Hell Rejoices, People Bleed!

This is not a joyous CWTW. I hope it makes you weep, drives you to prayer, and makes you engage with a problem that too many of us think is ‘about somebody else.’  It will most likely stir some resentment, too.

Her cell video when viral showing her boyfriend bleeding and dying on the car seat next to her, the barrel of a gun in the hands of a police still pointed through the window. Her plaintive wail, “Jesus, don’t let him be dead,” was so raw, so painful, my heart twisted with sorrow.  Another man lay dying on a street, shot by an officer trying to take him into custody. It was hard to any sense of what those videos showed us. There are too many ‘whys’ surrounding these deaths, which are symbolic of terrible sickness in our nation.  It gets worse! Last night, during a protest in Dallas, 5 officers were murdered by snipers in a coordinated attack that left several officers wounded. How can more violence be an answer? What would make anyone think that the way to find better justice is to murder people in uniform? Ah, friend, Hell is rejoicing. Hatred is growing. People will continue to bleed and die.

America is an angry place. 
Racial issues, economic inequality, irresponsible political rhetoric, finger pointing, and anemic pulpits are plagues that are coming together in a kind of terrible storm that threatens to rip us apart.  We are forgetting that we are PEOPLE. Instead we have become groups – black, white, poor, wealthy, immigrant, native, have, have not, liberal, conservative, Christian, Muslim, Jew, male, female – it is a very long list.  Each group has its grievances; sometimes real, sometimes imagined, often blatantly exploited by the media and politicians as so-called ‘wedge’ issues. Seems to me that we are all screaming so loudly that we can no longer hear our neighbor’s cry. It is not morning in America! Hope is not strong. Tomorrow seems to have little promise for any of us.

What is the answer? 
If you are reading and looking for a prescription for a quick solution I will disappoint you today. There is no one solution, no one law, that will make it better. But, I can say this confidently, Christians must stop the ‘happy talk’ on Sunday morning that allows them to block out the cries of their neighbors. It's time to get real. We cannot let half-truths slip by us unchallenged any longer. We must risk being vilified by those who like to think that higher walls, more guns, additional gun laws, or bigger government subsidies will make it better. We need to learn to sit in silence, to groan in prayer, to try to understand the ‘other’ that we have been taught to fear.  We must name racism, first in ourselves, and then in our public policies. We must see our own greed and face our selfish pride.

And, we must stop making Jesus a slogan that assures our own sense of well-being and start to see Him as the compelling Savior that He truly is! The Gospel, that God loves us and saves us from our sin through Christ Jesus, is not just about protecting a privileged way of life. The Gospel is an invitation into the “kingdom” of God, which is to say, a radical call into submission to Him, a call to sacrificial love.

Jesus is not white nor black, Democrat nor Republican. He is Lord of all, Savior to those in faith; the Way, the Life, and the Truth. When we live under His reign, we find security  that is deep, rooted in the eternal promise of God about life, which by the way, is not about protecting our privilege or fattening our bank accounts. In that place of security, we begin to love others who are ‘different.’  Is it easy? Not by any stretch of imagination. But, we must start now.

So on this sad day, when you hear someone you love making sweeping generalizations about some other group, have the courage to speak up and ask them if what they are saying is thoughtful, true, and part of working out a solution. When someone is afraid, listen without quick answers. If someone is angry, give them an ear and pray for wisdom to become a peace-maker instead of throwing fuel on the fire. When you hear a fellow Christian offering platitudes or throwing around superficial slogans, gently remind them that “Jesus saves” may be a start, but we must do more than wave a banner.

Here is a word from the Word - “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16, The Message)

___________

God of Justice, Savior to all,
Came to rescue the weak and the poor,
Chose to serve and not be served.
 Jesus, You have called us.
Freely we’ve received,
Now freely we will give.

We must go,
Live to feed the hungry,
Stand beside the broken,
We must go.
Stepping forward,
Keep us from just singing,
Move us into action,
We must go.

To act justly every day,
Loving mercy in every way,
Walking humbly before You, God.
You have shown us what You require,
Freely we’ve received,
Now freely we will give.

Fill us up and send us out!
Fill us up and send us out!
Fill us up and send us out, Lord!

God Of Justice
Tim Hughes © 2004 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055

Rambling Thoughts on my birthday

Yesterday, as I closed out the 60^th year, I went on a trip to the place where Bev and I invested a dozen years in fruitful ministry among dear friends. In 2013, when we visited Great Barrington, MA there was no hint of how radically changed life would be for me. But, this is life and death, beginnings and endings. I felt deep emotions – some so sweet, some tinged with regret - as I stood in the room where it was my privilege to teach the Word, walked the floors where we laughed and cried with our family, and drove past places where we carried on the ordinary comings and goings of life.

As I reflect, I am ever so thankful a collage of faces and a chorus of voices that play through my memory this morning; good people who have mentored me, loved me, rebuked me, and taught me.  Dad and Mom instilled faith, teaching me the ‘awe and respect of the Lord.’ Numerous teachers cemented bricks in the foundation, each important in its place. I never met the late Ray Stedman, but his writing, especially a little book called “Authentic Christianity,” challenged me to think hard about integrating faith into every part of my life. Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline” made me understand that Christianity is more than an altar experience. There are daily choices that create channels through which the Spirit flows into our lives. Harry Almond, a retired missionary, walked alongside of me for a few years in mid-life. He was one of the wisest men I have ever known, yet amazingly humble. There are hundreds more;  friends who encouraged, people who came and went for a season, authors that left a pathway to growth.

Surely the Proverb is worthy of remembering -
"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel." (Proverbs 27:9, NIV) "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17, NIV) 

The best life is formed when we are connected deeply to good friends and with solid spiritual leadership.  Peers and teachers are critical in the process of bringing about our best and most productive life!  In an age where there is so much image-making and superficiality, I would urge you to beware of those who talk better than they live. The Word reminds us that "God’s Way is not a matter of mere talk; it’s an empowered life." (1 Corinthians 4:20, The Message) Want to live best, enjoy life at its fullest?  "Join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths." …Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you; take to heart my commands. They’ll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well. Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people." … You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. She’s worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary." (Proverbs 2:20, 3:1-4, 13-14, The Message)

As I close these rambling reflections of a man far down the road, I offer these simple words.

Laugh often! Don’t take yourself too seriously. A friend reminded me recently that I did not make the sun rise that day. How true.

Love deeply. It’s the only thing that will really matter in the end. 

Keep Heaven in sight. An eternal perspective will help you to avoid costly detours and give you hope in the darkest of days.

Know Jesus as the Center.  It may sound simplistic, but adopting  WWJD as a way of life isn’t a bad idea. (What Would Jesus Do)

The word from the Word comes from the final days of Paul, written to a younger man that he loved in the Lord.  My desire, and hopefully yours too, is that I will be able to say this when I come to the end of my life. "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return." (2 Timothy 4:6-8, NLT) 

____________

Can I Buy My Pardon?

The conclusions of the FBI Director, James Comey, concerning Secretary Hillary Clinton’s private emails and breaches of security have caused a tempest in America. Every news outlet was discussing the issue last night. Predictably, some were saying she was vindicated, others were insisting that Comey had exposed her lies. Some saw a miscarriage of justice, just politics as usual. Others claimed the system worked just as it should.  

In recent years, in my own involvement with people caught up in the ‘justice’ system, I have become convinced that the system is not just, that the poor bear a disproportionate burden in our courts, and that ‘who you know’ is often much more significant than what you may or may not have done.  The ‘truth’ has long been sacrificed on the altar of efficiency and political careers of prosecutors.  As the public comes to see our justice system as unfair, the rule of law will continue to deteriorate with no good end!

But, there is justice in the End! I may not trust the courts, but I trust the One who sees, who knows, who decides. Nothing is hidden from His gaze. He cannot be bought. He is beyond influence. Does that thought frighten you? It would, but for the amazing fact that in Christ Jesus we have an amazing Advocate who stands with us! John tells us that we are universally guilty of sin but that “we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2, NIV)  One translation of the Bible uses the word, advocate, in place of ‘speaks in our defense.’  The word in the original text is ‘parakletos.’ It described a person who came to the side of one in a dispute, who spoke on his behalf.  In the court of the Judge, we are not left to present our own defense. Jesus Christ stands with us. Going better than that, He settles the case by accepting our guilt and taking our penalty! 

Does regret, shame, or a lingering sense of guilt about something, big or small, hidden or public, keep you from experiencing a joyful life?  

Put your complete faith in the Advocate provided! Accept the gracious judgment of God, provided in Christ Jesus.  You were not acquitted by God. You were found guilty, but the sentence was passed to the One who offered Himself in your place. "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." (Romans 5:1, NLT)

So, does this mean that God is unconcerned about justice, that He winks at greed, pride, oppression, hatred, and such things?  Not at all. God will hold us perfectly accountable for the way we live.  No human judge can see the whole context of a person’s actions. God can and does!  He will judge with complete justice.  I hear some of you catching your breath.  We need not fear, if Christ is our Savior. Having said that, let’s not make the mistake of thinking we can live like the Devil and enjoy the rewards of a saint. A faulty line of reasoning goes like this:  if Christ has forgiven all my sins, then why can I not just indulge my whims, follow my own way?  It’s not a new error. The Bible says that our salvation is secure in Jesus, but that we are responsible for our use of the gifts of God and will be held accountable. Paul uses the metaphor of building materials. “Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.”  (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

When stand before Christ, our King, the moment will be both glorious and terrifying!  Rationalizations will be shown for the flimsy things they really are.  Things we have done that were overlooked or forgotten during our lives will be richly rewarded.  The Lord’s vision will go deeper than appearance, seeing to our motives.  Perfect justice is God’s promise.  It should comfort us that we will never be subject to a flawed system. It should sober us that "Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done." (Hebrews 4:13, NLT)

So here’s the word from the Word –
"With what shall I come before the Lord, 
And bow myself before the High God? …

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, 
To love mercy, 
And to walk humbly with your God?" 
(Micah 6:6-8, NKJV)

_____________

God of Justice, Savior to all,Came to rescue the weak and the poor,Chose to serve and not be served. Jesus, You have called us.Freely we've received,Now freely we will give. 

We must go,Live to feed the hungry,Stand beside the broken,

We must go.Stepping forward,Keep us from just singing,Move us into action,We must go.

 To act justly every day,Loving mercy in every way,Walking humbly before You, God. You have shown us what You require,Freely we've received,Now freely we will give. 

Fill us up and send us out!Fill us up and send us out!Fill us up and send us out, Lord!

God Of JusticeTim Hughes © 2004 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055

What A Way To Live!

Why did you get out of bed this morning? I hear you laughing at my question. “Seriously, Jerry. I have kids to feed, a mortgage to pay, a boss to please, remember?”  I mean what’s bigger than that for you? Somebody will do what you do, probably in a better way, someday sooner than you think. Your children will grow up and move away, making a life apart from you, as it ought to be. One by one, friends and family will step over the invisible wall between time and eternity. What will life mean then?  Will the American affluence that bought you that house, those vacations, a few toys along the way be enough?

Solomon cynically wrote of his vast accomplishments- " I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world." (Ecclesiastes 2:18-20, NLT)  Solomon got a part right. We will all leave what we have piled up behind and those who inherit it will use it without our consent or knowledge!

But, there is a life to live that is more than work, more than accumulation, more than promotion. It’s a Christ-centered life, shaped by the love of the Kingdom of God – now and in eternity. That life is not about making Jesus into the Protector and Provider of our wealth and happiness!  It is about loving people, taking on evil in its various forms and expressions, focusing on sharing the Good News that because He lives, we live also. What a way to live! When we hear and respond to the Call of the King, we find a reason to get up every day – in our youth, in middle age, and as we age – with hope, with a mission. I love those old saints who are as committed to Christ in their 80’s as they were in their 30’s!

But, and here I may offend many, I see fewer and fewer of them all the time.  Instead, I see bitter old people who are seething with resentment towards God, feeling that He has let them down in some way because they can no longer experience the ‘good life’ they pursued so passionately for so long. With Solomon they rage – “It’s all meaningless, a chasing after the wind!”

“Jesus,” as a god for convenient Sunday mornings, a kind of life insurance policy to keep us from the fear of death, will not provide us with the joyful, rich Christianity that is promised in the Gospels. Two hours of ritual in a church building on 35 or 40 Sundays a year simply will not allow a person to truly know and love God in a way that will sustain him or her when the music stops, the aches set in, and the next generation starts to take the stage! Indeed, one of the reasons that we are not handing the faith to the next generation very well these days is that they have seen the anemic thing the majority of Americans call “Christianity,” a profession that lacks passion and any real sense of compelling mission, and they have decided to discard it as an unnecessary hindrance to the full pursuit of all that this life has to offer.

Passionate Christians, those who love and live for Jesus, pray earnestly that Christ’s kingdom will come and His will be done on earth, and live as an answer to their own prayers. They see need and serve in such a way that they must pray to be empowered because they want to actually change the world, not just manage it. They care about the eternal destiny of their family, their neighbors, their world. They love the oppressed, see the pain of those enslaved by sin, and yearn to rewrite history.  History is rich with those people of passionate faith who went before us, who made our lives different in ways we may not even know. I want to be one of them, do you? What a way to live!

After all his rants about the folly and meaninglessness of life, Solomon concludes with these words, the reflections of an old man who knew great worldly success yet knew he had wasted his life. "Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young, Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes. … Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. … The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:1,6,13-14, The Message)

Here is a word from the Word. "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6:33, The Message)  What a way to live and then to die, to live forever. Amen

________________

Take my life and let it be,Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.Take my moments and my days;Let them flow in ceaseless praise,Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

 Take my hands and let them moveAt the impulse of Thy love.Take my feet and let them be,Swift and beautiful for Thee,Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Frances Ridley Havergal | Henri Abraham Cesar Malan
© Words: Public Domain