Invitation

Some of us think that the only thing we have to do to bring people to the Lord is simply invite them to church. If we can just get them in the door, then it’s up to the Spirit, the preacher and church fellowship to keep them engaged. When Paul spoke to the Athenians, he didn’t wait for Silas, Timothy or anyone else to make a case for Jesus. He was so acquainted with his subject and his supportive argument that even though some in his audience sneered, others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” (Acts 17:32 NIV) As mature believers we are all equipped with the Word of God, so we know our subject…and yet I wonder if any of us have been invited back to speak again.

Rhetoric

According to Webster’s one of the definitions for rhetoric is, “the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion.” On the political landscape there are plenty of examples of rhetoric as candidates use their words to persuade voters. Preachers too are said to use rhetoric in their sermon as they present the Sunday message. I find these modern day examples interesting and in stark contrast to Paul’s manner of communication. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor 2:4-5 NIV)

Just a Suggestion

In one of my on-line classes the Professor gave an audio instruction for her class. After one set of requirements I was put on notice when she said, “This is not a suggestion.” Although she spoke in a calm voice, her statement registered in Bold, CAPS and underlined. I’m wondering if many of us are lackadaisical when reading the words of Jesus and we simply take them as a suggestion. It’s entirely possible that those red-letter editions of the Bible are trying to tell us that the words of Jesus are not just a suggestion.

WWJD

President Obama continues to want the wealthiest Americans to pay more in taxes. In a recent speech he asked the nation to think about the less fortunate, the middle class, and he brought Jesus into the issue saying, “What would Jesus do?” I had to laugh. Jesus didn’t make a class distinction when he was asked about paying taxes. He simply said, “…give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Luke 20:25b NIV)

Missing You

In order to re-run for the upcoming City Council election I had to get 25 signatures on my petition. Naturally I asked many fellow believers to sign because they already know me personally. A friend of over 30 years half-jokingly said, “I don’t know if I want to sign your petition or not. I think you’ll understand this…what I really want is to have my friend back.” I do understand. Since getting into the political arena my area of influence has drastically changed. I no longer teach classes, attend multiple Bible studies or participate in women’s ministries and I do miss the former closeness of friends. I’m now thinking about the family and friends of Jesus as they watched Him leave his former life to begin His ministry. Even knowing Jesus was doing the will of the Father didn’t stop them from thinking, ‘We just want our friend back.’

A Voice in the Wilderness

I have a friend who is in enrolled in a business class and one of the requirements is learning to do a blog. “We're [supposed] to narrow it down to a directed group and have something that we are passionate about…I don't really consider myself qualified to give advice…on any particular subject.” It’s interesting that most of us feel unqualified and yet we have the Spirit of the living God within us who gives us our credentials. John the Baptist was simply a voice in the wilderness and yet he prepared the way and made straight paths for the Lord.

Addressee

I hate it when I send out an email that, rather than going to the intended recipient, goes to someone else.  Normally what I’ve written is not damaging, but once in awhile my tongue-in-cheek comments can feel more like foot-in-mouth. When I pray I sometimes wonder if I don’t inadvertently blind copy Satan. For instance if I tell the Lord about my financial worries is Satan privy to the prayer and does he think, ‘Well OK now…if she’s worried about finances let’s see what I can to help her add to those worries.’ Maybe I need to start using the caveat, CONFIDENTIAL – For the Lord’s Ears Only.

Gratuity

When I was in the metro area I took a couple of family members to dinner. Our waiter, who was of middle-eastern origin, wasn’t quite up to par as waiters go and it crossed my mind that he might be fairly new to America. To pay the bill I put cash in the card holder which was picked up by the waiter. However my cousin insisted on leaving the tip, which he placed on the table. It wasn’t long before the waiter returned and stiffly informed me that there was no tip in the card holder. I was a little taken back and pointed to the tip on the table, then picked it up and handed it to him. On the way out of the restaurant we did speak to the manager about the unprofessionalism of the waiter and hopefully the young man will be enlightened about the difference between wages and gratuity. “…The worker deserves his wages.” (1 Tim 5:18b NIV)

Elected

I will again be running for City Council in the April election. Yesterday the newspaper called me for an interview and the reporter wanted to know my thoughts on the current Council and how it has been observed that we don’t always get along well with one another. My response was, “We’re not elected to get along, but rather to set good policy and make good decisions.” Believers too are not immune from feeling we must get along with others at all costs. Jesus makes it clear where He stands, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matt 10:34 NIV)

Warning

John the Baptist was not one to mince words and in the account of the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to where he was baptizing, John said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matt 3:7; Luke 3:7 NIV) I’m intrigued by John’s question. Maybe John had a touch of Jonah running through his veins and he wanted the Pharisees and Sadducees to endure wrath.  Was his question in jest, or did John really want to know who among the disciples was brave enough to give a warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees? As a believer it seems like it’s our responsibility to warn people about the coming wrath…and that their only salvation comes by way of fleeing to the Lord.

No Pat Answers

Recently I listened to a presentation on Hospice, where speaking to a largely secular audience about death, the presenter said, “There really are no pat answers on why people die.”  Knowing that the speaker is a person of faith I wondered how difficult it must be for her to talk generically about death. For the believer we need only go to Scripture to find the pat answer for death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)

Flip-Flop

Whether it’s in the family, at work or in the community it can be maddening when people do a flip-flop and go 90 degrees in a different direction. Certainly as we gather information or see things from a different angle we have the right to change our mind. However we need go no farther than the political landscape to see candidates jumping from one platform to another with little or no thought to their previous commitment. Sadly the church is not immune to this scenario. I’m thinking about the person who confesses Jesus as his Lord and Savior, makes the good confession and then flip-flops. “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” (2 Peter 2:21 NIV)

Fear of the Lord

I was intrigued when I recently heard a speaker mention scary Scriptures in the Bible. I’m wondering if, similar to losing our fear of God, some of us have also lost our fear of Scripture. Personally speaking I don’t usually focus on the consequences of a passage when I’m already obedient to its instruction. One of my picks for a scary Scripture is, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor 10:5 NIV) I think do pretty well at taking my thoughts captive. However keeping them captive and then making them obedient to Christ is another thing.

Indulgence

Many of us struggle with our weight. One minute we’ll reward ourselves with a dognut and then the next we are saddled with guilt for bowing to temptation. I both love and hate Paul’s thought process as he sends me back to reflect on the moment of indulgence. “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” (Romans 6:21a NIV)

Exposed Folly

As the political landscape heats up, so does the rumor mill. There is an undeniable wickedness in men who perpetrate lies about others and Paul describes men who oppose the truth as having depraved minds. What’s aggravating is that once a lie starts making the rounds it’s almost impossible to get the truth out. However I’ve just found some comfort in the account of Jannes and Jambres, two men who opposed Moses. It’s reassuring to know that sometimes we’re simply dealing with folly and that others can see it clearly for what it is. “But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.” (1 Tim 3:9 NIV)

Geriatric Seeds

One of the visitors at church yesterday is a nurse I’ve known for many years who just happens to work in the nursing home where my mom is a resident. Not feeling totally connected in her current church, the visitor and her husband came to our worship service hoping to feel comfortable and get re-connected. We greeted one another and taking a seat next to mine she shared her struggle with knowing she needed to visit our church. “Boy, the Lord just won’t let it go. He’s really been working on me to come here…and so has your mom!” It’s interesting that whether you are an evangelist like the Apostle Paul or an elderly nursing home resident, kingdom work on earth is never done. You can still sow seeds of invitation that produce fruit. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Philippians 2:21-23 NIV)

Unashamed

For a church newsletter I interviewed a woman in her mid 60’s who in her teens had a child out of wedlock. Being sensitive to the situation I tentatively asked her if I could include that part of her life in the story. She laughed, “Oh yes! God already knows about it and I’m not ashamed of it.” I love her attitude and the example she is setting. Many of us allow pride to keep us from acknowledging shortcomings, missteps and the sin in our lives…and yet God already knows.

Shipwrecked

The accounts we are hearing from the recent shipwreck near Giglio off the coast of Tuscany really causes me to pause. It’s hard to understand why the crew did not sound a warning, but rather encouraged passengers to stay calm and stay on board. Paul sounds the alarm for us to fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience, “…Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” (1Tim 1:19b NIV) I’m now picturing our luxury cruise ship Faith being run aground on the rocks. She is lying on her side and taking on water. The wreckage doesn’t look repairable and salvage will be a long process. And to think the shipwreck of Faith could have been avoided.

Life Sentence

I’m attending a 10 week Citizen’s Academy whose focus is on our local Police Department. At our last meeting I was struck by the fact that a murderer can eventually serve his time and be released from prison, but a sex offender has to report either quarterly or yearly and forever will be listed on the sex offender list. Don’t get me wrong, I think we all feel more comfortable knowing if there is a convicted felon in the neighborhood, be it murdered or sex offender. On a spiritual level, if it weren’t for repentance and forgiveness through Christ, we too would be on the lifetime sinner offender list. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…” (Ro 3:22-23 NIV)

Counting Chickens

Recently a relative of mine had a lottery scratch ticket and because of the confusing instructions she thought she was a winner. Even knowing that she might be mistaken didn’t stop her from mentally spending the $27,000 jackpot. It’s interesting that even with our minds on spiritual things we are not immune to such dreams. If we suspected we were in line for a windfall maybe we would pay off the church mortgage, fully fund an orphanage or support a Bible college. We could convince ourselves that we were giving back to God, but I wonder if subconsciously there is an appeal to put ourselves in the place of God by meeting the needs of others. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt 6:26 NIV)

Viewpoint

I watched the movie Vantage Point and throughout the entire drama the only two constants were the shooting of an American President and a bomb being detonated in a plaza. Other than the two foundational events, the movie changed the point of view from one character to another. At the end of each character’s segment you understand what they saw and felt for that moment in time...and that things weren’t always what they appeared to be. I found myself anticipating how each new point of view would differ from that of the others. The story and plot was a good reminder to me that it is God who is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent ...and I am not.

Home Décor

Prints of the Last Supper or Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane often adorned the walls of the homes of our parents and grandparents. When our loved ones pass away we find ourselves in a dilemma of what to do with their religious wall hangings. The prints may be worn, faded and soiled with age, but we just can’t bring ourselves to throw Jesus in the trash or send Him to the Salvation Army. Such items are often gifted to the church and then the church struggles with what to do with them while also trying to avoid hurting the donor’s feelings. As believers we give gifts to the Lord, but are they worn, faded and soiled, or are they items that we would hang in our own home?

Green Light

While driving early one morning the traffic was sparse and I was behind a car that was creeping up to a red light. Apparently the driver was trying to arrive at the light just as it turned green so that he wouldn’t have to stop. I chuckled when he had to chicken out and tap his breaks because his timing was off. We believers play a similar game with God. We manipulate our timing in hopes that it will be God’s timing and He’ll give us a green light. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9 NIV)

Personalized

Many years ago my husband gave me a Christmas gift of a ream of expensive personalized paper and envelopes. The printing is in script and the letterhead not only has my name and address, but it also includes my phone number. I’ve been so selective about using the stationary only for important correspondence, that here I am 30 years later with envelopes that are yellowing and letterhead with a telephone area code that no longer applies. Spiritually speaking I’m wondering how many of us have personalized gifts from God that we’ve kept sitting on a shelf collecting dust and turning yellow with age because we’re saving them for just the right occasion.

Tolerance

Years ago my in-laws owned two Siamese cats; they also had a friend who detested cats. Whenever Darlene came to visit the cats would look up at her with adoring eyes, rub up against her leg and caress her with their swaying tails. There is no doubt in my mind that the cats knew they weren’t liked and they were deliberately trying to aggravate Darlene. I found the encounters humorous because, quite honestly I wasn’t invested in the cats, nor was Darlene my favorite person. I now have a Christian friend who reminds me of those cats. She floats in and out of my life on a regular basis, is high maintenance and irritates me beyond belief. I just know God is laughing at my discomfort and forced tolerance.

Rewards for Service

Recently an editorial in our newspaper paper referenced the lack of candidates willing to run for local public office. They highlighted part of the problem stating, “Admittedly, running for and serving in public office is not a game for the weak at heart or those who lack commitment.” I had to laugh because the same organizations that encourage a person to be civic minded and become a candidate are the ones that then use the elected official for target practice. In the church we too have elections for elders and deacons and I could say the same thing of these candidates. However after the election there is a startling difference between the treatment of those serving in public office compared to those serving in the church. ^“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” (1 Tim 5:17 NIV)

Always Right

When a fellow believer didn’t like the way I approached a particular situation she personally took me to task saying, “I am disappointed in what you have done…I decided that you were working against me.” Most opinionated people believe they are always right and if you don’t agree with them, then you are the one who must be wrong. Columnist Marilyn vos Savant had an interesting observation; “…people get freaked out by the notion of being wrong about anything. If you can be wrong about this or that, what about all the other stuff you think you know?” I think about Saul of Tarsus after he encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus and discovered he was wrong in persecuting those who belonged to the Way. No doubt it was humbling for Saul to be shown the error of his ways, but I can’t imagine how disconcerting it was for him to then question the other stuff he thought he knew.

Lord Willing

Every once in a while a situation will come up where I’ll come hear someone say, ‘I have to pray about it and see if it’s what the Lord wants me to do’. While there is something to be said about waiting on the Lord for His direction, the flip side would be those who say they are going to do such and such, ‘The Lord willing.’ With the Spirit living within us, I’ve been contemplating which position He finds more challenging – that of motivating the believer into action or that of stopping them when they are headed the wrong direction.

Bring ’em on Down

The marquee sign on a local financial investment company reads, “Don’t keep up with the Joneses, drag them down to your level.” I can’t totally put my finger on it, but I’m having an adverse reaction to this message. No doubt there is supposed to be an investment connection as well as some humor in the message, but I just don’t get it. I can however, see that the church is not immune to such thoughts. The disciples were indignant with the sons of Zebedee for asking for positions of honor to sit at the right and the left hand of Jesus in his kingdom. Jesus responded to the ten, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave…” (Matt 20:26b-27 NIV) Most believers don’t have much trouble lifting up the weak and serving the downtrodden, but when someone in our midst thinks they’re superior, being their servant is the farthest thing from our mind.

Impregnable

On the corner of our property we have three large golden-tipped arborvitae shrubs growing closely together. In the summer I hate to trim them because they sting and are loaded with spiders and cobwebs. In the winter when they are covered deep with snow they appear to be one large rolling mound of dirt. I came home from the store last week and found two middle school boys with their sleds having a grand time using my arborvitaes as a ramp, while a third boy was poking his head up through the dense branches. I sent them packing and now I’ll have to wait until spring to see how much damage was done to my flattened shrubs. We don’t always know why kids do the things they do, but after some thought I realized that these boys had their armor on. They were so well dressed and protected for their winter sledding that a romp through the prickly bushes didn’t faze them in the least. I’m thinking that’s the same way I should be feeling when I put on the Full Armor of God.

Do You See What I See

On January 1^st the media always does a look back over what they consider to be the big events of the year. Usually the stories revolve around tragedy, scandal and political gamesmanship…or lack thereof. As individuals we too can fall into the same trap by mentally highlighting the past year’s losses and failures. However Paul reminds me of the importance of putting on spiritual glasses when I look back on 2011. ^“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV)

Handcrafted

My husband is learning wood turning on his lathe and he describes one of his projects as a bowl that turned into a plate and wound up being a toothpick holder. His most recent creation is a vase that swapped ends when a chunk of wood fell out of the base and the bottom became the top. I wonder if God has some of the same issues with us when we’re on the Potter’s wheel. “…Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” (Ro 9:20b-21 NIV)

Sailing Through Life

Generally speaking most of us hope to be an example to others around us, but I’m wondering if we sometimes underestimate our simple physical presence. As Paul & Company, (276 men in all) were about to be shipwrecked an angel appeared to Paul and said, “…God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” (Acts 27:24b NIV) Putting myself in Paul’s place I’m trying to wrap my head around God giving me the lives of those with whom I work, or volunteer and serve with. I wonder how many lives may have been saved during war or terrorists attacks simply because there was one God-fearing man or woman who kept their courage and faith in God.

Balancing Act

In subfreezing weather I took Charlie the dog for a walk and I used considerable caution because the sidewalks were snow packed and ice crusted. When I heard someone approaching quickly from behind I stopped and pulled Charlie off to the side so they could go around us. Breezing past me was a man on a unicycle with a dog leash in each hand tethered to two medium sized dogs. The acrobat had to wait for a few seconds at the crosswalk for cars to pass, all the while peddling backwards and forwards to keep his balance. There was absolutely nothing about this picture that made any sense to me…until I applied it to our work in the church. At one time or another we’ve all tried to juggle multiple ministries - sometimes we’re successful, sometimes we’re not.

Pizza for Breakfast

The other day I was eating breakfast at Denny’s when a family with two rag-a-muffins sat in the booth behind. The children were in the 3 – 5 year old age group and from the conversation it sounded as though the family might be staying in the motel next door. The children wanted pizza for breakfast and the mother put her foot down. “You’ve had piazza three days in a row. You need to eat more healthy. How about pancakes or fruit and yogurt?”  The children dug in their heels, incorporated tears with their protest and then mom relented and let them order pizza with hot chocolate. Although it’s not a laughing matter, I can’t help but see shades of God’s people in the character of those children. We too have been known to dig in our heels, and mingle our wishes with tears and sometimes God lets us have our way…even if it’s not in our best interest.

The Outside Looking In

My back deck overlooks my neighbor’s yard and her BBQ grill sits directly under her kitchen window. The resident long-haired stray cat will often perch on the grill, slowly waving its tail and looking into the house. Normally I wouldn’t think too much about it, but with snow on the ground and the temperature below zero the visual tugs at my heart. When I consider those who are spiritually lost, I can’t help but wonder if they too sometimes peer into the life-window of the believer and see a glimpse of what they are missing.

Glorious Riches

Gift giving and receiving is often determined by what we feel are needs. I love the fact that it’s not just during the Christmas season, but rather throughout the life of the believer, that God meets all our needs. ^“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NIV)

Comparables

Since last fall my diet and exercise regime has taken a back seat to meetings, events and scheduling conflicts. I’m not suggesting that my gym partners at the fitness center are judging me, but some might certainly use me as an example for motivation to stay with their own program. It’s easy for us to look at someone else with slipping abs, thicker thighs and wing flaps and say I’m glad I don’t look like them. However, it really never crosses our minds to think that others may be giving us the once over and using us as an object for confidence in their own righteousness. “The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.’” (Luke 18:11 NIV)

Paparazzi

Within in a span of one week I had to travel to Denver for two separate meetings. On the first trip it was dusk when I pulled up behind a vehicle at a stop light and a flash went off. I knew it had to be Denver’s street traffic control camera and I, along with the driver in front of me, immediately started looking at the cars around us wondering who the guilty party might be. I didn’t feel I’d broken the law, and yet I kept replaying the situation in my mind fearing that I would be getting a traffic ticket in the mail. On my second trip I watched for overhead cameras like a hawk and I was on my best behavior. However as I was driving on an arterial and keeping up with the flow of traffic we crested a slight rise in the road and there was another flash…this time coming from a van parked on the side of the road. Looking at my speedometer I was a couple miles an hour over the speed limit, but again I couldn’t tell if the camera was taking my photo, or the photo of the cars around me. I couldn’t wait to get out of Denver, because now I was concentrating more on cameras that I was on pedestrians. I was at the last stoplight going out of town when, you guessed it, there was yet another flash. Although paranoia had set in, this time I knew for a fact that I had done nothing wrong. There are times in my life when the Lord sends me a flash right at the moment of sinning which gives me the opportunity to repent and move forward…however, that doesn’t mean that in a week or so I won’t also get a reminder of my sin.

Cleaning the Inside

As my grandma got older the dishes that she washed by hand weren’t always as clean as they should be. I’m sure there were many contributing factors, such as failing eyesight, loss of concentration and even relaxed cleaning standards. I’ve noticed lately that every once in awhile as I’m washing dishes the person drying them for me will hand back a utensil that needs to be re-washed. I suppose I was focusing more on cleaning the areas that I thought were touched by food. For instance I’ll wash the surface of the plate more thoroughly than the bottom because theoretically, there wasn’t any food on the bottom. Spiritually speaking, we believers are often guilty of just cleaning the parts of our lives that we think have been soiled by the world. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matt 23:25-26 NIV)

Intersection

Today I’m attending the funeral service for a friend I’ve known for almost 38 years. Our relationship has been something similar to the traffic pattern of city streets. We haven’t always been on the same street, but over the years our paths have often intersected and when they did we would pick up our conversation where we left off. I’ve always thought of the holidays as being a bad time for someone’s death because it would somehow mar the season for years to come. But I’ve changed my mind with Mary’s passing. I’ve now been given the opportunity to unwrap the gift of memories that she has left for me and I’m having a Mary’s Christmas.

Spring Cleaning

Would you believe that right in the middle of the holidays I’m doing a huge house spring cleaning project? Me neither. It all started so innocently. All we wanted to do was to buy a new bed. When we took the old bed out and moved it upstairs, someone suggested we should steam clean the carpets before bringing in the new bed. Next someone said, “Well, if you’re going to clean the carpet, you really should first paint the room.” So here I am two weeks before Christmas stumbling over bedroom furniture now in the living room, putting masking tape around baseboards and carrying a paint brush around. This is so not what I had in mind. I do however see similarities in the situation with making a request of God. If I ask Him to increase my faith, He’s likely to give me other spiritual projects to do just in order to build that faith. A simple request is not always so simple.

Curfew

While she was in high school my daughter Leslie wanted to be like her friends and she was especially bummed because everyone in her peer group had a curfew and she didn’t. We now laugh at the fact that she even went so far as to plead with me to give her one that would match her friend’s. Because I trusted Leslie, I simply required that she call and check-in with me around 10:00 pm. I thought if she were having a bad time and wanted to get out of an uncomfortable situation, she could use me as an excuse by saying, ‘My mom just told me I have to come home’. If on the other hand if I knew who she was with and that she was having a good time, she could stay as long as she liked. As believers one of the hardest things we have to do it to take ownership of our freedom in Christ. I can hear myself saying, ‘Lord just please give me a curfew and tell me what time you want me home!’

Live Edge

Recently I attended the Woodworkers’ Christmas party and their gift exchange was mostly comprised of hand crafted items such as turned bowls, carvings, ornaments and wall decorations. While the expertise of turning beautiful wooden bowls was talked about, the extreme difficulty of turning a bowl while leaving the live edge (the natural edge) of the wood intact was also discussed and revered. My mind turned to the skill of the Carpenter. In the Lord’s hands the believer’s live edge remains intact, all the while our hearts are being crafted into a thing of beauty.

Job’s Reindeer

There are times I’m confident I know a certain passage of Scripture and what it means, only to discover that it doesn’t say exactly what I thought it said. I find this especially true when looking for a word to direct me to a specific passage of Scripture. In my quest I’ll check my own concordance, brainstorm with another person or go on line to Gateway Bible. I really appreciate the search I can do on Gateway, but it’s not unusual for me to type in my phrase and read the response, “Key word search ‘0’ results.” Recently a friend was into his daily devotional when he began reading about Job’s Reindeer. Bob laughed, “I said, ‘Wait a minute…Job had a reindeer’?” After re-reading the meditation Bob cleared his head and focused on Job’s Redeemer.

Ultimate Fighter

A few days ago a mugger walked up to a car with a gun and told his intended victim to give him everything he had. The victim refused and was ordered out of the car. In spite of the gun, the would-be-crook (5' 5", 148 lbs) got the tar beat out of him by the victim…an Ultimate Fighter (6’, 250 lbs). I have to confess I love this story and I laughed out loud when I saw the accompanying police photo of a battered and bruised mugger. On the spiritual level, can’t you just picture Satan thinking we are a wimpy victim, but in reality we’re an Ultimate Fighter?

In Need

There is a TV ad for the Salvation Army that tugs at your heart with images of folks who are weary and apparently without hope. The marketing aspect of the commercial is to encourage donations to the Salvation Army for the upcoming Holiday Season. I was with them on their plea until the final clip of the ad in which there is a young African American man with corn rows sincerely saying, ‘Thank you for your support’. When I noticed a hefty looking ¼ inch gold necklace peeking out from under the neckline of his tee-shirt the illusion of sympathy went right out the door. Whether believers or not, it’s unlikely that this current generation would give up their gold for another’s need. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” (Acts 2:44-45 NIV)

Waiver

I’m in the process of signing up for on-line classes through a Christian university. One of the documents that I have to sign and send in with the application is the ‘Life Together Covenant’, which says I agree to accept the stated responsibilities as a participant in the university. There are Biblical responsibilities stated with book, chapter and verse and then there are the university’s expectations. They include illegal substances, tobacco, alcoholic beverages and gambling. The covenant appears to be Ten Commandment-ish – as in chiseled in stone with no waivers. The expectations are directed toward fresh out-of-high school young people. However I’m a senior adult and occasionally I like to have a glass of wine and take a chance on the lottery when the prize money gets high. Using worldly thinking I could get around the alcohol issue because the university would never know, but it would be just my luck to win the Powerball and I’d have to fess-up to breaking the covenant.

Shake A Leg

My daughter’s Shi-Tzu doesn’t like snow and ice covered sidewalks, so she bought some dog-booties that he likes even less. Once Charlie gets his shoes on for a walk his gate and stride is similar to a high stepping tarantula trying to shake gum off his feet. Every footstep is suspended in mid air and thrown out to the side. I can’t help but laugh when I see Charlie’s indignation as he tries to throw off his boots. It makes me wonder if the great cloud of witnesses might just get a chuckle out of us when we are in a similar situation. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Heb 12:1 NIV)

Five Star Servant

In the Parable of the Talents the master gives one servant 5 talents, another two talents and the third one talent. It just dawned on me that regardless of our position in life, rich or poor, believers are in the role of the servant with five talents. We put our money to work and gain more. We are faithful with a few things, and the Lord has put us in charge of many things. We are the benefactors from the talents of the lazy servants. In spite of everything we have, we are given more and have abundance. Where I am today and how God has blessed me has a direct correlation to my management style. “Well done good and faithful servant!...Come and Share your master’s happiness!”  (Matt 25:21 NIV)

Understanding

When TV commentator Andy Rooney recently passed away there were many eulogies. Reporter John Roberts said, “Andy would tell it the way he saw it. You never walked away saying, ‘I wonder what he meant by that?’” Jesus taught in parables, it wasn’t unusual for people to walk away saying, ‘I wonder what he meant by that?’. I can certainly relate. For me, listening to parables would be somewhat akin to hearing someone talk in tongues…I just don’t get them unless someone interprets. Thankfully the New Testament writers spoke a spiritual language that we can all understand. “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”  (1Cor 2:12 NIV)

Wired

In discussing forgiveness, salvation and worthiness, a Bible study member said, “Some people are convinced that they have done such bad things in their past that their unworthiness stays with them even when they stand before the Lord. They are just wired to be guilty.” She makes an interesting observation. Looking back at my re-birth in Christ I didn’t automatically feel at home in my new skin…and even after decades of being a believer, there are times that someone shows me my Christian skin is a little too tight or a little too loose. I suppose we all come to the Lord with some faulty wiring. ^“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:18 NIV)

Comfy

I hate starting a new exercise video because muscles that haven’t been used in a particular discipline rebel very quickly…and they hold a grudge. Following along as best I could with a new series, the instructor encouraged me by saying that I need to learn to ‘be comfortable in the uncomfortable’. What a great thought for me as a believer. Spiritually speaking I often ask the Lord to protect me from evil, to help me run away from sinful situations and keep my mind heaven focused, but it has never occurred to me to ask that He keep me comfortable in the uncomfortable.

Strays

There is a long-haired grey feral cat in my neighborhood who occasionally takes a nap in a sunny spot on my deck. The other day I caught him grooming himself and was struck that even though he is for all practical purposes alone in the world, his life situation doesn’t stop him from being meticulous with his grooming. I think we believers have something in common with this cat. While this world is not our home, it should not stop us from being presentable in the neighborhood. “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matt 6:17-18 NIV)

Storage Wars

I enjoy watching the reality TV show ‘Storage Wars’ where storage units are put up for auction when the renters of the units fail to make their rent payments. As the door to the storage unit opens to expose the treasures within, the bidders never know what to expect. Certainly each of us has our own standards of value and the old adage ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ has merit. I now have this disturbing image of the Lord opening up my heart to see the treasures within.  “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:20-21 NIV)

You’re invited

Every once in a while I’ll get a request through the Christian Ear to follow another person’s blog. Normally their motive is an effort to help them build up their own readership. However I find it curious that they don’t at least try to establish a relationship by interacting with comments to the Christian Ear…they just want me to follow them. I can just imagine Jesus saying, “Come follow me” and then not investing Himself in His followers. Thankfully the Lord’s ministry was not about just building up His stats. ^“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt 7:14 NIV)

Keep Watch

Our church Thanksgiving pot-luck dinner was last Sunday and we asked members and visitors alike to come for the meal and fellowship, whether or not you brought a dish to share. The speaker announced the meal would start at one o’clock, but the bulletin said we would be eating following the service. I suppose because of our affinity for fellowship dinners the tables were quickly set-up and the food ready for the buffet by 12:00 o’clock. What a dilemma. Do we wait until 1:00 in case some people went home to get their food and come back, or can we start early? The compromise seemed to be 12:30. However, I did feel badly for a first time visitor we’d invited to stay for the meal. He had confided in me that he was shy and so he decided to go home and then come back at 1:00. When he came back there was enough food, but he was toward the end of the line and the pickings were slim. The old-timer said, “I guess it would have been better if I’d just stayed and visited.” I was reminded of the Parable of the 10 Virgins where five of the virgins ran out of oil for their lamps, so they left the wedding banquet to purchase more oil. Have you ever wondered if these five foolish virgins might have been able to stay for the festivities with only a smoldering wick? Jesus reminds us, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matt 24:13 NIV)

Thanksgiving

This morning’s newspapers have articles on holiday shopping and are packed with advertising flyers. Jesus tells us that the Father supplies all our needs, and for that I am thankful. However, when I see hoards of people lined up and pushing one another to be first in line for bargains I have to laugh. Even we believers have a streak of paganism when it comes to Black Friday. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” (Matt 6:31-32 NIV)

My Apologies

Six year-old Lydia is in the first grade at our local Christian school and in honor of Veterans Day she sent me a letter decorated with pencil drawn balloons.  “To: My loved American Military, I thank you for fighting for our country. My classmates and my teacher have been praying for you guys this year. I do apologize that we/I haven’t been praying for you otherwise. Love, Your Friend Lydia. P.S. Look on the back. From: It’s a secret! (Heehee)” I can so relate to Lydia. Generally speaking our prayer life is focused and it’s only one crisis or prayer request at a time…per person. However, unlike the innocence of a child, we don’t usually go around apologizing and confessing our limited prayer for one another.

Crystal Clear

The Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California is facing bankruptcy and the church might be sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese. There are those who say the church cannot survive without the iconic building, but there are others who say the Crystal Cathedral is just a building; it’s the people who are the church. A professor of sociology of religion is quoted as saying, “That Crystal Cathedral has in fact encapsulated them and held them in a Crystal prison.” I picture Jesus Christ being the foundation of the Crystal Cathedral ministry and yet Paul’s warning rings in my ear. “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.” (1 Cor 3:12-13 NIV)

Accountable

As an elected official I get emails from constituents and recently a woman who is a fellow believer wrote, “Are you really praying about your decisions, or are you going along with someone else?” The implication is that if I were really praying about my decisions God would have me voting differently. I was so tempted to write back, ‘…and did you pray about sending me this email?’ Certainly as a constituent my friend has every right to question my decisions and as a believer she is entitled to question sin in my life. However critiquing another’s prayer life is something best left up to the Lord.“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb 4:13 NIV)

Discontinued

I don’t always react well with product changes. The make-up that I’ve worn for years has been discontinued, my new and improved dishwasher powder no longer get dishes clean and my health insurance provider has gone paperless. I can just imagine the Iron Chefs of Israel on the day after Passover when the Israelites ate some of the produce of the land of Canaan. The manna stopped that very day. Just exactly how do you react when your main ingredient is discontinued and you’re left holding a cookbook of 101 Recipes for Manna? (Joshua 5:12)

My Father’s House

Unlike our votes being cast in secret, when you sign a recall petition it becomes public record. One signer, a local pastor, was questioned by a fellow believer as to why he would sign the petition without first seeing if the charges and accusations behind the recall were true. Fair question since both the pastor and the elected were believers and men of faith. He responded, “They brought the petition to Sunday morning worship and were so passionate, I decided to sign it.” Jesus cleared the temple courts with a whip when He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money. I can’t help but wonder if they also used the temple courts to sign political petitions. “… Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” (John 2:16b NIV)

Ask Mikey

An old TV commercial for Life Cereal has three brothers getting ready to eat breakfast. Because the box on the table looks ‘healthy’, the two older boys want their little brother Mikey to taste test the cereal. “Let’s get Mikey to eat it. He won’t eat it, he hates everything.” A group of citizens recently circulated petitions for the recall of three elected officials, but the effort failed because they lacked adequate signatures. As I read over the petition signatures I was surprised to find that some of those calling for the ouster of the elected didn’t even the petitions they were circulating. It sort of reminds me of the Chief Priests stirring up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead of Jesus. ‘Let’s get Mikey to do it…’

Daily Examination

A neighboring town has a new pastor who was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, but he has served a pastor in other denominations. His new church is described as, ‘a multi-denomination church affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ.  Does that just not make your head spin? I suppose the pastor could keep unity in the pews if he kept ‘love’ as the topic for all his sermons. Actually this multi-denominational church may be forced to follow in the footsteps of Berea. “…for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17:11b-12 NIV)

Veterans

All around town there were many Veterans’ celebrations to choose from and this year I attended (Navy vet) the event at the local high school. I sat next to a young woman who loved to talk about herself. She joined the Army, but it wasn’t up her alley, so after serving two years she got a medical discharge. She was married to a man in the Army, but that didn’t work out, so she divorced him, came home and then married a civilian…more up her alley. She is expecting her first child in March and excitedly laid claim to being the first local pregnant mom to benefit from free Veteran’s medical clinic. I couldn’t help but wonder about her need to be publically recognized as a Veteran and accept those benefits, yet all the while having a distasteful attitude toward the military. I think we see something similar in the church. Many people love laying claim to being Christian, yet to hear them talk, much of the Christian life just isn’t up their alley.

Suffering and Rejoicing

Just as the church body is made up of many parts (1 Cor 12:12-27), so it is with smaller bodies within the church. We have a group of ladies who for many years have met weekly to sew and make quilts for the mission field and for shut-ins. Recently these ladies suffered a loss when 89 year-old Bertha passed away. “She was one of our parts…she did the tying.” Certainly God has arranged the parts of the church body just as He wanted them to be. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Cor 12:26 NIV)

Were You There

It’s not unusual to hear people reminisce about being at, or involved in, historical events like Woodstock, the Berkley riots or hurricane Katrina. Their reflections on the situation stir different emotions such as pride, loss, shame or grief. The old hymn Were You There asks, ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord…when they nailed Him to the tree…when they laid Him in the tomb?’ I love the way this hymn brings me to the foot of the cross. However, the prequel to the cross shows us the crowd who gathered before Pilate chose the prisoner Barabbas over Jesus for release. I can easily put myself at the foot of the cross, but it’s more difficult to put myself in the crowd gathered before Pilate. Were you there…

Letter of Introduction

When the early church sent disciples to the various outlying towns they often sent along letters of introduction. A few Sundays ago we had a couple of middle aged visitors to church who mixed, mingled and shook hands both before and after the worship service. When they came my way I asked all the normal ‘are you a first time visitor’ questions. It seems they are transients and the Lord brought them to our area. They said they are doing whatever the Lord wants them to do and just trying to serve Him. In the meantime they’ve taken up temporary residence at some old boy’s ranch east of town while they wait for the Lord’s direction. They are unemployed and just doing odd jobs for the time being. Certainly we need to extend the right hand of Christian fellowship and of course it’s possible that we were entertaining angels unaware. However, I would have felt more genuine in my welcoming had these guys brought along a letter of introduction.

The Good Child

I think I struggle with the story of the Prodigal Son more than any other passage of Scripture. I recently read an advice column in the paper where a writer was responding to the issue of parental favoritism. The writer observed, “…that parents give their attention to the children they think need it most. To the left-out child, it feels like favoritism, but I truly believe the parents consider that child to be the most loved and think they need to dote on the others.” I’d never considered that the Prodigal’s older brother might somehow be in the father’s ‘most loved’ category. I’m not suggesting that God plays favorites, but He certainly looks favorably and with love on those who are obedient. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (John 14:21 NIV)

Epitaph

The owner of a local jewelry store passed away and his family had a going-out-of-business sale, which included the inventory as well as the furnishings and display cases. During the sale period I would walk past the store, but rather than looking for bargains, my eyes were drawn to the stenciled sign on the window that read ‘All Work Done on Premises’. I began to think about the premises where each of us works - the jeweler in his store and the believer in the world. A few days ago I walked past the store and the lights were on, but for the first time the store was wall to wall empty. The only thing remaining of the proprietor and his business was the gold painted signage on the window. If the jeweler was a believer, the sign is a fitting epitaph, because his work on earth is done. “…for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.” (Heb 4:10 NIV)

Saying Something Nice

Most of us grew up with hearing the guiding words, ‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all’. Recently at a going-away party for a colleague people were invited to say a few words. I expected the normal accolades like, ‘you’ve done a good job…, we will miss you…, best wishes on your new job…’, however one speaker said of the honoree, “He doesn’t lie. I appreciate that he’s never lied.” At the time the sentiments struck me as a bit odd and I couldn’t help but mentally question, ‘So that’s the nicest thing you can come up with?’ However, after more thought I decided what’s the big deal…if the Lord is delighted everything is good. “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” (Pro 12:22 NIV)

Peace and Safety

Many years ago one of the ladies in our congregation was in a long-time abusive marriage. While she is faithful in attendance, her ex-husband will only occasionally come to church. I’m always amazed to see them attending the same service, but sitting in different areas. Although they avoid close contact with one another, the reality is that they are coming together in worship, singing praises and partaking in the communion emblems. I think I see shades of the Messianic age, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” (Isa 11:6 NIV)

Mockery

Many of the current cast members on this season’s Survivor are professed Christians. They openly pray for strength in competitions, endurance for staying in the game and for God’s will to be done. Survivor is a game of strategy and even though manipulation, lying and deceit are all part of the game, believers play to win. In the last episode I think Coach, who highly values his integrity as a believer, crossed a spiritual line. He lied about being in possession of an immunity idol and to get out from under the lie, he then sent his team members on a wild goose chase. The chase ended with Coach miraculously finding the idol. I get the gamesmanship. What I don’t get is that before the search Coach called the tribe together in a prayer circle and holding hands petitioned God in the name of Jesus Christ to help them find the idol…which he had in hip pocket all along! Now the entire tribe is singing praises to Jesus because the Lord helped them find the idol. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Gal 6:7 NIV)

Wish List

A woman I know seldom attends any church worship and yet invariably she asks to be put on the prayer chain with every near miss or crisis that comes her way. In exasperation one of her friends told Jane Doe, “Jane you have to start coming to church for yourself. You can’t keep expecting people to include you on the prayer chain if you aren’t going to do your part. The prayer chain is not a wish list.”  Jane is a little hurt and still somewhat stand-offish, however I think her friend was spot on. As harsh as it sounds, the friend spoke the truth in love. Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!” (Rev 3:15 NIV) A lukewarm relationship with other believers might well result in lukewarm prayers.

Classrooms

Stella, a Sunday School teacher from my youth, recently passed away at the age of 94. For a time I lived with my Grandma and our church met in the one-room community school house. After worship we divided up for Sunday school class, with Stella taking the kids out of the building. In the summer our classes were held on the old merry-go-round and in the winter we piled into Stella’s station wagon. With the car running, the heater blowing and the windows fogging up she taught us our Bible lesson. I think Stella and Jesus had something in common when it came to making disciples…both could make a classroom out of any old boat, a hillside or a field of grain.

Pillar of the Community

I recently read an obituary where the deceased was described as a pillar of the community. In the church we too have a tendency to elevate people to pillar-status. Our candidates may be those who are generationally faithful in attendance, those extremely knowledgeable in the Word, or even someone whose generosity goes far beyond tithes and offerings. Jesus gives us the qualifications for becoming a pillar in heaven and I love the fact that we are all candidates. “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it...” (Rev 3:12a NIV)

Stark Contrast

I’ve become more aware of journalists writing their news stories and then locating a photo to accompany the slant of their story. Awhile back photos of two of our elected officials appeared side by side in the local newspaper. One person’s photo was the stylish professional official photo, and the other person’s photo was a less than flattering candid shot. Even without the written story, the selected photos were a stark contrast and they told a story of their own. One official was obviously favored and there was an attempt to disparage the other official by making them appear folksy, backwards and unprofessional. In the spiritual arena I can draw a similar parallel. As believers the Lord presents us in our most positive light and then Satan does his best to bring us down by using unflattering candid shots that causes others to question our worth.

Blameless

I think we all understand that when the Lord returns we will be held accountable for our heart and soul, but I was a little uneasy to read Paul’s thoughts on also being accountable for my body. I mean really. I’ve been looking forward to dumping this ageing body with its additional pounds and I fully expected to stand before the Lord as a heavenly new creation. Now I’m wondering what kind of a diet I have to go on to keep my body blameless. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 5:23 NIV)

Let Me Serve You

In my previous church the Communion Table was at the front of the auditorium. After the emblems were served to the congregation, the servers would return to the front, serve one another and then place the trays on the table. In our present configuration, the Communion trays are located in the back of the auditorium and after serving the congregation, those serving simply help themselves before putting the trays on the counter. While their self-service doesn’t take away from the meaning of communion, for me there is a more profound spiritual impact when I actually see one person physically serving another.

In Error

Tim Allen, of ‘Home Improvement’, recently did and interview with Parade Magazine. Tim is quoted as saying, “On a philosophical level, I’m very religious. I call myself an intellectual Christian. I’ve been seeking answers and information about Christianity, as well as Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism…” I’m not sure I’d pride myself in being an intellectual Christian if I didn’t know any better than to say I was looking for Christianity somewhere other than the Bible. So often we get skewed ideas because we fail to heed Jesus’ warning, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matt 22:29 NIV)

Every Step You Take

When my daughter and her dog stop by for a visit I often take Charlie for a walk in a nearby park. I always carry plastic bags and clean up any deposits, but it’s obvious that not all pet owners are so conscientious. I’ve noticed that when I’m on the meandering sidewalk I can relax and take in nature, but as soon as Charlie needs to go off the path my eyes are focused on the ground watching every step I take. I can just see this scenario being played out in the life of a believer. If we stray off the narrow path, we’d better be looking out for the poo.

My Backyard

The Air Force is taking public comment on the possibility of establishing a low altitude training area in northern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado. I was surprised to learn that environmental groups are traveling across two states to attend all 17 meetings to not only voice their opposition to the training area, but to also garner disciples. I listened to various speakers who had a not-in-my-backyard attitude that they were applying to the entire region. I really wanted to say, ‘Pardon me, but this isn’t your backyard’. I was reminded of Saul before he became Paul. He wasn’t content with going house to house to destroy the church in Jerusalem, he also set his sights on Damascus, which was some 150 miles away with a travel time of 4-6 days. It seems that the human condition, whether you are a believer or not, is to worry and fret more over our neighbors backyard than our own.

Clear Conscience

Once a year on the Day of Atonement the High Priest would enter the inner room and offer a blood sacrifice for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. Rather than having one’s sins forgiven, this was simply a reprieve by rolling those sins forward to next year’s sacrifice. In error I’ve always pictured the worshippers having peace of mind that they have taken care of last year’s sins by boxing them up and putting them on a shelf. However the writer of Hebrews says, “This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.” (Heb 9:9 NIV)

Unloved

Recently I was in a situation where I not only felt underappreciated, but also unloved. I struggled with confronting the issue because I didn’t want to sound like a child who was having a pity party. Really, how do you tell someone that their actions make you feel unimportant and used like a doormat? In my soul searching I heard Jesus asking Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these…Simon son of John, do you truly love me…Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:15-17 NIV)

Extinguished

On the spiritual battlefield believers have to be well rounded and know how to respond both offensively and defensively. Lately I feel like all I’m doing is playing defense. The Armor of God is getting heavy and I’m getting weary. As I re-read Paul’s description on the Armor of God I was struck by the protection we get from the shield of faith. The shield of faith doesn’t extinguish just some of the flaming arrows in the arsenal of the evil one, but rather it extinguishes all of the flaming arrows. I’m thinking that standing firm and standing my ground just got easier…those flaming arrows really are simply smoldering blanks. (Eph 6:16 NIV)

This Little Light of Mine

This time of year it’s dark when I drive out to the fitness center. The other morning when I saw some small green lights about head high bouncing toward me I knew immediately that it was a jogger out for a pre-dawn run. The apparently safety conscious jogger was also carrying a flashlight, but oddly the light wasn’t focused on the path. Rather the spot of light was weaving all over the place, first on one side and then another, on the grass and under the shrubs. It wasn’t until I drove past the jogger that Fido, wearing a lighted collar, came into view.  I have to laugh when I think about some of us acting like Fido. We’re supposed to be the light of the world and where do we see our light shining…off the path, under bushes and behind rocks. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:16 NIV)

On Alert

Last week we had reports of an attempted child abduction in our community. The description of the abductor was a man in his 40’s wearing a cowboy hat and driving a white dodge truck with an extend cab. When I ran errands the other day and saw a white truck driving down the road and I did a double take at the driver because he was wearing a cowboy hat. The partial description of a possible child predator will no doubt keep many of us on high alert in the coming days. Isn’t it interesting though that the Bible too gives us a partial description of our spiritual enemy the devil and yet we seem oblivious? “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

Breath of Fresh Air

Febreze air freshener is currently running a TV commercial where two blindfolded women are sitting on a couch. One is holding an accent pillow the other a lap-throw. Because of a spritz Febreze both items feel clean to the touch and smell fresh. When the blindfolds are removed the women are shocked to discover they are on a dilapidated, dirty couch and surrounded by filth and free running pets. I can see this drama played out in the life of believers when we accept Jesus and our spiritual eyes are then opened to reveal a depraved world.

Credentials

Recently at an event I introduced two men to one another. To help them connect I mentioned one’s career credentials, his expertise in fishing and then, knowing that both were men of faith, I tossed in the fact that he too was a Christian. There was an uncomfortable pause and then the other man picked up the conversation ball saying, “Someday I’d like to get back into fly fishing.” As I stepped back from their conversation I felt almost apologetic to the Lord that He had been overshadowed by fly fishing. I suppose that because this was a business meeting my reference to faith could have felt awkward and out of place. However I wonder if our failing to take advantage of such opportunities might well border on denying Christ. “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels”.  (Like 9:26 NIV)

Navigating

In honor of Christopher Columbus I’m reminded of the many Spiritual explorers who’ve navigated Biblical waters and shared their journey with us. My path has certainly been made easier because of their maps of understanding, such as commentaries, Bible Studies and sermon notes. However, I think we need to resist the temptation to rest on the exploration of others….each of us in our own right must become an explorer of the Word. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11 NIV)

Close Encounters

As I interview people I often question them about any ah-ha moments they might have had with the Lord. I think we can all relate to personal testimonies, but they are so much more powerful when we actually know the people who’ve had the experience. During Bible study discussion Suzie confessed, “I sometimes expect more from the Lord. I don’t know what, maybe angels, trumpets…feathers”. Mel agreed saying that when he accepted the Lord as his personal Savior it was a grey January day and at that moment in time his rebirth was disappointingly unspectacular. Chiming in on the conversation Gary quipped, “Well at least you weren’t blinded like Saul!”

Self-Righteousness

We have a huge recycling controversy going on in the community on whether or not to continue City curbside recycling…and at what cost. We are all speaking a green language, however some of us are speaking through greenbacks, while others are speaking environmentally green. At a public meeting those speaking with an environmental heart compared themselves with others by saying, “We are the good citizens, we do the right thing and we are the good kids and should not be punished for doing right.” As believers we too can get caught up into comparing ourselves with other believers. ‘We’re the good Christian, we do the right thing and we shouldn’t be punished…’

Improvement Team

It’s sometimes important to resurrect an old committee for the purpose of assessing current needs and updating data. A recent resurrection for my city was the Montrose Improvement Team. The task for this group of folks is to look at the future needs of capital improvements for our municipality.  I’m wondering if the Spirit might well look at us in a similar way as He assess our needs and looks for areas that need upgrades. His assembled team might consist of the preacher, an elder, a faithful brother and even a believing spouse.

Never Ending

It’s not unusual for older folks to comment that as parents we’re never done raising our kids. We continue to worry, watch and fret over them even when they have left the nest and have children of their own. I recently interviewed an 82 year-old woman who has a 52 year-old son with Downs Syndrome still living at home. Proud of being a mother Eleanor said, “John still needs attention, so I’ve never really stopped raising my children.” Generally speaking we think about God moving us on to different roles and responsibilities as we mature. I now have new insight, admiration and appreciation for those who must remain in their role for a lifetime.

Morning Manna

Always faithful, last Sunday my morning paper wasn’t in the driveway, on the grass or under the cars. By the time the paper arrived two hours late my day was really out of sync and I was out of sorts. I thought about the Israelites having manna provided to them every morning for 40 years in the desert and I had to laugh. I can just imagine the first day God failed to have breakfast waiting for His people. No doubt there were a few of them too who were out of sorts looking under bushes and behind rocks and knocking on one another’s tent door asking about their morning manna. “The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.” (Joshua 5:11-12 NIV)

Sowing Seeds

Driving past a church the particular denomination didn’t register with me, but the message on the marquee gave me whiplash. The statement was, “Question Authority”. Who’s authority…God’s, the government’s, your parent’s? Paul addresses the authority issue saying, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Ro 13:1-2 N IV) I suppose one could argue there is a difference between questioning and rebelling, but I can’t help but wonder if the one who put the message on the marquee is not in fact sowing seeds of rebellion.

Little Children

The teacher wrote the word crocodile on the blackboard and six year-old Lydia raised her hand and politely told the teacher that the word was misspelled. The teacher knew the spelling was correct, but Lydia was insistent and wouldn’t let go of the matter. So the teacher and student got out the dictionary and together they discovered that Lydia was in fact correct, the teacher had misspelled crocodile. It’s hard for me to imagine a first grader in this situation having the ability to stand firm in their own knowledge. Jesus said that we must become like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven and I’ve always thought of that childlike character in terms of humble, innocent and trusting. Now I’m thinking that unwavering conviction is also a characteristic of a little child. Jesus said, ^“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:17 NIV)

What a Waste

A letter writer to Dear Abby was at the end of her rope watching her mother refuse to change some destructive habits. The daughter wrote, “I don’t want to waste my life watching her waste hers.” I can so relate to the letter writer’s conflict, both in the physical realm, as well as the spiritual realm. Many of us do have thoughts of simply turning our backs on and walking away from those who drain us emotionally. It’s amazing though to think that Jesus often watches us waste our lives and yet never walks away.

Gospel Minutes

Recently I read the minutes of a meeting where the transcript didn’t seem to reflect the discussion as I remembered it taking place. I called another committee member asking, ‘Did I miss something? Did we agree to that? Do you remember who made that statement?’  I started to ponder the Gospels as if they were minutes of meetings and although I’m amazed by the text agreement and the accuracy of recorded quotes, I also have to laugh. I can just imagine some of Jesus disciple’s later thinking, ‘What did I miss? I don’t remember Jesus saying that.’