Yet – One Word that Changed Everything

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Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane …Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” –Matthew 26:36a,38-39

Then they went to a place called Gethsemane…I am deeply grieved, even to death…he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” –Mark 14:32a,34-36

Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done. –Luke 22:42

How many times have you told yourself, that this day sure did go by fast? If you made that statement on June 29, 2022, you would have been correct. You lost 1.59 milliseconds on your typical 24-hour day. The Earth spun faster around its axis on June 29, making it the shortest day since the 1960s when scientists started measuring the planet’s rotation with atomic clocks. The phenomenon known as the “Chandler wobble” was first spotted in the late 1880s by astronomer Seth Carlo Chandler when he noticed the poles wobbled over a 14-month period.

This “Chandler wobble” seems insignificant compared to the day when Jesus used the word yet as a simple conjunction that shook heaven and earth. The Jesus wobble of Gethsemane came after the greatest struggles in history. His Garden of Gethsemane became a place of struggle, doubt, despair, prayer, and finally, relinquishing obedience.

“In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was utterly honest in prayer. He knew that His mission was to “suffer many thing” (Luke 9:22) and yet He begged God to take the cup of suffering away from Him. This is not the kind of thing that messiahs are meant to pray. It’s a prayer that runs counter to God’s revealed purposes. But in this heart-rending request, we are assured that it’s okay to grieve and cry, to plead with God, and to wonder why. In fact, it’s more that okay—it’s affirmed as something that expresses His heart. God accepts our honesty.” –Pete Greig

Jesus modeled for us in Gethsemane – fear, anxiousness, hope, courage, and obedience as we find ourselves in our own Garden of Gethsemane. Our gardens will look different from each other but they are gardens that often push us to the cliff of despair and distress. I know in my own life through the years that these gardens were complex and at the time, not always wanted. I found one of my gardens at Glorieta Conference Center battling in my soul over the decision to say yes to God’s invitation to serve in overseas missions. I found another garden in Mmabatho facing the challenges of a very sick child. I found myself in another garden at the IMB chapel hearing the announcement that hundreds of missionaries would be brought off the mission field.

In each of my garden experiences, I had to battle in prayer and often felt frustrated with God. The inevitable questions of why surfaced in my soul. Surely, I didn’t have to face these ordeals, there has to be a better way. You will find that the Garden of Gethsemane are frightening, stressful, challenging, and spiritually draining. Gethsemane which means “the oil press” becomes the spiritual press in our lives. Olive oil can only come after subjecting olives to intense pressure. The same oil that has been used for generations to meet daily needs of cooking, light, and healing has always been a critical component in many worship services.

I don’t know how you contended with God in your own garden experience, but Jesus gave you the perfect example of how to walk through the experience. When He cried out to God to “let this cup pass from me,” angels and demons alike looked upon this scene waiting to see what would happen. Our future hope waited upon the answer that would come from Jesus on that night. God waited expectantly for the answer. Then the earth probably wobbled just slightly as Jesus cried out, “yet.” Everyone now waited in anticipation of what Jesus would say. Finally, the words, “not what I want, but what you want.” As these words are spoken, our hope of eternity is set in motion.

Jesus allowed us to look in on his garden of Gethsemane’s agony that night.  He questioned, asked for a different way, wrestled with God for the cup to pass but came to the lifegiving words that allowed God to set in motion what needed to be done. If we discount Jesus’ struggle in the garden, we will discount our struggles when we find ourselves in these garden times. There will always be a moment when we finally have to either say yes to God’s will or yes to our own will.

God allows us to come to these yet moments of life out of His great love for us. Andrew Murray wrote that “the power of prayer depends almost entirely upon our apprehension of who it is with whom we speak.” It is in this place as we say yes to God’s will that we experience hope, life, and purpose.

Pete Greig, British pastor and founder of the 24/7 prayer movement shared about his own battle in his Garden of Gethsemane with God as he grieved over the possibility of his wife facing death. He realized that “Ultimately, peace lies in accepting that God knows best….When we are scared and hurting, when life feels chaotic and out of control, it is more important than ever to anchor ourselves in the absolute and eternal truth that we are dearly loved and deeply held by the most powerful being in the universe. Let this be the great non-negotiable in our lives, the platform for all our other thoughts, and the plumbline for our prayers.”

I am thankful that in our Garden of Gethsemane moments we do not face them alone. What will it cost you to say yes?  Did it cost Jesus to say yes to God’s will? What would it have cost the world if his answer had been no?

“Father in heaven, when the thought of you wakes in our hearts, let it not wake like a frightened bird that flies about in dismay, but like a child waking from its sleep with a heavenly smile.” –Soren Kierkegaard

God is great!

God’s streams are full of water

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You answer our prayers by performing awesome acts of deliverance, O God, our savior. All the ends of the earth trust in you, as well as those living across the wide seas. You created the mountains by your power and demonstrated your strength. You calmed the raging seas and their roaring waves, as well as the commotion made by the nations. Even those living in the remotest areas are awestruck by your acts; you cause those living in the east and west to praise you. You visit the earth and give it rain; you make it rich and fertile. God’s streams are full of water; you provide grain for the people of the earth, for you have prepared the earth in this way. You saturate its furrows and soak its plowed ground. With rain showers you soften its soil, and make its crops grow. You crown the year with your good blessings, and you leave abundance in your wake. The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, and the hills are clothed with joy. The meadows are clothed with sheep, and the valleys are covered with grain. They shout joyfully, yes, they sing. Psalm 65:5-13 NET

Climate change! Just mention the words at a party if you want to stir up heated conversations. Watch the host grow pale and try to change the subject before it is too late.  The very mention of climate change creates animosity. If you have serious questions about the politics of climate change, you are labeled a denier or maybe worse. If you see some legitimacy in the issue you are quickly labeled as ‘one of those’. The dialogue about climate change seems to be at the forefront of political debate, news headlines, and international conferences.

“Should we ‘dim the sun’ to tackle global warming? Scientists are torn.” This Twitter headline caught my attention the other day. Solar geoengineering is over half a century old with a renewed interest in the field in recent years.  Backers of climate-cooling technology contend that it could help rein in global hearting and its impacts. Critics maintain the effects of releasing chemicals into the atmosphere could unleash unknown consequences.

Stewart Brand once wrote in “The Whole Earth Catalogue” that “we are as gods and might as well get good at it.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long to look around and see that humans are not very good at being gods. One writer commenting upon the statement said, “human beings act upon nature at fantastic scale, altering whole ecosystems, terraforming the world to our purposes, breeding new species into existence, and driving countless more into extinction. The power we wield is awesome. But Brand was overly optimistic. We did not get good at it. We are terrible at it, and the consequences surround us.”

One thing I see missing so often in the climate change debate is the lack of seeking input from the Creator and owner Himself. God never forfeited ownership of His creation as He spoke creation into existence and summed it up in Genesis 1:31 “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” God has never been an absentee landlord. The Psalmist gave a beautiful yet powerful reminder of God’s ownership when he wrote, “God’s streams are full of water.” God’s care of the earth even awakens those who live “in the remotest areas.”

Scientists, politicians, and academicians can and should debate the consequences of climate change. We can have our opinions, disagree with published findings, and seek other alternatives. Yet we have a responsibility for the care of this planet, but from the role that God gave us. The late Peter Marshall tells the story of the Keeper of the Spring, a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.

“The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal-clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description.

Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, “Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn’t necessary any longer.” By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man’s services.

For several weeks, nothing changed.

By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A few days later, the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.

Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they rehired the old keeper of the spring, and within a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps.”

The Keeper of the Spring story reminds us that our roles may seem minor, but each person can and does make a difference. We can be faithful caretakers of the springs that are in our care by minimizing wastefulness and keeping our own springs clean. We have a role to play in this planet’s care, but our hope and trust are in God, the ultimate owner, and creator. I can guarantee that He is still very much engaged in the care of this planet when:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. —Gen 1:1

The LORD owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. –Ps 24:1

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. –Heb 3:4

For the earth and its fullness are the LORD’s. —I Cor 10:26

For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. —Psalm 50:10

And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them. —Acts 4:24

Lord, this planet is a small part of your vast creation. We acknowledge your ownership and ask for wisdom to care for it properly. We ask you to give wisdom to global leaders to make wise decisions. Amen.

God is great!

Getting the Best Odds

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And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever. I John 2:17

Do you consider postage stamps gambling? If so, then I need to confess my gambling addiction. I dutifully enter the Consumer Reports and Publishing Clearing House sweepstakes. With the odds of winning $2,500 at 1:432,400, I’m not counting on it as part of my financial future!

The odds of getting struck by lightning in any given year is 1:1,222,00. Winning the Mega Millions lottery your odds are pretty good at 1:302,600,000. If you are a Delta pilot you can feel pretty good your odds of being killed in a plane crash are only 1:11,000,000. However, dying in a car accident is not so good at 1:107. Your chances of getting audited by the IRS however are pretty good at 1:220, especially if you file a return of $0 or more than $10 million.

Odds are something will happen in your life simply because you are alive. If you can think up something, chances are someone will place odds on the event. One interesting note about certain odds, there is one sure thing that currently stands at 1:1. Those guaranteed odds are on death. I know those odds seem to come as a surprise to many people but my best research confirms these odds. At some point, you will cash in on the death odds. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” (Ecc 3:1-2a)

Two things are worth considering about death. First, there are some things you can do to improve your odds before you finally cash in your life ticket. However, the more important component is what happens after death.

Where you live can delay death slightly. Americans average 79.05 years of life. You get a couple more years added onto the average if you are a woman. You can increase the life expectancy if you move to Hong Kong where you can live to be 85.16. However, it is best not to move to the Seychelles where the average age drops to 73.65.

What you eat can delay death slightly. The more legumes, whole grains, and nuts you eat add a few more years. However, I like the lady on the Smucker’s segment of The Today’s Show as they recognize those celebrating 100 years or older. When asked how she lived to be 100, her response was she always ate her dessert first! My kind of person.

There are plenty of suggestions on various websites that will help you increase your life expectancy. Going outside, hanging out with friends, exercising daily, lowering your stress, turning off your TV, getting more sleep, and even flossing daily helps. Interestingly there are several key things left off of the numerous lists that I read – I failed to see anything about working longer hours, having more money, or getting more likes on Facebook.

How you view life may not increase your life expectancy but it does make life worth living. Warren Smith shares a story about the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.  “I am fond of a story about the great English architect Sir Christopher Wren. One day, while re-building the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral after the Great London Fire of 1666, Wren walked anonymously among his workers – sort of a 17th century version of “Undercover Boss.”

 He asked three men building a wall what they were doing. The first answered: “I am cutting a stone.” The second said, “I am earning three shillings a day.” The third man stood up tall and proud. He answered, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build a great cathedral to the glory of God.”

The third man may not have had a significant role in the building of the cathedral but he knew he was part of something bigger than himself.  It was not in the task that he was doing that gave him his value, but the fact that he was part of something bigger. That something would ultimately be to glorify God.

The problem with trying to extend your life, no matter how commendable, is that you still don’t know the end. Jesus in the Parable of the Rich Landowner, who tried to store up earthly riches, heard the words, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20)

The nameless rich landowner did everything right in extending his life. He lived in the right place, had the best food, had a nice bank account, and was probably very religious yet he failed one thing: He didn’t have a relationship with God.

This brings us to the second part of the equation about death. It’s not what you have that matters at death, but who you know. If you know the right person, eternity is a breeze. Jesus said to anyone who will listen, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

God understood the dilemma of death and decided to tip the odds in our favor. Since God loved the world that He created he made a perfect plan. “He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Jesus understood the dilemma if we try to handle death by ourselves. He opens the gates of heaven for us simply “by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9) Pretty amazing, isn’t it!

Heaven is not a longshot, distorted odds, or unreachable when you have Jesus as your Savior. The end results: “after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.” –I Peter 5:10

You can have all the “best” earth has to offer but it will be poverty in comparison to heaven. The few extra years you get on earth from eating kale will pale against the beauty of heaven. What an amazing joy and hope we have as, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.” –Rev 21:4

God is great,

Lord, teach us to pray!

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Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come, your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

You can almost picture Jesus smiling when one of the disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” –Luke 11:1. You would think that all of Jesus’ disciples prayed and had heard others pray. It’s not as if the disciples didn’t know how to pray. They had listened to countless hours of prayers by the religious leaders. They had even listened as Jesus taught about prayer. However, something finally clicked in this one disciple’s soul for him to voice the question, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

For the first time, this disciple wanted what Jesus had in prayer. Maybe as he saw the simple intimacy with which Jesus prayed, that it touched him so deeply he wanted more. It most likely wasn’t about the words or ritual of prayer but the depth of a relationship that he saw in Jesus when he prayed.

He was probably guilty of the very thing that Jesus had warned them about when praying. Jesus had told them, “when you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.”  Much like our modern idiom, “the light bulb went on in his brain,” he understood there was more to prayer than words only.

“Someone once approached a teacher and asked her how to cultivate a deeper prayer life. “Say the Lord’s Prayer,” she replied, “but take an hour to say it.” (author unknown)

Instead of hitting the gas and going from 0 to 30 seconds which is about the average for repeating the words to this model prayer, you need to slow down and let the prayer be the frame for your requests and worship. The slower you go the less you will see it as a rote prayer but as a life-giving pattern to enjoy communion with God. There may come mornings when you never get past the opening phrase, “Our Father” when you pray.

“The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer about God’s honor and glory. It is a prayer about God’s kingdom coming on earth as in heaven—which pretty much sums up what a lot of Christianity is all about. It’s a prayer for bread, for meeting the needs of every day. And it’s a prayer for rescue from evil.” –N.T. Wright

I am still learning to enjoy the beauty and intimacy of this prayer as the gift of grace that Jesus intended the prayer to be for my life. It may take the rest of my life but it will be worth the journey. Meister Eckhart once wrote that “if in your lifetime the only prayer you offer is Thanks, that would suffice.”

Could it be that the prayer Jesus taught us will suffice for our lifetime? There is nothing that will happen today that Jesus didn’t cover in this simple yet majestic prayer of faith. It is in the moments of intimacy and reverence with the Creator that we are invited to call him Father. We are invited to pray that God’s kingdom comes today on earth just like it is in heaven. How reassuring as we face some of our society’s problems. Jesus said to let God take care of our daily needs instead of being anxious about tomorrow. We can trust Him for our needs regardless of the state of the economy.  We are forgiven and forgiving which brings peace to our souls. We know we will often take the wrong path so we can boldly ask for help!

Don’t rush through the words that Jesus gave us. Slow down so you can enjoy the prayer. Rest in the prayer as you let the Holy Spirit form the words that are deep within you. Meditate upon each phrase as you allow it to shape your prayer requests for the day. Don’t get so focused on the format that you miss being with God and looking into His face.

Lord, it is about you, not about me but you let me make it about me until I finally understand it is all about you! You listen deeply to what I think are my needs even when they sound more like wants. You forgive me, now if only I can forgive others. In a world filled with evil, you wait patiently to guide me home safely. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

God is great,

 

Living in the Wilderness

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And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Mark 1:12-13

Rob Lundgren and his son were backpacking in Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.  Lundgren remembers crawling into his nice warm sleeping bag that night but found himself startled awake after falling into the icy cold creek. Now wide awake at 8,000 feet and 20 degrees outside, he lives out a nightmare in the wilderness.  “I hadn’t sleepwalked in over 50 years, so it was the last thing on my mind…”

Lundgren found himself in a desperate situation, needing to be rescued. Others could identify with him based on headlines from the Backpacker magazine:

Bitten by a Rattlesnake

Mauled by a Grizzly

Stranded on a ledge

Lost in an Ice Cave

Mauled by a Mountain Lion

Life in the wilderness with all of its amazing beauty is also a place of unbelievable danger. Most of us have found ourselves awakened from a wonderful dream into a living nightmare.

Eugene Peterson said it well, “There are times, no matter how thoroughly we’re civilized, when we’re plunged into the wilderness—not a geographical wilderness but what I’m going to call a circumstantial wilderness. Everything is going along fine—and then suddenly we’re beside ourselves. We don’t know what’s going on within us or in another who is important to us; feelings erupt in us that call into question what we’ve never questioned before. There’s a radical change in our bodies, or our emotions, or our thinking, or our friends, or our job. We’re out of control. We’re in the wilderness.”

The list of our circumstantial wilderness experiences seems to be unlimited. We may find ourselves unemployed because the company reorganized. We may find ourselves in the hospital because a drunk driver ran a traffic light. We may find ourselves sitting in a funeral service from the death of a loved one. We may find ourselves_______, you fill in the blank for your wilderness.

A young David finds himself being driven into the wilderness by King Saul. David had learned some lessons about living in the wilderness but now he found himself facing new obstacles for his survival. What did David do? He turned to God. “You, God, are my God, I earnestly search for you.” (Psalm 63:1a)

“If you are chased into the wilderness when you are persecuted, do not be afraid as if you were all alone. Instead, rise up early in the morning and sing Psalm 63 to God knowing that he is there.” –Athanasius

Moses’ time in the wilderness prepared him to lead God’s people out of slavery and then found himself standing on holy ground (Exodus 3). Elijah fled to the wilderness fearful for his life only to find rest and renewal through the hand of God (I Kings 19).  Jesus found himself in the wilderness locked in battle with Satan but trusted God until “angels came and took care of Jesus.” (Matthew 4)

“I readily acknowledge that this circumstantial wilderness is a terrible, frightening, and dangerous place; but I also believe that it’s a place of beauty. In the wilderness we’re plunged into an awareness of danger and death; at the very same time we’re plunged, if we let ourselves be, into an awareness of the great mystery of God and the extraordinary preciousness of life.” –Eugene Peterson

Life in the wilderness can push us to our limits. We will all find ourselves living in the wilderness at some point in life. The question becomes, what will you do? The world offers a myriad of solutions yet each leads deeper into its own wilderness. Whether one takes the road of drugs, alcohol, materialism, or sexuality, you will find it is a road that leads to hopelessness, frustration, and lostness.

Moses, David, Elijah, Paul, John, Jesus, and a host of others used their time in their wilderness to grow, listen, learn, recover and prepare. Make the most of your time in your wilderness as you

Wait on God for deliverance – For God alone, my soul waits in silence – Psalm 62

Listen to God for deliverance – After the fire, there was a voice, a soft whisper – I Kings 19:12

Look toward God for deliverance- He hushed the storm to a gentle whisper – Psalm 107:29

Reflect upon God for deliverance – I wait for the LORD, my soul waits – Psalm 130:5

Worship God in your deliverance – Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him – Matt 4:10

Lord, I find myself in a wilderness that I didn’t choose. An overwhelming wilderness. A wilderness that makes me afraid. I know I can’t go it alone so please be my refuge, my strength, my rock. As you walk with me in this wilderness let me find in you the joy, hope, peace, and knowledge that only you can provide. Amen.

God is great,

 

 

Who knows? Perhaps you have come for such a time as this.

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Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” Esther 4:13-14

“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy? A Republic, if you can keep it.” This famous quote was captured by Dr. James McHenry at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 between Benjamin Franklin and Elizabeth Willing Powel. I dare say very few among the delegates would have envisioned the course this nation would take over the next centuries and decades.

Can we keep it? Each generation, including the current, has had to wrestle with this question. The question has forced us to look deep within ourselves and decide how we would respond. It is a question requiring an answer. It is a question asked of citizens as they struggle through a civil war, unite to fight wars against tyranny, live through economic depressions, face political turmoil, deal with cultural changes and seek to right social wrongs.  This 4th of July allows us again to look, reflect and ask, “What will it take to keep it”?

The Bible is filled with stories of how God has used the seemingly weak and politically powerless to turn the tide of events. Queen Esther is one such story as she finds herself on a course of history in which she has little or no control. She is forced into a marriage with King Ahasuerus, dependent upon Mordecai for guidance, and is fearful and doubtful. That is until she realizes that God can use her to make a difference.

Esther had quickly learned the royal ropes of protocol and knew what was expected of her. She understood that death awaited her as she astutely said, “if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—all alike are to be put to death.” Mordecai who has wisely guided Esther through the years now realizes he has no answer. “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

Most likely every generation has looked at their situation and thought all was lost. Yet in that moment of hopelessness, God used someone or an event to spark a spiritually awakened nation. “If we give up on God and on our nation, we will obviously be unavailable to either. Then our spiritual and cultural pessimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Dr. Jim Denison

“Do I underestimate the difference it could make if I brought my petitions to another, greater King—one who welcomes me without protocol? —Izwe Nkosi.

It was to that greater King that Esther approached. Queen Esther allowed God to use her in whatever way to save her people. It was not a role Esther felt comfortable playing, a role she didn’t ask to play and yet finally came to terms with what she could do. She would come to the place where she could boldly say, “if I perish, I perish.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, imprisoned and later executed understood the significant role that a Christian can play in world events. He wrote in Ethics, “Do and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living. God’s command is enough and your faith in him to sustain you. Then at last freedom will welcome your spirit among great rejoicing.”

As we celebrate Independence Day this year, let me paraphrase Esther 4:13-14 for us to think about.  Do not think that in your church membership you will escape any more than all the other citizens. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the nation from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to faith for just such a time as this. Are we available and open to what God may need for us to do?

“The rulers of the earth plot and scheme, forgetting that their lives are but a vapor, a passing mist; while Your word abides, unchanging; Your purposes, unthwarted. May no one miss their moment to find You; praise You; walk with You. Blessed are all who are called to be citizens of Heaven.” –Ryan Smith and Dan Wilt

We celebrate American independence today with a mixture of excitement and yet concerns, a mixture of thankfulness and yet fears of the future, a mixture of celebration and yet humility and a mixture of pride and yet brokenness.

“Revival cannot be organized, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” –G. Campbell Morgan

Who knows? Perhaps this is the time that we set our sails to catch the wind from heaven to make a difference in this nation.

Who knows? Perhaps you have come for such a time as this.

God is great!

 

Influencers or Imitators – Is there a difference?

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I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. I Cor 4:16

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. I Cor 11:1

What made you decide on that particular shirt, perfume, or any other item you purchased? Chances are, a social influencer may have played a role in your purchase. Names such as Cristiano Ronaldo with 517 million total followers, Justin Bieber with 455 million followers, and Ariana Grande with 429 million followers are among the top influencers.

Even though the millennial generation dominates the top influencers, Baby Boomers to Gen Z generation have a presence among influencers. 18-year-old TikTok influencer Charli D’Amelio’s earnings exceed the median pay for execs at Fortune 500 companies. The average age of the top 50 influencers is just over 37.

Exactly what is a social media influencer? Merriam-Webster added the word “influencer” to their 2019 dictionary. An influencer is “a person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media.”  Social media has become the primary platform for today’s cultural influencers. Even though the word, influencer is relatively new, the concept is as old as time.

Josiah Wedgwood is often considered an early-era influencer, dating back to 1760. Wedgwood was a potter and after he made a tea set for Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, he convinced her to allow him to promote his pottery with royal approval. Since Royalty was the ultimate “influencer” of the era, this allowed Wedgwood’s pottery to become the preferred pottery of the time.

Wedgwood did use his platform as “Potter to her Majesty” to focus on the abolition of slavery. Using his skills as a potter he created a Slave Medallion to bring public attention to the abolition cause.

Paul may not fit the stereotypical influencer of our day. However, he did use the ancient version of social media. He would write to the early churches, who then re-posted his letter to the other churches in the area. Most current influencers seek to influence action but few would ask to imitate them.

If an influencer seeks to generate interest in something, what does an imitator do? Imitators are people who copy the behavior or actions of another. We all influence decisions in one way or another but to imitate someone requires a deeper level of commitment and purpose. Paul boldly says, “be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” and it necessitates a lifestyle or convictions worthy of imitating. The real difference between an influencer and an imitator can be life-changing.

“Follow me as far as I follow Christ. Come up as close as you can to my example in those instances wherein I endeavor to copy after his pattern. Be my disciples, as far as I manifest myself to be a faithful minister and disciple of Christ, and no further. I would not have you be my disciples, but his.” –Matthew Henry

Imitators of Christ will always make a difference, one life at a time. Jim Denison recently shared the story about Alban, the first martyr in Britain. When your life is so focused on Jesus it is a life that calls out to be imitators of me, as I am of Christ, even to the point of death.

Alban lived in third-century Britain in the Roman city of Verulamium. One day he gave shelter to a Christian priest fleeing persecution. While protecting him, Alban was inspired by the priest’s faith and asked to be taught about Christianity. As a result, he came to faith in Christ.

When the authorities caught up with the priest, Alban’s newfound faith would not allow them to arrest him. Instead, he exchanged clothes with the priest and was arrested, allowing the priest to escape. Alban refused to renounce his beliefs, so the magistrate ordered that he should receive the punishment intended for the priest.

As a result, he was led out of Verulamium and up the hillside where he was beheaded, becoming the first Christian martyr in the British Isles.

Before his death, the executioner assigned to kill him became so impressed with his faith that he became a believer as well and refused to kill Alban. The executioner was then executed, becoming the second Christian martyr in Britain.

The third was the priest. When he learned that Alban had been arrested in his place, he hurried to the court in hopes of saving Alban by turning himself in. He was then martyred as well. The place of their deaths is near the site of St Alban’s Cathedral today.

Imitators or influencers? The choice is pretty clear which will make a difference for today and eternity.

Influencers promote products and lifestyles. Imitators live a life that points people to Jesus. Phil 3:17-21

Influencers’ status depends upon the current trend. Imitators reject superficial trends holding to a faith found through the ages “looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”  Hebrews 12:1-2

Influencers use their platform for personal gain. Imitators seek to live life without selfish ambition or conceit. Philippians 2:3-8

Influencers can twist truth. Imitators speak truth in love. Ephesians 4:15

Influencers hide behind a mask of impersonal relationships through their social media platform. Imitators live with unveiled faces being transformed, living life in relationships. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Influencers seldom face death for their post. From the beginning, imitators of Christ knew their life choice brought them into conflict with the world, even to the point of death. John 15:18-20

Social media influencers will have an impact, money, and notoriety but only for a brief moment. The one who seeks to be an imitator of Christ may not have millions of followers on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, nor command $400,000 per post. However, what an imitator of Christ has will be of eternal significance. Now that is an influence that is desperately needed in our current culture that makes a difference!

God is great.

 

Where’s Dad?

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Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 NLT

The years have not faded the vivid, exciting, and life-changing memory of holding my first-born son after his birth. There was an overwhelming joy and raw emotion as I cradled this tiny body in my arms. These same feelings would be duplicated twice again with my daughters’ births. Fatherhood! Questions flooding my mind: Will I be a good father? What if I get it wrong? Yet trusting in God’s grace and help to be a father.  Perfect? Far from it. Mistakes enough to go to the moon and back.

Sunday marked Father’s Day in America. As we celebrate Father’s Day every year, it draws attention to the role of the Father in our families and society. This is a role that is changing rapidly since the nation’s first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910.

Unfortunately, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in 4 children live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.  I use the word unfortunate since research shows that a father’s absence affects children in numerous ways according to the National Fatherhood Initiative.

A 2019 study by the Pew Research Center showed that the United States has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households out of 130 countries and territories. It is hard enough to be a two-parent household so the challenges and burdens for single-parent homes are greatly multiplied.

It takes only minutes to read daily about the world’s influence on our children’s lives. According to The Center for Family Justice, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually assaulted by the time they reach 18; more than four children die each day because of child abuse and approximately 70% of children that die from abuse are under the age of four. Just this past week, an Illinois man was charged with the murders of his three young children, ages 5, 3, and 2.

An article in the Atlantic Magazine titled “The One Parenting Decision That Really Matters” lists numerous factors on successful parenting but the bottom line comes down to where you raise your child. In essence:  Location. Location. Location.

However, I would agree with the long-time pastor as well as father and grandfather James Emery White in his response to the article, “If all you care about is worldly accomplishment, then perhaps one factor might be where you raise your child. But if you run a bit deeper than that, and care about the spiritual formation of your child-values, beliefs, behaviors, faith—then it’s not about where you raise your child, but who you are as a parent as you raise your child.”

Professor Christian Smith from the University of Notre Dame just released the findings of a detailed research project on the importance of parents’ impact on the religious development of their children. In his book, Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation, he details how parents are the most successful and influential part of their kids adopting the Christian faith compared to other influences.

Professor Smith writes; “Some readers might be surprised to know that the single most powerful causal influence on the religious lives of American teenagers and young adults is the religious lives of their parents.”  Not their peers, not the media, not their youth group leaders or clergy, not their religious school teachers.”

The research shows that no one has to be a super-Christian. Parents simply have to live out their faith consistently, honestly, and consciously to impact their children. Dr. Smith continues that in their findings that the “role of fathers is especially important in forming children religiously” adding “both parents matter a lot in faith transmission, but the role of fathers appears to be particularly crucial.”

Father’s Day might be a good time to read Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus again but with a focus on the father part. In this letter, Paul gave men some challenging instructions on what it means to be a husband and father. A husband must love his wife just like Jesus did his church, even to the point of death. A father must love his children in a way that allows them to grow spiritually and emotionally healthy.

God set importance on the family structure to be a place where children are nurtured, taught, and equipped for life. “Parents are the greatest single evangelists for the gospel in the world and its greatest arena is the family.” (The Daily Citizen)

God’s worldview has always been greater than the size of our bank accounts, where we live, or the impact of our worldly influence. “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.” –Psalm 145:4

Lord, we need you. We need to become the fathers, mothers, and grandparents that will stand in the gap for the children of this world. We must pray against the darkness that seeks to destroy our children. We must pray that they will have tender hearts to hear your voice. May our children tell their children of your mighty acts because we were faithful in telling them of your mighty acts. Amen

God is great

 

 

Walk the Ancient Paths

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Thus says the LORD:

Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.

But they said, “We will not walk in it.” –Jeremiah 6:16

Are there any crossroads you have been hesitant to take? If you are like most of us, then probably there have been many. Crossroads mandate a decision as to whether you go straight, left or right. Life presents us with crossroads that are business, political, philosophical, moral, and spiritual. Whichever crossroad you take will impact your life, occasionally for a moment, but often for a lifetime.

Psalm 23 takes you through the green pastures as well as the dark valleys, yet walking the ancient paths that God has laid out, guarantees his constant companionship. Rejecting God’s way will put you on a path moving further away from God and His ancient paths.

Israel had been given prophets and teachers to help them know God’s Word. Now as they stand at the crossroads all they have to do is “ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it.” God is ready to walk with them. Unfortunately, as they stand at the crossroad, they reject the ancient paths. They would rather keep going in their ways that will take them further away from God.

Connie and I had the amazing opportunity last week to be part of a 10-day Journey of Paul through Athens, Corinth, Patmos, Ephesus, Philippi, and Thessalonica (Thessaloniki). Time has taken its toll on these places, leaving little more than archeological digs, scattered stones, and remnants. However, there is a strange sense of timelessness and excitement in each place recognizing that all of these were communities of faith that were built upon the ancient paths of God.

Walking the path leading to the unearthed theatre in Ephesus I can picture the angry mob led by Demetrius who has chosen the path of the goddess Artemis instead of the ancient path of God.

Walking the path to enter the cave on Patmos I can visualize John as he captures the words of Jesus to the Seven Churches in Asia Minor in the book of Revelation.

Walking the path that leads to the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in Athens I rejoice that Paul boldly proclaimed the one true God. I am humbled that these words spoken that day will become part of my faith ancestry.

Walking the path leading to the river in Philippi I feel the water where Lydia and her household were baptized as some of the first followers of Jesus in Europe.

Walking the path in front of the prison in Philippi where Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned, I am overwhelmed with the courage and peace they had to be able to worship and continue to preach the Gospel.

Though I came to faith long before I walked these sites, I experienced the joy and amazement of being connected to a great throne of saints who walked the ancient paths of Christ that I am now walking.  This journey on ancient paths reminds me that often our generational-centric pride that has captured much of the modern church forgets the deep and moving legacy of our faith family that has gone before us. J.I. Packer says well of the rich heritage of the church. “Tradition is the fruit of the Spirit’s teaching activity from the ages as God’s people have sought understanding of Scripture. It is not infallible, but neither is it negligible, and we impoverish ourselves if we disregard it.”

The ancient ways of the church often seem strange in our modern, contemporary church world.  Yet it is in these traditions, that God’s way has been passed down from one generation to the next. It is in this shared heritage that we can celebrate our faith, encourage us amid trouble, and strengthen us in our weakness.

The “others” who have gone before us on this ancient path give us the courage to stay on the course that God has laid out. Larry Woiwode writes that “There is rugged terrain ahead for those who are constitutionally incapable of referring to the paths marked out by wise and spirit-filled cartographers over the centuries.”

I left encouraged to have been able to walk these ancient streets of old, not simply as a tourist but as one sharing the common bond of faith with those who have gone before me. The pathway they walked was not always easy but they trusted God. It is on this ancient path that I now walk.

The people of Israel stood at the crossroads and chose to turn away from God. Each generation throughout history has stood at the crossroads and made a choice to ask for the ancient paths or turn away from God. The Bible is filled with evidence that the ancient paths are not archaic or inaccessible. Church history is filled with evidence that the ancient paths are not irrelevant. Church tradition is filled with evidence that Jesus Christ is worthy of worship. Now our generation is standing at the crossroads, will we ask for the ancient paths? Pray that we will say yes.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105

God is great

Pentecost Sunday! What else would you come to expect from God who so loved the world?

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And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NLT)

One of the harder words to tell anybody is goodbye but telling someone you love goodbye can be gut-wrenching.  You say the words and you feel the emotions and grief deep down, even if the goodbye will be short-lived. I still feel the emotions of that morning in January 1983 when we said our goodbyes to family and friends at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, walking down the breezeway knowing it would be almost five years before we would see everyone again. We had done our best to get ready for this day but when the moment came, all the preparation seemed to disappear and the tears came.

I could tell my aging parents that we would come back but I knew the separation would hurt. We would write regularly and keep them informed. We would pray for them daily. We would even send pictures of where we would be living. It wouldn’t be the same as being physically present but it would provide encouragement and comfort until we returned.

Jesus knew his departure was coming soon so he started preparing his followers for his goodbye. The Gospel of John records various exchanges between Jesus and his disciples about his role, their role, and the life ahead. Confusion, fear, doubt, and uncertainty marked the tone of his disciples. How could Jesus leave them? What will happen to them? Jesus gave them a promise that they wouldn’t be left behind.

Similar to a mother who reassures her little boy that she will come back for him, Jesus reassures His followers. “No, I will not abandon you as orphans.”  In all their confusion, knowing Jesus wouldn’t leave them made all the difference. Yes, the little boy left in the nursery doesn’t know when his mother will come back but even amid his tears, he believes she will come back for him.

How great the words must have been to the disciples when Jesus said, “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.” –John 14:25-27 (The Message)

The days have passed quickly for the disciples since they watched Jesus’ death on the cross and then experienced the life-changing event of His resurrection. Lots of things have happened during these days since Jesus’ resurrection. Now the day came when they would hear Jesus tell them goodbye.

Over the years we have witnessed a lot of goodbyes at the airport – watched lots of airplanes taxi out to the runway for departure, stood at the window watching until the plane is no longer in sight. The disciples heard Jesus as he departed, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”—Acts 1:8a They had no clue as to what all this meant yet. What kind of power? They would be witnesses at home and to the ends of the earth. Sounds incredible!

Yesterday marked Pentecost Sunday commemorating and celebrating the promise Jesus gave to his disciples and us.  It was a day that empowered a ragtag bunch of men and women to become the church that would change the world.

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” –Acts 2:1-4,12

Pentecost Sunday reminds us that God is true to His Word. The day reminds us that nothing escapes His attention. At the end of their Pentecost Sunday, this little band of disciples who had been afraid of their shadows just a few days before now spoke with boldness and power.

The account in Acts 2 gives a list of the nations and peoples who experienced Pentecost firsthand. On that day they came to hear the Gospel in their heart language and 3,000 or so persons were added as followers of Jesus.  This first encounter birthed the unstoppable movement of God that is moving towards the day when Revelation 7:9 is fulfilled. “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.”

Pentecost Sunday! What else would you come to expect from God who so loved the world?

God is great!