Complex World, Simple Faith

Here are the truths that are the core of my life:

1. God, the Creator, governs the world.
2. I can know Him because of Jesus Christ, His Son, who is my Lord and Savior.
3. The Holy Spirit lives in me, empowering me to serve His purposes.

It is a simple faith but I am not ashamed to admit that wrestle with doubts daily. Things like cancer and human cruelty in all its various forms, beg me to question God's power and presence. If I listen to the nagging negative voices, I grow confused. I cannot make decisions. Life stalls! So, for me, the choice is made - I belong to God and, by His grace, I will continue to love and serve Him for the rest of my days. Like Joshua who led the Israelites into their Promised Land, I say: "Choose today whom you will serve. … But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, NLT)

Is your ‘faith’ more like a complicated contract than a simple statement? 

Once I struggled mightily to make faith 'fit' the complexity of the world around me. I wanted answers and explanations. My prayers often formed around the question - 'why?' I now enjoy a deep abiding sense of God's Presence in this world. It is not that my life has become simpler! If anything, it is even more complex now than ever. I carry a greater load of responsibility for more people and a larger organization than I have at any time. Decisions that I make or in which I am a participant have a direct effect on the lives of others. That is, at least partially, why I have come to a faith that is more distilled around this core truth- Jesus cares and loves me, therefore, I can love and care for others.

I no longer try to negotiate with God, nor do I feel any need to beg for His favor. I am convinced that "God is for me, not against me." I live in the confidence that nothing that comes my way is too big for Him, will surprise Him, or can overcome His gracious love. Am I a simpleton who lacks a grasp of the possibilities for pain or disappointment that exist all around me? Not at all.  I am still very much part of this world which is, 'with devils filled and threatens to undo us!' (Martin Luther)  An overarching truth secures me. I am a subject of the King whose power has triumphed over sin, Hell, and death. I set my hope in Christ Jesus of whom I say - "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12-14, NIV)

Choose simple faith.

From the Word, understand the core Truth of God's eternal nature, of the triumph of Christ, and of the Spirit's power - and place those things at the center of your life. Ask the Lord to teach you to respond in faith to the issues of your life, choosing the way of the faithful consistently. And, you will find rock-like stability in a confusing, complex world!

 In our word from the Word, James reminds us of the importance of simple faith. Read it carefully and prayerfully.

"If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help.
You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it.
Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.
People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves.
Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way,
adrift at sea, keeping all your options open." (James 1:5-8, The Message)

 There are still many complex questions around the 'what, when, where, why, and how' of life! But, knowing Who holds the answers to those questions in His eternal mind is my rock of assurance. Do you know Him? Is He really Lord? Then, trust Him!

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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
Ira Sankey
Public Domain

An Adventure of Faith!

Some recent choices in my own life have put me way out on a limb, far from my own comfort zone. I believe that the Lord is leading me in those decisions but as is often the case, it’s not all smooth sailing on calm seas! I am trekking through faith’s wild territory and I am not enjoying it all that much today. There are parts of me that would like the safe, predictable, ‘easy to sleep at night’ life I left behind!  

When we accept the invitation of Christ Jesus when He says, “come, follow me,” inevitably He leads us into situations that demand faith. Owning His promises happens only when we are willing to let go of our own security. I admit that it is much easier to preach about living by faith than it is to actually do it!

I find the hero named Joshua a source of encouragement. When he responded to God’s call after the death of Moses, he was given the privilege of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. Doesn’t that sound glamorous? Well, it was something wonderful! It was also something fearful that Joshua could not do in his strength. Immediately after giving Josh his commission, the LORD said “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do." (Joshua 1:6-7, NLT)  "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NLT)

God does not repeat Himself without reason! He knew that once the people crossed the Jordan River and the battle for conquest was started, it would demand more from Joshua than he thought possible, so the phrase “be strong and courageous” needed to be embedded in his mind and heart.

If you want to live in God’s Promised Land, you too will need to ‘be strong and courageous.’ Taking on habits of Self and sin is not an endeavor for the faint of heart. It is hard to live in love, to extend forgiveness, to give away yourself in service. A noble character develops only at great cost to our ego. Letting go of the tried and true is fearful and a hundred voices will tell you you’re a fool. Radical Christianity that sets aside the need for self-expression in favor of holy obedience to Christ in all things sounds glamorous, but in reality is a battle with Satan, Self, and World Systems that seek to sabotage God’s will. Here’s the greatest thing that only those who are willing to walk out genuine faith enjoy: “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!”

Here’s a word from the Word. Let it inspire you to move on into your own adventure of faith.  When things get tough, and they will, remember this. "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-19, NKJV)

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 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God.
Filled with His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song;

Praising my Savior, all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song;
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Christ returns on May 21!

Harold Camping, head of Family Radio and a well-known radio speaker, is not shy about making this prediction:  "Beyond the shadow of a doubt, May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment." The doctrine known as ‘the Rapture’ teaches that Believers will be taken up to heaven, while everyone else will remain on earth where they will experience at time of intense suffering, the result of evil being unleashed.  Human history will then come to a close with the Final Judgment. Camping believes that will happen in October. What is most amazing is how seriously many otherwise level-headed Christians are taking Camping’s prediction. It not just fringe elements. Hundreds of independent churches and thousands of Christians are caught up in the excitement, infected with Rapture fever!

Will Christ actually return on May 21?

I honestly do not know, but neither does Harold Camping. Jesus Christ promised He would return. I believe that promise! But, I also know that thousands of prophets have set dates since the earliest days of Christianity and their predictions are made in defiance of the Lord’s own warning. Jesus said, "No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak." (Mark 13:32-35, NLT)

Camping’s prediction has gained traction because we live in such turbulent times. The uncertainty of the economy, the earthquakes that have shaken Asia, nuclear plants in failure, wars that stretch on without end cause us to long for some relief, to look for an escape, to hope for a Savior to rescue us. In all my adult life, I cannot recall a time when people were as generally pessimistic about the future as they are right now. The 24/7 news media feeds the sense of futility as they endlessly loop video of death and disaster into our living rooms, making us all feel like actors in a disaster movie plot line that never resolves to a conclusion! So, when somebody puts together some dates, makes it all make sense, and promises relief – many are quick to jump aboard the Rapture Express!

Don’t you do it!

We should all be living Jesus taught like He would return this very day. Predictions of the Rapture should not have the least effect on how we live! Holiness should be a part of daily life all the time. Our hope is set on Heaven right now. Our real security is not found in our 401 (k) account or the US Dollar if we belong to Christ.  One of my favorite NT passages is this one. It isn’t just true in the month before a supposed date of the Rapture. It is true and compelling for us all of the time. "So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life." (Colossians 3:1-3, The Message)

I don’t give a shred of credibility to Harold Camping’s prognostications, but I do hope for the coming of the Kingdom of God and I pray, like Jesus taught us to, “may Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”  I hope you do, too.  If you do, it will keep you living right and, in God’s own time, He will welcome us into His Heaven – whether by way of the Second Coming or by way of the grave. In either case, let’s be faithful so as to receive the most coveted commendation: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:21, NIV)

Fanatics? Are you one?

So, the fanatic preacher in Florida put the Quran on ‘trial.’ He convicted it of being a lie and then burned it. Somehow Muslim fanatics in Afghanistan heard about it and are killing anybody that is not ‘them.’  That’s the trouble with fanatics. They are so convinced that they are right, they will do anything to make everyone around them believe and act as they do.  Preacher Jones probably thinks he’s showing his deep devotion to Jesus by burning the Muslim holy book. Most likely the Afghanis believe they are demonstrating their devotion to Allah by killing US soldiers! In fact, both are foolishly in love with an idea, not a person, and therefore, full of misguided zeal.

Jesus Christ calls us to discipleship that is passionate, but not fanatical! He says that even the most powerful human love, that for family, will appear like hatred in comparison to our love for Him. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37-38, NIV) Strong words, aren’t they? But He, does not summon us to mindless fanaticism.

Tim Keller says that the difference between religion and the Gospel is that one leads to a loving life, the other to exclusive fanaticism.  Religion is built around ‘advice on how you must live to earn your way to God. …  if you follow it faithfully and completely, you’ll believe that you have a connection with God… you’ll feel superior to people who have wrong living. If you feel superior to them, … it makes it easier to exclude them, then to hate them, and ultimately to oppress them.  …The Gospel isn’t advice: it’s the good news that you don’t need to earn your way to God, that Jesus has already done it for you.’ (King’s Cross, 2011) There’s no ground for superiority in the Gospel and therefore when we meet those who do not yet believe we will serve them, try to invite them to know Him, too.  We will never fanatically oppress them for we know that love cannot be forced, only received!

The answer often prescribed for fanaticism is moderation. But, true love is never moderate! Who would want to be in love with a person who carefully calculated the cost and perception of his expressions of affection?  I love Bev with a crazy love. I’m drawn to her, spend myself for her, without thought about whether my love is reasonable or costly. But, I am not fanatical about loving her.  If you knew her, you would like her, too. It’s my privilege to introduce her to you, but I feel no compulsion to force you to agree with me about her value, her attractiveness. Do you love Jesus that way? Is He your Life?  Love Him wholeheartedly and singlemindedly. That is not fanaticism; it’s passion.

Here’s a word from the Word. May it renew our passionate love for our Savior and Lord. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." (1 John 3:1-3, NIV)  "This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." (1 John 3:11, NIV)  "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, NIV)

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O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love,
Leading onward, leading homeward,
To my glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o'er His loved ones,
Died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth,
Watcheth o'er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

Love of ev'ry love the best!
'Tis an ocean full of blessing,
'Tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to Thee!

Amen.

O The Deep Deep Love Of Jesus

Francis, Samuel Trevor / Williams, Thomas J.
© Public Domain

Jesus as an accessory

Accessory: an object or device not essential in itself but adding to the beauty, convenience, or effectiveness of something else. (Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

After I bought my cell phone, I felt that I needed to spend even more money on a Case Logic slip case that clips efficiently on my belt, a charger that allows me to charge the battery while in my car, a Blue tooth earpiece which I never used and eventually gave away, and a wired microphone/earphone set which I do use often while driving. These accessories truly do add to the usefulness of my mobile but none of are absolutely essential to its function as a communication device.

 Today I pose a simple question that will require deep thought to answer:
Is Jesus Christ an accessory in your life?

The Word says "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4, NLT) Christ is your life! That statement is not open to debate, but God allows us to believe it or reject it.

Many, I am convinced, think that Christ is their life because they are moral, or church going, or socially acceptable. But, if closely questioned, you would discover that Christ is an accessory, not the essential part of who they are. They pray not so much to commune with God, but rather to ‘get things.’ Jesus is rather like a super rabbit’s foot charm. Keeping Him ‘round, it is hoped, will make life go better, ward off bad spirits, and eventually open Heaven’s doors. Meanwhile, the real center of real life is Self.  I’m not writing about somebody who is terrible, evil, or cruel.  

People for whom Christ is not ‘life’ may still be the nicest person on the block, quick to encourage, and often in church.  But, the core issue is ownership. Those who chose to own their Life cannot be owned by Him.  As a result, meaning and purpose comes not from Christ, but from some part of themselves. They may even love the idea of a “Christ” who saves, the theology of a God who loves.

 If “Christ is our life” He defines everything about us. Our value as a person comes from receiving the love of God through Christ Jesus. Our hope, in life and death, is anchored securely to the promises of Christ come Hell or high water!  We will raise our kids, not to pursue wealth or fame, but to love God ‘with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ Our fulfillment is only in knowing that we loved Him, not simply in word, but with our entire being.  If we are in Christ who we are becomes inseparable from Who He is!

 Here’s how Jesus taught about being our life. Ponder this word from the Word today with a prayer that the Holy Spirit will reveal the majesty of the Christ life to you and through you.

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. (see Galatians 5:22-23) For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned." (John 15:3-6, NLT)
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My Life Is In You

My life is in You, Lord,

My strength is in You, Lord,
My hope is in You, Lord,
In You, it's in You.
My life is in You, Lord,
My strength is in You, Lord,
My hope is in You, Lord,
In You, it's in You.

I will praise You

With all of my life,
I will praise You
With all of my strength.
With all of my life,
With all of my strength.
All of my hope is in You.

It's in You,

It's in You,
In You.

 Gardner, Daniel

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