Passion isn't just about lust or sex, though that is what some think when I use the word. Passion is ardent love, abounding enthusiasm. Passion makes a person do 'crazy' things! It's much more common among the young than the old. Usually those with the most to lose in terms of wealth or reputation are more guarded in their expression of passion, carefully concealing their desires and/or dreams. I know I risk offending some of the more sensitive among my readers by using that slang term, 'crazy.' Please give me some latitude, as I'm not making fun of anyone who struggles with mental illness, OK?
Anyway, back in 1992, a man named H. Ross Perot (remember him?) launched a run for the Presidency as an Independent candidate. He got almost a fifth of the votes cast in the general election! He was driven by a dream, a passion to change the nation, that was so unrealistic that he used the old Patsy Cline song, "Crazy" as his campaign song for several months. It was a great way to state the obvious - "this campaign flies in the face of all expectations, a quixotic effort. You see, Perot was the anti-candidate. He wasn't telegenic, nicknamed "hand grenade with ears" by those outside of his campaign. His voice had an irritating squawky tone and a Texas drawl. He was terribly plain-spoken, folksy, and simplistic. But he had passion, plenty of it. (It didn't hurt that he tons of money to finance his own campaign, either!) He didn't play it safe and millions admired him for his 'crazy' passion to be the President of the United States!
Are you passionate about anything? Now, a follow-up - is that about which you are of strong emotion or abundant enthusiasm really worth your passion?
Many who claim to be Christ-followers, live a calculated experience of little risk; a dutiful ritual, practiced at minimal involvement, with the hope of gaining a guaranteed entrance to Heaven - at the moment of a hopefully far distant death. In other words, they are 'buying' a kind of eternal life insurance policy. I don't know many people other than insurance agents who are passionate about life insurance! I know I'm not. Of course, I send my premium payment faithfully, month by month, but I am not in any rush to file a claim. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my policy, re-reading it, or going over how my surviving family will use the funds that the company promises to send them when I die! I just make the payments to keep the policy in force.
Sometimes I get the feeling that 'insurance' is the concept that many people have about Christianity- making the 'payments' to keep the 'policy' in force, for that inevitable appointment. Jesus said something quite different! Here it is -
"A religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus.
“Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
Jesus answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence— and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”" (Luke 10:25-28, The Message)
Jesus was not suggesting that any of us can 'earn' a place in Heaven with good works, no matter how passionate we may be about them! He was pointing out that passion is required to really know the quality of life now that will lead us to a forever life with God! Jeff Vines says, "There are plenty of passionate people in this world. But what separates us from an erroneous religious system which dominates our worldly culture is not our passion, but our truth. Passion does not determine truth, but truth of Christ when authentically and genuinely embraced always results in passion."
When a Believer has really taken hold of God's grace, when the Spirit has shown him his sin and God's love, the seed of a passionate love is planted in that one's heart. Jesus acknowledged that when a woman who had been given back her life, forgiven and restored from a life of depravity, came and poured her tears on His feet, wiping them with her hair. The self-righteous ones in that room pointed out her disgustingly passionate behavior. Jesus told them that the real problem was their own lack of a sense of need! He then observed, "She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”
Are you a little crazy for Jesus?
Do you know what He's done for you, let that love touch you deeply so that you live radically for Him - loving Him with 'all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?'
May God deliver us from our dutiful, risk-free, religious rituals. May the Holy Spirit cause us to love Him in a way that does not calculate risk and return, that causes us to abandon ourselves to the pursuit of Him so that we will enter into forever life right here, right now!___________________
This is the air I breathe,
This is the air I breathe,
Your holy presence living in me.
This is my daily bread,
This is my daily bread,
Your very word spoken to me.
And I, I'm desp'rate for You.
And I, I'm lost without You.
© 1995 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services) CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
A Personal Savior
Once upon a time, I regarded emotion as a sign of weakness. The strong did not cry, nor did they laugh too much. It was best, I thought, to live above one's emotions. Life was about thinking clearly, learning the 'right' concepts, and seeking to be self-sufficient. Then, I grew up! Perhaps some would say, I became more human. In truth, the Spirit of God healed me and gave me a new heart. Through some painful experiences I learned that emotions have real purpose. I endured a bout with depression that was caused, in part at least, by my refusal to express my emotions in a healthy way. In spite of being raised in a church tradition that is known for emotional expression, I was reluctant to let my faith touch my heart. My Christian faith became much deeper when my heart was restored, for I discovered that God is not just a Concept to learn; He is a Person to know. I was no longer afraid of people who were actually passionate about God and my relationship to God was transformed from dutiful obedience to genuine love for Him.
If asked, most Americans would say that God is a Person. The Bible, from which we learn about Him, is rich with personal language about Him: God loves, God provides, God is our Father. But despite acknowledging the theological truth, many do not relate to God as a Person. God, for many, is an Idea, a distant Force, or a remote Figure- unknown. They may recite an orthodox creed, go through accepted rituals, and even live by a moral code as an expression of their Christian religion, but it is all very sterile, very intellectual, and bloodless!
Reading through the Gospels which tell the stories of Jesus, the Man who came to live among us and to show us the face of God, we see a real Person who was fully engaged with those around Him. He was a true Friend to real people. He empathized, loved, shed tears, and shared jokes! And He said, "I and the Father are one." John writes, "The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like." (John 1:18, CEV)
What does this mean for us? It means that we can share our lives with God, that we can know Him, relate to Him; yes, really love Him! Those without faith may mock us, or think that we being childish - rather like the little girl having a tea party with an imaginary friend. But we will know Him and sense His Presence because, though He is invisible to us, He lives with us, by His Spirit! This will change how we live.
In the Word, we are told that "we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT) In a world that is depersonalized, where we often feel like a number or a function, where we live in multiple environments each making different demands of us; there is One who cares for us, who loves us, who knows our greatest fears, our secret dreams, our hidden sins, our public successes, and our heart! He loves us and desires that we love Him. He is our Personal Savior- accessible and understanding.
So what's your need today?
Is it for guidance? Is it forgiveness? Is it empowering to tackle some new task?
Is it strength to stand up to evil, to make a Kingdom difference? Is it just for Someone to care and share your joy and/or sorrows?
Come to the Savior! He is our Friend.
Find a quiet place and talk with him in prayer, making it personal.
Then, wait; listen, and receive the grace that He promises to those who love Him.
___________________________
What a friend I've found,
Closer than a brother;
I have felt Your touch,
More intimate than lovers.
What a hope I've found,
More faithful than a mother;
It would break my heart
To ever lose each other.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus -- Friend forever.
What A Friend I've Found
Smith, Martin
Copyright: 1996 Curious? Music UK (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
If asked, most Americans would say that God is a Person. The Bible, from which we learn about Him, is rich with personal language about Him: God loves, God provides, God is our Father. But despite acknowledging the theological truth, many do not relate to God as a Person. God, for many, is an Idea, a distant Force, or a remote Figure- unknown. They may recite an orthodox creed, go through accepted rituals, and even live by a moral code as an expression of their Christian religion, but it is all very sterile, very intellectual, and bloodless!
Reading through the Gospels which tell the stories of Jesus, the Man who came to live among us and to show us the face of God, we see a real Person who was fully engaged with those around Him. He was a true Friend to real people. He empathized, loved, shed tears, and shared jokes! And He said, "I and the Father are one." John writes, "The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like." (John 1:18, CEV)
What does this mean for us? It means that we can share our lives with God, that we can know Him, relate to Him; yes, really love Him! Those without faith may mock us, or think that we being childish - rather like the little girl having a tea party with an imaginary friend. But we will know Him and sense His Presence because, though He is invisible to us, He lives with us, by His Spirit! This will change how we live.
In the Word, we are told that "we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT) In a world that is depersonalized, where we often feel like a number or a function, where we live in multiple environments each making different demands of us; there is One who cares for us, who loves us, who knows our greatest fears, our secret dreams, our hidden sins, our public successes, and our heart! He loves us and desires that we love Him. He is our Personal Savior- accessible and understanding.
So what's your need today?
Is it for guidance? Is it forgiveness? Is it empowering to tackle some new task?
Is it strength to stand up to evil, to make a Kingdom difference? Is it just for Someone to care and share your joy and/or sorrows?
Come to the Savior! He is our Friend.
Find a quiet place and talk with him in prayer, making it personal.
Then, wait; listen, and receive the grace that He promises to those who love Him.
___________________________
What a friend I've found,
Closer than a brother;
I have felt Your touch,
More intimate than lovers.
What a hope I've found,
More faithful than a mother;
It would break my heart
To ever lose each other.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus -- Friend forever.
What A Friend I've Found
Smith, Martin
Copyright: 1996 Curious? Music UK (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Caring like He does
Every Sunday School kid quickly learns the shortest verse in the New Testament - "Jesus wept!" It comes in handy when the teacher asks for a quick recitation. But those two words give us a profound insight! John records the story for us in the 11th chapter of his Gospel. Jesus was called to the home of his friend Lazarus who had died. When he arrived in Bethany the dead man's sisters were angry with him for not showing up earlier to heal their ailing brother. The crowds that gathered whispered about Him - “This man healed a blind man. Why couldn’t he keep Lazarus from dying?” The Master's response to all this was not detached serenity, nor did He chide His critics for lack of faith! According to John, He was deeply moved by all the pain, the confusion, and the doubts. He cared, not professionally, but personally!
In another passage that is found in Matthew's Gospel, we read - "Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” " (Matthew 9:35-38, The Message) He saw their bruised and hurt lives and His heart broke!
Problems, pain, and predicaments are part of life! Sometimes they just arise... we have no idea why; sometimes they come our way because of our choices. Good people - including you and me - make dumb decisions, become victims of the 'system,' get deceived by life's vanities, are mesmerized by devilish lies, and too often choose short-term relief over long-term healing. In my calling as a shepherd for God's people, my phone rings often and I hear a voice saying - "Help me!" Sometimes the caller has created a mess for herself, snarling life into a tangled web. Other times, the difficulty and/or pain has just dropped on the sufferer out of the blue, uninvited. Some of the situations are relatively easy to resolve, needing only a little counsel. Others appear to have no earthly answer or remedy. Still others are so packed with suffering that it makes me catch my breath and thank God for His grace!
Jesus loves us! He is not a god hiding in the shadows, playing games with us. He is a Friend who comes alongside of us in our suffering. Even when it is our sinful choices that have brought us pain, He does not turn away saying, "you made your bed, now sleep in it!" Instead, if we turn to Him, He forgives and leads us into recovery and healing, into hope and new life. He doesn't always take away the pain. He doesn't always give us the miracle we think we need. He gives us grace, wisdom, and patience!
This love of Christ for us, inspires love for others in us, according to John. "We love each other as a result of his loving us first." (1 John 4:19, NLT) Genuine love that is like that of Jesus, does not let us turn away from those in pain. It does not let us judge others as unworthy of care, leaving them in their predicament! It requires that we weep, that we give when we think that we have no more to give, that we stay engaged with the foolish, the fallen, the stubborn, the stupid. It demands that we offer our hand to the unlovely, the critics, and yes, even to those who take advantage of our love. My prayer is that we will learn to be like Jesus, understanding that sometimes the best expression of love is just to 'cry with those who cry!'
It's a broken world out there. Some of you are reading that only to respond - "Out there? No way, Pastor. My life is broken!"
I want you to know - Jesus cares - really, He does. And, I hope that you have someone who loves you with His kind of love - gentle, empathetic, and engaged.
Think on this today -- "My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love." (1 John 4:7-8, The Message)
In another passage that is found in Matthew's Gospel, we read - "Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” " (Matthew 9:35-38, The Message) He saw their bruised and hurt lives and His heart broke!
Problems, pain, and predicaments are part of life! Sometimes they just arise... we have no idea why; sometimes they come our way because of our choices. Good people - including you and me - make dumb decisions, become victims of the 'system,' get deceived by life's vanities, are mesmerized by devilish lies, and too often choose short-term relief over long-term healing. In my calling as a shepherd for God's people, my phone rings often and I hear a voice saying - "Help me!" Sometimes the caller has created a mess for herself, snarling life into a tangled web. Other times, the difficulty and/or pain has just dropped on the sufferer out of the blue, uninvited. Some of the situations are relatively easy to resolve, needing only a little counsel. Others appear to have no earthly answer or remedy. Still others are so packed with suffering that it makes me catch my breath and thank God for His grace!
Jesus loves us! He is not a god hiding in the shadows, playing games with us. He is a Friend who comes alongside of us in our suffering. Even when it is our sinful choices that have brought us pain, He does not turn away saying, "you made your bed, now sleep in it!" Instead, if we turn to Him, He forgives and leads us into recovery and healing, into hope and new life. He doesn't always take away the pain. He doesn't always give us the miracle we think we need. He gives us grace, wisdom, and patience!
This love of Christ for us, inspires love for others in us, according to John. "We love each other as a result of his loving us first." (1 John 4:19, NLT) Genuine love that is like that of Jesus, does not let us turn away from those in pain. It does not let us judge others as unworthy of care, leaving them in their predicament! It requires that we weep, that we give when we think that we have no more to give, that we stay engaged with the foolish, the fallen, the stubborn, the stupid. It demands that we offer our hand to the unlovely, the critics, and yes, even to those who take advantage of our love. My prayer is that we will learn to be like Jesus, understanding that sometimes the best expression of love is just to 'cry with those who cry!'
It's a broken world out there. Some of you are reading that only to respond - "Out there? No way, Pastor. My life is broken!"
I want you to know - Jesus cares - really, He does. And, I hope that you have someone who loves you with His kind of love - gentle, empathetic, and engaged.
Think on this today -- "My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love." (1 John 4:7-8, The Message)
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
The Will of God
Little Janie (not her real name) had spent 3 of her 4 years with my Mom and Dad, the only parents she knew. The State of NJ placed her with them when she was an infant because her mother was incapable of parenting and her father was in prison. They loved her and eventually hoped to adopt her until yesterday when a judge decided that NJ law required that Janie be taken from their loving care and placed in the custody of a relative. With the bang of a gavel, the child's life was completely re-defined - all she knew and loved swept away. It was a sad day for us all.
The dilemma that I worked to resolve was about acceptance or resistance. Was I to accept this as the will of God or resist this as an expression of evil that needs to be over-turned? There is no obvious answer! That Janie has a relative who wants to care for her is probably a good thing. That she loses the relationship with people with whom she has bonded is a terrible thing. Will she be taught to love and serve God by her new family? That's unknown. So, in my confusion I prayed, "Lord God, help me to know how to think, what to pray."
Some Christians might say that since it has happened, it must be "the will of God!" That's a little too easy for me to believe! I am not a fatalist and while I know that God reigns as King of the Universe, I also believe that He has given humanity the privilege of choice. I cannot ignore the reality of pain and suffering; the frustration of the perfect purposes of God that is all too evident in the world around me, which is the a result of the work of the Evil One and people who rebel against God. Just because something happens, does not make it God's will.
That said, let me circle 'round to affirm the omniscience of our God. He knows what is happening. He helps us while events are unfolding. He is capable - amazingly so - of taking the circumstances of life and bringing them into line with His purposes. The 8th chapter of Romans teaches us to trust Him, even as we work with Him, to see His plans brought to completion. "...the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. ... we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:26-28, NLT)
In the Bible, James tells us that even as Christians we must intentionally live in the will of God. Consider this - "Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:13-17, NLT) He reminds us that when we make our own plans without prayer, without seeking the Lord's guidance, we may fall into the sin of living outside of the will of God!
My questions about little Janie remain unanswered at this moment. But, even in my sorrow, I am at peace! Why? Because I choose to trust, to pray, to rest in the power and wisdom of the One who invites me to let Him lead. Here's another word from James that shows us how to live while we work out our understanding of God's will - "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." (James 5:7-8, NIV)
Plant good seed.
Pray for God's gracious rains.
Patiently wait!
See the harvest of good fruit that glorifies God.
____________________
Spirit of God- Descend upon my heart,
wean it from earth,through all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness mighty as Thou art,
and make me love Thee as I ought to love.
Hast Thou not bid us love Thee,
God and King?
All, all Thine own --soul, heart, and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross -- there teach my heart to cling,
O let me seek Thee and O let me find.
Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh,
Teach me the strugglesof the soul to bear ---
To check the rising doubt,the rebel sigh:
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
Only holy passion filling all my frame.
The baptism of the heave'n descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love - the flame.
Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
George Croly
Copyright: Public Domain
The dilemma that I worked to resolve was about acceptance or resistance. Was I to accept this as the will of God or resist this as an expression of evil that needs to be over-turned? There is no obvious answer! That Janie has a relative who wants to care for her is probably a good thing. That she loses the relationship with people with whom she has bonded is a terrible thing. Will she be taught to love and serve God by her new family? That's unknown. So, in my confusion I prayed, "Lord God, help me to know how to think, what to pray."
Some Christians might say that since it has happened, it must be "the will of God!" That's a little too easy for me to believe! I am not a fatalist and while I know that God reigns as King of the Universe, I also believe that He has given humanity the privilege of choice. I cannot ignore the reality of pain and suffering; the frustration of the perfect purposes of God that is all too evident in the world around me, which is the a result of the work of the Evil One and people who rebel against God. Just because something happens, does not make it God's will.
That said, let me circle 'round to affirm the omniscience of our God. He knows what is happening. He helps us while events are unfolding. He is capable - amazingly so - of taking the circumstances of life and bringing them into line with His purposes. The 8th chapter of Romans teaches us to trust Him, even as we work with Him, to see His plans brought to completion. "...the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. ... we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:26-28, NLT)
In the Bible, James tells us that even as Christians we must intentionally live in the will of God. Consider this - "Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:13-17, NLT) He reminds us that when we make our own plans without prayer, without seeking the Lord's guidance, we may fall into the sin of living outside of the will of God!
My questions about little Janie remain unanswered at this moment. But, even in my sorrow, I am at peace! Why? Because I choose to trust, to pray, to rest in the power and wisdom of the One who invites me to let Him lead. Here's another word from James that shows us how to live while we work out our understanding of God's will - "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." (James 5:7-8, NIV)
Plant good seed.
Pray for God's gracious rains.
Patiently wait!
See the harvest of good fruit that glorifies God.
____________________
Spirit of God- Descend upon my heart,
wean it from earth,through all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness mighty as Thou art,
and make me love Thee as I ought to love.
Hast Thou not bid us love Thee,
God and King?
All, all Thine own --soul, heart, and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross -- there teach my heart to cling,
O let me seek Thee and O let me find.
Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh,
Teach me the strugglesof the soul to bear ---
To check the rising doubt,the rebel sigh:
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
Only holy passion filling all my frame.
The baptism of the heave'n descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love - the flame.
Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
George Croly
Copyright: Public Domain
Monday, March 27, 2006
Praying together...
I love prayer time more than any other part of our Sunday worship gatherings! When I extend the invitation to people to come for prayer, anywhere from 20-30% of the congregation makes their way down to the front of the church. There I see extended families stand with their arms around each other. Tears fall freely as hearts are open to God's presence. As I, and other elders from the church, move down the line anointing people in the Name of Jesus, symbolically calling on the Spirit of God to bring healing, hope, and restoration - I see the light of faith come in the eyes of those who are standing there! Sometimes the crush of the weight of the human need standing in front of me breaks my heart, and I too, begin to lead in prayer only to find myself too choked with emotion to speak because I know that it is a cancer diagnosis, a pending divorce action, a threatened lay-off, a heart broken by disappointment - that people are bringing to God. The connection that is formed by the Spirit of God, the pure love that fills the room at that moment, is indescribable.
What a holy moment: people bringing their needs to the Almighty God. To someone seeing this with human eyes it might appear to be foolishness, just an exercise in wishful thinking. To me it is an intersection of Heaven and Earth, amazing, powerful, and unbelievably life-giving. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with." (James 5:16, The Message)
Do you pray with others? To be honest, I find prayer meetings distasteful if they are allowed to become displays of piety, filled with pathetic attempts at feigned spirituality, where some feel the need to go on and on, stringing Bible phrases and church clichés together in long, boring speeches to God. Jesus says, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again." (Matthew 6:7, NLT) Some of the most powerful prayers I have ever been part of had few, even no words. A wordless hunger for God's Presence, a humble silence before Him, brought people together and the Spirit of God connected them together with a divine 'electricity.'
Even Jesus knew the value of shared prayer. On the night before He became the Sacrifice for the sins of the world, He was crushed by the knowledge of the way of Cross that lay before Him. The Lord of Glory made this request of his friends - "They came to an area called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him. He plunged into a sinkhole of dreadful agony. He told them, “I feel bad enough right now to die. Stay here and keep vigil with me.” (Mark 14:32-34, The Message) Somehow Peter, James, and John failed Him that night, falling asleep when just needed them to be with Him. They missed the opportunity to experience the Presence of God.
When your pastor says, "let us pray," don't allow your mind to wander off. Don't just go to sleep. Instead, join your heart with others. Pray earnestly for the needs presented and your own needs as you enter in to His love. Ponder this amazing promise - “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20, NIV)
Let us pray!
What a holy moment: people bringing their needs to the Almighty God. To someone seeing this with human eyes it might appear to be foolishness, just an exercise in wishful thinking. To me it is an intersection of Heaven and Earth, amazing, powerful, and unbelievably life-giving. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with." (James 5:16, The Message)
Do you pray with others? To be honest, I find prayer meetings distasteful if they are allowed to become displays of piety, filled with pathetic attempts at feigned spirituality, where some feel the need to go on and on, stringing Bible phrases and church clichés together in long, boring speeches to God. Jesus says, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again." (Matthew 6:7, NLT) Some of the most powerful prayers I have ever been part of had few, even no words. A wordless hunger for God's Presence, a humble silence before Him, brought people together and the Spirit of God connected them together with a divine 'electricity.'
Even Jesus knew the value of shared prayer. On the night before He became the Sacrifice for the sins of the world, He was crushed by the knowledge of the way of Cross that lay before Him. The Lord of Glory made this request of his friends - "They came to an area called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him. He plunged into a sinkhole of dreadful agony. He told them, “I feel bad enough right now to die. Stay here and keep vigil with me.” (Mark 14:32-34, The Message) Somehow Peter, James, and John failed Him that night, falling asleep when just needed them to be with Him. They missed the opportunity to experience the Presence of God.
When your pastor says, "let us pray," don't allow your mind to wander off. Don't just go to sleep. Instead, join your heart with others. Pray earnestly for the needs presented and your own needs as you enter in to His love. Ponder this amazing promise - “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20, NIV)
Let us pray!
Friday, March 24, 2006
What makes you tick?
Try to imagine a world filled with people who were just like you! You're laughing, right? While you and I may be very good at some things, we are not complete in ourselves. Well, I certainly hope that you realize that fact is true. Some of us are warm, friendly, and team-builders. Others of us are calculating, risk-takers, driving towards getting the job done. Some of us keep the organization functioning with our dedication to paying the bills and keeping the systems intact. Others can't plan a day in advance but we make people feel so valuable because we really love them.
Studying personality types is interesting. Since ancient times wise people have realized that their colleagues often think differently about the same situations in life, and not because of a lack of intelligence or skills. We are simply different in the way that God has wired us! There are many ways to label the various personalities. Gary Smalley uses animal names to describe our predominant personality type. He observes that some of us are Lions- those self-reliant leaders who set goals and love to 'get the job done.' Others are Otters -social creatures who enjoy being influential, surrounded by many friends. And some are Golden Retrievers -very loving, resistant to change, and steady at the job. Then, he says that some are Beavers - who work hard, maintain tradition, and make sure everybody is keeping the rules.
There are other systems that help us to understand ourselves and those around us. Very likely, if you work for a large corporation, your human resources department has used one of the many tools available to help you to understand your way of relating to the world and organizing your life. The point is that we are different. There is no 'right' personality type, nor should we use our temperament as an excuse for sin. For example, I am predominantly a lion (using Smalley's description). Along with the strengths that come with being a goal-oriented leader-type, I have a tendency to be insensitive (hey, I heard that 'amen.') and to use people in pursuit of the mission. I could just say, "That's who I am, deal with it." Or, knowing those weaknesses, I can wisely watch the way I interact.
An ancient maxim, revered by the ancient Greeks, and often attributed to Socrates says - "Know thyself!" What a wondrous thing it is to become self-aware, to begin to understand the impulses and prejudices that reside in our hearts and minds. You might be ready to raise the objection that we are incapable of really knowing ourselves, that we are mired in sin to such an extent that we cannot begin to discern the content of our inner person. Perhaps that is true before one comes to Christ, but after we are converted and filled with the Holy Spirit, we have a Teacher, who reveals the secrets to us! Yes, it's true! We don't have to hide the ugly stuff from ourselves. We don't have to pretend or live in ignorance.
In the book of Hebrews, we read this passage - which could be terrifying. "For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done." (Hebrews 4:12-13, NLT) Were it not for the assurance that immediately follows that passage, I would be terrified by the project of being laid open, left vulnerable, by the work of God.
But here is what comes next - "That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)
God lays us open, reveals our secrets, and then gives us His merciful grace. His gift is forgiveness, first, and then, transformation. No, it isn't very likely that God will change your basic personality type. After all, He originally made you who you are! What He'll do, if you will cooperate with Him, is make you Christ-like, holy and useful to His purposes. Friend, I believe that unity within the Church will result when we ask Him to help us to understand ourselves and others. When we let the Spirit teach us our strengths and help us with our weaknesses; when we let Him teach us how we can best relate to others, valuing them precisely because they are different, unbelievable things will happen in the work of God.
Here's my prayer for you today - "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, The Message)
Studying personality types is interesting. Since ancient times wise people have realized that their colleagues often think differently about the same situations in life, and not because of a lack of intelligence or skills. We are simply different in the way that God has wired us! There are many ways to label the various personalities. Gary Smalley uses animal names to describe our predominant personality type. He observes that some of us are Lions- those self-reliant leaders who set goals and love to 'get the job done.' Others are Otters -social creatures who enjoy being influential, surrounded by many friends. And some are Golden Retrievers -very loving, resistant to change, and steady at the job. Then, he says that some are Beavers - who work hard, maintain tradition, and make sure everybody is keeping the rules.
There are other systems that help us to understand ourselves and those around us. Very likely, if you work for a large corporation, your human resources department has used one of the many tools available to help you to understand your way of relating to the world and organizing your life. The point is that we are different. There is no 'right' personality type, nor should we use our temperament as an excuse for sin. For example, I am predominantly a lion (using Smalley's description). Along with the strengths that come with being a goal-oriented leader-type, I have a tendency to be insensitive (hey, I heard that 'amen.') and to use people in pursuit of the mission. I could just say, "That's who I am, deal with it." Or, knowing those weaknesses, I can wisely watch the way I interact.
An ancient maxim, revered by the ancient Greeks, and often attributed to Socrates says - "Know thyself!" What a wondrous thing it is to become self-aware, to begin to understand the impulses and prejudices that reside in our hearts and minds. You might be ready to raise the objection that we are incapable of really knowing ourselves, that we are mired in sin to such an extent that we cannot begin to discern the content of our inner person. Perhaps that is true before one comes to Christ, but after we are converted and filled with the Holy Spirit, we have a Teacher, who reveals the secrets to us! Yes, it's true! We don't have to hide the ugly stuff from ourselves. We don't have to pretend or live in ignorance.
In the book of Hebrews, we read this passage - which could be terrifying. "For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done." (Hebrews 4:12-13, NLT) Were it not for the assurance that immediately follows that passage, I would be terrified by the project of being laid open, left vulnerable, by the work of God.
But here is what comes next - "That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)
God lays us open, reveals our secrets, and then gives us His merciful grace. His gift is forgiveness, first, and then, transformation. No, it isn't very likely that God will change your basic personality type. After all, He originally made you who you are! What He'll do, if you will cooperate with Him, is make you Christ-like, holy and useful to His purposes. Friend, I believe that unity within the Church will result when we ask Him to help us to understand ourselves and others. When we let the Spirit teach us our strengths and help us with our weaknesses; when we let Him teach us how we can best relate to others, valuing them precisely because they are different, unbelievable things will happen in the work of God.
Here's my prayer for you today - "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, The Message)
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Not him, not again!
There are times when I wish it were possible to peel back the multiple layers of another's thought process so I could see what is really going on in his brain!
What causes us to dislike another person?
Why do we take a position on some point and refuse to budge, no matter what the facts are?
How can two people look at the same situation and reach completely different and opposing conclusions?
When those kinds of conflicts arise, too often the impulse is to separate ourselves or to go to battle. I admit that there are times when I have to deal with a person who frustrates every my attempt at reasonable dialogue and I think - "Not him, not again!" There is a part of me that just wants to be done with it, to write off the relationship as irreconcilable and/or irreparable. My response is not unique to me! It's not only happening in so-called 'casual' friendships. Even long-standing marriages dissolve over what the law terms, "irreconcilable differences." Yes, even Christians who are to be first and foremost characterized by love for one another, find themselves at odds and just go their separate ways leaving the issue unresolved, festering like an infected wound.
A friend wrote to me today about a minor conflict that is swirling around me (yes, friend, these TFTD's are written by a real man who is working out the implications of his Christianity in real life!) and he urged me to be 'in the bridge-building business.' I appreciate his counsel, offered as it is in concern and love. Pushed by opposition of a tiny minority, I am tempted to take the road to what looks like an easy response to these critics, "This is the way it is. Accept it, get over it, and get with the program! If you can't or you won't, there's the door. See ya!" But, there is no honor for God in those words, no recognition that even critics are part of the Body of Christ.
The Bible urges us to a new way of dealing with the difficult people in life. Nowhere does God's word tell us that we should expect to live without conflict! But He does teach us that we must approach conflict differently. Take a look - "I beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future." (Ephesians 4:1-4, NLT) What a practical passage, but full of challenging concepts: humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance!
How do these traits become part of our response in place of the more natural anger and power responses? Only by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit! We can only grit our teeth and hold back our frustration for so long on our own. Sooner or later, we will pushed beyond our limits and explode unless Someone greater than ourselves lives in us. God calls us to die! to self. In those situations like I've described above, it is our privilege to take it to the Lord in prayer - not necessarily to gain the power to prevail - but to lay ourselves down before Him. When we 'give up and give in' to Him, the Spirit comes with new life, new love, new peace.
So, I'm going to be a bridge-builder - with God's help! How about you?
__________________________
I found this appropriate to my life today. Perhaps you will, too.
The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001
What causes us to dislike another person?
Why do we take a position on some point and refuse to budge, no matter what the facts are?
How can two people look at the same situation and reach completely different and opposing conclusions?
When those kinds of conflicts arise, too often the impulse is to separate ourselves or to go to battle. I admit that there are times when I have to deal with a person who frustrates every my attempt at reasonable dialogue and I think - "Not him, not again!" There is a part of me that just wants to be done with it, to write off the relationship as irreconcilable and/or irreparable. My response is not unique to me! It's not only happening in so-called 'casual' friendships. Even long-standing marriages dissolve over what the law terms, "irreconcilable differences." Yes, even Christians who are to be first and foremost characterized by love for one another, find themselves at odds and just go their separate ways leaving the issue unresolved, festering like an infected wound.
A friend wrote to me today about a minor conflict that is swirling around me (yes, friend, these TFTD's are written by a real man who is working out the implications of his Christianity in real life!) and he urged me to be 'in the bridge-building business.' I appreciate his counsel, offered as it is in concern and love. Pushed by opposition of a tiny minority, I am tempted to take the road to what looks like an easy response to these critics, "This is the way it is. Accept it, get over it, and get with the program! If you can't or you won't, there's the door. See ya!" But, there is no honor for God in those words, no recognition that even critics are part of the Body of Christ.
The Bible urges us to a new way of dealing with the difficult people in life. Nowhere does God's word tell us that we should expect to live without conflict! But He does teach us that we must approach conflict differently. Take a look - "I beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future." (Ephesians 4:1-4, NLT) What a practical passage, but full of challenging concepts: humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance!
How do these traits become part of our response in place of the more natural anger and power responses? Only by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit! We can only grit our teeth and hold back our frustration for so long on our own. Sooner or later, we will pushed beyond our limits and explode unless Someone greater than ourselves lives in us. God calls us to die! to self. In those situations like I've described above, it is our privilege to take it to the Lord in prayer - not necessarily to gain the power to prevail - but to lay ourselves down before Him. When we 'give up and give in' to Him, the Spirit comes with new life, new love, new peace.
So, I'm going to be a bridge-builder - with God's help! How about you?
__________________________
I found this appropriate to my life today. Perhaps you will, too.
The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Lost and Found
Lost - I really don't like that word - except when it is used about excess pounds. The only thing I'd like to lose is about 15 lbs!
When I was a student pilot on one of my early solo flights, crosswinds blew me off the course that my instructor had plotted for me. Because I was a young rookie, I was far from the intended flight path before I even realized what was happening! When the features on the ground didn't match the map at all I said, "I'm lost!" With the help the radios onboard I was able to figure out where I was and plot a new course back to my home airport. Becoming "found" required orientation outside of myself.
A set of keys just 'disappeared' from my possession. I hunted everywhere, in pockets, on my desk... yes, I mean everywhere. Two years later, while I was cleaning my car, I pushed the vacuum cleaner's nozzle into the narrow crevice between the seat and the center console and heard a clink. There was that set of keys! They had been inches away from my possession for all that time, but out of sight and therefore, 'lost.'
In Luke's Gospel, chapter 15, Jesus told some stories about lost things and a lost son! He told about a shepherd who went looking for a single lamb that wandered away from the flock. Despite having 99 sheep still in his care, he cared about the one that was lost. When he found the lost sheep, he carried it home and rejoiced with his friends and neighbors that he found the missing lamb. He told of a woman lost a valuable coin. She searched until she found it and then yelled to her neighbors, "Yes! I found it! Hallelujah!"
Then He told the most poignant of the 'lost' stories - the story we call, The Prodigal Son. The young man lost his sense, lost his way, lost his fortune, and lost his love for family! He was in terrible shape, to all appearance beyond hope. But there was a Waiting Father whose love remained strong, and the memory of the Father's house pulled at the heart of the lost son until he said, "I will go home to my father!"
I cannot read the next part of that story without feeling strong emotion - “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." (Luke 15:20, NLT) Why does that move me so? Because I, too, once was lost. I had rejected the guidance of God, been blown 'off course' by the winds of life, fallen into a dark place. It is the plight of every living soul! The Enemy of God and good whispers the Lie to lost ones - "God does not care for you. He's abandoned the search. You're abandoned, alone - and you're so lost, you can never go home!" Don't believe it! The Waiting Father and the Searching Spirit are looking for the lost. The love of heaven beckons us to turn toward home and guides us back to the Way. The only thing we must do is obey the call!
Believer, have you wandered or wavered? Maybe worse than that, you have willfully chosen to break away from the way you know God has for you? "Go home today!" Tell Him you're sorry, own the failure without excuse and He'll embrace you again.
Friend, maybe you're reading this from a place of loneliness or even despair, feeling very lost! You don't have to live that way. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you, to guide you home, and let God love you to wholeness.
Here's a word from the Word - Read it prayerfully, carefully; and rejoice in the wonder of the amazing grace that found you!
"It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin.
You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live.
You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.
We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.
Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us.
He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us!" (Ephesians 2:1-5, The Message) ____________________
When I was a student pilot on one of my early solo flights, crosswinds blew me off the course that my instructor had plotted for me. Because I was a young rookie, I was far from the intended flight path before I even realized what was happening! When the features on the ground didn't match the map at all I said, "I'm lost!" With the help the radios onboard I was able to figure out where I was and plot a new course back to my home airport. Becoming "found" required orientation outside of myself.
A set of keys just 'disappeared' from my possession. I hunted everywhere, in pockets, on my desk... yes, I mean everywhere. Two years later, while I was cleaning my car, I pushed the vacuum cleaner's nozzle into the narrow crevice between the seat and the center console and heard a clink. There was that set of keys! They had been inches away from my possession for all that time, but out of sight and therefore, 'lost.'
In Luke's Gospel, chapter 15, Jesus told some stories about lost things and a lost son! He told about a shepherd who went looking for a single lamb that wandered away from the flock. Despite having 99 sheep still in his care, he cared about the one that was lost. When he found the lost sheep, he carried it home and rejoiced with his friends and neighbors that he found the missing lamb. He told of a woman lost a valuable coin. She searched until she found it and then yelled to her neighbors, "Yes! I found it! Hallelujah!"
Then He told the most poignant of the 'lost' stories - the story we call, The Prodigal Son. The young man lost his sense, lost his way, lost his fortune, and lost his love for family! He was in terrible shape, to all appearance beyond hope. But there was a Waiting Father whose love remained strong, and the memory of the Father's house pulled at the heart of the lost son until he said, "I will go home to my father!"
I cannot read the next part of that story without feeling strong emotion - “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." (Luke 15:20, NLT) Why does that move me so? Because I, too, once was lost. I had rejected the guidance of God, been blown 'off course' by the winds of life, fallen into a dark place. It is the plight of every living soul! The Enemy of God and good whispers the Lie to lost ones - "God does not care for you. He's abandoned the search. You're abandoned, alone - and you're so lost, you can never go home!" Don't believe it! The Waiting Father and the Searching Spirit are looking for the lost. The love of heaven beckons us to turn toward home and guides us back to the Way. The only thing we must do is obey the call!
Believer, have you wandered or wavered? Maybe worse than that, you have willfully chosen to break away from the way you know God has for you? "Go home today!" Tell Him you're sorry, own the failure without excuse and He'll embrace you again.
Friend, maybe you're reading this from a place of loneliness or even despair, feeling very lost! You don't have to live that way. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you, to guide you home, and let God love you to wholeness.
Here's a word from the Word - Read it prayerfully, carefully; and rejoice in the wonder of the amazing grace that found you!
"It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin.
You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live.
You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.
We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.
Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us.
He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us!" (Ephesians 2:1-5, The Message) ____________________
Monday, March 20, 2006
Crash! What then?
A few years ago, I was driving home from the hospital. I saw the left turn signal flashing on the car that was ahead of me. I took note that it was stopping, and decided to go around it on the right shoulder of the highway. Then, there was an impact; a loud crashing sound, and I realized I had misjudged the distance and struck the car! I was stunned for a moment, left reeling and wondering- 'what happened?' In moments as I assessed the damage, I realized it was my fault! There was no denying that I had allowed my attention to wander and that my car had hit the car that was turning in front of me. Thankfully, no one was injured but the crash cost me (and my insurance company) dearly.
Sometimes human relationships crash, too. It could be that we just don't pay attention to how we're living until - CRASH! - we find that ourselves in the middle of a broken mess. I've counseled with many spouses who were cruising down life's highway, only to hear the wreckage of their broken marriage crashing around them. It could be that someone zooms into our life bringing all their pain and dysfunction, colliding head-on with us. Years ago, a man I'll call Sam came to the church where I was serving as Pastor. He appeared to be a broken man, hurting and wounded, so we opened up our hearts to his family and to him. What a mistake! Sam was a vicious and selfish man who abused others and who despised authority of every kind. (Classically, he had been raised by an rigidly authoritarian father who he hated!) He crashed head-on into me as the Pastor and did his best for several months to destroy that church under the guise of super-spirituality.
What do we do after the crash? That is a question that I've asked myself hundreds of times.
Some just 'walk away.' When the sound of conflict crashes over them, they run - leaving the scene of the accident. What a tragic response. Our traffic laws make it an offense to drive away from an accident regardless of whether you caused it or not! We are required to stick around for the paperwork! Conflicts and crashes are inevitable as we live. If we are mature, when we find ourselves in a conflict we'll stick around to help clean up the mess, to work for reconciliation, to try to help those who are hurting. A person who just walks away from a crash in life takes the pain with her. The next time, and there will be a 'next time' everytime, there is a crash she will have to deal with pain piled on top of pain.
Some start pointing the finger of blame. "It's not my fault. I didn't do anything." Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. Blame really isn't the issue. Most of the time a failed human relationship results from many factors involving all parties in the crash! Even when we have minimal responsibility for a crash in relationships, Jesus asks us to take on the responsibility for attempts at restoration and reconciliation. That's tough to do!
Some decide to withdraw from life. When we're disappointed and/or injured by a crashing relationship, there is a temptation to say, 'I'll never trust someone in that position again.' When a person is hurt terribly by a divorce, they may determine never to let love in again. When a person goes through a church fight, he may abandon church all together, which is real loss for all concerned. As tempting as it may be to withdraw into the imagined safety of our own little world, we rob ourselves of God's best when we do. Instead we must secure ourselves in His love, and try again at life and love!
Here's are words from the Word. Meditate on them today.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family." - Matthew 5:9 (You might know it better in these words, "blessed are the peacemakers.") The Message
"Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison." - Hebrews 12:14-15 NLT
Are you hearing sounds of a crash?
Don't run, blame, or withdraw! Ask God to help you to stay steady, to help those who are hurt, to become a part of a resolution. It's hard work, but there are rich rewards - both for you and for others- when you make peace and reconciliation a priority.
Sometimes human relationships crash, too. It could be that we just don't pay attention to how we're living until - CRASH! - we find that ourselves in the middle of a broken mess. I've counseled with many spouses who were cruising down life's highway, only to hear the wreckage of their broken marriage crashing around them. It could be that someone zooms into our life bringing all their pain and dysfunction, colliding head-on with us. Years ago, a man I'll call Sam came to the church where I was serving as Pastor. He appeared to be a broken man, hurting and wounded, so we opened up our hearts to his family and to him. What a mistake! Sam was a vicious and selfish man who abused others and who despised authority of every kind. (Classically, he had been raised by an rigidly authoritarian father who he hated!) He crashed head-on into me as the Pastor and did his best for several months to destroy that church under the guise of super-spirituality.
What do we do after the crash? That is a question that I've asked myself hundreds of times.
Some just 'walk away.' When the sound of conflict crashes over them, they run - leaving the scene of the accident. What a tragic response. Our traffic laws make it an offense to drive away from an accident regardless of whether you caused it or not! We are required to stick around for the paperwork! Conflicts and crashes are inevitable as we live. If we are mature, when we find ourselves in a conflict we'll stick around to help clean up the mess, to work for reconciliation, to try to help those who are hurting. A person who just walks away from a crash in life takes the pain with her. The next time, and there will be a 'next time' everytime, there is a crash she will have to deal with pain piled on top of pain.
Some start pointing the finger of blame. "It's not my fault. I didn't do anything." Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. Blame really isn't the issue. Most of the time a failed human relationship results from many factors involving all parties in the crash! Even when we have minimal responsibility for a crash in relationships, Jesus asks us to take on the responsibility for attempts at restoration and reconciliation. That's tough to do!
Some decide to withdraw from life. When we're disappointed and/or injured by a crashing relationship, there is a temptation to say, 'I'll never trust someone in that position again.' When a person is hurt terribly by a divorce, they may determine never to let love in again. When a person goes through a church fight, he may abandon church all together, which is real loss for all concerned. As tempting as it may be to withdraw into the imagined safety of our own little world, we rob ourselves of God's best when we do. Instead we must secure ourselves in His love, and try again at life and love!
Here's are words from the Word. Meditate on them today.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family." - Matthew 5:9 (You might know it better in these words, "blessed are the peacemakers.") The Message
"Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison." - Hebrews 12:14-15 NLT
Are you hearing sounds of a crash?
Don't run, blame, or withdraw! Ask God to help you to stay steady, to help those who are hurt, to become a part of a resolution. It's hard work, but there are rich rewards - both for you and for others- when you make peace and reconciliation a priority.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Heavenly vision, earthly service
"What are you doing? Why are you doing it?" - not just at this moment, but overall in your life. Are you 'killing time?' - frittering away day upon day watching TV and playing meaningless games? Or, are you living to make a Kingdom difference? That last phrase sounds so grandiose, doesn't it? But it is a question worth asking because we can fill up our lives with activities, be exhausted by all the running around, and yet have nothing in the way of significant results to show for all our busyness.
I read a phrase in the book of Acts this morning that caught my attention- I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. Here's the context. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem after narrowly escaping death at the hands of mob incited to riot as he was entering the Temple court supposedly with Gentile men who were not allowed in those restricted areas. He was held for two years in jail by Roman authorities who knew he really didn't deserve to be in prison, but who wouldn't free him because of political pressure from the Jewish religious leaders. Finally, he was called to make his defense. He recounted his experience, how he had become a Christian as a result of a vision of Jesus Christ that stopped him in his tracks on the road to Damascus. He told of his commission to take the message of Jesus, the Savior to the whole world, then he summed up saying, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven." (Acts 26:19, NIV)
Such is the power of vision! Paul lived on the road with discomfort, often persecuted by those who did not believe that non-Jews should hear the Gospel. He was arrested several times, beaten by authorities more than once. He worked to write the letters that now make up a large part of our New Testament, instructing Believers in the Faith. Why? Because he had vision, a transforming experience from God, that made him passionate about making a Kingdom difference in his world!
The word, vision, can, as I mentioned at the opening lines sound grandiose. There are those who hid their own ambitions and pride behind spiritual language, claiming they are executing a vision from the Lord, when they are just building their own little kingdom! That's not the kind of vision that pulled Paul through the difficulties that came his way. He heard from God, 'saw' Jesus giving him a commission, and obeyed- with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Note this well. It was not results that Paul used as his measure of success. If he had, he would have given up and gone back to making tents in Tarsus! He was a faithful servant of the Lord and that, to him, was enough! That is why when he was nearing the moment of his death at the hands of Roman authorities, he wrote to Timothy a message that celebrated God's call and his obedience. He didn't recap all the conversions that came about from his sermons. He didn't tell of the churches that he established across the Roman empire. Here's what he said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return." (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT) Obedience to the vision - that what mattered.
So what does God want from you?
Have you heard from Him - from the pages of Scripture, from the voice of the Spirit, in the circumstances He sovereignly directs around you?
Then obey the vision of Heaven and get about your service!
That's all that really matters in the end.
I read a phrase in the book of Acts this morning that caught my attention- I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. Here's the context. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem after narrowly escaping death at the hands of mob incited to riot as he was entering the Temple court supposedly with Gentile men who were not allowed in those restricted areas. He was held for two years in jail by Roman authorities who knew he really didn't deserve to be in prison, but who wouldn't free him because of political pressure from the Jewish religious leaders. Finally, he was called to make his defense. He recounted his experience, how he had become a Christian as a result of a vision of Jesus Christ that stopped him in his tracks on the road to Damascus. He told of his commission to take the message of Jesus, the Savior to the whole world, then he summed up saying, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven." (Acts 26:19, NIV)
Such is the power of vision! Paul lived on the road with discomfort, often persecuted by those who did not believe that non-Jews should hear the Gospel. He was arrested several times, beaten by authorities more than once. He worked to write the letters that now make up a large part of our New Testament, instructing Believers in the Faith. Why? Because he had vision, a transforming experience from God, that made him passionate about making a Kingdom difference in his world!
The word, vision, can, as I mentioned at the opening lines sound grandiose. There are those who hid their own ambitions and pride behind spiritual language, claiming they are executing a vision from the Lord, when they are just building their own little kingdom! That's not the kind of vision that pulled Paul through the difficulties that came his way. He heard from God, 'saw' Jesus giving him a commission, and obeyed- with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Note this well. It was not results that Paul used as his measure of success. If he had, he would have given up and gone back to making tents in Tarsus! He was a faithful servant of the Lord and that, to him, was enough! That is why when he was nearing the moment of his death at the hands of Roman authorities, he wrote to Timothy a message that celebrated God's call and his obedience. He didn't recap all the conversions that came about from his sermons. He didn't tell of the churches that he established across the Roman empire. Here's what he said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return." (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT) Obedience to the vision - that what mattered.
So what does God want from you?
Have you heard from Him - from the pages of Scripture, from the voice of the Spirit, in the circumstances He sovereignly directs around you?
Then obey the vision of Heaven and get about your service!
That's all that really matters in the end.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
The Place God Prepared for You
Every one needs an identity, a way to define and distinguish himself. Wow, did I ever notice this as I sat in two airports waiting for delayed flights yesterday. I saw some real characters: pink hair, knee high black boots with 2" soles, wild fashions that screamed - "Look at me! I'm alive and I matter!" Then there were the distinguished business types who announced their success and power with expensive suits and jewelry. Others 'announced' themselves with abrasive, rude behavior that probably resulted more from insecurity and the need to impress than anything else!
Robert McGee wrote about it in a book aptly called, The Search for Significance. I like that phrase as an expression of our universal desire to matter. From an early age, we ask - "Do I matter? Why am I alive? What makes ME a person that others will love and accept?" Yes, of course, this need for purpose and meaning is twisted by our sinfulness and becomes selfish, competitive, and destructive. Because we are sinful, fallen from God's image in which we are created; this need to contribute to the world in a meaningful way gets twisted into something ugly, competitive, and prideful. The search for significance is turned into a quest for approval often based on external 'proofs' of our worthiness- beauty, brains, strength, or wealth.
Under the influence of the sinful nature, our God-given desire to become creative, a person who is contributing something of worth to the world of which we are a part, twists into jealousy - 'why can't I have what he has,'- and selfish ambition - 'I must have first place.' The Bible says, "For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil." (James 3:15-16, NLT) Because of this, many Christians think that the answer is to squash the desire to be beautiful, to do something that stands out, to strive for excellence. What results are people who are boring, bland, sad- and frustrated, too! They become saboteurs that ruin the attempts of others to express themselves in a godly way.
Jesus says, "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 5:15-16, NLT) I am convinced that Spirit-filled Christians should be at the fore-front, people who do whatever they do, at the highest levels. They ought to be the best musicians, the best teachers, the best plumbers, the best land-scapers... THE BEST... not just to prove their worth, but to show God's glory in the world! Let your light shine! In that same passage Jesus refers to the 'saltiness' of those who love and follow Him - meaning that they will be unique, a flavor in the world, a preservative.
Later in the New Testament, the concept of being gifted by the Spirit appears. In that familiar metaphor of the Body of Christ; we learn that ALL of God's children are gifted and that those gifts find maximum expression within the context of the Church. We do have a place, one that the Scripture says that God has prepared for us and equipped us to fill uniquely in our time, according to HIS purposes and plans!
Are you striving for recognition?
Instead of trying killing that need, how about asking the Spirit to make it holy?
Let Him work on humility and bringing ambition under His reign!
Ask Him to lead you to the place where you will fit; the place prepared for you in the purpose of God. Then, serve - praying for the gifts of the Spirit to make your contribution to the world something that brings joy, that makes a Kingdom difference, and that makes others say, "I see God in her! What a great God."
______________________________
The wind is moving,
But I am standing still,
A life of pages waiting to be filled,
A heart that's hopeful,
A head that's full of dreams,
But this 'becoming' is harder
Than it seems.
If there are millions
Down on their knees,
Among the many,
Can You still hear me?
Hear me asking, "Where do I belong?"
Is there a vision
That I can call my own?
I'm looking for a reason,
Roaming through the night to find,
My place in this world,
Not a lot to lean on,
I need Your light to help me find,
My place in this world.
Title: Place In This World
Author: Smith, Michael W. / Grant, Amy / Kirkpatrick, Wayne
Copyright: 1990 Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc. / Milene Music, Inc.
Robert McGee wrote about it in a book aptly called, The Search for Significance. I like that phrase as an expression of our universal desire to matter. From an early age, we ask - "Do I matter? Why am I alive? What makes ME a person that others will love and accept?" Yes, of course, this need for purpose and meaning is twisted by our sinfulness and becomes selfish, competitive, and destructive. Because we are sinful, fallen from God's image in which we are created; this need to contribute to the world in a meaningful way gets twisted into something ugly, competitive, and prideful. The search for significance is turned into a quest for approval often based on external 'proofs' of our worthiness- beauty, brains, strength, or wealth.
Under the influence of the sinful nature, our God-given desire to become creative, a person who is contributing something of worth to the world of which we are a part, twists into jealousy - 'why can't I have what he has,'- and selfish ambition - 'I must have first place.' The Bible says, "For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil." (James 3:15-16, NLT) Because of this, many Christians think that the answer is to squash the desire to be beautiful, to do something that stands out, to strive for excellence. What results are people who are boring, bland, sad- and frustrated, too! They become saboteurs that ruin the attempts of others to express themselves in a godly way.
Jesus says, "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 5:15-16, NLT) I am convinced that Spirit-filled Christians should be at the fore-front, people who do whatever they do, at the highest levels. They ought to be the best musicians, the best teachers, the best plumbers, the best land-scapers... THE BEST... not just to prove their worth, but to show God's glory in the world! Let your light shine! In that same passage Jesus refers to the 'saltiness' of those who love and follow Him - meaning that they will be unique, a flavor in the world, a preservative.
Later in the New Testament, the concept of being gifted by the Spirit appears. In that familiar metaphor of the Body of Christ; we learn that ALL of God's children are gifted and that those gifts find maximum expression within the context of the Church. We do have a place, one that the Scripture says that God has prepared for us and equipped us to fill uniquely in our time, according to HIS purposes and plans!
Are you striving for recognition?
Instead of trying killing that need, how about asking the Spirit to make it holy?
Let Him work on humility and bringing ambition under His reign!
Ask Him to lead you to the place where you will fit; the place prepared for you in the purpose of God. Then, serve - praying for the gifts of the Spirit to make your contribution to the world something that brings joy, that makes a Kingdom difference, and that makes others say, "I see God in her! What a great God."
______________________________
The wind is moving,
But I am standing still,
A life of pages waiting to be filled,
A heart that's hopeful,
A head that's full of dreams,
But this 'becoming' is harder
Than it seems.
If there are millions
Down on their knees,
Among the many,
Can You still hear me?
Hear me asking, "Where do I belong?"
Is there a vision
That I can call my own?
I'm looking for a reason,
Roaming through the night to find,
My place in this world,
Not a lot to lean on,
I need Your light to help me find,
My place in this world.
Title: Place In This World
Author: Smith, Michael W. / Grant, Amy / Kirkpatrick, Wayne
Copyright: 1990 Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc. / Milene Music, Inc.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
It's dangerous out there!
The physician stared into the camera and said, "It's going to happen!" The story was about Bird Flu, the much talked about virus, that many researchers think will soon leap the barrier from birds to humans. Many doctors fear devastating death tolls! On ABC News, one doctor said he thought as many as 50% of humans could die! Now that's apocalyptic. Most don't put death rates that high, but many physicians do think that infants, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses could be at high risk IF the Bird Flu infects people.
Pondering the risks of living can be depressing. It can make you want to die. (Not really, but you understand what I mean, right?) Something all of us everyday puts us at greatest risk of injury or death. Yep, I'm talking about driving your car! Across these United States more than 100 people will die today in traffic accidents and thousands more will be injured, many seriously. Aneurysms, tumors, and metabolic disorders - are ticking away inside of many of our bodies at this moment. Pressure is building on fault lines deep beneath the earth's crust. When they snap, tsunamis and earthquakes will wipe out towns. Are you scared yet or should I keep going?
My point is that life is unpredictable. No matter how much we prepare, regardless of just how much caution we exercise, danger remains with us. That's one reason I am glad to be a Christian! Faith in Christ is not a guarantee that only good things will happen to me or to my family. That's foolish superstition. But, with faith in Christ, I know that my hand is held by the Father's hand, and faith teaches me that He knows how to guide me through or even around the challenges that are ahead of me on my road.
The grand cynic of the Scripture, the writer of Ecclesiastes, puts to words what many people think. "It's all emptiness," he moans. "Why get up in the morning? You work hard then you die and somebody else spends your fortune! You think that keeping the rules and being good will get you ahead in life and then the crook drives up in his Hummer, wearing diamonds." - Eccl. 6:12, 8:14 (not exactly his words, but a loose paraphrase) But, he doesn't remain in that place of despair. After pointing out the vanity of a life without God, near the end of his book Solomon sums up the best way to live in a world full of uncertainty, in circumstances that can produce hopelessness. "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV)
Why? Not so that He will reward us with a trouble free life, but rather so that we will live with meaning despite the uncertainties of our existence.
The New Testament adds a clearer understanding of the promise of eternal life, too. There we are reminded that what we experience NOW, isn't the end of the matters of life. "... in life and in death, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died. ... Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.’ Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God." (Romans 14:8-12, NLT)
Yes, life is unpredictable. Trouble comes one day, success another! But, the person who walks with God remains faithful through it all because her goal and purpose isn't just to make it through the day. Rather, she purposes to please the Eternal Father, to patiently endure the trials and to keep her head in success, knowing that when the game is over, the real life for which God created her will have just begun.
Set your hope in eternity. Live joyfully, confidently, faithfully, fearlessly - because you know who holds tomorrow and who holds your hand!
________________
"When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun;
We've no less days,
to sing His praise,
than when we first begun!"
____________________________
Pondering the risks of living can be depressing. It can make you want to die. (Not really, but you understand what I mean, right?) Something all of us everyday puts us at greatest risk of injury or death. Yep, I'm talking about driving your car! Across these United States more than 100 people will die today in traffic accidents and thousands more will be injured, many seriously. Aneurysms, tumors, and metabolic disorders - are ticking away inside of many of our bodies at this moment. Pressure is building on fault lines deep beneath the earth's crust. When they snap, tsunamis and earthquakes will wipe out towns. Are you scared yet or should I keep going?
My point is that life is unpredictable. No matter how much we prepare, regardless of just how much caution we exercise, danger remains with us. That's one reason I am glad to be a Christian! Faith in Christ is not a guarantee that only good things will happen to me or to my family. That's foolish superstition. But, with faith in Christ, I know that my hand is held by the Father's hand, and faith teaches me that He knows how to guide me through or even around the challenges that are ahead of me on my road.
The grand cynic of the Scripture, the writer of Ecclesiastes, puts to words what many people think. "It's all emptiness," he moans. "Why get up in the morning? You work hard then you die and somebody else spends your fortune! You think that keeping the rules and being good will get you ahead in life and then the crook drives up in his Hummer, wearing diamonds." - Eccl. 6:12, 8:14 (not exactly his words, but a loose paraphrase) But, he doesn't remain in that place of despair. After pointing out the vanity of a life without God, near the end of his book Solomon sums up the best way to live in a world full of uncertainty, in circumstances that can produce hopelessness. "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV)
Why? Not so that He will reward us with a trouble free life, but rather so that we will live with meaning despite the uncertainties of our existence.
The New Testament adds a clearer understanding of the promise of eternal life, too. There we are reminded that what we experience NOW, isn't the end of the matters of life. "... in life and in death, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died. ... Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.’ Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God." (Romans 14:8-12, NLT)
Yes, life is unpredictable. Trouble comes one day, success another! But, the person who walks with God remains faithful through it all because her goal and purpose isn't just to make it through the day. Rather, she purposes to please the Eternal Father, to patiently endure the trials and to keep her head in success, knowing that when the game is over, the real life for which God created her will have just begun.
Set your hope in eternity. Live joyfully, confidently, faithfully, fearlessly - because you know who holds tomorrow and who holds your hand!
________________
"When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun;
We've no less days,
to sing His praise,
than when we first begun!"
____________________________
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Makrothumia
People and situations can provoke us, giving us occasion for impatience and even anger! OK, maybe not in your life, but it happens to me. Sometimes, especially when I'm rushed or fatigued, it doesn't take much to fire me up. It can be a little old lady who goes a little too slow in the fast lane. There are more significant fuels that feed the fire of my impatience, too. In that group I would put those people who whine and complain about life in general even when they have it good; those people who are constant critics that find fault no matter what is done or how well it is done; those people who do next to nothing for the group but freely express their opinions about how others should do the work; those who are thoughtless and who impose themselves on others with no sense of how overbearing they are.... yes, I need to stop now. It is not always people who make me impatient. Sometimes it is just hard to wait out the processes of the systems that I am part of in this world. I really like to get the job done, but that's not always possible.
I am sure you could make your own list of people who bug you, and that it would be different from mine. I am sure, too, that the things that make you want to quit would be different from my list. Why? Because we differ in experience, personality, and values. The Bible has a word for all of us in regard to this - Long-suffering. It's an interesting word that in our modern translations usually appears as 'patience.' The Greek(the language in which it was first written) text of the New Testament says that we need makrothumia! (mak·roth·oo·mee·ah) It's a compound word: makros which in terms of place means 'remote,' and by extension means long, long-lasting; and, thumos which refers to passion and anger. Together they indicate, in our idiom, having a very long fuse! The word also carries the meaning of steadiness and endurance.
One place in the New Testament where we find the word, makrothumia, or long-suffering, is in Galatians 5, in the list of those qualities which give evidence of the life of the Spirit in us. As we let God do the quietly miraculous work of transforming us into the likeness of Christ, we become patient, steady people. We finish what He calls us to start regardless of the people who provoke us along the way, in spite of situations that arise that would cause others to just give up.
There is a key to becoming a person of steady endurance, who is patient with people and life. That key? Vision! Without a vision, we end up just being reactors, bouncing off situations and circumstances, ping ponging through life! But with Spirit-inspired vision, we set our sight on the goal, take hold of the hope God puts in us and we stay the course, through Hell and high water.
I have a good friend named Phil who set out 6 years ago to build his own airplane!! No, not a model one, but a real one. Last night, he emailed me pictures of that beautiful bird with this caption, "my airplane flew tonight!" What an accomplishment. He spent countless hours alone in his garage setting rivets, tightening bolts, etc. When he first showed me his 'airplane,' all I saw was an aluminum tube. But, he 'saw' (the vision thing) an airplane and from his vision derived the inspiration to keep working, and working, and working. Today, he enjoys the fruit of his labor.
The Bible points to Jesus Christ as a Model for makrothumia! Take this word from the Word with you today. Pray for God, the Holy Spirit, to make it real - and when you're tested by one of those people who push your buttons, or by circumstances that resist your best efforts - let God develop long-suffering.
-- "Never quit! ... 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 12:1-3 The Message
I am sure you could make your own list of people who bug you, and that it would be different from mine. I am sure, too, that the things that make you want to quit would be different from my list. Why? Because we differ in experience, personality, and values. The Bible has a word for all of us in regard to this - Long-suffering. It's an interesting word that in our modern translations usually appears as 'patience.' The Greek(the language in which it was first written) text of the New Testament says that we need makrothumia! (mak·roth·oo·mee·ah) It's a compound word: makros which in terms of place means 'remote,' and by extension means long, long-lasting; and, thumos which refers to passion and anger. Together they indicate, in our idiom, having a very long fuse! The word also carries the meaning of steadiness and endurance.
One place in the New Testament where we find the word, makrothumia, or long-suffering, is in Galatians 5, in the list of those qualities which give evidence of the life of the Spirit in us. As we let God do the quietly miraculous work of transforming us into the likeness of Christ, we become patient, steady people. We finish what He calls us to start regardless of the people who provoke us along the way, in spite of situations that arise that would cause others to just give up.
There is a key to becoming a person of steady endurance, who is patient with people and life. That key? Vision! Without a vision, we end up just being reactors, bouncing off situations and circumstances, ping ponging through life! But with Spirit-inspired vision, we set our sight on the goal, take hold of the hope God puts in us and we stay the course, through Hell and high water.
I have a good friend named Phil who set out 6 years ago to build his own airplane!! No, not a model one, but a real one. Last night, he emailed me pictures of that beautiful bird with this caption, "my airplane flew tonight!" What an accomplishment. He spent countless hours alone in his garage setting rivets, tightening bolts, etc. When he first showed me his 'airplane,' all I saw was an aluminum tube. But, he 'saw' (the vision thing) an airplane and from his vision derived the inspiration to keep working, and working, and working. Today, he enjoys the fruit of his labor.
The Bible points to Jesus Christ as a Model for makrothumia! Take this word from the Word with you today. Pray for God, the Holy Spirit, to make it real - and when you're tested by one of those people who push your buttons, or by circumstances that resist your best efforts - let God develop long-suffering.
-- "Never quit! ... 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 12:1-3 The Message
Monday, March 13, 2006
God is good, all the time.
Do you try to make praise and thanksgiving a habit? Complaining comes so naturally, doesn't it? A teacher of mine once held up a piece of white poster board, 2' x 3' in dimension. On it he had made a small black dot, no more than 1/8" in diameter. He asked the class, 'what do you see?' You know the answer, right? We all saw a tiny dot! Not one of us mentioned the poster board! Why? We were looking for the anomaly.
So often we take note only of the flaws in life, don't we?
The smallest things irritate us.
The voice of the lone critic drowns out the voices of many who support our cause.
The one disappointing situation blocks our perception of the dozens of blessings!
But, we can choose to live differently! Yes, we can become encouragers, positive people who see reasons for praise. And, in this we find joy and reflect God's goodness to our world. Here's how: "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!" (Philippians 4:4-5, The Message)
The Spirit teaches us three principles that make consistent joy available to us:
1. We are God-focused, looking past the temporal problems.
2. We learn to live cooperatively with others.
2. We set our hope on Eternity and God's perfection that will come with Christ's coming as King!
We must stay intimately connected to the Lord, accepting that He has ALL things in His hands, that He is always working for our good, no matter what other people or even the Devil, for that matter, is trying to work against us. God takes the worst things in life, and as we trust Him, and works to bring purpose from them. Sound too 'Pollyanna-ish' for you? It's not just me saying this. It is God's truth. "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory." (Romans 8:28-30, NLT)
Be careful not to mis-read that passage. We are not told that everything that happens to us is wonderful. That's simply not true. Tragedies happen. Evil people try to destroy us. The demons of Hell try to frustrate God's plans and purposes. But, the Word tells us, God is greater- than the world (those systems that oppose His work), the flesh (our sinful nature that resists His will), and the Devil (that Liar who tries to deceive people into rebellion)! God, the Holy Spirit, is always at work, in us and in the circumstances around us, as we cooperate with Him, to turn those situations around. I know that begs the question, "well, why doesn't He stop those things before they happen?" That's the $million question that will have to wait for Heaven! Meanwhile, He teaches us to trust Him.
This week, choose JOY! Take those three principles of joyful living, outlined above, and write them down. Then, practice them.
Pray for God's help. You will find yourself feeling new peacefulness, new hope, and yes, joy. I believe that because God promised it.
Let's make a Kingdom difference, Believer, by rising above our circumstances on the wings of the Spirit.
______________________
God is good all the time.
He put a song of praise,
In this heart of mine;
God is good all the time.
Through the darkest night,
His light will shine;
God is good,
God is good all the time.
Though I may not understand,
All the plans You have for me,
My life is in Your hands,
And through the eyes of faith,
I can clearly see.
If you're walking through the valley,
And there are shadows all around,
Do not fear, He will guide You,
He will keep you safe and sound.
He has promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you, and His Word is true.
We were sinners so unworthy,
Still for us He chose to die;
Filled us with His Holy Spirit,
Now we can stand and testify,
That His love is everlasting,
And His mercies,
they will never end.
Title: God Is Good All The Time
Author: Moen, Don / Overstreet, PaulCopyright: 1995 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / Scarlet Moon (Admin. by Copyright Management, Inc.)
So often we take note only of the flaws in life, don't we?
The smallest things irritate us.
The voice of the lone critic drowns out the voices of many who support our cause.
The one disappointing situation blocks our perception of the dozens of blessings!
But, we can choose to live differently! Yes, we can become encouragers, positive people who see reasons for praise. And, in this we find joy and reflect God's goodness to our world. Here's how: "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!" (Philippians 4:4-5, The Message)
The Spirit teaches us three principles that make consistent joy available to us:
1. We are God-focused, looking past the temporal problems.
2. We learn to live cooperatively with others.
2. We set our hope on Eternity and God's perfection that will come with Christ's coming as King!
We must stay intimately connected to the Lord, accepting that He has ALL things in His hands, that He is always working for our good, no matter what other people or even the Devil, for that matter, is trying to work against us. God takes the worst things in life, and as we trust Him, and works to bring purpose from them. Sound too 'Pollyanna-ish' for you? It's not just me saying this. It is God's truth. "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory." (Romans 8:28-30, NLT)
Be careful not to mis-read that passage. We are not told that everything that happens to us is wonderful. That's simply not true. Tragedies happen. Evil people try to destroy us. The demons of Hell try to frustrate God's plans and purposes. But, the Word tells us, God is greater- than the world (those systems that oppose His work), the flesh (our sinful nature that resists His will), and the Devil (that Liar who tries to deceive people into rebellion)! God, the Holy Spirit, is always at work, in us and in the circumstances around us, as we cooperate with Him, to turn those situations around. I know that begs the question, "well, why doesn't He stop those things before they happen?" That's the $million question that will have to wait for Heaven! Meanwhile, He teaches us to trust Him.
This week, choose JOY! Take those three principles of joyful living, outlined above, and write them down. Then, practice them.
Pray for God's help. You will find yourself feeling new peacefulness, new hope, and yes, joy. I believe that because God promised it.
Let's make a Kingdom difference, Believer, by rising above our circumstances on the wings of the Spirit.
______________________
God is good all the time.
He put a song of praise,
In this heart of mine;
God is good all the time.
Through the darkest night,
His light will shine;
God is good,
God is good all the time.
Though I may not understand,
All the plans You have for me,
My life is in Your hands,
And through the eyes of faith,
I can clearly see.
If you're walking through the valley,
And there are shadows all around,
Do not fear, He will guide You,
He will keep you safe and sound.
He has promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you, and His Word is true.
We were sinners so unworthy,
Still for us He chose to die;
Filled us with His Holy Spirit,
Now we can stand and testify,
That His love is everlasting,
And His mercies,
they will never end.
Title: God Is Good All The Time
Author: Moen, Don / Overstreet, PaulCopyright: 1995 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / Scarlet Moon (Admin. by Copyright Management, Inc.)
Friday, March 10, 2006
Don't remodel; build new!
This coming Sunday at the Assembly, four people will be baptized. It's a joyful time marking a new beginning. When I conduct baptisms, I always encourage the congregation to participate in this way. "When the person comes up out of the water," I say, "let's cheer, whoop, and clap- celebrating this moment that signifies his new life in Christ." We are right to do this because the Bible says they are emerging to new life. Take a look, "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection." (Romans 6:3-5, NIV)
Sometimes I forget how differently a Spirit-filled Believer sees life because I am immersed in a world of other Christians. As I was driving from an appointment yesterday, I happened on a radio station where the DJ's were talking about the way they planned to spend their weekend. They were discussing how they would meet their circle of friends in the bar; the way that they planned to brag about their sexual conquests, how the conversations would become more lewd and explicit as they got drunk. Then, they launched into a discussion of who they would like to have sex with so they could brag about it! After about 10 minutes, I tuned away from the station, thinking, "wow, I really do live differently!"
Thank the Lord! I won't have any hangover to contend with on Monday morning. I won't have to worry about a guilty conscience or an STD, for that matter. My weekend will be spent with family and friends, the high point being time in the Presence of God's Spirit, rejoicing and praying. I'm not writing this from a lofty position of superiority. Please don't read it that way. I am writing this in humble recognition of what the Lord has done for me! His grace found me, His love changed me, His death gave me new life.
Christianity isn't about a make-over of the soul. Jesus doesn't give us a spiritual face-lift or teach us to use spiritual cosmetics so we merely 'look better' than we did previously. He makes us new. "Born again" is His phrase. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul exults in the work of God on our behalf writing - "...those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" This newness of life reaches into every part of who we are - new purpose, new hope, new destiny, new perspectives. The Believer transcends this temporal world's limitations even while he lives in it. In Christ, the Believer enters into eternal life - right now! What wonder, what glory, what a reason to celebrate.
Yes, I know that we relapse into sin, from time to time. That is because we are being perfected in the image of Christ, in an ongoing process. I am not who I was, nor I am yet all that I will be. It pains me when flashes of the old life re-appear and I fall into disobedience, selfishness, and sensuality. But the fact that it pains me is evidence of the Christ-life in me! The Spirit-life that is working in me makes me able to feel the disapproval of God.
Have you truly entered into the New Life of Christ or are you just trying your best to be a better person? The latter is a religious response to the universal human need for restoration to God. But, the limit of religion is that it can only re-model our life house, using the methods of guilt and self-discipline. And, in the end, all a religious person has is a superficial change in appearance. There is no lasting joy from really knowing God or knowing the gift of life eternal. The person who is touched by the Spirit is truly NEW.
So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.
Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you.
(Colossians 3:1-4 The Message)
Sometimes I forget how differently a Spirit-filled Believer sees life because I am immersed in a world of other Christians. As I was driving from an appointment yesterday, I happened on a radio station where the DJ's were talking about the way they planned to spend their weekend. They were discussing how they would meet their circle of friends in the bar; the way that they planned to brag about their sexual conquests, how the conversations would become more lewd and explicit as they got drunk. Then, they launched into a discussion of who they would like to have sex with so they could brag about it! After about 10 minutes, I tuned away from the station, thinking, "wow, I really do live differently!"
Thank the Lord! I won't have any hangover to contend with on Monday morning. I won't have to worry about a guilty conscience or an STD, for that matter. My weekend will be spent with family and friends, the high point being time in the Presence of God's Spirit, rejoicing and praying. I'm not writing this from a lofty position of superiority. Please don't read it that way. I am writing this in humble recognition of what the Lord has done for me! His grace found me, His love changed me, His death gave me new life.
Christianity isn't about a make-over of the soul. Jesus doesn't give us a spiritual face-lift or teach us to use spiritual cosmetics so we merely 'look better' than we did previously. He makes us new. "Born again" is His phrase. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul exults in the work of God on our behalf writing - "...those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" This newness of life reaches into every part of who we are - new purpose, new hope, new destiny, new perspectives. The Believer transcends this temporal world's limitations even while he lives in it. In Christ, the Believer enters into eternal life - right now! What wonder, what glory, what a reason to celebrate.
Yes, I know that we relapse into sin, from time to time. That is because we are being perfected in the image of Christ, in an ongoing process. I am not who I was, nor I am yet all that I will be. It pains me when flashes of the old life re-appear and I fall into disobedience, selfishness, and sensuality. But the fact that it pains me is evidence of the Christ-life in me! The Spirit-life that is working in me makes me able to feel the disapproval of God.
Have you truly entered into the New Life of Christ or are you just trying your best to be a better person? The latter is a religious response to the universal human need for restoration to God. But, the limit of religion is that it can only re-model our life house, using the methods of guilt and self-discipline. And, in the end, all a religious person has is a superficial change in appearance. There is no lasting joy from really knowing God or knowing the gift of life eternal. The person who is touched by the Spirit is truly NEW.
So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.
Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you.
(Colossians 3:1-4 The Message)
Thursday, March 09, 2006
In on the secret
Classified! Top Secret! Many organization and government has secrets that closely held. Some of these are super important, critical to security and safety and some are, well, not all that earth shattering; as in, KFC has the colonel's secret recipe for making chicken taste good. Those with knowledge of the secrets enjoy powerful privilege, don't they?
As Believers, you and I have access to the secrets of the Kingdom of God! What a privilege, what an honor God has given to us in revealing Himself and His ways to us. Jesus said, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you." (Mark 4:11, NIV) What He meant was that those called by the Spirit and made alive in Spirit, grasp the realities of God's rule while those without the Spirit see nothing at all! When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor was puzzled by the accusation made against him that he was a king inciting rebellion. He asked, "Where is your kingdom?" Jesus answered him with these words, cryptic to those without faith, "“My kingdom doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”" (John 18:36, The Message) So was He delusional? Of course not. Those who follow Him today are not deluded, either, though they are often accused of being 'out of touch' by those who cannot understand the Kingdom of God. We see the unseen and live by a wisdom that transcends the knowledge of this world. God, the Spirit, gives to us the secrets of the Kingdom!
Living in the Kingdom lets us understand the riddles that puzzle unbelievers -
"Die to live."
"Give to gain."
"Serve to rule."
"Turn the other cheek."
"Forgive those who mistreat you." Matthew 5 begins with the Beatitudes which are sheer nonsense to those who are not given the secret of the Kingdom! "Blessed are the poor in spirit... blessed are those who mourn... blessed are the meek." Such words invite ridicule in a world where the rich, the happy, and the powerful are envied and emulated, yet they make sense to those who know the secret Kingdom, who organize their lives by the laws of Heaven.
Paul tell of the secrets of the Kingdom, too. "I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world, and not the kind that appeals to the rulers of this world, who are being brought to nothing. No, the wisdom we speak of is the secret wisdom of God, which was hidden in former times, though he made it for our benefit before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would never have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets." (1 Corinthians 2:6-10, NLT)
Which wisdom, dear friend, shapes your decisions? Are you living by the conventional wisdom that teaches you to go for the gusto as you reach for your potential? Are you living to die, your only hope being what you can enjoy in these fleeting days of your earthly existence? There is a secret Kingdom that you can know. It is seen through eyes of faith, made plain by the Spirit revelation. Jesus told a man of power and prominence - “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God...The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:3, 5 NLT)
Receive Christ today! Let the Spirit cause you to be born anew, a living child of God, in on the secret of eternal life, heavenly life right here and now!
Receive Christ today! Let the Spirit cause you to be born anew, a living child of God, in on the secret of eternal life, heavenly life right here and now!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Bearers of God's image?
A friend told me of a couple who aborted their baby. Physicians had told them that their unborn child was likely to have birth defects that would complicate his life and so they ended it. As he related this story, set in juxtaposition to his own story of grief over a lost son, I wanted to be angry, but I could only feel profound sadness. What kind of world has this become where only the 'perfect' are valued? (Who can lay claim to perfection, anyway?) How have we come to be so deceived by beauty that we would think that ending the life of a tiny one, still in the protective womb of his mother, is a choice that we could or should make?
This story stayed with me all day, making me think long and hard about how I treat others. Do I love the unlovely, lift up the broken or do I throw away people whom I have concluded are 'defective?' In a loveless world, am I a person who loves, and in that, do I reflect the great Love that found me in my broken state? It isn't just aborted babies that bear witness to the brutality of our utilitarian society.
The legions of kids with eating disorders who are willing to starve themselves to death in pursuit of a 'perfect' body give witness to our worship of an illusionary perfect self.
The inmates in our burgeoning prison populations, people that are thrown away by society becoming 'non-persons' to the rest of us because they are 'defects,' are witness to our failure to reach for answers that recognize the broken dignity of our brothers. Locking up a drug addict is an easy response, but it is not a real answer to the problem.
The hateful words that spew out of talk radio and the 24/7 TV news channels should alarm us because they polarize people. Labels that are hung on others of differing political or religions persuasions cause us to write off people who see the world differently as 'stupid' and therefore not worthy of a serious dialogue.
$Billions spent to build military machines whose sole mission is to kill people efficiently are evidence that we do not see others in this world as our brothers and sisters. How many wars must humanity wage before we learn that violence is the sire of more and greater violence?
The Bible says, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:26-27, NIV) The 6.5 billion souls that share this planet with you and me are the creative work of God, bearers of His image, worthy of dignity and respect. Yes, evil has marred that image. There is brokenness of body and spirit that obscure the image of God. The message of Christ Jesus is that the broken image is not a reason to reject, but a reason to love. God did not abort his relationship with humanity because of our rebellion, our pride, and our pursuit of other gods. Instead, "God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." (Romans 5:8, The Message)
Love is hard! Hate is easy! Love demands involvement, self-sacrifice, identification with those who suffer. Hate allows me to demean another, to depersonalize, to withdraw my concern, even to kill and sanction killing!
You may disagree with some of my conclusions in this TFTD, but would you take this word from God's Word into your thoughts for today?
Invite the Holy Spirit to make God's image, as seen in the face of people with whom you live, more clear. And as you see others as 'children of God' will you love them, as He does? I will, will you?
"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other." (1 John 4:7-11, NLT)
This story stayed with me all day, making me think long and hard about how I treat others. Do I love the unlovely, lift up the broken or do I throw away people whom I have concluded are 'defective?' In a loveless world, am I a person who loves, and in that, do I reflect the great Love that found me in my broken state? It isn't just aborted babies that bear witness to the brutality of our utilitarian society.
The legions of kids with eating disorders who are willing to starve themselves to death in pursuit of a 'perfect' body give witness to our worship of an illusionary perfect self.
The inmates in our burgeoning prison populations, people that are thrown away by society becoming 'non-persons' to the rest of us because they are 'defects,' are witness to our failure to reach for answers that recognize the broken dignity of our brothers. Locking up a drug addict is an easy response, but it is not a real answer to the problem.
The hateful words that spew out of talk radio and the 24/7 TV news channels should alarm us because they polarize people. Labels that are hung on others of differing political or religions persuasions cause us to write off people who see the world differently as 'stupid' and therefore not worthy of a serious dialogue.
$Billions spent to build military machines whose sole mission is to kill people efficiently are evidence that we do not see others in this world as our brothers and sisters. How many wars must humanity wage before we learn that violence is the sire of more and greater violence?
The Bible says, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:26-27, NIV) The 6.5 billion souls that share this planet with you and me are the creative work of God, bearers of His image, worthy of dignity and respect. Yes, evil has marred that image. There is brokenness of body and spirit that obscure the image of God. The message of Christ Jesus is that the broken image is not a reason to reject, but a reason to love. God did not abort his relationship with humanity because of our rebellion, our pride, and our pursuit of other gods. Instead, "God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." (Romans 5:8, The Message)
Love is hard! Hate is easy! Love demands involvement, self-sacrifice, identification with those who suffer. Hate allows me to demean another, to depersonalize, to withdraw my concern, even to kill and sanction killing!
You may disagree with some of my conclusions in this TFTD, but would you take this word from God's Word into your thoughts for today?
Invite the Holy Spirit to make God's image, as seen in the face of people with whom you live, more clear. And as you see others as 'children of God' will you love them, as He does? I will, will you?
"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other." (1 John 4:7-11, NLT)
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Throw it away!
Years ago, Mom and Dad took Bev and I to look at a house they were considering for purchase. When we stepped through the front door, our eyes were met by a strange sight. Little trails created a maze that led through piles of old furniture, old newspapers, trinkets, and just plain junk! The stuff was piled 6' high everywhere in the house, tons of it cluttering a home that could have been quite lovely. It was amazing, adding a new definition to the word - save. The lady who lived in the house apparently couldn't discard anything. She loved her stuff. As a result she lived in a garbage dump, literally surrounded by yesterday's trash.
Do you keep a lot of stuff? Mostly I like to clean up, throw away, and keep life lean and clean - except for books! Throwing away a book, even one that I know I'll never read again, is hard for me. Why? Because I really love books. Throwing away yesterday's newspaper brings no angst whatever. Again, primarily that is because I attach no value to it.
In Ephesians Believers are urged to clean up our lives! Paul says - "...everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it!" (4:22, The Message) What's the state of your heart house? Are the rooms in it full of junk and clutter? Is the memory room stuffed with yesterday's regrets and old grudges? Is the treasure room filled floor to ceiling with dusty relics of no real value? Are old sins and habits piled high in the living room? Here's the hard question - why are you hanging onto those things? Honestly, could it be that you still love them, that you are unwilling to part with them because just having those old familiar things around comforts you in some strange way? Get rid of it!
Believer, God offers a thorough house cleaning to us! He won't step in and take away the old stuff unless we invite Him to do it. The Bible says, "there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness—righteous, holy, and true." (Ephesians 4:23-24, NLT) God, the Holy Spirit, will give us a vision for the future, a glimpse of what we can become in Christ that allows us to let go of the stuff that has defined us in the past. Ah, but it takes real faith to let go of what we know so we can take hold of what is promised, doesn't it?
The stuff we hold onto reveals what we love.
If we hold onto old habits that we know offend God, it reveals that we love them.
If we admit that and stop offering up excuses, we can break their hold over us with the help of the Spirit.
If we treasure yesterday's trophies too much, we will not reach for tomorrow's promise, either.
This Springtime, many households will engage in spring cleaning. With the new season, stuff will be sorted through and cleaned out. Let's not just clean up our houses. How about a thorough clean up in our hearts and minds? Invite God, the Spirit, to lead you through the rooms in your heart house. Let Him remove the clutter and junk that keeps Him from moving in. "Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. ... And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, NLT)
By the way, that old house full of junk that Mom and Dad showed us 30 years ago? They bought it and it became a very nice country home, inviting and comfortable, a place of hospitality that has served the family well! Let God transform your life - cleaning out the junk, creating true beauty.
______________
Are you living in an old man's rubble?
Are you listenin' to the father of lies?
If you are then you're headed for trouble;
If you listen too long, you'll eventually die!
Are you puzzled by the way that you're behavin'?
Do you wonder why you do the things you do?
Are you troubled by your lack of resistance;
do you fell that something's got a hold on you?
Well, deep within' you there's a spiritual battle,
there's a voice of the darkness and a voice of the light.
And just by listening you've made a decision,
'Cause the voice you hear is gonna' win the fight
Are you living in an old man's rubble?
Are you listenin' to the father of lies?
If you are then you're headed for trouble;
If you listen too long, you'll eventually die!
But if you're living as a new creation,
If you're listening to the Father of light:
Then you're living in a mighty fortress
and you're gonna' be clothed in power and might!
Old Man's Rubble - Amy Grant, 1977
Do you keep a lot of stuff? Mostly I like to clean up, throw away, and keep life lean and clean - except for books! Throwing away a book, even one that I know I'll never read again, is hard for me. Why? Because I really love books. Throwing away yesterday's newspaper brings no angst whatever. Again, primarily that is because I attach no value to it.
In Ephesians Believers are urged to clean up our lives! Paul says - "...everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it!" (4:22, The Message) What's the state of your heart house? Are the rooms in it full of junk and clutter? Is the memory room stuffed with yesterday's regrets and old grudges? Is the treasure room filled floor to ceiling with dusty relics of no real value? Are old sins and habits piled high in the living room? Here's the hard question - why are you hanging onto those things? Honestly, could it be that you still love them, that you are unwilling to part with them because just having those old familiar things around comforts you in some strange way? Get rid of it!
Believer, God offers a thorough house cleaning to us! He won't step in and take away the old stuff unless we invite Him to do it. The Bible says, "there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness—righteous, holy, and true." (Ephesians 4:23-24, NLT) God, the Holy Spirit, will give us a vision for the future, a glimpse of what we can become in Christ that allows us to let go of the stuff that has defined us in the past. Ah, but it takes real faith to let go of what we know so we can take hold of what is promised, doesn't it?
The stuff we hold onto reveals what we love.
If we hold onto old habits that we know offend God, it reveals that we love them.
If we admit that and stop offering up excuses, we can break their hold over us with the help of the Spirit.
If we treasure yesterday's trophies too much, we will not reach for tomorrow's promise, either.
This Springtime, many households will engage in spring cleaning. With the new season, stuff will be sorted through and cleaned out. Let's not just clean up our houses. How about a thorough clean up in our hearts and minds? Invite God, the Spirit, to lead you through the rooms in your heart house. Let Him remove the clutter and junk that keeps Him from moving in. "Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. ... And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, NLT)
By the way, that old house full of junk that Mom and Dad showed us 30 years ago? They bought it and it became a very nice country home, inviting and comfortable, a place of hospitality that has served the family well! Let God transform your life - cleaning out the junk, creating true beauty.
______________
Are you living in an old man's rubble?
Are you listenin' to the father of lies?
If you are then you're headed for trouble;
If you listen too long, you'll eventually die!
Are you puzzled by the way that you're behavin'?
Do you wonder why you do the things you do?
Are you troubled by your lack of resistance;
do you fell that something's got a hold on you?
Well, deep within' you there's a spiritual battle,
there's a voice of the darkness and a voice of the light.
And just by listening you've made a decision,
'Cause the voice you hear is gonna' win the fight
Are you living in an old man's rubble?
Are you listenin' to the father of lies?
If you are then you're headed for trouble;
If you listen too long, you'll eventually die!
But if you're living as a new creation,
If you're listening to the Father of light:
Then you're living in a mighty fortress
and you're gonna' be clothed in power and might!
Old Man's Rubble - Amy Grant, 1977
Monday, March 06, 2006
Living a lie?
The church which I serve as pastor is currently in the process of finding a Minister to Youth. Since we posted this available position publicly, we have received 40+ resumes. Last week I received a lengthy one. As I started to read, it became obvious, rather quickly, that the applicant was puffing his record. He claimed membership on international ministry boards, asserted that he was the founder of several ministries, etc. His title - the Rev. Dr. - raised a flag of cautious interest, too. Not too many Ph. D.'s are interested in youth ministry positions paying entry level salaries! So, I turned to the page where he listed the institutions where he had earned his educational credentials. They were Internet diploma mills. I filed that one in the garbage can! People who try to be someone they are not are tragic figures!
There are not many things that are more destructive to relationships than dishonesty. People who inflate their accomplishments, who misrepresent themselves - OK, let's just say it, who lie! - lose our trust and faith. Yet, everywhere we go, we find lies, misrepresentations, and image building going on. It happens to such an extent that we are forced to ask, "What's really going on here? What's real; what's 'spin?' " The most tragic figure is that person who has pretended before the world and to himself for so long that he has started to believe his own stories! Truth and fiction are a hopelessly tangled knot that only God can unravel.
Jesus does not tip toe around the issue of honesty. In a rebuke to some who refused his teaching he said - "...the Devil, ... has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!" (John 8:44-45, NLT) Ouch! When we speak less than truthfully, we become like the Enemy of God whose stock in trade is deception and lies! Evil thrives on lies. When it is exposed to the Light, it cannot survive. Lies, when confronted with Truth, are like inflated balloons that meet sharp needles! Bang! They collapse, deprived of the hot air that gave them the appearance of substance!
Truth is resilient. Jesus even claims Truth as one of His names - "I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life!" Yes, it is hard to commit to integrity, to telling the truth, isn't it? It is hard to admit to our sins and failures, first to ourselves, then to God, and then to those we have offended. But it is liberating, too. A person who has committed to living with integrity never has to worry about keeping his stories straight. He never has to be anxious about being exposed by someone 'who knows too much!'
The Bible says, "Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire." (Colossians 3:9, The Message) Embrace the truth. There are few things as refreshing as a person who is authentic, who knows who he is, who is content in his own skin. As we let God love us, we do not need to impress, pretend, or hide. He knows us as we are; indeed, even better than we know ourselves - and loves us. When we believe that and receive His love, confessing our sins and failures, He forgives and cleans us up.
Got a few skeletons hidden away? Trying to impress others with stories that have a little 'added' content? Open up to Christ! Let Him love you to the truth.
Here's a word from the Word for this day. Take it with you today. Note the end result - underlined in the passage!
As we grow up in Christ, "then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:14-16, NLT)
There are not many things that are more destructive to relationships than dishonesty. People who inflate their accomplishments, who misrepresent themselves - OK, let's just say it, who lie! - lose our trust and faith. Yet, everywhere we go, we find lies, misrepresentations, and image building going on. It happens to such an extent that we are forced to ask, "What's really going on here? What's real; what's 'spin?' " The most tragic figure is that person who has pretended before the world and to himself for so long that he has started to believe his own stories! Truth and fiction are a hopelessly tangled knot that only God can unravel.
Jesus does not tip toe around the issue of honesty. In a rebuke to some who refused his teaching he said - "...the Devil, ... has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!" (John 8:44-45, NLT) Ouch! When we speak less than truthfully, we become like the Enemy of God whose stock in trade is deception and lies! Evil thrives on lies. When it is exposed to the Light, it cannot survive. Lies, when confronted with Truth, are like inflated balloons that meet sharp needles! Bang! They collapse, deprived of the hot air that gave them the appearance of substance!
Truth is resilient. Jesus even claims Truth as one of His names - "I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life!" Yes, it is hard to commit to integrity, to telling the truth, isn't it? It is hard to admit to our sins and failures, first to ourselves, then to God, and then to those we have offended. But it is liberating, too. A person who has committed to living with integrity never has to worry about keeping his stories straight. He never has to be anxious about being exposed by someone 'who knows too much!'
The Bible says, "Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire." (Colossians 3:9, The Message) Embrace the truth. There are few things as refreshing as a person who is authentic, who knows who he is, who is content in his own skin. As we let God love us, we do not need to impress, pretend, or hide. He knows us as we are; indeed, even better than we know ourselves - and loves us. When we believe that and receive His love, confessing our sins and failures, He forgives and cleans us up.
Got a few skeletons hidden away? Trying to impress others with stories that have a little 'added' content? Open up to Christ! Let Him love you to the truth.
Here's a word from the Word for this day. Take it with you today. Note the end result - underlined in the passage!
As we grow up in Christ, "then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:14-16, NLT)
Friday, March 03, 2006
When people unite
Last night, an icy, miserable night, I sat in the church's Fellowship Center at tables with about a dozen ministry leaders and was I ever encouraged! The meeting was about our 2006-2007 Fiscal Year budget. Fun, right? Yet as each person talked about what their ministry was doing, who attends, and what they saw as their pressing needs, a new level of sharing entered the picture. In every case, whether a kid's focused effort, a 'whole church' effort, or work in grounds and maintenance which is often perceived as being a less 'spiritual' work; what we heard were stories of hundreds of hours, and thousands of dollars being invested in making a Kingdom difference in the world. As we wrapped it up, one participant remarked- "I had no idea what others were doing for God in this church! We should do this more often." Imagine that- people asking for another budget meeting! It was wonderful to know what God is doing with one congregation.
Washington Assembly is not a large church by any stretch of the imagination! There isn't much chance that Christianity Today will be writing us up in a feature article any time soon. But she is a church with a great heart for God and His work in the world. The amazing thing is just how much a few (relatively speaking) people who are Spirit-gifted, passionate about changing lives, and unified in mission and purpose are accomplishing under the Lordship of Jesus.
Are you contributing to the work of the Body of Christ? No, not just financially, though that is important, but in time and effort and cooperation?
Are you weaving a network of connections, a web of supportive relationships with people of like mind and heart?
Are you aware of what others in your network are doing, rejoicing in their successes, supporting them in their disappointments?
That's how we change the world.
The Church is not a place for competition. It's not a place to thump our chests and strut our stuff. It's not about who's more important, or who has a bigger chunk of the annual budget. It's about MINISTRY, making God look good and building up people at the same time.
The Word urges us to get together. Read this passage slowly, with comprehension.
Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.
There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. (Ephesians 4:2-7, NLT)
United in purpose, different in giftedness - that's what makes Christ's church effective.
There's a world that waits for us to bring them the message of hope in Jesus Christ. There are broken, lonely people who wait for us to extend a hand of mercy. There are children waiting to be taught the Way to Life. There are marriages waiting to be strengthened by the infusion of the love of Jesus. There are men and women who are waiting to shown the way to know God's Presence, the joy of saying 'Yes,' to God's purposes.
Are you part of the need or part of the solution?
Join the Team. Let's make a Kingdom Difference together!
Washington Assembly is not a large church by any stretch of the imagination! There isn't much chance that Christianity Today will be writing us up in a feature article any time soon. But she is a church with a great heart for God and His work in the world. The amazing thing is just how much a few (relatively speaking) people who are Spirit-gifted, passionate about changing lives, and unified in mission and purpose are accomplishing under the Lordship of Jesus.
Are you contributing to the work of the Body of Christ? No, not just financially, though that is important, but in time and effort and cooperation?
Are you weaving a network of connections, a web of supportive relationships with people of like mind and heart?
Are you aware of what others in your network are doing, rejoicing in their successes, supporting them in their disappointments?
That's how we change the world.
The Church is not a place for competition. It's not a place to thump our chests and strut our stuff. It's not about who's more important, or who has a bigger chunk of the annual budget. It's about MINISTRY, making God look good and building up people at the same time.
The Word urges us to get together. Read this passage slowly, with comprehension.
Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.
There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. (Ephesians 4:2-7, NLT)
United in purpose, different in giftedness - that's what makes Christ's church effective.
There's a world that waits for us to bring them the message of hope in Jesus Christ. There are broken, lonely people who wait for us to extend a hand of mercy. There are children waiting to be taught the Way to Life. There are marriages waiting to be strengthened by the infusion of the love of Jesus. There are men and women who are waiting to shown the way to know God's Presence, the joy of saying 'Yes,' to God's purposes.
Are you part of the need or part of the solution?
Join the Team. Let's make a Kingdom Difference together!
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