Gloom or Glee – Christianity in Decline

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I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16

Christianity quickly diminishing in US, on pace to become minority religion in decades— (Fox News)

America’s Christian majority is on track to end— (NPR headline)

One after another major publications and news stories picked up the gloomy predictions based on the release of a recent Pew Research Center study. The report reflects the downward trend of people identifying as Christians. 50 years ago, 90% of the population considered themselves Christians, compared to 64% in 2020.

“If recent trends in switching (changing one’s religious affiliation) hold, we projected that Christians could make up between 35% and 46% of the U.S. population in 2070.”  The study continued by saying “of course, it is possible that events outside the study’s model-such as war, economic depression, climate crisis, changing immigration patterns or religious innovations- could reverse current religious switching trends, leading to a revival of Christianity in the United States. But there are no current switching patterns in the U.S. that can be factored into the mathematical models to project such a result.”  –Stephanie Kramer, a senior researcher who led the study.

Mark Twain in response to a newspaper report about his death, responded, “the report of my death was an exaggeration.” The same could be said of the end of Christianity. Throughout history, religious leaders beat and imprisoned those who spoke the name of Jesus, the mob threw stones, the emperor released the lions, the elite of society scoffed and the intellectuals scorned, but Jesus said “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

G.K. Chesterton’s reflections decades ago can help keep this report in perspective:

Chesterton wrote, “at least five times…the Faith has to all appearance gone to the dogs. In each of these five cases it was the dog that died…. Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave. But the first extraordinary fact which marks this history is this: that Europe has been turned upside down over and over again; and that at the end of each of these revolutions the same religion has again been found on top. The Faith is always converting the age, not as an old religion but as a new religion”. (Chesterton, The Everlasting Man)

God’s response to Elijah can help keep this report in perspective:

When Elijah thought he was “the only prophet of the LORD who is left” to fight, God reminded him after several mind-blowing natural events that “I still have left in Israel 7,000 followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.” (I Kings 19:18)

History can help keep this report in perspective:

If Christians in America find themselves as a minority in a few decades, it will not be the first time.  America may have had its roots in Christian principles but in 1776 only 17% of this new nation were church members. As one writer said you would find more Americans in a tavern on Saturday night than in church on Sunday morning. From this minority position, God used a couple of major spiritual awakenings and countless local revivals to awaken American Christians. In this growing awakening, God used the church as the catalyst for cultural and societal reforms. Philip Yancey writes in Vanishing Grace that “Christians present an attractive counterculture until they become the dominant culture. Then they divert from their mission, join the power structure, and in the process turn society against them. Rejected, they retreat into a minority subculture, only to start the cycle all over again.”

Our response can help keep this report in perspective:

Maybe the Christianity of the last few decades has become more like a warm fuzzy blanket instead of the fire that swept through the frontier towns and villages of yesteryears. It was a fire that changed society, sent out missionaries to the nations, healed broken families, redeemed desperate people, and shook the world.  “With no social advantage to belief, churches attract people who are serious about their faith—which plants the seed for future growth.” (Yancey) If in the last 100 years Christianity grew from 600 million to over 2 billion worldwide, imagine what could be if the church rekindled their first love?

Jesus’ response on the mountain can help keep this report in perspective:

Jesus was leaving his mission in the hands of a few faithful disciples and He knew the road ahead would be difficult for them. He knew it would be difficult for those who followed through the generations. Jesus knew that governments would change, cultural norms would continue to shift and people would waiver in their faith. Yet Jesus left us this final word, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:18-20

Daniel Silliman writing for Christianity Today observed, “Revival could happen, there’s just nothing in the current data that indicates it will.” That statement is probably true except God has never been big on statistics or data. When data had Noah drowning, God closed the door on the ark. When data had Moses trapped by an enemy army, God parted the river. When data had Jesus dead, God moved the stone.  When data had the church in decline, God created a thirst for Him alone.  It will be in that thirst that God will use to revive His church.

“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” Psalm 42:1-2

Lord, create in us a thirst that only you can quench. Let us boldly live our lives for you even when the world laughs at us.  Fall fresh on us again that we may be the generation of the next Great Awakening.

God is great!

Following the Right Directions

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It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 NLT

Traffic jams and big cities just go together! Living in Atlanta I have learned never to leave home without plotting my course with the GPS. I may know how to get where I am going but Google gets me around the inevitable traffic deadlock and gives me the occasional shortcut. If you drive in any big city you come to depend upon a GPS – until you don’t! Drivers in Denver might be a little hesitant after Google Maps left 100 or so stuck in the mud in 2019. When Google Maps gave drivers a shorter way to the Denver International Airport to avoid a major accident, drivers took the route. However, Google identified a road that wasn’t a road and left drivers hopelessly stuck in the mud for several hours. One lady interviewed said, “My thought was, ‘Well there are all these cars in front of me so it must be OK. So, I just continued.” As the road quickly turned into a slick, muddy mess she further said, “That’s when I thought, ‘Oh this was a bad decision.” There was no turning back once they were in the mud.

We all can identify with following directions over unfamiliar territory. I had a similar situation when we lived in Kenya, but with a different outcome. Our family was going to attend a worship service in one of the Maasai villages outside of Nairobi. I did know the road out to the church would be difficult, if not dangerous. However, unlike the GPS miscalculation, I was following a person who had made the trip to the church hundreds of times. He knew every turn, pothole, and ditch going out to the village. The difference is amazing when you are following someone who knows the way and you can trust him to get you to your destination.

The same scenario could be said of a lot of people spiritually. It is often a struggle to decide the right way to go, when in fact, if you keep your eyes on Jesus, the way forward is less important than the destination. Proverbs 20:24 wisely tells you that “The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?”  I don’t know about you but I realize that if I take my eyes off Jesus, what looks like the smoothest, most direct path of life ends up being a treacherous road.

Staying focused on Jesus allows you to weather the storms of life. You may think the best way forward looks great but you quickly realize it is the most dangerous way when you are following in the wrong direction. The Denver drivers faithfully followed the voice on the GPS only to find themselves stuck in the mud. Listening to the right voice is essential.

“Who is the third who walks always beside you?

When I count, there are only you and I together

But when I look ahead up the white road

There is always another one walking beside you.” –T. S. Eliot

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” Galatians 5:16-17 NLT

George Washington Carver understood the necessity of listening to the right voices. Had he listened to the voices within his cultural context he would not have heard that he could make an impact on the world as a scientist, advocate for justice, and a voice for the poor. He quit listening to the voices that would label him as “the orphaned child of a despised race” but would come to know the Creator whose voice He would follow throughout his life.

“All my life, I have risen regularly at four in the morning to go into the woods and talk with God. That’s where He reveals His secrets to me. When everybody else is asleep, I hear God best and learn my plan.” It was his faith in Jesus that Carver viewed “as the key to defeating racism and improving the plight of the poor.”

Oswald Chambers wrote “A river is victoriously persistent, it overcomes all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, then it comes to an obstacle and for a while it is balked, but it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, and presently emerge again broader and grander than ever. You can see God using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficult. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.”

The traffic anchor for KMGH Denver said of the GPS wrong turn, “You are driving. Google Maps is not driving. Google Maps is not perfect. You need to know where you are going and, if it does not look like that’s where you should be going, turn around and try again.”

Good advice for drivers, but also a great spiritual analogy. The world has much to say about which road to take but turn around because it will take you where you don’t want to go. The way Jesus leads will bring you home safely.

Your hope is not in the cultural context of the day but Jesus. Your road may be filled with obstacles but in Jesus, you have a Shepherd who guards his flock, a Friend who understands your needs, and a Savior who gives life.

Lord, we trust you to guide us through this week knowing your ways are right. Since You know what is ahead, let us listen with attentiveness and responsiveness. Amen

God is great!

 

Solemn Remembrance

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Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail? The kings of the earth form a united front; the rulers collaborate against the LORD and his anointed king. They say, “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us. Let’s free ourselves from their ropes.” The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust…Psalm 2:1-4a

“It started like any other day,” Lightsey recalled. “I handled a couple of EMS runs and some other pretty minor stuff.”

At 8:47 a.m., a call crackled over the radio:

Battalion 1 to Manhattan. We just had a …a plane crashed into an upper floor of the World Trade Center. Transmit a second alarm and start relocating companies into the area.” –Daily News article

September 11, 2001, is now 21 years removed. On that fateful day, almost 3,000 people were killed during the attacks at the Twin Towers, Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. 9/11 was a day that the United States found itself under attack. “Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.’ –President George W. Bush

It was a day that would unite a nation, open the hearts of people and drive us to prayer. Author David Levithan writes, “what separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.”

Genelle Guzman-McMillan, a 9/11 Survivor writes that “On September 11, I always take the day off. I want to be in a peaceful quiet place praying. It is a day I both mourn and celebrate.” Senator Lamar Alexander said “September 11 is one of our worst days but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country and showed our charitable instincts and reminded us of what we stood for and stand for.”

Fast forward 21 years and according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, “Americans 67- 29 percent think the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapse.”  Tim Malloy, Quinnipiac polling analyst added that “In a rare moment of agreement, Americans coalesce around an ominous concern. Democracy, the bedrock of the nation, is in peril.”

“Americans may not think of themselves as an “empire,” but much of the world does. The average age of empires, according to a specialist on the subject, the late Sir John Bagot Glubb, is 250 years. After that, empires always die, often slowly but overwhelmingly from overreaching in the search for power. The America of 1776 will reach its 250th year in 2026.” –Georgie Anne Geyer

John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States offered a timeless perspective on a nation’s lifespan. Writing to the Massachusetts Militia on October 11, 1798, “We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition and Revenge or Gallantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Philip Yancy writes, “According to a Gallup poll, 73 percent of Americans say moral values are worsening while only 14 percent judge them improving…My secular friends look at these facts and conclude we must work harder to educate children and put new social systems in place. I look at the same facts and doubt politicians’ ability to solve our problems. We need more than new systems; we need a transformation, the kind of personal and societal renewal in which the church could play a crucial role.”

This past week the world lost a remarkable leader who demonstrated a life of integrity and faithful service. Queen Elizabeth served her country and her God with hopefulness, determination, and consistency. In 2000 during her annual Christmas broadcast, she said, “For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. “

British Pastor Pete Greig shared in a message following her death, “Almost twenty-two years after that speech, more than seventy since Elizabeth became Queen, we witness contemporary leaders failing and falling all around us at an unprecedented rate. Notions of duty, of promise-keeping, and of accountability to God can seem antiquated and even naive. But at such a time, Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong example of consistency in private faith and integrity in public service is both startling and inspiring.”

Scripture gives insight into a nation and its people that turn from God. We read in Psalm 9 “The nations fell into the pit they had made; their feet were caught in the net they had hidden. The Lord revealed himself; he accomplished justice. The wicked were ensnared by their own actions. The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; this is the destiny of all the nations that ignore God, for the needy are not permanently ignored, the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed.  Rise up, LORD! Don’t let men be defiant. May the nations be judged in your presence. Terrify them, LORD. Let the nations know they are mere mortals” (9:15-20 NET)

As the news media runs reports and commentaries about 9/11 and the life of Queen Elizabeth, use it as a solemn time to reflect and pray. There is no question that we have witnessed monumental changes over the last couple of decades. Values have changed, political divisiveness has increased, churches are more empty and Christianity has been devalued. Yet should we be hopeless? Never! For God has never relinquished His role, changed His course, or failed to keep His promises.

Is there hope for our nation? Since Scripture gives us insight into what happens to a country that turns from God, you can be confident that God has given us countermeasures to restore a nation. God is not big on formula approaches to life or problems, but He comes close in 2 Chronicles 7:14 in His guidance to Solomon. This is a “formula” that I think could be applicable to us today. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Followers of Jesus, God’s formula will not be easy, especially the humble part. However, as we humble ourselves, pray, seek God above all else and turn from our evil ways, it will be so worth it for the next generations who make America their home.

LORD, we remember that dreadful day of September 11 and the ensuing tragedy. Yet instead of turning to you over these years, many have walked away from you. Today we ask that you would create desperation in us for healing until we finally cry out for forgiveness and seek only You.  Amen

God is great!

 

Dignity of Work – Celebrating Labor Day

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You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Psalm 128:2 ESV

Happy Labor Day! This great three-day holiday is often known as the end-of-summer or the best deals on furniture and mattress sales events. Cookouts, parades, and parties mark Labor Day throughout the United States. However, over the last couple of decades, Labor Day has also become the time when the world turns into a pumpkin. If you can eat it, drink it or smell it, there is probably a pumpkin version. Starbucks announced that the Pumpkin Spice Latte is out. “What can be said about the Pumpkin Spice Latte that hasn’t already been written before? The segment-creating drink that not only launched an army of imitators and allowed pumpkin spice to infiltrate every facet of our lives, but also turned August into a seasonal product battleground, is returning for its 19th year in 2022.”  (1440 Daily Digest) Since I’m not a great fan of the PSL, I will take my calories in a Dunkin’ pumpkin donut!

Officially, Labor Day is a national holiday signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on June 28, 1894. According to History.com, “Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century…In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories, and mines across the country.”

We have undoubtedly seen considerable shifts in the workplace since the first Labor Day celebration. These include tremendous changes in the laws, attitudes, types of work, and even the workforce. However, there is one pivotal component that has not changed and that is the value and dignity of labor. Martin Luther King, Jr said that “all labor that uplifts humanity has dignity.”  Generations before Dr. King wrote his words, the writer of Proverbs said, “You have seen a person skilled in his work—he will take his position before kings; he will not take his position before obscure people. “(22:29)

“What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.”—Martin Luther

God valued the dignity and honor of work. His assignment to us from the beginning was to partner with Him in caring for His creation. “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food.” (Gen 1:28-29 NET). Tim Keller writes that “The material creation was made by God to be developed, cultivated, and cared for in an endless number of ways through human labor. But even the simplest of these ways is important. Without them all, human life cannot flourish.”

Throughout Scripture, we learn about worship, prayer, obedience, being a good neighbor, sharing the Good News, and lots of other important things for life, but there is also a major focus on work. There is a sense of pride, dignity, and accomplishment that comes from doing a job well. As one Proverb tells us “One who is slack in work is close kin to a vandal.” (18:9)

Work can and does bring inner joy as well as provide for the needs of our families. We are told in Ecclesiastes, “There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” (2:24-25)

Genesis gives us a beautiful insight into God’s work of creation.  God spoke the sun, moon, and earth into creation with a word. God divided the sea and land with a word. God set in motion the delicate balance of life with a word.  “And God said” and with His word set creation into motion. However, when He came to mankind instead of a word, he said, “let us make humankind in our image.” Make, it was as if God reached down into the earth, got his hands dirty as he picked up the dirt, and shaped his beloved children to give them life. Similar to a potter who painstakingly works over the spinning wheel shaping and reshaping his art, so it was with God. Could it be at the end of the day when “God saw everything that he had made,” he looked at the dirt under his fingernails and then lovingly said, “indeed, it was very good”?

As you enjoy the Labor Day activities with family and friends, also take some time to reflect upon the gift of work. Whatever you do daily, thank God for the opportunities you find to bless others, provide for your family, and to make a difference in this world.

Adam tended the garden with his hands and yet with the same hands, mourned his disobedience.

Noah got splinters in his hands as he built an ark to save his family but then used his hands to build an altar to worship God.

David used his hands to fight Goliath in battle yet used the same hands to lovingly compose the Psalms.

Paul used his hands to carefully stitch the tent material as he shared the hope of Christ with the lost and with the same hands passionately wrote letters on how to live life for Jesus.

Jesus the carpenter used his hands to build doors until the time came for him to open the doors of salvation as nails were driven into his hands.

Labor Day is not considered a religious holiday but maybe it should be.  Remember that Jesus got his hands dirty for you and me! “Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people.” Colossians 3:23.

Thank you for sharing the Love of Christ through the labor of your hands to make our world a better place.

God is great!

 

Living in a Toxic World

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Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. I John 4:20

Would you pay 2,664 Australian dollars (USD 1,874) for two McDonald’s egg and beef sausage McMuffins and a ham croissant? You would if you forgot to declare them in Australia. According to a USA Today report, an unnamed person traveling from Indonesia to Australia failed to disclose them upon entering Darwin Airport and was fined for “failing to declare potential high biosecurity risk items.”

Toxic is defined as “containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation, extremely harsh, malicious” according to Merriam-Webster. Toxic foods or waste products are bad enough, but it is even worse when it refers to people. Living in a toxic world creates stress, fear, anxiety, and hopelessness.

A 19-year-old walked into a Frisco, Texas Wendy’s restaurant and fired off several shots after receiving the wrong order in the drive-thru line. FBI ranks restaurants as the 8th most common setting for violent crime. Far worse than a toxic McMuffin is the toxic environment created by people. So how do we live in a world where even egg McMuffins can be considered toxic?

Theologian Teilhard de Chardin writes that “the future belongs to those who give the next generation reason to hope.” Regardless of age or generational group that we belong to, we have a responsibility to “give the next generation reason to hope.”

Learning to live in a toxic world is not a new phenomenon, it is as old as time. A toxic environment began when Adam and Eve decided to live life on their terms. Their children found out quickly that life is not easy in a toxic world when Cain murdered Abel. Each generation since has struggled to find hope because of the sinful nature of society. In the last couple of decades, with the increasing use of social media, it seems as if toxic is now on steroids.

You find the anonymous comments on social media apps that seek to disparage instead of encouraging. You listen to news programs that belittle the other side instead of generating conversation that leads to solutions. During election cycles, all you see and hear are polarizing political ads that seek to destroy the other person.

I wish I could say that those of us who call ourselves Christians set a high bar for creating loving, caring communities. Thankfully, there have been some great examples of how to live life together, yet too often we reflect the values and toxicity of the world, not Jesus. We were never called to share the same viewpoints, only to live a life where “all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”—John13:35 Communities should be refuge and grace where salvation and hope are found.

Henri Nouwen said of community “Life is full of gains and losses, joys and sorrow, ups and downs—but we do not have to live it alone. We want to drink our cup together and thus celebrate the truth that the wounds of our individual lives, which seem intolerable when lived alone, become sources of healing when we live them as part of a fellowship of mutual care.”

Touches of grace are often little acts of kindness and respect that encourage others in their life. Tricia Rhynold is a mom that knows about toxic comments. Mother to Timothy, a 7-year-old little boy who loves life but has severe autism spectrum disorder. Learning to help her son navigate life in a world that is not always gracious is difficult. Yet, a note from the mom of one of the boys in her son’s class inviting him to a birthday party made a difference.

“Carter sat beside Timothy at school, and he always talks about him. I really hope he can come. We are renting a bounce castle that we can attach a small bounce slide at the bottom. We will also have water balloons and water guns. Maybe Timothy can come earlier in the day if it would be too much with the whole class. Let me know how we can make it work.”

A simple birthday invitation gave Timothy’s mom hope. In her reply, she wrote, “You wrote exactly what I needed to see that day and didn’t even know it. Because of your son he is included. Because of your son he feels wanted. Because of your son he has a voice. And I want you to know that because of you I can get through another day. Because of you I can get through another appointment. Because of you I can take more stares and more questions. Because of you I have hope for Timothy’s future.”

Followers of Jesus can and do change a toxic world. We can be a beautiful testimony of life to a dying world. Change can happen that is seldom big and flashy. It could be simply one note at a time, one visit to a neighbor at a time, one prayer for a friend at a time, or one word of encouragement to a stranger at a time.

Scripture is rich in wisdom on how to live in this world.  Paul said it better than I could ever say it with some great advice in Romans:

“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.” –12:9-21 The Message

We may live in a toxic world but we have an amazing God that changes everything! We can pass on to the next generation a reason to hope.

God is love!

Schools in Session!

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At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” He called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! …” But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. Matthew 18:1-3,6 NET

“Walking through the hallways at our middle school, I saw a new substitute teacher standing outside his classroom with his forehead against a locker. I heard him mutter, “How did you get yourself into this?” Knowing he was assigned to a difficult class, I tried to offer moral support. “Are you okay?” I asked. “Can I help?” He lifted his head and replied, “I’ll be fine as soon as I get this kid out of his locker.” –Readers Digest June 2021

School is in session! Oh, the joys of a new school year – little ones navigating their first year at school, parents crying as their babies head off to college, homeschoolers adjusting to their rhythm of learning, and most likely, some teachers helping middle schoolers get out of lockers. School, that unique journey of life filled with good and not-so-good memories is all part of growing up.

Proverbs lay a foundation for parents on their responsibility for equipping their children for the future. “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” (22:6) Included in equipping children are teachers, administrators, cafeteria workers, janitors, and bus drivers – all helping parents to help their children.

There are lots of major issues facing our children in school today but one that is growing is violence. Since 2018 there have been 119 school shootings in the United States with 27 already in 2022. According to one expert on the violence he writes, “You study these things for so long and then you throw the rule book out. No one really knows why we’ve got the trends and violence we’re seeing right now. But I think at the same time, we’re coming to the same sorts of conclusions. It’s a combination of the pandemic; a lack of trust in our institutions, particularly law enforcement; the presence of guns; the toxic, divisive, contentious times we live in. They’re all interacting together.” –James A. Densley

I am sure the conclusions are based on some good solid data. However, I do think as followers of Jesus we can help paint a brighter future for our children. It is a future based upon a God who loves our children because they are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” –Psalm 139:13-16 and a future based upon a God that knows love so profoundly that “he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” –John 3:16

Based on the above verse in Matthew, Jesus makes it clear he is deeply concerned about our children.  He is concerned about their health, knowledge, and physical needs but especially their spiritual life. Jesus made it pretty clear how he feels about children if you, the adult, are a stumbling block in their lives.  Jesus’ disciples thought position and power were important until Jesus kept pointing them back to children to learn from them.

Parents can make a difference even in small actions.  One great example is Shreveport’s Southwood High School which saw a rash of violence last year resulting in 23 students being arrested. Parents knew something had to change so 40 dads stepped up and formed “Dads on Duty”. This group of dads took shifts at the school. No one had degrees in school counseling or criminal justice but they loved their children. Michael LaFitte said, “We’re dads. We decided the best people who can take care of our kids are who? Are us.” It was not a fancy program but was simply a presence that encouraged kids and maintained a positive learning environment. Result: No Violence.

Children are always important to Jesus. He got upset with his disciples when they tried to prevent parents from bringing their children to him “in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray.” The disciples thought they were guarding their master’s time and spoke sternly to the parents and told them to go away. No, that’s not the way it works! “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” –Matthew 19:13-15

Prayer can impact our children. No day should go by that our children and teachers are not covered by prayer.  According to one survey on teacher satisfaction, 74% of respondents to a survey were dissatisfied with the job. This is up from 41% in 2020. My heart breaks over some of the articles I read as I prepared for this week’s blog post. Yet I am not in despair but more challenged to pray for our children, teachers, and political leaders. I was convicted as I wrote this that I didn’t know the names of my grandchildren’s teachers.  I do now and have made a prayer card to pray for them regularly. It is a simple thing, but, in the simple things, God makes the difference.

Pray as you pass a school, for the safety of the children and staff inside

Pray for our children who are confronted with choices daily, to be wise of heart

Pray for teachers’ wisdom, boldness, endurance, creativity, encouragement, health, joy

Pray for school staff as they protect and provide for our children

Pray for political leaders to govern wisely and with a heart toward God

Pray that the damage from the previous two years of Covid could be healed

Our culture is looking for answers. Will we, the followers of Jesus help them find the answer? John Stott said it well, “Thus the followers of Jesus are to be different—different from both the nominal church and the secular world, different from both the religious and the irreligious. The Sermon on the Mount is the most complete delineation anywhere in the New Testament of the Christian counter-culture. Here is a Christian value-system, ethical standard, religious devotion, attitude to money, ambition, life-style and network of relationships—all of which are totally at variance with those of the non-Christian world. And this Christian counter-culture is the life of the kingdom of God, a fully human life indeed but lived out under the divine rule.”

Lord, as the world grows darker, let us grow brighter for the sake of others. We pray for our children, teachers, parents, schools, and leaders to seek you first for the answers to the problems of violence, hatred, and division. You are the Giver of Life, the Restorer of Hope, and the Redeemer of Souls.

God is Great!

Exceptional Sleepers

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Many say, “Who can show us anything good?” Smile upon us, LORD! You make me happier than those who have abundant grain and wine. I will lie down and sleep peacefully, for you, LORD, make me safe and secure. –Psalm 4: 6-8

Ever fall asleep in class, on a plane, in church, or standing in line at Kroger waiting to check out? Then you may be a candidate for a job with Casper Mattress Company. They are looking to hire some expert sleepers and posted this on their website, “Do you love to sleep? Then we have a job that will pay you to do just that. Join the Casper Sleepers and show off your sleeping skills in public, on social and anywhere else people are looking. So join us to literally sleep on the job because we believe a good sleep changes everything.” (Casper.com website)

Casper’s dream candidate has:

Exceptional sleeping ability

A desire to sleep as much as possible

Willingness to be in front of or behind the camera capturing content

Ability to sleep through anything

A passion for sharing and talking about all things sleep through our social channels

I don’t know if this would be my dream job but I can sleep anywhere. Sleep is a blessing when it is estimated that 10 to 30 percent of adults struggle with chronic insomnia. In one of their reports, the Sleep Foundation said, “Insufficient sleep has an estimated economic impact of over $411 Billion each year in the United States alone.” In addition, “Drowsy driving is responsible for more than 6,000 fatal car crashes every year in the United States.”

Some of the major causes of sleep deprivation include stress, anxiety, work-related pressures, bedroom too hot or cold, uncomfortable beds, alcohol, caffeine, jet lag, using electronic devices close to bedtime, or watching TV in bed before going to sleep. The list could go on and on. Outside of health-related sleeping issues, many of the hot button causes of sleep deprivation come from us. Going to bed too late, looking at our Smartphones before bed, drinking that second cup of Starbucks coffee an hour before bedtime, or watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series before falling asleep!

Jesus taught us calmness through sleep. During a major storm when his disciples were in a state of panic as “the waves began to swamp the boat.” Instead of finding Jesus anxious and worried about the storm, they found him sleeping. So they came and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” There is nothing worse than being awakened from a deep sleep and Jesus was no exception. A little rebuke to the disciples before He took care of the situation.  “Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was dead calm.” Matthew 8:25-26

Peter taught us trust through the gift of sleep. His friend and co-laborer, James had been executed by King Herod and now Peter finds himself between two burly soldiers waiting his fate. What do we find Peter doing? Sleeping. “Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison.” Acts 12: 6 He could have stayed awake worrying about the situation and his pending execution but his hope was in the Giver of Life, so he slept.

Elijah taught us spiritual and physical renewal through the gift of sleep. He had been on the mountaintop of success, literally raining fire down on the false prophets but now he was running into the wilderness out of fear for his life. “Elijah stretched out and fell asleep under the shrub. Suddenly an angelic messenger touched him and said, “Get up and eat…he ate and drank and then slept some more.” I Kings 19:4-6 Through God’s gift of rest and sleep, Elijah was renewed and sent back to work.

God taught us reliance upon Him through the gift of sleep. Research consistently confirms the human body needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, so roughly a third of our lives is spent sleeping. Sleep and rest were part of God’s creative plan. Whether sleeping on a Casper Mattress or between two soldiers on a cold floor, it is our statement of trust that God has everything under control. “When you lie down you will not be filled with fear; when you lie down your sleep will be pleasant. Do not be afraid of sudden disaster or when destruction overtakes the wicked; for the LORD will be the source of your confidence.” Proverbs 3:24-26

When we fall asleep we being to turn off our conscious mind and thoughts and begin to let go of our usual daytime defenses.  Living in the fullness of God’s love allows us to sleep during the vulnerability of night. Tonight, as you lay down, remember that sleep is among the many gifts that God gave us to live life. “It is vain for you to rise early morning, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he provides for those whom he loves even when they sleep.” —Psalm 127:2 NET

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go.”—Psalm 143:8 (NIV UK) “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, all things are passing away; God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”—Teresa of Avila

Now guide me waking, O Lord,

and guard me sleeping;

that awake I may watch with Christ,

and asleep I may rest in peace.   (Night Prayer from the ancient Night Offices of the Church)

God is great!

 

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,