Carried away on gentle winds

When I was a teenager, I learned to fly airplanes.  Just after my 16^th birthday, one July morning, the flight instructor stepped out of the airplane and said, "Take it around the pattern three times while I observe from the ground!" It was solo flight time. A few weeks later, he sent me on my first “cross-country” flight.  No, not to California! For the first time, I would fly outside of the immediate area of my home airport. George and I plotted my course from Pittstown, NJ to Annville, PA, about an hour's flight time.

What a thrill when I pointed that little Cessna down the runway. As the ground fell away, I could see our farm off to the right. A moment later, I flew over my high school on the left;  then over the Delaware River. Caught up in the experience, I set my charts aside and flew on. I neglected a couple of checkpoints, feeling that as long as I kept my compass set to the heading that the chart indicated I would fine. After about 30 minutes, I realized that what I was seeing on the ground did not match the flight chart. I was flying over a city and that wasn't indicated along my flight path. I was lost!  In just a few moments with the help of radio vectors (remember this is pre-GPS!) I found that I was miles south of my planned flight course!   My adventure was a lesson in the effect of winds aloft! A light wind blowing out of the northwest had pushed my little airplane southerly, off course, with steady, but invisible force. I learned that even if my compass read my planned course heading it didn't necessarily mean that I was going to arrive at my destination. I had to correct my course against the prevailing winds.

Are you ‘on course’ in life, or have you drifted and lost your way?  Just because we set off in pursuit of a good goal and seem to be moving along in the right direction does not mean we will get there. Every day we need to do course correction. Prevailing winds of peer pressure, cultural influences, or economic issues can gently and certainly divert us from pursuit of our heavenly home.   When powerful winds blow- spiritual attack, failure of health, a spouse's infidelity - we feel the buffeting and realize the need for greater vigilance. However,  when the sun is shining and life is good the ‘winds aloft’ can carry us away.

The Bible tells us that “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it." (Hebrews 2:1, NLT) Drifting away, pushed by the prevailing winds of life far off course from a godly way, is the greater danger.  A devoted disciple of Jesus does not just wake up one Monday morning and decide that he is done with the Christian life.  But, millions wake up and find their passion for Jesus has cooled as they tolerated 'little' disobediences in their life, or as they neglected spiritual disciplines for an extended season.  Over time that person loses their way because the ungodly influences move them almost imperceptibly from Christ and His love.

Don’t think I am telling you that you can save yourself by self-determination or self-reliance. Christ saves us and His Spirit guides us. We pray, today and each day – “Lord Jesus Christ, You are my Savior. Keep me on course. Help me to respond quickly to Your leading, to keep my heart attuned to your whispers.”  Like my onboard radio that brought me home that fateful day in 1971, the Spirit is a Beacon that draws us to our home.

Here's a word from the Word for you to think on today. Forgive me for the edits that make it fit my illustration of flight. “So watch your step,(flight path) friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and (prevailing winds blowing through your life without your awareness to) throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it's still God's Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on (stay on course towards) the sure thing we started out with, we're in this with Christ for the long haul."  (Hebrews 3:12-14, The Message)

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Pictures, sounds, smells, faces- an amazing collage of information out of which I formulate memories – is stored in the billions of cells that form that lump between my ears called a brain! On Sunday, Bev and I set off for the little town in Massachusetts where we raised our family and invested a dozen years in God’s work at Calvary Christian Chapel. On Monday, I stood at that little church and was overwhelmed to the point of physical illness by memory. In my mind I could hear the chatter of my children again, the voices of that congregation raised in song, the strains of a song Larry sang on my first Sunday as their pastor – “Welcome To the Family.” My mind flipped through pages that held weddings, funerals, dinners, and faces of friends gone for years. At age 53, I certainly have many more memories than expectations! Yet, I am grateful, beyond words, for those memories for they are my ‘life experience,’ and that, in large part, makes me who I am today! In sum, the satisfactions outweigh the regrets, thank God.

It isn’t, as I discovered this week, always a pleasant thing to ‘see’ the past. There is the ache that comes with longing to re-live happy moments, the stab that comes with recall of stupid or sinful decisions, and the knowledge that all is now out of reach, only a collection of memories, sometimes supported by a photograph or a video! But remembering is important! Burke reminded us that ‘Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it.’ Maya Angelou sagely observes that ‘History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, it need not be lived again.’

I find it compelling to note that Jesus Christ commands remembering and makes it one of the core practices of Christians. "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:19-20, NIV) “Never forget,” He says, “what I did on your behalf, the sacrifice at the Cross that reconciles you to God.” Interestingly, He built that ritual meal of remembrance around another – the Passover Seder - that the Jews have celebrated for thousands of years which recalls their own salvation and calling out of Egypt.

The Lord’s Supper or Communion serves not only to remind us of our salvation. It is also a time to renew our ties to the family, the Church. On our trip, Bev and I shared meals with friends. It was remarkable how years of separation fell away as we laughed and listened around tables! When Christians take the cup and the bread together, it should be a vivid reminder of the unity to which God calls us. At Communion, we are all on the same level ground- sinners saved by grace, now children of God, the Elect "who once were far away … brought near through the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13, NIV)

Disciple, remember!
Remember God’s faithfulness and rejoice.
Remember God’s forgiveness and let go of regret.
Remember with gratitude those who blessed you along the way.
Remember and let experience be your teacher.

Here’s a word from the Word. May the Spirit use it to remind you of God’s goodness.
"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes,
I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?" (Psalm 77:11-13, NIV)
______________

Great is Thy faithfulness

O God my Father

There is no shadow

Of turning with Thee

Thou changest not

Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been

Thou forever wilt be

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning

New mercies I see

All I have needed

Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness

Lord unto me

    Thomas Obediah Chisholm | William Marion Runyan

    © 1923. Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company

You Want the Keys?

One of the side-splitting scenes in the film, Meet the Parents, occurs when the father of the bride, a former CIA agent, explains his concept of the 'circle of trust' to his future son-in-law, Greg Focker.  The paranoia of that father drove him to constant surveillance of the poor guy who was joining his family. We laugh as we watch because intuitively we know that trust comes from character, not from enforcement! The true test of our values comes when nobody’s watching us. What choices do we make then?

Parents teach their children -"Trust is built over time, destroyed in a moment."  Are any of us perfect?  Of course not. We are prone to failure, liable to make some stupid choices, and likely to succumb to peer pressure at least occasionally.  Trust isn’t a flawless record. It is shaped by honesty about the good, the bad, and the ugly of our lives.

Every relationship in our life depends on trust! As we interact with others - be they family members, co-workers, or business partners - we are measuring trustworthiness. Love, alone, is not enough to make us ‘hand over the keys’. There are people in my life that I love wholeheartedly that I would not even let drive my car!

How do we build trust?

1. - We live with integrity.
Trustworthy people get rid of hidden agendas and secret motives. They refuse to shade the truth to favor themselves. Being around people who are deceptive and manipulative is exhausting because we always have to wonder, "What their angle? What are they really trying to do here?" Integrity - that is, being the same inside and out, in reality and appearance, is basic to gaining and keeping the trust of others.

2. - We are humble.
Humility has nothing to do with being a self-hating worm.  It’s about a real grasp of our strengths and weaknesses, knowing when we need help and being willing to ask for it. If we try to do something that is beyond our training or capability, pretending competence- the subsequent failure erodes trust. The next time, the question hangs in the air - "Can he, or will he mess this task up, too?"

3. - We keep our promises.

It is so easy to make a promise. When somebody presses us to do something, even relatively simple, the best way to make them happy is to say, "Oh, sure, I'll do it." So, we are often likely to over-promise and under-deliver. My experience has taught me to generally expect much less from people than they say. It's not because they are morally deficient! It is because in their eagerness to please they over-promise. It is far better to say up-front, "I would like to help you with that, but I don't have the interest to follow through." We trust people who, in Jesus' words, "Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ (Matthew 5:37, NLT)

4. - We are 'other-centered.'
Nobody should trust a person who is selfish. The moment we sense that another is out for his own reputation, serving his own interest, or feathering her own nest- we withdraw our confidence and start to build walls to protect. Only the person who shows real empathy and the capacity to transcend her own interests is trustworthy.

Take a look at your own 'circle of trust' today. Are you trusting people who are trustworthy? Are you a person worthy of trust?

God is seeking faithful people in whom He can invest eternal riches, people to whom He can hand the keys to His Kingdom!
 How does He know those He can trust?  This word from the Word tells us: "Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?

And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Luke 16:10-13, CEV)

It WILL Change Your Life!

“It will change your life!”  This is the implied statement behind all kinds of advertising. The right car will make you a success and bring you respect.  A splash of cologne will make you irresistible. This pill will extend your youth.  We learn to ignore the hyperbole after a while, discounting the claims, explicit and implicit, in the ads. Please don’t discount what you’re about to read. It really is a Truth that will change your life.

In the 3^rd chapter of Peter’s second letter, we are told about the “day of the Lord.”  When Jesus ended his ministry here on earth, He promised to return. Human history will be brought to a close,  perfect justice will be handed down, and the present order will be destroyed before the emergence of a ‘new heaven and new earth.’  Peter writes all this not as a feared threat, but as a promise to be eagerly anticipated by Christians. Paul calls the return of Christ our ‘blessed hope.’ (Titus 2:13)  In my estimation, this doctrine is largely off the radar of most Christians today.  Taken up with life, we lose sight of the fact that all this is destined to pass away, that our real home is not here, but with our Father.

If we look forward, consciously and eagerly, to the coming of the Lord, that truth will change our lives. How? Take a look. "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives" (2 Peter 3:11, NIV)  "… since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." (2 Peter 3:14, NIV) "… since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." (2 Peter 3:17-18, NIV)

Peter’s appeal is not to fear or dread. It is a tragedy when the Lord’s return is used in that way to manipulate Christians into giving money or serving in ministry.  If we only fear His coming, we will act like kids in December, won’t we?  Every little kid who believes in Santa Claus suddenly starts to think about reforming himself so that the jolly old man will bring the presents! But the effort is short-lived.  The Christian who understands that Christ’s return is still on schedule (God’s time, not ours!) will not reform himself for a few days or weeks. He will reorient his entire life, looking away from trinkets destined to perish to treasure set aside in Heaven that will survive the destruction of this present world.

There is a little phrase tucked into Peter’s writing that urges us to live “at peace with Him.”  We tend to think of peace as being the absence of conflict but that is not what the Spirit is offering to us. When our hope is settled on our eternal inheritance, on the promise of God’s just rewards,  we gain a life that is whole, complete, and ‘settled’ rather than fragmented and/or confused.  This true Peace is a quality of life that flows from the Spirit and choices that look past economic woes, present illness, and disappointment.

Christ return, though often mocked as a pie in sky illusion, is a truth that changes our lives! Here’s the word from the Word. "This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember and understand what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire." (2 Peter 3:1-3, NLT)  "But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent." (2 Peter 3:8-9, NLT)  "But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and honor, both now and forevermore. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18, NLT)

Lord, settle it deep into our hearts and minds, lifting our goals higher, settling us on a solid foundation of unshakeable hope. Amen.

Don't Tell Me What To Do

In the months prior to D-Day, that pivotal moment when the Allies would send thousands of men across the English Channel to face the Axis powers, Dwight Eisenhower was appointed the Supreme Commander of all the forces! The massive invasion effort would require the coordinated efforts of military units from several nations commanded by generals who were accustomed to being in charge.  In addition to working out the strategy of the expedition, Eisenhower found himself faced with a huge challenge in overcoming the towering egos of generals who believed themselves his equal. With quiet determination, Ike led, ignoring the critics, listening to advice, making decisions using the authority invested in him, all the while keeping his own ego in check. Like a petulant children some of those other generals whined, argued, and resisted. But the effort needed a leader. History shows that Ike served well. Many of those same generals who were so offended by his appointment came to appreciate the man and his service.

Leaders are important – in families, in society; and yes, in the church.  Some imagine the church to be above the need for leaders. That ignores the Scripture that refers often to pastors and elders who are called to serve in leadership.   Jesus, the Head of the Church, “is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13, NLT)  I see two critical principles here:  the church has leaders and those leaders are not charged to do ‘all the work,’ but rather to coordinate those in the church for maximum Kingdom effectiveness.

One of the major difficulties of the church in America is a failure of leadership. Some pastors are cowed into silence by multiple critics, others choose to use their holy calling for personal gain. Let me ask you to think carefully about these questions which I ask myself as I participate with those who lead me.

Are you one of those Christians who is stealing a blessing from yourself by being a critic, resisting the efforts of those who are your leaders?
Are you buying into the anti-authority sentiments of the culture and bringing it to church? 

Have you learned the theme of the New Testament, unity and cooperation?

The Bible says "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17, NKJV)  “Obey” and “submit” are two words that are hard to accept.  There is a real spiritual issue involved.  The humility that motivates a person to support leaders bring a double blessing – one for those who lead and another for those who come into a deeper unity of purpose and work in the church.  

Miserable Ingrates!

Just about any parent of a child, particularly a teen, knows what it is to deal with a lack of appreciation.  After scarfing down dinner, that boy whose just eaten his fill, walks away apparently without any idea of the effort that put the food in front of him. That same 15 year old fails to grasp that his  clothing does not just magically move from hamper to closet, becoming clean along the way. “I need,” is a common refrain, with no thought about how much that new pair of shoes costs Dad. The cell phone in her pocket? She feels entitled to it, offended if the suggestion is made that perhaps it’s time to start paying for her own.  Many outgrow their narcissism and come to realize the love that caused Mom and Dad to invest so much time and treasure in them. Some, tragically, never do; and they carry their ingratitude into adulthood. Ingrates spread their misery like a virus!

Do you recognize the goodness of God and give sincere thanks?

Ingratitude, believe it or not, is a fertile soil that nourishes spiritual rebellion!  In the first chapter of Romans, the desperate state of depraved humanity is outlined with an ugly recital of the worst kinds of behaviors. The beginning of it all?  "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21, NIV)  If we act like spoiled kids, demanding more and failing to give thanks, we will increasingly become Self-centered, full of doubt, and eventually bitter – far from the fellowship of the Spirit.

This is more than a nice saying, it’s a life principle: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV)  Real gratitude goes beyond a flip, “thanks.”  It appreciates the effort and cost.  Thankfulness expands our capacity to love – both God and others.  Thankfulness is an expression of a loving heart. One feeds the other.  When I deal with a person who lacks gratitude, whose attitude implies that they think I owe them something, I am much less inclined to want to be generous. You, too?   God resists our selfishness, too.  He is not, however, offended in the same way that we are by unthankful people. Our Father desires our worshipful gratitude, not because He craves our appreciation, but because it reveals a heart in which Self is dethroned.

Here’s what the Word says. It’s simple, often quoted, and ignored just as often: "Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:18-20, NIV) Let’s cultivate thankfulness.  If we wait for it to just ‘show up’ in our lives, we will die feeling God and the world owes us more!  But, if we humble ourselves, take note of His faithfulness often as well as the goodness of others, we will become more and more thankful; able to receive and give from a great heart.

"Thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat. " (Psalm 107:8-9, The Message)

__________________

Give thanks

With a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given

Jesus Christ His Son

And now let the weak say

I am strong

Let the poor say

I am rich

Because of what

The Lord has done for us

Give thanks

Henry Smith

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