enabled me to become a real Dad who spent time with his children, and most valuable of all - taught me to drink deeply of the cup of God's grace. He showed Himself faithful to me, even when I was faithless towards Him. I came to love that place seeing it not as the exile it once seemed, but as His sovereign plan for my good, a rich and wonderful place of greater blessings! Years later I was able to say what Joseph said when he was facing the brothers who sold him into slavery decades earlier- "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done." (Genesis 50:20, NIV)
So, as I lay in dark and reviewed my own life story, I found comfort in knowing that God always has a plan. We may not see 'round the bend in life's road, and often that's a good thing, but He does. Life is never plan 'B' to Him, nor for those who live in His care.
Are you struggling with more questions than answers today?
Did the road of life you thought you were traveling disappear in the storms of life?
Wait on Him to reveal His purposes. What surprises you and me, is never a surprise to the Omniscient One.
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you. ...
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. ..." (Psalm 37:2-7, NLT)
__________________________
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Dry bones! Live again!
It doesn't get much more dead than Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones! Familiar with it? In the 37th chapter of his book, the prophet tells of being set in the middle of a valley that was full of bones, bleached and dried by the sun. The flesh that clothed the bones is gone. The sinews that connected the bones - gone. Any semblance of life- gone. There in that scene of absolute desolation, God asks him, "Can these bones live?" What a question. How do would you respond to it?
With natural understanding, one would have to say, "The day for life in these bones is long since past! No, Lord, I they won't live again." Ezekiel chooses a different response. “Lord God, only you can answer that.” Ezekiel 37:3 It's not exactly a statement full of faith, but at least it allows for the possibility of life, however remote. Sometimes that is all the faith we have, just enough to allow for a possibility. According to Jesus, that is more than enough.
Now comes the test. God said, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!" Ezekiel 37:4 NIV The man of God was commanded to do something that would have looked like the height of folly to any observer. "Preach my Word to these dry bones!" God said. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Ezekiel spoke the improbable, into a situation of the impossible. And as he spoke, those bones rattled and moved! They assembled into skeletons, began to be connected, then covered with flesh. As he continued to preach, the Spirit of God swept over the corpses and "breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army." Ezekiel 37:10
It's quite a vision, isn't it? Shocking, yet captivating. It was God's message to His people who thought all hope was gone. These bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they’re saying: ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there’s nothing left of us.’ Ezekiel 37:11 The man of God needed courage, boldness, and vision to draw life back to a 'dead' nation. It was a work beyond his, or anyone's for that matter, natural ability. Who can make bones live again? That is why God said, "You, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’” Ezekiel 37:13-14
What seems dead, beyond hope, to you?
Is your marriage, which once was filled with life and love, just a barren, dead thing now?
Are your dreams for the future, hopes to make a real difference, rattling around in your mind, dried up and dead?
Is your church, once alive with the Spirit, a place of skeletons and ghosts of things past?
Is your spiritual life nothing but bones seeming dead to the Spirit of God?
God is putting the question to you - "Can these bones live?" In asking the question, He is stirring faith, be it ever so slight. As His Spirit stirs in us, let us become bold like the prophet, speaking the Words of life to a dead situation. "Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!"
Nothing is so thrilling as seeing God bring life back, breathing His healing into a person or a situation that all have concluded is beyond hope.
So, hear the Word of the Lord! Hear it yourself, then speak it.
______________________
Days Of Elijah- Mark, Robin- Integrity Music, Inc.
These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding the temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in the world,
And we are the laborers in the vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord.
Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
Out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
© 1997 Daybreak Music, Ltd. (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
With natural understanding, one would have to say, "The day for life in these bones is long since past! No, Lord, I they won't live again." Ezekiel chooses a different response. “Lord God, only you can answer that.” Ezekiel 37:3 It's not exactly a statement full of faith, but at least it allows for the possibility of life, however remote. Sometimes that is all the faith we have, just enough to allow for a possibility. According to Jesus, that is more than enough.
Now comes the test. God said, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!" Ezekiel 37:4 NIV The man of God was commanded to do something that would have looked like the height of folly to any observer. "Preach my Word to these dry bones!" God said. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Ezekiel spoke the improbable, into a situation of the impossible. And as he spoke, those bones rattled and moved! They assembled into skeletons, began to be connected, then covered with flesh. As he continued to preach, the Spirit of God swept over the corpses and "breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army." Ezekiel 37:10
It's quite a vision, isn't it? Shocking, yet captivating. It was God's message to His people who thought all hope was gone. These bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they’re saying: ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there’s nothing left of us.’ Ezekiel 37:11 The man of God needed courage, boldness, and vision to draw life back to a 'dead' nation. It was a work beyond his, or anyone's for that matter, natural ability. Who can make bones live again? That is why God said, "You, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’” Ezekiel 37:13-14
What seems dead, beyond hope, to you?
Is your marriage, which once was filled with life and love, just a barren, dead thing now?
Are your dreams for the future, hopes to make a real difference, rattling around in your mind, dried up and dead?
Is your church, once alive with the Spirit, a place of skeletons and ghosts of things past?
Is your spiritual life nothing but bones seeming dead to the Spirit of God?
God is putting the question to you - "Can these bones live?" In asking the question, He is stirring faith, be it ever so slight. As His Spirit stirs in us, let us become bold like the prophet, speaking the Words of life to a dead situation. "Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!"
Nothing is so thrilling as seeing God bring life back, breathing His healing into a person or a situation that all have concluded is beyond hope.
So, hear the Word of the Lord! Hear it yourself, then speak it.
______________________
Days Of Elijah- Mark, Robin- Integrity Music, Inc.
These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding the temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in the world,
And we are the laborers in the vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord.
Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
Out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
© 1997 Daybreak Music, Ltd. (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
Monday, July 11, 2005
"It's in the bank."
When I anticipate a big expense I like to set aside money to meet it so that when the bill arrives, I know that the resource needed is 'in the bank.' When there are more expenses than there are resources, real stress develops. What needs and challenges face you at this time? As you evaluate and prepare your response to the demands of life are you including all of your resources?
As you know from a TFTD last week, my 50th birthday was 7/7/2005. I was not thrilled at reaching this milestone. Did growing older mean that I was facing diminished productivity? It felt like that to me, until yesterday, in a time of tribute at the church, when my friend Phil made a statement about God's resources that keeps echoing in my head. "Jerry, you have never been better prepared to do what God has planned for you to do than you are today!" He is right. God has given me a large store of resources for serving Him; equipping me with experience, knowledge, a great place of ministry, a good team of partners, etc. that enables me to meet the demands of ministry with confidence. Everything I need to fulfill His purpose is "in the bank." If I am faithful receive and use God's gifts, these next years have the potential to be the richest I've ever known!
Peter reminds all of us that "As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!" (2 Peter 1:3, NLT) The Message paraphrases it this way - "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." (2 Peter 1:3, The Message) All that you need to do His will, to please Him today is "in the bank." God is about abundance: overflowing grace, overwhelming mercy, powerful spiritual gifts, and amazing love. In response to His abundance, two questions beg our answer.
a. Will we receive, by faith, what He has provided to us to meet the demands of this day?
b. Will we be good stewards, passing the blessings along to the needs of every kind that come our way?
The Scripture teaches us that a primary reason we lack resources is that we fail to ask God to provide. (James 4.2) Jesus told us to simply ask God for what we need each day.
Of course, our requests need to be matched with good stewardship. God never promised us that He would give us everything we wanted to enable us to live selfishly. In fact, James also says that one of the reasons we don't get what we ask for is "because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure." (James 4.3) God will not pour resources into us simply to make us fat and happy! He blesses us with every spiritual blessing in order that we will be a blessing to the world around us.
So, today, when you're reviewing your needs, the demands of life that are presented to you, accept God's resources. Let Him equip you to do exceedingly more than you ever thought possible from His abundant store in Heaven.
___________________________________
He Giveth More Grace
He giveth more grace,
When the burden grows greater.
He sendeth more strength,
When the labors increase.
To added affliction,
He addeth His mercy.
To multiplied trials,
His multiplied peace.
His love has no limit,
His grace has no measure.
His pow'r has no boundary,
Known to men.
For out of His infinite
Riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth,
And giveth again.
When we have exhausted,
Our store of endurance.
When our strength has failed,
Ere the day is half done.
When we reach the end,
Of our hoarded resources.
Our Father's full giving
Is only begun.
© 1941. Renewed 1969 Lillenas Publishing Company (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
As you know from a TFTD last week, my 50th birthday was 7/7/2005. I was not thrilled at reaching this milestone. Did growing older mean that I was facing diminished productivity? It felt like that to me, until yesterday, in a time of tribute at the church, when my friend Phil made a statement about God's resources that keeps echoing in my head. "Jerry, you have never been better prepared to do what God has planned for you to do than you are today!" He is right. God has given me a large store of resources for serving Him; equipping me with experience, knowledge, a great place of ministry, a good team of partners, etc. that enables me to meet the demands of ministry with confidence. Everything I need to fulfill His purpose is "in the bank." If I am faithful receive and use God's gifts, these next years have the potential to be the richest I've ever known!
Peter reminds all of us that "As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!" (2 Peter 1:3, NLT) The Message paraphrases it this way - "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." (2 Peter 1:3, The Message) All that you need to do His will, to please Him today is "in the bank." God is about abundance: overflowing grace, overwhelming mercy, powerful spiritual gifts, and amazing love. In response to His abundance, two questions beg our answer.
a. Will we receive, by faith, what He has provided to us to meet the demands of this day?
b. Will we be good stewards, passing the blessings along to the needs of every kind that come our way?
The Scripture teaches us that a primary reason we lack resources is that we fail to ask God to provide. (James 4.2) Jesus told us to simply ask God for what we need each day.
Of course, our requests need to be matched with good stewardship. God never promised us that He would give us everything we wanted to enable us to live selfishly. In fact, James also says that one of the reasons we don't get what we ask for is "because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure." (James 4.3) God will not pour resources into us simply to make us fat and happy! He blesses us with every spiritual blessing in order that we will be a blessing to the world around us.
So, today, when you're reviewing your needs, the demands of life that are presented to you, accept God's resources. Let Him equip you to do exceedingly more than you ever thought possible from His abundant store in Heaven.
___________________________________
He Giveth More Grace
He giveth more grace,
When the burden grows greater.
He sendeth more strength,
When the labors increase.
To added affliction,
He addeth His mercy.
To multiplied trials,
His multiplied peace.
His love has no limit,
His grace has no measure.
His pow'r has no boundary,
Known to men.
For out of His infinite
Riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth,
And giveth again.
When we have exhausted,
Our store of endurance.
When our strength has failed,
Ere the day is half done.
When we reach the end,
Of our hoarded resources.
Our Father's full giving
Is only begun.
© 1941. Renewed 1969 Lillenas Publishing Company (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, July 08, 2005
Dealing with Disappointment?
Missed expectations, irritating circumstances, miserable people, tragedy... the list of causes for disappointment is a long one. Disappointment ranges across a wide spectrum of emotions - the awful to the merely unpleasant. Finding out that the person to whom you're married has been unfaithful is a kind of disappointment that is entirely different than discovering that you don't like the dinner you just ordered at the Olive Garden! Disappointment can turn us into angry people, or reduce us to cynicism if we do not deal with it as we should. So what to do with life's disappointments?
We can just insulate ourselves. I think I first read the following line in Peanuts, the cartoon strip - "Blessed is the man who expects nothing for he will never be disappointed!" Withdraw from life. Never take a risk by loving anyone. Never pray a prayer asking for the 'impossible.' You will save yourself some disappointment, but is that really how you want to live- safely insulated from both joy and sorrow hiding away from real life?
We must learn to forgive!
Forgiveness, in one sense, is releasing others from our demand that they act in ways we approve or like. This week, I wrestled with angry disappointment intensely for a couple of days. A person acted in a way towards me that was... well, let's just say, their actions were about as pleasant as sand in my teeth! As long as I remained in the grip of that anger, I had no peace. But, through prayer, I came to a place where I chose to forgive. The situation is not resolved, but I have released it to God's judgment. (I hope I can leave it there! Know what I mean?)
Forgiveness IS NOT telling another, "Ah, forget it. What you did or did not do doesn't matter." That's not true. When a person fails us, breaks our heart, rejects us, or harms us -- it does matter! Our disappointment is real. Trying to convince ourselves that our real emotions are not important or that they are not real, only deepens our internal conflict and anger.Forgiveness is a choice to turn to God's Spirit and seek His help in taking down Self, surrendering our pain to God and allowing Him to enter into our lives with wisdom, peace, and ultimately - here or in eternity - with justice. When we release that person who has disappointed us to God's court, we find freedom from the anger, hatred, and bitterness that often accompanies disappointment. Jesus, when teaching his followers about prayer, reminded us to pray ... Matthew 6:12 "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors....15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
We learn acceptance of circumstances beyond our control. AA taught me the Serenity Prayer.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and
supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next. Amen.
Jesus told us to live with the humility of a child, taking each from God, deeply trusting His purposes and plans. When disappointment comes, one of the first casualties is often faith. "How could God allow this to happen to me?" Let me suggest a slightly different prayer... "Why is God allowing this to happen to me?" The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." NLT Proverbs 3:5-6
The bitterness of missed expectations is sweetened when we set our ultimate hope in the Lord! That familiar promise found in Isaiah 40:30-31 reminds us that: "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
In this broken world, full of sin and hatred, of war and terrorist threats, of uncertainty about tomorrow - we can be people of hope. No, not a naive and silly hope that will not see life as it is, but a hope that sees beyond today and trusts in God's promise to make all things right. And so we pray, ever more earnestly, "May your Kingdom come, and Your will be done - on earth, as it is in Heaven." Amen.
_________________________
Thanks for the birthday greetings! I received so many emails and appreciated the humor, the affirmation, and the love each one brought my way yesterday. God be with you and bless YOU today.
We can just insulate ourselves. I think I first read the following line in Peanuts, the cartoon strip - "Blessed is the man who expects nothing for he will never be disappointed!" Withdraw from life. Never take a risk by loving anyone. Never pray a prayer asking for the 'impossible.' You will save yourself some disappointment, but is that really how you want to live- safely insulated from both joy and sorrow hiding away from real life?
We must learn to forgive!
Forgiveness, in one sense, is releasing others from our demand that they act in ways we approve or like. This week, I wrestled with angry disappointment intensely for a couple of days. A person acted in a way towards me that was... well, let's just say, their actions were about as pleasant as sand in my teeth! As long as I remained in the grip of that anger, I had no peace. But, through prayer, I came to a place where I chose to forgive. The situation is not resolved, but I have released it to God's judgment. (I hope I can leave it there! Know what I mean?)
Forgiveness IS NOT telling another, "Ah, forget it. What you did or did not do doesn't matter." That's not true. When a person fails us, breaks our heart, rejects us, or harms us -- it does matter! Our disappointment is real. Trying to convince ourselves that our real emotions are not important or that they are not real, only deepens our internal conflict and anger.Forgiveness is a choice to turn to God's Spirit and seek His help in taking down Self, surrendering our pain to God and allowing Him to enter into our lives with wisdom, peace, and ultimately - here or in eternity - with justice. When we release that person who has disappointed us to God's court, we find freedom from the anger, hatred, and bitterness that often accompanies disappointment. Jesus, when teaching his followers about prayer, reminded us to pray ... Matthew 6:12 "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors....15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
We learn acceptance of circumstances beyond our control. AA taught me the Serenity Prayer.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and
supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next. Amen.
Jesus told us to live with the humility of a child, taking each from God, deeply trusting His purposes and plans. When disappointment comes, one of the first casualties is often faith. "How could God allow this to happen to me?" Let me suggest a slightly different prayer... "Why is God allowing this to happen to me?" The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." NLT Proverbs 3:5-6
The bitterness of missed expectations is sweetened when we set our ultimate hope in the Lord! That familiar promise found in Isaiah 40:30-31 reminds us that: "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
In this broken world, full of sin and hatred, of war and terrorist threats, of uncertainty about tomorrow - we can be people of hope. No, not a naive and silly hope that will not see life as it is, but a hope that sees beyond today and trusts in God's promise to make all things right. And so we pray, ever more earnestly, "May your Kingdom come, and Your will be done - on earth, as it is in Heaven." Amen.
_________________________
Thanks for the birthday greetings! I received so many emails and appreciated the humor, the affirmation, and the love each one brought my way yesterday. God be with you and bless YOU today.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Just when you thought...
This news clip was on the AP site this morning.Pittsburgh- "James Henry Smith loved his country. He served in Vietnam and spent 25 years in the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard. But the 55-year-old Garfield man also had love for his favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers -- and that led to an unusual viewing after he died from prostate cancer this week. Smith's family asked the Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home in Lincoln-Lemington to place his body not in a casket, but in a recliner that faced a television playing Steelers highlights. In Smith's hand was a remote control. He was dressed in black and gold Steelers clothing, and a team blanket was draped over one of the chair's armrests." http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/WCVB/20050706/lo_wtae/2811550
An amazing legacy, isn't it? A man whose passion in life is a professional football team and whose family chooses, as their last visual image of him, having him sitting in a recliner, holding a remote control, in front of a TV playing game highlights. I just shake my head in disbelief on that one. I hope I do a little better in the legacy department than that. How about you?
I've been a little pensive this week, today marking my 50th birthday. A half century of years brings interesting things to my life... a balding head, grandchildren, a wife who looks 20 years younger than I, being a sage to some (and a fool to some, too!), and increasing thoughts of legacy.
It's a cliché but none the less true for me: only yesterday I was a young guy, full of visions, trying to manage a small rambunctious family, and working out the implications of the will of God for my life. I am very thankful today that my regrets are few and my memories are abundantly pleasant. It is neither wisdom nor luck that has brought me to this place, but rather the goodness of the Lord. What a graceful God that directs my steps. I have not received what I deserved! I revel in His mercies, pour out my thanks for His favor, and wonder at His love.
Paul's words express my aim for the rest of the trip, however long that may be, God helping me by His Spirit: "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! (I heard that amen!) But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.
... I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing:Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." (Philippians 3:12-14, NLT)
If my family chose to display my body after my death (which I hope they don't!) I would want to be on my knees looking upward towards Heaven! My passion is to love Him and, hopefully, to cause others to love Him, too. It would a fine legacy to be known simply as one who loved Jesus with his whole heart and who lived to please the God of Heaven.
What's legacy are you building today?
Have you set your sights high?
It's a rather unpleasant thought, but if your family chose to have your final visual presentation as the representation of your passion - what would the tableau look like?
Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
Let's commit to living to the full, choosing wisely, with God's help, so that when all is summed up, we will be able to say,
"And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return."
(2 Timothy 4:8, NLT)
An amazing legacy, isn't it? A man whose passion in life is a professional football team and whose family chooses, as their last visual image of him, having him sitting in a recliner, holding a remote control, in front of a TV playing game highlights. I just shake my head in disbelief on that one. I hope I do a little better in the legacy department than that. How about you?
I've been a little pensive this week, today marking my 50th birthday. A half century of years brings interesting things to my life... a balding head, grandchildren, a wife who looks 20 years younger than I, being a sage to some (and a fool to some, too!), and increasing thoughts of legacy.
It's a cliché but none the less true for me: only yesterday I was a young guy, full of visions, trying to manage a small rambunctious family, and working out the implications of the will of God for my life. I am very thankful today that my regrets are few and my memories are abundantly pleasant. It is neither wisdom nor luck that has brought me to this place, but rather the goodness of the Lord. What a graceful God that directs my steps. I have not received what I deserved! I revel in His mercies, pour out my thanks for His favor, and wonder at His love.
Paul's words express my aim for the rest of the trip, however long that may be, God helping me by His Spirit: "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! (I heard that amen!) But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.
... I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing:Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." (Philippians 3:12-14, NLT)
If my family chose to display my body after my death (which I hope they don't!) I would want to be on my knees looking upward towards Heaven! My passion is to love Him and, hopefully, to cause others to love Him, too. It would a fine legacy to be known simply as one who loved Jesus with his whole heart and who lived to please the God of Heaven.
What's legacy are you building today?
Have you set your sights high?
It's a rather unpleasant thought, but if your family chose to have your final visual presentation as the representation of your passion - what would the tableau look like?
Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
Let's commit to living to the full, choosing wisely, with God's help, so that when all is summed up, we will be able to say,
"And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return."
(2 Timothy 4:8, NLT)
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Generations
Gavin, my grandson who is 3 years old, is growing in his awareness of God. Before we ate dinner, he prayed to thank God for our food and his family. At bedtime, he makes sure to instruct Daddy about giving thanks to Jesus for specific experiences that day. He asks probing questions about how to know Jesus, too. Such interest in the things of God does a Grandfather's heart good! He is the 5th generation in the Scott family to be trained in the evangelical Christian tradition. How I pray that the training he is receiving at this tender age will take root in his little heart and mind.
I thank God that my children saw the reality of Jesus Christ in our home and that, as they matured, they chose to respond to His love and to His will. We are all- young and old - still growing in grace! I look forward to my father, now in his 7th decade, and learn from him. My sons and daughters look forward to me as a model and, now, the next generation follows on. May the chain never be broken until the coming of the Kingdom.
The oft-quoted Proverb tells us if we "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. " (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV) The Message comes a little closer to the Hebrew intention of the word, "train," saying - "Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost." (Proverbs 22:6, The Message) The word that is translated as, "train," is a word that in every other usage in the Bible is translated as "dedicate." Training implies a singular act or an event. To pass the faith along we must go far beyond just taking a child to Sunday School, or having a time - every now and then - of Bible reading at the dinner table.
If we hope that the next generation will take seriously our professed love for God, they must be able to see Him as real in our daily lives. They need to observe how our devotion shapes our attitudes in our business endeavors, our leisure time - yes, the whole of our lives. Moses reminded the people of God that true spirituality is not segregated from real life. He told them that if they wanted the next generation to know the living God they must live in a way that keeps His Presence - front and center all of the time. "Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got! Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night." (Deuteronomy 6:4-8, The Message)
Talking about the Lord in our family is not a forced thing, nor does it involve 'religious' language. God's truth is the hub of the wheel of life. So, as we live, there is always reference to God's will, God's way. Much of the teaching that takes place is not formal, in the sense that we sit down with Bible and pen to 'do a lesson.' Rather, as the Scripture above references, we talk about the Lord at the table, on the deck, as we play and work.
Are you passing the faith along?
___________________________
We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us
Line the way.
Cheering on the faithful,
Encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament
To God's sustaining grace.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way.
May the footprints that we leave,
Lead them to believe,
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful.
Surrounded by so great
A cloud of witnesses,
Let us run the race
Not only for the prize,
But as those who've gone before us.
Let us leave to those behind us,
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on thru godly lives.
After all our hopes and dreams
Have come and gone,
And our children sift thru all
We've left behind,
May the clues that they discover,
And the memories they uncover,
Become the light that leads them,
To the road we each must find.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way.
May the footprints that we leave,
Lead them to believe,
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful.
© 1987 Jonathan Mark Music ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management / Birdwing Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055
I thank God that my children saw the reality of Jesus Christ in our home and that, as they matured, they chose to respond to His love and to His will. We are all- young and old - still growing in grace! I look forward to my father, now in his 7th decade, and learn from him. My sons and daughters look forward to me as a model and, now, the next generation follows on. May the chain never be broken until the coming of the Kingdom.
The oft-quoted Proverb tells us if we "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. " (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV) The Message comes a little closer to the Hebrew intention of the word, "train," saying - "Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost." (Proverbs 22:6, The Message) The word that is translated as, "train," is a word that in every other usage in the Bible is translated as "dedicate." Training implies a singular act or an event. To pass the faith along we must go far beyond just taking a child to Sunday School, or having a time - every now and then - of Bible reading at the dinner table.
If we hope that the next generation will take seriously our professed love for God, they must be able to see Him as real in our daily lives. They need to observe how our devotion shapes our attitudes in our business endeavors, our leisure time - yes, the whole of our lives. Moses reminded the people of God that true spirituality is not segregated from real life. He told them that if they wanted the next generation to know the living God they must live in a way that keeps His Presence - front and center all of the time. "Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got! Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night." (Deuteronomy 6:4-8, The Message)
Talking about the Lord in our family is not a forced thing, nor does it involve 'religious' language. God's truth is the hub of the wheel of life. So, as we live, there is always reference to God's will, God's way. Much of the teaching that takes place is not formal, in the sense that we sit down with Bible and pen to 'do a lesson.' Rather, as the Scripture above references, we talk about the Lord at the table, on the deck, as we play and work.
Are you passing the faith along?
___________________________
We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us
Line the way.
Cheering on the faithful,
Encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament
To God's sustaining grace.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way.
May the footprints that we leave,
Lead them to believe,
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful.
Surrounded by so great
A cloud of witnesses,
Let us run the race
Not only for the prize,
But as those who've gone before us.
Let us leave to those behind us,
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on thru godly lives.
After all our hopes and dreams
Have come and gone,
And our children sift thru all
We've left behind,
May the clues that they discover,
And the memories they uncover,
Become the light that leads them,
To the road we each must find.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way.
May the footprints that we leave,
Lead them to believe,
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful.
© 1987 Jonathan Mark Music ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management / Birdwing Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Interdependence!
Watching "Coach Carter," a true story of a high school basketball coach who taught his players that life is more than just being a star on the court, is a great way to spend an evening. One of the highlight moments of the movie is when the players catch the vision of being a team. One of the guys, a street punk named Cruz, was given an assignment by Carter to do an impossible amount of 'suicide' drills and push-ups, so many that it was obvious he could not possibly complete them on time and stay on the team. Just as the coach is ready to send Cruz packing, the other players step up to take part of his assignment on themselves, putting the team's welfare over their own comfort. It's a great moment that sets the tone for the rest of the movie which the Cinderella story of a inner-city school's losing team becoming a winning team as they discover discipline and achievement in other areas of life as well as the basketball court.
(Caution. The movie is not 'Christian,' and contains some themes and language that are not appropriate for younger children.)
Interdependence is one of the keys to building a life that is truly satisfying and that reaches the potential of God's true purposes. When we realize that we are not meant to do life by ourselves; fiercely independent and protective of our personal rights, we are ready to step up to a new level of success. Few people ever really understand that fact. As simple as the idea of 'team' appears on the surface, the need for the unity of the 'team' is quickly trumped by ego, the desire for accolades, and/or personal comfort issues in almost every situation.
Interdependence is difficult for many reasons.
Sometimes the skill or success of another threatens us. Those abilities become a reason for resentment. You've likely encountered that problem when you have given your best, worked hard for a team, only to have your team-mates tell you to 'back off' from your high level of performance because they are unwilling to step and match the effort! An interdependent team lets the skills or dedication of the best member lift the others to higher planes, instead of pulling him down.
Then, too, you most likely have felt the temptation for personal glory. Who among us has not wanted to stand up and say, "Hey, how about a little credit here?" There's something about our human nature that likes our efforts to recognized. While is good and even important to recognize the contributions of the members of our team; the moment that gaining individual recognition becomes a priority, the success of the team will be be diminished.
Listen to what Paul wrote to a local church - "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." (Philippians 1:3-7, NIV)
Paul was a 'super star' of the 1st century Church, traveling far and wide preaching and planting churches. His influence was unmatched by any other single man in the early years of Christianity, but does he hold himself higher? No. He calls these local Believers his 'partners,' and thanks God for them! Was Paul always perfect in his interdependent attitudes toward other Believers? Judge for yourself. In one revealing passage near the end of the 2nd letter to the Corinthians, (see chapters 10-13) Paul is overcome with irritation at the supposed super-spirituality of the Corinthian Believers who think themselves so superior to him that they no longer have need of his leadership. He lists his accomplishments. You can tell he is embarrassed that he feels the need to do so. Time and again he says things like, "I speak foolishly... bear with me in this folly." I wonder as he read that letter later in life, if that passage made him cringe with embarrassment? But even as he offers the proofs of his authority and spiritual maturity, Paul remains aware of of his need of others and the power of the Spirit of God!
Are you 'on the team?'
Are you playing in the symphony of grace or seeking to be the solo star?
Let this little song I learned 45 years ago in Sunday School become a theme song:
When we all pull together, pull together, pull together,
When we all pull together, how happy we'll be.
When your work, is my work, and our work, is God's work-
When we all pull together, how happy we'll be.
(Caution. The movie is not 'Christian,' and contains some themes and language that are not appropriate for younger children.)
Interdependence is one of the keys to building a life that is truly satisfying and that reaches the potential of God's true purposes. When we realize that we are not meant to do life by ourselves; fiercely independent and protective of our personal rights, we are ready to step up to a new level of success. Few people ever really understand that fact. As simple as the idea of 'team' appears on the surface, the need for the unity of the 'team' is quickly trumped by ego, the desire for accolades, and/or personal comfort issues in almost every situation.
Interdependence is difficult for many reasons.
Sometimes the skill or success of another threatens us. Those abilities become a reason for resentment. You've likely encountered that problem when you have given your best, worked hard for a team, only to have your team-mates tell you to 'back off' from your high level of performance because they are unwilling to step and match the effort! An interdependent team lets the skills or dedication of the best member lift the others to higher planes, instead of pulling him down.
Then, too, you most likely have felt the temptation for personal glory. Who among us has not wanted to stand up and say, "Hey, how about a little credit here?" There's something about our human nature that likes our efforts to recognized. While is good and even important to recognize the contributions of the members of our team; the moment that gaining individual recognition becomes a priority, the success of the team will be be diminished.
Listen to what Paul wrote to a local church - "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." (Philippians 1:3-7, NIV)
Paul was a 'super star' of the 1st century Church, traveling far and wide preaching and planting churches. His influence was unmatched by any other single man in the early years of Christianity, but does he hold himself higher? No. He calls these local Believers his 'partners,' and thanks God for them! Was Paul always perfect in his interdependent attitudes toward other Believers? Judge for yourself. In one revealing passage near the end of the 2nd letter to the Corinthians, (see chapters 10-13) Paul is overcome with irritation at the supposed super-spirituality of the Corinthian Believers who think themselves so superior to him that they no longer have need of his leadership. He lists his accomplishments. You can tell he is embarrassed that he feels the need to do so. Time and again he says things like, "I speak foolishly... bear with me in this folly." I wonder as he read that letter later in life, if that passage made him cringe with embarrassment? But even as he offers the proofs of his authority and spiritual maturity, Paul remains aware of of his need of others and the power of the Spirit of God!
Are you 'on the team?'
Are you playing in the symphony of grace or seeking to be the solo star?
Let this little song I learned 45 years ago in Sunday School become a theme song:
When we all pull together, pull together, pull together,
When we all pull together, how happy we'll be.
When your work, is my work, and our work, is God's work-
When we all pull together, how happy we'll be.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Living Free
The Declaration of Independence, the document drafted and circulated in these colonies that sparked the revolution, focused on the acts of the British monarch that many of the American colonials found intolerable. It was a document that re-defined the way people thought about government, appealing to the rights of the governed and rejecting the tyranny of a king. While rejecting the king's authority (which many believed came from God) the writers of the Declaration appealed to God as their source of authority and, ultimately, for the success of their cause.
As I re-read the Declaration this morning, http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html - I took note of the references to God and Providence that both open and close the Declaration. Jefferson and those who assisted him in drafting it, regardless of personal devotion or lack thereof, viewed the world as belonging to God and shaped by His will. They clearly knew that their effort to establish a new government separate from the Crown, would be costly and not likely to succeed without the help of God. The last line of the Declaration says, ...for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Two centuries plus later, these United States have not out-grown the need of the protection of Divine Providence! Some may take note our powerful military, our unparalleled wealth, and our stable government and conclude that our liberties are secure, our way of life unassailable. As I gaze out on my peaceful, prosperous neighborhood, it is easy to conclude that any threats to my freedom and prosperity are remote. How wrong that conclusion would be. America remains vulnerable to threat both internal and external.
While I am not one of those who sees an imminent collapse of our nation, there are trends that are deeply troubling. Moral rot is eating away the heart of the nation! Greed, sensuality, and unbridled expressions of selfishness tear away at the nation's heart. Many believe themselves to be their own god, living primarily to satisfy their own demands, ungoverned by Divine command.
There are forces external that desire the destruction of America for reasons both political and spiritual. Our current war is not the first waged to defend our liberty, nor will it be the last.
Without the blessings and protection of God, this nation will crumble into oblivion - like other great nations before.
Today, I encourage you to pray with me that the Spirit of God will sweep over this nation.
As I re-read the Declaration this morning, http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html - I took note of the references to God and Providence that both open and close the Declaration. Jefferson and those who assisted him in drafting it, regardless of personal devotion or lack thereof, viewed the world as belonging to God and shaped by His will. They clearly knew that their effort to establish a new government separate from the Crown, would be costly and not likely to succeed without the help of God. The last line of the Declaration says, ...for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Two centuries plus later, these United States have not out-grown the need of the protection of Divine Providence! Some may take note our powerful military, our unparalleled wealth, and our stable government and conclude that our liberties are secure, our way of life unassailable. As I gaze out on my peaceful, prosperous neighborhood, it is easy to conclude that any threats to my freedom and prosperity are remote. How wrong that conclusion would be. America remains vulnerable to threat both internal and external.
While I am not one of those who sees an imminent collapse of our nation, there are trends that are deeply troubling. Moral rot is eating away the heart of the nation! Greed, sensuality, and unbridled expressions of selfishness tear away at the nation's heart. Many believe themselves to be their own god, living primarily to satisfy their own demands, ungoverned by Divine command.
There are forces external that desire the destruction of America for reasons both political and spiritual. Our current war is not the first waged to defend our liberty, nor will it be the last.
Without the blessings and protection of God, this nation will crumble into oblivion - like other great nations before.
Today, I encourage you to pray with me that the Spirit of God will sweep over this nation.
- Pray for individual Believers to live the kind of godly lives that causes others to hunger to know Jesus Christ.
- Pray for Churches to become powerful catalysts of genuine spiritual transformation.
- Pray for those who govern, that they will recognize - like the writers of the Declaration - the need for reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.
- Finally, today, let's pray for those men and women who are under arms in the service of our government. May God bless them for their willingness to serve, keep them safe, and comfort their families.
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." (Psalm 33:12-19, NIV)
Friday, July 01, 2005
"I, in awesome wonder, consider all"
The aardvark napped; an orangutan frolicked. Peacocks strutted, hippos floated. The gawky giraffe appears to have been designed by a dysfunctional committee! Yes, the family and I were at the Philly Zoo. Payton, my 18 month old grandson, pressed up to the fences, his little mouth forming an "o" of silent amazement as he looked at birds and beasts. Gavin was captivated by the monkey antics. The wonder of it all was sensory overload, even for me.
I kept thinking of God's charge to us, "fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over (it.)" (Genesis 1:28, NIV) "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15, NIV) A central part of God's purpose for us is the stewardship of the earth, and what a treasure He's entrusted to our care! The Scripture never hints that we should worship the natural world as many do, but we are told to take care of it as a sacred trust.
Once, I foolishly failed to listen to those who expressed concern for the earth, dismissing the whole ecology movement as the work of 'tree huggers.' In my view it was an either/or proposition- development or conservation. That's a false dichotomy, as many are discovering. We don't have to worship the earth to care for it with reverence for it as the work of God. Certainly, like all reactionary movements, environmentalism has been characterized by excesses to which many Christians, including yours truly, responded as the stuff of New Age nuts.
Carl Weiland, wrote in Creation - "environmentalism seems like a substitute religion, with an established dogma; ‘plastic is bad, recycling is virtuous, forests are sacred sites, developers are satanical’. And much environmentalism is fanned by evolutionary pantheism. ‘Mother Earth’ is the creative goddess, who must be protected and pacified. But in any issue, we should be prepared to think carefully, and not let our reaction to extremists goad us into overlooking any Biblical principles that apply." As those who will give account to God for how we managed His garden we need to apply our minds to find solutions that allow for us to enjoy the world and her bounty, while taking steps to keep it whole and beautiful as the Creator made it. Weiland also observes - "Determining the boundary between use and abuse, between responsible resource management and rapacious plunder, is obviously a complex ‘wisdom’ issue, not one with a single Biblical answer that fits all cases."
To care for the earth is an act of worship - for Him, the Creator. I am convinced that when we give account to the Lord, it won't just be our tithe and a positive balance in our checkbook that matters when He discusses our stewardship. He will ask about how well we took care of His Treasure, how we engaged in exercising dominion (rule) over His earth.
Here's a word from the Word. Note the wonder about Creation! Need a wonder-infusion? Take a trip to the Zoo!
_________________________________
" Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. ....
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. ...
How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. ...
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works—...I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. ...Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD." (Psalm 104, NIV)
I kept thinking of God's charge to us, "fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over (it.)" (Genesis 1:28, NIV) "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15, NIV) A central part of God's purpose for us is the stewardship of the earth, and what a treasure He's entrusted to our care! The Scripture never hints that we should worship the natural world as many do, but we are told to take care of it as a sacred trust.
Once, I foolishly failed to listen to those who expressed concern for the earth, dismissing the whole ecology movement as the work of 'tree huggers.' In my view it was an either/or proposition- development or conservation. That's a false dichotomy, as many are discovering. We don't have to worship the earth to care for it with reverence for it as the work of God. Certainly, like all reactionary movements, environmentalism has been characterized by excesses to which many Christians, including yours truly, responded as the stuff of New Age nuts.
Carl Weiland, wrote in Creation - "environmentalism seems like a substitute religion, with an established dogma; ‘plastic is bad, recycling is virtuous, forests are sacred sites, developers are satanical’. And much environmentalism is fanned by evolutionary pantheism. ‘Mother Earth’ is the creative goddess, who must be protected and pacified. But in any issue, we should be prepared to think carefully, and not let our reaction to extremists goad us into overlooking any Biblical principles that apply." As those who will give account to God for how we managed His garden we need to apply our minds to find solutions that allow for us to enjoy the world and her bounty, while taking steps to keep it whole and beautiful as the Creator made it. Weiland also observes - "Determining the boundary between use and abuse, between responsible resource management and rapacious plunder, is obviously a complex ‘wisdom’ issue, not one with a single Biblical answer that fits all cases."
To care for the earth is an act of worship - for Him, the Creator. I am convinced that when we give account to the Lord, it won't just be our tithe and a positive balance in our checkbook that matters when He discusses our stewardship. He will ask about how well we took care of His Treasure, how we engaged in exercising dominion (rule) over His earth.
Here's a word from the Word. Note the wonder about Creation! Need a wonder-infusion? Take a trip to the Zoo!
_________________________________
" Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. ....
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. ...
How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. ...
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works—...I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. ...Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD." (Psalm 104, NIV)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
The Discipline of Joy
Discipline and joy - that is an incongruous linkage of words. In our Weds. Bible Study, we are studying John Ortberg's Life You've Always Wanted. The first discipline he writes about is celebration, practicing the habit of joy! I must be honest and admit (confess is probably a better word) that I am the "Chief Drudge" and that I do not celebrate well. That is not a good thing. Christianity is to be characterized by incredible joy, among other things. Ortberg challenged me by pointing out some key truths.
First is this-- God is joyful! That was a new idea for me. God is love, yes. God is holy, of course. God is good, always. But, God is joyful? Think about it. When He created, how did He summarize His work? "And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good!" He was delighted by His creativity. Isaiah uses a great metaphor about God's joy -- "as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:5, NIV) God is as giddy about loving us as a young man is about his new wife!
Second -- Jesus' goal was to give us 'abundant life' that we might 'share the full measure of His joy.' Jesus laughed! I know it's much more common for us to think of Him as a suffering Savior, but between the lines, we see a joyful Man. Children liked him, sought Him out. Kids don't climb onto the laps of cranky guys! Buried in His teaching are remarks designed to spark laughter. We don't always 'get it' because of the gap in culture and time, but they are there. He poked fun at the Pharisees who were so scrupulous about external holiness. His audience probably roared when He said, "you strain the gnats out of your drinks but swallow camels."
Third -- Paul commands us to rejoice! "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NIV) If joy were simply the result of uncontrollable circumstances as many of us think, then this command would be unfair or impossible. Joy is a choice for the Believer, regardless of the 'happiness content' of the day.
So, how do we practice joyfulness? Ortberg suggests 7 things...
1. Begin NOW! Stop waiting for joy to make it's way to you, or waiting for something you hope for to happen. Believe what the Word declares, that "This is the day the LORD has made" ... and when you believe that... then go on to the next step..."let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24, NIV)
2. Find a 'joy' mentor. Experiencing joy is a learned response. Griping and complaining comes naturally to the sinful nature. So let somebody who's grasped the joy of the Lord coach you.
3. Set aside a day a week to celebrate. It's not BAD to have pleasurable experiences. Eat ice cream! In moderation, it won't hurt you a bit. Revel in beauty. It is a gift to appreciate a sunset, a work of art, a musical composition. So, make sure you celebrate regularly to break out of the monotony of life.
4. Unplug from the steady stream of 'bad news' from the world for a week. Depression is an epidemic among us. Might it be because we are trying to deal with the ugliness, the sin, the suffering of the whole world everyday? Those 24/7 news channels might keep you informed, but they may also be a great hindrance to joy as you find yourself confronted with terror, tragedy, and woe from the four corners of the earth.
5. Discipline your mind to see life from the Biblical perspective. Today is not IT! You and I are not all that we will ever be. Change is happening, that is the assurance of the Word. "...we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. " (2 Corinthians 3:18, The Message) Not happy with who you are, what you're like today? Work with God and He'll change you. And live 'eschatologically' with an eye to the coming Kingdom! That will keep the disappointment and sorrows of this day from overwhelming you.
6. Pray for the fruit of the Holy Spirit (the evidence of His life) to be created in you. What is that fruit? "Love, JOY...." Yes, second on the list is JOY! "Oh, God, teach me to celebrate, to live joyfully, because You live in me."
7. Practice joyfulness. Yes, when you hear yourself joining in with complaining, when you're chafing against situations, when you are ungrateful- make a choice, by the power of the Spirit, to go in a different direction. Look up, not down. Speak with faith, not from fear. Thank God for what He's given you, instead of complaining about what you perceive that you lack.
"Lord, thank you for being You and for being Joyful over us.
Wherever we are, in whatever state we find ourselves today,
may our response to you be gratefulness for your faithfulness.
When our hearts are broken by real suffering, by hurt visited on us by cruel people,
heal us and hold us close.
When we are selfish, touchy, and full of irritability -
convict us and help us to listen when you say, "Get your heart right!"
Do the work of transformation in us, so that the
joy of the Lord will be evident in us.
In this you will be honored and the world will know
that we are people of faith.
Jesus, we pray this in your holy name.
Amen."
First is this-- God is joyful! That was a new idea for me. God is love, yes. God is holy, of course. God is good, always. But, God is joyful? Think about it. When He created, how did He summarize His work? "And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good!" He was delighted by His creativity. Isaiah uses a great metaphor about God's joy -- "as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:5, NIV) God is as giddy about loving us as a young man is about his new wife!
Second -- Jesus' goal was to give us 'abundant life' that we might 'share the full measure of His joy.' Jesus laughed! I know it's much more common for us to think of Him as a suffering Savior, but between the lines, we see a joyful Man. Children liked him, sought Him out. Kids don't climb onto the laps of cranky guys! Buried in His teaching are remarks designed to spark laughter. We don't always 'get it' because of the gap in culture and time, but they are there. He poked fun at the Pharisees who were so scrupulous about external holiness. His audience probably roared when He said, "you strain the gnats out of your drinks but swallow camels."
Third -- Paul commands us to rejoice! "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NIV) If joy were simply the result of uncontrollable circumstances as many of us think, then this command would be unfair or impossible. Joy is a choice for the Believer, regardless of the 'happiness content' of the day.
So, how do we practice joyfulness? Ortberg suggests 7 things...
1. Begin NOW! Stop waiting for joy to make it's way to you, or waiting for something you hope for to happen. Believe what the Word declares, that "This is the day the LORD has made" ... and when you believe that... then go on to the next step..."let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24, NIV)
2. Find a 'joy' mentor. Experiencing joy is a learned response. Griping and complaining comes naturally to the sinful nature. So let somebody who's grasped the joy of the Lord coach you.
3. Set aside a day a week to celebrate. It's not BAD to have pleasurable experiences. Eat ice cream! In moderation, it won't hurt you a bit. Revel in beauty. It is a gift to appreciate a sunset, a work of art, a musical composition. So, make sure you celebrate regularly to break out of the monotony of life.
4. Unplug from the steady stream of 'bad news' from the world for a week. Depression is an epidemic among us. Might it be because we are trying to deal with the ugliness, the sin, the suffering of the whole world everyday? Those 24/7 news channels might keep you informed, but they may also be a great hindrance to joy as you find yourself confronted with terror, tragedy, and woe from the four corners of the earth.
5. Discipline your mind to see life from the Biblical perspective. Today is not IT! You and I are not all that we will ever be. Change is happening, that is the assurance of the Word. "...we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. " (2 Corinthians 3:18, The Message) Not happy with who you are, what you're like today? Work with God and He'll change you. And live 'eschatologically' with an eye to the coming Kingdom! That will keep the disappointment and sorrows of this day from overwhelming you.
6. Pray for the fruit of the Holy Spirit (the evidence of His life) to be created in you. What is that fruit? "Love, JOY...." Yes, second on the list is JOY! "Oh, God, teach me to celebrate, to live joyfully, because You live in me."
7. Practice joyfulness. Yes, when you hear yourself joining in with complaining, when you're chafing against situations, when you are ungrateful- make a choice, by the power of the Spirit, to go in a different direction. Look up, not down. Speak with faith, not from fear. Thank God for what He's given you, instead of complaining about what you perceive that you lack.
"Lord, thank you for being You and for being Joyful over us.
Wherever we are, in whatever state we find ourselves today,
may our response to you be gratefulness for your faithfulness.
When our hearts are broken by real suffering, by hurt visited on us by cruel people,
heal us and hold us close.
When we are selfish, touchy, and full of irritability -
convict us and help us to listen when you say, "Get your heart right!"
Do the work of transformation in us, so that the
joy of the Lord will be evident in us.
In this you will be honored and the world will know
that we are people of faith.
Jesus, we pray this in your holy name.
Amen."
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Hand in hand
Gavin, my grandson who is 3, and I walked, holding hands. It was a wonderful moment that left me full of emotion. When a large vehicle approached, his little hand tightened on mine as if to say, "Keep me safe, Grandpa." At one point as we walked past some mud on the side of the road, I felt his grip loosen and knew his intent in a second, so I gently held on and pulled him back, sparing him some very muddy sneakers and a scolding from his Dad. We got to a dead-end side street and I said, "you can run ahead if you wish." He dropped my hand and danced a funny little wiggle around me, laughing in his 'independence' but even then stayed fairly close. When I asked him why he didn't run ahead, he replied, "because I don't know where your house is."
And God whispered to me, "I delight even more in you than you do in this little boy!"
In the grip of His grace there is both comfort and safety. When we hold tightly to Him, (that, at least, is the illusion. Truth is, He holds us more than we hold Him.) we sense the comfort He offers even when the questions pile up without immediate answers. Gavin had no idea where I was going and just a few minutes into our walk, if I had disappeared, he would have been lost, unable to find his way home. Once we left our house, he had to trust me. Similarly in our walk with God, we do not know where He's leading and, while He's given us our final destination, the way between here and there is often unknown.
But, we need not fear because He is a good God! I am amazed that He would want to walk with me, but He does. He promises, "I will not leave you as orphans." (John 14.18) Cynthia Clausen wrote a song that includes these lyrics,
He sees the Master plan.
He holds our future in His hands.
So don't live as those who have no hope.
All our hope is found in Him.
We walk in present knowledge,
but He sees the first and the last.
And like a tapestry, He's weaving you and me
to someday be just like Him.
God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don't understand,
when you don't see His plan,
When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart.
More wonderful even is that He knows our intents and that we are prone to wander into the mud, too. If we are walking with Him, His Spirit will pull us back to spare us - if we'll listen!
I'm sure my quick tug on Gavin's hand was mysterious to him. "How could Grandpa know I wanted to get into that mud? Why won't he let me?" He didn't know that I know his little boy heart quite well. He asked, "why can't I walk over there?"
"Because it is sticky mud and it will make a mess of your shoes," I explained. All he saw was a spot of dirt that glistened with moisture inviting him to play. I saw the consequences and saved him from an unpleasant scene! Our Lord, the Bible says, "is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." That is not a threat to our joy. It is safety! He can see the consequences and, by His Spirit, warns us.
Are you walking with God?
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7, NKJV)
And God whispered to me, "I delight even more in you than you do in this little boy!"
In the grip of His grace there is both comfort and safety. When we hold tightly to Him, (that, at least, is the illusion. Truth is, He holds us more than we hold Him.) we sense the comfort He offers even when the questions pile up without immediate answers. Gavin had no idea where I was going and just a few minutes into our walk, if I had disappeared, he would have been lost, unable to find his way home. Once we left our house, he had to trust me. Similarly in our walk with God, we do not know where He's leading and, while He's given us our final destination, the way between here and there is often unknown.
But, we need not fear because He is a good God! I am amazed that He would want to walk with me, but He does. He promises, "I will not leave you as orphans." (John 14.18) Cynthia Clausen wrote a song that includes these lyrics,
He sees the Master plan.
He holds our future in His hands.
So don't live as those who have no hope.
All our hope is found in Him.
We walk in present knowledge,
but He sees the first and the last.
And like a tapestry, He's weaving you and me
to someday be just like Him.
God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don't understand,
when you don't see His plan,
When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart.
More wonderful even is that He knows our intents and that we are prone to wander into the mud, too. If we are walking with Him, His Spirit will pull us back to spare us - if we'll listen!
I'm sure my quick tug on Gavin's hand was mysterious to him. "How could Grandpa know I wanted to get into that mud? Why won't he let me?" He didn't know that I know his little boy heart quite well. He asked, "why can't I walk over there?"
"Because it is sticky mud and it will make a mess of your shoes," I explained. All he saw was a spot of dirt that glistened with moisture inviting him to play. I saw the consequences and saved him from an unpleasant scene! Our Lord, the Bible says, "is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." That is not a threat to our joy. It is safety! He can see the consequences and, by His Spirit, warns us.
Are you walking with God?
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7, NKJV)
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The "Supreme" Court
Yesterday the US Supreme Court handed down more of those verdicts that reveal how foolish even the 'wisest' of people can be. Two cases about the public display of the Ten Commandments were decided with 140 pages of legal jargon, most of it nothing more than the preferences of one person dressed up to look like law. In one ruling, the Texas State House display was allowed as part of a 'historical' monument, while in the other the Kentucky court house was told to remove the display because it was an illegal entangling of the state and religion. There will all kinds of hand-wringing on both sides of the issues today.
Some Christians will see this as further evidence that we are living in the "End Times," and the Court will once again prove to be a handy tool for the fund-raising campaigns for various media ministries who will rally Believers to 'hold the line' against the encroachment of godless atheists in government. The People for the American Way will see this as convincing evidence that America is on the brink of a becoming a fundamentalist theocracy ruled by Baptist preachers and they, too, will raise $millions with campaigns centered around that fear!
The Court is responding to a syndrome described today by columnist George Will as "distress delight." He wrote, "Nowadays many people delight in being distressed. They cultivate exquisitely tender sensibilities and practice moral exhibitionism, waxing indignant about minor encounters with thoughts and symbols they dislike."
We followers of Jesus need to get over our sensitivity to being disrespected by those in power!
I have it on good authority that Christians being hated by the world is a normal thing, the way life works in this present world. Our Master said, “When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A servant is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you!" (John 15:18-20, NLT)
If the Church gets about the business of being the Church- feeding the hungry, proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom, loving the poor - our witness will be so powerful it won't make a bit of difference whether stones etched with the Ten Commandments stand in court house squares or not!
When we insist that the 10 Commandments hang in court houses and classrooms, I believe we are looking for a witness that is more comforting to us in its symbolism than effective in shaping our society. Yes, I am saddened by America's refusal to recognize that there is a God who makes holy demands on people, demands that are sketched out in the Decalogue. It is sad to see our country losing touch with the foundational ideas that shaped our social contracts and laws, but those values won't be preserved by keeping some displays intact! The 10 Commandments are prominently displayed in the Supreme Court in Washington, DC and don't seem to have a bit of influence over the 9 people who sit on that bench!
God's holy law must first be written on our hearts and then we can celebrate it by writing it on the walls. So, instead of being distressed and mailing off a $100 to some right wing political action committee, I'd like to suggest that you consider another response to this evidence of America's drift into secularism.... re-commit yourself to radical discipleship! Pray something like this, "Jesus Christ, you may not be recognized as the Lord of these United States, but I bow at your throne and surrender myself to You. Let my words and my life be a powerful witness to my world, directing their attention to your Kingdom and calling my world to desire your wisdom, to submit themselves to the real "Supreme" court."
Here's a word from the Word to ponder today -
Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. " (Matthew 5:14-16, The Message)
Some Christians will see this as further evidence that we are living in the "End Times," and the Court will once again prove to be a handy tool for the fund-raising campaigns for various media ministries who will rally Believers to 'hold the line' against the encroachment of godless atheists in government. The People for the American Way will see this as convincing evidence that America is on the brink of a becoming a fundamentalist theocracy ruled by Baptist preachers and they, too, will raise $millions with campaigns centered around that fear!
The Court is responding to a syndrome described today by columnist George Will as "distress delight." He wrote, "Nowadays many people delight in being distressed. They cultivate exquisitely tender sensibilities and practice moral exhibitionism, waxing indignant about minor encounters with thoughts and symbols they dislike."
We followers of Jesus need to get over our sensitivity to being disrespected by those in power!
I have it on good authority that Christians being hated by the world is a normal thing, the way life works in this present world. Our Master said, “When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A servant is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you!" (John 15:18-20, NLT)
If the Church gets about the business of being the Church- feeding the hungry, proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom, loving the poor - our witness will be so powerful it won't make a bit of difference whether stones etched with the Ten Commandments stand in court house squares or not!
When we insist that the 10 Commandments hang in court houses and classrooms, I believe we are looking for a witness that is more comforting to us in its symbolism than effective in shaping our society. Yes, I am saddened by America's refusal to recognize that there is a God who makes holy demands on people, demands that are sketched out in the Decalogue. It is sad to see our country losing touch with the foundational ideas that shaped our social contracts and laws, but those values won't be preserved by keeping some displays intact! The 10 Commandments are prominently displayed in the Supreme Court in Washington, DC and don't seem to have a bit of influence over the 9 people who sit on that bench!
God's holy law must first be written on our hearts and then we can celebrate it by writing it on the walls. So, instead of being distressed and mailing off a $100 to some right wing political action committee, I'd like to suggest that you consider another response to this evidence of America's drift into secularism.... re-commit yourself to radical discipleship! Pray something like this, "Jesus Christ, you may not be recognized as the Lord of these United States, but I bow at your throne and surrender myself to You. Let my words and my life be a powerful witness to my world, directing their attention to your Kingdom and calling my world to desire your wisdom, to submit themselves to the real "Supreme" court."
Here's a word from the Word to ponder today -
Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. " (Matthew 5:14-16, The Message)
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Letting Up?
I love to use "Summer time" as my excuse for not doing very well with my weight management! You know, too many snacks and too little exercise. It's a story told a million times over, right? When it's 90 degrees plus, it's hard to get motivated to put on the walking shoes and do that 20 minute exercise thing. A bowl of ice cream sounds so inviting on a Summer evening. At age 50, my body doesn't forgive me the way it used to. But, I still want to 'let up' on the discipline... it just feels so natural. The results are not so nice!
Some of us 'fall apart' spiritually in the Summer time for the same reason; we just 'let up.' Churches, historically, observe a 'summer slump' in attendance as people choose the beach, backyard BBQ's, and extra time to sleep in over getting to worship services. Bibles collect dust as daily routines are set aside, and with them, the regular intake of the Word. Time in prayer suffers as we spend more time pursuing leisure activities. As spiritual disciplines are neglected, our spirits starve and grow weak, giving the sinful nature occasion to show up and influence our thoughts, words, and actions.
Let me be positive and suggest that there are ways to 'change the pace' without abandoning our disciplines!
Here are a few suggestions--
1. Make Sunday morning special by getting up a earlier and going out for breakfast on the way to church, or even better, make plans to have a picnic lunch with another family from your church following the service.
2. Buy a new translation of the Bible and use the Summer months to read through several of those books you don't get to very often - Jeremiah, Deuteronomy, the Kings... perhaps you will read a little less in your Bible, but do some research along the way. God can use more obscure texts to feed your spirit, too!
3. Take a 'prayer walk' through your neighbor once a week, actively praying for those who live around you.
4. While on vacation, instead of just skipping out on church worship, go to a church of a very different tradition. Don't go to criticize, but rather to see how God touches people using different forms of worship. This is a really wonderful way to teach your children about the breadth of God's church!
5. Write your daily prayers for a week! You might be inspired to broaden or deepen your conversation with the Lord.
6. Meet with the Lord in a different place occasionally. Drive to the park, walk by a river, hike into the woods, sit out in your backyard late in the evening - and let Him speak to your heart in those places.
What's worked for you, helping you to stay motivated with your practice of spiritual disciplines? I'd love to know and might even write another TFTD about this!
Faithfulness to the practices the keep our hearts in touch with the Spirit is important. Be careful about being bound by the 'religious rules.' It is all too easy to confuse doing things like reading the Bible, saying prayers, and going to church with being spiritual! I do not mean to suggest, for one moment, that you should take some spiritual pride in your regular practice of these things. But, they remain vital to us as means of God's voice being heard over the noise of day to day living! Just doing these disciplines doesn't mean a thing unless we engage our heart and listen. That said, there is a place to make a choice of the will to get up and get going... just like I must do if I want to keep my body healthy. It isn't about what feels good in the moment; it is about what becomes possible because we make the right choice today- again tomorrow, and again, the day after that.
"Do you see what this means—...It means we’d better get on with it.
Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 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 12:1-3, The Message)
Some of us 'fall apart' spiritually in the Summer time for the same reason; we just 'let up.' Churches, historically, observe a 'summer slump' in attendance as people choose the beach, backyard BBQ's, and extra time to sleep in over getting to worship services. Bibles collect dust as daily routines are set aside, and with them, the regular intake of the Word. Time in prayer suffers as we spend more time pursuing leisure activities. As spiritual disciplines are neglected, our spirits starve and grow weak, giving the sinful nature occasion to show up and influence our thoughts, words, and actions.
Let me be positive and suggest that there are ways to 'change the pace' without abandoning our disciplines!
Here are a few suggestions--
1. Make Sunday morning special by getting up a earlier and going out for breakfast on the way to church, or even better, make plans to have a picnic lunch with another family from your church following the service.
2. Buy a new translation of the Bible and use the Summer months to read through several of those books you don't get to very often - Jeremiah, Deuteronomy, the Kings... perhaps you will read a little less in your Bible, but do some research along the way. God can use more obscure texts to feed your spirit, too!
3. Take a 'prayer walk' through your neighbor once a week, actively praying for those who live around you.
4. While on vacation, instead of just skipping out on church worship, go to a church of a very different tradition. Don't go to criticize, but rather to see how God touches people using different forms of worship. This is a really wonderful way to teach your children about the breadth of God's church!
5. Write your daily prayers for a week! You might be inspired to broaden or deepen your conversation with the Lord.
6. Meet with the Lord in a different place occasionally. Drive to the park, walk by a river, hike into the woods, sit out in your backyard late in the evening - and let Him speak to your heart in those places.
What's worked for you, helping you to stay motivated with your practice of spiritual disciplines? I'd love to know and might even write another TFTD about this!
Faithfulness to the practices the keep our hearts in touch with the Spirit is important. Be careful about being bound by the 'religious rules.' It is all too easy to confuse doing things like reading the Bible, saying prayers, and going to church with being spiritual! I do not mean to suggest, for one moment, that you should take some spiritual pride in your regular practice of these things. But, they remain vital to us as means of God's voice being heard over the noise of day to day living! Just doing these disciplines doesn't mean a thing unless we engage our heart and listen. That said, there is a place to make a choice of the will to get up and get going... just like I must do if I want to keep my body healthy. It isn't about what feels good in the moment; it is about what becomes possible because we make the right choice today- again tomorrow, and again, the day after that.
"Do you see what this means—...It means we’d better get on with it.
Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 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 12:1-3, The Message)
Friday, June 24, 2005
Together
Five of us sat down in a small room. We talked, argued, listened, talked some more ... and prayed together. They were real prayers. Aren't all prayers real communication with God? No.
- Some are sermons in disguise (Lord, our Pastor needs to be more open to your Spirit's work, for we know that in Ephesians it says, ... blah, blah!).
Others are gossip dressed up (And Jesus, give Al the strength he needs to overcome his awful habits, you know Lord, he drinks too much... blah, blah!).
Some are news broadcasts wrapped in Old English (Father, thou knowest that my daughter hast made the Dean's list and I thankest Thee that Thou hast blest her... blah, blah!).
But we had none of that in that gathering. We were a group of guys with open hearts, yearning to touch God and be touched by His Spirit. Being together and willing to hear each other's prayers helped to keep us honest and focused.
Sometimes together is hard! Occasionally God gives us a partner for ministry who is something less than a saint - perhaps vain, or immature, or just foolish. Sometimes He puts us in groups that wander, meandering toward a decision by the longest path possible. Sometimes He places us in a group that calls us on our hypocrisy! Ouch, that one hurts - because no one likes to have his pretensions punctured with honest insight. Sometimes He places us among people with whom we have no 'chemistry' and we have to stick with them bonded by the Spirit - you know - like being the one country music lover in a group that loves rock 'n roll!
Sometimes together is blissful! The meeting starts and the problem that has not yielded an answer to us for weeks, is solved by an insightful suggestion made by someone sitting across the table. The church service begins and the songs of the saints become the Wind beneath our wings (sorry, couldn't resist that). As prayers are offered, the light touch of another Christian and the sound of her voice asking the Lord God to meet our need, can be more comforting than almost anything in this world.
Together is never optional! This passage is so familiar, you may be tempted to skim through it. Please don't! Read it carefully.
"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ.... the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ... In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally." (1 Corinthians 12:12,16,22-25 NLT)
So, dear Believer, choose together. Turn the 'me' in your life into choice for the 'we' of together. The Lord's command is -
"Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)
The Message says it like this: Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do!
__________________________________
I truly hope that I'll see you on Sunday, in worship, at 10 AM - as we gather TOGETHER.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
A life untended, aimless days
The chaos that surrounds us demands that we impose order! Ordering your world requires that you pay attention to the details, that you mind the little things. For example, ever note a lawn that is mowed regularly, but the corners aren't trimmed, the edges along the flower beds are untouched? The details left undone make the whole job look bad. Keeping the big picture in sight is also important, but it is very unlikely that we will accomplish the BIG dreams of our lives if we live in constant chaos produced by our inattention to day to day management.
Let me illustrate my point practically--
Make a priority decision to do the 'little things' that are needed- not to prove anything to God, not to comfort yourself with attention to meaningless detail, but to open your heart and mind to the flow of the Spirit.
Let me illustrate my point practically--
- Does the 'big picture' of your life include a life-time marriage full of love? A spouse feels loved and cherished when you care enough to pick up your socks, clean up the kitchen, and call when you're delayed in traffic. Yes, little things, but the stuff of life. Know this: a wonderfully intimate marriage cannot be sustained on a yearly vacation and a weekend get-a-way now and then. Love is sustained by the morning kiss, the evening hug, the little things that say, "You are important to me, in this moment."
- Want to balance your checkbook and enjoy financial freedom? One author warns about the 'coffee stop' factor that ruins many a household budget. His point? You can make a cup of coffee to take for your commute to work that will cost you a few cents, or you can stop every morning at Dunkin' Donuts and spend $2. Seems like a little thing until you compute the yearly cost to discover that those cups of coffee add $500 a year to your budget! $2 here, 50 cents there... and before long you have major uncounted expenses. My Dad had a funny phrase about details -- he would say, "Mind the pennies and the mice!" It's a farmer's saying. A profitable farmer notes the little expenses and eliminates the small creatures that eat away the margin.
- What to stop living on a treadmill of frantic activity that keeps you from doing what you dream about? Buy a schedule book and learn to use it! Paradoxically, the more ordered your daily life, the more time - long term- you will discover is available to do what you really need to do. A person can save hours of time IF she will take one hour to create a plan at the beginning of the week that eliminates duplication and wasted time. Ever see a person who shows up at every meeting trailing papers, breathless from trying to make copies at the last moment, and still shuffling through folders trying to get ready? Imagine the reduction in stress IF that same individual took a hour's focused time the day before to put all the stuff together needed for the meeting.
Make a priority decision to do the 'little things' that are needed- not to prove anything to God, not to comfort yourself with attention to meaningless detail, but to open your heart and mind to the flow of the Spirit.
- Put going to church high on your weekly schedule.
- Pick up your Bible every day.
- Give from the top of your paycheck, not the left-overs.
- Pray before you watch TV.
- Do ministry before you play.
OK, I can hear your objections. "Jerry, that sounds like a lot of duty, like religious exercise." Could be, if you choose to glorify the act instead of seeing those things (and others certainly) as means of discovering God's presence and purpose in your life. John Ortberg writes, "Spiritual disciplines are to Christian life, what warm-ups are to a basketball game! A player’s vigorous performance in warm-ups indicates nothing about his skills to play, but if he fails to do warm-ups, the level of his play will certainly be affected."
Here's a word from the Word - let it go deep in your mind today. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air." (1 Corinthians 9:24-26, NIV)
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
How to lose your joy
Bev and I walk a circuit through our neighborhood several times each week enjoying the sunshine, and hopefully, helping ourselves stay healthy. On one of those walks last week, I took note of a very big boat next to a large, beautiful house. I heard a little voice in my head, "Don't you wish you could afford a toy like that?" I listened to the voice and soon, a chorus formed in my brain that sang about the things I didn't have, loudly and insistently. Once envy found a place to take root, it grew like a weed until I verbalized to my wife, "Sometimes I wish I had pursued a path in life that would have allowed me to give more things to you and the kids!" What a noble way to say, "I'm envious!" The truth of my sinful envy was hidden behind a screen of supposed altruism.
Apparently envy was the temptation of the week for me, because it tried to make a comeback several times - in different disguises each time. My experience with this monster proved the wisdom of Proverbs 14:30- "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." (NIV) As long as I entertained envy and the chorus of discontentment, there was no rest for my mind!
Because envy is a hidden sin (at least, at first!) we tend not to take it seriously. The Bible takes envy very seriously and Paul includes envy in the same catalog of sins as "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness." - Galatians 5. Wow! As I entertained that voice, I was standing in not so great company, wasn't I?
What's the problem with a little envy? What does it hurt to want what someone else has? James is to the point -- "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." (James 3:16, NIV) Remember Joseph, the favored son of Jacob? His father gave him a privileged place in the family and showered him with gifts. (Not too wise, but the subject for another TFTD!) Joseph older brothers envied him and, given the opportunity, sold their brother into slavery and lied to their father that Joseph was dead. That's the kind of thing envy can produce.
Envy is a shortcut to Misery Street. It will destroy a marriage, a family, a church; yes, our joy. The old phrase tells us that the 'grass is greener on the other side of the fence.' Envy colors our vision and we are unable to see the blessings that are ours.
What's the cure? Thankfulness, overflowing gratitude. The seductive song of envy is no match for the sweet melodies of praise. If I had answered the little voice that reminded me that I could not afford an expensive toy like that big boat with a song of praise for the grace of God which is mine in abundance, envy would have run away that day. Eventually I won the victory, by choosing to offer a sacrifice of praise. My 'thankful for' list became quite long in a short time! And my sanity returned!
Here's a word from the Word to take with you today, and to remember next time the envy monster whispers in your ear....
Then I realized how bitter I had become,
how pained I had been by all I had seen.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you are holding my right hand.
24 You will keep on guiding me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
-- Psalm 73:21-26 (NLT)
Apparently envy was the temptation of the week for me, because it tried to make a comeback several times - in different disguises each time. My experience with this monster proved the wisdom of Proverbs 14:30- "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." (NIV) As long as I entertained envy and the chorus of discontentment, there was no rest for my mind!
Because envy is a hidden sin (at least, at first!) we tend not to take it seriously. The Bible takes envy very seriously and Paul includes envy in the same catalog of sins as "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness." - Galatians 5. Wow! As I entertained that voice, I was standing in not so great company, wasn't I?
What's the problem with a little envy? What does it hurt to want what someone else has? James is to the point -- "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." (James 3:16, NIV) Remember Joseph, the favored son of Jacob? His father gave him a privileged place in the family and showered him with gifts. (Not too wise, but the subject for another TFTD!) Joseph older brothers envied him and, given the opportunity, sold their brother into slavery and lied to their father that Joseph was dead. That's the kind of thing envy can produce.
Envy is a shortcut to Misery Street. It will destroy a marriage, a family, a church; yes, our joy. The old phrase tells us that the 'grass is greener on the other side of the fence.' Envy colors our vision and we are unable to see the blessings that are ours.
What's the cure? Thankfulness, overflowing gratitude. The seductive song of envy is no match for the sweet melodies of praise. If I had answered the little voice that reminded me that I could not afford an expensive toy like that big boat with a song of praise for the grace of God which is mine in abundance, envy would have run away that day. Eventually I won the victory, by choosing to offer a sacrifice of praise. My 'thankful for' list became quite long in a short time! And my sanity returned!
Here's a word from the Word to take with you today, and to remember next time the envy monster whispers in your ear....
Then I realized how bitter I had become,
how pained I had been by all I had seen.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you are holding my right hand.
24 You will keep on guiding me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
-- Psalm 73:21-26 (NLT)
Monday, June 20, 2005
Good diet, healthy life
Why are some Christians more loving to others, dedicated to the things of God, consistent and faithful, generous, kind? Why are God's purposes and holiness so evident in some and invisible in others?
It's not personality! Sometimes you'll hear somebody excuse their continuing lack of spiritual growth by saying, "I'm just not that kind of person. It's harder for me." That excuse makes me smile. What is 'that kind of person?' Is there really a personality profile for better Christians. Of course not!
It's not just training. Certainly having good teachers and models helps us grow in grace, but there are those who grew up in godless homes, who attend churches where the teaching is abysmal, who become wonderful Christians.
Great Christians are made that way by the work of the Holy Spirit. "Ah," you say, "It isn't up to me, so if God wants me to become a holy, kind, loving, gentle, faithful Believer, then it will happen." True, yet not true. It is true that you and I cannot rid ourselves of traits of Adam's nature. No amount of guilt, punishment, or regulation of our behavior can produce the character of Christ in us. Most of us have tried to be better people, time and again, and ultimately failed. We succeed for a while, then we fail and the sense of guilt only deepens. God works in us to bring us the knowledge that we can live better than we do and of our failure to be who He wants us to be - in the circumstances of life, by letting us see His work in another person, by allowing tragedy to enter our lives, and many other ways. He stimulates our appetite for Himself in the most curious ways.
Creating spiritual hunger in us is God's part! How we satisfy that hunger is our choice! Too often we temporarily fill the hunger with something other than God and there are plenty of things are offered that will supposedly satisfy our needs. Ever hear the phrase, you are what you eat? Spiritually, it is true.
Yesterday I felt hungry, but I didn't feel like making a salad, or preparing a meal, so I reached for a bowl of potato chips. They were good, full of oils and salty, and - for the moment - made my hunger disappear temporarily. But, the 'junk food' did not satisfy the way a good balanced meal would. Similarly, we can temporarily turn off the sensations of our "God-hunger" with pleasure, success, materialism, sensual stimulation, achievements, and such things. These things are not necessarily evil but they are not meals that satisfy the soul. A steady diet of Desperate Housewives (a current TV hit in case you didn't know), overspending to own more things, or even reading religious books and/or watching Christian TV (an oxymoron, I think) will never make a strong Believer who is full of the Spirit and Wholesomeness of God.
But, if we will turn to God, and open up our lives to His Presence, He will feed us with real food for the soul. Jesus talked of this food saying, "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:33-35, NKJV) As He feeds us, there will be a genuine transformation of character.
If we what to be changed from the inside out, we need to eat the True Bread offered to us. What does that mean?
It means responding to those inner promptings and obeying God. It means setting aside time to pray and meditate that allows His Message to penetrate deeply into us. It means forming close ties with others who are real seekers so we are encouraged. "Jerry, that sounds a lot like doing things to change myself." If self-improvement is your motive, genuine transformation will not occur. If feeding your soul hunger with God is your motive, then change is inevitable! Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NIV) The Message, a contemporary translation says, “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat." (Matthew 5:6, The Message)
Colossians points out the inter-play between God's provision for our transformation and our responsibility for creating opportunities for it to take place. Take this thought with you today....
"... your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ... So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. ... you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds.
In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. ...
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ... And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. ... And always be thankful.
Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. ...
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:3-17, NLT)
It's not personality! Sometimes you'll hear somebody excuse their continuing lack of spiritual growth by saying, "I'm just not that kind of person. It's harder for me." That excuse makes me smile. What is 'that kind of person?' Is there really a personality profile for better Christians. Of course not!
It's not just training. Certainly having good teachers and models helps us grow in grace, but there are those who grew up in godless homes, who attend churches where the teaching is abysmal, who become wonderful Christians.
Great Christians are made that way by the work of the Holy Spirit. "Ah," you say, "It isn't up to me, so if God wants me to become a holy, kind, loving, gentle, faithful Believer, then it will happen." True, yet not true. It is true that you and I cannot rid ourselves of traits of Adam's nature. No amount of guilt, punishment, or regulation of our behavior can produce the character of Christ in us. Most of us have tried to be better people, time and again, and ultimately failed. We succeed for a while, then we fail and the sense of guilt only deepens. God works in us to bring us the knowledge that we can live better than we do and of our failure to be who He wants us to be - in the circumstances of life, by letting us see His work in another person, by allowing tragedy to enter our lives, and many other ways. He stimulates our appetite for Himself in the most curious ways.
Creating spiritual hunger in us is God's part! How we satisfy that hunger is our choice! Too often we temporarily fill the hunger with something other than God and there are plenty of things are offered that will supposedly satisfy our needs. Ever hear the phrase, you are what you eat? Spiritually, it is true.
Yesterday I felt hungry, but I didn't feel like making a salad, or preparing a meal, so I reached for a bowl of potato chips. They were good, full of oils and salty, and - for the moment - made my hunger disappear temporarily. But, the 'junk food' did not satisfy the way a good balanced meal would. Similarly, we can temporarily turn off the sensations of our "God-hunger" with pleasure, success, materialism, sensual stimulation, achievements, and such things. These things are not necessarily evil but they are not meals that satisfy the soul. A steady diet of Desperate Housewives (a current TV hit in case you didn't know), overspending to own more things, or even reading religious books and/or watching Christian TV (an oxymoron, I think) will never make a strong Believer who is full of the Spirit and Wholesomeness of God.
But, if we will turn to God, and open up our lives to His Presence, He will feed us with real food for the soul. Jesus talked of this food saying, "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:33-35, NKJV) As He feeds us, there will be a genuine transformation of character.
If we what to be changed from the inside out, we need to eat the True Bread offered to us. What does that mean?
It means responding to those inner promptings and obeying God. It means setting aside time to pray and meditate that allows His Message to penetrate deeply into us. It means forming close ties with others who are real seekers so we are encouraged. "Jerry, that sounds a lot like doing things to change myself." If self-improvement is your motive, genuine transformation will not occur. If feeding your soul hunger with God is your motive, then change is inevitable! Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NIV) The Message, a contemporary translation says, “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat." (Matthew 5:6, The Message)
Colossians points out the inter-play between God's provision for our transformation and our responsibility for creating opportunities for it to take place. Take this thought with you today....
"... your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ... So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. ... you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds.
In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. ...
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ... And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. ... And always be thankful.
Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. ...
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:3-17, NLT)
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