Please pass the Xanax; or let us pray?

Hundreds of opportunities are available to keep us in a full state of anxiety.  Republicans are about to impoverish millions of Americans. Democrats are going to bankrupt the nation. The earth is reported to be warming and cataclysmic climate changes are certain to leave our coastal cities under water and our fertile farm land will turn into a desert that stretches from Minnesota to Mississippi!  The most dangerous thing you will do today is drive.  On the road with you are teenagers who lack skills and experience, trucks that are not properly maintained, and people talking on cell phones whose driving is impaired as much as if they had two alcoholic drinks.  If they crash into your car, you may severely injured and unable to work - which will lead to your inability to pay your bills.  Maybe I should worry that I watch too much television.

Yes, worry flourishes. Medications for anxiety are the most prescribed pills in our nation.  Blitzer, Matthew, and O'Reilly make a very good living by stoking our fears with whirling graphics, ominous music, and charts in vivid colors. All of the noise and fury of our media culture keeps most of us from realizing that on the whole we live amazingly good lives in a very wonderful society.  It's not Heaven, but most of our fears are tremendously overblown and exaggerated.

For those times and situations in our lives that are cause for anxiety, the Bible gives us a tremendously wonderful invitation. This passage is a mix of realistic appraisals of the threats we face and the resources we are richly provided for dealing with those threats.   

"Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."  

(1 Peter 5:6-10, NKJV)

Christians may cease worrying and to choose to live under God's rule, secure in His provisions for each day, if they so choose.  When we keep on worrying, we are disobedient and displease our Heavenly Father.   A friend has insisted that  "Fear is sin!"  When he first said it, I argued with him, but the more I have thought about what he said, the more truth I realized it contains!  I cannot control the arrival of thoughts that tempt to me to be afraid and/or to worry, but I do have a choice about what to do with those thoughts.  I can persist in worry, which is an act of disobedience and therefore, sin. Or I can prayerfully carry my friends, my world; all my fears; to my Abba. The promise of the Word is that in that choice I may enjoy the gift of  the 'peace of God which transcends human understanding.'

What will you do with those things, big and small, that threaten your peace and security today?  

Will you worry or will you pray?  

Will you make great the Name of God in praise and reverent worship?
That creates faith which moves mountains!

Failing true worship and deep faith, our only choice is to attempt being our own god, trying mightily to 'manage the risks' which we know are ultimately beyond our control. And, that is futility.  

Linger awhile with this word from the Word.

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!
Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!  

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.  

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."

  (Philippians 4:4-8, The Message)

_____________________________

Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, I need Thee.

Come, sweet Spirit I pray.

Come, in Thy strength and Thy power;

Come in Thy own gentle way.

Come as a wisdom to children

Come as new sight to the blind

Come Lord as strength to my weakness

Take me soul body and mind

Come as a rest to the weary

Come as a balm for the sore

Come as a dew to my dryness

Fill me with joy evermore

Come like a spring in the desert

Come to the withered of soul

O let Thy sweet healing power

Touch me and make me whole

Gloria Gaither | William J. Gaither

© 1964 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management

CCLI License # 810055

Living in a Bubble

Living in a Bubble

Presidential observers say that one of the things that changes the occupant of the Oval office most is the bubble of privilege that surrounds him. He is served by a circle of people who are paid to do what he says, whose goal is to advance his agenda, who are in their role because they agree with his points of view. Presidents don't shop for groceries, pump gas, or wait in traffic. The bubble can, and often does, skew the way in which he understands the world in which he lives.

For the past year, the elders of our church have worked on ways of deepening the ties that people in our congregation have with each other. We asked ourselves, "How can we help others form the kinds of connections that turn Christians into disciples, that multiplies our individual effectiveness in our service to Christ, that steadies us when severe trials come?" Can it happen without drawing people into a bubble that isolates them from the very world we are called to save and serve?

I remember a by-gone era when it was no exaggeration to say, "the church is my life!" Sundays were packed full - Sunday School class at 9:30, worship at 11, some kind of ministry in the afternoon, youth group at 6, evening service at 7:30! Wednesday night found us back at church for Bible Study/prayer meeting/kids' activities. More often than not, at least one other evening during the week was taken up with some activity with others from the church. We formed deep, lasting attachments. My best friends in life came from that time! Some amazing and wonderful Kingdom work was done by people who were dedicated to Christ and His Church. There was a downside, too. There was an elitism, a clear 'us versus them' mindset, that colored every interaction. We lived in a kind of bubble that skewed our perception of the real world, too.

Christians balance being called into Christ's fellowship and being sent out to serve the world. In a real sense, we are part of a exclusive circle! The Bible says we " are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28, NIV) One need not be a theologians to know that being 'in Christ' makes us different and demands a distinctive life characterized by holiness. At the same time we are sent out, commissioned by Christ to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel." (Mark 16:15)

Reflect on this word from the Word. May the Spirit help each one of us to avoid the isolation of the bubble while remaining God's own.

"You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. "Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received his mercy."

Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world.

For the Lord's sake, accept all authority-... It is God's will that your good lives should silence those who make foolish accusations against you. You are not slaves; you are free. But your freedom is not an excuse to do evil. You are free to live as God's slaves. Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God." (1 Peter 2:9-17, NLT)

Kept on your feet!

He prays for me!

Job, the man whose story of horrific trials and tragedy is told in the Bible book that bears his name, lost his family, fortune, and health in succession!  One of his friends, who came to offer him comfort, wryly observed, "People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire." (Job 5:7, NLT)   Can I say, “Amen, brother!”?  No matter how smart you are, how well you think you have prepared for tomorrow, how faithfully you take your vitamins - from some unexpected corner, at some unexpected moment, difficulties and disappointments will find their way to your door.  

Christian, though we will have troubles, we are never abandoned or alone.  We have a High Priest who is always praying for us!   When I get an email or a call that lets me know that someone has prayed for me I am encouraged, not just because they care, but also because there is no gift that compares to prayers offered on another's behalf.  Jesus Christ is at the Father's right hand making a case for me, asking for mercy on my behalf, directing the Spirit to keep me on my feet when life is coming at me hard and fast.  How wonderful is that?  "He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." (Hebrews 7:25-26, NIV)

During those hours leading up to His terrible ordeal on the Cross, Jesus was thinking of us. John 17 says that Jesus prayed for His disciples and for us.  Through John’s record we can eavesdrop on the outpouring of His heart. He said, "I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth." (John 17:14-17, NLT)  I find interesting that Jesus does not ask the Father to make life easy or to provide an escape from this world!   I pray that way sometimes! "God, let me outta here!   Change this situation.   Just let me have an easy time of it today."   What a childish prayer.  

We are wiser if we ask for courage and obedience, if we pray that our steps will be guided from destruction, that we will be full of the Spirit's life and distinct as the people of God in a dark world, and that we will understand God's word and will.

Are you stressed and stretched today? Remember this:

He is praying for you!   You are not alone, forgotten, or forsaken.

He asks the best for you, not the easy!   

There is grace that is more than adequate; it is abundant.  That grace will " keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating,” pouring out praise to “our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, giving Him “ glory, majesty, strength, … to the end of all time." (Jude 24-25, The Message)

Remember this.  Our High Priest understands our needs for He was tempted and tested in all the ways we are.   When you're wrestling with life and the will of God, remember He did, too.  As He prayed in Gethsemane, under terrible pressure and in great anguish, He pleaded for another way, but eventually came 'round to surrender, "Not my will, Father, but Yours, be done!"   So He understands when you're pressured, squeezed, stressed, broken, disappointed, distraught, confused, or afraid!   He is praying for you.

________________________________

Jesus! What a friend for sinners!

Jesus lover of my soul!

Friends may fail me, foes assail me;

He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah what a Savior.

Hallelujah what a Friend.

Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

He is with me to the end.

Our Great Savior - Chapmen, public domain

A Really Good Guy?

A really good guy?

There are two ways to be ‘good.’ There is an external conformity to imposed expectations. This type of “goodness” is long on guilt and punishment that forces compliance.  Then, there is virtue, an inner desire to live a life that is marked by excellence and praiseworthy actions. The Word  says that the Lord has empowered us by the Spirit and has "called us to glory and virtue. " (2 Peter 1:3, KJV)  This commitment to a life that is noble does not just happen. It demands both an inner change and effort on our part,  "giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." (2 Peter 1:5, KJV) We should not limit our ideals about virtue to sexuality.  Virtue includes a commitment to being loving, generous, kind, and unselfish.

Virtue finds little appreciation among us. “Bad boys” are the stars in our stories. To be seen as virtuous is a kiss of death in a culture of coarse, vulgar idols.  This means that Christians, who are obedient to God’s call to live virtuously, will have to make a choice between pleasing God and finding admiration of their peers. Living virtuously has become synonymous with living timidly, with shrinking from conflict. Perhaps that misconception grows out the fact that there is no virtue without humility. Humility, the honest estimate of who we are and our capabilities, will inevitably leads us to recognize the importance of God’s work in us. It will also make us know the necessity of building strong, respectful ties to a circle of people who nurture us.  Christ came to restore us, not to our Self, but to our Father. His gift of grace releases us from the death grip of shame which is toxic to spiritual health. One cannot live in shame and experience the beauty that God offers to His children.

Virtue has a real enemy in American individualism, our love of the Self.  Too many of us confuse confidence, which is part of virtue, with bravado. Thus, we swagger, adopting a cocky pose, pretending we are above it all.  This pushing, posturing, and posing leads us to replace authentic goodness with an image that we carefully create and tend.  Over time we lose the ability to see the difference between merely looking  good and actually being a person of virtue.  An authentically virtuous life stands out!  The Lord calls on us to “become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation.” What is the result? “You shine like stars in the universe.” (Phil. 2:15)

When we are good, from the inside out, we will please God and give ourselves to what actually matters.  The word from the Word for today calls us to virtue. How will you answer? "Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever." (1 John 2:15-17, NLT)

A Cardinal Sinner

So, the Cardinal was a sinner.  That’s the conclusion of one of the headline stories in the news today.  Cardinal Keith O’Brien resigned from his position as Britain’s senior Catholic after several priests accused him of ‘sexual impropriety’ in the past.  He apologized to those he offended and acknowledged his ‘failures’ to live in accordance with the vows of the priesthood.  As I read his story, my thoughts were not accusatory, but reflective. How many of us could withstand intense scrutiny of every act, private and public, in our lives?  Granted, his position placed a heavy burden of accountability on his shoulders, but each of us who bears the Name of Christ is called to “ live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Ephesians 4:1, NIV)

A life worthy of Christ is within our grasp, but only if we accept what Scripture reveals about us – that we are, by nature, sinners.  Left to ourselves, we will never achieve a holy life. Our sin will sometimes be open, scandalous failure; more often it will be darkness of the heart, hidden, but just as offensive to the One who knows us best.  No behavior modification techniques will produce a holy life. If  we put our focus is on ourselves, on our best intentions  or efforts; we substitute what Dallas Willard calls the ‘gospel of sin management’ for the truth of the Gospel of Christ.  We can make ourselves measurably better, for a time, but only with intense effort. So what can we do?  There is but one thing and even that does not depend on us. We accept the transformational power of the Spirit provided to us in Christ Jesus.

Radical dependence on Christ, ready acceptance of the gift of our restored relationship to our Father, opening ourselves, without shame or guilt, to the Spirit’s life will create a new personal identity that will grow from the inside out. “Change the heart, change the man,” is what Jesus taught. Our pride resists the Gospel. We want to do something that proves our worth. We want to look around and feel that we are somehow not as prone to greed, lust, selfishness (it’s a long list) than those with whom we walk. We like to pray like the self-righteousness, moral man of Jesus’ story – “I thank You, Lord, that I am not as other men!  I tithe, I fast, I go to church regularly.”  If we surrender to that impulse to compare, measure, and justify ourselves, we are cut off from the only One who really make us whole.  But, there is a gift freely provided to those who abandon themselves like the sinner of that same story who " would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’" (Luke 18:13, NIV)  This man, Jesus said, "went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”" (Luke 18:13-14, NIV)

Salvation is given in a moment, not to the deserving, but to those who receive His gift, by faith. In Christ, you and I are perfect – here, now – before the Father. What joy I find in knowing that He has lent me His clothes, that I am dressed to enter the Presence of the King, in borrowed robes. In that confidence, I come to understand that becoming holy is never a once and done thing, it is on-going – a process of change that continues from that moment of conversion until that moment when this ‘mortal puts on immortality!’

Here’s a word from the Word. “I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be." (Philippians 3:9-12, NLT)

___________

(listen to the song)

 

Beautiful Things

All this pain

I wonder if I'll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could really change

At all

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground

At all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

All around

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found

In You

You make me new You are making me new

You make me new You are making me new

Lisa Gungor | Michael Gungor

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