A Thorough Checkup

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”                 —1 Thessalonians 5:23

I went to the eye doctor for a check up this past week. This is really big news as I have never been to an optometrist in my life. I always had good vision and never needed anything until recently as my eyes began to mature.

As I prepared to leave for my appointment, someone asked me who was going to drive me home. Drive me home? Why would I need someone to drive me home? They told me that eye doctors often put drops into your eyes in order to do a thorough exam. Your pupils remain dilated and you see poorly for several hours. I replied, “I don’t really want a thorough exam, I just want better reading glasses.”

Most of us like to avoid those thorough tests prescribed by our doctors. You know the mammograms, pap smears, prostate exams, and colonoscopies, to name a few. We don’t want the doctor to thoroughly examine us, we simply want this wart removed, or this headache cured, or this tingling to go away. Interestingly enough, doctors and surgeons usually like to know what’s going on inside the engine before they start rotating the tires.

Spiritually, we often come to Jesus because of some problem we are having in life. I’d like my marriage fixed (really, we just want our spouse fixed). I need my finances transformed—rather than making Jesus Lord of our finances; we simply want a better job or someone to pay our electric bill. I am having anxiety attacks and need Jesus to give me peace. God is the Great Physician and not only wants to give us peace and health but desires to sanctify us entirely: spirit, soul and body. God isn’t concerned with quick fixes and minor repairs. God wants to do a complete life make over in us.

The word “sanctify” used in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 means “to make holy.” Usually we think of holiness to mean not doing anything wrong. Although holiness may imply holy living and doing right things, holiness has a relational aspect to it. Holiness for the Christian also means belonging to God. If I am completely God’s, I am holy. Holiness has to do with being in love with God. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”

I believe it is God’s desire to sanctify us wholly. God wants to make us completely His, but this can only be done if we invite the Lord to search and know us completely. The Psalmist concludes Psalm 139 with a beautiful prayer of surrender and consecration, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (139:23-24).

Are things in your life not working correctly? Maybe it’s time for a thorough entire-life checkup. Good checkups usually include eyes, heart, and other body parts, but a thorough checkup would include asking the Lord to search our lives completely and to sanctify us wholly unto Him. It may be time for you to call upon the Lord and surrender to His will and way in your life.

A Storm is Coming

“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house.”    —Matthew 7:25

As we prepared for, watched, and now clean up after the terrible hurricane Sandy, we may feel a false sense of relief that at least the storm has past. But, I am concerned that many greater storms are just around the corner. I am not necessarily referring to weather and nature storms like tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and blizzards which will surely come. I am thinking of moral, social, political, and spiritual storms that are brewing around us.

I am writing this article a few days before a presidential election day. From every analysis, from every political perspective, we are in the midst of a political tornado. The parties are diametrically opposed to each other. Each party morally opposes the other’s stance. One party disagrees entirely with the other on how to best lead our country. The personal attacks and slanted rhetoric could surely not get any worse.

For myself, I am probably not helping the situation as I am very committed to one moral and political viewpoint. However, I personally believe the economy cycles up and down. Unless we are in the last days before the return of Jesus Christ, I believe the economy will improve in the next four years regardless of what either party does to correct it. I am certain that the political party in power will take all the credit for this turn around.

Morally and spiritually speaking, we are in the midst of a brewing storm as well. Jesus, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7 said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). Regardless of whom you would like to blame, most people around me are not hearing (reading or listening to) Jesus’ words; therefore, they are certainly not putting them into practice. Jesus goes on to say, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house.” Jesus said the storm came. He did not say the storm might come, or the storm will hit the east coast or the southern coast. Jesus simply said the storm came.

I fear for many around me as the storm comes. Most are not living their lives on a solid foundation. Many are not grounded spiritually, morally, emotionally, or financially. Jesus promises to keep safe all who ground their lives on Him. If we hear Jesus’ words and put them into practice, our lives and homes will be kept safe and secure. Jesus also said, if we do not build our lives on Him and His word, we are building on shifting sands. Just like the beachfront homes destroyed by the hurricane Sandy, the shifting sands of the latest fad, most recent opinion poll, and newest belief system will not keep us safe when the storm hits.

A storm is coming, but I am not afraid. As Ira Stanphill wrote in the old Gospel song, “Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand; but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.” You may already be in the midst of your own storm. I urge you to call out to Jesus. The disciples called out to Christ to save them from drowning on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus spoke, calmed the sea, and rescued them all. Call upon, and follow Jesus today. He will never let you down, and He will keep you safe in the coming storm.

The Power of Words

“He grants sleep to those he loves.”   —Psalm 127:2 (NIV)

Many of you have heard sermons or teachings about watching what you say or how you criticize your children because there is power in your words. This past week, I received a whole new understanding how words have power.

I often quote Psalm 127:2 in the New American Standard Version (NASB), “It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.” I claim this verse to rest at night when many things are left undone and deadlines loom. I go to bed trusting in God’s promises to provide for what is needed. God always comes through. Often between the times my eyes open in the morning and my feet hit the floor, huge problems are solved or entire sermons planned and thought out.

Recently, however, I have had trouble getting my mind to slow down when I lie down to sleep. I can be dead tired, but when my head hits the pillow, a flurry of thoughts begin racing through my mind. In the morning I may have something all worked out, but I spent the entire night figuring it out rather than sleeping. I have told God several times in my morning prayers that I claimed Psalm 127:2 (NASB) to mean He works things out while I sleep.

I jokingly said the other day, I think I better start quoting Psalm 127 from the New International Version (NIV), “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” I quoted verse 2 from the NIV two days ago, and for the last two lights, I slept soundly. Maybe there is more power in our words than we think.

If we think our words are powerful, consider how powerful and sure God’s Word, the Bible is for us. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Yes, all of God’s promises are true and certain in Jesus Christ. Hebrews tells us, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (4:12). God’s Word is certain, living, and powerful.

Many Christians live in defeat and exhaustion because they do not spend time in God’s Word. In order to know God’s powerful and effective promises, we must read and meditate on God’s word. We can memorize specific passages to recall them when we need faith, comfort, or direction. The more time we spend reading and studying The Bible, the better able we are to claim God’s promises.

What need or challenge are you facing today? Does God’s Word say anything about it? What instruction does it give? What promise can you claim? The old gospel song says, “Every promise, in the book, is mine, every chapter, every verse and every line. All are blessings, of his love, Divine. Every promise, in the book, is mine.” You cannot know the promises of God if you are not reading chapter, verse, and line. I encourage you to claim the promises of God. There is definitely power in God’s words.

Blessed are the Givers

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”          

—Luke 6:38

Jesus spoke some very touching Beatitudes, but I’d like to add my own, “Blessed are the givers, for they shall never be poor.” I am not adding to the Bible, only summarizing some Biblical truths about giving. You see, one cannot be poor if they are giving to meet the needs of another. Givers are rich for two reasons. One, according to God’s principle of seed and harvest, those who give cannot be poor because God promises to bless abundantly all who give to God and to the needs of others. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over” (Luke 6:38). Although many struggling families ignore it, and TV evangelists abuse it, the truth still holds. God promises to bless those who give.

Givers are also rich because they focus on meeting the needs of others rather than on themselves. Givers don’t realize they are poor. “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). Eddie Ogan’s story, Richest Family in the Church, illustrates this point beautifully. I first read this story as a circulating email. More recently, I did a little research to find its origin.

Ms. Ogan first included her story as part of a monthly letter she writes to Assembly of God missionaries in the northwest. Richest Family in the Church describes an event in Eddie’s childhood when the minister announced a special Easter offering for a poor family in the church. She, her sisters, and her mother sacrificed, scrimped, and saved to joyously make a $70 donation to this “poor family.” They later found out they were the poor family when the minister paid them a visit giving them the offering, only $87. They had never known what it felt like to be poor, but they suddenly did not feel very joyous.

They went very reluctantly to church the next Sunday and listened to a missionary speaker who asked for a special offering for a roof. Eddie’s family immediately put their $87 into the plate. The offering came to just over the needed amount of $100. The missionary praised the little church for such a great offering stating, “You must have some very rich families in this little church.” Eddie’s family realized they were not a poor family, but the richest family in the church. My apologies to Eddie for my brief summary of her story. If you would like to read the entire story, you can easily find it with a simple search of the internet. If you don’t have internet, call or write me at Oakland UM Church, I’d be glad to send you the entire story.

Ms. Ogan remains a very rich person. According to her facebook page, she is now 80 years old, has 33 grandchildren, makes quilts for Teen Challenge, knits over 5,000 hats for orphans around the world, and most recently, is making over 5,000 African rag dolls for aids orphans. She will soon celebrate her 60^th wedding anniversary with her husband, Phil.

If you are not feeling especially blessed these days, take a cue from Eddie Ogan and Jesus. Look around for someone worse off than you and sacrificially give to bless them. I pray God will open the windows of heaven to meet your needs, and even more, I pray you will feel more blessed than ever. 

United We Stand

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” —Psalm 133:1

Many of you probably remember the famous line from John “Hannibal” Smith of the A-Team, “I love it when a plan comes together.” I would agree but might add, “I love it when Christians come together around God’s will and vision for the Church.” At Oakland, I am having the awesome privilege of working with many believers coming together around a vision and common ministry. This past week, some of their unified, cooperative labors of several months have born fruit. It’s beautiful to behold.

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). After Jesus left 120 followers behind and ascended to heaven, the early church waited for the outpouring of power in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1 tells us, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.” (NIV1984) The phrase “were all together” definitely tells us they were physically together in the same place, but they were also unified in will and spirit. From the New King James Version, Acts 2:1 reads, “They were all with one accord in one place.” Can you remember a time when your family, your church, or a group of people were all in one accord in one place?

When Christians come together around a common goal under the direction of the Holy Spirit, God’s blessing and power are bestowed upon them. Scripture tells us, “I can do everything through him [Jesus Christ] who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). Add the power of the Holy Spirit and unity, and there should be no stopping Christians or the Church. Jesus did say, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

 Why, then, do so many Christians feel weak and defeated? One simple explanation is that we are not united in doing God’s Will. We are often at odds with our family and fellow Christians. When accused of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons, Jesus replied with an eternal truth. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, and a house divided can not stand (Mark 3:24-25). If we are divided as a family, as a Church, and, I might add, as a nation, we cannot stand.

As we draw closer to another election, our divisions and lack of unity become plainly clear. It is no wonder we face so many challenges as a country and culture. We are not united, “one nation,” and we are definitely not united “under God.” We seek our own personal agendas—the Bible calls willful disobedience and selfishness, “sin.” We seek re-election and our party’s agenda before the good of the nation and what is good and righteous in God’s eyes.

If all Christian’s in America would be together in one accord, we may be stopped or stymied politically, but we could never be stopped spiritually. Jesus told the disciples to “Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). They waited together in one accord and were baptized with power and God’s Spirit. They left the Upper Room and converted the world. Let us humble ourselves under God’s will, be reconciled to our brother or sister, strand united for Jesus Christ, and transform the world.

P.U.S.H.

“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”   —Luke 11:10

My son and daughter-in-law purchased one of those grand older homes with great potential. That’s code for “it will either be a beautifully restored classic house some day or a real money pit.” On my days off, I usually get away from Johnstown, books and computers; put on work clothes and remodel, cut firewood, or hunt/fish. Monday, I planned to work at my son’s new house. I had the key to the fancy kitchen door, but it wouldn’t open.

The first time Ryan worked with that door, he couldn’t get it to stay unlocked. Being an older and wiser dad, I simply showed my son how to work this intricate lock. There are buttons built into the edge of the door that release or lock the door. I told him he was not used to working with such expensive locks. As I turned the key this past Monday, I could feel the handle budge, but it wouldn’t open. I tried several times, but the handle would not turn. After several attempts, I gave up and inspected every window, door, and crawl space for a way into the house. No success! I couldn’t get in. Off to the mountain to cut firewood for my daughter. Sorry, Ryan; if you want help, I’ve got to have the right key.

When my son came home, we took the key and tried the door. Ryan looked at me and said, “The handle never moves; remember the buttons. You just have to push.” The door unlocked every time I turned the key. It was open. I simply had to push. What’s funnier yet; I used the same key the week before and got in just fine. What a parable for Christians and prayer. So many times we pray and pray waiting for some specific handle to release when the door is open and waiting for us to push ahead in faith.

The lyrics from a southern Gospel classic state, “Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door.”  Faith requires a step of obedience believing God will act. Faith persists even though the answer is a long time coming. Sometimes, God seems like an unjust judge, unwilling to act (Luke 18:1-8). At other times, God might appear as an unwilling friend, but Jesus tells us God will, does, and has already answered our prayers. We simple must P.U.S.H—pray until something happens. If human parents give good gifts to their children, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”(Luke 11:13).

A dear friend and colleague once gave me this quote about pray and faith. “The prayer of a good faith—God can do it. The prayer of a strong faith—God will do it. But the prayer of a perfect faith—God has done it.” Praying until something happens comes from a faith that believes God’s promise as if it has already been accomplished. “For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:10). For some, it has already been opened. All there is left for us to do is push it open in faith.

What have you been asking from the Lord? Have you been seeking for a long time? Are you continually knocking? Maybe it is time to take an action step and live as if God has already answered your prayer. Push forward. Pray until something happens, and then, move as if it has.

Pray First

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  —Mark 1:35

The end of September and the month of October look to be overwhelmingly busy for me. As I began my week (Tuesday for me; I religiously take Monday off as a Sabbath.), I had so much to do I didn’t know where to start. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me to start where I begin every day, in prayer, Bible reading, and communing with God.

After reading my Bible, the book of Ezra, reading a devotional, Oswald Chambers, and spending some time in prayer, I prayerfully made a list of everything I needed to do. I might call this my Spirit’s to-do list. Many folks say they work better under pressure. I would agree that I do, too, but not because of the pressure, but because the pressure causes me to call upon the Lord and depend upon the Spirit’s direction. Tuesday’s Spirit’s to-do list had nine items, more than I ever imagined I could accomplish.

God continually reminds me that the economy of the Kingdom is not like human economy. In the world, if we are in a hurry, we would skip prayer and devotions and get working. In God’s economy, every minute given to God is multiplied so God can accomplish through us everything that needs done. Martin Luther once spoke about the overwhelming responsibilities on his plate. He would begin each day by spending an hour in prayer with God. But, if he had a particularly busy day and was more rushed than usual, he would make it a point to spend two hours with God before he started his day.”

Jesus made a practice of spending time alone with God. Throughout the days, crowds thronged Jesus seeking healing, teaching, and food. In order to find spiritual nourishment and direction, Jesus would arise very early in the morning and pray privately (Mark 1:35). With the demands placed upon Jesus, we can see where He received His strength and guidance. Jesus seemed never to be in a hurry, but He also was never late. If we are going to get everything done God has for us and do it with the same power and anointing Jesus possessed, we must go to the same source.

Oh yes, my nine item to-do list. I got each item done, in perfect timing, and in God’s power. At the end of the day, I was definitely tired but a good kind of tired. The tired that comes from knowing I did a good day’s work. The tired that comes from knowing God was working through me each step of my day. I still claim Psalm 127:2 as a promise for busy people. “It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”

If you have more to do in a given day than humanly possible, then don’t try to do it in human strength alone. Call upon the Lord. Don’t forget to pray first. Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). If you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy. Pray first. Call upon the Lord to direct your day, and work hard in God’s strength. The Lord will never let you down.