So What? Who Cares?

Nearly every day my phone connects me with people in pain.  A mother whose son is in jail wept as she talked with me yesterday about how much she loved him in spite of his poor choices. My heart was broken for her and for him.  An elderly woman told me of her loneliness and frustration over her inability to serve others anymore.   There are calls about loss, sickness, disappointment, and sin.  These people, for whom I am a shepherd and friend,  give me the privilege of sharing their lives, their sorrow, their hopes.  What would we do without the hope of Jesus and His salvation?

One of the things that both angers and saddens me is the disregard for the weak and the poor that I see in the world all around me. Too often those who could make a difference, don’t! Those who should be in a position to help either do not care or, even worse, use their position only to exploit others and enrich themselves.  Perhaps I am just more aware than I was in the past, but it seems that unjust practices are increasing in nearly every part of our social structures.

In reading the Scripture this morning, I found this great encouragement in this passage that describes the “Lord’s Servant” ( a prophecy about Jesus) – “I will put my Spirit on him  and he will bring justice to the nations.  He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.  A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.  In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;  he will not falter or be discouraged ‘till he establishes justice on earth.” (Isaiah 42:1, NIV)   The metaphors Isaiah uses to tell us of His gentleness may be hard to grasp.   A contemporary translation makes the truth more accessible. “He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope.” (NLT)

God’s justice is not brutal nor does it overlook those that the world regards as being of no consequence. His care and concern reaches the least and the low. My prayer is that His heart will be my heart.  The aged, the jailed, the sick, those who are foolishly following their lusts stumbling into greater slavery – I will care for them;  help me, Jesus! Will you?  Jesus spoke of the Day when all will appear before the Judge of All – the One who sees past deeds to the very intents of the heart – and said this: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’" (Matthew 25:34-40, NIV)    

Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan’s Purse, saw suffering children in Asia, and wrote in his Bible – “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God."  What a prayer!  May our hearts be open to being broken.  Is it pleasant to care? No.  Compassion demands action. Action requires sacrifice. Christian, let’s be like Jesus and take up the cause of those on the margins of life, give love to those who are unlovely, and carry a cup of water to those who are thirsty – for God’s sake!

The word from the Word is brief but powerful.  Lord, pierce our pretensions, fill us with the love of Jesus.
"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 1:27-28, NIV)

 Let us hear these blessed words when we to Your holy Presence - ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” Amen.

The Hard Stuff

In high school my lower marks came in math classes.  Why? It was not because I could not do the work. Algebra just required more effort than other classes. I was a reluctant math student!  Portions of the Bible are like that for me today.  Reading the words of Ephesians lifts my spirit and my mind engages readily with the words of faith and hope.  Then, there are books that don’t yield their inspiration to me quite so readily. 

Our Wednesday Bible study group is currently working through the book of Daniel. Last night we ran into the 8^th chapter. His vision of a ram and shaggy goat, each with multiple horns, demands mental effort. I am grateful for the scholarly work that others have done that help me to mine the truth that informs and encourages.  Nevertheless, it is still not a chapter for those in search of quick inspiration.

When engaged with one of the difficult parts of the Bible I must renew my understanding that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV)   Daniel’s visions of the sovereign plan of God in human history, though hard for my mind to unravel, is every bit as valuable to my heart and mind as the comforting Psalm or the wonderful Gospel. After seeing how the Spirit showed that man things to come with the promise that the worst of human evil is limited by the decree of God, I was truly encouraged.

Christian, do you only read the passages that yield easily to your understanding?
Do you resist being a student of the Word, looking to the Holy Book for a sentimental lift?

Paul mentored Timothy, encouraging him to do the hard stuff, too. He said, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)  The discipline of study is just as much a part of the mature Christian life as the discipline of prayer.   Remember Jesus asks us to love the Lord with "all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30, NIV)

Read the whole Scripture. 
Study the revealed truth.  
Let the Spirit show you the riches to be found even in the passages that we call the hard stuff.

Here’s the word from the Word today. "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives." (Galatians 5:25, The Message)  “So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush.”  (Philippians 1:9-10, The Message)

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Break Thou The Bread Of Life (Lathbury)

Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me;

As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea.

Beyond the sacred page, I seek Thee, Lord.

My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word!

Bless Thou, the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me;

As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee.

Then shall bondage cease, all fetters fall,

And I shall find my peace, my all in all.

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me,

That He may touch my eyes and make me see.

Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,

And in Thy Book, revealed, I see Thee, Lord.

Alexander Groves | Mary Artemisia Lathbury | William Fiske Sherwin

© Words: Public Domain

Diets, Fasting, and Devotion

“I have just got to have that,” we convince ourselves. For some, it is food. Are you convinced that missing a meal will ruin your life?  Others must have a schedule packed with activities. Do you believe that a day without ‘something to do,’ is unbearable?  We can love all kinds of stuff – cell phones, fine clothes, cars, houses, vacations, sex, drink – in a way that makes them our idols.  Worship is defined as ‘assigning worth, giving value, adoration’ and by that definition many of us worship the things we own.  The Scripture says that  those who are worshippers of this nature have a strange god; "their god is their belly!" (Philippians 3:19) In others words, they have traded devotion to Almighty Lord for the satisfaction of some earthly appetite.  Richard Foster writes, "Any life lived on the order of the body alone will end in emptiness. We simply cannot sustain meaning when the only measure of life is endless experience." (Longing For God, IVP, 2009)

A great dinner is to be enjoyed. Caring for our appearance is part of healthy self-esteem. God created us with the capacity to experience pleasure and so we should!  A life of deprivation, poverty, or pain does not make one more noble or more authentically spiritual!  But, we need to learn a practice well-known in the Scripture and nearly unknown among Christians today – fasting.  Don’t stop reading now!  Fasting is not just about food. It is not just a discipline for wild-eyes fanatics. Fasting is a discipline for all Christians.  Its purpose is to break our devotion to lesser gods. Fasting may be abstaining from food and it can (and should) involve many other appetites.  We can fast by limiting access to technology for a time, or not watching TV, or refusing to buy things for a season, for example.

Even contemplating a fast can send us into a funk. “How can I survive a day without eating?” we wonder.  “Turn off my cell phone for a week? I just couldn’t.” we say.  Ah, but we can, and we should – for the right reason.  If we hope to impress God about how ‘good’ we can be our fast is nearly useless. If we want others to admire our depth of discipline when we fast, we are just being foolish and have an issue with pride that needs to be conquered.  If we want to convince ourselves that we are better than those ordinary Christians who do not fast, our understanding is faulty.  If we think that by fasting we can make God do something for us that we really want Him to do, we are misguided. He does not respond to hunger strikes!

A fast is a way to re-adjust our perspective, to reorder our hearts, and to regain our first love. Nothing more.  It’s just an exercise.  Done for that reason, fasting can help us grow in Christ.  Disciple, our focus is higher than this body! We are to love God - with all our mind, heart, and strength. In this, we find life to the full which He promised. We understand that the body is perishing and we do not despair because of that fact. We feed, clothe, and care for our body as the 'temple of the Spirit,' which it is, but we refuse to make it our god.

Consider the wisdom in this passage. "For many walk, (live their daily lives) of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame- who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:18-21, NKJV)

Are you worshipping your stomach? Do you define 'the good life' by food, comfort, or appearance? If so, break that idol! "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:2-3, NKJV) Practice the discipline of fasting (not just food!) to allow the love of God to flourish. Cultivate the inner beauty of a clean and righteous heart that cannot be taken away by the passing of time.

Those who serve the belly god become enslaved by the search for more and more exotic experiences to sate the senses. Lust and gluttony corrupt every part of their lives, shape every interaction, and ultimately their god is wrenched from their grasp by age and death. Those who serve the Savior are led to life, know joy, and take mastery over their body and appetites even as they take hold of eternal life, right here, right now!

Here’s a word from the Word. Let the Spirit speak.  Paul, deeply devoted to the Lord, a man of unquestioned maturity, acknowledges that failure stalks us all.  Here’s his counsel.  "Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT)

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Here I Am To Worship

Light of the world,

You stepped down into darkness,

Opened my eyes,  let me see-

Beauty that made

This heart adore You,

Hope of a life spent with You.

So, here I am to worship.

Here I am to bow down.

Here I am to say that

You're my God!

You're altogether lovely,

Altogether worthy,

Altogether wonderful to me.

Tim Hughes, 2000 ThankYou Music

CCLI License 810005

Stress to max?

A few weeks, when I was driving the narrow turnpike lanes in less than ideal weather with heavy traffic, feeling the pressure of getting to the airport on time,  the muscles in my shoulders and neck tightened. My breathing grew more rapid than normal.  My body had kicked into the old ‘fight or flight’ syndrome.  Dr. Walter Cannon, a Harvard physiologist, first described this very real and nearly universal reaction to any perception that we are going to be harmed.  It is hard-wired into our brains. When a threat is perceived, our bodies get ready for action.  Our heart rate increases, muscles tense; all without conscious thought. We feel it as ‘stress.’   Unless we learn to regulate that response, we can suffer unnecessarily, even doing real damage to ourselves over time.

We can learn to moderate the response!  On that turnpike, when I sensed my stress, I turned off the switch. I simply slowed down, moved into the right lane, and consciously told myself that I had built some extra time into the travel so that I would be on-time for the flight.  Then, I slowed my breathing and relaxed the tense muscles.  I ‘submitted’ to my situation instead of trying to fight it.

One of the spiritual disciplines that help us to become mature, healthy Christ-followers is submission.  We tend to regard it only as a part of relationships, submitting ourselves to leaders or governmental authority, as the Word teaches. It is, however, a practice for life that allows us to know inner peace.  Many share the tragedy of my life – only learning this key discipline – after many years of ‘fighting’ with life and bringing on all kinds of unnecessary stress. Jesus teaches us to life in this day, to accept the day’s trials and blessings with the grace that God provides for it.   There is great wisdom for life here, given to us by the Perfect Man – “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. “And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Matthew 6:25-33, NLT)

The foundation of this kind of trust is faith in the Father and His ability to provide. When we make God too small or when we take life into our own hands, we no longer can submit to the day and live with peace. True submission brings contentment.  Paul, whose life was filled with days of trouble, says “I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” (Philippians 4:11-12, NLT)

The key word in both of those passages is the word ‘need.’  Stress forms around what I want.  We seldom verbalize our desires, but we are often governed by them. Our lives formed around what we want, with our present situation never being enough.  I want more money. I want a better job. I want a different kind of house. I want to be loved more than I feel I am loved. I want to …  we are champions of wanting, aren’t we?   But, when our desires are allowed to rule us, when we push, fight, kick, and scream to make life work on our own terms, we do much damage to ourselves and others, to say nothing of the ruin of our Christian experience.  “But, Jerry,” you ask, “is it wrong to desire change, to want to make a difference?”  Not at all.  When we learn the discipline of submission, we are much more able to discern the difference between godly ambition – desiring the things of the Kingdom – and selfish ambition that enslaves us to our lusts and passions. 

Meditate on this passage for a few moments today.  Take note of the promise that God will give us the desires of our heart, but only when we have learned to be delighted with Him!  (The Hebrew word we translate as “delight” means to laugh, to be light, as young lovers are taken with each other’s presence!)   Oh that our hearts and minds would be captivated by God, giddy with joy that He would love us.

"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 as clear as 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.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop your anger! Turn from your rage!
Do not envy others— it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land." (Psalm 37:3-9, NLT)

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