The Noonday Devil

There are days when mid-day comes and with a sense of futility. Heaving a deep sigh, I say, "What's the use of it all?" In the middle of opportunities, the devil comes whispering that life is meaningless, my efforts useless, that pleasure waits somewhere other than where I am. The wrong response is to agree and to sink into apathy that says, "Who cares? Let's just float along in the stream of life." A couple of days ago when I was feeling that way, I got up and went for a drive in my car.  I told the Lord how I was feeling at that moment and He ministered to me. (I think my car is a rolling sanctuary sometimes!)  One by one, He brought faces of people to my mind – people who had made new choices for life, people who had found hope and purpose in the Lord, people whose marriages were saved, etc.  Did I do those things? Of course not! But, He used me as His messenger.

Disciple, apathy is just as much a sin as outright disobedience! Our God calls us to active pursuit of the good He has purposed to do through us.  Time and again, the Word reminds of the vital importance of living patiently and persistently. James uses the work of a farmer to illustrate how we must meet the lie that life is without meaning. "Wait patiently for the Master's Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time." (James 5:7-8, The Message) So true, right?

Andy Stanley writes, "The daily grind of life is hard on visions. Life is now. Bills are now. Crisis is now. Vision is later. It is easy, therefore, to lose sight of the main thing, to sacrifice the best for the good. All of us run the risk of allowing secondary issues to rob us of the joy of seeing our visions come to completion. Distractions slowly kill the vision."

(Visioneering, Multnomah, 1999)

If we are living with our time and efforts focused only in secondary issues without a real vision that gives 'big picture context' to the work of the day we will feel the frustration. If we make like only about making money, we’ll feel the treadmill effect. If we make ministry just about checking off the ‘completed’ box each week, we will lose enthusiasm.  Every Friday my primary task is to complete the message that I will deliver to my congregation on Sunday. I can choose to view that task in two very different lights. I can see it as 'just getting something to say on Sunday 'cause that's what is expected of me.'  If that’s how I come to my desk at 8 in the morning on Friday, I know that about Noon, I'll feel that what I'm doing is 'vanity of vanities!'  If I see my work as a God-given opportunity to bring His Word, to help somebody whose lost, confused, or without hope to stay the course, I have a vision that makes the effort required much less onerous.

Never lose sight of the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’

Don't sink into the deception of the day today. Take a few moments right now to re-focus and to set the tasks that await you into a larger context of vision.

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.
Remember the great reward it brings you!
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will.
Then you will receive all that he has promised.

“For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.
And my righteous ones will live by faith.
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”" (Hebrews 10:35-38, NLT)

____________________

I know there's hope in anger

And some tenderness in shame

Sometimes I find You

On the other side of pain

But sometimes in the heat of day

When I close my eyes to pray

It seems like You are far from me

My prayers are all in vain

In my hour of hopelessness

In my deep despair

The noonday devil whispers in my ear

I know that You are with me

But I can't feel a thing

The noonday devil

Has come around again

Oh Lord make me angry

Oh Lord make me cry

Oh Lord please don't leave me here

To fall into the devil's lies

Father You have called me

To live a life that's true

That all my labors and my words

Would speak my love for You

But walking through this desert

Life is empty and mundane

The noonday devil

Has come around again

Oh Lord make me angry

Oh Lord make me cry

Oh Lord please don't leave me here

To fall into the devil's lies

Oh Lord make me angry

Oh Lord make me cry

Oh Lord break my cold cold heart

So I can know Your love inside

Your love inside

Noonday Devil
© 2004 Curb Songs | Cerdo Verde Music | John Andrew Schreiner Music (Admin. by Curb Records) | (Admin. by Curb Records) | (Admin. by Lori Kelly Rights & Licenses)

Fernando Ortega | John Andrew Schreiner

CCLI License No. 810055

Management, motives, modifications

“Why do some go to church all the time and show no change of heart or behavior?” was the question raised at our Bible class last night. It’s a fair one, for sure, and has many possible answers. The primary one is that we (Christians) allow our majestic message of total conversion, of new birth, to be reduced to what Willard calls, ‘the gospel of sin management.’ (The Divine Conspiracy) Instead of boldly proclaiming that the Spirit will make a man new, using techniques of behavior modification we try to make him marginally better. Then, too, we are guilty of implying that the Gospel exists to make us happier, more well-adjusted people rather than godly servant of the Most High! Jesus Christ did not come to live among us, to die for us, and to rise again to make us nice people and good citizens. He came to buy us back from the Devil, to give us eternal life, and to call us into the service of the King!

The Lord has promised those who serve Him amazing, transformative power through the Spirit! He tells us to ‘go and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything I command.’ His commission is an impossible challenge to those who attempt to fulfill it with gimmicks, church growth techniques, or clever oratory. It is spiritual work which can only be done by the Spirit working deeply in and through us.

Moses met the Lord at the burning bush and was told to go back to Egypt and lead the people of Israel out to freedom and the Promised Land. He knew immediately what he was up against and protested by pointing to his inability. "Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:11-12, NIV)  "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:12, NIV) The whole account is a fascinating and revealing interaction that is a primer of how not to respond to God’s call! Moses looks at his own weakness, God refocuses him, time and again, on His power!

Disciple, our work is not to help people live more successful lives, while adapting to the slavery of Egypt! We are deliverers who are called to lead them out. It’s a simpler task to explain how to be a better slave in Egypt than it is to tell people that there a Promised Land waiting, which they can possess. Seems to me that the Church has developed great skill at explaining sinful urges and helping us to co-exist with the Devil, in the best possible way. All this is not to imply that we should discard education, understanding of leadership, or psychology. These things are tools that can help us to accomplish our task, but the true Power for deliverance is not our cleverness, but His Power which is found only when we come, like Moses to the end of Self and get desperate for intimacy with Him.

Ponder this word from the Word, dear friend. Don’t turn them into a simplistic jingle, another religious cliché. Instead, make them your challenge. Let them drive you to quiet, contemplation of the Lord’s power. May they create faith in you to expect great things as He works deeply in you, making you a true deliverer of those He loves from slavery to sin to glorious freedom in Christ!

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here." (Zechariah 3:7, NLT) “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Zechariah 4:6, NLT)

____________________

Quiet my mind
And draw me near You.
Silence my thoughts
I just want to be with You!
Open my heart,
To hear and listen!
Not my way God,
But your Vision!

And all my fears fall away
In Your presence,
Waiting on You;
Waiting on You.

(BRIDGE)
And as you come to me,
Send your Spirit to minister
Because I am truly desperate
For the promises that you keep.

Waiting On You
-Terry Keenan

Hubris (hyoo-bris)

Hubris is the soft spot, the point of vulnerability in us all! Last night a man we never heard of before won a Senate seat in Massachusetts. Scott Brown capitalized on the hubris of his opponent and her party. Coakley and company were so sure that they had the election won that she went on a week’s vacation just three weeks before the election! While she rested, he ran hard. He won the election pulling away. Hubris caused the American people to turn against the Republicans a little over a year ago. Hubris lost a major election for the Democrats last night.  What’s hubris?  “Excessive pride or self-confidence, arrogance,” is the definition!

I’ve seen marriages crumble because partners’ hubris cause them to take advantage of their spouses for too long. I’ve seen ministers fail morally because hubris blinded them to their own weakness. Hubris that develops in leaders when they find success is the reason behind the destruction of governments, corporations, and even churches.  Here’s God’s warning: "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12, NIV)

Humility is a character trait that must be cultivated. Disciple we must remember that pride makes us an enemy of God, who will not share His glory or authority! “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, NIV)  The Lord Himself, though full of magnificence, is also humble. God, humble? Yes! "The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts." (Isaiah 57:15, NLT) A prideful person will not voluntarily associate with those who are weak, failing, or rejected. A humble man lifts them up.

Accomplishment or recognition will not bring on hubris in anyone who realizes that he is who he is only because of the grace of God.  When we feel ourselves becoming impressed with by ourselves, this question needs to come to the forefront of our minds: “Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,” Paul wrote, “but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)

Hubris or humility? What will it be?  Take the wisdom of Jesus with you today as you meditate on this word from the Word. 
“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4, NIV) 

Into the Misery

While I was leading prayer in our Sunday AM worship, I broke into a strange lament; “Lord, how long? How long until Your kingdom comes?” The images from the broken nation of Haiti, my counseling with people wrestling with sin and temptation, and the unexplained physical suffering of acquaintances converged to press heavily on me. My prayer in that moment was less a formation of my intellect and more a groan from my soul!

My life would be simpler were I to assume that all things are a matter of the “good being blessed and the bad being cursed.” I could distance myself from the pain of those in misery if I allowed myself to see them as getting what they deserved; but He does not offer that option. He sends us into the misery!

Moses saw the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt, responded in self-directed rage and killed a man, then ran off into the desert where he lived in isolation, away from the daily sufferings of his people for many years. He would have died out there tending some sheep except that God showed up and reminded him of his true calling. One day he saw a bush burst into flame, without being consumed. "When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey." (Exodus 3:4-8, NIV) And the LORD sent Moses back to Egypt, to live with the suffering slaves and to lead them out of their misery. It was no easy calling!

Some would say that if we come before the Lord and stand in His holy Presence, the things of earth will recede and we will be caught up into the heavenlies, living in holy bliss. The Scripture argues a different point. Those who enjoy the deepest intimacy with the Father, feel the beat of His heart for the world He created and the people He loves. We are, like Moses and even Jesus Christ, sent to the misery!

The Light in which we live cannot be held only for ourselves, it must be shared. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, The Message)

As inviting as the cloister of the holy huddle might be, we must not stay there! A retreat, from time to time, to regroup and renew may be in order. But we cannot choose to live in a place of isolation where the leper, the sinner, the broken are not invited because they are judged to be enduring the fruit of their own choices. We are sent into the misery! We share the call of the first Twelve, so let’s go!
"When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." (Luke 9:1-2, NIV)

_______________

I'm calling out to You,
There must be 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,
Your purpose is my choice,
As natural as a breath.

Oh 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!

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

Passion For Jesus
© 1999 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Brian Houston
CCLI License No. 810055

An Acceptable Sin

The sign stood along the highway, proudly embellished with an American flag, declaring – “Bill’s American. English spoken here.”  The owner of the service station was playing off of the fact that most of the gas stations in NJ are staffed by men from India who speak very little English. (Jerseyans can’t pump their own gas, by law!)  I don’t know Bill and have no idea if he thought his sign was funny or if he hoped it would attract more customers, but I always read it as an expression of bigotry, a way to say, “They are not us.”  Now that same station is owned and staffed by Asian immigrants who, ironically, speak very poor English! I think it is a kind of poetic justice.

Segregation, supported by institutional racism, was an acceptable sin for many Americans. I say ‘was’ hopefully, knowing that racism is very much alive and well. The difference now is that there are many voices that challenge it! Today we celebrate the life of a man who used his God-given gifts to reshape America’s attitudes towards race. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama who saw the evil of segregation and named it for what it was - sin. His vision of non-violent resistance spared many lives as the civil rights movement gained momentum. Ever the preacher, Dr. King drew inspiration from the Scripture, using the picture words of the Old Testament prophets to great effect.  He loved to quote Amos, "let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." (Amos 5:24, KJV)  Perhaps his greatest gift to us was the formation of a new vision for America, best summed up in what are his most memorable speech which we now call, “I have a dream.” Few, if any, knew the strength of his words when they were spoken that day from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 23, 1963, but his vision reshaped these United States.

(read or watch it at

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm)

Where we see divisions by class, or religion, or race, or sex we must challenge it. We cannot allow this sin to become acceptable. It is a subtle one that hides itself behind all kinds of words. Being ‘different’ becomes being of lesser value. Judgment of behavior becomes a reason to reject persons. Give such thoughts no standing. Disciple, in Christ there is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’  In Him we ALL stand on equal ground. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28, NIV)  The Scripture insists that how we love God and how we love other people are inseparable. We cannot claim to love God and hate others!

I leave this word from the Word with you today. As you ponder it, let God use it to shape your heart and mind.

"With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:6-8, NIV)

__________________

Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow, black and white,

All are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

-      George Frederick Root

Just follow your heart?

A critic of a recent essay wrote to me and said, “Stop relying on what some Jewish zombie said 2000 years ago and just for once, FOR ONCE, do the right thing based on what is in your hearts and minds.” He took issue with the Bible and Christian faith in general stating his own belief that we can save ourselves by intelligently following our emotions. Sounds good, right? The whole ‘noble man’ thing is a very attractive philosophy to us. We want to think that deep inside of us, underneath our wounded feelings, our inadequacies, and our impulses, there is a self-directed being capable of accomplishing great good without any need for a Savior or God.

History would argue differently. Generally, people left to ‘follow their hearts,’ do not succeed at nobly improving the world except for themselves! We need the guidelines of law to restrain us, don’t we? In any social setting, chaos soon follows a break-down of governing authority. Take the teacher out of the classroom for a few minutes and she will return to students in disarray! Ramp that up to a national level and look at a place like Somalia where the central government collapsed. Cruelty and tribalism soon followed, bringing even more suffering and poverty to the people of that land.

The Bible teaches us why we cannot ‘just follow our heart’ to a better world. Here’s what we learn. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, NIV) Our natural desire is self-preservation, which unchecked by law or Spirit, becomes an expression of selfishness. The turning point in the Bible is when Christ Jesus entered the world to bring us the message of salvation from sin and to teach us that transformation can happen through God’s power. The Law of Moses, though good, was insufficient to make us truly good because of the "sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway." (Romans 7:18-19, NLT) We need a Savior, who loves us and through His love makes us new, inside out!

My critic is right in his observations that religion can, and often does, become just another tool of power and a way for those with privilege to take advantage of the masses. Simply becoming part of an organized religion cannot produce the necessary change. What is needed is an encounter, through faith, with the Living God. And, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

The Christian who is one because of spiritual transformation, and not simply because his has gone through some ritual, does not have an escapist philosophy that avoids engagement with the real, suffering world, nor does he live with any desire to conquer others with his way of life. Instead, like his Master, he is ready to give up his life to defeat evil with love. As Keller says, “If we embrace the Christian teaching that Jesus is god and that he went to the Cross, then we have deep consolation and strength to face the brutal realities of life on earth. We can know that God is truly Emmanuel – God with us- even in our worst sufferings.” (Reason for God, Riverhead, 2008) We see the cross is followed by resurrection and therefore we have great hope that our dying to self will be followed by the emergence of something new and glorious.

My heart and mind are informed by the truth of the Word and I am made alive through faith in Christ Jesus. But, I will not trust my impulses alone. Instead, I will trust the One who leads me higher. I will find myself often in the company of those who also seek Him.

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.


For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection.


But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:8-14, NLT)

Disciple, are you ready to die to Self and live for Christ?
Are you engaged with the world, meeting the challenges with hope and love?
This is the heart of the Gospel which we follow. Onward – for the glory of God!

You’re wrong to say it, Pat Robertson!

Yesterday, as we learned of a human tragedy of stunning proportion unfolding in Haiti, Pat Robertson assumed God’s position and said that the earthquake Haiti was caused by an old ‘pact with the Devil’ made in the time when Haiti was was seeking freedom from French colonialism! I quote: "Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the Devil said, okay it's a deal." – Pat Robertson, 700 Club, 1/3/2010

My opinion is that such a statement is idiotic, an absolute disgrace to the name of Christ Jesus, and completely out of line. It is true that Haiti is plagued with voodoo and spiritual darkness. That nation has huge social problems that contribute to keeping her people grinding poverty of the people. Those are facts. But, can we really know why the earthquake struck, apart from the geological science? Oh, and if God were to send earthquakes on every nation that made a pact with the Devil somewhere in their history, civilization would have ended centuries ago! Why didn’t Mr. Robertson point out the horrible sin of colonial nations who created Haiti by ripping Africans from their land and bringing them to be slaves in the Americas? Why didn’t he point out the racism that has been part of the reason that Haiti was unable to attract development in decades past? Why didn’t he point to the sin of the oppressive dictators who exploited the nation?

We want quick answers for suffering. We need to make a direct line between ‘cause and effect’ because it makes us feel more safe. If we can distance ourselves from those who suffer by finding a cause we also can avoid their fate. That’s not always a bad thing. I’m glad somebody figured out the science of infection by bacteria and viruses. I’m glad to know that I can practice good hygiene and significantly reduce my risk of sickness. But, when it comes to earthquakes, a little humility is in order.

Jesus’ own disciples were ready to judge some people who experienced tragedy, quick to assume that they ‘brought it on themselves.’ Hasn’t Mr. Robertson read Jesus’ words about judging others? "About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.” (Luke 13:1-5, NLT) Jesus’ rebuke to his disciples was a reminder that we’re all under the judgment of God and that repentance was a necessity for everyone!

In a another passage, Jesus found a man born blind along the road. Here’s the story. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work." (John 9:2-4, NLT) And then Jesus healed him! By His example, we learn that it is not for us to decide the ‘why’ of suffering and tragedy. It is our calling to rush to such incidents with hands that soothe, bringing healing and turning sorrow into joy, darkness to light. God only knows why- really!

Haiti’s sorrow is an opportunity for us, not to pronounce judgment, but to weep, to give, and even for some of us to go and help.

"This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love." (1 John 3:16-18, The Message)

All our tomorrows

Robert Burns, the 18th century Scottish poet, wrote of the poor mouse whose nest was torn up by the farmer's plow.

"The best laid schemes o' mice and men
Gang aft a-gley, (go oft awry)
And leaves us naught but grief and pain
For promised joy."

If we chatted over a cup of coffee, I’m sure both of us could fill up an hour talking about those moments when our best-laid plans went awry! Millions of Americans saw dreams die with the economic collapse last year. In Haiti yesterday, the ground shook and in a country where daily existence was already beyond difficult, life just became impossible for thousands of desperate people. It doesn’t take an earthquake or a severe recession to turn life upside down. It can be much more personal. We can lose our way, make a stupid choice, allow ourselves to believe a lie just for a moment, only to find ‘naught but grief and pain!’

In Genesis, we meet a man named Joseph who met more than a few surprises on the way to his horizons! As the favored son of Jacob, he started life with great expectations. God loved him, too. He was blessed with dreams and intelligence. But one day in a dusty desert, his jealous brothers changed everything and sold him to slavers who took him to Egypt. Game over, right? Not quite! He persisted and found himself managing the household a rich man. One day in the bedroom that changed when Potiphar’s wife decided she really wanted to sleep with the good looking kid. His refusal earned him a false accusation of rape and a long term in prison. Game over? No. He kept on doing the right thing and through a set of unbelievable circumstances was led to the Pharaoh and a place as Prime Minister of a world class nation. Decades after that terrible day when he was wrenched from home and family and sold into slavery, his brothers showed up in court. When they found out who was sitting on the throne, they quaked with terror. Now it was Joseph’s turn to be a game changer. His faithful heart is revealed in what he said to them. “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:19-20, NIV)
“God has a plan,” people tell us when the world has just flipped! It can be just a cliché or we can receive it as the truth! He really does have a plan. In the amazing way that only an all-powerful and all-knowing God could, He takes our surprises and uses them to present new opportunities. When somebody says, “just trust me,” I’m immediately on guard. The line is often a lead-in to a scheme that will benefit the other person more than it will benefit me. But when our Lord says, “Trust Me!” we really can. We must. "While I wait for God as long as he remains in hiding, while I wait and hope for him." (Isaiah 8:17, The Message) “Yes, indeed—God is my salvation. I trust, I won’t be afraid. God—yes God!—is my strength and song, best of all, my salvation!” Joyfully you’ll pull up buckets of water from the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:2-3, The Message)

I am not a fatalist! The Lord has given us freedom to choose and often we (and others whose choices effect us) choose unwisely or sinfully. But I am a ‘faithful-ist!’ He can take even the sinful choices and, if we will trust Him with them, use them to make us who He wants us to be. Rest in that today.
Here’s a prayer from the Psalms for those whose life has gone awry. If you’re struggling to make sense of it all, make it yours.

"Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord;
may your love and your truth always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to save me;
O Lord, come quickly to help me." (Psalm 40:11-13, NIV)

"But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!”
Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay." (Psalm 40:16-17, NIV)

________________

All my tomorrows, all my past,
Jesus is Lord of all.
I've quit my struggles,
Contentment at last,
Jesus is Lord of all.

King of kings, Lord of lords,
Jesus is Lord of all;
All my possessions
And all my life,
Jesus is Lord of all.

Jesus Is Lord Of All
Gaither, William J. / Gaither, Gloria
© 1973 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management

CCLI License No. 810055

Family history

When we tell the stories of our families, there’s always the scoundrel that defies the rules and the good child whose success is celebrated. There are those crazy moments when all appears lost; then, a breakthrough changes everything! Of course, our histories include tragedies that came from nowhere which are unexplained even a century later. We look back and find wise and foolish choices; decisions that proved right and those that produced only regrets.

The family event that has had the most effect on my life was my paternal Grandfather’s conversion sometime around 1935. A Danish immigrant who arrived in the United States with a formal religion but no real love for God, the Lord found him when he visited a tent revival in a little town in Iowa when he was a middle-aged man, changing his life and mine! Much of who I am today is clearly the result of the choice that Walter Scott made when he accepted Christ and became part of a little Assemblies of God church in Truesdale, Iowa. That’s the real legacy of my Grandpa.
I am reading the story of the patriarchs in Genesis. Their entire lives are summed up in a few chapters which allow us to see choices they made and the results years later. Family sins get repeated in subsequent generations. Their choice of wives and even the places they lived change the courses of their lives. But, through it all, God is working out His plan to bring into existence the people of the Lord through whom He would bless the world. I doubt that even Abraham understood the implications of the promise “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:2, NIV)

Through all their failings and successes, God’s hand guides. The legacy that counted most was the spiritual one, the passing of the faith in the Lord, generation to generation. Abraham’s God becomes the God of Isaac. In time, the God of Isaac becomes Jacob’s God.

What kind of legacy will you leave to your family?
When you grandchildren remember you will it be your spiritual heritage that they value most?
Will they be blessed by a foundational faith that you laid for their lives?

Spiritual legacies are created by consistent practices of faith, by dedication to godly things, by choices that demonstrate our most fundamental values. Paul, writing to a younger pastor named Timothy, reminds him of the legacy that blesses him. "I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you." (2 Timothy 1:5, NLT)

Let me leave you with a familiar passage found in Deuteronomy. It notes that we can only pass along what lives in us!  Read it and begin to write a family history that will reveal to those who follow you that you were a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!  Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts.
Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children.
Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street;  talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.  Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates."
(Deuteronomy 6:5-9, The Message)

__________

We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us line the way;
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace.

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Let us run the race not only for the prize,
But as those who've gone before us,
Let us leave to those behind us,
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives.

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone,
And our children sift thru all we've left behind,
May the clues that they discover, and the mem'ries they uncover
become the light that leads them to the road we each must find.

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful!
May the fire of our devotion light their way!
May the footprints that we leave,
Lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful!

Find Us Faithful
© 1987 Jonathan Mark Music
Birdwing Music (Admin. by Gaither Copyright Management)
(a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Jon Mohr
CCLI License No. 810055

The passages that make you say, “what!?”

I open my Bible every morning and read the inspired Word. I love books like Ephesians that apply to my life and yield more easily to my understanding. But, right now, I’m reading Genesis where I find passages in which I understand the story, yet recoil in disgust or dismay. In those hard passages knowing what the principle is and how it applies to my life is more difficult. For example, today I read of Abraham’s second lie about his beautiful wife which he explains by implying she was, in fact, his half-sister! Why does God seem to give Abe a pass when he sins? He lies and the other guy gets punished. Then I read the famous story about Abraham’s trip to Mt. Moriah, where God asks him to sacrifice his son. Human sacrifice? That’s just wrong, yet there it is. Of course, at the last minute, as Abe stands with knife raised over his bound son, God makes the wonderful substitution of the ram caught in the bushes. Isaac was saved and Abraham calls the Lord, “Yahweh Yireh,” The LORD, my provider! That part, at least, is encouraging. (Please don’t send me long ‘explanations’ about inspiration, cultural context, etc. Thanks.)

My point today is that understanding the Bible as the Word of God requires more than the ability to read words. The Scripture only yields wisdom when we read it with the help of the Holy Spirit. If we read it just as literature or history, but fail to have the Spirit’s wisdom, do not consider the counsel of others who have studied, or fail to keep our mind open to the ‘mystery’ involved with discerning His purposes; we will surely miss the point. We will reach conclusions that are just plain wrong or we may decide to ignore passages that are admittedly hard to understand. Paul taught Timothy, and by extension, teaches us that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV) That’s does not mean that all passages are easily accessible!

Making the Bible into something God never intended, a book of formulas for life, will lead to terrible results. The Bible is God’s story! It is a record spanning 1600 years in which the Lord of glory reveals Himself through the humanity of those who loved and followed Him. Sometimes they did it well. Sometimes, just like us, they made a real mess of things! Honestly, Genesis without Revelation, Deuteronomy with Hebrews, Joshua without John, would be dismal. We need to be diligent students of the whole Bible so that we will ‘correctly handle the word of truth.’ (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)
It’s quite all right to reverently say, “I just don’t get that.” Some passages need time to settle into our understanding. Others make much more sense when our own journey takes us into a place where the Spirit brings a formerly incomprehensible chapter to mind and we say, “Ah, that’s just for me now.” Disciple, you and I will encounter parts of the Bible that baffle us, challenge us, or even resist our understanding. Never the less, we must keep reading! Remember that "the holy Scriptures …are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15, NIV)
In an excellent book, Reason for God, (Riverhead Press, 2008) Timothy Keller writes, “If you don’t trust the Bible enough to let it challenge and correct your thinking, how could you ever have a personal relationship with God? In any truly personal relationship, the other person has to be able to contradict you. … Now, what happens if you eliminate anything from the Bible that offends your sensibility and crosses your will? If you pick and choose what you want to believe and reject the rest, how will you ever have a God who can contradict you? You won’t! You’ll have a God essentially of your own making, and not a God with whom you can have a relationship and genuine interaction. Only if your God can say things that outrage you and make you struggle, will you know that you have taken hold a real God and not a figment of your imagination. So, an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. It is the precondition for it.”

" Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105, NIV)
"The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130, NIV)

Stand in the gap

Prayer baffles me and comforts me all at the same time! Some prayers are answered directly in amazing ways. More often, I pray in faith, without seeing immediate results. In days long past, my prayers were often childish - “Lord, give me; do this; provide for me.” My prayers showed my lack of contentment in His provision and confidence in His wisdom! Now, most of my prayers are just ‘being with’ the Lord, aware of His Presence, knowing that there is Somebody bigger than I am that is in charge of this thing called, life.
Oh, yes, I still ask directly for He invites me to do so. For example, yesterday, I mentioned the name of a friend far away who was going through a difficult surgery in prayer many times through the day. Did God need a reminder of Robin’s condition? No, He is all-knowing, and yet, He directs us to pray for one another, so I did!


There is a form of prayer we call intercession that must not be neglected. An intercessor is one who stands before God on behalf of another. It is a priestly role that all disciples can perform for others.

A story from Abraham’s experience, told in the 18th chapter of Genesis, teaches us something of this kind of prayer. The Lord revealed to Abraham that He planned to destroy Sodom because “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous." (Genesis 18:20, NIV) Abraham steps up on behalf of the city and engages the Lord in a conversation that looks like bargaining. " Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" (Genesis 18:23, NIV) “Will you destroy the city if there are 50 righteous in it?” And so it goes, until Abraham reaches the number 10! Boldly he appeals to the Lord on behalf of the righteous in the city. While there is much mystery in the whole interaction, we learn that there is a valid role for us in praying for those who are under the judgment decrees of God!

We cannot shrug our shoulders and simply leave the world to its fate! Somehow God wants us to get involved prayerfully. One of the by-products of genuine intercession is what it produces in us. When we are actively praying for a nation, a city, or even our family - not ritual prayers, not tired prayers - it creates concern, love, and engagement. We become people who work to make a difference. The seeds we sow, change the harvest! Yes, too, somehow our loving, sincere prayers offered on behalf of those who are ignorant or apathetic towards Christ, makes a difference in Heaven. I don’t understand how, but I know what the Scripture teaches and reveals!

Are you a faithful intercessor?
Be a priest on behalf of your world!

When you go before the Lord, bring them to Him, seeking His gracious mercy. Amazing things can happen.
Here’s a word from the Word. May the Spirit make it a call to action for each of us.

"Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice. “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land.
I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.
So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (Ezekiel 22:29-31, NLT)

Let’s stand in the gap!
_______________

I have a Savior,
He's pleading in glory,
A dear, loving Savior,
Though earth friends be few;
And now He is watching
In tenderness o'er me,
And oh, that my Savior
Were your Savior, too!

I have a Father:
To me He has given
A hope for eternity,
Blessed and true;
And soon will He call me
To meet Him in heaven,
But oh, that He'd let me
Bring you with me, too!

I have a robe
'Tis resplendent in whiteness
Awaiting in glory
My wondering view;
Oh, when I receive it all
Shining in brightness,
Dear friends, could I see you
Receiving one, too!

For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
I'm praying for you.

I Am Praying For You
Cluff, Samuel O'Malley / Sankey, Ira D.

© Public Domain

Invisible no longer

Do you see what’s going on around you? Are you observant, insightful, aware of the people in your life? It’s amazing how some become invisible people that are present but whom we do not see. Like that guy who took your money at the convenience store this morning, your eyes saw him, but can you remember his face? Perhaps it is that elderly person who attends your church that you ‘see’ each week, but to whom you have never spoken. Maybe it’s your spouse who shares your house, but not your heart; or a son who needs you to see more than his grades or performance, who wants you to see his heart!

Human beings respond to notice. When we take time to engage with another person, to really see them, we give value to them. A thank you note that expresses appreciation for the person, a conversation that goes beyond “Cold outside, isn’t it? How ‘bout them Jets?” and into the place where we learn about another’s life shows a different level of awareness than is common among those of us who live busy, often self-absorbed lives.

One of the tragedies of this world are the people who become invisible to the rest of the world, who slide out of view because of aging, illness, or disability. Maybe you’re feeling invisible today! Perhaps you feel like a ghost, moving through life and nobody seems to really see you, to care if you’re there, to engage with you. You want to scream, “Hey, I’m here. I count. See me!” There is One who does. His name is “El Roi, The God who sees.”

We meet Him in Genesis 16, in the moving story of Hagar. She was a serving girl, probably a slave, though we don't know that for certain. She served Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who was advancing in years and still childless. As was the custom of the time, Sarah used Hagar as a surrogate, giving her to her husband in the hope that she would become pregnant, which she did. The younger woman became contemptuous of her mistress, leading to strife in their household! Sarah responded with cruel abuse. She went to her husband and demanded that the woman be thrown out, leaving her to a life of misery as she tried to survive. The servant girl was disposable, an inconvenient reminder of faithlessness. The Bible says, “Abram replied, "Since she is your servant, you may deal with her as you see fit." So Sarai treated her harshly, and Hagar ran away. The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a desert spring along the road to Shur... Thereafter, Hagar referred to the Lord, who had spoken to her, as "the God who sees me, (El Roi) for she said, "I have seen the One who sees me!" - Genesis 16:7,13 NLT

"The God who sees me!"  Do you know that HE knows YOU? Yes, He does. It’s a double-edged truth; comforting and keeping us accountable. He sees right into your most secret places. He knows your dreams, your hopes, your sins, your past, and your future. He loves YOU. In these opening days of 2010, grab hold to the wonderful fact of our Lord's Omnipresence. Let this great truth inspire you. Our God is truly El Roi, the God who sees. "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." (Proverbs 15:3, NIV)

Here’s a comforting word from the Word. May it bring comfort to you today as you deepen your faith in ‘the God who sees.’
"O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. … even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. … "Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."

(Psalm 139:1-4, 12, 24, NLT)

Graceful sinners?

Perfection! I long for it, not in others, but in myself. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get it right all the time? I sin against God and others too frequently and too easily. I let doubt and fear take over my mind and grow anxious. Envy makes the grass look much greener on the other side of the fence. Anger that has nothing to do with righteousness flares into hurtful words. OK, you’re convinced; I still have a long way to go on the highway of holiness. But, that is part of what makes God’s grace such an amazing gift. Knowing that I am a work in progress, He does not demand perfection, even as He patiently disciplines me to produce the character He desires in me.

Abram heard the voice of God and was graciously blessed by Him – and still sometimes failed miserably and spectacularly! Genesis 12, which records the story of Abram’s trip to Egypt, reveals his sinfulness in a ludicrous episode. He knows that Sarah, his wife, is a beautiful woman. He assumes that Pharaoh will take an interest in having her in his harem. This man who has trusted God with his whole life suddenly gets a bad case of fear and greed which turns him into a selfish sinful idiot! He tells his wife to lie about her relationship to him. "When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.” (Genesis 12:12-13, NLT) This righteous man was willing to compromise his wife’s honor and integrity to save his own skin! His scheme temporarily succeeded. Sarah was noticed, taken into the harem, and Abram got showered with wealth. But, God was not pleased and judged the household of Pharaoh. "Pharaoh called for Abram, “What’s this that you’ve done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she’s your wife? Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister’ so that I’d take her as my wife? Here’s your wife back—take her and get out!”  (Genesis 12:18-19, The Message)

Abram did not escape unscathed either. The very next story in the saga of the patriarch involves the selfishness of his nephew, Lot, who became greedy and selfish, destroying the relationship with his uncle and choosing the best part of the land with no consideration for the needs of the man who had loved and saved him. Do you think that Abram’s self-serving example in Egypt just might have become a model for the younger man?


Sin always has a consequence, often unseen and unanticipated, down the road of life. We can find forgiveness in the grace of God, but the harvest of the seeds planted during our failure will come, sooner or later. God’s grace does not make Him deaf or blind, nor does it break the laws of harvest. In a warning to Christians, the Word says, "Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." (Galatians 6:6-8, NLT)


Disciple, realize that perfection waits for the completion of our salvation, but make no excuse for sin! Peter urges us to keep growing. If we fall, and we will, we can recover with repentance and confession. And, always, we look up and forward, with a desire to grow! "We are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. … you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen." (2 Peter 3:13-15, 18, NLT)

_______________

Father, fill me with the Spirit.
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,”
I pray as You taught, for I know all too well the power of sin.
Make me a grace-filled man today.
Teach me to leave the failures behind,
To anticipate new growth of character.
Help me to accept Your discipline which comes my way
‘for my good, that I may share Your holiness.’

Be honored in my thoughts, words, and actions
As is fitting for a graced sinner.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Come on now, grow up!

When I get in a silly mood it usually ends with Bev being irritated. After enduring an extended session of dumb statements and general foolishness, her face gets tense and she says, “Just grow up!” Of course, then I act like I am really offended by her demand. “What’d ah do?” I ask with eyes wide with fake innocence in my best Bill Clintonesque voice. Maturity is an important choice! Being silly is just a distraction. Really being ‘grown up’ involves wisdom to know the difference between what I need and what I want, having the ability to discern the motives of my heart and say yes to the truth, and being faithful to my responsibilities even when I just don’t feel like it.

The grace of God brings us His righteousness, puts us on the right path, and makes it possible for us to please Him. Developing the mature holy character of a saint requires effort on our part. Note the interplay of God’s grace and our efforts in this passage from the Scripture.
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall." (2 Peter 1:3-10, NIV)

God’s power is actively leading us towards transformation. He has broken the grip that the sinful nature held over us. He has opened our eyes to the truth about right and wrong. These are gifts of grace we could not earn, that are ours to receive. Then He says, “Grow up!”
Make the choice that leads to good works.
Develop your mind so you can see what’s really going on around you.
Make hard choices by being ‘in charge’ of yourself.
Hang in there when the going gets rough.
Be kind even to the idiots in the world around you.
Live in love. And… keep growing deeper in these things. "The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:8, NLT) A child loves to play, is easily distracted, and demands constant supervision. A mature person knows how to get to work, stays focused, and is productive.

Disciple, has the grace of God led you to become a productive mature person who makes a noticeable difference in the world for the Kingdom of God? (Go back and re-read that question, please.) Or, are you one of those Believers who is taking advantage of ‘cheap grace,’ comforting yourself in your immaturity by focusing only on the love of God and ignoring the inevitability of accountability to Him? Few things bring more disgrace on the Lord Jesus Christ than immature, silly, stupidly living Believers who refuse to deal with their sins. They are an ongoing contradiction whose lives give an excuse for many to reject the call of the Spirit. What a tragedy!

As you focus on the love of God given to you in Christ Jesus, take His grace and grow up. Make the daily discipleship choices that allow the beauty of His holiness to shine, with ever increasing glory, from your life. Come on now, grow up, for God’s sake!
_____________________

I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day.
Still praying as I'm onward bound.
"Lord plant my feet on higher ground!"

I want to live above the world
Though Satan's darts at me are hurled.
For faith has caught the joyful sound
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright.
But still I'll pray 'til heaven I've found
"Lord lead me on to higher ground!"

Lord lift me up and let me stand
By faith on heaven's tableland.
A higher plain than I have found
Lord plant my feet on higher ground!

Higher Ground
© Public Domain
Charles Hutchison Gabriel

Credit for what?

Usually we have to earn credits, don’t we? If we want a college degree, we have to put in the time, go to class, do the work and when we have piled up 126 credits, we are given what we’ve earned. If we want a promotion, we have to show up on time, do the work assigned us, and show initiative. Approval is usually tied to performance. Reward follows diligence. That’s how life works. We learn the drill from the time we are little children.

And then we encounter God’s amazing grace! In the first book of the Bible, we meet a man named Abram. Called from his city of Ur, he was given many promises. Did the Lord offer them to him because he was smarter, taller, or more devout than any other man in the world? No, He chose him by His own will, asking only that Abram, later renamed Abraham, have faith to receive the promise. Now ponder this wonderful revelation! "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6, NIV) This man left everything he knew, went on a life-long journey, basing his entire life on the promise of God which he received by faith, even though there was no evidence of fulfillment of that promise for years and years!
Disciple, if you’re trying to earn God’s favor, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you think you can do enough to enjoy peace with God, if you think you can avoid sin by self-discipline alone, if you attempt to keep yourself on the right track by determination and/or gritted teeth, prepare for disappointment! Instead, trust God and accept the right standing with Him that is fully and freely offered through Jesus Christ. Grace makes the difference between religion that deals in Hell and death and relationship that produces life and hope of Heaven! The Word amplifies the call to faith found in Genesis, explaining to us that "Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe." (Romans 4:13-16, NLT)

Jesus’ gracious acceptance of social rejects and ‘sinners’ brought scorn to Him. "The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their grumbling triggered this story. “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’" (Luke 15:2-6, The Message) Do you see the promise in that passage? If we’re lost (and we are!) God seeks to save us, not because we are worthy or because we did anything to attract His attention. Because of loving grace, He goes to find us and bring us home! Our only part is to surrender to His embrace.

True grace is deeply transformative. Sinners who had dinner with Jesus were changed from the inside out. So, too, we are transformed by grace. When we experience the incredible, scandalous love of God, it causes us to change course, with a new vision drawing us higher. If we respond to God’s invitation with faith, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us. "When you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him." (Ephesians 1:13-14, NLT)
At the beginning of 2010, renew your faith; not in yourself, not in a religious system, but in the Person of Christ Jesus. Receive His grace anew! "God saved you by his grace 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 we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NLT) Now, that is grace that is amazing.

_______________

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss.
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty Cross.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within!
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Grace Greater Than Our Sin
Johnston, Julia H. / Towner, Daniel Brink
© Public Domain

A wonderfully privileged life!

Last week I prayed about my kids finding a parking place at the long-term lot at the airport since they are often full to overflowing during the holiday travel rush. This morning I prayed for several people who are going through tough times in their marriages. I prayed for wisdom to lead the church that God has entrusted to my pastoral care. I prayed praise-filled prayers about the myriad joys of my life. Sometimes I pray while playing the piano and singing ‘made up’ songs to God. Sometimes I pray in the Spirit as I drive to share the goodness of the Lord with someone in sad circumstances.

Here’s the thing some might find strange; I seldom pray by getting down on my knees, clasping my hands, and turning my head towards the sky in prayer! I never put together long monologues addressed to the “One who filleth our lives with blessed beneficence, Whose Majesty we implore to rest mightily upon us.” I don’t agonize about finding the right words, posture, or time. I just talk with One Who loves me! I pray about most everything, just about all the time.

Our Father invites us to a continual conversation with Him. My adult kids were around for a few days and just listening to their discussions brought me such joy. Hearing them talk about their lives, their dreams, their disappointments, their successes and having the occasion opportunity to offer some advice made me happy. When they were in my care, they took my love for them and the fact that I would protect them and provide for them for granted, rightly so. They did not need to plead, bargain, or manipulate – though they sometimes did! They just had to demonstrate a real need and it was met!

In His sermon that is recorded in Matthew, Jesus spoke much of prayer. He did not create formulas that ‘guarantee results’ as I’ve heard some preachers do. He did not teach a method to ‘get what you want from God.’ He urged a lifestyle that included real relationship with the Father that sets us up to enjoy constant communication (prayer!) with Dad. He specifically warned about making prayer into a show. “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?" (Matthew 6:5, The Message) He warned about turning prayer into a rote recitation or empty ritual. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again." (Matthew 6:7, NLT) He also connected our relationship with people with our ability to speak to God. If we are hateful or unforgiving, we sever the connection that lets us pray from our hearts. Two times in those short chapters he tells of the importance of letting go of the offenses of others which frees us to approach God without the weight of hate!

In words that are misunderstood too literally as a legal contract, He taught us to expect God to answer in the same way a beloved child expects the care of a parent. "For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." (Matthew 7:8-11, NLT) He doesn’t promise that we get everything we want. That would be a disaster, given our short-sightedness, selfishness, and frequently foolish prayers! He invites us to be aligned with our Heavenly Dad’s heart, to ask freely and accept faithfully all that He provides.

Do I understand everything about prayer? No, and that is as it should be. God is God, I am not. He is infinite, I am not. He is all-wise, I am not. He asks only that I stay in right relationship with Him by being obedient to His Word and Spirit. He asks for a profound faith that trusts Him without question.

As we begin a New Year, my desire is that we learn to pray better prayers – not longer, not more eloquent, but truer to our heart, and consistent with what is happening in our lives. I hope that we will really converse with the Lord – crying with Him when our hearts are broken, pouring out our praise to Him when life is working for us, presenting our needs and requests to Him at His invitation, and most of all; resting in His promise to love us through it all!

"I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. (Ephesians 1:16-19, NLT)
"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.


Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:16-21, NLT)

May you be greatly disturbed!

Following the lead of angels who announced the birth of Jesus with well-known words about “peace to men on whom God’s favor rests,” there will be many Christmas messages built around the theme. The preachers proclaim, “Peace with God.” Singers laud “Peace on Earth.” I am grateful, deeply so, that Christ brought us reconciliation with our Father. But, His birth also caused consternation! When the Magi showed up at the royal palace asking about a new-born King, Matthew tells us that "King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem." (Matthew 2:3, NLT)

The most natural thing in the world for us humans is to settle into ruts of routine that keep us snug our comfortable cubbies of complacency. The troubles of the world are shut out, needs ignored, responsibility shunted aside. And this, we call ‘peace.’ Like Herod of old, preserving our position can become our paramount priority. This is not the ‘peace’ that Jesus left Heaven to bring to you and me! He did not come to help us be indulged, self-satisfied, or smug. He came to make peace with God, to call us back to our Father and into His mission of the restoration of all Creation.

Yesterday I knocked on the door of a motel room where a young woman, a single mother of two toddlers, has been housed by the local welfare office. She called the church to tell us that she had no gifts for her little ones. Thankful for the generosity of our congregation that provides resources for such situations, I took some things to her including a small Christmas tree, hoping to make the holiday a bit brighter for her. Her face was full of gratitude when I handed the gifts and money to her. Her little girl giggled and offered her little hand to me for a high-five of thanks. But, it wasn’t a Hallmark moment. It was disturbing! As much as I was glad to provide a moment of joy for that little family, she became the symbol of all things broken in this world for me. Driving away, I wept, knowing that her real need is much greater than a few bucks for the holidays. She needs to be loved and helped to find a way out of the cycle of poverty, physical and spiritual, that has become her life. I am greatly disturbed by the brokenness of the world around me!

When shocked out of complacency by some epiphany of human suffering, the knee-jerk reaction of many is simply to throw money at the need and then to go home and to try to forget about it. “I can’t think about it. It’s just so sad. But, what can I do? I’m just one person.” God disturb us!

Keep the living hell of little girls who are sex slaves to men enslaved by their lusts before us.
Keep the hopelessness of those trapped in our inner cities, in endless cycles of bad choices in our minds. Keep the fear of those dying without hope, without knowing God’s promise of eternal life in our consciousness. LORD, DISTURB US in our palaces!

No real change comes to the lives of those most in need unless we get involved, surrender ourselves, share our homes and lives, and let the messes that the unloved and unlovely bring with them into our hearts. We cannot allow ourselves to think that we can turn sinners into saints by singing them a sweet song of salvation. We must be like Jesus. The Bible tells us that "He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." (Philippians 2:6-8, The Message) That is disturbing!

Disciple, you will not experience the deep peace of God until you are fully aligned with the purposes of God. No amount of festive celebration can replace the high call of love which we hear when we receive the love of the Savior. He reconciles us to our Father and "he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19, NIV) The words of Jim Elliott, a young intelligent man with a promising future, who died a martyr in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956, are my message to you this Christmas.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Read all of the words in this carol. Full of promise, their fulfillment will be disturbing. Merry Christmas!
__________________


Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

Christ, by highest heav'n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail, the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

Hail the heav'n born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Come, Desire of nations, come!
Fix in us Thy humble home.
Rise, the woman's conqu'ring seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head;
Adam's likeness now efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Wesley, Charles / Mendelssohn, Felix
© Public Domain