The Potter

I have a certain level of frustration with religious leaders who want to shape the church’s demographic. Likewise, the mover-shakers in my town have a similar thought process and lament that, rather than retirees, we need to attract younger people, businesses, entrepreneurs and tourists. Recently a vacancy on city council necessitated the council appoint a replacement and during the interviews a councilmen asked a candidate to give her thoughts on those in the community who want to make our town a retirement community. Leaders fail to understand that God is not just the potter in the lives of believers, but He is the potter of organizations, governments, churches and towns. “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing” (Isaiah 29:16 NIV)?

Worthless Treasures

A man caught in a flash flood was on top of his truck when rescuers arrived in a helicopter to lift him to safety. On the verge of being swept away the video clip of this young adult showed him trying to convince his rescuer to not only save him, but rescue his skateboard as well. “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame” (Isaiah 44:9 NIV).

In My Father’s Name

During a church visit the pastor used the Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:13-21) as his text. I have to admit I was taken aback when three times he told the congregation that the account was a parable. Placing this miracle in the category of a parable allowed the pastor to put his own spin on the account and he determined that the people assembled to hear Jesus would have brought food and water with them. His interpretation was that rather than a miracle, this was a matter of organizing the mass of people and getting them to share their abundance with others. He said, “If we read it carefully, it wasn’t Jesus’ idea. The disciples did all the work to feed the people with the little food they had. It was as though Jesus dared them to feed the 5,000. They tapped into something deep inside of them that rose to the dare.” I cringe at the thought of anyone discounting the Lord’s miracles, but then recalled what Jesus said to unbelieving Jews, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep” (John 10:25-26).

I Have Found the Messiah

Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman and at the end of their conversation the woman said she knew that the Messiah (called Christ) was coming and he would explain everything. Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he” (Jn 4:26, 29b NIV). The woman went back into the town and rather than telling the people she found the Christ, she said, “Could this be the Christ?” In contrast to the Samaritan woman, Andrew went to his brother Simon Peter and said, “We have found the Messiah (that is the Christ)” (Jn 1:41b). Many of us who are mature in the faith are often timid in public and, like the Samaritan woman, we fail in our testimony to tell others, “I have found the Messiah!”

Public Display of Affection (PDA’s)

I recently attended a church that places great emphasis on family and the service attendance had more youth and children than adults. A teenage boyfriend and girlfriend who were seated in the middle of the auditorium whispered in one another’s ear, rub each other’s back and arm, and look dreamingly into each other’s eyes. While the communion emblems were being served the young lady leaned over for a moment of kissy-face. Those of us sitting in the back pews were waiting to be served and I found myself wishing the man sitting behind the twitter-pated kids would have thumped them on the head. Paul said, “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor 11:27-29 NIV).

Lifetime of Serving

In my teens when I accepted Jesus and in my mind I feel like a lifelong Christian. However, I fall short and I’m humbled when I stand alongside of Simeon and Anna who spent a lifetime waiting, watching and serving in the temple. Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the temple on the eighth day when it was time to circumcise him. Along with Simeon, “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty–four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying” (Luke 2:36-37 NIV).

Chain of Command

Retired General John Kelly is the new White House Chief of Staff. By all reports he runs a tight ship and has put the administration on notice that no one gets to President Trump without first going through him. This includes the President’s family, confidants and the Cabinet. This chain of command has a familiar ring to it. 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).

Invoking the Name of Jesus

Some denominations will read Scripture and then conclude by stating, “This is the Word of the Lord.” The people reading the Word leave no doubt in the listener’s mind that the message comes from the Lord. During a recent church visit I listened to five different speakers whose presentations included personal experiences, testimony and witness. Each speaker concluded their remarks with sentiments such as, “I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ,” or “I bear my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ.” I was reminded of an incident in Ephesus, “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon–possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you” (Acts 19:13-15 NIV)? 

Along the Path

I’ve attend a number of churches and listened to pastors whose message is vague, cryptic and poorly sourced. These preachers seem unaware that they open the door for Satan when their message fails to be understood. Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower to his disciples and referring to seed sown along the path he said, “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.” (Matt 13:19a NIV).

Crumbs

The Gospel was first meant for the Jews, but a Canaanite woman came to Jesus asking him to heal her daughter. “The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” It occurs to me that before each of us developed ears to hear the Gospel we too benefited from the crumbs that fell from the table of the righteous. Likewise, as we are now entrusted with the Gospel, we too are leaving crumbs of righteousness for others to consume. Jesus answered the woman, Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Matt 15:25-28 NIV).

Never Forgiven

According to my NIV Study Bible an example of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was when, “…the teachers of the law attributed Jesus’ healing to Satan’s power rather than to the Holy Spirit.” Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 328-29 NIV). I’m wondering what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit looks like today and if we are even cognizant of that sin. Giving credit for the Spirit’s healing power to man-made gods, luck or astrology might well border on blasphemy of the Spirit.

No Comment

The rumor mill in town is reporting on a sexual harassment situation lodged against a community leader. Numerous people saw the incident, which took place at a concert where alcohol flowed freely, but witnesses closed ranks protecting the victim, the perpetrator and themselves. Wearing my reporter hat I tracked down multiple leads who verified the rumors; however, the verifications came with a price…they were off the record and official the response was, “No Comment.” Many of us, particularly as it applies to believers, underestimate the burden of silence.  The psalmist wrote, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4 NIV).

Running With the Bulls

Driving home from Denver a contingent of about 30 Porsches merged onto the four lane highway for a road rally. I admired the cars, which were evenly spaced and driving the speed limit; however, I was soon in a quandary. By Colorado law you’re supposed to drive in the right lane unless you are passing another vehicle. Occasionally I squeezed into the Porsche conga line, but I was completely out of place and the sports car drivers behind me were determined to pass me in order get back into formation. It took me about 20 miles to figure out that I didn’t need to be a Porsche to drive like one. In the Parable of the Shrewd Manager Jesus said, “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:8-9 NIV).

Warning

My adult kids live in a subdivision that borders open space trimmed with a bike path. During a recent visit I took Charlie the grand-dog for a walk and as we approached the prairie dog colony the sentinels sounded the alarm. A magpie perched on the large power line running parallel to the path screeched a warning to his compadres. One six-foot-high wooden fence did nothing to deter the German Shepherd and Pomeranian duo from alerting the neighborhood as we passed by. Similar to Paul reminding the Corinthians of the warnings from Israel’s history, we believers have a responsibility to warn one another, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10:11 NIV).

Eye Contact

As Peter denied Jesus for the third time, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” I can’t begin to imagine the eye contact between the two, but it gives me pause to know that when I stand before the Lord He will look straight at me also. No doubt my response will be similar to Peter's, “And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:61,62 NIV).

Jealous

James cautions believers that friendship with the world is hatred toward God. While most of us know that in our mind, I’m not sure we understand it on an emotional heartfelt level. James said, “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely” (James 4:5 NIV)? God is a jealous God (Ex 20:5), so it stands to reason that his Spirit within us is also jealous. We pray to God to feel the Spirit’s love, peace and joy, but I doubt any of us have prayed to feel his jealousy.

An Unknown God

I know a few people who describe themselves as spiritual, intimating that they know God, yet they are so inclusive that any belief system is acceptable to them. They claim to know God, but their actions deny Him. I see very little difference in these folks than the Athenians of Paul’s day. “Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you” (Acts 17:22-23 NIV). I suspect that even in today’s church God remains unknown to some.

In Season

During some church visits I get the distinct feeling that a few pastors feel I’m there to judge them, rather than to write an article about the worship service. Recently I was greeted by the pastor prior to the service and when he publicly welcomed visitors he introduced me to the congregation joking, “I think she is here to critique this old boy!” The pastor exuded confidence and preparedness that reminded me of Paul’s charge to Timothy, “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).

Teaching With Authority

The pastor had us open our Bible and read along as he read one verse of Scripture, which was the foundation for the sermon. He then kicked the sermon into full gear and fired off no less than two dozen other passages of Scripture in rapid succession without hardly taking a breath. I was reminded of the crowds who went up on the mountain side to hear Jesus and his subparagraph sermon text included Salt and Light; The Fulfillment of the Law; Murder; Adultery; Divorce; Oaths; An Eye for an Eye; Love Your Enemies; Giving to the Needy; Prayer; Treasures in Heaven; Do Not Worry; Judging Others; Ask, Seek, Knock; The Narrow and Wide Gates; A Tree and Its Fruit; and The Wise and the Foolish Builders. “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:28-29 NIV).

Spectators

In prison Paul was torn between his desire to depart and be with Christ, but the necessity of continuing to live in his body and have fruitful labor on earth, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21). I’m trying to imagine someone of Paul’s character coming to the point of death yet feeling they still had kingdom work to do. In essence being pulled out of the race and forced to become a spectator. The writer of Hebrews said, “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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:1-2 NIV). I suspect that many of us, especially as we age, fix our eyes on the Lord to take us home, rather than to keep us in the race.