The Small Stuff Makes A Big Difference

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Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Sorry, our ice cream machine is broken. If you’ve been to a McDonald’s for the sheer pleasure of an ice cream cone or a McFlurry, more likely than not, you have probably heard these words. You only wanted a small thing but left with a big disappointment. Therefore, before you make your drive to McDonald’s, software engineer Rashiq Zahid created the website, mcbroken.com so you can check to see if the ice cream machine is working. If you’ve never encountered a McDonald’s ice cream machine that is broken, count yourself lucky, as opposed to blessed, which is another story. As I write this devotion, according to mcbroken, 14.52% of ice cream machines are listed as broken, including the one in our little town. If you live in Dallas then you are even worse off since 26.98% of their machines are down.

If you are interested in the backstory on why McDonald’s ice cream machines are broken, you can look it up since my focus is not on ice cream machines but on the small stuff that makes a difference. So, the next time you say, “I just wanted an ice cream cone!” then know you are in good company.

However, it is the small stuff that often leads to frustration, anger, or disappointment. The late Richard Carlson understood well the frustration, anger, and disappointment of small stuff when he published his book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things From Taking Over Your Life.”  He wrote, “When you let go of your expectations, when you accept life as it is, you’re free. To hold on is to be serious and uptight. To let go is to lighten up.”

This is true to a point until you realize that the small stuff can make a big difference if used correctly. There is a powerful concept in aviation called, The 1 in 60 Rule. The bottom line, for every 1 degree you are off course you will end up being 1 mile off course after traveling 60 miles. This doesn’t sound like a problem unless you leave JFK in New York flying to Tokyo, Japan, then you will end up in the middle of the ocean and probably low on fuel and most likely crashing. A small drift has a big impact!

“On March 28, 1979, a sightseeing flight crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all of the 279 people on board. An investigation determined that the crew had not been informed of a two-degree correction made to the plane’s flight path the night before, causing the plane’s navigation system to route them toward Mount Erebus instead of through McMurdo Sound.” (Jeff Haden, U.S. Veterans Magazine)

The small stuff can make a big difference. “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:13) Eliud Kipchoge created a new world record in 2019 by being the first person ever to run a marathon in less than two hours. Kipchoge trained hard, and maintained an incredible speed but had a unique strategy, he smiled as he ran. He didn’t smile to show his confidence or camouflage his fatigue but he simply smiled to help him relax and maintain positive energy and spirits. Mother Teresa said, “I will never understand all the good that a simple simile can accomplish.”

According to CBA Wellness Pooja Chugh, “The power of a smile must not be underestimated. A smile shares hope, affection, and peace. A smile has the power to bring light in the darkness, to bring positive energy in the day, to reduce stress in life, and to bring greater happiness in the world.”

The small stuff can make a big difference. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (proverbs 17:22) “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” (Leo Buscaglia)

The small stuff can make a big difference. “You are my God, and I will praise you; You are my God, and I will exalt you.” (Psalm 118:28) “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” (Harvard Health Publishing, Aug 14, 2021)

The small stuff can make a big difference. Jesus had told his disciples about the power of the small stuff in the parable of a mustard seed. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matt 13:31-32). It was the small stuff that made a spiritual difference when Jesus compared their faith to a mustard seed, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt 17:20)

I will admit there are days it is easier than others not to sweat the small stuff. Yet even on those days when the ice cream machine is broken, you can say, “This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps 118:24 NLT).  The small stuff of a simple smile, a caring touch,  an encouraging word, or even buying your friend an ice cream cone, really can make an impact on you and others.

God is great!

 

The Storm Came. Now What?

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The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior (2 Samuel 22:2-3)

Climate change is one of the major hot-button issues that dominate our current conversations. So, it is not surprising that 11-year-old Essie from Michigan asked the question, “If humans went extinct, what would the Earth look like one year later?” In response, Iowa State University urban design professor Carlton Basmajian gave several examples of what would happen. Yet he said the first thing wouldn’t be visible with our eyes but with our ears. “The world would be quiet. And you would realize how much noise people make. Our buildings are noisy. Our cars are noisy. Our sky is noisy. All of that noise would stop.”

“In a thousand years, the world you remember would still be vaguely recognizable. Some things would remain; it would depend on the materials they were made of, the climate they’re in, and just plain luck. An apartment building here, a movie theater there, or a crumbling shopping mall would stand as monuments to a lost civilization. The Roman empire collapsed more than 1,500 years ago, yet you can see some remnants even today.”

Dr. Basmajian summarized his article by writing, “If nothing else, humans suddenly vanishing from the world would reveal something about the way we treated the Earth. It would also show us that the world we have today can’t survive without us and that we can’t survive if we don’t care for it. To keep it working, civilization—like anything else—requires constant upkeep.”

Jesus closed out his Sermon on the Mount with a challenge to build their lives on His words long before the storms of life came. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

Both men in Jesus’ illustration experienced the same torrential rains, flooding, and hurricane winds. Both men had a chance to build a house. Both men had access to the materials needed to build a strong house. Both men knew about the storms that came up in the area. Jesus didn’t offer an easy way out because he knew that the storms would come eventually in their lives regardless of what or how they lived.

Yet Jesus offered them hope that if they built the right foundation, which only he could give, they would be safe. One of the men chose wisely, the other man decided to take the easy path. Jesus knew it would be easier to build on soft soil since it didn’t require a lot of effort but he also knew it wouldn’t provide a place of safety. Jesus understood that digging into hard rock would be laborious and difficult work, yet only a house built on a good foundation could survive life storms.

If you walk into a house that doesn’t have a good foundation, you will find cracks running up the walls and doors that don’t close easily. In the same way, Jesus knew that a solid foundation for life was essential but he also knew you couldn’t wait and build during the storm. I haven’t heard of too many builders staying on site with a tornado bearing down on them, or construction workers on a high-rise building working with 120-mile gale force winds blowing through the structure. They all head for a place to hide from the storm.

Jesus didn’t just give a practical illustration of building theory. He was only interested in you and making sure you built your life on his foundation – a foundation that would be secure for a lifetime. Let’s face it, at one time or another we will all face the storms of life. Companies downsize and you find yourself without a job. Your body gets injured from a freak accident and you find yourself waking up in a hospital bed. You get that midnight call that a loved one died unexpectedly. Plus, if you live long enough, you will wake up old and need others to care for you.

You find yourself in the middle of the storm and finally ask, will my house stay together? Sandy-soil faith and building-in-the-storm faith doesn’t hold up well when facing hurricane-like storms of life events. Praying in the dark times for help is hard when you haven’t built a prayer life that grew in the bright sunny days of life. How can you trust God in the storms when you never took the time to get to know Him during those carefree and warm summer evenings?

Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie endured the storms of a Nazi concentration camp, harassment, and persecution yet they had built a house on solid rock. Before Betsie died, she told Corrie, “There is no pit so deep that He (God) is not deeper still.” Until a series of strokes finally took Corrie’s life many years later, she never wavered because she had built a “house” on a solid foundation.

She had learned that “The object of your greatest pain can become the source of your greatest blessing when you offer it to God.” The storms will come, as they did for Corrie and her family. The house may shake and cause you to be afraid unless you have built a foundation of trust in God. Corrie understood that lesson and gave a practical example. “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”

Your local weather forecaster makes sure you have enough warning to get to safety. Jesus did the same for us. Not only did he give us adequate warning, he also made the place of safety, Himself. “True victory isn’t found when all your problems are finally over. True victory is when the problems are still there, but they have no control over you.” –Alicia Purdy

God is great!

 

A Radical Way of Life

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Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. Romans 12:19 (NLT)

How do two of the world’s richest men settle a dispute? Probable answers include dispatching a legion of lawyers to battle it out in court, creating a PR blitz, or calling each other names. Any of the options would be pretty accurate if you were tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg who dominate the social media world. However, what about a good old fashion “cage match?” Twitter owner Elon Musk challenged Meta (Facebook) Mark Zuckerberg via a tweet to a modern-day duel in an MMA “cage match” face-off, possibly in the Vegas Octagon.

If the “cage match” takes place in the Vegas Octagon, UFC President Dana White “believes that throwing the two coders into the Octagon could be the most successful fight of all time, bringing in $1 billion.” (from Jane Wells Dumb & Dumber). “The Octagon is the competition mat and fenced-in area used for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts.” (Peter Hoskins BBC news) Maybe a cage fight between the two titans of social media would be appropriate since their platforms have become the modern versions of dueling as people seek to reclaim their honor or opinion but with words.

Dueling was considered the gentleman’s way to settle grievances and regain honor. The practice of dueling traces its origin to Renaissance Italy. It was a concept that was eagerly picked up by European nobles and eventually transported to America as a way to resolve disagreements.

One of the most famous duels accorded between Alexander Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr on July 11, 1804. These two powerhouses of early American politics decided a duel was the best way to solve their conflict with each other. Hamilton detested Burr and regarded him as an opportunist and Burr resolved to restore his reputation through a duel or as dueling was better known, as an “affair of honor.”  Hamilton was fatally shot on the dueling grounds near Weehawken, New Jersey.

Two decades before Andrew Jackson became the 7th President of the United States, he challenged Charles Dickinson to a duel for insulting his wife. Pistols in hand on May 30, 1806, Dickinson fired first but Jackson maintained his stance and fired back, fatally wounding his opponent.

Whether a Musk/Zuckerberg cage fight ever takes place, the concept of settling differences through violence hasn’t changed, only the methods. “Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? …Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” (Gen 4:6,8 NIV)

Then, one day on a windswept hill in Galilee, a radical new concept was introduced that could forever change how differences are settled. I use the word could instead of would as each generation must seek to implement and live out Jesus’ teachings, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount.

As Jesus climbed up the mountainside, sat down among the crowd, and began to speak, they and the disciples heard a new way to live life. Jesus’ message was one of the most powerful discourses on living life in His way, no longer under the law but through grace. You can almost hear the murmurs of amazement and hope as he began with a series of” Blessed are you” (Matthew 5) and challenged their normal way of thinking and behaving.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor, theologian, and martyr, often spoke and wrote about costly grace. He wrote that the Sermon on the Mount, “is not a statement to be treated in cavalier fashion—by saying that this or that isn’t right or that here we find an inconsistency. Its validity depends on it being obeyed. This is not a statement we freely choose to take or leave. It is a compelling, lordly statement.” (The Cost of Discipleship)

Bonhoeffer contrasted cheap grace with the costly grace that Jesus taught as “preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

Cheap grace has been masked with social etiquette, cultural bias, and codified actions as a way to live life. Dueling often resulted in the death of another person yet it was masked with acceptability through the Clonmel Code by issuing 27 precepts on what and how a duel should take place. Compare that with Jesus’ teaching, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

Cheap grace will find a way to justify its action against another person. 2023 is on pace to be the deadliest ever with over 300 mass shootings in the United States. What a difference it would make if Jesus’ teaching on murder became a living reality. The 10 Commandments said,  “You shall not murder” but Jesus said in the New Testament, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”

Cheap grace will find a way to justify neglecting the needy, finding fault with others, failing to defend the sanctity of marriage and family, letting fear and anxiety overwhelm you, and building a personal kingdom instead of seeking God’s kingdom.

Matthew records that “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” (Matt7:28,29 NIV)

Allan R. Bevere writes of Bonhoeffer that he would dismiss “the demands of Jesus’ Sermon as a private ethic only, an impossible ideal or as first-century teaching that can only be obeyed by a community without power on the margins of influence. The Sermon is to be obeyed by individuals who follow Jesus and the church community that claims to be the Body of Christ.”

Costly grace is a radical invitation on how to live. Picture yourself on that hillside as Jesus taught about a new way of life. What would be your response when you heard those words? Today, have we found ways to cover these life-changing words with a layer of cheap, easy grace? What would happen in our world today if we became the “blessed are you” in living life?

God is great!

Any Day Is a Good Day to Celebrate

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This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NLT

Spend two hundred dollars and you forget everything? It sounds like you might have been to a therapy session, but in fact, you were at the Taylor Swift Eras concert. Swift fans, better known as Swifties, have been claiming to suffer from “post-concert amnesia.” After three hours and over 40 songs later, they are getting home and realizing they can’t remember a thing. Music psychologist Dr. Michelle Phillips says the “idea of post-concert amnesia is not as scary as it sounds. It’s simply that they encode some aspects of the event in memory and not others.” She goes on to say, “In fact, it’s likely to be one of the things they remember attending for the rest of their lives.”

So how do we keep from forgetting what is important? We set aside special days to celebrate, we create markers to remind us of what happened, we take pictures and tell stories as well as a host of other things. “Life is a celebration. Consider everything that makes you happy as a gift from God and say, Thank you.” (Francis Lucille) “Every day is a good day. There is something to learn, care and celebrate.” (Amit Ray) “Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!” (Psalm 118:15 NLT)

You remember what you celebrate and celebrate what you remember. Every day gives us moments of celebration since “This is the day the LORD has made,” even June 26! This could be just another day on the calendar or a day you find something to celebrate. You have a smorgasbord of activities and events to celebrate today.

If you love canoeing, today is your day. National Canoe Day began in 2007 and is the highlight of every canoe-loving fan. Canoes have been part of cultures all over the world.  The oldest known canoe is the Pesse Canoe found in the Netherlands dating between 8200 and 7600 BCE. Canoeing has been an Olympic sport since 1924. So, get your canoe out and head for the lake. Sigurd Olson says, “The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. It is an antidote to insecurity, the open door to waterways of ages past, and a way of life with profound and abiding satisfaction.”

I am more inclined to celebrate National Chocolate Pudding Day today. According to Statista Research, 150 million Americans consume chocolate pudding annually. No one is certain who created this wonderful celebration but celebrating is fairly easy, just get yourself a great big bowl of chocolate pudding. This simple but amazing desert has a rich and noble history dating back to 14th century England.  There is hope when even chocolate pudding can have a day.

Today is your day if your temperature hits the triple digits as you celebrate World Refrigeration Day. If you are a multi-tasker, then open the fridge and get your chocolate pudding out to celebrate. World Refrigeration Day was founded by Stephen Gill in conjunction with the World Refrigeration Secretariat. The purpose was to raise awareness and the importance of this technology in our life and modern society.

If the previous events do not meet your need for celebration, then June 26 is also, National Sarah Day, Flag Day of Romania, Forgiveness Day, Madagascar Independence Day, National Barcode Day, National Beautician’s Day, National Report Trade Agreement Act Fraud Day, Please Take My Children to Work Day, International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and National Zachary Day. Hopefully, you can find something to celebrate or remember today.

Joshua understood the concept of “post-concert amnesia” long before it became part of the academic world. He had watched a previous generation die off because they forgot God. A generation who had experienced Hollywood-like dramatic scenes, watched a mighty river open wide and eat from the generous portion of God’s daily table, yet they forgot. Now a new generation has taken up the mantle to cross into the Promise Land under Joshua, one of only two men who stayed faithful.

Joshua wanted to make sure this generation remembered what happened when they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. As the people crossed over the Jordan, he ordered 12 men to each pick up a large stone and carry it out of the riverbed. This would be a visible reminder to tell the story of God’s faithfulness to the next generation. The stones were “to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’” (Joshua 4)

Jesus understood the concept of “post-concert amnesia” and knew his followers would need some powerful reminders of God’s redemption and salvation. Jesus took time during his last meal with the disciples to leave “stones” for the next generations to remember. “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) Broken bread and a cup would be the reminders for the next generations of the price paid by Jesus for their spiritual freedom.

God understood how important it would be for us to set aside time to celebrate life. Seven major festivals in the Old Testament served to remind God’s people about His faithfulness and love. God set a rhythm of celebration into our normal week as we observe the Sabbath. What a beautiful time of celebration and renewal as we pull away from life’s responsibilities each week to restore our relationship and celebrate God in worship and rest.

June 26 may not be a pivotal day on most people’s calendars but it can be a great day to simply remind you that you can find something to celebrate every day without waiting for those big celebration events. God, for sure does not wait to celebrate you! “The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NRSV)

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.  Iam Tongi experienced toxic hatred after his win on American Idol last month. The OU Sooners softball team experienced it after their win last Thursday night at the Softball World Series game. Regrettably, 46% of American teens have experienced the truth that words do hurt.

The 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 disagreed 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 Paul writing 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!

 

Not Applicable Today

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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. Joel 1:3

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:50

Time apparently stands still, especially regarding an overdue library book. Anyway, that was the case at St. Helena, California public library when Benson Lossing’s 754-page “A History of the United States” was finally returned, 96 years overdue. Whoever checked the book out originally forgot to return on Feb. 21, 1927, the due date. Library Director Chris Kreiden said, “A man returned the book to the front desk but didn’t leave his name.” Kreiden said the staff would love to know the back story of how he came into possession of the book. The library did go fine free in 2019 so the over-due fee was forgiven!

As I read the story the thought occurred, what if this was the original borrower? He would certainly have discovered Ponce de Leon’s fountain of youth by keeping over-due library books! Life is filled with time limits – some we create, and others are created for us. I am sure you have thrown away a few items in the pantry or refrigerator that had expired dates on the packaging. Some people see an expiration date as a legal requirement, others the date is only a suggestion.  When we were living in South Africa I watched as some airport employees placed a sticker over the due date of some expired food items. The sticker read, “Not applicable in RSA.”

Last week during a men’s meeting, we watched the movie “Jesus Revolution.” It is a movie reflecting a unique movement of God in the 60s and 70s which many historians consider as one of the largest spiritual awakenings in American history. The closing tagline of the movie read, “Beginning in California, the Jesus Movement spread across the country, culminating in 1972.”

Is there an expiration date on spiritual movements? After the movie, we discussed and shared our thoughts. Several shared the impact of that particular movement on their spiritual walk and how they made commitments to follow Jesus. These men have now walked faithfully with Jesus and remained strong in their commitment for over five decades. This made me consider the closing tagline “Culminating in 1972.”  The movement as portrayed may have ended, but not the fruit of that movement. Already two generations have been impacted because they were faithful to “tell the next generation.” (Ps 78) I am not so sure if the expiry date is applicable.

Is there an expiration date on spiritual movements? “74 years ago, in the Outer Hebrides off the Scottish coast, an awakening began that impacted many. During a prayer meeting a young man stood and read Psalm 24. As he shut his Bible he said, “It seems to me just so much sentimental humbug to be praying as we are praying, to be waiting as we are waiting here, if we ourselves are not rightly related to God.” Then, leading by example, he began repenting of his sin, before falling to the ground, overwhelmed by the Spirit. This vulnerable and humble act of repentance helped spark a move of God in which thousands gave their lives to Christ. “(Carla Harding, Lectio365)

Is there an expiration date on spiritual movements? Not if you consider the impact of five college students in 1806 who had begun to pray twice a week to see a movement of God. This simple prayer meeting became known as the Haystack Prayer Meeting. “Many historians would tell you that all mission organizations in the U.S. trace their history back to the Haystack Prayer Meeting in some way.” (Ronnie Floyd)

Is there an expiration date on spiritual movements? Augustine once wrote, “Without God, we cannot; without us, God will not.”  Dr. Andrew Taylor writes, “Transformation and salvation in the nation always begins with personal consecration.” There is no expiration date on what God can do and will do.

Pentecost Sunday is the powerful event that forever pulled off the expiration date of spiritual renewal. The same power that came upon this small group of believers has not lost any momentum through the generations. A popular quote of unknown origin and variations is “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.”

The Jesus Movement may have culminated in specific ways on a certain date but it has morphed into the continuing movement of God through the lives of those impacted. The First and Second Great Awakenings are considered historical but if I had the time to research, I am certain that even today there will be those who could trace their spiritual heritage to the movements. The Asbury Awakening, earlier this year, lasted for 16 days on campus but the impact continues to be felt across college campuses and the world.

Is there an expiration date? “So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So, I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” (Hebrews 3:7-11)

Together as we continue in faithful prayer, life choices, and witnessing, we can place a sticker over the due date, “not applicable in God’s Kingdom.”

God is great and applicable through all generations!

 

Never the Same Again

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When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting…. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:1-2,41 (NIV)

“They might destroy the building, but they cannot destroy…my heart or the heart of the flock.” These words from Pastor Charles were highlighted in a recent, The Voice of the Martyrs, article. Pastor Charles has served in ministry for over three decades in Zanzibar, a predominately Muslim territory.  The article recounts how a gunman entered the church building demanding the pastor show himself. “The gunman continued to yell and search frantically as Charles stood motionless behind the altar, but it soon became clear that the man couldn’t see Charles. The gunman eventually left and Charles’s life was spared.”

Jewish by birth, orphaned in childhood, atheist by choice, and follower of Jesus through miraculous conversion, describes Romanian priest Richard Wurmbrand. He and his wife, Sabina never lost their focus on Jesus, even at the cost of Richard being tortured for 14 years in prison and Sabina for three years in a labor camp. Wurmbrand wrote, “It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their {the communists’} terms. It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy.” (Tortured for Christ)

North Korean Christians face life daily as a “constant cauldron of pressure” and “capture or death is only a mistake away.” (Open Doors, USA) In a Business Insider article, Ryan Pickrell writes about the violence against North Korean Christians. “Christians are considered a hostile class in the songbun system…. An entire family, including their two-year-old child, was imprisoned following the discovery of their religious practices and possession of a Bible. The family was sentenced to life in prison.”

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary estimates that more than 70 million Christians have been martyred over the last two millennia, “more than half of which died in the 20th century under fascist and communist regimes.” (Dr. Todd Johnson)

What would motivate anyone to endure what Pastor Charles and the Wurmbrands have gone through? What would motivate North Korean Christians to face such brutal retribution? What motivated millions of people through the centuries to willingly died for Jesus? What motivates us today to stay the course? Jesus! “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)

Jesus kept his promise to his disciples that he “will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” (John 14:15) Jesus’ promise would ultimately shake the foundations of the world. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NIV)

Pentecost Sunday was celebrated yesterday, May 28 in churches around the world. Though not all church traditions set aside the day to celebrate and remember, all churches, regardless of traditions are beneficiaries of this day. The church was set on spiritual fire and empowered to carry on God’s mission on the Day of Pentecost. This ragtag band of followers, who could fit into one room, now numbers over 2.6 billion Christians worldwide or literally “to the ends of the earth.”

Dr. Ray Pritchard writes of Pentecost, “That is when thousands come into the faith. And it goes from this little sect of believers who followed a Jewish rabbi from Nazareth who died and rose again, and suddenly the church breaks forth into the culture. Suddenly it is that unstoppable force that no one can really deny any longer. Pentecost has taken on a new significance for us. It, at one point, is just a historical memory. Now it is the living reality of the moment that the spirit of God seemingly burst forth.”

Pentecost changed everything for Peter and the other disciples. There was no turning back for any of them after Pentecost. Peter held the first city-wide crusade that day and 3,000 followed Jesus. The church has never looked back as new believers have been added daily since that day.

“Until we acknowledge our need for God, we will never experience the utter joy of being forgiven, healed, restored, and empowered. Once we have experienced that grace, there’s no going back to a life where we trust in our own power and strength. Once we have known God’s hands upholding us and strengthening us, nothing else will do.” (Geoffrey Tristam)

For my American friends, today is Memorial Day. Every few years, Memorial Day and Pentecost Sunday share a common weekend. One day marks the beginning of the church and the other marks the remembrance of those killed in wars protecting freedom. Though each day represents something completely different yet both events were born out of costly commitment and sacrifice.

Pentecost Sunday will forever mark the beginning of life. “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” –Rev 7:9

God is great!

 

Navigating Life in Real Time

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Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen –Romans 11:33-36 CSB

Social influencer Caryn Marjorie is taking AI to a new level. The 23-year-old influencer is using AI to “create a virtual version of herself that acts as a romantic companion of sorts for thousands of her fans online who are willing to pay for this unique experience called CarynAI.” (Fionna Agomuoh)

CarynAI is currently in early beta testing but the technology is a voice-based chatbot where her fans can type and speak with Marjorie as if conversing with a close friend. Outside of talking with an AI version of “your friend,” the user will pay $1 per minute to engage with Marjorie’s voice and likeness. Forever Voices CEO John Meyer collaborated with Marjorie in developing CarynAI. Meyer noted “that such technology could be beneficial for young people who are “not typical” and “struggle with friends.”

Unmesh Dinda used the power of AI to create a girlfriend that doesn’t exist. The convincing selfie of the perfect couple, except only one, is a real person. Dinda said, “If your relatives are more concerned about you getting married than you are, you need to send them a photo like this. This will keep them wondering for a while.”

Artificial Intelligence or AI has dominated a lot of airspace lately with TV documentaries, news segments, and even hearings before Congress on the potential dangers and need for regulations. It would seem that the world will be controlled by AI! However, AI is not new with the term being coined in 1956 but now with the increased data volumes, advanced algorithms, and improvements in computing power and storage, it has evolved into the current technological craze or danger, depending upon the user.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, recently testified before a U.S. Senate committee. Altman talked about the possibilities but also the pitfalls of the new technology. He said, “I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong…we want to be vocal about that. We want to work with the government to prevent that from happening.” John Meyer recognizes the inherent dangers of inappropriate content and is looking to address potential issues by hiring a chief ethics officer.

Along with the challenges of AI is the concept of “The Knowledge Doubling Curve.” In 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every 100 years, but by the end of 1945, the rate was every 25 years. By 1982 some futurists said human knowledge doubled every 12-13 months. Currently, it is estimated human knowledge doubles every 12 hours! Working to counter-balance the doubling concept is the “Knowledge Half-Life” which is “the amount of time it takes before half the knowledge or facts in a particular area is made obsolete or superseded by new facts.” (Scott Sorokin)

It is against this backdrop that new graduates must navigate. The month of May traditionally marks the beginning of graduations, from pre-K moving to kindergarten through college seniors walking across the platform to receive their diplomas to start their journey in the marketplace. Graduation marks a pivotal milestone in life and the beginning of the next steps but how do these graduates maneuver in this world of AI, political chaos, and cultural upheaval?

Harvard Scientist Samuel Arbesman observed, “Facts change all the time: The Earth was flat, smoking was once doctor-recommended, and Pluto was a planet.” Therefore, finding a solid foundation is essential otherwise you find yourself in a quagmire. I have found these friends’ advice helpful in navigating any life milestone.

The writer of Hebrews would say you need a solid foundation and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (13:8)

The writer of Proverbs would say the starting point is “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (1:7)

The writer of James would say to find wisdom and if you don’t have wisdom, “Ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (1:5)

The writer of First John would say to be careful, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (4:1)

The writer of Romans would say to stand out from the crowd and “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (12:2)

The writer of Matthew would capture the final promise of Jesus that gives us hope in uncertainty that “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (28:20)

You may have missed it, but another pivotal milestone that we celebrate each year which is life-changing, happened last Thursday, May 18. In the Christian liturgical calendar, it is called Ascension Day. The day marks the final words of Jesus as he completed his successful mission on earth and returned home to get things ready for all of us who follow Him. I will admit the prospects of AI are a bit overwhelming, the state of our nation and world is unsettling and the future is uncertain unless I keep my thoughts fully on Jesus’ final assurance, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt 28:18)

Artificial Intelligence is just that, artificial! Since it is created by finite minds, it will be used for good and for evil but it will reach its limit. Intelligence that is unlimited and will last forever comes from the One who can say, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev 1:8)

God is great!

Journey on a Holy Ground Road

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And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself…. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”—select verses out of the Luke 24:13-35 account

Life is full of surprises, and what you think could never happen, happens! Rudolf Eramus climbed into his plane with four passengers on a routine flight from Worcester, South Africa. All was normal until he felt something cold slide across his lower back. Looking down, Eramus saw a fairly large Cape Cobra snake going under his seat. Eramus told the other passengers as he requested an emergency landing in Welkom and for the next 15 minutes of the flight he tried to stay calm knowing he had one of Africa’s most deadly venomous snakes curled up underneath his seat.

The snake disappeared into the plane and the ground crew couldn’t find it.  When Eramus had to fly the plane back to Mbombela in northern South Africa, he took extra precautions. The AP report said on his return flight, “he wore a thick winter jacket, wrapped a blanket around his seat, and had a fire extinguisher, a can of insect repellent, and a golf club within arm’s reach in the cockpit. Erasmus said, “I would say I was on high alert.”

Luke gives us the story of two of Jesus’ disciples on their journey toward Emmaus as we continue focusing on post-resurrection events. The last few days had enviably taken a toll on these disciples.  Instead of witnessing the coronation of their King, they watched Jesus being mercilessly crucified on a cross. Both of them were so engrossed in their conversation and disappointment, they failed to look at the stranger who came up to them. Cleopas could have been a little snarky in responding to the stranger’s question when he said, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

You can almost see a mischievous grin on Jesus’ face as he asked, “What things?” The two responded in unison, “About Jesus of Nazareth.” After they finished telling Jesus everything that had happened over the last few days, he gently reprimanded them by saying, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”

Jesus could have said, would you quit looking at the ground, look up, and see who is talking to you? Or he could have jumped out of the trees and said, “Surprise! It’s me”. A simple, “here I am,” would have been sufficient for them, but what about us? Instead, Jesus took the time to walk through the Scriptures with both of them, pointing out verses about the Messiah. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

Over the next miles, Jesus gave these two disciples a seminary course on Christological Hermeneutics. Jesus shared various passages of Scripture about how he was the one fulfilling the prophecy. British pastor Pete Greig writes, “Even after the resurrection, the Bible was still Jesus’ ultimate source of authority… This book, He seems to be saying, is all about Me.”  Al Mohler writes, “Every single text of Scripture points to Christ…From Moses to the prophets, He is the focus of every single word of the Bible.”

These two disciples had to be physically and spiritually tired as they sat down with Jesus that evening to eat dinner. However, they finally experienced a major breakthrough as they watched Jesus as “he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” I can relate to what Pete Greig wrote, “I too can be embarrassingly slow, downright stupid, plagued by doubt, and riddled with shame. And yet Jesus Christ has chosen to make Himself real to me too. In what ways has meeting Jesus Christ changed the trajectory of my life? How might I be different if I wasn’t a Christian?”

A simple, “It’s me!” from Jesus, would have been enough for these two to believe Jesus’ resurrection and most likely the eleven when they heard their account. However, it wouldn’t have sustained the next two millenniums of people hearing the hope we have through the Gospel and responding to God’s offer of salvation through Jesus. Every generation after these two disciples have encountered the testimony of Jesus as they read Scripture. The words of Moses and the prophets still point people to the Savior.

Peter used the power of Scripture as he quoted Psalm 118 to preach Jesus as he proclaimed “Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” (Acts 4:11)

Paul used the power of Scripture time after time to proclaim, encourage and challenge those following Jesus. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

The road to Emmaus became Holy Ground for these two followers of Jesus. No longer did they stand still with “their faces downcast,” but could now say, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

We may not walk the physical road to Emmaus but we still walk on Holy Ground when we read Scripture and can say “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Eugene Peterson says it well, “The Scriptures, read and prayed, are our primary and normative access to God as He reveals Himself to us. The Scriptures are our listening post for learning the language of the soul…Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus’ name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son.” (Peterson, Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading)

Reflecting upon these post-resurrection events has allowed me to think about the stories that planted the seeds of faith.  We have a great story to tell the world that needs the story of the hope, grace, and redemption of Jesus. Thank you for taking the time to read this weekly post amid your busy schedules. Enjoy walking with Jesus as you find new surprises in your daily journey.

God is great!

Doubt Mixed with Hope

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We have seen the Lord! But (Thomas) said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” …Jesus came (and to Thomas) “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” …Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:28-29

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Matthew 28:16-17

I can’t do that! I will never be able to climb to the top! I’m afraid! I will never believe that unless I see it! The word doubt is defined as: “To be uncertain or skeptical about; be undecided about. To tend to disbelieve; distrust.” Have you ever doubted? You are not alone since research shows 85% of people suffer from self-doubt. According to management expert Jamie Taets, “So many times, we compare our potential and confidence to those around us, yet they too are doubting themselves.”

Barna, in a similar study, shared that two-thirds of Christians face doubt. Spiritual doubt has been a reality for many on their Christian faith journey through the years. Yet as Selwyn Hughes writes, “Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of Christ’s strongest disciples.”

I have lost count of the times I used the famous chair illustration for faith.  This is the one that says you can believe the chair exists but only if you sit in it will you have faith that the chair will hold you up. I did modify the illustration a bit after our old reliable rocking chair didn’t hold up. When Courtney was a baby, I believed the chair that I had used daily for months would hold us up.  However, while rocking one night, the chair broke apart! Thankfully, neither baby nor Daddy was hurt. However, it did instill in me a healthy doubt as I sit down in future rocking chairs! Writer Michael Novak says that “doubt is not so much a dividing line that separates people into different camps as it is a razor’s edge that runs through every soul.”

Since Easter, as I have focused on several post-resurrection stories, I have been greatly impacted by Thomas. Growing up in church I can’t guess the number of references to Thomas as “doubting Thomas.” The term has even been used as a put-down for someone’s lack of faith. Does Thomas really deserve the title?

We are not given lots of details about Thomas but what we are given is life-changing. We know he was a loyal and trustworthy disciple of Jesus. When the other disciples tried to convince Jesus not to return to Bethany after Lazarus died, it was Thomas who boldly said, “Let us also go,” even if it was said with a tinge of fear, “that we may die with him.” (John 11:16)

Thomas’ questioning doubt around the final Passover meal allowed Jesus to share a critical truth about himself. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Thomas’s defining moment was recorded by John. The other disciples were all together behind a locked door out of fear, but not Thomas. John doesn’t tell us where Thomas was that evening but we know he wasn’t in the room behind a locked door out of fear. I am sure that Jesus’ resurrection created a lot of drama and excitement in the community. There was no telling how the story was being told and retold since Resurrection morning. We now live in an age of instant access to news and information, but even so, it is often distorted. Like us, Thomas probably thought, What can I really believe?

Thomas was confronted with the disciple’s story about seeing Jesus. What would you have said? Thomas had doubt, but that doubt was mixed with hope and faith. If this was not the case, he wouldn’t have said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) “I believe and I doubt. I hope and I fear. I pray and I waver. I ask and I worry. I believe; help my unbelief.” (the Doubter’s Prayer-John Ortberg)

Doubt would have dismissed the disciple’s claim outright but hope leaves room for faith to work. Lesslie Newbigin writes, “Believing everything uncritically is the road to disaster. The faculty of doubt is essential. But as I have argued, rational doubt always rests on faith and not vice versa. The relationship between the two cannot be reversed.”

Doubt when rightly pursued creates a healthy soul and future. However, if doubt takes control of one’s life, it creates a paralyzed soul, keeping us stuck at that moment and unable to handle new risks and challenges. “Faith is a footbridge that you don’t know will hold you up over the chasm until you’re forced to walk out onto it.” –Nicholas Wolterstorff

You can almost feel the tension that evening as Jesus walks through the locked door again and greets his disciples, “Peace be with you!” He then slowly and methodically turns to Thomas with outstretched hands. Do you need more proof, Thomas? John doesn’t say but I can only picture Thomas falling on his knees before Jesus with tears streaking his face as he made his powerful declaration of faith, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas left the room a changed follower of Jesus. I am sure Thomas still had questions because inquiring minds always have questions. Yet he takes Jesus’ gentle reprimand to heart as he shared the hope of Jesus, according to tradition, as the first missionary to India. Can you see Thomas smiling as he remembers Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”?

God is great!

“Be merciful to those who doubt” –Jude 22