He saved 669 children from certain death

Nicky’s Family is a documentary (Netflix) telling the amazing story of Nicholas Winton’s efforts to save Jewish children from the Nazis in Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War 2.  Winton was a stockbroker, 29 years of age, preparing for a holiday in Switzerland, when his friend told him about a growing number of refugees.  On a whim, he decided to go to Prague.  Deeply moved by the hopeless plight of Jews there, he  single-handedly set in motion a plan to take children out of the country to safety.  

Only Great Britain would open its doors, but even then the bureaucracy creaked along too slowly.  Knowing that if he waited, children would die, he created a fictitious organization, gave himself a grand title, and printed fraudulent travel documents to make it happen, refusing to surrender to the ‘impossibilities’ that he met in his effort. Before the war broke out on September 1, 1939, he had arranged for 669 children to make their way to safety.  Winton never spoke of  his work and it was only when his wife found a scrapbook in their attic in 1988, did his amazing effort come to light.  His guiding principle was – “if it’s not impossible, then it can be done.”

What opportunities has God presented to you? What ‘impossibilities’ have you encountered? Have you given up, concluding that nothing can be done? Are you willing to take another look at the situation, asking for eyes of faith to see beyond the possible?

Jesus spoke of the difficulty of bringing a self-sufficient person into God’s realm.  He used a metaphor that made His disciples sit up and question Him. “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. I say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:23-26, NLT)

Who do you know that has not yet surrendered his life to the Living Lord? Who among your friends does not yet know eternal life that is the gift of God?Before you tell me how hard it is to share Christ with them, before you tell me that they are just impossible, go back and read Jesus’ words – “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Let Sir Nicholas Winton’s efforts inspire you.

Here is the word from the Word – “This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:14-16, NIV)

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV)

The world is waiting. What are we going to do about it?

______________

Please, not him, not again!

When a certain man who is running for the office of President shows up on my TV, I groan – “Please go away. Not him, not again!”  His self-absorption, mindless speeches, and lack of substance turn me off, in a big way.  What causes us to dislike another person? Why do we take a position on some point and refuse to budge, no matter what the facts are?   In a conversation with another person yesterday, I discovered that he thinks that candidate is admirable, that ‘he really tells the truth.’  It’s a cause for wonder, isn’t it, that two people can look at the same person, hear the same speeches, and reach such differing conclusions?

There is amazing diversity of opinion in our world.  How people choose to ‘do life’ is shaped by those opinions.  Sometimes it is a matter of little consequence.  He likes blue, I like red.  Sometimes it is a matter where deeply held convictions about what is ‘right and wrong’ are involved.   When you encounter that kind of difference, what is your first impulse – to separate, to go to battle, or to attempt to understand?  Honestly, when I have to deal with someone who frustrates every attempt at reasonable dialogue, who digs in and harps on his opinions, I am not always so patient. I feel the temptation to write off the relationship as irreconcilable and/or irreparable.

How about you?
Have you discarded a friendship over difference?

Ongoing conflict often escalates and even people with long-standing marriages go their separate ways over what the law terms, “irreconcilable differences.”  Christians, who are to be characterized by love for one another above all things, frequently go their separate ways, while singing, “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

How does God want us to deal with the difficult people in life?

Read the wisdom of the Word – thoughtfully.  “I beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.” (Ephesians 4:1-4, NLT)  Live withhumility, gentleness, and patience! Those responses require the inner life of the Spirit, changing us from the inside out.   If try to just ‘put up with’ that person that makes us think “just go away,’  eventually we will pushed beyond our limits and explode.  But, if  the One who is greater that Self is controlling us, we will bear with one another, listening, learning, loving.

If that sounds easy, think again.  Living in harmony – be it in our home, our church, our family, and our neighborhood – demands spiritual transformation and an ongoing death to Self.  We pray, but  not to gain the upper hand; rather to be filled with the Spirit, gentle as Jesus.  The paradox is that what we may think to be weakness really releases a great power in us. Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control.  This quote from Jim Elliott (a missionary who was murdered by those he was trying to reach with the Gospel) captivates me. “Lord give me firmness without hardness, steadfastness without dogmatism, and love without weakness.”

Here is the word from the Word. ” If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ” …“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,Doesn’t force itself on others,Isn’t always “me first,”Doesn’t fly off the handle,Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,Doesn’t revel when others grovel,Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,Puts up with anything,Trusts God always,Always looks for the best,Never looks back,But keeps going to the end. “ (1 Corinthians 13:1, 4-7, The Message)

__________________________

The Paradoxical Commandments

Dr. Kent M. Keith

 People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

 If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

Words made cheap?

Eugene Peterson, tells the story of Charity, a 5 year old, who went to visit her grandmother. The morning after she arrived she said, “Grandmother, let’s not have any god-talk while you are here, OK? Let’s just keep it real.” Wow! Wisdom from the mouths of babes! (The Pastor, a Memoir) Peterson observes, “She was onto the fact that life leaks out of what we say… teach and pray- especially when we are using the sterile life-less language that objectifies words like God, Jesus, prayer, believe – we are left with nothing but god-talk.”

Listen to the conversations that flow around you.  Talk is cheap, devalued by inflation of words. Politicians call it ‘spin.’  The less reverent simply call it bovine excrement. (You know what I mean!) We must NEVER allow our conversation about the things of the Lord or even about God Himself to descend to that level. “God-talk” keeps real life at arm’s length. Some insulate themselves from dealing with the issues of life with endless Bible quotations and miracle stories they hear preachers tell.  Let’s talk about Jesus, in real terms, as we find His love and life in our daily journey.

Jesus is just as much Lord of our broken, doubtful, insecure, neurotic, temptation-filled days as He is of the days when we are living on the “hallelujah side” of life. He is offended when we speak dishonestly, claiming to know what is yet far beyond our grasp!  Why do we fear those words, “I don’t know” or “I’m just not sure” or even “I am afraid”?  I feel so sad, sometimes even angry, when I hear somebody who is depressed or anxious desperately trying to out-talk their circumstances with a ceaseless flow of empty speech, repeating words like a mantra:  “I just know God has a real purpose in this and I’m so excited to see how it all works out.”  The truth will allow them to weep real tears, wrestle with real doubt, and discover real comfort in the Holy Spirit.

Job knew God deeply.  The Lord Himself pointed to Job as a man who was “blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.”(Job 1:1, NLT) Then, God allowed Satan to sweep everything the man held dear away!  Did Job serenely endure it all while singing a Psalm to hide his grief? No!  He wept, he grieved, he prayed… and eventually he came to the point that he cursed the day he was born. All the while his self-righteous ‘comforters’ – men who were great at god-talk that explained it all – kept telling him that it must be his fault, that he should just admit his sinfulness that brought the tragedies into his life.  But, Job never stopped praying!  His prayer, however, was not pretty, positive, and pulpit ready!  He said, “Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble. “Why wasn’t I born dead? Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:10-11, NLT)  Can you imagine hearing your Christian friend pray that way?  Would such honesty open your heart with love or cause you to recoil in disgust?  What I admire is that he did not give up on God, that he knew Him so well that he would be completely authentic.  And, he did find comfort.

Jeremiah, God’s spokesman to ancient Judah, had a tough ministry.  God told him to go and proclaim His impending judgment.  Nobody wanted to hear the truth. “Death, murder, rape are going to befall you who ignore the living God,” he cried in loud voice!” His sermons rubbed sores onto the national conscience. Did he love his ministry?  You be the judge after reading this lament. “When I speak, the words burst out. “Violence and destruction!” I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke.” (Jeremiah 20:8, NLT)  I admire his faithfulness to the truth, don’t you?

Job’s prayers and Jeremiah’s sermons are shocking. Many modern Christians might even reject them as faithless.  They are amazing indications of the intimacy these men enjoyed with God. They engaged with Him in authentic conversation, their prayers so much more than mere god-talk.  As a result they discovered His Presence in the middle of their desperation.

Faith is not the same as the happy, sappy, pious “everything is wonderful” platitudes that are common among Christian.  Faith is not saying words, it is remaining anchored in hope that rests on the Person who loves us all of the time. Real faith quietly holds onto the declaration that God is equally Lord when we are in the valley’s shadowy path or on the high bright peak of glorious triumph. Job recounted his sorrows and then declared: “Still, I know that God lives—the One who gives me back my life— and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth. And I’ll see him—even though I get skinned alive!”  (Job 19:25-26, The Message) His declaration does not mask his pain and sorrow; it is wrung from him like sweet juice squeezed from a grape!

Can people have a conversation with you without having to endure god-talk that blocks real communication?
When someone begins to share their pain are you just ready to listen and slide a shoulder under the burden to help carry it;
or are you quick to distance yourself, protecting yourself with a cliché – ‘just trust the Lord’ – as you pray a quick, insincere prayer?

Here’s word from the Word! It’s real. It’s blessed. It’s pregnant with promise. Live it “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:14-16, NIV)  “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:24-27, NIV)

________________

My hope is built on
Nothing less than Jesus’ blood
and Righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
_ public domain

Turkeys and Eagles

Turkeys like to hang around in flocks, scratching in the dirt for food, taking flight only for short distances. They do not soar and are not generally admired as a noble bird.  Hence, the description of a person going nowhere, doing nothing, as a ‘turkey.’  Eagles, by contrast, soar to the heights, beautiful creatures. We use the eagle motif often when describing high achievers, as in, ‘Eagle Scout.’ Are you a turkey or an eagle?

If you choose to hang out with turkeys, don’t be surprised when you end up in the roaster pan of life!
If you choose to be with eagles, they will lift you higher!

Proverbs is direct: “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”(Proverbs 13:20, NIV) Those who have lesser natural ability who chose to associate themselves with students with brains and discipline will always exceed their expectations. They are challenged by their associates.  Sadly, I have known many born with all the ‘right stuff,’ who chose to hang with the crowd that is going nowhere. Life is easier when no one expects much of us. The good times, the laughter, and the acceptance of turkeys who were happy to welcome them to their flock brought apathy that allowed the bright promise to fade to mediocrity. I feel so sad for the guy who’s life peaked in high school, who is still telling the stories of football glory 25 years later.

Christian; who are your associates?
Where do you find inspiration and challenge?
Is it with the passionately committed, those whose desire is for the glory of God,
or is it with those who aim for minimal participation to assure getting into Heaven?

Yes, there are ‘Christians’ who choose the way of the turkey. They decide that choosing the best things of God- a holy life, a disciplined life of devotion and service, is just ‘too hard.’  Deceiving themselves they claim, “God is leading me in a different direction”  as they walk away from those who challenge them to do their ‘utmost for God’s highest.’   They join ‘turkeys’ that expect little, do nothing, and never wrestle with Truth. Turkeys love big stories of faith as long as they are about things happening on the other side of the world.  They devour easy to believe miracle tales and thrive on promises that you can ‘get all of God’ with simple formulaic prayers and emotional experiences. They usually misuse the marvelous grace of Christ, twisting it inside out and turning it into an excuse to indulge their selfish desires. It’s a life without commitment, without sacrifice or kingdom change.

The eagle Christian finds those who are deeply engaged, thoughtful, living with excellence for God’s glory. Daniel was an eagle! His reputation for unwavering commitment was so notable his enemies chose to use it to try to get rid of him in Babylon’s lion den. His enemies “tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:4-5, NIV)

If your desire is to soar on wings like eagles, living at the peak of effectiveness for the Lord, stop dreaming about miracle solutions or short-cuts. Daily discipline, being willing to deal with truth, the choice of walking with the wise – these things open our lives to the Spirit, who changes us “into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Find a band of eagles. Let them teach you to soar higher than you thought you could. Let their commitment to authentic Christian living be a model for you. And,enter the Kingdom of God, which is the destiny God purposed for you before time began.

__________

Shine Jesus Shine

 Lord, the light of Your love is shining,

In the midst of the darkness shining.

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us.

Set us free by the truth You now bring us.

Shine on me, shine on me.

Lord, I come to Your awesome presence,

From the shadows into Your radiance.

By the blood I may enter Your brightness;

Search me, try me, consume all my darkness,

Shine on me, shine on me.

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness

So our faces display Your likeness;

Ever changing from glory to glory,

Mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story.

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine!

Fill this land

With the Father’s glory.

Blaze, Spirit, blaze!

Set our hearts on fire.

Flow, River, flow!

Flood the nations

With grace and mercy.

Send forth Your word, Lord;

And let there be light.

Graham Kendrick

© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Do you know your shepherd?

There is an array of people who provide some kind of care for us at different times.  A few weeks ago, I sought out a lawyer to draw up important documents for me: a will, a power of attorney, and a health care directive. Her expertise was much appreciated!  I have always been grateful for those who provide medical care, and even more so, now that I am older!  One of the days that I dread each year is that trip to the dentist!  My dread is overcome by the sober realization that without good dental care, I’ll lose my teeth.  You have a doctor, lawyer, dentist, and  . . . now, let me ask you, do you have a pastor?

Yesterday I was invited to a ceremony that celebrated the new calling of a man who will serve a community, in a role every bit as important as those mentioned previously.  He was  being installed (what a term, eh?) as the 35^th pastor of a church that is 250 years old! In that hour, I, who have invested my entire life in pastoral work, reflected on the work that I do and those I serve. Paul tells us that God, the Spirit,  “gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV)  Pastor – the word means ‘shepherd.’  Interestingly God did not call the leader of the local church, president or chief or lord or even father.  He says that His people will be led by shepherds.

Shepherds live with their sheep, day and night. It is a calling, not a career. They provide protection from predators, tender care for the hurt and wounded until they are healed and able to rejoin the flock, and make sure of the supply of pasture and water.  Shepherds live for their sheep!  The model for a pastor is none other than the Shepherd, Jesus.  He says, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.” (John 10:11-13, The Message)

The preacher at the installation service yesterday took his text from Ezekiel 34.  The Lord warns the leader shepherds of His people about abusing their sheep.  It is a sobering passage for those who serve. “You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.” (Ezekiel 34:3-5, NIV)  Peter expands on that and tells those who lead Christ’s church this;  “Care for the flock of God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your good example. And when the head Shepherd comes, your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor.” (1 Peter 5:2-4, NLT)

Ezekiel also speaks to the sheep.  He tells them that a pastor must be accepted, allowed to lead.  When unruly sheep ignore the shepherd, the damage to the whole flock is dire. He warns a flock about becoming ‘fat,’ and self-seeking, refusing to allow those in need to find the care they need.  “Is it not enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Is it not enough for you to take the best water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? All that is left for my flock to eat is what you have trampled down. All they have to drink is water that you have fouled. “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. For you fat sheep push and butt and crowd my sick and hungry flock until they are scattered to distant lands.” (Ezekiel 34:18-21, NLT)

I rejoice in the privilege of being a shepherd under the care of the Great Shepherd. I feel the weight of the care of His flock and pray, with passion, to serve tenderly, lovingly, and for the good of the flock. Are you a part of the flock?  Are you under the care of both the Great Shepherd and a shepherd who loves and cares for  you?  The Spirit urges the church (the flock of God) to “be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?” (Hebrews 13:17, The Message)

Sheep and shepherd – let’s work to bring honor and glory to God – “God’s people (who are doing) works of service, (led well so that) the body of Christ may be built up.”

“A psalm of David.The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk through the dark valley of death,I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil.My cup overflows with blessings.Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23, NLT)