Watch how you swing that Sword!

Frank came by my office to drop off a pistol he was letting me use for target practice. After he left, I took the firearm in my hand to see how it balanced, raised it to eye level and pointed upwards towards the corner of my office. On impulse, I pulled the trigger. Bang! It actually fired! The concussion shook me, not just physically, but emotionally. I broke the first law of gun safety! I handled a deadly weapon without first checking the chamber for a round. I assumed, very wrongly, that Frank, an experienced gun owner, wouldn't transport the gun without making sure it was unloaded. Always check your deadly weapon before handling it! The lesson, learned 15 years ago, remains with me to this day. I've never picked up another gun without being certain about whether it is loaded and ready to fire. Thankfully, the result of my stupidity was nothing more serious than a small hole in the sheetrock near the ceiling and a very damaged pride.

• Do you realize the power of the Bible, the power that the Scripture's Truth can wield?
  Do you handle that Word with care and skill?

I am sad to admit that I didn't always use the Word in a manner that was appropriate to the power that is packed into it, nor was I necessarily concerned with using it in a way that ultimately produced wholeness. It was my practice to quote Scripture in a rather indiscriminate way that labeled and judged the actions of others-- Bang, Bang, Bang! Another sinner shot through by the Truth!

In my way of thinking, there were absolutes - and it was my God-given responsibility to make sure that everybody knew what was right and what was wrong. If someone got hurt in the process, oh well... that was just the inevitable result of 'telling the Truth!' Today, I realize that would be like a police officer taking out his pistol at every traffic stop and firing off a few rounds, just for effect, unconcerned if somebody got hurt or killed. Police are armed for a purpose. On rare occasions they are allowed to use their weapon with deadly force, but every good officer dreads the day he would have to use that authority.

The Psalmist lauds the power of the Word to heal: "You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. By the power of his own word, he healed you and saved you from destruction." (Psalm 107:19-20, CEV) Isn't that remarkable? God's Word is a healing word. Yes, the implications are far greater than just healing for our physical ills. He speaks to draw us back from danger, to guide us away from destruction, to bring wholeness into our lives.

The Word of God does cut deeply! "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12, NIV) The Word is like a surgeon's scalpel, cutting into us but for the purpose of excising from our hearts and minds those attitudes and ideas that are diseased and death-producing.

The Word is described as a Sword, an offensive weapon given to us for our protection! "Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17, NIV) The modern equivalent - the sidearm. Hence, my opening illustration.

Take this instruction with you today. Ask yourself if you are showing proper respect for the power of the Word, if you are a skilled user of the Sword of the Spirit.
"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)

Knowing and doing... keys to intimacy

Remember the days of dating? For some of us, it was a long, long time ago. When I met that special 'someone,' [who really understands the mixture of elements that makes her that 'someone,'] I wanted to get to know Bev better. That meant raising my level of commitment to her. We quickly moved from just being acquainted to seeing each other frequently, not dating anyone else that Summer of '74. We were 'going steady!' What do that call it now? Then, in the Fall, we became engaged, pledged to marry. Impatient as I was (and am!) we moved quickly to marriage in January, 1975, when I made an irrevocable pledge of faithful, singular love made to her as a covenant before God. Sustaining our intimacy has required absolute fidelity through the years and a willingness to consider her needs at least, if not more, important than my own. The glory is -- each stage brought new depth of relationship, new intimacy.

When we come to Christ, and begin to love Him, there is a similar pattern of escalating commitment. That commitment isn't just about saying the right words, either. Our professions of devotion must be accompanied by appropriate actions that demonstrate the veracity of our words. James asks us - what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. (James 2:14, NLT) He is not implying that our good deeds are done for the purpose of earning merit badges for our holy sash to show everybody what a great Christian we are! His point is that IF we are deeply committed, in faith, to being a follower of Christ Jesus, there will be an observable effect on our lives that extends beyond songs and prayers on Sunday morning. In chapter one, he admonishes us to be sincere about our obedience. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! (James 1:22, The Message)

That kind of commitment allows us to grow deeper in Christ. Both what we believe and how we live are intertwined in this thing called Christianity. We err seriously if we elevate either over the other. Too much emphasis on belief, on sound doctrine, and we will end up with ideas, theoretical doctrine, that float unattached to the day to day world in which we live. Too much emphasis on actions and we will end up with a list of religious rules as long as our arm, captives of our guilty consciences, and driven to miserable shame. We believe the brilliant Word- that Christ loves and saves us- that what is done is totally effective on our behalf to make us again the sons and daughters of God. And then, gratefully, we grow in commitment, letting the evidence of the Spirit's life show as we live joyfully in obedience to Him.

Intimacy in a marriage relationship can get 'stuck' when one spouse comes to a point where he or she is unwilling to surrender autonomy. He thinks, "She cannot own my Saturday mornings, and resists all her efforts to be a part of his weekend." Or he holds back a portion of his money to spend exclusively for his own pleasure, or she continues to have friends that he is not allowed to know ... and until the conflict or difference in understanding is resolved, their intimacy cannot grow. What marriage partners fail to grasp in that moment is that in surrender, they surely lose something, but they gain something of greater value than what they release! What can compare to a deep, loving, and intimate relationship with a spouse who serves you with her whole heart? She is released from fear that she will be diminished or taken advantage of when she sees you love her in a way that is costly, but true!

Similarly, we can become stuck, unable to grow in our Christ love. The Holy Spirit will not allow us to hold onto some little part of our life, as though it had nothing to do with the Lordship of Jesus. Our disobedience breaks the close loving fellowship with Him. He asks us to love Him totally! That 'totally' grows over time. Frightening thought to you? Don't let it be. Yes, serving Him means that we lose ourselves -- but what we gain is of such worth that what we lose is inconsiderable!

Here's a word from the Word to take with you today... "you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:20, NIV)

Legacy

Standing on a ridge west of Gettysburg, PA last night, I looked thoughtfully across the valley that stretched out in front of me trying to imagine the thunder of cannon, the crack of rifles, the yells of colonels on horseback, the screams of the wounded and dying. All around me there were monuments (about 1,000!) to the men who had fought on these Pennsylvania fields - obelisks carved with names of military units, bronze bas relief scenes. The horror of the 3 day battle that raged here on the first three days of July, 1863 is simply beyond my imagination. When the battle ended, there were 51,000 casualties, 1/3 of those who were sent into the battles were killed or wounded! For the men who survived the carnage, what happened here never faded from memory all the rest of their days. They were determined that no one should forget, so they came back again and again in the four decades that closed the nineteenth century, building monuments to stand as silent sentinels so we would not forget the blood that spilled here.

But it is not stone and bronze that is their greatest memorial. President Lincoln's 2 minute long speech, the amazing 'Gettysburg Address,' points to the true legacy of the men who battled here: "we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." That these United States of America still continue to offer freedom and prosperity to millions as the world's greatest democracy is the most enduring monument!

What will be the legacy of the battles you fight?
What monuments will give testament to your life 50 years from this day?

For those who live only for creature comforts, to accumulate possessions, or to create a fiefdom over which they can be a petty lord- the only monument will likely be a stone in a cemetery! But for those who live with passion, who love deeply, who pray and serve - there will be changed lives that are 'living stones.' By way of illustration, let me mention my grandfather now long gone from this earth. The money he made was spent years ago, the land he owned has all been divided and sold. But Walter Scott's lasting legacy are the lives of men and women who are now lived in the shadow of the Throne of God. His conversion to Christ and his leadership of his family in a way that pointed to Eternity has an effect that continues to exercise influence decades after his death.

Live in faith! Pray that God will give you a powerful vision for your life that will draw you on to greater exploits, but not for self aggrandizement, but for His honor.

Here's a word from the Word for this day: "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise.
Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
It was by faith that Sarah together with Abraham was able to have a child, even though they were too old and Sarah was barren. Abraham believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man, Abraham, who was too old to have any children—a nation with so many people that, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them." (Hebrews 11:8-12, NLT)

Let's keep the legacy in mind!
_____________________________________

Find Us Faithful

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us
Line the way.
Cheering on the faithful,
Encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament
To God's sustaining grace.

O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way.
May the footprints that we leave,
Lead them to believe,
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful.

Surrounded by so great
A cloud of witnesses,
Let us run the race
Not only for the prize,
But as those who've gone before us.
Let us leave to those behind us,
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on thru godly lives.

After all our hopes and dreams
Have come and gone,
And our children sift thru all
We've left behind,
May the clues that they discover,
And the mem'ries they uncover,
Become the light that leads them,
To the road we each must find.

© 1987 Jonathan Mark Music ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management / Birdwing Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055

Wrestling...

The team that directs our Christian school sat around a table last night and wrestled with the budget numbers for the coming fiscal year; working to reconcile the vision with the available resources! It is not a simple task to discern what is mission critical and what is not, to know what God would have us trust Him to provide and yet to be responsible as stewards of a vital ministry. I was made glad by the efforts of the group, who dealt with tough issues in a godly, faithful, and ultimately hopeful way - as Christians should. This ministry will be stronger because several people are willing to wrestle with these things to clarify the purpose and methods.

We all have to wrestle with tough issues, with difficult decisions- don't we? Life is often an uphill climb for those who want to be better, build bigger, grow deeper!
Close-knit families don't just happen, they are created and maintained with hard work.
Good character is developed as we fight our way through the thicket of self-indulgence and resist the seductions of the 'broad way that leads to destruction.'
Skills and spiritual gifts are honed for maximum effectiveness through prolonged study and/or practice.
Fit bodies are made by sustained discipline of exercise and careful choices in our diet.

Don't be discouraged by the struggles of life! Don't think you're doing something wrong because you're in a wrestling match with sin, self, or Satan! It may be the very means that God is using to develop you into a champion for His purposes. Jacob, whose story we read in Genesis, spent a night wrestling with the Lord. It is a story with cryptic details, yet the larger message comes through clearly-- Only as we are willing to wrestle with those situations that God allows to come our way can we develop into the person God wants us to be!

Here's how it's told: "...during the night Jacob got up and sent his two wives, two concubines, and eleven sons across the Jabbok River. After they were on the other side, he sent over all his possessions. This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until dawn. When the man saw that he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket.
Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is dawn.” But Jacob panted, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won.”
“What is your name?” Jacob asked him. “Why do you ask?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel—“face of God”—for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” (Genesis 32:22-30, NLT)

A new name signified a new man! Jacob, the Liar (as his name meant) became Israel, the man who wrestled with God!

Those struggles that are making you wrestle with faith, that cause you to question God's plans and purposes, that make you groan in prayer, that drive you to seek out the wisdom of the Word are not a bad thing. God can use them to mold you into a person worthy of His high calling IF you'll wrestle and not quit!

Here's a word to take with you today:
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. (Ephesians 6:13, The Message)

Living a Transcendent Life

One of the more amazing technologies available to us today is GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System. Using signals from satellites, handheld devices enable a person to locate his place almost anywhere on the planet within a 6 ' square. Directional systems that combine GPS signals with computer programming can create driving directions as a person is on the move at 70 mph! Pilots of airplanes and watercraft not only can track their course with GPS, they can also determine actual ground speed with complete accuracy. In this morning's newspaper I read that a new hobby, a kind of high tech treasure hunt, is based around GPS. Small boxes are placed in parks or along hiking trails. Inexpensive items are put in the boxes and the location of the boxes are published on the Internet. Hobbyists, using their GPS devices, find the boxes, take an item, and leave something for the next trekker! Fun, eh?

Let me ask you some pointed questions today.

• Where are the reference points from which you gain direction and purpose for life?
  How do you determine where you are spiritually, if you're growing in character, and what your ultimate destination is?

In a course that Bev and I are teaching about developing Boundaries with Kids, Dr. Henry Cloud writes about the importance of parenting for character development. Children, he asserts, need to be 'oriented to transcendence,' meaning that we teach our children (hopefully from our own experience!) to seek their guidance, purpose, and meaning in life from a transcendent God, rather than from the material and temporal world. If we learn to tune our spiritual receivers to the beacon of the Holy Spirit, we gain, in Dr. Cloud's words, "the ability to transcend life, problems, our own limitations and mistakes, and even other people's sins against us. People who transcend self go beyond their own existence to the reality of God and live by virtues they hold more important than their own immediate happiness." That's heavy stuff, and a foreign concept for most minds, especially in our culture which is so powerfully captivated by materialism and sensuality.

We have only to read the headlines to see where our loss of reference to God and His will is taking us. From what roots did the Enron and WorldCom scandals come? From a philosophy that said that the ultimate good in the corporate world was producing profits, regardless of the methods used. Executives felt that they could justify any decisions, as long as they made the money flow increase. Their lack of integrity and greed combined to rot away the foundations of their companies which collapsed with terrible consequences for thousands of employees and share-holders.

It seems to be that sex crimes are on the increase. Some say that is only because more are being reported, but I think differently. I believe in time what is now just an intuitive guess will be confirmed. What is that guess? That our our reduction of the human race to the status of highly evolved animals rather than precious creations of a loving God has released many among us to express their basest predatory impulses. Where once even our sexuality was expressed within boundaries given us by God, now we are taught that sex is just an appetite to be satisfied. Without transcendent values, all kinds of sexual practices are made legitimate; including homosexual practice, rampant promiscuity, and prostitution. We are reaping the consequences of our worldview!

The Word teaches us that God has given us an internal spiritual GPS, a way of fixing our reference point for guidance outside of ourselves. Take a look...

"The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you. So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live." (Romans 8:11-13, NLT)

We need to invite Christ to 'turn on' the receiver that God built into our being so that we are able to tune into the Spirit's leading. Invite Jesus to make you fully alive! That will allow you to 'hear what the Spirit is saying,' to live a transcendent life. In this you will find a noble life, and more importantly, a life that ends here on earth with an arrival at the gate of Heaven, where a rich reward awaits the faithful!

Here's a word from the Word to take with you today....
"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:18-21, NIV)

Words- what power!

I heard two kinds of speech yesterday. In a memorial service, I heard words that were healing, hopeful, encouraging, and life-giving. Friends and family members told their stories about a humble man who loved the Lord and who showed his love for them in ordinary, yet wonderful, ways. As our tears fell together, healing for sorrowful hearts began. With just words, vivid pictures were painted in our minds of a man nick-named "Tiny" who would be better remembered as a giant for his willingness to do whatever was necessary to get the job done.

In a different setting, I overheard thoughtless words that cut deep. They weren't even about me, but they hurt me in their casual cruelty. Two people were discussing another's 'failure.' "If it were me, I know I would... Can you imagine not doing... It's just a shame..." I was saddened that the comments made by two professed Christians were so graceless. Since I know that the person they were discussing is going through an incredibly difficult time of life, I also knew that even if the lapses they asserted were true, there would ample reasons to extend understanding and grace. But their words revealed that they were absorbed by their own concerns to the extent that they could not empathize with the needs of the one they were destroying in their conversation.

James challenges us to remember the power of our words. He writes:
"A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on." (James 3:5-10, The Message).

It is true! Our tongues are wild, untamable things. Changing what we say on our own is impossible. Why? Because our speech reveals our heart, our deepest values and most private thoughts will eventually bubble to the surface if we babble on long enough. No one can make his heart new by his own efforts. If we are self-absorbed, insecure, or mean; it will always show up in our conversations.

That is why we need Jesus! He is a heart specialist. When His grace and love full into us and when we cultivate a day to day intimacy with the Holy Spirit, we are changed- from the inside out! I love the down-home illustration that our Lord used to make this point. “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces. Figs never grow on thornbushes or grapes on bramble bushes. A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. (Luke 6:43-45, NLT) What fruit will others pick from your conversations today?

Listen to your words. Do they lift others up or tear them down? Do they encourage or take away hope? If you need to be honest about another's sin or failings, do your words reflect a gentleness that helps that person aspire to do better or are they crushing and judgmental?

Need to tame that tongue? Then get with Jesus and pray for a changed heart. Ask Him to wash out bitterness, envy, cynicism, unforgiveness, even hatred - replacing those evil fruits with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and good.

Use that gift of speech to bless others and to cause those around you to thank God for His grace, expressed through YOU!
____________________________

Overflowing with grace?

Holding the magazine sweepstakes envelope with the promise of $10 million winnings trumpeted on it, I got lost for a few moments in a daydream. I saw myself buying this person a car, paying off that person's school loans, helping another get a business started, providing funds to a struggling ministry... it was fun, but fantasy! Then the Holy Spirit brought to mind a line from a story in the book of Acts- "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee." (Acts 3:6, KJV) I felt the challenge in my spirit- "Jerry, what are you doing with what I have given you, with the abundant spiritual wealth that is yours?"

Peter and John were going into the Temple to pray at 3 in the afternoon when a beggar called out to them for money. The man had been in that spot near the gate for years, crippled and dependent on the kindness of those who passed by. "Help me, show some kindness!" he yelled, holding out his hand pathetically. Peter stopped; looked right at him and said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." (Acts 3:6, KJV) The crippled man "stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God." (Acts 3:8, KJV)

You and I may not have access to great sums of money to bless others, but we have been given amazing grace, infinite love, abundant mercy, astonishing kindness... need I go on? People need to be gifted with those things, more than money! But a generous spirit is not a first impulse for most of us. It is the result of a transformational work of the Spirit in us. Naturally we tend to think about caring for ourselves; making certain that we have secured our place, our future, provision for our perceived needs.

Want to gauge your level of generosity? Start with the practical stuff of life! Think about how you tip those who provide services to you. Do you carefully calculate 15% or throw in an extra couple of dollars? When you write out your tithe (10% for God's work) do you divide it down to the penny, or do you round it up with joy? When you're in line do you carefully guard your position or quickly let the guy with a couple of items cut in front of you? Are you impatient with drivers who go too slowly in your lane, or cheerfully share the road?

When we possess the riches of God, not just in word but in our hearts, we are freed from the need to grasp tightly what we perceive belongs to us. We will gain a liberal heart, a generous spirit that overflows. We will take notice of the hurts, the sorrows, the pain of those around us and give them from the store of love that we have received from the Lord. We will readily absorb the insensitivities and insecurities that cause others to slight us without the least care because we are so rich in the Father's love!

The Word observes the principle of reciprocity -
"It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything. The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." (Proverbs 11:24-25, NLT) Jesus states it simply -
"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)

For a few moments, right now, thank God for the riches you have been given in Christ Jesus. Meditate on this statement: "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." (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV)

Then, go-- and give it away! Have fun blessing people with love, kindness, mercy, goodness - from the rich storehouse to which God has given you the key!
__________________

Lavish love abundant beauty
Gracious gifts for heart and hand
Life that fills the soul and senses
All burst forth at Your command.
Lord, our Lord, Eternal Father
Great Creator, God and Friend
Boundless power gave full expression
To Your love which knows no end.

Who am I that You should love me
Meet my every need from birth?
Why invest Yourself so fully
In a creature made of earth?
In Your loving heart You planned me
Fashioned me with greatest care;
Through my soul You breathed Your Spirit
Planted Your own image there.

I am Yours, Eternal Father
All my body, mind and heart.
Take and use me to Your glory
Form Yourself in every part.
Lord, Your love brings joy and gladness
Flowing forth within my soul.
May my very breath and being
Rise to You, their source and goal.

© 1986 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055

The least of these

Last night, an organization called Family Promise used our fellowship hall to present an opportunity for ministry to the homeless in our county. Over 60 local churches were invited to attend. About 30 persons actually showed up, representing just 9 different congregations! I guess I should be thankful for that, but in truth, I am saddened by it. There were exactly 2 pastors present. I wonder how many congregations would have found a representative to attend if the meeting were about a program that promised to bring 10 new familiese into their sanctuaries this year, and to add 15% to their income stream? Compassion, genuine caring for those in need- that's the mark of the Church, the proof of a real experience of Christ's life in the Believer. Well, it used to be- before we became obsessed with getting ourselves religiously comfortable and creating programs that are attractive to those people who are emotionally together, physically clean, and able to make a regular contribution in the offering.

Imagine the difference that Christian churches could make in this community if they actually did Christ-like things! But most churches spend almost 100% of their time, energy, and volunteer resources serving those within the walls, Christians comforting Christians! We claim we have no time to minister to the homeless, conduct a nursing home service, commit to a regular prison ministry, build a pantry to feed the hungry, provide mentoring to a fatherless boy, or take time to teach a young woman the skills she needs to support her baby. And we don't, because we have to keep the people happy who want climate controlled buildings, lavish youth programs, scintillating Christian education ministries, and well produced worship services.

I just wonder if our kids would be more convinced about the reality of Christianity if, in addition to teaching them doctrine in nicely decorated rooms with expensive, colorful literature that they discard before they reach home- we took them to do yard work or to read to a lonely elderly person, had a homeless ministry where they could play with poor kids and help to make dinner for them, or provided them opportunities to do other kinds of self-sacrificial service? Maybe they would learn what too many of us have forgotten... that faith without works is dead!

I have to give my parents some credit here. Every Sunday, when I was growing up, we got dragged to a nursing home to sing, talk, and love the people there. I hated it! While other kids got to play sports, I had to sit in an ugly basement chapel at Garden Nursing Home. I was deprived, or was I? Many of the residents smelled badly, tried to kiss me, and wanted me to sit by them so they could hold my hand. That's not cool when you're 12! But I learned to love outside of my comfort zone and, over time, learned that I was loving Jesus when I cared for those who were forgotten, lonely, and 'marginalized' by society. (I didn't realize my parents were conducting Sunday School in a with 'hands on' curriculum before that term was in vogue!) Then too, my parents were active in loving the needy all the time, not just on Sunday. Our house always had somebody in it that was in recovery, homeless, or otherwise in need. I thought that was just what Christians did. Later I learned that the majority of Christians talked about such caring and then paid for somebody else to do it, earning a tax deduction at the same time. That way they could 'love the needy' without getting their hands dirty.

Jesus told a story about the Judgment, when we stand before God. Interestingly, He doesn't say we will recite the Westminster Confession or the Apostle's Creed to receive the Father's commendation! In fact He doesn't mention that we earned a nearly perfect attendance record for Sunday worship gatherings or that we built a great building that was architecturally interesting. You know that, right? Here's what He does say: "Then the King will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’" (Matthew 25:34-36, NLT)

But how can we do those things for Jesus? Where is He hungry, or needy, or an alien in need of shelter? That's what those at the Judgment asked, too. And here's how Jesus replies: “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’" (Matthew 25:37-40, NLT)

I am crying at this moment as I think about how little of the money that is collected, in the name of doing God's work, from my congregation actually feeds the hungry, serves the poor, or shelters the alien. I'm not crying with joy, but with shameful sorrow. What will I tell Jesus when I stand there? How will I explain the way the churches I shepherded in His name squandered the opportunities for ministry that existed all around us? I can only groan, "God, forgive us. Help us to please you by opening our eyes and our hearts to Jesus where He lives among us. Amen."

Encourage

Bob paid tribute to his circle of friends telling them that they added so much to his life. "You," he said to the little circle of people at his 41st birthday party, "have helped me and encouraged me." There was real emotion in his voice as he thanked us. It made me ask myself - "On the whole, am I a giver or a taker, a critic or an encourager?" Life is full of critics who are quick to take note when our work is less than stellar, when we sin or fail, when we are not who they expect us to be. The little lights in all that darkness are those precious few who see the good, send the 'thank you' note, who believe in us and help us to achieve more than we would if left to ourselves.

Several years ago, at a time when I was experiencing some real inner doubts about my effectiveness as a pastor, there was a Pastor Appreciation Day in our church. People were given the opportunity to write a note of thanks and the bundle was presented to me along with gifts. The gifts were nice, but the notes were like water poured on a parched plant. As I sat and read through them, some scrawled in childish handwriting, others written in flowing prose - I just wept! God used the kind words of several dozen people in that congregation to tell me, "Jerry, I can use even you to accomplish My work in this world. You're making a difference." I kept that little bundle of encouragement around for a long time and when I was feeling low, would read some of them again. They were like medicine for my soul.

The Bible tells us that as Believers we need to keep meeting together, and we should"encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25, NIV) In another passage, we are told pointedly- "If your gift is to encourage others, do it!... And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly." (Romans 12:8, NLT)

Watch out for flattery which is defined as 'excessive or insincere praise.' Some will 'encourage' you but for their own purpose or gain. They will fill your ear with words that are ultimately manipulative. If we are in need of affirmation, we will be tempted to believe those flattering words and, in the end, will be hurt when we figure out we were used. I'm sure everyone of us can think of a time when we let somebody 'sweet talk' us into doing something or being somebody that we really were not. Proverbs, that treasure trove of practical wisdom, calls flattery a "a net for his feet." (29:5, NIV) It trips us up!

The story of David, who rose from a country shepherd boy, the least in his family, to become a great king, had people who encouraged him along the way. He was greatly gifted, had a deep faith and loads of courage, yet he needed people who spurred him on to greatness! As a young man, Jonathan was a key person whose encouragement helped David get through some awful times in the palace. Later on in his life he gathered several men around him that the Bible calls "David's mighty men." Isn't that rich? These guys believed in him and served alongside of him in the campaigns he waged for Israel's safety. During his reign there were others who advised and encouraged him. What would he have been without these people? Only God knows.

Be an encourager today!

• Don't flatter, but give praise.
• Take note of those who are often 'invisible' to the world, make eye contact, and say a sincere 'thank you.'
• If you know of someone who is struggling to keep their head above water - give them a call and pray with them, briefly and sincerely, for God's strength for this day.
• Has someone helped you make it through a hard time that is due a note? Then, tell them TODAY!

You have a choice today as you deal with others- to dwell on the disappointments or to think on the good things. If you focus on those moments when you're needs and desires have been unmet, you will become a bitter, cynical critic who sucks the life out of every situation and relationship. If you seek the good, you will be an encourager, and, the encouragement you give will, in the end, come 'round to you again!

"Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse." (Philippians 4:8, The Message) _______________________________________

Lord God, the world teaches me to be a critic.
The talk show hosts, the movie critics, the political pundits, and even some preachers, fill the world with angry words, hurtful words, negative words.
Lord, their attitude sticks to me and makes me critical, too.
I pray that you would do a work in my heart and mind.
Help me to see the best, to choose to forget myself, and to lift up somebody today who needs to be encouraged.
Make me a bright light of hope in a dark world of despair, a source of refreshing words that bring life to the dry desert of someone's life.
As you have loved me, help me to love others, for Jesus' sake.
In His holy name I pray. Amen.

"skubalon"

(What follows is not original with me. I owe my 'inspiration' to Alan Nelson, a pastor in Arizona. If this TFTD offends you, please know I'm not sending it to be mean or even just to be humorous. There is a point buried in it ... which just might stick, if you'll read all the way to the end!)

Can you say the vulgar word for "manure" if you're a pastor? I didn't think so... OK, so I'll use the Biblical term, "skubalon." (Dung, if you want to look it up.) You might say I have a Ph.D in the stuff-- yeah, piled high and deep-- 'cause I grew up on a farm where I scooped tons of it into the wagon that carried it to fertilize our fields. I just had no idea I'd have to scoop so much of it as a pastor! Here's what I mean. I get a whiff of skubalon during meetings I attend when a personal agenda overtakes God's agenda. The distinct odor drifts out of notes from people who are angry over this or that in their church. During most conversations that include the famous line - "Pastor, God is leading us to another church," I start looking around for a shovel. One of the big problems with church is that we spend way too much time trying deny or sanctify skubalon instead of just shoveling it out the door. In many places the wonderful treasure of the Gospel get buried in it and the sweet fragrance of Christ is obscured by the stench of selfishness and self-righteousness coming out of the church.

We need to call it what it is. When we over-react, let's just call it skubalon instead of making excuses. When we are trying to impress someone with our overblown story or tragic tale, somebody needs to sneeze, -skubalon! and bring us back to our senses and the truth. When pettiness and political pomp are hindering real progress we need to send for the skubalon wagon to haul it away so God's work can continue unhindered by phoniness. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you call it. If it looks like skubalon, smells like skubalon... more than likely it is skubalon.

Skubalon happens! That's life. But ignoring it, renaming it, or even playing around with it in conversations or gripe sessions, just isn't right! Identify it. Clean it up, and move on. Ever been drawn into a conversation where the ministry of another person is being coated with critical comments that stink like skubalon? Did you stop it or nod in agreement, piling it on? Ever been part of a gripe session where somebody's skubalon was hurled at at undeserving leader, just because of personal reasons or preferences? Of course, this pastor is the first to admit to the need for the golden rule principle in this discussion. I've flung more than my fair share of skubalon from time to time; and I repent for letting myself deal in such base stuff! It's kind of difficult to point out the pile in your front yard when mine is stinking under the sunshine, but.... if we all commit to telling the truth and start to deal with the skubalon in our lives, the world will be a better place.

From the summit of Mt. Midlife, my skubalon detector has become more sharply honed. I am told that the Busters (born between 1965-1980) and the Millennials (born in the 80's and 90's) have particularly keen skubalon detection skills and that if we are not willing to be authentic, they are quite willing to discard our Christian faith as so much skublaon, and they will head for the door of our church without looking back! They quickly see when somebody's position, power, or prestige has become more important than the truth, than Jesus' will, or loving people! They will shake the skubalon off their feet. Tragically, they often turn their backs on the Truth, too. Jesus has a word for those who let the stink of the skubalon in their lives drive others away from Him and His community: "if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck." (Matthew 18:6, NLT)

Lest you think that I've become overly coarse, let me share what Paul, the Apostle, wrote. He apparently had little tolerance for skubalon after his transformational meeting with Jesus Christ on the road to Damacus. He wasn't polite in his description of his B.C. (Before Christ) days. Here's what he wrote-- "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung (skubalon), that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" (Philippians 3:6-9, KJV)

Just in case you're having a little trouble with the old English... here's the heart of that passage from The Message. "Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him."

The glorious Truth is that God, the Spirit, offers a powerful disinfectant to us that can rid us of even the odor of skubalon in our lives! We don't have to live in lies, traffic in deception, or serve self any longer. Because we are powerfully loved, we can face the truth even when it stinks! Once we call the stinky mess what it really is, God can help us deal with it effectively!

Here's a great word to meditate on today: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4, NKJV)

Take the freedom from the stink of sin that is offered by Christ. Let's breathe the fresh clean air that is blown into our lives by the Holy Spirit and the glory of the Gospel, the beauty of Jesus, and the power of the Spirit will become evident to all who see what God has done!

Both great and small

The contrast between two lives played in my mind as I drove home from the hospital yesterday. Vince, a humble servant of the Lord, served the street people of Manhattan, loved his wife, and prayed for his sons and daughters. He didn't travel the world or meet with national leaders. Now, his earthly life appears to be very near the end- quietly attended by just a few who love him dearly. All this week, on the TV screen, I watched as millions streamed to Rome to memorialize Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II). Thousands wept as they waited hours to walk past his body, lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica. This man's influence effected millions around the world. He rode in the Popemobile before adoring crowds. His written words were repeated by priests from pulpits on every continent.

As I drove with these two scenes in mind, the thought that kept repeating to me was the passage from Hebrews - "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27, KJV) Great and small, famous and obscure, rich and poor - the distinctions of this world disappear in death! Vince and Karol (and you and me!) will share the same place before the Awesome Lord of Glory and answer the same question- what did you do with Jesus and His grace?

High office and humble service have nothing to do with being received into Heaven! The structures of the world reward the high and mighty. Favor flows toward the bright and beautiful. It is quite natural to think that God, too, offers His eternal home to those of noteworthy achievements and/or goodness, but that is simply not true. This declaration defies our logic: "God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God." (Ephesians 2:8, NLT)

My only hope (and I sincerely pray you share it) is in the Cross of Christ and the Grace of God. The hymn writer's phrasing expresses it well-

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.

Friend, be you 15 or 50, I press on you the fact that God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2, NLT) Be prepared for that inevitable appointment by settling the issue now. That's right! Receiving Jesus' grace gives you assurance and peace. If you are Christ's, when your moment of appearing in God's Presence arrives, the Bible says that Jesus will be your Advocate presenting you before the Father saying, "This is my brother (sister), accepted into our family, at My expense."

That is why death has lost it's terrors for us. We are going home!
________________________

The Lord of Hosts

Sometimes we sing words during worship that have no meaning to us! Could be dangerous? Maybe. In that great hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, there is a line that says, "Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same." What's that about? It is a title for God that is common throughout the Old Testament - Yahweh Tsebaoth- the Lord of Hosts. In many modern translations the translation is Almighty God. The Hebrew - tsaba - is a generalized word that means a force, a group, or an army. When the Scripture calls God, Yahweh Tsebaoth, the intent is to impress us with His majesty. It is a way to inform us, if you'll allow for a loose translation, that He is the God-the General; the Boss who is in charge of the the work force!

Is He in charge of your life today? You have put a Christian fish on your car's bumper? Now there's a sign of submission to God - NOT! You once said a prayer in a church in which you acknowledged Jesus as Savior and Lord? Good, but are you living that prayer? I mean - is He really 'in charge,' the One who is your Boss, the One you trust implicitly, the One who gives orders that you follow promptly? That can be hard to do, especially when He doesn't choose to let us know what His plans are, when He only allows us to see a slice of time that doesn't include a neat ending to the story of our lives! We discover the true depth of our surrender to His authority when His orders appear to leading us into tough times and/or costly sacrifice.

It's easy to take orders from the project manager if you think she's competent, understand her goals, and agree with her strategy, right? We readily put ourselves wholeheartedly into an effort when we have great confidence in the leader. But what about the times when you don't know the plan, when you only have your assignment, and have not worked with the one in charge enough to really know if she's all that competent as a leader? It's much harder then to just 'do your job' without wondering - "is this the right thing to do? Will this really succeed?"

The Bible tells us that God is Yahweh Tsebaoth to assure us that we can trust His leadership even when He doesn't tell us the whole plan! The General has it all worked out and He's been very successful! So as He sends us into the battle in life - be it with sin, with sickness, with Satan or his demons- we go with full assurance, and with authority - not of our own making, but from His Name!

David, just a teenager, went to do battle with Goliath, the champion of the Philistine army that was holding the line against the armies of Israel. As the shepherd lad strode onto the field where the contest would take place he went with courage that came from knowing he was in the Lord's army. As he approached the skilled warrior, he said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty (Yahweh Tsebaoth), the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." (1 Samuel 17:45-46, NIV)

Don't steal God's majesty, or make Him too small in your understanding. Let Him impress that He is Lord of hosts on you today. Last night as I went home from teaching about this in our Bible Study class, I reflected over the various needs of people to whom I am called to minister. I stood outside, under the canopy of the dark sky spangled with the stars, and thanked Yahweh Tsebaoth that He has entrusted me with His Name and prayed that I would be content to do His will and follow His orders even when I don't know the 'rest of the story.'

Here's one more 'Lord of Hosts' Scripture which I hope will stick in your mind for this day, but it needs context.... Some Jews had returned from the time of captivity in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah had led the campaign to restore the city walls. Ezra headed the campaign to rebuild the Temple. Surrounding nations were threatened by the re-building and sent an emissary to Xerxes, the Persian king who had allowed the reconstruction, asking him to stop the effort. The thought of these opponents of the Temple re-building was, "If the Jews rebuild their Temple, their god will return and make them strong again!" which he did.
For several years the work was at a standstill, the foundations and stonework reminding the Jews of their weakness before the great Persian empire. During that time, Zechariah preached and encouraged Zerrubabel, the mayor of Jerusalem. The prophet said, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. (Yahweh Tsebaoth) Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will flatten out before him! Then Zerubbabel will set the final stone of the Temple in place, and the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ " (Zechariah 4:6-7, NLT)

Who is trying to stymie God's work in your life?
Who is trying to discourage you, cause you to doubt or fear?
Speak to them and say, It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty (Yahweh Tsebaoth)!

"It means something!"

Over the weekend, floodwaters filled the Murphy's home to a depth of several feet for the second time in less than a year! A team of men from the church went yesterday to help them start the clean-up. As we stepped through the front door, we stood surrounded by ruin. Imagine a home filled with 4-5 feet of muddy water which swirled and churned like the inside of a washing machine for 24-36 hours. Wooden furniture was warped and ruined. Carpets were squishy and muddy, refrigerator and freezer were overturned and full of filthy water. Every electrical device was destroyed and books soaked. All we could do was carry the stuff of their lives out for disposal in a dumpster!

Jamie, a young wife and Mom, called me later that evening to talk about her meeting with the medical doctor who had described her coming ordeal of chemotherapy treatment for her cancer - hair loss, nausea, weakness. Waves of anxiety were flooding through her mind, and understandably so! We talked and prayed together for about 30 minutes.

Earlier in the day I had spent some time talking with a wife whose husband has spent the last 2.5 years unable to speak or walk because of a stroke which turned him from a strong man into a completely dependent one literally overnight! He had another stroke 8 days ago, has not regained consciousness, and appears to be in the last days of his earthly life!

I could not help the sting of tears that overcame me for a few moments last night as I thought about these dear friends who were carrying such heavy burdens. "Oh, God," I groaned, "why must life be so hard for these who love You?" Some have looked at the kinds of circumstances that I describe (and worse, much worse!) only to conclude that either God does not exist or that He is not present or that He does not care! We are, these cynics insist, on our own on this small planet. We can only be brave as we do our best to cope with absurd and meaningless moments in this thing we call life. In that view of life there is no 'why' and to even ask the question is a fool's game.

I am not one of them! God exists, He is here, and He loves us! There is an answer for our 'why' though it sometimes hides in the folds of the blanket of eternity that wraps 'round us. The Bible says, "It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak... Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:13, 16-18, NIV)

To attempt to tell the Murphy's that they should rejoice despite the fact that God allowed the floodwaters to devastate their home, to tell Jamie that the cancer that appeared in her body is useful in the purpose of God, or to insist that June be glad that she and her husband have had to walk such a difficult road for many days would be the height of arrogance and insensitivity. We must weep with those who weep, mourning their losses. And we must hold the line of faith for them while their grasp is weakened by hard times. We pray for healing and restoration, give ourselves to help, and love! When they waver or wobble, we embrace them. When they regain their footing we draw inspiration from their courage and their faith.

Together we trust God and we wait! ... and we wait, and wait some more until the revelation of His kingdom purposes. When reveals the meaning of life's suffering to us, it warms us like the bright light of the sun when it slides up and over the eastern horizon in the morning! God's declaration to us is that 'it means something.' I am holding tightly to His Word that "not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye..." The Message 2 Cor. 4:17
_________________________

If you've knelt beside the rubble
Of an aching broken heart.
When the things you gaveYour life to fell apart,
You're not the first to be acquainted
With sorrow grief or pain,
But the Master promised sunshine after rain.

Hold on my child,
Joy comes in the morning,
Weeping only lasts for the night.
Hold on my child,
Joy comes in the morning,
The darkest hour means
Dawn is just in sight.

To invest your seed of trust in God,
In mountains you can't move.
You have risked your life
On things you cannot prove.
But to give the things you cannot keep,
For what you can not lose,
Is the way to find
The joy God has for you.

© 1974 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management
CCLI License No. 810055

Step into the water

Sometimes when we look down the road in the direction that God is leading, the only thing we can see is an impossibility! That was the situation that faced Israel as Joshua prepared to lead them into Canaan, the Promised Land. As they broke camp and got ready to move, in front of them was the Jordan River and the Bible says it was 'at flood stage.' "Think of it! The Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. The priests will be carrying the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. When their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will pile up there in one heap.” (Joshua 3:11-13, NLT) And sure enough, when they stepped into the water, the river stopped flowing! Both God and the man He had called into leadership were exalted that day. Joshua summarizes the occasion saying, "This was so that everybody on earth would recognize how strong God’s rescuing hand is and so that you would hold God in solemn reverence always." (Joshua 4:24, The Message)

It's a great story, but I've got to tell you that I wouldn't have wanted to be the man in the front. I wonder how far in he waded before the water receded? Why wouldn't God have just stopped the river's flow that morning so they could just walk across? I do not know! But I do know that often our spiritual journey happens in much the same way. God says, "Go," and it appears that there is no way. Then, as we are obedient, there is a way providentially made for us -- from where we are into a new and wonderful place of His purposes.

In 1977, I felt God's leading me to a new place. I was a very young preacher ready to change the world! As Bev and I packed up our little household and our new baby boy to move 2000 miles to the West, it looked like we were headed for disaster - no money in the bank, no income promised, no group to receive us. As we entered Gillette, Wyoming we did so with great anticipation of what God could do. We had an almost naive faith. We had no idea that God was sending us on that move for our benefit more than for the town to which we moved with the hope of ministry! In one year, He did so many things in our hearts - teaching us new ways to know Him, leading us through a time when our baby was desperately ill, providing for our financial situation in ways we could not have even imagined, and bringing people into our lives that taught us key lessons that we still practice today! It was hard, very hard, to leave a regular paycheck, a nice home, and a promising future for nothing more than a dream, but I am so thankful that we were willing to step into the water as God went in front of us!

Is God leading you toward a flooded river place?
Are you following obediently or screaming protests?

Follow faithfully. Keep your focus on the Lord who goes before you. He does not lead us towards the impossibilities because He is cruel, but so that we will trust Him and not rely on ourselves.

Think on this passage as you go through this day. "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us!" (2 Corinthians 1:8-10, NIV)

"Tell the story... in more than words"

There is an old line that says, "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one anyday!"

So, what's your story? Everybody's got one! Some are more dramatic than others, but our lives are a story, and we are adding chapters everyday. As Christians, the story of our lives are more than just biography. Our life stories are the context for the good news of Jesus' love. Our friends and family will judge Christianity, for better or worse, by how it effects our words and our choices. While it is important to be able to present the Bible's truths about the meaning of life, the reason that Christ died and rose again, and about moral choices; it is even more important that those truths can be seen to have made a demonstrable difference in the way we live! That's one heavy responsibility, isn't it?

A changed life story does not happen because 'we get religion.' We've all seen people who were very religious who were also cruel, selfish, and mean! The Bible says, "Our only power and success come from God. He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, NLT) A changed life emerges when we are intimate with God, the Spirit! As we allow Him to have access to our hearts and minds, He changes the way we think and, as our thoughts are changed, the story line changes!

We are incapable of living in a way that honors Christ Jesus by our own determination or personal goodness. Indeed the reality of Christ's message is authenticated by the fact that He transforms people like you and me, ordinary mortals, into saints. The Bible says "...this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own." (2 Corinthians 4:7, NLT)

Walt Larimore writes, "The Bible never commands Christian to go witnessing, but we are told to be witnesses!" Think about that statement. The commission of Jesus to every Believer was that we tell the story of the love of God, but it is a mistaken notion to think that we just tell the story in moments or activities that are isolated from our daily lives. Going door to door handing out religious literature may make us feel like we're doing the work of evangelism, but the results will be meager! What is much, much more effective is living in a way that lets the Light shine, that captures the interest and attention of people around us because there is an undeniable spiritual quality that can only be attributed to Christ's Spirit in us.

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16, NLT) How well does the Light shine from you?

__________________________

Father, what a privilege you have given to me;
A bearer of Light, a person who brings Your Presence to others.
Help me to live in a way that is worthy of this high calling!
Spirit of God, work in me -- Yes, work ON me!

Change my heart, defeat the power of self and evil, and
let the beauty of Jesus be seen in my words and actions.
As I write the story of my life, let it be the context for the
story of the good news about Jesus.
In His name I pray. Amen.

"You made this happen!"

I'm sure that you have had someone stick their index finger in your face and place the blame for something squarely on YOU! In that moment the thing we want to do most is pay close attention and try to understand the problem, right? Not! "You" messages create instant defensiveness. If someone says to me, "You make me so ...." I am not inclined to ask why. Instead I feel threatened. Blame creates a barrier. However, if someone honestly says, "I am so....," I am more ready to try to understand their need and try to be a part of a solution..

Those of you who are as old as I am will remember the comedy sketch of Flip Wilson when he played 'Geraldine.' She would say some outrageous statement or spend too much money only to toss off the line that got a laugh every time- "The Devil made me do it." Though we see the humor in that, many of us are quite ready to blame the Devil, our boss, our spouse, our parents... you get the picture.... instead of taking responsibility for our choices. As long as we are looking for someone to point to as the 'cause' of our pain or problems, we will never be a part of constructive change, nor will others desire to work with us to make the situations better.

There's another problem with blame. Judging is involved! Life is seldom as simple as it appears. When we observe someone struggling with a life-controlling problem, there is always a temptation to point to the 'obvious' cause. My experience has taught me that 'the obvious' often is not anything remotely like the truth. People and situations are not one-dimensional; we are tangled webs of cause and effect, choice and consequence. That is why Jesus forbade those of us who would be like Him to make snap judgments about others. He said, “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged." Matt. 7:1-2 NLT

Be careful about accusing and blaming too quickly. Justice is lost when we rush to judgment! For an example let me use the tragedy of the life and death of Terry Schaivo. Can you stand one more word about it? This terrible tragedy's sorrow has been compounded by the shrill voices of blame and accusation that have made knowing the truth all but impossible. Is the husband the total villain some would make him out to be? I doubt that very much. Are her parents the saints that some in the media portray? Probably not. That situation was a complex one, full of human choices and conflicts, with no simple causes and no easy solutions. Only God and eternity will reveal the truth.

Our lives are much the same. We arrived at today as a result of decisions made by ourselves and others over the years, with intersecting influences of decisions made by people we don't even know. When crisis comes, it is both foolish and unproductive to demonize another as 'the reason' that we are in pain. Don't blame. Put away the pointing finger. Instead, commit to loving like Jesus loved, to seeking the wise gentleness of the Spirit that works to untie the knots that bind us to our sins.

Here's a Gospel story to ponder as you go your way today. John 8:1-11 NLT

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.
As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery.

They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said.And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
___________________________

"And I am changed, in the Presence of a Holy God."

Yahweh Shalom

Peace! It can be an elusive quality of life. Deadlines and pressures, conflicts and chaos, give us knotted muscles, furrowed brows, and hearts full of unrest. Sometimes, in the middle of a busy day, I close my eyes and escape- momentarily - to a place that seems peaceful: a mountain stream, a happy memory, a beach retreat; but it doesn't last as the phone rings and jars me back to reality. Most of us believe that peace is circumstantial- that if we could change our place, our position, or our resources - we would find peace. The Bible tells that true peace transcends our present situation!

In the book of Judges we learn that "the LORD is peace." The raiders of Midian had overpowered the Israelis, driving them into the hills where they hid in caves. Times were desperate. In chapter 6, we find Gideon, who was a farmer, trying to get food for his family during a time of war in Israel. He is hiding out near a winepress threshing grain and fearing for his life. Suddenly he is aware of a presence and a voice! {Judges 6:12 NLT} The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Gideon, a realist, looks around at his circumstances and questions that assessment. He goes further and questions God's messenger about the desperate times that his people are experiencing. After seeing this angel consume a meal with supernatural fire, like a burnt offering, Gideon's heart changes. {Judges 6:22-24 NIV}“Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. (Yahweh Shalom)"

Peace comes when we live in the Presence of God. His Spirit produces a serenity that allows us to rise above situations that cause others to panic and thus, to be filled with fear or to fall apart. As I write this, I am aware of so many moments in my life when I have let life's circumstances steal God's peace from me. When I attempt to exert control over situations, when I try to impose a 'peace' of my own design, things usually get worse! Have you shared that experience? In the middle of a stressful day, have you ever exploded, only adding to your own stress and that of others? In the middle of a crisis, have you tried to force a solution and created more chaos with your efforts? I am guilty!

But when I take time to re-center myself in the Spirit, turning myself over to Him, asking that He come into my mind and heart - peace follows. Often the situation remains exactly the same, but I am changed. Don't misunderstand what God desires of you. His will is not that you detach yourself from reality, that you run away from life, or escape into denial. He wants us to be fully engaged with life, bringing order to chaos, healing to the broken, resisting evil wherever it makes its ugliness apparent. But, in the spiritual warfare of this Christian life, He also wants us to be people who live in His Peace! The OT word, "shalom" means more than the absence of conflict. Shalom indicates wholeness, restfulness, and satisfaction.

Today, before you engage with life's challenges, go into the Presence of God. Meditate on His Word, commit yourself and your circumstances to Him. Invite the Spirit to use you as a agent of the Kingdom of Heaven wherever life takes you throughout this day. When you find yourself tensing up, feeling the pressure, breathe a prayer for peace-- "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

In the presence of Your infinite might,
I'm so small and frail and weak;
When I see Your pow'r and wisdom,
Lord,I have no words left to speak.

And I cry holy, holy, holy God,
How awesome is Your name,
Holy, holy, holy God,
How majestic is Your reign;
And I am changed in the presence of a holy God.

In the presence of Your glory,
All my crowns lie in the dust;
You are righteous in Your judgments, Lord,
You are faithful, true, and just.

In the presence of a holy God,
There's new meaning now to grace;
You took all my sins upon Yourself,
I can only stand amazed.

And I cry holy, holy, holy God,
How awesome is Your name,
Holy, holy, holy God,
How majestic is Your reign;
And I am changed in the presence of a holy God.

© 1989 Integrity's Praise! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / PDI Praise (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music) CCLI License No. 810055

Identified? With whom?

Americans like to think of themselves as a 'classless' society. It is true we do not have royals and commoners, but there are social divisions between us that cannot be ignored- defined by access to wealth more than any other criterion. Of course, race still divides us as does religious practice, but the greatest divide is along economic boundaries. Nearly all of us tend to define ourselves by the people among whom we choose to live and play! We want to be identified with groups that look and act most like we do; so we drive similar cars, hang out in similar restaurants, and wear similar fashions. In a subtle way we make a statement about who we are and what our values are by our associations. Often it isn't even intentionally that we do these things.

Are you identified with Christ? When Peter went to see where Jesus was being taken on the night of his arrest, he was identified as a disciple. A young woman said, “You’ve got to be one of them. You’ve got ‘Galilean’ written all over you.” Remember his response? Not once, not twice, but three times - he chose to distance himself from Jesus! Peter got really nervous and swore, “I never laid eyes on this man you’re talking about.” Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows twice, you’ll deny me three times.” He collapsed in tears.

A few months after Peter ran from his association with Jesus, he was once again on the 'hot seat' before the religious elite of Jerusalem. Seems that they took exception to the healing of a lame man in the temple. Peter and John were hauled in before the authorities where they were told to shut up and go home to Galilee! This time, Peter drew on the power of the Spirit and answered those who tried to intimidate him to silence saying, {Acts 4:8-12 NLT}
“Leaders and elders of our nation, are we being questioned because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?
Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”

The response of those who were sitting in judgment of the new Christians is revealing: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. {Acts 4:13 NKJV}

I gladly (can I say, proudly?) wear the Name of Christ. I pray that when people spend very much time with me the one thing, more than any other, that will define me is being like Jesus! That's a high aspiration, far beyond my ability to achieve on my own! However, if I live intimately with God, praying faithfully, reading His Word regularly, worshipping among those who share my desire to know Him, and listening attentively to the Spirit - I will become like Him!

But, I'll admit that sometimes I don't want to be identified with some people who lay claim to being 'Christian!' I want to stay far, far from hose who 'hate in His name.' I don't want to be lumped in with those who have turned 'Christianity' into a private 'bless me' club that have no real concern for the poor, the oppressed, and the weak. I am really uncomfortable with those who confuse being middle class and Republican with being 'Christian' too.

In our world, may it said of us 'they have been with Jesus!' If HE is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself. May His glory so fill our lives that we become invisible and He is clearly seen in our actions and heard in our words.
_____________________

You're invited to join our special gatherings this Holy Weekend-

see a full schedule at www.washingtonag.net/service.htm

Good Friday- March 25
7:00 PM -Communion Worship
8:00 PM- A showing of "The Passion of the Christ" (no admission charge)

Easter Sunday
8:00 AM - "Sunrise" service at Meadow Breeze Park
9:00 AM - Continental Breakfast in the Family Fellowship Center
10:30 Worship service - with Baptism

Please note: TFTD will be taking a break next week for a few days!

Truth claims

From time to time, I think "What's the use of all this?" The apparent futility of resisting evil and sin's destruction, at times, is overwhelming. Evil sneers from the dark corners of the world defying the Believer's hope for change. Death stares at us defiantly from battle fields and hospital beds. Debauchery sinks its claws more deeply into our prosperous society all the time. Our entertainment industry sinks lower by the month; on many campuses college dorms have become brothels where our sons and daughters give away their dignity and then cover their shame with drunkenness; our high schools are sewers of vulgarity where the mention of God is legally sanctioned. If I look too long at the darkness, I feel the desire to just 'eat, drink, and have a good time!' When my eyes lose sight of the Cross, momentarily at least, my hope for the triumph of Christ's Kingdom wanes.

But, I am compelled by the Resurrection to stay in the race! It is the one truth, more than any other, that draws me along the Way. Gaither wrote it simply in that Gospel song-- "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; ... and life is worth the living just because He lives." Did Jesus literally rise from the dead? That is the testimony of the Scripture and the linchpin of our faith.

If we re-define the Resurrection to be something less than His literal return to life from the tomb where He lay dead, we essentially reduce Christianity to a system of moral teachings, interesting, but certainly not compelling. For what reason would anyone take seriously Jesus' call to 'turn the other cheek' when assaulted by evil, unless he had a hope of ultimate justice and reward? Why would we choose to become servants to others if we did not think that there was life beyond this present world? Without the hope of the Resurrection, we succumb to the law of survival, and live to secure our comfort for as many days as we exist on this beautiful planet.

It is a strange paradox that the declaration of the Resurrection to eternal life should be a powerful motivator to faithful, self-sacrificial service in this present world, but it is! Some misunderstand this hope of heaven as a reason to disengage from the sinful world, to live in isolation while awaiting rescue from on high! Exactly the opposite is true. In the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians, Paul makes an eloquent case for Jesus' resurrection and what that means to us. The apostle ranks the Resurrection as a doctrine 'of first importance.' He offers the historical proofs for it. He sets the truth in context of the Believer's life saying, "And if Christ wasn’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot." {1 Cor. 15:17-19 Message}

Then, he develops the fact of the consequence of sin being evident in Adam's death, in which we all share and the consequence of the Cross being evident in Christ's Resurrection, which all can be made alive!

At the end of this passage, Paul summarizes with these inspired words: How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. {1 Cor. 15:57-58 NLT}

Lift your focus from the news, from the rampant sin, even from your own weakness. Look to the Cross, and by faith, beyond the Cross to the Empty Tomb of the Lord, which is the visible promise that you, too, will live beyond your death!

Then, pour yourself into serving Him wherever He puts you, in whatever desperate circumstances surround you, without care for the cost. It isn't over when they sound taps at our grave - it's just the beginning of the life we really long for as the Spirit makes us alive to God! Jesus Lives and so shall we. Hallelujah.

Walking in the dark?

The church that I pastor meets in a large building with a high vaulted ceiling. I am familiar with every corner and room in it, yet... walking through the building in the dark of night still makes my heart pound! The rafters creak, the wind moans around the sharp corners of the roof, shadows dance on the walls and - in the dark - my mind responds with fear. In the bright light of morning, the same set of circumstances in the identical room produces no fear whatever. Just for the record, I'm not a alone in this reaction. Many people report feeling that same kind of fear in big, dark buildings!

Are you walking in the dark today? Is the Light of life dimmed by situations that leave you feeling afraid? Perhaps this is the plan of God for you right now. Consider this. Jesus' disciples listened as He talked about going to Jerusalem to die. Peter objected and was severely rebuked, "Get behind me, Satan!" During the week prior to His death, Jesus told the disciples terrible things about the future of Jerusalem: "the Temple will be destroyed, terrible times will come when the residents of this city will run for their lives." He warned those who were closest to Him about their own failure of faith that would happen on the night of His betrayal. Again Peter objected, "Maybe those other guys, but NOT me!" Jesus told him that he would fail spectacularly, even openly denying Him- which he did! Judas deserted his brothers, joining with their enemies. Jesus was taken into custody for an illegal midnight trial of sorts. The disciples deserted Him scattering into the night in terror. That week ended with His crucifixion. John tells us that the disciples hid behind locked doors, deeply shaken and fearful. And you think you've had a bad week?

Sometimes God's people have to walk through dark times! The Passion Week is an annual reminder that God's road to to victory often leads through the valley of the shadow of death. There would not be a Resurrection morning without a Good Friday. The Psalmist reminds us, however, that (23:4 NLT) "Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid..." Why? "...for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."

We must remember - even when we cannot see Him - He is with us. The darkness of death, disappointment, and even demonic attack descends on us. That is the common human experience! Peter urges us to stay steady, even when we're in the dark. "Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT

Are you in the dark? Sing like Paul and Silas sang at midnight! (Acts 16)And wait for the deliverance of the Lord to restore the Light to your life.

A Whole person

I had the tires on Bev's Jeep balanced last week. Driving down the road there was a noticeable- thump, thump, thump - indicating that this service was needed. The technician took the wheels off the vehicle, put them, one by one, in a machine and spun them at highway speed. He then put little lead weights at various spots at the edge of each wheel to get it in balance. Is your life balanced? What do I mean? Is there a proper emphasis on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your whole being?

Dr. Stephen Covey, in his latest book, The 8th Habit, writes about these four parts of our being. He suggests that we have four kinds of intelligence:
IQ - with which we are all familiar, that describes our mental abilities,
PQ- our physical intelligence, how well we discipline and train our body,
EQ- our emotional intelligence, self-awareness and how well we relate to others, and
SQ- spiritual intelligence, the ability to listen to God and live by higher principles.

We spend our childhood and early adult years developing our intellectual abilities in schools and training programs. In this era which is marked by increasing complexity, IQ is an important skill on which we spend much time and money. But now we realize that IQ alone doesn't predict success! In fact, EQ is at least as important a predictor of success in life as IQ, perhaps even more. A person who has great intellectual abilities, but who has never learned to be a team player, to relate well to others, is unlikely to find a place where he can use his mental gifts no matter how great they may be. We take for granted our PQ, learning many physical skills seemingly without effort. Did you have to remind yourself to breathe, your heart to beat, or your eye lids to blink? Still, we realize that we must exercise our bodies, restrain its appetites, take control or we will become slaves of food, sex, or comfort. Americans, despite their love of sports and conditioning, have an amazing ignorance when it comes to their bodies, whose desires are often allowed to rule, even destroy, their whole life. Appetites, allowed out of balance, tear us apart.

SQ cannot be ignored! True wisdom flows from being made alive by the Spirit of God, by having our spirit closely aligned with His Spirit, so that we live in harmony with the eternal principles around which we were created. Without spiritual intelligence, our lives will lack meaningful purpose. Einstein was once asked what one question he would like to ask God. He replied, "How did the universe start? After that, everything else is just math!" Then after more thought Einstein changed his mind. "Instead I would ask, 'why was the universe created?' Then I would know the meaning of my life." (as quoted in The 8th Habit, page 72)

Dr. Einstein I know why the universe was created. The Psalmist says, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV) If the purpose of the stars and sky is to pour out silent adoration of the Creator, then I know my purpose is to worship and honor Him, too. So, we must kneel before our Maker and ask that He come to us and restore our SQ so that we will live with purpose and meaning-- in this life and thus, in the eternal one. Jesus spoke to our multi-part being. Take a look. "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30, NLT)

Are you balanced in your worship and devotion? Is the way you use your physical body honoring its Creator? Are your emotions being used in ways that create ties of empathy to others? Are you knowledgeable about yourself, why you do what you do, overcoming an emotional barriers to knowing God? How about your intelligence? Do you perceive the world with true understanding? Is your spirit alive in Christ, filled with Divine Life, so that you are able to respond to God's high calling for you today?

Covey suggests a simple way to start toward balance. I quote:

For the body- assume you've had a heart attack; now live accordingly.
For the mind- assume the half-life of your profession is two years; now live accordingly.
For the heart- assume everything you say about another, they can over hear; now live accordingly.
For the spirit- assume that you have a one on one visit with your Creator every quarter; now live accordingly.

Get in balance!
Become a whole person, with a life that is lived purposefully for the Glory of God.

Glory faded, reborn?

Once known as the the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Nativity, the imposing stone structure stands at the corner of 17th and Tioga Sts. in Philadelphia. Her majesty is still evident despite years of neglect and vandalism. There is a faded beauty to be seen under the layers of brokenness and grime. On Saturday, I was part of a team that started to clean out this old church in preparation for the birth of a new church in the building next year, to be named appropriately enough - Resurrection Life Church. Standing in the vaulted room of the sanctuary, I could almost hear faint echoes of past choir anthems raised in God's praise, of weddings, funerals, celebrations of Christmas and Easter, swirling around us. I closed my eyes and 'saw' people dressed in the formal Sunday clothes of the 1930's. I wondered when her roof was first left without repair, when the organ stopped working, when the last members of that congregation turned the keys in the huge wooden doors and abandoned her.

And... I prayed that the building might soon be home to yet another congregation whose voices would fill the neighborhood with glorious sounds of adoration of the Almighty God.

Congregations rise and wane with time. Programs that are started with great fanfare and enthusiasm eventually lose their purpose or context in the world and come to an end. Buildings crumble under the assault of wind and rain. That is why our focus must not be on the super-structures of the Church - those very programs and buildings - but on the heart of the Church - the people in whom God's Spirit resides. Lives that are touched by Him, that are changed by encounters with the Living God, are eternal!

To what are you giving your life? Are they the things that really matter and will they last beyond your earthly passage? To be sure, the temporal world demands our attention. Our bodies must be fed and clothed; our homes maintained, our cars kept in repair, and our lawns mowed. But to make such things the meaning and purpose of living will lead us to share the Preacher's sad refrain -- “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, NIV)

Jesus teaches us to adopt an eternal perspective and thus to "Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." (Matthew 6:20-21, The Message) What does He mean? Make sure that the real focus of your day to day activities has a greater purpose than buildings and programs! You're a spiritual being- first and foremost- so tend the spiritual house with your greatest energies! Love, forgiveness, sharing, caring - really are the choices that matter most. Perhaps you're not finding this TFTD very cheery today, focused as it is on the shortness of our lives here on earth. Maybe pondering your mortality isn't something you do very often. But, we should! Knowing that what we see is not 'forever' helps us to do those things that will last beyond our lifetime.

Here's a word from the Word to take with you today: "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.... So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8, NLT)
___________________
While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when traveling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we'll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open,
We shall tread the streets of gold.

When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055