I met a special lady last night. 20 years ago, in the middle of a regular business day in NYC, she had a vision with her eyes wide open; it changed her life! Karen Olson was on her way to work when she saw a woman who was living on the street, I mean really saw her. She realized that buying that woman a sandwich was a great gesture, but did nothing to actually help her out of her poverty. Over the next year, Karen and her friends developed a new strategy to help homeless families that involved volunteers from congregations linking up to provide services of compassion, care, and hope. Family Promise, now a national organization, helps to organize the efforts of more than 4100 local congregations into Interfaith Hospitality Networks that serve thousands of families each year - giving them a safe place to get their financial lives back in order and to regain housing while keeping their family intact.
I admire people like Karen, who are willing to think out of the box, who can see past the obvious, and create new solutions. We so often are content to do what always been done, to take the 'tried and true' road, to parrot the party line, aren't we? There is so little risk in doing that. People and organizations fall into the ruts of the familiar, doing what's safe over engaging the ever changing challenges of the world with new responses. The result is always stagnation, ineffectiveness, and then slow death. Someone smarter than I has said, "The system you are a part of is perfectly designed to produce the results you are seeing." Think about that!
Want a better marriage? Then change is required.
Want a better church, school, neighborhood, nation?
VISION is the starting point! We have to 'see' the new, grab hold of the possibilities and create new strategies that allow different results. Believer, here's the best part of this for you and me. God, the Holy Spirit, lives in us. He will inspire us, breathing new vision into our hearts and minds IF we have the courage to accept it. That's the real challenge. Accepting a vision demands action. Action earns enemies. Visionaries are attacked, demeaned, and criticized those who do not understand the vision or who are threatened by change to the status quo.
So, what are you complaining about today? Where do you perceive real need, or see a challenge that is going unmet, or know of a mission unfulfilled?
Are you ready to become part of God's solution? Define the problem in conversation with God. Listen carefully to what you believe the Spirit is whispering to you. Gather trusted friends and advisors and share the vision that you think is emerging. And - then go make a change!
Read this story of a teenager who heard from God, who did what others did not think he could or should do. Let it inspire you today. Yes, it's a familiar story, but don't rush through it. OK?
____________________
"Enter David. He was the son of Jesse the Ephrathite from Bethlehem ... While his three oldest brothers went to war with Saul, David went back and forth from attending to Saul to tending his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. Each morning and evening for forty days, Goliath took his stand and made his speech.
One day, Jesse told David his son, “Take this sack of cracked wheat and these ten loaves of bread and run them down to your brothers in the camp. And take these ten wedges of cheese to the captain of their division. Check in on your brothers to see whether they are getting along all right, and let me know how they’re doing —Saul and your brothers, and all the Israelites in their war with the Philistines in the Oak Valley.”
David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines moved into position, facing each other, battle-ready. David left his bundles of food in the care of a sentry, ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers.
While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him. The Israelites, to a man, fell back the moment they saw the giant—totally frightened. ... David, who was talking to the men standing around him, asked, “What’s in it for the man who kills that Philistine and gets rid of this ugly blot on Israel’s honor? Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?” ...
The things David was saying were picked up and reported to Saul. Saul sent for him. “Master,” said David, “don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.” Saul answered David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.” David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.” Saul said, “Go. And God help you!”
Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. (the usual, the customary, the familiar!) He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.” And he took it all off. Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath. (God's plan, a new way!)
As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. He took one look down on him and sneered—a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed. The Philistine ridiculed David. “Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?” And he cursed him by his gods. “Come on,” said the Philistine. “I’ll make roadkill of you for the buzzards. I’ll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice.”
David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he’s handing you to us on a platter!” That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt. That’s how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David! Then David ran up to the Philistine and stood over him, pulled the giant’s sword from its sheath, and finished the job by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they scattered, running for their lives." (1 Samuel 17:12-51, The Message)
_______________________________
So, what's God saying to you about that Goliath in your life?
Friday, June 09, 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006
New challenges, new strength
With a smile, I remarked to a friend - "When you solve one set of problems, a whole new set appears requiring attention." She laughed, a knowing chuckle, for she knew exactly what I was talking about. Is that your experience, too? Remember the angst of the teen years, the struggle with a sense of identity, the work at finding your place in this world. Then came college and calling. Along with getting established in the working world, most of were working at building a good marriage. Oh, yes, let's not forget the job changes, the financial decisions made along the way. For a few years, when in my mid-40's, I was certain that once our kids were on their own and I was approaching 50, life would settle down. I was wrong! The challenges are still there, just different. But, there is coming a day when all will change, really!
I found myself humming an old spiritual this morning. It says,
I got a crown up in'a that Kingdom, Ain'ta that'a good news?
I got a crown up in'a that Kingdom, Ain'ta that'a good news?
I'm gonna lay down this world- Gonna shoulder up my Cross -
Gonna take it home to my Jesus, Ain'ta that'a good news?
As he came to the end of his life, waiting execution at the hands of the Roman Emperor, Paul sent these words to his protégé, Timothy. They are not the words of a man broken by his life, despite the challenges he dealt with day after day for decades! They are the sounds of man who is about to realize his dream. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return." (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT) Ain'ta that good news? We really will find rest beyond the river!
Heaven is not a 'pie the sky, by and by' doctrine. It is our hope, that which keeps us faithful as those multiple challenges come our way. After teaching about the certainty of the Resurrection of Christ and therefore the certainty of our own eternal life, Paul concludes - "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV) We need to think about Heaven often, not in an escapist way, but in a hopeful way. We need to let the promise of a crown in that Kingdom cause us to press on when we are so tired that we just want to lay down and sleep for days.
The truth is, it won't be so long until we are home! Does that frighten you? It should not, IF you're living with Christ as Savior and Lord today. I realized just how quickly life moves along when I received an email from a person that was part of a church I pastored back in 1991. She had found my email address and wrote to express her appreciation for the teaching and counsel I provided for her during a time of difficult transitions. As I read her words, the years fell away and I was there, in that little church in New England again, just for a few moments. Her affirmation of God's work being done through me was a pleasant reminder that being faithful to wrestle with the challenges creates a reward. Then, in my reverie, I faced the other direction, and wondered what kind of email I might be reading in 2021! If the next 15 years pass as quickly as the previous ones did, it will happen in a flash. May I be faithful, drawn on by the promise of a 'crown up in'a that Kingdom!'
Here's wisdom to take with you today -
"So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom...
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:12, 17, NKJV)
I found myself humming an old spiritual this morning. It says,
I got a crown up in'a that Kingdom, Ain'ta that'a good news?
I got a crown up in'a that Kingdom, Ain'ta that'a good news?
I'm gonna lay down this world- Gonna shoulder up my Cross -
Gonna take it home to my Jesus, Ain'ta that'a good news?
As he came to the end of his life, waiting execution at the hands of the Roman Emperor, Paul sent these words to his protégé, Timothy. They are not the words of a man broken by his life, despite the challenges he dealt with day after day for decades! They are the sounds of man who is about to realize his dream. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return." (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT) Ain'ta that good news? We really will find rest beyond the river!
Heaven is not a 'pie the sky, by and by' doctrine. It is our hope, that which keeps us faithful as those multiple challenges come our way. After teaching about the certainty of the Resurrection of Christ and therefore the certainty of our own eternal life, Paul concludes - "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV) We need to think about Heaven often, not in an escapist way, but in a hopeful way. We need to let the promise of a crown in that Kingdom cause us to press on when we are so tired that we just want to lay down and sleep for days.
The truth is, it won't be so long until we are home! Does that frighten you? It should not, IF you're living with Christ as Savior and Lord today. I realized just how quickly life moves along when I received an email from a person that was part of a church I pastored back in 1991. She had found my email address and wrote to express her appreciation for the teaching and counsel I provided for her during a time of difficult transitions. As I read her words, the years fell away and I was there, in that little church in New England again, just for a few moments. Her affirmation of God's work being done through me was a pleasant reminder that being faithful to wrestle with the challenges creates a reward. Then, in my reverie, I faced the other direction, and wondered what kind of email I might be reading in 2021! If the next 15 years pass as quickly as the previous ones did, it will happen in a flash. May I be faithful, drawn on by the promise of a 'crown up in'a that Kingdom!'
Here's wisdom to take with you today -
"So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom...
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:12, 17, NKJV)
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Blessed assurance!
Don't you love the sense of confidence that comes from being 'well-connected' - that is resourced and protected by another person? For example, think of a little child who has a sense of security in her home, whose father is strong and present in her life. she will likely deal with the taunts on the playground much more easily than the child without the same resource. A person who is having a rough go in life at work, who has a supportive spouse that provides affirmation in the home, will have a much easier time navigating the rapids! A person starting up a new business with a partner who has deep pockets will sleep better.
Believer, have you realized that you have a rich, strong Father? Did you know that you have a Partner in Christ that is your best Friend? I believe that one of more debilitating experiences for the Christian is to lose his sense of God's Presence, to lose the assurance that he is under the care of a benevolent God who cares about the needs, the trials, the successes of his life.
Sometimes by our own willful disobedience we break the fellowship with the Father that provides us with security, don't we? Ephesians 4 warns us not to 'grieve the Holy Spirit.' The Word teaches - "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18, NIV) We cannot dismiss the Spirit's appeal to us to change our ways and expect to enjoy the intimate fellowship of God's presence in our lives.
Then, there are those times when the pressures and problems that come our way are like the black clouds that block the bright rays of the sun. I sometimes fall into that place from which I just cannot reach God! A combination of fatigue and fear come over me and I begin to wonder, "does God really care about me?" He is patient with me in those moments. I've learned to turn to other Believers when my faith is weak, or my strength is gone. The prayers of the saints become the support that I lean on, letting them surround me. I don't mean any disrespect for the things of the Lord, but sometimes I need "Jesus with skin on!"
His loving care is shown to me by people who are filled with the Spirit. An actual touch, an expression of concern, goes a long, long way in reminding me that God is still there - though hidden for the moment in behind the clouds. This is, my good friend, one of the best arguments for building close relationship with other Believers within the context of the Church! A Christian who is attempting a solo journey to Heaven is foolishly abandoning one of his most important sources of encouragement. The Word urges us to "keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer." (Hebrews 10:24-25, CEV)
Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it for a while.
Let the powerful promise soak your soul with the peace of God.
"I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:3-4, NIV)
"For the people of Israel belong to the Lord;
Jacob is his special possession.
"He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland.
He surrounded them and watched over them;
he guarded them as his most precious possession.
Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young,
so he spread his wings to take them in and carried them aloft on his pinions." (Deuteronomy 32:9-11, NLT)
___________________________________________
Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Tho the night deepens and tempest are wild;
Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Under His wings, Under His wings
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, What a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort and there I am blest.
Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide 'til life's trials are o'er!
Sheltered, protected!
No evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus; I'm safe evermore.
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
Believer, have you realized that you have a rich, strong Father? Did you know that you have a Partner in Christ that is your best Friend? I believe that one of more debilitating experiences for the Christian is to lose his sense of God's Presence, to lose the assurance that he is under the care of a benevolent God who cares about the needs, the trials, the successes of his life.
Sometimes by our own willful disobedience we break the fellowship with the Father that provides us with security, don't we? Ephesians 4 warns us not to 'grieve the Holy Spirit.' The Word teaches - "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18, NIV) We cannot dismiss the Spirit's appeal to us to change our ways and expect to enjoy the intimate fellowship of God's presence in our lives.
Then, there are those times when the pressures and problems that come our way are like the black clouds that block the bright rays of the sun. I sometimes fall into that place from which I just cannot reach God! A combination of fatigue and fear come over me and I begin to wonder, "does God really care about me?" He is patient with me in those moments. I've learned to turn to other Believers when my faith is weak, or my strength is gone. The prayers of the saints become the support that I lean on, letting them surround me. I don't mean any disrespect for the things of the Lord, but sometimes I need "Jesus with skin on!"
His loving care is shown to me by people who are filled with the Spirit. An actual touch, an expression of concern, goes a long, long way in reminding me that God is still there - though hidden for the moment in behind the clouds. This is, my good friend, one of the best arguments for building close relationship with other Believers within the context of the Church! A Christian who is attempting a solo journey to Heaven is foolishly abandoning one of his most important sources of encouragement. The Word urges us to "keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer." (Hebrews 10:24-25, CEV)
Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it for a while.
Let the powerful promise soak your soul with the peace of God.
"I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:3-4, NIV)
"For the people of Israel belong to the Lord;
Jacob is his special possession.
"He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland.
He surrounded them and watched over them;
he guarded them as his most precious possession.
Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young,
so he spread his wings to take them in and carried them aloft on his pinions." (Deuteronomy 32:9-11, NLT)
___________________________________________
Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Tho the night deepens and tempest are wild;
Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Under His wings, Under His wings
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, What a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort and there I am blest.
Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide 'til life's trials are o'er!
Sheltered, protected!
No evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus; I'm safe evermore.
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
It's not the numbers
Today is 6-6-06 and, for some, it is a feared day when evil lurks! Revelation 13 makes a reference to the 'the number of the beast, the number of a man, 666.' In the popular scenarios of the "End Times," that passage and the number refers symbolically to an evil world ruler, the Anti-Christ, who is a figure of awesome evil powers, under who power and influence millions suffer and die during the Great Tribulation at the end of the age. Historic Christianity interpreted John's symbolism as a reference to Nero Caesar, the persecutor of the Church, a terrible and cruel figure. Thus, under both interpretative systems the number is a potent emblem of evil.
Nearly every American, whether Christian or not, whether Bible believing or not, knows about 666 and the suggestions of evil and malevolence associated with it. The number is thought to be 'unlucky.' It is adopted by Satanists in their rituals. It shows up in the tattoos on the arms of rebellious teenagers attempting to shock their elders by declaring how 'bad' they are. People are continually reacting with fear to 666 when it shows up on credit cards, in addresses, and in other computer generated sequences of numbers.
Believer, we don't need to fear numbers! Superstition creates needless fear and causes us to work at eradicating evil all the wrong places. There is an Evil One, the Devil, about whom Jesus warns us. His work to resist and destroy God's work is real and demands our best efforts, as we empowered by the Holy Spirit, to establish the Kingdom of God as Jesus commissioned us to do. The father of evil delights in our readiness to caricature him with silly superstitions about numbers! When we worry about things like 666 showing up on a ticket, or in a credit card number, we do not see his real acts of evil. He is at work in this world today. That isn't superstition!
When I see the stories about young children who lives are terribly effected when they are molested by selfish men in the grip of lust fed by child pornography, I see the handiwork of the Devil!
When I see millions of refugees living in terrible fear of brutal rapes and murders in the Darfur region of the Sudan; that is Satan is at work.
When I see greedy drug dealers willing to traffic in substances that will addict and ruin lives, I see the Devil's presence.
When I see Christians in the grip of vehement hatred for people of another race or religion or sexual orientation, I see a diabolic deception from the master of lies!
Wherever I see a person giving all of his strength to acquiring wealth, or to chasing after sensual pleasure as the meaning of life, I see the shadowy leer of the Devil as he exults over another deceived soul.
Let's grow up in our understanding of evil. No more childish and reactive superstitions. Instead, let's take evil seriously and take up the Scripture's charge to us:
"Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to his eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ. After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation." (1 Peter 5:8-10, NLT)
_________________
A mighty Fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our Ancient Foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;Lord Sabaoth, (Sabaoth - "the Lord of the Heavenly Armies") His name,
From age to age the same,
and He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed, His will to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, For, lo, his doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also.
The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever.
_______________________
Title: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Author: Luther, Martin
Copyright: Public Domain
Nearly every American, whether Christian or not, whether Bible believing or not, knows about 666 and the suggestions of evil and malevolence associated with it. The number is thought to be 'unlucky.' It is adopted by Satanists in their rituals. It shows up in the tattoos on the arms of rebellious teenagers attempting to shock their elders by declaring how 'bad' they are. People are continually reacting with fear to 666 when it shows up on credit cards, in addresses, and in other computer generated sequences of numbers.
Believer, we don't need to fear numbers! Superstition creates needless fear and causes us to work at eradicating evil all the wrong places. There is an Evil One, the Devil, about whom Jesus warns us. His work to resist and destroy God's work is real and demands our best efforts, as we empowered by the Holy Spirit, to establish the Kingdom of God as Jesus commissioned us to do. The father of evil delights in our readiness to caricature him with silly superstitions about numbers! When we worry about things like 666 showing up on a ticket, or in a credit card number, we do not see his real acts of evil. He is at work in this world today. That isn't superstition!
When I see the stories about young children who lives are terribly effected when they are molested by selfish men in the grip of lust fed by child pornography, I see the handiwork of the Devil!
When I see millions of refugees living in terrible fear of brutal rapes and murders in the Darfur region of the Sudan; that is Satan is at work.
When I see greedy drug dealers willing to traffic in substances that will addict and ruin lives, I see the Devil's presence.
When I see Christians in the grip of vehement hatred for people of another race or religion or sexual orientation, I see a diabolic deception from the master of lies!
Wherever I see a person giving all of his strength to acquiring wealth, or to chasing after sensual pleasure as the meaning of life, I see the shadowy leer of the Devil as he exults over another deceived soul.
Let's grow up in our understanding of evil. No more childish and reactive superstitions. Instead, let's take evil seriously and take up the Scripture's charge to us:
"Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to his eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ. After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation." (1 Peter 5:8-10, NLT)
_________________
A mighty Fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our Ancient Foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;Lord Sabaoth, (Sabaoth - "the Lord of the Heavenly Armies") His name,
From age to age the same,
and He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed, His will to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, For, lo, his doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also.
The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever.
_______________________
Title: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Author: Luther, Martin
Copyright: Public Domain
Monday, June 05, 2006
No contradiction
I'm trying to work out a riddle in my Christian life! How much, and in what ways, should I be involved with the world around me? I read two concepts in the Scripture that seem, at first glance anyway, to be contradictory. In the separatist ideal of the Jewish people, the covenant people who had many laws designed to make them a distinct and holy people of God in their world, Paul urges Christ-followers to holiness, reminding us that "God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you." (2 Corinthians 6:16-17, NLT) That passage was a kind of mantra in the church of my childhood. It was used to justify not having anything to do with politics, or culture, or even pop culture.
I grew up without a TV in our house because it was considered a source of 'worldly' contagion. With the benefit of reflection, that was a good idea as I learned to love books inside of rotting my brain on sit-coms! But was living without a TV really an expression of true holiness? I sneaked into my room to listen to the Beatles on my transistor radio, because listening to non-Christian music was a 'sin.' Wanting to grow my hair a inch over my ears and down on my collar was just opening the door of my life to the devil, or so I concluded. In my early adulthood, American Believers decided to abandon their separation from the politics of the nation and almost overnight, evangelical Christians turned into the Falwellian "Moral Majority." I think most of us would agree that flexing our muscle in Washington has not been the best thing for the Church of Jesus Christ, now that we are better know for our opposition to homosexual rights and abortion than we are for being a source of compassion and care given in the name of the Savior.
In the Gospels, I see Jesus mocked for His involvement with 'undesirables.' He gathered the 'sinners' of his world around Him and ate with them, talked with them, and brought God's loving grace to them. His parting words to those of us who follow Him are - “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all." (Mark 16:15, The Message) He calls us 'salt and light' and in that passage tells us that we must not hide ourselves from the WORLD, but that we should shine brightly in it. In the spirit of those commands, Christians have rolled up their sleeves and gone into the saddest, sorriest hell-holes in the world over the centuries and brought transformation. Human rights, and the ideals of individual dignity and worth, have been championed by Christians precisely because they believe that Jesus has commissioned them to care for the weakest, to take up the case of those who are being exploited by both the world systems and the Devil!
So the riddle, for me anyway, is - how do I function as the salt of the earth, flavoring and preserving my world, without losing the distinctive of being a holy person belonging exclusively to God?
The answer isn't an easy one. I am fairly certain the answer can't be a law for all people either, for we all have different callings, spiritual giftings, and weaknesses that will effect how and where we serve God.
I have worked out the extremes and rejected those as options! I not going to lock myself in a monastery, isolated from my world completely. That might be safe for me, but by doing it I am abandoning much of the world and letting it go to Hell while I rejoice in my own security. At the other extreme, I will not throw away God's call to a distinctively different life, one that seeks His purity, His love, in every expression of life. That leaves me with a wide middle - where I'm still working out the demands that seem to contradict.
"God guide me.
God keep me, in your Spirit,
in the ways that honor you,
yet allow me to reach out
with your love
to those who are living in the darkness.
For Jesus' sake. Amen."
I grew up without a TV in our house because it was considered a source of 'worldly' contagion. With the benefit of reflection, that was a good idea as I learned to love books inside of rotting my brain on sit-coms! But was living without a TV really an expression of true holiness? I sneaked into my room to listen to the Beatles on my transistor radio, because listening to non-Christian music was a 'sin.' Wanting to grow my hair a inch over my ears and down on my collar was just opening the door of my life to the devil, or so I concluded. In my early adulthood, American Believers decided to abandon their separation from the politics of the nation and almost overnight, evangelical Christians turned into the Falwellian "Moral Majority." I think most of us would agree that flexing our muscle in Washington has not been the best thing for the Church of Jesus Christ, now that we are better know for our opposition to homosexual rights and abortion than we are for being a source of compassion and care given in the name of the Savior.
In the Gospels, I see Jesus mocked for His involvement with 'undesirables.' He gathered the 'sinners' of his world around Him and ate with them, talked with them, and brought God's loving grace to them. His parting words to those of us who follow Him are - “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all." (Mark 16:15, The Message) He calls us 'salt and light' and in that passage tells us that we must not hide ourselves from the WORLD, but that we should shine brightly in it. In the spirit of those commands, Christians have rolled up their sleeves and gone into the saddest, sorriest hell-holes in the world over the centuries and brought transformation. Human rights, and the ideals of individual dignity and worth, have been championed by Christians precisely because they believe that Jesus has commissioned them to care for the weakest, to take up the case of those who are being exploited by both the world systems and the Devil!
So the riddle, for me anyway, is - how do I function as the salt of the earth, flavoring and preserving my world, without losing the distinctive of being a holy person belonging exclusively to God?
The answer isn't an easy one. I am fairly certain the answer can't be a law for all people either, for we all have different callings, spiritual giftings, and weaknesses that will effect how and where we serve God.
I have worked out the extremes and rejected those as options! I not going to lock myself in a monastery, isolated from my world completely. That might be safe for me, but by doing it I am abandoning much of the world and letting it go to Hell while I rejoice in my own security. At the other extreme, I will not throw away God's call to a distinctively different life, one that seeks His purity, His love, in every expression of life. That leaves me with a wide middle - where I'm still working out the demands that seem to contradict.
"God guide me.
God keep me, in your Spirit,
in the ways that honor you,
yet allow me to reach out
with your love
to those who are living in the darkness.
For Jesus' sake. Amen."
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