I quit!

A few years ago, the news reported the story of a flight attendant who was harassed by passengers. When the plane arrived at JFK, he announced, with profane language, his disgust for those who had been so difficult. He then opened the door of the plane, deploying the emergency chute, slid down and walked off. What a dramatic way to quit! He was fined $10,000 and banned from the industry.

Ever been so fed up you just wanted to quit?

The story of William Wilberforce inspires me in those kinds of moments. For twenty-six long years he brought up the same subject in Parliament.
*His colleagues mocked him, accusing him of losing his common sense to religious fervor.
*The business establishment threatened that his idealism would destroy the economy.

Stress took a toll on his health, and he aged far beyond his years because of carrying on what many people at the time believed to be a fool’s crusade. But William Wilberforce would not quit!

Using wit and wisdom, he turned the issue of slave trade into the talk of England. Finally in 1807, this great Christian succeeded in getting the House of Commons to vote to end slave trade. The Crown agreed and a vile practice came to an end. This wealthy man, first elected to Parliament at age 21, was tempted many times to abandon his political career, at one point even considering becoming a clergyman, but, urged by his friends, he did not quit the fight and his persistence changed history!

Times come to us all when life’s difficulties turn into monsters. In those moments it may seem that quitting is the only option. When we’re taking a beating, it may seem only reasonable to throw in the towel and end the match. “How much more can I take before I break?” we think to ourselves.

In Genesis we read the story of Joseph who must have wondered if he would break under pressure any time before his God-given dreams were fulfilled.
*His brothers sold him into slavery, motivated less by greed than hatred.
*The wife of his owner, Potiphar, tried to seduce him and when he resisted her, falsely accused him of rape, leading to a long prison sentence!
*A man he befriended and helped in prison was released and promptly forgot all about him.

But he kept his dreams and his faith in God. He refused to become a bitter cynic. When given the ‘perfect’ opportunity to settle the score, he forgave those who hurt him the most. And, after years of disappointment, he saw God’s promises fulfilled as he provided safety for his people.

In years of pastoral ministry, I have watched so many wrestle with hardship, becoming disappointed with God, and choosing to just ‘walk away’ from faith. Others find themselves in a church setting that has turned unpleasant and they choose to abandon fellowship, claiming a newly ‘privatized’ faith, ignoring God’s call into His Church.

The Bible urges disciples to keep their faith. "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." (Hebrews 10:35-36, NLT)

Quitting too soon has one predictable result - FAILURE.

Don’t confuse persistence with stubbornness! A stubborn person keeps on doing the same thing, refusing to adapt and learn, thinking himself above advice. He perpetuates his failure! A persistent one studies his plans, prays fervently, listens well – and keeps trying, and trying, and trying – until he finds a way to do what he was born to do.

Hang in there, friend. Charles Spurgeon reminds us that “God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”

Here is a word from the Word for today. "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV)

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Video at https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

Filled With Good

Theo of Golden, a novel published by a first-time author, has become a viral phenomenon! It’s a bestseller on many ‘must read’ lists. After reading the story, I agree. The story is about an old man’s gentle acts of kindness in a small Georgia town that changes one life after another. When you put it down you want to be a better person. Yes, it’s just full of goodness.

Are you a good person; not a self-righteous judge of others, but rather someone who makes others feel value, who shares in both joy and sorrow, who makes the burdens of life lighter? Once this way of life was lauded as virtuous. Sadly, the ideal of virtue has become suspect, and often it is the ‘bad boy’ character that gets featured in our stories and pop culture. Ask most people if they want to be known as ‘good,’ and you will most likely get a strange stare because “good” is for the weak, the fearful – or is it? The life that is lived without adventure or risk that grows out of fear of criticism or an unwillingness to step outside of norms is not truly virtuous!

Indeed, real virtue is courageous, goes against the stream, and stands against the normal cruelty of humanity. The Bible says that the Spirit’s life in us will produce ‘goodness.’   Both Peter and Paul urge Christians to be virtuous people, people who live with excellence as their guide; practically and personally. Inspired Scripture tells us that those who claim the Name of Christ will be “true, … noble, … just, … pure, … lovely, … good report, … virtue and … praiseworthy.” (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)

I have no desire to be so void of fire or passion that I am a weak man who is incapable of living an effective life. But I want to be known as a good man. Jesus was a man of virtue, yet He was capable of strong emotion, of challenge to those who abused authority, of resisting evil. Children loved him and moneychangers in the Temple fled His wrath!

There is a famine of personal virtue in our nation. The goodness of character that produces self-restraint and respect for others, which causes the pursuit of excellence is being lost. Our radical self-love is destroying the fabric of a nation. The historian, Alexis de Tocqueville of the 18th century, declared that among the Americans he observed there was such virtue that the need for government regulation was reduced to non-existent. They simply did what was right and good! Call me cynical, but I am certain that were he to walk our streets today his conclusion would be very different.

When personal virtue is lost, law must attempt to restrain selfish acts. Greed and injustice are unthinkable to the person of virtue, but they are a natural, even laudable, choice in a society where radical individualism and self-interest is the highest value.

For the Christian, virtue is not just about learning civility or attempting self-discipline. True virtue is made possible by a transformation of the heart by the power of Christ.

Faith in Him breaks the power of evil. He gives us the Spirit who subdues our sinful nature and create a hunger for the good in us. That will cause us to walk with the broken, the fallen, the debauched, those lost and confused, without adopting their values or being corrupted. Yes, the virtue created by the Spirit living in us allows us to “become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” (Philippians 2:15, NIV)

So, are you a person of virtue?
Do you fear being labeld as ‘good’ so much that you will not allow the Spirit of God to develop the beauty of Christ’s holiness in you?
Or are you hungry for God’s goodness, ready to move beyond the natural impulses of selfishness and walk into the Spirit’s plan to make you a noble, holy, and good person?

Here is a word from the Word. May we be challenged to offer ourselves to Jesus and become truly good! “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans (those who do not know God) that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.“ (1 Peter 2:11-12, NIV)

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Video at https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

 

My way, in my time, by my preference

I appreciate my local QuickChek™ store so much. It’s close by and I am able to get gas, a good cup of coffee, a bottle of ibuprofen, milk, a sandwich … and anytime of the day or night! The aptly named “convenience store” charges higher prices for the same things I could buy at a large supermarket, but I gladly pay the premium to save a longer trip. I am a true American consumer.

Even in this time of declining involvement with the local church, many who claim the Name of Christ Jesus are basically consumers who drop in when a crisis comes, who show up when life is tough and they feel the need for a little ‘inspiration’ or when they want the prayer. Missing the point of Christ’s Church, they have no desire to build any real relationship with other Christian or to serve in the larger Body in any way. Instead, they trade a donation for some ‘religious goods.’  

The result is an immature and undeveloped faith that is truly an ‘adventure in missing the point.’

The best and deepest Christianity requires a mix of several choices: 
receiving God’s grace by faith,
learning God’s ways through regular study and daily prayer,
becoming part of God’s family in a local church, and
serving God’s purposes as life’s highest priority.

Being a disciple is often inconvenient!

Jesus teaches us that His call is comprehensive, touching every facet of life, and seeking our full engagement. “Take up your cross and follow Me,” He said. Think about that. It is not a pretty metaphor.

A cross is an instrument of death, not a means of finding one’s personal path of pleasure. The invitation is to ‘follow,’ not to lead. His invitation is costly, not convenient, but it comes with great promise. “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?" (Luke 9:23-25, NLT)

Knowing how quickly human beings will abandon the pursuit of the Holy, Moses warned the ancient Israelis about wandering. God was going to give them blessings, provide abundantly for them. Would they be grateful, careful to remain devoted to Him? Read on. "“The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land filled with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name." (Deuteronomy 6:10-13 NLT)

Tragically, they did forget the Lord! Just a couple of generations after they entered the Promised Land, they wanted more, turned to worship of local fertility gods, and abandoned the LORD. Like true consumers when crisis came, they ran back to God Who faithfully loved them, though they suffered for their sin. Restored to wholeness, they prospered and wandered again. The pattern was repeated many times!

Here are some questions we who are trained as consumers should ask ourselves frequently.

Am I treating the things of the Lord as consumer items?
Are my prayers more fervent, my searching Scripture more intense, when some stormy season arrives, only to be laid aside when things level out?
Is my expectation that God will meet MY need or that I will seek His will and way?

True joy, deepest fulfillment, and the ultimate eternal reward will be found by those who take Paul’s inspired counsel to ‘keep step with the Spirit’ walking in the road of the humble servant.

I can tell you from experience, even as a “professional” Christian who has spent his life in the Church that seasons will come when you have not desire for worship, prayer, or service. You will find people in the Church who disappoint you. I am sure that in the thousands of sermons I preached there were some real duds that bored the socks off of those in the pews. But … we stay faithful, not because we are buying something new, exciting, or even appealing; but rather because we are called by God into His holy family.

Don’t let American consumerism turn you into a church shopper. Instead, pray to be guided by God to a place where you can commit, serve, and grow in grace through every season.

Here is a word from the Word. "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.” But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved." (Hebrews 10:35-39, NLT)

Amen

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Video at https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55