Both great and small

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

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

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

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

My hope is built on nothing less,
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

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

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

The Lord of Hosts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It means something!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step into the water

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

__________________________

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

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

"You made this happen!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yahweh Shalom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Identified? With whom?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Truth claims

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Walking in the dark?

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

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

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

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

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

A Whole person

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glory faded, reborn?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Chosen

Holiness is beautiful, an expression of love and devotion. It is the way to become a person filled with God-potential! Never thought about it that way? Consider what Peter writes: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God." Bev and I have a 'holy' relationship with each other, meaning that I belong uniquely and exclusively to her and she to me. Because of that we care for each other, defend each other, and look for ways to bring out the best in each other. I hope that our relationship has made her a better person in every way - and I know that she has certainly made me more, much more, than I would have been without her! In much the same way, we belong exclusively to God and our unique relationship allows us to be enriched in order "that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9, NIV)

Holiness is sometimes misunderstood as a life of deprivation expressed in many prohibitions. As a teenager that is how I interpreted God's demand that I be holy! Holiness, to me then, meant that - I didn't drink alcohol, didn't smoke cigarettes, didn't attend the movies, didn't play sports on Sunday, didn't use profane language, didn't have sex (or even think about it!).... and now I see those prohibitions had a purpose. Then, I totally failed to grasp why I wasn't supposed to do those things. I thought that 'not doing' was being holy. What I missed was that by saying 'yes' to a special relationship with God, I also said 'no' to certain behaviors so I could be filled with His Holy Spirit! To me, at the time, holiness was about doing 'right' things and staying out of trouble; so I lived under constant fear of failing to keep the rules and being condemned to Hell. I knew next to nothing of the joy of becoming a person who knew the high calling of loving and serving God with a joyful heart. Therefore, I didn't know the privilege of being the best He could make me be!

Now I realize that holiness is a lot like being in a wonderful marriage! It is true that when I said, "I do" to Bev, that both privileges and prohibitions accompanied my pledge. I cannot date other women. I cannot use our money just for my own pleasure. I cannot take time away from her selfishly. But is that all my marriage 'holiness' means? Of course not. In fact, because I love her, I seldom think about the things I cannot do. Instead, I celebrate the joy of being owned by her and owning her love. I can hold her, talk with her, share life with her, and know an intimacy with her that has no equal in this present world.

When Christ came into your life and you responded to His invitation with a pledge of "Yes," you entered into a covenant of holiness. You gave away your life and became His. Moses described our relationship with God in both privilege and prohibition language. -- "You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised." (Deuteronomy 26:17-19, NIV)

Holiness is a life of privilege expressed in many opportunities. We are the Chosen, filled with the Spirit so that we love and serve Him, displaying a rich and full life before the world. Our chosen status is not one of elitism, one that allows us to show disdain for 'lesser' beings! No way. We are to be a display of something wonderful that God is doing, so that others will desire to know Him and to be holy, too.

"Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! " 1 Chronicles 16:29, NKJV
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On Palm Sunday, the Assembly will follow the normal worship schedule which can be found at http://washingtonag.net/service.htm

Plan to attend our special services the following week:
Good Friday - Communion at 7 PM, followed by a showing of "The Passion of the Christ" (the full version) at 8 PM.
Easter Sunday - Sunrise worship at 8 AM at Meadow Breeze Park, followed by a continental breakfast in the Family Fellowship Center.
There will be one worship service at 10:30 AM which will include a celebration of Baptism.

Join us to praise the One who has "called us out of darkness and into His wonderful light."

Pardoned, not acquitted!

Robert Blake, the aging actor accused of shooting his wife, showed his evident relief in the courtroom as the verdict in his murder trial was announced - "Not guilty." He leaned forward on the table, breathing heavily and trembling. Later a member of the jury commented that the evidence 'didn't connect all the dots.' Suspicion about Blake remained, but the suspicion cannot be the reason for a conviction. The evidence must convince 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' 12 people agreed that the existing evidence failed that test and the former star of "Beretta" walks free today, acquitted of all charges. He later claimed that his defense left him broke after he spent nearly $10 million on lawyers and expert witnesses!

We are guilty! The Scripture announces our indictment and conviction by the Righteous Judge of Creation: "For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard." (Romans 3:23, NLT) In another even more detailed passage the Word describes our guilt - "You lived just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God’s anger just like everyone else." (Ephesians 2:2-3, NLT) Sinners, in league with the Devil, full of lusts and disobedience -- it's really not a flattering picture, is it?

Worst of all, the Bible says, we were under sentence of death! Not just a physical death, either. Separation from Life and God for eternity is our ultimate end - except that -- "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. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!) ...—all because we are one with Christ Jesus. .... And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God." (Ephesians 2:4-8, NLT) PARDONED! No case could be made for our acquittal. No lawyer could cast the evidence in a way that made it less convincing. The Judge, solely because of His mercy, gave us a full and free pardon.

Because of His intervention, we can live in a way that is holy and that reflects His goodness. Yes, we become participants in the Divine Nature, filled with the goodness of God - not because we did some grand thing to change ourselves, but because God stepped in and gave us the gift of His Spirit. Pardoned, not acquitted! There is no lingering suspicion that we somehow escaped judgment. We are guilty, yet released by Grace. Revel in that today, Believer. Thank God for His mercy. Then, take up the challenge of living for the praise of His Name.

• "Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received!
  
  We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
  
  So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others." (2 Peter 1:3-7, The Message)

Cooked books?

Bernie Ebbers, former milkman and good ole' boy from Mississippi, was convicted in Manhattan yesterday of multiple criminal counts involving financial fraud in the company he had built into one of the world largest communications firms- WorldCom. He was charged with ordering that the company's financial reports be altered to make WorldCom appear profitable so that stock prices would remain high. Eventually the company went broke and cost investors $billions! Fraud- there a lot of that kind of thing in the world I live in. People expend a great deal of energy and money to create an image that is not matched by reality. Plastic surgeons make $millions make some body parts larger and others smaller. People buy things they can't really afford to appear 'successful' in our consumer culture. Frozen smiles hide broken hearts. Blustery boasting covers a man's insecurities.And - yes, some of us try to look more 'spiritual' than we really are. Because we fear what others think, we cook the books of life!

"Tempted that way? Not me!"
"Unsure of God's love? Of course not!"
"Wonder if being a Christian is really worth the effort? Never!"

And so the fraud goes on; our images protected, but our hearts in conflict without relief. And often, we live in fear, even as self-deception deepens!Fraudulent piety earned some of Jesus' strongest words of condemnation! To the Pharisees, who were masters of lookin' good, He said, “You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. ...You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds." (Matthew 23:25-28, The Message) Then He called them - "Snakes!"

Venture into the churches of our land this Sunday and in many of them you will find neatly dressed people, doing their best to look like they have life all together. Any pain and emotion they may be experiencing will be neatly tucked away behind polite smiles. Husbands and wives who despise each other will walk in and sit nicely next to each other. Families torn apart by strife Monday through Saturday, will bow their heads in unison when the preacher prays. People with hearts that are screaming in emotional anguish will sing "Victory in Jesus" like they just glimpsed Heaven! And, for the most part, that's how we like it! Being 'real' is messy, disturbing, and raw. When a little child or a senile saint blurts out the truth, we laugh nervously and quickly move to hush them up! Images must be maintained.

Becoming authentic is a tremendous challenge for us who live in a world that is so in love with appearances. Many people will not like the person who won't 'play the games' that they play, who insist on telling the truth about themselves and the world of which they are part. But... there is no intimacy with God until there is a commitment to getting honest - with ourselves, with Him, and with others! Superficiality that serves an image and intimacy are incompatible. Of course, I'm not suggesting that you forget your manners! Discretion is a great gift. You don't have to say everything that comes to mind in order to live authentically. But, we do have to consciously refuse to allow ourselves to project an image that is not matched by the reality of our lives.

We start with the Lord. Baseline to experiencing His forgiveness and love is a confessional living. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." (1 John 1:9-10, NKJV)

Authentic Christian living continues in our relationship with other Believers. We must determine that we will not seek to impress or manipulate others with inflated words, pretended vulnerability, or false emotions. We must allow ourselves to rejoice with us and to weep with us - fearing only God's opinion. The moment we begin to 'act' in a way designed to earn the approval of others, we move away from serving God.

Integrity demands that we look at ourselves in the mirror that is held up for us by the Spirit. Don't like what you see? Then, get with God and ask for the courage to change 'from the inside out!' Stop giving yourself excuses by blaming your parents, your spouse, your life situation, or even God Himself. Here's a word from the Word to meditate on today -- It's about letting God's Word be our mirror and making the choice about responding to what see in the reflection.

• "... whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action. Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air." (James 1:25-26, The Message)

Are you 'cooking the books' pretending to be someone you're not? Let God's love and grace take hold of your heart and mind. He knows who you really are -- and loves you anyway! He loves you enough to want you to become real and, in that reality, to become strong in His purposes. A person who has no hidden sins is fearless!

Today - commit to getting your Walk to match your Talk!

Subtle Deception!

Over this past weekend, I devoured Jim Bakker's book entitled, I Was Wrong, (Nelson Publishing, 1996) which he wrote after spending more than five years in federal prison for a fraud conviction! Bakker, as you may remember, was an Assemblies of God minister, the TV preacher who headed the now defunct PTL Club and Heritage USA during the 1980's in Charlotte, NC. He conversed with Presidents, lived like a king, and touched the lives of millions of people. As I read the book, which is long and detailed, I felt great sadness for the man who came to realize that he had spent 15 years of his life preaching a false gospel and that he had allowed himself to be diverted from working with God to working for an idol of his own making. Here's a direct quote from page 464 -

• "...during my years at PTL. I had gotten so busy trying to do something great for God and His people, I totally missed the point. Although I talked a great deal about Jesus- and in my heart truly loved Him- I allowed myself to be drawn away from my first love. Instead of fostering an intimate relationship with Him, I loved the spectacular, the supernatural, the signs and wonders."

Many Christians tend to sensationalize Bakker's sins by looking at his extravagant lifestyle and/or his alleged sexual misconduct- completing missing his greatest sin - idol worship. I wonder if we do that so we can avoid the sting of the Spirit's conviction we might feel if we looked at those things in Bakker's life that touch our experience? Not many of us ever have to wrestle with accepting a $1 million/year salary. Hopefully we are able to choose to walk away from the seduction to sexual sin fairly easily because of the red flags that surround that kind of choice. But idolatry is so much more subtle and a constant temptation for us all!

Bakker's idol was his ministry! Building the 'box,' as he refers to the retreat center and TV program, became more important to him than the contents of the box, which he originally intended be centered on the things of God and the Presence of Jesus. As his personal intimacy with the Lord waned, discernment faded and the guidance of the Spirit was set aside in favor of management and marketing. He notes that guests for the TV show were chosen more for their ability to sway a crowd with some 'gift manifestation,' sing a beautiful song with emotional intensity, or produce an audience than for their spiritual depth or personal holiness. He chose to 'look away' from wide gaps in the spiritual lives of many performers because he needed them to keep the audience and the money coming in. And in the end, he was in prison looking back on a defunct ministry, without any money, his children broken, a divorce from his wife; and a sad refrain - "I was wrong!" The best part of the book was the powerful conclusion that in his darkest hour, God had not abandoned him. God loved Bakker enough to allow a prison experience so that He could re-capture his heart. What mercy, though it is a severe mercy.

The message of the book shook me to the core of my being! I spent much of yesterday pondering the question: Am I walking in intimacy with Jesus? Are there any areas of my life where the 'business' of ministry taken over my heart and mind, destroying my spiritual vision?

The Decalogue begins with“You shall have no other gods before Me. " (Exodus 20:3, NKJV) That does not only prohibit little wood, stone, or golden statutes or foreign deities! That Word means we must never give our spouse, our job, our kids, our reputation, our financial security, even our personal happiness a higher place in our hierarchy of love than God Himself. Easier said, than done, isn't it?

So how can we avoid become idol worshippers?

1. Get quiet, alone with God, on a regular basis where you invite the brilliant Light of the Spirit to shine into every corner of your heart! 15 minutes won't do the job! This needs to be a half-day, at least, with just a Bible, a journal.

2. Keep friends on board in your life who ask hard questions! James Robinson visited Bakker at PTL a couple of years before the collapse and saw the truth. He told his friend, "You're committing fornication with brick and mortar!" He saw that the ministry had become a mistress who had stolen Bakker from his first love. Yet, he would not listen!

3. Refuse to allow any sin to remain. When the Spirit convicts our hearts, we need to respond quickly and completely. Paul writes to Timothy warning him of those "having their conscience seared with a hot iron," (1 Timothy 4.2 KJV). If we continue in sin after the Spirit's convicts, we burn away our sensitivity to Him, becoming dead! It doesn't take a lot of sin to make us almost totally incapable of responding to God's guidance.

4. Don't try to justify yourself. It isn't what you think or feel that will ultimately be the determination of right and wrong. It will be God's call! So, listen now and walk close to Him now. That way, you will not have to say, I was wrong, in brokenness and sorrow.
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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!
Lord I've come to know the weaknesses I see, in me;
Will be stripped away,
By the power 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 power 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 every day by the power of Your love!- Geoff Bullock

The Real Thing

One of the most recognizable brands world-wide is Coca-Cola! Marketing studies showed that Americans responded immediately to the familiar Coke logo and/or unique bottle style favorably indicating that the cola beverage and good times are linked in the sub-conscious of most people. Why is that? Lots of reasons contribute to this but primarily these results come from great marketing and a consistent product. Only once did Coca-Cola falter; in 1985, when the company introduced 'the new' Coke, which was re-formulated to taste more like the rival cola beverage, Pepsi. Coke did so, because in blind taste tests, cola drinkers did prefer the Pepsi taste over the Coke taste. Strangely, in taste tests where the label was visible, the results were reversed! Apparently, consumers had such loyalty to the brand name that they 'ignored' the data that their taste buds were sending to their brains.

In 2005, the word "Christian" does not stir up warm feelings of approval in the minds of many people! Instead when the word, 'Christian' is tested, the results show that others feel some level of hostility and perceive us as intolerant. For those reasons, I don't self-identify as a "Christian" anymore. Instead, if asked my religious faith, I say, 'follower of Jesus.' Too often, Christians are better identified by what they oppose than for what they support.

Jesus said that love was to be our trademark! He said, "They (the world at large) will know that you are my followers because of your love for each other!" In the first generations of the Church, compassion came to be THE image of a Christian. Every where that Christianity spread, works of compassion followed. Christians cared for orphans, stood up for the weak, fed the hungry, and cared for the sick. They had no cathedrals, no celebrity endorsements, and no political clout. Yet they increased in number by the thousands until the mighty Roman Empire took note of them and attempted to eliminate the new 'sect' by persecution. But, even under this pressure, Christianity flourished and the love that erased the lines between social classes, males and females, rich and poor in the Church continued to be the trademarkof those who followed Jesus!

Paul underlined the importance of the unity of love in the Church, writing to the Galatians: "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28, NLT) Of course, there were phonies in those churches, people who joined up without experiencing the transformational love of Christ in their own life. There were those who came to the 'love feasts' of the Church just looking for a free meal. But the pressure that was brought to bear on the followers of Christ Jesus by society and the government was intense enough that most of the fakes didn't last long. Only those whose faith was 'the real thing' stayed on.

Christian, are you 'the real thing?'
Is your life bearing the mark of Jesus in front of people with whom you work and live in a way that is building a strong favorable impression of who He is and what He does in the lives of those who love and serve Him?

Please do not read this TFTD as a call to abandon all standards that are unacceptable to the general public. Jesus also told those who followed Him that just as He was hated, they would be hated. If simply 'being liked' is our goal, we can gradually eliminate all objectionable parts of the Bible's message until we are left with a bland faith that threatens nothing and no one. That's not our aim! We are to be committed to the Truth and ready to die for Christ's cause. However, we are also commanded to 'speak the truth in love.' It is simply incompatible with the spirit of Christ Jesus to launch our verbal grenades at sin IF we are unwilling to become a part of the solution to those sins. Love compels us to give our lives to make a difference. We defeat sin and evil by overcoming it with good! (Romans 12:21)

Make your aim to be known for 'the real thing' - the love of Jesus Christ. Pray that the holiness to which you are called is not twisted into a self-righteousness, which is an ugly parody of true godliness. Let Christ's love permeate your being, that you are so full of His grace, that you are known as being one of the people that love- which will lead others to praise your Lord.

If we are filled with Divine Love, we will still oppose sin but we be known for our ministry to human need that sin brings. For example; let's be known more for helping AIDS patients than hating homosexuality. Let's be known for helping men and women build great marriages more than for hating divorce. Let's be known more for helping those who have lost hope find their way to the Light than for making it clear that 'they have made their own bed and they can now sleep in it!'

May the love we have for Jesus and each other become the trademark once again that causes the world to see us as 'the real thing.'

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.
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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.
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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)