It’s not ‘game over’

America is in the middle of a mess, isn’t she?  Seems that every institution is in deep trouble, the fabric of our society ripping apart; if you believe the crisis reporting of the media. In my adult lifetime, I cannot recall another era of comparably widespread fear. A kind of panic has taken root that is turning into a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.  We keep repeating how terrible things, how challenging the future is, until we convince ourselves that hope is lost. Our attention is focused on pockets of problems that ignore the greater whole of the nation.  We have become terribly fearful, which is a real problem because when we are convinced that we are in mortal danger, we choose one of two basic responses – flight or fight. We run and hide or we dig in and start a war!  

Are you hiding out, if not literally, figuratively? 
Have you retreated into your home, surrounded yourself with a few like-minded people, and attempted to shut out the world? 
Or, have you launched a war of words, furiously lobbing angry attacks on those that threaten your sense of well-being?

It's time to PAUSE and reflect! The problems are real. The pandemic is here, but it will not wipe out the human race. America has racial problems that go deep but they are not beyond a solution if reasonable people will work together. The economy has slowed and job losses are a major issue, but prosperity will return. Christian, this is a time of unprecedented opportunity for God’s people, His Church, but not if we join the “Chicken Little” screams that the sky is falling on our heads.  If anyone has reason NOT TO FEAR, it is the person who knows God, who enjoys the promise of eternal life, who is invited to enter the Presence of the Lord with every concern carried to the Throne in prayer!

Joshua took the leadership of Israel after Moses died. It was a crisis moment. The only leader they had known was gone. They had lived as wanderers in the wilderness for an entire generation. Now, it was time to launch an invasion of Canaan, a land of formidable obstacles. Here is what that old man told those people: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NIV)  Read that line again and take note of the WHY that would sustain them.  Joshua did not say, “God will remove every problem.” Nor did he say, “It’s not really an issue, it’s all in your imagination.”

He said, “The LORD, your God, will be with you.”  We must quiet ourselves UNTIL we have re-discovered His Presence.

Those who choose faith, who exercise their ‘prayer muscles,’ find new courage and clear vision. Clear-minded Christians who are held in the hands of God can look and listen and learn. They can help find solutions, seeing the chaos as an opportunity. They can begin to act instead of react, to hold fast to principles instead of prejudice. I am not suggesting that every value is up for negotiation, or that we have to throw away every conviction and accommodate the most radical demands for change.  But, we do not have to build the battle line either, determined to make an enemy of every person who disagrees with us. The Scripture wisely reminds us that there is a "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven … a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak." (Ecclesiastes 3:7, NIV) It’s always right to pray!  

I suggest these choices for all those who claim Christ as Lord.
Stop the anger.
Quell the fear.
Pray for courage.

Jesus asks us to "Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even (sinners) do that much." (Matthew 5:44-46, NLT)  We cannot imagine the good that God can do in us and through us if we invest the same kind of passion in prayer that we often invest in our conversations about the various crises in which we live.

This is not an easy prescription to take. Results are not instant. Living in times of great change is terribly costly to our sense of personal well-being. But, we can do it, God helping us, and if we are willing to show some discipline in the process.  Steep your mind in this word from the Word. Hold onto it, repeat it, live it - "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:4-9, NLT)

It's not ‘game over’ time. God reigns.
__________

How Great Is Our God

(worship at this link)

The splendor of the King

Clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice

All the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light

And darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice

And trembles at His voice

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

And all will see how great

How great is our God

And age to age He stands

And time is in His hands

Beginning and the End

Beginning and the End

The Godhead three in one

Father Spirit Son

The Lion and the Lamb

The Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names

Worthy of all praise

My heart will sing

How great is our God

Chris Tomlin | Ed Cash | Jesse Reeves

© 2004 sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

A friend for troubled times

A half-century ago, in the 1960’s, America went through similar times of upheaval and unrest to what we are experiencing in 2020. Rioting brought destruction to our cities. The Vietnam war split the country down the middle. Several national figures were assassinated – the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King among them. The Cold War with the threat of nuclear bombs kept people on edge. It helps me to hope when I recall those terrible years that were so dark. Morning broke over the nation after that long night. Dawn will come again.

In the worst of it, Simon and Garfunkel gave us the song -  “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”  Remember it?
When you're weary, feeling small;
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all.
I'm on your side - When times get rough,
And friends just can't be found;
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down. – Paul Simon, copyright, 1969

I was 14 when that song was first popular. I am just about 65 now and it still resonates with me.  I am so grateful for friends who are part of my journey, for those who stand alongside me. A friend can be a bridge over troubled water!   Are you keeping close to friends these days, even with the limits of association that COVID brought? Are you connecting, calling, texting, emailing, Facetiming, Zooming?  A signature strength of Christ’s church are those relationships that become vital to us. The people that encourage us, that share life and ministry with us, become ‘closer than a brother.’

Let’s not forget that when no song can settle our emotions, when our troubles are not calmed by the company of friends, there is a Friend Whose name is Jesus!  He is not too busy, is able to understand, offers to love us even when we are in troubled water. Peter, a man who knew about difficult times, reminds us to "cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NKJV)

Our fears, our sins and our successes, our glorious dreams and crushed hopes – everything that weighs heavily on our shoulders – we can share with Jesus who is not only Lord but Friend!  “Weighed down by concern, troubled by life? Throw it on the Lord! He is ready to care for you.”  If you are anxious, if your life has known hardship, please know that you are quite normal!  Jesus told us that "In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.”  And, He goes on to encourage - “But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (John 16:33, The Message)  

People will disappoint and frustrate you. Disasters will come – pandemic, death, economic disaster, storms, floods, and social unrest – often defying our human abilities to sort it out or to make sense of it all. His invitation stands. He is there, ready to receive us. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV)  In a sense, He is saying, “Let ME be your bridge over troubled water!”

Get alone with Jesus today.
Your prayer does not have to be beautiful, long, or eloquent.
You may just sit and cry. He understands.
You may find yourself without words. He’ll listen to your heart.

You may spill over with frustration. He won’t judge.

You may be so numb as to feel nothing at all but He’s there, regardless.

Before you venture into your daily tasks, take some time to think deeply on these words from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. They are inspired, full of hope. I have chosen to use a modern paraphrase of the Scripture to help make the content accessible to us. Here is a word from the Word.
"Oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and
set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe,
everything from galaxies to governments,
no name and no power exempt from his rule.
And not just for the time being, but forever.

He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything.
At the center of all this, Christ rules the church.
The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world;
the world is peripheral to the church.

The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts,
by which he fills everything with his presence." (Ephesians 1:19-23, The Message)

__________

Draw me close to You, never let me go.

I lay it all down again

to hear You say that I'm Your friend.

You are my desire, no one else will do,

'cause nothing else could take Your place;

to feel the warmth of Your embrace,

help me find the way;
bring me back to You.

You're all I want!

You're all I've ever needed!

You're all I want!

Help me know You are near.

Kelly Carpenter

© 1994 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing

Monday’s decision

"7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (Stephen Covey, 1989) is about two ways to live.  We can be a proactive person focused on what the things within our control, or a reactive person governed by issues of concern over which we have little control. Proactive people move positively, in faith, making life better within their circle of influence.  Reactive people get angry, frustrated, blaming others, as they complain about things in their circle of concern, but outside of their influence.  (Glad I picked that book up again!)  

On this Monday morning, are you going to choose to act or are you going to let the chaos of life drive you?  

While watching a network news program last night, it became clear to me that I MUST make a proactive choice for my spiritual and emotional health – turn it off!  The 24/7 stream of crisis and chaos makes me feel helpless and stirs up anger. But, I have a choice.

Christ Jesus, whose Spirit lives in those who are His, offers us a different way to live. “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)  We are not victims of circumstances. God will help us to face them, to deal realistically with them, and to take control of turbulent emotions with discipline.  Easy?  Never. Without the fullness of God, alive and active in me, I cannot live proactively as an ambassador of Christ and His kingdom. Paul lays it out plainly - "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace." (Romans 8:5-6, NLT)  

To Whom do you belong? Are you a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus? Well, then, it’s time to act like it.

 What are the PROACTIVE choices that we can make today and always for Christ and His Kingdom?

First, make earnest, fervent, God-centered prayer the first response, not the last resort.  
Seek His wisdom and insight. Rest in His powerful promises of life – to the full now and in eternity.

Second, work for solutions, not just comfort.  

Most of the time what we really want is to restore our ‘comfort zone.’  Perhaps unconsciously, but none the less, persistently, we try to ‘fix it’ in a way that makes us feel better.

God wants us to be people who invite Him use us to change what needs to change, to reconcile what needs to be reconciled.

Third, learn the value of acceptance.

Acceptance is not ‘learning to like’ a terrible situation. It is not agreeing or supporting. It is becoming spiritually and emotionally aware, understanding what we can and cannot do.  For the Christian, acceptance includes strong faith that trusts God lead in the process of change – first in ourselves, then in our world.

This week our choices will either add to the plague of hatred and anger or make us ‘ministers of reconciliation’ as we are proactive followers of Christ Jesus. (By the way, nobody does this perfectly.)  The word from the Word are taken from John’s Gospel. May we hear them, not as a slogan, not with sentiment, but in faith as a commission to bold lives that seek peace.  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35, NIV)

Reinhold Neibuhr penned a prayer that has come to be called the Serenity Prayer. 

In these troubled times, let’s pray this way - sincerely and often. 

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

trusting that You will make all things right

if I surrender to Your will;

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.