Planting Spiritual Trees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is great!

Life in the Wilderness

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Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. Deuteronomy 8:2 NIV

What do you do when you find yourself in a wilderness? Lesly, Soleiny, Tien, and Cristin literally found themselves in a jungle wilderness. Along with their mother, they had fled warring factions in Colombia’s rural area who were forcibly recruiting children by threatening violence.  The children, ages 13, 9, 5, and 1 survived a five-week ordeal in the Amazon jungle after being the sole survivors of an airplane crash. The plane crashed killed their mother and two other adults and began their journey of survival in the wilderness.

A united search team of Colombian army personnel and volunteers from several indigenous tribes combed the dense jungle in search of the children. “Brig. Gen. Pedro Sanchez, who led Operation Hope, said that in the jungle, trees can grow 100 feet or taller, blocking light and making it hard to see someone just a few meters away.” Lesly and her siblings were found in a small clearing after 40 days, surviving on cassava flour, seeds, and the rainforest’s fruit. They were hungry but alive.  (from an AP news article and Julie Turkewitz and Genevieve Glatsky)

“The desert is not remote in southern tropics,

The desert is not only around the corner,

The desert is squeezed in the tube-train next to you.

The desert is in the heart of your brother.” (T.S. Eliot, Choruses from the Rock)

Life in the wilderness can be a frightening and challenging place. You may find yourself there through an accident, from a poor decision, or no fault of your own. It doesn’t matter how you get to the wilderness, you have to find a way to survive until you can find your way home.

“When in the wilderness you are one blink of an eye from being fully awake.” I have no idea the context in which nature photographer Robbie George said this quote, but I believe there is a spiritual lesson in it. When you find yourself in the wilderness, remember it can be a place of growth, change, and reflection.

Life in the wilderness can be a place of preparation. Moses was a future leader. He had been miraculously rescued as a baby, brought up among the elite of society, provided the best education possible, and yet failed to meet God’s standard. Moses escaped to the wilderness and ended up tending sheep. Life in the wilderness prepared him for God’s assignment. “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. “(Ex 3:10) Finally he was ready for leadership.

Life in the wilderness can be a place of testing. I don’t know too many people who enjoy times of testing, yet it is in this season that you can grow stronger. Jesus experienced the wilderness of testing before beginning his ministry. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (tested) by the devil.” (Matt 4:1) “The devil tries to seduce him with instant power, authority, and wealth apart from the way of the cross…Jesus’s three temptations represent the three great potential vulnerabilities of those who would truly follow God: the need to be relevant; the need to be significant; the need to be powerful.” (Daniel McGregor) As we know, Jesus passed the wilderness test.

Life in the wilderness can be a holy place. The wilderness strips away all the comfort and ease of life, allowing you to see with clarity and understanding. It was in the wilderness that Abraham “called on the name of the LORD.” (Gen 13:4) It was in the wilderness that Moses was told, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (Gen 3:5). It was out of the wilderness that John the Baptist appeared, “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4) God’s presence changed the wilderness to holy ground.

Life in the wilderness can be a place of prayer and intimacy. “The silence of tranquility can be found in the sanctuary of the wilderness.” (Robbie George) In the wilderness, Jesus would escape the noise and pressures of ministry to be with God. “Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.” (Luke 5:16) “In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

In the early centuries of church history, groups of men and women left the cities to move into the wilderness, not to escape persecution but to avoid losing a deeper life with Jesus. When Roman Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity, elevating it to a favored status, there was a major shift among Christians. Though it made Christianity acceptable, it also opened the door to nominalism, accommodation, and compromise. It would be in the wilderness that this group of men and women would go to pray, witness, and encourage the church to stay strong for God.

David was a man who spent a lot of time in the wilderness. You find him in the wilderness as a shepherd protecting his flock, running from a king who wanted him dead, and ultimately running from God because of his sinful actions. Yet it was in the wilderness that he found forgiveness, restoration, and renewal. Only someone who has been in the wilderness can write, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) Frederick Tiffany writes, “God provides a way through the desert. The chaos of the wilderness poses no real threat; neither does it need to be the occasion of struggle. The Lord is in control, and a people has been formed. With the defeat of chaos comes the creation of a new people.”

Your wilderness experience will look totally different from my wilderness. Yet it is in the wilderness that each of us can find God’s grace to keep going, His mercy to endure, and His love that holds us tight.

God is great!

 

2024 A Year of Radical Amazement!

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

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? After a few well-placed hints, maybe you unwrapped the gift with excitement and there it was, the exact sweater you wanted, one size too small! No problem, you see the printed gift receipt and it can be returned. Maybe this is why for the past decade, the gift card has been the number one gift given and preferred. This would guarantee the right size, color, and style.

All is well unless you forget that you put the gift card in a drawer, or the store goes bankrupt in  January, or you use part of the value and never use the balance. Gift cards are great except according to experts, at any given time, as much as 19% of gift card balances remain un-redeemed, with 6% never getting used representing billions of dollars. Is this a windfall for the merchants? Not really, since they would prefer you to use the cards. Seventy-five percent of people who redeem their cards end up spending more than the value of the cards. Shoppers using gift cards are two and a half times more likely to pay full price for an item and they shop at stores they don’t normally visit. (facts from the article, The Economics of Unused Gift Cards)

What do un-redeemed gift cards have to do with the New Year? Everything, if you think of each day ahead is a gift from God. A precious gift worth redeeming every day. You are getting ready to be given 366 days (it is a leap year), will you redeem each day or forget to use them? “The priceless lesson in the New Year is that endings birth beginnings and beginnings birth endings. And in this elegantly choreographed dance of life neither ever find an end in the others.” (Craig Lounsbrough)

Treat each day as the gift it is from God. Isaiah and Peter both remind us, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (I Peter 1:24, Isaiah 40:6) A great reminder to find and enjoy the beauty of the day. As poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”

Enjoy more and worry less. The great philosopher and sage Charlie Brown once said, “You know how I always dread the whole year? Well, this time I’m only going to dread one day at a time.” Jesus fully understands our concerns and worries about life. Jesus asked his followers, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” To make sure they answered correctly, He gave them the answer, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (complete dialogue in Matthew 6:25-34)

Let worship replace fear. David stirred his inner being time after time through worship. He wrote the Psalms out of worship and praise. Psalm 77 says, “I recall all you have done, O Lord,’ Psalm 103 says, “Praise the LORD, my soul” or Psalm 104, “LORD my God, you are very great.” The word ‘remember’ in its various forms occurs over 250 times. This is a good thing for someone like me who can be forgetful. “Remembering is the key to rejoicing, and rejoicing is the key to finding faith for the coming year.” (Pete Greig)

What if I don’t know what’s ahead? No problem, God does! The same assurance that Moses gave Joshua is still valid for us today, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deut 31:8) Jesus’ final assurance in Matthew is, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (28:20b)

“I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’ So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.” (The Gate of the Year, published in 1912 by Minnie Louise Haskins)

Choose to live in 2024 in radical amazement. Granted we can’t know what is ahead in 2024 but we can choose what we will do with each day. I came across the phrase ‘radical amazement’ which I thought sums up well how to live each day. Abraham Joshua Heschel writes, “Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement because everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”

We get to live each day in radical amazement because of who we are in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17 NIV)

God, we can rejoice even in the most difficult days knowing Your love and grace overflows. Though we do not know what will happen in 2024, we can trust you in the journey. When fear grips us, give us calmness. When doubt pulls us down, let us look to your faithfulness. When crisis moves into our lives, give us peace to handle the situation. When each new day dawns, give us insight and wisdom to write our stories that will honor and glorify you.

Connie and I wish you the very best for this coming year. May each day be lived in the fullness, joy, and hope of who you are in Christ.

Happy New Year

God is great!

 

 

 

 

Living in the Aftermath

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A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. Matthew 2:18 (NIV)

“Yes, Aslan,” said both the children. But Polly added, “But we’re not quite as bad as that world, are we, Aslan?” “Not yet, Daughter of Eve,” he said. “Not yet. But you are growing more like it. It is not certain that some wicked one of your race will not find out a secret as evil as the Deplorable Word and use it to destroy all living things. And soon, very soon, before you are an old man and an old woman, great nations in your world will be ruled by tyrants who care no more for joy and justice and mercy than the Empress Jadis. Let your world beware. That is the warning.” (from The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis)

C.S. Lewis was no stranger to evil. As a young soldier, he experienced the ravages of war when he was seriously wounded by a mortar shell in World War 1 and lost two of his colleagues including his beloved sergeant, Harry Ayers. He would later write in The Weight of Glory, “War creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice. Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure, the search would never have begun. We are mistaken when we compare war with “normal life.” Life has never been normal.”

If Lewis experienced the horror of evil up close, how much more so did he experience hope through Christ? His faith would shape and mold his thinking allowing him to see through the curtain of evil’s darkness. I wonder as he wrote the story of Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund finding their way through the wardrobe that Lewis knew the fight against evil would be difficult. As the children entered the land of Narnia, an imaginary land ruled by the tyrannical White Witch, they would encounter evil. As one character in the story said of Narnia, “always winter and never Christmas.” The four siblings experienced a new life as they encountered the great lion, Aslan, and through their journey with him, defeated the White Witch and freed Narnia from her power.

On October 7 at 6:30 in the morning the nation of Israel again experienced the reality of “life has never been normal.” The nation was slowly awakening having begun Simchat Torah celebrations the previous sundown. Instead of a day of continuing celebration, they would hear the air sirens bellow as hundreds of rockets were fired into the heart of Israel. They would find thousands of Hamas militants had breached the border, launching a house-to-house terror campaign. “An Associated Press reporter quotes an Israeli army general who stood amid the wreckage of the village: “You see the babies, the mothers, the fathers in their bedrooms and how the terrorists killed. It’s not a battlefield. It’s a massacre.” (Jim Denison, Denison Forum)

The days following the initial attack continue to find a world in mourning, disbelief, and sadness. The images of war and evil on our TV and computer screens can sedate us into a false narrative that we can’t do anything about the situation.  We don’t see how we can make a difference in a situation miles away. However, German pastor Martin Niemoller’s words seem appropriate for this current crisis. Niemoller didn’t think he could make a difference until he realized his silence made him part of the evils of Nazism. His words about guilt and responsibility continue to call us to conviction and action decades later.

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

 

What can we do?

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122) “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”

Pray for global leaders to have godly wisdom. “By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth.” (Proverbs 8:15-16)

Pray for those in positions of leadership to be called merciful and peacemakers. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:7,9)

Pray for the de-escalation of the conflict, against those who have a vested interest in escalating the crisis and causing untold suffering. “He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4: 39)

Pray for the victims of these atrocities. “We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.” (Psalm 124:7)

Former President Ronald Reagan once warned, “When men try to live in a world without God, it’s only too easy for them to forget the rights that God bestows.” “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 125:1-2)

The great hope we can share and the hope we have is in Christ. Though it seems we are in the midst of “winter” days, when all the world seems to be in chaos “Christmas” has come. We can confidently pray for the families in Israel and the powerless in Gaza. We can expect more of our political leaders because ultimately they are under the control of God.  We can be part of God’s Kingdom that “His will be done on earth as in heaven.”

God is great!

“Peace be on Israel” (Psalm 125:5b)

 

Life on the Roller Coaster

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The LORD is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (CSB)

Deep down you knew it was stupid but you did it anyway. What is that? Walking down a platform, letting a total stranger buckle you into a metal car, and hearing the words, “Keep your arms inside the car!” You just paid good money to spend the next minute of your life going up and down the tracks of a roller coaster. Roller coasters – the iconic symbols of amusement parks around the world. The brainchild of LaMarcus Thompson who designed and built the first roller coaster which opened on June 16, 1884, at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. For a nickel, the riders could scream and yell as the cars reached the breathtaking speed of 6 mph.

Fast forward a few decades when the Kingda Ka opened in 2005 becoming the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the United States reaching a height of 456 feet and traveling at a max speed of 128 mph. For 50 seconds the riders get to experience terror, thrill, and whiplash in their bodies as they are plummeted and jotted through the tracks of Kingda Ka.

Once the attendant bolts you into the car you know the experience will quickly end. Even though your roller coaster ride will create inner turmoil, there will be an end when you step back onto the platform. Unfortunately, life can often resemble a roller coaster ride!

There are days when you feel like you stepped into a roller coaster car and before you could settle, you were flying through one turn to another. The emotions and stress seem to overwhelm your inner soul. Last Saturday brought the excitement and joy of celebrating our youngest granddaughter’s first birthday only to find myself this last Friday standing at the gravesite of my brother. Life seems too often filled with roller coaster days, weeks, and months.

Jesus anticipated that many of our days would feel like roller-coaster days. During his watershed sermon in Matthew (Chapters 5-7), part of his message was to encourage his followers not to worry but to trust God. If God can provide for the birds of the air, you can know you are more valuable to Him than any creature of nature. Jesus closed the section with the words, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt 6:34)

For most of us, we can ride the roller coaster and get off, even if our heads are spinning. We take to heart Paul’s word in Philippians “Don’t worry about anything… (Phil 4:4-7), or Peter’s encouragement to “cast all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” (I Peter 5:7). David who lived a roller coaster life was able to write, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)

However, there is a growing segment of the world that is finding it hard to get out of the roller coaster car. Issues of mental illness, traumatic stress, substance use, hopelessness, chronic pain and illness, social isolation, or feeling like a burden to others plague an increasing number of people annually. For many the only way off of the roller-coaster is through suicide.

Dr. Kathryn Butler writes, “For millions of people across the U.S., and multiples of that number globally, the horror of death seems a better alternative than the slings and arrows of this life…As stewards of the greatest message of hope in history, churches are uniquely positioned to minister to those grappling with thoughts of self-harm.”

The problems that confront people leading to the hopelessness of suicide are not new societal issues. One of David’s leading advisors faced the reality of what was coming and scripture says, “When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his house in order and hanged himself. So, he died and was buried in his father’s tomb” (2 Samuel 17:23)

September was National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in the United States and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) declared September 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is one death by suicide every 11 minutes. Every segment of society confronts suicide but there is an alarming growth among our nation’s children and teenagers.

God is here for those who find themselves on a roller coaster ride and for those who can’t seem to get off of the ride. God reaches out with hope as the Psalmist captures in Psalm 147 when he writes, “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” (v3)

Frederick Buechner writes, “What Genesis suggests is that this original self, with the print of God’s thumb still upon it, is the most essential part of who we are and is buried deep in all of us as a source of wisdom and strength and healing which we can draw upon or, with our terrible freedom, not draw upon as we choose…The original, shimmering self gets buried so deep that most of us end up hardly living out of it at all. Instead, we live out all the other selves which we are constantly putting on and taking off like coats and hats against the world’s weather.”

Helping someone find their “original shimmering self” may not be easy. It takes time as we learn to listen, to pray, and to care for people in their deepest places. Reaching out a hand to help someone step out of the roller coaster car is part of being a soul friend. There may come a time when we need to sit with someone and encourage them to text or call 988, the suicide prevention number that is open 24/7.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.” (Isaiah 40:28-29)

Together we make a difference because we have a God who can!

God is great!

 

 

 

Remembering the Day

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In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 8:4

Certain events leave an everlasting impression in our memories. Who can forget the day you held your little newborn baby in your arms for the first time?  Can you forget the lump in your throat as you said goodbye to your sons or daughters as they moved out of the house to start their own families?

Life events are often personal but there are also those events that impact the world. These are events that long outlive the calendar day, leaving us with lasting memories. You simply have to ask a person what they were doing or where were they and you get a detailed narrative.  Today is such an event! Today marks the 22nd anniversary of 9/11.

Construction worker John Feal, who lost his foot helping in the rescue, said of the day that “9/11 is the longest day in the history of days. It just has not ended for those that lost loved ones that day, for those who got sick and are still sick, for those who got sick and died.”  (ABC News)

On this “longest day in the history of days,” thousands of people died, many more were injured or permanently disabled and the lingering health effects of that day continue to claim the lives over two decades later.

Fear gripped the homes and lives of people in the United States as well as around the world. Voices cried out and, at that moment, you could almost hear the windows of heaven open as God listened intently to people pleading, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go.” (Psalm 143:8)

Day after day following 9/11 the churches were overflowing with people coming together as one. Churches were filled with people praying and seeking God.  Yet, just as quickly as we cried out to God for help, the voices grew angry, the hatred intensified, and the days grew darker. Since that eventful day in history, no longer do the voices cry out to God for healing. What we now hear are the shrill voices of anger, distrust, vengeance, and violence.

A comparison can be made between the 9/11 prayer meetings and the sustained prayer movement in a small village in modern-day Germany that changed the world. A group of Moravians had been forced to flee their homes because of religious persecution. Frightened for their lives, these refugees found hospitality and a place of refuge with Count Zinzendorf who allowed them to settle on his estate and build a village.

However, Herrnhut, which means, ‘The Lord’s Watch’ was anything but a place of peace. Over the next five years, the residents squabbled and fought among themselves. Eventually, on  August 13, 1727, Zinzendorf summoned the Moravians and, in the chapel, confronted them and told them to repent. Over the next days as they began to repent and confess their sins, a spiritual wind of revival began to blow through the village.

On August 27, 1727, 24 men and 24 women banded together to pray in pairs around the clock. They replaced their arguing and fighting with prayer.  A prayer movement grew that would span the next hundred years launching a movement of God that spread powerfully outside their tiny village.

“Somehow, this unlikely place became the epicenter of a prayer and missions movement which propelled the gospel to many nations, translated the Scriptures into new languages, planted not just churches but entire villages, and prayed continually for more than a century.” (Brian Heasley from The Lord of the Ring by Phil Anderson)

Driven from their homeland, this small community of Moravians was driven to their knees in prayer until their fervor burned red hot and impacted the world for God. Could there have been a different outcome the day after 9/11 if our voices had continued to pray? What difference would there have been over the last two decades if the voices we heard were raised in prayer instead of in anger and distrust?

“Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people. For the LORD God is a sun and shield.” (Psalm 84: 10-11) Will Reagan and United Pursuit in their song, Set A Fire, capture the essence of Psalm 84.

“No place I would rather be

Than here in Your love, here in Your love

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can’t contain and I can’t control

I want more of You, God

I want more of You, God”

On this Remembrance Day of 9/11, we set aside today to remember the tragedy and horrors of that event on September 11, 2001. We recognize the fear that came on that day. We remember the victims of the ruthless attack. However, we also remember those sweet hours of oneness and prayer that followed those dark days.

The words of 16th-century writer Teresa of Avila seem to beautifully sum up this day:

“Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you,

All things are passing away: God never changes.

Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing:

God alone suffices.”

God is great!

 

God Longs to Hear Us

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Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. (Revelation 8:3-4)

Would you pay for someone to repeat “gang gang,” “yes yes yes” and “ice cream so good” as she licks a virtual ice cream on screen? Apparently, a lot of people do since TikTok creator and leading influencer Pinky Doll is making $7,000 a day according to an article in Fortune by Orianna Rosa Royle. Pinky Doll, real name Fedha Sinon, is part of the growing number of creators on the platform pretending to be NPCs (non-playable characters). The term is from the world of gaming and refers to the background characters in video games “who are not controlled by players and are coded to give pre-determined dialogue.”

According to Royle, “Human NPC influencers are controlled by TikTok viewers who are paying real money to send them gifts on the app and watch them perform these gestures and phrases. Sinon has 820,000 followers willing to pay and see her repeat “gang gang.” I am glad Sinon found a way to provide for her family but I wonder if she will have generational significance?

What if you would compare the lasting impact of Pinky Doll with that of William Wilberforce? Saturday was the 190th anniversary of his death, and unlike Pinky Doll, did have a lasting impact. Wilberforce was a hero of justice who campaigned tirelessly against the British slave trade. He was elected to the UK parliament when he was only 21.  He wrestled with the decision of whether to stay in parliament or become a full-time preacher. John Newton, the former slave captain, author of ‘Amazing Grace’ and himself a church minister wrote to him, “It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation.”

Wilberforce did stay in public life as a member of parliament, though the opposition and health concerns for him were great. He found his passion and wrote in his journal, “God Almighty has placed before me two great objects: the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.” (morals of the nation.) Wilberforce spent his life fighting the injustice of slavery and seeking revival for the nation. Finally, after 46 years, a law was passed to ban slavery altogether in the British colonies. Three days later, Wilberforce died on July 26, 1833.

Charles Spurgeon shared the story of a young boy who refused to doubt that God would answer even the simplest prayer. The headmaster told the children at the beginning of the school year that they would be punished if anyone was late to class. Unfortunately, one day the boy was considerably late for school, and as he walked toward the building, the bell began to ring for class.

“A friend, standing nearby, saw the youngster running and heard his simple prayer: “Dear God, do grant that I may be on time for school.” It occurred to the friend that for once the boy had offered a prayer that was impossible for God to honor. Indeed, one cannot change the time. Still, he was curious to see what might result. Interestingly, it also happened that this very morning the schoolmaster, in trying to open the schoolhouse door, turned the key the wrong way and jammed the bolt. Unable to force it loose, he sent for the local locksmith. Precisely the moment the locksmith fixed the bolt, the boy arrived.”

I can almost picture Jesus’ excitement as he turns the corner to his hometown. Yet as Mark captured Jesus’ homecoming in the Gospel of Mark, he wrote a heartbreaking line, “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” (Mark 6:5) The town knew all about Jesus:  they knew his occupation, they knew his family, they were amazed at his teaching but Jesus couldn’t do any miracles. Mark didn’t say he wouldn’t do any miracles; he said he couldn’t do any miracles. You can hear the sadness in his voice as he says “He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (6:6a)

Barry Black, a retired US Navy Rear Admiral and current Chaplain of the U.S. Senate writes, “The wheels of progress move primarily because of the labors and prayers of the less-gifted few who make the effort. So I use fervency in my prayers, joining other one and two-talent colleagues in making our voices heard in heaven. God only expects us to faithfully use what he has given us. I can’t sing like an angel or preach like Paul, but by God’s grace, I can faithfully pray with passion and fervor. Prayer is a wonderful resource available to all.”

Can you imagine what a modern-day Wilberforce using TikTok could do to impact the “Reformation of Manners” in our current culture? Can you imagine when even the one and two-talent prayer warriors make their voices heard in heaven? God longs to hear us, be with us, respond to us but unbelief smothers out the life of the prayer. Jesus performed miracles, preached to the masses, and fed the thousands yet the disciples would have only one request, “Lord, teach us to pray.”  This is the same request we should make daily! Just maybe Newton’s words can be said again of you, “It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation.”

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!

 

Finding the Answer

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Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about; I wanted to be in on it! I Cor 9:19-23 The Message

“Fear reigns in America’s culture wars. We need a moral revolution to move past the hatred.” This headline grabbed my attention this week. The article is an opinion piece written by Forrest Harris for The Tennessean outlining his thoughts about the reason for the culture of fear within America. Though I don’t agree with some of his opinions, reasons, or solutions, nevertheless, he raises a legitimate question, “How do Americans move past a culture of fear?”

I am not saying that moving beyond a culture of fear will be easy but it will not be found only in a cultural revision of values, political extremes, or easy adjectives. This will not be the first time that America, England, South Africa, or anywhere else in the world has found itself in a cesspool of hopelessness. Each generation has found itself grappling for solutions yet only those generations who sought solutions in prayers have truly been able to overcome. Getting past a culture of fear will include political, social, economic, and cultural interventions, yet, without a fundamental spiritual framework, each intervention will only be a band-aid on a gaping wound.

“One of the most significant reversals in the history of the Christian faith took place in America during the 1780s just as the new nation was defining its independent identity and scripting its Constitution. Drunkenness was epidemic, city streets were lawless at night and the church appeared to be in terminal decline. In fact, the Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall, wrote to the Bishop of Virginia, James Madison, asserting that the church was ‘too far gone ever to be redeemed’. The great philosopher Voltaire concurred and the author Tom Paine argued that ‘Christianity will be forgotten in thirty years.’” (Pete Greig, Red Moon Rising)

Edwin Orr writes that “In New England, there was a man of prayer named Isaac Backus, a Baptist pastor, who in 1794, when conditions were at their worst, addressed an urgent plea for prayer for revival to pastors of every Christian denomination in the United States. Churches knew that their backs were to the wall. All the churches adopted the plan until America, like Britain was interlaced with a network of prayer meetings, which set aside the first Monday of each month to pray. It was not long before revival came…Out of that second great awakening, came the whole modern missionary movement and its societies. Out of it came the abolition of slavery, popular education, Bible Societies, Sunday schools and many social benefits.”

God always begins with the unlikely but He always begins with the unlikely who are immersed in prayer. Cultural warriors, activists, and politicians can be concerned but fail to rekindle the fires that can bring light to a culture of fear.  Only those concerned who are deep in prayer will be able to rekindle the fires that burn away a culture of fear.

We live in an exciting time of history that requires insight, wisdom, and a greater measure of prayer. Though many have already discounted the role of the church, G. K. Chesterton would have reminded us that, “At least five times…the Faith has to all appearance gone to the dogs. In each of these five cases, it was the dog that died.”

We can only overcome a fear of culture by moving to the vanguard of leadership and responsibility. British Pastor Pete Greig asks the profound question, “Will Jesus Christ be famous and favored in the coming age, or will he be a peripheral choice on the menu of social preference?”

In response to his question, he writes, “The challenges for the church at such a time are profound. A generation that finds itself at the crux of such change has a significant responsibility for shaping the new ways of thinking that will define not only its own age but also that of the coming era. When Christians get it right at such times, adapting themselves to changing culture and finding new language for timeless truths, the gospel spreads more easily for years to come because it makes sense to people. However, when the church gets it wrong by resisting change and enshrining nostalgia, we risk apparent  irrelevance and an upward struggle.”

I don’t know who the next Isaac Backus will be for our generation but most likely he/she will not be someone in the spotlight, though the person will be in God’s spotlight. Toyohiko Kagawa wrote years ago that “It is not enough to have ideals. We must translate them into action. We must clear our own little corner of creation.”  His quote reminded me that I may not be able to make a difference globally but I can make a difference in my own corner of the world. God has called each of us to make a difference in our own corner of our world, which all adds up to a difference globally. That is impact!

“So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel’s prayer for his nation gives us a powerful example of how we can pray for our nation that makes a difference and I think gives a response to Dr. Harris’s question, “How do Americans move past a culture of fear? As you read Daniel’s prayer in chapter nine of Daniel, use the words as a framework to guide you into a time of intercession and reflection for our nation. Instead of just one Isaac Backus, could God be calling out a multitude of Isaac Backuses that will make a difference through prayer?

Daniel ends his prayer with the words, “Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of your servant. Make your face shine on your desolate sanctuary for the Lord’s sake. Listen closely, my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion. Lord, hear! Lord, Forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for your own sake, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name.” (9:17-19 CSB)

Together in prayer.

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!