How am I doing?

Ed Koch, 3 term mayor of New York City, often asked the people around him, "How'm I doing?" He did all right as a politician, leading a great city and winning multiple elections. I wonder if Koch wanted a substantive answer did he just want to know how he was managing his image?

Here at the end of 2013, it is a good time to ask yourself, “How am I doing?”   There’s a little line tucked into the Scripture often read before Communion in our churches.  Paul urges us to do periodic check-ups, honest evaluations!  "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup." (1 Corinthians 11:28, NIV) Why should we do that? What good is introspection?  He answers the question reminding us that  “if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment." (1 Corinthians 11:31, NIV)  If we are honest when we ask, “How am I doing?” and correct the course of our lives to align to our Father’s will, if we tackle sins with the help of the Spirit while they are in their infancy, we avoid serious consequences later on.

Are you one of those Christians who has misunderstood the grace of God to the extent that you fail to grasp that He is perfectly capable of holding us accountable?  He empowers us to be loving, to give away our Self, to serve the purposes of His kingdom and He expects that we will do so. The Bible speaks of a moment that every Christian will face.  Will it be a glorious one in which we hear Him say, “Way to go. Good job. Receive your reward!” or will we stand as one naked, our failures exposed?   Read this: "Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely. You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you."  (1 Corinthians 3:11-16, The Message)

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, all of the time?'

Most of us do well when the spotlight is shining on us, but the real question is - "who am I when no one's looking?"  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 our Lord.  Real faith always produces observable change in character.

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 some time, 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.  The carefully managed images we build collapse under that pressure.

So, there is no time like the present to take time for self-evaluation. 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?"
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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

Come, Running!

Come, running!

Think you're unworthy of worshipping this Christmas? Is today one tinged with shades of shame? Has another demeaned or criticized you, their words stuck like a thorn deep in your mind? Jesus is no respecter of persons. The story we celebrate at Christmas includes men that many considered to be the lowest. They had no status but God sent angels to invite them to the party! Shepherds lived apart from society, tending Bethlehem's sheep. It was a menial job. The men were rough, their work hard. They were thought irreligious because their work kept them from the synagogue service and from observing Jewish rituals. Pharisees sniffed that shepherds were all sinners.

But God chose to bring them into the scene. "And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people." (Luke 2:9-10, NKJV) "So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger." (Luke 2:15-16, NKJV)

I love that phrase - "they came with haste." After the angels left them, there was a short discussion, and then these men who normally avoided town, who were obligated to make sure their flocks were safe, took off running to find Jesus!

Have you been pushed aside, told that you're not worthy of God or His goodness?

Have you concluded that you are beyond the reach of grace, because you're too bad, good, sinful, old, young , rich, poor? People have lots of reasons (excuses) for not hearing God's call. You're not "too anything" to be beyond God's love. Jesus Christ is ' good news of great joy that will be for all the people.' His coming opened the way to reconciliation with the Lord, to discovery of eternal life. He invites to "Come, follow Me." Interestingly, that particular offer was made to another group of very ordinary men, outside of the social or religious elite. He invited the fishermen of Galilee to discipleship. They, too, dropped what they were doing. "At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matthew 4:20, NIV)

Some are reluctant disciples (an oxymoron really) and others are eager to follow. Some come pushed by fear, some drawn by love. Some are looking for escape from the troubles of life, others to find the entry to life abundant. There is a form of Christianity shaped by satisfying holy obligations in order to 'earn' the favor of God. Then, there are those who love the Lord, His work, and His presence.

To those who come running, there is this promise. "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David." (Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV) "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6, NIV)

Come to Bethlehem. Yes, come running!

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Angels We Have Heard On High (Gloria)

Angels we have heard on high,

Sweetly singing o'er the plains.

And the mountains in reply,

Echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be,

Which inspire your heavenly song?

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Come to Bethlehem and see,

Christ whose birth the angels sing!

Come adore on bended knee,

Christ the Lord the newborn King!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Edward Shippen Barnes | James Chadwick

© Words: Public Domain

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CoffeeBreak will be back next week.  Merry Christmas!
(if you live near Washington, NJ - join us at Faith Discovery Church
tonight at 7 PM for our Candlelight Communion Service - www.FaithDiscovery.com)

How to enjoy Christmas

This email arrived in my inbox yesterday. “I have to say that this Christmas season has been great this year. I look forward to Tony’s (name changed) email.  I would like to mentor him in his career, I think he has the potential to do much better … I hope to spend some time with him in 2014 … Our plans are to see you on Christmas Eve and then chat about what we can do in 2014. Thanks for EVERYTHING!!”  Sam and Susan (yes, not real names) came to see me in November with a request. “Would you connect us with a family who needs some help this Christmas?  We have everything we need and want and we want invest in others this year.”  I made the connection, they helped out a family who struggles, and you can read the resulting joy in Sam’s email to me!

Some people groan, “It’s not even Christmas day and I’m already exhausted.” Others complain about the bills that will come due in January. Others are dreading a party or a visit with family.  If you will make a couple of important choices, you will turn this week into one of the best ones in 2013!

First of all, make people your priority!  The holiday is about people, not programs! Resist the pressures to rush, to be hurried, to 'get the program' completed. Truly take time to enjoy the opportunity to be with friends and family. Focus less on perfect decorations and more on the state of your heart. A dinner cooked to perfection, a home full of beautiful holiday decor will be soon forgotten, but an evening of meaningful conversation creates an unforgettable memory.

Second, include worship! Where will you spend more time during the holidays – at the mall or in God’s Presence?  Our use of time and money says much more about who is God than  our words. “Keeping Christ in Christmas” isn't about putting up a crèche on the lawn at City Hall. It's honoring the One whose life is the cause for the celebration. If you will set aside 30 minutes a day for meditation, prayer, and to read the stories of Jesus' nativity from Matthew and Luke each day this week; it will make a difference. "O come, let us adore Him... Christ, the Lord!" is more than a carol; it’s an invitation to worship.

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.

Lastly, recover wonder! Read the Christmas story and instead of asking, "How could this be?" let story speak to you about the depth of God's love. Instead of complaining about that same music on the radio, just enjoy it. Instead of grousing about all the stuff you have to do, thank God for what you get to do. Let the pseudo-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! You may be tired in body, but you will have received Christ Jesus anew.  In His coming to us 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)
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Joy to the world,
The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heav’n and nature sing,
And Heav’n and nature sing,
And Heav’n, and Heav’n, and nature sing!

God's Open Door of Opportunity

I am convinced that both of the following statements are true despite the apparent contradiction:   God rules the affairs of my life; and I have the freedom to cooperate or resist His will.  We are not puppets and yet we know that His purposes stand.

Let’s take a look at the story of Mary, mother of Jesus. God sends his messenger to tell her of His plan that she should bear the Savior of the world.   Could she have refused this calling?  Read  it and see what you think. "The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." ... the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus." (Luke 1:28-31, NIV)  "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her." (Luke 1:38, NIV)    God opened the door to an impossibility;  Mary stepped through it. Her obedience to the plan of the Lord was difficult and raised questions for which she had no answer.   When her Son was born and shepherds showed up to tell of angels in the skies announcing that a "Savior has been born to you,” she heard them and "kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant." (Luke 2:19, CEV)

The heroes of faith in the Bible and from history unanimously tell us that responding to the leading of the Holy Spirit does not mean that all will go well, that life will be a smooth highway to Heaven’s gate.  “Living by faith,” asks much of a Christian. God, the Spirit, asks us to go beyond what we can see and know, trusting His wisdom. Some of us want all the answers, we want to see the whole course from start to finish, before we will say, “Yes, Lord.”  Did Mary understand all that would happen when she agreed to become the Mother of Jesus?  She did not. Yet, she trusted God and so must we. Sometimes all He gives us is a promise of the open door of opportunity!  Like Mary, we need to humbly say, "I am the Lord's servant!" and step through the door.   Some will say we have been impulsive.  Others will see us as bold.   Some will call us foolish, while others will praise God for our vision!   None of that matters at all if we are living in humble obedience, seeking to know and do His will from day to day. The life of the Spirit-led Christian is an adventure.  Yes, we must be accountable to those who offer wise counsel to us. It should go without saying that pride and arrogance are incompatible with living in the will of God.   

Are you ready to hear Heaven's call?  Will you say, “yes, Lord, I am your servant” when He speaks from His Word or through His Spirit?   Humility is the key.   Mary had no need to become famous, no need to be the Messiah's mother, no need to try to impress God.   She was just a peasant girl in Nazareth when God came to her and opened a door of unbelievable opportunity and she said, "Yes!"  And, oh what joy and pain she found.  The best part? She enjoyed the blessing of God.

Here's a word from the Word to ponder today. 
"These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.
What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
I know your deeds.

See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.
I know that you have little strength,
yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." (Revelation 3:7-8, NIV)  

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Just a closer walk with Thee,

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea.

Daily walking, close to Thee:

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

I am weak, but Thou art strong.

Jesus, keep me all wrong.

I'll be satisfied just as long,

As I walk, let me walk, close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

Daily walking close to Thee.

Let it be, dear Lord,

let it be.