Monday, October 31, 2016

Faithful Foreigner

10/31/2016

Mark 7.30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. – St. Mark

In Mark 7, a woman from the Gentile district of Tyre (NW of Judea) came to Jesus to ask Him to deliver her daughter from a demon. The account gives us no information of what the demon was doing to the little girl, only that she was possessed by this supernatural infestation. Initially, Jesus (apparently) refused  to help the woman. His attitude appeared to be: Go away!

Not to be dissuaded, the woman pressed the Lord for a response and a bit of an interchange resulted.

Jews then didn’t associate with foreigners – unless, of course, there is some sort of tourism or trade money associated. (I’m not trying to be cute, but with all the Christian visitors to the Holy Land each year, you’d think there would be a tremendous return of modern Jews to Christ. But there isn’t. The Jews of today don’t associate much with foreigners either.)

However, Jesus wasn’t outright refusing to associate with her, He was probably testing her. She knew about the Jews and their attitudes, but she also had heard about Jesus and she had a need. Her daughter was in serious trouble. I think Jesus tested her resolve. In resolve, she pressed Him for help.

It is interesting to me that we here, in the enlightened west, don’t quite know what to do about demons. We write them off as myths or stories because of our devotion to science; and then we treat serious spiritual problems with medication, not spiritual authority. Foreigners to our world wonder why we let the demon possessed just walk about among us…

But the woman had a need, and she asserted herself to Jesus to elicit His help. When Jesus rejected her in the manner He did, she wasn’t moved, she simply responded to His objections, and He granted her what she wanted because of her faith. Faith knows no foreigners. Faith responds to the believer regardless of race, gender, or nationality. Jesus responds to faith.

And Jesus told the woman foreigner, “For such a [response], you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” The demon couldn’t stand up to a connection of faith with Jesus Christ.

The story isn’t a story about foreigners but a story about faith. (Although we could make a case for foreigners in the Kingdom of Belief.) The only way to gain access to the Kingdom of Belief is with belief. We call that faith. It doesn’t mean we believe in a made-up Kingdom, it means we assert ourselves to God for access into His realm. His realm isn’t made-up; His realm is unseen. The needy access the Kingdom believing, that though unseen, it is still there.

It doesn’t matter who we are or where we’re from, the Kingdom is the Kingdom and only the faithful find God there. What are we fighting today that can only be resolved by faith in the King of Kings?

Father in Heaven, You know I need Your help and need Your touch to fix me. I come in faith like the woman of old, perhaps not as a foreigner, but as a child who needs a touch from the King. I can only come by faith. I can only be healed by faith. And I can only proceed by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please You because those that come to You must believe that You are; and that You reward those who diligently seek You – only the faithful are accepted… Amen.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

The Partnership

10/30/2016

Job 21.4 Is my complaint directed to a human being? Why should I not be impatient? – Job

Ah Job, what are we going to do with you? You do have quite a case, but we’re having trouble buying the whole: all of your troubles were brought on by the God; and somehow you deserve special restitutive treatment from Him… C’mon Job! Man up and admit you’re wrong!

If we read Job as if we’d never read it before, it might take on a different meaning. If we read Job exclusive from the rest of the Bible, it would take on hugely different meaning. Nothing like what happened to Job had ever happened before, and those who sought to arrest Job from his mentality were having difficulty believing him that God was somehow “at fault”.

I have thought about Job’s relationship with God and I think I have come to a new place in my thinking in that: I think Job (a non-Jew) viewed God much like Muslims view Allah. Job believed there was a God and that God was supreme. Job believed God was involved in his life, but I believe he saw God at a distance. Job knew he was an upright soul, but he only knew that because of how he lived his life: he lived to keep God happy. He had a very uncomfortable view of what happened when God wasn’t.

Yes, Job judged himself by his righteousness, but he was, in his own way, righteous. And when it all hit the fan Job had only God to blame; so, he asked God, “Why!?” Followed with: “What have I done!?” Job knew this: there was a God, and he wasn’t Him; and he was seeking God for answers to his plight.

Job’s friends perhaps knew of God but if Job’s view of God was stunted, his friend’s views were infantile. So, Job’s response is: “Is my complaint directed to a human being? Why should I not be impatient?” In other words, I am asking God for an answer and He isn’t cooperating! There it is, an uncooperative God.

Job knew of God, and respected Him. Job lived a decent life and treated people well. He was also well thought of – but his respect for God wasn’t necessarily translated into love for God. I think love for God was outside of Job’s wheelhouse. I think Job’s concept of a love for God might be like that of many moderns: silly, goofy, effeminate, and unmanly! Job needed a God to come to his rescue. Moderns think that way too. Job needed a God to keep the wheels of his life from falling off. We think that way too.

So, what is our response when the wheels do fall off? God, where the (bleep) are You!?

Since we do read Job in context with the rest of Scripture, God’s love is a concept that is presented in the rest of scripture. Our love for God is awakened in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus enables us to love God, and to love others. Job didn’t know of Jesus, but he did know of God. Job knew God. Lived for God. But Job didn’t know of God’s love and got frustrated when God didn’t come to his rescue as quickly as he thought He should. Sounds an awful lot like us. Impatient, impatient, impatient…

Father, may my life with You be reflected in my love for You and may my love for You be reflected in my cooperation with You. Help me to hear, and to see, and to do, because You command it, and expect it. Like Job, may I accept the good and the bad, but may I do so with a heart that understands Your love for me, and somehow may that be translated in my love for You. Our life together is a partnership. Long live the partnership! Amen

Saturday, October 29, 2016

A Jobian Ride

10/29/2016

Mark 4.40 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” – St. Mark

I’ve been in a funk. I feel like I’ve been in a boat, out on the lake, and the winds have come up ferociously and my Lord is sleeping in the back on a cushion. I’ve wanted to scream at Him, Hey! You! Wake up!!

And then I come back to reality and remember that He may have slept back then, but He’s anything but sleepy now: Jesus Christ, the Savior King is fully in control and fully in command. And He sees me, hears me, and knows the season I’m going through. And He, though I can’t see, is working on my behalf.

I’m currently reading the Book of Job. It’s an annual affair, every year on October 17 the journey starts, and every year on November 15, I read the last chapter, and it’s off until the next year. This year, the journey has been remarkably different. My circumstances are different, and I have a new appreciation for the Book and its main character: the man, Job. It seems this year, I’m having a bit of a Jobian ride…

The thing about Job, he couldn’t understand why what was happening to him, was happening to him. He knew he hadn’t done anything to make God mad, but he sure felt like God had dealt him a death blow. And then his friends came to comfort him and he found their comfort was more like rebuke and an insistence that he’d somehow pissed-off God, and was getting his just desserts. Friends can be like that sometimes, can’t they.

Job began to do some heavy introspection. I’m sure he asked himself, What have I done to deserve this? I think we all have a tendency toward the, Why-Me’s. And then the questioning, the searching, the reviewing, the agonizing. What is going on here, and how did I get in the middle of this – and, WHERE IS GOD!? Shhh! He’s in the back, snoozing…

But then the sun comes up, and the question comes up: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” In other words: if God is God and He’s led us here thus far, child, why has your faith slipped because of a Jobian season in your life? Job questioned. WE question. God asks:  where is your faith? Am I not God of the good seasons, and the bad (as you call them)? Do you still not believe in Me?

I think that’s at the crux of the Jobian crucible: our faith – my faith has suffered some slippage; If He is not God of all, He is not God at all. It’s that simple. The math is always the same. It’s my application of the math that comes into question.

A friend of mine – very unlike Job’s friends (who, by the way, only wanted to fix their friend Job) came into my office and counseled me in his friendly, rancher sort of way: “Paul, you’ve gotta relax and trust that God has this.” And that’s what it really boils down to in our Jobian seasons, however long they last: Does God, sleeping or no, have this? Are we still safe in His care? Do we trust that He does care? And friends, Jesus asks: “Why are you [we/I] so afraid? Do you [we/I] still have no faith?” It’s worth thinking about…

Lord, today is a new day and Your mercies are new as well. Thank You for a night of sleep and for a new perspective today on my faith. No, Lord, I am not afraid; and, no Lord, I haven’t run out of faith. I rejoice in You this morning and trust in You for this day; it’s all under Your control and command! Amen.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Their Belief

10/28/2016

Mark 2.5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  - St. Mark

The friends carried the man to Jesus. The friends believed. The friends tore a hole in the roof large enough to lower the friend through. The friends carried the man up the stair and onto the roof. The friends, apparently, had a way to lower the man; maybe they had rope. And Mark wrote (as Peter recounted to him), ‘when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”'

I wonder how the conversation got started in the first place – did the man come up with the idea to get in front of Jesus or was it the friends’ idea? Did they originally plan to just bring the man to Jesus, but when they got there, the crowd was so large that they had to go to Plan B? And then with whatever plan they came up with, what was their overall expectation? Full healing? Partial healing? Rejection?

And, when Mark wrote “their faith”, was it the faith of the friends or the faith of the whole group: man, mat, and men? Do we have to separate the man from the friends?

I think someone came up with the idea to get the paralyzed guy to Jesus. I think others were persuaded and the plan hatched. I think they intended to just go find Jesus, and have the Lord touch the man and heal him. I don’t think they factored in the size of the crowds attracted to Jesus. I think when they got to Jesus, they went to plan b (hastily concocted) because of the failure of plan a, and the size of the crowd.

And when Jesus saw their faith – man, mat, and men – he said to the paralyzed man: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Whoa! I thought Jesus was supposed to say to the man: You’re healed! What happened? The plan was going so right! Your sins are forgiven!? Who said anything about sins!?

Well, the men and the man were only part of the story. The rest of the story included the crowd and some religious types who thought Jesus was some sort of a Sham-Wow pitchman. The crowd thought healing was the big item on the menu, and then Jesus started talking about sin. The sin Jesus was referring to was: unbelief. Sin doesn’t cause paralyzation, but sin keeps one away from God, the Healer.

You can’t forgive unbelief. (We can’t really forgive anything if we’re unwilling to forgive everything). The unforgiveable sin is simply unbelief. It isn’t murder, or abortion, or infidelity, or porn. These things are terrible and awful but they aren’t unforgiveable. Only unbelief is. And it is unbelief that got Jesus crucified. Unbelief is unforgiveable because if one cannot believe in the forgiver, one cannot be forgiven. Without belief in God, there is no pardon from God. Hmmm...

So, Jesus said to the unbelievers: Is it easier to forgive sin or to heal? And to the paralyzed man he said: “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” It is easy for God to do both: forgive sins, and heal people. But the bigger issue with God is this: the sin of unbelief; and even God cannot forgive that…

Lord, our lives are all about what we believe. We do what we believe. May my life be all about belief in You. You’re my only Hope. You are my Forgiver. Lord, also be my Healer. Thank You Jesus, amen

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Graciously Granted

10/27/2016

Acts 27.23-24 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ – St. Paul

In the swirling chaos of a storm at sea; a fairly small vessel, and the fear and trepidation that gripped them all, Paul got a visit from an angel. It wasn’t his first rodeo; nor, do I think it was his last. God had a mission for Paul and used a series of difficult events for him to testify of the Good News before the greatest figure in the then-known world: Caesar.

Like Pharaoh centuries before, God wanted to get His message across to a world ruler: trust Me, obey Me, and all will go well with you. World leaders at times are smart and clever, but they, despite their worldly power and influence, are only human with all the subsequent weaknesses thereof.

Paul’s journey to Rome began sometime in his ministry out on the road, and in Acts 19.21 he said, “I must visit Rome also.” Later in Acts 23, God said: “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” So between the two, God and Paul, the strategy was to get Paul to Rome, the center of the then-known world. God’s love for people and Paul’s willingness to obey got Paul to Rome to share the Gospel. And to Rome, despite treachery and nature, Paul went…

The angel on the ship was interesting because: a) no one else, to our knowledge, got an angelic visitation, and b) the angel reassured Paul that God had graciously granted them survival in the storm. God, in His heavenly governance of the universe, had His eye on a small ship out in the Mediterranean Sea with 276 people aboard. And in His governance, God granted life for all. Some were granted life only to face execution, and others were granted life to follow the path God lad laid out for them. But all were graciously granted life to face whatever awaited them.

I think sometimes we overlook the God who graciously allows us to face trying times and difficult circumstances. I think sometime we think God is too big and too busy to stop and peek into our tiny little lives and graciously grant us much of anything at all. But in the midst of His Heavenly, and Universal governance, God is keenly aware of who we are, where we are, and what we’re facing; and He grants graciously for us to face whatever comes next.

On the whiteboard in my office are the letters WASWGWD. They stand for, Wait and See What God Will Do. God is graciously granting life to me and I am to wait (not panic) and see (through eyes of faith) what God (has graciously granted) will do (as I face what I face, and whatever comes next). I’ve yet (to my knowledge) to have an angel stop by to encourage me, but the letters on the whiteboard are there to encourage me to keep on keeping on in this life that God has graciously granted that I have. In His governance of all He governs, I am included. I pray for a doosie…

Father in Heaven, thank You that I am included in all You do. Thank You that You’ve graciously granted for me to partake in all You’ve planned for me. And thank You that I am graced to face what comes next. I yield myself to You; and in the midst of my storms, I trust You. Today, I am waiting. Amen

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Show Me

10/26/2016

Acts 26.20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. – St. Paul

In the 1964 musical, My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle, complains about Freddy’s promises. She cries out: Words! Words! Words! I’m so sick of words! I get words all day through; first from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do!? She went on: Don't talk of stars, burning above, if you're in love, show me! Tell me no dreams. filled with desire, if you're on fire, show me! In other words, Freddy, shut up and do something!

Those might also have been the words of Paul to the Gentiles; he said, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. We don’t prove our repentance by words; we prove it by a changed life, a life of action. Don’t talk of Jesus, show me!

Full disclosure: I’m a talker; I love to have deep conversations about God and His presence in the world. I like to discuss theology and how it applies to modern man. My men’s group on Thursdays is a talk-fest. But talk means nothing if there isn’t some action to back up the speech. That’s what Paul meant by demonstrating our repentance by our deeds. He meant deeds of kindness, acceptance, and love that are the direct result of our present relationship with Jesus in our everyday life.

Eliza was frustrated by Freddy’s bold speeches of his undying devotion to her. She wasn’t having it – she wanted Freddy to put actions to his intentions. Paul (and others in the New Testament) said the same thing: proof of love for Jesus is shown not in only in our talk, but also in our actions.

Our repentance must be demonstrated to be validated. Our repentance needs to be visible and tangible. Our repentance needs proof; and the proof is in our doing. The proof is in relationship, whether it is three bucks given in compassion to a needy guy in a parking lot in Boise, or taking someone to lunch to show there’s more depth in our relationship with them that just, “Hey, how’s it going?” The proof is in the doing.

I am convicted today. I’m convicted by my penchant for words and my lack of tangible expression of God’s love. If life is just about learning to do as others do, then my crowd would be a boring bunch of eggheads droning on about this concept or that. Like the Athenians of old, [we’d spend our time] doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. Ideas without actions (deeds) are useless. Life is about action and life is about doing to other as we would have others do to us.

Father, there is more to my life than talk. Life abundant, as Jesus promised, is life with others, and deeds done showing the depth of the relationship I have with You deeds expressed in love and kindness with them. May my walk of Jesus be more than talk; may my life with Jesus be demonstrated in my walk, and how I relate to others by what I do for You. Amen

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Un-Coded Truth

10/25/2016

Job 16.5 But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. – Job

The dialogue in Job between Job and his friends often seems to boil down to a war of words – much like a current presidential election. I have a friend who sometimes reads my posts and even comments on them; I like it when he does. But he also posts some of the most vicious political polemics and I don’t like it when he does. Job didn’t like it when his friends called him a secret sinner

I sometimes read articles that I probably shouldn’t read where the authors use words that are too big for me. One of the big words is, schadenfreude (shodden – froy – deh). Schadenfreude is a German word for taking or deriving pleasure at another’s misfortunes. Schadenfreude is not as old as Job but it seems taking pleasure at other’s misfortunes is: Job’s friends were convinced Job was a secret sinner.

I watched the first part of the movie, The Imitation Game last night. I would’ve watched all of it, but these days, when bedtime calls, one obeys; or suffers for it the next morning… In the movie, the main character, Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) said this, “People speak in code; they say one thing, but mean another.” I thought about Job as I watched the movie.

And we do; we say one thing but mean another. And we do that all the time.

Job was innocent in his eyes. He didn’t ask for his misfortune and hadn’t a clue that the Almighty had given permission for him to suffer as he did. Job also hadn’t a clue that God loved him. He thought all he did out of his obedience to his upbringing impressed God. He didn’t realize God loved him. And neither did Job’s friends realize the love of God for Job, and for themselves. So, they talked in code and when they became exasperated with each other, they retreated to schadenfreude: if you won’t admit I’m right, I’m going to smile wickedly, and watch as you burn.

Job is a book for the ages, but Christ is the Savior for eternity. Eternity, depending on how one views it, isn’t a concept for then, it’s a concept for now. When does eternity begin? It’s already begun; it’s already going. Jesus is the Savior of eternity – meaning, He is eternal. His life on earth was limited to a specific point in time, but He is eternal. And, so will you and I be, if He is our Savior for eternity.

Job is a book about stuff happening, and stuff happens. But stuff happening is apart from God’s eternal presence. And God’s love is above the wars of words and the ensuing schadenfreude. For the modern reader of Scripture, Job (the book) is a reminder that in the midst of stuff happening (for whatever reason it happens), God is present and loves us in the midst of it; His love sees us through it. We are called to believe that. We’re called to speak the truth (non-code) in love and as Job says above: my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. O, that we could learn that.

Father in Heaven, You didn’t give us half the story; You gave us the whole thing (or at least as much as You deemed necessary for us to understand). Lord, we are to speak the truth in love and we are to comfort and encourage one another, not battle over words. Help me to be an encourager and to speak Your un-coded truth. May I be a blessing to others and a comfort to those in sorrow – Amen.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

One-of-a-Kind

10/23/2016

Acts 17.32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” – St. Luke

Drive past any cemetery today and look to see which graves are empty; how many of them have been abandoned by their inhabitants. You won’t find many. I’m betting you won’t find any. Resurrection is a very odd occurrence.  What makes it more odd is someone who would die the death deserved for you and then rise from the dead to make a way so you could become God’s child.

No wonder the Athenians sneered – how could such a thing happen?

I know throughout Christendom and throughout the ages, ones have been raised from the dead. My own dad fell, dead, from a heart-attack, and was ‘revived’ medically that day; he succumbed to final death a few days later. There is, at least, one account of coming back from death…

The difference is, my dad didn’t give his life for anyone. (Now, I need to be careful lest I dishonor the fact that my dad gave his life in other ways for his family and for us as a nation.) But my dad didn’t die for my sins. He lived to help me live a good life, but he didn’t die for my sins. And though he was brought back from the dead for 6 days, he remained in a coma and ultimately passed away.

There are many accounts in Scripture of resurrections, but none, other than the Lord, died for the sins of others and came back from the dead to make a way for them to come to God. I think that is why the sneers – who could/would do a thing like that!? (Short answer: only God). Resurrection is not uncommon, but atonement is; there is only one Atonement fit for all mankind ever; and only God did it.

Here is where the rub comes: mankind is so arrogant in his sin that he cannot accept God’s One-of-a-kind atonement. Mankind wants to deal with his own sins in his own way and leave God out of the process. That, my friends is why people really sneer: they can’t accept what only God can do for them; they insist they can make themselves good enough and bypass what only God can do. Such is the magnitude of human sin and pride. And sneers.

Not everybody sneers though; some actually accept the truth. What is more marvelous is some actually accept the truth in these enlightened days in which we live. Go figure. The truth is often a hard pill to swallow, but that just means, the bigger the pill, the harder we work to swallow it. Life is like that too, the tougher the days, the harder we work to overcome them.

One thing we cannot do is atone for ourselves; that is limited exclusively for God’s wheelhouse. Can we, will we accept that?

Lord, help me to remember who the sinner is, and Who the Atoner is. Your life, death, and resurrection, were all part of the process for me to come to know You in spirit and truth (forever) and may I live, like Paul of old, to help others see that atonement is what we need, and a risen Savior guarantees that. Jesus, You are infinitely more than a good man, or a great teacher, You are the One who died for us all that we might come to God as a result. And find life more abundant than all of this earth has to offer. Use me to share that truth – amen.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Earnestly Praying


10/20/2016

Acts 12.5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. – St. Luke

What is earnest prayer? What’s the difference between earnest prayer of some other kind of prayer? Perhaps it depends on the situation. Jesus told His men in the garden, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26.41 That was earnest prayer. I tend to think of earnest prayer as battling before the throne when things get tough.

But the need for earnest prayer is not just to get something done; it’s to move the heart of God. God is going to do what He’s going to do, but He listens to His people and responds to them in their need.

My son is three weeks into Basic Military Training; it is something he’s never experienced before and he is uncomfortable. He gets yelled at all the time. He has to live in a barracks full of 30 other men and make his bed, share the shower, march in formation, and do as he is told. His biggest cry? Send me letters of encouragement. Send as many as you can.

I think if ever God cries out to us for anything it’s this: talk to Me! Talk with Me. Tell Me your deepest needs and let Me help you! God loves to hear our voices.

Earnest prayer should be the norm for the believer. If we’re in need, pray earnestly. If we’re praising and thanking God for who He is and what He’s done, pray earnestly. If we’re just conversing with the Almighty, then we’re to put our heart into it. In this life, there are no real small needs when it comes to our lives before God. Earnest prayer is the order of the day.

The one thing King Herod wasn’t counting on was earnest prayer on the part of the Church. An unbeliever cannot fathom communication with God. Very rarely have I asked to pray for someone and been turned down. But on occasion I have, and the disdain for prayer then was almost palpable. Those who don’t let me pray, don’t understand. The soldiers guarding Peter didn’t understand either and suffered the consequences.

What needs do you have today? Are you praying earnestly for them to be met? Is anyone else praying with you? God listens to our voices but He seems to prefer the choral effort in prayer rather than solos.

My take away is this: pray often, pray earnestly. Give God the credit that He hears and acts, and pray accordingly. What in life is it that we are facing that we are choosing to face alone? Pray earnestly. Who needs our help? Pray earnestly.

Father in Heaven, as I think about my prayer life, it seems small and stunted; it seems self-focused and feeble. Help me to pray as I ought. Help me to pray earnestly and to pray often. Thank you for hearing my heart. Amen

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Turned-ness

10/19/2016

Acts 11.21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. – St. Luke

What does it mean, to turn to the Lord? We see this happening over and over in the Book of Acts – people turned to the Lord. They turned from paganism and false gods to the One True God. They turned from ignorance to the knowledge of the One True God. They turned from unbelief to belief. Their lives were different because they believed.

I think the same thing happens today – people turn from following their own theology to following the Lord. It makes a difference in their lives. It should be a celebration and remembrance in the Church when people turn to the Lord. This world is abysmally wicked and when someone turns away from that and stands against the flow of human culture, that’s a big deal.

But people need to be taught. And people need to serve. And the message of Acts 10 and 11 needs to continue on today as it did then. People need to turn from their own way to that of the Lord. Part of the turning process is the learning process. We need to be careful that our Christianity doesn’t stop at learning but also proceeds to serving and loving. And sharing the message so others may turn to the Lord.

New Christians need to be taught not only the word, but how to serve. New believers need to understand what they’ve turned to: a new life of living to please the Lord in their conduct and to love others who haven’t turned yet.

As we mature in Christ, we are to serve God by serving others. And we’ll probably have to learn to serve others outside the walls of our churches. The Gospel is social in this respect: lovingly serving the needs of those outside the four walls of the Church. If we turn from selfishness to Christ, then what? Our selfishness becomes service to Jesus and our service to Jesus becomes our service to others.

What is God asking of you and me in our turned-ness? I think He’s asking us to help Him turn others. Not everyone is enamored with earth and its ways. Not everyone is happy with the status quo of emptiness, wickedness, and injustice. God is seeking those who will turn to Him and live for others. Cornelius, the gentile Roman soldier turned. Great numbers of Greeks and foreigners turned to the Lord. What would happen in our day if such things happened?

Lord, the party is not about me – the party is about the ones who hear of You and accept You turning from the status quo of the earth and her ways. The party is about inviting them in and seeing them turn from themselves and their culture to You and Yours. I pray for opportunities today to help someone turn from themselves and the world, to You. May I be vigilant in sharing my own turning and rejoicing with them at theirs - Amen

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

But Barnabas

10/18/2016

Acts 9.27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. – St. Luke

It was an uneasy time for the new Church – the pushback from the Jews was reaching new highs (or lows), and now Saul of Tarsus, the tyrant of the Temple, was roaming freely, claiming to be a disciple of Jesus. “Not so fast my friend, prove to me you’re who you say you are!” Saul was viewed with huge suspicion.

But Barnabas… (V. 12, I kinda quit reading right here…) Barnabas wasn’t your run-of-the-mill guy; Barnabas was a risk-taker, and took his faith seriously. Barnabas was an encourager and seemed to be able to take people at face value much like an artist looks at a blank canvas: he saw potential.

Now Barnabas was probably well aware of Saul’s antics but when he heard of Saul’s conversion he said to himself: Thank You God for answering our prayers! I’m going to be the first one to invite Saul in… That took a risk; Saul hadn’t yet proven himself. But Saul convinced Barnabas, and God showed Barnabas the truth: Saul is My guy.

Have you ever met someone new at church? Have you developed a relationship with them and become friends? Jesus said in Matthew 25: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… (V. 35) There is something about taking people at face value and inviting them into your life – that’s what I think it means to invite them in. It gives them a starting point. It gives them a safety net. It gives them an ‘in’.

It doesn’t surprise me that the Scripture says, “But Barnabas…” From what we know of him, we probably shouldn’t expect anything less. It also solves the riddle of John Mark in Acts 15: Barnabas wanted to give John Mark (the offender) a second chance but Paul (the accepted) refused to give ground.

The account goes: “…but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.”  Valid reason. But Barnabas, the encourager, was like: “Oh, c’mon Paul! Give the guy another chance. After all, I gave you one!” It says their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Hmmm, conflict in the church… Paul went off with Silas, and Barnabas took John Mark with him. Paul apparently had forgotten, but Barnabas…

Paul eventually remembered Mark: “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry…” Same Mark, years later.

Encouragement is a much needed virtue in the church and in the relationships we have with people around us. We need both, to learn how to encourage, and how to be encouraged. If anyone in Scripture knew about encouragement – it was the guy whose nickname was, “Son of Encouragement.”

Father, use me to encourage others and to give people the benefit of the doubt. We all need You and we all need each other. May we all be better at both! Amen

Monday, October 17, 2016

A Jobian Moment

10/17/2016

Job 2.10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Last week at my men’s group, I was part of a conversation where someone conjectured that the current election cycle was possibly the result of God removing our dependence on our affluence and replacing it with something new and different. His contention was that God is removing our blessings and influence as a nation. I can tell you, the conversation got pretty lively at that point.

The argument between God and Satan in Job 1 and 2 is this: Job only serves You (God) because You give him stuff. Take the stuff away and he will curse you to Your face! (Cf. Job 1.11; 2.5) I think, like my friend, the United States may be going through a Jobian moment; all the stuff we have held so tightly is being removed in order to see where our hearts really are.

Affluence and blessing are not necessarily bad things until they become gods and are taken for granted. As a nation, I think we have fallen prey to thanklessness; we aren’t grateful. I think we think saying: “God bless America” is our right and not our privilege. And this coming election has us on a collision course with judgment: take away all our stuff and we’ll see what our response to God may be…

I have a son in the US Air Force. He is gung-ho and ready to serve this nation and protect our way of life. Have we taken a good look at our way of life lately? We abort millions of babies because we want sex but not the consequences of sex. We are deeply in debt as a people and as a nation because we want the money-wheel to keep turning and cranking out what it gives us: a lifestyle of luxury with no end in sight, and investors betting against our success as a nation.

We have a Church that has been relegated to irrelevance to millions because She cannot seem to stop preaching a gospel of health and prosperity while millions are being deceived at the altar of blessing. Make no mistake, I believe God wants to bless us – I just think He wants us to bless us His way, not ours.

In God’s conversation with Satan the argument was Job was a spoiled brat and feigned righteousness because he was wealthy. God considered Job blameless; Satan considered him a phony.

Where will our country be in four years? Will we have drawn closer to God or will we have drifted farther away? When does the current party of Americanism end? What is the fallout of that? Where will the Church’s love for God be when all of the party favors are removed? Will our love stand? Or are we in it just for the fun?

The Book of Job is a strange story to me of God’s making His point in the life of someone He cared about. The path the United States is on is a strange reality to me of its love affair with affluence and its attitude toward it: we got dozens of friends and the fun never ends, that it as long as we’re buying

Father, my prayer is to see revival in our churches and to see the tide change. I pray for change in the Church to bring about change in our culture. I ask for wisdom and I ask for humility. And I ask for mercy, and I ask for grace. I pray for a new season of thanksgiving. And I trust You in our possible Jobian future… Amen

Sunday, October 16, 2016

The Price of Genuine

10/16/2016

Acts 5.1-2 1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. – St. Luke

I don’t think Ananias and Sapphira were evil; I think they just wanted some attention. I think they just wanted to be well thought of by the local church. I think what they did wrong, was to try to impress people and to be phony – why they died for that, I’m not sure. What happened as a result was the whole church realized how serious the belief and commitment were supposed to be.

Many today have strains of: look at how wonderful I am. It’s human nature. But if we took our place in the church seriously we would only ever say: we are unworthy servants. The hallmark of servanthood is this: it doesn’t seek attention for itself; it just does. Is that worth dying over? It depends on how you view it...

Yesterday I had a first: I performed a wedding on a dismal rainy day. Fortunately, we were in a tent out of the rain, but it rained hard throughout the day. The good news is not all weddings are rainy day affairs. (Some, post nuptials, may think they are, but not all are.) The Book of Acts is full of firsts: not everyone died for being phony.

But like the irreparable Day of Pentecost, Ananias and Sapphira were – to my understanding – an irreparable occurrence. A point was made, strongly, and that was enough. Everyone got the point. The Bible is full of accounts of phony people. Maybe this time there was more to the story than we’re allowed to know. (I’ll bet phoniness hit an all-time low after that…)

I think part of the point here is genuineness; as in: let’s do a better job in this part of our faith. The early church (as well as the Church today) was surrounded by phoniness.  The Apostles were accosted by phoniness from the religious leaders. There were people who wanted in on the action of the New Church whose motives were less than pure. We have to ask ourselves: where do we stand? And when is the last time someone in our church died for being phony? What effect would that have on the rest of us?

Was the phoniness of Ananias and Sapphira enough to keep them out of Heaven? Or were their deaths a sign to the early believers that God is intolerant of phoniness? I think there was more to the story. But I also think the point was made.

Father, I confess phoniness in my own life. I confess that I get lazy in my belief, and I know You know all this. I pray to be genuine. But I think when I do, You may reply: Paul, why do you ask Me for what you already have? Genuineness is the result of my relationship with You Lord, and my true view of Who I think You are, and what I think You do. When I think of all the shenanigans that happen in modern church, I am surprised that not more of us die for our misuse of faith and abuse of Your grace. But You are gracious and good and there is a reason those two died for being stupid. Help me at least to avoid that. Amen

Saturday, October 15, 2016

The Appropriate Nickname

10/15/2016

Acts 4. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”) …

Yesterday, I spoke with a relative who’d been speaking with another relative about your’s truly. Apparently, I, being who I am, was the topic of a portion of their conversation – the bottom line was: I was viewed by each of them (and another relative or two) as someone who was easy to talk to. The consensus was, since I’d been a pastor, I had a gift with people. My response was, being a pastor was the least part of whatever gift or characteristic I possess. I, perhaps, have the gift of empathy.

So, there was this guy in Act whose nickname was Barnabas. Barney was a Cyprian Jew, and he was by ancestry, a Levite. Now, Levites were not necessarily priests, but their heritage was that of Temple administration. They were the guys that did all the other stuff the priests did not do. Priests came through Aaron; I think the Levites came through Moses.

Barnabas was a Levite by birth and his given name was Joseph. But because he was who he was, Joseph picked up the name, Barnabas: Son of Encouragement. Sorry folks, what you have follows you.

Now, gifts are like everything else in life – sometimes they are a blessing, but sometimes they are twisted into something they were never meant to be. Encouragement may certainly be for the building up of others, or it could be used as an excuse to let people continue on a destructive life path. Encouragement may be to help and comfort, or to motivate; but can be done in such a way as to give permission to the encouraged to make choices that may be detrimental to their well-being. But Barney was an effective encourager and probably had been since his youth.

At one point, I came across a Facebook thing that had to do with knowing my ‘hippie-name’. (What silliness!) However, being who I am, I had to think about my hippie-name and what it might be; and I came up with Quakin… as in quaking Aspen. Part of it is the beauty of the trees, and part of it is what they do: they quake – in the least breeze.

I would like to be an asset like beauty and not a liability like fear when the winds of life kick up. I would certainly like to be a resource to others and not a cowering, quaking wimp. My gift of empathy helps me to forget about my own issues and feel for others in the midst of theirs. You are known by your gifts.

Our lives are to be both sources and resources of good for others. That’s why we live in a world full of people whose lives are supposed to be as useful as ours. Everyone has something to add. (Regrettably, we also have the potential to take away.) As believers in Christ, our victory in life is in our ability to focus on the Lord, and then to focus on the ones among whom He’s placed us. We are there for their good.

My “Q” today is just this: What is the nickname others give us? Is it because we use our gifts for their good, or is it because we focus too much on our own issues?

Father in Heaven, You have placed me here on this earth, like Your servant Abraham, to do good to others and contribute to the blessing of their happiness and well-being. Help me to star focueds in the right direction: on You and others, keeping my gift useful, and having the appropriate nickname – for Your sake and glory – Amen.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

What Happened Then

10/13/2016

Acts 2.42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – St. Luke

In Nehemiah 9 and 10, is an account of the Jews who’d returned from exile (to Jerusalem) repenting of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. In chapter 9 is a prayer of confession that is quite detailed and lengthy. They were serious about doing something to get their acts together before God. In fact, they were so serious, they put together a binding legal document and put their seals upon it to show how serious they were. There was lots of crying and weeping and sorrow and signatures.

In Acts 2 is the account of another gathering of people in Jerusalem some 400 years later. They too were repenting of their sins and crying out to God for help. On the day this group was meeting, there were no legal documents, and no affixed signatures; there was however, the presence of God; the Holy Spirit came upon them in such power and presence that they were transformed; the Church was born.

We can look back upon the Old Testament peoples and ask: why did God wait so long? Why weren’t their signed legal documents enough to cure them of their sin, giving them the power to act accordingly? It boils down to this: God does what God does in His own timing and for His own purposes. I do ask why, but it always comes back to what God does.

From Nehemiah’s time to the time of Christ, there was about 400 years of silence; God, apparently, did not speak to the Jews during this period of time as He had in former days. But when God did finally speak, He spoke through His servant John (the Baptiser), and His Son, Jesus, the Christ. And then, on the Day of Pentecost (a big Jewish holiday), He spoke through His Church, empowered by His Holy Spirit.

What happened then was not a document signing. What happened then was not some big cry-baby ceremony. What happened then was a transformation of hearts and a group of people took God seriously because they were empowered to do so: they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The difference then was the Spirit of God.

The Church’s birth was a one-of-a-kind event; it has never been repeated. But the Holy Spirit has never changed, never gone anywhere, and continues to this day to cause people to devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The God-born are not looking for legalese, they are seeking the presence and power of God that He, God, has put within them.

Why has God waited so long then; why doesn’t He just come back now and set things in order? I’m not real sure He’s ready to do that, and I’m not real sure we really want that just yet. I think God has it more in mind that we devote ourselves to the apostle’s teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. And that we continue to do so until He does what He’s going to do next. People who do things God’s way are not caught up in the pushings and shovings of the world; they are content to read the Word together, be together, eat together, and, especially, to pray together. Church like that is effective in ways we can’t imagine.

Father, that I would do as I say, is my prayer. That I would relinquish control over my life to You, is my prayer. That I would fellowship and eat with the saints, is my prayer. And that I would pray –is my prayer; make it so, fill me again today. Amen

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

True Strength

10/12/2016

Nehemiah 8.10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

In Psalm 29.11 David says: The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Again, while meditating and singing, David said: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42.5) David seemed to understand two things: he got troubled, and he trusted in God. The issued wasn’t that he was troubled, the issue was what he did with his troubles. David went to God to find strength in his troubles.

In Nehemiah 8, Ezra the Priest (the same Ezra as in the Book of Ezra) read from the Law of Moses, and as he did, the people wept. Nehemiah, the governor said the above: for the joy of the Lord is your strength. David said the Lord gives strength to His people; and Nehemiah said, the joy of the Lord is your strength. I see a common thread.

Is the joy of the Lord His strength, given to us? Or is the joy of the Lord our strength in knowing Him and that He is ours and we are His? As my friend Jim Stephens would say: Yes! It’s not either/or, but both/and.

The strength David sang of is the knowledge of God and the presence of God in my life. The joy of the Lord providing strength to me in my difficult days, or in times of sorrow and repentance is: God is pleased with me. God is joyful over His people and that is our strength – if God be for us, who can be against us? That’s a good question!

The people in Nehemiah were sorrowful when confronted with the truth, comparing it to their conduct. That ought to happen – we ought to be sorrowful when the truth reveals our rebellion. But, we ought also to be glad that there is a remedy, and reconciliation, for us with God when we confront our behavior and joyfully repent. There is an out for the repentant.

With God, there is one thing I think we struggle with: we can’t seem to understand how much He loves us and how much He cares about our everyday lives: the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we become aware of our sins and transgressions, we fully anticipate God to club us for our actions. Has He ever? When in your life has God ever beat you bloody over your poor choices? When in your life have you?

You see, that’s the difference between God and us. God forgives, rebuilds, restores; we on the other hand only expect the worst of consequences and call it pay-back, or karma. God does love the sinner and desires he leave his sin, finding joy and strength to overcome it in the joyful strength that God loves him. The JOY of the Lord, is our strength. Our joy is built upon His joy, and joyfully we accept His ways knowing He is always thinking of us first…

Father, today I accept Your joy over me. Today, I find joy knowing You love me, care for me, and have sent Your Son to die for me. As I go through my bouts of downcast today, may I find strength in the knowledge of Your joy over me. Together we’ll get through this…Amen.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Their Worldview

10/11/2016

Luke 24.25 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” – Jesus

I get it: I too am foolish, and slow to believe what the Bible says about Jesus. I allow the arguments in my mind and in those of others to tell me what I want to hear. Yes, I am foolish and slow to believe.

At this point I could try to start blaming those others: well, they’re slow to believe as well! And yes, others are foolish, and slow to believe. But on that great day when I stand in His presence, not one of them will be with me – I will stand completely on my own. I will account for all I’ve done in life.

I don’t know about you, but my memory is getting worse these days, I can’t remember all of the crap I’ve done. It seems that every time I turn around, someone reminds me of more stuff that I’ve done that I can’t remember and I think: will this ever end!?

The issue is not what I’ve done, the issue is what I believe. The rebuke of Jesus to the unnamed two, was not their actions, but their belief: How foolish you are, and slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken [about Me]! What do I believe?

It’s really not hard to discover what I believe; all one need do is watch what I do. We usually do as we believe we can do. Our actions underscore where our heart really is. We do as we believe we may do. And so as we do, we set a pattern in our lives: sow a thought, reap and action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a destiny. That’s how serious belief really is.

Jesus isn’t into minutiae, He’s into the heart. Jesus is more concerned with the inside than He is with the outside. When He told the two of Emmaus (aim-ah-oos) that they were foolish and slow to believe, He wasn’t looking at their sins, He was pointing out their worldview. Nowadays, with a presidential election looming, we can see where people’s hearts really are – what their worldview really is; Jesus would call us, foolish and slow to believe.

Today, knowing the heart is the issue, I’m taking inventory of mine: what is my worldview, what do I really believe, and do my actions reveal my true beliefs? I know I am foolish and slow to believe. I know my focus today is to endeavor to be wise and quick; and find myself at the throne of grace. I know there are deep things in my life that need dealt with which reveal warps in my worldview.

The outcome of all this is a changed life. The last two sentences of Luke 24 are simply: Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Their worldview changed. That didn’t mean there was no more messiness in the minutiae, but it did mean their focus and purpose in life changed: they became less foolish and quicker to believe.

Father, You know. You know I am foolish and slow to believe. Help me to be wiser and quicker today. It start right here, listening to the voice of Your word, and putting action to what I’ve learned. Help me to embrace a new worldview today where You are Lord, and I am an obedient child. May we start all over again this morning! Amen