Run to Win!

Ever hear anyone say, "Remember the first three laps of the Daytona 500?" I have not! But all the news is filled with detailed accounts of the last three laps! I seldom hear football fans discuss the first quarter, but every "Monday morning quarterback" knows how the last one played out. A good start is important, but a successful finish is what is remembered.

So, how are you doing? Did you start strong and fade along the way? In a presentation that is part of "The DreamGiver" series, Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, talks about pursuing the dream that God puts inside of each one of us. He observes that we go after the dream with stardust in our eyes, the dream dances and sparkles in front of us. We just "know" when we are finally able to do that thing, life will be perfect. And, often life is good, until the shine fades and we realize that maintaining that God-given dream is hard work! Wryly, he goes on to say, "If we had any idea how costly it would be to own that dream, most of us would quit before we started!"

When I was just 16, God set the dream of leading and teaching His people in me. "The Call" came to me a dramatic way! And I've been tremendously blessed in that I am living my dream and have for nearly 30 years! But, I've also discovered that the joy of sharing the Truth of the Word is accompanied by a lot of hard work. Occasionally someone remarks to me that they sure would like to have my job. "You have fun in that pulpit." Yes, I do! When I see God's people taking hold of His life-changing principles, I see Him smile and that's something to die for! There are moment when exhaustion takes over and I forgot the joy and I sometimes think about doing something else with my life. On those mornings I look at myself in the mirror and say, "What else would you do that would be nearly as fulfilling as what you're doing right now?" Sure there are hours of study, moments of misunderstanding, the pressure of living a semi-public life and being criticized by people who forget I'm a real person, not just a public role. That's, as they say, the price of the ride!

I want to finish well! I want the last lap to be full of glory, whether that lap is run today, next year, or 35 years from now! You can almost hear the effort in Paul's voice as he writes, "I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. ... I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Php 3:12-14 NLT

Jesus' last mile was the glorious one, but think of the cost. Mel Gibson captured it dramatically in "The Passion of the Christ" (which we will be showing here at the Assembly on Good Friday, at 8 PM). Jesus moved deliberately toward His destiny in the Father's plan. He choose the Cross and as a result is given the Glory! The Word urges us to remember that when we're wavering in the pursuit of the will of God. Keep "...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." Heb 12:2-3 NKJV

It's not the start that holds the glory, it's the finish! Let's finish well!

Exclusively His

Adultery is a word loaded with pain! When a spouse discovers that the person they love has become involved emotionally and/or sexually with another, it causes deep sorrow, a sense of terrible loss, and yes - even murderous rage. I attended a conference for ministers where a man spoke to us about an occupational hazard for those who are care-givers, who counsel and share with people in a deeply loving way. Without proper boundaries that person may succumb to a temptation to adultery. This man had been a Senior Pastor of a large church. Over time, his carelessness and prayerlessness, led him to become spiritually weak, vulnerable to the seductions of the sinful nature, and he chose to become an adulterer, involved with a woman in his congregation for an extended time. When he realized that his sin was about to be made public, he went to tell his wife before anyone else could do so. Upon hearing of his unfaithfulness, her emotional pain was so intense she collapsed and remained in a catatonic state for several days. Though his marriage survived, the pain he brought to it was still apparent in the scars more than a decade after the sin! The covenant of marriage is an exclusive one in which we pledge to 'forsake all others... until death separates us.' We speak those words, not simply from some romantic notion, but as a promise that invokes God's witness, 'so help me God'.

There are numerous reasons for preserving fidelity in marriage, not the least of which is that the marital covenant is a living illustration of God's relationship with His people - the Church. Through the love of Christ, we are married to Him as His Bride. He has an expectation of faithfulness from us. In Exodus 34:10-14 the LORD said, “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. ... Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (NKJV)

Does that strike you as strange, that something so loaded with negative connotations as jealousy, should be connected to a holy God? Yet, He says His Name is Jealous!

Read this and let the depth of His love sink into your heart. -- The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:7-9 NIV) At His own expense, He took us from slavery to sin and Evil. He lovingly restored our dignity and beauty and now He claims us as His own - with the expectation that we will remain faithful to Him.

The intensity of His love for us is revealed in another passage where we read, So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. You will break it if you make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has absolutely forbidden this. The Lord your God is a devouring (consuming) fire, a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4:23-24, NLT) He burns with such passionate love for us that He cannot share our worship and love with anyone else. The fire of His love is all encompassing. We cannot satisfy His love by giving Him bits and pieces of ourselves. His love is not a little fire that is fed with sticks and twigs of our spare time and extra energy; it is a raging fire that needs all of you and me. Jesus said that the primary commandment is that "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30, NKJV) The Decalogue begins with the stark and clear command - Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me."

Are you flirting with other lovers? That is a small step from adultery!
Have you reserved a part of your heart, soul, or mind for another?Remember, the LORD is a jealous God. Let that love draw you close, hold you safe, and captivate you.
____________________________________

God, our Husband and our Lover,
we pray for a true heart that loves You.
As sin and Devil sing their seductive songs,
help us to hear Your song of love alone.
Your Jealous love is a strength, a comfort to us.
Thank you that you are faithful, even when we are faithless.
Bind us to You so that we will bring You joy, not sorrow,
all the days of our lives until you take us in your home for eternity.
We pray this in the Name of Jesus, who loved and saved us.
Amen.

Time, revisited

63% of kids ages 9-14 surveyed last year said if they were granted one wish to change their parents' jobs, wished for a job that would allow their parents more time to do 'fun things' together as a family! Only 13% wished that their parents made more money. (Discipleship Journal, Jan/Feb. 2005)
So... even our kids recognize that the pace of life many of try to maintain is deleterious to the quality of our lives! What are we going to do about it? The time crunch is something many people feel, but most of us do not realize that it is an issue of choice. OK, you just sighed and said, "Right, Jerry. Maybe for you, but not for me." Please don't stop reading. Don't be discouraged or dismissive. Go ahead and get angry at me if you think you need to that, but finish reading this TFTD. If you don't think it applies, hit 'delete' and that's the end of of it. If the Spirit uses it to prod you towards change, then work with Him joyfully in the process.

How do we have choices in this pressured world where we must deal with demands of our supervisor at work, our family, our church, the bills that keep showing up in the mailbox, our conscience, and even the Spirit of God? Aren't most of the decisions all ready made for us? In a sense, it is true that prior choices continue to exert demands on us today. When I chose to marry Bev in 1975, I embraced the demands that accompany being a responsible husband. When I chose to have children, I accepted the responsibility for loving and supporting them. When I bought a car, I made a promise to make the payments. So, yes, we have ongoing responsibilities. However, with God's help and wisdom from the Word and Spirit, we can also begin to make decisions that will allow us to create more space in our lives for the important things to get done, instead of allowing our lives to be tyrannized by the urgent things pressed on us by others.
_________________________
Dr. Richard Swenson (an M.D.) makes several practical suggestions for setting our lives in a direction that will allow us to create the margin (the space in our life) so we can have choices about how we live and how we respond to God's will. These appeared in DJ's issue referenced earlier and are not original with me.

- Tame technology!
Cell phones, email, voice mail - exist for your convenience. Learn to turn them off on the weekend or for a full day. Make technology serve you instead of becoming its servant.

- Pitch the pile!
How many magazines and newspapers do you receive? How many do you read? How many are piled up waiting for your attention? If you don't have time to read them today, you won't have time tomorrow either. Cancel the ones you don't read and throw away the back issues.

- Stick with decisions!
Making a decision requires time and energy. There is seldom a compelling reason to go back and change that decision. Research an issue, make a choice, and then move on sticking to the choice you've made.

- Value sleep!
Sleep is not 'wasted time.' Almost all of us need at least 7-8 hours/day and we suffer emotionally and physically when we get less.

- Set an earlier ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).
Planning to arrive exactly on time is a prescription for stress and panic. Traffic snarls, cars need to be filled with gas... so just plan to arrive early. That way, you can actually enjoy the trip! And the only way to have an earlier ETA is to plan an earlier departure!

- Subtract from your 'needs.'
List all the things you need, then start crossing things off. "There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less!" - G.K.Chesterton

- Anticipate, and relish.
Calendar congestion robs us of the pleasure of anticipation. We rush to meet an event, rush through it, and rush on to the next. The joy of it is lost. So, plan an event like a birthday party, a vacation, or a day off far in advance and then walk towards deliberately, anticipating the joy it can bring. Savor it while it's happening, take pictures, be present. When it's over, tell stories - again and again. "We don't have to do a lot, we can do a little and remember it a lot."

- Stay put.
Stem the pace of change in your life. Put that job decision on hold for six months. Don't move to another house. Let your kids finish the school year where they are. Keep your church, your pastor, your friends... for you will need them more than you think.
We should know, but we forget... there is no pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow.
We can find treasure right where we are.
______________________________________

Jesus tells us we must learn to live in the present, taking our days as they come - one at a time. Most of us don't. The result is stress, pressure, and failure to really value the parts of living that will ultimately give us the greatest joy -- family, friends, and the things of the Spirit. Take this Word with you today:
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:30-34, The Message)

There is no time

One of the most common complaints I hear is "I don't have any time." I hear parents say to their little one, "Hurry up. We don't have all day." Drivers tailgate, weave in and out of lanes, and pass dangerously - supposedly because they just have to be somewhere NOW. I can feel the muscles in my shoulders and neck tighten with tension at 6:30 AM when I am putting together my schedule for a day I have packed with activities and appointments that will stretch into the evening. Even our kids are often over-scheduled! Fearing that their little ones won't have every advantage, parents pack in a full day of school, then a dance lesson, a music lesson, and a sports league commitment before dragging the exhausted 8 year home for a hurried dinner at 7, followed by homework before bedtime. It borders on abuse!

All this frenetic activity is having a horrible effect on our lives, especially spiritually. It is time to reclaim our days with wise choices and counter-cultural decisions. A friend of mine made a very brave and wise choice yesterday. He said, "No." That's right. He said no to a ministry that is good, to which he has been a wonderful asset for 4 years, not so he could sit home and watch more TV, but so that he could say, "Yes," to that calling which is his true passion and in which he has shown his greatest effectiveness. Not everyone will applaud his choice. Some will likely judge him negatively. Others will think he's abandoned a responsibility. But, truthfully, he has done what many of us ought to do. He has made the choice to be available to God in the area of His calling in a primary way. His joy will increase and so will his value in that primary ministry.

Don't mistake what I'm writing about today. This isn't about being weary! It isn't about dropping out of life because you're tired in the evening. Even Jesus Himself worked so hard that He was weary. Hard work is noble, but worship of our work is idolatry. There is a difference. We need to offer up our time to His Lordship, carry on a conversation with Him about the priority choices of our daily life, and then choose to spend ourselves in those things that matter most to the Kingdom. "But, Jerry, I have to go to work." Yes, you do and even your work matters to God. But, if your work consumes your life for 60-70 hours a week, it is likely you have made an idol of it, an idol that needs to be torn down.

A common mistake we make is to define our worth by our work. "If I work hard and gain more money, receive awards, or have others take notice of how much I do, then I am a person of worth." That lie keeps too many of us doing more and more, often in a way that is less and less effective. For many of us, (I include myself here) work is a kind of drug. As we load up our lives with responsibility, our body responds to the stress with hormones like adrenaline to help us 'fight the fight.' That's why we come home exhausted at 9 PM but can't fall asleep because we are 'wired.' When a day without pressure appears, we grow agitated, because we miss the feeling of 'excitement' that comes with a full schedule. Then, too, as long as we're doing something, we don't have to think about who we are inside, our fears, our inadequacies, even our sins. The constant noise of our busy life blocks the quiet voices of conscience and the Spirit of God.

Dr. Richard Swenson observes, "The cultural treadmill is not moving in the direction of the Kingdom. We must be willing to shape a new kingdom culture for ourselves -- one that may fly in the face of cultural norms and expectations. ... What matters most is that we keep our compass pointed in the direction of the Kingdom. Therein lies the joy of a life with room around the edges." - DJ, January/February 2005

As you choose to do less, don't expect everybody to applaud. Prepare for a guilty conscience when you say, "No," to a good ministry opportunity that comes your way because you really don't sense God's Spirit leading in that direction. Realize, too, that making the Kingdom choice may well mean being passed over for that promotion, or giving up the resources for that dream vacation, or even moving into a smaller home!

Reflect on this today. "And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?" (Mark 8:36, NLT)

Believer, we are His servants. Are we offering up our lives, including our time, to Him?
"I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt."
Psalm 123:1-3, NIV

Watch out for the humbugs!

It's usually Christmas and the story of Ebenezer Scrooge that bring the old word into our vocabulary. "Bah, humbug!" Do you know what it means? A humbug is a fraud, a person who is an imposter, or something designed to deceive. So why I am writing about humbugs to you? Read on, but be warned: this TFTD may disturb your peace!

Life is often difficult. We face situations that are disappointing. Hardships that cause us pain - physical, spiritual, or emotional - drive us to seek relief. The more intense our suffering, the greater our desperation. The greater our desperation, the more likely we are to become a victim of a humbug. Ask a person who gets a diagnosis of cancer from his doctor. The initial feelings are often near panic, a sense that life is over, the knowledge that what lies ahead has no good ending. There are cruel people out there who prey on those feelings of panic, offering worthless 'cures' for large sums of money. Over the years I've known more than one person who has spent every penny of their savings on some quack treatment that promises much more than it actually delivers. I am not angered by their willingness to suspend good judgment, but I feel near rage at the person who exploits the suffering of another to get rich!

Christianity has more than its fair share of humbugs! These pious frauds prey on the desperate, the sin sick, the sad, and the suffering. They offer quick fixes, instant holiness, and 'miracles' for the asking, in answer to the deep longings that Believers have for relief from temptation and sickness of body and soul. These humbugs dress their message in Bible language, twisting a few passages into something that sounds like the Truth, but which ignores the whole counsel of the Word. All the while, they take in the collections and fed their own appetites for luxury and ease.

Take healing as an example. Does God heal people today? He most certainly does! There are plentiful precedents in the Scripture that would lead us to pray for healing for our bodies. The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus' healing touch for the sick. The Book of the Acts records healings as a part of the Church's experiences. Who likes struggling with sickness? I hate being sick even with a common cold! The desire to be whole and healthy is a perfect set-up for a humbug. Weave together some miracle stories from the Bible. Stir in a highly emotional atmosphere made up of people who gather with great expectations in simple faith. Throw in a dash of testimonies, even if they are unverified. The guy on the stage need not be accountable to anyone, need not live out a day to day Christian life of holiness, need not even have his 'act' subjected to scrutiny before he asks for a big donation to 'keep doing the Lord's work.' He just preys on the longings of the people who gather to find a miracle cure for their 'sickness.'

The genuine life of faith is no easy road. Discipleship is a rigorous choice that calls for us to 'die daily' to self. Following Jesus means engaging sin and evil, often at tremendous cost to ourselves, emotionally and spiritually. Jesus didn't promise we could ride a hammock all the way to Heaven. Instead, He challenges us to "put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life." (Mark 8:34-35, NLT)

Even Paul faced the distress of dealing with humbugs who invaded the churches he had formed. They came with their distortions of the Gospel message, turning grace into a license to sin, destroying the power of the Gospel to transform by making it into a religious system based in human efforts at goodness, even making spiritual gifts into a means of gaining power instead of being a means of self-effacing service. He grew angry at the shamelessness of these charlatans who exploited the good hearts of God's people!

In the book of 2nd Corinthians, Paul's frustration with humbugs is evident in so many passages. ... because we know this solemn fear of the Lord we work so hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart before God. 2 Cor. 5:11-12 NLT

In chapters 11-12 he goes to great lengths to contrast the ministry that is authentic with the 'ministry' that is a humbug. He observes (11:4 NLT) You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

And then he urges them to greater discernment. (2 Co 13:5 KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Perhaps his challenge is better grasped in The Message where we read, Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.

Don't be duped by humbugs! Show discernment. Look long and hard at anyone who claims to have the 'inside truth,' or a 'quick fix,' or a miracle just waiting for you to claim it (right after you send in your offering)! If they live like a prince at the expense of God's people, most likely their heart is in the wrong place, their message marred by self interest.

• "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.
  And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message)

Splendor of the Spirit

Some people have a 'presence' that causes others to take notice when they are around. Physical beauty captivates us. Personal charisma makes us pay attention. Celebrity, our uniquely American phenomenon of being 'famous for being famous' rather than for some remarkable accomplishment, gets some the best table in the restaurant. (Paris Hilton stands out as an example of empty celebrity.) Wealth displayed ostentatiously will get noticed every time! We take note of that stretch limo when it glides past us on the Interstate and we wonder who is behind the tinted windows, don't we? Beauty, wealth, and fame have a certain splendor but they last for a short moment in time, then are gone as others takes the spotlight.

There is a 'glory' that we all can know, a splendor in life that is not reserved for a small coterie that the rest of us envy! This 'presence' is one that makes our lives truly beautiful, meaningful, and yes - worthy of being emulated. It is the radiance of the Spirit of God in us!

Several years ago, Bev and I hosted a woman from China in our home. (She must remain anonymous in a public forum like this.) Her life is dedicated to Christ and given to serving His purposes in her land. Her devotion to Him had caused the state to imprison her on more than one occasion, but she is not cynical or embittered. She doesn't carry out around a sense of defeat or resignation. She has an infectious joy, an obvious love for God, and a compelling Presence of the Spirit that developed as a result of her love affair with Jesus! Despite being poor by most measures, rather plain in appearance, without title, and even quiet in demeanor; she captivates people's heart wherever she goes.

Believer, are you 'reflecting the Lord's glory,' radiant with His Presence?

The Bible speaks of the temporary glory that made Moses remarkable among the Israelites. His time on Mt. Sinai in the Presence of God gave his face a supernatural glow, literally! In Exodus 34:29 we read, "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD." The holy glow on his face frightened the people so he put on a veil! Eventually, the glow faded.

The New Testament teaches that Spirit-filled people can have a holy glow that is unfading, a glory that comes from knowing God that lasts, which increases over time. Using Moses' glory experience as a lesson, Paul writes-
"Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face to face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone.
And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us!
Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him." (2 Cor. 3:13-18 The Message)

Have you replaced the glory of a Spirit-filled life with the dullness of religion?
Have you allowed the glorious life of intimacy with God that causes us to be radiant to become a life of drudgery, duty, and rigid rule-keeping?

Get alone with the Lord today and stay there soaking up His Presence. Moses spent 40 days with God! Can you spend 4 minutes? There is a glory that we can reflect into the darkened world. But we cannot know that glory unless we have gazed on Him, face to face.
_________________

"O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!"

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face;
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the Light of His glory and grace." © Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055

Let in the Light

Heard the story coming out of Kansas about the so-called "BTK" (stands for Bind, Torture, Kill) serial killer? Dennis Rader; a 59 year old married man, father, Scout leader, and church council president, had a hidden side of horrific evil. He stands accused of at least 10 gruesome murders since 1974. The contrast between the 'two' persons that existed in the same body confounds us. One of Rader's best friends, a fellow Scout leader, appeared on a TV talk show last night close to tears for the entire interview, admitting that he never would have believed the accusations apart from the irrefutable evidence. He said, "There are two Dennis's and I only knew one; a friend I will never see again." Rader's pastor talked in similar terms about the man with whom he sat in church meetings, a man who was dedicated to the community in so many ways, a man who, to all appearances, was far removed from the world of thrill killers!

Even as we shake our heads in amazement, we must acknowledge that we all deal with two natures! Rader's sinful nature found a particularly horrible expression, to be sure, but the scary fact is that everyone of us still deals with a sinful nature. In the book of Romans we read: "For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? " - 7:22-24 NIV There we find a glimpse of the reason why Christians still can be cruel, selfish, materialistic - a saint and a sinner in the same body!

• So what's the answer? How is the sinful nature diminished and the spiritual person strengthened?

We let the Light shine into every corner of our lives! A famous quote from Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis says, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant!" He referred to the corruption that goes on when government operates behind a cloak of secrecy, without accountability. His observation has an application to each of our lives. In those areas we hide from others, that we keep carefully wrapped in secrecy - sin has an opportunity to flourish! So-called 'little' lies we tell to spare ourselves shame, become a breeding ground for increasing deception - of others and even ourselves. Compromises that seem to be insignificant, that are excused as just 'going along to get along' open us to temptations for greater sins over time.

John says, (1 John 1:6-10, NIV) "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

The Christian is called to integrity, transparency of heart, so that the Light of Christ can disinfect his soul! A believer who is serious about holiness must not continue to muck about in secrecy, mistakenly thinking that he is preserving his 'dignity' with deception and pretense. He must confess, own up to who he is and what he has done, and find the forgiveness of God. The additional benefit is that there is a cleansing of character. Holiness is found in community, not because we can create our own perfection, but because as we open up to one another, the Light of Christ shines onto the infection of sin and destroys it even as we minister loving grace to each other!

Are you living with secret sin today, carefully tucked away from public view? It's time to let the Light shine in. Sometimes it is enough to confess our 'darkness' to God alone. There are parts of us that are transformed by owning our sinfulness before the Lord and sincerely asking for His forgiveness, His strength to overcome. Then, too, many of the dark places are simply too engrained for us to deal with alone. In those struggles we need an ally, sometimes several allies. As difficult as it may be to do, find a trusted counselor and open up your heart. Find someone who knows grace and who knows how to lead you to the One who is Grace Incarnate. Together, pull open the door that has been shutting out the Light.

We may never know what demons tormented Dennis Rader in the dark corners of his mind. I would take an educated guess that somewhere in the far distant past something happened to him or in him that he never admitted to himself or anyone else. In that place of darkness, sin found a place to grow a monster that committed terrible crimes.

Give no place to darkness.
In Sunday School as a child we happily sang-
"So let the Son shine in, face Him with a grin,
smilers never lose, and frowners never win,
so let the Son shine in, open up your heart and
let the Son shine in!"

That's great wisdom!

Spring Training, again!

Though you would never know it from where I am sitting in NW Jersey today, looking out at 8" of newly fallen snow; Major League Baseball's spring training is well underway. The pro's are at baseball fields in warmer climes working at getting getting their bats and gloves back into top form. These men, many of whom have spent years in the game, are being coached, working on their baseball skills- just like they did when they were rookies on an AA team. I was listening to one of them interviewed and he remarked about the aches and pains of the first few weeks of training, the result of coaxing their bodies into playing form again.

• Do you take time for training, to better equip yourself for serving the Lord, to hone your skills at using the gifts and talents He's invested in you?
• Have you though about what you might do to become a better Christian, a skilled member of God's team?

There are the basics -
daily intake of Scripture,
regular times of meditation when we listen for God's voice,
prayers for the needs of ourselves and others,
worship with other Believers.

These are like the calisthenics the baseball players do to get in shape. No matter their position or particular skill, all the players do the sit-ups, the crunches, the running that tones up their bodies. Likewise, Believers need to do the basics, no matter their calling or ministry. I've been a Believer for 40+ years and an employee of a church for all my adult life, and I still do the basics! Everyday I open the Bible to renew my mind with His wisdom. I spend time listening to Him, quieting my mind before Him. I pray and make the choice to get to church and to prayer group- even when I don't feel like it or when I'm 'on vacation.' Why? Because I think doing those things 'earns' me God's approval? No. Those are the fundamental exercises of the Christian life that help me 'stay in shape.'

There are specialized training times, too. We all, regardless of what we do in God's service, need refresher courses. American Christians are blessed with abundant resources for which we should thank God! No matter what you do in His name, it seems there are books, magazines, and conferences where you can take advantage of shared wisdom that will help to sharpen your skills and the way that you exercise your gifts. My hope is that you take what you do for God so seriously that you earnestly desire to be the BEST at it, for Christ's sake! I regularly search out books that help me evaluate how I am leading the congregation He's entrusted to my care, that help me deepen my understanding of the Scripture, and that coach me on the way I communicate with the people He's called me to teach. I attend conferences, from time to time, to gain new skills and sharpen old ones. Do you train yourself for service for His glory?

Then then are the coaches! At spring training camps, there are dozens of men who watch the players' every move. They check their swing, their stance, the way they field the ball... and then they offer advice that helps these pro's tweak their performance to the highest possible levels. Who coaches you in your Christian walk? I hope and pray that you have those that you trust and to whom you have given permission to speak both the positive and the negative so that you can become ALL that God has called you to be. I've surrounded myself with people that I trust and I seek their feedback. I love it when they take note of the home run, but cringe when one of my trusted coaches points out an area of sloppiness or poor service! All of it helps me be the best for the Master!

Read this passage slowly this morning and let it sink in- and then, won't you commit yourself to continual training in the Master's service?

• Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body (discipline my body like an athlete- NLT ) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. -- 1 Cor. 9:24-28 NIV
  

"He IS Lord."

The football game is tense. The teams face off at the line and the quarterback looks at the defense's deployment realizing that they're onto the next play. What does he do? He 'calls an audible,' changing the play at the last minute. It can be a great choice or a disaster. If all of his players don't hear the call, the play may fall apart, but if the offense comes together, the ball will advance! A great QB knows when to change the play and it makes the winning difference. Last minute change of plans can be a sign of instability or it may reveal a person who is adaptable and aware of quickly shifting situations that demand a different response than the one that was worked out in advance.

• Are you humble enough to recognize when your life plan isn't working?
• Are you willing to change course, to adapt, or even to abandon a choice that you've made which isn't producing the results you want?
• Most importantly, if our Great QB, Christ Jesus, calls an audible for your life, will you respond with faith and obedience?

Pastor Craig Barnes calls these shifts - "The Theology of 'Plan B.'" He writes, "The Bible is filled with people who had to go to Plan B. Abraham's plan A was to have a child with Hagar. Maybe he and Sarah even prayed about this strategy for helping God fulfill His promises. Moses' plan A was to kill an Egyptian slave master, and that plan didn't work so well. John, the Baptist, had a plan A to prepare people for the judgment. Peter's Plan A was to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. Paul's plan A was to preach to the Jewish people... and all of them had to go to plan B." - Leadership, Winter 2005

Hindsight is, as we say, 20/20! We look at the Bible's characters and wonder, "how could they have missed the will of God so widely?" Because they were human and they made plans - just like we do; plans that seemed right in the moment, but which weren't God's plan. What distinguishes these people isn't that they lived perfectly in the center of God's will, but that they were willing to change course when they discovered that He was leading them in another direction!

It would be wonderful to think that every decision we make is the right one the first time around! Who wouldn't like to know that their choices today are perfectly aligned with God's purposes and plans? But we make mistakes. Our biases and prejudices get in the way of hearing the Spirit's voice, and sometimes we choose wrongly. Then, too, some choices just 'seem so obvious' that we fail to pray about them in a meaningful way, we fail to get counsel from trusted people before we set sail.

Sometimes situations develop we simply could not have anticipated and which God doesn't reveal to us in advance-- a job loss, the collapse of our good health, a spouse that takes his affection elsewhere, a unplanned pregnancy -- that call for real trust and deep faith! In those times, we need to set aside the sense of panic that is oh so natural and let the Spirit of God call an audible! I don't know about you, but in my life the hardest prayer to pray from my heart goes something like this: "Lord, you lead, I'll follow. I don't see the way clearly right now; I can't understand, at least in this moment, what purpose could possibly be served by this change of plans, but I'm listening." Why is that hard to pray? For me, it isn't pride so much as it is fear. I like to feel like life's under control, manageable, and unfolding according to plan. But, in my heart, I know that there is no security in my wisdom and plans, but there is eternal security in His purposes, so humbly I must relinquish my need to be 'in control,' to see the future; so that I can follow His call.

He is Lord! Do you really believe that today?
If He calls an audible, will you respond with a ready "Speak, Lord, I'm listening?" or will you take a time-out to protest His call?

Here's a word from the Word to take with you through the day-

... But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ...What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ...Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:24-40 NIV
________________
"Sovereign Lord, Eternal God,
I wait on You today - and pray that you will help me to have a patient faith.
Plan "B" frightens me, messes up my playbook, and even makes me look unstable, but...
you are Lord! I want to follow you closely, to be obedient, and to live honorably.
So, speak and I'll listen.
If the roar of the crowd and the busy-ness of my life causes me to miss Your call,
Lord, please be mercifully patient, and speak more loudly.
I am Your servant, my life offered to You, to be spent at Your pleasure.
Amen."

"Not by might"

I enjoy "The Apprentice." That's the NBC TV reality show where the bright, ambitious people do all kinds of tasks to prove to Donald Trump that they are worthy of becoming a part of his business organization. For each assignment the competing groups choose a team leader who is held responsible for the execution of the task- with the possibility of gaining accolades or scorn depending on performance. The show ends each week with the losing group 'in the board room' where they give account to Trump for the way they did the job. At the end of this inquisition, one person on the losing team, often the team leader, hears the signature line - "you're fired!" The atmosphere of the program is highly competitive, designed to determine each person's ability to assess situations and quickly create solutions. There is a need to cooperate but not because of love! It's truly every man for himself. Yes, for some weird reason, I enjoy watching it.

A lot of people approach life like the contestants on "The Apprentice" tackle their assignments. They scramble to win and work frantically- convinced that they have to do a great job to avoid God's condemnation when they are called into God's Board Room to face His questions about how they lived. They are driven by uncertainty questioning:
What will He see in us? How will He respond to what we've accomplished? Will He understand what we were trying to do? OR will He say, "You're fired?"

This picture is only partially right. All of us will give an account to God, that much is true! And... He is much more fearsome than Donald Trump! The big difference is GRACE. The scandalous truth is that the judgment is 'rigged!' Jesus Christ already settled the deal with God, so that everyone who trusts in Him can appear in Heaven's Board Room assured of hearing "You're accepted!"

Have you read the Magna Carta of grace recently? Take a look at excerpts from Ephesians 2:1-10 (NLT):

"Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. ...
All of us used to live that way, ...and we were under God’s anger just like everyone else.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. ...
And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus. ... And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

When we forget God's grace, we become just like the contestants on "The Apprentice" -- anxious and fearful, competitive, ready to cut others down, willing to do anything to try to gain the edge. Apart from grace, real self-sacrificial love is impossible!

So, soak up the promise of the LORD'S acceptance in Christ today. Now, does that remove all responsibility for living a holy life, for doing His will, for giving your utmost for His highest? Not for a moment. BUT, your focus will be changed. Instead of seeing your inabilities and inadequacies (on which the Devil likes us to focus, by the way) you will reach for God's resources. You will not feel the alienation that comes from shame. Grace will draw you close to God where you will find all the power, all the skill, all the love you need to live in a way that is pleasing before Him.

Take this word from the Word with you today--
“This is God’s Message... ‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,’ says God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
‘So, big mountain, who do you think you are? ... you’re nothing but a molehill.
He’ll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!’ ” (Zechariah 4:6-7 The Message)

Saved and Healed- both now and 'not yet.'

The topic at the School of the Bible was healing. We are going through the Old Testament names of God and our text was found in Exodus 15 where there is the revelation of "Yahweh Rapha"- the Lord, our Healer. God made a great promise to His people saying, 26 “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” There is an interesting interplay of actors in that passage -- God is the Healer, but His people have a responsibility to live in a way that 'accepts' His healing.

I belong to a group called Christian Medi-Share which provides an alternative to standard health insurance. Some 30,000 Christian families join together to share medical bills. We pledge to observe a healthy lifestyle as Christians. To qualify for membership a person cannot use tobacco products, must avoid alcohol abuse, and must sexually active only within marriage. In addition, we are encouraged by those who direct the group to healthier diets and regular exercise programs to avoid becoming seriously overweight. The result is that instead of paying $600-800/month for health care, we pay $280! Living a holy life helps promote a healthy body.

It is not hard to make a strong case from the Bible that God does use suffering and/or sickness in judgment of sin. Have you listened to the text that is so often read at the celebration of the Lord's Supper? "For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died." (1 Cor. 11:29-30, NLT) We could dissect that passage at length, but even a superficial reading clearly reminds us that when we take the Bread and Cup as God's people, we accept a responsibility to live God-honoring lives. If we don't, we invite God to discipline us with sickness and even to take our lives!

So, is sickness always the sign of God's displeasure or a lack of self-discipline? We must not be too quick to point fingers at those who are suffering. It is too easy to reach a snap conclusion based on the 'facts,' in the process getting it all wrong. Jesus' disciples did that. One day they saw something fairly common in their time- a blind man. They asked Jesus, (John 9:2) “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Their smug assumption of moral failure is one that is all too commonly shared even today. Christians who have chronic illnesses not only have to deal with the suffering of their disease, but they must cope with other Believers who too readily join with Job's comforters to point and accuse. Jesus' reply is astonishing, even yet today! 9:3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins, he was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” Sometimes suffering serves to bring about the glory of God! Yes, that's right. God uses sickness and suffering to shape and mold us in the likeness of Christ. He uses these things to call the whole and healthy to compassion and self-forgetful service. And He even uses these things for a display of His healing power.

I am convinced that salvation from sin (Jesus' primary work on our behalf) includes healing for the whole person: body, soul, and spirit. However, we cannot make healing into the sideshow that all too many healing ministries become! Healing must not be divorced from the proclamation of the Gospel. In the same way that we are being saved from sin's curse and will not realize the fullness (perfection) that is promised to all Believers until the coming of the Lord, so we will not experience the fullness of healing until His Kingdom comes.

Even if today's sickness is healed by His power, we remain mortal and will eventually die. This should cause us to preach that Jesus saves and heals with the humility that recognizes He has not put us in charge, that He remains the Savior and Healer. As with all good gifts that accompany our 'graced' status as sons and daughter of the King, we receive healing with gratitude, humility, and the wonder that God would care for us with such tenderness.

And this is my hope, is it yours? Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. -- Revelation 22:1-5 NIV

"Selfish spirituality"

Christianity is often 'sold' to Americans in consumer terms. "Come to Jesus," we are told, "and you will find a happier life, a better marriage, a brighter future." Churches, especially evangelical ones, have been quick to adopt Walmart's methods of marketing- learning to shape the Gospel in terms that appeal to wide audiences and how to create 'worship' experiences that stir up desirable emotions. Underlying all of this is a not so subtle appeal to the 'self.'

The Word teaches us that the Gospel is costly, not coddling, to self. Responding obediently to the Spirit's invitation to follow Jesus will not necessarily bring a happy, easy, or fulfilling life. It will please God and allow Him to use you in His purposes- which may or may not actually bring you happiness. Paul challenges the whole modern idea of finding a 'rich, fuller life in Jesus' here on earth when he says, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." (1 Cor. 15:19 NIV) He says that in the context of a presentation of the Resurrection which is the true hope of those who follow Christ Jesus. If a happy, easy life was what Paul wanted, he should have stayed in the tent-making business in Tarsus! As an apostle of Christ, he lived from place to place, was often hungry, was driven away by hostile crowds, got himself beaten by the authorities, and ultimately was put to death by the Romans! None of that would have happened had he not chosen to give his life away to follow Jesus' call!

Even Jesus drove people away by the thousands by telling the truth about their lives and themselves. He called them 'sinners,' told them they faced judgment, and offered a cross to those who would come after him. Uncompromisingly, He told those who came to Him - "Forsake everything you love to follow me!"

He didn't promise cozy family scenes around the fireplace. Read these disturbing words carefully: “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, I came to bring a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household! If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it." Matthew 10:34-39 NLT America's mega-churches don't use that quote much in their tri-fold brochures! It isn't very 'seeker sensitive,' is it?

The result of our consumer oriented presentations of the Gospel are many. We have churches filled with unconverted congregants instead of real disciples; people who live almost no differently than their neighbors, who squabble and fight over position and image, who jump from church to church for the most petty reasons, and who think that articles like this one must be the result of the Pastor having not gotten a good night's sleep!

Eugene Peterson observes that even those who are considered 'spiritual' among us are often 'self' focused. "We've all met a certain type of spiritual person. She's a wonderful person. She loves the Lord. She prays and reads her Bible all the time. But all she thinks about is herself. She's not a selfish person, but she's always at the center of everything she's doing. 'How can I witness better? How can I do this better? How can I take care of this person's problem better?' It's me, me, me disguised in a way that is difficult to see because all of her spiritual talk disarms us." (Christianity Today, March, 2005, page 45)

True spirituality isn't about feeling some good vibes, gaining approval of others, or even becoming a nice person. It is about pursuing Christ in the ordinary stuff of life with choices of obedience. It is being a good husband when your wife is tired and cranky. It is offering your kids love and acceptance even when they are walking away from the course of life you think best for them. It is doing service in your community and church as you have opportunity without even considering if there is some benefit to you or your family. It is being part of a church community- not because the music is great, the preacher scintillating, or the Children's program is amazing - but because Christ calls us to be deeply connected to even those who are unlovely, unlikable, and selfish - just like us. It is being part of this mystery called salvation that promises that we will be changed by the persistent work of the Spirit deep inside- from sinners to saints and that at the end of this life- we will be welcomed home - not because we were worthy, but because God is merciful.

And, that, my friend, is the Gospel Truth!

Why do you serve?

Every Christian is called to ministry! No, not every Believer will be a pastor, missionary, evangelist, or employed full time by a church. But, God gives each of us a place to serve Him and others in this world and service is ministry. Why we serve is one of the keys to being effective in our work for God; and as Pastor Rick Warren says in the opening line of his best-seller, The Purpose Driven Life, "it's not about you!" The Lord wants us to forget ourselves, forget the rewards, forget recognition, forget fulfillment - and just serve for His glory alone.

When 'servants' get out of line about the 'why' of their service, what they do for Christ becomes less effective no matter how skillful, hardworking, or gifted they may be. A question we all need to ask ourselves again and again is: Is this about ME or the mission? The answer isn't always obvious. There are a couple of clues that help us discern when the 'why' is wrong.

*The first is that we become territorial. In your service do you make it difficult for others to serve with you because you communicate by your actions if not your words - 'this is my ministry?' Are you threatened by others who want to learn from you or help you in what you do? Some Believers defend 'their' ministry like a Doberman defends a home! Their ministry is numero uno. If someone dares to reduce funding, they blow up. If the board of Deacons allows another group to share 'their' space, they provoke a war. They don't teach anyone to do what they do, never think about who will take over when they cannot serve, because it is 'their' ministry. They mistakenly try to own what belongs exclusively to God.

*The second is that we lose our perspective and cannot see what we do as part of a larger mission! If we build our personal identity around a ministry, sooner or later, we will become an obstacle to God's work. Ask yourself - "if I could no longer serve as a _______________, would I leave the church or become bitter?" If you answered, 'yes,' you probably have lost touch with the larger mission of Christ! In my own life, I remind myself that I am Jerry Scott, first, and Pastor Jerry, second. My sense of value cannot be based on my position in the church. If it is, I will hurt the work more than helping it!

Ministries are not eternal. They have an effective life cycle and then they die or evolve into something new. You can't tell that to someone who is serving for their own needs rather than for the mission, to a person who has built his entire Christian identity around being a Deacon, a Sunday School teacher, or a ____________. He cannot grasp that a ministry has out-grown his skills or that the ministry which he served so faithfully is not a part of the church's present mission. The work of God is crippled by people who hang onto 'their place' long after their effectiveness has been lost. Growth and change are not a part of the self-focused servant's (talk about an oxymoron) vocabulary. They firmly believe, "If it was good enough for the church in 1975, then, by God, it's good enough for the church in 2005." That's not faithfulness, that is mistaken stubbornness. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever but the ministries in which we serve are not. If we want to be effective and useful to the Kingdom of God we must be humble enough to remain life-long learners, to grow our skills, and to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the world in which we are serving.

Serving Jesus and His people is incredibly fulfilling, deeply satisfying, and brings us rewards -- but those are not the reasons we serve. Paradoxically, IF we slip into serving for those reasons, those things slip away from us. Jesus' wisdom is - “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross (crosses were instruments death!) daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." Luke 9:23-24 NLT

Here's a story Jesus told. Meditate on it. IF you read it and say, "That's so unfair!" - it's time for a deep evaluation of your understanding of the meaning and reasons for serving in the Kingdom of God.

• “Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, ‘Sit down and eat’?
  
  Wouldn’t you be more likely to say, ‘Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I’ve finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper’? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him?
  
  It’s the same with you. When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.’ "
  (Luke 17:7-10 The Message)

On His terms!

God is high and holy, majesty enthroned, worthy of our praise, and awesome to contemplate; but you would never know it to see the way some of us talk about Him and to Him. He is a marvelous Treasure to be sought. He is Wisdom to be pursued, and He is the Lord to be obeyed. But many Believers turn Him into a small god relegated to a shelf on the side of life where he can be sought for a ritual blessing, where he exists to keep them happy and satisfied while making few demands. It seems that they want a compliant, indulgent god! ......until tragedy strikes. Then they want Him to change the world on their behalf.

In an intriguing story from David's adventures, we catch a glimpse of God that makes us wonder at Him. David and the people wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant, that chest that was to be kept in the Holiest Place of God's people, to Jerusalem. The lid of the Ark was the place where offerings for the sins of the people were presented to God, the symbolic 'center' of His dwelling with His people. Thus it was the most sacred piece of furniture (dare I label it so casually?) in the tabernacle of God. Moses received the directives about building the tabernacle and the Ark, the directions for proper handling of this holy thing. (see Exodus 25) Rings were built into the sides of the ark through which long poles were to be passed. When it was necessary to move the Ark, priests were to carry it on their shoulders with these long poles. Over the centuries that elapsed from Moses to David's time, these directions were forgotten!

In the book of 1 Chronicles we are told about David's good intentions to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, symbolically returning God to the center of the people's attention in the capitol city! Good thing, right? Yes, it was. After a proclamation, they set out to do this thing. (13:7-8) They transported the Ark of God from the house of Abinadab on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. It must have been quite a parade/worship celebration.
Until... (13:9-10) ....they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark. Then the Lord’s anger blazed out against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.

David was angry at God and left the Ark in Obed-Edom's house for 3 months. In the middle of trying to do a good thing, tragedy struck, and - at least at first- David didn't know why! I can imagine that his thoughts may have been something like this: "God, I'm trying to bring the people back to a proper focus on You, trying to raise You up before them, and You choose to kill one of my friends right in the middle of a national worship celebration! What's up with that?" Only after time and research did he learn the proper way to move the Ark and thus to show reverence for God.

Good intentions are admirable, but they are not enough for a holy God. He desires that we revere Him sufficiently to submit ourselves to His will, to live in His ways. When we argue with Him, resist what we know to be His plans, or take our lives into our own hands - we invite His displeasure.

This little story from David's life helps me to understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to 'serve' God. Even as I write this, I realize that I am giving aid and comfort to those who 'sanctify' a certain worship style or to those who are bent on writing rules and regulations for others in the name of God. That, however, is a shallow misuse of the principle of this story. My intent is to point us beyond such legalities to our own relationship with God, where we know better in our heart, but where we choose to go our own way believing that God will 'cut us some slack.'

In our cutting corners in disobedience we sow seeds that will produce the harvest of rebellion - alienation, fear, and ultimately death. He is a wonderful God who is worthy of our reverent, submitted, and entire obedience. When we fail and are convicted of the Spirit (thank God He doesn't strike us dead!) let's have the humility to confess our sin. In that attitude, there is life and peace.

How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple:
Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously. -- Micah 6:6-8, The Message

Words - well seasoned

I enjoy cooking, making dinner more than half the time in our home. It isn't a chore, because it is an opportunity to be a little creative. In the winter, soup is a favorite creation for me. The basics of soup are much the same but it is the seasonings that make the difference between a 'blah' soup and an 'aha' soup! Getting just the right amount of salt and other seasoning is critical. Too much and the flavor overwhelms; too little leaves you wondering - 'what's in this?'

In my Bible reading this morning, I was intrigued by the little phrase in the middle of the passage: "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." (Colossians 4:5-6, NKJV)

As we are interacting with those around us, the Scripture urges us to 'salty' words! Meaning what? The way in which we speak should awaken an appetite in others for Christ as His grace and 'flavor' influences our daily conversation. Are your conversations flavored by the grace of God, filled with the salty truth of the Gospel, and making a noticeable difference in the 'soup' of life that surrounds you? This is the calling of the Believer! Jesus calls us the 'salt of the earth!'

Christians who are wise in the Spirit, who are aware of the needs, hopes, and dreams of those with whom they live and work, can make a big difference with just a little influence, a well-placed comment here and there.

But, don't over do it! I've ruined more than one pot of soup in my attempts to be creative. Tasting the mix I decide to add 'just a little more' salt or pepper or thyme.... and that extra pinch is too much. Christians sometimes try too hard to influence their world. They become obnoxious, trying to make everything into sermon, turning everything into a morality lesson.

Then, too, there are those who are so quiet about their faith in Jesus, they are without influence. They never speak up, never share their hope and faith, never take a stand. The soup of life of which they're part lacks the 'zing' that they could bring if they allowed themselves to be poured out.

A word of caution is in order. Watch your words, dear friend. They will have an influence- and not always the one you intend. This week a friend wrote an email to me about the way that I've spoken to him and about him on several occasions in a group of people. I thought my tossed off 'humorous' (to me!) remarks were funny. He didn't. He thought I was hostile and antagonistic. As I prayerfully reflected on his honest feedback, it became clear, once again, that I need to pay attention not only to what I'm saying, but how it's being heard. What is funny, gentle sarcasm to me can be a painful poke in the eye for someone else. In that situation, my salty words weren't like flavor in the soup, they were like salt in a wound!

Let me leave you with this thought. You need not be calculating in this matter! Rather, let Jesus and the Spirit of God fill you up. Then, the words that spill from you will be gracious, just the right kind of salt for the situation. Pray not to be clever or eloquent, but to be full of grace, truth, and love. And then your words will be, to borrow a phrase from Paul, "not ...persuasive words of wisdom, but (a) demonstration of the Spirit..." (1 Corinthians 2:4, ASV)
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I hope you're already planning to be in corporate worship on Sunday.
At 6 PM on Sunday evening, the "Jeremiah People" -- a group of talented young musician/actors will be at the Assembly for a concert.
Be there and bring a friend!

Live Like You Were Dying

I attended Walter's funeral services yesterday. He had lived 68 years on this earth before he stepped over the threshold of eternity. As we went through the rituals of death and I watched the family deal with their grief, a Tim McGraw song echoed through my mind. As I understand, Tim wrote it after a talk with his Dad, the former Phillies pitcher, Tug McGraw. Tug was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and knew his days were limited. Knowing he was dying (aren't we all?) he changed the way he lived. Take a look at these lyrics:

He said I was in my early forties,
with a lot of life before me,
when a moment came that stop me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays.
Talking bout’ the options and talking bout’ sweet time.
I asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end,
how’s hit ya’ when you get that kind of news?
Man, what do ya do?

And he said-
"I went skydiving, I went rocky mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper, And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin’
And he said some day I hope you get the chance-
To live like you were dyin'!"

He said I was finally the husband, that most of the time I wasn’t.
And I became a friend; a friend would like to have.
And all a sudden goin’ fishin' wasn't such an imposition,
and I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
Well, I finally read the Good Book,
and took a good long hard look
at what I would do if I could do it all again.

Like tomorrow was a gift,
and ya got eternity to think about what to do with it,
what could you do with it, what did I do with it, what would I do with it?

And I watched an eagle as it was flyin'...
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'! -- 2004 copyright by Tim McGraw

I going to keep this TFTD very simple this morning and invite you to do what I've done over the last 24 hours, an inventory of unfinished business. Just about all of us think we have plenty of time to get our relationships right, to say what needs to be said, to touch a life with love - and, in fact, we might have another 20, 30, 40 years on this earth - or we might have a day, a week, or a month. We need to "live like we were dying," not in gloom and doom but getting the most from this day, determined that when God says, 'Come on home,' we don't have to leave loose ends that others have to try to tie off!

The Scripture is a lot more eloquent in an appeal to us about living on purpose.
Meditate on this passage for a few moments with bowed head and humble heart, won't you?

"Make the most of every chance you get.
These are desperate times!
Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly.
Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life.
Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him.
Sing hymns instead of drinking songs!
Sing songs from your heart to Christ." (Ephesians 5:16-19, The Message)

And, if we do these things, when our final appointment on earth is called, we will leave sorrowing, but satisfied people who experienced the greatest gift- our love- and we will meet Him face to face and hear the sweetest words ever:

• Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful ... Let’s celebrate together!’" (Matthew 25:21, NLT)

Truth and/or Experience?

How do you make decisions -- by accumulating facts or talking to others?
Which do you prefer - a good book or a social gathering?
Which do you tend to lean toward in your formation of faith- doctrine or testimony?

Based on our early training and our personality type, we are likely to think that 'our' way of perceiving God and worshipping Him is superior to that of other Christians. For example, Pentecostals are quite certain that ancient liturgical forms are a sure way to die! Many Evangelicals nearly worship study of the Bible and reject emotion as unworthy of a Christian mind. Our teachers turn their preferences into Truth and we learn to insist that the way is our way. I think one of the best things any Believer can do for his spiritual development is to occasionally worship among those who are very different, respectfully learning, without abandoning critical discernment. Then, too, we can learn a lot by listening to our critics!

I joke about conferences I choose to attend saying - "If my mind needs fed, I'll attend a Baptist conference. If my soul needs inspiration, I'll go to a Pentecostal gathering." Pastors, hearing that, chuckle, often with a little nod acknowledging that the joke contained an element of fact! Head and heart... are they enemies or complementary?

To serve God faithfully and fervently, we need both our head and our heart. The study of Scripture that creates sound doctrine is imperative. However, creed without the context of experience is an exercise in emptiness. The opposite is also true - experience without creed to guide, soon descends into chaos or worse.We must diligently study the Scripture so that we are not carried away by smooth talkers who weave mesmerizing tales of spiritual exploits. But we must also remain open to the fresh wind of the Spirit that makes the unchanging truth of the Bible meaningful and keeps the Bible's truth engaged with the culture and society where we live.

Know this, in your journey with Jesus, your head and your heart will not always be in 'perfect balance,' nor should that be the goal of your spiritual life. There are times when we must seek answers, study hard, and build a good foundation of doctrine. Then, too, there are times when we need the fire of emotion to be stirred up in us as we deepen our devotion. I don't know many people in a time of severe crisis who want a logical answer, at least at first. They want to be loved from the heart. As time goes on, their raw emotions heal and explanations become a focus.

Are you missing out on part of what God has prepared for you because you're focusing your spiritual development exclusively on either your head or your heart? Jesus asks us to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37, NKJV) Eugene Peterson translates that verse this way: “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence." (The Message)

• Are you trying to be a 'good' Christian just by learning more truth, dissecting obscure passages of the Bible? That's not enough!
• Are you feeding excessively on testimonies and emotional gatherings that 'pump up' your emotions? That's not enough, either!

Ask the Lord to lead you along the paths that nourish both your head and your heart. Make sure that your journey includes times when you stretch the limits of your understanding, when you ask the hard questions, dialogue with other Believers over the Scripture, and listen to challenging messages from the Word. Then, too, make time to 'feel' the Lord's Presence - quiet meditation, a walk by the river, a loud worship gathering of exuberant Christians, a concert of classical music, the whisper of the Spirit deep within your soul.

Paul reminds us about engaging heart and head in this verse from 1st Corinthians- (a bit out of context - but on point, I believe),
"Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. Iwill sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand." (1 Corinthians 14:15, NLT)

Can we do less?

Not yet all I will be.

I am so very grateful to know that I am a work 'in progress.' I am not who I was, nor am I yet all that I will be! Over dinner with friends on Sunday evening we were laughing together over the foibles and foolishness of our youth. Some 31 years ago, one of my wife's friends observed some of my youthful 'sins' and remarked to her mother: "Bev could do so much better than Jerry!" I fairly sure that her estimate of me has changed for the better- thank God! Really, thank God.

Are you changing, growing in character and faith OR are you stuck at some moment of glory or failure? There are guys my age (months shy of 50!) who are still living in high school-- still thinking about the big touchdown they caught or the garage band that took up so many nights and filled so many days with dreams. Other lock in on the college years, memories of life 'tween being a kid and a fully responsible adult. Most of us probably can go to some month or year when things came together for us and life was good. Then, too, many of us remember vividly a time when we fell flat on our face, tripped up by sin. Some just keep re-living the failure, telling themselves they are 'history.'

Paul captures the attitude we need saying: I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (Philippians 3:13-14, NLT) Yesterday's glories and failures are BOTH left behind in pursuit of God's purposes.

Matthew recounts a moment of wonder from Peter's experience. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to the mountain where he met with the Father. The account reads: Jesus' appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. Peter broke in, “Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?” While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:2-5, The Message) Do you think Peter would have liked to re-live that day again and again? Most likely. Who wouldn't? The Glory of God, the radiance of the Spirit, the voice of God.... But, ministry in the world waited at the foot of the mountain. As glorious as that day was, there were great changes ahead for Peter.

Just as Peter was changed by his experience of the Glory, I'm sure that he was even more transformed by another experience much less glorious, but powerful all the same. Days after that terrible night of Jesus' trial, a night when fear caused Peter to swear that he did not know the Man from Galilee, he was back fishing. The text leads me to think that he was disillusioned, captive of the memories of his perfidy. Then the Resurrected Lord comes to the beach near Capernaum, builds a fire, and leads Peter through an exercise of healing and restoration. Three times Jesus asks him, "Peter, do you love me?" Three times Peter affirms his love with escalating expression of his devotion. (see John 21) Then Jesus commissioned Peter to the work of changing the world - telling Peter that he would serve faithfully until a martyr's death. "Follow me," was his parting word to Peter. And follow he did, around the empire, telling the Story, until the day some thirty or so years later when he was crucified in Rome, just like His Lord- except that he asked to be hung upside down on his cross!

Whether you're 17 or 71, God is not through with you. Whether your life is marked with great success or marred by public failure, you are not through. As long as we live, the Lord has a purpose for us and says, "Follow me!" So, let's press on to gain the prize, the victor's crown that awaits all who faithfully follow Him all the way to Eternity. Need to be changed, transformed in your heart and mind? Learn to live 'in the Spirit.' God is faithful and He will sanctify you. That's right, He will increasingly bring you into a place where you do His will as one who belongs to Him. Let Him change you- from the inside out, starting today.
___________________________________________
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.

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.

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.

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

Celebrating Love?

A billion, yes that's right, a billion greeting cards will be exchanged today in America on this day of love- Valentine's Day. Guys, we don't come out looking very good in that exchange either. Greeting card companies estimate that about 85% of the Valentine's cards are purchased by women! Today is called a celebration of love, but actually it is more a celebration of romance. The origins of the holiday are shrouded in mystery but certainly had something to do with fertility rites that were common in the pre-Christian world. At this time of year, there were many rituals performed that the ancients thought would increase the fertility of their fields and herds and even their wives!!

We are hungry for love, aren't we? Not just romantic love - but real concern, real caring - genuine love. Show a little compassion and see how most people respond to it. They soak it up like a dry field takes in rain. Why? Because it is an awfully harsh world around us, a desert place when it comes to genuine love.

People hurry push, shove, compete to get to the front of the line. This is not because most of us are all that hostile. We are just pre-occupied with ourselves and feeling the pressures of life we forget the simple kindnesses that make life so pleasant. Remember that week after 9/11's tragic events? Shocked out of our self-absorption, we took time to talk with strangers, let others take the place in line in front of us, spoke about our shared sadness and disbelief. Then, as 'normality' returned, we went back to our thoughtless ways.

There are too many situations where cruelty is the order of the day. The kid with something 'different' finds himself tormented by classmates daily. The woman married to a control freak is mistreated and abused because he knows he can take out his frustrations in life on her. There are places of work where managers act like little Napoleons and make the office a miserable place. Oppression and abuse are the norm in too many corners of the world.

Whether the result of thoughtlessness or intentional cruelty, many people today are starved for love- and Believer - that is a real opportunity for Christ like ministry for you and me. The Bible teaches us that when we are loved by God, we become loving towards others. Yes, in fact, if we are deficient in love for others, there is reason to doubt the genuineness of our experience of God's love! John, the apostle of love, teaches us that "this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, ... We, though, are going to love—love and be loved.
First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see?" (1 John 4:16-20, The Message)

Look for opportunities to show love today. Be sure to treat your special somebody to a gift and/or a card that expresses your affection but don't let it stop there. Slow down and listen. Speak an encouraging word. Affirm that person who makes your life a little better by just 'being there' for you. Take an active interest in another. Pick up the phone and make a call to a lonely person. Go and do something for someone that needs done.

As the Lord ennobles you with His perfect love, go and make that world of which you're a part a little less harsh by showing love.

The quality of love to which we're called, Believer, is delineated as follows:
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NLT)

THAT IS something to celebrate this Valentine's Day.
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Lord, I come to You,
Let my heart be changed, renewed;
Flowing from the grace
That I've found in You;
And Lord, I've come to know,
The weaknesses I see in me,
Will be stripped away
By the pow'r of Your love.

Hold me close,
Let Your love surround me;
Bring me near,
Draw me to Your side;
And as I wait,I'll rise up like the eagle,
And I will soar with You,
Your Spirit leads me on
In the pow'r of Your love.

Lord, unveil my eyes,
Let me see You face to face,
The knowledge of Your love
As You live in me.
Lord, renew my mind,
As Your will unfolds in my life,
In living ev'ry day
In the pow'r of Your love.
© 1992 Word Music, Inc. (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Maranatha! Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) CCLI License No. 810055

Perfectly Loved

"I feel so unworthy. Can I really be sure of Heaven?" The lady was near tears as she asked the question. Her previous religious tradition was rooted in good works and acts of penance. Though she has trusted Christ for salvation, the old influences continue to dog her so that when she is less than perfect she feels the fear! She is not the only one that feels that way, is she? Too often, we turn our gaze from Christ to self, and in the process lose the assurance we need to walk with Him in this world that is filled with sin and fear.

You do not have to be perfect to be perfectly loved! That is the marvel of grace, the wonder of our Christianity, based on the Cross and the mercy of God. The Text declares - God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8, NLT) Let that thought sink in. At His own initiative, at His own expense, God reached out to love those who were actively offending Him. If that is how He loved us when we still His enemy, should we not accept His love now that we are reaching out for Him, even imperfectly? John declares that 'perfect love drives out all fear.' The perfect love to which he alludes is not coming from us. It is God's love. 'We love,' he says, 'because God first loved us.'

Perhaps you are not dogged by guilt and/or shame, but many of us are. We conclude that in order to find approval and/or acceptance from others we need to do 'right' things. As little children, we observe that teachers like those students who never step out of line and who work hard to create neat papers. That looks like love, so we try to be good and get those A's! We learn that employers generally like employees that answer the call and go beyond the call of duty, so we show up a little early and stay late to secure our job. Conditional 'love' is all around us.

We drag that same sense of 'doing better to earn love' into our relationship with God, thinking that he's like our parent, our teacher, or our boss. He is not. His love is based in Himself, not in us. That's the wonder of grace as presented by the New Testament.

Paul writes about it to the Believers in Galatia. They had accepted the message of the Cross by faith, but quickly returned to religious duties and rituals as a means of experiencing God's love. Paul's pastoral heart was broken for he knew no one could do enough good things to earn God's favor. He had spent the first two decades of his life trying and then was found by the true love of Christ. He continued in the love of Christ, perfectly loved, though yet imperfect. Take a look at what he says to them ---

"Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) ....
What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him.
Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central.
It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me.
The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:17-20, The Message)

You are secure -- IN HIS LOVE -- so stay focused there.When you sin, and we all do, kneel at the Cross. Confess your failure, receive His grace, and grow on in grace.

Wonderful Cross --This arrangement -- Chris Tomlin

When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the prince of glory died!
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Oh the wonderful cross, oh the wonderful cross,
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live!
Oh the wonderful cross, oh, the wonderful cross,
All who gather here, by grace draw near, and bless your name-

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small,
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my souls, my life, my all.
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This Lord's Day I will be continuing our exploration of prayer.
I hope you are able to be in worship.
For our schedule of services and access to the church's weekly bulletin, please visit
www.WashingtonAG.net/service.htm