Graves-of-the-Craving!

Just as we were finishing a delicious dinner, the lights went out! A line of powerful storms knocked out the power in our area. For the next 2½ hours we sat around waiting- no water, no lights, no TV – just a book on my Nook. I don’t generally wake up with a gratefulness in my heart for the services of Jersey Central Power and Light but I did this morning. That loss of electricity was really nothing but a minor inconvenience, but it caused me to think about how much goes right in my life. My car starts right up each day, but do I appreciate that? Not until that one morning, it doesn’t!

I tend to focus on the exceptions; spending way too much time talking about the things that go wrong. I am going to work on re-training! I want to start being thankful in all those situations where people show up on time, where things work to make my life more comfortable. Instead of complaining about the rain, I want to give thanks for the sunshine. Rather than gripe about the temperature of my coffee, I want to give thanks that I have coffee to drink.

Some physicians are suggesting that one of the reasons our kids have more allergies is that they are being raised in such clean environs. When their little bodies don’t have to deal with dirt, dust, and allergens as they develop, the immune system actually becomes overly sensitive, kicking up at the least irritant. I wonder if many of us have developed spiritual allergies! Have we been so blessed in life that our ability to cope with the inevitable disappointments is diminished? Are we so sensitive to our own comfort and convenience that we over-react to minor power outages, people that drive too slowly, and other ‘failures’ around us?

Let’s take a lesson in gratitude from the negative example of the ancient Israelites. Every morning the LORD gave them food for the day. Manna (literally – ‘what’s it?’) was a perfectly balanced heavenly food that they just picked up off the ground each morning during their wilderness trek from Egypt to the Promised Land. Were they grateful? Did they appreciate the marvelous gift of their Father? Apparently not. "The riffraff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, “Why can’t we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt—and got it free!—to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna.”  (Numbers 11:4-6, The Message) It might appear comical, but the LORD was not amused and the Scripture says that “God’s anger blazed against them.”  

Many of them died when He gave them what they wanted, thousands of quail, which they caught and ate, choking on the meat! “God swept quails in from the sea. They piled up to a depth of about three feet in the camp and as far out as a day’s walk in every direction. All that day and night and into the next day the people were out gathering the quail …  But while they were still chewing the quail and had hardly swallowed the first bites, God’s anger blazed out against the people. He hit them with a terrible plague. They ended up calling the place Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves-of-the-Craving). There they buried the people who craved meat.”  (Nu 11:31-34)

Here’s a word from the Word.

"Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods." (Psalm 96:1-4, NIV)

Let me suggest that you take a few moments right now to thank the Lord for all the things that are going right, for all the people who make your life better, for His grace and favor which is poured out on us even when we deserve only His rebuke and/or judgment.

__________________

Father in Heaven, I confess my frequent ingratitude.

Forgive me for focusing on the exceptions.

You are a rich Provider.

I thank you for the food on my table,
the friends that surround me,

the ability to work, think, worship, and play.

I pray that “words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
will be pleasing in your sight,  O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Jesus Christ, be Lord of my heart.

Spirit of the Lord, keep me in tune with Heaven’s melodies this day.
Amen.

Second Coming - this Saturday!

The Second Coming – Coming Saturday

Yes another "Bible Teacher" thinks he has found the 'hidden meanings' of the Scripture and determined that God's Judgment Day is May 21! In the run up to his conclusion, he sets aside the clear warning of Jesus about date setting for the Second Coming found in Acts 1:7 where we read: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority." (Acts 1:7, NIV)

Here's why I get so irritated with those who try to figure out a date for the Second Coming or the Judgment or the Rapture of the Church: it diminishes the credibility and importance of the Truth. Even many devoted Christians are skeptical about the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ because of all the false date-setting. The “Blessed Hope” is for many an obscure doctrine relegated to the back pages of our minds.

Jesus Christ will return to earth and that He will establish the Kingdom of God visibly among us. It is a bedrock doctrine of my Christian faith. Every day we live is we are another day closer to the Last Days. Indeed we live on the edge of Judgment. Are you shocked?  "Jerry, do you actually believe the 2011 prophets?" I think they a terrible hindrance to the work of God right here, right now.  Still, I believe that we are living in the Last Days for two reasons.

• ·         The first is that history and prophecy look very different to our eternal God than they do to us who live 'in the moment' and with a grasp on a very short window in time.

•          Second, Jesus knows that for each of us the 'last days' are a reality. Generations come and go so quickly. In our lives the opportunity to do God's work is now, for tomorrow may never come. In that sense, I believe that I am living in the last days.

The promise of the Second Coming is of great comfort, but adds no urgency to my life. Even if I could know for certain that the Second Coming of Christ was 48 hours away, little in my life would change! I am doing His work right now, living for Him right now, trusting His Word right now, and obeying His will right now.  That is as it should be.

Jesus told a story of servants who were prepared for the return of the owner of the household. "Be ready and keep your lamps burning just like those servants who wait up for their master to return from a wedding feast. As soon as he comes and knocks, they open the door for him. Servants are fortunate if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you that he will get ready and have his servants sit down so he can serve them." (Luke 12:35-37, CEV)

Keep the promise of His coming in mind. Hope and pray for that day when evil is defeated, suffering is ended; when the things we did not understand are made plain. It is the day of vindication for all those who gave their lives and fortune for the cause of Christ. Their sacrifices await the Day of His Glorious Return when the jeers of the mockers will be silenced!

I hope that you are living in a way that welcomes the day of His appearing, be it today, on Saturday, or in a hundred years. May Jesus find us living faithfully, hopefully. Here is a word from the Word. Take it to heart today.

"Yes, I’m on my way! I’ll be there soon! I’m bringing my payroll with me. I’ll pay all people in full for their life’s work. I’m A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion. "How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they’ll walk through the gates to the City." (Revelation 22:12-14, The Message)

____________

Troublesome times are here,
filling men's hearts with fear,

Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake;

But, humbling your hearts to God,

Saves from the chast'ning rod,

Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake!

Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon,

Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound,

All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the sky,

Going where no one dies, Heavenward bound!

Troubles will soon be o'er, happy forevermore,

When we meet on that shore free from all care,

Rising up in the sky, telling this world goodbye,

Homeward we then shall fly, Glory to share!

Jesus is Coming Soon
© 1942, 1970 R.E. Winsett Music Company (Admin.

by Sacred Music, a Trust)

Conceit or Centered on Jesus?

I spent the better of yesterday under the gun of meetings, phone calls, and deadlines! There was no question that it was day of pressure. At the end of the day, I could not gladly ask a benediction of the Spirit on what had been done. Wondering why my soul felt such lack of peace, I reflected on my words and thoughts. It was then the conceit of Self that had subtly wormed into my heart became obvious. Instead of accepting each responsibility along with the grace promised by my Father, I took the work into my own hands, which eventually led a sense of being ‘burdened.’  Where I was invited to participate in His work I saw only how “I” was being pressed. Isn’t that ugly? Even when presented the opportunity to show Christ Jesus’ love to a homeless woman when she called looking for housing at 8 PM, I responded only out of duty, not with real grace. Selfish conceit (“Couldn’t you have called me at 5 instead of 8?”) took away my ability to find and know the Spirit’s strength in that moment.

God promises to renew our strength, to provide grace for every moment. One of my mottos says “Where God guides, He provides.” That is not mere sentiment. He is our Provider. In his greatest hour of trial, Abraham choose to trust God totally and with the appearance of the ram in the thicket that was to replace his son on the altar, he worshipped “Yahweh Yireh” – the Lord, My Provider! We cannot know what He has provided if we are full of ourselves, if we resent others for asking much of us, or if we complain when we feel the pressures of life. Remember the ancient Israelites. God fed them and led them each day. They had all that they needed, yet they grew conceited and expressed only contempt for that which He freely gave to them. Because they were not humble before Him to receive each day’s manna, when it came time to enter the Promised Land, their conceit concealed His power from them. Lacking the boldness of a God-centered faith, they saw only the walled cities and inhabitants that became ‘giants’ in their twisted perspective.

Pressure will come. For those of us who are His disciples, this world is not a resting place. It is a battleground. We cannot stand in our own strength. Our own resources are insufficient to overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Luther’s hymn richly reminds us that “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing!” So, when weariness comes, I hope that I will dethrone Self and bow my head and heart before the One who leads me from strength to strength.

Here’s a word from the Word. May the truth inspire us to be centered on Jesus and defeat conceit.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:7-9, NIV)  "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV)

_________________

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, 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 truth 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.

A Mighty Fortress

Martin Luther

Dad, what do you think?

I miss my Dad today. I would love to be able to have a cup of coffee and talk over life with him. Chrissie was here this weekend. More than once she said, "Dad, what do you think?" as she talked about some decisions Peter and she are making about the future. She's an independent adult and I have the highest confidence that she will choose wisely. Nothing I shared with her was earth-shaking. She just wanted the blessing of Dad's experience and wisdom. And, I'd sure like some of that right now, too.


I am one big question this morning. "What should I do? Where can I go for advice? Is there anyone who can point me in the right direction?" I am not questioning God's existence. I am not dealing with doubt as to His goodness. I am not seeking a new career or calling. I feel an acute need to be 'fathered' by Him today, to benefit from His wisdom to know His correction and/or affirmation. Yesterday our worship team sang, "Oh, Lead Me" in church. It was a personal prayer for me. "Draw me to my knees, so we can talk... let me know You're here with me."

When we are unsettled, when multiple challenges face us, it is a time of vulnerability to temptation. Under that pressure, we are much more likely to seek comfort in the wrong places or to make a choice that gives a quick result but that sabotages future success. The more desperation we feel, the more likely we are to grab for something, anything, that soothes the soul. Time and experience confirms the wisdom of the Scripture that urges me to lay aside the questions and to 'be still!' The full passage counsels the saint torn by indecision to pause and look up. "Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." The Lord of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress." (Psalm 46:8-11, NLT)

It is important, too, to pray honest prayers. James reminds us to ask! "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5, NIV) That wisdom may arrive as an inspired thought, a flash of insight. It may be an article you just 'happen' to read. It may be a passage from the Word that takes new light. Perhaps a friend will sense your need and be moved by the Spirit to come alongside and help.

When we ask, we must listen. Listening prayer can be the most difficult kind. But, we must discipline our minds to stop talking, to stop rehearsing our fear or uncertainty so can we can hear the 'still, small voice' that whispers God's assurance to us.

And, then, we must choose patience. Jesus spoke of turbulent times that would come upon the earth and gave this counsel to His disciples. "In your patience possess ye your souls." (Luke 21:19, KJV) Memorize those 7 words and when you're filled with questions, repeat them. What do they mean? "Patience" is a translation of the NT Greek word - 'hupomone' (hoop-om-on-ay) - and it means 'standing firm.' A literal translation would be to 'stand up under pressure.' So, the counsel here is that we renew resolve. Square your shoulders. Show some grit!

Dad is gone. But, the echoes of his counsel, offered to me many times in the past are drawn from one of his favorite Psalms. Let it be your word from the Word for this day.

"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."
(Psalm 37:2-7, NLT)