A gift for me?

I find it difficult to accept gifts! What's wrong with me? Mostly, it is a pride thing, I suppose. I am not, by nature, an effusive person. Too many times to remember, I have disappointed my wife or kids at Christmas or birthdays when they presented me with some gift they had plotted and planned to get to me without my knowledge only to have me say, "That's nice. Thanks." They want excitement! I try, but whooping and yelling are hard for me. So, rather than disappoint anybody, I just say, in advance, "No gifts." When the church has a Pastor Appreciation Day, I worry about the same thing kind of disappointment for those who are trying to show their love for me, too. I am deeply touched by the expressions of thanks, but find it hard to show the proper emotion of joy! What have come to realize only of late is that when I wave off gifts or refuse to accept someone's thanks, I am robbed of a blessings and, even more significantly, I rob them of joy. So, I counsel myself, "Get over yourself!"

In Leadership, 2008, an article about one of God's great gifts to us appeared. It is from the pen of Tony Campolo. "Sitting with my parents at a Communion service with my parents when I was very young, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, I became aware of a young woman in the pew in front of us who was sobbing and shaking. The minister had just finished reading 1 Corinthians 11:27 - "whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:27, NKJV) As the Communion plate, with its small pieces of bread was passed to the young woman before me, she waved it away and lowered her head in despair. It was then that my Sicilian father leaned over her shoulder, and in his broken English, said sternly, "Take it, girl! It was meant for you. Do you hear me?" She raised her head, nodded - and then she took the bread and ate it. I knew that some kind of heavy burden was lifted from her heart. Since then, I have known that a church that could offer Communion to hurting people, offers a gift from God."

I want you, Believer, to take two thoughts with you today.

The first is that God's salvation is not meant to exclude, but to include! We sin terribly when we use the words of the One who is Love Incarnate, the One who came to build a bridge to our Father for us in His Body, to create barriers for those we deem unworthy of our acceptance. Jesus reserved His most angry condemnation for the religious elite who made it hard for hurting, sinful people to find their way to God. "They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden." (Matthew 23:4, NLT) Jesus offered grace to the worst, the scandalous, the outcasts and said that they would enter the Kingdom of God ahead of those who were too proud to accept God's gift, because those who were most broken understood their need better and were therefore receptive to His Gift.

The second is that God's gift of salvation is for YOU. You're not too bad, too good, too broken, too undesirable, too far gone to accept Him or to be accepted by Him. He counseled us to forgive others 77 times when they offend us. Do you somehow think He holds Himself to a different standard? His grace is amazing. The Enemy of your soul wants you to see your sins and failures written in bold capital letters. He wants you to feel the awful unworthiness as long as you will stay focused on self. For then, you will fail to see the Cross with the marred form of Jesus, with His arms extended wide in symbolic embrace of the world. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" (Romans 5:8-9, NIV)

Don't allow some mistaken sense of self-reliance keep you from receiving the Gift! What you cannot do for yourself, God has already accomplished in full, at His own expense, and He offers full rights of sonship, an eternal inheritance, to you freely. Yes, maybe, you, like me on Christmas, wonder, "what if I fail to show proper appreciation?" Get over yourself! It's not about YOU, it about Him. Like Campolo's father, I say, "Take it. It was meant for you."

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:4-5, NKJV) "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:10-13, NKJV)
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We will be celebrating our Great Savior and His gift with Holy Communion this Sunday, May 4, at the Assembly. I welcome you to worship with us at 10:15 AM.
If you cannot be there in person, you can join worship virtually and live on the Internet at http://www.washingtonag.com/
Just look for the live streaming globe and click on play.

Blessing of Less

I knew there was a sickness in my soul as my son described the excitement in the fast-growing church he attends and my response was not delight, but envy! I did not think, "Isn't it wonderful that God is blessing that congregation?" Instead, I stewed over the question for days: "Why doesn't my church grow like that?" Discontent is a silent sin that can thrive undetected in the hidden corners of our heart and from that place infects every part of our lives.

I believe that it is an epidemic in America right now. Many are totally convinced that there is someone, or someplace, or something that will make them feel complete. In my case, that kind of discontent was poisoning my ability to serve my church with joy and fulfillment. I've seen it break marriages, when a spouse became convinced that they needed someone smarter, richer, taller, thinner, more exciting... or something else that they failed to see in their husband or wife I've seen it cause people to go deeply into debt to buy things they really don't need because they think a new house, car, or an exotic vacation will finally be 'it.' I've watched discontent fester in Believers who move from church to church in the vain hope of finding a spiritual experience that will let them live on the top of the mountain.

Mindy Caliguire, head of Soul Care Ministries, suggests that we ask ourselves four questions to diagnose the sickness of discontent:
1. Do I feel overwhelmed by options?
2. Do I feel burdened by impossible demands?
3. Do I often buy more than I can afford?
4. Do I frequently desire to be more than I am? -- Leadership, Winter, 2008

We love having multiple investment strategies available to us. We like big supermarkets that let choose from 28 brands of ketchup! But there is stress that goes with having so many options from which to choose. We like the feeling of importance that comes from being busy, from filling up our days with activities. A crammed calendar says, "I am valuable. Look at how much I do!" But, when we cannot sleep because our mind continues to race when we lie down, that is a signal that we are trying to live 26 hours in a 24 hour day! Because we live in a consumer culture most of us accept, without question, that having more of everything is key to our happiness. For many, a shopping day at the mall is a great delight and MasterCard rejoices when they go there!

Believer, there is a spiritual discipline that restores sanity!
It is called, simplicity. What is this? It is the conscious choice to be a person who understands who God is calling us to be and focusing on that. It is the decision to pray to become contented with who we are, what we have, and where we are.

We stop looking at others and comparing ourselves.
We refuse to buy things we don't want to impress people we don't like.
We give away stuff we no longer use, instead of renting storage space to keep it until it molds and we are forced to throw it away.
We give thanks for what we have instead of begging God for more.
We work to understand the gift(s) of the Spirit He's given to us and to use it for His glory, right where we are, today!
We simplify our menu, unclutter our closet, and learn that saying 'no' to yet another appeal is just fine.
We refuse debt, financial and emotional, choosing to live in what we can afford, and not borrowing against tomorrow.

Here's what Jesus said. "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:22-24, NLT) What's your vision for life? If it is a clear vision, fixed on truth, and focused around the goodness of God, you will live freely, soberly, and with contentment. If it is corrupted by materialism, sensuality, celebrity, greed, or other common American 'values,' you will descend ever deeper into the confusion of trying to fill the longing for meaning with things that can never satisfy your soul.

Say 'yes' to worship, deep and intimate worship of the Lord, our God. Learn to revel in the beauty of a bird's song, the giggle of a child, the grace He promises 'just for today.' You will, in these choices, break the power of the conspiracy of self and Satan to make you a slave to reputation, stuff, and activities. Find others who are at peace with themselves, who are refusing the lie of more.

Then, dear Believer, you will discover the blessing of less.

Your Will Be Done, On Earth As In Heaven

Kathy (not her real name) was angry. She claimed that her husband was a selfish, miserable, critical man all the time! I have no reason to doubt that she was mostly telling the truth. The subtext of the story is that life has been turned inside out for her over the last few years - health problems, family turmoil - being just two of the difficult things in her life. She is a Believer and prays. Like many Christians, she thinks that Jesus should make her happy, that prayer should work like aspirin to make pain disappear, and that her Pastor should be able to dispense a spiritual prescription to make life easier.

Following Jesus is not a plan to make Kathy, or me, or you necessarily more happy by current standards. Jesus does not guarantee us smoother skin, better sex, or fatter wallets. He promises us His Presence and His Peace! At the Last Supper, to men who were stunned by His declaration that He was going to die, He said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27, NKJV)

And where would they find such peace? In a life intimately connected relationally to Him. He illustrated that by saying, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener." (John 15:1, NIV) "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:9-11, NIV)

When Kathy's anger poured out, I did not condemn her. The truth is that life stinks for her right now! I believe Jesus weeps with her, too. He would not ask her to deny her pain, but He would call her from 'solutions' that are not real answers. He would point her to the necessity of making the choice to trust God, to ask Him for the miracle of bold love for her husband that mixes honesty and empathy, challenge and comfort. God can use her then to minister grace to this man who is working through his own struggles with life's disappointments and issues of faith.

Contemporary 'wisdom' would counsel Kathy to issue an ultimatum to Jim (not his real name) and if he does not change, to divorce him and try again. God's wisdom says "I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." (Luke 6:27-28, NLT) Obedience provides an opportunity for God to finish His work in us, for us to know grace, and for depth of intimacy with Him to grow. And faith allows God to do amazing things in the world around us.

Jesus says, "I will never leave you, never forsake you." Is that your hope today, Believer, to live with Him at your side, to be hidden in His love and grace? We are tempted to live as animals live - foraging for food, fighting for security, and reproducing. God calls us higher. He calls us to live in Him, to let His Presence and Peace flow into our lives. Will you believe this promise? "Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:32-33, NKJV) There it is! Invite and submit to His rule - and He will take care of food, security, and the future!

"In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

(Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV)

Today's choice, tomorrow's outcome

Miley Cyrus, a 15 year old star on Disney TV appearing as 'Hannah Montana,' is a role model and the celebrity of the moment for millions of American pre-adolescent girls. Up to yesterday, she enjoyed a "G"-rated, squeaky clean image. Several weeks ago, in a photo shoot with famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, Cyrus allowed some 'artistic' shots to be taken that will be published in a national magazine. Pre-publication release of the photos provoked a storm of criticism and a quick apology by Cyrus for her choice to allow the pictures to be taken. Reading the story, I couldn't help but think of more than a few choices I have made in life that seemed good at the time but which produced a harvest of unintended consequences. How about you? Are you choosing wisely, inviting the best outcome in life? The importance of choosing wisely is a recurring theme in the Scripture! How do we choose wisely?

Most basically, we must decide who is Lord, God or Self. Elijah, the fearless prophet of God at a time when Israel was deeply involved in idolatry, laid down this challenge: "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21, NKJV) Who is in charge of your life, Believer? Have you made an irrevocable choice to embrace God's rule, committing yourself to follow His ways in all things, everyday? None of us does it perfectly! But, we can and, by the power of the Spirit, we will grow in grace and He will forgive us our sins and failures.

If we choose to make Him the Lord of life, it follows that we must discern His purpose. Wouldn't we be foolish to say, "I am a disciple of Christ," but have no idea where is He leading us? Jesus asks, "Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?" (Luke 6:46, NLT) Some who call themselves Christians wrap the Bible around their lives. The words of Jesus become a veneer that hides their own self-will. A disciple who is sincere wraps his life around the Word! Prayerfully, honestly, humbly he gives himself to know and understand the Word and, having internalized it, allows the principles to shape every decision.

It is hard to give up our freedom of choice! For those of us who were taught to value self-expression, personal fulfillment, and happiness above all things, it is a hard thing to kneel before the Cross of Christ and 'die to Self.' I want to do what makes Jerry happy, but I am not my own. Nor are you, Believer. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV) That is not a grim statement of resignation, at all. It is a declaration of a glorious privilege. We are sons, not servants, and we make our Father's will known in this world; "His good, pleasing, and perfect will." (Romans 12.2) The paradox, in terms of human reasoning, is that the person who surrenders himself to God finds is the most free person of all - free from slavery to sin, free from fear of judgment, and free to become the person he was designed to be by his Creator.

What choices are you making today? Are they wise? Are they in keeping with your heritage as God's child?

Jesus promises that choosing wisely to live in the will of God produces the best outcome. Meditate on this passage and let it shape your ways. "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV)
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All to Jesus, I surrender,
all to Him, I freely give.
I will ever love and trust Him,
in His presence daily live.

I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior.
I surrender all!

All to Jesus, I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee.
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

- Judson Van DeVenter - public domain

How to have a great week

"After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself." (1 Samuel 18:1, NIV) The crown prince, Jonathan, became the close friend and ally of David, the man whom God had chosen to take the throne instead of him! That kind of thing was unheard of in a time when kings even killed off their own family members to eliminate competition. In the story, Jonathan defends David, warns him of his father's murderous rage, and respects God's call to the very end of his life. Where we would expect to find rivalry and defensiveness, we find two men who love each other deeply. Both of their lives were enriched by their relationship.

Some think that love is a sign of weakness. Such persons live defensively, are quick to take offense, are always protecting their dignity and insisting that others give them what they believe they are entitled to receive. If another steps in front of them in a line, agitation sets in. If someone does not listen to them, they are angry. When overlooked for a promotion or recognition they feel they deserve, they sulk and even sabotage the one who was rewarded. But love is actually the expression of amazing strength of character. Those who live in love choose to live at peace, giving respect without the need to have it returned. Instead of seeing others as competitors or life as a contest, each day brings them opportunities to care for others- good, bad, noble, base, young, old, powerful, weak - it just doesn't matter!

Jesus is the model of this kind of life. He boldly loved others. In a time when children were treated much differently than we treat them today, He allowed them to climb onto his lap and 'blessed' them. That word, by the way, does not just mean he pronounced a prayer over them. It can mean He made them laugh by raising their spirits! He did not consider Himself too good to sit down to eat with those who lives were moral wrecks. For that He earned the scorn of the religious elite who thought they were insulting Him when they called Him "friend of sinners." He took their words as commendation that He was truly doing God's work! On the night when His own heart was broken as He faced the Cross, He did not insist on being comforted. Instead, He gathered His friends at Passover dinner and washed their feet! "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." (John 13:15, NIV) And, then He chose to die for the sins of the world - the Sinless One taking on the sins of the world - and making us right with our Father. "Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends!"

Do you love well? Those who live in love enrich others and they are made rich in return! Love is a choice to become aware of others, to put their needs before our own, and to appropriately express concern. A person who loves takes himself out of the center of things and gives his attention to those around him. Here's a word from the Word. It is familiar, but read it with thought, prayerfully asking the Lord of Love to give you understanding of what it means.
"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:16-19, NLT)

Go, love your world! When you do, you will have a great week, for you will be pleasing your Heavenly Father and you will experience the joy of His Presence.