Deposits and Withdrawals

This morning my inbox included an email that announced a deposit to my bank account! It is payday. I like deposits. Another email today notified me that my November mortgage payment would be deducted on Monday!  Here today, gone tomorrow.  That’s life, right?

Some people I know add value, others make withdrawals.  Some enrich us, others deplete us.  Let’s think about that and personalize it.

Will I be a giver or a taker? 
Will I make deposits of resources into the lives of those I speak to or will I drain them? 
Do I leave people around me richer or poorer?

Givers bring encouragement, support, unity, and prayer. We anticipate meeting with them, don’t we?  Takers complain to us, criticize us, or even shuffle their responsibilities onto our shoulders. When their number shows up on the caller ID, I’m tempted to not answer.

The book of Acts introduces us to a man who was generous.  He was a man who left people so encouraged when he was a part of their lives that they gave him a nickname- Barnabas. Look at his story. "There was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). (Acts 4:36-37, NLT)  He wasn’t eloquent, did not project an air of great competence.  Unlike Paul, he is not known for his teaching. He was an encourager, a real people-person! 

When the early church was skeptical about Paul’s new-found faith, Barney stood by him and vouched for the genuineness of his transformation. His great heart clearly made a positive difference wherever he went. One passage tells us that "When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord." (Acts 11:23-25, NLT)

Jude tells Christians to learn to be generous with encouragement. For those who suck the life of others he says: “They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. ...These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want." (Jude 12, 16, NLT) Then, he urges us to an entirely different kind of life: "But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering." (Jude 20-22, NLT)

So, friend, which will you be today - a giver or a taker? 

If we live in God’s love, if we accept grace and mercy from His hand, we can overflow with love, grace, and mercy to others. We never run out because "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NIV) 

Here’s a word from the Word."One man gives freely yet gains even more,  anotherwithholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." - Proverbs 11:24

Lord, as we receive your gifts, let us give them away.  Help us to lift up, to love, to enrich others.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Looking for the Kingdom to come

We pray, “may your Kingdom come and Your will be done.”  Are those just old, familiar words or do they flow from a real desire? Do we want Christ to be in charge?  Sometimes the frightful state of the world makes me pray with a sigh, “Lord, let Your Kingdom come.”  Sometimes the pile of problems that bring such pain to the people I care about cause me to pray in tears, “Lord, let Your Kingdom come.” Why pray for this?  Because where Christ reigns, there is hope, peace, and joy.

A long time ago, I accepted the invitation of the Holy Spirit into the family of God.  Christ is my King. In one sense, His Kingdom has come.  Let me quickly qualify that by acknowledging I am far from perfection! Like Paul, I know I am a work in progress. He said,  "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14, NIV)  He will be your Lord, Savior, and King, too, if you’ll receive His gift of life.

There is another aspect to praying for the coming of His Kingdom.  We anticipate the coming of the Lord!  This Creation, which was sold into sin and suffering by the choice of Adam, will only be made right when the King comes in power.  We do not hope for the coming Kingdom because of a few isolated texts in the Bible. That promise appears again and again. Isaiah looked for the Kingdom of God to come with peace. Ezekiel saw frightful visions of the Kingdom to come.  Daniel stood before the Babylonian emperor and recounted his dream that revealed the empires that would follow to the time of Christ’s birth. (Read the amazing dream – Daniel 2: 31-45)  But, the most amazing part of Daniel’s prophecy is about the Kingdom to come. “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.” (Daniel 2:44-45, NIV)

The hope of the coming of the Lord is often turned into sensationalism and speculation.  Rapture fever distracts too many Christians from living for Christ, right here and right now.  The Blessed Hope of the Church is turned into a silly superstition about escaping from the world.  That’s not what I pray for when I pray for the Kingdom to come.  The Scripture promises a renewal of all things, a final defeat of evil, and the revelation of God’s glory.  This is the Kingdom to come!

Are the headlines about war, poverty, and violence tearing at your soul?

Does the cruelty of sin get you down?

Are you weary, Christian, wanting to be holy but finding yourself failing too often?

Jesus will come. The word from the Word is His promise. “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking. “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”  (Luke 21:25-28, The Message)

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Mystery

Sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity.

Sweet Jesus Christ, my clarity.

 Bread of heaven, broken for me.

Cup of Salvation, held out to drink.

Jesus, mystery!

Christ has died, and

Christ is risen,

Christ will come again!

Celebrate His death and rising,

Lift your eyes, proclaim His coming!

Celebrate His death and rising,

Lift your eyes, lift your eyes.

Sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity.

Charlie Hall

© 2008 sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

“But, God, I am just too miserable to do anything!”

Elijah’s victory on Mt. Carmel was followed by a terrible depression.  He ran off, alone, into the wilds and complained to the Lord: “Nobody ever comes through for me. I am so lonely.  I’m the only one left here who loves You.”  It was not true, but he believed it. The prophet’s exhaustion created a skewed perspective far from reality.  He was tangled up so tightly in self-pity that he could not even remember the triumph of a few days prior. God was patient with him.  He sent a fresh vision to the prophet, gave him rest, and told him to go find Elisha to help carry the load!  *1 Kings 18

Do you ever get tangled up in a web of self-pity, feeling like you are the only one going through pain, the only one who struggles, without a real friend, living a life no one else would want to live? 

The angst is real and so is the pain.  You long for someone to ‘really understand,’ don’t you?   Here’s the hard truth. The last thing you need is to have someone jump into the pit with you!  As much as you might think it would be good to have all those negative thoughts affirmed by someone who “really cares,” you need to be pulled up and out of that swamp!  

John Maxwell writes that ‘a major cause of poor mental health is self-absorption. Selfishness ultimately hurts not only the people around a self-focused person, but also the selfish person himself. …

That is the reason that Dr. Karl Menninger (renowned psychiatrist) responded the way he did when someone asked, ‘What would advise a person to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?’ Most people expected him reply, ‘consult a psychiatrist.’ To their astonishment, he said, ‘Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone in need, and do something to help that person.’” - Failing Forward, Nelson, 2000

The wisest Counselor said - "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?" (Luke 9:24-25, NLT)

Gain by giving. Win by losing. Forget yourself, find yourself!  It just isn’t natural! Perhaps not, but, it’s the truth!

Is your life a mess?  For a thousand reasons, it can be. 
Sickness comes and stays! 
Your spouse gets mean and miserable. 
Yesterday’s poor choices about money come collecting today.
A time of high output leaves fatigue that overwhelms.  

So what are you going to do?   Run away? Elijah tried that.  Complain? He did that, too.  Many will struggle with the instinct to protect self, to hoard resources, to feed their pain!  Elijah did.  God asked him, “What are you doing here? Go back home!”   It must have been a tough choice for the prophet, but in obedience he found the grace of God and the renewal he needed.  So will you!

The word from the Word  says "Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” (Luke 6:38, The Message)
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Be Thou My Vision (Slane)

Be Thou my vision,

O Lord of my heart.

Naught be all else to me

Save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought,

By day or by night,

Waking or sleeping,

Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom,

Be Thou my true Word.

I ever with Thee

And Thou with me Lord.

Thou, my great Father,

I, Thy true son.

Thou in me dwelling,

And I with Thee one.

Be Thou my shield

And my sword for the fight.

Be Thou my dignity,

Be Thou my might.

Thou my soul's shelter,

And Thou my high tow'r.

Raise Thou me heav'nward,

O pow'r of my pow'r.

Riches I heed not,

Nor man's empty praise.

Thou mine inheritance,

Now and always.

Thou and Thou only,

First in my heart!

High King of heaven.

My treasure, Thou art.

High King of heaven,

When vict'ry is won,

May I reach heaven's joys,

O bright heaven's Sun!

Heart of my own heart,

Whatever befall.

Still be my vision

O Ruler of all.

Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne

© Words: Public Domain

Those kids!

 

Our church hosted a children’s choir from World Help Ministries on Sunday night.  Little ones from Nepal, the Philippines, Uganda, and Honduras sang with their whole hearts about Jesus. Between songs we were reminded of the poverty, malnutrition, and lack of basic needs that are part of life for so many children around the world.  My eyes were wet with tears and I wondered, “Lord, why do I enjoy so many blessings when others do not have even clean water?”   

Sunday evening, Bev and I hosted Rina, a young woman from Nepal, who helps with the children; to Radhika, a 10 year old girl from Nepal, and to Linah, a 9 year old from Uganda.  What joy!  A couple of their friends from the choir joined us for dinner last night and our table rocked with laughter. Did I mention that those kids can eat?

Does the work of groups like World Help, Compassion, or World Vision, matching American sponsors with children in developing nations make any difference? Can $40/month, less than the cost of one dinner out for us, do anything meaningful for a child in Honduras or Nepal?  Yes and yes, again.  These kids (and their chaperone) are living proof. Rina told us about being abandoned by her father, her Mom a single mother with three daughters she could not feed.  World Help came alongside, gave Rina a home, food, medical care, and an education – all on less than $40/month! Today, she is a beautiful healthy young woman, who knows Christ, who has a bright future.

One day Jesus was teaching and ministering when some parents brought their children to Him.  The disciples tried to protect the Lord from this ‘nuisance,’ not seeing the value of those kids!  Jesus’ response is familiar and needs to direct us today!  "One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:15-17, NLT)

Two statements stand out in His words.  “Let the children come to me.” And, “the Kingdom belongs to those who are like these children.”  Jesus loves those kids!  He is looking for the same kind of open earnest love in us that a child shows.  I received a dozen hugs from those little girls yesterday. “Thank you, Uncle, for dinner, for the nice bed, for letting us come to your house.”  Will I come to my Father in heaven with that kind of gratitude, taking this day from Him with joy?

My prayer as I walked in the darkness of the early morning was that my hands would be His hands, my feet His feet, my money His treasure, my life His life!  I want to love those kids and a thousand more here and ‘round the world in His Name.  I pray that my life will inspire them to trust Him.  How about you, Christian?

Here’s the word from the Word. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27, NIV)

Here’s a place to start:  http://worldhelp.net/sponsor-a-child/

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Hands And Feet

I wanna be Your hands,

I wanna be Your feet.

I'll go where You send me,

I'll go where You send me!

I'll be Your hands,

I'll be Your feet.

I'll go where You send me,

I'll go where You send me!

And I'll try, yeah, I'll try

To touch the world
like You touched my life,

And I'll find my way

to be Your hands.

Bob Herdman | Charlie Peacock | Mark Stuart | Tyler Burkum | Will McGinniss

© 1999 Allen Vaughn and Ray Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Andi Beat Goes On Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Like Dad?

 

I serve as pastor of the congregation that my father served before me for 29 years.  I hear this often – “The older you get, the more you sound like your Dad!” It’s not conscious imitation. DNA and training are probably equally responsible for the resemblance.  Phrases I heard him say find their way into my own conversations. His   The values were caught and taught and are engrained in my life.  I have another Father and I pray to live in His likeness.  How about you?

He is a loving Father, a rich resource.  And, He desires that we, too, live lovingly and generously.  Then, we are like Him.  Isaiah talks about living in the Father’s favor. "I’ll tell you what it really means to worship the Lord. Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly. Free those who are abused! Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don’t turn away your relatives.  . . .  Then your light will shine in the dark; your darkest hour will be like the noonday sun. The Lord will always guide you and provide good things to eat when you are in the desert. He will make you healthy. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water or like a stream that never runs dry. You will rebuild those houses left in ruins for years; you will be known as a builder and repairer of city walls and streets." (Isaiah 58:6-7, 10-12, CEV)

So how do we become like Him? How does this kind of love replace our natural love of Self?

First, we need to be born anew, His Spirit making our spirit alive.  John says that Jesus came into the world to make this possible for those who come to Him in faith. "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (John 1:12-13, NIV)  The Holy Spirit comes to live in us and God’s nature becomes our nature. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." (Romans 8:14, NLT)  Does His life fill you?

Second, we must invest time to be with Him.  In my formative years I was always in the company of my Dad. From my infancy until entering school, he took me with him just about every day. I was his ‘sidekick.’   As a young adult, I worked alongside of him for a decade and his methods and manners rubbed off.  If we desire to be like our Father in Heaven, nothing can replace time in worship, in meditation, and in prayer.  Only then will His heart will become our heart.  

My desire, and I pray it is yours too, is that God, the Father, will see Himself reflected in me.  When He does, He will be pleased and say, “that’s my son!”  Don’t make the mistake of thinking that being like Him means being religious!  Go back and re-read that passage in Isaiah. God, the Father, does not seek long fasts, rituals, and sacrifices. He desires a heart  that loves and cares for the world He loves.

Here’s the word from the Word - “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)

May they say of us – “You’re becoming more and more like your Dad every day!”

________________

A Man With A Perfect Heart

Let me be a man

With a perfect heart,

Let me be a son

Who will please You Father.

Let me be a child

Who reveals Your will

In all I do and say.

Fill me with Your Spirit

Lord, I pray, that Jesus

Will be seen in all of my life.

Let me be a son

Who will please You Father,

Let me be a man

With a perfect heart.

Jack Hayford

© 1995 Annamarie Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055