What's God Saying this Week

Compassion Never Forgets

2012-02-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

“For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.” —Deuteronomy 4:31

This past summer, I began to radically watch how much and what I eat. I’ve lost 40 pounds, and I know many of you claimed to have found it. My challenge now is to keep it off. I have cut down on salt, and I weigh myself every morning. If I eat just a few pretzels or even a chip or two, I can gain pounds by my morning weigh-in. Funny thing about salt; it works best when it isn’t noticed. If there is no salt in the food, there is a missing flavor. If you add too much salt and notice it, you have added too much. Just the right amount, not too much, not too little, makes the food taste just right. Also, our bodies need salt to live, but too much salt leads to high blood pressure and water retention.

Like most of life, a delicate balance is needed. One of the traits of God’s character is a delicate balance between God’s holiness and God’s love. One cannot control the other, but one cannot exist without the other. God is angry about sin, but loves sinners so much that He gave His only Son for us. Human beings struggle to balance holiness and love. In striving to be holy, we often become prideful and judgmental. In our desire to love, we tend to overlook blatant sinfulness in others’ lives and offer cheap grace like a swinging door.

The first of the two great commandments instructs us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength…Mark 12:30. That’s passion. When we get it, we often over get it. We become so focused on doing things our own way that we believe it is the only way. We become testy when other Christians suggest that there are other ways to love and serve God.

Remember James and John, nicknamed the Sons of Thunder, who wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy the Samaritan’s for their lack of hospitality toward Jesus. Jesus replied, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:55 NKJV). The disciples were passionate, but often misguided.

God is a passionate God. God created the universe, our world, and human beings with a plan and purpose. In fulfilling that purpose, God has bound Himself to us in love. Even though we forget God’s love and rebel against His plans, God never forgets His promises. God is merciful and does not forget the covenant. Deuteronomy 4 describes that covenant in verse 20, “But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.”

Deuteronomy 4:21 and 24 reveals God as, “a consuming fire, a jealous God,” who is angry over sin. The balance to God’s character is found in verse 31, “God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget.” Compassion will not abandon a lost sheep, but will leave the 99 to go and search for one lost soul. Compassion does not destroy those who have fallen; rather, compassion comes to seek and to save the lost. Compassion never forgets. Compassion remembers the hurting and remembers God’s promises.

God is a compassionate God who is passionate about saving fallen human beings. Living among fallen humanity, it is difficult for us to balance holiness and love. But in Jesus Christ, we can be sure that God appeased His anger with the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God. Yes, God loves you and me that much. If God is a God of all compassion, shouldn’t we, His children, remember the least, the last, and the lost?

American Idols

2012-02-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

“Do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” —Deuteronomy 4:23-4

The American Idol show is back and alive and well. This reality TV show auditions would be singers from across the nation and allows the American public to vote for their favorites. Contestants are eliminated one by one until only one remains, the next American Idol. The show has changed celebrity judges and gone to different cities but continues as a top rated program.

The idols of our American culture may change color, shape, and size through the years but remain alive and well, today. One may define an idol as “anything other than God that we are tempted to worship, emulate, or believe will save us.” To the average American in pursuit of the American dream, an idol may be anything we believe can bring us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s built in our DNA.

A few years ago, I identified five American Idols. I believe they, too, are alive and well.

Viva Las Vegas—pleasure brings peace and contentment.

The Mall—the accumulation of things will bring us safety and joy.

The Big Game—a fixation on sports and winning.

Fame—celebrity worship

Wireless—always being connected and on the go.

As I reviewed the list, I thought I really don’t struggle much with idols. Well, OK, I only watch golf if Tiger Woods or John Daley is playing. Talk about fallen celebrity worship. I was feeling pretty smug until I read a book by Greg Dutcher, You are the Treasure that I Seek. The subtitle really describes the challenge for us, “But there’s a lot of cool stuff out there, Lord.”

Dutcher says one way to identify the idols you worship is by observing that when your idol shakes, you shake. I thought about the things that trouble me or keep me awake at night. The lack of growth in the church, a poorly attended worship service, or a drop in giving causes me to stress. I guess I equate numerical success with God’s approval. Success may become an idol.

God called me to proclaim the Good News to those who have never heard or somehow missed it growing up. Since I use an interpersonal and testimonial style of evangelism, I depend upon personal attraction and character. In idol terms, I want people to like and respect me. In serving that idol, I seek to please people and do the right thing at the same time. One can seldom do both. Jesus always did the right thing, but they crucified Him.

What American idols are keeping you from following the Lord more fully? Maybe the five listed above aren’t problems for you. Then, identify yours. When your idol shakes, you will shake. So ask yourself, “What causes me to shake?” The scriptures tell us that God is a jealous God, an all consuming fire. God will not tolerate idols in any form. Ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal anything that competes with God for your love and devotion. Repent. Seek Jesus as your one and only treasure.

Carrying Your Own Load

2012-02-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

^“For each one should carry their own load.” —Galatians 6:5

My first “real” job was working for a carpenter in the summers. I lied (Is stretching the truth really a lie?) about my age so he would hire me. I was 16 and my birthday was coming in a few weeks. I told my boss, I was seventeen (well almost) and my birthday was in July. Later, I asked him what he would have done if I would have been injured on a construction site, he replied, “I figured you lied to me, you’d have to lie to the insurance company, too.”

My first day on the job, we were building an addition to a church, how ironic. Being the youngest man, or boy, on the crew and having never worked on roofs, I struggled to keep up fumbling to get roofing nails from my pouch to my hand and into my two fingers for nailing while trying to hang on. Working in pairs, my partner nailed three nails for every one of mine and also had to put the next shingle in place. They began to call me “cub bear.” I looked and acted like a clumsy cub bear. Not fun.

Remembering those early days of roofing, I sympathize with many folks in the workforce today continually being asked to do more with less. As persons retire, they are often not replaced. As corporate America down-sizes to cut cost, the remaining employees are expected to work harder to prop up the bottom line. I see many lives fumbling to hang on and running faster to keep up.

Right now, many of us are beginning to deal with our tax situation. The discussion of fair share comes up in life, work, and taxes. It seems on every side we are being asked to do more with less staff, to be involved in more things with less time in our schedule, and give to more needs with less money. How do we live faithfully in this time of history?

First, we have to believe the Lord is bigger than our circumstances. God knows our job, our neighbors, and our family. God may have us in just the right place for us to grow into His likeness and be a witness for Him.

Second, all the money we have is really the Lord’s. We are simply stewards trying to faithfully use the money God has entrusted into our hands. When we die, we will not take it with us. Let us spend it for heaven’s sake. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). Life, pressure, and faithfulness are about priorities and trusting God.

The scriptures describe an interesting paradox in life and ministry. On the one hand, we are told, we should each carry our own burdens (Galatians 6:5), Later we find, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Paul goes on to say, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians. 6:2). Although the old adage, “10% of the people do 90% of the work” is true to some extent in every church, I envision a church where everyone prays, gives, and does their share.

The paradox in Galatians 6, carrying our own load versus bearing each other’s burdens, is beautifully concluded in verses 9-10, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Let us not become weary because, in the Lord, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Opportunities to help others are placed before us by God so we may be channels of His love and resources on the earth. Hang in there, God is not through with us yet. Anywhere God leads, God will provide. We can trust Him.

Life Changing Prayers

2012-01-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

“I do believe; help my unbelief!” —Mark 9:24

This past week, I was privileged to interview Tim Rigby, a sports reporter for 30 years with WJAC. Tim shared his faith story of God’s direction in his life and triumph amid health challenges. While sitting against the bleachers after playing basketball with friends exactly one year to the day after suffering a seizure caused by stage four lymphoma, Tim thought, “What a difference a year makes.” The next moment he marveled, “What a difference a prayer makes.” He attributes his healing to faith in the Lord, a positive mental attitude, and the prayers of God’s people.

The old quote, “Prayer changes things,” is so true. The lives of God’s people, the circumstances of believers today, and my own life have been dramatically changed as a result of prayer. One of the most life-changing prayers I ever prayed was when I called upon Jesus Christ to become the Lord and Savior of my life. In a dorm room at Penn State University, after returning from Thanksgiving break 1973, I knelt at my bed and prayed, “Lord, I’m done running.” Although not nearly as spiritual and poetic as many prayers, the Lord heard my heart’s cry and transformed my life. I have followed the Lord from that day until now. What a difference a prayer made in my life!

The Bible is full of life-changing prayers. The father of the boy with an evil spirit cried out to Jesus, “I do believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). In response, Jesus healed the son. After the Israelite spies returned from scouting out the Promised Land and the Israelites rebelled wanting to return to Egypt, God threatened to destroy them and start a new nation from Moses. Moses prayed for the people, and God forgave them. (Numbers 14)

It would take months to consider all the life changing prayers found in the scriptures. Thomas exclaimed at seeing the risen Christ, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Saul, on the road to Damascus cried out, “Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:5) Jesus blessed the five loaves and two fish and a miraculous feeding of 5,000 men resulted with twelve baskets full left over. Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, “Not my will but Thy will be done,” led to His death, burial, and resurrection redeeming countless human beings from sin and death.

What life changing prayer is God calling you to pray today? As you begin 2012, many have made New Year’s resolutions, but I am more excited about the possibilities in the life changing prayers being prayed. The Lord promises, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). James 5 continues, “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven” (vs. 15).

God will hear you even if you are praying to Him for the first time. Paul and Silas told the jailer at Philippi, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31). Jesus spoke of a notorious sinner who came to the temple to pray. He “stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (Luke 18:13). Jesus assures us that this man went home justified before God.

What a difference a prayer can make. It’s never too late to call out to God. Today, at the start of this New Year, is a great time to call upon the name of the Lord. He will hear and answer your prayer. God will change your life. Call upon Him today.

God Still Speaks

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-08:00

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” —Matthew 2:2

God spoke in a variety of ways with an urgent frequency during the time surrounding Jesus’ birth. God used the angel Gabriel to announce to Mary the birth of Jesus, and to Zechariah the birth of John the Baptist. God used a dream to assure Joseph that is was alright to take Mary as his wife. God used angel messengers to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem on the first Christmas night.

One of the more shocking ways God spoke was by shining a star to Gentile (non-Jewish) scientists in another country. The Magi or the Wisemen were probably court advisors who studied the stars and practiced divination (fortune telling) to give counsel to kings. Daniel and the Hebrew children of the Babylonian captivity were educated to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court as part of a group called astronomers and magicians. God used nature, a star, to tell the Gentile world that Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, had been born.

As we face the New Year we might ask, “Does God still speak today?” “Can I expect God to speak to me in 2012?” Future telling has been going on for many. People will continue to try to interpret every storm, earthquake, and war. Interest in ancient calendars and ancient prophets will continue to increase. God’s Word tells us, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2a).

We have three recorded instances when God spoke directly and audibly during Jesus life on earth. At Jesus’ baptism, God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). On the Mount of Transfiguration, God added the words, “Listen to Him.” “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matt. 17:5) The third time was at the Triumphal Entry prior to Jesus passion and death. John 12:28 records God responding to Jesus’ prayer, “Father, glorify Thy Name!” “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’”

God will probably speak through nature, dreams, and even His holy angels in 2012. But when we are uncertain of what these things mean and in the silence of a direct word from the mouth of God, we will need to do what the Wisemen did when nature’s revelation through the star fell short. They went to the Bible. The Wisemen went to King Herod to find out “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” King Herod consulted the Bible scholars who found specific revelation in Micah 5:2 telling that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. You have all heard the saying and many of you probably have practiced it this Christmas, “When all else fails, read the instructions.”

This New Year, I pray God’s people will return to the instructions, the Bible, the Word of God. If we expect to understand the events so quickly taking place around us, we will need to hear from God. If we are to see a renewal of God-honoring Christianity, we will need a revival of the Word of God. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17 NKJV). Make a decision this year to get into God’s Word. God will definitely be speaking in 2012, but will we be listening?

Urgent or Important

2011-12-29T12:12:00.001-08:00

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born.” —Luke 2:6

Many parents vow never to say the word “No” to their child, because we’ve all heard children saying that dreaded word, “No!” I have never seen “no” on a vocabulary or spelling list, but every child seems to learn it quite quickly and easily. No, I don’t want to go. No, I don’t have to share. No, you’re not my mom; I don’t have to listen to you. No, I won’t wear those pants. No…

I wonder what words our children wish we, parents and grandparents, had never learned. I wonder if it might be, “Hurry up.” Have you ever stopped to watch yourself or other adults try to get children packed for school, off to practice, or dressed for church (really any event that has a starting time)? Hurry up and eat your lunch. Hurry up and get dressed. Hurry up and wash your hands. Hurry up; we’re going to be late. If you don’t hurry up, then you won’t get any snacks when we get home. The repetition of urgent words and accompanying threats never seem to end.

We often mistake urgent for important. As 21^st Century Americans, we seem to think getting to multiple activities on time in the same day is important. When, in fact, urgency plays the biggest part in our schedules, but importance has very little to do with much of what we attempt. Urgency does not mean important, but importance demands urgency.

The birth of Jesus Christ is one of the most important events since the creation of the universe. Yet, it appears, God took His good and deliberate time in bringing it to pass. Through many different prophets thousands of years earlier, God announced that the Messiah was coming. The angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would give birth to God’s Son began a nine-month waiting period. The star announced the birth of the King of the Jews, but the Magi took two entire years to arrive in Bethlehem. Sounds much like a military slogan I once heard, “Hurry up and wait.”

The Gospel of Luke beautifully captures the timely importance of Christ’s birth. “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son” (2:6-7a). To any expectant parent, the phrase, “The time came for the baby to be born,” brought feelings of both relief and urgency to the new parents and the entire universe. Now is the time for God’s salvation plan to be revealed to human beings. The Savior has come!

The announcement of something this important requires a decisive response. The angels declared to the shepherds, “Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The shepherds responded as we would expect, “They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger” (2:16). Hurrying is typical for adults but how appropriate considering the importance of this event. How have you responded to the great news of Christ’s birth? Scripture tells us, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

Today is the time to believe. Now is the time to pray. Today is the time to allow God’s love and power to work in and through your life. Merry Christmas! May the importance of God’s gift not be lost in the urgency of your activities.

Urgent or Important

2011-12-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born.” — Luke 2:6

Moving into Joy

2011-12-16T09:32:00.001-08:00

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”—Hebrews 12:1-2

In a recent article in our United Methodist newspaper, Bishop Bickerton tells the story of Nigerian Bishop Arthur Kulah. When Bishop Kulah graduated into adulthood, the tribal chief took him for a long walk in the bush. He led Arthur up and down winding paths to intentionally get him lost. The chief then slipped away leaving Arthur to find his own way home. This was to be his final test.

At first Arthur tried this path and another. He prayed to God for help. He cried and despaired. Finally as night fell, Arthur saw the distant lights of the campfires burning in his village.

As he began to walk in that direction, he found a path. The path eventually led to a road he recognized, the way home.

The chief greeted Arthur at the village’s edge and congratulated him for passing the test. Before entering the village, the chief had Arthur look back at the path he had just traveled. When he turned around, he was amazed to see there lining the road were 20 to 30 tribal elders. When the chief took Arthur into the bush, the elders hid at various points along the way to make sure Arthur was safe and free from danger. The book of Hebrews calls us to consider the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us and to throw off everything that hinders us from following the Lord in hope and faith (Hebrews 12:1).

For some, Christmas time becomes a time to grieve rather than to rejoice. Christmas reminds them of tragedies from Decembers past. Many remember loved ones who are no longer with us. Yes, many have gone on ahead, but they are still with us. They may be separated by the distance from heaven to earth, but their presence and impact are still here. They urge us to continue the race with joy and fix our eyes on Jesus.

Let the words of Hebrews 12 encourage us as we enter the Christmas season. “Let us run with perseverance...” It sure seems like we are running—running to church, to parties, to the mall, and just plain running. Let us to run by fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. How many times have you heard someone say, “Jesus is the reason for the season?” The phrase, although possibly overused, reflects the truth of Christmas and the Christian life. Jesus is the beginning and end of our life and Christmas celebration.

Hebrews 12 goes on to say that Jesus “for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame” (12:2). Humanly speaking, it seems Jesus had plenty to be sorrowful about. He was born like a refugee rather than a King. He and His parents had to flee for their lives to Egypt. Jesus was betrayed and rejected by His own people and His own disciples. Yet, Jesus looked past the sorrow to the joy of the resurrection. By looking to the joy ahead, Jesus was able to endure the pain and grief of the present. Even though Jesus probably had many thoughtful and solemn days, He lived a joy-filled life.

This Christmas, let us follow Jesus’ example. Let us look beyond the pain to the joy to come. As we look back and see the great cloud of witnesses, let us move forward into the joy and faith of Christmas. Let us rejoice in the Lord, this Christmas.

Confession

2011-12-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

“The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” —Mark 1:5

Remember the Dry Idea antiperspirant commercials? In the mid 1980s and 90s, the Gillette Company launched an ad campaign with the slogan, “Never let them see you sweat.” The commercials used experts in different fields listing three things you must never do in their business. They always ended with, “And … never let them see you sweat.”

We might rewrite a Dry Idea commercial today using American figures caught in sin (sports stars, coaches, politicians, and any of us really) by saying, “Never share your insecurities publically, never admit you were wrong, and no matter how much evidence piles up against you, never let them see you sweat.” It appears most defense strategies today include deny, deny, and deny some more.

If we really seek to experience joy and true happiness, not just during the Christmas season but lifelong, we will find it through confession and forgiveness. Hiding sins and failures only adds burden and stress to our lives. I am not saying we should publicly confess every hidden weakness. No one desires to hear about every skeleton in our closet, but living a lie is never easy.

God prepared the world for the ministry of Jesus Christ by calling persons to repentance. Instead of never letting people see you sweat, John the Baptist challenged people to admit they were sinners. He called people to confess their sins and then humble themselves to a ritual bath in the Jordan River called baptism. John called people to be authentic and vulnerable instead of being dishonest and self-sufficient.

One of the unique strengths of the Christian faith is forgiveness. In the early days of Tiger Woods’ struggles, I remember hearing a golf commentator saying Tiger should embrace the Christian faith, confess his sin, find forgiveness, and start over. Marghanita Laski, a noted humanist, made an amazing confession as she debated a Christian on national television, Laski said, “What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness.” She then added rather pathetically, “I have no one to forgive me.”

Forgiveness does not result from human effort. Forgiveness is not a mathematical equation or scientific formula. The uniqueness of the Christian faith is forgiveness because God sent His Son to be sin for us that we might become sons and daughters of God. We do not receive forgiveness because we follow a three step plan but because we have a Savior who died for us. Because of Jesus Christ, we can confess our sins in confidence that we will receive forgiveness and our sins will be washed away.

Are you prepared for Christmas? Usually when someone asks that question, they expect to get an answer about decorations, shopping, or musical productions. In asking are you prepared for Christmas, I mean are you ready to receive God’s gift of salvation, Jesus Christ? Are you ready and willing to receive the forgiveness and new life only Jesus can bring? Confess your sins. Turn to Jesus Christ and find the true joy of life. Happy Christmas preparations.

Peace

2011-12-02T06:01:00.001-08:00

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You,” —Isaiah 26:3

‘Tis the season to be jolly…or at least so goes the Christmas tune. After we have barely paused to give thanks, we plunge headlong into making lists of gifts we need. Maybe we don’t really need them, like two front teeth, but things we want for Christmas.

As we enter this season of wonder, joy, and faith, why do so many people feel frustrated and defeated? In part, it may be due to roadblocks that our culture has placed in the way to true peace and contentment. One of those barriers is worldliness. For me, worldliness is not so much about riches and affluence as it is about the cares and pressures of this life.

I have never shopped on Black Friday. I usually hide in family rituals like shooting-in the deer rifles or playing (usually watching now days) a game of football. My wife tells me that Black Friday actually begins on Thursday this year, and there is a new shopping day called Black Monday or Cyber Monday, the biggest internet shopping day of the year. I can barely tolerate shopping on Thanksgiving Day, but moving an online shopping day to the first day of buck season is going too far.

I am amazed by the juxtaposition of Thanksgiving Thursday and Black Friday for they represent opposing concepts. Thanksgiving represents gratitude, peace and contentment, while Black Friday summons us to get all we can. A day to give thanks is replaced by the urge to aggressively shop and spend. Contentment is replaced by desire and peace by worldliness.

In the Parable of the Sower, worldliness might be seen as the seed sown among the thorns. Persons hear the word of the Kingdom, “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things seem to describe an American preparation for Christmas. Sounds very much like Black Friday.

Don’t get me wrong. The world economy needs a successful Black Friday. I hope sales go through the roof. Many of us need some good economic news, but more than that, we need the Good News. We need the perfect peace that only a relationship with Jesus Christ, the God of Christmas past, present, and future, can bring.

Neither a successful shopping day nor a booming economy can bring peace. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy the hungry soul. Isaiah 26:3 offers us words of hope, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” We cannot find peace in gadgets or gifts, but only in the Savior who made Christmas possible. Jesus taught that if we seek first the kingdom of God, we will find all the other things we need. Psalm 37 teaches us to “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (4).

The world around us may be a beautiful place, at times, but without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the world can only offer stress, pressure, and dissatisfaction. Jesus offers Himself and peace that passes all understanding. Where will you look for peace and joy this Christmas? The mall or God?

Focused Faith

2011-11-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” —Hebrews 12:2

Although I drive nearly 99% of the time, my wife never sleeps while I drive. She says that someone has to watch the road. Guilty as charged. I often look for wild game, natural beauty, and interesting people while I drive. My car must have some kind of telepathic steering feature because it turns whatever direction I look.

At a recent Unity Meal, Pastor Gary Tustin related a news story about a young teen that died in a car accident. Emergency personnel found a cell phone with a partial text message on it. Her cell phone and the text message became a “fatal distraction” to her. We must all beware of fatal distractions in ministry and in life. Gratefully, our Commonwealth has passed a law against texting while driving before I really caught on to that level of multi-tasking.

“How the mighty have fallen!” is the chorus that David sang as he mourned the death of King Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. 1:19). In recent history, we have watched many mighty ones: presidents, candidates, coaches, teachers, pastors, priests, bishops, husbands, and wives fall due to fatal distractions. How amazing and shocking. How frail and vulnerable we are. One minute, someone is celebrating their rise to the top, enjoying unbridled success, and the next moment, they crash and burn.

One way to avoid fatal distractions is by focusing our eyes and attention on the right thing. This past week, I heard a new definition of worship given by Dr. J. D. Walt of Asbury Seminary. Worship is “the Spirit empowered capacity to pay sustained attention to God.” Hebrews 12 exhorts us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” If are eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ, worldly distractions will be less attractive.

The technology age with all its benefits has definitely brought one dangerous by-product. Smart phones and ipads with tweets, texting, and updates have caused us to give continuous partial attention to everything. We give partial attention to the warm-blooded person right in front of us so we can check our most recent text, tweet, or facebook update. Continuous partial attention cuts against a Christian’s faith and a worshipping life.

The world with all its cares and allurements seeks to obscure our view of a Christ-centered life. In the Parable of the Sower, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14). Remember Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha? “Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he [Jesus] said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” (Luke 10:39-40). Mary was focused while Martha was distracted.

What kind of faith do you have? Do you have a focused faith that pays sustained attention to the Lord? Or do you have a faith that is distracted by the cares and worries of this life? Life is full of possible fatal distractions, but Jesus is the only way to life in all its fullness. In the face of all the crises and demands of this life, Jesus invites us to come to Him and find rest and peace.

Re-Member

2011-11-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:13

At a recent informational meeting for our new medical insurance plan, a pastor who serves on the Board of Pensions opened with a devotional on change. Everything changes. As the inspiring devotional continued (Really, it was inspirational—no sarcasm intended.) I began to daydream on how staying the same is much like being in a rut.

The idea of a rut made me remember a time, some thirty years ago, when I was hunting with my father-in-law on the farm. Pa, my affectionate name for him, was standing in the bed and leaning against the cab of my GMC 4-wheel drive pickup. We slowly churned along the muddy field road with all tires spinning. I didn’t even bother steering the truck for it churned straight ahead in the rutted path.

The spinning and the mud must have slowly turned the steering wheel, because all of a sudden, the truck jumped out of the rut and leapt forward and to the left, directly into a tree. The tree was large enough that it didn’t fall, and my solid steel pipe bumper didn’t budge. We stopped instantly. Pa was thrown forward a few inches against the truck cab. Nothing was broken: tree, truck, or Pa’s chest, but my ego was sorely bruised as were Pa’s ribs.

On his birthday last year, November 2, my father-in-law had a stroke. He survived in a reduced quality of life for nearly five months. In addition to being updated on our new insurance plan, the information meeting gave me the opportunity to remember Pa, his birthday, and some of the good times we shared together.

At this time of year, many people pause to remember loved ones who have passed on to the next life. Halloween actually got its name from the phrase, All Hallows Eve, the night before All Saints Day. Although many churches do not acknowledge All Saints Day, it does us good to take time and “re-member” our departed loved ones.

I once heard a minister teach that when we gather as the Church to receive Holy Communion we are “re-membering” as a Church. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24). We do not simply remember Jesus death, but we “re-member” ourselves to Christ and “re-member” ourselves with others of our church family. In the sacrament of Holy Communion, we recommit ourselves to the Lord and become a member again, re-member ourselves to the family of God.

As I reflected upon Pa’s absence from our lives, his memories became a present reality in my life once again. As we sing songs and hymns of praise this Sunday, we will be joining with him and all the heavenly hosts in worship. We grieve as Christians, but “not as those who have no hope” (1 Thes. 4:13). When we worship, we “re-member” ourselves with our departed loved ones and all the saints and angelic hosts in united praise of God.

Re-membering also looks ahead. When we worship and celebrate the sacraments, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). As we worship this Sunday and possibly remember those who have gone on before, let us re-member ourselves to the hope set before us. Someday, maybe soon, we will see the Lord and the glories of heaven firsthand.

Jesus is Coming

2011-11-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” —Acts 1:11

Many of you have heard some version of the Chicken Little story. A small chick becomes fearfully obsessed that the sky is falling after an acorn falls on its head. Chicken Little sets out to tell the King that the world is about to end and gathers animal friends to join the journey. The story ends as a fox invites them to his home and eats them all. There are other versions with happier endings, but the moral of the story remains the same. Don’t be a chicken about everything or don’t believe everything you are told.

I lived my own version of Chicken Little, and it completely changed my life. In my faith journey at around age 17, I was seeking to find what it truly meant to live the Christian life. Previously, I thought believing God existed and trying to live a good life and going to church qualified as being a Christian. My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, described a Christian as someone who had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who had asked Jesus to come into their life and forgive their sins. To her (and Biblically I came to discover), a Christian lives everyday with God in their heart and life.

My Chicken Little story continued as I attended a service at her church where a preacher from Asbury College was sharing about the 1972 revival that had occurred at the college. He also talked about the Second Coming of Jesus. Having never heard about a “Second Coming,” I became very excited. As I left the church that night, I greeted the preacher, “My church doesn’t know that Jesus is coming back, but I’m going to tell them.” So, similar to Chicken Little, I headed off to tell the priest. After church the next Sunday, I went to my priest and tried to warn him about the second coming of Jesus. His response, although caring, honest, and probably truthful, did not meet my expectations. I never went back.

I went off to college that Fall knowing that Jesus loved me and wanted to have a personal relationship with me. I now knew that believing there was a God up there somewhere was not enough. I needed to walk and talk with Him everyday, but I was going off to college. I didn’t think this was a good time to make a religious commitment. So I postponed any decision on my part and ran from God my first three months at school. Running from God is never a peaceful journey (Ask Jonah). So after I returned to college the Sunday night following Thanksgiving break, I knelt at my dorm bed and asked for God’s forgiveness and prayed, “Lord, I’m done running. Come into my heart.” My life has never been the same since that day.

As I think about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I definitely don’t want to be a Chicken Little. I don’t want to be the guy who carries the sign, “The end is near.” But, as Christians, we believe that Jesus arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will return to judge the living and the dead. Jesus is coming back. There is a judgment day in everyone’s life when we will face God.

A challenge for Christians today is to be truthful without being judgmental. How would you or I respond to a young Chicken Little today? Would we share his/her enthusiasm about Jesus’ return? We must share the love of God and warn people of the coming judgment of God at the same time. Holiness and grace, love and justice go hand in hand. Jesus loves you. Invite Him into your life today as Savior and King. He is returning someday, maybe soon, as King and Judge.

Rest or Exercise

2011-10-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” —Ecclesiastes 3:1

After a busy and exhausting summer, I am trying to find space and quiet to refuel my spiritual, emotional, and physical tank for the fall and Christmas push. Oh yes, I said Christmas. Look around, the last rain and windstorm nearly emptied the trees. The landscape has put on its winter garb. I decided to re-energize myself by taking a short walk down to the church and back prior to a mini-vacation. On the downhill part of the trip, with my legs whining about having to hold back the whole way down, I questioned my plan. Maybe I should have driven down after taking a short nap. Nap or walk? Which is better?

The miracle feeding of the 5,000 came at a time when Jesus and His disciples were greatly in need of rest but the crowd had an even greater need for care, teaching, and food. After the disciples returned from their first ministry tour, Jesus encouraged them to relax and recharge, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Upon arriving at their retreat area, they were overwhelmed by the crowd who had run ahead of them. The rest for the disciples turned into exhausting ministry. “When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (6:34). The need of the crowd outweighed the need of the disciples.

If you are tired, what should you do—nap or exercise? It depends upon your circumstances. Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything. If you are exhausted from lack of sleep and over exertion, you may need to nap. If you are tired from stress and being out of shape, you probably need to take a walk, get your heart pumping, and breathe some oxygen into your system. What comes naturally to us is usually the wrong response. If we feel depressed and lonely, the natural reaction is to stay home and mope around. The greater need is for us to get out, experience life, and be a friend to someone else. What I have experienced in my personal life, I have also seen in church life.

The kingdom of God is not simply doing more things. Being busy for busyness sake is not ministry. There are times when churches and Christians need to slow down, step away, and rest. But for churches in decline with limited finances, the natural reaction is to cut back and limit ministries. The greater need is to spend yourself in outreach, ministry, and advertizing.

Ecclesiastes chapter 3 teaches us that life has rhythm. There is a time to work harder and there is a time to rest. In ministry, my rhythm gets confused when I begin skipping days off. A funeral, a special conference meeting, or an emergency falls on my day off, and I throw myself into ministry with no problem. Later, I might lazy away an afternoon thinking I earned it. Then, maybe, I’d waste a morning on another day. Before long, I would forget if I was taking a workday off or working on my day off.

Learn well the rhythm of life. Work hard and then rest. Walk then nap. Pray and do. Reach out and rest up. Where are you today? What is your natural inclination? You probably need to push yourself to rest or exercise depending on your own personality and situation. Jesus is Lord over all of life. He invites the weary to come to Him for rest. But He also sends the waiting into a hurting world in need of God’s Grace.

My Way

2011-10-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”—Proverbs 14:12

My granddaughter has officially entered the terrible twos. To me, it’s the terribly precious twos, but nonetheless, Addi turned two last month. It is every parent’s desire for their children to be healthy and grow to become self-sufficient. Addi is well on her way, at least she thinks so.

Addi is very talkative, and one of her favorite phrases is “By self.” She says it all the time usually with an exclamation point, “By self!” When she is getting out of the car, climbing up or down from the table, eating her food, or carrying her latest, bigger than life toy, Addi exclaims, “By self.” “By self” means I want to do it by myself. I can do it myself. I don’t want your direction or help. Often, the phrase is accompanied by an equally emphatic, “Big one!” “Big one” means I want the entire cookie, the whole piece of fruit or bread. I want to drink from the big glass or hold the entire slice of pie. “By self! Big one!”

Addi’s “By self” attitude is captured for adults in the famous Frank Sinatra song, “I Did It My Way.” Even by briefly hearing the song, we understand it describes the sad and rebellious nature of our culture. The song begins, “And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain…I’ll state my case…I did it my way.” It appears the strongest argument for having lived a full life, according to the song and our culture, is by doing it “my way.” We often take the abilities and power God gives us and use them in selfish ways.

God created human beings and gave them dominion over the earth. We were created to take charge. I believe God desires for us to take our God-given abilities and use them to take control of our lives and the situations around us. God gave Adam and Eve one restriction, not to eat “from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen.2:17). This God-given power was to be used under God’s rule and lordship.

The book of Proverbs states, “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death” (14:12). We can do things our way, but we usually end up exactly where we don’t want to be. Genesis 3:6 describes the first human act of independence. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Can’t you almost hear them saying, “By self.” “I want to do it my way.”

Don’t get me wrong. I believe God wants us to serve Him in unique and creative ways. There are hundreds of open doors and creative paths waiting to be entered within the will of God. God is ready and willing to pour His Holy Spirit into and through us in never-before-imagined ways if we would but surrender to God’s will and way.

Whether it is Frank Sinatra singing “My Way” or precious little Addi demanding, “By self,” we see a desire to live free from control and accountability. God promises to supernaturally open doors and give us a blessed future if we seek to follow Him with all our heart. If we seek first to serve the Lord and His Kingdom, God will give us far more that we can ever get from the world. Do you want to do it your way and end in destruction or will you seek to go God’s way in His love and power and find life, hope and a future?

Fear or Faith

2011-10-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”—Mark 5:36b

I changed schools in the middle of my first-grade year. Prior to Christmas 1960, I attended Madison Elementary of the Redbank Valley Schools. Over Christmas vacation, we moved to a 40-acre farm. In January 1961, I began attending the Hawthorn Elementary School. Although we only moved 10 miles and my siblings attended the same school, the move traumatized me.

On the first day at my new school, I discovered that I was now in the slowest reading group. During a Christmas vacation lasting just over a week, I went from being in the first reading group to the last. I also learned, by experience, that I rode the late bus. At the close of my first day at the new school, I tried to get on an early bus with the correct number, but I didn’t recognize any faces. My first-grade teacher stopped all the buses and led me from one bus to another until we had checked every bus. None were mine. We then determined that I, terror-stricken and in tears, must ride the late bus. I cried at school for three weeks in a row that January.

No matter how old our bodies grow in years, there remains within us a little child, often fearful and insecure. Many things in life move us to fear and doubt: a new job, a marriage, the loss of a job, or spouse. Words like cancer, divorce, addiction, and guilty can send us cowering in fear. Pause for a moment and think back to the last time your breath was taken away in fear or you faced a new challenge.

The fifth chapter of the Gospel of Mark places fear along side faith. Chapter 4 ends with Jesus and His Disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee to the “other” side. The “other” side is where the heathens live. They don’t worship God. They own and eat unclean animals like hogs. It’s the land where little children are warned never to go. As they cross the lake, a storm nearly drowns them all. They awaken Jesus to rescue them, and He replies, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40) And there it begins, fear and faith.

Chapter 5 continues the story as they land on the “other” side. The Disciples’ fears are confirmed. They immediately meet a demon-possessed man living a graveyard. After Jesus casts out the demons, the crowd returns to see the demoniac, clothed and in his right mind, sitting at Jesus’ feet. The scripture tells us, “They were afraid” (5:15).

Jesus and the Disciples return home across the lake without incident. They are met by a crowd that includes a religious man whose daughter is near death. As Jesus goes to the daughter, a woman with a 12-year-long disease comes and touches the edge of Jesus’ clothes and is healed. When Jesus singles her out, she falls before Jesus trembling with fear. Jesus tells her to go in peace for her faith has healed her. Here again, fear and faith. Immediately, some men come to tell the father that his little girl has died. Jesus ignores this report and speaks to the father, “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (5:36b).

Many of you have fears, large and small, real and imagined. These fears keep you imprisoned and immobilized. Hear these comforting words of Jesus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” I remember a plaque given to my father-in-law by his Sunday School Class. It read, “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered, ‘No one’s home.’” Who is home at your house? Fear or Faith?

Disciples Follow

2011-10-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”—Matthew 16:24

I began dating my future wife the junior year of high school. Her parents were very upset that their daughter was dating me. I really didn't understand, because I thought I was a pretty good guy. When I asked Darlene to explain this, she said it was because I was not a Christian. Now I was really confused for at that time in my life I thought everybody in America was Christian.

Just as swimming in the ocean doesn't make you a fish, so living in a country where the most practiced religious faith is Christian doesn't make you one. By the way, some people believe “none” is now the largest religious preference in America. “None” is the response on a religious survey question when you check, "None—no religious affiliation."

Jesus said if anyone wishes to be His disciple, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. Christian disciples follow Jesus. It is not just a matter of going to church. I was lead, forced, or at least expected to attend church each week of my life until I was 18 years old. But for all those years, I would have to admit, I was not really following Jesus. My salvation rested on the fact that I felt I was a pretty good egg. I never intentionally tried to hurt anyone, but Jesus’ measure of a disciple is drastically different from mine back then.

Disciples follow Jesus. If you claim to be a Christian, when was the last time you read your Bible? Recently on the way home from a Baptism service at the Quemahoning Lake, one passenger quoted several verses from John 3 that she learned by watching the Jesus Film. Later she quoted a large portion from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Amazed, I asked if she had learned all those verses from watching the Jesus Film. “Yes!” was her reply. If you’re not a good reader, have you watched the Jesus Film or listened to the Bible on media enough to memorize the scriptures? When was the last time you prayed? I'm not talking about a simple “help me” prayer but a prayer of serious communion with the Lord or lifting someone else's name to the Lord.

After Jesus washed the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, He told them, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). After telling the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus asked which was neighbor to the man who was mugged by robbers. “The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:37). Have you shown your love for God by serving your neighbor in love?

Jesus told the disciples, “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Have you ever told someone else about your faith in Jesus or, at least, invited someone to church? Disciples follow Jesus. Can anyone tell by your life that you are a follower of Jesus?

Jesus invites us to follow Him. If we follow Jesus through prayer, Bible reading, and serving the way Jesus did, our lives should naturally declare our faith without saying a word. We needn’t worry about someone questioning our Christianity.

The Pure Shall See

2011-09-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” —Matthew 5:8

I am sipping from my devotional Styrofoam coffee cup. Last year for Christmas, my church staff gave me disposable coffee cups labeled with inspirational sayings. Today, the devotional saying reads, “Since the things of God are ‘spiritually discerned.’ A proper understanding of scripture is often more the result of an individual’s spiritual condition than his or her intellectual ability.” Although I cannot locate the exact source of the quote, it appears to relate directly to 1 Corinthians 2:14. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Many persons mistakenly believe that understanding the Bible and spiritual truth is related to intelligence and education, but often the opposite is true. Please, don’t get me wrong. After 26 years of schooling and three degrees, you can be certain I am completely for higher education. But persons acquire spiritual truth by revelation rather than by education. We can understand all the original languages of the Bible, but if our heart is not right, we will not be able to hear a Word from God.

When Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was, Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” To this Jesus replied that Simon was blessed because the Heavenly Father had revealed this to Peter. At another place, Jesus commented on the way God the Father gives spiritual insight. “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children’” (Matthew 11:25). God reveals Himself and The Truth, Jesus Christ, to those whose hearts are pure.

Fall is the season when young persons go off to college or begin a career in the workforce or military service. Parents and the church family often lament that young people lose their faith as they go off to college and career. Many times we blame the Survey of Religion Class or that “liberal teacher” as the cause for their loss of faith. Losing one’s faith may be directly related to willful disobedience in drug experimentation, sexual exploration, or walking away from God’s ways in disobedience. Spiritual receptivity and faith have more to do with heart purity and an individual walking obediently in the light they already have.

If you are having moments of doubt, or trouble understanding God’s Word, check your obedience level. Are you justifying some sinful behavior in your life? Is there a secret sin you are trying to keep hidden? “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Truthfully, we all have our “stuff.” We have all fallen from God’s intended purpose for our lives. We have all sinned. But, as we call upon the Lord in sincerity, out of a pure heart, God will restore us to a right relationship with Himself and reveal His Son, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, to us. God still answers the prayer of the old hymn written by Clara Scott, “Open my eyes, that I may see Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.”

A God Revolution

2011-09-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

“I have not come to abolish them [the Law or the Prophets] but to fulfill them.” —Matthew 5:17b

During difficult economic times we often hear stories about the good old days. I have many treasured memories from my childhood but never thought of them as the good old days. My childhood would be better described as a time of innocence, or at least ignorance. I didn’t know how poor we were. My dad worked for a brick plant that was owned by the local clay mining company in St. Charles, PA. We did have an indoor toilet, but we bathed in a galvanized tub in the basement. Didn’t everyone? A special treat was when Dad would take my older brother and me to work and give us a shower in the company locker room.

When Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry at age 30, He proclaimed, “The time has come, the Kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15). Jesus began a God revolution. I am not referring to a rebellion, but a revolution. The original meaning of the word revolution is “the movement around something, one complete turn.” The earth makes one revolution around the sun every year. The moon makes a complete turn around the earth every month. Jesus came to bring the world one complete turn back to God’s original purpose in creation.

When we think of revolutions, we think of countries or peoples rebelling against the current government. They may be wishing to return to former better times, “the good old days,” but they seldom seek to return to God’s intended purpose. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Jesus did not come to throw off the rule of God but to re-establish it. Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect human life, died, and rose again to reconcile fallen humanity to an intimate relationship with God.

Spiritually speaking, if we are to return to the good old days, we must go back farther than good memories from our childhood or a boom period for the church in the 1950s or 70s. We must return to the good old days of God’s intent for creation in the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had intimate fellowship with God and a carefree enjoyment of the natural world—no pollution, no recession, and no terrorism.

The New Testament describes a future where the blessings of God’s original creation are restored. The similarities between the opening chapters of the Bible and the last two chapters, Revelations 21-22 are amazing. The environment is described as a paradise. The river of God waters the land. The Tree of Life is available with an abundance of fruit to eat. God and human beings have close communion. Revelation 21:3 says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men … God himself will be with them and be their God.” Genesis describes streams watering the land and God walking with man and wife in the garden (Gen. 2:6, 3:8).

The God Revolution that Jesus brings makes it possible for you, me, and the entire world to make one complete turn back to God’s intended perfect world. Jesus Christ invites you and me to see, enter, and receive His Kingdom. Brian McClaren writes, “To see it, we need to repent and acknowledge how blind we have been, becoming teachable and ‘young’ again, like children. To enter it, we need to become a part of it, and to receive it, we let it become a part of us.”

Think about the best good old days you can remember. Wouldn’t returning to God and God’s good and perfect plan for your life be a thousand times better than anything you can imagine? Turn to God, receive His love and forgiveness. Start a God revolution in your life.

Heroes Run to Trouble

2011-09-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”—John 15:13

We had planned a church picnic for a Sunday afternoon at the Quemahoning Reservoir. As I prepared for morning worship, it was storming: hard rain, lightning, and thunder. I prayed for guidance concerning what to do about the church picnic. At around 7:30 AM, the weather channel was forecasting storms all day. Then a news flash reported the stage at the Indiana State Fair collapsed due to high winds and storms. Several were killed and many injured. Having prayed for guidance, I looked toward heaven and said, “Okay, Lord, I get it.” Immediately, I decided to move the picnic to the church fellowship hall. Of course, between services, the skies cleared, and it did not rain again until Sunday night after everything was over.

Updates on the Indiana State fair disaster told amazing accounts of heroism. As soon as the stage fell, instead of running away, Hoosiers went running into the debris to help. Their quick heroic efforts saved many out of the catastrophe. Heroes run into trouble. This past week as we remembered the 911 terrorism attacks, I observed similar reports from the Pentagon attack. As soon as they saw the flames and smoke, retired, active, and former military personnel went running into the fire rather than away. They guided and carried many to safety.

I continue to be proud to be an American. As we remember the 911 attacks, we are reminded of the many acts of sacrifice and bravery. Unlike the terrorists and suicide bombers who kill innocent victims and even their own people, American heroes run into trouble to benefit others without regard for their own well-being. The heroic firemen climbed the stair towers as fast as they could toward an unknown fate. The collapsing towers took their lives as they gave aid to others. The heroic passengers on Flight 93, charged the cockpit and saved the Capitol and many lives as they gave theirs. Yes, heroes run to trouble.

We sing in the national anthem, “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” As Americans, we have our share of faults, but we have lots to be proud about. When tyranny oppresses and evil attacks, American missionaries and American soldiers choose to run into trouble giving aid and support. Trouble seems to bring out the worst and best in us. The worst is that we depend so much on our superior military might that we think we are invincible and can cure every ill with power. The best is that Americans will sacrificially run to trouble rather than selfishly away from trouble.

I believe, as an American Christian, that America has benefited from living in a culture influenced by the sacrificial example of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. As He prepared to give His life on the Cross for the sins of the whole world, Jesus told His disciples to love one another as He loved them. He goes on to say, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). When the Church and when Christians get it right, we are seen as those who run to trouble. Troubled individuals, troubled homes, troubled cities, and troubled peoples around the world attract Christians like moths to a flame. Jesus has given us the example of sacrificial service.

More than an example, Jesus promises His power and presence. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:16, 20). Do you want to be counted for Jesus sake? Do you want to leave your mark in this world? Then be a hero for Jesus. Run into trouble. The Lord will meet you and use you there.

Waiting for What?

2011-09-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”—John 6:44

When we lived in Kentucky, my wife went to an elderly chiropractor for regular adjustments. One day, the doctor gave me a round disc of wood about the size of a 50-cent piece with the letters “TU IT” printed on it. When it took me a little too long to figure out the meaning, the chiropractor interjected, “You know how folks say they’ll do this or that when they get around to it. Well, now you have one.” I wish getting started on some important project or positive change in our lives was that simple. I would begin giving “round TU ITs” to everyone.

But honestly, think about it. Why does is take so long to make a decision to begin doing something that we want or need. Why do we hesitate beginning a deed that would benefit our life or another’s? The obvious answers might be we are either too lazy or too busy, but I believe there is an underlying spiritual issue. Being born into original sin, we are unable to transform ourselves without divine intervention. We need a divine catalyst or instigator to begin the process into new life. The Bible calls this beginning the “New Birth” or “being born again” (John 3).

An instigator is defined as someone or something that starts a process in motion, or in some minds, stirs up trouble. In order to begin a new life, we must become disgusted enough with the old ways in order to embrace the new. In a Christian understanding, we must become sick enough of sin in order to accept God’s invitation to salvation and new plan for our lives. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). I have heard persons describe this drawing process as a growing dissatisfaction with their worldly life and an attraction to God’s future. People will say things like, “I was just sick and tired of the way I was living. There had to be a better way.” “My life seemed fine until I realized how messed up it was, but it was all I knew.”

The Bible uses a special word to describe turning from a sinful, harmful way of life to living according to God’s plan. “Metanoia,” translated “repentance” means to change your mind. More specifically, metanoia means to be sick enough of sin to turn from sin to God. The scripture says that because Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, we can turn to God and be accepted. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

The Holy Spirit serves as God’s great instigator. Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit comes, “He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). On the surface, it seems to me that convicting the world of sin means to make people realize they are lost, bad, and need God’s help. The conviction of righteousness stirs our desire to walk in God’s way. The Holy Spirit causes us to want this change in the present that we will make a leap of faith and call upon the Lord, Jesus.

So what are we waiting for? God has nearly done it all. God has taken 99 steps on the 100-step journey to reconciling us to Himself, but He waits for and invites us to take the last step. If God has shown you the way to walk, ask God for strength to obey and go for it. Why are you waiting to take that final step to faith? If you need a round “TU IT,” call me. I’ll send you one.

Routine Surprises

2011-08-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

“So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times … and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” —2 Kings 5:14

Growing up on a gentleman’s farm, we performed chores morning and evening. We moved onto the farm during Christmas vacation of my first grade year, but I don’t remember how young I was when I began making early morning trips to the barn. We milked two Guernsey cows by hand every morning before school and every evening after supper. Counting twice a day for at least ten years and adding 4 more for leap years meant we milked those cows 7304 times.

Although we often tire of menial chores, God must love routine and repetition. He commanded the priests and Levites to offer two one-year-old lambs every day, one in the morning and the other at twilight, for over 1500 years until Christ came. (Ex. 29:38) He fed the Israelites manna every day for forty years. How often does God expect us to pray: every day, every meal, or every moment? The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing.” God never tires of hearing our prayers.

This past week, I had the privilege of helping with Vacation Bible School. In the closing on Wednesday night, I reviewed the lesson on faith. After learning about Nicodemus, the children learned the A-B-C method of becoming a Christian: A—admit you are a sinner, B—Believe Jesus is God’s Son and died for your sins, and C—Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The accompanying teaching material described “Admit” as when the time is right and God shows you that you are a sinner. It hit me, no matter how many VBSs you attend or how many times you hear the Good News of Jesus, God the Father must do a work of grace in your heart before you can believe.

So many stories in the Bible speak of doing things over and over until one time something happens that changes everything. Have you ever sought a great message from the Lord only to find the simplest command? Have you done a small deed repeatedly hundreds of times but suddenly this time it’s different. Ordinary acts of obedience done faithfully under the power of the Holy Spirit over time will accomplish much for eternity. The miracle may not happen the first, second, sixth, or six hundredth time, but at God’s perfect time, God acts.

Naaman, a commander of the army of the king of Aram was a leper who went to Elisha the prophet to seek cleansing. Elisha refused to meet with him; but instead, instructed Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times. Reluctantly, Naaman washed but was not healed until the seventh time. The scriptures urges us, “Let us not become wearing in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).

How many of you are bored to tears over some faithful act of obedience you do regularly? You have not received a fresh insight from God’s Word for months, perhaps years. You have not had a prayer answered for the longest time, maybe forever. Do not give up. Do not grow weary. Continue to walk in obedience and faith. God will show up when you least expect Him. God will act at the just the right time. With faithful routine, comes the surprise of the Holy Spirit. Keep on keeping on for the Lord. Lift your eyes in faith. God may surprise you, and it may be soon.

Heroic Spirits

2011-08-12T06:31:00.001-07:00

Then he had another dream … “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” —Genesis 37:9

Often I feel like a superhero. Not that I wear a cape or can leap tall buildings, but I am called upon to appear and take out of the ordinary actions. A shut-in or a person with a terminal illness is taken to the hospital, and I make an immediate visit. I comfort, read scripture, anoint with oil and pray. Then I jump back into my car and rush off to the next emergency. On each occasion, some dedicated person: a child, a parent, or a spouse, has been giving faithful care day in day out.

Doctors, nurses, and pastors are often treated with the awe of superheroes. When the emergency comes, we call the specialist or expert—the superhero. We have become a culture looking to the superlative, the extreme, the biggest and greatest. At times, God gives us dreams, visions, and mountaintop experiences, but we are always called to walk in the routine, sometimes drudgery, with faithfulness.

Many Christians, influenced by our culture, (maybe it’s simply the human flaw) approach spiritual disciplines in the same way. Instead of practicing regular, continual prayers, we wait until a crisis comes and cry out with urgency. Rather than making Bible reading and worship a regular and faithful means to draw near to God, we crave ecstatic worship experiences with just the right music and that special preacher. We long for mountaintop experiences, but human beings are really made for walking faithfully in the valleys.

When it comes to giving, we still think heroically. I frequently hear persons say, “If I win the lottery, I’ll pay for a new youth center or I’ll fund this or that new outreach ministry.” Or “When my ship comes in, I’ll do something great for the Lord.” No you won’t! Jesus said, “If we are faithful in little, we will be faithful in much.” Faithful stewardship as well as every other spiritual discipline works best when practiced with consistency, faithfulness, and dedication.

The truly great among us become heroic through faithful service. Philippians 2:7-8 teaches us that Jesus took on the nature of a servant, humbled himself, and became obedient to death. After this humble service, God exalted Jesus and gave Him a name above every name (2:9-11). Jesus became heroic by faithfully surrendering and serving.

Genesis chapter 37 describes the great aspirations and dreams of Joseph. He had a dream that he would become greater than his eleven brothers. He had a second dream that even his mother and father would bow. God’s vision for Joseph came to pass years later as his entire family came to Egypt to buy food from him during the famine. But the dream only became a reality after Joseph had spent 13 years learning faithfulness and obedience as a slave and a prisoner.

Dream big! Catch a glimpse of the future God has for you, your family, and your church family, but allow God to bring that vision to pass as you pray, serve, and give regularly and faithfully. The real Superman has already come, and he’s not you or me. Jesus is human nature in perfection. He desires to live in your heart and life. He can and will remake you after His image. Surrender your life to Him and walk faithfully and obediently into God’s perfect future for you.

New Beginnings

2011-08-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”—2 Corinthians 5:17

Early in my Christian journey, I met a family who, after returning from a mission trip, promptly sold the family farm and enrolled in Bible College. Following graduation, they moved to Africa to give their lives in missionary service. I have always been impressed by individuals who give up everything in order to follow Jesus’ radical call to discipleship. In the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a merchant who found a pearl of great value and “went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:46). In another place, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

Over the past six years in Johnstown, I have observed the courage, tenacity, and faith of many persons who made completely new beginnings. One man left a career in purchasing to return to school and enter the medical field. Last week, I attended a farewell dinner for a gentleman who left the accounting field, returned to school to get a second bachelor degree in worship leading, and entered into fulltime Christian ministry. I know a single mother who left the medical field, returned to school, and began her own business. People are still stepping out in faith and trusting God to do a new work in and through their lives.

These amazing real life stories remind me of the miraculous new beginnings that God desires to work in all of us. God calls persons to allow the Holy Spirit to make a new creation of our lives. We have all failed. Each of us has a past: sins, mistakes, and even a label. As we call upon the Lord Jesus to forgive our sins, we walk into a new life. “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). A new creation isn’t merely a remake of the old person, but something completely new, something never known before. God is still in the creating business.

If we can dream a new future under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can accomplish it; or rather, God can accomplish it in and through us. The scriptures tell us that God is at work in us both to will and to do God’s good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). God is still giving fresh dreams and working new plans. We need to cry out the Lord, see God’s new future for us, and walk obediently with faith in the footsteps God sets before us, even if those around us don’t believe in us or give us another chance. God knows His good plans for us for a hope and a future.

In a depressed economy, it is easy to lose hope. When a strained relationship continues to sour, it is easy to quit praying and trying. But most of all, when we have had doors repeatedly closed on our faces or we have been sick for years, our spirits begin to sag. In those times, it is hard to hear the voice of God say, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). I urge you, lift up your heads. Open your eyes. God’s still creating. God is giving fresh dreams. God has a new beginning just for you. See it, receive it, claim it, and live it.

New Grace Every Morning

2011-07-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

“They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” —Lamentations 3:23

My vacation went better than expected. Oh yes, I am exhausted and trying to catch up on my physical rest, but my soul and spirit have been refreshed. God surprised me the first morning of my vacation with a new experience. Early Saturday morning as I looked out over the deck to enjoy the view of the lake, I saw a squirrel carrying a branch up the trunk toward the top of the oak tree. A gray squirrel was building a nest at eye level just twenty feet away. Now ignoring the breath-taking view of Lake Keowee, I watched in amazement as the squirrel climbed down the tree, chewed off another small branch, and took it back to the nest. I had never before seen a squirrel nest under construction.

At that point, I declared to the entire family that my vacation was complete. I just experienced something completely new. At my age, new things that happen each day are not usually good: a new gray hair, a new wrinkle, a new notch in my belt, or a new ache in a joint. As it turned out, this week was full of new experiences. I saw a family of river otters for the first time. I observed and even photographed a bald eagle living naturally in the wild. While enjoying a very productive week of fishing I was blessed to watch my grandson catch his first bass while casting a lure from the front of the boat. He reeled it in all by himself. I have a picture of Gavin and his dad smiling from ear to ear. It doesn’t get any better than that.

One of the great things about vacations is the change in things we worry about. On vacation this week, I still had worries and decisions. I had to decide what time I was going to get up in the morning. I had to decide between going fishing in the bass boat or taking a ride on the jet skis. Do I swim in the pool or take a dip in the lake? Lie on the dock or by the pool? I don’t really consider myself a worrier, but as the week progressed, I could feel the burdens of life and ministry lighten.

The scriptures repeatedly tell us not to worry. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34). God does not give us grace for the troubles that will come in the future. God only gives us grace for today. As I experienced new things on vacation, God reminded me that His grace is new every morning. God supplies new grace and compassion for us each and everyday. We begin each new day with more than enough of God’s grace and power to get through whatever challenge we will face, today.

How do we get through the daily struggles of life? Take a vacation. Time off may not change our circumstances, but the rest and new experiences may remind us of the daily, refreshing grace of God. Jeremiah, often called the weeping prophet, lamented the destruction of Jerusalem. As he cried out to God, he declared, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (Lamentations 3:22). He recognized that even in defeat and destruction, it was God’s compassions that keep us from total annihilation. He goes on to say that God’s compassions “never fail, they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (3:23).

I pray for each of you as you read this article. May God bring a new experience and fresh insight to your soul and spirit. May you learn to trust God anew. God’s grace in Jesus Christ is new every morning. Great is God’s faithfulness.

Not All About Me

2011-07-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” —Philippians 2:4

Last week I wrote about taking a vacation and Jesus telling His disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). Actually, I didn’t tell you the whole story. In Mark 6, Jesus did take the disciples by boat to a solitary place, but a large crowd had run ahead and awaited their arrival. Jesus’ response is both inspiring and challenging for us. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34).

Upon seeing the crowd, Jesus didn’t say, “Woe is Me.” Instead, Jesus put their needs before His own and began to teach them as their shepherd. When the time came to eat, the disciples wanted to send them away, but Jesus said, “You feed them.” Through our Lord’s compassion and the disciples’ obedience, they fed 5,000 men not counting women and children. One of Jesus’ most famous miracles came through a group of exhausted men in desperate need of a day off.

Jesus’ reaction to the crowd demonstrated His sacrificial nature. Philippians 2:5-6 further describes how Jesus put our needs before His own welfare. Jesus, who was God (meaning it is really all about Him), emptied Himself and became a servant. When God created human beings, He knew the price Jesus would have to pay. When Jesus came to earth in the incarnation at Christmas, He had already counted the cost. When praying in the garden, “Not My will, but Yours be done,” Jesus willingly gave His life and was separated from His heavenly Father for you and me.

As I prepared for vacation this year, many people encouraged me to get away and rest. I usually responded, “Oh, it’s going to be an exciting family vacation.” Darlene and I, her mother, and my daughter’s family including our two grandchildren (a seven-year-old and an almost two-year-old) will load into a seven passenger van and travel eleven hours to South Carolina. We’re going to have an exciting time. “Exciting time” is code for I will come home exhausted looking forward to two weeks back at work in order to get rested up.

I remind myself, it’s not all about me. I thank God (really I do) for the awesome privilege of spending two weeks at my brother’s lake house in the mountains of South Carolina and using all his water toys for free. I praise the Lord for having Darlene’s mother with us in Johnstown and for healthy grandkids. God is so good. I praise Him that as a father, a son-in-law, and a pappy, I can look to the interests of others and bless them. It really is not all about me.

What are you wrestling with in your life today? What troubles you? Are you living for yourself or for others? Are you allowing the attitude that Jesus Christ had to be yours, or are you continually asking, “What’s in it for me?” If you want to be truly refreshed in the Spirit, put on the attitude of Jesus. Allow someone else’s needs to come before your own and serve them in the power of the Lord. You never know, a miracle might just happen. And in the meantime, bless someone and take them on a vacation with you.

Take a Vacation

2011-07-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." —Genesis 2:2

Have you ever heard church leaders complain about low summer attendance? Invariably, someone will say, “What if God took a vacation?” I am not really much for using guilt to get people to serve the Lord. The first time I saw a church sign that read, “CH—CH, What’s missing, UR” I was amused. But now when I read such a sign, I am reminded of the critical cry of a dying ministry. Rather than browbeat the Church for low attendance on a summer Sunday, encourage people to take a vacation. We all need some time off.

A day off or a vacation as ordained by God should be a time for recharging our souls, replenishing our minds, and refreshing our bodies. If your body needs exercise, then a vacation should be a time of exertion. If your body needs rest, then time off should be spent recuperating. Jesus told the disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). But a vacation should never be an escape from morality or a time to forget about the Lord.

What if God did actually take a vacation? Well He did! At least, God took a day off. The scriptures tell us that not only did God take a day off, but He institutionalized the day off. The fourth of the Ten Commandments reads, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:8-10).

Some may wonder why most Christians observe Sunday, the first day of the week, as their Sabbath rest and not Saturday, the seventh, as prescribed by the Old Testament. The Jews observe Saturday as their Sabbath, and a few Christian denominations still do, but the early Church began meeting on Sunday calling it the Lord’s Day, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Each Sunday became a celebration, an anniversary of Easter. John writes in Revelations 1:10, “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.” Several places in the New Testament we read about the Church gathering “on the first day of the week” (John 20:19, Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 6:2).

If God took a moral day off, then prayers would not get answered. Our sins would not be forgiven. If God completely severed Himself from any relationship with His Creation, the world might fall apart. Colossians 1:17 tells us that “in him all things hold together.” A vacation may be a break from one’s responsibilities at their local church but not from the spiritual responsibilities of being a Christian. You may miss a Sunday with your home church, but why not check out a new ministry at your vacation setting. You may miss Sunday School or your home group but take a moment as a family to have devotions and pray together.

This year, take a vacation. You may stay home because of finances, but change your routine. And remember to make your time of rest holy unto the Lord. Don’t forget the three Ps of a godly vacation: Play, Pray, and Pay. Play and refresh your soul, mind, and body. Pray and draw close to God. And Pay—don’t forget to continue to support your local church and the ministries you sustain. Have a great summer!

High Cost of Freedom

2011-07-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

“It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”—1 Peter 1:18-19

Celebrating Independence Day, known by many as the Fourth of July, has come to mean eating picnic lunches, watching fireworks, and traveling. Along with the traveling we may also complain about the high price of gasoline, but few of us take the time to consider the high cost of the freedom we enjoy. Try it just once. Read over the Declaration of Independence.

The last line of the Declaration of Independence reads, “For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were not radical wild-eyes ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security and possessions, but they valued freedom more. Many of them lost their lives and their fortunes, but not their sacred honor.

This Independence Day, let us pause and remember those men and women who paid dearly for our freedom. On Memorial Day, we remembered those who gave their lives for our freedom. We remember the 618,000 who died in the Civil War and the nearly half a million who died in World War 2. World War 1, Korea, and Vietnam deaths totaled over 200,000. In recent years and even today, although the numbers do not compare to those of earlier conflicts, we hear reports of young soldiers who pay the ultimate price for freedom. The death toll from Operation Iraqi Freedom is nearly 4,500 and from Afghanistan’s Operation Enduring Freedom over 1,600. The high cost of freedom includes the sacrifices made by military families as well.

Jesus signed our spiritual Declaration of Independence on the Cross with His blood. Just as the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence declared the colonies free from

England

, so Jesus Christ declared human beings to be free from sin and sin’s punishment. John 19:30 records, “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Another passage declares, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

What have you done to live out Jesus’ Declaration of Independence for you? Just as the American Colonies had to live out or live into the declaration they had made, so each of us must decide if we will receive Jesus’ offer of salvation. Our freedom from sin and death cost Jesus Christ, God’s Son, God Himself, His life. The scripture rightly asks, “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3)

How did you celebrate Independence Day this July 4^th? A better more eternal question might be, “How will you respond to God’s offer of salvation and freedom from sin and death?” God loves you so much that He gave Jesus Christ to die in your place. God’s Holy Spirit is calling each of us to respond and receive His love and forgiveness. Let us consider the high cost of our freedom this day and invite Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives.

Holiness and Love Meet

2011-07-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Be holy, because I am holy.—Leviticus 11:44

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.—1 John 4:11

The absolute cutest thing my granddaughter does is to put her hands together at mealtime and questioningly look to me and say, “Pray?” I wrote about that last week. The second most touching thing is when she reaches her arms up to me and says, “Hold you?” She actually means please hold me, but that’s what makes it so cute. This week, God has been showing me another pair of His attributes: God’s holiness and God’s love. Whenever we see holiness and love come together, we notice.

I attended a memorial service last week for a dear friend. This man died at age 87 and lived and worked right up to the last few weeks of his life. The community and his family and friends knew him as a man of integrity. His word was better than any signed contract. As I spoke with the family in preparation for the memorial service, I learned that among other things, he was known to the family as the baby guy. Anytime relatives would visit, they would give him the babies to hold. Even the extended family remembers him holding the babies, everyone’s babies. What a contradiction for my mind to grasp. He was a respected man of character and wisdom but also known as the baby guy. Holiness and love come together.

The same tension of holiness and love describes God’s character as revealed to us in Jesus Christ. God is our Heavenly Father who loves everyone, but God is holy and just. If God is to be holy, sin must be punished. I am reminded of the lyrics of the old hymn, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross by Isaac Watts. We sing in the third stanza, “Sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.”

Sin both angers and breaks the heart of God. The Genesis flood passage records, “The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I created, from the face of the earth.’” (6:6-7)

In Jesus Christ, God reveals His ultimate plan for dealing with sin. Sin, personal and corporate sin, your sin and the sin of the world, still angers and grieves God. Sin still must be punished, but the Cross of Jesus Christ becomes God’s solution. “Sorrow and love flow mingled down.” Oswald Chambers writes, “The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God…The center of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The Cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened—but the crash is on the heart of God” (My Utmost, April 6).

My friend, God dearly loves you, but God terribly hates sin. Your sin separates you from God and prevents you from experiencing God’s best for your life. Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, took the punishment for your sin. Jesus is God; therefore, God actually punished Himself for your sin and mine. Romans 5:8 records, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Call upon the Lord today. Let Him hold you in His loving arms. God’s holiness and love meet at the Cross. In some sense, as Jesus hung on the Cross with His arms stretched out, God was saying to you and all the world, “Let me hold you.”

God is Great and Good

2011-06-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

“One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.”

—Psalm 62:11-12a

Teaching my almost two year old granddaughter to pray has been interesting and instructive. She is now programmed to pray before meals. Addi’s version goes something like this, “Goddie great; Goddie good; thank Him, for food, AMEN!” In the same way I used a celebratory clapping reward to teach her to say “Pappy,” (which she says regularly with great affection) we cheer and clap wildly after she closes each mealtime prayer with “Amen!”

Probably because of all the excitement and cheering, Addi likes to say grace several times during the meal. She puts her hands together and questioningly asks, “Pray?” Pappy is a big pushover. When I hear her pray so innocently, I cannot refuse her multiple requests even if the rest of the family is thoroughly annoyed.

At first I felt embarrassed that, as a seminary trained Bible scholar, the best I could do in teaching my grandchildren to pray is “God is great; God is good.” But when I think deeply about it, the two main things we need to know about God is God’s greatness and God’s goodness. Steven Furtick, founding pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, writes in his book, Sun Stand Still, “If you overlook the way good and food don’t really quite rhyme…this prayer is actually a remarkably elegant summary of the character of God (97).

I didn’t realize this childlike grace paraphrases Psalm 62. “Two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.” There it is—a fortune worth of theological training summarized in a child’s prayer. God is strong (great) and God is loving (good).

We may believe that God is able to do far more than we think or imagine. God can heal, God can deliver, God can open doors, God is able, but we question whether God will do it for me: in my life, for my family and in my circumstances. Is God good? Is God loving? Jesus revealed God to us as our Heavenly Father. In teaching on prayer, Jesus says if human fathers give good gifts, “How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matt. 7:11).

Which truth about God do you struggle to believe? God’s power or God’s goodness? This simple affirmation from the mouth of babes declares both. God is able to overcome whatever challenge you are facing today. Lean upon God’s divine power. The Lord is more than able.

God is also good and will meet your needs. God is loving and will fulfill His promises in your life. Romans 8:31-32 says it powerfully, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Yes, my friend, you can trust the Lord. God is great and good.

Pride and Humility

2011-06-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” —Romans 12:3b

As I write these words, I am attending the annual gathering of our denomination. During the second week of June, every United Methodist clergy from western Pennsylvania and an equal number of laypersons (nearly 2,000 delegates in all) meet at Grove City College for worship, legislation, and fellowship. The conference ends with the Bishop ordaining new ministers and “fixing” the appointments (that is where the Bishop officially tells us where to go).

Each year at Annual Conference, I experience what I call the yo-yo syndrome. As I begin to greet my colleagues leading different-sized ministries from all over western Pennsylvania, I feel intimated in one moment and puffed up the next. As I observe eloquent and charismatic pastors from large innovative churches, I feel very small and insignificant. Down I go. Then I hear about pastors serving declining churches in depressed areas of the state, and I lift my head a little higher and think, “We’re not doing so badly.” Back up again. I know pastors are not in competition with other churches and ministries, but it’s human nature to look around and compare ourselves to others. We all do it with our children, school, and work.

The Scriptures urge us to think of ourselves with “sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given.” To think of ourselves soberly means in a serious and restrained manner. When seeing someone we look up to, we must not minimize our gifts and maximize their strengths. Likewise, we dare not compare ourselves to someone who is struggling. We may be tempted to overlook our own faults and fail to recognize the other person’s strengths.

I seek to think of myself soberly by comparing myself to no one but Jesus Christ and judging my successes and failures according to the gifts God has bestowed upon me. By remembering not to make human comparisons and by understanding my God-given Spiritual gifts, I have been able to break free from the yo-yo syndrome.

This eliminates two problems we often face in the Christian life in particular and everyday life in general. The first is the “I can’t do anything problem.” Because someone around us is experiencing some measure of success, we think we have nothing. We are all uniquely gifted with a certain measure of faith by God. Unique means God has special plans and opportunities that only we can experience.

The second problem is the “I can do everything problem” with its two corollary problems: “You can’t do anything” and “I must do everything.” If we look at our own life soberly according to the grace of God we have received, we will find our place in life and will more readily accept ourselves and others.

Christian, you are a child of God. You are uniquely gifted by God for a life and ministry just suited for you and needed by others. Keep your eyes on Jesus. You will avoid the dreaded yo-yo syndrome and will find a healthy balance between pride and humility.

Holy and Pleasing Worship

2011-06-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” —Romans 12:1

I have always been inspired by heroic stories whether they are in the Bible, movies, or real life. The British movie, Chariots of Fire, portrays Eric Liddell, a college athlete and Christian. Liddell was a son of Chinese missionaries and a very fast runner. He told his sister and ministry co-worker, “Jenny, I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast and when I run I feel His pleasure.”

Liddell competed in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. He was slated to run the 100 meter dash and join his fellow Englishmen in the 4 X 100 and 4 X 400 relays. Because some preliminary heats were on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, Liddell refused to run. He withdrew from the 100 meter dash, his best event, and from the relays. He did, however, win a bronze medal in the 200 meter race and gold in the 400 meter race. Before running the 400 meter, not his best event, a paper was given to him that quoted 1 Samuel 2:30, “Those who honor me I will honor.”

One of my favorite scriptures and powerful description of worship is Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” A living sacrifice to me is someone who surrenders their life, talent, time, and will to the Lord to be used as God chooses. Further on, Romans 12 urges Christians to consider who they are in Christ and how the Holy Spirit has gifted them for service. Eric Liddell knew God created him for a purpose but also knew God created him to run. By running Liddell glorified God.

The movie does not tell the entire story. After winning medals in the 1924 Olympics, Liddell gave his life in missionary service in China from 1925-1943. He died in February of 1945 at the age of 43 in an internment camp five months before liberation. While in the camp, Liddell taught the children and organized the distribution of food and medicine that were in short supply.

In his last letter to his wife, written on the day he died, Liddell wrote that he was suffering a nervous breakdown due to overwork. He actually died from an inoperable brain tumor. Overwork and malnourishment probably hastened his death. In 2008 near the time of the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities revealed that Liddell had refused an opportunity to leave the camp insisting a pregnant woman take his place. The news of his act of sacrifice came as a complete surprise to his family members.

We have been uniquely created and gifted by God. Holy, God-pleasing worship involves surrendering our talents and gifts to God to be used in blessing others. Each of us has been made for a purpose. We have special God-given gifts that make us best in some particular area. Surrender is not merely giving God our best efforts, but allowing God to use what the Spirit has given us for His glory. If Eric Liddell would have competed and won all his best events, people may have simply thought, Eric is very fast. But because he competed and won in races he was not expected to win, people gave glory to God.

True worshippers acknowledge our Lord’s gifts in their lives and give themselves totally to God’s purposes. Will you allow God to be glorified in your earthly body? Will you become the hands and feet of Jesus to a lost and hurting world? This is acceptable and pleasing to God.