Pull Up to the Table

Pull up to the table

Isn’t it great to sit down to dinner with friends?  Last week, the Rinaldi’s visited for a simple lunch at our home.  Two hours zipped by as we talked, laughed, remembered, and discussed the things of the Lord. Since ancient times, human beings who want to strengthen ties have made time to eat together.

Families grow stronger around a shared table. Kids who invited to sit at the family’s dinner table on a regular basis get better grades in school, are much less prone to get in trouble, and develop the skills needed to form the networks so necessary to success in life. Those children who regularly eat dinner with their parents are less likely to smoke, drink to excess, use illegal drugs, or suffer from depression. (Value of Family Table)  The real pay-off comes during the turbulence of the teen years when the habit of the family dinner becomes a kind of anchor. It’s the time to talk, the reconnection that occurs at the table, that makes the difference. Curiously, if parents attempt to establish the habit in the teen years when it is needed most, they will almost certainly fail. The habit must be formed from the toddler years.

Bev and I often take the opportunity on my day off to go to breakfast. We talk over our coffee and pancakes, just enjoying each other’s company, catching up. That hour with her is one of the happiest times of the week for me.

Christians are invited to a Table, too. Our Savior invited His disciples to the Passover table and then made it part of our faith. "He took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and you, sealed by the shedding of my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again." (1 Corinthians 11:24-26, NLT) For two millennia, Christians have shared the Holy Meal.

And, there is the fellowship of all Christians, that will find complete fulfillment at the Marriage Supper of heaven. Interesting, isn’t it, that God chooses the imagery of a celebratory meal to describe the eternal unity and love of the Church gathered in Heaven? "I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder: Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. The Angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.’ ” He added, “These are the true words of God!”  (Revelation 19:6-9, The Message) What a dinner that will be! Can you imagine the stories that will told around that long, long table?  Stories of triumph, stories of grace. I’ll be there. How about you?

We’ll be sharing the Holy Meal at FDC this Sunday. You’re invited to the Table!

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Jesus has a table spread

Where the saints of God are fed,

He invites His chosen people,
“Come and dine!”

With His manna He doth feed

And supplies our every need:

O ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus
all the time!

Soon the Lamb will take His bride

To be ever at His side,

All the host of Heaven will assembled be;

O ’twill be a glorious sight,

All the saints in spotless white;

And with Jesus they will feast eternally.

“Come and dine,” the Master calleth,
“Come and dine!”

You may feast at Jesus’ table

all the time;

He Who fed the multitude,

turned the water into wine,

To the hungry calleth now,

“Come and dine!”

-       Charles Widmeyer

The Noonday Demon

Right around 1 pm I feel my energy sag. If I lean back on my chair and close my eyes, I can fall asleep in 30 seconds. Fortunately, if a nap overtakes me, I know that I will awaken in about 10 minutes.   The brief  rest leaves me feeling refreshed.  If someone finds me napping in the office, I hope I am not charged with the sin of sloth.  Now there's a word we don't hear much.    Does a midday nap make me guilty?   

The ancient Christian church called the following list, ‘the 7 deadly sins,’ believing that they were cardinal sins that would bring on spiritual death.

•          Pride, the excessive belief in one's own abilities;

•          Envy, the desire for what belongs to another;

•          Gluttony, an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires;

•          Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body;

•          Anger, also known as wrath;

•          Greed, the desire for material wealth or gain; and

•          Sloth, the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.   Sloth was sometimes called the 'noonday demon' because it showed itself when the sun was hottest. 

Interesting, isn’t it, that sloth makes that list?  In our pleasure conscious culture, the work ethic is not what it once was.  We carefully guard our ‘leisure time,’ regarding it as something near to a divine right. But, laziness creeps in subtly, when inordinate amounts of our time are used for pursuits that have no productive purpose.

Are you afflicted with the sin of slothfulness?   Many of us, when presented that question, could point to our long list of accomplishments and commitments. We could hold up an award or two for our  diligence. Yet, if we took a deeper look we might find sloth rooted in our soul.  Could it be that our frenetic day to day activities are a way to hide the barrenness of our soul that is brought on by spiritual sloth?  Matthew Woodley points out, "Sloth causes a break in our relationship with God.   In contrast to pride which responds to God with a defiant 'no!' - sloth responds to Him with a quiet 'yeah, whatever.'"  (Re-read that quote!)  

The Bible speaks to the slothful Christian challenging him to adopt a new way of life, "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."  {Heb 6:11-12 NIV}   Let's break it down.

Show diligence. Don't ignore or excuse your spiritual stupor. Don't  make the error of comparing yourself to others and taking false comfort that you're 'doing better than some.'  The Lord asks us to give 'our personal best' to Him and will ask us to give account for our efforts.  He does not grade by comparison.    Diligence is not workaholism!  It is obedient, faithful, consistent response to His leading.

Cultivate faith. The counsel of the Word is that we 'walk by faith, not by sight.'   Even when the reward is hidden, we press ahead.  Sometimes the Presence of God is obscured by fatigue, disappointment, or physical malady. In those moments we lean on our brothers and do the right thing just because we know it's right!

Be patient!   The Bible does not ask a resigned- "Oh, well, I'll put up with this with gritted teeth"  that we often confuse with real patience.  True patience is illustrated by the wait of the farmer between planting season and harvest. The farmer knows that his seed will grow and produce a harvest IF he will just wait for the process.   He keeps cultivating, keeps on with life, while he waits for a harvest. 

Practicing the disciplines of the Spirit day by day is the patient thing to do as we resist the tyranny of slothfulness that demands quick fixes and easy solutions to life's challenges.  James says (Give) "your endurance a chance to grow. . . . for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything...  God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." {1:3-4, 12} NLT 

Sloth is seldom defeated by sheer determination.   If we really want to become productive and faithful Christians, we will tell somebody about our struggle and ask them to help us make the choices we need to make, day after day, until a new habit replaces the old one.  Silence the whispers of the 'noonday demon' with the enduring wisdom of the Word that teaches us that -"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor." (Proverbs 12:24, NIV)   "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5, NIV)

Here's a word from the Word.  Meditate on it today as you ask the Spirit to help you defeat the temptation to sloth.  
"Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up.   We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord." (Galatians 6:9-10, CEV)

________________

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,

The King of creation!

O my soul praise Him

For He is thy health and salvation.

All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near,

Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord Who over all things

So wondrously reigneth!

Shelters thee under His wings

Yea, so gently sustaineth.

Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been

Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord Who doth prosper

Thy work and defend thee!

Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.

Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do,

If with His love He befriend thee.

Catherine Winkworth | Joachim Neander

© Words: Public Domain

Yeah, but...

“Yeah, but…”

The arguments start to form in my mind before the speaker finishes.  I call them the ‘yeah, buts.’  It happens when I hear something that seems true, which  I do not like or some idea that pushes me toward some unwanted change. “Yes, but…” is sometimes the response where it would be better to say, “I am going to have to really consider that.”  It is important, for me, for you, to remember that growth ceases when learning stops. When we are no longer willing to grow, we also become less and less effective in meeting the challenges of life.

When God speaks into your life, how do you respond?  Do you say, “Yes, but…” or “Yes, Lord!”?

Jesus told this story to encourage us to receive the Truth so that He could make us most productive. “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mark 4:3-9, NKJV)

He explained later that He spoke of God’s Truth.  When we hear it; be it from the Spirit’s whisper, the preacher’s sermon, or reading our Bible, it is like a seed.  It has all the potential of life and a future harvest locked in it. However, the soil into which it falls determines the outcome.

If we are too pre-occupied with Self or have a stubborn heart, the seed never even germinates. It’s lost, bird food!

If we get all excited, tell everybody about this wonderful new discovery, but refuse to practice disciplines of application, the seedlings dies prematurely.

If we receive the truth and try to hang onto life as we know and love it, without change, it cannot mature because it will not compete with our many distractions.

When we love the Truth, embrace it without “Yes, buts…” and do the spadework of application, something amazing happens. It grows, matures, and produces a great harvest from which many benefit. Acts 10 tells us a story of Peter and harvest.  Like just about every Jesus follower at that time, Peter was convinced that to be a Christian you had to adopt the practices of Judaism: the Sabbath, circumcision, kosher diets, observance of holy days and feasts.  Then, the Spirit gave him a daydream. "He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:10-15, NIV)  Inconsequential? Not at all! God used that dream to prepare Peter to go to a Roman centurion’s home where he shared the Gospel, saw that household converted and filled with the Holy Spirit! When the Jewish Believers heard about this, they criticized Peter. But, his obedience and experience prepared him to meet the challenge. The direction of Christianity changed with this summary line in Acts 11 - "When the others heard this, all their objections were answered and they began praising God. They said, “God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life.” (Acts 11:18, NLT)   What if Peter had met the Lord’s word with “Yeah, but…”?

What Is God, the Spirit, saying to you today?

May your response be like the boy Samuel who was counseled to receive the truth openly. Here’s the word from the Word.

"God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time!
Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.”
That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy.
So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’ ”

Samuel returned to his bed. Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (1 Samuel 3:8-10, The Message)

Tempus is fugiting

“Tempus is fugiting”

Nobody stops time. Here in NJ the Fall foliage is beautiful, a reminder of winter to come, of time passing. Yesterday, I stood for a few moments in the cemetery looking a headstone on my parents’ graves, remembering. The dates carved on that stone mark off their time here on this earth, two dates separated by a dash. It was another reminder that time does not stand still. My phone alerts me to the appointments that shape a work day, those subtle tones replacing chimes of the old hall clock that marked off the hours of the day.

How well do you use your time? A person who desires to live well, to be productive and effective, who wants to please God – will understand the value of time.

Do you meet deadlines or are you noted for asking for extensions?
Do you anticipate demands and prepare in advance, or are you often ‘a day late and a dollar short?’

Do you, Christian, keep eternity  on the horizon so that you will stay on course in life, or do you wander, living in the futile land of fantasy, doing silly things that ‘kill time?’

One response is urgency. I am prone to press myself to pack in too much, to look forward too far, so that I steal the joy of this day.  My prayer is for wisdom to live this day to the fullest, yet to also take advantage of the moments to connect meaningfully with others and to appreciate the blessings and beauty along the way. The Psalm prays, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, NIV)  Surely, the Word would not urge us to become anxious, driven people! Urgency is not the right response to time’s passing. God desires that we live with an awareness of the opportunities that are unique to this day.

Jesus hints at the importance of living with an awareness of the day. In the prayer He taught the disciplines, there is this line: “Give us this day, our daily bread.”  It’s not just about food!  We pray to know God’s provision for today, to live in them, and to use them in preparation for tomorrow.  As Christians we must never forget that ‘tomorrow’ may be here or it may be in His Presence.

The Word counsels us about mortgaging our future, in our arrogance becoming so certain that we know the future. "Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins." (James 4:13-17, NIV)   Go back and read that last sentence!  What’s the direction there?  “Do what God wants you to do, right now, because you can’t presume there will be a tomorrow in which to get it done!”

Here’s the word from the Word. Memorize it. Live it. Be prepared.  "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”— … Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13-14, NIV)

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Day by day and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here.

Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,

I've no cause for worry or for fear.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure

Gives unto each day what He deems best.

Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me,

With a special mercy for each hour.

All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,

He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid.

As your days your strength shall be in measure,

This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in ev'ry tribulation,

So to trust Your promises, O Lord.

That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,

Offered me within Your holy Word.

Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting;

E'er to take as from a Father's hand,

One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,

‘Till I reach the Promised Land!

Andrew L. Skoog, Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg, Oskar Ahnfelt

© Words: Public Domain