Purpose of a Fence

A middle school aged youngster lives a couple houses down from me. Except for the freestanding basketball hoop on the driveway, his yard seems void of childhood attractions. This young man is good at making baskets, but fairly often he misses the basket and ah shucks it just happens to land in the neighbor’s yard. To retrieve the ball he climbs over a four-foot chain link fence and once inside the neighbor’s yard he traverses the split rail fence as if he were a gymnast on a balance beam.  He jumps off the fence, picks up the ball, and retraces his steps back into his own driveway. This carnival act goes on all the while keeping a watchful eye out for adults in case he needs to pull out a prefabricated excuse. I found these antics funny until I realized adults do something similar.  How often do we throw our toys into forbidden territory just so we can retrieve them? “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed (James 1:13-14 NIV).”

Cross-Cultural Evangelism

I’m struggling with a college class on cross-cultural evangelism. The thrust of the class puts a prerequisite on the missionary to become part of the culture – language, customs – in order to spread the Gospel effectively. That part I get. What I’m not seeing is any responsibility being placed on those who are hearing the message. Certainly there are examples of the disciples fitting into the culture of their day in order to reach people. However, there are also examples of people responding to the message with what appears to be very little effort on the part of the messenger – Jonah and Nineveh, Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch, Peter and the centurion. What I question is who has the greater responsibility, the messenger or the responder. In the parable of the pearl, the merchant did not need anyone to learn his language or culture in order for him to see the value in the pearl. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it (Matt 13:45-46 NIV).”

Getting to Know You

Growing up I really didn’t know my father. In my formative years our relationship was blurred by alcoholism (literally) and in my pre-teen years divorce freed him to be an absent parent. Over the years when we had an occasional visit the communication was surface level and awkward. The disciples knew the Father, but they didn’t “know” the Father. Questions run through my mind when I think about the disciples asking Jesus to teach them how to pray. I suppose each could have had different reasons for wanting to know how to pray. Had they in the past been distant from God and didn’t know how to communicate with Him? Was the relationship Jesus had with the Father something they wanted to tap into? As students did they think this was just another component to their education? Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation’ (Luke 11:2-4 NIV)”

Identifiers

A college class assignment required that I analyze the community for the sources we use to present the Gospel. I began by looking through the church directory published in the newspaper and I found the names of churches to be very telling. Denominational churches often use identifiers such as Catholic, Lutheran, and Baptist in their title; about a quarter of those listed in the directory included a derivative of the godhead – Assembly of God, Church of Christ, and Christian Church. Along with the common names I also came across: Waves of Mercy Pentecostal Church of God, Roca De Refugio, Cross and Spurs Cowboy Fellowship, Baha’i Faith = Divine Unity, Catch the Fire Soaking Prayer Center, Church 180, Iglesia Horeb Church, Journey, and Quaker Silent Worship Group. No doubt a great deal of thought went into selecting these names, but I’m wondering if people actually live up to the implied church name, or if the name is a vision of what they want to become.

Spiteful

I recently participated in a round-table discussion where the topic was local media. A newspaper publisher from a neighboring town didn’t mince words when it came to elected officials. He smirked, “We need to make them sweat!” Certainly the media needs to hold elected officials accountable, but make them sweat – really? This seasoned journalist seemed uneasy when I questioned his terminology and he said, “Well, I guess it’s personal.” The more he talked it was obvious that his personal reasoning applied to all politicians and, from an editorial perspective, he considered them fair game. It’s interesting that before these people were sworn into office they were our friends and neighbors, but taking an oath of office puts a target on their back. Paul reminds us, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Cor 13:6 NIV)

Enemy Oppression

Joann was contemplative when I ask her about enemies. “I guess I need a definition. How can I have any enemies if I’m supposed to love everyone all the time? The word that comes to mind is nemesis.” For over 45 years Joann’s father-in-law held animosity towards her because she was “too religious.” The breaking point came during his wife’s funeral when he called Joann aside and taunted her for ruining his son’s life. It was only then that Joann found the resolve to say, “I want you to know that I love you, but this will be the last time you will see me.” Joann had already worked through forgiving her father-in-law when she learned that he had stroke which has left him paralyzed, unable to speak and dying. With an exasperated laugh Joann said, “Now I can’t talk to him. But here I am, putting him on the prayer chain. It’s still not too late for the Lord to reach him.” Referencing the oppression of an enemy the Psalmist said, “My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”  (Psalms 42:10 NIV)

Living With the Enemy

I asked Peggy if she had any enemies and she laughed, “Yes, but can I pick more than one?” Then, on a serious note, she told me about being married to her 90 year-old husband, a man who is 25 years her senior. Early into the marriage he attended church with her, but he soon dropped all pretenses. “He is what I would call a spiritual enemy. He mocks me, makes snide remarks and ridicules what I’m doing.” Peggy is determined to have a Christian home, with or without a believing husband. “I love him, but I’ve stopped taking responsibility for him. All I can do is pray and be a good example.” The book of Numbers offers insight into living with enemies, “When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies.” (Numbers 10:9 NIV)

Room at the Cross

Today we hear a lot from environmental folks about the overpopulation on the earth. However, it was reported in 1991 that the entire world population could fit into a rectangle that was 40 mile long and 30 mile wide and each person would have one square yard of space, with room to spare. Interestingly the New Jerusalem described in Revelation is a city 12,000 stadia in length, height, and width – a cube of 1,400 miles. The county Gospel song, There’s Room at the Cross For You brings us to the foot of the cross, but maybe we should also be singing about all the room available in the Great City. (Rev 21:15-27 NIV)

Enemies

When I ask fellow believers about their enemies the normal reaction is to recoil – Christians don’t have enemies; Christians love one another. Eighty year-old Edward struggled with the thought of having enemies, “I guess my daughter made me mad. She needed money to buy a house so my wife and I gave her a loan from my retirement.” It wasn’t long before his daughter missed installment payments and declared bankruptcy. The relationship was severed for years, but when Edward’s wife passed away their daughter asked another family member to find out if she could come to her mother’s funeral. “My daughter did nothing but bring heartache and cause grief in the family. I didn’t see her at the funeral – I don’t know whether or not she came.” Had Edward’s daughter been a stranger he would have taken legal action, but instead he avoided having anything to do with her or ever seeing her again. “… a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” (Matthew 10:36 NIV)

Personally Speaking

One of my current college classes is on interpersonal communication. I found it interesting that some social scientists estimate that 93 percent of the emotional impact of a message comes from nonverbal sources – body language, eye contact, gestures. No doubt our charismatic friends would put nonverbal communication as a high priority on their religious landscape. I have a hard time thinking that body language in worship, that seen during fellowship, song and sermon, has such a large emotional impact. I’m afraid if anyone, including the Spirit, used 93 percent nonverbal clues on me I’d miss something. However, I can say to the Spirit, “talk to me” and if I listen, I can hear Him. Jesus said, “He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matt 13:9 NIV)

Expelled

Occasionally there are known issues of sin within the body of believers and many of us look to the leadership to deal with the situation. I’m not absolving the leadership from their responsibility since the authority given them by God carries a huge measure of accountability.  However, Paul addressed sexual immorality among believers saying, “And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?” (1 Cor 5:2 NIV) Later in the same chapter Paul includes the greedy, the idolater, slanderer, drunkard, and swindler. To these categories he instructs that we not associate with them, nor even eat with them; rather we are to expel them from amongst us. It occurs to me that I can follow Paul’s instructions even if my leadership fails to do so. I have the ability to put the sexually immoral brother out of my personal fellowship, I can refuse to associate with him and eat a meal with him. These passages indicate expelling the wicked person from the church, but the reality is that “we” are the church. As individual believers we can mentally expel the wicked person from fellowship.

Double-Edged Sword

Most of us would say that when we’ve listened to a sermon we’ve heard the Word of God. However, as I’ve been analyzing sermons and meditations for their structure and content, I’m taken back with how much of the presentations contain jokes, filler, opinion, illustration, examples and rabbit trails. It gives me pause to compare all this extraneous material to the Word of God. The writer of Hebrews said, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double–edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb 4:12 NIV)

Babes in Christ

A missionary friend from Columbia gave me some interesting insight into discipleship. “In America when someone gets baptized you give him a Bible.” He laughed, “It’s like, here you go, here’s your manual. In Columbia we give the new believer a children’s Bible.” Andrew went on to explain that the children’s Bible has lots of pictures, big words, and it gives the reader a panoramic view of the Bible. “After they’ve had time to read the children’s Bible and get the big picture, then they get an adult Bible.” It occurs to me that even though I am a student of the Bible, I might relate better to babes in Christ if I too took a remedial read of a children’s Bible.

Spirit-Less

We can learn the sermon topic from the church bulletin, but we won’t actually know the intent of the message until we hear it preached. For instance, Paul gave Timothy the charge, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim 4:2 NIV) If I had my druthers, I’d opt for the encouragement sermon. However, sermons that correct and rebuke are infused with the Spirit and His presence is convicting. Unfortunately some pastors, under the guise of correction and rebuking, craft sermons of manipulation for furthering an agenda. I guess they just don’t realize the Spirit doesn’t participate in a message that contains ulterior motives and manipulation.

Paid in Full

For safety reasons Sam, a missionary to the Muslims, was incognito. “I’ve been deported three times; kicked out of the country two times.” He laughed, “There is something to be said about not getting beat up.” It was interesting to hear that Muslims believe man was created the best of the best of the best and they do not accept the idea of being a sinner. If I understood Sam correctly, Muslims consider themselves sinless, yet understand there is a price to pay for sins committed that they don’t know about.  According to Sam you can actually see the countenance for the wages of sin in the Muslin faith. Up to the age of 17-18 all children are happy, but after this age of maturity they start paying for sins. Between the ages 25-45 a Muslim become sad and downcast, wondering “did I pay for that sin.” Then between the ages of 45-55 their shoulders drop and they give up realizing they cannot possibly pay for their sins. “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV)

Give ‘n Take

It’s interesting how words can be in the same context, but a change in the written order makes a profound impact. I normally think in terms of Jesus taking my sins, but inspirational writer Rich Maffeo reorders the words saying, “I asked God to lay my debt on Jesus Christ and forgive me.” The phraseology vividly moves me to the foot of the cross and makes me a participant in the crucifixion. It is at the cross that Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34 NIV)

World View

One of my college classes requires interviewing missionaries and asking about the “world view” of the country where they are serving. One missionary said, “It is the United States that has an interesting world view; they think they rule over everything.” He laughed, “Americans even think they can change the weather!” I chuckled at the global warming reference. The missionary continued with other examples of American innovations such as creating air conditioning because they’re too hot and central heating because they’re too cold. Other cultures live within their environment, but people in America are always trying to control their environment. I suppose we do have to give Americans credit for taking the Genesis account literally. “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Gen 1:26 NIV)

Old Dog, New Tricks

During the missionary conference we were told that the effectiveness of the traditional three-point sermon is lost on the upcoming generation and it’s going to have to be replaced. “The only way to grab these kids coming up is with a story.” My first thought was not for the next generation, but for traditional pastors who have based their whole preaching life on the three-point sermon. Oh my! I can just see them struggling to tell a story with three points. Paul was willing to put on different personas in order win people to Christ – a slave, a Jew, one under the law, or not having the law – and maybe we could add storyteller to the list. “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Cor 9:22-23 NIV)

Reproduction

One missionary I spoke with had changed the focus of his ministry from planting churches to making disciples. “The Great Commission doesn’t tell us to evangelize and plant churches, it tells us to make disciples.” This change of direction appears is taking hold on more than a few mission fields and missionaries are talking in terms of building relationships, rather than building church memberships. “The idea is that we are to multiply, to reproduce ourselves.”  The concept has merit, but I told the missionary it was a scary thought when you consider that there are some of us that just should not be reproduced. He laughed and made a great point, “Then maybe they need to be discipled!”The Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20 NIV)

 

Using the Culture

I came away from a recent missionary conference with some thought provoking ideas. One missionary referenced Paul’s evangelistic tactics during a meeting of the Areopagus in Athens. Paul was distress by all the idols in Athens, but among the altars to various gods was an altar with the inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD”. Many of us in that situation might focus on all the false gods and how we could eliminate them. Paul, however, did not attempt to discredit the false gods, but rather showed missionary wisdom by using the cultural idols of the day to point to God. Making the unknown known, Paul said, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:24-25 NIV)

Slip ‘n Fall

The trial for the captain of the Costa Concordia, the cruise liner which ran aground off the coast of Tuscany two years ago, is still underway. His defense for abandoning ship and leaving 32 passengers to perish is that he slipped and fell into a lifeboat. The defense seems absurd, but it made me think Jonah who “slipped and fell” into a boat headed for Tarshish. Both of these men abandoned their duties and will forever have a record of desertion. Unfortunately, there are shades of the captain and Jonah in all of us. On the night Jesus, “…Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matt 26:56b NIV)

Mellowing

One of my college classes required me go to public place where I was to survey strangers with four evangelistic questions.  I chose to go to the senior meal site where I knew I could at least find a few friendly faces willing to help me complete the assignment. Seven of my eight “new friends” grew up in religious homes and are still active in their respective denominations.  All of these folks were happy to talk about the influence of parents, their beginning faith and their personal witness. Interestingly all of the participants reference a strong faith, but a faith they are now reluctant to share unless someone else approaches them first and begins the conversation. At first I thought their evangelistic spirit must also have mellowed with age, but then I recalled the observation made by Jesus concerning his disciples, “… the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matt 26:41b NIV)

Life Support

The majority of my congregation is made up of the older generation. Recently a church leader remarked, “If we don’t do something this church is going to die.” Really? Certainly some of our older folks are passing away, and I would agree that most of those coming in the front door are not getting baptized or placing membership. However our attendance remains consistent and from my perspective we are far from being terminal. I find it interesting that my friend speaks in terms of “we” need to save the church, as though “we” have the power to control the size of the body. Similar to God breathing into Adam the breath of life, the Spirit blew the breath of life into our congregation. I’m sure God has his finger on the pulse of the church and if necessary He is capable of CPR.

The Garden Path

In recently published articles the Mormon Church wants to divert attention away from their idea that in the afterlife the members get their own planet. Rather, they would prefer to focus on the belief that in eternity their faithful will be like God and have creation abilities. Unfortunately these folks are walking down the same garden path taken by Adam and Eve. The serpent, craftier than any other wild animal, convinced Eve to eat the fruit by saying, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5 NIV) It seems the serpent and the church leadership speak the same language when they tell their members they can become like God.

Timing is Everything

Tinkering with time has been going on for years, but interestingly it wasn’t until the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that everyone in the US got on the same schedule. Even though Daylight Savings Time is on my calendar and happens twice a year, I’m just never quite ready for it. We know the time has already been set for the Lord’s return, but even Jesus does not know the day or the hour of His will return. I’m thinking a good time for the Lord’s return would be on one of the days when we change our clocks. I can just imagine people trying to figure out if they were “left behind” or if they simply forgot to set their clocks to spring forward, or fall back. “Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1 Thess. 5:1-2 NIV)

Body Makeover

I’m still chewing on why a congregation would forgo Biblical leadership and choose to be directed by a steering committee. Scripture gives elders the charge of directing the affairs of the church and that position excludes women. It occurs to me that instituting a steering committee as the authority in a church might be a clever way to put women in leadership roles. After all, who could possibly object to women serving, or even being the chair of a steering committee? Unfortunately manipulation of Biblical authority in many churches is getting more common place and acceptable – women serve as priests and ministers, and homosexuals are ordained. Clearly Jesus is the head of the church, but we can anticipate that one of these days the church is going to experience an extreme body makeover.

Yeast of the Pharisees

My friend, who is an elected official, has worked single mindedly to build a reputation as a fiscal conservative. However, in a recent editorial concerning her support of a tax increase she said, “I’m a strong fiscal conservative and ordinarily oppose any effort to raise taxes or increase fees. Concerning the recreation district initiative I am making an exception.” Certainly we all have the right to change our minds on issues, but I’m surprised by the flip-flop. What I find really interesting is that regardless of her decision, she still wants to hang on to the label of “strong fiscal conservative.”  Believers are not immune from such shades of hypocrisy. We set ourselves up on a biblical foundation as strong people of faith and then we make exceptions on abortion, adultery, co-habitation, and homosexuality. Speaking to his disciples Jesus gave the warning, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”  (Luke 12:1b NIV)

Created By

I’ve started another set of college classes and one class, a pre-algebra class, is about to drive me over the edge. I never understood algebra when I was in high school and in the years since there has been no improvement.  Paul tells me, “For by him [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:16 NIV) I’m not one to ever disagree with Scripture, but I have to tell you I’m having a real hard time thinking that algebra is something the Lord created!

Preparations

As I continue to analyze and critique speakers I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone is entitled to an off-day when it comes to the presentation, but we are not entitled to a pass when it comes to lack of “preparation”. For instance, if you’re not feeling well during a presentation the audience will cut you some slack. However, if the presentation is weak because you’re not prepared, the listeners will not be as understanding. Surprisingly, most speakers fail to realize that the audience is pretty savvy and can tell the difference. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:17 NIV)

Directing the Affairs

My daughter, who recently married, moved to the metro area is now church shopping. During one such church visit Leslie noticed that the bulletin did not contain any information about elders, deacons or communion. When she had the opportunity to ask, a friendly woman said, “We have communion once a month, but we don’t have elders or deacons - we have steering committees. They seem to do a good job directing the church.” I’m at a loss for words. I can just imagine the Lord cringing at the thought that the direction of the Body of Christ is in the hands of a steering committee. Paul tells us, “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)

Economics 101

An upcoming ballot issue will ask voters for a sales tax increase to build a recreation center. The proposed cost is over $25 million, but it is being pointed out that with interest, the total cost will come to over $45 million. Yesterday I was dumbfounded when I overheard a tax-supporter say, “What difference does it make if it is $45 million? No one cares about the interest. When you’re buying a house you don’t think about the interest, you just think about the price of the house.” Unfortunately many who come into fellowship with the Lord are of a similar mindset. They think that the only cost to becoming a believer is to accept Jesus, repeat the Good Confession and get baptized. However, there is a continued interest believers pay and it comes in the form of then doing what the Lord asks of us - obedience, turning away from evil, loving our neighbor, etc. Using an analogy for discipleship Jesus said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” (Luke 14:28-30 NIV)

That’s Entertainment

I understand that many entertainers use a surrogate to warm-up an audience before the headline act takes the stage. Likewise, before beginning a presentation, a speaker often tries to connect to the audience with a story, a joke, or a Q & A welcome. I’m amazed how this practice has taken hold in the worship service, and it’s not simply done by one person. Each person, from the music leader, meditation leaders, to the preacher tries to ingratiate themselves with the congregation before they begin their part in the service.  Certainly the congregation doesn’t want to feel like they are in a lecture, but the jokes and fillers seem to enhance the speaker, not the message. I have to laugh when I think that Jonah didn’t need any warm-up to be successful, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” (Jonah 3:4 NIV)

How Do We Begin?

I’ve started professionally critiquing speakers, including those making presentations during the worship service – those who give announcements, meditations and preach. I am amazed by how often speakers begin their talk by telling the audience about their preparations. Recently a communion meditation started (paraphrase), “I thought I would talk about … but then I thought that was wrong and I thought of something else … then the Lord put on my mind to talk about what I was going to originally talk about. I think this is what I should be telling you today.” I can’t even imagine Jesus, Paul or Peter prefacing their remarks in a similar manner. Peter stood up at Pentecost, raise his voice and addressed the crowd, “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.” (Acts 2:14)

Stay on the Path

I just re-watched the apocalyptic movie The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington (2010). Eli is on a 30-year unstoppable mission to get his precious cargo, the only Bible in existence, to a west coast sanctuary. There are hoodlums and thugs along the way, and in one scene Eli, from a hillside advantage, witnesses a gang attack of a woman on the highway below. He did not intervene, but averting his eyes he said to himself, “Stay on the path, it’s not your concern. Stay on the path, it’s not your concern. Stay on the path, it’s not your concern.”  I’m reminded that Jesus did not minister to everyone He came into contact with either, rather He stayed on the path that led Him to the cross. I wonder if we believers aren’t often distracted by the cries of the world, but the situations are really not our concern.

Spoiler Alert

For the last two weeks TV newscasts have been issuing spoiler alerts to warn viewers they are about to reveal the results of Olympic competitions. It’s understandable that some people want to watch the competition at a later time without first knowing the winners of events. It crosses my mind that there are those who might use the same thought process when it comes to reading the Bible. They just don’t want to know the results of failing to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. Spoiler Alert – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:28-29 NIV)

A Safe Place

Our local library recently organized a woman’s writing group for the purpose of encouraging one another to know themselves and the world through their writing. “It will be a safe place to express themselves, without judgment, critiquing, or negativity.” There are those who would like the church to be just such a “safe place”; a panacea of sorts. However, Paul reminds us that with great patience and careful instruction we are to always to be prepared to correct, rebuke and encourage. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim 4:3 NIV)

Claim Jumpers

“Prospectors” is an interesting program on the Weather Channel that highlights four teams of seasoned prospectors searching for gems in the Colorado high country. The stars of the show are digging for anything from jewelry quality aquamarine and topaz, to museum quality specimens of quartz crystals attached to amazonite. Much of the mining takes place at 14,000 feet and danger comes in all sizes - weather, rockslides and claim jumpers.  When the miners leave their digging site, because of nightfall or weather, they often cover it up so no one will find it until they can get back to finish their work. The cast member’s enthusiasm for finding the gems they seek is contagious and the celebration is joyous. Spiritually speaking, we too need to watch out for claim jumpers; and it wouldn’t hurt if we also had a little bit more enthusiasm for the precious treasure we’ve uncovered in Christ. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matt 13:44 NIV)

A Snake is a Snake

A few days ago a snake handling Pentecostal preacher, whose worship services includes handling poisonous snakes, was bitten by a rattlesnake and died. This was not the first time the pastor had been bitten, but it was the last. In an interview an immediate family member displayed genuine surprised at the snake’s quick action. The group had the snake for four months and this was the only time they’d had a problem with it. It does seem a little dumbfounding until you consider how often we believers do the same thing with sin. We keep it caged, but then bring it out to show the world evidence of great faith and that’s when it turns around and bites us.

Foot in Mouth

The last few years a local letter-to-the-editor writer has gotten away with spewing toxic waste on conservatives, Republicans and Christians. Interestingly, it is people of faith who began standing up to her by responding to her letters. Those “calling her out” seem to be hitting a nerve because she is now complaining that her objectors are simply not intuitive enough to realize her comments were tongue-in-cheek.  Granted, tongue-in-cheek may be hard to identify, but most of us know foot-in-mouth when we see it. Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt 12:36-37 NIV)

Perspective

In a recent Dear Abby column a letter writer, who described herself as an atheist, was pressured by her husband to accompany him to church. Apparently the husband grew up attending church, drifted away, is now reconnecting, and wants his wife to join him. However, because the wife was raised just the opposite, she felt uncomfortable in church and with the sermons. Abby considered the situation from both the husband’s and wife’s perspective, and then advised the woman not to attend. It’s interesting that none of the three looked at the situation from the perspective of the church. Certainly the church doors are always open to anyone who wants to worship, but having a person who does not even believe in the existence of God as a pew partner is a little strange.  “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Cor 6:14-16 NIV)

Making Love

A love message from John, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 Jn 4:11-12 NIV)

On The Job Training

This week’s news headlines included the accidental detonation of a bomb during a training session for how to make car bombs. According to the report, 21militants were killed and two dozen injured. My laugh felt as warped as the idea that terrorists could blow themselves up before they could kill and maim innocent people. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Gal 6:7-8 NIV)

Reluctant

Kathleen Parker, columnist for the Washington Post Writers Group, wrote about President Obama’s comments during the National Day of Prayer Breakfast. I was struck my Ms. Parker’s opening sentence, “President Obama gave a lovely speech at the recent National Prayer Breakfast – and one is reluctance to criticize.” I find it fascinating people are “reluctant to criticize” those things that fall under the umbrella of religion. It’s almost as though scrutinizing anything with a hint of religion is somehow scrutinizing God, or at the very least, God’s envoy. Jesus was not so inhibited or reluctant, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matt 6:5 NIV)

Out of the Overflow

Many believers are kept from publically proclaiming the Good News, not because they are uneducated in the Gospel, but because they lack confidence in presenting the Gospel. Jesus said, “ … For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34b NIV). Because our hearts come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, strengths and weaknesses, the overflow of the heart takes on myriad of possibilities. Recognizing the Spirit in one another is easy, but polishing the overflow that can be tricky.

Coaching

A fellow Toastmaster of mine attended a training session and then gave a report to our club. At the session the guest speaker noted that some people are uncomfortable with the term “evaluation” and that we might consider changing the terminology to “coaching.” Really. I wonder how my college professors would react if I ask them to coach me in my assignments, rather than grading my homework. I see this same temptation of softening our vocabulary in the church. For example, many people are uncomfortable with God in the role of Judge and they would rather demote Him to the position of evaluator, or maybe even coach. The writer of Hebrews said, “For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” (Heb 10:30 NIV)

Naming Names

I’m almost finished with one college writing class, and while I’ve learned a lot, the biggest “aha” I’ve gained is the ability to write honestly and without hesitation. For instance, if I want to write about my childhood, broken fellowship, or sin marching down my street, I don’t have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings or making someone angry. I can write with complete abandon and even name names because, other than my instructor, no one is going to read what I’ve written. I’m now considering how honest and forthright I am with the Lord. Of course I know that He is omniscient, but His knowing my thoughts is not the same as expressing those thoughts to Him. Maybe the Lord would like me to tell Him about my childhood, broken fellowships and the sin marching down my street. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV)

In Need of a Heart Attack

There are three seats open on the City Council and one unopposed candidate slated for each seat. The newspaper lamented the lack of interested people running for the seats and their editorial headline asked, “Where are the leaders?” Interestingly that same question is often echoed in the church. In both cases it’s not the lack of qualified people, but rather a lack of qualified people who are willing to serve. Paul writes, “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” (1 Tim 3:1 NIV) It appears that we don’t have a leadership problem, we have a heart problem.

Picture Book

I’m reading a new book on blogging and it stresses the importance of using photos to accompany a post. Surprisingly, the picture doesn’t even have to relate to what is written, any generic photo will catch a reader’s eye and draw them in. Thankfully the writers of Scripture chose painting word pictures to produce the Word of God, rather than giving us a “Picture Book of God”. Reading Revelation I can’t even imagine the debate that would be raging if there were accompanying pictures. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Ps 119:105 NIV)

Making Preparations

I have a knack for cutting hair, so I’m the resident barber for my family and a few friends. One friend, Mary, is in her 90’s and every couple of months for the last 20 years we get caught up on our visiting while I cut her hair. Mary called me yesterday to tell me her health has been failing rapidly, so her daughter would be moving in with her. Mary has always been fastidious about her hair and I had to laugh at God’s provision … her daughter just happens to be a retired beautician. “So, I won’t be coming to you anymore to get my hair cut, but I’m really going to miss our visits.” There was a catch in Mary’s weary voice and I wondered if she was not only tidying up the loose ends of lost independence, but if she was also telling me goodbye. I can imagine the disciples having a similar feeling during the Last Supper as Jesus began putting His earthly house in order.

Making Tracks

Over the weekend our local law enforcement nabbed a couple of evening home invaders who had just attacked an elderly couple. The perpetrators were armed, so this was a serious manhunt, but it was relatively short lived. It seems that the new 7-9 inches of snow lying undisturbed on the ground, except for the men’s fresh footprints, made them easy to track down. You just got to love it. Interestingly, sometimes we believers aren’t all that bright either and we leave a few tracks of our own. “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.” (1Tim5:24-25 NIV)

Losing Control

In 1517 the Protestant Reformation turned the Roman Catholic Church on its head. No longer was the Catholic Church able to control the Word of God and the religious thinking of the masses. I see a similar situation erupting between the media and social media. There was a time when almost all of our information came from mainstream media. To their credit they do have a code of ethics; however questionable it is at times.  The “real” media is now struggling with their loss of control over information and literally no control over social media types who have no rules. In the world of texting anyone can say anything they want to say regardless of proof, facts or basic standards of good behavior – and they can text it in real time.  In the long run it may serve us well that the media, particularly the liberal media, is losing their stronghold. Consumers will need to be on their discerning-toes, but that is the case whether we are reading local newspaper or reading someone’s interpretation of the Word of God.

The Sins of the World

I wonder if we sometimes hear a phrase so often that it loses its impact. Our preachers will talk in terms of Jesus taking upon Himself the sins of the world, but I’m not sure that I personalize that thought to be “my sins.”  Martin Luther (1520) wrote that when we accept Jesus, as a bride is united to the bridegroom, Christ and the soul become one and have everything in common. “This means what Christ possesses belongs to the believing soul; and what the soul possesses belongs to Christ. Thus Christ possesses all good things and holiness; these now belong to the soul. The soul possesses lots of vices and sin, these now belong to Christ.” Paul’s words to the Corinthians is similar, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21 NIV)

Fixer-Upper

I’m studying the Holy Spirit and in my text, A Faith For All Seasons, author Ted Dorman said, “During his earthly Incarnation Jesus was uniquely the bearer of the Spirit.” Subconsciously I know the Spirit dwelled in Jesus during His earthly ministry. However, what sticks in my mind is Jesus telling his disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17 NIV) I now have this image of the Spirit being downgraded. The Spirit goes from the earthly vessel of Jesus, a spiritual mansion by anyone’s estimate, and has to move into a fixer-upper, the earthly vessel of man.

Oh My God

In a neighboring community a man in his 30’s drove through a neighborhood during the wee hours of the morning throwing large firecrackers out the window of his car. Unfortunately one firecracker exploded in his hand. When his car came to rest against a fence, neighbors ran up to the vehicle and found the man holding his handless wrist saying, “Oh my God! Oh my God!” I’m just guessing, but I think it’s safe to say there is a lesson in there somewhere. This whole scenario gives me pause when I hear Jesus saying, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matt 5:30 NIV)

Uncorrected

In writing about the atonement, Anselm of Canterbury (c.1033-1109) said that without the sacrifice of Christ, the only possible way to correct sin would be punishment. “…not to punish it, is to leave it uncorrected. But God cannot properly leave anything uncorrected in His kingdom. Furthermore, to leave sin unpunished would be tantamount to treating the sinful and sinless alike, which would be inconsistent with God’s nature.” In Scripture homosexuality is no different than any other sin. However, since participants openly practice and celebrate this particular sin; it is quite easy to see that there is not even the smallest resemblance of repentance. We really shouldn’t be uncomfortable asking a practicing homosexual, “Don’t you know that your sin will not go unpunished?” Really, when you stop and think about it, labels like intolerant, judgmental, and bigoted may be thrown around, but they just don’t stick to God.

Chosen

Every once in awhile we’ll look at another person through our spiritual glasses and think, “You just don’t get it.” It’s intriguing that God doesn’t give all of us the same sight, even though we all have the same written Word. On the third day God raised Jesus, but rather than being seen by all people, Jesus was seen only by, “…witnesses whom God had already chosen…” (Acts 10:41b) In my college class, Historical Christian Belief, I continue to struggle to understand the writings of theologians, both past and present. Even though they back up their theory with Scripture, their thoughts make no sense to me…I just hate it when I’m the one who just doesn’t get it!

Democracy

Last year Colorado legislators passed stricter gun control laws and people who were angered by the restrictions responded with a first ever recall of two of the legislators. One of the recall organizers is quoted as saying, “If the people had been listened to, these recalls wouldn’t be happening.” I love seeing democracy being played out right before my eyes; however, we believers sometimes drag elements of democracy into the church. Aaron fell victim to such a predicament during the golden calf incident when he listened to the voice of the people, rather than following God through the voice of Moses. Church leaders today are no different than Aaron, in the sense that they too can be pressured and burdened by the will of the people. “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Heb 13:17 NIV)

Addressing the Issues

Many congregations have annual meetings where they allow members to submit questions to the board of elders and deacons. More often than not the questions have to do with music, ambiance, facilities, and the direction of the church. On the bright side, the lack of any theological questions probably indicates the church teaching and preaching is on a firm foundation Biblically.  I’m sure the church leaders get weary of such topics as the hymn vs. praise songs controversy, but the reality is that these types of issues are not new, nor are they going away. Even in the early church, “…the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” (Acts 6:1 NIV) Not a very spiritually thought provoking issue, but none the less, an issue that was important to church members.

Treasures on Earth

Last Saturday I spent a few hours helping my 90 year-old mother-in-law thin out her closets and kitchen cupboards. I wasn’t sure how the day would go. Would she easily let go of things, or would this be a traumatic exercise in getting rid of possessions? Our walk down memory lane in the clothes closet was filled with history, laughs and bewilderment over pieces of clothing that had no linage. We had honest discussions on her need for eight house coats, 20 night shirts and a couple dozen knock-around shirts.  After we finished for the day, any reservations I had evaporated when Ruth said, “Now I won’t feel so guilty if I want to go out and buy something new!” I had to chuckle. Ruth wasn’t as concerned about losing her treasures as she was about gaining new storage space. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 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 6:19-21 NIV)

For or Against

An incident was reported in the newspaper about Martin Luther King Jr. being arrested in the 1960’s. Both President Kennedy and his brother, Robert Kennedy, worked behind the scenes to help garner Mr. King’s release. It’s interesting that King tried to minimize their participation in his release from jail because, campaign-wise, he didn’t want the Kennedys to benefit from his name recognition. I was reminded of the disciples trying to stop a man from using the Lord’s name to drive out demons simply because the man was not one of them. Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:50 NIV)

The Greater Debt

I stumbled onto an interesting phrase that apparently has been around for a long time, but it was new to me. “If I owe you $1,000 I’m in trouble; if I owe you $1,000,000 you're in trouble.” The thought provoking observation has a familiar sound. Jesus was having dinner at the home of a Pharisee when he told his host about two men who owed money to a moneylender. One man owed 500 denarii, the other 50. Neither had the funds to repay their loans, so the moneylender cancelled the debt for both. Jesus then ask Simon, “Now which of them will love him [moneylender] more?” Simon judged correctly when he said, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.” So, now I’m wondering about our debt in salvation and whether one person’s debt is greater or less than another’s.  (Luke 7:42-43 NIV)

Excommunication

One of my on-line college classes is titled “Historic Christian Belief” and it has my head spinning with all the theories and heresies that have been handed down through the centuries. On the day of Pentecost, A.D. 431, during the Third Great Ecumenical Council, Nestorius was excommunicated before his supporters could arrive.  Then, “When the bishop of Antioch and his party arrived a few days late, they in turn excommunicated the Alexandrians!” And today we get heartburn and change churches over hymns vs. praise songs…seriously?

Déjà vu

We recorded the Denzel Washington movie Déjà vu on our cable box and the movie it true to its title because now it refuses to be deleted. Apparently it has taken up permanent residence on our movie list. As believers we also deal with a spiritual déjà vu of sorts. We have inactive sin issues sitting on the shelves of our minds and while we may not always be able to erase the identifying titles, we don’t have to replay them just because they are there. Paul addressed this struggle, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (Ro 8:5 NIV)

Unencumbered

In this type of weather Charlie the dog climbs over snow banks and gets snow packed between his toes. Then he stands there with his paw in the air waiting for you clean off his foot. When we’ve put booties on him, he gets indignant and sidesteps down the sidewalk shaking first one leg and then another trying to throw off the booties. If you think a one-dog Conga Line you get the picture. Charlie’s antics remind me that I too have a few things I need to throw off. “…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)

One-Way Ticket

A Utah man, who is one of 1,058 applicants, is one step closer to getting a one-way ticket to Mars. The proposed flight is more than a decade off, but if chosen he would be leaving behind his wife and four young children; the youngest of which is now only six months old. The man admits to being, “kind of selfish”, which at first blush is a good assessment. Surprisingly, the wife is trying to be supportive. However, she feels rejected and has considered divorce so that she can go on and make a life for herself and the children. This scenario does give me pause when I consider that believers also hold a one-way ticket which was purchased for us by the blood of Christ. It’s curious that the loved ones we will be leaving behind don’t seem at all concerned. No one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return, but He says we are to plan ahead and keep watch, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matt 24:40-41 NIV)

Assertive

In a letter to a newspaper advice column a woman wrote that she is not a confrontational person, so she didn’t how to confront an ongoing family issue.  The columnist prefaced her response with, “You don’t need to be confrontational. You need to be assertive.” I love this change in vocabulary and thought. Many of us, including myself, often confuse the two. Without going into deeper study on the subject, my sense is that Scripture would have us be confrontational with sin and the believer caught up in sin, but be assertive in matters of faith and obedience. I’m wondering if my Christian character and witness might be strengthened if were I to adopt these two words as my new best friends.

Show of Support

During a potentially confrontational meeting the audience was silent and the chairman then complimented them saying that their silence on the matter was a “show of support” for the work that went into an agreement. I love the way this was handled on all sides because it toned down and defused the situation. However, when I apply this same scenario to the Church I come away with a different feeling. Around every corner people of religious convictions avoid awkward situation with silence, not only in our beliefs, but for any and every potential demonstration of the faith we have in Christ. Our keeping quiet on Scriptural matters results in a show of support to those who want to silence the Lord.

Identity

The lines between various Christian denominations are getting more blurred all the time. There are some leadership-types who would have believers compromise away our differences, all for the sake of their version of a unity. I like the fact that during the foundation of the Church Peter and Paul were sent to different audiences; Peter to the Jews, Paul to the Gentiles. These pillars of the church didn’t ask their respective followers to give up their own culture or history for one another. For instance, Paul would not let the Jewish believers impose their practice of circumcision on the Gentiles. Maybe rather than having a “denominational demolition derby” we should take a page from the early church and realize we can have unity in Christ without giving up our identity in fellowship.

Woe to You

My newly married niece, who is gay, recently sent out invitations for a wedding celebration. I was disappointed that one of the invitations, along with an RSVP, went to her 90 year-old grandmother. This older generation did not accept homosexuality and grandma found herself in an impossible situation. Trying to run interference, I discovered it was my sister-in-law who actually suggested to her daughter that she send the invitation. At first blush I thought there was a terrible lack of judgment all around. However, I then realized that God has already passed judgment in sexual immorality, so the issue is not with the gay niece, her marriage, or the invitation. The real problem is with those who encourage others to take part and celebrate sin. Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. (Luke 17:1 NIV)

Hurtful

I am amazed at the number of gays coming out of the closet and how they are welcomed with open arms, even in the church. One pastor recently lamented that he can see how his past sermons were hurtful to gays. If a believer in the church is a practicing homosexual, Paul says, “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” (1Cor 5:1-13 NIV) We all have sin in our life, but if a person in the church is practicing adultery, practicing greed, practicing homosexuality, etc. we are not to associate with him. The Word of God is not negated because someone may find it hurtful.

Truce

An on-line article in Leadership Journal was about fighting Christians calling a truce during the holidays. I liked the premise of the article because sometimes we do look for reasons to pick a fight with one another over interpretations, denominations, and doctrinal points. The author, Pastor Bob Hyatt from Portland, Oregon called for a one week holiday truce saying, “Let’s forget, just for a moment that we are progressives, conservatives, emergent, Anabaptist, young-restless-and-reformed -that we are pro-gay marriage or pro-traditional family, that we are egalitarians or complimentarians, Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox…and just be followers of Jesus Christ.” For a moment there I thought maybe the author wanted me to play the game of “what doesn’t fit in this list”. Scripture is pretty clear that God has already passed judgment on same-sex relationships. It’s wrong for the pastor to put up a stumbling block by asking believers to reconcile with the sin of homosexuality, rather than reconciling with God. I have to wonder if the writer wants a truce with the pro-gay marriage contingent, would he object to a truce with the pro-abortionists, or pro-idol worshipers.

Slavery

During a TV interview a woman lamented she needed to dust off her resume because her unemployment benefits would soon expire. The AP is also reporting that even though jobless rates would drop, analysts were concerned that stopping the long-term unemployment benefits would result in less money, “…for consumers to spend on everything from clothes to cars.” Sadly many people in our country have become enslaved by government subsidies. Paul talks about the slave/master relationship for believers of his day, “Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.” (1 Cor 7:21 NIV) It will be interesting to see if eliminating the 96 weeks of long-term unemployment benefits might somehow force people to gain their freedom from government entitlements.

God Saw It Was Good

God’s first creation was light and He saw that it was good. The light He called “day” and the darkness “night”. God has already seen the light and the darkness of 2014…and He saw that it was good.

Senseless

A homeless man living under a bridge in a neighboring community was asleep in his sleeping bag when he was attacked and repeatedly stabbed. Sometime later the attacker returned to the scene of the crime and found his victim still breathing. He then used a rock to bash in the man’s head before throwing him into the river to finish the deed. The murderer flippantly confessed to his family that he thought he could get away with it and there was a thrill to the act. He told one of his friends that the bum woke up during the attack asking, “Why brother, why?” So senseless, and yet it brings to mind the first murder recorded in the Bible, the story of brothers Cain and Abel. Abel’s offering to God was acceptable, but Cain’s was lacking. In anger Cain took his brother out into a field and killed him; you can almost hear Abel asking “Why brother, why?” The Lord stepped in to confront the murderer Abel and said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” (Gen 4:10 NIV)

Honor You Father and Mother

There are interesting stories coming out of China about parents suing their children for neglect, both for financial support and emotional estrangement. One such story is about a 94-year-old half-blind woman who lives in a dark, damp, and cluttered storage space. Her only bathroom is waste-can beside her bed, which is too heavy for her to empty. Her sons protest that they are too old and poor to care for their mother, and the daughter-in-law is painted as a shrew. There really is no excuse for the children’s elder abuse; however I remind myself that this is the mother who raised these uncaring men. The story also reveals that the mother was widowed in a previous marriage, but her mother-in-law at the time set her free, releasing her from the care giving obligation. I was reminded of Ruth, who too was set free by her mother-in-law. Unlike the Chinese woman, Ruth chose to continue her care giving responsibilities regardless of the gift of freedom.  The outcome of each story is dramatic and eye-opening.

I Tell You the Truth

I sometimes struggle with speaking in love what I know to be the truth. Is my tone too harsh, my words too blunt, or do I sound unsympathetic or judgmental? Unfortunately many of us are so uncomfortable that we simply opt-out of speaking the truth at all. Paul, referencing spiritual infancy and maturity said, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Eph 4:15 NIV) Apparently there is an element of spiritual maturity needed for both parties if they are to hear and speak words ‘in love’. I wonder if a key to this love language is to follow the example of Jesus, “I tell you the truth…”

With Prayer

The Apostles questioned why they were unable to eradicate a demon from a possessed man and Jesus told them that this particular demon could only be driven out by prayer.  Certainly when we have a loved one in the throes of addiction we coalesce around them in prayer. However, I’m wondering if any of us ever bother to ask the person who is imprisoned, ‘Are you praying to the Lord, and if so, what exactly are you praying for?’ It may well be that the person we see being held captive doesn’t even want freed from his situation. For all we know his prayer may be simply that his family get off his back. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mk 11:24-25 NIV)

Re-Gifting

More and more we hear of people re-gifting presents that, for whatever reason, were items they don’t need or want. I recently learned of a fruitcake that one family has lovingly passed around for years - that is a real fruitcake, not the collective family fruitcake. In a spiritual sense Paul told Timothy how to re-gift the Holy Spirit. “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self–discipline.” (2 Tim 1:6 NIV) This Christmas season may we too re-gift and give to others the essence of the Spirit Who lives within us.

My House

We cheer when Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves in the temple courts. He chastised their activity by quoting Scripture, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” (Matt 21:13 NIV) I’m now thinking about our homes. In the name of hospitality, and keeping the peace in the family, many of us have allowed others to occasionally bring their lifestyle into our homes - homosexuality, alcoholism, coarse language, grudges, bitterness, etc. Maybe it’s time for some of us to clean house and reclaim our own temple-homes. “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15 NIV)

Light of Observation

I just learned that a member of my extended family is drinking heavily and refuses to seek medical, psychological, or spiritual help. Because there has been a lot of alcoholism in my family I made myself available if he wants to talk, but I then began to wonder what I might say if given the opportunity. As I thought about how Jesus interacted with people I realized He often convicted people by simply stating the obvious. Examples would be, ‘You have had five husbands…, you of little faith…, you do not have in mind the things of God…, friend, do what you came for.’ It may be that shining the light of observation on the reality of a situation would be more thought provoking than focusing on the individual.

Let Him Serve

Each month our mission’s coordinator highlights a different local mission for the congregation to support. It’s always been curious about why the church collects food for the local food bank when everyone in the community knows the need and many in our congregation are already individual supporters. When the topic came up during a recent conversation the coordinator laughed, “Oh, my intention isn’t support for the mission; I’m just trying to motivate people to serve in the community.” Well, that explains a lot. It’s no wonder I’ve lacked an emotional connection to the monthly mission focus. Not that the coordinator’s efforts aren’t well intended, but it just seems like his efforts to motivate believers to serve is akin to preaching to the choir. Paul tells us that in the body of Christ there are many members with different gifts, but not all of us having the same function. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;…” (Ro12:6-7 NIV)

Superheroes

‘Tis the season for watching Christmas plays. Yesterday I attended a third grade student performance that had five superheroes interacting with those involved in the birth of Christ. The heroes - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Hulk, and Spiderman- had heard a rumor that a new Superhero was arriving on the scene and that He would save the world. The heroes were a little miffed because, after all, it was their job to save the world. They wanted nothing to do with a new Hero if He intended to replace them by eliminating their jobs. I’m wondering if there might not be a little bit of superhero complex in all of us. We get so caught up in saving the lost that we forget that our real job is to worship the King.

Back Talk

In my parent’s generation if you talked-back to an adult you were immediately backhanded. In my generation a sharp tongue resulted in a spanking. However, today parents are more apt to reason with a child, or take away their privileges. I recently had a sit-down talk with my grandkids about back talking. Eight year-old Lydia’s ability to articulate exactly what she is feeling sometimes gets her in hot water. In sharing my observations with them I mentioned that I hadn’t noticed David back talking, but the 10 year-old was quick to say, “Well, I think about it. I say it in my head; I just don’t say it out loud.” I chuckled at his confession, and then praised him for his honesty. Often we adults hold our tongues simply because it is the ‘mature’ thing to do, but we also need to recognize that taking our thoughts captive is the first step to teaching them obedience. “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)

Go Team Go

The Christian school fifth grade put on a play and one of the scenes had students divided up into teams. Rather than having the red team and the blue team, the names were Team Loyalty and Team Excellence. I began wondering if the Lord assigned believers to teams, which team might He would put me on. Would He put me on Team Obedience, Team Faithfulness, or would I be simply be designated the cheerleading mascot who warms the bench. “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.” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)

Gibberish

The interpreter for the deaf who signed for speakers at Nelson Mandela’s funeral has been employed for many events. However, at this funeral he was exposed as an imposter and a fraud who ‘spoke’ gibberish to the deaf when President Obama and other dignitaries spoke. Event organizers are now saying while the man is able to interpret; he is not a trained professional. When interviewed later the man excused his actions by saying he was schizophrenic and had seen angels descending in the stadium during the event. This gives me a whole new perspective to add to my thoughts on speaking in tongues and about those who step forward to interpret.  Paul reminds us, “So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.” (1 Cor 14:9 NIV)

Too Much of a Good Thing

My recently married daughter didn’t want to move her succulent houseplant across the state, so she left it in my care. The plant always looked spindly and thirsty, but I didn’t realize until it was too late that Bill was watering it also. I’m afraid we drowned the poor thing, or in Bill’s words, “We loved it to death.” Paul uses an agricultural analogy to show the lifecycle of the Gospel, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” (1 Cor 3:6-8 NIV) It’s wonderful that God rewards our labor, but now I’m wondering how He might feel about over-watering a new believer.

Before His Time

I’m in the early stages of learning Twitter, but because it allows you to use only 140 characters it puts ‘writing tight’ in a whole new perspective. I had to laugh thinking about the Apostle Paul literally being tongue-tied if someone limited him to 140 characters per thought. Jesus, on the other hand, was light years ahead of this generation with tweets and getting His message across with limited words. With 88 characters Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV) And with132 characters Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

Dilemma

Years ago one of the ‘rules’ for the prayer chain was that you not pass the request on to anyone other than the next person in your link. The concern was that a prayer need could be turned into gossip. Recently my friend was soliciting prayers, but she deliberately excluded asking one woman to pray because the woman was a known gossip. I understand both situations, but it is a bit of a quandary that has me asking questions. Does the Lord care if the prayer comes from a gossip? Should we try to micromanage prayer warriors? Can the request be worded in such a way that there is no fodder for the gossiper? Does the Lord want us to withhold asking for prayers simply because we don’t want a particular individual praying for us? I suppose the real question we should ask; does our fear of gossip trump our need for prayers?

Plank Pulling

Often believers withhold spiritual confrontation with one another for fear that the other party will get mad and/or accuse them of judging. I’m toying with the idea that I can in fact correct another spiritually, but must first admit that I too may have the same fault or sin. Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  (Matt 7:3-4 NIV) Jesus does not say to ignore the speck (the sin), but rather to examine ourselves first lest we have the same inclination. The question then becomes, do I recognize the craftiness in others because I too have craftiness to my character? Or, do I see adultery in others because I too have a lustful heart? I’m wondering if acknowledging our own craftiness or lustfulness then frees us to confront that same sin in others.

Holiday Message

I’ve noticed that the weakest sermon presentations occur in and around national holidays. Preachers will even joke from the pulpit, ‘I pulled my New Year’s Eve sermon out of the file and just dusted it off for today’s message.’ I understand the dilemma, because I fall into the same trap when I force a blog post to conform to a holiday. The Christmas message has already been said, there is nothing new under the sun, and it’s hard to come up with a new thought provoking idea for the season. Sadly pastors and speakers think their audience won’t recognize that they have fallen back on tried and true holiday rhetoric. Maybe the faith community would hear fresher material if we’d take a page from the retailer’s playbook and have Christmas in July.

Beached

Recently dozens of pilot whales have shown up in the shallow coastal waters of Florida and wildlife officials are trying to coax them back into deep sea, their normal habitat. At least 10 whales have already died and the fear is that more will succumb. The reports describe the situation saying, ‘the challenges are very, very difficult…the whales are not cooperating…it will be difficult for them to navigate out on their own.’ I have this image of similar situation within the extended church family. We can see friends and loved ones struggling in the shallow waters of the world, but getting them into deeper spiritual waters before the beach themselves is very, very difficult.

Fear

A promotion video clip for AMC’s War Heroes Marathon, which was televised on Memorial Day, caught my attention. If the title was given I didn’t catch it, but the movie appeared to be set in the Viet Nam era. Actor Sean Penn, who played the part of an enlisted Army man said, “Yea though I walk through the valley of evil, I shall fear no death.” Considering the evil that is in our world today I felt a connection with this twist on the 23^rd Psalm. Thankfully the more mature we become in the Word and in faith, we neither fear death, nor evil.

Obey

Obedience, depending on certain areas of our life, can be a struggle for all of us.  Recently I was taken aback by a speaker in church who added a caveat to his presentation saying, “If you don’t obey, you have never truly brought Jesus into your heart.” Ouch, that’s harsh…and not very well thought out. It would be wonderful if obedience magically appeared when you accept Jesus into your heart, but that is simply not the case. Just ask any parent or child, obedience is an acquired taste and a learned activity. While Jesus was never disobedient, He too learned obedience. The writer of Hebrews says of Him, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…” (Heb 5:8-9 NIV)

Table Talk

My large round oak table dinner table is one that my grandma purchased years ago at a yard sale for 25 cents. Grandma ran an old folks home and we always had four or five old-time gents eating family-style meals with us. Grandma, a staunch believer, never served a meal without first saying the blessing, so the prayers offered over this table would be too numerous to count. Although the table has been refinished, it is seasoned and worn with prayers, petitions and thanksgivings. I can only imagine what this cherished piece of furniture might say if it had a voice. Interestingly, John does give voice to the altar in Revelation. “And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”  (Rev 16:7 NIV)

To God’s Ears

I was doing some extended complaining to Bill about something that had happened and when I finally caught myself I went back and apologized to him for grousing an bending his ear. He accepted my apology with the caveat, “That’s OK. Nobody but me and God can hear you.” I chuckled, but his comment hit a nerve. We sometimes think our communication with God is similar to a light switch. We turn the switch on when we want God to hear our prayers and cries for mercy, but the switch is automatically off if we don’t specifically call on Him in petitions. “I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” (Psalm 66:17-20 NIV)