A Radical Way of Life

/1 Comment/in , , , , /by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is great!

Looking Good for 247 Years

/2 Comments/in , , /by

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 (NIV)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Preambles are important to set the tone and expectations of books, programs, and especially nations. The original signers of the Declaration of Independence sought to set in motion a government for all the people. Like a mighty river that begins from the tributaries of small rivers and creeks, coursing through the many bends and turns of its path until growing into a powerful, rushing river; so, it is with nations.

Stephen Lucas writes that these words inscribed in the Declaration of Independence have been called “one of the best-known sentences in the English language“, containing “the most potent and consequential words in American history“. For 247 years the American people have sought to capture the ideas set out in these words. America’s history has often been blemished and stained from our failure to live up to these challenging concepts, yet the soul of our nation is filled with hopes and aspirations to be greater than any one event.

The preamble of the Declaration of Independence would set the stage for the preamble of the Constitution that would be penned during the hot Philadelphia summer of 1787. It was the passion and desire of those who ratified the Constitution to change the course of history and events until the goals of these words were achieved for all.

Unity was somehow forged among a diverse group of men, ideas, and cultures resulting in the framing of the document called the United States Constitution. The 52-word preamble set the tone for the document that could and would shape a future nation. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Men of clay feet laid the groundwork of independence and drafted a constitution with a desire that their children and their children’s children and their neighbor’s children would someday embellish the heart of these words and make a better nation. Each generation has built upon a solid foundation to right the things that were wrong and build for the next generation.

God set in motion a new nation in Genesis 12 when he appeared to Abraham with a most interesting preamble, “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” I am sure Abraham found it difficult to picture a great nation when there was no land, people, or resources. God even goes one step further and enlarges the vision by telling Abraham, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.” (Genesis 17:6)

Nations and governments have come and gone from the pages of history since God set in motion a great nation arising from Abraham. Yet a mighty nation did arise and continues to arise each day as people come to Jesus as Savior and Lord.

As the United States approaches its 247th birthday, we can either mourn the failures and shortcomings of the past or look with hope to the future. Today we face a multitude of challenges that can either weaken or strengthen the nation, it all depends upon where we put our hope and faith.

The stains of the past, whether as nations or individuals, will always be with us but we are not condemned to live in our past. When brought to the foot of the cross, the stains of the past can be reshaped to display a beautiful new mosaic of color and designs.  It is in the light of the cross that the condemned and broken find the only beacon of true independence as the word, forgiven, scratches through the words and works of the past because of the abundant grace and mercy of Jesus.

The founders of our nation had a vision of what we could become when we are united. It is in a time such as this that our nation needs the church and individuals to pray for grace-filled reconciliation, spirit-led unity, and Christ-centered forgiveness.  As we celebrate our 247th birthday, maybe part of the celebration should be reading aloud the words that God gave Solomon in 2 Chronicles on the night of the temple dedication. Can you imagine what would happen if we truly sought God’s face, turn from our wicked ways and ask Him to heal our land? Only in God can we truly live out the dream of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Happy 4th of July

God is great!

 

Any Day Is a Good Day to Celebrate

/1 Comment/in , , , /by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is great!

 

 

Will the Real-Life Dad Stand Up

/1 Comment/in , , , /by

The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. Deut 1:30-31

Who’s your favorite TV dad? The more seasoned TV watchers may come up with Jim Anderson of Father Knows Best or Ward Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver. Maybe you prefer the more unconventional dads such as Homer Simpson (The Simpsons), Phil Dunphy (Modern Family), Jack Pearson (This is Us), or Dan Conner (Roseanne and The Conners). Hollywood movies and Broadway plays have had their famous dads but somehow TV allows us to invite those dads into our homes weekly, where we can get to know them intimately. TV dads have been a staple within our homes since 1947 when Mary Kay and Johnny became the first sitcom broadcast in the United States.

TV allows us to sit under the words of wisdom that folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor shares with his son Opie while keeping the city of Mayberry safe, optimistic and fun-loving Herman Munster and his unorthodox family or Howard Cunningham as he deals with the unpredictable but lovable Fonzie. TV dads have been portrayed across a spectrum of personalities, characters, and mannerisms. However, the one thing all TV dads have in common, they are acting. Unfortunately, real-life dads don’t get a script nor are they able to walk off the set at the end of filming.

Father’s Day is a great opportunity to focus on the importance of real-life Fathers. Somewhere along the way, TV dads moved from the steady, even-tempered Jim Anderson of Father Knows Best and the homespun wisdom of Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffin Show to the bumbling and inept dads featured in many modern sitcoms. The American Psychological Association in a 2021 study found a marked trend among top-rated, family-centered sitcoms from 1980 to 2017 showing fathers as “humorously foolish, showing poor judgment, being incompetent or acting childishly.”

A U.S. Census Bureau report shows 1 out of 4 children live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. Now not all of those 1 out of 4 dads chose to walk off the “set” but because of death or some other heartbreaking reason, they had to. Some of these homes probably shouldn’t be labeled fatherless since they have a father’s presence just in a different format. Yet for those truly fatherless homes, it has required a lot of brave Moms to start reading two scripts for the sake of their children.

The National Fatherhood Initiative labeled their findings as The Father Absence Crisis in America. Among some of the findings, fatherless homes result in 4x greater risk of poverty, 2x greater risk of infant mortality, 2x more likely to commit crime, 7x more likely to face abuse and neglect, 7x more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and 2x more likely to drop out of school. (Father Facts: Eighth Edition.)

Father’s Day is an excellent opportunity to refocus on God’s understanding and not on media entertainment’s portrayal of fathers.  God designed the role of father and mother with great consideration. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.”  Psalm 103:13

God understood the importance of learning. “Listen, my son (daughter), to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” (Prov 1:8)

God understood the importance of home stability by including “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you,” (EX 20:12) in The Ten Commandments.

God understood how easily tempers could flare by encouraging “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph 6:4)

The writers who captured the words in our Bible thankfully didn’t just give us examples of wise, caring, have-it-all-together dads but threw in a good bunch of totally-blew-it dads. However, what the writers captured well was how God took the mistakes and recreated those broken stories into pictures of grace and redemption. God’s punishment was always interwoven with God’s expansive mercy. Father’s Day allows us to reflect on the failed stories, the winning stories, and everything else stories of fatherhood. It is out of God’s grace, they can become stories of forgiveness, redemption, gratitude, and hope.

Jesus gave us a great Father’s Day story. He told the moving story of a father and his two sons. The parable gives hope if you find yourself watching for the son or daughter to return or the determination to keep pursuing and praying for the child who stayed home but out of selfish motives. When the broken and beaten son finally comes home, the father doesn’t meet him at the door with an I-told-you-so attitude “but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15) That’s grace and love!

The story shifts to the older brother. Instead of joining in the celebration, he angrily refused to come into the house. The father had the right, as a parent, to command him to come into the house but instead of using his father’s card, he got up and went outside to his son, not in anger but in compassion and mercy. “My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” That’s grace and love!

Economists estimate more than $1 billion is spent each year on Father’s Day gifts. Dads, though you will greatly appreciate and enjoy every gift, make sure you tell your child how much you love him or her. Let’s change how the media views dads, and how society views dads, and maybe together we can change the next Census Bureau report for the next generation! “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:6 CSB)

God is great!

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my weekly blog, I greatly appreciate you and pray these devotional blogs are an encouragement to you.

 

Planting Seeds of Grace with Our Words

/3 Comments/in , , , /by

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

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Whoever came up with this children’s rhyme in the early 1800s could never have imagined the 2020s when someone using a couple of clicks on their computer could devastate another person.  Iam Tongi experienced toxic hatred after his win on American Idol last month. The OU Sooners softball team experienced it after their win last Thursday night at the Softball World Series game. Regrettably, 46% of American teens have experienced the truth that words do hurt.

The little ditty was never true even in the 1800s and now even less. I am also certain that most of us have been hurt with unintentional and a few intentional negative and hateful words in our lifetime. However, the rise of social media comment toxicity has created a whole new dimension in our digitally connected world. No longer are the words thrown at us from the kids we know on the playground, but, the vast majority of toxic comments come from people who hide behind a hedge of anonymity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Planting seeds of grace in every conversation!

God is great!

 

Not Applicable Today

/1 Comment/in , , , , , /by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is great and applicable through all generations!

 

Never the Same Again

/1 Comment/in , , , , /by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is great!

 

Navigating Life in Real Time

/2 Comments/in , , , /by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is great!

Can You Quantify Love?

/1 Comment/in , , /by

But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:51b-52 (NIV)

Can you quantify love? Ed Keefer and his co-creator, John Hawley thought so in 1937 when they developed the “Cupidoscope”. Keefer was a senior in the School of Engineering at the University of Toledo. The device promised to reveal with scientific precision the level of love between a couple. Keefer and Hawley built the device in the school’s physics laboratory using an old radio cabinet, a motor spark coil, and an electrical resistor. The couple held onto separate handles and as each person moved their handle toward each other, the level of electric shock registered. The higher the woman’s tolerance of the electric shock determined the couple’s love for each other. It sounds like a good campus party game, but the experiment caught the attention of scientists in the United States and Europe in their quest to quantify love.

I’m not sure how effective the “Cupidoscope” was in quantifying love but yesterday gave us a much better tool for quantifying love as we celebrated Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis recognized the impact of mothers when the holiday was first celebrated in 1907 during a worship service.  Jarvis believed a mother is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world.” The day has been officially celebrated in the United States since 1914 when Pres. Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers. Other nations around the world also have an equivalent day to honor mothers.

Mama Bear! You have probably seen the words on t-shirts, mugs, hats, and a dozen other things. What is a mama bear? The Urban Dictionary defines Mama Bear as: “A mom who can be cuddly and lovable but also has a ferocious side when it’s necessary to protect her cubs.” Stuffed bears are cute and cuddly but If you encounter a living brown bear in the wilderness, my best advice is to get out of there as quickly as possible because you know you are not going to have a good day! The same can be said about getting between a mother and her child, you are not going to have a good day!

Steven Spainbouer was one of the first responders at the recent mass shooting in Allen, Texas. Spainbouer recounted the scene in a TV interview. He told how he found a child covered by his mother, who had died in the attack. “When I rolled the mother over, he came out, and I asked him, ‘Are you okay?” This mother was a Mama Bear who gave up her life to protect her child.

Scripture captured the story of Jochebed who would have worn a “Mama Bear” t-shirt proudly. She was willing to die rather than kill her baby as the government ordered. Jochebed was a Mama Bear that was determined to keep her son, Moses alive. (Exodus 2)

Barna and MOPS International recently partnered to create the “State of Motherhood” project. The full report will be released this fall but they gave a sneak peek of their findings. The bottom line: Mothers are the primary influencers on the faith of their children. Savannah Kimberlin at the Barna Group wrote, “Mothers are evangelists, forming the faith of the next generation. Mothers truly are uniquely placed to create a difference and to raise up the leaders of tomorrow and the Christians of tomorrow. Mothers are disciplemakers, showing the next generation how to grow.”

I have heard hundreds of messages on faith but it was my Mother modeling faith that brought it to life.

I have heard sermons on caring for each other but I watched my Mother model thousands of sermons in cakes and casseroles she took to the sick, the hurting, and the needy.

I have heard preachers talk about hospitality but I watched my Mother add another plate to the table hundreds of times for unexpected visitors. I learned to “not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)

God knew He needed a Mama Bear to take on the role of Jesus’ Mother. She would have to have a heart of faith, be obedient even when it wouldn’t be easy, be strong in the face of ridicule, consistent in her daily walk with God, and one who could sing, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Through the years Mary treasured and pondered many things in her heart. It was out of this treasuring she was able to ask Jesus to help the wedding host who had a problem and then boldly tell the servers to “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2) The Gospels don’t give us a lot of details about Mary’s day-to-day life but what they do write tells us she was a woman of faith who lived her life for God. The things she treasured in her heart would sustain her that dark afternoon as she watched her son being crucified on the cross.

Luke simply says that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature.” Luke doesn’t elaborate on how he grew in wisdom and stature so I can only speculate that he was at the synagogue listening, learning, and asking questions. I can also only speculate, but I am sure he was reading scripture and praying daily. I can also only speculate but I wonder if he watched and listened to Mary as she modeled a faith-filled life daily.

Mary may have had a unique calling to be the mother of Jesus but she had the same unique role all mothers have had through the generations to encourage, nurture and prepare their children for tomorrow.  Mary modeled well for Jesus even when it was difficult. The same can be said of countless “disciplemakers” preparing the next generation.  One day may be set aside as Mother’s Day but the other 364 days impact forever. “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” (Prov 31:26 NIV)

God is great!

Journey on a Holy Ground Road

/2 Comments/in , , , /by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is great!