A Popeye Moment

Bill Hybels, pastor and author, in his book, Holy Discontent, talks about having a Popeye moment.  Seeing people sit through church unengaged, unmoved, he finally said to himself, “That’s all I can stands I can’t stands no more!”  He calls it his Popeye moment, when God used his frustration to stir up discontent that led to starting Willow Creek Church. It was not just about being uncomfortable or wanting things done his way. It was about realizing that the stakes were so high he had to take the risk to do something radical!

I am praying that God will let you see the problems of the world around you in such a stark, disturbing way that you, too, will have a Popeye moment.  And, I pray that when it happens, you won’t run away, look for an easier assignment, or try to divert your attention.  No, I pray that it will make you fall on your knees and tell the Lord, “I want to be part of the solution. Use me, Lord, no matter the cost, to be a life-changer.”  The Church and Spirit-filled Christians are the last, best hope of this dying world. We stand on the line between life and death, between Hell and Heaven.  In the ancient land of Judah, the Lord saw the great sins of the people and said, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30, NIV)    Is that what He’s saying about this land, our time?

Do you know that people are dying and headed for Hell?  Do you know that people are living in a kind of Hell, right here?  We all know that, but will we let ourselves see it, feel it, bear the weight of it?

The burden of the call of God to be His ambassadors, to serve as His hands, can be a heavy one. But, if we will let ourselves feel the weight, like Bill Hybels we just might come to a real moment of holy discontent that changes everything.  We just won’t be able to play church and call it “Christian living” any longer.  We will scream a prayer of desperation that says, “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more,” and in that moment find Jesus’ promise fulfilled.  What promise? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NIV)

Are you a bored Believer?  Are you drifting from church to church looking for better worship, more ‘relevant’ preaching, or a kid’s program that rival’s a Disney production?  May I frankly suggest that the boredom will disappear if the discontent with life is replaced by holy discontent  that causes you to put on the yoke of ministry?  The paradox is that when you’re willing to spend yourself in the work of the Kingdom, a kind of satisfaction comes to you that nothing else can equal.

There is a story from an ‘ordinary’ day in Jesus’ life.  He was traveling with His disciples and paused by a well in Samaria.  While they went off in search of food, He sat.  A women whose life we would call ‘dysfunctional’ came at mid-day to draw water.  The only reason anyone would be out carrying water at mid-day was to avoid contact with others. She was ashamed of her life. Jesus saw her desperation, gave her hope, and she was changed. When the disciples came back with lunch, He said this:  “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!" (John 4:34-36, NLT)

________________

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into eternity

Brooke Ligertwood

© 2006 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

He sees ... straight into my heart

He sees… straight into my heart

When I was a teenager and my mother was challenging something I had done, I did what kids do – argue and offer up the usual excuses to avoid dealing with the truth. Mom’s signature line, one that always got to me was,  “Well, son, God knows you heart. You can fool me but you can never fool Him.”  Back then, I mostly thought of His piercing vision in a threatening way.  It has become a deeply comforting thing to me these days. When I am misunderstood, when I try to do good and things go wrong, I remember that He sees, He knows, and He will reveal it all at the Judgment Seat.  Confessing that keeps me honest with myself, too.  I realize that a thin veneer of ‘holy talk’ is no substitute for an authentic spirituality.

God sent Jeremiah down to the newly renovated Temple in Jerusalem with a message of correction.  The people thought they could do whatever they wanted to do and avoid His judgment as long as they showed up to go through the rituals of worship.  When told that God would destroy the nation, they insisted He would not.  “His Temple is here and He would never allow that holy place to be ruined,” they thought. But, they reasoned wrongly.  Take a look at the pointed sermon: “Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.”… (you) stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—… But I have been watching! declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 7:2-11, NIV)

God is watching. Does that comfort you or make you shudder?  He sees past the songs you sing and the prayers you say in church.  Is that reason for joy or dread?

The grace of God, shown to us in Christ Jesus, is deep and wide. His grace is greater than our sin.  In immaturity some confuse this message, believing that there is no need to deal with sinful decisions, no need to practice the disciplines that lead to holiness.  “I go to church. I’m baptized. I take Communion. I tithe.”  And somehow they come to believe that greed, lust, pride, hate, discrimination, or selfishness can go on unchecked in their lives.  The Word pointedly addresses this with this insightful question: "So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving?" (Romans 6:1, The Message)  No! For we have died with Christ so how can we go on living in sin?  It’s time for new life aligned with Him.

“ I have been watching! declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 7:11, NIV)  Remember that. Thank Him that He knows you better than you know yourself. Let Him lead you to discipleship that is without hypocrisy, that is remains steadfast even when misjudged, that serves just as eagerly when nobody’s watching as it does when the spotlight is shining on you. Indeed, He is “The God Who Sees.”

" For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”" (1 Peter 3:11-12, NIV)

____________

Watching Over You

When your waving

Your hands up in the air.

When your shouting,

No matter when or where,

God's seeing everything you do,

'Cause He's watching, watching over you!

God is watching, watching over you

24/7,  watching over you

Your life is in His hands, whoa!

He's got great big plans

'Cause He's watching over you!

Jay Stocker

© 2012 Group Publishing, Inc.

CCLI License # 810055

I can't hear You...

I can’t hear You

My dog, Samantha, is an Irish Setter.  Her breed, I am told, is a stubborn one,  a trait borne out by her occasion refusal to respond to my call.  I know she hears me, but the scents in the yard are just so interesting, she  ignores me until she sees me walking toward her. Then, she decides to trot quickly to the door!  During one of her stubborn moments a few days ago, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Jerry, you’re sometimes like this with Me.  I call, you hear, but you are so taken up with things that interest you, you choose to ignore Me.”

There are consequences- good and bad – involved in our choices about  obedience. “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed." (Deuteronomy 28:1-3, NLT) "The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul." (Deuteronomy 30:10, NLT) Don’t cheapen that promise by turning it into a kind of ‘let’s make a deal’ proposition. God is inviting us into a holy covenant, where we will experience the blessing of daily grace.

Do you believe that because Christians live in the era of grace, the principles of obedience and blessings no longer are in effect?  I beg to differ! God, as a good and loving Father, has always been gracious as well as just and holy.  We are His children and as such, we are to live in a way that is responsive to His will, not just when it’s to our liking, but all the time.  In that ready obedience, we discover His provision of peace.   Those who love the Lord, their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength find the "path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter ‘till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4:18, NIV)  Even obedient Christians will  go through earthquakes and hurricanes, deal with temptation, and have bodies that break with age.  But, as children of God we can experience even those difficulties differently. We do not fall into despair and bitterness. We wait for the mercy of our Savior and are comforted by His sweet Presence! 
 
Take care not to fall into an entitled mindset. “I’ve been good, Lord, so You owe me.”  That is an expression of religious duty. It produces the kind of hypocrisy that infuriated Jesus when he saw it in the Pharisees. Those who obey only to gain the favor of the Lord will look for a minimal compliance to God’s demands that will keep the blessings coming. Go deeper! We receive His grace and give ourselves to love Him, both passionately and intentionally. When we enter the Divine Romance, He leads us and even the dark days are made, by His hand, a source of blessing and grace. This I believe with all my heart!
 
 Are you listening to the Spirit, obedient to the Word?
Are you delighting in His way, dying to Self, discovering grace on grace?
 
Here’s a word from the Word. Will you receive and live in the promise?
"You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? 

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people." (Isaiah 64:5-11, NIV)
_________________
Refiner's Fire

Purify my heart,

Let me be as gold

And precious silver.

Purify my heart,

Let me be as gold,

Pure gold.

Refiner's fire!

My heart's one desire

Is to be holy;

Set apart for You, Lord.

I choose to be holy,

Set apart for You, my Master,

Ready to do Your will.

Brian Doerksen

© 1990 Vineyard Songs Canada (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

No Magic In It

Throughout the Bible, there are references to a spiritual discipline that we largely ignore: fasting. Many Christians have no real idea what a 'fast' is. A fast is a voluntary abstention from something we enjoy, most often, food. There are various kinds of fasts. A "Daniel fast" is a diet of plain foods, modeled after Daniel's refusal of the king's choice foods in favor of vegetables. A complete fast is just what is says, not eating at all, usually only for a day or two. Limited fasts are urged by Church tradition during Lent. These fasts are extended and involve setting aside a food group. Some forego meat, for example, during the observance.

So, why all this attention to deprivation? There are two things involved in a fast. The first is the spiritual discipline of subjecting the body's appetites to our control. More importantly, a fast is a way to focus our attention on the Lord and His work. Nearly every reference to fasting in the New Testament is the context of prayer. Jesus fasted when He went through the wilderness testing where He was engaged in intense prayer. The apostles coupled prayed with fasting when they were asking for the will of God to be revealed. Fasting can be a way to add intensity to our prayers. 

It can also be a way to call attention to ourselves! That is a terrible misuse of the discipline and is a sin. Like all our worship, we must not turn it into a performance for people. It is about loving and honoring God. The Lord plainly taught: "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." (Matthew 6:16-18, NLT) Nothing twists spiritual devotion inside out more quickly than making it about admiration! And, few things earn more admiration than an extended fast. Why? Because we all know how difficult it is to give up the food we love so much! So, Jesus warns us to keep our devotion to ourselves so that the focus stays on hearing God. 

Some, because of a misunderstanding of the Scripture, attach a magical quality to fasting. They say things like: "You want to get healed? Fast!" In that worldview, fasting can produce all kinds of results. Truthfully, there is no magic in it. That kind of fasting is more like a hunger strike designed to force God into action which is utter foolishness. God is not impressed if I starve. He cares little for what's on my plate! What He does care about is the content of my heart. If my heart needs to be reordered by the discipline of fasting, then I must do it as a means of opening myself to the work of the Spirit . We fast, not for Him, but for ourselves in order that we will know and serve Him better. In that intimacy, we find spiritual power that flows from prayers that go beyond "Bless us everyone, Amen." 

In this season of Lent, I encourage you to use the discipline of fasting as a tool for growth. Experiment with it, prayerfully. Engage yourself deeply enough to feel some pain and offer that to the Spirit. Never forget that the truest fasting involves setting aside our love of ourselves. Isaiah challenges the idea that giving up some food or comfort is the real issue. As you think about this, hear this challenge from the Spirit.

"You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like a blade of grass in the wind. You dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord? "No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help." (Isaiah 58:5-7, NLT)

"Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day." (Isaiah 58:10, NLT)    

Father in Heaven, I am incurably religious.

I slip too quickly into making our songs, fasts, and Bible Studies

the focus of my faith instead of pursuing You.

Call me persistently. Teach me to wait patiently.

Renew my spirit as You move deeply within me,

As You remind me of Your goodness in moments of wonder

scattered throughout my ordinary day.

When Self struts, call me to a fast that restores order.

Help me  to keep in step with the Spirit,

hearing the cadence of Heaven today.

In Jesus' holy Name I pray. Amen.

It's not in the Bible

We are a few days into the season that many Christians call, “Lent.”  One of the oldest traditions of Christianity, Lent is the name for a fast, extending for 40 days prior to the celebration of Easter, that is intended to make us more aware of the Presence of the Holy Spirit.  When I spoke of Lent one congregant remarked, “but it’s not in the Bible.”  Yes, that is true, but neither is the celebration of Christmas. These fasts and feasts are part of our traditions to help us, not hinder us; to encourage us in our faith, not to become things we worship. It’s easy to miss the point of any tradition. An example is Christmas gift-giving. It should remind us of God’s Gift of His Son, Jesus. Many have made it just an orgy of consumerism. 

Lent can be a time to be reminded of the Eternal Life that gives meaning to our present life. It should  remind us that we more than our appetites for food, pleasure, and/or sex. Some of us miss the point entirely by looking for some little thing to ‘give up for Lent,’ that has no real impact; as in, “I gave up chocolate Hershey Kisses.”  Then, too, some turn Lent into a kind of religious boasting.  “I gave up Facebook for Lent.”  “Oh, yeah? Well, I gave up watching TV entirely!”  Once again, the point of it all is missed entirely. Jesus said “Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1, NLT)

The church I grew up in mostly ignored the Church’s calendar.  The thought was that the tradition was ‘too religious,’ and that we who were reputedly ‘people of the Spirit,’ had no need of such reminders.  They had a point. If you and I are living a life that is vibrantly, intimately in touch with the Holy Spirit,  we will already be fasting, serving, giving, listening, praying – all aims of the celebration of seasons like Lent.  Human nature being what it is, though, we forget the Heavenly and become slaves of the urgency of the present, don’t we?  That is why we need regular reminders that life is not just about our next meal.

While Lent is not ‘in the Bible,’ the idea of fasts and feasts certainly is.  God called His people to regular times of renewal.  The Jews were called to festivals that celebrated God’s goodness at intervals spread throughout the calendar year.  A cornerstone of their dedication was the Sabbath, setting aside one day in 7 to worship the Creator whose own creative acts established the pattern of work and worship.  I urge you to take time to pray about a fast during Lent.  Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to set aside some part of daily life for this season and to use that choice as an ‘offering of worship’ that turns your heart towards God, that makes you aware of both your craving for stuff and your desperate reliance on the Spirit for life.

The paradox is that our private devotion can become the fertile soil in which the seeds of a beautiful life grows.  Others will take note, not of our fast, but of the Spirit-life that emerges. Here’s a word from the Word.  “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, The Message)