| Who Can Measure the Grief? | December 30, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Once, You Couldn't Wait for Christmas! | December 23, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Is That a Christmas Song? | December 16, 2004 | Top of Page |
| What's Your Idea of a Perfect Christmas? | December 9, 2004 | Top of Page |
| In Defense of Old Ebenezer Scrooge... | December 1, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I'm Thankful! Let's Eat! | November 24, 2004 | Top of Page |
| The Hairbrush Flew Out of My Hand... | November 18, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Today is Veteran's Day... | November 11, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Oh, the Vagaries of Politics! | November 4, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Does It Matter Whom We Elect To Office? | October 28, 2004 | Top of Page |
| It Zigged and It Zagged... | October 21, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I Was Praying For a Patient... | October 14, 2004 | Top of Page |
| "We're Not Getting Any Younger." | October 7, 2004 | Top of Page |
| What a Great Sunday Evening Service! | September 30, 2004 | Top of Page |
| "Don't Eat That Bread," | September 23, 2004 | Top of Page |
| It Was Labor Day... | September 16, 2004 | Top of Page |
| They Say That Pictures Don't Lie... | September 9, 2004 | Top of Page |
| They're Back! | August 26, 2004 | Top of Page |
| How Have Your Life Experiences Shaped You? | August 19, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Strange Coincidence...or Divine Direction? | August 12, 2004 | Top of Page |
| These Are Late Thursday Thoughts This Week! | July 29, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I Love the Night Sky. | July 22, 2004 | Top of Page |
| It Was a Serendipitous Adventure! | July 15, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I Couldn't Ask for a Nicer Dog! | July 8, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder. | July 1, 2004 | Top of Page |
| There Will Be No Thursday Thoughts... | May 29, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Do You Have the Gift of Encouragement? | May 27, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Life is An Almost Ceaseless Stream of Mighty Emotions! | May 20, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I Envy Babies and Small Children! | May 13, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Blessed is the Nation Whose God is the Lord! | May 6, 2004 | Top of Page |
| How Do You Deal With Disappointments? | April 29, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I Was Blessed With Parents Who Gave to the Lord! | April 22, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I Always Laugh At "Stupid Criminal" Stories. | April 15, 2004 | Top of Page |
| The World's Largest Easter Egg Hunt! | April 8, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Everyone Else Was in a Rush... | April 1, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Will You Think About Easter Differently This Year? | March 25, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Where Do You Look for Your Heroes? | March 18, 2004 | Top of Page |
| The Weather Was Absolutely Wonderful... | March 11, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Living a Life Worthy of Our Calling | March 4, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Have You Seen "The Passion" Yet? | February 26, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Lots of Lost Items Are Left at the Church | February 19, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Do You Talk to God? | February 12, 2004 | Top of Page |
| I'm Living for the Seventh Day! | February 5, 2004 | Top of Page |
| This is a Test... | January 29, 2004 | Top of Page |
| Do You Have the Gift of Encouragement? | January 22, 2004 | Top of Page |
| "I Know a Dead Tree When I See One!" | January 15, 2004 | Top of Page |
| What Do You Do To Cultivate Your Faith? | January 8, 2004 | Top of Page |
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WHO CAN MEASURE THE GRIEF? Thousands
upon thousands of people today mourn the loss of family
members and friends swallowed up by a great tsunami that roiled
the oceans all the way from Indonesia to Somalia. The breadth
of the devastation is more than our minds can encompass.
This morning I heard that another, somewhat smaller earthquake
has occurred near the site of the first and that more tidal
waves may be on their way toward the same areas already
destroyed. People are fleeing the coastal areas once again.
On
a special TV news report last night, a commentator made an
important observation: While our minds are numbed by the size of
the death count and the untold billions of dollars in damage and
the likely added loss of life due to disease, we must not forget
that for those who have lost a loved one, the grief is focused
on that loss, not the thousands of others. And that is true.
There are many deaths all around the world every day. Some are
unspeakably tragic. However, death is of greatest concern to us
when it strikes nearest to home.
This is a time for you and I to share the pain and loss of those
in this far-flung region of Asia by identifying with them as
Christ Himself would. There are things we can do:
We
have just celebrated the first coming of the One who is our
Deliverer, our Redeemer, our Living Hope in the face of such
peril and despair. We are about to enter a New Year with hopes
of increased peace and prosperity. How ironic that between
these two celebrations we should be reminded, in such harsh
manner, that we live in a world that is at risk every moment,
that we inhabit this world in the company of many, many souls
who are enduring almost unimaginable loss and heartache.
Oh,
how we need the Savior! One day he will come again, but the
last book of the New Testament also tells us that there is
coming a time of great devastation and loss of life on the face
of the earth. This event in world history impresses upon us the
gravity of those prophetic warnings. May we be ready for that
Day. May we be found trusting in the one and only Answer for
all the needs of humankind.
MANY ARE
THE AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT THE LORD DELIVERS OUT OF
THEM ALL!
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ONCE, YOU COULDN'T WAIT FOR
CHRISTMAS! With a
child's excitement, you anticipated the gifts under the
tree, the wonderful surprises that were sure to be yours, the
uncommon thrill of awaking before daybreak to tiptoe into the
room where the tree was ablaze with light and color. In those
memories, Christmas was the most perfect of days. Somewhere
along the way, that sentiment changes into, I can't wait for
Christmas to be over! How does that happen? How does the
joy of such a wondrous season transform into the tedium of
endless shopping excursions, mounds of gifts to wrap (and food
to eat!), yet another program or party to attend?
There was great wonder around the manger that first Christmas
Day. Angels sang...shepherds were awed...Mary "pondered." No
one thought of "exchanging gifts." They were dumbfounded in the
presence of the Gift. And what about the
second Christmas Day, the one-year anniversary of the Lord's
birth? Perhaps Mary and Joseph were in Egypt with their
precocious toddler. Maybe the magi were on their way, following
the star. No gifts were exchanged, but surely Joseph and Mary
exchanged thoughts -- You know, it was just one year ago...
Remember the angel and his words...those men that came in from
the fields...the way our hearts were stirred?
It doesn't take a tree or a hearty meal or an expensive present
to "make" Christmas real and special. Not then, not now.
Somewhere along the way, we turned Christmas into "something
else." Have you heard that expression? Growing up, it was used
to describe a rambunctious child, or a rebellious teenager, or a
spendthrift husband. Oh, he's something else alright. What
are we going to do with him? What are we going to do with
Christmas, this "something else" we have created? There are
voices in the church advocating that we abandon Christmas
altogether. The merchants have taken it over, they say. Let's
just concede December to Santa Claus and the malls and put our
emphasis on the death and resurrection of Christ at Easter.
Boy, I'm tempted!
Except.... You see, the story of His birth seizes me, charms me
in such compelling fashion. What Child IS This? How
marvelous! God so loved the world...loved me!...that He gave
his only Son, His beloved. God loved me and came in the flesh
to be with me and to make Himself known to me. I love the story
of His incarnation! I don't want to do away with Christmas!
I'd rather do away with the malls, the trees, the parties and
all that other stuff before doing away with the story of
Christ's coming to earth and God's love for humanity.
OK,
so we're not going to do away with all that other stuff. I
understand that. Many businesses survive on the basis of
December sales. The Almighty Dollar demands that we have a
Christmas. Even the people who want to get rid of every public
nativity scene and every reference to Christ in Christmas would
throw a fit if we tried to cancel the holiday. Call it a
Winter Solstice Celebration, they say. Anything but
"Christmas." Getting rid of Christ in Christmas is fine,
but canceling Christmas? Oh, that would be too radical! We
don't want your Christ, but we definitely want your cash!
Actually, I'm not totally disenchanted with Christmas...not
yet. I love the joy of being with family. It's still a thrill
to give and to receive. The decorations and the music and the
wonderful smells gladden my heart.
I
especially love the early Christmas morning. In our family, we
will start the day by reading the Christmas story once again.
Before we open a single gift, we will recount the incredible
events of that first Christmas. We'll read how the angel spoke
so tenderly to Mary, so persuasively to Joseph. We will
envision that rough stable, the straw and the rags on which the
Lord of glory rested, the unthinkable humility to which He
stooped. We'll imagine the cold night air of the hillsides
where the shepherds congregated, and the sudden brilliance that
filled the dark sky, how they rushed into town, how they
rejoiced and sang praises as they returned to their flocks.
What a story! Again on Christmas Day I will pause to remember:
Christ the Savior is born!
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IS THAT A CHRISTMAS SONG?
That's not a Christmas
song, is it? That's what he said as he was
checking me out. The song was playing over the store's speakers
and I had just thought to myself, I'm surprised a store
would play that song, with its obvious Christian reference.
And
he wanted to know if it was a Christmas song! I said, It
sure is. In fact, it's quite an old one. After all,
Christmas IS about the birth of Jesus Christ. Have we all
forgotten that? Is it possible that some have grown up without
even knowing it?
Of
course, this is a university town, very cosmopolitan -- there
are perhaps over 100 nationalities represented in our
community. You might suppose that I was speaking to someone
from another culture, someone from a non-Christian context who
just happened to be ignorant about Christmas.
Not
so! This young man was in his very early 20s, Caucasian, pretty
obviously U.S. born, very bright smile and a pleasant demeanor,
pink hair and assorted piercings...nicely decorated for the
holidays! In other words, a typical WVU student. But he had
never heard Go, Tell It on the Mountain and didn't
associate that revered spiritual with Christmas in any way.
Is
it possible that he doesn't know that Christmas is the
traditional celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ? Is it
possible that an entire generation of American youth has grown
up thinking Christmas really is about Santa Clause?
My
conversation with this young man was very brief. There were
others in line and no opportunity to explore the topic further,
but I left the store sobered by the exchange. Here is an
obviously intelligent, engaging young person, who had little or
no understanding of what Christmas is about. I suppose, if
pressed, he could have recited the usual bromides: Oh,
Christmas is above love, joy and peace. It's about doing good
to your neighbor. And of course, it's about presents under the
tree.
Sure, but where did all of THAT come from? Do you know the
Author of love, joy and peace? Do you know the One who taught
us to do good to others? Do you know who brought the first
gifts, and why?
There are many things about our modern celebration of Christmas
that make me sad. This is one, that all too many have no real
knowledge -- certainly no saving knowledge -- of the One whom
the holiday honors. And oh, how thankful I am that others led
me to the manger and taught me that the Little One in the crèche
is of infinitely greater worth than the treasure under a tree.
And
now I have been reminded that as long as there is even one who
does not know what I know, I still must Go, tell it....
Jesus (the) Christ...God's Messiah, man's Savior...is born!
DEAR
SAVIOR, MAKE MY HEART MORE SENSITIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HEARD
OF YOU!
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WHAT'S YOUR IDEA OF A PERFECT
CHRISTMAS? The keys
to your dream automobile? A month's vacation on a warm
tropical island? Maybe having your family at home (and not
quarreling!) and everyone in good health.
Have you ever
considered this? Your heavenly Father wants you to
have a perfect Christmas! He does! And it has
already been given. Two thousand years ago, God came in the
flesh to demonstrate His great and surpassing love for us. As
incredibly selfish as it sounds, the birth of Jesus, the Son of
God, was for you and for me. To be sure, His ultimate purpose
was to bring glory to His Father, but He did this by taking on
our flesh in order to die in our place and to open
to us the way of eternal life. Isaiah the prophet said
this:
What a Christmas gift! So how did we ever get to the point of
thinking that anything else -- even a new car or an exotic
vacation -- could make Christmas "perfect?" Simply put, doesn't
the gift of Himself eclipse all others?
It
isn't hard to discern the evolution of the holiday, however.
The realization that God has come to earth, incarnated as our
Savior, is surely cause for celebration. Celebration soon leads
to the sharing of gifts as tokens of the greatest Gift of all,
and then, human nature being fallen and essentially
self-centered, it isn't long before the material and the
temporal aspects of the celebration overwhelm the spiritual and
metaphysical. Now we have a holiday that is almost completely
commercialized. It's hard to find Jesus under all the wrapping
paper!
May
I make some suggestions to restore your Christmas season to the
perfect night in Bethlehem when Christ came to sinful, needy
humanity? First, since the first and perfect Christmas was
about God giving Himself to us in the person of His Son, look
for a way to give yourself to someone to whom you are not
obligated but who would be blessed by your kindness. Maybe you
know a family in need. Perhaps there is someone who is alone
this Christmas. Didn't Jesus say that when we serve those who
hunger and thirst, who are strangers or naked or sick or in
prison, we are serving Him?
When Jesus looks at our world today, do you think He says,
Oh, well, those folks are doing just fine. They don't need me
now. No, we are just as needy as we ever were. The
difference today is that we, the Church, are the Body of
Christ. He came the first time, to people who were hurting and
sorrowful and destitute. Today, those people wait for us
to come, in Jesus' name.
Second, as perfect as the first Christmas was, never forget that
The Most Perfect Christmas Ever will be the day that
Jesus comes again! After all, that's what Christmas is about.
Advent means "coming." He came to us the first time. He is
coming again. We live with a longing for the Second Advent, the
glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior, when all the darkness
of sin will be vanquished forever and we will live eternally in
that place where the Lamb is the Light. What a blessed hope!
No
Christmas here can ever be "perfect" compared with the reunion
that awaits us. So, don't hang your hopes on getting the best
present you ever imagined. No matter how lavish the gift, no
matter how memorable the season, you will not experience a
perfect Christmas until you see Jesus. Oh, how we long for His
appearing!
RIBBONS
AND BOWS, STOCKINGS AND TOYS! WHAT COULD BE BETTER? -- JESUS!
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IN DEFENSE OF OLD EBENEZER
SCROOGE....
Don't you think our
Christmas celebrations err on the side of excess? I mean,
I'm not the "Bah, humbug!" type, but it just seems to me that
there's nothing about the birth of Jesus that
requires me to burden myself with a
debt-load that will take months to pay, or
mandates that I gorge myself on foods that will
clog every artery in my body.
This is my annual appeal to reason. Please don't overdo this
Christmas. Please don't give out of a sense of obligation if
you are spending beyond your means. Please keep your
celebration Christ-centered and Christ-honoring. And if that
means fewer gifts, simpler parties, less gorging of rich foods
and pastries, well...we'll feel better about ourselves as we
start a New Year!
Let's remember that our Lord's entry into this human realm was a
pretty simple affair, by today's standards. To be sure, His
birth was heralded by angels, and Magi later showed up with
expensive gifts. But think about the simplicity -- poverty,
even -- of a manger bed, of the fact that he was swaddled in
what we might call rags, and that His parents were in Bethlehem
to pay taxes, not to "party down."
I affirm the
giving of gifts. I think one of the best ways to give visible
evidence of our gratitude for the Christchild, the Greatest Gift
Ever Given, is to show love to those who are dear to us and to
give to them in His name. But is that really what we do? Is
our giving really "free" when we are responding to a list
someone supplied? I want this...Don't get me that...Be sure
to keep the receipt so I can exchange it. After all, the
gifts that are mentioned in the scripture were given
to Jesus. They were extravagant.
They served notice to others that this child was of infinite
worth. They were set before Him as an act of worship and a sign
of personal devotion. They announced that He was the true and
long-awaited King.
Shouldn't we give those kinds of gifts? Christmas
giving is a wonderfully fulfilling way to demonstrate love to
those who are so dear. Indeed, it's a chance to tell those I
love that they are worth far more to me than any gift could
express. And I receive their gifts in the same spirit, whether
the gift is small or large.
But
you know what, I also love to write an extra check to my church
at Christmas, a gift beyond my usual tithes and offerings, an
opportunity to express to my Lord (while I remind myself) that
He is worthy of all my devotion and that no gift I give could
ever equal His gift of Himself. There is such satisfaction in
presenting that offering. This year, our Christmas Love
Offering will be divided equally between the missions work
of The Christian & Missionary Alliance and the important
ministries of our local church. Along with Mossie, I'm looking
forward so much to the joy of presenting our offering on the
19th.
But
this is not about your Christmas Love Offering. I want
every person to give as the Lord directs, not because someone
"begged" for money. The Lord doesn't need anyone begging on His
behalf. He's the Lord! It's all His, and it is our great
privilege to bow before Him with a gift that acknowledges His
sovereignty. Like those kings that came from the East, I bow to
the Lord and Ruler of all. So whether or not you participate in
this offering or find another way to demonstrate your love for
our Savior, just let your holiday giving, and everything else
you do this Christmas, be guided by the Light of the One who
came to those living in darkness. Don't stumble along in the
same darkened paths as the rest of the unknowing and unbelieving
world. Act like someone who understands the true meaning of
Christmas. Put Him first!
IF
YOU MUST INDULGE, BE EXTRAVAGANT IN YOUR LOVE AND PRAISE UNTO
THE KING OF KINGS!
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I'M THANKFUL! LET'S EAT!
We Americans sure love a good
meal. People from other countries are flat-out amazed by the
size of the food portions we consume. I guess we shouldn't be
surprised that when we set aside a day to "give thanks" one of
the principal features is a heavily-laden dinner table with
turkey and all the "fix'ns." That, and the Detroit Lions
football game.
What a table! Besides the golden-brown bird there's the
cranberry relish and the mashed potatoes and gravy, maybe a
Waldorf salad, some sweet 'n sour green beans, "copper penny"
carrots and turkey stuffing, of course. Then there's
dessert....
My
son Nathan is doubly thankful this year...literally. He will be
in Beckley with his girlfriend and will eat a noon Thanksgiving
meal with them, then the two of them will drive to Morgantown
for a second meal with us. But if there's anyone who is capable
of eating two full Thanksgiving meals in one day, Nathan's your
man. (His girlfriend is more sensible; she'll eat in
moderation. He'll probably try to make up the difference.)
Where did we get this idea that if you're truly grateful you
should eat until your sides ache? Well, it's not that hard to
understand. We know, of course, that the origin of a
Thanksgiving feast dates back to the days of the Pilgrims.
After a harsh start to their lives in the "New World," the Lord
blessed them with sufficient provision to satisfy their needs.
Celebration was in order.
I'm
sure as they looked at that table, filled with good things,
their minds reflected on all they had endured, how deep was
their deprivation, the fears that had gripped them, the loved
ones that had been taken. The bounty on that table represented
victory, the evidence of things they once had hoped for, the
proof of God-honored faith. There was joy in their hearts, and
perhaps tears of gratitude on their cheeks.
When you sit at your Thanksgiving table -- if it is filled with
good-tasting treats, all the things you associate with the
season -- pause just a moment to look at it, all of it, and
remind yourself, This represents the love of my Father, from
whom every good gift comes. Thank you, dear Lord.
In
fact, it's a great family tradition to take time before eating
to allow each person at the table to state a reason for being
thankful. When we pause to think about it, there are so many
reasons! God has been so good to us, far beyond all that we
deserve, and we have so much. Surely it is right to tell Him
that we are grateful.
There are some who won't be at such a table. Think of them.
Maybe you're one of those. Maybe you're still in the harsh time
that precedes the wonderful cornucopia of God's blessing. Don't
despair. God loves you even when the table is sparse and the
blessings are rare. He hasn't forgotten you, and those who are
faithful will be blessed of the Lord, in His time.
I'm
sending this out a day early, on Wednesday, because some on my
mailing list receive it at work...and I hope you don't have to
work on Thanksgiving. Plus, I wanted to encourage you, before
the big day, to prepare your hearts to be truly thankful for the
wonderful gifts God gives. Don't just eat. That's what
pigs do! Give thanks!
I'M
THANKFUL FOR YOU! I'M GLAD THAT ONE DAY WE WILL SIT AT THE
LORD'S TABLE FOREVER!
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THE HAIRBRUSH FLEW OUT OF MY HAND
as I stood in front of the
mirror brushing. It was early, I was in Colorado Springs
getting ready for a full day of meetings with the C&MA Board of
Directors, and I was standing in the bathroom of my motel room.
A
split-second after I lost control of the brush I heard a
splash. Oh,no! Sure enough, I turned around and there
was my hairbrush, floating in the toilet. Now, at this point
you're asking two questions:
I
mean, I didn't have much of a choice. Flushing it wasn't an
option, so I had to retrieve it anyway. Once it was retrieved,
half of the disgust-factor was already resolved. Might as well
clean it up the best I can, and besides, I'm on the road and
don't really have any other options for brushing my hair before
I go to these meetings. Think of it as a variation of the
adage, When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Lots of days start out badly. Everything seems wrong from the
get-go, and one problem piles up on top of another. Often,
there is no warning and the misfortunes are completely
unexpected. I don't recall ever before losing control of my
hairbrush. And what are the odds that the one time I did, the
trajectory destined it to land in the most undesirable location
in the room?
We
don't plan to have a fender-bender on the way to work. We don't
plan for the washing machine to break down. We don't plan to
get sick. In fact, if someone bothered to ask us our plan for
today, it would probably major on the positives -- I plan to
complete three important tasks at work today; I plan to have
lunch with a friend; I plan to attend a concert this evening.
Good things. No "hairbrush in the toilet" kinds of plans.
But...in this world you will have tribulation. When
you least expect it, you completely lose control. The thing
that was in your hand is suddenly gone and you're in one
of those Oops! times, just like that.
Good thing we
belong to One who never loses control. Good thing it's His plan
that matters, a plan to prosper us, to give us hope and a future
(Jeremiah 29.11). Good thing He has overcome this
unpredictable, sometimes hurtful, world in which we live, so
that we can be of good cheer even when we face that difficult
moment.
This is part of what it means to trust in the God who says that
all things work together for good. When the bad thing happens,
we can take stock of the situation and choose to say, OK,
all is not lost. I can get through this. There's a reason for
it. The Lord is faithful and He knows what He's doing.
Mi
dilemma that morning was a small one...and that's another thing
we say to ourselves. We remind ourselves of those who are worse
off than we are. Think of the person who has no hairbrush.
Or no toilet! Be grateful that you do have a hairbrush...which
at this moment happens to be floating in the toilet. Be
thankful you have a toilet. Well anyway, you get the
idea. God IS good, especially in the unpleasant
experiences that come our way.
HOW ARE
THINGS GOING FOR YOU TODAY? BE ASSURED THAT THE LORD WILL WORK
IT OUT!
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TODAY IS VETERAN'S DAY
and there are special
services of remembrance all across the land. We know that the
freedoms we enjoy do not come without a price. Many have
sacrificed their lives procuring or protecting the liberties
that are ours. I'm grateful, and forever indebted to those
brave souls who gave their lives for a noble cause. We're also
mindful that some are dying for freedom today. Whatever we
think of the war in Iraq, Americans are united in support of our
troops. We admire the men and women who are facing danger; we
pray for their safety and for an end to this conflict; we desire
that the people of Iraq might enjoy peace and stability.
I
confess that I have personal reasons for being more acutely
aware of the sacrifices our military personnel are making. Our
son Nathan is in the National Guard. He will complete his "job
training" this coming summer, after which he could be deployed
-- and almost all of the Guard units have been called up. Our
son Marcus is completing Navy basic training right now and has
been told that he is likely to be sent overseas at some point.
I read the papers and watch the news with heightened interest
because these world events could have a direct impact on my
sons' fortunes.
How
tragic that we live in a world where armed conflict is more the
norm than the exception. How sad that there is so much danger
and hurt and misery in this world. As a student of scripture
and a follower of Jesus Christ, I understand the essential
theology: This world is fallen...sinful...separated from the
perfect will of the God who made us, and in such a world we can
expect pain and suffering and death. But oh, how we long for a
better world. It's coming! God's word promises a day when the
lion will lie down with the lamb, a day when there will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain. What a promise!
Just yesterday, during a hospital visit, a patient mentioned to
me a news item about a little girl who is unable to feel pain.
At first, one might think, "What a blessing! A life free from
discomfort, never a headache, never a sore muscle or complaining
joint." But, of course, it isn't a blessing for that little
girl. If she is burned, or dislocates an elbow, or fractures
her skull -- she doesn't know she has been hurt. She could have
something dreadful going on internally and without any pain
symptoms would never even report it to her parents.
Pain alerts us to the disorders and dysfunctions that need to be
addressed, so that we can find health and wholeness. BUT -- we
long for that "new order of things," that place and time where
nothing hurts or destroys, because then pain simply won't be
necessary. If there is no longer any disease or injury, if
there is nothing that CAN cause harm, then pain won't be needed
as a "alarm system" to signal that we'd better fix what is
broken. Nothing will be broken, ever again!
Soldiers and
sailors give their lives so that we can enjoy what turn out to
be relatively brief spaces of time in which there is freedom and
peace. In this fallen world, we "live to fight another day."
God's "shalom" will be an enduring reign of felicity and
prosperity and good will. It won't end. Ever. And no one will
be sent out to fight for it. That final victory will be just
that -- final -- because it will be the victory accomplished by
the King of the ages, the One who is called... Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of
the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing it and uphholding it with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the
Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9.6-7, NIV)
Surely, this is why we pray with the apostle John,
Even so, Lord, come quickly!
WHEN WE
ALL GET TO HEAVEN, WHAT A DAY OF REJOICING THAT WILL BE!
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OH, THE VAGARIES OF
POLITICS!
We've just survived another
election process. For months, the news has been filled with
stories of the campaigns, allegations of nefarious behavior,
impugning of character and competency, etc. I confess...I'm
glad it's over. Now, please take away all the signs!
But
do we ever stop to consider the import of all this striving
after power and position? Countless sums of money are spent in
an effort to secure a coveted political office, whether it's the
White House or the Senate or the governor's mansion or
whatever. And in most instances, the loser is in a "close but
no cigar" situation -- almost the winner, but not quite -- and
is seldom heard from again.
Who
can forget the presidential election of 2000? Al Gore won the
popular vote but lost the Electoral College, and the outcome in
FL was hotly contested for many days. He was oh-so-close
to becoming the 43rd president of the United States. For the
last four years, Mr. Gore has been an almost forgotten public
figure. As a politician, he has been about as irrelevant as a
person could be. No one seems to solicit his opinion on
anything. In fact, his "endorsement" of Democratic presidential
candidate Howard Dean was generally regarded as a "kiss of
death."
Isn't it remarkable that a person can almost become the most
powerful man in the world, but a razor-thin loss reduces him to
practically no stature at all. Logically, he should be the
"second most powerful man in the world." But he's not. It's
pretty much all or nothing in the game of politics. You don't
even get your money back!
I
guess it's true: The first shall be last. Those who
strive for fame, for the accolades of men, for the advantages of
worldly power, sooner or later find that the fall from "first
place" is precipitous. Tom Daschle, incumbent senator from
South Dakota and one of the most powerful people in Washington,
learned the truth of this as he was upset by John Thune in this
election. After 18 years in "first" place, he's suddenly "out
the door." Happens all the time in politics.
Only in God's Kingdom is the reverse true: The last shall be
first. God lifts the downtrodden, exalts the oppressed,
advances the fortunes of those who are despairing and hopeless.
Paul says God chooses foolish, weak, lowly, despised things --
things that don't even exist! -- and uses them to "shame" the
wise and the strong (I Corinthians 1. 27-28).
If
I learn nothing else from this, I should know at least that it
makes no sense to hook my wagon to the star of politics...or any
other worldly, fleeting pursuit. Public service is good; I'm
not condemning all politicians, and I'm so grateful for strong
Christians who serve in public office. All I'm saying is, don't
confuse prestige and power, political or otherwise, with true
"success." I need to lay hold of the Eternal One. I must seek
His Kingdom and righteousness. He must be my highest
aspiration, the food I crave, the longing after whom my soul
lusts. There is no satisfaction, or success, anywhere else.
Only Jesus can satisfy the soul.
So...we're past the election -- past the concession and
acceptance speeches and the victory parties and the condolences
-- and the one thing I can say for sure is:
HE TAKES
CARE OF THE BIRDS AND THE LILIES -- HE WON'T FORGET ABOUT YOU!
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DOES IT MATTER WHOM WE ELECT TO
OFFICE? I mean,
really -- aren't all politicians crooked anyway? And isn't
the Lord able to overrule any of them? So what...another
election. Why bother? The election IS important. The Bible
says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord
(Psalm 33.12, NIV), and I can't imagine what that means if it
isn't referring to government. Ok, so maybe it's a theocracy
the psalmist has in mind, but that's still government. In fact,
even in a theocracy, God governs through human beings as His
servants. That means if we want a nation governed by God, we
need leaders who are submitted to God.
But
how do we know when we've found such a leader? One of the
things I hate about the campaign season is how the attacks
mount, becoming more vicious and outrageous as the election
draws closer. The candidates seem to spend almost no time
telling us why we should vote FOR them; it's all about why we
should vote AGAINST the other person. He lies. He's
incompetent. He runs over small children in school zones.
Since the public usually has no way of verifying the alleged
"facts," we are left trying to calculate which candidate is more
truthful. We do this by studing facial expressions, body
language, nervous tics, etc. Perhaps we note who is supporting
this person. If it's a celebrity or public figure I
like...well, then, he must be all right. That is, until the
breaking story on the 11:00 news: Candidate X is a known
cross-dresser with a fetish for high-heeled shoes! Worse,
I know that I am inclined to believe the best about people --
after all, love believeth all things (I Corinthians
13.7) -- so I fear that I am especially susceptible to
deception.
When I was in law school I was involved in a program at the
local minimum security prison. We helped write appeals for the
inmates, trying to get the parole board to grant release. One
young man really impressed me. When he was 14, he and several
other older boys stole a car for a joy ride. My "client" was
the youngest and he was in the back seat. Literally, he was
"just along for the ride." When they were stopped, the police
searched the car, found a sawed-off shotgun, the charges then
escalated and this kid ended up in prison. He had an uncle who
was a bricklayer. The uncle wrote letters every week, begging
for his nephew's release, promising to take the boy into his
home, teach him his trade, make sure he stayed on the "straight
and narrow."
I
was sure convinced. I wrote a winning appeal. It was a classic
case of injustice, I argued. This young man did not belong in
jail, exposed to all the detrimental effects of such an
envirionment. He needed a chance to prove himself. He had a
family ready to take him in. We won the appeal and he was
released. I was ecstatic!
Three months later that young man shot and killed his parole
office. I have never gotten over it. It revealed how deceitful
we can be, when it serves our purposes. And politics seems to
serve the politicians more often than the public. So I'm
cynical, to be sure. Even when I'm charitable, I have to say, I
really don't know who is telling the truth, who is better
qualified, who will honor the Lord in all his ways.
So
I pray earnestly that the Lord will place in office those of His
choosing. I pray that the land will be prospered under the hand
of God and the administration of godly leaders. I pray that
those who don't know Jesus will come to a saving knowledge of
Him. I pray that those who don't even care about Jesus will
find themselves doing His will even when they don't realize it!
After all, in this same psalm we read: The Lord foils the
plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
but the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of
His heart through all generations. (Psalm 33.10-11, NIV)
Pray that the Lord of heaven and earth will be our God and King,
the true Ruler of our land!
SING
JOYFULLY TO THE LORD, YOU RIGHTEOUS! IT IS FITTING TO PRAISE
HIM! (Psalm 33.1)
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IT ZIGGED AND IT ZAGGED
as it ran out our driveway. A bunny
rabbit, startled by our car rounding the corner of the house.
Mossie and I watched it in the headlights -- this way and that,
a frenetic dance until it found its way across the road and out
of the beam of light -- and we couldn't help but laugh.
What was it afraid of? We weren't going to hurt it. We weren't
even chasing it. Was it running from its own shadow?
So
many of our fears are irrational. We might imagine a threat
that isn't even there, like the times as a kid when we were
afraid to go downstairs into the dark basement. Who knew what
might be lurking behind the furnace?
Sometimes, however, we fear things that aren't there but
could be. Could that twinge of pain be my heart? Is
this skin lesion a sign of cancer? People who become
obsessed with the possibility of illness might
actually suffer from an ailment: hypochondria. Soon, they
will imagine that they have every malady known to man!
My
theology tells me that we have every reason to be afraid. Jesus
said, In this world you will have tribulation.... Oh,
great! The Lord Jesus is omniscient and He has confirmed my
worst suspicions. The world is a total mess and I'm about to
reap all the consequences.
But
then our Lord completes the thought: ...but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world. Wow! Notice what He
says, and what He doesn't say. He doesn't say, I have
overcome the tribulation. He could say this,
because He is greater than any trial that befalls us. He is our
strong tower, our refuge in time of need. When we are in
trouble, we run to Him and are safe. But in this instance, this
is not what He says.
Instead, He says, I have overcome the world. The
world! The reason for our tribulation is that we live in a
fallen, sinful, messed up, troubled, God-forsaken, sorry
world! This is a sick world, a broken world, a world that
has turned its back on the One who created it, a world that
worships the creature instead of the Creator. In such a world,
we are prey to all manner of harm.
Jesus overcomes the world. He sets right all that is wrong. He
mends what is broken. He gives us hope and a future. And when
I am confident of THAT...my fears begin to melt away.
No
wonder the disciples experienced such deep and settled peace
when the Lord showed up and said, Fear not, I am with you.
He had overcome the world. Even death itself. I am the
resurrection and the life; he who believes in me shall never
die.... He who believes in the One who sent me has already
crossed over from death to life.
No
wonder the scripture teaches us to say, When I am afraid, I
will trust in the Lord!
REMEMBER
-- THE LORD REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM! (Hebrews
11.6)
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I WAS PRAYING FOR A PATIENT
when my cell phone went
off. Wow, God! I didn't expect an answer that fast!
I finished my prayer and waited until I had left the hospital
room before I returned the call.
Actually, it wasn't God after all. It was a member of my
staff. But wouldn't it be great if God "called back" every time
we gave a "shout out?" Just imagine "dialing up heaven" and God
Himself picking up the phone! This is your Heavenly
Father. How may I help you? Or leaving a message and
getting a response 10 minutes later...from the Ruler of the
Universe!
Well, prayer isn't quite like that, but in some ways it's
much better:
You
probably can add more to my list. My point is, prayer is our
means of communication with God, explaining to Him our hopes and
our hurts, our needs and our neuroses, and listening for His
all-wise and all-sufficient counsel. Prayer is our personal
audience with the Maker of all that is, the Giver of every good
gift! That's awesome! And if you go away sorrowful, it's your
own fault.
Remember the rich young man? Lord, what must I do to
inherit eternal life? Jesus answered, Sell everything
you have, give it to the poor, then come and follow me.
The Bible tells us the young man went away sorrowful because
he had a lot of stuff. Don't blame Jesus! The Lord
answered the young man's question and set before him the way of
life eternal, but the young man just couldn't let go.
That's what prayer is like. I ask...God answers...I choose
whether to honor Him with my obedience or accept the
consequences of my own willfulness. That's fair enough.
More and more, I'm trying to learn how to yield. Prayer is
communication, but not between equals. When I pray, I'm dealing
with the Sovereign Lord. I'm not telling God what to do. I'm
not even bargaining with God. I'm saying, Lord, you know.
You know what is best. You know how, when, why. I don't know
these things. Tell me as much as I need to know, then give me
faith and courage to follow where you lead.
I
like that. I'm so glad I have a personal relationship with the
Almighty, through faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord,
and can bring to Him every concern, having all confidence that
He will hear and answer my prayers.
I WILL
CALL UPON THE LORD! HE IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED...AND HE HEARS
MY EVERY PRAYER!
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"WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER."
You've heard that. How about,
"Getting older sure beats the alternative." Or you might hear a
person (who is in denial) say, "I'm not getting older, I'm
getting better."
Some people grow old gracefully, and comfortably. Others are
super sensitive about the issue. I'm not sure where I
am...probably somewhere in between. I just celebrated (Ha!) yet
another birthday, but I've been doing my best to ignore it.
Unfortunately, I keep stumbling over reminders. Like the album
of pictures I picked up the other day. Who's this guy with
the dark hair?
This weekend we are sponsoring a Conference on Aging.
I wasn't sure what to call it, fearful that to even use the word
"aging" might turn people off, but that's the topic. We want to
help you (whatever your age) gain a biblical perspective on the
aging process, the value of the aged, what sorts of prospects
are "out there" for retirement and for ministry, etc. It's
going to be good.
Our
special guest is Peter Dys, president of Shell Point Village
and Retirement Community in Fort Myers, FL. Peter is truly
an expert in this field, and Shell Point is one of the
premier retirement communities in the nation.
He
will speak to a noon luncheon group on Saturday at the home of
Don and Linda Oliver (call the Olivers at 599.0073 or Amos &
Lucy Gott at 292.3189). On Sunday, Peter will speak during the
Sunday School hour (9:15 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall), briefly
during the Morning Worship service, and again at 6:00 Sunday
evening. He will conclude on Monday night at 7:00 as part of an
on-going series in our Alliance Bible Study Center.
The fact is...(drumroll
please)...We're not getting any younger.
Whatever your age, you need to be thinking about preparation for
your "elder years." And if you're like me, you want to be
productive right to the end.
I
am so thankful for the lessons I learned from older people who
were part of the fabric of my young life. In fact, some of my
fondest childhood memories are of "ancient" and influential
persons who showed kindness to me, who encouraged me, who taught
me in ways that continue to shape me half a century later. I'm
now as old as or older than some of them. I want my life to be
as great a benefit to others as theirs were to me.
I
also want others to see in me the same longing for "home" that I
observed in some of my older friends. I'm talking about a
diminishing connection with the things of this world as my days
on earth become fewer. That's not morbid preoccupation with
death. That's a joyful anticipation of heaven!
Have you ever considered this? The increase of aches and pains,
the accumulated disappointments of living in this fallen realm,
the dimming of the eyes and dulling of the ears, the slowed
reaction time, even the more frequent lapses in memory...all
these realities of aging serve to awaken in us a passion for the
day when physical and temporal limitations are blown asunder,
when we are forever with the Lord. The older I get, the less
attached I am to this life...and the more I look forward
to what my Lord has gone to prepare for me. With eyes of
faith...not these eyes of flesh that are dependent now on
corrective lenses...I even begin to apprehend the beauty of that
distant land. When the day of my passing comes, I want to be
ready to slip away from these lesser elements and into the
presence of my wonderful Savior.
But
not until He calls! Until then, I want to be the blessing that
He created me to be. I want to magnify His name in all the
earth, and I want to help others come to a knowledge of His
marvelous love. That's a good enough definition of "purpose in
aging" to occupy me for a while!
OUTWARDLY
I'M WASTING AWAY....INWARDLY I'M BEING RENEWED DAY BY DAY!
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WHAT A GREAT SUNDAY EVENING
SERVICE!
We concluded our week of
Missions Festival with a picnic and outdoor worship at Jack
Roberts Park on Madigan Avenue, the site of the former First
Ward elementary School. The recently purchased Chinese C&MA is
right across the street.
The
site had special meaning for me because I attended First Ward
Elementary in 5th and 6th grades and lived less than two blocks
away. Just walking on the grounds brought back so many
memories. Sandlot baseball games, giving a mighty try at
belting a ball all the way to the schoolhouse. Pickup football
games in the fall. Riding my bicycle all around the
neighborhood, including warm summer nights when kids would dare
one another to ride through the cemetery at the far end of the
street. Sometimes the school property was a place to camp out
under the stars in our sleeping bags. We would build a small
campfire, with a bucket close by that we used to cover the
flames when the city police cruised down the street anytime
during the night.
And
school memories! I can still smell the chalkboards and the
scrubbed hardwood floors. The principal's office was on the
second floor, directly above the front entrance of the school.
I made a number of visits there. I remember Mrs. Franklin, Mrs.
Frum and Mrs. Morgan. I recall some rather legendary paddlings.
There used to be a small neighborhood grocery at the far
southeast corner of the property, across West Virginia Avenue.
When a boy was "going steady" with a girl -- that all seemed to
start around the 5th grade -- you could go to the little store
to buy a very cheap ring with a piece of cut glass to simulate a
diamond. The girl would wear it with pride, as though it were
the finest piece of jewelry in the world.
We
didn't yet worry about "mathematics." We did "arithmetic" in
those days. I was very good with addition, subtraction,
division, multiplication, fractions, etc. Before long, I would
be suitably humbled by algebra, but in elementary school I was
the king of figures.
More than four decades have passed. So much has changed. Here
we were on the same grounds, holding an outdoor service to
celebrate Christ's love for all the nations. I never could have
predicted such a scene all those years ago. Where will we be in
another 40 years? Well, I expect to be with the Lord, quite
frankly, but where will our world be? If the Lord has not
called us home, if He has not returned to establish His reign
upon this earth, where will the church and Morgantown and the
U.S. be in the mid-21st Century?
My
prayer is that those of us who are still here...or our children
and grandchildren and those who are our spiritual legacy...will
still be proclaiming Jesus, and rejoicing in the evidence of His
work among us.
Too
often we evaluate the success of our witness on what we see
today, not realizing that God moves across entire eons of time.
Too often we fail to see what God is yet to do...and then we are
surprised someday when there is a Christian witness sounded out
on the grounds of what was once our public grade school. He is
great and mighty. All the earth is His, and that includes all
the people. It's a small thing for God to turn events in such a
way, and it's just as easy for Him to turn your spouse's heart
to Himself, to open your employer to the Gospel, to lead that
erring child back home, to move a nation to its knees in prayer.
Let's believe God for the great transformations of life and
social order that the Bible teaches us to expect!
YESTERDAY,
TODAY, FOREVER, JESUS IS THE SAME; ALL MAY CHANGE, BUT JESUS
NEVER! GLORY TO HIS NAME!
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"DON'T EAT THAT BREAD,"
Marcus said. "It's molded." He was
talking about the loaf on the kitchen counter, but it was too
late. I had just finished two slices of toast, buttered and
spread with some delicious strawberry rhubarb jam my mother had
brought back from a recent visit to Tamarack in southern West
Virginia.
I
hadn't noticed the mold. Maybe it was a vision deficiency.
After all, I had just had my annual eye exam. The doc put
several types of drops in my eyes and took flash pictures of the
optic nerves and had me do a field of vision test that involved
staring at a pinpoint of light for several minutes. I could see
fine when I went in. By the time I left, I was partially blind!
I'm
not going to blame my doctor, though. The truth is, I eat my
food, I don't study it. In 26 years of marriage, there have
been many occasions when we have been in a restaurant and Mossie
has found a hair in her food. I don't think I have ever found a
hair in my food. Now you know very well she hasn't somehow
gotten ALL of the hairs. She looks. I don't. The foreign
substances in my food are the minerals and fiber.
So,
I have just consumed moldy bread. There isn't much you can do
about it once it's discovered. The snack I had just enjoyed was
spoiled by this revelation, but I doubt the ER would pump my
stomach for moldy bread. Makes you feel a little like the
fellow who just swallowed and then sees half a worm in the apple
that is in his hand.
Well, I went to bed with the hope that maybe the mold was
actually good for me, like penicillin. Cheese is a mold,
right? But when I awakened at 3:00 a.m. I didn't feel like it
was a good mold. OK, am I really feeling ill, or is it
psychosomatic? Maybe I've just convinced myself that I'm going
to be sick.
I've had a few bouts of food poisoning in my time, and it's not
pleasant. Once, I was so ill in the night that I was fairly
sure I was dying. My one thought was, What an ignominious
way to go, crumpled on the floor of my bathroom, slain by
spoiled food. Mossie didn't have a lot of sympathy. She
complained that my vomiting was disturbing her sleep. You see,
I'm notorious for eating anything that is still in the
refrigerator. If it's not moving, it's edible.
Consequences. I think that's what's on my mind. Sometimes we
aren't even aware that we have made a mistake until it's too
late to avoid the penalty. When that happens, we just have to
live with the outcomes and pay the price of our folly. Other
times, we know we did the wrong thing, a sinful thing perhaps,
and now we must deal with the consequences. Too often, our
transgressions have consequences for others as well. Sometimes
we hurt perfectly innocent people, all because we did some
selfish or cruel or thoughtless thing.
Eating moldy bread isn't a moral issue of course. Sinning
against God and others is. God doesn't require repentance when
I eat something that is spoiled, but when I spoil a relationship
or despise God's commandment, it's time to get on my knees and
ask forgiveness. It's time to do what is necessary to make
restitution and to find reconciliation. And I might still have
to live with the consequences. The choices I make do have
predictable outcomes, and God's forgiveness doesn't always mean
that the penalty can be avoided. But His grace does mean that
the criminal can be restored, and for that I'm so very thankful.
Hey! Check that slice of bread before you pop it in the
toaster!
GOD HAS
GIVEN US SO MANY GOOD THINGS TO ENJOY...DON'T GO FOR THE BAD!
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IT WAS LABOR DAY
and the sun was shining
and the temperatures were perfect. Mossie and I took our bikes
down to the Mon River Trail and starting riding toward
Prickett's Fort. It's an easy ride and we calculated that we
would do 50 miles round trip.
On
the Rail Trail Map I had recently noticed that Marion County has
a short trail spur at Prickett's Fort called the "McTrail" (it's
maintained in part by...you guessed it...McDonald's). The map
said the trail included a lighted tunnel. On my previous ride,
I went beyond Prickett's Fort on the undeveloped section of the
river trail, in search of the connection to this new trail. I
was not successful and I beat myself to pieces riding on some
very large gravel and bouncing over numerous holes and ruts.
Having rechecked the map -- a good thing to do, but never easy
for a person of my gender -- I realized the trail had to be
right at Prickett's Fort. Sure enough, when we got to the Fort
we discovered the start of the trail just on the opposite side
of the parking lot.
The
trail was only 2.5 miles in length, but it was a pleasant ride.
As advertised, at the far end was a tunnel...but it wasn't
lighted. Of course, you could SEE light at the distant
opening. Mossie doesn't care too much for riding through dark
tunnels, so she waited while I rode on. It's a strange
feeling. Thirty yards into the tunnel you are enveloped in
darkness. You can see the light at the other end, but you can't
see the walls of the tunnel, you can't see the ground in front
of you, you can't see your bike or even your hands on the
handlebars.
With the distant light only a small window some distance ahead,
you lose sense of perspective. Am I six feet from the
wall...or maybe only one? Is there anyone else in this tunnel
with me? Could there be a real deep puddle ahead...or possibly
a sink-hole? You think all this as you're pedaling at
about 15 miles per hour.
With every jostle or wobble of the bike, you instinctively look
down, your eyes searching for some familiar evidence that the
path is smooth and the way safe. But you can't see a thing, and
looking down into that empty void only causes you to lose
balance and nearly wreck. In fact, the only way you can stay on
the bike and make progress toward the distant goal is by keeping
your head up and your eyes locked on the one thing you DO see --
the light at the end of the tunnel.
Hmmm. Could be a good sermon illustration there somewhere.
I
made it through and back without mishap. Didn't surprise any
wild beast. Didn't get mugged. Didn't go over the handlebars
and break my neck.
Often I find the passages of life take me through tunnels. The
air becomes dank and my vision is narrowed. Some of life's
tunnels have curves, so I can't even make out the light at the
other end. It seems more like a sealed cave than a route to any
sort of desired destination. You need a light in those
tunnels. God's word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto
my path . I could not progress without His wisdom or apart
from His grace.
Don't fear the tunnel. Just trust the light that the Lord
gives, and keep your uplifted gaze fixed on the beckoning
opening at the other end. You'll get there, by His grace and
enabling.
WHEN I'M
IN DARK AND SCARY PLACES, IT SURE IS GOOD TO TAKE THE HAND OF
THE LORD!
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THEY SAY THAT PICTURES DON'T
LIE...but then
again, things aren't always what they seem. Last week,
Mossie and I attended the annual President's Cabinet retreat at
Bear Trap Camp, an InterVarsity retreat center in the Rockies,
9200 feet above sea level. We had a significant amount of
business to conduct, and we enjoyed seasons of instruction and
prayer, but we also enjoyed the magnificent surroundings.
Late on the second afternoon, the team hiked to see a waterfall
but missed a turn somewhere and ended up at about 10,000 feet
without a clue where to go. We had a choice of two directions.
Most of the group decided to take the path that led back down
the mountain. Three of us decided to head westward. (Mossie
forsook me!) Gary Benedict (president of Crown College and C&MA
corporate vice president), Don Wiggins (C&MA vice president for
National Church Ministries) and I forged on until we heard,
some distance below us, the sound of running water. The falls!
Had to be, we concluded, but how to get down there? We decided
to do a little "bushwhacking" down the side of the mountain,
allowing the sound of the water to be our guide.
Just before we reached the stream, we came upon a large tepee in
the middle of a camp site. It was part of the Bear Trap Camp
program for youth, an area where they would reenact Indian life
by camping out in a tepee. Don had his digital camera, so he
took a picture to show to the rest of our party when we returned
to camp. Just a short distance away was the stream...and the
"falls."
Some waterfall! A small dam had been built to create a
reservoir of water and the "falls" consisted of a three-feet
overflow, with a spray on a few small boulders below. But we
were intent on proving to our party that we had, in fact, found
the elusive waterfall, so I suggested to Don that if he took a
picture really close up, filling the frame with the water itself
and the rocks below, it might appear to be a large
and impressive waterfall. Don did a superb job. Together with
our picture of an "Indian settlement," we had convincing
evidence.
We
returned to camp and showed our digital images. "Oh, you did
find the falls!" "Look at the size of those boulders!" "It's
so beautiful!" "It looks like someone is living in that
tepee!" We said we estimated the falls to be 28-30 feet. We
talked about the rainbow in the spray (which, unfortunately,
didn't show up in the picture). All in all, we carried it off
well, and no one suspected. But when it came time to pray for
the evening meal, I think we each began to feel a little
convicted. Maybe we doubted that we could say grace until we
gave up our deception. So we "spilled the beans" and let
everyone know that the tepee was just part of the camping
program, and the waterfall was a little overflow spout from the
reservoir, not even five minutes from camp.
Our
little game was up, and we all had a good laugh. The deception
was short-lived, done in by our consciences and by our desire to
gloat in having "pulled one over" on the rest of the group. But
deception as a lifestyle is a very dangerous and injurious
thing. Hawthorne wrote, No man, for any considerable
period, can wear one face to himself and another to the
multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be
true.
There's a big difference between having a little fun at
another's expense, where the tomfoolery is short-lived and the
consequence is benign, and the more malicious expression of
deception, where the trust of another is abused to one's own
gain. Our ruse was harmless and added merriment to our evening,
but a person who cannot be trusted is soon avoided as a pariah.
Even "innocent" fun has a price, of course. No one in that
group will be as trusting of our pictures ever again!
YOUR
"YES" SHOULD BE "YES" AND YOUR "NO" SHOULD BE "NO" -- SO NO ONE
HAS TO DOUBT YOU!
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THEY'RE BACK!
Classes have resumed at West Virginia University.
With a projected enrollment of 25,000, the start of the new
school year is an annual event no one can miss. Roads and
stores are congested, the newspaper is filled with stories that
relate to campus life, and churches gear up for great ministry
opportunity with and to students.
In that vein,
please pray for
C²: The College
Church
and for our
new full-time campus minister, Pastor Andy Smith. Andy and
Bekie love the Lord and they love students. I know God wants
to give them a great harvest this year, but we must support them
with prayer and in every way that the Lord might call us.
I
was one of those "fresh-faced freshmen" at one time. In fact, I
was a baby-faced freshman! I knew I looked really young, so I
decided to grow a moustache, thinking that would make me look a
little older. It took me about six months to grow a respectable
semblance of a moustache, and by that time, of course, I
was older.
I've had the moustache ever since, even though I certainly don't
need to look older now. I used to joke that since I grew it to
look older, I was always counting on someday shaving it off to
look younger. Obviously, I waited too long. My wife and
children have never seen me without it. If I shave it off now,
I probably won't recognize myself.
Like most young men and women, I had no clear sense of purpose
or direction when I enrolled for my first semester of college
courses. I knew I had to prepare myself somehow for a lifetime
of gainful employment. This seemed to be the preferred way of
doing that. The plan was simple enough: get a degree, get a
job, get a life.
As
a pastor in a university community, I have come to realize that
God is doing so much more with students. Those who come to
Morgantown to get an education rarely consider that God might be
bringing them here to do a greater work, but I know He is. I
view our church as a place where students can discover that the
Sovereign Lord of the universe (and that includes the
University!) has a wonderful plan for their lives.
When a student is also a believer, or becomes a believer, he or
she discovers that getting that degree is preparation for
service in the Kingdom, not just in the marketplace. And
getting that job is an opportunity to witness for Jesus and to
contribute financially to the proclamation of the gospel. And
getting a life means a lifetime of fellowship with Jesus
and those who are His, while preparing for an eternity in His
presence.
In
other words, in Christ I discover the ultimate purpose for being
in school and preparing myself for a future. It's all about
you, Jesus.... It's not about me.
That's an eye-opener! We are so used to thinking only of and
for ourselves -- looking out for Number One -- that we seldom
even consider that there might actually be a greater purpose for
our existence on this planet. Those who do search for something
outside themselves might become altruistic and commit to social
service or humanitarian work or join the Peace Corps.
That's all good, but the best is to devote yourself to Jesus
Christ, because every true follower of Jesus is a blessing to
the world-community as well. There is no greater love than
this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends.
I'm
praying for a great year of ministry to college students. I'm
praying especially for that student who will discover, this
year, that he or she was brought by God to Morgantown for the
express purpose of discovering a call to Christian service.
Let's believe God to do this!
LORD,
SHOW US YOUR WAYS! GIVE US GREAT COURAGE TO WALK IN THE
PATHS YOU CHOOSE!
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HOW HAVE YOUR LIFE
EXPERIENCES SHAPED YOU?
I'm talking about the
circumstances of your life, the total environment in which you
have grown up and lived out your days.
You
are a composite of raw genetic material, of course, put together
masterfully by the hand of your Creator. OK, you might dispute
whether He did the best possible job. If you don't like your
nose, or your body shape, or the tenor of your voice, you might
find yourself wishing that God had made you differently. But
you know what? That's only because we "buy into" the notions of
what others say is beautiful or appealing. Each of us is God's
unique creation and He loves us! Like the old saying goes,
God Don't Make No Junk!
However, I'm not talking about DNA. I'm talking about life.
How have you been shaped...your character developed, your
perspective changed, your personality matured...by the sorts of
things you have lived through?
When I review my life-story, I'm astounded by the obvious ways
in which I have been shaped by the fact that I was born in West
Virginia and grew up as a small-town lad in a humble but secure
community. I remember my childhood friends and the mischief we
got into. I recall sleeping on hard pews in long church
services. I treasure memories of family gatherings with heaping
plates of food, lots of laughter, robust singing and
instrumental music. (I had plenty of "pickers and grinners" in
my family.) These experiences made me who I am.
I
also recall how certain difficult experiences helped me learn to
trust in God and find strength of character to push through the
hardship to a place of accomplishment and victory. For example,
I've broken lots of bones in my lifetime. After a while I
discovered that I wasn't afraid of broken bones anymore.
Just recently my memory was jogged to a time in my life when it
was discovered that my ankles turned inward in a manner that
hindered athletic activity. The doctor prescribed shoes with
lifts in the inner half of the sole, so that my ankles would be
forced to turn out. He also told my dad to build a triangular
contraption, 8 feet long, which I was to walk back and forth on
every day in an effort to turn my ankles outward and build the
supporting muscle so that they would stay there.
You
think running on a treadmill is boring! Try "walking the plank"
as it were, back and forth, mindlessly, endlessly, for so many
minutes every day after school. I would almost have preferred
to practice the piano. Almost. That's another shaping life
experience that many of us remember.
The
reason this came back to mind is that I realize now, years
later, that those hours of training my ankles constituted a form
of discipline that fostered in me an understanding: If you want
to overcome a problem or become better at a task, it requires
work and persistence. Walking that length of boards wasn't only
good for my feet. It was good for my soul.
Parents, remember this as you "train up your child in the
way he should go." Don't lament the misfortune that sometimes
befalls a child. Don't chaff under the hardships that you
endure. Many times these difficulties bear fruit that no amount
of good fortune could produce. Even more wonderful is the
thought that all such experiences are allowed and orchestrated
by a great, benevolent, sovereign God who really does do all
things well and who is shaping you for His kingdom.
I'M
GLAD I SERVE A GOD WHO PLANNED ALL MY DAYS BEFORE EVEN ONE OF
THEM CAME TO BE!
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STRANGE COINCIDENCE...OR DIVINE
DIRECTION? Last
week I was at Edinboro Conference Grounds for 10 days of
preaching at their annual Family Camp. No, not Scotland. This
was Edinboro, PA, near Erie. By the way, we did discover
Presque Isle, a lovely peninsula north of Erie, recently rated
by National Geographic as one of the 10 best places in
the world to watch a sunset.
Which we couldn't do, since I preached every evening. And "presque"
means "almost." So it's almost an island, but not quite. That
pretty much defines what a peninsula is, I guess. But, to my
point.... One evening, a gentleman waited until everyone else
was gone so that he could speak to me. He told me that his
family had built most of the buildings on the grounds, but he
had not attended anything in seven years. He didn't go into
detail, but he said it was difficult to drive onto the grounds
again after all the lapsed time.
However, he happened to be nearby and remembered that this was
the week for Family Camp. He sensed the Lord telling him to
come to the service. He did, and he said that as soon as I
announced my sermon topic he knew why God wanted him there.
Moreover, in my opening comments I mentioned that, "No one is in
this service by chance, but by God's design, and I know He has a
reason for your presence here tonight."
This was the only night in 10 that I made such a statement,
although I believe that to be true about every gathering for
worship and for the study of scripture. We imagine that we are
the ones who decide such things. In fact, we can do nothing
apart from Him, including being drawn to a church service and
given opportunity to encounter the Lord in praise and
contemplation. This man unfolded his story to me: a broken
marriage, a wife now estranged from him and involved with a
religious cult, how the experience has driven him into God's
Word and deepened a faith that he once was in danger of
forsaking. It was a moving account, and we prayed together in a
now empty camp tabernacle.
It
wasn't an accident that we met that night. It was no
coincidence that he was in that service. In fact, it was the
sovereign God of the universe who ordained that I should be the
speaker this year and on that evening, and who also ordained
that this gentleman would be in the area and drawn to that
meeting. And while He was doing that, He was also orchestrating
the details of YOUR life...and the countless millions who
inhabit planet earth.
Awesome! What a great and mighty God we serve! Indeed, "Angels
bow before Him; heaven and earth adore Him." We have only the
dimmest, frailest capacity to comprehend the forever-present,
always-loving activity of our dear Father. "He forgets not His
own." I find it comforting to place myself in His hands by a
conscious act of my will. That is, to begin my day by saying,
"Lord, you are in control. You love me. I am safe when I trust
myself to your care. This day, let me rest in your strong arms
and see the many ways you are providing and watching over me.
Give me a heart of praise for your excellent watchcare!"
I
don't always do this, but when I do it seems I "notice" a lot
more God-activity in my life. Just that reminder helps me to be
sensitive to the wonderful ways He is working all around me. As
I was driving north on I-79 on Monday, a very large tree fell
across the southbound lane, just before two cars got to that
spot. No one was hurt. Thank you, Lord. And did you
see that article about the little boy in Monongah who was sucked
down a drainage ditch and swept away 130' through the pipe? A
neighbor "happened" to see, ran to the nearest manhole cover,
and when he lifted the cover the little fellow "happened" to be
right at that point in his passage. The neighbor pulled him to
safety. Praise you Lord! Don't let that lad out of your
sight!
Never stop praising the Lord for His providential care!
LORD,
YOUR WAYS ARE TOO WONDERFUL FOR ME! YOUR GRACE IS TOO GREAT!
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THESE ARE LATE THURSDAY
THOUGHTS THIS WEEK!
Mossie and I just returned from Fort
Jackson, SC, where we attended the graduation exercises for our
son, Nathan, who just completed his Army National Guard basic
training.
As
I have informed you in other writings, Nathan will be enrolled
in his junior year at WVU this fall and will commit to one
weekend a month as his National Guard service. Next summer, he
will do his Advanced Individual Training (job
training), after which he is subject to being deployed, so it's
possible his senior year at the University will be delayed.
The
exercises this morning were held on Hilton Field at Fort
Jackson. Five companies totaling nearly 1000 soldiers completed
the training and graduated. We learned that 13% of those who
started did not complete the training. We also learned that 5
died during training, most from heat exhaustion and
dehydration. Sobering, isn't it?
The
young men and women who serve our country in various branches of
the military literally put their lives on the line for us. The
dangers faced in basic training are only compounded when they
are shipped to some far-off theatre of battle and placed in the
path of enemy fire. Every day it seems we read of more
casualties, and every soldier who dies is someone's son or
daughter.
I
know there are sincere differences of opinion about the current
conflict in Iraq -- whether we should be there at all; whether
the intelligence that got us there was flawed; whether
high-ranking officials knew that the intelligence was suspect;
whether we should be getting out as soon as possible.
Having just walked with my son through these nine weeks of
training, and then seeing him and hundreds of others honored at
their graduation, I do know this: I am thankful for those brave
and devoted young people who have offered themselves as the
first line of defense for our freedoms. I am humbled by their
bravery, their courage, their idealism, their self-sacrifice.
And I am prayerful -- now, more than ever -- that no one will
have to die on foreign soil or here at home.
We
had significant time with Nathan yesterday afternoon. We also
spent several hours with a number of his friends, buddies whose
families weren't able to be there until the ceremonies this
morning. We were impressed with every one of them: Gullett,
Ruiz, Castro, Huff, Gomez and the rest. Quality young people.
Trained soldiers ready to defend their country and their
comrades. Deserving of our respect and our prayers.
When I read the newspaper or watch television, the prayer
concerns leap out at me. I want to be faithful to lift up these
many servicemen and women to the Lord. Please do the same with
me.
Just a few paragraphs this week. It was a long drive back and
I'm weary! You might not hear from me at all next Thursday.
Tomorrow night I begin a series of messages at the Edinboro
Conference Grounds. It's a summer Bible camp near Erie, PA.
Please ask God's blessing on those services.
DEAR
LORD, WATCH OVER THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES TODAY AND
ALWAYS!
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I LOVE THE NIGHT SKY.
My work often means getting home
very late. Countless times over the years I have paused outside
the door of my home to gaze at the stars. It's best when the
sky is blackest and the distant pinpoints of light shine like
brilliant diamonds scattered on a velvet cloth.
I've learned that the sky changes with the seasons. Even over a
matter of days, constellations "move" significant distances as
the earth's orbital position changes. And the night sky in the
northern hemisphere is completely different from that of the
southern hemisphere. In 1993, when Mossie and I were in Irian
Jaya in Indonesia, the sky I saw below the equator was strange
to me...but no less beautiful or awe-inspiriting.
On
one very clear night, I stood outside the spare clapboard
bunkhouse at the Wamena mission station and marveled at the
stars. Later that night, through the cracks in the boards
behind our bed I could see the shadowy form of a local native
standing under a tree. Perhaps he was just curious about these
Westerners who were visiting his world. Maybe he had been
appointed as a sentinel to stand guard over us while we slept.
It could be that he was simply doing what I had done earlier:
indulging his amazement at the grandeur of God's night sky.
Young lovers separated by many miles sometimes find peace and
companionship in the knowledge that each is beholding the same
moon and stars. Though they cannot see each other, they know
that the one whom they love, perhaps at that very moment, is
seeing the same panoply of divine wonder.
In
the daytime, the sky doesn't arrest my attention the way it does
at night. Maybe it's because in the light of day my eyes are
drawn to so many other things nearer at hand. Maybe it's that
we can't look directly at the sun, so we don't look up that
often. Maybe when the sky is empty of clouds it just seems too
boundless, too great an expanse to comprehend. I feel most
overwhelmed in the daytime hours.
At
night, the world around me is quieter and less confusing, and
the stars almost seem to beckon me. In those moments I feel
closer to the God of creation. I wonder... When the Lord said,
"Look up, your redemption draweth nigh," was it a night sky that
He had in mind? After all, his first appearing was to shepherds
"keeping watch over their flocks by night." Imagine that scene
when the heavenly host appeared in a blaze of light, framed by
the blackness of the night sky outside little Bethlehem. No
wonder they were terrified and amazed!
Lots of my conversations with the Lord are at night. Many of
them are under the stars. And I'm not the first to meet God
while contemplating His creation. Here's part of a hymn by
Joseph Addison, based on Psalm 19-1-6:
THE
HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD...NIGHT AFTER NIGHT THEY
DISPLAY KNOWLEDGE!
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IT WAS A
SERENDIPITOUS ADVENTURE!
Years ago, people took long drives as a
form of recreation, often on a Sunday or a holiday. In fact,
when we would happen to be behind someone who was in no hurry I
can remember my dad saying, "They must be out for a Sunday
afternoon drive." We did it, too, and sometimes dad would take
a "short cut." Usually, the short cut was intended to
accomplish two things: we would see a part of the country we had
not seen before, and it would reduce the number of miles in our
circuit as we made our way home. We always achieved the first
objective. We didn't always achieve the second.
On
one memorable evening, with darkness approaching, dad took a
small dirt road that he was sure passed over the mountain and
came out close to our home. Before we had gone far, the road
became narrow and rugged. Certain unspoken rules governed these
adventures, however. For example, you don't turn around, and
you never ask directions. Rules like these shaped and defined
my early concepts of true manliness.
So
we pressed on in the big Oldsmobile, climbing deeper into the
forest on what we soon surmised to be a logging road, not a
public thoroughfare. We figured out that it was a logging road
when stumps began to appear in the roadway itself. Then we had
to drive through a shallow steam, where we bottomed out on a
large rock. Like the passengers on board the Titanic,
we didn't yet know the extent of the damage we had suffered.
We
soon found out. It was dark now, which added brilliance and
urgency to the colors when dashlights started flashing. With
deft technological acumen my father discerned that we had a
heating problem and it probably had something to do with losing
oil. But you don't turn around. The road was too narrow
anyway.
So
he asked the laboring beast to carry on. My brother and I,
little tykes old enough to appreciate the alarm evinced by our
mother but young enough to believe that dad could take care of
anything, were on the edge of the back seat, thrilled by a ride
that had become so much more than a "Sunday afternoon drive."
Finally, the lane opened out onto a small but paved
country road. We had no idea where we were, but it more closely
resembled civilization. After driving a short way we saw the
light of a farmhouse. Streaming oil, the big Olds coasted up to
the front porch.
From inside the screened door, we heard a radio playing a
Pirates game. Dad knocked and a stoutly older man in bib
overalls came to the door. He didn't speak a word. Dad told
him he thought he had knocked a hole in his oilpan and asked if
the man might have some quarts of oil that dad could buy. Dad
had no way of repairing the pan, so I imagine he intended to
keep running oil through the engine until he got us the rest of
the way home.
The
farmer didn't say anything. He turned around and went back in
the house. We were wondering whether he went to get the oil,
but then he reappeared. He was unwrapping a stick of gum and he
had a whole pack in his hand. He put the gum in his mouth,
started unwrapping another one, and began walking toward the
barn. He didn't speak. In a few minutes he came back with five
quarts of oil. The gum was no longer in his hand; it was all in
his mouth. I was thinking, Boy, he really likes to chew
gum. He got on the ground, slid under the car, stayed
there several minutes and when he surfaced, he was very dirty
and he wasn't chewing gum anymore. Then he popped the hood and
proceeded to pour in the five quarts of oil. Not a word.
My
dad, who must have been just about as astonished as we were,
asked the man how much he owed him. The fellow just waved his
hand and went back in the house to listen to the rest of the
baseball game. We got back in the car and in 15-20 minutes we
were home. One of the best evenings of my life. I don't know
the man's name and couldn't find that place if I had to. For
years, I've waited for a chance to use that chewing gum trick
and have never had the opportunity. But I did learn something
about being a good neighbor, even when you don't know the one
whom you're helping.
Often, the best lessons in life are learned on roads you didn't
intend to take, or on journeys that led to places you didn't
intend to go.
LORD, I
WONDER: WHAT SURPRISING LESSONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT ME
TODAY?
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I COULDN'T ASK FOR A NICER DOG!
Dakota is a Chocolate Lab, about 18
months old, and she has a great disposition. She is very
affectionate and loyal, and it's great fun to watch her run or
see her splash in the stream that is beyond the back of our
property.
Like the other dogs we have had in recent years, she actually
belongs to Marcus. Unlike Lady -- some of you will remember --
she is no problem to keep in the kennel. It was impossible to
keep Lady confined. Someone else has her now, and I'm confident
she is running free.
Dakota makes no attempt to get out of her kennel, but she
resists going back in when we have allowed her to play for a
while. She has an uncanny ability to sense when her time is up
and you're ready to pen her up again. No matter what you do,
she keeps her distance and tries her best to avoid getting
caught.
So,
Mossie began using a reward system. She entices Dakota with
some treat that can't be resisted, such as a slice of
lunchmeat. When Dakota sees that treat, she actually runs to
the kennel, then sits and waits for Mossie to get there.
Except this morning. We usually allow her to run a bit at the
start of the day, before we have to leave the house. I guess
she didn't think it was enough time this morning, because when
Mossie went out with the treat, Dakota didn't go to the kennel.
Instead, she laid down near the house, and when I started to
walk over to her she rolled over on her back as though begging,
"Please let me stay out a little longer."
She
did not want to get up and go into that kennel. We cajoled and
encouraged, but there was no way. She just stared at us and
seemed to be saying, "I don't think so." Finally, Mossie walked
over to her and actually placed the piece of lunchmeat on
Dakota's nose a couple times! She couldn't resist that much
temptation, so she got up and trotted into the kennel.
I
can understand having to be enticed into confinement. What
really confuses me is the fact that fallen humanity has to be
coaxed to accept freedom! We never have to coax Dakota to come
out of her cage. She's ready!
Whether we know it or not -- and many don't -- we live in a cage
until the Lord sets us free. We don't see it that way, of
course. In our sin, we imagine ourselves to be free to do as we
please and we resist the idea of the Church "telling us how to
live our lives." In reality, though, sin is a prison that holds
us captive and makes us slaves to the flesh, the world, the
devil.
God's love calls us out of that bondage. His mercy delivers us
from evil and His grace absolves us of guilt. He has thrown
open the door of our prison and has broken down every wall. Why
not run to Him? Why not accept the liberty that He offers us?
TODAY...LIVE EVERY MOMENT IN THE LIBERATING GRACE OF YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!
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ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER.
There's a lot of truth in that old
saying, and Mossie and I have been proving it in recent weeks.
Our son, Nathan, is in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, more than
halfway through Basic Training for the Army National Guard.
When he returns, his commitment will be for one weekend a month
unless he is deployed. Of course, many Guardsmen and Reservists
have been called up and shipped out in recent months, so that's
on our minds.
Right now, however, we're just anxious to know how he's doing.
Are the drill sergeants as demanding as everyone says? Is he
holding up to the physical challenges? Will he become
discouraged or disheartened?
So
far, the reports have been good. He says the exercises and
other aspects of the training have been the hardest things he
has ever had to do, but he is out of the first phase and into
the second and things are easing a bit now. We're looking
forward to his graduation in late July. We're looking forward
to seeing him again -- probably a slimmed down and more
toughened version -- and giving him some great big hugs.
When we say, Absence makes the heart grow fonder, the
emphasis is really on the fonder rather than the
absence. Have you considered that? We love the
person who is not present. Therefore, the longer that person is
removed from us the more our hearts long to be rejoined. The
reverse is also true: we quite frankly don't mind the
absence of certain people! Isn't that right? We might
even be inclined to say, Good riddance! If I never see that
person again it will be too soon!
Let's be careful about our attitude toward others, but we can be
honest as well -- the simple reality is, when we truly love
someone, we greatly miss them when they are gone. That's why
grief is so anguishing. Sometimes the departed seems to be
loved even more because they are gone!
Moreover, the reasons for loving seem to clarify when the person
is absent. The beloved thinks of her lover (read the Song
of Songs) and can recall and recount his every feature,
every winsome character trait, every tender act of kindness. In
fact, the thoughts are so powerful that she is compelled to take
pen and paper (or stylus and parchment) and write a poem that
tells forth all the charms of the missing paramour.
Mossie and I have written letters...lots of them...and have
looked forward to Nathan's every opportunity to respond. I
don't know if a day has passed that we haven't written to him.
I don't read the letters that Mossie writes, but in mine I have
shared things that I don't think I've ever verbalized to Nathan
when he was here. Part of that is because writing a letter
encourages a depth of reflection that is often missing in spoken
conversation. (When speaking, I'm prone to say things I haven't
even thought of yet!)
But
another reason for the more reflective thoughts is that...he is
absent! And I miss him! So the mind reviews all the
delightsome qualities of this child who is gone...all the
reasons why I love him...and, in his absence, my heart grows
fonder still.
It
should be so with my Lord: Though you have not seen Him, you
love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in
Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for
you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your
souls (I Peter 1.8-9, NIV).
HE HAS
GONE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR ME! I CAN'T WAIT TO JOIN HIM THERE!
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THERE WILL BE NO THURSDAY THOUGHTS
this next week, 3 June 2004. I
will be attending the annual C&MA General Council in
Sacramento, CA, and will not have any opportunity to pen a few
lines.
Following Council, Mossie and I will be on vacation. Usually, I
try to write even while I'm on vacation but sometimes I don't
get the chance. If you don't hear from me, just know that I'm
enjoying my "free" time!
If
you are interested in our General Council, you can pick
up the live stream over the internet. Just go to
www.cmalliance.org and
follow the directions. I have attached a schedule to help you
keep track of events. Special nationally-known speakers this
year include Anne Graham Lotz and Erwin McManus. Our president,
Dr. Peter Nanfelt will preach on Tuesday evening and there will
be vibrant rallies on Friday and Saturday nights. There's a
3-hour time difference, so add 3 hours to all the times you see
listed.
If
you're the sort of person who enjoys watching business sessions,
you'll see me during those time slots as I moderate the business
once again this year.
May
the Lord's richest blessings be yours!
Pastor David
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DO YOU HAVE THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT?
Most of us have known someone who does. When I think about
the people who have brought encouragement into my life, there
are certain character traits or personal qualities that stand
out:
Over my lifetime, I have been blessed to know people who have
made me feel that I could when my fears and self-doubt
told me I couldn't. These are people who have buoyed me
up when I was sinking, who steadied me when I stumbled, who
believed in me when I did not believe in myself.
Sometimes the encouragement was more nuanced than simply saying,
"Attaboy!" or, "You can do it!" Sometimes the encouragement
included a gentle and loving rebuke, conveyed with such respect
that it made me want to do better and try harder...and spoken
with the confidence that I would do better and try
harder. Oftentimes, the encouragement has been helpful in
leading me to trust my Lord rather than myself.
There is a danger in speaking of a "gift" of encouragement. I
don't want to presume that only certain people can be
encouragers and that others need not attempt it. The fact is,
every Spirit-filled believer should be adept and faithful in
encouraging others. After all, when Paul commanded us to look
not only to your own interests but also to the interests of
others (Philippians 2.4), wasn't he commanding us to be
encouragers?
Growing up in small churches and in the embrace of a loving
extended family, I knew lots of encouragement as a child. Older
saints in the church would tell me what a wonderful job I did
when I had any role in front of the church. Aunts and uncles
bragged on me when I did well in school or succeeded at a task.
That is so important. I have counseled individuals who have
seldom heard an encouraging word in their whole lives. Their
"can do" has been shriveled to nothing, and they are usually
incapable of giving much encouragement to others, so the
destructive cycle perpetuates itself.
Today, someone needs your encouragement. Look for that person,
and be proactive in speaking a kind and uplifting word! Every
morning you should rise with the prayer, Lord, make me a
blessing to someone today. And He surely will! In fact,
as you speak encouragement into the life of someone else, you
will find the arid soil of your own life is watered and
revived. The blessing you give to others returns to you many
times over.
The
only way I can be an encouragement to someone else, of course,
is to forget about myself. The more I am delivered from
myself...the more I die to self and live to Christ and begin to
think with His mind and allow my hands and feet to do His
bidding...the more I am an encouragement to those around me.
Surely, that's my calling as a Christian!
ENCOURAGE
ONE ANOTHER! IT'S A SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL COMMAND!
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LIFE IS AN ALMOST
CEASELESS STREAM OF MIGHTY EMOTIONS!
Oh, I'll grant you, there's a
lot of drudgery in everyday living. Many days have a sameness
of quality about them that can make one day almost
indistinguishable from the next. However, when you stop to
consider it, we also live in a powerful sea of conflicting
feelings and responses. Every now and then, the tide in that
sea really seems to turn against us!
I've certainly noticed it in my life. In just the past week, I
can recognized the following emotional "tide changes," and I
know I'm not even thinking about everything!
Think about it. We can't even turn on the TV without being
assaulted with images and news content that provoke outrage or
sorrow or disbelief. Thankfully, there are also times of
wonderful relief and felicity and peace.
One
thing is for sure. Our lives aren't really very balanced! At
least, not in any calculated way. I don't know anyone who says,
Well, I've had my quota of happiness for today. I think
I'll balance it out with a bit of pain and disappointment for a
few hours. No one says, Forget this sorrow that weighs
me down! I insist on being buoyant and free-spirited the rest
of the day!
It's more than just "mind over matter." It's more than simply
willing ourselves to change direction emotionally. We really
don't have a great deal of control over how we feel. I mean,
the circumstances just come to us, and whatever hand is dealt,
that's what we have to live with. Or maybe not.
It's true, I don't know what tomorrow holds. But I do know the
one who holds tomorrow. I have no control over the inescapable
events of daily living, but I can fix my eyes on Him who is my
hope and peace. I can't avoid the things that provoke sorrow
and weigh upon my mind, but I can choose to fill my thoughts
with the matchless sovereignty of a God who is over all and in
all.
Paul said, Fill your mind with uplifting thoughts. Think
about the things that are true and noble and right and pure and
lovely. Think about the admirable and excellent and
praiseworthy things. Jesus said, You'll have trouble
in this world -- Count on it! -- But you can be sure of this: I
have overcome the world!
The
next time your emotions get the best of you, take a deep breath,
whisper a sincere "Praise the Lord" or "I love you, Jesus," and
press on to the glory of His name. Life is up and then it's
down. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Keep on blessing
the name of the Lord!
IN
A CEASELESS SWIRL OF UNCERTAINTY AND CONFUSION, I'M GLAD I'M
GROUNDED ON THE ROCK!
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I ENVY BABIES AND SMALL CHILDREN!
Well, perhaps I should qualify
that confession. I envy the carefree contentment and unburdened
happiness that little ones enjoy. There are other aspects of
infancy to which I do not aspire. I have no desire to wear
diapers. (Don't you dare tell me that my day is coming!) I
wouldn't want a steady diet of that gruel that is sold in little
glass containers with the face of a cherubic baby on the label.
What I envy is the effervescent laughter of a happy infant, the
unrestrained and uninhibited playfulness of a child who is
well-loved and who is loving in return. I envy the peace that
blankets a sleeping baby whose every need is cared for by loving
guardians. I envy the almost complete absence of anguish or
concern. Babies have no "worry lines" to cloud the countenance.
We
call this time in life the "age of innocence," but that's not
exactly true. We are born in sin, so we are never truly
innocent. What is true, however, is that in infancy we do not
yet understand the fallenness of humanity and the resultant
consequences of our disobedience, for ourselves and for all of
creation. We have not yet learned how to "act out" in the worst
manifestations of our sinful nature. Even when babies do
misbehave or show flashes of anger or frustration, or exhibit
the inherently selfish disposition of a fallen soul, adults
laugh and think the behavior is cute and even endearing.
As
the years accumulate, however, so do the cares. Before long,
life's difficulties become more trying and life's
responsibilities become more consuming. A baby never gives a
thought to performance or success or duty and obligation. An
adult cannot escape these themes.
I
don't want to be a baby again -- in fact, "big babies" are the
most insufferable of creatures -- but I know that I do need to
learn the simple trust of a child. I need to learn to wait upon
the Lord and believe Him for all my provision. I need to stop
trying to "succeed" in my strength and learn to ask God for
His. I need to allow Him to "carry" me where He knows I need to
be...instead of trying to direct my own steps. I need to
practice adult responsibility for my own actions and decisions,
but a child's dependency on the God who is the source of all I
could ever need or want.
And
I need to be loved...by God. I need to experience His embrace,
rest in His tender mercy, abide in His loving wisdom. I need to
be near Him, always.
One
reason a baby isn't anxious is that she has placed complete
trust in the caregiver who responds to all her needs. The Lord
has extended that privilege to me:
I
just need to be childlike in my acceptance of His promise, and
in my obedience to His instruction!
IF YOU
WANT TO GET INTO HIS KINGDOM, YOU MUST BECOME LIKE A LITTLE
CHILD!
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BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD
IS THE LORD!
It's the National Day
of Prayer and those words from Psalm 33.12 are tugging at
my heart today. Oh, how we long for such a relationship with
the Lord of Creation!
This morning I attended our local Prayer Breakfast. Pastors and
people from many area congregations gathered along with numerous
civil servants and leaders. It was an uplifting time...but it
served again to underscore that this is clearly not
a nation whose God is the Lord.
Some of the pastors who led in prayer truly unburdened their
hearts about such issues as the annual abortion of millions of
infants, the corruption that is in our government, the societal
endorsement of homosexuality, the erosion of marital commitment,
the neglect of our poor, etc. As I listened to these prayers, I
could not help but think of how many, even in the churches of
our nation, would not agree with the "political agenda" of such
prayers (Dear Lord! When did a passion for scriptural truth
and divine righteousness become "political agenda?") but
would, in fact, be incensed to hear such prayers offered in a
public setting.
When God is Lord of a nation...when it is His will and
not ours that prevails...when He sets the agenda for
social policy...when civil servants are first of all His
servants...we do not experience the disabling fragmentation of
thought and purpose that has immobilized our nation in this 21st
century. When He is Lord, the people know what their calling is
and are devoted to a common end.
We
see it in the Church of Acts. The scripture says they
experienced unity. They were of one mind and in one accord.
They knew their "business" and they cared for one another. They
shared a passion for the Lord who had redeemed them. They made
sure no one was destitute. And the Bible says they turned the
world upside down.
Early in today's proceedings, the Old Testament passage of
Isaiah 58 was read by one of the ministers. It's a profound and
powerful challenge, in the prophet's day and in ours, one on
which I have often reflected and even moreso in recent years.
God is speaking to His people. Here's a little of what He says:
Isn't that the heart of the problem in our nation today? There
have been many reports of an increased "spirituality" in our
midst, of more and more people manifesting interest in the
supernatural and the paranormal and the "something else that is
out there." But that isn't the personal God of scriptural, and
such a search doesn't imply conforming my will to the will of a
Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. In fact, it appears most
people want to do there own thing, but with the expectation of a
"divine" blessing upon it.
This is confused thinking of the worst kind. This is
disobedience. And the only remedy I know is called repentance.
If we really want the Kingdom of God, we have to forsake our
petty fiefdoms and turn everything over to Him. That's what the
psalmist meant when he exclaimed, Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord!
I
encourage you to take time to read the entire chapter 58th
chapter of Isaiah, and then to wait upon the Lord until you hear
Him instructing you, and all of us, so that we might discern
clearly what God is saying is necessary in order for us to
experience...again...the fullness of His blessing in our land.
IF MY
PEOPLE...WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY.... That's Still God's
Plea!
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HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS?
Life is certainly full of them.
Sometimes it's a small thing, perhaps trying a new brand of ice
cream and discovering you don't like the flavor. Sometimes it's
huge, like the hurt and sorrow of a failed marriage, especially
when it started out with such love and promise.
Then there are the many personal expectations that never seem to
come to fruition, or the dreams, for self or children or others,
that are dashed in embryonic development. When we laughingly
dismiss the idealism of our youth, aren't we really
acknowledging that all those things we planned to do, all those
longings and aspirations and grand intentions, have somehow
dissipated into vapid memories? We even wonder, How could I
ever have been to foolish as to expect such things?
But with our
"graduation" to realism there comes also a deep sorrow, the
afterbirth, if you will, of stillborn hopes.
Disappointment. The word has a French origin and refers to
"failed arrangements." We thought we had it all figured out.
The plans were so well-laid. Then the bottom dropped out.
How
do you deal with that? A few possibilities come to mind:
The
scripture says, Where there is no vision the people perish.
In his Pentecost Sermon, the Apostle Peter recalled the
words of the prophet Joel: Your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
The
bane of youthful idealism is that it often lacks purpose and
direction. When young men have God-given vision, there is real
content in their idealism. They discover a burning desire to do
the Lord's work, not just any work. They want to be
about the Master's business. They catch fire with the prospect
of reaping the fields that are white unto harvest.
Conversely, the curse of aging seems to be that dreams are
forsaken. That will never work. We tried that 20 years ago
and it didn't go anywhere. You're just full of foolish
optimism. But when the Holy Spirit gets hold of an old
man, he suddenly has a Caleb-like outlook on what is before
him. Give me that difficult hill country! I'm ready to
have at it!
In
both instances, it is God the Holy Spirit who transforms our
outlook and our prospects. He supplies wisdom where we are
lacking. He invigorates our tired souls and equips us for new
works in His name.
When I experience disappointment, I try to be proactive in going
to God. I say, Lord, what are you teaching me in this
instance? How will you glorify yourself in my loss? And most
of all, Lord, what must I do to insure that I don't give up on
your visions and dreams just because mine have been
dashed? One thing I know: I might be disappointed by my
circumstances, but never by my Savior!
MY FAITH
IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS THAN JESUS' BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS!
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I WAS BLESSED WITH PARENTS
WHO GAVE TO THE LORD!
I don't remember it being an
option. The attitude was, it's all His anyway, and it's a joy
and privilege to support the work of the Lord.
As
a child, I recall how dad would offer a prayer to dedicate his
"new" vehicle (well, it was new to us) to the service of the
Lord. It was heartfelt, and it was comprehensive. When dad was
done praying, there was no doubt in my mind that the car was
God's. Now it remained to discover just how He would use it.
Dad
pastored a small church outside of Fayetteville, WV, in those
days. The New River Gorge Bridge was a pipedream in someone's
mind. Most people couldn't fathom the possibility of ever
building a structure that would reach from the outskirts of
Fayetteville to the general vicinity of Ansted.
So,
if you wanted to get to Ansted there were two options. You
could use the main highway, a two-lane curving road that wound
around the mountains and would get you there in 40 minutes or
so. Or you could take the Fayette Station Road.
Tha
latter road could hardly be called that, and it more or less
dropped off the mountain in an endless series of hairpin
cutbacks until it reached bottom at the river, from whence you
began the ascent up the other side in just as tortured a
manner. A skilled daredevil of a driver could cut the travel
time in half by taking this route.
Dad
would often travel to Ansted to pick up an elderly lady for
church...because the car belonged to the Lord...and he usually
took this more adventurous route in order to save some time. I
often went along -- it was a more compelling experience than
any amusement park roller coaster. My heart was in my throat
the whole time, especially since every cutback gave you a
glimpse of the gleaming river hundreds of feet below.
I
learned that doing the Lord's work is a thrill a minute!
To
this day, I am convinced there is nothing so satisfying as
laying everything on the altar of sacrifice for the One who died
for me. I could hoard my worldly possessions and expend them
all on creature comforts, but you know what? At the end of my
life, none of that would mean a thing. What I have learned --
and am continuing to learn -- is that the very best rewards come
when I give over "my" possessions into His hands. He supplies
all my needs, and I get to be a participant in the greatest
enterprise known to man! Can't beat that!
I
mention this because we are hosting a special seminar this
Sunday through Wednesday with Rev. Tim Stephenson of The
Orchard Foundation, the stewardship and life-investment
ministry of The Christian & Missionary Alliance. Tim
will help us rediscover the age-old truth that "only what's done
for Christ will last," and we will gain a biblical understanding
of how best to manage our resources and use them to God's glory.
Even old cars careening down mountains to do the Master's
bidding!
LORD,
HELP ME DEVELOP A HEART THAT ALWAYS GIVES...LIKE YOU ALWAYS GAVE
FOR ME!
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I ALWAYS LAUGH AT "STUPID CRIMINAL"
STORIES. Like the
one I heard several days ago: A young lady reported to the
police that her boyfriend had stolen half of her bag of
marijuana and she wanted them to arrest him. They said she
would have to bring them the other half of the bag in order to
confirm the theft, which she did...and was promptly taken into
custody.
Stories like that remind us of the utter folly of sin. Of
course, someone else might say, "I would never be so dense! I
would be careful not to get caught." Granted, many criminals
are quite clever and they cover their tracks well. But that
brings up the other side to sin: Always having to conceal the
wrong, always lying, always wondering when you might be caught,
always racking your brain to think of what was overlooked or
what might give you away.
Sin
breeds all manner of discontent. Either you're sick of yourself
and the wrong that you've done, or you're forever trying to hide
the deed, or you're not satisfied with the results and you're
thinking of how to improve upon your crime in the future....
Whatever. Really, it doesn't pay. Sin robs us of self-respect,
of peace, of contentment. The fruit of our sin never brings the
reward we imagined.
Did
you hear about the man and woman who recently died in the fire
that destroyed their home? In the smoldering ruins of the
house, firefighters found a barrel with the mummified remains of
the man's former wife, who had disappeared 28 years ago.
Imagine the weight of that sin on that man's conscience for the
past three decades. Or does he have no conscience? That's an
even more horrid thought.
When you think about it, though, we have all played some
variation of this game. As a child, there were those times when
I did something wrong and then worried about getting caught,
or suffered with guilt that took away whatever pleasure there
was in the sin.
Late one evening when I was 11 or 12 years old, some friends and
I overturned a three-foot high concrete pylon alongside South
University Avenue, just about opposite where Waterfront Jeep is
now located. It wasn't Don Knotts Boulevard then, and it was
only two lanes. There were no streetlights. The pylon stuck
out into the northbound lane a couple of feet. Before the night
was over, it was almost inevitable that someone would hit it.
We
thought it was funny, but it was sheer folly. Sin makes no
sense, really. By God's grace, I became convicted about the
matter shortly after we had done it and I made a couple of my
friends go with me to help upright the pylon and put it back in
its former position. What if we had not done that? What if a
car had hit it, or veered into the path of another while trying
to avoid the obstruction? What if some people had been killed?
I
would never have gotten over it. I would never have been able
to forgive myself, all because of one, stupid moment of folly.
Sin can have devastating consequences...and will, sooner or
later. The wages? Death. The risk of being found out?
Certain. Be sure your sin WILL find you out (Numbers
32.23).
The
most "stupid criminal" of all is the sinner who refuses to
confess his crimes to God and avail himself of the absolution
that is found in Christ Jesus. I'm so glad Jesus died for my
sin. I'm so glad He called me to follow Him. I'm so glad I'm
forgiven!
'TWAS
A GLAD DAY WHEN JESUS FOUND ME, WHEN HIS STRONG ARMS WERE THROWN
AROUND ME!
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This Saturday we will join with churches and backyard Bible
clubs and neighborhood evangelistic outreaches all over the
world for a fun-filled (and yes, candy is included!) Easter Egg
Hunt that will share a powerful gospel presentation to every boy
and girl...and to the adults who bring them. Ours is in Krepps
Park, right next to our church, starting at 10:00 a.m. Please
pray that many, here and everywhere, will receive Jesus as
Savior!
The
amazing thing about the Easter story is the absolute sovereignty
of our God in a context of seeming weakness and despair. As a
result of the recent Mel Gibson movie, everyone is an expert now
on the topic of Roman scourging. The suffering Jesus endured is
unimaginable.
They called him King of the Jews. They charged Him with
blasphemy because He said He was the Son of God. What kind of
king...what kind of deity...permits Himself to be humiliated
like this? Why didn't He stop it?
He
could have, you know. The scripture says Herod plied Him with
many questions and hoped that He would perform a miracle. When
He stood before Pilate, giving no defense to the accusations
made against Him, what do you suppose would have happened if he
had suddenly stretched out His hand to heal all the sick who
were in the crowd? Would a miracle have stopped their clamoring
for crucifixion?
What if he had spoken to the skies and caused the firmament to
roll back so that, just for an instant, everyone present could
see the mighty hosts of heaven awaiting His bidding, prepared to
obey His every command? Would the people have fallen on their
faces in worship?
Or
suppose He simply did what He had done on other occasions, pass
through their midst and make His exit, escaping the cruelty and
abuse they heaped on Him? Could anyone fault Him for that?
But
it was His time. It was the moment ordained by His Father, the
precise and chosen occasion when He would offer Himself as the
one acceptable atonement for our sin...and nothing would deter
Him, nothing would prevent His obedience.
It
was all done for love. And that is the story we will tell the
children on Saturday. That's the story we will celebrate on
Easter Sunday. That's the story that has persuaded ten people
to be baptized in our services this weekend. I can't wait to
share the moment with them!
This Holy Week, I'm taking some time to re-read the accounts of
my Lord's suffering and death and resurrection, in each of the
four Gospels. I really can't believe He loved me like this.
And He loves you, too. Praise the Lord!
AMAZING
LOVE, HOW CAN IT BE...THAT YOU, MY KING, WOULD DIE FOR ME!
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EVERYONE ELSE WAS IN A RUSH
but I wasn't. I had a three-hour
layover before catching my connecting flight to Colorado
Springs, so I was taking my time walking through Chicago's
O'Hare International Airport. It was only 6:45 a.m. (Central)
but the place was already very active. Most people hurried, as
is the custom in airports. A few shops were already
open; others were just getting ready for a new day of business.
As
I strolled along, I happened to notice a man unloading bundles
of newspapers at the front of one of the shops. He was lifting
the bundle with his left arm, but he was also holding his left
ribcage with his right hand and could not stand up straight. It
was obvious he was in pain. I thought perhaps he just had a
"stitch" in his side, a momentary spasm that would go away, but
I stopped to see if he was going to be OK. Then he slowly sat
down on his stack of papers and bent over, still holding his
side. I knew he was really hurting. I walked over to him to
see if there was anything I could do. Sir, are you alright?
He
didn't look up at me, and I saw a tear streaking down his face,
but he gave an affirmative nod to indicate that he was OK. An
obvious lie. Is there anything I can do? Would you like me
to call for help? He shook his head "no." Are you
sure you can do this? I'll be glad to get you some help.
No. I'll be
fine. I
felt helpless. It was plain he didn't want intervention. I
suspected he was afraid that if he couldn't do his job he would
lose it. I wondered if he had a wife, perhaps children. He
might have been forcing himself to work through the pain because
he knew others were depending on him, counting on his income,
and he couldn't let them down. Maybe he had received other
warnings. If he got another one...if he made his employer
unhappy in any way...he might be fired. You can't make a lot of
money unloading newspapers at airport terminal shops, but if
that's what it takes to put bread on the table, you can't afford
to lose the paycheck.
Then again, maybe he was just stubborn, as I am when it comes to
physical ailments. My wife will confirm this. All I know is, I
wanted to help but he wouldn't allow it. If I had reported the
matter to someone and it cost him his job, I would have
felt even worse. In the end, I moved on, praying for him as I
continued toward my gate.
The
Passion is near. Not the movie -- the Christian observance of
that single moment in time when God's Messiah, our dear Savior,
took upon Himself your sin and mine. It's all about Heaven's
King observing our pain and suffering, coming to us to offer His
help, making known His willingness to save us. And He is NOT
helpless! He has all power, all authority, in heaven and
earth. He is mighty and glorious and beyond compare, the keeper
of promises, the source of answers, the healer of hurts.
But...how many times have we refused His aid and stumbled on in
our weakness? I'll be fine. I love the lines in this
old hymn:
I
walked away from that man feeling I could have done better,
reluctant to leave him but not sure what else I could offer. I
felt useless, frustrated by my failure. Jesus cannot fail.
Does He experience divine frustration when we refuse His help?
Perhaps. He wept over Jerusalem because He longed to draw its
inhabitants to Himself, and they refused Him. I wonder if He
has wept over me. I'm sure He has. I know there have been
times when His hand reached out to me and I continued on my way,
stubbornly spurning the only help available.... Lord,
humble us. Teach us to say "yes" to your marvelous love and
grace.
THE
GRACIOUS AID OF OUR LOVING LORD IS ONLY A PRAYER AWAY!
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WILL YOU THINK ABOUT EASTER
DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR?
I'm sure I will. Having seen Mel
Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, there's no
way I can reflect on the cross without those visual images
claiming space in my brain.
There's a lot to be said about this film, both pro and
con, and it continues to receive astounding attention
in the secular realm as well as the sacred. The movie has made
us think, and talk! That's good. I'm thrilled that people are
discussing my Savior's anguish. I pray the discussion will lead
lost souls to the One -- the only One -- who saves us from our
sins.
It's important to make the point, however, that the story of
Christ's suffering cannot be reduced to cinematic examination,
held there for critical reflection and endlessly evaluated for
posterity. Let's not forget this: He did not remain at the
scourging post, or on the cross, or in the tomb. He arose! He
lives!
The
movie draws our eye to that moment in time when the Chosen One
of God took upon Himself our sin, suffered and died in our
place. Of necessity, however, the whole story can't be told in
one film, nor can the full meaning of His life, death, burial
and resurrection be "frozen" on tape. If you really want the
entire experience, you still have to go to the Book.
In
an interview with Mel Gibson, he was asked if he allowed his
14-year-old son to see the film. Yes, I did.
What did he think of it?, the interviewer asked. Mel
said, He wanted to read the Book...and that's a good thing.
I
agree. The film can make us think. The film forces us to
wrestle with the enormity of what Jesus endured for us. But the
Book -- the Word of the Lord -- tells the whole story and
reveals to us our sin and calls us into relationship with Jesus.
I
am enjoying my readings in the Bible in a fresh way since seeing
the movie. The face of my Lord is ever-present; His love for me
is inescapable; my desire to find Him and rest in Him is more
passionate than before. But Mel won't have to make another film
so that I can find Jesus in those pages. God's Word does not
return to Him void. He speaks. I listen. My soul is
enlivened.
Search the scriptures this Easter! Meet Jesus in fresh and
transforming ways!
HE
BLED...HE DIED...BUT HE LIVES! IS HE LIVING IN YOUR HEART
TODAY?
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WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR
YOUR HEROES?
Most of the people I have
admired, and desired to emulate, have been people who were "near
at hand," people with whom I formed a friendship or close
association or with whom I shared some proximity of
relationship. These are the people whose opinions matter to me
and whose lives have influenced mine.
I
remember watching a TV documentary on the topic of abortion in
America. A certain big name actress was prominently featured
and she was passionately "pro-choice." There wasn't a shred of
evidence that she had any medical training that would qualify
her as an expert on the topic of when life begins. There was no
hint that she had ever taken a course in morality and ethics. I
don't think she was a mom herself!
But...she was a movie star. We were supposed to be awed by her
popular appeal, by her wealth, by her glamour, and on the basis
of all that, we were supposed to accept her view of abortion as
the correct and preferred one.
Sorry, I don't think that way, and I doubt that most people do.
I have a long list of people whose opinions matter to me, and
there isn't a movie star or sports figure among them. That's
not to say that I don't have proper respect for certain public
figures. I appreciate athletes who clearly put Christ Jesus and
family ahead of possessions and fame. I'm pleased when a
politician or other public figure stands up for scriptural
values.
But
when an ad campaign encourages me to "Be Like Mike" I can only
think, who is Michael Jordan, really? I don't have a personal
relationship with him. I'm impressed with his skill on the
basketball floor, but how can I "Be Like" that?! And then when
it was discovered that he had fathered a child outside of his
marriage, and it looked as though he and his wife would
divorce.... Well, which "MJ" am I to be like?
My
"heroes" are family members who instilled in me the values I
hold most dear, church saints whose stolid faith endured through
all manner of difficulty, pastors who exampled faithfulness to
the Lord and His Church to the very end of the journey, friends
whose loyalty never wavered. These are people I know. Their
walk matches their talk. I'm humbled by their humility. I'm
emboldened by their courage.
Over the next several weeks we have an opportunity to share the
incredible life-story of a woman who is known to many in our
church and is a living testimony to God's grace. On three
Sunday evenings, Chris Boggs will share her experience of being
born into poverty, in a small Appalachian community, with a
bilateral cleft palate. She recently completed a manuscript
which might eventually be published as a book. On these
upcoming evenings, I will be interviewing her about the content
of her manuscript.
Chris is a woman who is filled with God's love. When you hear
her story, you might expect to find a person who is bitter about
the misfortune life has dealt her, or who is envious of others
whose lives have not been so complicated. You won't find any of
that. Instead, there is in Chris a genuine gratitude to God for
the many blessings she has received, even a profound wonder that
God has been so good to her.
This is inspiring. I guarantee there will be laughter and tears
over the next several weeks as we walk with Chris through her
life-story. You need to be here, and I encourage you to bring
others. This will bless!
And
I don't mind telling you, Chris Boggs isn't a movie star but she
is definitely on my list of people I admire!
I AM
SURROUNDED BY A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES (Hebrews 12.1) -- TRUE
HEROES OF FAITH!
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THE WEATHER WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL
as we strolled down the Washington
Mall in our nation's capitol. That great obelisk of a monument
was behind us and we were headed toward the Smithsonian Air and
Space Museum. Nathan was elementary school age and I was
holding his hand as we walked along. I held his hand partly due
to fatherly affection and partly due to the fact that he had a
propensity to run off on his own.
Somewhere along the way, I happened to glance down and saw that
he was walking by my side with his eyes tightly closed, allowing
me to guide him along. Nathan, why are your eyes closed?
I'll never forget his answer: Because I don't want to
see the Air and Space Museum until we get there!
How
precious! He was so excited about his visit to this particular
museum -- the one place he wanted to see during our whole visit
to Washington, D.C. -- that he was "storing up" all the
thrill for that special moment when he would open his eyes and
behold the object of his dreams. I've never forgotten that
day. As a matter of fact, I suddenly had a new interest in air
and space myself! I looked at everything with a child's
innocence and a fresh enthusiasm. As we walked through the
various exhibits, I paid close attention to Nathan's enjoyment
of the whole experience...and he didn't disappoint! He was
enthralled with everything.
Last night, I was lying in bed "prayer-thinking" in communion
with the Lord. By that I mean that I was not praying audibly,
but in my mind I was sharing a conversation with God. He knows
my every thought, after all! In those thoughts shared with the
Lord, I was blessing Him for all His attributes, thanking Him
for all His kindness unto me, enjoying Him as my Savior,
Redeemer and Friend. It was during this time that the memory of
Nathan's day at the Smithsonian came back to mind.
I
thought how easily we allow ourselves to become weighed down
with cares, overwhelmed by the burdens of this life. We should
never be discouraged! Our God is bigger than the biggest
of our problems. Nothing is impossible for Him...nothing!
Moreover, just to know Him is enough. The thought of living
every day in His embrace, of closing my eyes at night in the
confidence that He is the One who sustains me, of opening my
eyes in the morning with the sure knowledge that He ordained
this new day and has a wonderful plan and purpose for me...these
are thoughts that restore and enable.
And
the anticipation of what God is going to reveal to me
today...not to mention the hope of what He will make known to me
in heaven someday...is enough to eclipse all the other worries
and anxieties that otherwise plague my existence. The Lord said
we must become like little children in order to enter into His
Kingdom. I picture myself holding God's hand, shutting tight my
eyes, anticipating the sheer wonder, the unspeakable joy of
stepping into the City of God that He has prepared for those who
are His.
There is no way to describe that day, but we know it will far
exceed all that we might imagine. It will contain those riches
in Christ Jesus that Paul said make our current struggles seem
light and momentary.
I
don't know what was in Nathan's mind as we approached the
museum. Perhaps he had no preconceptions at all, just a joyful
assurance that it was going be a grand adventure. That's a
little how I feel when I think about heaven. I have no idea
what to expect, but I know it's going to be great! And, in a
sense, that's how I want to approach each new day. Today...this
day!...is the day the Lord made! Rejoice! Be glad! And now
that you're in it...open your eyes! Behold the wonders of God's
great world!
WITH EYES
OF FAITH I LOOK UNTO JESUS...AND I AM TRANSFIXED BY THE WONDERS
OF HIS GRACE!
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LIVING A LIFE WORTHY OF OUR CALLING
is quite a challenge, don't
you think? That's exactly what Paul encouraged the Ephesian
Christians to do: live a life worthy of the calling you have
received (Ephesians 4.1). It's a standard that compels us
to consider who we are in Christ Jesus and to measure our
conduct over against His claim upon us.
Then Paul explains his admonition: Be completely humble and
gentle (v.2). Some translations say, with all humility
and gentleness. The qualifying word ("all" or
"completely") signals how important these qualities of humility
and gentleness are if we hope to live a worthy life.
Humility was a negative trait in Greco-Roman culture. It was a
sign of weakness and suggested contemptible servility. One's
goal was to ascend over others, not to be abased before them.
But the scriptures teach us that God brings down the proud and
arrogant and exalts the humble.
If
I am going to be "completely" humble, God will even use
difficult, embarrassing experiences in my life to teach me how
unworthy I am until I find my worth in Him. Recent events have
impressed this on me in fresh ways. How silly we are to think
highly of ourselves. How good God is to pop our balloons of
self-satisfaction.
And
we are to be "completely" gentle. Our Lord was. He had all
authority in heaven and earth, but He "waived" those rights when
He submitted Himself to the shame and indignity and torture of
the cross. He had every right to judge the sins of the world.
He chose instead to die for those sins, and so to purchase our
pardon.
"All" gentleness in me takes the form of not condemning another
for his transgression, but recognizing that if it were not for
the grace of God, I would be condemned myself. So, I practice
gentleness in restoring the one who has strayed. I acknowledge
that I needed help...I needed divine mercy and the grace of His
forgiveness...so that I might be raised from the mire of my
iniquity and set upon the rock of His righteousness.
Humility...Gentleness...completed in me by the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit of Him who is the very personification of these
graces.
Will you take time today to look at those around you? If you
are alone at the moment, "visit" them in your mind and by your
prayers. Think of the hurt, the shame, the brokenness that
define the living of so many who are your family and friends.
Think how they need a friend...how they need the Friend who is
closer than a brother...how they need Jesus. Think of the fact
that you might be the one who ensamples the very person of Jesus
for them. Be worthy of that calling. Be humble. Be gentle.
Completely.
Dear one...live a life worthy of the calling you have
received. Be completely -- completely! -- humble and
gentle -- Today! --; be patient, bearing with one
another in love.
LORD,
WHENEVER I GET "FULL OF MYSELF"...Choose a safe way to empty me
out!
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HAVE YOU SEEN "THE PASSION" YET?
I haven't, but I intend to. I'm not sure I can remember any
film receiving as much attention prior to its release. Here it
is the day after the first public showings, in more than 4000
theatres nationwide, and I'm sure the conversation will continue
for weeks. Along with others, I have encouraged believers to be
prepared to talk with friends and family members who are not
Christians. It's been a long time since Jesus was on "center
stage" in our culture to such a degree. Whatever you might
think of the film, with or without seeing it, surely we can all
agree that this is an opportune moment in human history to have
open and meaningful conversation about "the greatest story ever
told."
I've been preparing myself for such discussion, but I have to
admit I wasn't ready for the context that was presented
yesterday morning. I had an appointment with my dentist for a
routine checkup and cleaning. As the hygienist was in the
process of scraping for plaque, she asked me, "So what do you
think about The Passion?" You've been there! It's
more than a little difficult to "wax eloquent" when you're
basically lying on your back with fingers and a couple metal
instruments poking around inside your mouth.
If
the silence were never broken, the experience in a dental chair
could get a little weird, and who wants to spend the entire time
listening to the whirr of instruments that are at least faintly
reminiscent of the worst tales of torture we can remember? So,
the dentist speaks. But the patient can't, at least not very
well and not very often.
I've been fortunate to have dentists who have interesting things
to say, even when I can't respond. My present dentist is also
very considerate of the patient's state of incapacity. When a
question is asked, fingers and appliances are removed at just
the right moment, allowing a response. Of course, it could be a
matter of self-preservation. You don't want your livelihood
near a preacher's mouth when he starts talking.
Is
there a course called Dental Monologue 101, required for every
budding dentist or dental hygienist? Or does an interest in
teeth just come "companionated" to a gift for gab? Nonetheless,
my hygienist and I did have some good discussion about the film,
and it impressed on me how much interest there is in this
particular event. Indeed, it has become an "event" -- it's more
than just a movie.
Some two millennia after THE Event..the slice of time that
changed the world...humanity still finds it worthwhile to talk
about Jesus. How could He do that? Why did He do that?
And when the questions are asked or the comments are made, it's
a divine moment, an opportunity to give a defense for the hope
that lies within us.
My
dentist is seizing the opportunity. In the outer office, there
was a copy of John Piper's latest and timely book, The
Passion of Jesus Christ. On the end table there were
copies of a tract designed to follow-up the release of the
movie. With all the free "advertising" that Christianity has
received lately, you can be sure there will be people who will
pick up these items as they wait to be ushered in for their
procedure.
I
have prayed that the Lord will make me sensitive to every chance
I have to talk to someone about The Passion. Not just the
movie. The thing itself. The actual suffering of Jesus Christ
unto death. The movie will provoke discussion, but what really
matters is getting people to come by faith to the foot of the
very Cross itself, and there to meet the Lord who gave
Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age
(Galatians 1.4).
O,
what love! What sweet, amazing, incomprehensible, absolutely
unfathomable love!
"I'M SO
GLAD I LEARNED TO TRUST HIM, JUST TO TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD!"
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LOTS OF LOST ITEMS ARE LEFT
AT THE CHURCH.
After all, with three congregations and a school using our
facility, hundreds of people are in and out of the building
every week.
Last night as I left the mid-week service, a member was
commenting on how many things are in the "Lost and Found" bin,
and expressed surprise at some of the items that are unclaimed.
Like Bibles. He said he thought anyone who left their Bible for
more than two weeks should get a personal call from the pastor!
Sounds reasonable to me!
In
fact, I've actually done that...with a trace of sadistic
enjoyment...when, for example, it's an Elder: Say, are you
missing anything...like, maybe, YOUR BIBLE?! And by the way,
just how IS your devotional life...?
Over the years, not necessarily here but in other pastorates,
I've also seen some things conveniently "lost" at church, like
furniture that no one wanted anymore. Those items are usually
referred to as "donations." That's being "charitable," if you
know what I mean.
All
sorts of things are left at church: articles of clothing,
watches, expensive jewelry, cheap jewelry, whole sets of house
and car keys. We've had some items for years. An all-time
classic was the key ring with a placard that said, Quick!
Get Me Drunk So You Can Take Advantage of Me!
I
kept that one in my desk drawer for a long time, looking forward
to the conversation I would have when it was claimed. It was
never claimed.
And
by the way, notes that are passed during services are sometimes
left behind. I've read some pretty interesting conversations.
Not sure my sermon provoked those conversations. Doubt that
those unnamed persons want me to repeat those conversations.
It
all reminds me of a hymn we sang in my childhood: There's an
All-Seeing Eye Watching You. Oh, yes. You'd better
believe it.
It
also reminds me that church is a great place to leave the things
that ought to shame us and would embarrass us if they were
exposed to others. Some have knelt at a church altar and
confessed the most horrid things. Jesus accepts all that
baggage (garbage). In fact, He packs it all up and casts into
the deepest part of the ocean. He removes it as far as the east
is from the west. It's gone...it's cleansed...it's
history...it's "old news," and when we are in Christ the old is
gone and the new has come.
Yes, there are plenty of unclaimed lost items at church. And
there are plenty of sins "left behind" at church altars, sordid
stuff that we don't ever want to reclaim. That's one of the
things I love about church!
ONCE I
WAS LOST...NOW I AM FOUND...AND I DON'T WANT TO "FIND" THE
"LOST" SELF AGAIN!
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DO YOU TALK TO GOD?
I do! When you stop to think about it, it's
pretty remarkable -- outrageous, even -- to say that we can hold
a conversation with the Creator of the universe. The unbeliever
might consider a person who "talks to God" as either naive, a
little loopy, or dangerously off the deep end. And does God
also talk to you?
Well, yes, He does! I don't hear voices telling me to do this
or do that, but the fact is, God talked to me first! He spoke
to all of creation when His voice commanded the world to be. He
spoke through "holy men of old" when He gave us the Scriptures.
He spoke when His Word became flesh and dwelled among us. He
speaks to me now by the impulse and influence of His Holy Spirit
abiding in me. Amazing!
And
since He talks to me, I feel perfectly comfortable talking to
Him. Indeed, I have found that my life is unbearably difficult
and unmanageable if I am not talking to Him. I have "issues."
So do you! If we bottle them up inside -- if we try to handle
all our concerns without His aid -- we can be crushed under the
weight of those burdens. So, I tell them to Him.
Our
church finances are tight right now. That happens from time to
time, especially when a church is engaged in as much ministry as
ours is, but tight finances always create worry and anxiety for
a pastor. So, early this morning I talked to God about
it.
I'm
dealing with an issue in the church family that has potential to
cause injury to some. It won't be easy to sort everything out
and discern the right thing to do. Such things arise with
regularity in the life of the church, but they are stressful for
the pastor. So, I talked to God and I put the matter
in His hands.
We
moved a while back and have been involved in a construction
project, adding to the house. Weather and other delays have
hindered completion, and we've had some leaking ceilings, etc.
I could stress out about it, but...I talked to God
a while back and I'm enjoying His peace.
As
I was typing this, I had a telephone call from someone who is
dealing with a situation in the workplace. She wants to be sure
she does the right thing, and in the course of our conversation
she said I talked to God about the matter...she is
leaving it to Him to resolve. She didn't even know what I was
preparing for Thursday Thoughts!
It's astonishing how much more relaxed I am when I'm turning
things over to the One who has all knowledge and all power.
Last night at our mid-week Bible Study & Prayer Service, our
teacher reminded us that prayer is really about communing with
the Lord in such a way that we get ourselves into alignment with
His will. Too often, we pray as though the goal is to get God
to do our will.
There are many other reasons to pray, but surely one very good
one is that talking to God lessens the stress that can fill my
days and dictate my mood, robbing me of joy and of hope. I know
you have burdens and concerns that sometimes threaten to
overwhelm and undo you. I'm just saying...Talk to God!
WE SHOULD
NEVER BE DISCOURAGED -- TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER!
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I'M LIVING FOR THE SEVENTH
DAY!
That's what I've been telling people lately. And no, I
haven't become an Adventist. Let me explain what I mean.
We're in a deep freeze here in northern West Virginia. For
quite a while the temperatures have rarely been above freezing,
and we have had a lot of nights in the single digits or even
below zero. Our shower drain has frozen and the house is
surrounded by so much ice it looks like we're living on a
glacier!
So,
when the weather forecast is given, I don't care a hoot about
what's happening today or tomorrow -- I just keep looking for
that seven-day forecast. I keep hoping that the seventh day is
going to say...The high will be 59 degrees with plenty of
sunshine and a warm breeze flowing out of the south....
But, no.... Day after day after day, it's more of the same.
And
it got me to thinking -- Aren't we all really living for the
seventh day? The Bible says God created the world in six days,
and then He rested. The Sabbath is our day of rest. It's the
day of completion, the acknowledgement and celebration of
accomplishment, the joyful thanksgiving that comes at the end of
the labor.
My
eyes are on the distant horizon. I might have to live in the
here and now -- all bundled up and wincing in the bitter cold --
but I'm looking forward to my eternal Sabbath. No frozen drains
there!
At
the same time, while we live in this space that precedes the Day
of Rest, there is much for which we give thanks. Remember last
week when I told you about the lady who needed wheels to get to
work? I even said, My experience has been that whenever
there is a need in the Body of Christ, there is also someone who
is perfectly situated to address that need. Well...listen
to this --
After sending out that message, I frankly expected to be
bombarded with people who would say, Hey, I've got an extra
car sitting here.... Didn't happen. Some people inquired
about how to help financially, but not one had a car. No one
called, no one e-mailed, nothing. I began to wonder, Lord,
isn't there someone who can help? I went to bed that night
with no answer.
The
next morning, a call came. Someone in the church family had an
available car because their child is going to be away for an
extended time. And get this: the car is all-wheel drive!
Perfect for driving to and from Clarksburg in these current
conditions. Indeed, God had someone perfectly...perfectly...situated
to address the need. The only offer I got was the
perfect answer! He IS good, ALL the time!
The
"test of our Emergency Response System" was a success! And even
though I AM living for the seventh day, it sure is a joy
to watch what God is doing in our world today!
Now, if He will just send that warm, southern breeze....
NEVER
DOUBT THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD -- HIS HELP IS ON THE WAY!
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THIS IS A TEST
of our "Emergency Response
System!" Radio and TV will sometimes test their emergency
broadcasting systems. After the loud, sustained tone the
announcer will say, If this had been a real emergency....
Well, I've decided to test our response system today.
Last night I learned that a member of our congregation has an
emergency need. Her car is in the shop. The bill is very
large. She thought she would be able to arrange a payment plan,
but the policy of this garage is that the bill must be paid in
full. She doesn't have that much money. In the meantime, she
needs to get to work. If she can't get to work, she might soon
lose her job and then she can't pay any bills.
She
has to drive to Clarksburg daily, so it's a bit of distance, and
the need is immediate -- she must leave Morgantown by 1:30 this
afternoon. I wonder if anyone in our extended church family has
a vehicle that might be made available to her so that she can
get to work?
The
scripture is clear about our duty to help those in need. In
fact, we are admonished to do good to all men and especially
those of the household of faith. In the early Church, no
one had need because everyone shared everything in common. We
are instructed, If you see your brother has need, go to
him....
Moreover, my experience has been that whenever there is a need
in the Body of Christ, there is also someone who is perfectly
situated to address that need. Someone who realizes, I have
the means to address this concern. Someone whom God
touches with a heart of compassion. Someone who will give
cheerfully and be happy to help. In this instance it might be
someone who says, Hey, I've got a car I'm not using right
now. You're welcome to use it. Isn't it wonderful how God
provides a helper for everyone who is helpless?!
Through the church office, we often get requests for help from
folks who have no affiliation with our church or any other.
Many times, we have given assistance. However, I always point
out to such folk that here is a reason why they really need to
become part of the family of God: His people take care of each
other.
Just the other day, I was talking to a person who has been going
through a series of difficult trials. In the conversation, she
expressed her thankfulness that certain other events -- which
had been expected -- had not yet happened, because if they had
she didn't know how the family would have managed. The other
events still could happen, but I told her that even if things
turned for the worse, I was confident that there are people in
our church who will "step up" and offer the assistance necessary
to see this family through.
I
truly believe that. In my ministry, over and over again I have
seen situations that became more than one person or one family
could bear...and God's people came alongside.
So...here's an opportunity. If you're the one the Lord is
calling, let me know. I'll give you more information and put
you in touch with the one in need. And perhaps next week I will
be able to report to all of us how the Lord answered.
What a blessing to know that your family is there for you when
the world is too much!
SO OFTEN
I REMIND MYSELF -- I'm SO GLAD I'm a Part of the Family of God!
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DO YOU HAVE THE GIFT
OF ENCOURAGEMENT?
Some people seem to be "natural"
encouragers. That is, they make such a habit of lifting up
others that we say it's just part of their nature to be of
encouragement.
The
truth is, however, anyone can be an encourager. It requires
some conscious thought and intentional act, but it's a choice we
can make. And the results are astounding.
My
ninth-grade English teacher did not encourage me! In fact, near
the end of that school year she informed me, Goodin, if you
work hard in high school you might be a "B" student, but you'll
never be an "A" student, and you're certainly not college
material.
Well! I figured she knew what she was talking about. She was a
respected teacher and her husband was a professor at West
Virginia University. Back then, ninth grade was the final year
of Junior High, and I graduated with the expectation that my
High School experience would be a dismal one.
By God's grace, my
tenth grade English teacher --
ENGLISH! -- was an encourager.
He challenged me, provoked interest in aspects of literature I
had not explored before, and generally made the classroom and
the home assignments more of a delight than a chore. I enjoyed
myself...and got an "A" in his class.
When I graduated
from High School and entered college, the words of my
ninth-grade English teacher still
lingered in my memory. I expected to fail, but the one thing I
knew I enjoyed was reading and literature. Long story short, I
majored in English Literature and eventually won a scholarship
awarded to the top student in the Department. The
ENGLISH Department!
I
wonder if it would have happened without the encouragement of
that tenth-grade teacher.
When we tell someone we appreciate them...when we thank them for
something they have done...when we let them know they have
blessed us in some way...when we remind them that they are of
priceless worth in the eyes of our sovereign Creator...when we
help them "pick up the pieces" after a failure and urge them to
give it another try -- I know you can do it! -- the
benefit of that encouragement is obvious. A smile may brighten
the face, a cloud of doubt and timidity lifts, a zest for life
is restored.
And
encouraging others is good for the encourager, too! Giving
encouragement to someone else helps me to forget about myself.
It makes me more outward-focused, more aware of and attentive to
the needs of those around me, less consumed with who I am and
what my needs are. And surely, that's more like Jesus! He said
he came to serve, not to be served. That should be our creed.
Before you forget about it, make a note to yourself now. Think
of someone who needs your encouragement and plan how you will
communicate your appreciation or affirmation to that person.
Follow up quickly, or you'll forget!
By
the way, another name for "encouragement" is...LOVE.
JESUS
LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW! This I KNOW! What Rich
Encouragement!
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"I KNOW A DEAD TREE WHEN I
SEE ONE!"
Some years ago our church sponsored a refugee family from
Liberia, Africa. Bridgette Redd and six children arrived in
Pittsburgh on a cold January day. It was another year before
her husband, Dickson, was allowed to rejoin the family.
In
January, our beautiful West Virginia deciduous forests are
deplumed! The leaves have long since fallen. They have been
raked up and disposed of or have rotted away. If any remain,
they're probably hidden under a layer of snow. So, all you have
are bare limbs and what looks like a barren tree.
Bridgette told her children that in a couple months the trees
would bud and there would be leaves again. The kids weren't
buying it! One of the boys said with determination, "I know a
dead tree when I see one!"
Imagine his surprise when his mother's prediction came true.
For a boy who had never seen such a transformation in his part
of the world, imagine what it was like to behold the change as
all those dry "sticks" began to turn green, some of them with a
beautiful flowering stage as well, until the entire landscape
teemed with the renewed life of spring.
You
and I have become accustomed to the changing seasons. When the
leaves turn brown and red and gold and then fall from the
branches, we don't wail and lament and call for a day of
mourning. We know that after a time they will be green again.
And when spring comes, we welcome its beauty and warmth, but we
don't wonder at it. We aren't amazed. We've see it all before.
Just think about it. If we didn't believe that spring was on
the way, there wouldn't be any winter "sports." How could you
have any fun, any sport, if you truly thought, "This is it.
Death has won. It's all over." Instead of madcapping down a
ski slope, we would all convene in a funeral parlor to lament
our sad misfortune.
Some have compared life to the changing seasons: The spring of
youth...the summer of high activity...the fall of our "golden
years"...the winter that brings our demise. But the believer
knows that winter is not an end. It is, in fact, the prelude to
something so grand we can scarcely imagine its splendor. Winter
is the threshold to new life. Death is a door that opens into
the Eden of God's perfect eternity.
Wow! No dead trees there! Not ever!
That's a change of season I can't wait to see! And just about
this time of year -- with temperatures dipping to 7 degrees
Fahrenheit tonight -- I'm looking forward to spring! Even more,
I'm looking forward to the day I see Jesus, face to face, and
enter into the place He has prepared, a place where nothing is
dead or decaying, nothing is rotten or ruined. What a day!
What a place!
WHAT A
DAY THAT WILL BE WHEN MY JESUS I SHALL SEE!
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WHAT DO YOU DO TO
CULTIVATE YOUR FAITH?
How are you nurturing your
relationship with the Lord, so that your passion for Him and His
service doesn't wane?
I'm
reading a book my daughter gave me for Christmas. It's about
the faith of our president, George W. Bush, and it's proving to
be an enjoyable read. The book chronicles his progression from
nominal Christian faith to public confession that Jesus Christ
is his personal Lord and Savior. I'm especially fascinated to
learn about some of the persons and events that influenced him
in his introduction to Christ.
The
book also mentions President Bush's habit of reading the daily
devotional selection from My Utmost for His Highest, a
classic by Oswald Chambers. This book is a favorite of many
Christians and I've been told it has outsold every other
Christian work except Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
It's good stuff.
On
September 11, 2001, the reading proved to be especially poignant
and meaningful. The selection is titled, "Missionary
Munitions." Consider the opening sentences, and imagine how
useful they were in preparing our president for the horrific
events of that day:
Talk about "haphazard surroundings!" That was a day unlike any
other in American history, and even those who have little regard
for our president were aware that on that day he seemed
especially "presidential," especially calm and collected as he
called forth the courage of our nation.
Oswald Chambers isn't an inspired author of scripture, but his
insights are greatly beneficial in nourishing our souls. I
encourage you take intentional steps to cultivate your faith in
2004. First, be faithful to read the Bible. That's God's
manual for healthy living! Second, talk to God all the time.
That's called prayer. Third, choose a devotional reading (or a
succession of them) that will speak health to your soul all year
long. That's wisdom.
When you establish a daily discipline of devotion, you're ready
for whatever the world throws at you!
THE
PROMISE IS PLAIN: DRAW NEAR TO GOD...HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU!
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