"From Ruin to Glory"

How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. (Lamentations 1:1-3 NIV).

These and the verses following are among some of the most tragic in the Bible. The mighty city, Jerusalem! Zion, the city of God, the spiritual center of the earth, lies in rubble and ruin, crushed underfoot by the sword of pagan warriors. What makes this scene truly tragic is remembering what led to these circumstances. The people of Israel were the pride of God, his treasured possession. He promised safety and protection if they would follow him and be obedient to his commands. He promised judgment if they turned aside to pagan ways.

We know the story all too well. The Israelites turned away from God. With much patience and many warnings God called the people to repent and return to faithful living. The people responded by plunging deeper into sin. The end result was judgment and downfall, a picture of desolation beginning with the words of our reading today. But the writer of Lamentations continues to write. As he reflects on the destruction of Jerusalem and the sin of the people he also remembers the mercy and faithfulness of God. In the third chapter we emerge from the darkness of despair to the light of God’s hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. (Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV).

This ought to give all of us great hope. Often when we remember our past we can feel as though we are looking over our shoulder and looking at the rubble we have left behind us. I have counseled with many people who have realized their bad living, bad witness, bad examples, and terrible mistakes have only left a desolate future. But God is faithful with his people. He does not excuse or smooth over our sins, he nails them to the cross. He calls us to live in the forgiveness of sin, and to go and sin no more.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. No matter what ruins lie behind you, the Lord’s mercies for you are new every morning. From the rubble of your forgiven past God will build an edifice of his glory. Your past is not an issue with the Lord when you have asked for His forgiveness. You may still have a “city” to rebuild, but He will help you do that. Are you ready to rebuild? Let’s get started today!

"The Gift of Hope"

I had to do some errands the other day and while driving by a local church, I saw these words written on a sign at a local church. It said, "Hope Is Real." I thought about it and certainly agreed with the statement. But as I pondered the simple little phrase, I realized that for many people hope is not real. I believe that is one of the most important gifts we can give to another person, the gift of hope. You see, someone who is hopeless and alone usually cannot help themselves out of their situations. They have a great sense of loss and helplessness. We must come alongside and bring the good news of Jesus Christ and all that He has to offer. The more I thought about that, the more the following verses came to mind:

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10: 10 NIV).

One definition for hope is: To look forward to with confidence or expectation. We must bring the grace of God with all its hope to someone who does not know it is real. When we bring hope, we bring life. It is life changing to finally believe again. It is more than just asking God for something we so badly need; we must expect our miracle. Somewhere in the midst of asking, believing, and expecting God to answer, we will find what we are looking for.

I have felt for a long time that the biggest problem we have in the world today is there are so many people who have lost hope. There seems to be so many hurts, problems, sicknesses, troubles, financial woes, family problems, world issues, political concerns, and scores of others, it seems the world has no hope.

The truth is apart from God, it is an awful, hopeless place. But with God's help, we can make it. I want you to know that whatever situation you find yourself in at this moment, there is hope. You may not be able to see or feel the hope, but it is there for you. Let me help you find that hope again: Come to the “gate”! Once you are within that secure place no one and no thing will be able to steal away your joy and peace, Jesus promises us a life to the full! How about it? Can I come alongside you for a little while and help you see and know that grace? Write me and let’s see if we can get there together!

"By the Inch It's a Cinch"

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).

I have heard it said many times that life is “hard by the mile, but a cinch by the inch. I remember reading some years ago how Vince Lombardi had often been described as the greatest football coach in modern times. He was a tremendous motivator. Before a group of sportswriters, he was once asked to explain why the Green Bay Packers won so many ball games. Everyone was expecting some profound insight into the complexities of the game of football and the unique genius of a coach who was about to unravel the mysteries of his success. Instead, his response was simple and straightforward:

Football is a game that requires you to move the ball 10 yards in four attempts. Football games are not won on 50-yard pass plays or 90-yard running plays. They are won by moving the ball 10 yards in four attempts. The other team will do everything in its power to prevent you from achieving this. So it is a game of who's best prepared. Who wants to win the most, and who never loses sight of the fact that all you have to do is move the ball 10 yards at a time.

Vince Lombardi was a winner because he never lost sight of the importance of the principle of by the inch it’s a cinch. Lombardi wasn't saying that we shouldn't have worthwhile goals. Not at all. His goal was to win football games. Our goal as Christians is to win at what God calls us to be and do. And that isn't achieved overnight. It's steady perseverance, year in and year out. As with the Apostle Paul, we don't win the prize from God until our life's work on earth is done.

I like the way the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:9-10 NLT).

Perhaps its time for you to take smaller bites of life and realize that your steady progress toward your goal is getting you closer and closer to the ultimate prize of eternal life!

"Driven to KNow"

"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12 NIV).

Have you ever wondered about how much information we have nearly immediate access to in this day of burgeoning technology? The simple pressing of a button on our phone connects us to virtually any of dozens of news sources or data bases. We can find more information than we ever dreamed possible even ten years ago! Yet, I wonder with all of these sources available, why is it we seem to be so driven to know more? Some of the answer must be rooted in our reading today.

Like most of the Old Testament prophets, Amos was chosen by God to deliver a message of repentance and judgment; "Seek the Lord and live, or He will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire" (Amos 5:6). God was calling His people to return, but they had wandered far from His presence and showed no interest in a life of worship. The economy of their day was thriving and the people had few needs which went unfulfilled; they were content and saw little need for God. Through Amos, God sent a strong warning. Although He promises to answer all who respond to His call, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2:32), and He promises to be VERY patient, "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9), God also warns that the opportunity to hear the truth may not always be available. I think that’s what so many people are longing to hear today!

Haven’t you found yourself listening to leaders in government, society, and perhaps the church, wondering if what they said was really the truth? I have. Perhaps that has been the case because we have found that in reality they weren’t telling us the truth. Perhaps it is simply because our expectations were too high to start with. Whatever the cause, the result has been that we have neglected the one source for the truth.

We have been blessed to live during this time in history. Yes, we face the unrelenting pressures of an over-indulgent, self-consumed society; but we have also been blessed with a wonderful access to the truth in the Scripture. In most parts of the world we have the freedom to worship with other believers and full access to truth-filled teaching. I urge you to make yourself available to the fullness of that truth and the presence of the Holy Spirit to lead you in application of that truth in your life.