Woe is me!

Remember the old fable about “Chicken Little?”  An acorn fell and hit a not too bright chicken on the head. She panicked and ran about the farmyard declaring that the sky was falling!  The fable has been told in various cultures for centuries as a warning of excessive fear-mongering!  Can I be bold and tell you, dear friend, that it is a worthy story for our time?

Without taking sides in our political tempest, let me point out that the dire warnings of the imminent collapse of America are over-wrought presentations of singular points of view, supported by isolated anecdotes which are carefully selected to buttress the opinion of the speaker. I am not naïve and realize that the challenges we face in these United States are real. The choices we make in our elected leadership have consequences, but… panicky declarations of the end of the world as we know it are not at all useful, nor are they true.

Christian, stop spreading tales of fear and repeating the lies of self-serving politicians!  We are citizens of the Kingdom of God and He reigns sovereign over the affairs of the world. This truth should make us a people of peace, reasonable, rational, and engaged in prayer that makes us partners in Jesus’ work of salvation for humanity of every generation.

I know that our 24/7 ‘news’ networks make it possible for a singular opinion to spread like a virus.  Our social media gives voice to everyone, regardless of truthfulness, education, or accuracy in their words.  Conspiracy theories grow like weeds. Highly biased pundits see the same event and tell us very different stories. Yes, it is very hard to discern the ‘truth,’  extremely difficult to sort through the debris of words to find the diamonds that are facts.  

Christians must go deeper and anchor themselves in the surety that Jesus Christ is the same ‘yesterday, today, and tomorrow,’ and that God holds you and me in the palm of His hand and that the salvation promised us cannot be stolen by anyone or anything in all the earth.

By way of example of human error in conclusions, let me point out a few realities. 

One hundred years ago, the average life expectancy for an American was around             age 50; today it is near 80.

When I was a child 60 years ago, there were hundreds of 'dead' rivers and lakes in             America, full of toxic wastes. Today, there are virtually none

Dr. Paul Erlich, a biologist and author of The Population Bomb, published in 1967, predicted that the world would experience famines sometime between 1970 and 1985 due to population growth outstripping resources. Ehrlich wrote that "the battle to feed all of humanity is over ... In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." Ehrlich also stated, "India couldn't possibly feed two hundred million more people by 1980," and "I have yet to meet anyone familiar with the situation who thinks that India will be self-sufficient in food by 1971."  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_R._Ehrlich)  Forty years later and with a world population that has doubled, the predicted famines are not happening. Is there hunger in the world? Absolutely, but not because of production problems. Hunger exists in some parts of our world primarily because of warfare, poverty, and distribution issues.

My point is not to belittle caution or to say that there are no real problems!  There are and it is our responsibility to meet those challenges with innovation. When we do, life goes on but new challenges emerge for each and every generation.

This is a fact! God is greater than our fears and misconceptions!  What peace I find in meditation on this doxology from Romans 11.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36, NIV)

Our high calling is to hear the cry of those in peril and respond with compassion, with a message of hope, and an invitation to restoration to the family of God, through the grace of Jesus. Jesus did not call us to retreat into our churches and defensively ‘hold out’ to the End! He told us to "go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”  And He gave us this assurance -  “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT)

Are you letting the troubles of life fill you with fear?
Are you living defensively, building walls to shut out every threat both real and imagined?

If so, I would gently suggest that you have missed the major part of His-Story! Go to the Scripture and read again the glorious 8th chapter of Romans! In one brief, breathtaking passage, we are told of God's plan, about our destiny as His children who may know Him as both the “Lord of Glory” and our “Abba” (Dad!).  The inspired text tells us to keep faith focused on the one who Lord of Time, of Humanity, Who has conquered even Death itself. Living with that solid foundation, we lose fear and lead with love.

Then the chapter closes with this shout of victory which is our word from the Word.  Oh, may the Spirit grant us faith to own these words. "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-32, 37-39, NIV)  Can I get an “Amen?”

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(Video of this blog at this link)

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Lead On O King Eternal

Lead on O King Eternal
The day of march has come
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home
Thro' days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong
And now O King eternal
We lift our battle song

Lead on O King Eternal
Till sin's fierce war shall cease
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet Amen of peace
For not with swords loud clashing
Nor roll of stirring drums
With deeds of love and mercy
The heav'nly kingdom comes

Lead on O King Eternal
We follow not with fears
For gladness breaks like morning
Where'er Thy face appears
Thy cross is lifted o'er us
We journey in its light
The crown awaits the conquest
Lead on O God of might

Ernest Warburton Shurtleff | Henry Thomas Smart | Ovid Young

© Words: Public Domain

Your Story and His-Story

A young woman told a short part of her story to us in church yesterday. In her final year of high school, in a time when she was looking for some answers, a boy who is part of our congregation openly talked about his faith in Jesus and invited her to church. Not from a ‘churched’ family, she found the thought of stepping into an unfamiliar environment a challenge, but she courageously did it and found a ‘home’ and a relationship with Jesus. 

Now she is in a pre-med  program and is headed to a small town in Jamaica later this year for an outreach program and she invited her church to help her by provided items to be used at that time. Annabelle’s story is not one of a dramatic turn from some terrible place in life. She did not escape some horrific situation. She heard of hope, responded with faith, and as she said found a spiritual home!

The Good News about Jesus is told in stories. His teaching about His mission and purpose was often wrapped up in parables, simple stories about ordinary life that had a deeper meaning for those who heard them.  Have you heard His story and started to write your own faith story?

Since retiring, in many conversations about my decades of ministry, I found that most people did not remember many details about sermons I carefully prepared and delivered but they do recall stories of my life and faith. When I told about experiencing God’s grace, when I shared about His hand moving in the lives of others, or how I saw someone transformed by the Good News, or how He sustained me in times of loss and sorrow, people heard and identified with my ‘testimony’ thinking that “Jesus can do that for me, too."

Christians are called to “go and tell, ” Jesus parting words to us being -"Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT)  We heard His story and then we tell it.

Often before I make a purchase, I take time to read product reviews. By definition, a review requires an experience.  Who wants to read a critic’s review if he has not seen the movie? Who wants to hear a opinion about a local restaurant offered by a person who has not eaten a meal at the establishment? Was the item useful, durable, as described? What kind of service did the company provide?  Those reviews have a real effect! 

Christian, your life is a ‘review’ that others read about the Jesus you claim as Lord and Savior. What story is your life telling? Do your words and your choices align?  Is your ‘faith’ more than a Sunday thing, integrated into your family life, your work world, the relationships with your neighbors and friends? 

In John’s Gospel, a woman with an ugly past, a social outcast, met Jesus at a well in Samaria. He engaged her in conversation and her heart was changed. What happened next is unexpected but truly wonderful. "The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him." (John 4:28-30, NLT) John summarizes those days at that village telling us that "Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” (John 4:39, NLT)

The “Jesus story” – this is who I was, this is who I am – of others usually stirs up deep emotion in me. Sometimes the story is raw, freedom from some addiction, a recovery from some tragedy, or release from from the shame of past choices.  Some are more like the one I heard yesterday of the faith discovery of new direction, the revelation of God’s love that gives hope and purpose. The best stories are those that are authentic, not necessarily eloquent, but real and deep.

John Newton, who penned the words to the old hymn, Amazing Grace, had a story. A troubled child-hood, time at sea, a slave ship captain, a man changed by God’s love who became a pastor, and later a major player in the abolition of slavery in England - this was his story.  And he captures the essence this way:

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see!

How do you know Jesus?
What has He done in your life?
Where do you struggle, what are your triumphs? 

When we have a real story of grace, our witness can be a powerful catalyst of change - for our family, our friends, even our world. Like a man who was healed by Jesus, who was questioned about Who Jesus was, we need not have all the answers to every question, nor must be theologians. It is enough to say, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25, NIV)

The word from the Word – "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5, NIV)  And, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NIV)

Let’s tell the Story in our story, honestly and with the desire to let others ‘read’ our review and find His love for themselves, through faith.

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers toils and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun

 

John Newton

© Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain