Taking a break -- back on 8/8 See ya then!

Submitted? Is there a purpose?

For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen.For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. 2 Cor. 4:17-18 NLT

Ever wonder what God is doing in your life? Ever complained bitterly against a situation causing you discomfort? Me, too! There is another way to live. It's called submission, born of faith!

I met a family yesterday whose faith and submission to God is inspiring. I don't think they would want to be labeled, 'inspiring,' so I hope they will forgive me. The lovely lady in this family lives in a world of sharply narrow focus. The luxuries that many of us regard as necessities, seem to be of little concern to her now. She is in advanced stages of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. It is a neurological disease that steals away all motor function, but leaves one mentally alert. She can squint and move one hand imperceptibly. That's it. She communicates with a computer that scans letters and when the 'right' one is framed, she clicks it into a sentence- slowly forming her thoughts. We talked about hope, eternity, meaning of suffering, and such weighty matters. And we talked about submission. In my strong and healthy body, it is easy for me to talk of trusting God, living in His purposes even when I cannot discern them. For her, this is not theoretical stuff; it is the fabric of her life. And, though I think that she would prefer to be whole and healthy in body, she has embraced trust. Don't get me wrong. I am not romanticizing her suffering. It is terrible and crushing. What I am praising is the faith that she and her husband have chosen for this time because their trust is releasing that glory of which the opening line of this TFTD spoke. The Presence of God's Spirit is evident in their lives. Not bitterness, nor rage, nor hatred- but rather God's Presence in the middle of a time of great sorrow.

We do not always get to choose the situations in which we live. For reasons often obscured from our understanding, we get diseases like ALS and cancer. Even when we do our best, people we love turn on us and disappoint us. Some lie, others cheat. Terrorists set off bombs in the trains we ride. The corporation for which we work decides to move operations. The question rises: are we helpless pawns, bobbing along - virtually helpless - in the current of this thing called life? NO!

We have a choice of how we will live IN those situations - trusting God and working with Him for purposes inscrutable to us in this moment so that the beauty of His love becomes evident in us and to us; or to raging against the world and sinking into despair at the unfairness of it all. What will be your choice? Remember you don't have to make that choice by your own strength either. The Spirit is present, even in our times of sufferings to help to pray, as the Bible says, "The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words." Romans 8:26 NLT

The Word is clear on this fact. No situation in our life is wasted or meaningless! Paul writes from prison about his confinement saying, "There’s a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God’s way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth." Col 1:24-25 MSG

Are you struggling today?
Are you suffering in some way that is beyond your understanding?
Trust God!
Yes, weep, for grief does not indicate lack of faith.
Yes, pray, for we are invited to pray for release from the pain.

But above all, take that wonderful prayer of a man who wanted to trust God, but who found his faith so weak, and make it your prayer: “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!” Mark 9:24 NLT
____________

"Don't sweat the small stuff"

... and it's all small stuff! Richard Carlson wrote a book using that title. I have not read it, but I think I should. Did you ever notice how quickly trivial matters take over in life, how much time we spend on issues of little or no consequence?

The range of issues that I will deal with today is a wide one - from the relatively unimportant to those that are literally eternal matters. I need to make a decision about replacing some doors on one of our church's buildings that are in bad shape. I'm scheduled to attend a meeting to move the process of developing a new ministry to the homeless along. And I will spending some time this afternoon talking over eternal life with a woman who is, barring a heavenly miracle, just about to reach the finish line of her earthly existence. Additionally, I know that I must take time for prayer and spiritual renewal, so that I will hear from the Spirit of God and commune with Him. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that my car signaled that it needs an oil change!

You live in this same world and face similar pressures and demands, don't you? My point in relating the above is not to underscore how pressured my life is, for that is a lie of the Enemy, certainly. If the Devil can convince me that the weight of the world rests on my shoulders, he knows I am beaten in that moment! The truth is that God knew what this day would hold for me and He has prepared the resources for me that will be needed to meet each demand with wisdom and grace. We must remind ourselves, again and again, that today is the day that the Lord has made and so is tomorrow, and so is the day after that!

The question I must answer in the next few moments here at the beginning of this day is - which of those issues will get the most attention and focus? I know which ones should, and I know how likely I am to respond to the "urgent" matters pressed on me, rather than the important ones. Who or what will control my life, my emotions, and my spirit today? There is a word from the Lord that helps me when responsibilities multiply -

If God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! And don’t worry about food—what to eat and drink. (Don't sweat over the stuff that is temporary and passing.) Don’t worry whether God will provide it for you.
These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs. He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. - Luke 12:28-32 NLT'

Isn't that a wonderful promise? If we will accept His provision, we can live 'in the Kingdom' right here and now! Yes, we need not live in a survival mode, scratching an existence and just hoping for Heaven. We can bring Heaven to earth! "God’s kingdom isn’t about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people." Romans 14:17-18
____________________

Father, this day I am faced with matters small and issues weighty.Help me to accept the resources offered by You to meet each demand.
Grant me the insight I need to choose wisely to live as your child, and thus,
to make your Kingdom known in a world that is so dark with people
consumed with pettiness and pride.

Forgive me for trying to be a god, and taking the place that is Yours alone!
With the Psalmist I worship...
"O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
You have taught children and nursing infants to give you praise.
They silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers
— the moon and the stars you have set in place—
what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us?" (Psalm 8:1-4, NLT)

Oh, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name! Amen.

Richer than Croesus

I woke up today feeling incredibly wealthy. No, I didn't win Mega-Millions. (That would be fun, wouldn't it?) My retirement account has not grown very much, if at all, in this last quarter. My bank account is balanced, but certainly not bulging with excess!

So why am I claiming this great wealth? I was reviewing the portfolio of my inheritance as a son of God. In it there is-
-a title deed to a home in Heaven that is near the River of God, supplied with everything I need for eternal life, and maintenance free.
-a covenant of grace that cancels every debt I owed to God.
-a promise of peace in the middle of every storm, assurance that I'll never walk alone.
-and the guarantee that I'll have all the spiritual resources I need to live a godly life that pleases my Father.

I find that being aware of my 'lack' is much more common than being aware of my supply. When I feed 'needy' - I want this, that, and yet something else. I'm old enough to know that a new car, new clothes, or another faster computer won't end my craving for more, and yet sometimes I fall into the trap of endless desire for more things. Some item causes a fixation in me that blocks my ability to be contented with the things I have which are more, much more, than I actually need.

Then, there those amazing moments like this morning, when the Spirit breaks over me and I realize how very rich I am! The Word exults in this. Take a look.
God has chosen to make known ...the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (NIV)
I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God’s secret plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 (NLT)

As we understand the wealth that is at our disposal, the Word says we begin to live selflessly. This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (MSG)

Have you opened your heavenly portfolio recently? Have you reviewed the trust account that God, the Father, has established in your name at the expense of His Son, Jesus? Do it. Let the constant nag of need be replaced with a the assurance that, in Him, you have all you need and more. Out of that knowledge of abundance, become a philanthropist who blesses others. Know this - you can't out give God; ever!

God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

"When peace like a river" ...what peace?

Ben Franklin's maxim about the inevitability of death and taxes could well be re-written to include a third inevitable experience in life: Conflict! It's everywhere - politics, religion, church, school, local pub, homes, among friends. Surely there is a time for conflict and, perhaps, even for war. There is a time when defense of the weak and establishment of justice requires that we move against evil with a strong hand, BUT, that's not the case with most of the conflict I experience. I am fairly certain that in your world, like mine; more of your fights are about personal preference and pride than about justice! Come on, you know it, too.

I know what you're going to say because I've justified conflict many times by saying it myself- "I HAVE to defend myself or everyone will walk all over me!" Really, is that true all of the time? Or is that our assumption? Ever tried setting the power plays aside and risking vulnerability? Ever tried actively pursuing peace? Peter says if we want to 'love life and see good days' that one of the things we must choose to do is to 'seek peace and pursue it.' (1 Peter 3: 10-11) Honestly, sometimes I do not want peace. I want a win! When someone resists me, or treats me with contempt, my sinful nature says, "Go get'em! Make a show of strength so they won't do it again. Roar like a lion!" Come on, surely you have felt that urge too! In that moment, Jesus' instructions about 'turning the other cheek' is the last thing I want to hear.

In 1 Samuel 25, we read one of the more dramatic stories from the life of David. A rogue and a hero, a sinner and a saint by turns. In this chapter he is the rogue. David was on the run from King Saul, living desperately in the desert of Maon. He provided a kind of security service for the people of the region. One day he sent several men to a rich guy from the area named Nabal. He asked Nabal to give his men some provisions. Nabal, who the Bible describes as 'surly and mean in his dealings,' refuses the request and adds an insult for David, implying he's just a 'street punk' to the refusal of provision! When David got the message from his men, his response was an irrational anger and a consuming desire for vengeance! He says to his warriors, "Put on your swords!" and took 400 of them to settle the score with mean old Nabal! (aptly named, by the way, for his name means, "fool.")

Enter Abigail. She was Nabal's wife and the Bible says that she was 'intelligent and beautiful.' When word reached Abigail that her husband had insulted David and that he was on his way to settle the score, she "lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them....." (1 Samuel 25:18-20)

She interceded eloquently for her husband with wise words of peace! Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD’s battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant.”(1 Samuel 25:28-31)

David's anger was abated by this woman's words, but it's not over! The drama is about to increase. (Violins rising, please) Abigail went home and found her husband drunk at a party. The next day when he sobered up, she told him about the disaster she had averted. Nabal, gripped with great fear, had a heart attack, slipped into a coma, and died 10 days later! David later married this woman!

Talk about a win/win outcome. His conscience is clear AND he gets the beautiful girl! (And who says the Bible is boring? That's better than Shakespeare!)

• Are you a person of peace?
  Are you willing to wade into conflict with wise words that seek to restore relationships and heal old wounds?
  Are you willing to let it wait on God's solution?

Remember Peter's line? "Seek peace and pursue it." We can't just make an effort at peace. Conflict is persistent so we must run after peace, reaching out to take hold of it, expending extended effort in our attempts at reconciliation and peace-making. If we will let the sinful nature die and become a person of peace, we will be like God, who seeks to reconcile us to Himself. Jesus said (Matthew 5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

James 3:17 reminds us that "the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." In our conflicts, may we be filled with the Spirit and allow the Heavenly way to become our way.

"I can't hear you while that gun is pointed at my head."

According Doug Pollock (Outreach, August, 2005 issue) as American forces moved through the city of Najah in April, 2003, rumors spread that the soldiers were going to desecrate a mosque. An angry crowd of Iraqi civilians gathered and bloodshed seemed imminent until the officer, Lt. Col. Christopher Hughes, barked terse commands to his soldiers. "Kneel, take a knee. Aim your weapon at the ground. Wave and smile!" Within moments the tensions lifted and the defiant crowd allowed the soldiers to pass. No blood was spilled that day because one officer was willing to take a risk by appearing less powerful, which in turn invited people feeling threatened to reconsider their belligerent pose.

I find it real hard to open a dialogue with a person who is threatening me with destruction! It's not like I've been held-up by street thugs, but too many times in life to count, people have decided that the best way to get my attention is to make me afraid - whether by yelling, threatening, or attacking. It works, but not as they hope. Why? Because when threatened, I immediately shrink into a defensive position. Emotionally, I am unable to hear what they are saying. As I reflect on this, it causes me to wonder how many times I've approached a situation in a similar manner, causing a break in communication because the other person is unable to see past my posture which they determine is threatening to their well-being? What might happen if I lowered the weapon of words?

As Christians with a message of Truth for our world, we sometimes exacerbate the 'spiritual deafness' by our shrill rhetoric, with our talk of Hell and damnation, and our insistence on the 'absolute truth!' Our words, may indeed be true enough, but the posture we adopt in delivering them, may be more of a problem than the message itself. For example, can a young woman hear our offers to help her cope with her unplanned pregnancy as long as we're labeling her a sinner or a baby-killer for considering abortion? Can a homosexual man living with confusion and shame hear that God loves him while we are talking about 'perverts' and making 'queer' jokes? For that matter can any person who is truly on the road to destruction hear our warning if we speak in a manner that they perceive as hostile? One old preacher said that if he could not preach about Hell with tears in his eyes, he would not speak of it at all. How wise!

Paul challenges us to be people who are capable of "speaking the truth in love," and He says this will cause us to "grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." Eph. 4.15 NIV Being able to be truthful, which is often offensive and disturbs the status quo, yet to be seen as loving - is a real challenge. Some conclude that we can be either loving or we can be truthful, but that we cannot be both. Yet, the Scripture challenges us differently. Jesus was Truth, all about telling the truth to the world in which He lived, yet He found a way to do so that was compelling to most people. They wanted to hear the truth about God, themselves, and life from Him for they perceived that He spoke ultimately with love. To be sure, some would not hear Him having determined He was a threat to them from the first. Those religious leaders perished in their obstinance.

Let me leave you with two questions today - one about your ability to hear, the other about your method of delivery.

- Are you capable of hearing the Truth from another, willing to lower your defenses to help dialogue to happen?
- Are you speaking, in love, in a way that considers the needs of the other person so that the message you bring is unhindered by a perceived threat?

The key that helps us to answer both of those questions affirmatively is to be secure in the Love of God.
_____________________

Lord, I come to You,
Let my heart be changed, renewed;
Flowing from the grace
That I've found in You;
And Lord, I've come to know,
The weaknesses I see in me,
Will be stripped away
By the pow'r of Your love.

Hold me close,
Let Your love surround me;
Bring me near,
Draw me to Your side;
And as I wait,
I'll rise up like the eagle,
And I will soar with You,
Your Spirit leads me on
In the pow'r of Your love.

Lord, unveil my eyes,
Let me see You face to face,
The knowledge of Your love
As You live in me.
Lord, renew my mind,
As Your will unfolds in my life,
In living ev'ry day
In the pow'r of Your love.

© 1992 Word Music, Inc.
(Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Maranatha! Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055