Broken Pieces

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Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear. Matthew 26:50b-51

Don’t touch! These are the famous last words of every parent with small children who go into a store filled with breakable things.  The temptation to touch is overwhelming as the store manager yells, “You break it, you pay for it.”  However, the temptation to touch is not limited to children. According to a story in the Miami Herald, an art collector in a Miami art gallery reached out to touch a $42,000 sculpture by artist Jeff Koons and accidentally knocked over the pricey piece shattering it on the floor.

Stephen Gamson, a local artist and art collector, still believed the broken pieces could be worth a lot of money. He offered to buy the porcelain shards on the spot. Gamson said, “I find value in it even when it’s broken. To me, it’s the story. It makes the art even more interesting.”

The broken Koons’ work of art should have cost the lady personally, but according to the report, “Fortunately, the sculpture was covered by insurance and didn’t cost the woman anything.”  Jesus knows a thing or two about the value of broken pieces. Easter points us to a Redeemer who is ready to buy the broken and shattered pieces of our lives. Fortunately, our lives were covered and didn’t cost us anything, but it cost Jesus everything.

The Passover had been a little out-of-the-ordinary celebration, maybe even considered a bit bizarre. Peter and John had been tasked with the job of preparing for the meal. Their instructions had been unique, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters.” (Luke 22:10) These two disciples had experienced some mind-altering events over the past few years as they walked with Jesus. Though this request was a bit strange, out of faith, they did as Jesus said. The Passover dinner that night had been anything but traditional.

The disciple’s minds were spinning from the evening as words such as betrayal, denial, broken body, and poured-out blood, had been spoken by Jesus. Now they were huddled together in Gethsemane and this night would be filled with life-changing drama. Jesus had asked his disciples to stay on guard, not as a security force, but in prayer. Yet their worst fears came true as the place quickly filled with a mob carrying swords and clubs. It was when Jesus confronted this heavily armed group, that they realized the mob was led by one of their own.

As the betrayer’s kiss was placed upon Jesus, the quiet, still night exploded in yelling and shoving. The disciples had been dozing off and on during the evening even as Jesus reprimanded them for sleeping when He needed them to stay alert in prayer. Now, still, a bit drowsy, the disciples found themselves confused and afraid as armed men filled the garden.

Maybe it was in this state of drowsiness they had heard the words of Jesus’ prayer, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me.” Did these words empower the disciples to action and embolden Peter? Acting with his usual zeal, Peter pulled out his sword and sliced off Malchus’ right ear. Whether the whole ear, part of the ear, or a little cut, Malchus screamed in pain.

The scene became chaotic with Malchus screaming, people yelling, and the armed guards quickly pulling their swords out to fight. That was until the commanding voice of Jesus was heard, “No more of this!”  Jesus turns to Peter, “Put your sword away! Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) Then Jesus turned to the mob, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal?” (Luke 22:52)

I picture Jesus calmly reaching down to pick up the severed ear. Then intently looking into the eyes of Malchus, he gently touched his head and then lovingly reattached his ear.

Jesus’ first earthly miracle, when he turned water to wine at the wedding, people celebrated and shouted for joy.  His final miracle which was an act of healing, was performed in the midst of yelling and shouting, not in celebration of life, but for death. Instead of asking for twelve legions of angels to help, Jesus asked the Father to heal the ear of this one who came out to arrest him.

How do we put that into perspective? What became of this last healing? As I think about this scene I wonder if Malchus occasionally touched his ear and remembered that night. Did Jesus’ touch of healing open Malchus’ eyes to see Jesus? Did he share his story in the years to come as a follower of Jesus, how on that night Jesus not only healed his ear but his soul?   Or did he miss the true miracle of that night because he didn’t want to give up his power and position that he held in the religious hierarchy?

All is speculation but what a tragedy if Jesus’ last touch of healing goes unused.  What a tragedy to have an ear but fail to hear the words, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25)

In a few hours following that healing, the world was turned upside down forever!

Has your world been turned upside down by Jesus?

God is great!

A Betrayer’s Kiss

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While he was still speaking, suddenly a mob came, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:47-48

“Beware the ides of March”! These ominous-sounding words are often identified with gloom and darkness related to one of the famous quotes in William Shakespeare’s play, “Tragedy of Julius Caesar.” Before Shakespeare wrote his play, March 15 was just a normal day. Now it is known for the conspiracy, betrayal, and death associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar. On this day in history, a group of nobles led by Caesar’s friends and associates, Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus violently killed him on the steps of the senate.

Betrayal by an enemy might be understandable and potentially expected. However, it is the betrayal by a friend that leaves one heartbroken and deflated. We know danger comes from all kinds of situations and people, but in our hearts, we never expect it from a friend. Proverbs tell us, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” (17:17) Then when it is a friend that betrays us, we are left devasted. Betrayal by a friend can then leave you feeling doubtful of other friendships and relationships.

Retired pastor Robert Berendt writes that “We humans experience many problems in life—and for that reason, we seek those we can trust to support and stand by us. When we find such a person, we slowly let down our guard and, in time, there are few areas of life that we will not share. We reveal that which lies deep in our hearts and we become vulnerable because of the revelation of our weaknesses.”

Without a doubt, history’s most infamous betrayal took place in the darkness of night in the quiet, still place called Gethsemane. It must have broken Jesus’ heart to watch Judas approaching. There were countless meals together, deep prayer times, and sharing the deep things of his heart with a friend. Did a tear fall from Jesus’ eye as He felt the kiss of betrayal upon his face? “Friend, Jesus asked him, “why have you come?” Jesus knew the answer, yet till the end, He reached out to Judas with grace and redemption.

Betrayed…how could my friend do such a thing?

Betrayed…will I ever again feel the certainty of trust?

Betrayed…only You God can again give me hope.

“You are betrayed. Bitten with a snake’s kiss. It’s more than rejection. Rejection opens a wound; betrayal pours the salt. It’s more than loneliness. Loneliness leaves you in the cold; betrayal closes the door. It’s more than mockery. Mockery plunges the knife; betrayal twists it. It’s more than an insult. An insult attacks your pride; betrayal breaks your heart.” -Max Lucado

Jesus would walk out of that garden alone, surrounded only by his enemies. Where are those who called him friend, teacher, and even Messiah?  Judas may have been the one who placed the kiss of betrayal upon his face but the others’ betrayal was just as sinister and maybe even more devasting. If only Peter had walked with him to Pilate’s house. Jesus needed to hear a word of encouragement from John. Did Jesus look around for James, Thomas, Andrew, and the others? They were all gone.

“Are we, like the disciples, full of bluster one minute, sleep the next, and confused shame the next? Are we ready to betray Jesus if it suits our other plans, or if he fails to live up to our expectations? Or are we prepared to keep watch with him in the garden, sharing his anguished prayer? We are not called to repeat his unique moment of suffering; he went through that alone on behalf of us all. But as Christian writers from the very beginning (i.e. Paul) have seen, it is part of normal Christian experience that we, too, should be prepared to agonize in prayer as we await our own complete redemption and that of all creation. The church is called to live in the middle of this great scene: surrounded by confusion, false loyalty, direct attack and traitor’s kisses, those who name the name of Christ must stay in the garden with him until the Father’s will is done.” –N. T. Wright

As we approach Easter in a few weeks, sit with Jesus’ words out of Mark.

“Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed…Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? ‘Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (part of passage out of Mark 14:32-42)

The darkness of that night finally gave way to the morning light of the resurrection.  The sting of betrayal was finally washed away by grace found on the rugged frame of a cross. The betrayers who came for redemption were overwhelmed that morning with love and forgiveness. Today, whether we are the betrayed or the betrayer, Easter gives us hope to face life again, the renewal of soul and mind, and the confident assurance that God is with us till the end!

God is great!

 

It’s a Matter of Minutes

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Be gracious to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Psalm 86:3 (CSB)

A minute! Nothing overly exciting about a minute. It simply makes up 60 little seconds or 1/60th of an hour. However, if you are trying to hold a one-minute plank, then it feels like an eternity, and the final minute of an NFL game seems to go on forever. Three of the Super Bowl games were won at the last minute, many a traveler missed their flight at the last minute. Suddenly the lowly minute takes on a life of its own.

Life is filled with minutes. Each day you get 1440 minutes to work, rest and enjoy. Every month you get 43,800 minutes to fill up with activity. Over the year God gives you 525,600 minutes to make a difference. God has given us the gift of minutes. The question becomes, what do we do with those minutes?

A simple minute could be a game-changer for you considering the many one-minute books that Amazon offers, such as: “The One-Minute Organizer: Plain & Simple: 500 Tips for Getting Your Life in Order; The New One Minute Manager; The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey; One Minute Answers to Skeptics; One Minute Bible for Starters; or The One Minute Millionaire: The Enlightened Way to Wealth.”

Singer Tom Jones realized the power of a minute in his song, A Minute of Your Time:

“For you to think of me

It would only take a minute of your time

To spare one thought for me

Would you miss just one minute of your time…

One minute of your time

Is all it takes to bring us close

When we are far apart”

David, the powerful king of Israel, passionate poet, songwriter, and warrior had used his minutes wisely to prepare for his varied roles. Long before he picked up the rocks to do battle with Goliath, he had spent countless minutes practicing with his sling until that day when “he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” (I Sam 17:40 NIV) He understood that “My times are in your hand,” (Ps 31:15a). He understood that “In your presence there is fullness of joy,” (Ps 16:11)

Frank Laubach, missionary and literacy advocate, realized the real potential of a simple minute. He wrote a small book in 1953 called “The Game with Minutes,” to call Christians back to a constant presence of God in their daily lifestyles. He wrote, “Less than ten minutes a week given to thinking about Christ by one-sixth of the people is not saving our country or our world; for selfishness, greed, and hate are getting a thousand times that much thought. What a nation thinks about, that it is. We shall not become like Christ until we give Him more time.”

If Paul wrote, “pray without ceasing” (I Thess 5:16), “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication” (Eph 6:18), “persevere in prayer” (Rom 12:12) then it is critical to keep God in mind at all times. Laubach wrote, “We try to call Him to mind at least one second of each minute. We do not need to forget other things nor stop our work, but we invite Him to share everything we do or say or think…With God, every minute can be a fresh beginning. Ahead of you lie limitless anticipations.”

You and I have 1440 minutes today, what can we do with them? Laubach wrote, “We never attempt to keep a minute-by-minute record (excepting perhaps occasionally for an hour) since such a record would interfere with normal life. We are practicing a new freedom, not a new bondage. We must not get so tied down to score keeping that we lose the glory of it, and its spontaneity. We fix our eyes upon Jesus, not upon a clock.”

Enjoy the minutes as you ask God to intervene in our nation, community, or family. Enjoy the minutes as you pray to move the mountains of unbelief. Enjoy the minute as you find refreshment for your souls in those one-minute moments.  One thing I do know is that minutes move quickly off the face of the clock, so keep your eyes on Jesus and every minute becomes beautiful. Enjoy your minutes today, they are a gift from God!

“My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night.” (Psalm 63:5-6)

God is great!

 

Fragrance of Life

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But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

New Mexico is on the verge of becoming the first state to have an official aroma. If the bill passes the legislature then “green chiles roasting in the fall” will become the state’s official aroma. The aroma would naturally fit into the Department of Tourism’s declaration that New Mexico is the “Chile Capital of the World.”  What do you think your state’s official aroma would be?

There are very few things all of us would agree on but I am almost sure we all respond to certain smells, good or bad, that either bring back memories or evoke strong emotions. Coffee brewing in the morning, chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, or a baby’s stinky diaper. Growing up I loved the smell of mentholatum! I am sure the aroma probably wasn’t that great but knowing the love that was linked to the smell is what is special.  As a little boy, my Mother would rub it on my chest when I was sick. For me, it was a fragrance that brought healing.

New Mexico may be the first state to have an official aroma but they are not the first group to be recognized for having a unique aroma, that title goes to Christians in 2 Corinthians when they are called “the fragrance of Christ.” What a beautiful yet challenging description for us as followers of Christ. “To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things?” (2 Cor 2:16 CSB)

Can you picture the scene as Noah and his family walked off the Ark after the total devastation of the world? Nothing remained of life as Noah knew before the flood, yet in faith, he built an altar to the LORD. As the smoke from the fire slowly rose to heaven, “the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma” and it became an “aroma of life leading to life.” As the aroma filled heaven that day, God would promise that “as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” (Gen 8:22 CSB)

Can you picture the scene as Mary breaks the jar of pure nard to pour over Jesus’ feet and then “wiped his feet with her hair? (John 12:1-8) The poignant smell of the perfume penetrated every corner of the house for days and maybe still lingered that evening when Jesus was crucified as the ultimate “fragrance of life.”  As the fragrance of the perfume touched their senses it served as a bitter-sweet reminder to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary of how much Jesus loved them.

Can you picture the scene today if each of us as Jesus’ followers would be poured out as the fragrance of Christ on the world? We live in a world where the aroma of death is so overwhelming, yet we can become that “aroma of life leading to life.” We could greatly impact the world if we would be the poured-out fragrance, becoming “imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Eph 5:1-2)

We become that fragrance of life simply by doing what Jesus would do. Jim Denison writes, “Early believers with no political leverage by which to end slavery and child abandonment purchased and then freed slaves and rescued and then adopted abandoned babies. Over time, their moral example became transformational for their societies. By utilizing their public influence with Christlike character, Christ followers such as William Wilberforce and Martin Luther King Jr. became agents of moral reformation.” The sweet aroma of life impacted the world they lived in.

Over the last several weeks there has been an outpouring of God’s Spirit among college students seeking to be “an aroma of life leading to life.” This outpouring of God has now spread to other campuses and locations bringing refreshment and renewal to many.

Lord, may we become that “fragrance of life” today for someone who is hurting, without hope, without life. We desire to fill our world with the life-saving aroma of Christ wherever we go.

Sweet aroma fill this place
Let us feel your warm embrace
Touch us with your healing grace
Let us see your holy face

Hold us so close by your side
Let us see your loving eyes
Take our wrongs and make them right
Breathe on us the breath of life

The fragrance of Christ
It breaks apart the strongholds of pride
and the hardest of hearts
It makes all the wounded whole and then starts
to open the senses to your goodness
It’s the fragrance of Christ

At the start of every day
Fill my heart with perfect praise
with this offering I raise
A holy tribute to your name

Take my feet and lead me to
All the world or just a few
With everything I say and do
May the glory go to you

Fresh anointing cover me
With a balm of purity
Make me a bouquet of honesty

I will hold your name up high
By the way I live my life
Let me be the fragrance of Christ – (Charles Billingsley, The Fragrance of Christ from the Change Album)

https://www.invubu.com/music/show/song/Charles-Billingsley/The-Fragrance-of-Christ.html

 

God is great!

Midnight Calls

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Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him. Then he will reply from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though the man inside will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s sheer persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. Luke 11:5-8

Only a few things top the heart-pounding, fear-wrenching anxiety of being shocked out of deep sleep in the middle of the night. On our recent Kenya trip, Connie’s cell phone startled her awake in the middle of the night and her first thoughts are always, “What has happened”? Thankful it was only a mistake, but it took several minutes to calm down and fall asleep again.

Hillary Clinton understood the power of midnight calls during her 2008 campaign and ran a TV ad featuring a couple of kids soundly sleeping in their beds.  The campaign message was playing off the urgency of midnight calls. The ad started, “It’s 3:00 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep.” Then you hear a phone ringing in the White House and then the announcer says, “who do you want answering the phone?”

Over the years I have never answered a midnight call with the news that I won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstake. If I take out the few midnight calling mistakes, the rest have been those heart-stopping moments. Granted the midnight calls can be either tragic or joyful, but regardless, they are life-changing. The midnight calls that bring tragic news seem to be a little darker and more hopeless.

One of the most devasting midnight calls came when we lived in Oklahoma City with news that our pastor and his wife had been murdered and their children left for dead. Midnight calls such as this leave you without sleep. Fear and anxiety slowly take you to places in your mind and soul that create unrest. Though morning comes slowly, it does come because of the assurance that “God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

You can only answer those midnight calls with hope when you have done the work needed in the daylight hours of life. Knowing you will someday face those inevitable midnight calls require you to take the time to stock your inner soul. C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity said, “To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself?”

The midnight call will come but we know “The LORD is near the brokenhearted he delivers those who are discouraged.” (Psalm 34:18 NET)

The midnight call will come but we know “Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22-24 CSB)

The midnight call will come but we know “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10

Personally, I don’t look forward to answering those midnight calls but I know they will come. I must do the hard work of getting the candles ready for the night.  We have the Bible, not to be used as a lucky charm but God’s word that gives us encouragement, comfort, and hope. We have each other to wait with us through the night. We have the gift of prayer that allows us 24-7 access to the One that “neither slumber nor sleep.” Yet, the most significant light we have in the dark is God himself who goes with us through the darkest valley, so “I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

“My life is but a weaving between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors, He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride forget He sees the upper And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly will God unroll the canvas and reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him”. –Corrie ten Boom—Life is but a weaving’

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)

God is great!

 

 

Is this the time?

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So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.” I Kings 18:42-44a (CSB)

The people of God had grown spiritually lethargic, and Elijah called them out for it with the challenge, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.” (I Kings 18:21) In a dramatic display of God’s power, Elijah single handed confronted the prophets of Baal and won a decisive victory for God.

What do you do after such a spectacular display of God’s power? You retreat in prayer. Elijah the prayer warrior climbed the summit of Carmel to wait to hear from God. Time after time he heard the words, “there’s nothing.” Finally, Elijah heard the simple words, “a cloud as small as a man’s hand.” Praying is hard work and we often don’t know what to look for in an answer. Then that moment came, when, “the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour.”

Is there a small cloud coming up from the sea at Asbury University? If you haven’t seen the reports, there has been an unusual movement of God on this small Christian college in Wilmore, Kentucky. Senior student Alexandra Presta said, “I was in chapel on Wednesday, and it was an ordinary chapel service…. we have them three times a week. But then…people just kept worshiping afterwards. It was a small group of students.” Since February 8, there has been a continuous worship service that has gripped students, professors and now people from around the world. They linger in the presence of God, testify of God’s glory, confess, repent and seek God.

Asbury Professor Thomas McCall writes, “The holy love of the triune God is apparent, and there is an inexpressible sweetness and innate attractiveness to it. It is immediately obvious why no one wants to leave and why those who must leave want to come back as soon as they can…. In previous revivals, there has always been fruit that has blessed both the church and society. For instance, even secular historians acknowledge that the Second Great Awakening was pivotal to bringing about the end of slavery in our country. Likewise, I look forward to seeing what fruit God will bring from such a revival in our generation.”

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV)

A group of 24 men and 24 women met to pray on August 27, 1727 and agreed to spend an hour each day in prayer, covering all 24 hours of the day, seven days a week. This small group of Moravian believers set in motion what would become known as the “Hundred-Year Prayer Meeting.” Out of this fervent focus on prayer, the foundation was laid for a spiritual awakening in the 1800s. Dr. Nathan Finn writes, “The Moravians became the tip of the spear for evangelical global missions.”

“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7 CSB)

The words of Ezekiel still ring true in our day, “This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. I will honor the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the LORD—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.” (Ezekiel 36:22-23 CSB)

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24 CSB)

Skeptical or hopeful. Young or old. Churched or unchurched. We can’t help but cry out in desperation at the events that overwhelm us in our nation and around the world. Lord, fall fresh on us today. Only You can bring life, hope, and joy. We desperately cry out to you today!

God is great!

Springs of Life

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My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. They are not to escape from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:20-23 (NASB)

Water! The lifeline for life. As a general rule, an adult can usually live only three days without water. You can live without food much longer than without water. According to The Global Burden of Disease, a major global study on health factors, 1 out of 4 people do not have access to safe drinking water. Unsafe water is responsible for an estimated 1.2 million deaths each year. UNICEF reports that almost 2/3 of the world’s population experiences water scarcity for at least one month each year. Over two billion people live in countries where the water supply is inadequate.

Americans consumed 15 billion gallons of bottled water in 2020 making it the top-selling packaged beverage. Consumption created a $36.3 billion retail sales bonanza for distributors with bottled water sales in the United States topping the total GNP of approximately 96 other nations.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Bible is filled with verses using water as a metaphor for spiritual life. Understanding that pure water is needed to quench physical thirst, so is the need to spiritually guard our heart, “for from it flow the springs of life.”

I don’t normally write about something that I haven’t watched, so I will give this disclaimer, I didn’t watch this year’s Grammy awards. I am sure there were some good moments within the show and some music-worthy performances, but having read numerous articles on the show’s content and seeing some of the broadcast’s highlights, I am not sure it would have been a healthy source of living water for me.

Kees Postma, a Dutch pastor in his book, “The Retreat: A lighthearted and humorous story about a soul searching pastor,” writes “We men (and women) are quite good at protecting what we have. We take out insurance on almost everything we own. We have burglar alarm systems and video doorbells protecting our property, and baseball bats or something equivalent hidden upstairs should it happen that one breaks into our house. But Scripture points our attention to one other thing that we should guard with all we have in us, and that’s our heart. That’s where our insecurities, our hopes and dreams for the future are stored.”

Postma tells a parable about the fictitious village of Wellsprings. It is a perfect little close community that has been there for generations and offers safety to those within its borders. Houses are perfectly maintained, the people are neatly dressed and all the cars are without any dents or scratches. Visitors are amazed at the city’s spotless perfection from no weeds in the yards to no stains on the kid’s clothes. “We will guard everything we own with all vigilance, for in it we find safety and security.”

Yet through the years, the villagers prized only the outward appearance and no one took a concern for the inner workings until the stench of death became overwhelming as several of its citizens died from lead poisoning from the water. Pipes that should have brought clean life-giving water brought deadly water. Instead of maintaining the source of water, the citizens cared only for outward appearances. They will eventually understand that “It is better to guard the inside with all vigilance than brushing up the outside. Better is an old tap with clean water than a designer one with contaminated water running through it.”

Just as a city must protect the water source, more so should we guard our hearts with all diligence. We can be Hollywood styled, have a picture-perfect physique, and drive a classy car, yet walk around with a dead heart. Jesus confronted the Pharisees, who were lovers of material things by saying, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts.” –Luke 16:14-15

Gary Chapman, long-time pastor, and writer said of himself that he prays, “God, keep my heart. Because if God keeps your heart, and your heart beats with his heart, you’re not going to get very far off the road.”

If the general rule is you can live only three days without water, imagine what happens if you don’t replenish your heart regularly? Instead of “springs of life” our hearts become cesspools of “evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander” according to Jesus. (Matthew 15:16-20)

The Gospel of John captures the beautiful and life-changing encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Instead of being able to rest during the mid-day heat like the other women, we read the story of this broken woman who bears the pain of her past carrying her pots to the well in the heat of the day. Yet she will find in her search for physical water the ultimate gift of living water. Jesus said, “But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” (John 4:14)

Just as the woman came to the well thirsty, we live in an age when people are coming thirsty but are going to dry wells. The world’s attention may have been focused on the Grammys but God was doing something unique among the students on the campus of Asbury University in Kentucky. What began as a routine chapel service on February 8, 2023, has become a unique outpouring of God’s presence that is touching the lives of students on campus and around the world. Fifty-three years ago, on the same campus, when the nation faced similar conditions of violence, racial division and hatred, a movement of God was felt! Could this be the time when we again see a fresh movement of God?

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”—Jesus

Come, Lord Jesus!
God is great!

Always surprised by joy

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You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures. Psalm 16:11 (CSB)

In his book, Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis details his spiritual journey from a traditional Christian childhood through his season of atheism until that night when he “admitted that God was God,” moved into a confident Christianity, and discovered the true source of joy.

“There was no doubt that Joy was a desire…But a desire is turned not to itself but to its object. Not only that, but it owes all its character to its object…It is the object that makes the desire itself desirable or hateful…. Joy itself, considered simply as an event in my own mind, turned out to be of no value at all. All the value lay in that of which Joy was the desiring. And that object, quite clearly, was no state of my own mind or body at all. …Last of all I had asked if Joy itself was what I wanted; and, labeling it “aesthetic experience,” had pretended I could answer Yes. But that answer too had broken down.

In the Trinity Term of 1929, I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England…. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.”

C.S. Lewis discovered in his search that joy is not in things but in the Who. Lewis wrote Surprised by Joy not as a general autobiography but as the telling of his story of conversion, finding what he called “joy.”

Connie and I had just finished a three-week mission trip to Kenya in January and returned with our hearts full. Over and over again, we saw the radiant joy of fellow Believers and were reminded again, that “stuff” is not the measure of joy and happiness. The world, and unfortunately even in some churches, offer a message that has warped the definition of what is needed to bring satisfaction. It is so easy to twist the meaning of joy and happiness to mean fulfillment is found only in the value of possessions, power, and positions.

I had the honor of sitting with a young pastor and his family in their “modest home” yet there was no mistaking what joy looks like. Connie and I had the privilege to help serve people in the middle of Kibera slums through a medical clinic and there was no mistaking what joy looks like. Connie and the team of nurses on the trip ministered to the health needs of those living in rural Kenya, yet there was no mistaking what joy looks like.

Followers of Jesus and the non-believing world all seek happiness. It is within this context that Randy Alcorn writes, “Don’t talk of joy as this unemotional transcendent thing and happiness as this worldly thing, because when we do that, we are pushing people, who all seek happiness, away from the gospel.”

Lewis understood that the source of joy was in the Who not the what. This same understanding was found among these fellow believers in Kenya. The source is not in “things” but in a person. John captured Jesus’ words when he said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

Eugene Peterson wrote about the outward expression of joy. “More praising goes on in church, more joy is expressed in the context of the Christian congregation, than anywhere else on the face of the earth.” He compared the outward expression of joy to the common places we encounter daily from supermarkets with anxious shoppers, to angry horns blowing on the highway. He wrote of athletic events where, “there are extravagant emotional expressions there, but it is surprising how few of them are joyful. The dominant mood is complaining, arguing, and criticizing.”

Peterson admitted the church family, it’s not a perfect place. Yet he wrote, “I know it could be improved. I know that some people are disappointed in it. But I don’t find any other place in the world where there is such a consistent friendliness, such a steady joy, such a relaxed rejoicing in God’s love.”

Dig deep and enjoy the rich goldmine of verses that describe the depth of joy and happiness that followers of Jesus have in their life. G.K. Chesterton said it well, “the atheist sees beauty but has no one to thank, and thus no one to be happy in.”

Paul’s vivid description of temporary happiness in Galatians 5 pales in comparison with the fantastic feast that God provides for us that brings true joy and happiness. For the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

“Despite your tribulation, take full delight in God, your exceeding joy this morning, and be happy in him.” –Charles Spurgeon

God is great!

What is Required?

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The question: What should I bring before the LORD? When I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand streams of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the offspring of my body for my own sin?

The answer: Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you:

to act justly,

to love faithfulness,

and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:6-8 (CSB)

Jesus has spent the better part of his ministry teaching, encouraging, rebuking, and loving his disciples so they will understand what it is to live with the kingdom of heaven in mind. Jesus teaches his disciples truth and how it will impact people through radical love. Now as he is approaching the final days of his earthly ministry, Matthew records several parables to help them understand what it means to “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt 25:34)

Jesus tells them “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me; sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.” Their response has probably been mirrored through the generations since Jesus spoke those words, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?

Jesus’ response to his disciples seems very appropriate during Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. “Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” God used this Baptist pastor to awaken a nation to confront the injustices of the day. Dr. King said that “whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

God’s standard “To act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God” sets a high bar of obedience, yet Jesus puts flesh on those verses. Feed the hungry as if He were sitting at the table. Give someone a cool drink on a hot day. Find some clothes to meet the needs of a homeless person. James came to grip with this teaching and would later write, “If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15)

God by His very nature deserves our very best. Yet He doesn’t ask for elaborate, ornate, or spectacular acts of worship. Simple acts of doing justly, loving faithfully, and walking humbly are His response to “What should I bring?” Jesus models these teachings in Matthew 24 and 25 and a few days after teaching, He places His life upon a cross for us. The extreme act of love brings redemption and salvation to those without hope. Our broken world creates inequality, unfairness, and often prejudice because of sin. God recognized the injustices that would come and created laws and regulations to safeguard the disadvantaged, the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the enslaved. He knows that governments, people of influence, money, and resources will often be used to further the sufferings or at best not help. The late W.A. Criswell wrote “those who believe themselves to be God’s people and who rely on the sacrifice for sin which God has provided have sometimes assumed that because their sins are dealt with, it does not matter how they live. The Bible emphasizes that those who would live in fellowship with a holy God as His people must live in a way which reflects the holiness of God.”

Micah’s words are simple and straightforward but generations have struggled to live out their intent. Dr. King understood all too well the challenges yet wrote “If one loves an individual merely on account of his friendliness, he loves him for the sake of the benefits to be gained from the friendship, rather than for the friend’s own sake. Consequently, the best way to assure oneself that love is disinterested is to have love for the enemy-neighbor from whom you can expect no good in return, but only hostility and persecution.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God.” How or what can you do today to make a non-believer question their disbelief in God?  Our crazy, mixed-up world needs us to “act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with God.”

Therefore, fear the LORD and worship him in sincerity and truth…. But if it doesn’t please you to worship the LORD, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship… As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD. – Joshua 24:14-15

God is great!

Jan 16, 2023

 

 

Thousand Days or One Day

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For in your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the night. Psalm 90:5 (CSB)

Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 2 Peter 3:8 (CSB)

“What life was like 50 years ago in America, compared to now in 2023” headline sounded intriguing as I scrolled through my news feeds the other day, that is until I realized 50 years ago I was a 2nd-year college student, which meant I am now part of the “compared” group! Cortney Moore’s article captured comparisons from music, fashion, and movies to politics, world events, and lifestyle.

Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” would have been playing instead of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Instead of paying $3.99 a gallon, I spent 39 cents per gallon to fill up my car, which helped a struggling college student. Median income was $12,050, an average house cost $29,900, the Vietnam War was finally drawing to an end, Watergate hearings were underway and Roe v. Wade ruling was handed down.

It is so easy to get caught up in the moments instead of living life through God’s calendar. We may follow the Gregorian calendar for businesses, schools, social, and all other historical events but in actuality, we go by life calendars that change depending upon where you are. Young parents’ calendars follow the growth cycle of their baby when he turns over, when she sat up, or when the baby finally sleeps through the night. Working couples’ calendars go from vacation to vacation with lots of working hours in between. Retired couples are trying to find where they put their calendar!

Hairstyles have changed many times since The Shag haircuts were popular for men and women in the 1970s, but God’s concern for the smallest details hasn’t changed. “But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.” Matthew 10:30

The median cost of a home may have risen from $29,900 to the current new home price of $471,200 but it helps to focus on God’s shelter knowing “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.” –Psalm 91:1

Now if you want a game-changer, step back and think of time from God’s point of view. The prophet Jeremiah was a little uncertain about his calling until God said, “I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5

“A thousand years like one day” puts into perspective this new year. We greeted the arrival of 2023 with excitement and celebration, as well as a little trepidation. Some are already saying we are off to a great start, others may be saying, nothing changed. It all depends upon where you are in life.

Most likely you are already making plans, adding events to the calendar, and thinking you have all the time in the world until you realize 2023 has only 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, or 31,536,000 seconds to work with. Then it all starts over until one day you realize you are some writer’s fifty-year comparison!

How refreshing to live life with the knowledge that “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are God.” Psalm 90:2

Eternity to eternity is a lot of time, so, I think God has a pretty good perspective on how to live life.

Lord, as we fill up our calendars this year, “establish for us the work of our hands.” As we face another challenging day, “satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.” Whether we are tired or excited let us remember “How magnificent are your works, LORD, how profound your thoughts!” Remind us to live 2023 “to declare your faithful love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.”

God is great!

Jan 9, 2023