Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

Keep your fork, the best is coming! This illustration has been told and re-told countless times by preachers in their sermons. Without a doubt, in my mind, the master teller of this illustration would have to be Glenn Boyd. Now the story goes that a woman learned that she only had a couple of months to live and her pastor came to visit. However, she was mostly interested in ensuring he knew what to do at her funeral. She made sure he knew what scripture verses to read, what she would wear, what songs would be sung, and who would speak. Plus, she wanted to make sure her favorite Bible would be placed in the casket.

As the pastor was getting ready to leave she made one additional request: to place a fork in her hand in the casket. He looked a little confused but the woman smiled and explained that she had been to more church functions than she could count where food was served. She said there was always one final instruction after the dishes were cleared, keep your fork. I always knew something better was coming, something substantial. You don’t need a fork for Jell-O or pudding but you did for a piece of cake or pie. She told him that when they see the fork, they will know I have something better now.

Glenn in his deep, rich voice told that story often in a way only he could. Glenn was a powerful singer, and could easily have been an opera singer but instead chose to “hunger and thirst for righteousness” as a missionary. Glenn was a missionary colleague and fellow Oklahoman where he and his family served in Kenya and it didn’t take long before you knew his heart and love for God. Glenn’s final years were not easy, filled with pain but he never stopped being hungry and thirsty for the things of God. I didn’t get to attend his funeral but I wonder if he had a fork in his hand.

Hunger and thirst are basic human needs regardless of who you are, where you are from, or what you do in life. It is a given that without food and water, a person will die.  Abraham Maslow developed his hierarchy of needs beginning with the very basics of life – air, food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth, sleep, and health. It is the very foundation of his pyramid of human needs.

Jesus begins his fourth Beatitude by simply saying, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst.” The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 107, “For he has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” (v9) Jesus understood that hunger and thirst for food was essential to survive in life but even more critical to flourish spiritually you had to hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness.

Spiritual hunger should be a driving characteristic of all God’s people. John Stott in his classic book on the “Sermon on the Mount’ writes, “Christians are not like pagans, engrossed in the pursuit of possessions; what they have set themselves to ‘seek first’ is God’s kingdom and righteousness.”

Biblical righteousness is like a brilliant diamond viewed through a prism including a legal, moral, and social aspect. We will hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God. We will hunger and thirst for a personal character and conduct that pleases God. We will hunger and thirst for a social or cultural righteousness that fosters a right relationship with others in our community and world that glorifies God. “We search for God in order to find him with greater joy, and we find him in order to keep on searching with greater love.” (Augustine)

Martin Luther wrote, “The command to you is not to crawl into a corner or into the desert, but to run out, if that is where you have been, and to offer your hands and your feet and your whole body, and to wager everything you have and can do. A hunger and thirst for righteousness that can never be curbed or stopped or sated, one that looks for nothing and cares for nothing except the accomplishment and maintenance of the right, despising everything that hinders this end. If you cannot make the world completely pious then do what you can.”

This last Friday (October 18) marked Anti-Slavery Day. The creation of the day was to raise awareness of the almost 50 million people who are currently held in modern-day slavery. Modern slavery differs from the transatlantic slave trade of history but has the same core evil, the loss of freedom. Today it is identified as human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, child slavery, forced and early marriage, and domestic servitude. “Slavery may be hidden but it exists and it’s controlling the lives of millions of people.” (Hope for Justice)

Jesus gave these teachings, not as forms of spiritual steps or requirements, but as ways his followers could flourish in this world. Luke recorded a beautiful model of how these first followers lived out this fourth Beatitude. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47

Hunger and thirst are perpetual characteristics of Jesus’ disciples. What a difference our world could be if we started each day with that same hunger and thirst as those early followers.

“I am the bread of life, Jesus told them. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again.” — John 6:35 CSB

God is great!

 

Blessed Are the Meek

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Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 NIV

What makes a successful entrepreneur? Process-oriented, empathetic, self-motivated, persuasive, confident, risk-taker, and resilient are just a few of the characteristics and personality traits according to leading management experts. We tend to think of success-oriented personalities as bold, brash, bigger-than-life personalities that dominate the headlines.

There is nothing wrong with many of the personality traits used to describe successful leaders unless they lead to attitudes of self-will, self-interest, and self-assertiveness. However, I could not find the one trait that Jesus used to identify his disciples – meekness. Unfortunately, this term is not even used to describe church leaders.

The word “meek” has taken on some negative connotations in our modern language definitions, resulting in recent Bible translations using alternate words such as “humble” or “gentle.” These words probably express Jesus’ third Beatitude better for our modern world, yet there is something that makes the word meek stand out for Jesus’ disciples.

Sitting on the side of a mountain, Jesus taught a revolutionary message. It changed the way his disciples would live life. “The godless may boast and throw their weight about, yet real possession eludes their grasp. The meek, on the other hand, although they may be deprived and disenfranchised by men, yet because they know what it is to live and reign with Christ, can enjoy and even ’possess’ the earth, which belongs to Christ.” –John Stott

You may not be familiar with William Duma and rightly so since he wasn’t powerful, successful, or wealthy according to the world’s definitions. Yet the years of his earthly life could be defined as a flourishing life lived according to Jesus’ Beatitudes. Maybe it is only in death that another person can say of someone else that they were meek and inherited the earth. Born in South Africa in the early 1900s, he was a herdsman and had limited opportunities for schooling, yet God would use him to cross racial, economic, and political lines throughout his life.

Pastor Duma said in telling his story, “When we choose deliberately to obey Him, then with all His mighty power He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us.” (from Take Your Glory Lord by Mary Garnett)

Sydney Hudson-Reed wrote of Pastor Duma, “If we seek for a human explanation of his success we seek in vain. But pull aside the curtain on his prayer life and the answer is plain. Duma was essentially a man of prayer. Prayer had the prior claim on his life and time. He saturated his service with prayer, and intercession was the secret of his healing ministry. The many hours spent in the presence of God showed on his face and was evident in the power of his preaching and healing.”

Thomas Brooks, a 15th-century English non-conformist Puritan preacher, expressed the heart of a meek person, even as he faced pressure from the government to conform to the established church. “The humble soul will bless God under misery as well as under mercy, when God frowns as when he smiles, when he takes as when he gives, under crosses and losses as under blessings and mercies. The humble believer looks through all secondary causes, and sees the hand of God….The language of the humble soul is: ‘If it is your will that I should be in darkness, I will bless you; and if it is your will that I should be again in light, I will bless you; if you comfort me, I will bless; and if you afflict, I will bless; if you make me poor, I will bless; if you make me rich, I will bless.’”

Jesus’ words that morning were not a ‘three-points and poem’ type exhortation to the crowd but a lived-out example. He lived a life of being meek and showed how to flourish in that meekness. Matthew would record Jesus saying, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:29) Luke would record his exhortation to live a humble life, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

The bold, brash, and bigger-than-life personalities may get all the attention today, but the real end-of-life game changers will be the meek, humble, and gentle ones that will inherit the earth. The crowd that gathered that day to hear Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the meek” experienced the beginning of the promise that His followers “would inherit the earth.”

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” – I Corinthians 1:26-29 NIV

God is great!

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

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Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

“We lost just about everything we owned, and that included vehicles. But we have the most important thing: our lives. And we are forever and always going to be thankful for that.” (Joe Dancy telling CNN’s Laura Coates)

“I feel like I just survived the apocalypse.” (Nicole Rojas, a Vilas, NC resident told the BBC)

David Jones, a South Carolina father realized he might miss his daughter’s wedding due to impassable roads and made the remarkable decision to walk 17 miles to be there. (FOX Weather interview)

East Tennessee native Dolly Parton announced she would donate $1 million to help. “These are my people, these mountain-colored rainbows. These are my people, and this is my home.”

How does one capture the devastation of Hurricane Helene? 232 dead as of this writing, hundreds missing, damages potentially exceeding $100 Billion, survivors emotionally scarred forever, and whole communities destroyed and wiped away. This is the grim picture of six Southeastern states in the United States. There are not enough adjectives to describe the ongoing events of these last several days.

Jesus understood the loss and heartbreak people would face in life as he gently spoke the words we know as the Sermon on the Mount to those gathered that morning on a rural hillside. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” These words spoken in the second beatitude beautifully apply to the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, as they have for generations to those who mourn.

Jesus’ words on that hillside are the source of hope and encouragement. In these words, we can face the losses and know of God’s presence.  “O Lord…You know me more deeply and fully than I know myself. You love me with a greater love than I can love myself. You even offer me more than I can desire…Take my tired body, my confused mind, and my restless soul into your arms and give me rest, simple quiet rest.” (Henri Nouwen)

Mourning truly defines what all of us will face at some point in life. The great hope is that we don’t have to endure it alone. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalms 34:18 NLT

Jonathan Pennington writes in his commentary on The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, “As John Calvin observes,  most people hold to the erroneous belief that the happy person is the one who is free from annoyance, attains all his wishes, and leads a joyful and easy life; the mistaken idea is that true happiness is about our present emotional state…The disciples of Christ must learn the philosophy of placing their happiness beyond the world, and above the afflictions of the flesh…The Beatitudes is to show that those are not unhappy who are oppressed by the reproaches of the wicked, and subject to various calamities.”

I honestly do not know how to face the unrelenting struggles of tragedies, stand at an open grave, or face the pressures of life without the loving comfort of God. Isaiah summed up my thoughts when he wrote, “I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4 CSB)

While mourning, there is the comfort of the One who created us, who loves us and will be there through it all. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.” (Isaiah 26: 3-4 NLT)

I hope you find these lyrics from Phil Wickham’s song, Hymn of Heaven words that can express your thoughts and sentiments.

“How I long to breathe the air of Heaven

Where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets
To look upon the One who bled to save me
And walk with Him for all eternity

There will be a day when all will bow before Him
There will be a day when death will be no more
Standing face to face with He who died and rose again
Holy, holy is the Lord

And every prayer we prayed in desperation
The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear
In the end, we’ll see that it was worth it
When He returns to wipe away our tears…”

(https://youtu.be/bqxtFUwM3-o?si=ZT6BBS-dJ_m6cqeD)

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” (Matt 5:4 The Message)

God is great!

 

Flourishing are the Poor in spirit

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Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? James 2:5 CSB

I can’t help but imagine that Jesus had people like Lalta in his thoughts when he began the first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Lalta is from Alwar, India. Lalta was a human scavenger, her job was to clean human excrement out of dry latrines by hand, put it into a reed basket, carry it on her head to a dumping ground outside of the city, and deposit it. Lalta, similar to the other scavengers, had one thing in common, the loss of dignity. Lalta said, “There was no happiness in our lives. It actually had no meaning. All the time it was either people’s filth on the head or its thought in the heart.”

Lalta couldn’t solve her, problem but with the help of an international non-profit organization called Sulabh International, (www.Sulabhinternational.org) her life was changed forever. The organization is committed to addressing the need for safe, clean sanitation by replacing dry latrines with public and household toilets. What happened to the scavengers who lost their livelihood? The organization provides training in new careers and much more, giving these former outcasts a new dignity.

Lalta was trained as a beautician, as others were trained to work in food processing, office jobs, or given micro-credits to start small businesses. She can now say, “From a heap of humiliation to the heights of self-respect and self-confidence, I believe life has turned out miraculously for the good. I don’t ask for more, for today I can stand and face the world with respect.” (Michael Marmot, The Health Gap: The Challenge of an Unequal World)

Nothing says decadence like a $1,000 Golden Opulence Sundae from Serendipity 3 in New York City. (www.serendipity3com). This Guinness World Record holder for “Most Expensive Sundae in the World” greets you with “layers of 23-carat gold, creamy Tahitian vanilla ice cream made with beans from Madagascar, truffles, caramelized fruits, chocolate sauce, and sweet caviar made with Grand Marnier and passion fruit.” (tastingtable.com) All of this decadence is served in a $350 Baccarat crystal goblet with an 18-carat gold spoon on the side. You do get the goblet for a take-home memory but you have to order in advance.

As I read Leonard Sweet’s book, Rings of Fire: Walking in Faith through a Volcanic Future, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ words in his first beatitude in Matthew 5:3. Sweet mentioned these two illustrations and as I researched each one of the stories, I was overwhelmed by the stark comparisons. Jesus’ words that morning to the crowd that gathered must have brought great encouragement to those who thought or rather knew that were poor. Their economic poverty added to their spiritual poverty yet here was a teacher telling them they were blessed even in their poverty.

“As much as the poor, the rich will always be with us. The fact that someone else has a better car or a bigger house is of no consequence, or shouldn’t be. If Jesus wants to pay some people more who do less, as long as everyone is given a generous wage, why should we be envious that life is more generous to some than to others? Wealth is not the problem. Poverty is.” (Leonard Sweet)

Jesus’ words that morning reminded them of God’s concern for the poor. Long before these words were spoken, God had set in motion concern for the poor and outcasts of society. Today the responsibility of the church has never been greater to live out the words of Jesus. “Those who cannot see Christ in the poor are atheists indeed.” (Dorothy Day)

God cares that we make provision for the poor. “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field…Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:9-10

God cares that all are treated fairly. “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Leviticus 19:15

God cares that we help those in need. “If anyone is poor…do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Deut 15:7-8

God cares that we defend the poor. “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82:3-4

God cares that we show kindness to the poor. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Prov 19:17

God cares how we treat the poor. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40

If God cares, then it becomes imperative that we care. Dorothy Wordsworth wrote in 1800 that “there would be only two ranks of people, the very rich and the very poor.” In 2019 Larry Elliott wrote, “Twenty-six people now own as much wealth as the poorest half of the world’s population.”

Though Sulabh may not be a Christian-based non-profit, God is using it to change the lives of people. The challenge we each face is to hear the words, “Blessed are the poor” and how we can make a difference until they know they are blessed. “The world can no more keep out trouble of spirit than a paper shield a bullet. Earthly things are like a castle of snow under the heat of the sun. Sole enjoyments of the world become a curse in the end. How many have pulled down their souls to build up an estate!” (Thomas Watson)

It is easy to become discouraged at the widening gap in this new age of mega wealth and wonder how the poor can be blessed, how we can make a difference, and how we can live with contentment with what we have. However, it will never be the size of our bank account that makes the difference but the size of our God. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” 2 Cor 8:9

God is great!

Praying for those who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene

 

Changing Seasons, Refreshed View

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Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 CSB

Nothing says “autumn” better than weekend football. Since Rutgers and Princeton played the first college football game in 1869, football has dominated the months leading up to winter. Football is a benchmark of the cooler months and gives you something to do on Thanksgiving Day. You might be interested in knowing that the value of a touchdown started at four points, increased to five in 1898, and then six points in 1912. Field goals went the other direction starting at five points until it was reduced to the current three points in 1909. The NFL didn’t mandate helmets until 1943 and the longest NCAA Division 1 winning streak is still owned by the OU Sooners at 47!

In the other gardens

And all up in the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over,

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of season!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall!

Robert Louis Stevenson captured the changing season in his poem, Autumn Fires. Two little words on the calendar yesterday, Autumn Begins, marked the end of one season and the beginning of another. Some of you will be rejoicing as you pull out your sweaters and light a fire in the fireplace. Others will moan at the thought of brisk cool morning walks and dark evenings. “The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider.” (Jane Hirshfield, The Heat of Autumn)

The changing of seasons may bring different reactions but one thing is certain, it doesn’t stop the change. “Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”— (Lauren DeStefano, Wither) I don’t know if you identify with Ms. DeStefano’s statement but the season changes can be a powerful reminder for us of God’s presence in the changing of life’s seasons.

Changing seasons reassure us of God’s control. “You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.” –Psalm 74:17 There is a great assurance in knowing that if God can set the boundaries of the seasons, then he can set the boundaries of our life. You may feel like you are in the midst of uncontrollable circumstances but as you see the falling of summer leaves you know God is sufficient to take care of your problems.

Changing seasons reassure us of God’s provisions. “As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” Gen 8:22 Only in God do we ultimately find lasting fulfillment and satisfaction. Without God, no amount of worldly wealth can fill a person’s soul. George Swinnock, an old Puritan writer from yesteryear said it well, “God is a satisfying portion. This world may fill a man, but can never satisfy him….David tells us that if the Lord is your portion, this fountain runs freely to full contentment….If a man were crowned king of the world to enjoy the treasures, honours, and pleasures that all its kingdoms can yield; if he had the society of angels and glorified saints as friends, and could enjoy all this for the duration of the world, yet without God, he would be unsatisfied.”

Changing seasons reassure us that God is always with us. “but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” Acts 14:17 “He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.” –Ecc 3:1-9

Solomon was a keen observer of life, the changing seasons of nature, and most importantly of people. He had been to the top of the mountain of wealth, success, and power but finally learned that life without God was meaningless. He wrapped up his discourse of life with the beautiful testimony that “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” (3;11) As the seasons change each year, we get to witness beautiful masterpieces to remind us that there is a time for everything. For everything, there is a season!

LORD, let us enjoy the changing landscape of autumn as trees drop their leaves, birds migrate south, and the mornings bring a chill in the air. Autumn reminds us that change is hard but there is beauty even in the changes. As we meditate upon the changing nature of the world around us, may it serve as a reminder of your unchanging presence and love for us in our lives.

God is great!

Planting Spiritual Trees

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He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” Matt 13:31-32 (CSB)

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”  This well-known Greek proverb could easily describe Dr. William Leslie’s life as a medical missionary to a remote corner of the Congo in 1912. Dr. Leslie and his wife, Clara cleared land along the Kwilu River at Vanga for a new mission station but after 17 years of intense labor, they returned to the United States discouraged. Dr. Leslie believed he had failed to make an impact for Christ and died seven years later thinking his mission had failed.

A team led by Eric Ramsey in 2010 hiked into the jungle to where the Yansi people lived. Ramsey’s research led him to believe there was some exposure to the name of Jesus. What he discovered was a thriving network of reproducing churches throughout the area. They found a church in each of the eight villages they visited scattered across 34 miles. “Each village had its own gospel choir, although they wouldn’t call it that. They wrote their own songs and would have sing-offs from village to village.”

Ramsey was able to piece together the story of how Dr. Leslie would cross the Kwilu River from Vanga and spend a month traveling throughout the area teaching the Bible, teaching the children how to read and write, and telling Bible stories. Ramsey writes of Dr. Leslie, “His goal was to spread Christianity. He felt like he was there for 17 years and he never really made a big impact, but the legacy he left is huge.” (Mark Ellis, God Reports)

There is just something rewarding about planting seeds or small seedlings in the ground and watching them grow to maturity. Though I haven’t had much experience planting mustard seeds, I have planted trees wherever we lived, leaving a place for others to sit. The trees brought enjoyment but I always knew, those that followed would enjoy even more.

Jeremiah Lanphier planted a spiritual tree that would bear fruit for years to come. Lanphier, a New York City merchant, in 1857 gave up his trade position to accept a position with a dying church to visit people in the area. The work was slow, seeing very little success and he would return to his room in the evening and “spread out his sorrows before the Lord.”

The idea of a mid-day prayer meeting came to him and he invited people to come but the first day, he was the only one on hand. After thirty minutes another six businessmen did show up to pray. “That small meeting was in no way extraordinary. There was no great outpouring of the Spirit of God. Lanphier had no way of knowing that it was the beginning of a great national revival which would sweep an estimated one million persons into the kingdom of God.”

“Early in 1858, the revival power poured over the Appalachian Mountains and into the West. Every major town fell before it—Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Omaha—and on to the Pacific Coast.” “And everywhere, it was a revival of prayer. There was no hysteria, no unusual disturbances. Just prayer.” (from the C. S. Lewis Institute)

We may never get to know the full outcome of planting spiritual trees but often God gives us a peek at some of the green leaves. Our team returned last week from Kenya with full hearts and thankful souls. The spiritual tenderness of Kenyans was such a joy as we gathered in times of training, teaching, participating, and sharing. We had the privilege of walking with 85 different individuals in their spiritual journey as they said yes to Jesus’ invitation to life.

One young man living on the streets said yes to Jesus’ invitation of hope. Homelessness and discouragement marked the future of this young man until one of our team members took the time to talk with him. For the first time in a long time, he felt loved and accepted. After we had left Kenya, the pastor of the church we were working with wrote to tell us that he had taken the young man back home to his parents. The pastor wrote, “He had left home two and a half years ago. The family knew that he had died and even did a burial ritual for him. At the arrival of their son, it was just like that of the prodigal son in the Bible.” One “chance” encounter that changed a young man’s life and family.

Last week the United States marked the 23rd anniversary of 9-11 and most of us can remember that fateful day and probably even recall the very place you heard the news. Yet for a growing number of people, it is simply a page in a history book. The vast majority of recent college graduates were not even born when the attacks took place. For them, 9-11 will only be a historical occurrence, not a shared experience.

I wish I could tell them that we planted a spiritual tree for them to sit under. I remember going to our church that night and it was filled with people praying and worshipping. Across the nation, churches were filled to capacity for several weeks but then life returned to normal. Unfortunately, the passion and fervor of those days lost its glow and the hope for another national spiritual awakening soon vanished. What could have been a great awakening turned into multiple wars around the globe, a divided nation, social unrest, spiritual dryness, school shootings, and political disunity.

Yet we keep on praying! Planting physical trees definitely brings a lot of satisfaction but even more so are the spiritual trees we plant throughout our lifetime. We may go through life thinking, what have I done to make a difference, yet little do we know what impact these spiritual trees will have on others. We plant on this journey of life so that someday others will enjoy the shade.

“But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” –Psalm 1:2-3 NLT

God is great!

Planting Seeds of Grace with Our Words

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It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. James 3:5-6 The Message

Sticks and stones may break my bones

But words will never hurt me

Whoever came up with this children’s rhyme in the early 1800s could never have imagined the 2020s when someone using a couple of clicks on their computer could devastate another person.  This little ditty was never true even in the 1800s and now even less. I am also certain that most of us have been hurt with unintentional and a few intentional negative and hateful words in our lifetime. However, the rise of social media comment toxicity has created a whole new dimension in our digitally connected world. No longer are the words thrown at us from the kids we know on the playground but the vast majority of toxic comments come from people who hide behind a hedge of anonymity.

The stranger’s hateful comments hurt but the ones that carry the most sting are from Christians. Michael Hidalgo wrote an article in Relevant magazine called, “When Did Christians Get So Mean?” James Emery White shared a similar line of thought in his recent podcast called, “On Why Christians Are So Mean.” Hidalgo writes, “Few things embolden us to say unkind things more than a computer keyboard. Many men and women type mean slanderous emails and comments. They come out so fast their finger scan barely keep up with the toxic words that appear before them on the screen.”

The rise of toxicity among those outside the church is alarming but within the church family, I would call it scandalous. White said in his podcast, “A lack of grace is a significant contributor to this problem, which is ironic as grace is what makes the Christian faith so distinct from other world religions.”  Paul, of all people, understood the word, grace. In his letter to the believers in Colossae, he wrote, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6 NIV)

“If our words are to be filled with grace it demands we give a gift to others every time we speak or write words. And too many of us are not crazy about giving grace to others, because something in each of us knows grace is expensive. If we are to speak words full of grace it costs us something.” (Michael Hidalgo)

Christians are known as passionate people of faith which is a good thing. However, taken to the extreme, it is easy to take a 15-second video clip out of an hour’s presentation to pounce on another follower of Christ or speak before we have listened or sought to only win an argument. James reminded us and is very relevant in our instantaneous media culture, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:19-20 NIV)

Long before our digital world, Dietrich Bonhoeffer gave some helpful insight to ponder before we share our opinions or reply in the comment section. “Your life as a Christian should make non-Believers question their disbelief in God.” James somehow knew we would need to be reminded that “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” (James 3:9-10) I would be surprised if at some point you haven’t been upset over a story or an event that happened. Did your reply “make non-Believers question their disbelief in God?” Did you extend grace to someone you didn’t agree with?

Is your goal to win the argument or help plant seeds of truth? Just remember “The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.” (Prov 16:21 NIV)

Is your goal to blast the other person’s idea or create dialogue? Just remember “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Prov 16:24 NIV)

Is your goal to unload anger or recreate the story? Just remember “A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” (Prov 25:11 CSB)

Dale Carnegie said it well “Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind of words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” However, I think that Paul’s writing to Titus gives us even more insight into using words wisely, “to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” (Titus 3:2 NIV)

Unfortunately, you can’t stop the mean-spirited comments on Social Media, blogs, or news stories but as followers of Jesus, hopefully, the unbelieving world will not find us the authors of the comments. Yes, we will passionately share ideas and opinions but we let our words “encourage one another and build each other up.” (I Thess 5:11))

Planting seeds of grace in every conversation!

God is great!

Connie and I are in Kenya for two weeks on a mission trip with our church. I am reposting a previous article. In this toxic period of political campaigning, I pray we will use our words wisely and with grace. Words have power, use them wisely.

 

The Gift of Work

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Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

Happy Labor Day!  One day a year the United States celebrates a national holiday called Labor Day. Signed into law by President Glover Cleveland in 1894, the day acknowledges the labor and economic achievements of the country. Traditionally you do not have to buy gifts for others, seldom do you send greeting cards and if you are in retail or fast food, it is a busy work day. Labor Day has become the semi-official end of summer and the best day to buy a new mattress!

Mark Twain is most often identified with the quote, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” However, others, from Confucius to a Princeton University professor, can claim the quote. The sentiment sounds good, but it still requires much effort like anything you value and enjoy doing. Benjamin Franklin would have had a slightly different way of saying it, “It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.”

This Labor Day finds the current labor force participation rate at 62.6% according to the U.S. Labor Department official statistics. It is a big change to realize I am no longer part of this percentage rate! Work has been an intricate part of my life since age 15 when I entered the paid labor force working on Saturdays and after school in a farm equipment manufacturing company.

I thought I had hit pay dirt earning a whopping $1.60 per hour.  I never considered work a dirty word, though I did get dirty at work. There was satisfaction and contentment in those hours of sweeping the floors and anything else I had to do. Work brought in money but its value was far greater than the $1.60 that I made. Theodore Roosevelt said it well, “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

Though President Cleveland may have signed a law into effect creating Labor Day, it was God who created the very dignity and purpose of work.  Once God had finished the task of creating, He gave Adam the responsibility and gift of work to take care of his creation.  “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Gen 2:15 NIV) Adam would get to “work hard at work worth doing.”

Labor Day allows us a great opportunity to reflect upon the value of work. It is a value that is not limited to a monetary amount but to the soul’s dignity as a person. “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.” –Pope Paul VI

Work can be seen as a gift or a mundane burden of survival, depending upon perspective. The story of Three Bricklayers is a rich story that has been told in different forms over the years but is based upon a true event. Following the devasting 1666 fire that leveled London, one of the projects assigned to architect Christopher Wren was the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Visiting the site one day he observed three bricklayers on a scaffold working diligently. Wren asked the first one, what are you doing? The man responded, “I’m a bricklayer. I’m working hard laying bricks to feed my family.”

Wren asked the same question to the next man who responded, “I’m a builder. I’m building a wall.” Finally, Wren asked the third man, “What are you doing?” I’m a cathedral builder. I’m building a great cathedral to the Almighty.” Same wall, the same work but with three totally different perspectives.

Did Christopher Wren actually ask the bricklayers the question? I don’t know if the encounter is true or just one of the thousands of urban myths circulated online and by motivational speakers. The origin of the quote seems to come from a book published in 1927 by Bruce Barton.

What I do know is that Christopher Wren was a renowned architect in England, that the Great Fire of London reduced the city to a smoking desert, and that of the 52 churches that Wren designed, St. Paul’s was his crowning work.  I have walked through St. Paul’s Cathedral admiring this magnificent work.

I’m sure there were lots of bricklayers and builders who dug the ditches, built the walls, and painted the structure. No doubt some saw their work simply as a job that put food on the table for their families, which was a good thing. However, I can imagine a few who saw their work as Kingdom work. As they bent down to pick up a brick and then lay it upon the next brick, they were offering to God their work as an act of worship.

There was no doubt that Wren saw St. Paul’s as more than another construction job. Upon his death, Wren was buried at St. Paul’s and his eldest son wrote the inscription engraved upon the black granite stone over his grave. “Here in its foundations lies the architect of this church and city, Christopher Wren, who lived beyond ninety years, not for his own profit but for the public good. Reader, if you seek his monument—look around you. Died 25 Feb. 1723, age 91.”

I don’t know what season of life you find yourself in. For a few it may be starting in their first job, others gaining seniority, others having to find a new job, others looking to retire soon, and many already in retirement. Wherever you are in your work journey, whether past, present, or future, count it as a blessing. Enjoy God’s gift of work and “May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:16-17

God is great!

Re-posting article from Sept 3, 2023. Connie and I are in Kenya for the next two weeks with a group from our church working in the Eldoret area. I pray your Labor Day celebration will be a blessed and fun day.

Finding What Is Real

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My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours. I John 5:13-15 (the Message)

This week, I came across a profound question in my reading: “Have you ever wondered why oranges are often sold in those strange red net bags?” Well maybe a bit less than profound, and if you are like me, really hadn’t given any thought to it. According to the writer the reason why “it’s a sneaky trick used by food producers and supermarkets to fool your senses and (Hopefully) make you buy more fruit.”

The red mesh creates an illusion that the oranges are more colorful and thus tastier than they will be at home. The colorful net downplays the unripeness of the fruit. The same principle applies to lemons which are put in yellow bags to enhance their natural color. “The principle is based on the confetti illusion, a visual phenomenon where the perception of colors is strongly influenced by its surrounding context.”  (Tom Hale)

Hale further quoted Psychologist Karl R. Gegenfurtner who released a study in i-Perception, “We conclude that color assimilation alone provides a strong effect on color appearance, turning the greenish looking orange into a beautifully orange one…Looking around in typical supermarkets, it is easy to see that fruits and vegetables are typically packaged in nets that are of the color of perfect exemplars…The paper explains that the confetti illusion is based on the principle that our brains are programmed to process peripheral vision and color perception.”

I have always been fascinated by illusionist’s or magicians’ shows, watching closely to see if I could figure out how they did what they did. The acts of David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, or Siegfried and Roy can’t help but leave you mesmerized. The greats, such as Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston, changed the entertainment scene with their shows. Illusionists are masters of diverting your attention from reality, thinking what is, isn’t really. Smoke-and-mirrors tricks, sleight-of-hand card tricks, flashing lights, and bursts of fire all draw your attention away from what is real.

Unfortunately, the illusionists of life are not always limited to a 30-minute routine on stage. We are exposed to master illusionists in life similar to the red nets that oranges are bagged in to create a false reality.  The same things happen daily in our world.

I watched bits of both political conventions over this last month and occasionally I felt both parties had illusionists on the stage. You realize what you see is not always reality, but a perception of reality. Often it comes down to what we want to see.

“Illusions are false perceptions, and delusions are when we believe those perceptions. A delusion is when we are under the spell of an illusion, under the spell of a lie that is perceived as truth.” (Joe & Erin Pinto)

Politicians can be master illusionists, telling us what we want to hear or what we think we want to hear. Advertisers have been masters illusionists for years telling us if we do this exercise or routine, we can have an amazing body; if we eat this food, we can get rid of unwanted fat or improve this health problem; or if we…. you name it. The illusion of beauty, success, or power fills our social media accounts daily.

So, what is real? What is only an illusion? Satan uses the same set of tricks that a great illusionist would use, to divert our attention from what is real, what is truth, and what is God-centered. We read in Matthew 4 of his attempts to divert Jesus with his sleight of hand, creating an illusion that would lead to death. The same tactics that Satan tried to use against Jesus, he uses today against us, tempting us in the areas of physical needs, spiritual shortcuts, and success or power.  The great thing though is that Jesus opened Satan’s playbook and showed us how to understand the deception and what to do.  Verse after verse in Matthew says, “The Scriptures say, For the Scriptures say, The Scriptures also say, For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him’”.

“Sometimes, things in this life aren’t what they look like. For us to see past the illusion, we have to get our eyes on Jesus and off the false evidence. The enemy wants to get us to focus on the problems, the current circumstances—on the giant, on the waves, on the army.” (Will Cooper, COO of Samaritan Ministries)

When David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, or Harry Houdini finished their shows, they put away their props and went about living real life. The illusions they created were put into a crate or folded up for the next show. As we face troubles, anxiousness, or doubts, we can let them become overwhelming in our lives or follow Paul’s advice about the temporary illusion we are facing. Scripture says, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

When the final curtain is drawn and we no longer watch the fleeting illusion of life, only then will we get to experience and see the real story! “Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.” Psalm 119:37 NRSV

God is great!

 

The World Needs a Few Peculiar People

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But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. I Peter 2:9 KJV

Cat lovers rejoice – Dolce & Gabbana to your rescue. You no longer have to smell your friend’s dog anymore. Luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana has introduced a perfume for dogs, which “blends fresh and delicate notes of Ylang Ylang, Musk, and Sandalwood,” in an “alcohol-free scented mist.”  Dog owners or cat lovers can order “Fefe’” fragrance for 99 euros or $108.13 plus shipping. The company says, “It’s a tender and embracing fragrance crafted for a playful beauty routine. This fragrance is housed in a sleek green lacquered glass bottle, adorned with a vibrant red metal cap and a precious 24-carat gold-plated paw.” (Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today) I will put this information into my quirky file though I do like dogs.

A few miles up the road from where we live is the little town of Turin, Georgia. You will not find a large, bustling city but you will find a little, quirky beach called, “Barbie Beach.” It has an international following on Facebook and people stop from all over to visit and take pictures. Created by Steve and Linda Quick in 2006 in celebration of the Olympics that year in Turin, Italy, the mostly naked Barbie and Ken dolls have been lounging around in a six-by-four-foot stretch of sand since then. Over the years the display has changed to reflect whatever current event caught the attention of the Quicks, such as The Final Four playoffs, the royal wedding, or national football championships. It is a must-see if you are in this area. Weird, quirky or whimsical, you decide.

The longer I live the world seems to be getting a little quirkier, or maybe I’m just seeing things a little quirkier. The King James Bible translators used the word, peculiar to describe the people of God in I Peter. Granted, the word has morphed a bit in meaning since the KJV translation in the 1600s. Nowadays if you describe someone as peculiar you normally think they are strange, unusual, odd, weird, or maybe bizarre. However, the King James translators were using the word within the context of their day, meaning unique, a people for possession, that God’s people are meant to belong to him uniquely.

I rather like the word peculiar. Using the modern definition, it might actually be a good word to describe Christians today. I am sure you can probably identify a few quirky Christians in the modern sense of the word. However, the word can speak volumes when you consider the impact that a bunch of peculiar Christians focused only on Jesus could have in our current divided and godless society.

It will take peculiar people to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” –Matt 5:44

It will take peculiar people who can “Whenever you stand praying, forgive” –Mark 11:25

It will take peculiar people that will “Love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return” –Luke 6:35

It will take peculiar people who are willing to die for others. Last week marked the death of Maximilian Kolbe on August 14, 1941. 1939 saw the start of World War II with Poland quickly falling and Warsaw being captured by the Nazis. Kolbe could have been spared because of his German father if he had signed a register that would have given him rights and protection, but he refused. “Instead, he and the few friars who had not fled provided shelter for Polish refugees and hid around 2000 Jews. The Nazis eventually closed the monastery down and arrested the friars in February 1941, and Maximilian was sent to Auschwitz.” (Carla Harding, Lectio 24-7 Podcast)

It was at Auschwitz that ten men were chosen to be starved to death as an example but when the priest heard one of the men cry out in fear of losing his family, he volunteered to take the man’s place. Kolbe ministered to the other nine even as he faced starvation and died in the starvation bunker with a smile on his lips.

“Through obedience we transcend our own limitations and align ourselves with God’s will, which, with infinite wisdom and prudence, guides us to do what is best. Moreover, as we become filled with the divine will, which no created thing can resist, so we become stronger than all others.” (Letter written by Maximilian Kolbe)

It will take peculiar people who share the Gospel even in the most unorthodox ways. During a press conference after winning the gold medal in Paris, German shot-putter Yemisi Ogunleye responded to the interviewer’s question about how she approached that decisive final throw. Ogunleye said, “Before the last attempt, I didn’t think about anything but just lifted my hands and prayed. And that might seem weird to some people, but that is really the source of my peace and joy…After seeing where the shot landed, when I knew it was hopefully going to be enough for the gold medal, I just went on my knees and said, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’” She then responded during the interview with an impromptu rendition of  the song, “God Kept Me” by Harvey Watkins Jr.  yemisi ogunleye interview – YouTube

It will take peculiar people who can see a broken world but can tell others of the one who can restore brokenness. One such peculiar person was missionary E. Stanley Jones who went as a missionary to India in 1907. His ministry touched both the upper and lower classes of society, a confidant of Pres. Franklin Roosevelt, and friend of Mahatma Gandhi. He gained influence “as he stressed that the reconciliation brought through Jesus Christ was intended for the whole world.” (Asbury University bio of Jones)

Jones would write, “The early Christians succeeded because they did not lower their heads in despair and say, “Look what the world has come to.” Instead, they lifted their eyes in delight and said, “Look Who has come to the world.”

It will take peculiar people to be part of the radical transformation from darkness to light. We may get called weird, quirky, and strange but peculiar people can and do make a difference. Let’s be the light for our part of the world today.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

God is great!

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