Extreme Make Over

Elections seem to be all about ‘throwing the bums out and replacing them with someone who will do what we want them to do’. It appears to me that the threat of not being reelected to another term just doesn’t seem to working. I’m wondering if, rather than throwing them out of office, the existing elected officials should be pressured and forced into doing the will of the people. It’s really not such a farfetched idea. When we come to the Lord we more often than not fail in our role as Christians. But the Lord doesn’t say, ‘throw the bums out and get replacements’, instead He molds and reshapes us into His likeness. Surely if sinners can be turned into saints, there’s hope for bums being turned into productive public servants.

What’s in it for me?

When I served as President of the local Toastmasters Club I was admittedly a little sensitive when the District Office put pressure on us to increase our membership. I understand the importance and the benefits of having a larger club; however I’ve never known anyone to place membership because they wanted to grow the club. Most of us joined to improve our public speaking – to get over fear, to polish a presentation or to be able to think fast on our feet.  I think the same can be said about the church. Believers don’t come to Jesus because we want to grow the church; we come because we want a personal relationship with the Son of God.

Dinner Guests

A colleague and I are seldom on the same page and I thought that going to lunch together might help us mend a fence or two. He publicly rejected my invitation saying, “I’m not going to eat lunch with someone who doesn’t like me.” I have to laugh…my colleague’s sentiments almost make the Pharisees of Jesus’ day seem righteous. Their complaint was merely that Jesus and the disciples were eating with tax collectors and sinners. (Matt 9:10-11)

Religion That’s Acceptable

I recently interviewed a gentleman who is 96 years-old. When Bob was single and 35 years-old, he took his neighbor on a hunting trip that ended in tragedy. Their car hit black ice and plunged into a canyon killing the friend. It was apparent that even though 60 years had passed, it had not dimmed Bob’s grief, “I hated it. I hated to go back home and face the widow…she had four small children.” Then with a sudden lift in Bob’s voice he continued, “It ended up that I married the widow with the four kids.” Bob and Gladys never had any children of their own, but they were married for over 50 years when she passed away. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27 NIV)

Out of Office Reply

Every once in awhile I’ll get a response back from an email that says, ‘Out of Office Reply’ and I appreciate knowing it may be a day or so before I hear back from them. When I send out a spiritual-email I don’t always expect an immediate response from the Spirit, but I know for a fact that He is always in the office. When the Spirit sends messages to us I’m wondering if we sometimes let them fall into the category of spam, failed mail or blocked mail. Worse yet, we’re cautioned to not open a message unless we know the sender. It’s possible that we don’t even open the message simply because we didn’t recognize the Sender.

Becoming Less

Many of us take ownership of our ministries and believe we have power to keep them or give them away whenever we want. However there are times when our ministries are snatched away from us or someone removes us from service. As I read about the passion that John the Baptist had for his ministry, I’m struck by how effortlessly he relinquished his role to Jesus. John might easily have thought that he and Jesus could be co-leaders or that they could each keep their ministry, but work in different locations. John might even have suggested that he take the seniors and Jesus take the young adults and children.  When changes of leadership come to our personal areas of ministries, we should be as gracious as John was toward Jesus, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30 NIV)

Sifting Instructions

During the Last Supper Jesus told Simon Peter that Satan asked to sift you [Peter] as wheat. Peter responded, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33 NIV) I suppose Peter’s response could have applied to the sifting remark, but it seems to me that he just skipped over Satan’s request. Had it been me I think I would have asked Jesus, ‘What exactly does it mean to be sifted as wheat? How long does it last? Is it anything like what Job went through?’ Scripture tells me what to do when I’m tempted by Satan (resist), but I’m not quite sure we’ve been given sifting instructions.

Counting Sheep

Last Sunday one of our ladies fainted right before church started and the ambulance was called. The responders included the police, fire department and EMT’s numbering about 10 people. Virginia was accompanied to the hospital by her husband Don, an old time preacher/overseer/shepherd of the flock. Once the emergency was past and Virginia was safe in the doctor’s care, I’m pretty sure Don was thinking we should be able to add those emergency personnel to our attendance for the week.  So the question begs, exactly how long does a warm body need to be in the building before you can add them to the count?

Independence Day

We had the grandkids (ages eight and six) for a sleepover this weekend and they enjoyed a little taste of freedom. They played on the slip n’ slide until they decided to quit, chose to eat corn dogs and Cheetos over broccoli and stayed up two hours past their normal bedtime. Our grown-up feelings of freedom aren’t quite as easy to come by. However, as believers, we are told that creation will be, “…liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Ro 8:21b NIV)

Growth Rings

Our neighbor’s large tree branches were hanging over into our yard so this spring we did some serious tree trimming. A few of the limbs had to be cut off from the main trunk and were well over a foot in diameter. Not wanting to miss an educational opportunity we let the grandkids count the rings on the stump, showing that the trees were well over 40 years old. We pointed out the growth pattern of wider rings indicate a good water cycle for that year. I’m wondering if sometime the Lord cuts into my heart just to check out my spiritual growth pattern.

Witness Protection

I think the disciples were somewhat naïve when they first began following Jesus. However Jesus didn’t downplay what they could expect when he told them about the persecution, being delivered to synagogues and prisons and even being brought before kings and governors all on account of Jesus’ name. I can so relate. When I ran for public office I naively thought I would be serving my community and trying to set good policy…it never crossed my mind that my real job was to be a witness to others. “But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Luke 21:14-15 NIV)

Turning Water Into Living Water

After three days I was preparing for yet another hour long dusty and dry class. However I was pleasantly refreshed by Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs’ presentation on water management. As he talked about the “singing of working waters, the life giving sustenance of water” and “water blessing everything it touches”, I overlaid his descriptions with the waters of baptism and now I’m wondering if I’ve been missing something. Regardless of size, when I see a body of water, I should also see its potential to become the waters of baptism. “The eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?...Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38 NIV)

Contingencies

At a recent conference I attended a session titled, Budgeting 101, managing the public checkbook. Among my take-a-ways from the class was the fact that a department head’s draft budget is often filled with contingencies. Rather than budgeting for the ordinary, they budget for the unexpected and the ‘what if’ situations. It often follows that at the end of the year they have a ‘use it or lose it’ philosophy. I’m thinking that my prayer life may be filled with a few contingencies, seldom do I pray just for the ordinary. “Give us today our daily bread.” (Matt 6:11 NIV)

Floodgates

On the news we’re hearing that the floodgates on the Mississippi River are being opened in an effort to prevent flooding. I was reminded of an incident a couple of years ago where a local political activist threatened to open the floodgates of opposition if elected officials ignored his demands.  I never quite figured if the activist misjudged the political water depth, or if he had the wrong key to the gate. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Ro 12:3 NIV)

Compassionate

Fairly often I see a TV commercial soliciting $25 to buy a food box for Holocaust Survivors. I don’t mind the thought that my contribution will show these elderly people that someone cares. However, a couple of their assertions cause me pause. “You can bring the blessing of God back into their lives…You will show them that God cares about what they have endured in their life.” I just can’t think that God would be pleased by those statements. If God’s blessings have gone out of my life, a $25 food box will not bring it back. It seems to me that those who came through the Holocaust would recognize that God cares about what they have endured in their life…their survival alone is proof of His caring.

Wrong Key

The Southern Baptist Convention just passed a resolution advocating a path to legal status for illegal immigrants. A newspaper article reported that the SBC, ‘which has been declining in membership and baptisms in recent years, sees ethnic diversity as one of the keys to a turnaround’. I can imagine the Spirit being offended at the thought that ethnic diversity somehow is a key to more baptisms.

Doing the Calculations

I have a colleague who both privately and publically bemoans the fact that we have lengthy meetings. It’s not unusual for a candidate or volunteer to look at a job opportunity and think, ‘The job looks easy, it will only take three or four hours a month. I can easily fit that into my already busy schedule.’ For most of us, doing a job and doing it right requires a lot more time investment than we thought. There is always a cost associated with everything we do, even a cost to being a disciple. 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?” (Luke 14:28 NIV)

Belt of Truth

Recently a colleague publically accused me of going on a witch hunt for political purposes and that my actions were, ‘mean-spirited, vindictive, vial and disgusting.’ There was a time that I would have wilted under such criticism, regardless of whether or not there was any truth to the sentiments – but no more. I think my reactions are different because of a wardrobe change. Today I wouldn’t be caught dead outside the house without being dressed in the Amour of God. (Eph 6:14)

Stay Here and Keep Watch

When I was in the Navy everyone took a rotation of standing watch. My station was in the women’s barracks and I learned to be grateful for the regiment of walking the halls making bed checks, securing exits and writing logs. Had it not been for the structured requirements of the job it would have been difficult to stay awake. Twice at Gethsemane Jesus asked his disciples (Peter James and John) to stay and keep watch while he went away to pray. Each time he returned he found them asleep because their eyes were heavy. Without excuse, “They did not know what to say to him.” I think that had they grasped the duties and responsibilities of keeping watch, they wouldn’t have fallen asleep. (Mark 14:32-41)

Showing Dirt

A deciding factor on some of my purchases is whether or not the item will show dirt. A light color car always looks cleaner than a dark color car. A coffee spill or grease spot can be seen on a solid colored shirt easier than on a patterned shirt. I even picked out my kitchen counter tops based on the fact that the texture and multicolor would hide the stains, wear and tear. My selection worked all too well and now I find it’s almost impossible to keep the counters clean. Because I can’t see the spills and food crumbs in a small area I have to wipe down the entire counter to make sure it’s clean. I’m wondering if I do something similar when put myself in situations where the dirt of sin will be hard to detect and not always cleaned off. In the world my sin is not going to show as easily as it does in the believer’s world.