Encouraged by the Faithful - Pt 2

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:5-8 ESV). We continue our march through the faithful of the Bible with the story of Noah today. His story is certainly one of the most incredible of the early history of the Old Testament. Our reading tells us the beginning of the story. Mankind had become such a godless, evil creature that God was “grieved” that he had created them. It was so bad God made the decision to erase them all from the earth. All of them, men, women, children, animals, birds of every kind were to be “blotted out from the face of the earth.” God would destroy them all except one man, Noah. Our reading today says he “found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” We could spend a lot of time thinking about all of the things that Noah did; however, we would miss the point. There is no doubt that he did accomplish some incredible things in the building of the ark and saving of his family from the destruction that finally came. However, none of that would have been possible without him “finding favor” with the Lord. This is the first use of the word “grace” in the Bible. This unmerited, unearned favor of God was discovered by Noah and it made a difference in his life so stark he alone is singled out among all the inhabitants of the world. He alone is chosen to be saved from the destruction of all of the rest of creation. Being able to look back from our perspective of history makes it much simpler for us to understand the principle message in this story. God was not just saving one man and his family in the hope that they would be able to forge a new standard of living. God was showing his character of love and forgiveness that ultimately would end in the final act of grace in the death of Jesus for our sins. There are so many things about this act of mercy that space does not allow me to list them all; however, that which is crystal clear is that God has always had a plan for the redemption of a wayward, sinful man. That plan is in His hands alone. We see history come together in the birth and life of Jesus as he marches to his sacrificial death and resurrection becoming the means of redemption for all who place their faith in him. Can you imagine what would have happened if Noah would have simply refused God’s direction? But, because he was the recipient of God’s grace, he did follow. He trusted God. That is our call today. Trust Him. Follow the whispers in your heart and mind to trust Jesus. You will be all the better for it!

Encouraged by the Faithful - Pt 1

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. (Genesis 4:1-2 ESV). Today we will begin a short journey through the history of the Bible remembering some of the people. I hope that you will see the “sameness” of God and his grace with all of these stories. As I wrote yesterday, it is this characteristic of God that brings us the greatest depth of hope as we live our lives. We begin at the beginning. In the creation story God speaks into existence all of the universe. He surveys what he has done and pronounces that it is “very good.” He makes man a bit differently in that he fashions Adam from the ground and “breathes life into him” (cf. Genesis 2:5-7). It is this making of man with the very life and breath of God that sets him apart from every other living thing. The story continues with the creation of woman. She is to be God’s perfect provision to complete the man. They are appointed as keepers of the creation and are given the unique provision of God’s presence each day. It must have been an incredible experience to be that close to the One who created everything they could see. Yet, the Scripture is so clear to point out the incredible failure of Adam and Eve and the resulting judgment of God forcing them out of the wonder and protection of the Garden into the world of hardship and death. They begin to experience all the difficulties of life without the direct provision of God. Adam has to work to scratch a little food from the earth, dependent on factors completely out of his control. Eve experience such pain and hurt in what should be the most joyous of events, the birth of her children. They recognize that it is “by the Lord” that are blessed with these children. Cain and Abel were a blessing, but the pain they would experience from the actions of one toward the other must have been nothing short of unbearable. Cain murders Able. That story is told just prior to the genealogical listing of all the children and their children. I wonder what Adam and Eve must have thought as they first experience the pain of the losses because of their choices. They lose so much as a result of eating the forbidden fruit. They must have thought “what if” so many times in those decades following. However, there is no doubt ever expressed in the faithfulness of God; in fact, the opposite is true. They recognize the provision of God at every turn in their life. That is a great encouragement to me. It helps me recognize that even when I make terrible decisions resulting in very difficult chains of events, God never leaves me alone or helpless to face those events alone. Just as God provided for them in the Garden, he also made provision for them in their exile. Looking back, Eve says it was “with the help of the Lord” that she was blessed. That help is available to us too. Regardless of what we may have done, God has not abandoned us to fend for ourselves!

Revisionist History

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:7-16 ESV). We are all revisionists to some degree. One of the wonderful things about moving back to Texas is that we will be close to more of our family. Very soon after we get settled I am planning a trip back to my hometown with my youngest brother to spend some time with my oldest brother. While we are there my niece is graciously hosting a family gathering at her house. Many of the nieces and nephews, and their families will be there. It has been at least four years since I have seen some of them, and much longer for others. I am sure that there will be lots of story-telling at the casual event. In many ways these gatherings are a very special part in retaining the generational history of a family. And, it is the only way that some of the younger members have a way of knowing generations that have long since died. The strange thing about this story-telling is that regardless of how many times the stories get told, they’ll all be just a little different depending on who does the telling. Though my brothers and I lived those stories, we each remember them a bit differently. Part of that is that our memories have been revised according to how they affected us and what they mean to us today. Of course we each revise them to make us look like the hero of the story. One of the most wonderful things about the Scripture is the absolute confidence we can have that it has not constantly been revised throughout the years. The overwhelming evidence is that what we possess today is precisely what was written thousands of years ago. Our reading today encourages us to remember those who have gone before us so that we might imitate their faith. The declaration is that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The marvelous encouragement in that truth is that because I can see how he has extended his love and grace to countless others who have made mistakes, he can and does do the same toward me. My assurance is that my heart is strengthened by that knowledge. Keep your faith centered on Him!

Cleaning Day

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:10-20 ESV). The moving company emptied the apartment yesterday; and, today we will be cleaning it in preparation to turning the keys in for the final inspection. I know there will be lots of dusting and vacuuming. Mary is particular about making sure everything is as clean as it was when we moved in. Thinking about that task brought me to our reading for today. Jesus is responding to the people of his day about the true nature of sin and our sin nature. Recently I read a story about Everett Worthington, chair of the Psychology Department at Virginia Commonwealth University and has specialized in the clinical study of forgiveness since 1990. Tragically, he was forced to confront the process personally after his elderly mother was murdered in her own home. He describes his intense anger as he imagined his gentle mother being bludgeoned to death. For all his academic knowledge about how forgiveness works, hardness still gripped his heart. Anger is a very human experience. Frederick Buechner writes, “Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past is a feast fit for a king.” In the end, however, the roles change and anger begins to feast upon us. Our hearts turn toxic. We become emotionally displaced, physically agitated, and relationally strained. Our anger hardens into bitterness, resentment, and cynicism. Jesus knows that out of the heart come evil thoughts and actions. Only he can change the heart. Follow me, he says, and I will give you the power to forgive. Only there, in the depths of the heart, can forgiveness be genuinely received and extended back into a world that is desperately waiting to be loved and forgiven. Perhaps today ought to be a “cleaning day” for you as well.

Moving Day

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:1-5 ESV). Today is moving day! We won’t actually be traveling to Texas today, but the moving company will be here to finish loading our things and putting them into storage. We’ll be going to Texas in a few days and living with our children for a little while until the house is finished. We will stay in a motel until then since my last Sunday at Santa Fe Baptist Church is not until February 28th. This will require some adaptation on my part. I don’t do well when it is dark in my surroundings. I seem to get disoriented when I wake in the middle of the night and can’t see immediately where I am. So, I have learned to use night lights and keep some light on at strategic places inside and out. Fortunately that’s usually not a problem at a motel. The parking lots are usually well lit and it merely requires the opening of the curtains a bit to get enough light into the room that I am comfortable. There have been a few times that I have been at an unfamiliar place and didn’t know where the lights were. Believe me, stumbling around in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar, dark house is not much fun. It’s always amazing to me how easy it is to bump into things in the dark even though I may have known they were there before. John in our reading toady is clear about the choice between sin and confession. It’s like entering a room at night and flipping on a light switch. Because God is light, no one living in darkness (sin) can have fellowship with him (vv. 5-6). In God’s eyes, sin is sin. There is no difference in type or degrees. Slander, gossip, lust, robbery, assault, covetousness, gluttony, and murder are all sins. In human terms, the consequences for gossip and murder are worlds apart. But their effect is the same to God. Each separates us from him. Confession is the light switch in the rooms of our hearts. The first step toward God’s light is acknowledging our sins. Confess your sins now and walk in his forgiveness. Allow his light to illuminate your heart and shine in your life.

What Do You Want?

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12 ESV). The paralytic man missed it, and so did his friends. In this familiar story, the man’s friends have gone to extraordinary measures to ensure that he can get close to the miracle-working Messiah. They’ve carried him a thousand times before, and they hope this will be the last. Healing his crippled body is clearly the goal. No one has worried about the state of his heart. So, down he goes into the presence of Jesus. “Tell me what you desire.” Jesus might have said. “Please, Sir! Can’t you see? I’m paralyzed! I want to walk. I want to support a family, contribute to society, play with my friends, enjoy life!” But Jesus knows that what we want isn’t necessarily what we need. He knows us better than we know ourselves. We want all sorts of things. Maybe, like the paralytic, what we most want is to be normal, like everyone else. But that’s not what we most need. Jesus looks deeply into the crippled man’s soul. He knows that he needs to experience life-transforming forgiveness. He knows that a healthy body can’t mend years of bitterness, disappointment, broken relationships, and pain. Multitudes of miserable people walk around on perfectly good legs. Jesus longs for the man to have wholeness and peace. So he speaks forgiveness. Likewise, he gives us what we need, even if it’s not what we want. I wonder how many times we have been looking desperately for what we want, instead of accepting what we need. I have found that when I concentrate on what God has given to satisfy my needs, my wants often are satisfied as well. Give it a try today!

Our Greatest Need

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:8-15 ESV). I have found myself asking others the question many times, “What do you need?” I guess I’ve never really thought about how general that question is. If I’ve been outside, working in the heat and get asked that question, I might answer that I need a cold drink of water. On the other hand, if I’ve been outside in the cold day of winter, with a bitter north wind chilling me to the bone, the last thing in the world I need is a cold drink of water! I guess I am making a case for our needs being circumstantial; though that would be an error when it comes to our greatest need. We have many needs; some of them are emotional, physical, and spiritual. Psychologists can build a career defining them. The apostle Paul, however, speaks of forgiveness. He declares that we are “made alive” with Christ because God has “forgiven us all our trespasses.” It is through this act of forgiving that we are a changed, redeemed people. Reformed theologians Andrew and Leonard Kuyvenhoven write, “Forgiveness stands at the heart of the Christian faith.” Without it, there is no healing for broken hearts and burned-out souls; parents will fight with children, and brothers and sisters among themselves. No relationship can last without forgiveness, and there is no other way to repair the damage of human interaction. Without forgiveness there is no way to repair our relationship with God either. Forgiveness lies at the heart of the cross. Two arms of wood reach out to embrace all humanity while a vertical post connects heaven and earth. Because Jesus died on those wooden arms, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and the “power of darkness” is destroyed. Our relationship with God is mended and we are “transferred into the kingdom of his beloved Son.” Citizens of this kingdom are forgiven and have the power to be forgiving as well. That’s good news any day!

Who Will Stand With You?

In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” And Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!” So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.” And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city. (1 Samuel 20:35-42 ESV). Jonathon and David’s friendship is legendary! It is the story of two men who would do all they could to protect one another from the insanity of Saul, Jonathon’s father and king. It is a great example for us as we consider our responsibility to our fiends. Friends are more than merely social acquaintances that share mutual interests. True friends help, care, sacrifice, and commit. They take upon themselves the hopes, hurts, joys, and pains of those they love. Jonathan’s friendship with David was like that: “He loved him as he loved his own life” (v. 17). Their friendship actually saved David’s life. Saul’s hatred was so deep within him that Jonathan was forced to put his own life at risk for David’s sake. Our friendships, unlike Jonathan’s friendship with David, may not force us to perform remarkable acts of courage. But each of us needs to be willing to make sacrifices for the sake of our friends. The Christian faith has always encouraged friendships of the David and Jonathan kind. Solomon advised, “Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin” (Prov. 18:24). Paul loved Timothy and said of him, “How like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (cf. Philippians 2:22). And the earliest Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship...“ (cf. Acts 2:42, emphasis added). The Christian life is not meant to be, and actually cannot be, lived alone. We need our friends. And our friends may need us, big-time. We need to develop the kind of relationships with others that they know we will stand with them and we know they will stand with us. What kind of friend are you to those God has given into your circle of influence? How have you both encouraged and helped them in their times of need and victory?

A Hated Man

And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on. The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice. Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him. And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. (1 Samuel 18:8-16 ESV). Saul begins to hate David soon after he was given more direct responsibility. The more David was given, the more he seemed to succeed, so much so that he surpassed King Saul in all he did. Saul’s jealousy kept him from being able to ever trust David again. His son Jonathan, though, begins to love him. Upon overhearing Saul’s conversation with David, Jonathan became “bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Others began to love David too. Saul’s daughter Michal loved him and later married him. Even all Israel and Judah loved David. David’s life became a rollercoaster of affection and anger, devotion and hatred. It is understandable that David would be loved; the young shepherd willing to risk his own life becomes a champion in battle and a leader of Israelite armies. In addition to his natural strength, beauty, and courage, David’s anointing and consequent accomplishments became the reason that some loved him and others hated him. So it is for the rest of us too. God’s call to serve, his anointing and equipping for ministry, are often met by both affection and anger. They do not guarantee 100% approval ratings, favorable conditions, and lots of friends. When we seek to serve the Lord we ought to expect both admiration and resistance, joys and also challenges. We should not try to judge the veracity of God’s call on our lives by the reception we get. Sometimes we are loved. Sometimes the response is dangerous, difficult, and even painful. Jesus certainly was this way. Those who should have loved him most rejected him first; those who should have supported him to the end became the tool of his death. God knows that we will suffer the same rejection often. He also knows that we can rely on his strength for every circumstance of life. Regardless of how you are treated in this world, remember you will be treated as you are in the next: you are the child of the King. Walk in that knowledge each day.

Who Do You Think You Are?

When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:31-37 ESV). David’s humble position in the social hierarchy continues to show as the Goliath story begins. He is demeaned by his older brother for even showing up near the battle, and when brought to King Saul he is hit with a definitive: “You are not able.” There is no evidence in the story that David had been given some divine premonition of the outcome of the battle, but David believed that the God who had delivered him from the lion and the bear yesterday would deliver him from the giant today. Even when Saul offered his armor and weapons, David goes back to what he knows. He takes his sling and some rocks to face the undefeated giant believing the difference would be the Lord. There will always be those who challenge us with the taunt of “Who do you think you are?” None of us are immune to the doubt and ridicule of attempting what seems impossible. This is especially true in our faith. Like David, we are not asked to create trust out of nowhere; we have been given reason to believe. Though the voices and circumstances that surround us may sound like “You are not able,” the God who has delivered us before will keep on delivering. We believe God will work his redemptive purposes in us and through us for his people, because he has done it for millennia. It may be financial challenges in a recession, it may be war challenges in a divided world, or soul hurt that does not seem to disappear, but we move forward through the circumstances into battle, believing in the God who has delivered us rather than the challenging voices or mocking enemies that surround us. After all, Jesus has defeated the greatest of our enemies. Death has been defeated forever!

David and His Harp

Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. And Saul's servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.” Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. (1 Samuel 16:14-23 ESV). David’s name shows up in the Bible more than 1,100 times. He was known as a man after God’s own heart. A city was named after him, and Jesus even borrowed his name to refer to himself: “Son of David.” No one saw David’s potential before it unfolded though. His own father did not even count him as an option when Samuel came looking for a king. But the Lord saw something in David that no one else could see, not even David himself. “The Lord does not see as mortals see.” When the Bible first introduces us to David he shows up as a forgotten child left to menial tasks. He initially enters the stage of God’s salvation drama as an apparent “extra.” In fact, he was relegated to being the court musician for King Saul when he had a “harmful spirit.” David was little more than entertainment for the king when he was in a bad mood. But God saw something else. God chose David to play one of the most significant roles in salvation history. Our God is the one who consistently sees things differently. God sees a redemption role for us in the large salvation drama that continues to unfold in history. Most of us may never end up playing a David-sized part, but each of us is still an important character in the drama. Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you may be doing today, God sees something for you that no one else may be able to see. Keep walking in the grace of God, taking each step as he directs and you will find peace in all your life.

Specks and Beams

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (Matthew 7:1-6 ESV). It’s election time. As we watch the first primaries unfold and listen to various debates I remembered a great story from the life of the first President Roosevelt. When Teddy Roosevelt was running for president in 1904, he declared that the coming election was an “Armageddon.” That was a pretty bold statement, especially in his day. In biblical thought, Armageddon is the final showdown between God and Satan. Of course we know the outcome of that war. God will be victorious. For most people today, their thoughts tend to focus on the battles they face each day, not the final battle of history between God and the devil. Perhaps that’s the reason we are so invested in success. There is a tendency to feel that our personal battles are so important that if we don’t succeed, all is lost. Important contests are being waged in the church and in the world, and I pray that God’s will prevails. But a steady diet of doomsday exhortations like those that proclaim the idea of doomsday everyday can cast us into a state of paralysis and cause us to lose sight of the fact that, in the end, God wins. “If anyone will not receive you or listen to your words,” said Jesus, “shake the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” This small, symbolic act – shake the dust from your feet – was meant to deliver the disciples from undue anxiety about the need for immediate success. He, Jesus, would be responsible for the success of the Christian enterprise. And if his disciples weren’t always successful, it wasn’t the end of the world. Your battles are not Armageddon. If you are not always successful in your crusades, shake the dust from your feet and move on. Our setbacks, although disappointing, are not God’s setbacks. There is only one final battle, and God will win it. This thought should drive us to beware of a competitive spirit. We should strive to maintain a sense of personal evaluation before we begin to judge others. I have found very few issues that were so important that they were worth risking the fellowship of the church to win. As I concentrate on my own “log” it becomes a lot easier to help others with their “speck.” It is not Armageddon yet.

Alice in Wonderland

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17 ESV). In Alice in Wonderland, Alice encounters a caterpillar, smoking a hookah, who stares disdainfully at her through a cloud of smoke and asks, “Who are you?” Isn’t that a question that all of us ask at one time or another? I find very few people who really know the answer to that question. Our reading today helps us look into the mind and heart of Jesus and recognize that there was no doubt in him about who he was. We would do well to seek the answer of our identity early. Henri Nouwen said that most people define themselves in two ways. First: I am what I have. I have a house, a marriage, a job, and various possessions. Together, all these things form my identity. But what happens if I lose my home, my spouse, my job, my possessions? Then who will I be? The second way people define themselves, said Nouwen, is this: I am what people say about me. We go through life trying to please people, fretting about our popularity rating, hoping others will speak well of us. But what happens when people stop speaking well of you? So we go through life, said Nouwen, accumulating possessions and worrying about what people are saying about us. And then one day we die. And when we die, we don’t have anything anymore, and nobody talks about us anymore. What a strange way to live. However, when your identity comes from possessions and popularity, which is what Jesus called “belonging to the world,” you cannot possess a clear understanding of your identity. We simply don’t belong to the world. We belong to God. Just as Jesus rose from the water of the Jordan River and heard the voice of His heavenly Father say, “This is my beloved Son”, we also shall rise up in death and hear that clear claim on our lives. We are God’s child, through faith and nothing can change or alter that position. Perhaps it is time for you to acknowledge that in your journey. Regardless of what others may say, you are His and He is yours! Live determined in that truth!

Keep On Asking

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:7-15 ESV). Do you ever pray the same prayer over and over again? I do. In fact, every evening as I go to sleep the last prayer I say is for God to be watchful over my family as I name them each. I pray for a blessing from God to be poured out on them the next day and in the days to come. I pray that same prayer every day. Is that a “vain repetition”? After all, if God already knows what we need before we ask him, why keep asking over and over again? Our reading today gives us a clue. Jesus warns against praying as the gentiles, or pagans do, with empty phrases. Apparently people felt that saying things over and over again would have some magical power. The Lord’s disciples are instead to appeal to the Father revealed in Christ, who loves them and knows all their needs. But Jesus doesn’t discourage his followers from asking. They are not to ask mindlessly, but knowing God as their Father in Christ, they are to come to him with their requests. Consider the prayer our Lord taught us. Chief among our requests are for God’s name to be hallowed, for his kingdom to come, for his will to be done on earth as it is done in heaven. These are to be our first concerns. But we are also to pray for our daily bread, for forgiveness of sins, for deliverance from every evil power. Jesus encourages his followers to ask, to seek, and to knock. He indicates that the Father gives good gifts to those who keep asking. Never be ashamed, then, of asking God for what you and others need. He wants you to ask. There may come times when he will make it clear to you that the desired gift will not be granted. But until he does that, feel free to keep asking. These are not vain repetitions; these are the earnest desires of your heart. I would encourage you to make it a practice to pray with the kind of earnestness that you keep on asking. Don’t give up in your petitions for that loved one who needs to be turned to Christ; don’t stop asking for God to bring healing to someone who is sick or alienated from family or friends. Keep on asking. Your Father in heaven will not tire of your voice. He is not slow to answer. He is always right on time.

Perfect

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48 ESV). Someone recently said, “The Christian must be perfect in every area of life.” I wanted to reply, but restrained myself and decided to use this forum instead. Our reading today does say, “You therefore must be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect.” But, what does that really mean? At best, we find ourselves in an endless cycle of success followed by failure, always seeking to do just a little better. That certainly is not perfection. Part of the difficulty lies in our use of the word perfect. To us, perfection means “freedom from all flaws and deficiencies.” It is a life where no thought, word, or work has ever been wrong or less than it should be. The Bible’s use of the word is different. It means to be “mature” or “wholehearted.” It doesn’t mean someone never sins or fails; it pictures rather the basic attitude of the heart in a person. When we today speak of people as godly, we don’t mean that they are absolutely like God, but that they live in fellowship with him and grow in his likeness. In ourselves, apart from God’s grace in Christ, we remain sinful, self-centered people. But because we are joined to Christ by faith, his perfect righteousness is laid to our account as a sheer gift. The Holy Spirit works in us throughout our lives, so that we continually die to sin and walk in newness of life. In the end of the way, as John puts it, “We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” All those in Christ, therefore, are on the road to fullness of life, but the more mature they become in their Christian lives, the more they realize that they haven’t yet arrived, that they still have a long way to go. I know in my own life, the closer I come to Christ, the more I recognize how much more I have to grow. That process is called sanctification. It is from start to finish a work of God through the Holy Spirit. Little by little we are being changed throughout this life so that in the next we find our lives glorified in His grace and work of redemption. Of course, that does not excuse our effort in following the direction of God more each day; however, it does help us to understand how even our failures are steps toward the perfection God is working out in our lives.

I'm Sorry

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? (Joel 2:12-14 ESV). This past Wednesday, many Christians observed Ash Wednesday. It is the beginning of Lent, which is a season of penitential preparation for Easter. Many will attend worship services marked by a solemn call to repentance, symbolized by the imposition of ashes upon the foreheads of the worshipers. This practice may seem strange to those raised in non-liturgical churches. But it can be a good reminder that worship is more than just a mental exercise. It should engage our bodies as well as our spirits. Recently I saw an illustration where the different types of marks were classified. It was meant to be a humorous look at the various marks received at the observance. I especially liked the one labeled “the Hipster.” It should be remembered that however we celebrate this day, God’s call to repentance is loud and clear in Scripture. Our culture has made sin so benign that repentance is all but lost to the modern church member. There really can be but one response to our sin. The prophet Joel tells us that this response to God’s judgment should be genuine repentance, which consists of two parts.  First, true repentance involves real sorrow for sin. In biblical culture grief was expressed by tearing one’s clothes, but the Lord tells his people to rend their hearts instead of their garments. The outward ritual is only meaningful if it signifies an inward reality.  Second, true repentance involves reorienting our lives. “Yet even now . . . return to me with all your heart. . . . Return to the Lord, your God” (vv. 12-13). Feeling broken-hearted about our sins is only the beginning. To fully repent, we must turn away from those sins, back to the living God. Many people assume God’s mercy is for everyone and hope his judgment isn’t real. We would do better to assume God’s judgment is for everyone and hope his mercy is real. Use this season before the celebration of Easter to meditate on the need you have to restore your relationship to God through His grace and the application of Christ’s work on your behalf.

Ooops

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:12-18 ESV). I am continuing to answer a few of the questions I have received over the last few months with a question from a young man who wrote and asked, “When is a sin a sin?” He went on to explain that he had read the Gospel of Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount had really concerned him. In that passage Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (cf. Matthew 5:27-28 ESV). The young man went on to say, “I guess I ought to just walk around blindfolded!” It leads me to ask, “When then does a person become guilty?” or, “Do we sin when we see a person of the opposite sex and feel sexually attracted to them?” The answer is a simple, “No.” You cannot sin by accident. There are no “ooops” when it comes to sin. James makes that very clear in our reading today. Sin is a matter of the heart, not a slip of the mind. In this particular case we ought to recognize that reality of attraction between the sexes is one of God’s good gifts. It may become the occasion of temptation, but being attracted to another person is not in itself sinful. We sin when we look someone other than our spouse, feel attracted to the person, and then hold on to the attraction, encourage it, and give free rein to it. Perhaps we fantasize about sexual involvement with that person. The next step in that progression would be sexual advances toward that person. We are called to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (cf. Proverbs 4:23). When our heart rests in Christ, it will recognize and appreciate the beauty of people but reject making a person an object of our desire. The process no longer becomes the focus; rather, God becomes our focus. This is true for other sins as well. Work diligently on your relationship with Christ and any sin becomes easier and easier to walk away from before it takes hold of your heart.

Why Is God Silent?

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30 ESV). Continuing with some of the questions I have received over the past few months, a grandmother wrote “Why is God so silent in the face of sufferings?” There is much more to the story than just the question. She was grieving the loss of her newborn grandchild who had died just days after being born. She had prayed for his healing; the elders of the church had come to pray over the child. Through her tears and hurt, she could only ask, “Why?” It is a question that many of us have been called on to answer in one capacity or another. The answer is often much longer and more complicated than our space today would allow. The heart of the Christian message makes this question even more acute. Jesus of Nazareth was God’s unique, beloved Son. Yet when Jesus went through torments on the cross, God seemed to be strangely silent. When the only Son was bearing the worst of shame and anguish it seemed as if God was ignoring His pain and suffering. Surely you remember how the world was veiled in darkness as if the shame was too great to bear. But this is precisely where we find the only light to discover the answer to this question. You see, God was there, in the person of Jesus Christ, suffering with us and for us. He was not a spectator on the human scene then, nor is he now. That would mean everything in life is incredibly heartless. He enters into our situation, takes on himself our humanity and bears the utmost horror on our behalf, and then everything is changed. Then we can believe he feels the sorrows of his people, and goes through it all with them. Then we have a gospel for the troubled and tormented of the world. Further, because of the resurrection we may live with a great hope. Someday all these hideous cruelties will end. God will speak with a voice that raises the dead and all will be well. Here’s the promise: “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). God is not silent. He has spoken and continues to speak a word of eternal life forever free of pain and sorrow.

How Can I Know?

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10 ESV). From time to time I get questions from folks who are following The Morning Devotionals. In the next few days I will deal with a few of them in a general sense. Perhaps they will be both inspirational and instructional for you too. The first comes from a young lady who lives in the northeast. She asked: I know God is love, but how do I know that he loves and forgives me? This question has been on the minds of believers from the beginning. The Apostle John dealt with it in his first letter. Our reading today gives us a peek at the answer. Our problem with forgiveness is that we can’t forget the wrongs of the past. Our memories are too good when it comes to the things we have done that have brought us difficulty and guilt. I haven’t met very many people who haven’t dealt with some regret in their lives at one time or another. It is natural for us to look back and wish we could live those moments again. While these thoughts and desires for a do-over are rarely helpful, and often destructive, they are a part of our natural inclination and nature. In fact, I believe these thoughts are one of the devil’s greatest weapons in robbing us of our joy and peace. You see, at the heart of the gospel lies the reality of forgiveness. For this Christ died and rose again, that all who believe in him may be freely forgiven. When we confess our sins, trusting in Jesus as our Savior, we can be absolutely sure that we are forgiven. That assurance is not based on any worthiness of ours, or any emotional feeling that we have been forgiven, but purely on God’s promise. Whenever we wonder if we are forgiven, or begin to doubt, we need to go back to promises like this one in verse nine of our reading today. We need to plant our feet by faith on what God has said, and rest on his sure Word that we are indeed forgiven. We can have trouble forgetting the wrong things in our past. We all wish we could go back and begin again. But the only way open to us is to confess our sins, accept God’s forgiveness in Christ, and move on. The vital thing is to trust that God in Christ is faithful and just to forgive us completely and forever. Never let past failures, or future fears rob you of present joy. Jesus died to wipe the slate clean!

Waiting on the Lord

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. (Psalm 25:1-5 ESV). “Waiting on the Lord” may be one of the most misunderstood principles of the Christian life. Our reading today, written by David, contains two essential truths that help us with this principle. First, the Lord leads us, and second, we must wait for him. Being led anywhere implies movement; and, waiting certainly indicates no movement. This paradox at first glance seems impossible to reconcile. However, we do this all the time. We can be hiking on a trail while “waiting” for the next signpost to see where the trail leads. The trick is to not be overconfident and turn before we’re given directions. Most of the time we simply rush headlong ahead, and that is the antithesis of waiting. Some of my worst mistakes in life have been made while on the right path, but going too fast to notice the “turn here” signs! Some mat ask what happens if the signpost doesn’t show up? Rest assured, it always does, when we look for it in faith and wait for it patiently. C. S. Lewis has an analogy that is instructive in this regard. If a friend whom we know and trust says he will meet us at a certain time and place and then fails to show up, we do not immediately accuse him of being a liar and untrustworthy. We know he’ll either be there or have a very good explanation. And God will lead us, as he has promised, because he always keeps his word. Truthfully I am more concerned with not wanting to go in the direction of the signpost. Jonah was like that. There was no doubt in the path God wanted him to travel. He just didn’t want to go there. In fact, he was rebellious enough that he went the opposite direction. We know how that worked out. The belly of a fish can be a very unpleasant place to be. Knowing that God has a fish just our size if it becomes necessary ought to give us pause as we make our decisions. Today’s reading is a great prayer to remind us to walk along with the Lord, waiting for only His direction for every step of the way. I know that’s my desire, especially in this year of crossroads in my life. “Retirement” is something I’ve never done before. It will be interesting to see how much I have learned through the years about waiting and walking. For now, let me encourage you to make it your priority to wait on the Lord while moving forward in the presence of the Holy Spirit!

The Words of My Mouth

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14 ESV). I saw the following quote recently: “Be careful who you trust. The Devil was once an angel.” I am finding this little proverb more and more applicable in this year of political rhetoric. It almost seems that there is no one that can be trusted to simply tell the truth. However, as I examine history and the basic character of our nature, it shouldn’t surprise me at all that people would lie when it serves their purpose. The psalmist must have had this same thought as he asks the Lord to let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable. The premise for this prayer is found in the sovereignty of God. Because God is sovereign, his judgments are always true and righteous, even if they don’t seem that way to us. Think about the absurdity of any other perspective. We derive our sense of justice from his perfect standard, so elevating our own judgment above God’s would be like a stream trying to flow uphill to rise above its source. How many of us have been rebellious against our parents’ judgment or decision, only to discover they were right all along? As Mark Twain quipped, when he was twelve he couldn’t believe how ignorant his father was, and by the time he turned twenty he couldn’t believe how much his father had learned! If even in the human realm our snap judgments, often based on limited information and false assumptions, can be so easily reversed, how much more so when we question God? Here’s the best news of all: God reverses our judgment of ourselves. We know ourselves to be unworthy of his mercy, and he declares us to be justified through faith in Christ. That’s one judgment of our heavenly Father we ought never to challenge. It will truly set you free. I’ve spent a great deal of time working on the “words of my mouth” over the years. If I have discovered any process that insures those words are appropriate, encouraging, and positive it is the simple enjoinder of “think before you speak.” That’s easier said than done; but, if we will focus on the “meditation of our hearts” a bit more as we are in any conversation, it does become much easier to practice. The next time you find yourself in such a moment, remember that you have nothing to win. God has already won all there is to compete about. Be kind and gracious in your words.

Grace and Mercy

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:15-19 ESV). There is a difference between grace and mercy. Hall of Fame baseball manager Sparky Anderson once said, “Grace is getting something good we don’t deserve, and mercy is not getting something bad we do deserve.” The psalmist asks the clear question, “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (v. 3). Have you ever thought seriously about getting what you truly deserve? Our human nature drives us to find whatever loophole might exist so that we can avoid the consequences of our actions. We have a limitless capacity for rationalization, so we’re likely to go easy on ourselves in assessing our level of blame. But even at that, we cannot escape our guilt. We know in our hearts we have done those things we ought not to have done, and left undone those things we ought to have done. When it comes to God’s absolute standard of purity, holiness, and obedience, there can be only one verdict: we are guilty. Louis Palau cites a wonderful example of mercy from the courts of Napoleon. It is said that a mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. “But I don't ask for justice,” the mother explained. "I plead for mercy.” "But your son does not deserve mercy,? Napoleon replied. "Sir,” the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.” "Well, then,” the emperor said, "I will have mercy.” And he spared the woman's son. I have found our culture has lost the ability to understand both our guilt as well as the true definition of mercy. So many people today have come to believe their entitled status. They believe they are entitled to what is “fair.” The problem with that is our definition of “fair.” The truth is we are all guilty before God and “fair” is a sentence of death. Thankfully, when we are united to Christ through faith God sees not our sin and guilt but his atoning and redemptive love. Taken by itself, reliance on God’s mercy is a source of unspeakable comfort. When combined with gratitude for his grace, it becomes a source of inexhaustible praise.

Trust to Verify

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Psalm 37:1-6 ESV). In the increasing intensity of current political campaigns it seems most of the conservatives are working very hard to identify with President Reagan. There is no doubt he is one of the most admired and quoted conservatives of our modern era. Some of the favorite one-liners to come from him are no doubt familiar to you. He said: “Sometimes in this administration, it seems like the right hand doesn’t know what the far right hand is doing.” And, he also had a famous political maxim: “Trust, but verify.” Its primary application was to arms limitation treaties, but it is often sound wisdom in dealing with other people. The more I think about that truth, the more I find it totally inaccurate in our relationship with God. We should never find ourselves of the mind that the only time we can really trust God is when we can verify that he will indeed give us that which is good in our lives. Here is the crucial difference between trusting God and trusting other people. With God it’s not “Trust but verify,” but rather, “Trust to verify.” The wonderful promises in our reading today are a summary of how God always brings us good. In fact, the psalmist indicates that all the desires of our heart will be given to us. Sometimes that promise will come literally true for us in earthly terms. At other times it will seem like it doesn’t. But all of us who “take delight in the Lord” will discover that one day our deepest desires will be satisfied, even if we didn’t truly know what they were. The lesson for us is that it is the very act of trusting God that provides indisputable (and indescribable) verification of his promises in our hearts. I know that there are many who are wondering how this could possibly be true since they are in the midst of difficult and painful circumstances. And, there are those who simply point to the caveat of whether we are really trusting in God, doing good, and delighting ourselves in the Lord. Those are people who can only trust, but verify. It is as if those people will only believe it if they see it. It pivots the responsibility of good to the individual rather than God. In my experience that simply doesn’t work. No matter how much good I do, or how deeply I trust in my own resources and thoughts, I cannot produce good from bad. Only God can do that. Take the death of Jesus as an example. Now that was a bad day! However, when the tomb was emptied and Jesus was resurrected, that was proof that God could be entirely trusted. Commit yourself to Trust to verify.

An Exalted Horn

How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. (Psalm 92:5-11 ESV). In a few weeks Mary and I are moving back to Texas. We will be in Aledo, which is a few miles west of Ft. Worth. The Ft. Worth Stockyards One of the highlights of any visit to the Stockyards is the longhorn cattle drive down the streets. If you have never been “up close and personal” with a Longhorn, you really can’t imagine the size and span of their horns. Some reach as much as nine feet from tip to tip! They can be formidable weapons to those who seem to get in the way of these animals. Just being struck with one could do serious damage. As I read today’s text I was drawn to two different sources. One is the image of the longhorn, while the other comes from The Road Less Travelled, by Scott Peck. Life’s journey is sprinkled throughout with suffering and challenge. Christians are not exempt, as we know from Jesus himself and from our own experience. A lot of people have puzzled over the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” But we might just as easily ask, “Why do good things happen to some people who trust God and not to others who trust him just as much?” The psalmist declares that he enjoyed such special favor from God, and he seems to attribute it to personal righteousness. “The righteous flourish like the palm tree… they flourish in the courts of our God” (vv. 12-13). But other psalms remind us that the wicked sometimes flourish, at least for a while (cf. Psalm 73), and the righteous sometimes suffer, at least for a while (cf. Psalm 22). Since our tendency is to look at our immediate circumstances and see nothing beyond them. God, whose thoughts are “very deep,” sees from the advantage of eternity and through the lens of the ultimate provision he has made for us in Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (cf. Colossians 2:3). So, temporary circumstances can be misleading. We cannot peer into the mysterious depths of the eternal counsel of God, but we ought to understand this wonderful image of our “horns” being exalted. Like these mighty animals, our greatest defensive weapon will be lifted up so that no one and nothing can overcome us. That is the promise of ultimate, eternal victory in Christ! No enemy can triumph over us!

Revenge

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21 ESV). Mary and I have stumbled on to a television series that evidently has been on air for quite some time. It is titled Revenge. Mentioning this series is not an endorsement for it, though it has been intriguing to watch some of the episodes. The formal description given for the series says: “Wealth, beauty and status define the people who live in the Hamptons. But one woman seeking revenge could destroy it all. Emily Thorne lived in the Hamptons until an incident ruined her family and their reputation, forcing them out of town. Years later, she has returned to her old neighborhood, blending in with the citizens and making friends, not letting on that she has lived there before. In an effort to right some of the past wrongs, she plans vengeance on those who wronged her and her family -- and she doesn't care at what cost.” I can say it is an adult drama that has many plot twists and villains abound! It has been nominated for numerous awards and won several very prestigious awards for both the series and individual actors in it. It seems to capitalize on an American culture that is filled with stories of revenge. We see and hear messages that affirm our desire to repay evil with evil from many sources. This thought that the ends justify the means permeates both reality and fiction in our country today. But God has a different message. God says to leave the revenge to him. We are to turn the other cheek. We are to live at peace. Justice in God’s eyes is to repay evil not with like retribution on our part, but with grace and mercy. When it comes to revenge, it is easy to get caught up in the idea that we are doing only what “needs to be done.” Perhaps we don’t trust God to bring about peace, and we feel we must take the matter into our own hands. But God never says anything about the ends justifying the means. We are not to be overcome by evil. We are to overcome evil with good. Today spend some thought about that someone in your life that has been particularly troublesome to you. It may be a family member or a friend who has wronged you with rejection, slander, or hurt. Pray for them. Pray that God would bring both forgiveness and peace to your heart toward them. Pray that God might give you an opportunity to settle the rift that has grown between you. The relationship may never be completely returned as it was, but it can be restored in Christ. Pray that God would deal with whatever issues there may have arisen as a result. Let God bring judgment. He is the only one capable of doing that correctly and justly.

Supergirl

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11 ESV). At 12 years old, Kara Zor-El escapes doom on planet Krypton to find protection on Earth with the Danver family, where she grows up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex, and learns to hide the extraordinary powers she shares with her cousin, Superman. Now an adult living in National City and working for media mogul Cat Grant, Kara finds her days of keeping her abilities a secret are over when super-secret agency head Hank Henshaw enlists her to help protect the city's citizens from threats. Finally coming into her own, Kara must juggle her new responsibilities with her very human relationships. Perhaps one of the most interesting story lines of this series is how Kara discovers she can no longer keep her powers a secret from the world. In the premier, her foster-sister with whom she is very close, is on a plane that gets into trouble and is about to crash. She sees it falling from the sky and is forced to make a decision whether to save the people on the plane and risk exposure of her real identity or continue to hide her powers and let them all fall to their death. Of course she decides to save her sister and the others and begins her journey of becoming the superhero of the city defending it against all sorts of villains and disasters. We may not be superheroes with superpowers, but we do live in a world of privilege. If you have enough clothes, food to eat, a warm place to sleep, an education and a decent income, you are among the privileged minority of the world’s population. All our possessions and all our knowledge and abilities give us so much power. The question of Supergirl then comes to us: How are we using this power? Jesus put it this way, “to whom much has been given, much will be required” (cf. Luke 12:48). In the Bible, God repeatedly calls us to use our power and privilege on behalf of those less fortunate. His gifts aren’t intended just for us. They are for us to use wisely, responsibly, and selflessly. The real heroes are those who do that. We may not be able to fly faster than a speeding bullet, or leap over tall buildings in a single bound, or be stronger than a locomotive; but we can all use the gifts God has given us for the good of those around us. That will make us “super.”

In the Checkout Lane

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:1-7 ESV). The month of February has several holidays scheduled within it. Perhaps the most celebrated is Valentine’s Day. It’s strange to me how easily it is to begin to think about a day devoted to the expressions of love and friendship and miss that same feeling most of the rest of the year. Our world of bigger, better, and faster tends to discount anyone who may tarry in the least to show a kindness to someone else. Recently as I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, I looked at the small rack of magazines near the conveyor. There were several titles: National Enquirer, The Globe, and In Touch must be the most popular as they were front and center. These are what we have come to call “tabloid magazines.” I have discovered that these magazines, along with various talk shows, and other gossip media are a multi-million-dollar industry. It seems we take pleasure in the lurid and tawdry lives of others, whether they are celebrities, politicians, or people enjoying their fifteen minutes of reality-show fame. We chat about the latest professional athlete’s steroid scandal or a celebrity’s plastic surgery. We joke about a politician’s affair as if it is perfectly acceptable. We even fall to the point of casting judgment on people while reveling in their misfortune. Paul writes that “Love does not delight in evil” (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:6). The Message translates this verse, “Love doesn’t revel when others grovel.” Popular culture gives plenty of evidence of the world’s brokenness. The media use this brokenness to grab our attention. But brokenness is nothing in which we should take pleasure. God is grieved by brokenness and desires wholeness. Our reading today gives us a better way to live. I encourage you to join me to think a bit more the next time you feel a secret satisfaction at the fall of a pop icon, or you get a kick out of the juicy details of a celebrity scandal, or you take pleasure in the embarrassment of a disgraced politician, or you enjoy reading about the breakup of a beautiful Hollywood couple. God doesn’t want us to delight in evil; he wants us to “challenge” it. He doesn’t want us to be entertained by the brokenness of people’s lives. He wants us to help heal it with the love of Christ.