Lanny's Lyrics--Devotions by Pastor Lanny

Forgiveness

2011-08-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

"All the prophets testify about [Jesus] that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."--Acts 10.43
Forgiveness is foundational for the Christian life: God forgiving us, us forgiving others, and others forgiving us. The longer I live, the more incredible this truth becomes to me. Forgiveness is really at the heart of the Christian faith! It is a miracle and yet, the very cornerstone of a life of following Jesus.
As I reflected on the miracle of forgiveness this morning, I found this:

"ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD--ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE ROMANS
THE HATRED . . . which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class; FATHER, FORGIVE.
THE GREED . . . which exploits the labors of people and lays waste to the earth; FATHER, FORGIVE.
OUR ENVY . . . of the welfare and happiness of others; FATHER FORGIVE
OUR INDIFFERENCE . . . to the plight of the homeless and the refugee;
FATHER, FORGIVE.
THE LUST . . . which uses for ignoble ends, the bodies of men and women;
FATHER, FORGIVE
THE PRIDE . . . which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God;
FATHER, FORGIVE.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (St. Paul to the Ephesians)"
---The above prayer was at the altar of Coventry Cathedral

qualities to live by

2011-08-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

2Peter 1.5-8: "For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
In our world of information (and information overload), sometimes, it gets difficult to discern the movement of God in our midst. It's often easier to suppose where God is not than where God is.
The Apostle Peter gives a great laundry list of qualities that go along with our faith in the passage above. Things like, "goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, love." With these, you can't go wrong. Where these are active through the Spirit of God, we can know that God is active and alive in our world today.
As I scan this list and think about their meaning, I am challenged to assure that I am walking with Jesus throughout the day, not just at set times of prayer, but throughout the whole day. Chances are, if we are walking with Jesus throughout the day, these qualities just start "showing up" in our lives.
I invite you to scan this list and ask Jesus to work these qualities in you today! As Peter writes, these are the kinds of qualities that make us effective and fruitful as followers of Jesus.

meeting together . . .

2011-07-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 10:24-25: "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
There is simply no substitute for Christian Community. We always need reminding of that. Part of our human condition is a temptation to try to "go it alone." We want to be our own masters. We want to call the shots for our lives. And, if we are honest with ourselves, sometimes we just don't want to be bothered by others and their problems.
But there is no substitute for Christian Community. We need the Church. We need to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ no matter how immature, petty, or bothersome they may sometimes seem to us. There is something that happens when we live life together that cannot be achieved on a solo spiritual journey. In fact, in the Christian faith, there is no such thing as a "solo spiritual journey." Following Jesus involves walking with other Christians.
Unfortunately, in my lifetime, I have seen many "good" people simply fall away from Christian Community. They all had different reasons and some sounded pretty logical on the surface. But in every case, their spiritual life was handicapped by a refusal to participate in Christian Community.
It's not always easy to practice Christian Community, but that's why we call it "practice." Living in Christian Community always necessitates prayer, forgiveness, and an amount of grace that can only come from Jesus Christ.
But there's simply no other way to follow Jesus without Christian Community. If you've "fallen away" from the fellowship of Christian Community, why not reconnect today? Call one of your sisters and brothers in the faith and ask them how it's going. Better yet, share some prayer concerns and pray together. Reach out to someone and take church to someone who cannot come to the church building any more. And don't forget to worship together this coming Sunday.
There is simply no substitute for Christian Community.

God's Promise

2011-05-25T07:34:00.001-07:00

"And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come."--Genesis 9.12
Unfortunately, we've all had the experience of a broken promise. For most of us, that broken promise is something minor like, "I'll be there at 3pm" and they don't show up. For some of us, the broken promise is something major, severing relationships and causing scars that last throughout our lives.
The good news about God is that God never breaks his promises! A reminder of that is in the story of Noah. Before the terrible flood that covered the earth, God made a covenant (a sacred promise) with Noah: "I will save you and your family." After the flood, God made another covenant with Noah: "Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." This was a forerunner of The Covenant that God would make with us through Jesus Christ, promising that, if we trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we will not be destroyed but instead, would have eternal life.
That promise is for you and me! Remember God's promise today, a promise that will never be broken. And walk in that newness of life!

The Path, continued . . .

2011-04-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Path, continued--

The Morn

Death is not the End!
Life springs forth
From behind the rock

Dawn has cracked
The darkness of the tomb
Sun shines bright
As the Son rises

Morning Robin
Sings her song
On Resurrection Morn

The horrible, torturous Cross
Now blooms
With flowers and New Life

Once symbol of
Caesar's cruel rule
Now, symbol
Of King Jesus' eternal reign

Temporal power,
Curse of death,
Sin's horrible offspring
Now lie in the
Rags of Jesus'
Burial clothes-
Left Behind

With Jesus, we rise
From the ashes of sin and death
To Redemption's Sunny Morn!

The Path

2011-04-12T07:18:00.001-07:00

The Path

The Path took its final turn on Palm Sunday
For Jerusalem, the Holy City
That murders the prophets and those sent to her

The Path had led him
In the womb from Nazareth to Bethlehem--
Least of all the tribes

No cradle, but a meek manger
For the God-Man,
Light of the world

The path had led him to Egypt
Former house of slavery
Now asylum from Herod's wrath

The path led him to
Jerusalem for Passover
To learn with the elders

Were they the same who cried
Twenty-one years later
For his blood?

The path led him to a carpenter's shop
In lowly Nazareth
Tables, chairs, and cabinets would be his wares
Later, people's hearts

The path led him to the
Rivers of the Jordan
Crossed by Joshua ages before

To be baptized--not for sin
But as a model for us
An anointing, an ordination
To the greatest ministry ever known

To a lakeshore where fishermen
Became bishops
A tax table where a crook became
The writer of the first gospel

His path led him to synagogues
Teacher's seats
To leper colonies
To a midnight meeting with Nicodemus

To a hillside where the
Greatest Sermon was ever preached

His path took him to
Long days of teaching
Thick-headed disciples
And stiff-necked masses

To a table where a sinful woman
Washed his feet with the tears of repentance
To an adulterous Samaritan woman

To a tree that held a sinner named Zacchaeus
His path took him to confrontation
With the "powers that be"

A table with blood and body
Shared by a traitor
And eleven deserters

His path took him to
A lonely garden
Where the grief of the world
He bore alone

His path took him
To a beating and flogging
Like no one has every known

The wrath of sin
Tearing at his
Precious flesh

His path took him to
The Cross of Calvary
Love poured out like
Wine at the Passover Table

"Father, forgive them
because they don't know what they are doing."

"Woman, here is your son.
Behold your mother."

"Truly, I say to you
Today, you will be with me in Paradise!"

"My God, my God
Why have you forsaken me?"

"I am thirsty!"

"Father, into your hands
I commend my spirit."

"It is finished!"

His path was the love of God for sinners
Extravagant, Lavish, Limitless Love
That led him to the Cross
Where Love's flesh died for you and me

"How much do you love me, Jesus?"
"This much!"
(And he stretched out his arms on the Cross and died)
Life-Giving Spirit departs

His path had come to its End
In a borrowed tomb
Or had it really ended? . . . . . . . . . . .

The fight is done

2011-03-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

2Timothy 4:6-8: "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me -- the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return."
This past week, my dad finished his race. He passed from this life to the life to come. I've been thinking a lot about the race that he ran in his life, for Jesus. He was a faithful husband, father, and grandfather. He served his country in the Army. He worked hard and provided for his family. He passed on so much wisdom to me that I can not even name it all. "He fought the good fight." He ran the good race. He taught me how to follow Jesus. He taught me how to be strong, yet gentle, courageous, yet sympathetic. He also taught me to laugh and enjoy the blessings of life.
There's no way to tally up the lessons and love that my dad shared with me. I am thankful for it all. The Good News is that he lives on in my heart and mind, in the man I have become. And most importantly, he lives on in the blessings of eternal life with Jesus. There will be a great reunion one day, when I meet him there.
All this has reminded me that each of us leave a legacy in our lives. In fact, you and I are living our legacy today. We touch so many lives. So, let's also fight the good fight and run the good race by sharing the love of Christ today.

The quest for freedom

2011-03-02T05:27:00.000-08:00

Psalm 2:10-12: "Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him."
Like many of us in the West, I have been greatly moved by the protests, demonstrations, and uprisings for freedom in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and other areas of the Middle East. Something significant is happening. People are fighting for positive change for themselves and future generations.
I do not pretend to understand all the complexities of these uprisings. But one thing seems to shine through: the desire for freedom, the desire for a better way of life, a life of justice and peace.
The psalm for this week is connecting deeply with world events. The psalmist warns kings and "rulers of the earth" to "be wise; be warned." "Serve the Lord with fear . . . or he will be angry and you will perish in the way." There is accountablity for world leaders. They cannot rule without being accountable to God's justice. They cannot oppress and injure without being held responsibile.
Will you join me this day in praying for the rulers of the earth, especially those in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya? Pray for those who have passed and particularly for those to come. Will you join me this day in praying for the peoples of the earth who hunger and thirst for freedom and justice?
I have linked a wonderful prayer for the people of Egypt below. The places where "Egypt" is listed can be replaced with "Tunisia" and "Libya" as well.

http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=6547799&ct=9104481

Flesh Redeemed

2010-12-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."--John 1.14a
I think most of us are all too aware of the fallout of the Fall from Grace. (I am referring to the consequences of sin entering the world.) We look around, we read the headlines, we see the evening news.
But what about the fallout from the Incarnation and Christ's redeeming work on the Cross? The Incarnation means God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ. What are the results of this? Here's just a few:
1. Flesh, fallen from sin and destined for death, is redeemed, given a new destiny of eternal life.
2. The image of God that every person is created with, marred by sin, is restored so that the glory of God can now be seen in human beings.
3. The world, part of physical creation, which the Bible tells us "moans and groans" as a result of the Fall, now has signs of God's majesty. Just note the beauty of a sunrise, the flight of an eagle, the baby sounds of a newborn.
4. You are loved passionately and completely by your Creator, who saw fit to become one with you, his lovely creation.
These are just a few! I want to give you a challenge today. Instead of looking for signs of what's wrong in the world (that's really pretty easy, isn't it?), look for signs that God is still moving in this world: in the embrace of a loved one or friend, in an act of charity, in the excitation of children. Look for signs today that God indeed "has made his dwelling among us."

Haste

2010-11-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"--Matthew 4.8-10
This has always been an interesting temptation to me. The devil tempts Jesus with all the kingdoms of the world, which, by right of Jesus being the second person of the Holy Trinity, God in the flesh, belonged to him anyway. So, what was the temptation?
By coming to earth in the flesh, the Son of God (Jesus) had chosen to put aside his glory for a time. He had freely chosen to humble himself by being carried in a woman's womb, be born of a poor family, and live in a backwards corner of the world, dominated by a foreign power. He chose to walk dusty roads, to suffer through daily trying to teach 12 slow pupils. Jesus chose to reach out to dirty lepers, notorious sinner prostitutes, corrupt tax collectors, and even one he knew would betray him. Finally, he chose to endure a terribly degrading and excruciatingly painful torture at the hands of false religious leaders and the Crucifixion on a cross. So, when the devil tempted Jesus with all the kingdoms of the earth, the temptation was not for the kingdoms themselves (they would eventually belong to him anyway). The temptation was to have them NOW, without having to go through all the trials that culminated in taking the sins of the world on himself on the cross.
A wise Christian writer once said, "Haste is ever the sin of Adam." In other words, one of our biggest temptation as humans to try to have the glory without the cost (the crown without the cross). We want to avoid pain at all costs.
The strange thing about the human experience, though, is that there are some lessons we can only learn through life's hard crucible Some lessons we can only learn in the dark valleys. The sunny mountain top is where we all want to be, but it seems that the place we grow the most is on the hard climb.
Are you going through something today? Know that Christ walks with you! And that through it, you have the opportunity to depend on Jesus in a way you never have before.

weaklings

2010-11-16T05:49:00.000-08:00

"Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weakling say, "I am a warrior."--Joel 3.10
Last week, I was reminded that I am NOT superman. An illness reminded me that I am just as fragile as every other human being. But it was also a reminder to me that "when I am weak, then I am strong." (2Corinthians 12.10)
In the world, people are considered strong who never falter. In the world, we admire warriors who show nothing but strength and courage. But because we have a Savior who showed his strength in the weakness of the cross that means that all of us who falter sometimes, all of us who stumble, all of us who fall have hope. Jesus came precisely because we are frail and fragile and weak. It is in acknowledging our weakness (not denying it) that we find the strength of Christ's justifying and sanctifying grace. It is in acknowledging our weakness that Christ finds us with His Extravagant, Justifying, Sanctifying Grace. That's the message of the Scripture above from Joel. All of us weaklings, all of us fragile people can say with the power of the grace of God, "I AM A WARRIOR."
Do you feel weak or fragile today because of life's trials? Have you been reminded too often in your life that you are weak? Then take heart! That is a perfect angle to see the incredible grace of God who loves us so extravagantly that He went to a cross to win our redemption, to win a future with hope for us all.
One of my favorite lines from a praise chorus is: "And now, let the weak say I am strong!"
Not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord!

Resurrection

2010-11-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question."--Luke 20.27
The Sadducees were a group of religious elite in Jerusalem in Jesus' day. One of the main differences between them and the other main group of religious leaders in Jesus' day (the Pharisees) was that they did not believe in a Resurrection of the dead. They were wealthy and influential people in Jewish society. Their belief was that if one was living right with God, then they would be rewarded in this life. Therefore, in their minds, there was no need of a resurrection and reward after death. They thought God would reward people in this life and then they would just sort of go to this peaceful, restful sleep after death.
I've never met a Sadducee in modern America. But I have met some people who say there is no life after death. They seem to have a similar outlook to the Sadducees. "Work hard in this life, eat, drink, and be merry and enjoy the fruit of your labors for tomorrow you may die!" Wait a minute! I've even met some Christians who proclaim this life philosophy!
The promise and assurance of Resurrection, of a glorious and eternal life after death is one of the most foundational beliefs of the Christian faith. And yet, I wonder how often even we Christians live what one writer called a sort of "practical atheism." What I mean is how often do even we Christians live as if there is no Resurrection?
This life can be full of incredible God moments, moments when we sense and experience the wonderful gifts of God in many and varied ways. But there must be more than this! Even those wonderful God moments can seem fleeting at best. There must be a time beyond time, a life beyond this life. There must be a place where we can truly experience the fullness of God's presence, uninterrupted by the effect of sin, which means by its very definition, separation from God. And because there is, then it puts a period on all our suffering and trials. Because there is, the "night of weeping" will not last forever but will ultimately yield itself to the NEW DAY that is eternity!
May you live in the fullness of the Resurrection today! May you see signs of it in your life today! May the Promise and Assurance of Resurrection and Eternal Life with God overwhelm you with Hope this Day!

Faithful

2010-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

"Samuel said: 'Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.' 'You have not cheated or oppressed us,' they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand.'"--1Samuel 12.1a,3-4
My devotional recommended this Scripture reading to me this morning. And at first, I have to admit, I was a little stumped. I even went back and double checked the book, chapter, and verses. But then, the Lord began to speak to my heart about these verses. This is part of the ancient prophet, Samuel's, farewell speech to Israel, God's chosen people. He knows that his days are numbered. And he takes the time to make a very interesting statement. He asks the gathered body of Israel to consider if he has taken anyone's property, cheated anyone, oppressed anyone, or accepted a bribe. Why does he ask this? Because this is the sort of thing a FALSE prophet does.
Samuel does not have to worry, though. His conscience is clear. His faithfulness is complete. He has been a good and worthy servant of the Lord.
This passage got me to thinking today about our conscience. Can we stand blameless before the Lord? Have we been completely faithful? Have we been completely honest in all our dealings with others?
When I think about those questions I hear another word, "perfection." Have I reached perfection yet? Not even close. Oh, I suppose I've done a lot of good things. I could possibly make the argument that 98% of the time, I do the right thing, I show the love of Christ in my dealings. But what about that other 2% of the time? Who do I hurt by my lack of grace? I am still "a man in need of a Savior."
I suppose that most of us are "good" people. We don't steal. We haven't murdered anyone. But this Scripture reminds me that we are called to be faithful not just in the "big" things (don't steal, don't murder, etc.) but also in the little things. The one who is faithful in the little things will be faithful in the big things.
I invite you to examine your conscience today. Is there something, some action, some attitude, that you need to turn away from? If so, I invite you to come to the One with mercy and forgiveness in His hands, that same Jesus Christ. I also invite you to surrender your life to Christ today that you may He may help you be faithful and one day hear those words, "Good and faithful servant!"

Jesus' faith in you

2010-10-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."--Matthew 16.19
This past Sunday, the Power with Purpose Young Adult Group was looking at a lesson by Pastor Rob Bell. In the lesson, Rob asked an incredible question: "Faith in Jesus is important, but what about Jesus' faith in us? I mean he must have faith in us because he leaves it all in the hands of these disciples. Do you believe that God believes in you?"
Wow! What an idea! That God, the Lord over all the universe, would believe in me, the bundle of humanity that I am, with all my faults and oddities, with all my mistakes and sins, with all my insecurities and doubts. How can this be?
In the Scripture above, Jesus gives an incredible responsibility to his followers. Similarly, at the end of Matthew's gospel, Jesus gives the famous Great Commission: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28.18b-20)
It's absolutely astounding that the Lord of all the Universe would entrust His Salvation Mission to a rag-tag group of 11 disciples (the 12th, Judas, had recently "tendered his resignation.")
As Rob Bell points out, this group was a group of people who had been looked over by the religious leaders of the day. That's why none of them were rabbis, chief priests, or religious scholars. Most of them were common fishermen. And what mistakes they made! Just read the gospels and you'll find out how human they were. Peter, one of their top leaders even once denied that he even knew who Jesus was! If the Lord of the Universe would entrust His Salvation Mission to this group, if he could believe in these common men, then surely He believe in you and me!
"Do you believe that God believes in you?" (Here's a hint: God would not have created you with His own hands and breathed into you the breath of life, His life-giving Spirit, if God did not believe in you!)
So, be who you are! There is no one that does it just like you! You are God's gift to the world!

wisdom, not just data

2010-09-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you."--James 1.5
This is one of those great places in the Bible where God makes a clear promise: IF YOU PRAY FOR WISDOM, GOD WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. I find that this is one of my most frequent prayers. As a wise Christian once said, "This physical world creates a spiritual haze." It is sometimes difficult to see God's way amidst all the other "ways" that are offered to us in this world. It is sometimes difficult to hear God's voice amid all the other "voices of the world" we hear. As we seek to follow Jesus in this world, we all need wisdom.
Now, I want to distinguish this: We could sit in front of the t.v., the computer, books, or newspapers every day and gather all kinds of data, but that is different than wisdom. Wisdom comes from walking with Jesus day after day after day and walking with his Word day after day after day.
Need God's wisdom for a problem or situation you face today? Ask for it and it is yours!
"Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them."--Proverbs 4.5

Jesus first

2010-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

"Another of Jesus' disciples said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.' "--Matthew 8.21-22
This saying is right up there with Jesus' saying, "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)
What in the world is Jesus saying? Does he really want us to neglect, even hate our families? How does this instruction reconcile with "honor your father and mother" and "love your neighbor?"
I don't think Jesus is saying we should hate or neglect our families. But what he is saying is that he comes first. FIRST. Even our families can become an idol. I'll give you a simple example. When our family goes on vacation, I am tempted to skip my morning devotional time. The beach calls every morning when we are on vacation. Fishing calls every morning. Surfing calls every morning. So, it would be easy for me to say to the Lord, "I just can't talk this morning, Lord, I'm with my family!" And if I did, I would be wrong. Jesus would be first in my life, even above family, or he would be nothing. (Remember that Jesus said, he despised the luke-warm Christian). One simple sacrifice I can make is to assure that I talk to the Lord and read my Bible every morning, even when I'm on vacation. Just a simple example.
Now, for some people, they may be tempted to neglect their family in the name of spending time with Jesus. That is not what I am advocating. But simply keeping first things first: Jesus first, then family. In fact, I have found that the more I keep Jesus first, the better husband, father, and son I am. It's one of the ironies of the Christian faith: spend adequate time with Jesus and you'll be able to be more present with those you love when you're with them.
Is Jesus first in your life today? Or is someone else?

Bad news-Good News

2010-08-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me."--Micah 7:7
Just before this verse, Micah, a great prophet of the Old Testament, laments:
"What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All people lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts their brother and sister with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire-- they all conspire together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion. Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the one who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- one's enemies are the members of his own household."
Wow! It sounds like Micah is describing the headline news report from this morning! But the key thing I want to focus on today is his response to all the disturbing news of his day: "But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me."
We can become so overwhelmed by bad news in these times, that we feel tempted to just give up. But remember to "watch in hope for the Lord." Remember that "God is your savior and He will hear you."
A wise preacher once said, "Don't ever read the newspaper or watch or listen to the news (which is almost always bad news) until you have read the Good News (the Bible)!" Great advice for us all. Why not try that today? Instead of spending so much time listening to the (bad) news, why not dive into the Good News of God's Word! I promise you'll feel better for it!

no judgment

2010-08-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another."--Romans 14.13
I don't know about you, but I often find myself making judgments about everything. I judge the new pair of shoes I just bought. I judge how my favorite baseball team is playing. I judge how that hamburger tastes that I just cooked on the grill. We all make judgments every day. Making judgments about things is part of life. The problem comes when we feel tempted to judge other people.
We live in a society that is full of judgment. Turn on the t.v. or scan your latest news on the internet and you will surely find some serious judgment about people. You will even find Christians, who claim they believe in God's grace and forgiveness, judging each other. It is human nature to make judgments on one another. But it is also NOT part of God's plans for us as new creations in Christ.
In his letter to the ancient Roman church, the Apostle Paul (a leader in the early Church), simply commands "let us stop passing judgment on one another." The only way this is possible is to walk with Christ daily, to die to the sinful self, and let Christ's Spirit of love and forgiveness work through us. In Christ, there's no room for judging each other. Who have you felt tempted to judge recently? Why not confess this to Jesus and ask for His Spirit of non-judgment to take the place of judgment?

Looking back

2010-07-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble; and he delivered them from their distress."--Psalm 107.6
It seems I have been taught by many people in my life not to look back. In our culture, we tend to be a "look forward" people. This isn't all bad. It's good to look forward to special times of celebration: a graduation, marriage, the birth of a newborn, even another birthday. It's good not to dwell on the past in a negative way. It's good not to focus on past hurts and pain. It's good to forgive and forget.
But sometimes, as followers of Christ, it's also good to look back on the times when we have been delivered by God, the times when God has meet us at the point of our need and shown his power, love, and grace. That's what the psalmist is talking about in the Scripture above. In Psalm 107, he recounts many different people who were suffering various trials, "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble; and he delivered them from their distress."
Why not take a few moments today and remember what God has done for you? Recount his blessings and the times that God has delivered you from trouble and hard times.

The harvest is plentiful

2010-07-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."--Matthew 9.37
It seems that our whole culture is built on a mentality of scarcity. We are constantly told by experts, commercials, friends, employers, and many others that there is simply not enough to go around. This strikes me as odd, given that America is one of the wealthiest nations on earth. (I am not diminishing the real struggles that many people are having in America today with lost jobs, anxiousness about our jobs, and losses in the stock market.) But it seems even when we have work, money, and all the possessions anyone could hope to have, we still feel like we don't have enough.
This really becomes a problem when we think about the mission Jesus has given us to "make disciples of Jesus Christ." We get so used to thinking that there's not enough to go around, that we can be tempted to think that there's not enough people around to keep the universal Church of Jesus Christ going. But notice that in this one verse, Jesus makes it absolutely clear that the "harvest is plentiful." In other words, there's more than enough people out there who have not heard the good news about Jesus or at least are not active members of the church, to fill our churches to overflowing. The only deficiency is in the number of workers to go out and bring these folks (the harvest) in.
How might Jesus use you TODAY to reach others in his name and bring in the harvest?

Beloved

2010-07-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

"But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"--Romans 10.14-15
In his book, "Life of the Beloved," Henri Nouwen writes, "Think of yourself as being sent into the world . . . a way of seeing yourself that is possible if you believe that you were loved before the world began . . . a perception of yourself that calls for a true leap of faith."
Sometimes, it is hard for us to believe that we have truly been sent as God's messengers in the world. Sometimes, we are tempted to believe that the only thing we are sent in this world to do is to survive. (Many of the voices we hear in our culture seem to tell us that). When we fall into that kind of thinking, it is no wonder that we struggle with our sense of calling to share Christ's love with the world.
But, as Nouwen writes, when we see ourselves as God sees us, His beloved children, then we can begin to see ourselves as God's mission and message of love to the world. Know that you are beloved today, chosen of God. He chose you before the world was made. He was stirring in the deep recesses of your soul while you were being knit together in your mother's womb. You are beloved! You are chosen! Now, as beloved and chosen, share God's love!

Scarcity and Abundance

2010-07-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 3.20-21: "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

“There’s simply not enough to go around.” Have you ever heard that statement? Or “We just don’t have enough ____________ to do this or that!" (you fill in the blank: money, time, resources, people, talent, land, etc.)
We live in financially uncertain times. Many have lost jobs or are anxious about losing jobs. Many have lost all their retirement savings. Those who have investments have seen them lose 25%, 500% or worse. Certainly, we have reason for concern.
The folks in the early church would understand our anxiety. In the time of the early church in Israel, people were crippled by taxes (imposed by a foreign government) that ate away their ability to provide for their families. Usually, if you were born poor, that’s where you stayed for your whole life. If your father or mother was a slave, you would be a slave for the rest of your life.
Add to that the persecution that early Christians faced all over the world. Many were fired from their jobs simply because they were Christians. Many had their families threatened. Many lost their homes because of persecution. And some paid for their Christian faith with their very lives at the point of a sword, hanging from a cross, or at the teeth of lions in the arena.
And yet, Paul, the writer of the Scripture above and leader in the early church, writes about ABUNDANCE! How in the world could he write about abundance in a time when money, resources, people, even the security of one’s life was so scarce? Again, he writes, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine . . .”
Now, of course, this “him” Paul is speaking of is God Almighty. The God we serve is never short of cash, resources, talents, people, land, or anything. Our God is a God of abundance! And notice that the Scripture says that God can always do “ABUNDANTLY FAR MORE THAN WE CAN ASK OR IMAGINE.” How? By the power of the Holy Spirit!
Now, does this Scripture mean that somehow God magically creates all the money, resources, talents, and people we need to fulfill the mission he has charged us with as a church? Does it mean that these things will somehow fall from the sky? I don’t think so, although God certainly has the power to do that if he wanted to do so.
What it means is that God will provide when we open ourselves to be part of God’s mission to the world. As we open our lives, our resources, our pocket books, our time, our talents, to fulfilling God’s mission to FOLLOW JESUS, MAKE DISCIPLES, AND TRANSFORM THE WORLD, then God will provide "abundantly far more than we can ask or imagine.” God provides the power of the Holy Spirit to work through us to accomplish his will in the world. So, we must be willing to commit ourselves to do his will, his work, his mission.
We must guard against a SCARCITY MENTALITY which says that there is never enough to get by, whether that scarcity thinking tells us there is not enough money, not enough people, not enough talents, not enough whatever. We must trust God if we are to faithfully carry out his mission. If we tell ourselves that there is not enough to go around, then that is really doubting God and saying that God cannot get it done, that God cannot provide.
The key is this: If we commit ourselves, our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness (as our membership vows challenge us to do), then there will be ABUNDANTLY FAR MORE THAN WE CAN ASK OR IMAGINE to complete the mission God has given us. But if we hold back, if we do not commit our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, or our witness, then the mission will suffer. The choice is ours.
On God’s side, there is no question that he can and will provide the power for us to accomplish far more through the church than we can ask or imagine. The only question for us is if we will cooperate with God’s power or try to work against it.
If we fulfill our membership vows to support Christ’s Church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness, then God will give us the power to fulfill His Mission for the church to FOLLOW JESUS, MAKE DISCIPLES, AND TRANSFORM THE WORLD!

Celebrate!

2010-05-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

"Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth."--Psalm 47.1-2
When I was a teenager, the great R&B band, "Kool and the Gang," had a hit record entitled "Celebrate." The chorus went something like, "Celebrate good times, come on!"
Sometimes, I imagine Jesus saying the same thing to us! Too much of the time, I am weighed down by the anxieties and fears of life. Too much of the time, I focus on bad news. I have to remind myself to celebrate the blessings of God and the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Jesus had to remind people of this in his time. Once someone came to him and asked why his disciples didn't fast. He responded that the wedding party doesn't fast when the bridegroom is with them. He meant that when He is present, there is cause for celebration not mortification.
That's what the psalmist is reminding the people today. "Clap your hands . . . shout to God with LOUD songs of joy!" When is the last time you clapped your hands to the praise songs and hymns of God? When is the last time you sang them at the top of your lungs?
Why not try it today? Find something to celebrate this day, even if it is "just" the gift of another day in God's Creation. And "clap your hands and shout to God with a loud song of joy!"

Blessed to BE a blessing

2010-05-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations."--Psalm 67.1-2
"You are blessed to BE a blessing." I'm not sure the first time that I heard that phrase but the principle is found throughout the Bible. No individual or group of people is ever blessed just for their own comfort and pleasure. We see this in the very forming of God's chosen people, the Jews. When God blesses Abraham and explains to him that he will be the father of God's chosen people, he clearly tells him that this is all for the blessing of the whole world. In God's calling of Abraham, he said, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12.1-3)
We are mistaken when we think the purpose of our lives is to experience personal pleasure. Sure, God gives us some great joy and wonderful experiences in life. But our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Part of glorifying God is to reach out to those around us and make a difference. We are called to share Christ's love and grace in many and varied ways. You don't have to be a person of great worldly power to make an impact on others. You have the one tool you need to be a blessing to others, the love of God poured out for us in Christ Jesus. Use it to bless others today!

Love

2010-04-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."--John 13.34
You never know when the last time you will get to hug a loved one will be. Yesterday, Janet and I received a call that our two nieces, Lindsey and Nicole were in a terrible car accident. We were told that Lindsey's injuries were life-threatening. Yesterday afternoon, we went to be with the family at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem. When we arrived, we were told that Lindsey had died. Lindsey was such a sweet girl, 12 years old, the same age as our sons. It was quite a shock to say the least. All I could keep thinking of was the last time I saw Lindsey, hugged her, and told her that I loved her. I will treasure that memory forever. Nicole is going to be o.k., but I was sure to hug her tight and tell her that I loved her yesterday.
It all is a reminder to me that each moment is truly a gift. And that life is far too short and precious to miss opportunities to show our love to our family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and the world.
Please take a moment today to let those around you know that you love them. Give them a hug for Lindsey.

And can it be?

2010-03-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

This Holy Week, I am once again moved by the words to Charles Wesley's hymn, "And can it be that I should gain?"
May it bless you this day!

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain-
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

'Tis mystery all: th'Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father's throne above
So free, so infinite His grace-
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race:
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray-
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

On Trial

2010-03-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

"I am on trial because my hope is in the Resurrection of the dead!"--Acts 23.6b
The Apostle Paul, leader in the early church had been called before the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the most powerful political institution of the Jews during the Roman occupation of Israel. They had called Paul to account because of his preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everywhere he had gone, there was a mixed response to the gospel. Some believed, were baptized, and joined the exploding number of new Christians. Others violently opposed the spread of the gospel, even attempting to murder Paul on several occasions.
Called before this powerful council, Paul made his defense. His crime? Setting his hope on the Resurrection power of Jesus! As I read this today, I wonder, could I be convicted of such a "crime?" Would those around me know by the way I live my life (not just by what I preach) that my hope is in the Resurrection power of Jesus? I always feel that the signs could be much more evident than they are. How about you? Are the "signs of the Resurrection" evident in your life? If we surrender our lives to Jesus this day, to the hourly movement of God's Holy Spirit, the signs will be there!

The Father's Great Love

2010-03-10T06:42:00.000-08:00

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."--Luke 15.20
Sometimes we feel so guilty about some sin we have committed, some mistake we've made, some way we've mistreated others, that we wonder if we can ever bridge the distance to God again. Sometimes we feel so haunted by the past that we wonder how God could still love us. Sometimes we feel that we've so neglected our spiritual life that we're not sure why God would love us.
If you've ever wondered those things then this Scripture is for you. No many how many steps we take from Jesus, he's always just one turn away. That's what happened to this sinful son who had squandered the blessings his Father gave. When he turned to go home, the father ran to meet him with compassion, forgiveness, and love.
Know today that you are loved by a God of extravagant grace and love!

Purpose 4: You were shaped for serving God

2010-02-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

"God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you. Are you called to be a speaker? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever. Amen."--1Peter 4.10-11
You were shaped for serving God! This is the fourth purpose of your life as outlined in The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. But this is not just an idea that Rick Warren came up with. It runs throughout the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, we see regular people using the time, talents, and treasures God gave them to serve God and other people. You may not feel very gifted, but God custom designed you for a mission of service to him and others.
Yesterday, in the Sunday service, I noted that you can even use Martial Arts for Jesus! It's true! The evangelism ministry, Kicks for Christ, gets people's attention with martial arts and then shares the gospel. (Check them out at http://www.kicksforchrist.com/)
There are bikers for Christ, cowboys for Christ, even metal heads for Jesus! You can use whatever talents and passions you have in life to serve God. What talents, time, treasures, or even trials you've experienced in life could you use today to bless others with the love of Jesus?

Purpose 3-Becoming like Jesus

2010-02-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

"I am confident of this: that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."--Philippians 2.6
The third purpose of our lives, as outlined in The Purpose Driven Life, is to become like Jesus. Now, in itself, this would be an impossible task. Most days, we are all too aware of our sins and short comings. And if we are in doubt, the world will be sure to remind us of these.
The Good News is that we are not charged to become like Jesus in our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. And the encouragement of the Scripture listed above is that by the end of our lives, God will complete that work of making us like Jesus.
Our role is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, to give the Holy Spirit room to operate in our lives. We do this by worship, prayer, reading the Bible, doing good works for other people. All these spiritual disciplines are what John Wesley called "means of grace," tools that God uses to grow us like Christ.
So, remember today your goal, your focus, to become like Jesus. And remember that the Holy Spirit is working in you to achieve that goal.

Made to belong

2010-01-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

"Christ makes us one body . . . connected to each other."--Romans 12.5
The Second Purpose for our lives, as outlined in the Purpose Driven Life, is that YOU WERE FORMED FOR GOD'S FAMILY. Rick Warren writes that "we were made to belong not just believe." It seems that people are more disconnected than ever. I believe that's why texting, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are used so much. It is the desperate attempt by a desperately isolated people, desperately trying to connect to each other.
The Good News is that God has already created a family for you, a place to belong; it is called the Church. It is a place to belong, to learn how to believe, to share burdens, and to share service in Jesus' name. You are not alone! I encourage you to connect with your sisters and brothers in the church today! Why not give one of your friends in the church a call, email, or text and let them know that Jesus is with them today! Ask them how you can pray for them and then share with them how they can pray for you. You were created to belong in God's Family!

Draw close to God

2010-01-19T06:39:00.000-08:00

"Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." --James 4.8
Reflecting on the first purpose of our lives, TO GIVE GOD PLEASURE, Rick Warren writes, "You are as close to God as you choose to be." Now this may be a little surprising, maybe even a little hard to believe. Why? Because in our human relationships, this is not always the case. Live long enough and you will experience the pain of rejection. Whether it be from a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, teacher, parent, or child, rejection hurts. Sooner or latter, we will experience the frustration of trying to draw closer to someone in our life and them rejecting that.
But God is different! God promises to draw close to us when we draw close to him. We don't need to fear rejection from God. God, in Jesus Christ, has promised to never leave nor abandon us. If we want to be closer to God, God will always grant that request.
So, how do we do it? Worship, prayer, Bible study, being with other Christians, and serving in Christ's name. As we offer ourselves in this way, God is faithful and will come closer to us.

Haiti

2010-01-14T15:39:00.001-08:00

Haiti
"Jesus' disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?""Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."--John 9.2-3
Isn't it just human nature to want to assign the sin label to victims of disaster? It seems that has happened again in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Haiti. But almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus exposed this tendency for what it is, IGNORANCE.
Our call, as Christians, is to "feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick." Jesus promised when we do those things, we are ministering not just to other people, but to Jesus himself.
My prayer is that we spend less time trying to assign blame for this (and other) tragedies and spend more time being the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world. In that way, "the work of God" would be displayed in power and love!

Surrender and Submission

2010-01-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

"Surrender your whole being to God to be used for righteous purposes."--Romans 6.13
I can't think of two more unpopular words for 21st century Americans than surrender and submission. We pride ourselves on being free from everything and everybody. We pride ourselves on pursuing happiness. We pride ourselves on being winners. So, what is this talk of surrender and submission?
Well, it is actually essential to following Jesus. We cannot follow Jesus without surrendering our agendas, our self-interests, our control of our lives. We talk about Jesus being our Lord and Savior. The very definition of a lord is one who is submitted to. I think part of our problem is that there are many people throughout history who were forced to submit to others. Slavery is clearly wrong. Discrimination is clearly wrong. Racism and sexism is clearly wrong. Forced submission to a class of people based on race, sex, age, national origin, etc. is wrong. But the difference in surrender and submission to Jesus is that He is our Creator, so He actually is the only One who we owe complete surrender and submission.
The interesting thing about surrendering our lives to Jesus is that the more we surrender, the more liberated we are. You see, as Rick Warren writes in the Purpose Driven Life, we will submit to something or someone, even if it is our own self-obsession.
To fulfill the first purpose of our lives, WE WERE PLANNED FOR GOD'S PLEASURE, we have to submit to Jesus. This is actually a relief instead of an imprisonment. Followers of Jesus have found that to release control and self-determination to Jesus' Lordship, is to finally find peace in the knowledge that someone greater than us is in control, one who cares so much for us that even the hairs of our head are numbered! (Matthew 10:30)

A purpose-driven life

2010-01-05T06:11:00.000-08:00

"Everything got started in God and finds its purpose in him."-Colossians 1.16
We are starting 40 days of purpose at Stony Hill Church. We will be focusing on the Scriptural insights from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. The focus for this week is "Why on earth am I here?" The verse above answers this question clearly. The first sentence in Warren's book is "It's not about you." Quite a revelation for our "me-centered" culture! Interestingly enough, the most miserable people on earth are those who focus only on themselves. The most fulfilled people on earth are those who find their meaning and purpose in God. So, if we want to be happy and at peace in 2010, the wrong place to start is in ourselves. The place to start is in God! When we start with God, we begin to unfold our purpose in life, what God created us for. When we start with ourselves, we find only an endless pursuit of trying to please ourselves. I invite you to join us in the 40 days of purpose. I can't think of a better way to start 2010, a new decade for following Jesus! There are several ways you can do this: 1. Use the Scripture I'll send out each week through this devotional to focus your purpose in God. 2. Attend the worship services each week where I'll be teaching on the Scriptural insights from the Purpose Driven Life. 3. Read the daily reading from The Purpose Driven Life book at home. 4. Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7pm starting Tuesday, Jan. 12 to learn more about your purpose.
Whatever ways God leads you to get involved, my prayer for each of you is that you find your purpose in following Jesus in 2010 and beyond!

The Magnificat

2009-12-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"--Luke 1.46-47
This is one line out of the "praise song" Mary, Jesus' mother, proclaimed during her visit with her cousin, Elizabeth. The whole "praise song" is referred to in Christian Tradition as the "Magnificat." It is one of the most famous prayers in the Bible and is a part of the liturgies (order or worship) in many diverse Christian denominations. It's interesting that this famous prayer was not written by someone with their doctorate in theology or even a famous preacher like Billy Graham. It sprang from the heart of a lowly, uneducated peasant girl from Ancient Times in a remote outpost of the Roman Empire. How could such a common person speak such a beautiful prayer/praise song? Because she was filled with the Holy Spirit!
We sometimes may be tempted to think that we don't have the right words or phrases to offer in prayer and praise of God. But, if we truly open our hearts to the Lord, the words are always right! In fact, the Bible reminds us that, when we pray, the "Spirit of God Himself intercedes for us." (Romans 8.26) Mary proves to us that you don't have to have an advanced degree in religion from an ivy league school to offer a beautiful and truthful prayer of thanksgiving to God! Why not open your heart to God in prayer today?

Peace on Earth

2009-12-07T10:04:00.001-08:00

Peace on Earth?

I recently received a Christmas card that proclaimed, “Peace on Earth.” This is a familiar and solidly Scriptural Christmas greeting. It was part of the angels’ praise chorus on that first Christmas evening, almost 2,000 years ago, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” (Luke 2:14)

However, it struck me a little odd in light of recent news. That we would be proclaiming “Peace on Earth” when global wars continue to rage and when people are still losing their jobs and homes every day. That we would be proclaiming “Peace on Earth” when 30,000 children starve to death every day and five year old girls are sold in prostitution rings and brutally murdered.

The contrast is stark: a peaceful, star-filled evening with angels singing the glory of God versus the smoggy, greenhouse gas-filled world of turmoil that we live in. I sometimes feel like Bono, the lead singer of the band U2, who described this in a song from a few years back entitled, Peace on Earth: "I'm sick of hearing again and again, that there's gonna be Peace on Earth . . . Hear it every Christmas time but hope and history won't rhyme. So what's it worth, this Peace on Earth?”

We could despair of ever realizing “Peace on Earth” in the face of ever present realities. But, on second glance, there was not complete “Peace on Earth” when Jesus was born either. Jesus’ homeland had been violently overthrown and occupied by a pagan Empire. Soon after Jesus’ birth, the brutal King Herod had all Jewish boys under two years old slaughtered in a vain attempt to snuff out the new Messiah (Savior) that had been born. There was no complete “Peace on Earth” that first Christmas either. So what, then, did the angels mean?

“Peace on Earth” is part of the Kingdom of God, which is “NOW” and “NOT YET.” There will be a day, when Christ returns, that all wars will cease, all violence will be over, when God “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more.” (Revelation 21:4) That is the “NOT YET” that we await. As followers of Jesus Christ, WE are called to enact the “NOW” of the Kingdom of God, even “Peace on Earth.” How? By doing what Jesus did: sharing the Good News of salvation through Him, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, reaching out to the outcasts, loving and including children, and enacting justice for the oppressed.

If we want to see “Peace on Earth” now, then we followers of Jesus are called to enact it today! We may not be able to end global wars or save people’s jobs or homes. We may not be able to save the 30,000 children that starve to death each day. BUT WE CAN HELP SOMEONE! Mother Teresa was once asked why she was not overwhelmed by the sea of humanity and its crushing needs. She answered that she could not save the sea of humanity, but she could help one person at a time. In each person, she saw Jesus. And as Jesus said, when you feed, or clothe, or visit, or heal the “least of these,” you are doing that for Him.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the needs of the world! Just look around and see the one or two people you can help today by sharing Jesus’ love. Try one of these ideas: Call or visit someone who is grieving, lonely, or troubled. Share the Christmas story with someone. Encourage a young person. Give food to Stanly County Christian Ministries for hunger relief in our own community. Sponsor a child through World Vision or one of the other great global relief agencies.
You cannot make “Peace on (the whole) Earth,” but you can make peace just where you are. And if all Christians on Earth did that, the “NOW” and the “NOT YET” of God’s “Peace on Earth” would come a whole lot closer together!

Peace on Earth?

2009-12-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

Peace on Earth?

I recently received a Christmas card that proclaimed, “Peace on Earth.” This is a familiar and solidly Scriptural Christmas greeting. It was part of the angels’ praise chorus on that first Christmas evening, almost 2,000 years ago, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” (Luke 2:14)

However, it struck me a little odd in light of recent news.  That we would be proclaiming “Peace on Earth” when global wars continue to rage and when people are still losing their jobs and homes every day.  That we would be proclaiming “Peace on Earth” when 30,000 children starve to death every day and five year old girls are sold in prostitution rings and brutally murdered.

The contrast is stark:  a peaceful, star-filled evening with angels singing the glory of God versus the smoggy, greenhouse gas-filled world of turmoil that we live in.  I sometimes feel like Bono, the lead singer of the band U2, who described this in a song from a few years back entitled, Peace on Earth:  "I'm sick of hearing again and again, that there's gonna be Peace on Earth . . .  Hear it every Christmas time but hope and history won't rhyme. So what's it worth, this Peace on Earth?”

We could despair of ever realizing “Peace on Earth” in the face of ever present realities.  But, on second glance, there was not complete “Peace on Earth” when Jesus was born either.  Jesus’ homeland had been violently overthrown and occupied by a pagan Empire.  Soon after Jesus’ birth, the brutal King Herod had all Jewish boys under two years old slaughtered in a vain attempt to snuff out the new Messiah (Savior) that had been born.  There was no complete “Peace on Earth” that first Christmas either.  So what, then, did the angels mean?

“Peace on Earth” is part of the Kingdom of God, which is “NOW” and “NOT YET.”  There will be a day, when Christ returns, that all wars will cease, all violence will be over, when God “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more.” (Revelation 21:4)  That is the “NOT YET” that we await.  As followers of Jesus Christ, WE are called to enact the “NOW” of the Kingdom of God, even “Peace on Earth.”  How?  By doing what Jesus did: sharing the Good News of salvation through Him, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, reaching out to the outcasts, loving and including children, and enacting justice for the oppressed.

If we want to see “Peace on Earth” now, then we followers of Jesus are called to enact it today!  We may not be able to end global wars or save people’s jobs or homes.  We may not be able to save the 30,000 children that starve to death each day.  BUT WE CAN HELP SOMEONE!  Mother Teresa was once asked why she was not overwhelmed by the sea of humanity and its crushing needs.  She answered that she could not save the sea of humanity, but she could help one person at a time.  In each person, she saw Jesus.  And as Jesus said, when you feed, or clothe, or visit, or heal the “least of these,” you are doing that for Him.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the needs of the world!  Just look around and see the one or two people you can help today by sharing Jesus’ love.  Try one of these ideas:  Call or visit someone who is grieving, lonely, or troubled.  Share the Christmas story with someone.  Encourage a young person.  Give food to Stanly County Christian Ministries for hunger relief in our own community. Sponsor a child through World Vision or one of the other great global relief agencies.

You cannot make “Peace on (the whole) Earth,” but you can make peace just where you are.  And if all Christians on Earth did that, the “NOW” and the “NOT YET” of God’s “Peace on Earth” would come a whole lot closer together!

Prepare

2009-12-01T06:18:00.000-08:00

"As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him."--Luke 3.4
There are so many preparations to be made in this busy season of the year! In the midst of all this how can we prepare our hearts for the birthday of the King of kings and Lord of lords? Somewhere in the midst of black Friday sales of 300 inch plasma t.v.'s, Rudolph's animated movie, and jingle bells, the still small voice of God is speaking. God could completely overwhelm all the secular holiday noise and come in with all His power and majesty and with one breath, blow it all away. But God chooses NOT to do that. Why?
Because God chooses to remain just hidden enough from view that we must seek Him. In the seeking, we show our true hunger for Him, we appreciate Him that much more, and we grow spiritually in the process.
How do you prepare for the coming of Jesus this Christmas season? Exactly what you're doing right now! Take just a few minutes to reflect on God's Word to us in the Bible each day. Turn off the frantic jingle bell mania music and listen to the stillness. There you will hear the voice of God. "Prepare the way of the Lord!"
P.S. By the way, the term "Black Friday" really belongs to the church, not the merchants! The original meaning of "Black Friday" is the Friday before Easter, when Jesus died on the cross for us and for our salvation. Church, let's take that term back to its true meaning!

Release

2009-11-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

"If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"--Matthew 6.30
In this passage in Matthew, Jesus is reminding his disciples and us that our lives are in God's hands. Surely, in Jesus' time, there was a lot to worry about. Israel was occupied by the foreign forces of a nation that worshiped false gods. Taxes were high, the real estate market had bottomed out, and jobs were insecure at best. Sound familiar?
Into this desperate situation, Jesus challenges his disciples to "consider the lilies of the field," to consider how God cares for the smallest parts of His Creation. If God takes care of mere grass, certainly He will take care of you, his prized child! And that is exactly what you are!
There is a certain form of release that Jesus is suggesting in this passage, releasing our lives, our loved ones' lives, all Creation into God's loving hands. It is not all up to us. God is in control. As you give thanks this week around the Thanksgiving table, remember that "It is God's grace that has brought you safe thus far and God's Grace will lead you home!"

The Truth

2009-11-17T06:45:00.000-08:00

John 18.37: "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
The almost limitless sources of information in our world never cease to amaze me! Through the internet, we have access to every major newspaper in the world (and most minor ones too!) Cable and satellite television provide news 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Add to that the number of reference web sites (such as Wikipedia) and personal blogs. Add to that the "traditional" sources of information like the local and regional newspapers, newscasts, oh, and don't forget the latest gossip from your co-workers, neighbors, family, and friends and you have a staggering amount of information that you can access each day!
There is no doubt that we have all the information and data any human being could ever want or handle. My question, though, is HOW MUCH OF IT IS TRUTH? Research has shown that most Americans regard most of what they see on t.v. each day as at least half-truths and at worst, outright lies. A wise teacher I had once noted that politicians lie to us sometimes because we really don't want to hear the truth from them. Unfortunately, many of us find that an easy lie seems more tolerable than a hard truth.
But, in the end, the TRUTH is what will set us free. The Bible and especially the gospels remind us that JESUS IS THE TRUTH! He is the very embodiment of the TRUTH about God, about us, about life, and about the Universe.
I encourage you today to spend some time in the TRUTH, which is Jesus. One direct way to do this is to simply pick up the Bible and turn to one of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In these gospels, the TRUTH of Jesus Christ is relayed to us in its purest form. Why not turn off the t.v. today for just a few moments and listen to that TRUTH?

refuge

2009-11-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

"Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge."--Psalm 16.1
Do you have a refuge? Do you have a safe place where you can retreat for renewal, rest, and recreation? All humans need this. For our world is a busy place, a place of constant movement, a world obsessed with productivity.
The psalmist reminds us that we need a place of refuge, a place of renewal, and that God is at the center of that. If you don't have a holy place of refuge, I recommend that you make one. It can be as simple as a cross you hang on the wall. It can be your night stand where you read your Bible. It can be wherever you light a candle during your time of prayer. It can be a special place in nature. We all need a special place to pray and be present with God. Carve one out for yourself today! God is inviting you today to come apart, just for a little while and be renewed by His Life-Giving Spirit.

Letting God in on it

2009-11-03T05:37:00.000-08:00

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain."--Psalm 127.1
This psalm is a reminder to me that ultimately, my life is in God's hands. Ultimately, the outcome of history is also in God's hands. God's will is going to get done!
So the question for you and me today is: Are we letting God in on our plans or are we just working away at our own agendas without Him? How often are we tempted to make up our minds what needs to happen in situations without consulting our Lord? Of course, if we consult the Lord, then we must prepare to be subject to His will. Perhaps this is the secret reason we don't consult God so much of the time: We want to be our own God. We want things our way. But in the long run, we can't work against God. In the end, God will get things done in His plan for completion, not ours.
I invite you today to let God in on what you're doing. Ask for His direction and will to be done. Life goes much smoother if we are working WITH God and NOT AGAINST God!

an eternal feast

2009-10-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 25:6-8: "On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken."
In our day to day existence, it is easy to forget that this world, with all its problems and challenges is passing away. "For this world in its present form is passing away." (1Corinthians 7.31) The trials that seem to last so long, the problems that hem us in a corner, the pain that never seems to go away, all these things will come to an end one day! The vision that Isaiah conveys to us is of God setting a rich feast for his people. And one of the most beautiful parts is the image of God wiping the tears away from our faces, taking away all that causes us pain.
Hold on to that vision today! Remember that YOU ARE PROMISED AN ETERNAL PLACE OF PEACE WITH GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT AND ALL FOLLOWERS OF JESUS!

Try Jesus!

2009-10-26T06:18:00.001-07:00

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed are those who take refuge in him." (Psalm 34.8)
When I was growing up, there was a humorous cereal commercial that used to play on t.v. There were some young boys who were sitting at the breakfast table despairing that they had to try this "new healthy cereal." Suddenly, one of them looks at his younger brother and says, "Give it to Mikey, he'll try anything." Mikey then proceeded to chow down the cereal, enjoying every bite. To which the older brother declares, "Hey Mikey! He likes it!" The guinea pig has performed well! Presumably, the older brother can now eat the cereal with no fear that it will be "yucky."
We humans are kind of like Mikey. We will try anything at least once. The psalm writer for today declares that we should also try the Lord: "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Some of us have tasted more of the world than we would like to admit. Still, the invitation is open: TRY Jesus! You see, the psalm writer knows that if we really try God, if we really worship and serve the Lord, we will not be disappointed. There is no better way to live. (I do not mean that there will never be trials. But the trails will come whether we serve God or not. Bu do we want to be alone in those trials or do we want the Lord of the Universe to help us? Do we want to live life as meaningless randomness or do we want to have purpose, direction, and eternal life with the God who made us? The choice is ours).
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement once gave some interesting directions for singing hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs. He wrote, "Sing [God's songs] lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan."
Most of us have flirted with sin at some level in our lives (whether it be gossip, wanting what others have, making idols of money or possessions, judging others, gluttony, selfishness, sexual sin, greed, or breaking our promises.) NOW is the time to try Jesus, to accept Him as Savior and Lord of our lives. "Taste and see that the Lord is good!"

God is with you!

2009-10-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Psalm 24:1-2: "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers."
"The earth is the Lord's and ALL that is in it." Those words flow over me like a cooling mountain stream. I belong to the Lord! You belong to the Lord! And there is no where that we can go in all Creation that is away from the Lord's presence. Yes, there are some "dark valleys" in which we don't emotionally feel the Lord's presence. There are some trials that we go through that try to make us doubt the Lord's presence. There are some heartbreaks that come upon us that try our faith. BUT GOD IS STILL THERE!
Where are you today? Are you at a trying job, doubting that you can get your work done? THE LORD IS WITH YOU!
Does school seem to be more than you can handle? THE LORD IS WITH YOU!
Are you doubting that your job will even last another day? THE LORD IS WITH YOU!
Have you lost your job in these uncertain economic times? THE LORD IS WITH YOU!
Do you have a loved one who is facing terrible health? THE LORD IS WITH YOU!
Are you facing health concerns that cause anxiety and fear? THE LORD IS WITH YOU!
Do you just have the blah's today? THE LORD IS WITH YOU!
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, is reported to have said on his death bed, "the best of all is that God is with us!"
May that assurance bring you comfort this day!

Have you looked around lately?

2009-10-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Psalm 104:1-4: "Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers."
Have you looked around you lately? Have you noticed the sunrise, the clouds, the rain, the changing leaves, the cool breeze in the mornings and evenings? Have you heard the bird calls? Have you watched a spider weaving her web? Have you watched a breath-taking sunset recently? Have you enjoyed a child's laughter? Have you sat by one of the lakes? Have you looked out from the top of Morrow Mountain?
If you are like me, it's easy to get caught up in the rat race, the endless tasks that need to be completed before we lay ourselves on the pillow at night. I have to make myself look around sometimes, to notice the beauty of creation. Yes, there is much to do. There are places to go and people to see. There is evil and wrong-doing in this world. BUT THERE IS ALSO BEAUTY AND PEACE. I believe that God has given us signs and symbols of his majesty in the natural world. I believe these are gifts for us to remind us that one day, the rat race will be over and we will enter the full majesty of our Lord. In the end, the deadlines will be over and for all eternity, we will simply worship and enjoy God's majesty.
Why not take a few moments today to enjoy that natural beauty? Take a walk in the woods. Watch the rain fall. Listen to the birds. These are all natural praise songs to our God!

Listening

2009-10-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (1Timothy 3.16).
I was recently asked by a friend how I can know when God is speaking to us. This was my answer:
"How do we know God is speaking to us or just our minds playing tricks on us?" This is difficult sometimes.
1. God speaks to us most clearly in God's Word, the Bible, and in the Bible most clearly in Jesus' words. If we stay in the Word, the Bible, then certain things that we experience become clearer. For example, if I have read the story of Joseph and know about Potiphar's wife seducing him, then I would be more prepared to resist sexual temptation. A continual awareness of God's commands should make it easier to spot sin when we see it. So, if we hear the voice of temptation, we can clearly label that temptation and not suppose that it comes from God. God will never call us to sin. These are the easier discernment cases.
2. The harder cases are when we have to choose between two "goods." When I was in seminary, I really thought about joining the (Eastern) NC Conference. (which is from Burlington to the coast. Our conference is from Greensboro to the Tennessee line). As a surfer, I liked the idea of being closer to the coast. And I thought, what difference does it make where I serve the Lord as long as I serve Him? But I wanted to do God's will. So, I:
a. Prayed, prayed, prayed. And still no definitive answer.
b. I asked a few close, trusted spiritual friends to pray with me for a time and then tell me what they thought. They had no definitive answer.
c. I "tried on" the decision to move to the Eastern Conference. I even pursued it. I went and interviewed with a district in that conference and was approved to go. BUT, I HAD NO PEACE ABOUT IT. I couldn't explain it, but it just did not feel right. So, thankfully, I listened to that non-peace and took that as God's Spirit leading me, and I am so glad I did! Now, years later, I see countless, countless reasons why God wanted me to stay in this conference (not the least of which was to serve the churches I have served and serve currently and serve Jesus with so many great saints). My desire to move East was not God speaking by my own selfish desire.
So, what I am saying is when you are trying to discern if something is God speaking or just yourself:
1. Pray, pray, pray. Many times, God will work through our own spirit and mind to help us make decisions.
and/or
2. Ask some trusted, mature, spiritual friends to pray about it and see what God reveals to them
and/or
3. "Try on" a certain decision before it has to be final for a few days, week, etc. and see if God gives you peace about the decision or not peace.
May God bless you as you follow Jesus!

The dark night of the soul

2009-10-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Psalm 22.1-2: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest."
We may be a little surprised by the words of this psalm. We may be surprised that these words are found in Holy Scripture. They seem so negative, so angst ridden. Even more shocking is that these words are spoken by Jesus himself as he suffered on the cross.
The truth of the human condition is that we all face the "dark night of the soul" sometimes. We all have to travel through some dark valleys sometimes. We all face trials that shake our faith sometimes. The psalmist is expressing what we all feel sometimes when we go through trials. He is validating our feelings. We all struggle with faith sometimes. We all have days when we wonder where God is in the trials we face. It is a normal part of our faith journey.
Let me give you some suggestions for when you face those times:
1. Let God know how you feel. The words of this psalm prove that it is o.k to let God know we are struggling.
2. Let a sister or brother in Christ know how you feel. We are not meant to walk alone in this journey of faith. When our faith falters, then our brothers and sisters in Christ can "loan us" some of their faith, pray with and for us, and let us know we are not alone.
3. Let me know. I would be glad to pray with and for you!
4. Let the church know. We have a prayer team that prays for the needs of the church. We would love to lift you up in your time of need.
We all go through ups and downs in our spiritual journey. It does not mean that we have no faith. The dark valleys can actually serve to draw us closer to God, to make us hunger for God even more.
Take courage! The valley will not last forever!

God speaks

2009-09-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 1:1-2: "Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds."
I sometimes hear people discussing the question, "Does God still speak to people?" Or more personally, "Does God speak to me and if so, how?" One of our deepest needs is to hear from our Creator. We are hungry for direction and guidance in our lives.
We are blessed that God has not left us scratching our heads over how and if God speaks to us. God has made it clear to us that His word and words for our lives are contained in the Bible.
God spoke to the Jews through the prophets of the Old Testament. These were human mouthpieces for the word of God. But as the Scripture above declares, in Jesus, God is speaking to us through His own Son, the Living Word of God. A comparison could be drawn to the voice of a king in ancient times. A king might send an ambassador to speak his word to another king. But if the king sends his own Son, the message is regarded as more directly given by the king. The son would be expected to share the exact words and perspective of the king.
If you are wondering today, "does God still speak?" then you have to go no farther than your Bible. Have trouble understanding the Bible? Then I recommend the New Living Translation. Check it out at www.biblestudytools.com

hardness of heart

2009-09-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:4-5: "They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you."
This statement by Jesus takes place in the midst of a dialogue he is having with the Pharisees (religious leaders in Jesus' day). Actually, it comes in the midst of their attempt to "test" Jesus, hoping that Jesus would violate the Law of the Jews in his answer so they could charge him with something. The question is about divorce. It seems that even in Jesus' time, there was a range of reasons for divorce, some more serious than others. (Of course, in Jesus' time, it was only the men who were legally allowed to initiate a divorce).
The Pharisees cite the law that Moses communicated to the Jews which allowed for divorce. They thought they were citing the clear guidelines of the law. But Jesus response is off-putting. "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you." He goes on to say that God created us male and female for each other in marriage. And most shockingly, Jesus tells his disciples later that whoever divorces his wife and marries again commits adultery against his (first) wife.
Jesus' words are strong. I must confess to you that I do not like dealing with this passage of Scripture. Why? Because I have known many good Christians who have experienced very painful divorces and subsequently had happy remarriages. I also have known of abusive or adulterous situations where divorce was clearly a sad but necessary outcome.
There is no way to water down Jesus' words. They are serious. Divorce is a serious thing, as any of you who have experienced it can testify.
But if you have already divorced and remarried, I do not think this Scripture is there to condemn you. If you have already divorced I do not think Jesus would forbid all remarriage. No one can go back and change the past as much as we would like to. What this Scripture says to me is that relationships matter to God, especially the marriage relationship. Jesus is pointing out our human condition: we tend to become "hard of heart" sometimes. This means to be selfish, unforgiving, prideful, etc. When we allow "hardness of heart" to prevail in our marriage (or with friends, relatives, co-workers, classmates, etc.) then we are headed for trouble.
Jesus would help us to love, forgive, and live at peace with one another, especially in Christian marriages. There are valid reasons for divorce. But as far as it lies within your control, accept Jesus' challenge today to love, to be giving, to forgive, to live at peace with one another. If we let him, Jesus can soften our "hardness of heart."

His Story

2009-09-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side--let Israel now say--it it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us" (Psalm 124.1-2)
The psalm writer is recalling national history or more exactly, His story, the story of how the LORD had delivered them through national crises and attacks by enemies. The writer understood that remembering was important. In fact, it was crucial to the continuance of the community of faith. To remember God's deliverance was to refocus the individual and corporate heart on God. It was to refocus people on following God as the LORD of all.
This psalm could be written about our history in America as well. America's story is also His story, the story of God's deliverance for a people. Just like Israel, we are not perfect. There are some big blemishes on our past like the slavery and segregation of African Americans and our treatment of Native Americans. But there is also story after story about how God delivered us in the midst of unbelievable odds. How could this upstart group of thirteen rag-tag colonies beat one of the greatest military forces in the world? Go back and read some history of the Revolutionary War and I predict you, like me, will be amazed all over again.
This psalm could also be written about our individual faith stories. Each of us has a story of how God brought us through. It is worth remembering that today! What time in your life can you look back on and see that your history is His Story?

streams of water

2009-09-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Psalm 1:3: "They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper."
I love the image the psalm writer gives in this verse, "like trees planted by streams of water." What a powerful and peaceful image of God's provision and sustenance! And what is the psalm writer describing? "those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night" (Psalm 1.1-2). The writer is describing the life of those who choose the Lord's way instead of the way of wickedness, sin, and those who mock God. This Scripture is a promise, and assurance that if we follow God's chosen way of life for us, then we can trust that everything will work out, that God will provide for us, even that we will prosper.
As I encounter this Scripture today, I am left with this challenge and assurance: am I yielding my life to God's chosen path for me today? This means surrendering my life to God's will and way. If so, then I am promised that God will provide everything I need. And so are you!

prayers for leaders

2009-09-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

" I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1Timothy 2.1-2)
This is certainly a tumultuous time politically in the United States. I am not sure I recall a time in my life when a congressperson yelled out, "liar," in the middle of a presidential address. Perhaps it was deserved, perhaps not. There are certainly a lot of strong feelings and opinions on both sides of the political aisle these days, not to mention those who feel that they have no one speaking for them in government. I am not writing to side with either the democrats or republicans or the independents.
I am writing because I feel Christ calling me once again to this great verse from 1Timothy. In it, the Apostle Paul (leader in the early church), is calling all followers of Jesus to pray for all leaders in all governments. It is worth noting that, at the time Paul wrote this, there were no kings who were followers of Jesus. Isn't it interesting that Paul calls for prayers for governmental leaders who are not even Christian?
So, I remind you today to pray for our elected leaders. Whether we voted for them or not, they are in positions of incredible influence from the office of president to the local school board representative. Would you join me today in praying for them (whether they be democrat, republican, or non-partisan)? Let's pray that God's will be done in and through them and in our country!

Sweet law?

2009-09-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

Psalm 19.9b-10: "The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb."
We don't usually think of laws as sweet. Sometimes, we may even be tempted to think that some laws are just plain ridiculous. Take for instance the law that prevented a Tulare, California eight year old from operating a lemonade stand. That's right. An eight year old was forced to shut down her neighborhood lemonade stand due to a city ordinance. Then there's the law in Alabama that outlaws opening an umbrella on the street because it may spook horses. (I wonder how many people still ride their horses into town in Alabama!)
God's laws are different. They are not meant to curtail our fun. They are not outdated ordinances from a far gone era. God's laws are sweet, even sweeter than "fresh honey dripping from the comb." How so? Because they are the boundary lines that hedge off dangerous lifestyles that lead to suffering and death. They are the "guard rails" that protect us from a fall down a steep cliff of sin. They are sweet because they show us the way of life that leads to real life, abundant and pure.
Think about God's law today, not as a hindrance to your life, but as an entrance into life:
1. Have no other gods before the One True God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
2. Don't make idols (of money, possessions, etc.)
3. Don't take the Lord's name in vain (either by cussing with God's name or by using God to justify something that is not of God)
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Worship and be with other Christians on Sundays. Take a break from work and rest.)
5. Honor your father and mother (and your fathers and mothers in the faith)
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery (sex is for marriage only)
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (make sure what you say about others is completely true)
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor (be content with what blessings God has given you)
Remember that these are God's protective rails to keep you from falling off the steep cliff of sin. And they are sweet!

Persistence

2009-09-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

Mark 7:27-28: "(Jesus) said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."
In this Scripture, we meet a woman who we are told is a Gentile (a non-Jew) of Syrian-Phoenician descent. Jesus has left the territory of the Jews, God's chosen people, and entered a territory with other kinds of people. He enters a house, perhaps to rest from his journey, but instead gets approached by a woman whose daughter is plagued by an evil spirit. She requests that Jesus heal/exorcise the demon from her daughter. Jesus gives a curious response, calling the woman's people dogs. This is a challenging statement for us to deal with because we usually see Jesus being inclusive of all kinds of people, even those who are outcast by others. Why would Jesus use such a derogatory name for this woman's ethnic group?
Most scholars think that Jesus is pointing out the order of his ministry: to Jews first, then to non-Jews. In many places we learn that the good news has to go out to the Jews (God's chosen people) before it can go out to the rest of the world. This makes sense if you consider the special covenants God had with them, covenants promising to deliver them, to save them, to give them an eternal inheritance.
What is most interesting in this Scripture, though, is the woman's response to Jesus: "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." She is not disagreeing with the order of Jesus' mission (first to the Jews, then to others). She doesn't even take offense to being called "a dog." Instead, she is persisting in her request that Jesus give some kind of spiritual help to her daughter. You can see her persevering love, the love of a good parent. What good parent would not go any distance, persevere any amount of time, provide any kind of help they could for their hurting child? What a model of parenthood this woman is! Even when it seemed she was turned down by Jesus, she persisted out of pure love for her daughter! And the rest of the story? "Then (Jesus) said to her, "For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone." The purpose of this story is to show the result of persistent prayer.
So, parents, persist in your prayers to Jesus for your children! They are powerful indeed! If you have no biological children, pray for the children and youth of the Church and our society today! Those prayers are powerful too!

Surrounded

2009-09-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore." (Psalm 125.1-2)
Mount Zion is the hill in Jerusalem on which the Temple of Almighty God was built. It was a holy place. Jerusalem is located amidst a region of mountains. It is surrounded by a mountainous region.
Recently, I was watching a documentary about the mountains of North Carolina. A senior resident of the region (who had lived there her whole life) said, "When we grew up, we were told that the mountains are our friends; they are here to protect us. I suppose that even now, when I can look around and see the mountain range, I feel safe and secure."
What a great image of God's protection of us! For surely, God surrounds us. As another psalm declares,
"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you."
There is nowhere we can go in all the Universe, no dark place, no desperate night, no dark valley, where God is absent. God is always there, encircling us with love and grace, like the mountains around Jerusalem.
May that assurance give you peace this day!

The God we believe in

2009-08-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

The following was a devotion that Amy Coles, our District Superintendent shared with us today:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year
of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:17-19)
As a part of the New District Superintendent and Director of Connectional Ministries Orientation
that I’ve been attending this week, we used the following Affirmation of Faith:
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of the magistrates
nor in the god of the generals or of patriotic oratory.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of
gloomy hymns and vacuous sermons
nor in the god of courtrooms or
of preambles and epilogues to eloquent speeches.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of good fortune of the rich
nor in the god of fear of the wealthy
nor in the god of happiness of those who rob the people.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD made
in the image and likeness of the powerful
nor in the god invented as a sedative
for the misery and suffering of the poor.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD who
sleeps within church walls
or lies hidden in church safes.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD made out of lies
as fragile as clay pots
nor in the god of the established order
which rests on disorder
and acquiesces in it.
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN
put human beings before law
and love in place of old traditions.
He had no stone on which to lay his head
and mixed with the poor.
He appeared before judges
who tried to find him guilty.
He was seen with the police as a prisoner.
He entered the governor’s palace to be flogged.
His tunic was woven entirely of blood.
He had escorts to clear his way before him to Calvary,
where he died, between thieves,
on the cross.
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN
is no other than
the son of Mary,
Jesus of Nazareth.
Every day he dies crucified by our selfish acts.
Every day he rises from death by the power of love.
[Fred Betto (Brazil) in Em Tue Gracia (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2006), 131-133]
To complete the affirmation, we were invited to complete this affirmation of our faith:
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN calls us to …
What would you say? Some of my thoughts included,
See and treat all people as beloved children of God;
Work for justice and peace for all;
Be in ministry WITH the least, the last, the lost;
Share the Good News in words and actions every moment of ever day;
Follow Jesus, Make Disciples, and Transform the World.

rules

2009-08-27T05:24:00.001-07:00

"So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, 'Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands?' " (Mark 7.5)
It seems that the human tendency is always to push religion to a simplistic list of rules when what God offers us is not rules but relationship. In Ancient Israel, many (including some of the kings) thought that as long as they offered the prescribed sacrifices and observed the prescribed religious holidays, then they were in compliance with God. The problem is that God didn't just want their outward formal observances, God wanted their heart.
So, when Jesus came, he challenged the "traditions of the elders," those man-made rules and regulations that so many had substituted for a real living relationship with God. In this verse, the Pharisees (religious leaders in Jesus' day) were upset because Jesus' disciples did not follow the ritualistic hand washing that they taught everyone to observe. (Sanitation was not the issue here.)
The issue was that the Pharisees claimed that if you didn't meticulously follow the 613 laws of Judaism, plus countless more rules and regulations invented by human tradition, then you were a terrible sinner and could expect judgment from God. They had taken God's laws (which were meant to protect us from harm) and woven them together with their own human traditions. In some cases, they even regarded the human traditions they taught to be more important than God's laws. (see Mark 7.9-13)
Periodically, throughout our history, we've needed people to come along and call us away from counterfeit religion where rules and regulations are taught as the way to righteousness back to what religion is supposed to be about: A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ONE WHO CREATED US. That's what Martin Luther and John Wesley's ministries were all about.
Remember today that your life with God is more about relationship than rules. Be leery of rules and regulations that are not found in the Word of God, the Bible. Yes, God has given us laws to protect us from things that would harm us in this world. Those laws are there for our good. (see Exodus 20.1-17). The laws are boundary markers, just like a fence around a steep cliff. What's in between those boundaries, though, is the opportunity to know Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, personally. That's what Jesus desires for you this day, not just adherence to a set of cold, impersonal rules.

Trials

2009-08-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

"My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1.2-4)
This is a challenging Scripture to me. I don't like trials and suffering. I like it when things are running smoothly and things are happening as I prefer. But James is reminding me that there's some things I might not learn if I always got my way. James is reminding me that there's some hard lessons I might not ever learn unless I go through some trying times.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, knew about trials. Here's what he had to say about them: "Pleasure and pain, health and sickness, riches and poverty, honor and dishonor, friends and enemies, are all bestowed by [God's] unerring wisdom and goodness with a view to this one thing. The will of God, in allotting us our several portions of all these, is solely our sanctification; our recovery from vile bondage, the love of his creatures, to the free love of our Creator."
In other words, God wants us to grow up in Christ! God wants us to die to self and let Christ live in us. There must be something about human nature that we don't learn lessons like that if our whole life is easy and goes our way. As the old saying goes, "there are some lessons we only learn on our knees," lessons that we learn as we go through trials and are nudged to look to God for help, guidance, and strength.
I don't like trials and suffering, but looking back on my life, I am sure that I have grown the most during some of those times. I am sure that I learned new levels of dependence on God's grace. I learned more about trusting God in the storms than I did on the sunny days.
How about you?

Politics?

2009-08-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

"Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice . . . May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor." (Psalm 72.1-2, 4)
This prayer for the king of Israel is very interesting. Notice what the intercessor asks for: that the king, the leader of the nation, would care for the poor, "give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor." This is a unique prayer for the leader of a nation! That the psalmist would single out concern for the poor and needy and judgment for those who oppress the poor is significant.
It was a strong expectation in the life of Israel that the king (the leader of the nation) would care for the poor and needy and would enact justice for them. In fact, it was commanded by God in many places in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). The Torah was the framework on which the nation of Israel was built. It was the rule, the standard, the boundaries for the abundant life God had promised Israel. Some of these laws included leaving food in your fields so the poor, the alien, the widow, the orphan could glean from it. Don't take someone's coat as a pledge on money owed to you. And one of the most radical: Every 50 years, land was supposed to be returned to its original family owners to insure that there would not be rampant homelessness in Israel.
Of course, Jesus picked up these same themes in his life and ministry: concern for the poor, the sick, the needy, the outcast.
Now, we aren't kings, but we do have the same call to reach out to the poor and needy. How might we do that today? Here's some ideas:
1. Bring canned meat to church this month. This goes to the Stanly Community Food Bank
2. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
3. Sponsor a child through World Vision, Compassion International.
4. Look around you for those who may need your help. Your classmates, co-workers, neighbors, even your own family members may need assistance.
5. Support a missionary. (Want to know how, call me!)
6. Pay for the person behind you in the drive-through.
7. Go on a mission trip.
These are just a few ideas. What others can you think of?

a place of springs

2009-08-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

"As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools." (Psalm 84.6)
Psalm 84 is an "ascent psalm." This means it was most likely one of the psalms (think praise song or hymn) that pilgrims sang on the way up to the Temple of God in Jerusalem. In this particular psalm, imagine that the pilgrims are passing through an arid stretch of land. Their water jugs are getting low. The word "Baca" means "weeping." Perhaps they have faced a host of terrible hardships along their pilgrimage. Perhaps it is a time of national disaster. Or perhaps the territory they are passing through has been through some serious trials. What happens next is the key to the verse.
As the pilgrims pass through the area of "weeping," they make it a place of springs. (Water was always at a premium in a region where deserts, droughts, and famines were common.) The springs represent the fullness of God's blessings and provisions for his creatures.
Maybe you are going through a season or time of "Baca/weeping." If so, be encouraged this day that Baca will not last forever. "Though weeping may tarry for the night, joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30.5) When we are in the midst of Baca, it is good for us to be with the people of God. Notice that in this Scripture, relief came in the form of community. We all need the community of faith, the Church. In our individual and corporate times of trial, it is good to borrow each others' faith. It is good to hear our sisters and brothers in the faith "sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." (Ephesians 5.19) In times of Baca, it is good to feel the presence of the Church and hear our brothers and sisters pray the Lord's Prayer with us.
In your time of Baca, remember that you are not alone!

status

2009-08-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Psalm 84:10: "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." (NIV)
The humility of this Psalm 84 always strikes me. The writer of this Psalm would rather be a doorkeeper, a lowly servant, than to enjoy all the fruits of sin and wrongdoing. I am sometimes reminded that there is a profit to be made from participating in things that God's Word clearly says are wrong. The lucrativeness of the pornography industry is an example of this. Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, lives in a mansion. Drug cartels in some parts of the world possess all the expensive toys money can buy.
Now, most of us are probably not tempted to found pornographic entertainment industries or to become drug lords. But we are subtly tempted each day to "sell out" to the world and its value (or lack of values) system. Will we "fudge" the details at work to get ahead? Will we cheat on that school test to move up in class standings? Will we participate in hurtful gossip about another person that somehow seems to make us popular?
These are questions that are worth our consideration. Will we trust what we can gain from honest work and truthful conversation? Are we satisfied with the gifts that God gives to us or do we always want more?
I'm reminded of a great prayer that makes this point: "Lord, let me have just enough. Do not let me have too little lest I be tempted to steal. Do not let me have too much lest I be tempted to trust in riches. But let me have just enough."

Eating Flesh-Drinking Blood???

2009-08-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

"Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." (John 6.56)
Eating flesh and drinking blood? Is this Jesus' words or a line out of a horror movie? These words are indeed Jesus' words. And it has nothing to do with gory scenes.
Jesus is talking about Holy Communion, the meal of the Church. As we receive Holy Communion (or the Lord's Supper) we receive a spiritual blessing. As Christians, we believe that once ordinary items like bread and juice are blessed with the Communion Prayer, they come to represent Jesus' body and blood. It is a sign and symbol of Jesus abiding (or living, dwelling, making his residence) in us. And what a powerful reminder it is! God created us as material/physical beings. He knew that we would need physical reminders of the spiritual presence of Jesus. That's what Holy Communion is all about. In this humble "meal" of bread and juice: 1. We remember that Jesus gave it all on the cross for us an for our salvation 2. We come together as sisters and brothers in the family of God 3. We are strengthened for the spiritual journey we call life 4. We look forward to the heavenly banquet we will eat with all the saints in perfect communion with God the Father/Son/Holy Spirit. What a privilege and blessing it is!

Fear?

2009-08-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psalm 111.10a)
Fear? Is that really the word the writer of this Psalm meant to use? It seems so negative. It seems so old-fashioned. It seems so punitive.
The word in the original Hebrew of this Psalm is "Yur'ah." It means "fear, terror, awesome or terrifying thing (object causing fear), fear (of God), respect, reverence, piety revered."
So, any attempt to soften the meaning to only "admire, look up to, etc." is misplaced. God is the all-powerful God of the Universe. Fear is appropriate for One who can create the whole Universe with one Word. It seems in our society today that there are many who seem to fear nothing. I still see that bumper sticker around: "NO FEAR." True fear of the Lord of the Universe might not be a bad thing.
But the interesting thing is that we are not only to "fear" the Lord. We are to love the Lord too! And the kind of love that the Lord shows us is evidence that God doesn't just want to be feared. He actually wants to have a relationship with us. Scripture shows us that God does not just want us to fear him like we would a prison guard or oppressive dictator. God wants us to know him and for us to let him know us. So, the fear is in the context of a God who loves us.
Fear God as the One who commands us to be obedient and holds our lives in his hands. Love God as the One who chose to come in the flesh of Jesus Christ and extend grace and mercy to us. Fear God as the One who expects us to actually follow his commands. Love God as the One who gave those commands not so we would miss all the fun, but so we would be protected from a lifestyle that leads to sorrow and death.

Rejection

2009-07-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

"'Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?' And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.'" (Mark 6.3-4)
Jesus was preaching one day in his hometown synagogue (the Jewish place of worship) and he experienced what we all experience sometimes: rejection by your own people.
Unfortunately, it is the human condition to be rejected sometimes. And since most of us circulate in the same human circles with the same people most of the time, it is inevitable that we will sometimes feel rejection from those closest to us: friends, classmates, co-workers, neighbors, etc.
Jesus' response is instructional to us: the rejection did not deter his mission. Oh, the people in his hometown did not receive the blessing of the fullness of his ministry because they rejected Jesus, but it did not stop his mission. He simply "shook the dust off his feet" and took his mission elsewhere.
Have you experienced rejection recently? If so, remember that God does NOT reject you. No one's rejection of you can change your God-given purpose. In the journey of faith, we will face rejection sometimes. But God never rejects us. God gives us purpose and mission to share his love wherever we go. YOU ARE LOVED AND ACCEPTED BY GOD!

The Poor

2009-06-16T04:11:00.001-07:00

"For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever." (Psalm 9.18)
There is no escaping God's injunction to reach out to the poor and needy. We see it over and over in the Bible from the beginning to the end. We need that challenge! It is the human condition to forget about the poor. Throughout church history, we always seem to be tempted to build beautiful buildings, establish great programs and groups, and then lock ourselves away in those edifices. Now, of course, there's nothing wrong with building a great facility to house worship, Sunday school, youth, etc. But, Jesus is always calling us to GO! To GO out into the hurting world and make a difference. To GO out into the lost world and bring the light of Christ. To GO out and make disciples out of those who need to know the Good News of Jesus.
It is human nature to want to establish a "COMFORT ZONE," and then never venture outside of it. In contrast, it is God's Nature to continually call us into mission, mission to reach out to those who are hunger or hurting with the Love of Jesus Christ. In what small way might you reach out today?

Our Faith

2009-05-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

"And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9.2)
In most of the healing stories in the gospels, the sick person's faith is a key element. Many times, Jesus says, "your faith has made you well (or whole)." In this story, though, the sick man's faith is not mentioned. We don't know even know if he had any faith at all. What is mentioned is his friends' faith. The Scripture says that Jesus saw their faith!
This has huge implications for us as the body of Christ, the Church. Who needs to be brought to Jesus today by your prayers, acts of love and mercy, and witness?

Blessed to BE a blessing

2009-05-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12.2-3)
One of the most powerful things about being a Christian is that we are not just blessed for ourselves personally. We are blessed to BE a blessing to others.
In the great covenant that God initiated with Abraham, this was the idea: "I will bless you, Abraham, to be a blessing to all peoples on earth." God's special gifts were not for Abraham alone, nor were they just for Abraham's family. And in the coming of Jesus Christ, God's own son, centuries later, we see that promise fulfilled. Jesus came to save the world.
What would it mean for your life today if you didn't hold the spiritual blessings of God for yourself (or even just your family)? How might you share them with others so that you can truly BE the blessing God planned for your world?

Real Love

2009-05-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (1Corinthians 13.4-8a)
I am always humbled by this incredible definition of love! It is so much deeper, self-sacrificial, and caring than the definition of love the world gives us.
The world tells us that love is like a septic tank, it's just something you "fall in" when you're not looking. The world tells us that love is an uncontrollable emotion, therefore we are not accountable for anything we do when we fall under its spell.
Not so with true love! True love, as Paul defines it in this Scripture, is something you do, not just something you feel. The feeling is great, but it comes and goes. Christian love loves even when the emotions are not where we would like them.
There's a great book that discusses this that I would recommend to all. It's called The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. It's primarily for married couples or those preparing for marriage, but it could also apply to friends, parents, grandparents, etc. It focuses on how we love those around us. Check it out today!

All needed

2009-05-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (1Corinthians 12.27)
It seems that some folks think too little of their contribution to the life of the Church. They doubt that they have any special gifts, talents, or abilities. They feel they have nothing to contribute. Not so! Paul shows us in the twelfth chapter of Romans and 1Corinthians that every Christian has at least one special talent, gift, or ability for the "building up of the church." I find that many people who have the gift of service (a gift that is not as much in the spotlight as the more visible gifts like preaching, teaching, music, etc.) doubt that they have any gift at all. But thank goodness we've all not be called to preach, teach, or be "out front." If so, there would be no one to listen! Service is often a gift that is exercised in the background, but is just as necessary as the other more public and "visible" gifts. If you have a heart to help people, if you always like chipping in, in very tangible ways, then you may have the gift of service. Use it for God's glory! Remember Paul's words, "On the contrary, the parts of the body [the Body of Christ, the Church] which seem to be weaker are indispensable." (1Corinthians 12.22) All are important in the Body of Christ, the Church!

All things

2009-05-08T12:06:00.001-07:00

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4.13)

Early in my ministry, I took a late appointment (September) to pastor a church. I really had to hit the ground running at church and school. My wife was pregnant with our twin sons, due in early December. In October, I got a call at school one day that she had gone into pre-term labor. I rushed back to Greensboro (an hour and a half from seminary) and she was in the hospital for a week. They put her on some heavy medication to stop labor, which made her almost comatose. I'll never forget going home one night from the hospital to an empty parsonage. When I got home there were pastoral calls to return, books to be read, papers to be written, and my wife in the hospital one town away. I had never felt so alone in my life. I broke down completely and cried out to the Lord for help.
He did not abdondon me! He poured out the "balm of Gilead" on my soul and gave me strength that had to come from above. Peace, like a river, surrounded my soul. And he spoke to my heart that He would never leave nor forsake me. He would see me through. My wife held on for another month on bed rest and our sons were born healthy on the day of my Old Testament midterm (now you know why they're named Noah and Jacob!) Of course, I rescheduled the midterm and four years later, after many trying times, many mountaintops and valleys, I finished seminary.
I often look back on that time, especially when I face any kind of hardship or trial. The God that was with me then is with me now. And that God is with you too! He will never leave you nor forsake you. You can count on it!

worship

2009-05-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

"Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4.8)
In the book of Revelation, amidst all the vivid pictures of destruction and cataclysmic upheaval, there are even more vivid pictures of the worship of Almighty God. Thrones of jasper, ruby, rainbow, emerald, sea of crystal glass, flashes of lightning, roars of thunder. Even before the end of the earth, there is the constant worship of God going on with proclamations such as the "four living creatures" make above. Proclamations are made about Jesus Christ: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5.12b)
Heaven is about worshiping God. This is one reason worship is so important to us here and now. You could consider every worship service a "dress rehearsal" for the worship we will offer God for all eternity. God accepts our human attempts at worship because we are His children. When we strive to offer God our best worship, God is pleased. As one wise spiritual teacher has written, when we worship, we are not leaving the real world but coming into the Real World, the Kingdom of God that will never end. When we come to church, we are not the "audience;" God is. Remember that the next time you come to worship. We are not there just to "get something out of it" (though when we truly yield ourselves to worshiping God, we often do receive much). Our focus should be to offer God the praise that God deserves. We do this with music, prayers, offerings, hearing and responding to God's Word, celebrating the Lord's Supper. As we worship, we come into and maintain the right relationship with God. Remember that your worship of God prepares you for an eternity worshiping our Lord.

Revelation

2009-05-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2.7, 11, 17, 29; 3.6, 13, 22)
This week, we are reading Revelation in Disciple Bible Study. In the first three chapters, Jesus gives a message to John for seven churches. For a couple, there is nothing commendation. For most of the others, it is a mixture of commendation and a call to repentance. One is thoroughly rebuked for being lukewarm in their faith. But even to this church (Laodicea), Jesus says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." (Revelation 3.19)
As we go about our daily routines, are we listening to Jesus? There are no shortage of voices out there in the world. We can usually hear what we want to hear. But are we listening for the voice (the direction, the guidance, the encouragement) of Jesus first? You might ask, "how do I listen to Jesus' voice?" It is heard most clearly in God's Word, the Bible (especially in the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
I encourage you to "have ears to hear" what the Spirit of Jesus is saying to you today. Make sure that that voice is given first place in your life.

Everything we need

2009-05-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

"[God's] divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2Peter 1.3)
In the economic times we are living in, we all feel pushed to adopt an outlook of scarcity. What I mean by that is the conviction that the resources are limited, therefore, we'd better pull back in retreat and only spend for the bare necessities. Certainly, we are all called to handle our financial resources wisely. Part of the reason our country is in the financial shape it is, is because of overspending or what my grandma used to call "living beyond one's means." So, yes, it is high time we consider the differences between luxuries and necessities. My prayers are with all who have lost jobs or face anxiety about their financial situation in these days.
But this verse presents a much different picture for spiritual currency! In this Scripture, Peter reminds us that, in the spiritual economics of the Kingdom of God, there is abundance, not scarcity. In the spiritual realm, God has given us everything we need to thrive. In God's Kingdom, there is no shortage of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These cost nothing because they are gifts of God, freely bestowed on all who ask.
As you approach today, you may be limited in the economic realm. You may have lost a job or stand to lose one. Your retirement benefits may be drying up before your eyes. But remember that God will see you through. His spiritual resources for you are unlimited. Just ask. How do we access those resources? Through prayer, Bible study, worship with God's people, giving to the poor and needy, etc. These are all means of grace, "access points" to God's abundant life.
May you remember today that God will provide.

Chosen

2009-04-30T08:04:00.001-07:00

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1Peter 2.9)
If we are honest, most of us live lives that are pretty routine. Our "daily grind" makes many days seem the same, one running into the other, none distinguishing themselves too much. All this makes us feel very ordinary.
Into our routine existence, God speaks the words above. We are anything but ordinary! Out of this monotonous world, you have been chosen! Chosen to by the Lord Almighty, called out of the faceless mass of people to be royal priests (handling holy things like the Word of God, forgiveness, reconciliation, the grace of God), a holy nation (bound together not by earthly political boundaries, but bound across space and time, every nation, tribe, and race in the blood of Christ), belonging to God (therefore loved by Him, treasured by Him, regarded not as ordinary, but His special beloved).
Why all this attention and chosen-ness? So that we may "declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." We are special because God has chosen us and called us to declare his praise wherever we are.
REMEMBER TODAY THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN BY GOD AND YOU ARE SPECIAL!!!

The Path, continued

2009-04-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Path

2009-04-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

The Path

The Path took its final turn on Palm Sunday
For Jerusalem, the Holy City
That murders the prophets and those sent to her

The Path had led him
In the womb from Nazareth to Bethlehem--
Least of all the tribes

No cradle, but a meek manger
For the God-Man,
Light of the world

The path had led him to Egypt
Former house of slavery
Now asylum from Herod's wrath

The path led him to
Jerusalem for Passover
To learn with the elders

Were they the same who cried
Twenty-one years later
For his blood?

The path led him to a carpenter's shop
In lowly Nazareth
Tables, chairs, and cabinets would be his wares
Later, men's hearts

The path led him to the
Rivers of the Jordan
Crossed by Joshua ages before

To be baptized--not for sin but as
A model for us
An anointing, an ordination
To the greatest ministry ever known

To a lakeshore where fishermen
Became bishops
A tax table where a crook became
The writer of the fourth gospel

His path led him to synagogues
Teacher's seats
To leper colonies
To a midnight meeting with Nicodemus

To a hillside where the
Greatest Sermon was ever preached

His path took him to
Long days of teaching
Thick-headed disciples
And stiff-necked masses

To a table where a sinful woman
Washed his feet with the tears of repentance
To an adulterous Samaritan woman

To a tree that held a sinner named Zacchaeus
His path took him to confrontation
With the "powers that be"

A table with blood and body
Shared by a traitor
And eleven deserters

His path took him to
A lonely garden
Where the grief of the world
He bore alone

His path took him
To a beating and flogging
Like no one has every known

The wrath of sin
Tearing at his
Precious flesh

His path took him to
The Cross of Calvary
Love poured out like
Wine at the Passover Table

"Father, forgive them
because they don't know what they are doing."

"Woman, here is your son.
Behold your mother."

"Truly, I say to you
Today, you will be with me in Paradise!"

"My God, my God
Why have you forsaken me?"

"I am thirsty!"

"Father, into your hands
I commend my spirit."

"It is finished!"

His path was the love of God for sinners
Extravagant, Lavish, Limitless Love
That led him to the Cross
Where Love's flesh died for you and me

"How much do you love me, Jesus?"
"This much!"
(And he stretched out his arms on the Cross and died)
Life-Giving Spirit departs

His path had come to its End
In a borrowed tomb
Or had it really ended? . . . . . . . . . . .

---by Lanny Lancaster, Holy Week, 2009

The Savior

2009-04-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a great hymn written by Samuel Wesley, John Wesley's father. It is one of the few relics of Samuel's papers saved after the fire that almost claimed John's life. I pray that it blesses you this Holy Week as it has blessed me!

Behold the Savior of Mankind

Behold the Saviour of mankind
Nailed to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that him inclined
To bleed and die for thee!

Hark, how he groans! while nature shakes,
And earth's strong pillars bend;
The temple's veil in sunder breaks,
The solid marbles rend.

'Tis done! the precious ransom's paid,
"Receive my soul," he cries!
See where he bows his sacred head!
He bows his head, and dies!

But soon he'll break death's envious chain,
And in full glory shine:
O Lamb of God! was ever pain,
Was ever love, like thine?

Set an example

2009-04-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set and example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." (1Timothy 4.12)
This verse was a great encouragement when I first started in the pastoral ministry. I encountered many people who could not believe someone my age could be a minister. When I told one person that I would be the pastor of two churches, she kept asking over and over, "you mean you're going to be the youth pastor?" (I suppose they must have had an image in their minds of someone with gray hair and a dark suit.)
The experience taught me that some people are always making judgments of you because of external things.
Paul, in his advice to the young preacher, Timothy, encourages him. He too was young for a preacher of the gospel. He too probably faced people who could not imagine him in the role of pastor. But Paul told him not to worry about people's preconceived ideas, but to simply "set and example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
You may be young, old, or someone in the middle. But no matter what station in life you are, you can be an example to others in your speech, life, love, faith, and purity. Indeed, the world needs people at all stages and walks of life, all races, all types of occupations, all styles to be true witnesses to Jesus in the way that they live.
I encourage you today: don't worry about judgments people make about you because of the "externals," just follow Jesus each day and your life will speak for itself!

Saving sinners

2009-04-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst."--1Timothy 1.15
Lest we ever lose sight of the mission of Jesus, it is to save sinners, not to condemn them. We know from Scripture that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3.23) And all are offered salvation through Christ.
It seems that the longer we have been in the church, the harder it is to remember that all are welcomed by the love of Christ. The older son in the story of the Prodigal son did not want to welcome his wayward brother back. He begrudged his father's forgiveness of his brother. But the father pleaded with the older son, "Son, you are with my always and all that I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
No matter where you are today, Christ's love and forgiveness is available to you! It is offered to all others as well!

One

2009-03-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3.28)
In our fractured times, this is good news! It seems strange that with all our progress as the world-wide human community, that we would still have war. Ethnically-based disputes and their eventual outcome-violence-seem all too common.
God gives us a vision of a much different way of relating in the body of Christ: you are one! No more division, no more strife based on particulars. But how do we get there? I believe it starts with honoring our differences instead of fighting over them. Being one (as the Scriptures envision it) does not mean only being with the same kind of people. (The early church was very diverse). Being one means honoring the range of personalities, gifts, talents, ages, even colors of skin that God has blessed the earth with. God uses all colors to paint the beautiful landscape that is humanity. Let us honor that especially in the body of Christ, his church!

Stick with it!

2009-03-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1.6-7)
"Stick to it! There are many philosophies, world views, and religious systems in the world. Hold on to the gospel that you have heard from your mother and I and the Church!" Such advice has been handed down generation after generation in Christian families and my wife and I join that long line as we advise our sons today.
That's the scary thing about being a parent: you can strive to raise your child(ren) in the faith, but in the end, it is their decision. The Bible does give us hope in this Scripture: "Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray." (Proverbs 22.6)
It is the same with us adult Christians. Daily, we are exposed to limitless philosophies, world views, even other religious teachings through the mass media, internet, etc. Ancient Galatia was no different. No, they did not have mass media and the internet but there was no shortage of philosophies, world views, and religions. Paul encouraged the Galatians and us to hold fast to the pure gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. One big purpose of the Church is to help us hold to that which was given to us: Jesus as Lord and Savior!

Love

2009-03-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (1Corinthians 13.4-8a)
These few verses always challenge me greatly. I use them periodically as a "check-up" on how I am loving my wife, sons, extended family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. It is always humbling to read this beautiful portrait of love because I am always aware of how far short I fall from this perfect standard.
The Good News is God knows we need help in loving others. That's why love does not depend on our sheer effort or will. It depends on Christ dwelling in us. So one of the keys to loving others well is to love Jesus and let his love flow through us. So, don't be discouraged when your efforts at love fall short. The two words, "I'm sorry" go a long way. As we spend time with Jesus, his indwelling love will help us love others as he loves us!

Is Christ divided?

2009-03-18T06:55:00.001-07:00

"One of you says, 'I follow Paul' another 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?" (1Corinthians 1.12b-13)
As I read this Scripture this morning, I was overwhelmed with the fracturing of Christ's body, the Church. (By that, I mean the whole Church Universal, not just the local church). It seems we spend so much time arguing about non-essentials. It seems we are constantly looking for things that we disagree on rather than the Christ who is supposed to unify us all.
By this, I do not mean to minimize our real differences. I believe that different Christians do have the right and obligation to live out their faith according to their convictions, convictions that must be shaped and disciplined by the Word of God (the Bible). Indeed, this is part of the freedom we have in Christ. But I wonder if we go too far. I believe that not recognizing each others' baptism and not welcoming each other to the Lord's Table is going too far. I believe that spending a lot of time putting down other Christian denominations is not what Christ would call us to do. There is no getting around the fact that our brokenness as the Church Universal is a witness against (not for) the Christian faith.
What might you do this day to further the cause of Christian unity?

Nothing can separate us!

2009-03-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8.38-39)
This is perhaps the most uplifting verse in the whole Bible and one that I return to often. In fact, I have made myself a pack of "power verses" on 3x5 index cards that I carry with me everywhere I go and this is one of my favorites!
It seems that when I am in the midst of a struggle, it can seem so huge, so overwhelming. Sometimes, we may think some sin or mistake we've made (or even just a thought we've had) is just too bad to be covered by the forgiveness and grace of God. This verse reminds us that no struggle, no sin, no failure, no trial can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. In fact, nothing in all the Universe can: no earthquake, no hurricane, no meteor falling from space, no super nova, no black hole, not even the end of the Universe itself. Nothing can separate you and me from the love of Christ! Take a moment and let that assurance wash over you today! And remind yourself of it tomorrow!

No boasting

2009-03-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus . . . Where, then is boasting? It is excluded." (Romans 3.23-24, 27a)
They drive us crazy. You know, the people who are always boasting. It may be about their new car, their new job, their overly achieving children, their new vacation home, their new jet ski, their new boat, whatever it is, they find a way to brag about it. As much as we hate to admit it, we'd all like something to brag about too. In fact, one of the things that bugs us about braggarts is that we'd rather be the one bragging to them. We'd like to think we're getting just a little more than the next guy.
But this is impossible with the Christian faith! "All ground is level at the foot of the cross." No spiritual (or worldly) achievements can rank us above others. "for we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We all need redemption equally. We all need God's grace. So, the next time you hear someone bragging, just smile and remember the extravagant love of God who makes us all rich in his grace!

created things

2009-03-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen." (Romans 1.25)
Was this written about 2009 or 57 A.D.? Both! The Apostle Paul, leader in the early church, wrote this to Christians in Rome in the first century, but also to us. It seems they had the same spiritual problems: materialism, consumerism, idolatry, trying to create God in their own image. One wise Christian teacher once said, "the basic sin of humanity is worshiping what was intended to only be used and trying to use that which should be worshiped." Very true! We tend to worship things, even Creation itself. We try to use God to get what we want. We were meant to worship God and use things, not worship things and try to use God.
Think today about the things you own. Do they receive more of your attention than your relationship with God and other people? (Richard Foster writes that every material thing we own takes care and attention). Do your possessions own you? Recommit your life today to worshiping God and holding the things of this world loosely.

To know him

2009-03-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

"Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding." (Acts 19.13-16)
This has always struck me as an amusing scene. These sons of Sceva are playing around with something they don't really understand. They are way over their heads. They are trying to invoke the name of Jesus to cast out demons, when they don't even know Jesus. They find out just how dangerous this is.
It's not enough to just know the "historical Jesus" or even to know what the Bible says. We must know Jesus personally. It's not enough to just know the facts of Jesus' life. We must really know him. How do we come to know him? Spend time with his family, the church. And ask Jesus into your heart. The Christian faith is much more than head knowledge. It involves a real relationship with the One we call Lord and Savior.

An unknown God?

2009-03-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

"I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship--and this is what I am going to proclaim to you." (Acts 17.23b)
There's a lot of people in the world who are worshiping an "unknown god." I'll never forget years ago, a friend told me there was a guy in our dorm who worshiped corn. I would have never believed it if I had not seen the "corn altar" myself! Some people worship the "elemental spirits" of the earth. Some people worship fame and power. In Hinduism, there are thousands of gods and goddesses, some who appear more like demons than gods.
The situation was not much different in Paul's day. As he walked around the ancient city of Athens, Greece, he saw many altars and shrines to many gods, even this altar mentioned to "AN UNKNOWN GOD." Paul tried to make clear to the Athenians that the God we worship is not unknown. There is only One True God: The Father/Son/Holy Spirit. Today, our world is hungrier than ever to know the One True God. The Good News is God is not inaccessible to us! God has been revealed clearly and plainly in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Do you want to know Him? Just ask Him to come into your life today. He will! Know someone who doesn't know our God? How about sharing His identity with them today?

The Hard Times

2009-03-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

"They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said."
(Acts 14.21-22)
The "they" in this Scripture is the Apostle Paul and Barnabas: leaders, church planters, evangelists, and overseers in the early church. Certainly, they knew what it meant to "go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God," as did many in the early church. But what about us?
None of us like hardships, trials, and pain, me especially! But as I look back over my life, though I would not have chosen the hard times, it seems that I grew much more in those hard times than when everything was going right and I felt like I "had the world by the tail." There's something about hard times that knock me off my high horse, humble me, and force me to look to God for help, direction, and deliverance. In fact, it is in those times that I have learned to trust God the most. How about you?
One thing about it, the hardships, trials, and pain we face are an opportunity to trust God in ways we never have before and for our faith to grow dramatically. When these hard times come, our sisters and brothers in Christ can help us move from bitter to better, just as Paul and Barnabas were "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith." May we do the same for each other in the church today!

"The Promise of Paradox"

2009-03-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

"Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16.24-25)
How can this be? How can you save your life by losing it? Or lose your life by saving it? It's really not as strange as it sounds at first. I have known people who find true life by giving it away in service to others. Likewise, I have known people who focus only on themselves in an attempt to save their lives. They only care for themselves, spending all their resources and time on themselves. In their attempt to selfishly save their lives, they lose them.
This is what Parker Palmer is talking about in "The Promise of Paradox." He writes, "The dictionary defines a paradox as 'a statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.' Neils Bohr, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, says . . .'the opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may be another profound truth.'" Palmer sites Thomas Merton, the great Trappist Monk Spiritual writer, in another place, "I have become convinced that the very contradictions in my life are in some ways signs of God's mercy to me; if only because someone so complicated and so prone to confusion and self-defeat could hardly survive for long without special mercy." And Palmer writes "God has called us, lost in contradictions, we will be swallowed by grace and find ourselves . . . traveling toward our destiny in the belly of a paradox."
As followers of Christ, paradoxes should be no strangers to us: in death, we find resurrection. As we pass through the darkness of this world, we find light in Christ. If we focus only on ourselves, selfishly trying to save our lives, we lose them. But in losing our lives in service to God and others, we find true life!

Divided

2009-02-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

"The people of the city were divided" (Acts 14.4)
This is the summary given of the situation in Iconium where Paul and Barnabas were preaching the good news of Jesus. You would think that with Paul and Barnabas' powerful preaching that the whole city would have accepted Jesus, but they did not. This is one more occurrence of the classic "mixed response to the gospel." That is the way that some accept Jesus and others do not. It happened even with Jesus himself.
This is good news for us who try to love and share the grace of God, only to be rejected by some people. Some folks will not accept our love or the message of Jesus. That does not mean we have failed. It means that all people have free will and some will use that free will to reject Jesus.
It is not up to us to make everyone accept Jesus, for they simply will not. Ours is only to share the light of Christ in our spheres of influence (the people we encounter) and let those who will accept the good news of salvation through Jesus.

Purpose

2009-02-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples . . . But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man [Saul] is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel." (Acts 9.1, 15)
It's amazing how much change happens to Saul (later known as Paul) in one chapter of the Bible! At the start of Chapter Nine, he is killing every Christian he can find. By half way through the chapter, he's preaching the very Jesus he denied. "Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah." (Acts 9.22)
It's amazing what transformation God can bring in us and what kind of purpose he can use us to fulfill. Never think that you are beyond forgiveness or beyond being used by God! Nothing you have done, no sin, no mistake, no blunder can disqualify you from the grace, forgiveness, and purpose of God! If he can use someone who even denied Jesus and killed Christians, then he can transform and use you in his holy work of sharing the love of Christ with the world! Inside of you is a miracle waiting to happen!

Teachers

2009-02-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

"Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?' Philip asked. 'How can I?' he said, 'unless someone explains to me?' So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him." (Acts 8.30-31)
In this Scripture, Philip has been guided by an angel to an Ethiopian who was reading from the book of Isaiah. The Ethiopian tells Philip plainly that he needs someone to help him interpret what he is reading (which we find out is about Jesus). This passage reminds me that we all need teachers along our spiritual journey to guide us into the truth of God's Word. I remember all the teachers I've had, some I knew personally. Some others I have only read, but who have taught me nonetheless.
Here's just a few: Atlas, Ellen, Mary Neal, Leon, Mildred, Bob, Roy, Suzie, Wilson, Jean, Angie, John, Cliff, Tom, Bruce, Ralph, Geoffrey, David, Origen, Clement, Jerome, Polycarp, Teresa, Athanasius, Henri, Clive, Stanley, Will, John & Charles, Augustine, James, Dwight, Grant, Jackson, Rick, Brennan, Lee, Bill, Robert . . . (and on and on it goes).
How about you? Try making a list of all who have taught you the Christian faith (including those you have known personally and those you have read). Then give thanks to God for spiritual guides along the way. And remember, you are also passing on the faith to others too!

Voices

2009-02-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

"But Peter and John replied, 'Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you or to him? You be the judges!'" (Acts 4.19)
It's amazing all the voices we hear in this culture! Just flip through the channels on t.v. and you'll find plenty of conflicting opinions, lifestyles, and agendas. In his book, "The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations," Bishop Robert Schnase suggests that Christians make a list of four core values that the gospel and the Christian faith holds. Then make a list of four values that t.v., secular music, and magazines promote. I did that this morning and was struck by the contrasts. How about making your own lists today? Put the two lists on the same page across from each other and I suspect you too will be amazed at the contrasts.
It would be very helpful for us to be aware of the different voices we are hearing each day and to be intentional about which we listen to.

Sky-gazing

2009-02-19T06:54:00.000-08:00

"After [Jesus] said this, he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee . . . why do you stand here looking into the sky?" (Acts 1.9-11a)
This story always strikes me a little funny. I can just picture the disciples with their jaws on the ground and necks craned up to the sky to try to follow where Jesus has gone. Well, it strikes me funny until I realize the times I am tempted to do the same. Sometimes, we Christians just want to "lock ourselves away from the world," with our private prayer meetings and our safe worship services. To all of us, the Spirit of the Lord says, "why do you stand here looking into the sky?" Private prayer and worship is important. But there comes a time for action in the name of the Lord. If we really are connecting with Jesus in prayer and worship, then the time comes for an end to sky-gazing. The time comes to go out into the world, make disciples, and transform the world. The faithful disciple lives out a rhythm of prayer and mission outreach, worship and service in the world.
Dear Lord, as beautiful as Jesus is, help me to balance looking for him and service in his name.

Chosen

2009-02-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1Peter 2.9-10)
In the "politics of the playground," the events of our early childhood, one of the worst things that could happen to you was to be chosen last. The experience can leave deep scars because we all want to be wanted.
In this Scripture, Peter reminds us that we are chosen! We are chosen by the One who created us. Some days we don't feel chosen. We feel "un-chosen," perhaps even rejected by some. It is a deep blow. Two of my teachers gave me the gift of remembering that I am chosen by God. The first was one of my favorite preachers who frequently said, "remember who you are and whose you are." This was a precious gift in my life, that no matter what the world labeled me as, I belonged to King Jesus. The other teacher was one I had in seminary who advised us fledgling pastors to remember that whenever we went to visit someone in the hospital, nursing home, or their own home that we represented Christ and the Church. (In fact, all Christians do!)
Both these teachers were getting at the same thing Peter was: WE ARE PRECIOUS IN GOD'S SIGHT! How did Peter know this? He was chosen by Jesus himself. Peter was a lowly fisherman, overlooked by the "in crowd" of his day. But Jesus saw in him a great disciple, one who would fish for people.
So, precious child of God, remember that you are chosen; you are highly prized by God!

Jesus prays for you!

2009-02-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message." (John 17.20-21a)
Did you know that Jesus prayed for you? As he was preparing to give himself for us and for our salvation, he prayed for his first-century disciples. But he also prayed for you and me! We are "those who will believe in [Jesus] through their [the disciples] message." The original twelve (minus Judas Isacariot) shared the good news with others who shared the good news who shared it with others who are shared the good news . . . (you get the picture) until it made it to you and me. Of course, now Jesus doesn't have to pray as we pray here on earth. He is at the right hand of the Father, directly interceding for your needs today!
That, in itself, is Great News! Whatever you're struggling with today, whether it's something major or something minor, give it to Jesus and He will give it to the Heavenly Father who will take care of it!

Whatever

2009-02-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

"Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me." (John 15.4)
The word translated as "abide" in this passage in the original Greek is "meno." It means: "continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry." Jesus is saying that if we want to bear good fruit (do the good works that God desires for us) then we must dwell, stay, abide, live in him.
What are you living in today? I went through a stage when I was a teenager when I had this persistent sense of anger. I really couldn't figure out where it was coming from until I went to an F.C.A. (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meeting one night. The speaker talked about the influences that we allow in our lives. Suddenly, I realized that some of the music I was listening to was really angry stuff. I thought, "well, duh" (or whatever the 1980's version of "duh" was) "no wonder I'm angry."
There were some researchers who found several years ago that angry music makes you angry. Depressing music makes you depressed. Duh! (or whatever the 2009 version of that is!) My grandma said it a different way: "if you lay down with dogs, you're going to get up with fleas."
How about you, are you dwelling in something today that is leading you astray?
The Apostle Paul had great advice when he wrote: "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4.8) That's still as relevant and even more so in our information overload age. What are you abiding, dwelling, living in today?