His Enduring Love

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-4 ESV). The psalm of our reading this morning is a litany of the faithful enduring love of our God. The writer begins with a simple declaration that God is unique in His character and then lists many of the mighty acts He has performed proving His love. I have found that we often need the encouragement of such reminders. Recently I read a story about an attempted suicide. It took place a few years ago as a woman was standing on top of a fifty-four story building in New York City, ready to jump to her death. The police suicide squad took her threats extremely seriously. She didn't look the type, in her expensive dress and with her distinguished appearance, but regardless of her appearance, every attempt to convince her to get down from the ledge ended in failure. One of the police officers called his pastor to come to the scene and pray for the woman. His pastor came, and after appraising the situation, asked the police captain if he might try to get close enough to talk with the woman. The captain shrugged and said, "Sure, what have we got to lose?" The pastor started walking toward the woman, but she screamed as before, "Don't come any closer or I'll jump!" He took a step backward and called out to her, I'm sorry that you believe no one loves you." This got her attention and also the attention of the suicide squad - it was such an unusual thing to say, "Your children and grandchildren must not love you. Apparently they never give you any attention," he continued. With this, the woman took a step toward the pastor and said, "My grandchildren do love me. My whole family does. My grandchildren are wonderful. I have eight grandchildren." The pastor took a step toward the woman and said, "Well then, you must be very poor, or you wouldn't want to take your own life." The woman, who was obviously overweight, said, "Do I look like I go without meals? We live in a very nice apartment in Central Park. The pastor then took another step and was only three feet from her. "Then why do you want to kill yourself? I don't understand." The woman thought for a moment and said, "You know, I don't really remember." This true story ended with the pastor escorting the woman off the ledge and she showed him pictures of her grandchildren. She eventually became a volunteer on the city's suicide hotline. The pastor helped her get her eyes off herself and onto the many ways that God had blessed her. She learned that thankful people are happy people. Perhaps you need a reminder this morning. God loves you. And His love endures forever!

The Right Way

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ESV). I read the following brainteaser recently. See if you can solve it without looking to the end of this morning’s devotional for the answer. If none of the following statements are true, who can we conclude broke the vase? Liza: Alex broke the vase. Edwin: Liza will tell you who broke the vase. Sergio: Liza, Edwin, and I broke the vase. Luis: I did not break the vase. Fernie: Liza broke the vase, so Tom and April couldn't have. Alfonso: I broke the vase so Luis is innocent. There’s a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” said the young man with a smile. Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. “What do you want?” he asked again. “Wisdom,” the young man sputtered, “O great and wise Socrates.” Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. “What do you want, young man?” Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful...” Socrates jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. “What do you want?” “Air!” he screeched. “I need air!” “When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.” The cross seems so wrong when we compare it to the logic of our modern mind. Our reading this morning emphasizes the importance of faith. Don’t try to figure out God’s method. Accept it by faith and enjoy the freedom from sin death he has won for you in Christ! ANSWER: Luis broke the vase. If none of the statements above are true then he must have broken the vase. Luis: "I did NOT break the vase."

Birth and Death

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:29-31 ESV). An article in the Washburn Law Journal has this to say about death, "A fundamental understanding of man's nature recognizes when brain death occurs, a human being no longer exists." This understanding of human nature is entirely materialistic. A human being is viewed as a bundle of chemicals and electrochemical activity. The complex mechanism of our bodies evolved from a single cell over the course of millions of years. When death occurs, we cease to exist. We are the products of chance. We are destined for extinction! We came from cosmic dust and when we die it is to cosmic dust we are destined to return. Our tombstones reflect this belief having only the dates of our birth and our death. And our world is filled with pessimism! The picture that Jesus paints is entirely different than this. In our reading this morning Jesus teaches that no sacrifice in this world could be too great compared to the reward waiting for us in heaven. The historic Christian faith presents a whole different picture of life after death than the world at large. This life is but a prelude to the life to come. Death does not end it all. In fact, those who follow God through Jesus Christ have a wonderful future life to which they may look forward. Death is a step out of this world into another world of eternal bliss. An unknown author offers the following poem, End of the Journey: Light after darkness, gain after loss; Strength after weakness, crown after cross; Sweet after bitter, hope after fears; Home after wandering, praise after tears; Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain; Sight after mystery, peace after pain; Joy after sorrow, calm after blast; Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last; Near after distant, gleam after gloom; Love after loneliness, life after tomb; After long agony, rapture of bliss; Right was the pathway, leading to this. One day when George MacDonald, the great Scottish preacher and writer, was talking with his son, the conversation turned to heaven and the prophets’ version of the end of all things. “It seems too good to be true,” the son said at one point. A smile crossed MacDonald’s whiskered face. “Nay,” he replied, “It is just so good it must be true!” There is no need for pessimism when Christ is your Savior! Death is not the end, only the beginning! Is that the life you are living? It can be, if you will place your trust in Him!

Bought With a Price

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV). Back in the 1800s, a young Englishman traveled to California in search of gold. After several months of prospecting, he struck it rich. On his way home, he stopped in New Orleans. Not long into his visit, he came upon a crowd of people all looking in the same direction. Approaching the crowd, he recognized that they had gathered for a slave auction. Slavery had been outlawed in England for years, so this young man's curiosity drew him to watch, as a person became someone else's property. He heard "Sold!" just as he joined the crowd. A middle-aged black man was taken away. Next a beautiful young black girl was pushed up onto the platform and made to walk around so everyone could see her. The miner heard vile jokes and comments that spoke of evil intentions from those around him. Men were laughing as their eyes remained fixed on this new item for sale The bidding began. Within a minute, the bids surpassed what most slave owners would pay for a black girl. As the bidding continued higher and higher, it was apparent that two men wanted her. In between their bids, they laughed about what they were going to do with her, and how the other one would miss out. The miner stood silent as anger welled up inside of him. Finally, one man bid a price that was beyond the reach of the other. The girl looked down. The auctioneer called out, "Going once! Going twice!" Just before the final call, the miner yelled out a price that was exactly twice the previous bid. An amount that exceeded the worth of any man. The crowd laughed, thinking that the miner was only joking, wishing that he could have the girl himself. The auctioneer motioned to the miner to come and show his money. The miner opened up the bag of gold he had brought for the trip. The auctioneer shook his head in disbelief as he waved the girl over to him. Walking along the street with the slave girl he had just purchased, the miner seemed to be looking for something in particular as they walked up one street and down another. Finally he stopped in front of some sort of store, though the slave girl did not know what type of store it was. She waited outside as the dirty-faced miner went inside and started talking to an elderly man. She couldn't make out what they were talking about. At one point the voices got louder, and she overheard the store clerk say, "But it's the law! It's the law!" Peering in, she saw the miner pull out his bag of gold and pour out what was left of it on the table. With what seemed like a look of disgust, the clerk picked up the gold and went in a back room. He came out with a piece of paper and both he and the miner signed it. The young girl looked away as the miner came out the door. Stretching out his hand, he said to the girl, "Here are you manumission papers. You are free." The girl did not look up at the miner who had just purchased her as a slave, then set her free. He tried again. "Here. These are papers that say you are free. Take them." "I hate you!" the girl said, refusing to look up. "Why do you make fun of me!" "No, listen," he pleaded. "These are your freedom papers. You are a free person." The girl looked at the papers, then looked at him, and looked at the papers once again. "You just bought me...and now, you're setting me free?" "That's why I bought you. I bought you to set you free." The beautiful young girl fell to her knees in front of the miner, tears streaming down her face. "You bought me to set me free! You bought me to set me free!" she said over and over. The miner said nothing. Clutching his muddy boots, the girl looked up at the miner and said, "All I want to do is to serve you because you bought me to set me free!" We were all slaves to sin and to death. But a Miner came to redeem us, to pay for our freedom. He bought us with His own blood, that we might be free. What is your relationship to Him?

Reality TV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12 ESV). The first reality television episode was ten years ago. On the South China Sea the premise of Survivor was: to out will, out play, out last the rest of the group to become the ultimate survivor and win the one million dollar prize. Indeed, Richard Hatch and Kelly Wiglesworth had to outwit each other to become the victor. Rich claimed he played the game right, he was a leader and just a bit arrogant, and he was able to catch fish so the tribe could eat. On the other hand, Kelly wasn't in it for herself, she wasn't a loyal member of the Alliance and she had won 5 immunities; she was transparent. Though questionable, she admitted she was not political and that it was faith that helped her. In her final address she reflected, "Who am I, what am I about?" So the first Survivor episode on CBS was over and the 51 million viewers looked forward to Survivor II. Since then there have been many spin-offs of this show and it’s concept of entertainment. There are many expressions that can be incorporated into actually surviving. They can be listed: “may the best man win,” “what goes around comes around,” “you are what you eat,” “your environment determines who you are,” or “the one with the most toys wins in the end.” Survival, to out-will, out-play and out-last all the others. Is that what we are all about? If there is only one person that can win the prize, the fact is the rest of us are "losers," for someone will eventually outwit us. I have found great assurance in the fact that there is someone who can still make us into a somebody. God loves to interact and intervene in our lives to make us something special. There are many examples in the Scripture that show He cares for those who are victims of circumstances, violence, abuse, and hatred. These people may have felt like losers, but He called them His treasures. This is the promise of our reading this morning: But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. Just as we like to protect our treasures in safe enclosures, God loves to protect His treasures. We simply cannot survive without him. That's what true survival is: surviving with Him, being one of His treasures! This is the ultimate immunity. Are you able to survive with Him and are you one of His treasures? If not, then pray this morning asking God to open your heart and mind to the indwelling presence of His Son. You will then begin the journey on a path that leads to life. You won’t just be surviving. You will be winning!

Change

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. (Hebrews 13:7-9 ESV). There have been many opinions offered since the national election. No matter which party you voted with, there is a feeling of unrest in our country. I am prompted to think of how often this feeling of unrest has resulted in changes. Our recent history has been punctuated by cries to discard the past. This is true politically, economically, and socially. Legal battles have raged concerning the traditional use of language in our schools, our courts, and our legislature. Facing us is once again the decision whether to use “God” in the pledge or not. It is a result of a reexamination of our past. This reexamination has also resulted in some going in search of their roots. There is renewed interest in personal history as we search out our genealogies. For most, this quest has become a wonderful exercise in history. I wonder if we are learning from the past? I am afraid that most of the time I am forced to the conclusion that we are not learning from our past. In the last forty years the US population has increased 41%. But government spending on the various social issues is five times as much. Yet during the same thirty-year period, violent crimes have increased by 560%. Illegitimate births are up 419%. And teenage suicide has increased 200%. Not only so, the divorce rate has quadrupled. And now only 30% of the children in the US live with both of their biological parents. Interestingly enough, during this same period we have witnessed an incredible erosion of biblical faith in the public arena. The Ten Commandments are in less evidence. Public prayer, calling upon God for guidance and blessing, has been virtually silenced. Debates on moral values grounded in eternal truth are seldom heard. If we are interested in addressing political, economic, and social issues, it's time to search out our biblical heritage. After all, we are called to remember it. Our reading this morning is a clear call to remember how we have been taught. The answer is not in discarding the heritage of our past, but in honest evaluation of our values. If the past is indeed founded on a faulty understanding of the person and presence of God, then change is necessary. However, if we are changing our direction away from dependence on God and His will for our lives, then the result will be certain disaster. These are days that demand our voice and our support. Don’t be caught silent in the face of a vocal minority seeking to alter the fabric of our faith.

Only the Lion

Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. (Psalm 33:1-7 ESV). Just the other night, as Mary and I were driving west from church, I remarked at the beauty of the sunset. She simply answered that “it looked like a painting.” So much of God’s creation is like that. The beauty is undeniable. In his novel, "The Magician's Nephew," C.S. Lewis describes in stunning detail, the creation of the incredible mythical land of Narnia-- sung into existence by Aslan the Lion. Among the witnesses to the event was a character known as Uncle Andrew. Though Uncle Andrew witnessed the entire creation, he still refused to see it for what it was. Lewis' narrative is brilliant: "When the Lion had first begun singing, long ago when it was still quite dark, Uncle Andrew had realized that the noise was a song. And he had disliked the song very much. It made him think and feel things he did not want to think and feel. Then, when the sun rose and he saw that the singer was a lion ('only a lion,' as he said to himself) he tried his hardest to make himself believe that it wasn't singing and never had been singing-- only roaring as any lion might in a zoo in our own world. 'Of course it can't really have been singing,' he thought, 'I must have imagined it. I've been letting my nerves get out of order. Who ever heard of a lion singing?' And the longer and more beautifully the Lion sang, the harder Uncle Andrew tried to make himself believe that he could hear nothing but roaring. Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed." That last sentence is very perceptive. It describes those who, though they see creation all around them, refuse to admit there's a Creator. Some even try as hard as they can to make themselves believe there isn't, with devastating results. In 1715 King Louis XIV of France died after a reign of 72 years. He had called himself “the Great,” and was the monarch who made the famous statement, “I am the state!” His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was equally spectacular. As his body lay in state in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral should be very dimly lit with only a special candle set above his coffin, to dramatize his greatness. At the memorial, thousands waited in hushed silence. Then Bishop Massilon began to speak; slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, “Only God is great.” When you see God’s great creation do you hear the Lion singing? Bishop Massilon was right… only God is great!