Image vs. Reality

"How'm I doing?" was the signature line of 'Hizzoner' Ed Koch, during his three terms as mayor of New York City. Whenever, wherever he appeared in public, he would ask the crowd, "How'm I doing?" Apparently he did all right because he was elected 3 times. Did Mayor Koch really want to know how he was doing his job, or was he just using a popular line? Was he really seeking a substantive answer or would his question have been better framed as "How do I appear to be doing?" I have no idea, but I do know that I ask myself from time to time - "how are you doing, Jerry?"

There's a temptation to answer that question based on appearances alone. "Am I looking good?" is, for many of us, equal to "am I really doing well?" We live in a time of image. Billions of dollars in our economy are spent to cultivate an appearance of success, of youth, of intelligence. It starts when we we're young and we feel the pressure to buy the right 'label.' It continues as grow up with living in the 'right' kind of neighborhood, driving the 'right' kind of car.... you get the point. But all this image-making can get confused with reality and we can lose touch with the answer to the question, "How'm I doing?" The choice to cultivate image over reality is deadly, especially in spiritual matters!

Then, too, we might try to answer that question, "how'm I doing?' based on how others see our performance. That's a temptation for me as a Pastor, and I suspect for most of you, too, whatever your work or calling. I want the people in the church I lead to think of me as competent, hard-working, honest, and spiritual. There's nothing wrong with that, unless I start doing things that are out of sync with my inner reality, to try to make others think I'm someone that I'm not. Truthfully, it's not too hard to impress others, for a while anyway. Just say the right word at the opportune moment, show up and do what you say you will do, keep the machine oiled and running -- and most people -- will say, "He's all right!" But under an outer layer of respectability, lies the real you, the person who needs to asked often - "How'm I doing?"

That's why I periodically take time to reflect using hard questions --
Do my private thoughts match my public words?
Do my secret prayers line up with my pulpit prayers?
Does my level of affection for God's people in my heart equal my professions of love?
Is God first in my mind and heart, or just when I 'on-stage?'

Bill Hybels wrote a book with a great title and a better message -- "Who you are when no one's looking." That's the place to look when evaluating. Jesus reminds us of a sobering fact. Reality is eventually discovered! He said it in these words: A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. “So why do you call me ‘Lord,’ when you won’t obey me?" (Luke 6:45-46, NLT) That's why religion never pleases God if it's focused only on changing external behaviors. It's not enough that He merely appear to be our Lord. He must be Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.

With enough coercion or pressure, most of us can be made to conform our actions and words to some externally imposed standard. We can hold that conformity for quite while, depending our self-discipline, but our true self will always emerge. Usually that happens in the 'crunch!' When things go bad, when the heat is turned up, when we hit wall after wall-- our true character is revealed. Images crumble in those times. That's why now is the time to seek the Spirit's transformational power. As we ask ourselves, "How'm I doing?" it needs to be a kind of prayer that invites the Holy Spirit to help us to see under the surface. David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT)

"How'm I doing, Lord?"
______________________________

Search me, O God, And know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, Know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word, and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord, in me abide.

Cleanse Me, Edwin J. Orr
Copyright: Public Domain

Home in God?

Where do you 'dwell?' The word, which I read in a Psalm this morning, became the point of my mediation. To dwell means to be at home. I enjoy traveling, but I really enjoy coming home- more so the older I get! If you visit the church office that I call my 'home' a few hours everyday, you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to know you're in Jerry's place. There are family photos scattered around and there are mementos that have meaning only to me. My stuff is there. Legal documents, books, letters addressed to me - let you know that 'Jerry lives here.' I love getting to our house, too. When I step through the front door, the familiar surroundings invite me to relax. Unlike a sterile hotel room, my house is arranged to fit my needs, because I dwell there!

In Psalm 91, there is this promise: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2, NIV) Great line, right? Sure is, but those words are not just 'a line.' They are true words. We can really trust God and live securely. Who doesn't need security? Life's a fragile thing. We can be brought down by a microscopic virus or a few rogue cells that become malignant. Our friends can betray us for reasons they alone understand. Companies that employ us collapse or the CEO decides to send our job to India. There are the 'wars and rumors of wars,' that swirl around us. In that scenario of dangerous possibilities, the child of God says, "I trust God, and I am safely secure." Well, sometimes; but often we are afraid. Why? Because we do not 'dwell... and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.' What does that really mean?

A couple of lines later in the Psalm there is this descriptive phrase: "He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers." (Psalm 91:4, NLT) The picture is that of a mother hen sensing danger and calling her chicks to the safety of her covering. When I was a little boy, I tended the chickens on the farm. Dad loved to hatch chicks and I saw those little fluffy chicks; who were totally helpless on their own, completely vulnerable, respond to the urgent clucks of the hen who had extended her wings, run and disappear under her in the soft down of her breast feathers! When she settled down, there was no evidence that she had hidden 8-10 little chicks. Their safety was found in proximity!

God invites you and me to stay close to Him, hidden from the searing heat of life by His shadow, secure because we stay in His Presence. Does this mean that we need to live in the church sanctuary, that we have to have an open Bible always in our hand? No. His invitation to us is that we keep our hearts and minds 'at home' in Him. When we become aware that we are being drawn away from trusting Him by an illusion of self-sufficiency, or that we are looking for meaning in the 'stuff' of life- we will intentionally return our attention to Him. It means we won't give sin an anchor in our mind, that we will recognize and reject temptations when they arise from the world, the sinful nature, or the evil forces that are intent on our destruction. It means that when the Spirit calls us to turn our attention or change the channel, we will run, not walk to Him. And as we make our home in Him, we are secure.

Jesus invites us to dwell, too, but He uses a different word. He invites us to 'remain in Me.' He explains His invitation this way. “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples." (John 15:4-8, The Message)

Are you 'at home' in God's Presence?
Spend enough time with Him to make His Presence become your home.

Here's a word about a man who followed God to his home. Let it speak to you about your destiny, your spiritual home today. "By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:8-10, The Message)
__________________________

Feeling at home in the presence of Jesus,
Hearing Him call me His own.
Just feeling at home, feeling at home.
Putting my feet right under His table,
Knowing I won't be alone.
Just feeling at home, feeling at home.

You couldn't have told me
I'd find what I found.
Contentment and peace from above.
Feeling at home in the presence of Jesus,
Laying way back in His love.
Warming myself by the fires of His Spirit,
Camping right close to His throne.
Just feeling at home, feeling at home.


Feeling At Home In The Presence Of Jesus
Copyright: 1975 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management

Faithful love

The first time the preacher saw her dark eyes he felt the magnetic attraction. He quickly fell in love. It wasn't just her hair though it was gorgeous! It was more than the beauty of her face, or the curves of her body. She knew exactly how to make him feel like he was the most wonderful man in the world, for she was practiced in the ways of seduction; which was exactly what concerned his friends. They warned him about her 'reputation,' but he was too far gone to hear any caution and he married her. In quick succession, two sons and a daughter were borne into their family.

And then - the preacher felt her slipping away. She disappeared for entire days and came home with smudges of make-up clinging to her face, evidence of her adultery that broke his heart. She complained outright to the preacher about what he provided for her, brazenly telling of other lovers who showered her with gifts. Then, she was gone. He mourned, his anger was powerful, but his love even stronger! Months past, and word came that his wife was being sold, a slave! When her beauty was ravaged by her promiscuity, when she no longer attracted the lovers who kept her, she fell into debt and was to be sold to settle those debts, so he went and bought back his own wife! With tenderness and forgiveness he brought her home, renewed their covenant. His love won over her unfaithfulness!

Recognize that story? It's true and it's from the Bible. Read it in the little book of Hosea. He is the prophet who loved a woman who prostituted herself, abandoned him and her children, who was nearly destroyed by her unbridled lust and selfishness. But Hosea loved Gomer and restored her though she was unworthy and even unrepentant, at first.

Why is such a sordid story in the Bible? To tell us about God's love for His people! Listen to Him mourn their unfaithfulness. “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you...? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not punish you as much as my burning anger tells me to. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy. “For someday the people will follow the Lord. I will roar like a lion, and my people will return trembling from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Flying like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again,” says the Lord." (Hosea 11:8-12, NLT)

We need the stories! The theology that informs our mind must be wed with the stories that take hold of our hearts! When I combine John's declaration that "God so loved the world," with Hosea's story, I start to understand that God's love is more than a concept, more than a philosophy. He is my God, my lover, Who desires to know me. And, too, I begin to understand that my disobedience and my desire for the gods of wealth, success, fame, or sensuality rips at a covenant of love, causing God to mourn like a husband abandoned by his beloved wife.

Those who only see the raging God, who think that God is but a cruel Master, need to read this passage. Listen to the heart of our Lover. “And now, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to start all over again. I’m taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I’ll court her. I’ll give her bouquets of roses. I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope. She’ll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt. “At that time”—this is God’s Message still— “you’ll address me, ‘Dear husband!’ Never again will you address me, ‘My slave-master!’" (Hosea 2:14-16, The Message)

Do you love Him, Believer?
Or do you linger in your fantasies of other loves, pulling away from Him?
Do you spend time with Him, pursue Him, wait for His purposes in your life?
He loves you! Even if you're far away, even if you've given yourself to other loves, He will restore you.
That's the meaning of redemption through Christ Jesus. We were sold into slavery by our disobedience, but He paid the price to bring us home.

Believe it today! It is a life-transforming story.
____________________

The love of God is greater far,
Than tongue or pen can ever tell,
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were ev'ry stalk on earth a quill
And ev'ry man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Tho stretched from sky to sky.


ChorusO love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure,
The saints' and angels' song.

The Love Of God- Lehman, Frederick M.
Copyright: Public Domain

Specks in the eye

In the middle of delivering my sermon yesterday, a car horn started to blare in the lower parking lot. After a moment, I noticed the congregation's attention was wandering along with my own! I wondered, "why doesn't somebody take care of that?" Of course, what was to be done? Were two dozen people supposed to stand up and go out to check their car? After another moment I paused, and, with some irritation evident (that's what my wife tells me, anyway) said, "I'll just wait until the noise stops before I continue." A moment later the horn stopped sounding. At the end of the service, Jeremy approached and said, with a mischievous smile on his face, "It was your car, Pastor!" I expected someone else to take care of a situation that was really 'my problem' because, even though my car was parked in that lot, 'it couldn't be my vehicle.' When I found out that my car was the 'offender,' I was a little embarrassed and a lot amused!

Have you ever done that; made 'your problem,' into 'his problem' blind to the possibility that at least part of responsibility belongs to you?

Over the years I've been asked to counsel dozens of couples through a tough spot in their marriage. In many of those situations, as soon as the couple starts to talk to me I can see that she thinks it's his problem, and he thinks it her problem! An impasse forms around the issue, as each waits for the other to initiate change. Neither will own any responsibility. Pride is strong, isn't it? That little phrase, "I was wrong!" sticks in our throat. We find it so hard to ask questions that might lead us to discover where we bear some responsibility for a misunderstanding, for pain, for a broken relationship.

In his famed Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned about the lack of humility that can cause us to blame, point, judge, and accuse. He drove home his point with a funny little metaphor, but a powerful one we all can understand. He said, “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5, NLT) Everytime I read that passage, a ridiculous mental image forms of a person leaning in close to another's face looking for a speck of sawdust, even as the branch in their own eye smacks the other person in the side of the head every time they try to maneuver a little closer to 'help' out!

Only God can save us from a self-righteous arrogance that says, "It's not me, therefore, it must be you!" The Message, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible, loses the direct metaphor, but helps us grasp the principle of which Jesus was speaking: "It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor." (Matthew 7:3-5, The Message)

Something bugging you at home, at work?
Have you assumed that the problem must belong to the other person, like I did in church yesterday?
Humbly re-consider that defensive stance. As Jesus taught us, let's adopt the humility of a child.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you may have a part in creating the difficulty, keeping an offense alive, causing a stressful situation to become worse by blaming; then, with His help, begin to make a difference.
____________________

"Father, as I begin a new week,
I thank you for the opportunities that You are preparing for me at this moment:
opportunities to love someone in need,
opportunities to care, to pray, to minister Your grace.
Thank You, Lord, for loving me and reaching out to me when the problem really was my problem!
'While I was still sinning, ignoring You, You loved me,' and that is amazing and wonderful, Lord.
Keep me near to You today, responsive to Your leading,
loving God and others, obedient and holy.
This I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen."

You matter to me!

"Pastor Jerry, look! Pastor Jerry, Pastor Jerry..." The little voice drifted into my consciousness, though the child speaking was just a few feet away, I was so focused on the task at hand that I had shut out everything and everyone else for the moment. It happened yesterday while I was at our Christian school trying to figure out why one of the PC's wasn't connecting to the network. (Turned out to be the simplest problem - a disconnected cable!) I wanted to solve the problem and though I was in a room full of 1st graders, they were 'invisible' to me because I was not paying any attention to them. A child simply wanted a moment's notice and when I 'tuned in' to her, her face beamed with delight as she displayed her work for my approval. My attention, in a matter of such small consequence, communicated "you matter to me!" My failure to pay attention sent an unintended negative message, "You are not a person of worth."

If we love people like God wants us to, we will set aside pre-occupation with our agenda and involve ourselves with them. We will pay attention, listen, and help out as we are able. Too often we think that showing God's love requires the great sacrifice, the grand gesture. We demonstrate the love that God desires us to show to others in ordinary situations.

Here's how Jesus reminds us of our worth to the Omnipotent God of the Universe -
“What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!" (Matthew 10:29-30, The Message) Isn't that mind-boggling?

God loves us, not generally, but specifically! He would have us to love in the same way - not just with sweeping rhetoric - but with focused love for the individuals that surround us. Our natural inclination is to go through life fitting people into our agenda; having good intentions, but focused on our own immediate needs. We mean to love, but 'not right now' because we're busy! And, we're always busy. We plan to share with those in need, 'when we get enough' resources accumulated, which never happens.

Dad, you want your child to know that he is a person of worth? Pay attention to him NOW.
Husband, you want your wife to know that you love her? Listen to her - noting her needs, desires, hopes! Really take part in her life! (It works the other way 'round, too.)

I was reading some select passages from the OT prophets yesterday. One of the things that stood out to me was how often God expressed His disapproval of His people, not just for the 'biggie' sins like worshipping false gods or gross sexual immorality; but for their disregard of the poor, their oppression of the weak, depriving the 'little guys' of justice in the courts. Take a look at this passage from Amos. "...You trample the poor and steal what little they have through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, you will never live in the beautiful stone houses you are building. You will never drink wine from the lush vineyards you are planting. For I know the vast number of your sins and rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts." (Amos 5:10-12, NLT)

Christian, we do not please God just by scrupulous morality or doing good things like going to church or paying our tithes. Those are good choices when they are an expression of our love for God. But Jesus reminds that there is a second great commandment, too. It is "love your neighbor as yourself!"

Here's a word from the Word to keep in your mind today:

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence" (1 John 3:16-19, NIV)

Got Faith?

If you're reading TFTD, chances are you are a 'person of faith.' But what does that mean, anyway? Is faith, "thinking positively?" No. Is faith, "having a good feeling" about something? No! The famous line of Scripture from Hebrews tells us that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (11:1) Faith causes us to choose God's way even when that path is difficult, calls for self-denial, and/or leads us into conflict with prevailing wisdom. Why? Because faith connects this transitory world with the eternal, giving us a reason to obey God.

Faith can be very dangerous if it is not set in the context of submission to God. Some people express a self-fueled faith. They may quote promises from the Bible and appear outwardly to be living a faith-life. However, if you press them, you will discover they are using 'faith language' to force their own agenda. They try to make God act in ways they desire by throwing Bible verses in His face! God didn't give us the promises of the Bible so we could find a phrase, seize on it, and then 'make Him do what we want.' He gave us the promises of the Scripture so we would trust Him and submit ourselves to Him.

Take forgiveness as an example. Extending forgiveness can hard, right? A person told me recently, "If you knew my mother-in-law, you wouldn't ask me to forgive her. She's mean and controlling." I responded, "I'm not asking you to forgive her, God is demanding that you do so." This person was honest enough to say, "Well, I'm just not there!" We then talked about faith that causes us to be obedient - even when we can't see why we would even want to be. I cautioned that person about forgiving with the idea - "OK, if I forgive her, then she will change." Maybe she won't! Forgive because it is the command of God, because faith gives you the vision to see beyond yourself, your own comfort. Obedience is in trusting God's wisdom - a form of faith.

Faith frees us from the need to demand a certain outcome in life. Often walking the path of faith takes us into the unknown, pointing us in the direction where the road disappears into the fog! As Abraham led his beloved son, Isaac, along the road to Mt. Moriah, where God had directed him to sacrifice his only true heir, he could not see what was going to happen. "It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac." (Hebrews 11:17, NLT) The trip would have been easy IF the patriarch had known that a substitutionary ram would be presented, but he didn't until he obeyed and went all the way to the point of building the altar and laying his son on it. Then, God gave him his son back!

A 'faith' that demands miracles, that requires lists of 'answered prayers,' that is built around 'see I told you He is real' testimonies is shallow faith, focused on results rather than on God's rule and purpose. Faith that steadily trusts God even when life is dark, in the middle of uncertainty, in the fog of confusion is the kind of faith that I desire and admire. I know that not everyone who has real faith gets healed of their cancer, raises kids that are saints, or keeps their job when the economy goes bad! Faith is not a pass on the suffering of life in this fallen world. Faith is the connection to God that keeps us from hopelessness and despair those kinds of situations. It is what let's us keep trusting Him, obeying Him, when we look like a fool for doing so.

The writer of Hebrews points out the apparent 'failure' of the faith of some who did not enjoy a victorious outcome! He says,
"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.
They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword.
They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them.
They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.
God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:35-40, NIV)

Got faith? Make sure it is a faith in God, not a faith in faith!
_________________________

All things work for our good,
Though sometimes we can't see how they could.
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth,
Our Father knows what's best for us;
His ways are not our own.
So when your pathway grows dim,
And you just can't see Him,
Remember, you're never alone,

He sees the master plan.
He holds the future in His hands.
So don't live as those who have no hope;
All our hope is found in Him.
We see the present clearly,
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.

Title: Trust His Heart
Author: Carswell, Eddie / Mason, Babbie
Copyright: 1989 Dayspring Music, Inc.

Approved - by God.

We are all finding our place in the world. Questions of security, of belonging, of personal worth are a part of life. If we are insecure, those questions become very important and we spend a lot of time measuring ourselves, evaluating how others are treating us, seeking affirmation. Just look at your average teenage girl. At age 14, most people have not yet developed a strong sense of identity. That is why teens move in groups and work so hard to conform to the popular norms. For example, the label on their jeans is a critical thing - because it is a way to 'fit in.'

Some persons never really move out of that time of life emotionally even well into adulthood. They crave the approval and acceptance of friends and family. The opinions of others - about their work, the way they are raising their kids, the kind of car they drive, even the way they tend their yard - defines them. They are like a puppet on string, dancing on life's stage - but because someone else tugs at them; first this way, then that. Persons who live for approval of others will constantly be adjusting their image, trying to conceal those parts of their life that they think are unacceptable. They do not even know who they really are.

One of the wonderful benefits of being a Christian is the discovery of God's amazing love, offered to us, NOT on the basis of our beauty, brains, or brawn; but just because we are! As we learn of God's love, as shown in Jesus Christ, and respond to Him with love, we gain a security and a sense of identity that allows us to live openly and honestly, becoming holy men and women. Yes it is true. Religion produces hypocrites, because it is about human performance, about doing good works, about meeting the expectations of God- as defined by others. A grace-based relationship with God produces a whole person because it about being loved powerfully, by One who knows us best, and desiring to please Him.

Some who are Christians have not grasped the extent of God's acceptance, hence they never speak of their failures, never admit to fear or confusion, carefully hide those things that they consider blots in the book of life. When I find myself in the company of someone like that, who feels compelled to always look like they're doing great, I just want to hug them close and whisper - "God loves you, blots and all. It's OK to be real!" I'm not advocating reveling in sin or excusing bad behaviors. That is a twisted concept of God's gracious love. It is true that some, in immaturity, make God's grace into a license for sinning. "If He loves me as I am, then I can go on living to suit myself." That's always been the response of some to the message of God's love.

Yes, we must change, becoming holy men and women. Here's the clear call of the Word. "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." (Romans 12:2, NLT) The motive for that change is the KEY. Are we trying to change ourselves to win the approval of our church or family, or are we loving God and being changed by love? Let me illustrate the idea from marriage. I love Bev, my wife. I have loved her for a long time now, yesterday being the 31st anniversary of our wedding vows! My fidelity to her is not a matter of avoiding disapproval of others or even her disapproval. I am faithful to my vows, because I love her! When I see other beautiful women, I do not need to do elaborate mental gymnastics to keep my heart true to my wife - because I love her! And, the deeper our love has grown, the more repugnant the thought of betraying our vows has become.

Are you insecure?
Are you trying to win approval - from God, from others - with morality, with service, or by presenting only your 'good side' to the world?

Believe this- God knows you and loves you, just as you are!
Believer, a true and beautiful holiness, a pure morality, a winsome authenticity grows in the fertile soil of love.

Here's a word to meditate on today -"For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too." (Romans 14:17-18, NLT)
_________________
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross.
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life -
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom.

How Deep The Father's Love For Us, Townend, Stuart
Copyright: 1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

What's the truth? Will you help me find it?

Monday being my day out of the office, I was able to watch some of the Senate confirmation hearings for Mr. Samuel Alito, nominee to the US Supreme Court. This judicial nomination will have far-reaching ramifications, given the deep political, social, and religious divides in America today. My attention was captured by the extreme differences between the statements made by Democratic Senators and the Republican Senators that characterized this nominee's prior work as a judge and his opinions from the bench. Could they be speaking of the same man? I found myself asking, "what is the truth?" Portions of the presentations made by Senators from both sides of the aisle were thought provoking; and, in my opinion, worthy of honest debate to help clarify how we expect each of three arms of our Federal government to function in preserving our cherished freedoms and way of life. But what is more likely is that the two sides in this debate will speak past each other, never really listening to each other, at all.

My point in this TFTD is not to advance a political point of view. Rather I want to ask us to think for moment about the ways in which we become entrenched in our opinions to such an extent that dialogue becomes impossible. It is comfortable, and even easy, to think that what we have come to believe is the truth, isn't it? We generally group ourselves with people who think as we do, thus reinforcing our beliefs. Certain phrases, even words, become coded, meaning that they carry a special meaning to us, though we may not realize it. So we go out into a surreal world where we speak the same words of the same langugage to each other, but we do not understand what is meant by those words.

Dialogue, open and honest, helps break the code in our words. But few of us are interested in dialogue; instead, we shout! Dialogue is an exhausting, even frustrating process! Jimmy's Carter, former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has written a new book, Our Endangered Values, in which he pleads with us to listen to each other, rather than shooting at each other with words, if not literally. He sees the rise in fundamentalism, (that he characterizes as the idea "I am right, therefore you are wrong and there is nothing to discuss.") which is gaining ground around the world, as the real threat of the future. Why? Because it allows for no clarifying dialogue. Even here in these United States, there are many who will not listen to an opposing point of view fearing that even by listening they will appear to be giving credence to those who oppose them. When people begin to attempt to 'out shout' each other, the truth is lost in the din.

"But, Jerry, don't you believe in Jesus Christ and the Truth of the Scripture?" I do, but I don't have to shout down those who swear it's all a myth or deception! Rather, I am convinced by Christ's model of love that I need to make my life consistent by closing the gap between what I say I believe and how I act in everyday situations. As a Christian, it is imperative that I live with integrity. This becomes the 'witness' to the Truth of Christ which others find hard to refute. If I listen to their criticism, I may discover areas where my actions are not reflecting the Truth I espouse, something that might be more obvious to an outsider than to myself. If I humble myself to engage in dialogue, I may earn the right to be heard and have the opportunity to 'decode' the Gospel for those who do not understand.

Are you speaking past your neighbor, past your family members, past your friends in a supposed defense of the Gospel of Christ?
Are you really listening to them.... to the Spirit of God?

Let's turn down the volume and make large the video!
Let's ask the Spirit of God to make our lives whole and holy, full of grace and truth, marked by love and good deeds.
Though a million should swear against the Truth, they will not make it a lie. Though a million should affirm a falsehood, they cannot make it true.

So, we stand in Him, secure in His love.

Here's a Word to ponder today:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:19-25, NIV)

What prize?

Wild card weekend is over! Four football teams advance in the play-offs, including my New England Patriots, who are again looking like the SuperBowl champions they were a year ago. Millions of dollars, thousands of hours- yes, entire lives- are devoted to the pursuit of winning a game and being declared the champions ... for a year until the next SuperBowl. It's a lot of effort for a very temporary reward.

What are you working for? Is it worth the effort?

The Scripture says, "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." (1 Corinthians 9:25, NIV) Paul uses athletic competition to illustrate spiritual truth frequently in his New Testament writings. {I wonder if he would have been a football fan?} In the passage quoted, he refers to the 'crown,' the wreath of laurel that was placed on the head of the winner of the games. He refers to the obvious temporary quality of that reward. The leaves of the 'crown' soon wilted and eventually crumbled to powder! Did the athletes really work to win the wreath? Of course not. It was the recognition that came with wearing that coveted symbol of success that they desired. But even such recognition is short-lived. They knew that another athlete was already training hard to compete in the games, and that another would be taking first place in line soon.

Again, I ask - what are you working for?
Money? What you buy will soon wear out, become obsolete, or lose its luster.
Fame? Remember Andy's Warhol's line about 'everyone getting their 15 minutes of fame?' The public's attention span is very short!
Security? Let me remind you that nothing this side of heaven is secure!

"Jerry, you sound cynical and pessimistic about life." No, not at all. I have a real purpose that is focused on eternity. What I do now, those things that give me hope and that motivate me, are anchored to the spiritual realm in the will and purpose of God! Paul said, "So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:26-28, NLT)

Understand the heart of this challenge! It is not that we all have become preachers or that we all have to go on the payroll of some not-for-profit service agency in order to have a meaningful or God-pleasing life. God needs His people in business and government, too! Whatever we do, if we are reaching for the eternal prize, must be done in a way that reflects Christ is Lord of our life. You can go to work today with the aim of 'putting in your time,' to bring home a few dollars at the end of the week. With that focus, you're earning a prize that will quickly fade! Or you can go to work to please God, in whatever you do! Yes, it is true. Paul urges a work ethic that is eternity-focused writing: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)

Honor the Lord with your efforts today. As a parent, as a spouse, as an employee, as a neighbor, as a friend... keep your eyes on the eternal prize of His approval, a prize that won't wilt, crumble, fade, or be surpassed by another in the SuperBowl of life!
_______________

Father, give us vision that sees into eternity!
Help me to see Your purposes in our lives so I will be called to excellence.
All around me, Lord, there are people who are working for very temporary rewards,
and I am drawn to the trinkets that are offered.
The gleam of gold allures me, Lord.
The certificate of recognition promises me that I can feel like a winner.
Remind me how short-lived those awards are, so I will focus my efforts beyond them.

Hold out the promise of eternal life to me.
Give me the desire, more than anything else in life,
to do Your will and so to hear those coveted words from Christ, my Savior and Lord:
"Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share my happiness!"
In the Name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

25F

I flew to Florida to see my kids on Christmas day. Traveling by airplane, which I once thought a lot of fun, is now just a means of transportation from which the glamour has long since faded. After being herded through security lines, taking off my shoes and belt so I could be scrutinized by bored people saying, "Please keep your boarding pass available for inspection," over and over; and then walking for a mile through terminals full of tired people; we all got to cram ourselves into seats made for people the size of my wife! Due to a reservation glitch, the four of us who were traveling together ended up in different parts of the airplane and I was assigned to seat 25F! In that Boeing 737-400, seat 25F was in the last row, a window seat which made it narrower. It didn't recline because it was right against the rear cabin wall, and was right next to the restroom which was quite odiferous by that time of the night!

As I took my seat quite tired at 9:30 PM, I was grumbling inside. "25F! What did I do to deserve this seat? Why can't I be with my wife, enjoying some conversation at least?" I was the anti-Christmas guy, for sure. The good feelings that I had felt at 10 AM when singing, "Joy to the World," were swallowed up by my supposed misery! But, the Holy Spirit was traveling US Air Flight 704 that evening, too! In the middle of my complaints, He prodded my conscience and I began to realize the extent of my self-absorption at that moment. He got very personal --

Was a 2 hour stretch in a seat that was minorly uncomfortable really all that big of a deal?
Was it going to be made any better by allowing myself to be angry and irritable?
What happened to "in every circumstance give thanks?"
Why did I think I was 'undeserving' of 25F?
Was I somehow better than the other people on the plane?

I started smiling, amused by my foolishness, at the ease with which I had slid into sinning by ingratitude. The more I thought about my response to my seat assignment, the more amused I became, until I broke into a little chuckle. The lady seated next to me heard me and asked what was so funny. I think she thought I was laughing at her, at first, because she was grumbling aloud to no one in particular. I told her that earlier in the day I had led a congregation in worship on one of the most joyful days of the year, that I was on my way to spend some quality time with my kids and grandkids. Now, I was in seat 25F and I had nearly lost my joy to self-pity. She started to laugh, too! God's Spirit turned the situation around. I kept the boarding pass stub as a reminder of my little epiphany in 25F.

It's so easy to let little, inconsequential things steal our peace! Of course, there are situations in life that are terrible, but seat 25F wasn't one of them. Just this week, I've ministered to a couple of people whose problems really are big issues. One lady poured out her heart, broken by a marriage to a man who is unbelievably selfish, but she is trapped because she cannot support her kids alone; and she wants to do the right thing, too. As we prayed together, a desperate little prayer for Jesus' intervention in some way not obvious in that moment to either of us, she wept inconsolably. I talked with another person who is facing major health problems that are life-threatening. He tried to be brave, but I could see the worry lines etched into his face. Even in those kinds of situations, I am glad that there is hope, there is One to turn to. Jesus promised, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you." (John 14:16-18, NLT)

Are you worried, irritated, complaining, because you're in a place not of your choosing today?
God, the Holy Spirit, is present! Open up your mind, your heart, to Him. Prayerfully invite Him to be close.
Perhaps He'll do for you what He did for me -and just put your attitude in perspective and help you to deal with life with more equanimity!
Or, if necessary, He'll comfort you with a supernatural peace, becoming your Advocate in time of trouble.

Here's a Truth to take with you today:

• "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:5-7, NLT)
  _________________________
  

Give thanks
With a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One;
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say,"I am strong."
Let the poor say,"I am rich"
Because of what
The Lord has done for us.
And now let the weak say,"I am strong."
Let the poor say,"I am rich"
Because of what
The Lord has done for us.

Give thanks.

Give Thanks-- Smith, Henry
Copyright: 1978 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)

Useless, now useful

History has millions of stories of dramatic conversions! Nicky Cruz, whose story of transformation was told in Wilkerson's bestseller, The Cross and the Switchblade, was a New York street thug who became an evangelist for Christ. Saul, better known as Paul, was once the enemy of Christ. After having a vision of Jesus on the road to Damacus (Acts 9) he became the apostle to the world. At the end of the 19th century, a hard-drinking baseball player named Billy Sunday, met Christ and became a preacher whose fiery sermons helped to bring about Prohibition in 1918.

These men and millions of others - experienced that hard to describe life changing encounter with the Spirit of God of which Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3. “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8, NLT) The process defies explanation, but the results are obvious!

Even process differs from person to person. Some are quickly changed, almost overnight. I remember one young man that heard the story of Jesus and loved Him immediately. Scotty's drug habits and addiction to cigarettes were gone, right at that moment, and he is a fervent follower of Jesus to this day, nearly 20 years later. Others come more gradually into the Kingdom, discovering more and more about Jesus, the Light increasing in their life like the light of the sun gradually spreads over the earth at dawn.

One common thread is shared by all who are called to Christ - they were previously useless to the Kingdom, now they are useful! The little letter found in the New Testament in the book of Philemon is one of Paul's most 'human' missives. A slave named Onesimus somehow meets up with Paul while he is under house arrest in Rome. He had run away from the household of Philemon in Colossae and was hiding in the city. Paul knew the slave and his master, Philemon, a church leader from a time of early ministry. In fact, from the letter we can infer that Paul had been the means of Philemon's conversion. (I won’t mention that you owe me your very soul! 19)

So, he writes to Philemon, asking that he forgive Onesimus for running away, a crime punishable by death. More than forgive this hapless slave, Paul urges Philemon to accept him as a brother. In the middle of the letter, Paul makes a play on words that is lost on us as we read it in English. He says, "He was useless to you before; now he’s useful to both of us." (Philemon 11, The Message) The slave's name, Onesimus, means 'useful.' He was made useful, a man of great value, by coming to Christ. Paul does not mean this simply in the sense that he will be a better slave! He means that he is valuable in the work of the Kingdom. He is "no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." (Philemon 16, NKJV)

Have you been converted? Have you met Christ, received the Spirit into your life, and experienced a transformation?
One way to know is to look at your life and ask, "Am I, once useless to God, now useful in His work?"
We cannot save ourselves by good work, but if we are truly converted, the evidence will be plain to see - useless, now useful!

Here's a word from the Word to think on today.
"God saved you by his special favor when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NLT)

Jerry D. Scott
www.WashingtonAG.com

Loved!

"Love is a many-splendored thing, ... love is nature's way of giving, a reason to be living; the golden crown that makes a man a king!" Those old love songs might be corny but they surely capture a feeling, don't they? One reason to enjoy a wedding reception is the opportunity to hear Joe Cocker growl, "You are so beautiful to me... you're everything I hope for, everything I need" and the Righteous Brothers rendition of "Unchained Melody." Are you laughing at me, a silly fool in love? Romantic love makes an easy target for those who wish to mock but - if we've been in love - we never forget the rush that came the first time we fell in love, as immature as that experience might have been.

Having loved the same lady for more than 31 years, I know the depth and breadth of a mature love, too. One evening recently, as we sat quietly reading in our living room, I looked over at Bev and remarked that it was my favorite time of day - just being together. My heart beats faster, a feeling akin to terror clutches my throat, when I even think of being torn from her!

Are you 'in love' with Christ Jesus with feelings something like those? I don't mean to imply that we need a teen-age crush on Jesus, and it's hard to separate our romantic love from sexual stirrings, so the language is perhaps confusing when used about our Lord. But, please, reach for the idea with me.

Christianity without passion just isn't Biblical! The grandest love story of all time is the story of God's love for us, written in the life and death of Jesus. As much as I like and as often as I have used the "Four Spiritual Laws" to explain the concept of sin and salvation; the 1,2,3,4 logic of that presentation doesn't come close to capturing the essence of the heart of God like the story Jesus told of a lost son who came home to the arms of the Waiting Father after wasting his fortune and ruining his life! "And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." That is compelling stuff! Who doesn't long to be loved like that after failing, falling, and disappointing another?

Trained to think scientifically, we have made even our faith a thing of careful logic, systematic theologies with points built into a structure of reason. I am thankful for those who study the Scripture, who teach us about the important truths contained in the sacred Word. We just must not lose the heart of the faith in the process of parsing the words! From the beginning the Bible is more than history; it is "God's story!" Genesis 3 tells us that God came walking in the Garden, just to be with His created beings, a Divine Lover. The most common imagery that the Hebrews used to describe their relationship to God was marriage, and it became the language of the Church who is the 'Bride of Christ.' The ancient prophets railed on the people who went after other gods calling their perfidy - spiritual adultery.

The Bible speaks of our covenant with God, not a contract! He loves us, draws us and we love Him in return. The love is not calculated, nor is it based on some equation of return. It is abandonment of ourselves to Him. Ah, friend, do you love Him? We must go beyond cutting a deal with God that is cynically described as- "I believe some facts and You give me the key to Heaven." We must love Him! That might require a new way of seeing Who He is, of thinking of our faith in new ways.

Let this 'love letter' inspire you today.
"How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him.
Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.
(What pleasure he took in planning this!)
He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son." (Ephesians 1:3-6, The Message)
___________________________

I'm calling out to You,
There must something more;
Some deeper place to find,
Some secret place to hide,
Where I've not gone before!

Where my soul is satisfied,
and my sin is put to death;
and I can hear Your voice,
and Your purpose is my choice,
as natural as a breath.

The Love I knew before;
When You first touched my life,
I need You to restore,
I want You to revive!

Could You place in my heart,
A passion for Jesus,
A hunger that seizes,
my passion for You?
My one desire,
my greatest possession,
My only confession,
my passion for You!

Passion for Jesus
Author: Brian Houston

Celebrate the love, and be transformed.

The worship team at the Assembly is one of God's gifts to our church. This team of musicians loves the Lord and they love their music. Since 2000, when I was called to this church where I serve, I've watched a talented group of artists meld their gifts and abilities, and they have become a ministry team that helps all of us to open up our hearts and minds to the Presence of the Lord. But, they do some of their best work after the benediction! Yes, it's true. People who hang around the sanctuary for a few moments longer, often hear the team 'cut loose.' The guys exult in their passionate joy of making music for God, turn up the volume, and do some crazy stuff. I'm sure some of the saints wouldn't see some of what they do in those moments as 'decent and in order,' since the songs that sometimes pop out at that time aren't always 'spiritual,' but the joy they feel is obvious and often infectious.

Did you know that "Jesus" and "joy" are words that go together? Many people don't! Church and playfulness; Jesus and joy; just are not common word association links, but they ought to be. Yes, of course, there are times when God calls us to reverent silence, to ponder His majesty or to humble ourselves. But, He also calls us to rejoice. Do you think there is any significance to be drawn from the fact that Jesus' first public miracle was producing wine for a wedding? I do! The common picture of Jesus that has somehow infected the world depicting Him as a long-faced man, walking around with the weight of the world's suffering twisting His face into a mask of grief, just is not the whole picture. There was surely a time when He offered Himself on the Cross and was the Savior, marred with suffering and grief. However, in much of the Gospel, He's a joyful man hanging out with ordinary people, often with those that the 'holy folk' considered riff-raff! The church crowd dismissed Him as a lush and pejoratively as the 'friend of sinners.' (Matthew 11.19) He was a man fun of life, who told stories to teach truth, who loved kids, and who laughed, poking holes in the pretensions of those who thought they were God's special people, so much better than others.

Take a look at this passage - Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:14-17, NIV)

"Why don't your disciples do more religious stuff and act seriously like we do? Don't they know this is the way to please God?"

The religious model that prevailed in Jesus' day was one of rigid discipline and seriousness! The Pharisees kept strict laws in their attempt to please God. They separated themselves from the ordinary people, drawing lines between those they considered 'in' and those who were 'out.' John's disciples, likewise, were called to repentance and a life of strict observance of things like fasts. Jesus' followers were a joyful lot. He threw parties for them on more than one occasion, feeding thousands at His own expense. The holiest ritual that the Lord instituted for us was not a fast, but a feast. Mostly we miss that point because when we have Communion since we celebrate it with a tiny wafer and a sip of grape juice. When He celebrated it, it was a feast!

Jesus told those who questioned Him that He wasn't interested in trying to rehabilitate old religious models! His Gospel was like new wine and required new wineskins! If the message of God's Kingdom come was poured into the old religious models built around strict discipline and careful observance of rules, an explosion would result, ruining both the skins and the wine! The good news that God loves people and is calling them to know Him and love Him could not be patched onto a system of rules created to restrain sinful behavior. The Gospel required a new robe of righteousness that was given freely by God to those who trusted and loved Him.

Friend, God calls us to be His children! That is cause for celebration. He tells us that our religion is woefully inadequate to ever please Him, for religion only touches the surface, it never changes the heart. That is why He announced a new way, a way of love, a way of the Spirit - so that we could become holy in our hearts, and then live joyfully as we please Him because we actually delight in His plans and purposes. Have you received the good news of the Kingdom come? Have you invited Christ to be the Lord of your life and rejoiced that the guilt is gone, the alienation from your Father removed; that you are now a beloved child of Heaven?

Jesus told another story about a son who rejected his father's love, left home, and squandered his inheritance. At his lowest point, he hatched a plan to go home and ask for a place among the hired help. As this broken man approached home, he was met with an amazing display. Read the rest of the story. It's our story, Believer! And then, go live joyfully as a child of God today.

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming.
Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began." (Luke 15:19-24, NLT)

What's ahead?

There I stood, on a rocky mountain point, high above the valley, looking toward the horizon. That was the mental image that formed in my mind as I prayerfully meditated this morning. The adventure we call 'life' continues with the flip of the calendar.

• What's ahead in 2006?
• What part do I play in shaping the tomorrows that will aggregate into another year of history?

Those questions are very much in my mind today at the beginning of a New Year.

2005 was a year of challenges, to say the least! Globally, we saw pain and suffering on terrible scale in floods and storms that brought death and destruction to hundreds of thousands. War tightened it's ghastly grip around the world in conflicts large and small. These United States seemed to descend even deeper into the swamp of self-interest as we searched in vain for statesmen of bold vision to inspire us to greatness as a nation. Those in both political parties appear, to me anyway, to be squandering the amazing influence and resources of this wonderful nation on petty political squabbles while the world becomes a more dangerous place day by day. It is a year that many hope not to re-live!

Personally, the year past was one of challenge, too. I hope I do not have to relive it, though I am thankful for the spiritual and intellectual growth that came from working through the unpleasant 'stuff.' (an intentionally non-specific word!) If you're presently working through 'stuff,' let me encourage you from my experience. It is true that at the end of yourself, you find God's strength. Paul says of his own struggles, "The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, NIV) I've found it true! When I am beyond my perceived capabilities and at the limits of my life skills, I am in a place where I more readily allow God to be in charge.

That said, I am not casting myself to fate! There are choices to be made today that will certainly have a part in shaping tomorrow. Joshua's charge to Israel echoes in my mind -- "Choose today!" He made it clear that their day to day decisions would have far-reaching consequence. Even as we trust in God's strength, we need to pray for wisdom to choose wisely and well, so that our choices will lay a rock-solid foundation for our life. Jesus told a story that is simple and yet profound. We must choose! He said, "Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me (a choice word, right?) is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27, NLT) Our choices are important!

As we look out over the vista that stretches out to the horizon, we must trust the Providence of an all-wise God and pray for courage to choose His way today - for today is all we own. Tomorrow may never come. But, should there be tomorrows, there are great promises of God for us to own, and come what may - we can live hopefully, purposefully, and pleasing our God - if we follow Him closely.

Here's a hymn for our thoughts today. Make it a prayer.

Lead On O King Eternal

Lead on, O King Eternal.
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King Eternal,
'Till sin's fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet "Amen" of peace.
For not with swords loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy,
The heav'nly kingdom comes.

Lead on, O King Eternal,
We follow, not with fears;
For gladness breaks like morning
Where'er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted o'er us;
We journey in its light.
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.

Author: Shurtleff, Ernest W. / Smart, HenryCopyright: Public Domain

"I'm outta here"

Lee Sparks, a former pastor, now writer, wrote a provocative column (REV. - Jan. '06) about the way we tend to say, "I'm outta here," within 30 seconds of the moment that something happens which makes feel us uncomfortable or upset. I've heard that threat -"I'm outta here!"- from people in the churches I've led so many times it doesn't shock me anymore. Apparently, it doesn't take much to cause us to leave the Body we profess to love with all of our heart! Some have marched off to another church over a single sermon that they didn't like, or worse; didn't even understand - without ever even giving their Pastor a chance to explain his intent. Some have packed their bags over a change that was made in a sincere attempt to guide the church towards a more effective ministry. They left even before the results were in to see if the right decision had been made. Others have left because they didn't get the kind of attention they wanted, or they got attention over something they hoped would never see the light of day!

Transparency with you requires that I admit that I've been tempted - more than once in 30 years of ministry- to walk into the pulpit and announce, "I'm outta here!" That urge rises when frustration with something or somebody overcomes love, vision, and/or patience. Thanks to the Holy Spirit's restraint (and my wife's wise counsel), I've never actually done it.

Donald Miller (author of Searching for God Knows What) wonders why we tend to more quickly 'dis-associate' than we do to build strong bonds with each other. I wonder, too.
What makes us run from friends, from family members, from each other, from our church - when we perceive that our needs are not being attended to in a way that satisfies us?
Why, when we are hurt, do we turn against others, therein hurting them?
Why, at the very moment, when we need the steadiness of those who know us best, do we run off to some other place or group that is less equipped to meet our need?
I don't have the answer for those questions.

But I know this: "I'm outta here" is not a good choice. Running away from our conflicts and/or disappointments is never a solution that produces good results. We are left with unresolved questions, lingering resentment, and some 'old business' that always comes 'round again on the agenda somewhere down the road of life.

In one of the most moving passages in the whole New Testament (John 17), Jesus has a long conversation with the men who have hung around with him for three years. That very night, He knows that He will be torn from them to die a terrible death, in the process also being wrenched from the fellowship of the Father as He sacrifices Himself. In the depth of His emotion, He prays this amazing and convicting thing - "The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, so they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they’ll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me. Then they’ll be mature in this oneness, and give the godless world evidence that you’ve sent me and loved them in the same way you’ve loved me. " (John 17:21-23, The Message)

Jesus didn't just say - "Help them to be nice to each other 'cause people like nice people!" That's the way we read it too often! Frankly, nice usually stinks. 'Nice' is a phony facade that covers a lot of disappointment and cynicism and it hinders the painful process of resolution. Jesus prayed that we would "become ONE in heart and mind." He said that our willingness to work through our differences with each other and to allow a Spiritual unity to develop would convince the godless of the reality of God and His love. He prayed that we would have such a sense of our 'value' as a result of God's love for us that we would be able to absorb the pain of being 'devalued' by the actions of other Christians, both those intentionally designed to hurt us and those hurts that come our way in the course of everyday life. Knowing God's love in that way requires time, investment, and searching for Him whole-heartedly. Oh, what a result, though. When we are Divinely loved, we become great lovers of people and God becomes visible and desirable to those who have concluded that the good life is about getting a new car or having sex with somebody other than their spouse!

So, here's a challenge to myself and to you. Let's commit that in 2006 the words - "I'm outta here" - will not be spoken or acted out by us! When relationships get strained (and they will because we are failure prone human beings who get tired, who speak thoughtlessly, and who just don't get it at least some of the time); let's commit to run towards each other. Courageously, let's say - "I want to talk about that," but not meaning- "I want to prove to you that you're an idiot!" Instead, let's adopt the intent of - "I want us to show that we really love each other enough to hug this difference between us until it melts in the warmth of God's love!"

By God's grace, let's learn to love each other. No more "I'm outta here!" In place of that, how about - "Let's pray 'til we see the Light together!"
___________________

They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord,
And we pray that all unity
May one day be restored.

We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand,
We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand,
And together we'll spread the news
That God is in our land.

We will work with each other
We will work side be side,
We will work with each other
We will work side by side,
And we'll guard each one's dignity
And save each one's pride.

All praise to the Father
From whom all things come;
And all praise toChrist Jesus, His only Son;
And all praise to
The Spirit who makes us one.

And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love.

Author: Scholtes, PeterCopyright: 1966 F.E.L. Publications (a div. of the Lorenz Corporation)

It's all right now.

The child is a mess; a flood of tears, gasping for breath between sobs. "I want my Mom," the words wheeze out in little spasms of physical emotion. When Mom shows up, she takes the little one in her arms, gathering her close, and her soothing words, "it's all right now, Mommy's here," spread like a salve, healing the broken heart of that child. In a moment's time, terror gives way to peace - 'cause Mom is there. It's a magical scene!

Think of me what you will, there are times in my life when nothing except God's loving arms can comfort me! Challenges, disappointments, even weariness overwhelm me. "When can I meet God?" is the prayer of my heart. When a break comes, I find a quiet corner where I close my eyes in prayer, "LORD, I need You!" is the only prayer I can manage. The Holy Spirit embraces me - and in my spirit I hear the Voice of God say, "it's all right now!" Sometimes as I sense the Spirit's Presence, I cannot hold back the tears, as the emotions that have been bottled up spill over the dam in my heart. There was a time when I was ashamed of those tears, fearing that they were a sign of weakness in me, but now I understand that they are a language that God understands. Jesus wept, too!

The message of Christmas is that God is near- "Emmanuel, God with us!" The Gospel writers make it abundantly clear that He is not just God for the 'together,' the rich, the beautiful, the brave, or the intelligent. Jesus, the Christ, is the God of the little, the forgotten, the weak, those bruised and broken by life. He chose a young girl from a hill town to birth Him into this world. He chose to be born among us in the animal shelter 'out back,' because the room up front was full. Just maybe the kinsfolk of Joseph in Bethlehem had 'no room' specifically because they could count to nine, and knew that Mary's pregnancy was a scandal. The royal family in Judah determined early on to kill Him, and Jesus' family became fugitives for a time until Herod's death. As He began His adult ministry, Mark tells us that His own family thought He was mentally unstable and tried to bring Him home to avoid embarrassment. At the end of His short life, He hung naked, pinned to a rough cross, bleeding to death, while passers-by hurled insults at Him. Pilate mocked Him - "The King of the Jews" read the sign ordered nailed above Him as He died, a cruel joke.

So, you see, He understands your weariness, your brokenness, your disappointment, your feelings of worthlessness... He's been there! But, He offers more than sympathy. He is the Savior who is also the Lord of Glory. He is the embodiment of the Promise of the Great Reversal - who will make the last, first - who will exalt the humble!

Mary's song captures the joy we can know because of the Christmas promise. Read it thoughtfully today.
Note the triumph in the words, spoken prophetically, and with great hope. It is a poem written from the safety of the Divine Parent's embrace.

“Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me.

His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him. His mighty arm does tremendous things! How he scatters the proud and haughty ones! He has taken princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.

He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. And how he has helped his servant Israel! He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful. For he promised our ancestors—Abraham and his children— to be merciful to them forever.”
(Luke 1:46-55, NLT)

"It's all right now!" God is here!

"He embraced his chosen child, Israel; He remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high."


May your Christmas be marked with Joy, filled with Light, and celebrated with a new awareness of God's Love.

______________________________TFTD will return on January 2. Thanks for reading along this year. My prayer is to be used by God in these musings to encourage, to comfort, to provoke and that together we will grow up in Christ, living for the 'praise of His glory.' God bless you richly today.

Are you listening, really listening?

When you're feeling insecure, what do you do? Some of us talk, endlessly, as though our words were a protective shield. Some of us withdraw. Some of us act out, being a clown or showing off. Some of us work ourselves into an angry state and the resulting flow of adrenaline causes us to feel empowered. But few of us choose the best course of action - quiet evaluation, listening to learn.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him to a divine appointment. On the top of the mountain, as they watched, He began to radiate a divine light - his clothing becoming dazzling white! It's true! Matthew, Mark, and Luke record this moment. Then, Moses, the great Law-giver and and Elijah, the Miracle Worker, appear and begin to converse with Jesus. At that moment of incredible wonder, what does good ole' Peter do? Yep, in his insecurity he does what he always does, impulse takes over and he starts to babble. "Let us build three shelters (alternate translation, memorials) here for you guys!" God responds to Peter this way - While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5, The Message)

Just a few days before that event, Peter had been rebuked for speaking without listening by Jesus, too. When the Lord was trying to explain that He must die for the sins of the world, Peter objected and Jesus' response was quick and harsh - "You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23, NLT) How that must have stung! It wasn't until after he was filled with the Spirit that Peter learned to listen, really listen. Then, God took his boldness and made it a gift of leadership that He used to guide the Church through her first two decades of existence.

There is much in our world to cause us to feel insecure, isn't there? It isn't just the headlines from world news that makes me afraid. Aging scares me. Will my body betray me with a stroke, a heart attack, or Alzheimer's? The tenuous nature of human relationships frightens me, too. Will a trusted friend turn against me, breaking my heart? Knowing that every Sunday for the next 20-25 years I am required by my vocation as a Pastor to stand up and speak to a congregation with a word from God makes me feel insecure, too! What do you fear? What keeps you awake into the night? If we live in our fears, we will either become paralyzed or we will end up doing dumb, self-defeating things.

God has a better way. His advice for fearful, insecure people is this - "Listen! Let me lead."

We must stop trying to control every event. We have to refrain from trying to secure ourselves against every threat. And we need to do what Job did when he sensed God's Presence - put our hand over our mouth to staunch the flow of words so we will stop babbling out meaningless prayers that only reinforce our fears. Instead, we focus on Jesus! We listen to Him. The Bible teaches us to "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message)

Steady on, friend. That's the way. Listening, really listening, we gain the wisdom of God and face the future secure in the knowledge that the One who knows us best, loves us most, and that He is leading us all the way home.
_____________________

You're invited to a worship time on Christmas Eve at the Assembly.
At 7 pm, we will be gathering to sing, to listen, to worship, to wonder. I hope you will join us.

"There is no God" at least in our public schools.

Yesterday in Dover, PA, a federal judge named John E. Jones, ruled that Intelligent Design, which suggests an alternative to Darwinian evolution as the explanation for the origin of the species, cannot be taught in public schools. I don't know enough about the case to comment on the specifics, but press reports indicate that the judge went beyond simply deciding that ID was not to be taught. He called the decision of the school board to require a short paragraph about ID to be read to a 9th grade biology class, 'breath-taking inanity,' and noted that ID "is a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory." Those who want a completely secular (free from reference to God) society rejoiced.

The judge's ruling got under my skin - for a few moments anyway. But he is reflecting the law created by the majority of Americans! The fact is that those school members who established the ID policy in Dover were out of step even with their own townsfolk. In elections held in November, the school board was swept out of office by Dover voters and replaced with people who do not support the idea of teaching ID. This time, anyway, the judge and the majority of people are on the same side. So, if we're going to angry, how being angry with ourselves for not doing a good enough job in making a compelling case for Christianity? Perhaps we need to ask ourselves if we have created the sense that faith in Jesus Christ is just a comforting sentiment that is marginal, unimportant, to 'real life in the real world?'

Believer, we have work to do! We must hold up the Light. The struggle is about Truth, about the place that God holds in our hearts and minds, but the place to 'win' is not in the courts, nor in the legislature. We each must become a prophet (a good word that means - God's spokesperson) in our own place. Those who marginalize God, must see Him, not just in our words but in our actions at work, in our neighborhood, and in our homes.

As Christians make the case for Christ -
- by the way we serve,
- by our consistent compassion,
- by speaking the Truth lovingly to the this society,
- by cultivating our minds so that our faith is more than saccharine sentiment,
- by making our churches into houses of worship where God is approached in Spirit and in Truth - God's Light will shine.

Let's face facts. A couple of paragraphs read at the beginning of 9th grade biology curriculum suggesting that Someone designed this world isn't exactly going to change lives, is it? This nod towards admitting to God's existence (and that is really what it is about as the judge noted) is not going to save our kids from themselves. Only a vigorous, robust Christianity that is engaged with this culture at every level will survive the assault of secularism.

We should not surprised at the hostility that comes our way over our love for Christ. He warned us it would be this way. Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it. Don't just let it comfort you! Let it challenge you to BE different, to act differently, and to be a living witness to the reality of God before the skeptics.

Jesus 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! The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

Anyone who hates me hates my Father, too. If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw all that I did and yet hated both of us—me and my Father. This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: ‘They hated me without cause.’

“But I will send you the Counselor—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me." (John 15:18-26, NLT)

Invite the Spirit of Truth to work in your mind and your heart. Invite Him to dig deep to root out sin and unfaithfulness. Pray to become a person of integrity, a person of true holiness, so that the Light will shine from you without shadows, drawing others to consider the way of Christ Jesus.

A New Man

Who is your hero? You're too old for heroes, you say? Let me ask it this way, then. Who do you admire? What has that person done that makes him/her a model for you? Hold that thought.

Jesus came into a world where the 'model man' was of Greek construct. About three centuries before Jesus Christ was born in a little town called Bethlehem, the Greek language had been introduced to that part of the world by Alexander, who even today is given the title - 'the great.' With the Greek language and armies came the culture. The philosophy and culture of the Greeks were admired, even by the Romans who, at the time of the birth of Christ, held the political power from Spain to India . Alexander, the Great, was an incredibly powerful leader whose armies conquered empires and nations. He left wide swaths of death and destruction wherever he went. His glory came from the buckets of blood he spilled. His legacy was sorrow and division. At his death, the huge empire he built in just a few years' time split into factions, led by the generals he had kept in subservience during his life. Never the less, at the time of Jesus' birth, Alexander was considered a man of glory, a measure for all men.

Alexander was not the first nor the last man of violence whose battlefield victories won acclaim. Even today, men of war win notice. Watch the History Channel. Who and what is recognized as history's laudable persons and events? Generals, kings, and tyrants and their wars of conquest are the marks by which we measure history. More often than not, the warrior's exploits that we remember are soon erased as new orders arise and new wars are fought by men and nations trying to ascend to the heights of influence. Those who bled and died for the ambitions of another are soon forgotten, even as the tyrants are immortalized.

Few seem to recognize that the Man of greatest influence, whose life and teaching still hold sway in the world after two thousand years was never a general, never won a battle, and never held a sword. Tragically many wars have been waged in His Name. Men and women have claimed the right to rule, sometimes in despicable manner, by His authority. Yet, He was and is the "Prince of Peace."

When He stood before a minor politico in a mock trial, He was asked, "Are you a King?" Pilate could not comprehend Jesus' answer! “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king.
In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." (John 18:36-37, NIV)

The King of Truth - He came not for earthly glory, nor to gain power for Himself or a nation, but to restore us to God, our Father and Creator.

Make Him your hero, your model! Throw away the need for conquest. Refuse the craving for power. When Self clamors to have its way, look to Jesus; "on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven." (Hebrews 12:2, NLT)
____________________________

A Solitary life

Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until he was thirty.
Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher.

This Man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book.
He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home.
He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace.
And though he never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself.

While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him.
His followers ran away.
He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth--the simple coat He had worn.
His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend.

But three days later this Man arose from the dead--living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race. On our calendars His birth divides history in two eras.
One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him.
And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection.
On church steeples around the world His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death.

This one Man's life has furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems and paintings than any other person or event in history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions have been founded in honor of this One who gave His life for us.

All the armies that ever marched,
all the navies that ever sailed,
all the governments that ever sat,
all the kings that ever reigned have not changed the course of history as much as this
One Solitary Life. -- James Francis


Jerry D. Scott
www.WashingtonAG.com

T'is the Season for renewal

Would you like to walk through this 'holy day' Season and gain strength, feel renewed, and be deepened in faith? Will you be one of those who fails to take away the renewal of spirit that the Season seems to promise? Some people say, "I just can't wait for it all to be over so I can get back to life." Others say, "It takes me a month to recover from all this." I want us to be able to say, "what a wonderful time of year. I am ready to take on the challenges of the new year."

What kind of choices can make the difference?

First of all, make people your priority! Resist the pressures to rush, to be hurried, to 'get the program' completed. Many of us either host gatherings or be guests. Truly take time to enjoy the opportunity to be with friends and family. Focus less on perfect preparations of food and decor and more on having a heart that is prepared to receive others. A dinner cooked to perfection, a home full of beautiful holiday decor will be soon forgotten, but an evening of meaningful conversation and interaction creates a lasting memory that renews us again and again.

Second, remember to include worship! I think it is safe to say that most Americans will spend far more time in the mall than in church during the next seven days! We will worship at the altar of consumerism with far more fervency than we will worship our Lord Jesus. This imbalance in the use of our time and money reveals the identity of our true god. Keeping Christ in Christmas isn't just about putting up a crèche on the lawn at City Hall. It's about building an altar in our heart and honoring the One whose life is the cause for the celebration. Put a half hour a day aside for meditation, prayer, and to read the stories of Jesus' nativity from Matthew and Luke. Tell your family you will be going to church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Arrive early and sit with a listening heart! "O come, let us adore Him... Christ, the Lord!"

Third, give yourself away! In Acts 20:35 (The Message) we read, "I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’ ” It's not just stuff that is given at Christmas. Give forgiveness. Give love. Give time. Give away your expectations and receive what these days bring your way.

Lastly, let encourage you to recover wonder! The children at church gather 'round me each Sunday in Advent with the request, "may I light the Advent candles?" Such a simple assignment is a coveted honor. Amazing, isn't it? But children have a great capacity for wonder, to appreciate the little things. Read the Christmas story and instead of asking, "How could this be?" let story speak to you about the depth of God's love. Watch the old film, "It's a Wonderful Life," and don't make fun of it! Instead, let it inspire you to make a difference in someone's life today. Let the sophisticates pretend to be bored by the holiday. Choose to be child-like (not childish!) in your wonder.With these choices, you will come to New Year's Day, with a renewed heart! Sure, you may be tired in body from staying up too late, going here and there, but you will have received Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And, He brings life.

Here's a word from the Word to take with you as you begin this Christmas week-
"The Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. ... We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us—one gracious blessing after another." (John 1:14, 16, NLT)