Swinging at curve balls

Sometimes just when we think we have things in line, somebody throws us a pitch that we swing at 'cause it sure looks like a straight-in fast ball! But, we miss because it breaks away from what we expected - right at the last moment. It was a curve ball! Life threw me a couple of curve balls yesterday! A curve ball, for the record, is a fast pitch that appears to 'break' out of a straight line. The ball doesn't really curve but rather travels in an arc, but to the batter, it looks like it curves near the end of its line of travel. If a batter realizes the pitcher has thrown a curve ball and does not swing at it, it will often end up being called a 'ball' since the arc of travel will usually cause it to travel outside of the strike zone- or so I'm told.
(If you're interested in the physics involved, see http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211_fall2002.web.dir/Jon_Drobnis/curveball.html)

There is one constant in life - change! Just when we think that we have reached a place where things are steady, life is predictable, where we can make some plans, when we can relax: here comes a curve ball. Our employers announces pending lay-offs, a storm blows through our state, somebody in our family becomes seriously ill, our spouse decides that he isn't happy with the marriage, inner doubts rise about our faith. Such is the stuff of life, isn't it? So, in those moments are we at the mercy of circumstances? No, friend. We have a choice. My choice is to turn to the One who steadies me, the One who sees life's curve balls in advance.

What a privilege it is to rest my soul in Christ Jesus, to put those things I did not foresee before Him, and to know that He will guide me. I've gone again and again to a passage from Hebrews 6 this week. There I find this assuring declaration, "we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls." NLT 18 I am thankful that I have a Rock in Whom my life is anchored. When we are firmly anchored in the unchanging Christ, His peaceful presence can keep us from getting rattled, from swinging wildly, so that we strike out. I've seen young baseball players strike out at the plate, not for lack of skill, but because they got unnerved by a canny pitcher who threw a couple of unexpected pitches at them. I've allowed myself to become panicked more than once when the things coming at me were not what I had prepared for. A fear-filled person is not the most rational person, is he?

We need to take the time to reset our anchor, to deepen our trust, to confess our faith! How do we do that? We pray. We worship. We 'claim the Truth!' The methods we use to do those things will differ. I love to go and sit at the piano for a while, playing songs that come from memory (usually fracturing the lyrics!) and letting those songs become my prayer. One of the reasons that I put going to church so high on my list of priorities each week (besides being the pastor!) is that being among a group of people who are focusing their attention on God helps me to focus my attention on Him, too. Sometimes I just get in my car and drive to a secluded spot near a river or in the woods and sit silently listening to the sounds of the earth, while inwardly asking God for new perspective.

If you're in need of help discovering ways to pray and worship that 'fit' you- let me suggest a book by Gary Thomas- Sacred Pathways, Discovering your Soul's Path to God. While remaining solidly committed to the truth of Christ Jesus, Thomas suggests varied ways that we can enrich our experience of God's Presence.

Has life served up a few 'curve balls?'
Are you feeling unsettled by them, unsure, maybe even fearful?
Right now, take a moment to talk to the Lord - in your own words - about it.
"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes."

_______________________________________

I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
I cannot bear these burdens alone.
In my distress He kindly will help me.
He ever loves and cares for His own.

Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior,
One who can help my burdens to bear.
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus,
He all my cares and sorrows will share.

O how the world to evil allures me.
O how my heart is tempted to sin.
I must tell Jesus and He will help me,
Over the world the victory to win.

I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone.
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055

Who cares?

That phrase can be an expression of apathy very much like the dismissive - "Whatever!" -that was so overused a few years ago, but that is not the way I'm using it today. "Who cares?" is a question that we're all asking. Who cares about me? Who cares if I live or die? Who cares if I am thriving or discouraged? One well known TV pastor is famed for his line - "God loves you and so do I," which he delivers with enthusiasm. In one of the most impersonal mediums, he delivers one of the most personal statements- and it works; in part, at least, because people are so hungry for love.

We hoped that our wired world would bring us closer together. In one sense, it has. Just look at the way 21st century people use technology! Cell phones and email, technologies that have only become 'mainstream' and widely available in the last decade or so, are now one of the primary means of sharing life with others. A teenager is 'connected' to his network of friends electronically. Billions of text messages beam from phone to phone in cryptic languages adapted to the need to use the 10 keys of the phone to communicate. Need an example? Probably not if you're under 25, but almost certainly if you're older.
F2T - means 'Free To Talk.' I love this one - POS - 'Parent Over Shoulder!' Now why would a teen send that message? I'm LOL - Laughing Out Loud!

Though I am physically located in Washington, NJ, I am able to reach out with a message to hundreds of people - stretched around the globe- each morning, instantly! Yes, we are a wired world, and we are very, very lonely! Speeded up communication leaves us longing for deeper relationships Wider networks of friends and acquaintances stretch us thinner, perhaps with fewer close friends who really know our hearts. Who cares? is the plaintive cry of the modern American. From little children who spend 10-12 hours a day in day care and live all a poor emotional diet of their parent's leftover time; to aged Grandmas who long for dinner with their sons and daughters, people are alone.

Believer, we are sent into the world to care! This is our primary mission. Whatever we do in the name of Christ - whatever our ministry or service- without the motivation of love the Bible says it is a worthless exercise. Consider the Word's challenge. Please do not read it quickly, or say, "I've seen this before." Let it soak into your consciousness.....

If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT

Eloquence, mystical spirituality, even a sacrificial life - these things mean NOTHING if they are not rooted in LOVE! Jesus reminds us that the entire ethical code of human relationships is summed up in a phrase - "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." In another place, He said it with these words - "Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back?" (Luke 6:31-32 The Message)

It doesn't have to be a gift of a $million! It doesn't have to be your blood that you give to show love. Communicate the love of God in the simple ways.

Just take time to listen.
Bend down and look your child in the eye and give them your full attention.
Pick up the phone and really pay attention to the person you call.

Having trouble loving others? That's a troubling symptom of real spiritual sickness! The Bible says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." 1 John 3:14 There it is. No love, no God!

Here's a passage to take with you today. Let the truth sink deep. When you grasp the love God has for you, that love will spill over into your world and people know that YOU CARE!

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:7-12

Beware the poison of bitterness.

John sat down in my office, the weight of his life obvious in his lined face. I wanted to help him even though I didn't know him at all. No detective was required to see that he was in a dire financial condition , nearly homeless. Quickly it became apparent that his greater need was spiritual! As he began to talk with me his face twisted into a mask of hatred. He drifted into irrationality; lashing out at those who had tried to help him in the past, at the government he felt had deserted him, at preachers in general, and on it went for 20 minutes. His bitterness ranged all the way back to the day he came home from the Vietnam war and was met, so he claimed, in Newark airport by people who turned their back on him because of his uniform. His tirade seemingly exhausted him as he fell silent for a moment, then he declared that he was going home to end his terrible life. When he left my office, my heart was broken for him - poisoned as he is by bitterness.

Another lady that I love named Betty has had a hard life, too. Disappointment has dogged her steps in the years I've known her. In the last two years as she has endured chemotherapy for her cancer and the death of a daughter, but she is not embittered. Sad, yes, but bitter, no. She smiles, even as tears well up. She continues to offer encouragement, when she might just become a sponge soaking up sympathy. She inspires me!

What accounts for the difference between John and Betty? Why is one full of rage, the other able to cope with her sorrow so well?
The answer is a single word -FAITH! John faces life alone; feeling fearful, helpless, trapped, victimized. Betty faces life with the Father at her side, with a heart full of hope despite the setbacks, the sorrows she endures. Even when she speaks of death (usually with some kind of joke that helps her cope) she is full of hope. Does Betty like her situation? No! Would she rather be cancer-free? Of course. But, she has found acceptance in trusting God and His plans, even those plans which she does not yet fully understand.

The Scripture tells us- "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:15 NIV The New Living Translation amplifies the thought- "Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison." Faith flourishes in community, where our lives are inter-connected. When one among us is hit hard, others come alongside to lift her up. When someone is knocked off his feet and begins to doubt God, those who love him surround him to pick him up and hold him until he is steady once again.

Well, that's the way it ought to be. Often, it isn't like that. Somebody said, "The Church is the only army that shoots its wounded soldiers!" I don't know that I'd go that far, but sometimes we do turn away from those who are in greatest need. The Believer who has fallen into sinful disobedience and who is suffering the consequences of his choices does not need us to remind him "you reap what you sow, brother!" He needs us to encourage him to return to the embrace of the Father. The one who is struggling with doubt does not need our condemnation added to her confusion. She needs us to intercede, to ask the Spirit of God to hold her close. Our calling is to love the unlovely and often that one who is in greatest need is also most resistant to expressions of love. The Bible says that you and I are to 'see to it' that they experience the grace of God. It is the way they may be protected from the poison of bitterness!

Jude encourages you and me to remain in faith, standing strong. And he reminds us to care. In both decisions, we become an antidote for the poison of bitterness that destroys lives when left unchecked. Take this wonderful benediction with you today and let the wisdom of the Word saturate your heart. Be blessed, as you are a blessing to others.

But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.
Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you.
Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.
Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren’t contaminated by their sins.
And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. --Jude 20-24

The Least and the Weakest

How do you face a tough assignment?
Procrastinate? Gripe? Try to get someone else to do it? Gather resources? Jump in?

A person's response flows from many causes, but primary among them is confidence. "How confident do I feel that I can really do this well?" is a question just about everyone of us has asked ourselves. When we are unsure that we have what it takes, most of us will be reluctant to move ahead.

I was working with a team of men renovating an old barn that our church wanted to use for youth ministry. Brent handed me a tool and assigned me a task doing something I had never done before. I demurred saying, "I don't think I can because I've never done that before." His response was to take the tool, to show me how to use it, and then he said, "Now, stretch and grow!" He loved that phrase. He was also a gifted musician at the piano. I am a dabbler on the piano and I play mostly for enjoyment and worship when I am alone. He would occasionally hear me playing and offer tips on technique. If I said, "I don't think I can" his response was to encourage me to try. Stretch and grow!

In the book of Judges, a messenger from God came to a man named Gideon with an assignment - "liberate your people from the oppression of the Midianites." He wanted this humble farmer to become a national leader and military strategist. Gideon realistically assessed himself and replied,“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” (Judges 6:15, NLT) Nothing in the text would lead us to conclude that Gideon was not speaking truthfully. He was a man of no reputation from a clan of no reputation! He was not a man given to boldness either. When the messenger came to Gideon, he was hiding out from the marauders threshing his wheat in a winepress. Instead of doing this task on an open threshing floor where he could be seen, he was doing it a very hard way, in hiding, a little at a time. But, God saw something in Gideon that others, even himself, did not see. That is shown by the greeting, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” (Judges 6:12, NLT) Obviously Gideon didn't think of himself in those terms.

So how would the Lord God turn a fearful farmer into a bold leader? Take note of the clincher line. The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” (Judges 6:16, NIV) From the moment that Gideon was convinced that he would not do the task alone, he was a changed man. If you want to read a story of a man who grew in faith as the Lord patiently developed him for the assigned task, read those chapters in Judges. You will be encouraged to respond obediently and in faith when an opportunity is presented to you.

Has God handed you a tough assignment that appears impossible given your present abilities?
Are you avoiding it, trying to find another to do it, or griping about it?

Here's a better response. Ask the Spirit of God to walk you through it, to show you the way - one step at a time. He will patiently grow you into the task.

Here is the promise of the Lord. Take it to heart today.
Let it speak to you so you will be ready to Stretch and grow!
He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6, NKJV)
_____________________________
"Father, as I look at my life I often feel that I am the 'least from among the weakest.'
The gap that I see between my skills, my abilities, and Your commission is wide.
Keep me from fear by steadying me with Your hand on my shoulder.
Help me to live in a way that lets You lead me - obediently, holy, and faithfully in prayer.
Holy Spirit, develop a great "God-confidence"
in me so that I will be ready to do what you ask me to do - today and to eternity.
In Jesus' name. Amen."

"Up's and Down's"

Yesterday was an "UP" day for me! The Spirit of God was evident among us as we joyfully noted the new life of seven people in baptism. Some friends from a church we served in New England were with us for worship and it was good to see them, too. The congregation I lead celebrated a "Pastor's Appreciation Day," with a luncheon featuring a football theme, "Victory in Jesus." (and they even used the Patriot's colors!) I read through cards in the afternoon which noted ways that God has used Bev and I to bless people in the church and it was gratifying to know that He touches lives through us. Yes, it was an "UP" day for which I am tremendously thankful.

Pastors are well acquainted with "DOWN" days, too. In addition to dealing with our own occasional difficulties, we are called to stand alongside of people when death visits, when illness calls, when disappointment floods over them. Repeatedly, we move through the cycle from "UP" to "DOWN" and back again. It isn't just pastors, that live in the cycle, is it? This is the human experience!

With spiritual maturity comes the realization that it is important to continue to trust and serve the Lord consistently all through the cycle. He is equally worthy of our praise when we are in the depth of the valley as when He is when we are on the height of the mountain. He uses both to shape us and to prepare us for His service. When I look back, I see where the intense trials have been a means of discovering new truths about myself and God. I see where celebrations of victories have strengthened my faith as well.

In the Word, Paul urges us to adopt a perspective that sees the big picture!
He writes,
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!...
(In the UP days, remember to thank God.)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."...
(In the DOWN days, remember to trust God.)Philippians 4:4, 6 NIV

He points out the steady faith that keeps us on course. -"I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." Philippians 4:12-13, The Message

Life changes. Jesus is the same.
Now that doesn't mean we must work at becoming robots. Nor does that mean that we adopt a stoic response to life that refuses to engage with the joy and/or the sorrows that are part of living. Rather, we learn to be steady. When we are 'in Christ,' we are equipped to a life that is marked equally by the fruit of the Holy Spirit's presence in the darkest nights and the brightest noonday.

Set your hope in Him. Pray that the Holy Spirit will mature a steady faith in you that remains evident in tears and laughter, because your life is anchored to the Rock. "...we ...have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us ... We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:18-19, NIV)
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Through It All

I've had many tears and sorrows.
I've had questions for tomorrow.
There've been times I didn't know right from wrong.
But in every situation, God gave blessed consolation
That my trials only come to make me strong.

I thank God for the mountains and I thank Him for the valleys;
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I'd never had a problem,
I wouldn't know that He could solve them;
I'd never know what faith in God could do.

Through it all, through it all,
Oh, I've learned to trust in Jesus;
I've learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His word.

Crouch, Andrae - Copyright: 1971 Manna Music, Inc. ARR UBP of Manna Music, Inc. (35255 Brooten Road, Pacific City, OR 97135)