An Enlarged Heart!

At dinner on Wednesday evening somehow the conversation fell on the subject of giving to the church. “It’s always about the money,” my friend said. In some congregations that might be true, but it never was in the churches that I pastored. I am convinced that people ‘spend’ on things they value or need. If a church wants to have ‘enough’ resources the best way to encourage giving is not guilt or manipulation.

When people to understand the value of the ministry in their lives and the ways that the church is meeting needs – theirs and those of others – they will give. Conversely, if the church appears to be wasting the giver’s offering he will be reluctant to give. If the ministry seems to be mostly about giving the pastor a job rather than providing spiritual care for the community, giving will taper off. 

That said, I hasten to add that spiritual maturity will be accompanied by the discipline of giving, of real and sacrificial generosity.  I told my dinner guests that I have always tithed, a practice based on the Old Testament requirement that the people of God give the first 10% of their income to support the priesthood and the work of God among them.

Over the years it’s been my joyful privilege to give much more than a tithe (10%) as I support my local church, the national church, and ministries around the world.  I love to write a check to a missions group, to give to kids who are going on a missions trip, to throw in an extra $5 on the waiter’s tip, to go the second mile in serving the need of another. Before my wife went to Heaven, I could not resist a bouquet of flowers when stopped at the supermarket. That’s not a boast.

I have learned that giving is fun! Really, it is!

Generosity is not just about ‘stuff!’  It is a way of life, a choice to refuse offense, to offer words of encouragement, to see the best in others. Even when maligned the person with a big heart will choose to absorb the blow and return a blessing!  Jesus taught that, didn’t He?  "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." (Matthew 5:39-40, NIV)  Lord, teach us to be big-hearted people in a small-hearted world.

Paul was inspired by the Spirit to teach us about the rewards of a generous life. He was gathering a collection to take to the impoverished Christians in Jerusalem. He said,  "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (2 Corinthians 9:7-11, NIV)  

The best givers have an “abundance mentality.” Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, borrowed a Biblical concept and coined that phrase. People who understand the concept of God’s limitless provisions, who believe He can and will provide, who know His grace, are much more likely to be generous. Generosity multiplies our resources rather than diminishing them. Jesus Christ said it first - "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)

Here’s a word from the Word. May the Spirit inspire us to generosity of spirit and wallet!  "Just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. … For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:7,9, NIV) Our generosity is a grace, a gift designed to bring joy, that is modeled on the generosity of Jesus Christ, whose grace brought life to us!

Give yourself to others today, leaving a trail of people who have been blessed by your generous spirit, to the glory of the One who first loved us!  May He give us enlarged hearts! Amen

_______________

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

It all comes down to this
What you require of me
Love my neighbor as myself
And You above all things

 Act justly love mercy walk humbly
With You God
In all things in all ways walk humbly
With You God

It all comes down to this
To be Your hands and feet
Good news to all the world
The truth will set us free

It's beauty for ashes
It's mourning to dancing
It's closer and closer
The Kingdom of heaven

Years from now we'll see
The fruit our hands have sown
Faith just like a seed
The only way it grows

Chris Tomlin | Jason Ingram | Pat Barrett

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Love that Will Not Let Me Go

 

A friend, a missionary who served in obscurity for decades, died yesterday. All the sweet words in the world did not lift the sadness from me. I visited Chuck’s Mom to bring her the sad news and to share a few minutes of caring with her. These encounters with mortality remind me, once again, just how important it is to build friendships and to keep close to the Best Friend, Jesus. 

As the day closed, I sat at my piano and sang an old hymn that reminds me that His ‘love will never let me go.’  Friends stand with us, pour concern over us, offer words that help us to see the hope of a new day.  Simon and Garfunkel got it right all those decades ago:  a friend is a “bridge over troubled water!”

Where do we go when troubles come that no song can soothe?  We go to the One whose love is eternal, the Friend of friends, Jesus!  Peter, who had walked on some troubled water, invites you and me to "cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NKJV)  Peter’s word – cast - only appears twice in the New Testament. It indicates action - ‘throwing something down!’  Those burdens of life, those intractable problems, those sorrows that arrive in our lives– need not crush us under their weight. We are invited to throw them onto the shoulders of an Almighty God who is not only Lord but Friend!

I took Peter’s counsel and ‘cast’ my burden on the Lord. How I love that disciple.  He is the impulsive disciple. There is that story of the night when he was in a small boat when Jesus came walking on the water. He was terrified until he heard the Lord’s voice. Jesus invited him get out the boat and to walk on water.  Once he was over the side, he saw the waves, and noting the ‘impossibility’ of his situation, he grew fearful and started to sink. His Friend reached out a hand to pull him up.  Don’t you love that story?

On the worst night of his life, at first Peter showed more courage than all the other disciples except John, following Jesus to His place of trial. Then, fear took over and when pressed about his relationship to Jesus, he swore, “I never knew Him.”  Weeks later, his Friend found him back in his fishing boat, a broken and disillusioned man. He sat down to breakfast with Peter and led him through a time of restoration, then He sent him out to “Feed my sheep!”   At Pentecost, full of the Holy Spirit, Peter was revealed as a new man, the fearless apostle who preached on the streets of Jerusalem. Yes, this is the power of friendship with Jesus.

That man uses the action language innate to his personality. “Weighed down by concern, troubled by life? Throw it on the Lord! He is ready to care for you.”

Jesus warned us that "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.”  Is that the last word? No, it is not. He goes on to say,  “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”" (John 16:33, NLT) Our Friend is greater than our sorrow, wiser than our confusion, our Hope and Peace. Yes, death comes. Yes, social upheavals arrive. Yes, pandemics change our lives forever. Our Friend remains. Right now… take that heavy thing that is pressing on you, weighing you down in your grasp. Got it?   Now, cast it on His strong shoulders: “Here it is. Thank you for helping me carry it, Lord. Amen.”

Here is the word from the Word.  Meditate on His invitation.  
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV)
_________

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

 O Love that will not let me go

I rest my weary soul in Thee

I give Thee back the life I owe

That in Thine ocean depths its flow

May richer fuller be.

 

O Joy that seekest me through pain

I cannot close my heart to Thee

I trace the rainbow through the rain

And feel the promise is not vain

That morn shall tearless be

 

O Cross that liftest up my head

I dare not ask to fly from Thee

I lay in dust life's glory dead

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be

 

Albert Lister Peace | George Matheson

© Words: Public Domain

 

Praying. Just a lot of talk?

 

 

At 2 am, when I awaken in the dark, I pray; quiet communion with my Friend! Last night I began to think of a friend who is dying, of his family gathered around his bed, and I prayed. Yesterday, in the afternoon, a person called me excited about a big opportunity in his life and after the call, I prayed.  When I felt angst about the new season in my own life, I prayed. For me, praying is about as natural as breathing.

Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. His reply in the 11^th chapter of Luke’s Gospel should shape our understanding of the basics of prayer. "He said to them, “When you pray, say: ”‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”" (Luke 11:2-4, NIV)  

First, He teaches us that we are coming to our Father.
Prayer is relational!

When my children call to talk to their Dad they do not prepare lengthy and formal speeches. We talk about the day, our feelings, our desires, other people, the weather, our concerns. The gift of language allows us to share our lives.  When we pray, above all, we are loving our Abba and sharing our lives. He understands the groans, the laughter, the silence, the tears, the heartache, the triumphs. Like any good and loving father, He loves to hear from us.  My day brightens when my phone notifies me that one of my kids is on the phone.  They do not have to wait for crisis to call. No earthshaking news needs to prompt a conversation.  It’s just good to connect.

Prayer becomes what it ought to be when we allow the revelation of the Word shape our understanding.  We come to a Person, full of Love, not to the ‘universe,’ unfeeling, uncaring, unmoved. Jesus further reveals the nature of our Father’s love for us in that same passage says "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”" (Luke 11:13, NIV)  

Second, He teaches that prayer will address the spiritual realm.
Prayer is surrender!

All of our prayers, at their core, must be shaped by a desire for the rule of God. “Your Kingdom come!”  In Matthew, in another setting, Jesus enlarges on that thought – “May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”   Our prayers may start out as petulant cries, like those of a willful child who wants his own way.  But, ultimately, if we come to intimately know our Father, our prayers will flow from a trusting heart that receives each day and the provisions for that day from Him. We present our needs and desires, knowing our limited grasp of life, and then we rest in His wisdom. Oh what sweet peace we find in surrender to His will.

Third, He teaches us that prayer includes ordinary daily concerns.
Prayer is relying on Him! 

Human beings are prone to a subtle conceit, a kind of pride that says, “I can manage my own life.”  Until we cannot! How foolish we are to ignore our Father, to walk at a distance when the sun is shining and life is good. Time will come when we will realize our limits, when the illusions of mastery are shattered by some awful reality.  When we have prayed faithfully, gratefully acknowledging His daily care, seeing His providence even in our ‘daily bread,’  faith will be strong to receive His promised grace for those stormy days. “Give us today our daily bread,” and Thank You.

Fourth, He teaches us that prayer includes recognition of His grace.
Prayer is confessional!   

How many times I have come to my Father in worship only to realize some point of failure or sin that I did not know. It happened in my middle of the night prayer earlier this morning. As I communed with my Father, the Spirit whispered to me of a choice I made that missed the mark of His will. Did I lay there full of guilt or shame? Not at all. I agreed with the Spirit, and felt the release of His forgiveness.   Oh, what amazing grace I find in His love. As a good Father, He will not ignore my sin, but as a loving Father He will readily forgive me, when I ask without excuse. Jesus reminds us that graced people must be ‘grace-full’ people. Are you carrying a grudge? Do you hate someone who wronged you?  Forgive as you are forgiven.  There is real freedom in that release of debt to the Father.

Fifth, He teaches us that prayer includes recognition of the unseen reality of evil.
Prayer is powerful!   

We pray that He will keep us from walking into the traps of the Evil One, the failures born of our own unholy desires, and the snares of scheming people who would destroy us.  “Lead us not into temptation.”  We cannot be naïve about the reality of evil found in ‘the World (earthly systems), the flesh (our sinful nature), and the Devil.’  One of the rich blessings of a prayer-filled life is the discernment that comes when we are in step with the Holy Spirit. We are not fearful or timid. We do not hide from the full experience of living, but we see the traps with spiritual eyes and we are led to Life, not death; to victory, not failure.  Oh Lord, deliver us from Evil!

Pray like your life depends on it. It does! Prayer is our life-line. It is natural as breathing and every bit as critical to life! Prayer need not be the formal churchy wordy kind of praying. We are invited to a conversation -  Father and Child.

The word from the Word invites us into a prayer. "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)  Can I get an Amen?

_________________

O Come To The Altar

Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling

O come to the altar
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there's no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling

Oh what a Savior
Isn't he wonderful
Sing alleluia Christ is risen
Bow down before him
For he is Lord of all
Sing alleluia Christ is risen

Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you've found

Chris Brown | Mack Brock | Steven Furtick | Wade Joye

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