Really loving?

A few years ago there was a bumper sticker with this sentiment- "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty!" Jesus has a much better idea. He calls on all of us who have been invested in by His love, to be deliberately and consciously loving, in a calculated attempt to share His beauty with our world! We are not to love because a sense of duty. We are to generously love others because "He loved us first." We are told that when we experience Jesus' love; we will forget ourselves and serve others with delight. "Do this," Jesus says, "and you will find a new, rich life!" Paradox? No, not really. It is a spiritual principle of reward. "Lose your life for My sake," He said, "and you will find it." I thought I knew what that meant, until the Holy Spirit took me to the school of character again this week.

Betty (not her real name!) has lots of problems - health, marriage, financial, emotional - and probably others of which I am not presently aware. She calls the church office frequently, mostly because she is lonely, but always with a request. Sometimes she wants me to go and buy something she needs 'right now.' Sometimes she wants me to pick up a prescription. She often asks for groceries or wants me to arrange a ride for her to the doctor's office. Wednesday she called and asked me to go to the drugstore and get medical supplies for her that were, as usual, an 'emergency' need. Betty is oblivious to the fact that I might have any other responsibilities or prior commitments. I'd like to be able to report that I am so full of the love of Jesus that I always respond to her calls without complaint, but that would not be the truth. Yes, this week I made time to run the errand for her, but with much inner grumbling and some anger, which I expressed to no one but myself in my car on the way to her apartment to drop off her prescription.

Someone was listening to me blow off steam. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, "What if she were your daughter? What if she were rich and/or beautiful and/or famous? Would you resent doing this small act of kindness? Would you expect thanks in that case or would you consider it a privilege to serve her?" The justifiable shame I felt literally made me redden with embarrassment. A new realization flooded my mind and heart. Betty is God's daughter and, despite her limitations, is a person of incredible worth for whom Christ died. Was I so self-important that I would resent spending a few dollars and 20 minutes of my time to take her some things she needed? My internal dialogue took a whole new tone; first of repentance, and then of petition for the love of Jesus to be renewed in me. A few moments later, I stood at her doorway, listening to her whiny complaints - but different in attitude - really caring for her, praying for her, treating her with dignity produced by genuine Christ-like love.

Who tests your love? A lazy co-worker? That teenager in your household? A supervisor who is overly demanding? A neighbor who lets his dog run all over your yard? That beggar who bothers you in the train station? How difficult would be it to love them if you started to see them as a brother or sister, as a person of worth for whom Christ died? Words about love are quick to come to our lips. Songs of love are so easily sung. Genuine love serves people, not with condescension, but in a way that gives them dignity and respect. Love causes us to give up our 'rights' even when we are misunderstood or misused. Love refuses to take note of unkind words, causes us to extend ourselves to meet the needs of another even when it is inconvenient.

How do I know that? Because, our model for love is Jesus; and that's what Jesus did for me... and you. He left the Throne Room of Heaven to become one of Nazareth's common laborers, in a time when labor was back-breaking, without vacations or fringe benefits, or even aspirin to ease the muscle aches. Why? For love's sake alone! Hebrews says He became a full participant in this world so that He could our Priestly Intercessor - One who "understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do." (Hebrews 4:15, NLT) He embraced people who hated Him. He died 'while we were still sinners!'

Friend, I offer you my story about Betty, with an invitation to join the ranks of Heaven's Brigade of Loving Servants! You and I can change our world for Christ Jesus, not with clever use of technology, nor with techniques of psychological manipulation - but with expressions of sacrificial love.

Be encouraged to love with this promise made by our loving Lord."

Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’

"Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ " (Matthew 25:32-40, The Message)

Open your heart!

Sean, my son, and I were talking about the church he has been attending for several months. He really likes it. The worship music is good, both from an engaging quality and in Spirit! The pastor is a good teacher and a man of faith. Their facilities are first rate. Sounds good, right? It is except for one thing - it is hard to 'fit in.' He has found that there is a tightly knit group at the core of the church that is really 'the church,' and hundreds of people who just attend without really forming a strong connection to the Body. As we talked, I was thinking about the church that I lead, wondering if that is the experience of people who join in worship at the Assembly.

It is quite natural for each of us to form attachments to people of similar interests, or educational background, or economic status, or age, isn't it? Once we have secured a place in a group that meets our social needs, we are apt to close the gates, content with our little 'four and no more!' Natural? Yes. Right? No! Believers, because of the love of Jesus Christ, are taught to have open hearts, to receive others with joy and acceptance. In addition to a personal relationship with Jesus, they are called to be people that love. One way this is expressed is in interest in others, our care for them, and our willingness to keep on adding others to our circle of friends. In Romans, Paul expounds on the grace of God for chapter after chapter. Then, as he closes the letter, he urges personal holiness. "Present your body as a living sacrifice to God!" He doesn't stop there! A further indication of the grace of God at work in us is our sense of community. "Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. . . . Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. . . . Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!" (Romans 12: 9-10, 16, NLT)

Genuine Christian love goes far beyond shaking someone's hand in the time of greeting at the beginning of the church service. It is more than being polite to people who are new. It is an active interest, a genuine concern for those who we might otherwise consider 'outside of our circle.' It does not 'just happen.' Genuine community is built intentionally by those who realize that because they are loved, they must love others. It takes time, requires an investment of ourselves, and involves risk. Some who enter the community of faith will be frauds, others will take advantage of the love, using it for selfish benefit. Others will bring spiritual gifts that enrich our gathering, perspectives that help us to grow and meet the needs of our community.

Are you a xenophobe [zěn'ə-fōb']? That is someone who fears foreigners or customs that are strange to them! Realize this - in the Body of Christ - there are no strangers! We are brothers. John reminds us to be "faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you." (3 John 5, NIV)

A repeated New Testament directive to Believers is about showing hospitality. Does that mean you have to create a big gathering, put on a feast, or spend a lot of money? No way. It is a call to an open heart that accepts others, that looks for ways to strengthen the Body of Christ, both in your local congregation and in the Church. So, open your heart. Discover the great, big wonderful family into which God has called you in Christ Jesus.

Here's a word to ponder -
"This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:35, The Message)

"Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always "me first,"

Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, The Message)

Just-as-if-I'd never sinned!

We are very intent on justifying ourselves. In a counseling session I listened as a person who has spent much of her adult life abusing drugs blamed the world. She could not bring herself to say, "It was my decision to smoke, snort, and inject that stuff." Instead, she blamed her mother, her boyfriends, and just about everybody else in her life. I am sure her stories had an element of truth, but as long as she convinces herself that her addictions are not 'her problem,' her life will remain in disarray. For most of us it is as natural a response as breathing to point out why we were right to do what we did, to say what we said. It is a pattern as old as Eden, where Adam told God that "it was the woman you gave me that gave me the fruit!" She, in turn, blamed the serpent, "it deceived me and I ate the fruit!" Think of the various 'reasons' you present when challenged about some behavior. We blame bad parents, poor schools, our genetic heritage, co-workers, traffic, wives, husbands... the list is long, isn't it? When I was a teenager, Mrs. McDaniel often reminded our Youth Sunday School Class of her definition of a self-justifying excuse - "a skin of a reason, stuffed full of lies!" After 4 decades I can still hear her saying it, with all the passion she could muster, as she pressed us to be responsible people.

If you want to be right with God, throw away the excuses; forget about convincing Him that 'the Devil made you do it.' Real forgiveness starts with honest confession of our sins and failures - without excuses. The Bible says, "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." (1 John 1:8-9, NLT)

We look at the mess we've created with ill-informed, or selfish, or thoughtless choices and we say, "That's what I did. God help me!" The glorious truth is - He will.

In the book of Romans there is this passage that is packed with promise. Take a look.
"Now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:21-24, NIV)

God says that the Law of Moses defined the standard we were to live up to in order to be acceptable to Him. We failed miserably. Everyone does! Whatever distinctions of 'us vs. them,' that we might make in this world disappear when God shines the light of His judgment on us and we are found to be 'sinners.' What then? Should we blame our humanity or something else for our predicament? The passage says that the situation is not hopeless, because what I could not do for myself- get right with God - has been done for me by Christ Jesus.

When I respond in faith to His invitation, I am justified! No excuses needed. God declares my sins forgiven and erases the debt and guilt. Yes, as the old phrase says, I am new; just as if I'd never sinned!

Believer, are you wallowing in guilt? Are you still trying to excuse the things you have done that you know are wrong, sinful in the eyes of God and others?
Then, you are living far below where God wants you to live. Choose now to receive the invitation to be made whole and clean.
It is the way to real and lasting change, the only way to become genuinely holy, and therefore, pleasing to God.

Take this Word with you today. Meditate on it for a few moments.

"Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners." (Romans 5:1-6, NLT)
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What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow,
that makes me white as snow,
no other fount I know,
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

- public domain

The sky is falling?

The old story of Chicken Little amuses and warns us. In case you've forgotten, Chicken Little was walking one day when an acorn fell on her head. She assumed that the sky was falling and ran around spreading fear and chaos with her urgently repeated warning, born of misinformation. I am all for being aware, informed, and in touch. Part of me wonders, however, if we are falling victim to the hysterical voices warning of impending doom that is imagined, the result of wrong conclusions, based on misinterpreted facts. Yes, Americans eat too much and are overweight. Is this a problem or a crisis? Yes, we burn too much carbon based fuel and our actions are having a real impact on the planet, but are we really headed for the environmental cataclysm promised by some alarmists? Yes, there is a general spiritual malaise in America, but is Christianity actually on the brink of extinction as implied by some preachers and prophets?

I look back at 'the good old days' and do not see a better world! Looking back fifty years ago, we could conclude that America was a better place if we recall a few selected memories of intact families and , but it was a troubled time, too. America was living under the threat of nuclear annihilation, the governing strategy being a stand-off between nuclear powers called "Mutual Assured Destruction," with the very apt MAD acronym describing it. Black Americans still lived in segregated communities as second class citizens. Many churches were full, but as many were in the grip of the culture, almost completely silent in the face of societal sins, using the Gospel of Christ to provide a nice gloss over the excesses of American culture.

Here's the truth. Every generation faces its challenges, deals with its own sins, and has important decisions to make. There are factors that converge - such things as wars, natural disasters, political leadership, and spiritual influence - that effect the flow of history for a time. Some choices are made well and even help to set the stage for the success of the next generation. But there is also the law of unintended consequences! Decisions are made, using the best information available at the time, based on the knowledge available, that prove to be disastrous 50 years later.

What we all need is a healthy dose of humility that acknowledges our limits of knowledge, power, and control over life. King Solomon was right. He wrote, "The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, The Message) This kind of life is blessed with courage to face today's challenges, with the wisdom of God that leads to the best life, and - best of all - with His eternal approval.

Here's a word to take with you today.
"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

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."

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."
(Psalm 37:3-7, 23-24 NLT)

The only lasting hope

"American Idol Give Back" - was the theme of the TV program last week. In a 2 hour long special, the producers took us to various places where they saw human need. They visited the people still living among ruins in New Orleans. They visited some kids in a youth center in a poorer section of Los Angeles. Simon showed that he was actually human when they visited a couple of places in Africa that are reeling under the effects of poverty, where people are dying at terrible rates from AIDS. With various celebrities urging us on, while the pictures were tugging at our heart, Americans responded by contributing $30+ million for relief projects.

I am glad, very glad, for that kind of generosity, but I also know that eliminating poverty and suffering requires more than dollars! We like to think that these problems are the result of a lack of resources or education. If they are, then we can take care of them. It is simple, right? If an African child is just taught to read and write, he have a happy life. Wrong! Poverty and human suffering is frequently the result of multiple needs, and these things will be changed only when we bring Jesus Christ and His Truth to the situation! For example, economic prosperity requires many ingredients - a capable work force, an economic system that rewards hard work, a system of laws that protects the powerless from exploitation by the powerful, a stable government that provides a climate that encourages long-term investment, etc. Just pulling one string by giving a few dollars to educate a single child, as admirable as that might be, does not unravel the knot of human failures and sins that put that child in harm's way in the first place.

The Gospel of Christ changes individual people, which in turn, changes cultures! When His truth takes root in the hearts and minds of people, they are transformed. They learn to love others which leads to respect. They learn the value of individuals which leads to human rights. They learn to respect the rule of law because they believe in a ultimate Judge to whom we will all give account.

That is why, friend, I spend my life in the work of God. I believe that the only Hope for humanity is in Jesus Christ; starting with my own family, reaching to my neighborhood, extending to my nation, and touching every part of this world. I know He transforms alcoholics with broken lives into faithful husbands and hard-working citizens; I have seen His Gospel work. I know He changes selfish bigots into loving philanthropists, for I have seen it happen. I know He can take a self-absorbed man seeking only his own success and make that man into someone who loves others deeply because He changed me!

Here's what the Word says - "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14, NIV) Know it, Believe it, Live it! The gospel is not just a Sunday morning experience. The gospel is the foundation of 'life to the full.'

Ask the Spirit of God to convince you of this, dear friend. As wonderful as humanitarian acts are, unless they are connected to transformational truth, they are only a mirage of hope. Jesus Christ creates genuine hope, of life now and life in the world to come. Once convinced, become a sharing of truth - loving others to wholeness for God's sake.

Yes, this is our commission from our Master, Jesus, who said- "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20, The Message)
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My hope is built on nothing less,
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' Name.

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand,
all other ground is sinking stand!
- public domain