RUMINATIONS OF A REVEREND

I presume, therefore I stress

2011-11-18T08:53:00.001-06:00

“Assumption: A thing that is accepted as true or as certainto happen, without proof.”

We make assumptions all the time; some are right and manyare wrong. Businesses and governments routinely make assumptions for budgetingpurposes. Businesses assume a certain market growth or decline and demand fortheir product. Sound companies, make fairly accurate assumptions, yet evensound companies err at times.

“Presumption: An idea that is taken to be true, and oftenused as the basis for other ideas, although it is not known for certain.”

When does an assumption become a ‘presumption’? Some mayargue these terms are synonymous, but I believe there is a slight connotativedifference. Our culture views presumptions more negatively than assumptions. Aperson may rebuke another person by saying, “That was awful presumptuous ofyou.” I believe we cross the line when we act on our assumptions or formulateother beliefs without verifying our assumptions.

In my experience, the majority of relational problems stemfrom presumption. An extreme example of this was illustrated in the 1994 film“Love Affair.” Mike Gambril and Terry McKay fall in love and agree to meetthree months later on top of the Empire State Buildingto determine whether their love was genuine. In her haste to the Empire Statebuilding, Terry is hit by a car and crippled as a result. Mike waits on top ofthe building until midnight and finally assumes that she has rejected him. Terry,on the other hand, assumes that Mike would not love her as a paraplegic andthus refuses to make contact with him. A few months later, the two encountereach other at a play, but he does not realize her condition since she remains seatedin her theatre seat, her wheel chair having been removed. Months pass as each ofthem base their actions off of erroneous assumptions. Finally, on Christmas EveMike decides to visit Terry and confirm whether his assumption about that nightwas true or not. Terry dodges the questions for a time, and just as he is aboutto leave, he figures out what happened and the two embrace.

I watched this movie some time ago, and I remember one ofthe things that frustrated me to no end in this movie is why wouldn’t Terryjust tell what happened, and why didn’t Mike just come right out and ask whathappened at the beginning. Their assumptions turned to presumptions andresulted in needless emotional pain and anguish that lasted for months. Whycouldn’t they have just talked the day after and found out what happened? Wellfor one thing, it would have made for a very short and boring movie. But in theworld of reality that we live in that would have been the far better choice.Adding tension, stress, and drama in real life isn’t what we long for.

Don’t allow assumptions to turn into presumptions and createneedless emotional pain. The Bible even warns against presumptions. In James4:13-15 we read, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go tothis or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead,you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan,1996, c1984, S. Jas 4:13-15

As we should be wary of presuming upon our future, so shouldwe be wary of presuming upon the motives of others. Before you assume themotive behind someone’s action and progress to anger, resentment, orbitterness, talk to the person. You’ll likely find out their motive was quitecontrary to your assumption, and you’ll save both yourself and the other party froma boatload of grief and heartache.

Taming the Tigers

2011-11-09T12:01:00.000-06:00

“...but how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and the television? These modern playthings, like pet tiger cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all.”

So wrote A.W. Tozer in the chapter titled “Let’s Cultivate Simplicity and Solitude” from his book Of God and Men. He bemoans the negative effects of these modern means of entertainment on the ability to rest and reflect in solitude. Tozer wrote in the fifties and early sixties, so we might update his comments by inserting “the internet, cell phone, i-pod, and DVR” for his list of “modern playthings.” However, the point he’s makings rings as true (if not truer) today as it did then.

We tend to live cluttered lives spiritual, adding to our spiritual repertoire the latest Christian fad that has hit the media. Maybe the fad is concerted prayer, or living purpose driven, or WWJD or living a “radical” life. We add the latest Christian best-seller to our bookshelf and watch the interviews with the author as he or she articulates how transforming the concepts in his or her book have been. And certainly, there have likely been many people impacted by the author’s work, but I wonder if our pursuit of the latest Christian fads can create clutter in our souls that hinders a clear view of Jesus.

Now without trying to endorse another “Christian fad,” I want us to consider Tozer’s point in the chapter I quoted from. Tozer challenges believers to remove the clutter in their lives and take regular times of solitude and stillness in the presence of God. He even writes, “Read less, but read more of what’s important to the inner life.” You rarely hear an author challenging people to read less, but Tozer makes a valid point. In our age of cyberspace, we can fill our minds with anecdotes, sports scores, weather forecasts, and miscellany that negatively impacts the nurturing of our inner life and gazing upon the glory of the Christ.

I confess that I’m a news junkie. I have so many worthless facts and anecdotes dancing across my neural pathways that my brain could audition for River Dance. Of course, their dancers actually dance together, whereas my plethora of dancing tidbits bounce about aimlessly. Certainly there are news items worthy of our attention, but I doubt it consists of the latest Lindsay Lohan trial or what Michele Obama had for lunch. Jesus certainly stayed abreast of the current events in His culture (evidenced by His parables), but He never allowed frivolous facts to clutter His view of the Father. He regularly practiced times of solitude, reflection, and prayer. In Mark 1:35 we read, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Mk 1:35

It’s that kind of solitude and reflection that Tozer endorses–the same kind that Jesus modeled. I challenge you to take some time today or this week to just be still and rest in God’s presence. Push aside those thoughts about the project at work or the meeting that night. Don’t dwell on what needs to get cleaned and fixed or what you have to do later that day and week. Clear your mind and soul of the clutter and focus on the LORD. Tozer wrote, “Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul.” And above all, don’t bring any of your pet tigers with you in that place.

Don’t set a time limit for this mini-retreat, but allow the Holy Spirit to set the agenda. Worship the LORD in spirit and truth, setting aside the worries of this world. Ask the LORD to search your heart and thoughts to see if there is any offensive way within you (Psalm 139:23-24). Then confess that area and lay it at the feet of the LORD. Ask Him to deal with that area in your life. Don’t approach this time with a laundry list of requests, but rather draw near to listen instead of to speak (Ecc. 5:1-2).

And when you leave that place of solitude, don’t run over immediately and try to cuddle your pet tiger. Keep it in a cage where you’re safe.

Just a Fan or Devoted

2011-10-25T17:24:00.001-05:00

Wow! So this is what my blog looks like. It’s been so long, I nearly forgot. Despite my lengthy sabbatical from blogging, I’m going to bet on a long shot and post something, hoping someone might still be out there to read it. So here I go.

My wife received a devotional booklet a few days ago called From the Heart, One Minute Devotions. The book shares brief, yet poignant, truths to encourage and challenge a believer in their walk with the LORD. In the fast and hectic pace that many today find themselves in, the brief word of encouragement can be a needed blessing in the midst of the chaos. I certainly appreciate the ministry such a booklet provides, but I have to admit that the title struck me as odd. It just seemed oxy-moronic to me.

Let me explain. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines ‘devotion’ as “a religious fervor” or “the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal.” That definition rings true to me (I suppose that’s why they’re Merriam-Webster). Whether it’s devotion to a spouse, a sports team, or a hobby, you observe this sense of fervor and loyalty. I have been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan since I was a little boy, but I don’t know if I would call myself a devoted fan. I like to watch the games when I can, but if a miss a game, I don’t feel any great emptiness as a result. Occasionally I might check out some news about the team, but that is rare. I’ve bought team gear when they made it to the Super Bowl the past couple of times, but I bought the clearance items that were a few years old to save money. So even though they’re my favorite NFL team, I don’t know if I fit into that devoted category. I don’t think my behavior qualifies as “ardently dedicated.”

In the same light, when I read the title of that devotional booklet, I wondered whether one minute with the LORD qualified as ‘devotion.’ Now I’m sure that the author and publisher aren’t trying to say, “One minute a day is all you need with the LORD.” They know better than that, and the book certainly has a beneficial purpose. We read this morning’s reading at breakfast to start the day. The title simply made me question what our devotion to the LORD looks like as believers. Are we ‘devoted’ to the LORD or just merely a fan?

There are people who will never miss a game of their favorite sports team. They’ll have hats, shirts, jerseys, jackets, pillow cases, lamp shades, and even toilet seat covers with the logo of their favorite team. If they do have to miss a game to go to their mother’s funeral (or something of comparable significance), they’ll record it to watch later. These “ardently dedicated” people will sit through rain, ice and snow to watch their favorite team live and in person. When their team is down by three touchdowns and there’s only two minutes left in the game, they’ll stay until the final seconds have ticked away just in case their team makes a miraculous comeback. Such people aren’t merely fans, they’re devoted.

So what about you? When it comes to Jesus, how would you describe yourself? Just a fan or DEVOTED.

God Wants Your Fat

2011-03-02T11:25:00.000-06:00

American obesity has been the societal evil of choice for media outlets to focus on in recent years. Even the first lady has made conquering American obesity her personal mission. And it is a real issue. Statistics tell us that over 60% of the American population is considered overweight, and this includes children. So we’ve set up healthy eating commissions in our schools, gaming software like Wii Fit, television programs like the Biggest Loser, and other methods to get rid of the fat in our culture.

Yet the Bible says God wants our fat. In Leviticus 3:16 we read, “All fat is the LORD’s.” Why does God want the fat? We curse fat in our culture, but God says He wants it. Why? Fat reveals prosperity and plenty. Even ‘poor’ people in our country are overweight. Regardless of the fact that many are eating junk food, obese ‘poor’ people reveal how prosperous we are as a nation. You don’t find obesity an issue with the poor in third world countries. Fat results from prosperity and plenty which our country has.

In Biblical times, fat was also considered a sign of prosperity and plenty. When scripture refers to the ‘fat’ portions of an item it was referring to ‘best’ portions of that item. The Hebrew term translated ‘fat’ is also translated ‘best’ in some passages like Number 18:12, “All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you.”

In the Torah, God required the fat tail of the sheep and all the fat on the inside organs of their sacrifice to be burned for him. The Israelites were not to eat that portion, but offer it up to the Lord. In that culture, the fat tail of a sheep was considered the best portion of the sheep and is still treated as a delicacy in many parts of the world today.

So what was God requiring in wanting all the fat for Himself? He was asking for the best from Israel. This helps clarify why God accepted Abel’s offering in Genesis 4:4. There we read that Abel brought ‘fat’ portions from the first born of his flock. He brought the best to the LORD. Cain simply brought some produce from his harvest, not even the first fruits. Abel brought his best, and Cain brought his leftovers. God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s.

Are you offering your ‘fat’ to the LORD, the best you have to offer or are you offering your leftovers of time, money, and abilities? I’m afraid I can be more like Cain and use the fat for myself and give the leftovers to God. God deserves the best though, doesn’t He? He gave us His best by giving us Jesus Christ. What are you giving God?

God wants your fat.

Rattled Nerves

2011-02-28T11:32:00.001-06:00

What makes you nervous?

I was thinking about this today, because I had a recent situation where I felt quite nervous. An individual asked me a question that I didn’t know how to answer, which resulted in the blood receding from my face and my heart starting to pound. I was nervous, but why?

As I have reflected on that situation and others like it, I’m struck by the fact that Jesus never appeared nervous in the gospels. Perhaps a person could argue that in the Garden of Gethsemane He was nervous, but I would counter that He was nervous in a different manner than we are. Jesus was troubled then because He knew the ordeal that lay ahead of Him, but I wouldn’t say He was nervous in the sense of fearful.

Our nervousness usually stems from fear, which in turn stems from a lack of faith. Jesus rebuked the disciples for their fear during a storm saying, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” He was actually sleeping on the boat during the same storm and clearly not nervous at all.

What are we afraid of when our nerves begin to quake? In my situation, I was afraid of looking stupid or having someone makes me look bad in an argument. I had issues of pride that were contributing to my nerves. If I didn’t care whether I ‘won’ that argument or not, I wouldn’t have been nervous. But I wanted to win, and when a question put me in a corner, I grew a little nervous.

I’ve also experienced losing control of a vehicle and that made me quite nervous. My heart really raced then and my muscle tensed in fear. But even in that situation, isn’t God in control? Of course He is, but my faith is little as Jesus said.

Money can unnerve me at times as well. Years ago, I invested in a company that I thought was on the cutting edge of their industry, offering an innovative new product. I was sure their stock prices would sky rocket. Unfortunately, they sank and I lost most of my investment. What made me nervous as I watched my investment dwindle? Misplaced faith. I was trusting in that investment instead of God.

Imagine if you trusted in the LORD with no inhibition. You are absolutely surrendered to Christ and not worrying about your reputation, your health, your wealth, or even your life. Would there be anything that you would make you nervous? Absolutely not.

So what if someone thinks I’m stupid, I know what God thinks of me. So what if I lose all my money, I know I have treasure in Heaven with the LORD. So what if I lose my health, I have a new body waiting for me when Jesus returns. So what if I even lose my life, I have eternal life with Jesus Christ.

Paul got it. He experienced that kind of peaceful life and wrote to the Philippian believers, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I’m not there yet, but by God’s grace, I’m moving toward that goal. I hope and pray you are too.

Perspective

2011-01-12T11:51:00.002-06:00

2011 has had a challenging beginning for the Sheets’ household: we started the year with a blizzard that shut down the highways and forced my in-laws to stay a couple of extra days, the stomach flu invaded our whole family and kept Christy from working for a week, our van’s power steering broke and needs fixing (who knows how much that will be), and our dog can barely walk or move so we need to take her to the vet. This is not how I wanted to start the new year.

2011 has started off with some great opportunities to see God work. We were blessed with some extra family time as Christy’s parents needed to stay longer because of the New Year’s blizzard (and thankful for a warm home to spend it in), we had the opportunity to show Christ’s love by caring for each other during a battle with the stomach flu in our house (and it gave Christy some extra time to get things ready for daycare and schooling), we are fortunate that our van’s power steering went out in the church parking lot and not somewhere that could have caused an accident (and thankful that the Lord provided the funds through our Christmas bonus to get it fixed), and our kids have been learning how to show consideration for the sick (in a sense). They have to be very careful with our dog since she’s not feeling well. We don’t know what’s going on yet, but fortunately we can get her to the vet and find out what’s wrong. We are so blessed to begin this new year with the knowledge that God loves us and is in control.

None of my circumstances change in those two paragraphs, but my perspective sure does, doesn’t it?

I’ve been reading the story of Joseph for my devotions, and I’m always impressed by that story. It probably is one of my favorite stories from the Torah. Joseph begins life with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. His wealthy father favors him above the other sons, the Lord spoke to him about his successful future in a dream, and he develops into a strapping, handsome young man. He has everything: good looks, wealth, and God’s promise of power and authority. But then life seems to fall apart. His brothers betray him and sell him to slave traders. He becomes the slave of an Egyptian official whose wife frames him for adultery. Potipher, his master, throws him into prison where sits for over two years.

I wonder what Joseph would have written as he began that third year of prison if he wrote in a journal. What would his perspective have been like? We can only speculate, but maybe it would have been something like this:

I’m starting my third year of imprisonment, and I have had a number of opportunities to share about the one true God with the prisoners. The prison warden has clearly seen God’s hand in my life for which I am truly thankful. Some of the prisoners still talk about the dreams that the LORD allowed me to interpret a couple of years ago.

I still haven’t figured out why all of this has happened to me yet, but I do know God is in control. God has blessed me wherever I have been placed, and even here the LORD has allowed me to have as much freedom as a prisoner could have. I don’t have to stay chained in my cell, but can move from cell to cell and care for the other prisoners. I easily could have been executed had Potiphar wanted to, but God in His grace has permitted me to live and serve here.

I’m not sure what this year holds, but I know that whatever the LORD has in store, it will be for His glory and the good of His people. Thank You, LORD, for the new year you have provided for me to serve you.

I don’t know exactly what Joseph might have been thinking. I do know, however, that Joseph told his brothers not to worry about their action against him because God had a plan to use it for the good of many (Genesis 45:5; 50:20).

I don’t know what issues you’re facing this year either. I certainly can’t change your circumstances, but I can challenge you to change your perspective if necessary. Circumstances can’t dictate your attitude towards them. That’s simply your choice. Choose to view your life through God’s eternal perspective.

What’s your perspective on this new year so far?

Did you have fun?

2010-09-14T16:26:00.002-05:00

So I'm driving with my family in the car out to Cooperstown Bible Camp and my wife is talking to her mother on the cell phone. In such confined quarters, I can't help but overhear my wife's part of the conversation, and one of her comments seemed to slap me in the face. She said, "Are you having fun?"

I know that's a common expression we use all the time. We ask our children, "Did you have fun today?" I asked my football players after their scrimmage on Saturday, "Did you have fun?" You probably have asked friends after they returned from a vacation, "Did you have fun?" We use the expression all the time, but the phrase really struck me that day in the car. I wondered, "Is that our primary goal as Americans--fun?"

My deeper question was whether this Epicurean mentality of Americans had consumed the American church. Is the issue of fun the ultimate issue? Do you ever hear parents ask their children, "How was your day? Was your character strengthened?" Or "Did gain some wisdom today?" Or better yet, "Did you glorify God today?" That's not the question we ask, is it? We say, "How was your day? Did you have FUN?"

Hmmm? That really troubled me as we traveled out to Bible camp. It seemed so shallow that we would use 'fun' as a determiner of whether our time had been successful. Shouldn't it be the glory of God as indicated in I Corinthians 10:31? In fact, that was the verse we quoted before supper out at camp that weekend. "Whether, therefore, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God."

We pulled into the camp in time for Christy to catch the last part of the women's Bible Study. When she got back to the camper I asked, "Did you have fun?" No, I actually didn't do that, but she did have something to show me. They had studied Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 which says, "¹²I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. ¹³That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God." NIV

Well, that sounds like fun might actually be a gift from God. God might actually want us to enjoy life. I think He does, but the danger comes when that becomes our primary goal. If the goal of our activities is merely fun, then we are shallow. But if the goal of our activities is to glorify God and He allows us to have fun in the process, then we have understand the joy of living that He desires for His people.

So maybe a better question to ask our children and each other would be, "Did you have fun glorifying God today?"

What are your thoughts?

Appointment with God

2010-07-29T15:15:00.003-05:00

Don Postema wrote, "I used to write in my daily calendar '7-7:30 a.m.: Prayer.' But many times I passed that up. It was one more thing to pass by that day. Now I write '7-7:30 a.m.: God.' Somehow that's a little harder to neglect." http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/search.html?type=keyword&query=%22Fear%20of%20God%22&start=41

I thought about that and the idea of an 'appointment with God'. Oh sure, I've heard the phrase used many times, but I'm afraid I've glossed over the significance of that phrase in the past.

I have meetings and appointments with people weekly. Someone may have an issue they want to discuss, so I'll set up an appointment to meet with that person at such and such a time. When I have an appointment, I try and make sure I keep it unless an emergency arises.

Let's say that someone stops by to simply chat, but I have an appointment in fifteen minutes. I will usually cut that time of casual chatting short, so I'm not late. I try and schedule the rest of my day around my appointments. It honors the person I'm meeting with and shows them that they are important. If I simply skipped the appointment, it would seem rude and inconsiderate.

You do that with doctor's appointments and other appointments. You reschedule only if you have to, but typically you order the rest of your day around the appointment. Only if something is of greater importance do we skip that appointment or reschedule it.

So what do you and I do about our appointment with God? Do you have a daily appointment with God scheduled? Do you schedule your day around your appointment with God or do you try to fit Him in when you have time? When we skip that daily appointment with God, what does that say about the importance of God in our lives?

Now some of you may be thinking, "Well, God is always with me. I can meet with Him any time, so I don't need to schedule an 'appointment' to meet with God."

Doctrinally speaking, I agree with you that God is always present with us, wherever we go. There is no place we can flee from His presence. However, just because He is always with us, doesn't mean He always has our attention. I can attend a football game and sit next to someone for three hours and leave that stadium not even knowing the person's name. God doesn't merely want to be present with us, He wants our attention. He wants that one on one appointment time where we focus on Him.

I feel bad when someone cancels an appointment with me or leaves me waiting because something better came up. I wonder how God feels?

So when's your next appointment with God? Don't leave Him wating!

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

2010-07-23T17:09:00.008-05:00

That question has been around since the day God’s curse fell upon the earth because of sin. Suffering has multiplied over the years through famines, diseases, wars, and the wickedness of man. Children are abused and die of starvation. Women are raped and forced into prostitution. Men are beaten and made slaves in some parts of the world and terrorists kill their fellow humans in brutal fashion simply to make a point. Tragically, Keenan Cooper (the son of a friend) lost his life on account of such evil. Then there is the slow, miserable death that cancer inflicts upon its victims.

My wife’s aunt battled with cancer for years, as we slowly watched her waste away and eventually succumb to that evil disease. Recently, a dearly loved resident in our town also lost her battle with cancer. In both instances, people were praying and trusting in Jesus to heal, yet the healing people looked for never came.

How can we as Christians shout, “God is good all the time!” when we see the tremendous suffering in this world? How can God be all powerful and loving, yet allow the horrors of disease, war, famine, and natural disasters? We struggle with that even as Job and others have struggled with that. Job had lost all his children, nearly all his earthly possessions, and suffered from an excruciating and painful disease when he said, “Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?” (Job 3:20-23)

Job wanted to die in the midst of his misery. He felt God had hedged him in and abandoned him. Why did he have to go through this suffering? That’s the age old question. Why?

In order to try and get some kind of handle on this, we must remember where suffering came from. It actually came from us. When humanity rebelled against God and chose to rule the world in our own wisdom apart from God, the earth and our labors were cursed. The world was doomed for disaster under man’s care apart from God. Weeds began to grow and choke out nutritious plants. Viruses and bacteria mutated into harmful diseases. People no longer provided themselves with the proper nutrition and habits that promoted optimal health. Jealousy and carnal appetites drove humanity to murder, rape, slavery and host of other cruel sins. Earth itself began to quake and unleash cataclysmic disasters upon man. Humanity’s choice to call the shots and be like God has had horrendous effects on this planet and its inhabitants ever since. If we want to understand suffering, then we must understand that reality. Humanity brought on its own suffering through our rebellion against God, which started in the Garden of Eden.

Perhaps God allows suffering to emphasize the horror of sin and our desperate need of Him. Maybe that’s one reason God allows suffering.

Yet, I still wrestle with this issue, because even if suffering is self-inflicted, would I, as a loving father, sit back and do nothing when my son has brought suffering on himself? Doesn’t that seem cruel?

I certainly don’t enjoy seeing my child suffer, nor does God enjoy the suffering of humanity. Yet, there are times that I may permit the suffering of my son for a greater purpose. I may permit a small amount of suffering as a parent to prevent greater suffering in the future. I may let my son experience some of the negative consequences of his action so he avoids it in the future. If I always guard him from suffering, he will never learn from those hardships. I may let him touch the hot pot so that he learns the dangers of fire.

In fact, in this world, experiencing no pain can be quite dangerous. My mother had a cousin with a rare disease that did not allow him to feel pain. One time he took a hard fall on the playground and his mother worried something might be broken. He didn’t feel a thing, but the x-rays revealed he had a broken collar bone. He died from an infection that developed from a deep punctured wound in his foot. He probably stepped on a nail and never knew it.

Even that story may bring us back to the question of God’s role in suffering. If God is so good and loving, why did He allow that boy to have that disease that doesn’t allow pain? Or why did He allow the boy to step on the nail? God allows humanity to make choices and allows us to experience consequences for those choices. Sometimes the consequences are negative and sometimes they even affect other people negatively. If we never experienced pain or suffering, would we ever see our need for God and His salvation? No, we wouldn’t. Pain and suffering can lead us to the LORD.

But what about those people that are believers and do love the LORD? What about those that are serving Him and they have to endure great suffering?

Sometimes God can use one person’s suffering for the benefit of others. Of course the ultimate example of this is the suffering and death of God’s own Son, Jesus the Christ. Yet, other examples exist where the suffering of one or a few has brought about the conversion of others. Jim Elliot and the other men who were martyred by the Waodonis serve as such an example. The majority of the tribe later came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because of their deaths. So sometimes, God allows the suffering of one for the benefit of others.

I read a story about a father who worked as the drawbridge operator on a train track. He had a young son that he often took to work with him. He would have his son play down by the river in a location that he could keep an eye on him in the operator booth. The boy loved going to work with dad and seeing the bridge go up and down. His dad loved the opportunity to spend time with his son and play with him during breaks.

One day, the father received a phone call from a ship asking for permission to pass through the bridge. The train was not scheduled to arrive for some time and the father gave the go ahead and raised the bridge. Unfortunately, the train was early and ignored the red warning sign indicating the bridge was up. The son heard the train whistle and noticed that the bridge was up. He yelled at his dad, but his dad couldn’t hear him. He remembered a lever his father had showed him that would lower the bridge in an emergency. He ran up onto a platform above the gear room of the bridge and spotted the lever. He rushed over to it, but in his hurry he slipped and fell into the gear room, wedging his leg in the gears.

Now the father heard the train as well. The train whistle startled him, but he knew there was enough time to lower the bridge. He looked out to check on his son and couldn’t see him. The train whistle blew again. He needed to lower the bridge quickly to avoid a major disaster, but he didn’t know where his son was. It suddenly dawned on him where he might be. The whistle blew again in the distance. He didn’t know how many passengers were on board, and he wasn’t sure he cared. His son could be trapped. He looked again outside. No one was there. He couldn’t make it down to the gear box in time to check and pull the lever. The train was coming too quickly. There could be hundreds of passengers on board. He glanced one more time outside. Nothing. So he closed his eyes and pulled the lever. The bridge lowered and the passengers crossed safely, but that was the last day he spent with his son.

Sometimes the suffering of one is necessary for the benefit and protection of others. The suffering and death of Christ has provided eternal life for believers. Sometimes the suffering of a believer can also lead to the salvation of others. Suffering at times serves the greater purpose of saving the many.

Suffering can also sometimes bring healing to relationships as well. The suffering of my wife’s aunt brought healing to her relationship with her husband. The question often asked is “Why would God bring healing to a relationship and then not let that relationship continue for years to come?” Perhaps God allowed the healing of the relationship in this life to bring closure those left behind before the suffering one finishes his or her suffering on this earth and enters into glory. We must remember that, for the believer, eternal life with Christ is the true life.

Finally, in wrestling with this question, we must realize that our perspective is so small. Look at this painting.

Would you consider this a masterpiece?

Probably not. It’s dark, bland, and makes no sense. That’s how we often feel about suffering, because we look at it from such a small perspective. We can only see from our limited time frame and our limited context. God views the suffering from a timeless perspective and a universal context. He sees the ultimate consequences over the ages and around the globe.

Here is the rest of the picture that you couldn’t see earlier.

The Mona Lisa, of course, is considered a masterpiece, but the little snippet I showed looks nothing like a masterpiece. God sees the whole of life and the beautiful portrait He is painting. We, unfortunately, only see the snippets now.

I don’t think we will ever in this life fully grasp the why of suffering. But I do believe that we can get a better handle on it and move from doubt to hope. Paul wrote in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” We’ll quickly forget the sufferings of this life when we enter the glories of the next. And it is comforting for us to remember that those who have already entered the glory of the next life have already forgotten the sufferings of this life.

No, I can't give all the reasons why someone had to suffer. But I can say that God is good, loving and all-powerful even despite the suffering we have to endure in this life.

Preaching to Myself

2010-07-13T09:45:00.003-05:00

Fortunately, in my ministry career thus far, there hasn't yet been a Sunday where I was the only one that showed up at church. I have had some Sunday's that came pretty close, but I have never had to preach only to myself on a Sunday morning. However, there have been many times when I realized that I was preaching to myself along with preaching to the rest of the congregation.

The Sunday of our men's fishing retreat at Lake of the Woods was just such an occasion. The LORD used my own mouth to convict me. I shared about Andrew and Peter's calling to discipleship and how Jesus transformed them into fishers of men. That is one of those passages you have to consider from the culture of the day versus the American culture. Most people in America think of fishing as a hobby or recreational past time. We fish because we enjoy it, not because our livelihood depends on it. Andrew and Peter, however, were fishermen by trade. They provided for themselves and their families through the fishing industry. Far from merely a past time, it was their life.

Let's consider Christ's call in light of that. Jesus challenges them to a new life. He declares that now their primary occupation will be making disciples. He calls them to make evangelism their life now. Evangelism was not merely to be a hobby or past time for Peter and Andrew, but their primary occupation.

It was at that point I felt convicted. Do I view evangelism and discipleship as my primary occupation or merely a past time? I share my faith and have had the privilege of leading people into a personal relationship with Christ. But have I treated that as merely a past time? In my head, I know that it is to be my primary focus, but have I always lived that way? The honest truth is that I haven't.

Jesus called Peter and Andrew to a lifetime of evangelism and discipleship. Now I understand that none of us are the original twelve disciples. We all have unique giftings and callings. Yet, scripture does indicate that we our purpose on this earth is to serve as witnesses of His glory. We are to testify of God and His glorious work through Jesus Christ. We may each do it in different ways, but that doesn't dismiss our duty. Evangelism should be more than just a hobby we do in our spare time. Whether we are at work, school, a store, or wherever, we need to serve as witnesses of Jesus Christ and seek to make disciples of Him.

Where you work is not merely a place to earn some money, but an opportunity to fulfill your true calling as a fisher of men. You have the opportunity to testify of Christ's glory and His wondrous plan of salvation. As believers we may earn an income doing certain tasks, but we are not engineers, farmers, teachers, or anything else. We are fishers of men.

How's the fishing been lately?

Faith in what?

2010-06-16T10:13:00.002-05:00

Faith. It's a name we give to children. It's a theme of ancient hymns as well as contemporary pop songs. It's even used as a comprehensive term for a person's religious beliefs (e.g., "What is your faith?"). As believers, the very term that identifies us stems from the word 'faith.' "To believe" is mereley the verb form of the noun "faith" in the Greek. So believers are essentially people of faith. But what does that phrase mean in society today?

Last night the President gave an address from the oval office dealing with the BP oil spill crisis and the administration's response to it. At the close of his speech, he made some remarks to inspire hope to Americans. However, his words highlighted the subtle tragedy concerning the "faith" of many Americans. He stated, "It’s a faith in the future that sustains us as a people. It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now." After a brief reflection about the "blessing of the fleet" given by clergy from different religions and a quotation from a priest about God's abiding presence, the president then concluded, "The oil spill is not the last crisis America will face. This nation has known hard times before and we will surely know them again. What sees us through -– what has always seen us through –- is our strength, our resilience, and our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we summon the courage to reach for it."

Now perhaps the president's desire was to point Americans toward something or someone greater than themselves, but unfortunately that did not seem to be what he said. That last sentence I quoted gives evidence to the contrary, "What sees us through -– what has always seen us through –- is our strength, our resilience, and our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we summon the courage to reach for it."

Where is faith placed in that sentence? The focus is clearly on American's own strength, resilience, and courage to reach for something better. The end of the faith that the president spoke of was simply a better tomorrow based on our own efforts. Now I don't want to misrepresent the president or be unjustly harsh, so I will reiterate that he does make some references to God and even prays that "a hand may guide us through the storm to a brighter day." I'm sure that there are plenty of atheists outraged that the president of the United States would make such references to God.

I certainly hope that the faith he referred to is more than merely faith in humanity's strength and resilience to bring something better. Unfortunately, his reference to God struck me as cursory and his reference to faith as a description of the misplaced faith that so many Americans hold on to. They think that just by believing generally or believing in themselves they can have that "better tommorow."

The object of faith must always be in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not faith in ourselves, it's not faith in itself, and it's not even faith in God in a generic sense. The only effectual faith is faith in the Triune God (Father, Son, and Spirit) who became a man in the person of Jesus the Christ and died on the cross for our sins and rose on the third day.

As born again Christians, we are believers in the Triune God of the Bible who revealed Himself incarnationally through Jesus the Christ. That is who we believe in. When someone speaks of faith or says he or she believes, you should ask that person what his or her faith is in?

"I'm a believer!" Americans may shout. But a believer in what? The answer to that question has eternal ramifications.

A Change of Heart

2010-06-04T10:28:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm extremely overdue in my posting. I could make excuses like "the dog ate my blog," but that wouldn't exactly fly in the computer age. However, if you've read my earlier post about my dog, maybe I could get away with that excuse. But I will refrain from the excuses and simply dive into a new (overdue) blog.

I was praying this morning and thinking about how I can most effectively help people grow in their relationship with Christ when the phrase "As a man thinks, so is he," popped into my head. So I did a google search. As a result, I found a similar phrase in scripture.

In the NASB, Proverbs 23:7 states, "For as he thinks within himself, so he is." The KJV translates the verse in a similar fashion, but other versions translate it differently. You would read in the NIV, "for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost."

The Hebrew term translated 'thinks' or 'thinking' refers more accurately to calculating or reckoning. The term has a financial connotation to it. Therefore, it seems an appropriate term to refer to a greedy or selfish man, which is the kind of man referred to here according to verse 6.

The greedy man is always calculating the costs to make sure he gets the best deal and has the most for himself. His calculating ways reveal his true nature. The whole proverb states, "Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, or desire his delicacies; For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you." (NASB)

Even though a selfish man puts on a show of hospitality, inwardly he hates the thought of wasting all that food. His heart is certainly not with his guest.

That verse started me think about the matters of the heart that Jesus so frequently spoke about. Whether it was preaching the sermon on the mount or confronting the Pharisees in the temple, Jesus emphasized the matter of the heart. It wasn't what went into someone that made them unclean, but rather what came out of them because that came out of the heart.

Like the selfish man in Proverbs and the Pharisees in Jesus' day, people today can put on a show of righteousness, but that is not what the LORD desires. He calls us to a heart change, and that rests solely on faith in Christ.

It's so easy to begin our journey with Christ in faith at the moment we trust in Him, and then after a time, we start trying to live righteously in our own strength. We begin to begrudgingly give to others, while inside thinking, "I sure could use that gift myself." We begin to begrudgingly serve the LORD and others, while thinking, "I really would rather be at home right now."

We can't change our heart, only God can do that. That's why we begin the Christian walk in faith, we maintain our Christian walk in faith, and we end our Christian walk in faith. Christ has done what we could not and will do for us what we can not. We trust Him not only for our righteousness for heaven but also for our righteousness here on earth.

What are the thoughts and reckonings of your heart? Are they thoughts focused on the sufficiency of Christ? If that's the case, then you have a very healthy heart.

Are you a beggar?

2010-05-18T15:56:00.007-05:00

I have some experience in begging. In college, Christy and I had another friend that we would do things with that was at least as crazy as I was. We were on a college meal plan that limited what we could get for our weekend evening meals. So one weekend evening we had a craving for tacos and no money to get them. [CORRECTION: I shared this blog with our college friend and she thought it was pizza that we wanted to get, so I'll trust her memory on that point more than mine.] We decided to hit up every person we saw for some food funds. Our friend would feign starvation and I would passionately plea with my fellow classmates to spare whatever change they could to aid my starving friend. I think Christy stood off to the side pretending she didn't know us during that time.

One fellow student, in his desire to show Christ's love (it was a Christian college), offered us his credit card. As a side note, that dear brother in Christ also literally offered me the shirt off his back on another occasion. I had commented that I liked his shirt and he asked me if I wanted it. He was ready to take it off and give it to me at that very moment. I didn't take his shirt then, in case your wondering, and we didn't take his credit card in this instance. We were honing in on the pocket change market rather than credit cards.

So I'm an experienced beggar, not only from my college days but also as a child. Numerous pleas to my parents consisted of begging. "Please, please, please Mom and Dad, let me go to my friend's house for the weekend?" If you're a parent, I imagine you've heard a little begging from your children as well.

The apostle Paul was a beggar. Did you know that? Not in the way I've described above, but a beggar on behalf of Christ. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." NASB

Did you notice that last phrase? "We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." The Greek term for 'beg' is used by a father begging Jesus to heal his sick son. It is used by leper begging Jesus to cleanse him. It is even used by the demons begging Jesus not to torture them. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul invokes the term to describe his passionate plea for an estranged and antagonist humanity to find a restored relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul begs sinners to be saved through faith in Christ Jesus.

That thought convicted me. Have I ever begged someone to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior? I have shared the gospel with a number of people over the years, but I don't know if I've ever begged someone to trust in Christ. The idea seems odd and maybe even seems wrong to us in some ways, but it reveals Paul's heart. He understand in the core of his being the grave situation of fallen humanity. Without Jesus Christ, a person has no hope or future. Such a person can only anticipate God's judgment. That reality drove Paul and burdened him to such a degree that he would willingly beg someone to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ. The urgency of the times drove Paul to begging the lost to come to Christ, if that's what it took.

Am I a beggar? Well I did manage to successfully beg enough money to go out to eat that night I referred to earlier. So, maybe you could say I was a successful beggar in one sense. However, in the matter of passionately urging (begging) the lost to be saved, I tragically don't believe I am a beggar. I have shared the gospel many times, but I fear I lack the heart Paul had when he wrote those words, "I beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

How about you? Are you a beggar on behalf of Christ?

"LORD, let Your heart for the lost burn in my heart. Give me eyes to see humanity as you see them and the tragic reality of their situation. Embolden me by Your Holy Spirit to share Jesus with unbelievers in humility and love. Make me a beggar on Your behalf! In Jesus' precious and holy name. Amen."

Daniel and the Sea Serpent

2010-05-07T18:36:00.005-05:00

I think it was about three years ago that I and my family were returning from a vacation. My sons asked me to tell them a story to occupy the time as we traveled. So I started telling them about a boy named Daniel and his encounter with a sea serpent. Each night they asked for a little more of the story and continued to ask for it after we returned home. As I thought about the story, I realized it would make a fun and exciting youth novel. After many, many hours of writing, numerous rewrites, critiques and edits, I finally have published Daniel and the Sea Serpent.

Christy and I are planning to use any royalties we might receive (I realize that's a big MIGHT, since people actually have to buy the book) to help pay for the adoption that we are pursuing. We'll see what happens.

I hope through the book that young people and adults discover the importance of trusting God's Word. God's Word has fallen into disrepute these days and many view it merely as a humanly composed book full of myths and stories. They find no authoritative value in the scripture, only some thoughtful advice to consider. Of course, once we throw out the authority of scripture we might was well throw out our faith altogether.

If you want to check out the book you can go to http://www.christianfantasybook.com/

You can read an excerpt of chapter one at http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Sea-Serpent-Scott-Sheets/dp/1451593716/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273277890&sr=8-1#noop Simply click on the "search inside this book" link after you get to the site.

I'm currently working on book two and hope to have it completed and available by next spring. If you do read it and enjoy it, I would appreciate it if you wrote a review for me at Amazon. Thanks for checking it out!

Karen's Doing What?

2010-05-05T10:20:00.002-05:00

With graduation near, I decided to post this short story just for fun. You won't find any profound spiritual insights, but perhaps you'll get a laugh, and that's good medicine according to scripture. I hope you enjoy it.

“Hey, Karen. So what are you going to do now that you’ve graduated?” John asked, fully donned in cap and gown.

“Well, I really want to get into clothing design. I was thinking of applying for a position at Columbia Sportswear.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I’m going to be the next American Idol.” John raised his chin and struck a pose as if anticipating a wave of cheers. “I’m driving up to Jersey for auditions next month.”

Karen raised her eyebrows and with a quirky grin replied, “Good luck with that.”

“No luck needed,” John said as he caught a glimpse of Steve out the corner of his eye. “Hey, I gotta talk to Steve. See ya later, Karen.”

John rushed toward his partner in classroom crimes. “Steve, we did it man.” The clap of their high five faded into the roar of conversation around them.

“Hey, was that Karen you were talking to?” Steve asked. “What’s she going to be doing now?”

“Get this. She’s going to be designing sports jerseys in… Oh where was it? Columbia. That’s right. Columbia.”

“No way. I never expected her to move so far away.”

* * *

“Thanks for coming to my open house, Emily,” Steve said as he gave Emily a hug.

“So where are you going to college?” Emily inquired.

“I’m going out to Denver, but that’s nothing like where Karen’s going.”

“Really. Where’s she heading to?”

“John told me she’s going to Columbia, South America.”

“What’s she doing there?”

“Oh, it was something with sports uniforms. I don’t remember. Maybe she’s laundering for a soccer team or something. Must be good money.”

* * *

“Cindy, guess what I heard about Karen.” Emily sat cross-legged on her bed with the phone sealed to her ear.

“What? Tell me.”

“Steve said that she’s laundering money for a team in South America. I bet they’re a drug ring.”
“You can’t be serious,” Cindy exclaimed. “Karen selling drugs in South America?” Cindy’s little sister, Abby, was passing by Cindy’s door at that moment and ventured out to the living room. Her father reclined in his plush, burgundy chair with the daily paper in front of him.

“Abby,” he asked, “what’s your sister all worked up about?”

“She said that Karen’s going to be selling drugs down south.”

“Oh, her dad must have got her a position with his pharmaceutical company in Texas. She’ll probably end up marrying some cowboy down there.”

* * *

Abby put on a rhinestone necklace to complement the silver glittered purse by her side and promenaded around Hannah’s bedroom. The two girls giggled as they mimicked their perception of womanhood. Hannah’s older brother, Ryan, peaked his head in the door and interrupted their play.

“Hey, Abby. What’s your sister doing this fall?”

“She doesn’t know yet,” Abby said. “But I know Karen’s going to a pharm…a pharm…a pharm something down in Texas. She’s going to marry a cowboy.”

“Really? Karen working on a ranch!”

Ryan headed downtown to meet some friends at the mall. He pulled open the over sized glass door and Susan came bounding out with an armful of packages.

“You need some help, Sue.”

“No thanks, I got it. So what are you up to, Ryan?”

“Nothing much really, but did you hear what Karen’s doing?”

“No, what?”

Ryan placed his thumbs in his front jeans pockets, bowed his legs, and said in a southern drawl, “She’s going to be brandin’ cow hides in the Lone Star state.”

“Really?”

“That’s what I heard,” Ryan said and then galloped off into the mall.

Susan, meanwhile, meandered toward her vehicle in the parking lot while perusing the seventy percent off wardrobe she acquired. In the midst of her retail reveling, she nearly knocked over her home economics teacher.

“Excuse me, I’m so sorry– Mrs. Murphy. It’s you. Are you O.K.?”

“I’m fine, Susan. I’m fine. How’s the summer going?”

“Great. Sure glad to be done with school.”

“What are your plans for the fall?”

“Well, I’m taking some classes here at West Tech. But– you know Karen, right?”

“Yes.”

“I just heard that she plans on designing a brand of leather clothes in some ‘star’ state. Probably California.”

* * *

Karen answered the phone, “Hello, this is Karen.”

“Hi, Karen. This is Mrs. Murphy.”

“Hi, Mrs. Murphy.”

“I heard you want to get into clothing design on the west coast. You should apply at Columbia Sportswear. I have a friend who works there.”

“That’s exactly what I was planning on doing.”

What are you worried about?

2010-04-27T15:11:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how quickly life can change, isn't it? I had the opportunity to visit my family and an old friend from high school this past week. I hadn't seen or spoken to my high school friend in about twenty years. We reconnected a couple of years ago on Facebook and we were finally able to visit face to face. It was great seeing him again, meeting his children, and reminiscing about the past. I realized that either my memory is not what I thought it was or that my brain has an auto suppress feature that enables me to forget my less glorious acts as a human being. Unfortunately, my dear friend didn't have that same feature and reminded of some activities I had long forgotten.

There was one event he recalled that I still can't fully remember. I have some vague recollection of the event buried deep within my memory banks, but it is cloudy at best. However, considering what I know I did as a teenager, I am not surprised that I also carried out this particular juvenile delinquency. According to my good friend (and RWM, I'm trusting you that this actually happened), we were at a store and I picked up a golf club and loudly anounced that I was stealing the club. I slowly proceeded to the door anouncing all the way that I was stealing the golf club. I continued this until I actually left the store without a single employee saying anything to me. (Warning: Do not attempt this without actually purchasing the item. Serious consequences will likely result). Amazingly, no one stopped me or did anything to me, and I did bring the club back into the store.

During this vacation, I also had the chance to spend time with my parents and they have had a challenging year to say the least. They have had to deal with a heart attack, a stroke, and being laid off from work all in a period of about 9 months. That's a lot to deal with in a short time. Their lives have been drastically changed and their plans altered. But that's life, isn't it? It can radical change in an instant.

Christy and I had the privilege of helping my mom and dad around the yard with a little spring clean up. It's an honor to serve one's parents after they have done so much for you over the years, but it also is strange seeing a role reversal. I was now helping my parents, when they had always been the ones to help me out. If I ever had a need, mom and dad were always there to help. Now they have some needs and I'm trying to help. It's a strange role reversal.

I reflected on my time with family and friends as I drove back home. The reminiscing with an old friend and the time with my parents reminded me of my life as a child. I had very little to worry about as a child. Sure I did some pretty stupid things (as I have once again revealed in this blog to my own humiliation and razzing), but basically I had no major worries. Mom and dad took care of my needs and were there for me when I needed help. Life as a child was actually quite worry free.

It dawned on me as I talked with Christy on the way back home that the Heavenly Father wants us to experience a similar worry free life as believer. I was beginning to worry about my parents and their situation, challenges that my brother was facing, and challenges Christy and I face. There's a lot I could worry about. Yet, God can handle all the worries we face in this life. As a child, all of my needs were taken care of. I may have worried about a lost toy, but I had no major worries. In the same way, we have a heavenly Father who loves and cares for us. We can throw any and every worry we have on Him. Like a small child living a worry free life because his mom and dad takes care of him, so ought we to live as believers. I Peter 5:7 calls us to do just that. "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

Even though my parents are going through a transitional stage of life (and consequentially I am as well), I don't need to allow anxiety to weigh me down. The worries of this life are no match for my infinite, omnipotent Father. When worry and anxiety rise up in my spirit I'm going to pick them up and throw them onto my Heavenly Father. I'll let Him take care of it. I'm not trying to be simplistic or flippant about this. I know my parents will still have health issues to deal with amd I'll still have challenges to face as well, but I don't need to worry about those things. Do I need to accept their reality and face them? Yes. Do I need to worry about them? No.

I want to live like a child without worry and rest in the protective and loving care of my Heavenly Father (but I'll refrain from the childish shoplifting pranks in the future).

Oh, No! It's Tax Day!

2010-04-15T10:43:00.001-05:00

Well, did you get your tax forms filed today? I think I did. I remember signing the forms, and I think I put it in the mailbox, but I'm not 100% sure. I'll probably need to call my tax preparer to double check.

Everybody has an opinion about paying taxes. Even in Jesus' day people had their opinions on taxes. Rome ruled the then known world and required all of their subjects to pay taxes. Roman citizens, however, were exempt. Many Jews of Jesus' day didn't feel they should pay taxes to Rome, because Rome was an occupying force in their land. God had given Israel the land and they shouldn't have to pay a foreign oppressor. Rome didn't share those beliefs and would often have soldiers stationed with the tax collectors to make sure people paid.

Corruption abounded as well in Jesus' day. Tax collectors made their wealth by collecting more tax than what was required. Zacchaeus may have hinted at this practice by indicating that he would pay back four times the amount if he had cheated anybody out of anything.

To pay or not to pay, that was the question of Jesus' day. And that was the question the Jewish leaders posed to Jesus in Matthew 22, "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?"

You probably know how Jesus answered. He said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." Jesus did not allow Himself to get caught up in the political hot button of the day. They wanted to trap Him, hoping to get Him hated either by His fellow Jews or by the Romans. Much to their dismay, Jesus' answer endeared Him both to the Romans and to the Jewish people.

The issue of taxes can create a lot of anxiety and even anger among people (believers included). Some feel we are taxed too much, while others feel the wealthy of our society need to be taxed even more. Jesus didn't speak to the issue of who was being taxed and how much they were being taxed. Certainly there would have been Jews who felt it was unfair that they had to pay taxes to support the luxuries of the Roman citizens who paid none. But Jesus refrains from getting caught up into such a debate. Instead He turns the people's attention to the eternal, and that's where I want us to focus on this tax day.

Jesus' final words are the real clincher in this passage. Unfortunately, they are also often the words that are forgotten. He said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." So what is God's?

Scripture says, "The earth is the LORD's and everything in it." God ultimately owns all of our material possessions. The car we drive, the house we live in, and even the retirement account we are building is not ours. We are simply stewards of those material goods. All we have is ultimately God's. But it's not just about the material goods that Jesus is referring to.

In Revelation 5:12-13 we read that the Lamb was worthy to receive "power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" And to the Lamb and to the One who sits on the throne there is due "praise and honor and glory and power!" That goes well beyond mere material goods. The LORD deserves all of our worship, our honor, our obedience, our possessions, and essentially ourselves.

Maybe you're one of those who wait to the last minute to file your taxes. As you go through all the numbers and analyze what you are giving to Uncle Sam, take some time to analyze what you are giving to God. And even if you filed weeks ago, take the time today to examine your heart and ask, "Am I giving to God what is God's?"

Matthew 22:21b "Then He said to them, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Guess Whose Coming to Church?

2010-04-07T10:10:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful (albeit busy) Resurrection Weekend. I hope you did as well. The president and his family also attended a Resurrection service this past Sunday at Allen Chapel Church in southeast D.C. neighborhood. When the early word got out that the president would be attending, people started lining up outside at 3 a.m. to get a good spot in the 700 seat sanctuary. I've heard of sunrise services, but that's pretty early. Late comers who maybe hadn't heard the president would be there were turned away because the sanctuary was full.

I have a friend who use to attend the church where Cris Carter's family attended in the Twin Cities. They had children the same age and he would visit with his wife. One Sunday I told the congregation I was serving that Cris Carter would be coming to speak at our service the next week. I told the people about my friend who went to Carter's church, which allowed me to make the connection. I put a flyer in the bulletin about it and people were all abuzz with excitement. I mentioned the news during the Sunday morning announcements and encouraged people to invite friends. People were talking about who they could invite and how they could publicize it. When I started my sermon I made a confession- Cris Carter would not be attending our service the following week; however, Jesus Christ would be. The congregation got the point.

Why do people flock to church and wait for hours to get in when someone famous will be there, but find it a struggle to make it to church if it's just going to be Jesus there? One reason may be that people don't really believe Jesus is there. You can't see Him, hear Him, or touch Him like you can some famous person in the flesh. Yet, Jesus promised that wherever two or three gathered in His name there He would be in their midst. He doesn't lie, so He must be present when we gather on Sundays. But still, Jesus alone doesn't seem to draw the crowds are garner the excitement like other famous people. Why is that?

Perhaps we are so familiar with Jesus that we don't think it's a big deal. Isn't Jesus with us always? So what's the big deal about attending church? I don't think it's our familiarity with Jesus that creates an indifference toward church, but rather our unfamiliarity with Jesus. The fact that we know Jesus so little makes us non-chalant about worshiping him with our church family on Sundays. The more we get to know Him, the more passionate we will be about gathering together and worshiping Him.

The apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 5:4, "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of the Lord Jesus is present..."

The Lord Jesus is present in a powerful way when we gather as a body of believers in His name, but perhaps we are not recognizing that truth. Or perhaps, we are are not gathering in His name, but gathering for other reasons. Maybe we just gather to visit friends, to enjoy some singing, or maybe at times to see someone famous.

ABC news asked some of the congregants at Allen Chapel Church what they thought it would be like if the president started attending regularly. Marcella Goodie said, "It would be a little overwhelming because some people would not be coming for the Word. They would just be coming for him." http://abcnews.go.com/WN/president-obama-takes-easter-mass-church-regular/story?id=10283263

This Sunday we won't be having any famous guests like the president visiting our church, but Jesus the Christ, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Redeemer, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Defeater of death, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light of the World, the Great High Priest and the Ultimate Sacrifice, the Word made flesh, the Intercessor, the Advocate, the Defender, the Solid Rock, the all Sufficient One, "I AM" plans on being there. So I hope you are able to make it as well. I know He would love to meet you there.

I Can Hardly Wait

2010-03-30T10:49:00.005-05:00

Last night was the start of Passover. We celebrated with a Messianic Passover meal at Ebenezer Lutheran church. Passover is one of three festivals that God Himself instituted for His people and required all the males to go to Jerusalem to celebrate. I love the history of the celebration, dating back to over 3000 years. I also enjoy the picture of God's redemption and the Messianic symbolism in the service.

The meal ends with a Messianic expectation. You open the door in anticipation of Elijah to come as the forerunner of the Messiah, then you drink the fourth cup. As believers, we recognize that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. And Jesus the Messiah also has already come once to earth. We wait instead for Jesus the Messiah's second coming.

When Jesus celebrated His last Passover with His disciples, He said He would not drink the Passover wine again until He drank it anew with them in His kingdom. He had finished drinking the third cup (the cup of redemption), but did not drink the fourth cup (the cup of praise and completion). Jesus used the third cup to memorialize His work of redemption that He would carry out on the cross. The fourth cup however, He waits to drink with His people when He comes again.

How many of us are looking forward to that day? A.W. Tozer (here I go with another Tozer quote) suggested that the perception of Christ's return as a blessed hope was all but dead among most believers. He acknowledged that believers hold firmly to the doctrinal truth of Christ's return, but fail to see it truly as a blessed hope. He stated it like this:

"Mere acquaintance with correct doctrine is a poor substitute for Christ and familiarity with New Testament eschatology will never take the place of a love-inflamed desire to look on His face."

Isn't that last phrase great? "A love-inflamed desire to look on His face." I wonder if that phrase describes you and me. Are we longing to see the One we love? That's what was so special last night at the Passover meal. It caused me to reflect afresh on the fact that my Lord and Savior is coming again to celebrate with me and drink that final cup together with me.

I have to confess that I often get comfortable in this world and life I now live. If I'm honest with myself, my "love flame" needs to be fanned quite a bit. The Lord Jesus loved me so much that He endured horrendous ridicule, torture, and death; and I love Him so little in return.

I pray that as you reflect on Jesus, the Passover lamb, this season your love for Him grow into a flaming desire to look on His face one day. May this Passion Week not only be a time of reflecting on the past and His glorious work on the cross, but also one of rejoicing in the future and His glorious coming on the clouds.

"Lord Jesus, I confess that my love for you falls so terribly short of what you deserve. Forgive me, Jesus. Deepen my love for you. Fan my flame of love into a roaring fire that burns passionately and fervently for you. Deepen my longings for you so that my heart will find contentment in nothing else and no one else. Give me that love-inflamed desire to look upon your face and long for your appearing. Lord Jesus, until that glorious day when we will drink the cup of praise together face to face, use me for your glory. Amen"

You Are What You Speak

2010-03-24T10:11:00.004-05:00

So what is the deal with politicians and obscenity? The latest media buzz concerns vice-president Joseph Biden's uncensored comments made after his introduction of the president. He had just finished introducing the president at yesterday's health care reform signing ceremony, and as the president stepped up to the podium Biden leaned over and said to him, "This is a big (expletive) deal." The microphones picked up every word of his comments. Sadly, the White House secretary, Rober Gibbs, tweeted about the comment in an affirmitive way by writing, "And yes Mr. Vice President, you're right..."

Why does such obscenity seem necessary to politicians or to anyone? I know when I was a teen I thought it was cool (that term may date me, but oh well) to swear and use obscenities. I thought it made me sound tough. However, my 'toughness' quickly morphed into meekness when I accidently slipped up and used Biden's expletive to my mom. I turned from a tough, hot-shot teenager into a groveling child begging for mercy and forgiveness. I don't actually remember what mom did, but I do remember the immediate look of shock and fury on her face.

Based on my own experience, I have an idea of why teens may use obscene language, but I can't explain it for adults. Are these adults still trying to sound 'tough' and 'cool'? That seems a little immature to me. Maybe it's merely for emphasis sake. But do they really have such a poor grasp of the english language that they need to resort to obscenity for such purposes? Perhaps that's true in some cases, but probably not the majority. So why does someone feel it necessary to use such foul and obscene language? Maybe it reveals the obscenity of the heart.

Jesus said, "the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’" Matthew 15:18 (NIV)

Scripture is full of passages warning us to guard our lips and tongue. Proverbs 10:19 says, "When words are many sin is not absent..." James tells us to keep a tight rein on our tongue. Proverbs 13:3 states, "He who guards his lips guards his life." We are called to guard our tongue, but can we? James 3:8 declares, "no man can tame the tongue."

The tongue can't be tamed apart from a changed heart. Remember, out of the mouth come the things from the heart. We can only tame the tongue when our hearts have been changed, and only Christ can change our hearts.

Words are powerful and revealing. They can bring healing or pain, encouragement or despair, joy or sorrow. I believe they can also reveal a person's inner character as Jesus claimed. We may be able to put on a show for a time, but eventually our words will reveal who we truly are (often at a very inopportune moment). Trust in Christ to change your heart and then you can concentrate on changing your speech.

David wrote in Psalm 141:3, "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." That's a powerful prayer for every believer.

What's your speech like? I struggled for a while cleaning up my mouth after I turned back the LORD. It was possible though through a changed heart and by filling my heart and mind with speech that honors God. I don't know where you are in this area of speech, but it is a vital part of a believer's spiritual growth. As believers, may our speech reflect the glory and goodness of Jesus Christ our Savior to all who hear us.

"LORD, I know that my speech at times brings harm and doesn't honor You. Forgive me LORD for such dishonoring speech. Guard my mouth and lips LORD so that I would speak only that which is good, honoring, and edifying to You and others. May my speech reflect the glorious nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in His name I pray, Amen."

May the force be with you?!?

2010-03-18T10:45:00.004-05:00

Have you heard about the gentleman who filed a religious discrimination complaint against an employment office in England? The staff of the office asked Chris Jarvin to remove the hood over his head while he was in the building. He refused based on religious reasons and the management had security escort him out of the facility. He immediately filed a complaint against the local office and three days later received an apology from the manager of the office. You see, Chris is a member of the international church of Jediism (yes, 'jedi' as in the Star Wars movies), and they believe that you should be able to wear hoods wherever you choose to. (source: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/03/17/uk-job-office-apologizes-anti-jedi-discrimination/)

Believe it or not, the church of Jediism is actually growing; however, most countries don't recognize the Jedi as an official religion yet. In a recent New Zealand census over 20,000 individuals marked their religion as Jedi. That was more than the Assembly of God or Jehovah's Witness.

Now you probably just shake your head in disbelief. That's what I did when I read the story, and I'm a fan of the Star Wars series. Probably a number of the church's members are simply doing this as a novelty kind of thing. They're probably huge fans who just love the idea of being a Jedi. But I also imagine there are some that really buy into the notion that there is "one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together."

The Jedi church website (http://www.jedichurch.org/) goes on to state: "The Jedi religion is something innate inside everyone of us, the Jedi Church believes that our sense of morality is innate. So quiet your mind and listen to the force within you!" That statement, quiet frankly, is the downfall of nearly every religion. The focus is on what humans can do to better themselves and society and ultimately achieve 'heaven,' 'nirvana,' or whatever name you want to use for the utopian eternal state.

Christianity, as defined in Scripture, paints a far different and more accurate picture of humanity. Our nature is not one of love and benevolence, but of greed and selfishness. Even many of the good things we do are driven out of a desire to "make us feel good." We can easily observe the true nature of humanity in the actions of toddlers. Toddlers actions aren't carefully calculated moral decisions. They act out of their innate nature. How do they act? Watch a two or three year old play with other children for a while and you'll discover something far different from a loving and benevolent nature. A toddler operates under the assumption that everything is his and if you take something from him he throws a fit. That's an accurate picture of the human nature, and the Word of God depicts that reality.

The universe is not held together by some impersonal force that we need to tap into for guidance. It is held together by a personal God who wants to have a relationship with us and free us from our selfish inclinations. We won't discover the path to a meaningful life by resting in the 'force' or listening to our 'inner self' as others might say. We can only find true meaning in a relationship with a personal God through faith in Jesus Christ as revealed in His written word.

Instead of "May the force be with you," let's say, "Surely, Christ is with you." It is Christ who has been THE singular, personal, life-changing 'force' since a long, long time ago in galaxies far, far away (and right here on earth as well).

We are in little...

2010-03-15T12:00:00.013-05:00

...what we will be in much.

What on earth does that mean? Well, Jesus said something similar in Luke 16:10, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” (NAS)

In other words, how we handle situations on a small scale will be how we handle situations on a large scale. Sometimes people feel if they just had more money they would be able to give to God. However, if you are not giving to God with the money He gives you now, you won’t give to Him if you get more. It’s like a number of lottery winners who end up filing for bankruptcy after a few years. Many experts estimate that approximately one third of all lottery winners eventually declare bankruptcy. One group of financial advisers estimated that about seventy percent of all lottery winners will squander away their wealth in a few years. They may not file for bankruptcy but the wealth will be gone. Why is that? Since these people couldn’t manage their finances when they were smaller, they’re not going to manage their finances when they’re larger.

We are in little what we will be much.

This truth carries over into our time as well. Do we manage our time well now or are we too busy to spend time with the LORD? Sometimes we think if we just had more time we could accomplish this or that. Yet, everyone has the same amount of time and it is a question of how we manage it. If you do not use your time well now, then even if you quit your job and had an extra forty or fifty hours a week you would not use that time well. J. H. Jowett once said, “I confess as a minister, that the men to whom I most hopefully look for additional service are the busiest men.” (J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership p. 94) Jowett realized that those men could manage their time well and get done what needed to get done.

We are in little what we will be in much.

We also recognize this reality in the area of temptation. If you are willing to tell a “little, white lie” then you will probably be willing at some point to tell a “big, fat lie.” I think that is what Jesus meant in Luke 16:10.

I once heard that twentieth century theologian Francis Schaeffer use to choose something to say ‘no’ to every day. One day he might refuse salt for the whole day and another day he might refuse coffee. Someone asked him about this odd practice and he said that by learning to say ‘no’ to the small things he disciplined himself to say ‘no’ to temptation. If we give into the small temptations we will likely given into the large ones. Jesus said, “…he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”

We are in little what we will be in much. Let us manage the little things of our life well so we can be faithful in the much.

I Found It!

2010-03-12T14:21:00.003-06:00

No, this isn't actually 'part 2' to my previous post. However, I did like the connection in the titles and it does deal with something lost and my wife. But before I divulge any more information, I need to mention that my wife has given me consent to share the information that follows. Any and all such uses of this information by others are solely the responsibility of the user. I can not be held liable for any such use that may bring her embarassment. Remember, she has consented to my use of this information. Frankly, I think the story that follows is a fitting ironic balance to my extolation of her ability to find items in the previous blog. So without further adieu, here's what happened.

Tuesday evening Christy asked me if I knew where her cell phone was. I knew exactly where it was, but I rebuked her for having lost something in the first place and needing to ask me where it was instead of finding it herself. No, I didn't actually do that (and if you read my previous blog entry you'll understand the full extent of my sarcasm). In reality, I had no clue where her cell phone was, but I did help her look. We called her phone, but couldn't hear it ringing anywhere in the house. I went to church and did the same thing with no success. We checked the van, purse, coats, and even checked the gym at the elementary school where she remembered using it last. Nothing.

This really bothered her, because she didn't know if someone else had it and what they might do. We decided to suspend the cell phone service until we could locate it. Where could it be? We prayed last night and this morning, asking the LORD to help us find it. I know it was a minor thing, but God cares even about those minor things.

When I came home for lunch today (three days after it was lost), my wife had a huge grin on her face and said, "Guess where I found my phone?"

I had no clue. "Where?" I asked.

"The freezer!"

How it got there, we may never know.

So what do we learn from a frozen cell phone (frozen in more ways than one, since I had suspended the service also)?

Sometimes I think our prayer lives are frozen. A lot of things can freeze our prayer lives. Sin obviously can do that. In Lamentations 3:42-44, we read that sin hinders our prayers like a cloud covering God.

Busyness can freeze our prayer lives. Satan loves to fill our plate so full that prayer gets set aside as something we'll get to later when the plate's not so full. But guess what? The plate always stays full unless we make room. That's why godly leaders like Martin Luther chose to spend more time in prayer when they had a particularly busy day.

Lack of faith can put the frost on our prayers. Do you really believe that bringing your requests to the LORD makes a difference? If we feel that ultimately the results are up to us, then prayer is optional. In fact, you may think prayer actually takes time away from doing the things that will make a difference. I wonder how many believers feel that way deep down inside. Yet even Jesus walked this earth with an absolute dependence and faith that His Father would act in response to His prayer. He spent all night sessions in prayer because He knew that His Father would hear and respond. Sometimes we question whether God will hear and respond, but Jesus said He would. In John 16:23-27, Jesus informed His disciples that the Father would give them whatever they asked for in His name, becasue the Father Himself loved them. Prayer matters, because God cares.

Christy was quite relieved to find her cell phone. God responded to our prayers for even that small matter. I called Verizon and reactivated the service. Her cell phone and service are now unfrozen, and hopefully our prayer lives remain that way as well.

I Missed It!

2010-03-10T12:06:00.005-06:00

"Christy, do you know where my keys are?" I rummaged around the bedroom and scurried to the living room in a frantic search.

"They're on your dresser," Christy replied in a calm and assuring way.

I scuttled back to the bedroom to look on the dresser again, growing more agitated with every lapsing second. "They're not here," I hastily asserted. "I've looked here already."

Christy entered the room, with a sense of calm but also an expression that says, "When will he learn?" She headed straight to the dresser, moved a pair of shorts that I had left there, and 'Ta-da,' my keys appeared.

Now I know I looked thoroughly for my keys, but somehow I missed them. Let me just mention something here as a side note. Wives, don't get upset when your husband asks you where something is before he has even looked for it. He is merely trying to be as efficient as he can with his time and energy. He knows that even if he looks for an hour, he will ultimately have to ask you and you will need to take thirty seconds to go and find the item. So your husband is not simply being lazy by asking you in the first place. He is merely trying to save time, energy, and frustration. So when he asks, just smile and get the item. You can consider it stress prevention for your husband. (This has been a public service anouncement for all married couples-now back to the main point.)

I don't know how I miss things that seem to be right in front of my face, but I do. Fortunately, most of those items aren't that important. Pilate, however, missed something life changing.

The dialogue between Pilate and Christ in John 18 has got to be one of the most powerful interchanges in scripture. The nature of the discussion certainly contributes to the power of it, for it focuses on the nature of Christ. Jesus ends the dialogue with these words, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (NAS)

Pilate then responds with a phrase that frankly has come to represent the modern philosophy of man. Pilate replied, "What is truth?"

Interestingly enough, the Greek term for 'what' could also be translated 'who.' Though Pilate meant what is truth, he really should have asked who is truth. Truth was standing before him in the person of Jesus the Christ and Pilate missed it. What a tragedy!

As we approach the time of year when we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, I wonder how many will miss it this season. How many people will go to a Resurrection Day service and hear about the glorious person of Jesus the Christ and miss it? The person of Truth will be presented and worshiped and so many in attendance will completely miss it.

The world is searching for truth. They are digging around higher education. They are scrambling to the business world and looking in success. They are searching through religious systems and 'spiritual' experiences. They are looking all over, but they can only find it in the person of Truth- JESUS. He alone gives meaning, forgiveness, hope, and life change. He is the Truth that humanity is looking for. Will they find it?

Maybe someone you know is calling out for help to find truth. They have been looking all over with no success. Perhaps God will use you to remove the 'pair of shorts' that's concealing what their looking for. Perhaps you can help someone find JESUS.

Pray and ask the LORD to use you in that way this year.

WARNING! Read at your own risk.

2010-03-03T14:43:00.002-06:00

I think there should be a warning label on some of A.W. Tozer's writings. Something like the following:

WARNING! The reading of this material can be harmful to those satisfied with the spiritual status quo. Those that proceed with reading this material may exhibit conviction and spiritual hunger pains. Read at your own risk.

I'm reading a compilation of Tozer's writings called The Best of A.W. Tozer, compiled by Warren Wiersbe. In the chapter "Born after Midnight," Tozer wrote, "It may be said without qualification that every man is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wants to be. He may not be as full as he wishes he were, but he is most certainly as full as he wants to be."

Chew on that for a while. Many believers long for spiritual power and significant experiences with God, but few are willing to accept the sacrifices that may involve. As American Christians we treat our spiritual maturity like we treat the American dream. We may wish for it, but don't want to make the sacrifices necessary to experience it.

Do we really want to be holy or do we prefer holding onto some of our carnal cravings? Do we really want to experience intimacy with God or do we find TV and the internet more appealing than prayer? Most believers will say they long for spiritual maturity and power in their lives, but few are willing to engage in the disciplines and surrender necessary to experience that.

God will ensure the spiritual growth and maturity of any believer who truly wants to grow. He made us for that purpose. He's not trying to hinder us. It's not a question of whether God is willing to, but rather a question of whether we really want it.

I'll let you read Tozer's quote one more time and mull it over. And remember, I warned you about reading this.

"It may be said without qualification that every man is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wants to be. He may not be as full as he wishes he were, but he is most certainly as full as he wants to be."

Far from the Profound

2010-02-25T10:53:00.002-06:00

I posted an update in my other blog Full Circle about how God is working in our lives regarding adoption. You can check it out if you like. For this blog, I decided to paste a short fictional story in connection with the passage I'll be preaching out of this Sunday. I hope you enjoy it.

“What happened?” screamed Nathanael’s wife.

Nathanael was kneeling in front of the stone wash basin scrubbing his hands furiously. Blood tinted the water and rag he was scrubbing with, yet his hands and tattered cloak remained stained.

“It was an accident, Miriam.” Nathanael’s voice cracked and shook. His tone and expression begged for mercy and understanding. “I was just chopping some wood, and the axe head––it flew off. . .”

Tears streamed down Nathanael’s face cutting their course through the dust and dirt on his cheeks. He turned his head and focused again on the seemingly hopeless task of scouring the stain from his hands and the sorrow from his heart. Miriam rushed to his side and knelt beside him. Tears now moistened her eyes also. She gently touched his shoulder.

“What happened, Nathanael? Tell me what happened?” Her petition carried a softer, calmer tone than earlier. Nathanael set the rag to the side and took a couple of composing breaths.

“It was Jonathan from the clan of Eliab. He was out in the forest cutting with me,” the pitch and speed of his voiced increased. “I didn’t even think––I never had any problems with it before. I’m sure I checked it––”

“Calm down, dear.” Miriam caressed his back. “Just tell me what happened.”

“I swung my axe back for a good strike on a stubborn log and the axe head flew off. It struck Jonathan in the head. It killed him. I’ve killed a man!”

Nathanael’s sobbing began again and Miriam’s joined in chorus. For the moment, that seemed like the most appropriate thing to do. The emotions poured out through the tears for a few minutes when suddenly, Miriam stopped.

“Shhh,” she said. “Listen.” The sound of people shouting in the distance broke through there momentary silence. It wasn’t the sound of celebration, nor was it the sound of mourning. It was the sound of revenge. Nathanael's and Miriams grief turned into fear.

“Nathanael, you must flee to Hebron,” Miriam said. “There you’ll be safe.”

In a flurry of activity, Miriam gathered a few supplies and placed them in a satchel. Nathanael changed into a clean tunic and cloak and slung the satchel over his shoulder. Just before he departed, Miriam placed her hand on his bearded face and said, “The LORD is full of mercy, Nathanael.”

“Pray for me my dear,” Nathanael replied and kissed her.

He hurried out the door like a mouse on alert. He walked through the wilderness to avoid his countrymen as much as possible. The avenger of blood would likely try and cut off the main roads to Hebron. If he could just make it there he would be safe. Caleb’s descendents were merciful and gracious to those in his situation.

A shepherd grazing his sheep noticed Nathanael. “Friend, share some bread with me,” the shepherd shouted in the distance.

“I would love to, my brother, but time presses me onward.” Nathanael felt horrible about rejecting the man’s hospitality, but feared for his life.

“Just a small meal, friend, to provide some company for a lonely shepherd.”

Nathanael turned and headed over to the shepherd. He knew it might cost him his life, but his compassion overruled his fear. The two shared a small meal of bread, wine, and figs. Nathanael attempted to engage in friendly conversation, but his eyes persistently scanned the horizon. He caught only bits and pieces of the shepherd’s conversation. As the sun sank in the sky, Nathanael rose to his feet and thanked his host.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Jehu, but I must be going now.”

“Well thank you for the company, Nathanael. Do be careful on your journey, though. Murderers lurk near Hebron.”

Nathanael’s face turned pale and his heart raced. Did this shepherd know? Nathanael turned and hurried off.

In a half an hour, Nathanael was at the base of Hebron’s walls. The city’s gates were just ahead––refuge. He quickened his pace. Two city elders mingled in the walls of the gate. Nathanael hurried and greeted the elders. “Shalom, my good brothers, I am Nathanael. I come to seek refuge here.”

“What have you done, Nathanael?”

Nathanael, tried to maintain his composure, but broke down and wept. Through the sobs of sorrow, he relayed the tragic incident to the elders. They lifted him to his feet and looked him in the eyes. “You have sought the mercy of God,” they said, “and the mercy of God you shall receive. Enter into this city of refuge that the LORD has provided for souls such as yourself. Here you will find the safety you seek.”

Life Lessons from Lucy (yes, that's my dog)

2010-02-21T19:08:00.003-06:00

I love my dog. Really. OK, maybe I don't love her, but I like her. Well, maybe that's even stretching it. Let's say I tolerate her and leave it at that. I try to excuse some of her behaviors by the fact that she has a small brain. I even tell her that sometimes and she doesn't seem to mind. She greets me with a wagging tail when I come home, stays out of the kitchen when we eat, and has even learned a few tricks. What amazes me the most is how she desperately wants to be with us (her pack). If we pack up to go somewhere she panics fearing she'll be left behind. If we do leave her at home she can't wait until we return (at least that's how she reacts when we do come back). She just doesn't want to be away from us.

Okay so now here's the convicting part. How do I respond to my Savior? Am I eagerly awaiting His return? Do I desperately want to spend time with Him? Do I obey His word? Sadly, there are many times I probably don't act as loyal to Christ as my dog acts to me. So in that sense, I can learn something from Lucy (even if she does have a small brain).

Ditching Devotions

2010-02-17T12:28:00.002-06:00

Vacations can be a blessing and a curse for me. I love the opportunity to get away, spend time with my family, and break out from the day to day routine. Yet, therein lies the curse. Part of my routine involves a quiet time of prayer and reading God’s word, and when I’m on vacation that time is “hit and miss” (and frankly more miss than hit). So, I tragically ditch my devotions on vacation.

That happened just recently on a short get away to my in-laws property. We enjoyed some family time and I got in a little ice fishing as well (and actually caught some). Unfortunately, I didn’t have my quiet time those two mornings. Now I could give excuses like, “The cabin was too crowded,” or “I didn’t want to be antisocial,” etc. But the fact is that I could have had my quiet time if I chose to. But I didn’t.

So what’s the big deal, right? I missed a couple of days. God still loves me; I’m still His child. Why worry about it? Well, when we got in the van to leave Tuesday morning, the driveway was so icy that the van couldn’t get up the hill. I needed to get back home for an appointment at 2 p.m. and I was worried I would miss it. So, in my mild mannered way (those of you who know me realize I’m being sarcastic), I lost my cool. I was angry and yelling at the stupid driveway for being so steep. Then, as my tire was smoking and spinning in futility, I shouted at my wife, “I don’t care if you smell rubber, let the tire blow.” Ah, Christian maturity at it’s finest!

We did eventually get out after about an hour of work. I apologized to my family for losing my temper and started reflecting on my outburst. My wife started reading her Bible and I connected my unbecoming outburst with my lack of quiet time that morning.

Even if we only miss a day, we have set ourselves up as a target for temptation. Why? Because we have not focused on Christ for that day. We have not allowed Him to fill us for the day and guide our steps, so we allow other things to grab our attention. It’s like grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Rather than staying focused on the items you need, you pick up all these extra items because they look good and you’re hungry.

Without a daily quiet time focusing us on the LORD and his agenda, we began to focus on our plans. That’s why I lost it that morning. Things were not going how I thought they should go. Had I been focused on Christ, I would have trusted in His plans even if they didn’t match with mine at the time.

As it turned out, we still made it back in time for my appointment, but when I got to my office I discovered that I had misread my calendar and the appointment was actually the following week. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of Humor?

Moral of this story: Don’t ditch your devotions (and double-check your appointment calendar).

Olympic Gold: Was it worth the sacrifice?

2010-02-16T17:35:00.003-06:00

Some of you may have witnessed the historic moment as Shen and Zhao skated to Olympic gold Monday night in Vancouver. They accomplished what no other Chinese figure skating pair had ever accomplished, and they did it under the tutelage of Yao Bin.

Yao experienced disgrace as a figure skater back in 1980. The Chinese were infants in the sport at that time and his first pair performance resulted in laughter from the crowd and a last place finish. After that humiliating episode, he determined to transform Chinese pairs figure skating into the best in the world. Last night he fulfilled his dream. Unfortunately, that accomplishment included a high cost.

NBC aired a video bio on Yao’s journey during the figure skating competition. The video vignette mentioned that Yao’s commitment to transforming Chinese figure skating kept him away from home for years at a time. Yao admitted that he didn’t even recognize his son when he saw him, because he had been gone so long. Yet, he persisted in such long absences in order to accomplish his goal.

Last night a Chinese figure skating pair won gold. He fulfilled his dream. Do you think it was worth it?

The world will recognize Yao as the man who transformed Chinese figure skating into a world class power. Chinese skaters will view him as the icon of pairs figure skating. Olympic history will remember him as the first Chinese coach to win Olympic gold in the sport. But what will his son remember him as?

I found Yao Bin’s story fascinating until they mentioned the extent of his sacrifice. At that point, I wondered, “Is his story one of success or failure?” Maybe it depends on what kind of legacy you want to leave. Personally, when the LORD takes me from this earth, I hope that my children would say, “My father loved God, loved me, and lived with integrity.” I hope that the time I spend with them will impact them for eternity.

If I bring a gold medal back to my country or transform a struggling company into a fortune 500 firm and yet fail to impact my children for Christ, I will not feel like a success. Success for me could be summed up in the words of the apostle John, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth (3 John 4 NIV).”

What about you? What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

Silly Putty and Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T09:26:00.008-06:00

Silly Putty! That's right, it was silly putty. If silly putty had not been invented I don't know where I would be today. Silly putty changed my life.

O.K. maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but silly putty did have an impact on me. I cleverly utilized silly putty as a decoy that allowed me to slip my fingers around Christy's for the first time and hold her hand. "Silly" isn't it (pun absolutely intended)? You probably remember the first time you held a girl or boyfriend's hand. A rush of exhilaration coursed through your body. You probably didn't say much, because you were worried if the other person noticed your palm was sweaty. So you just sat there in that phalangelical embrace (I know the phrase won't catch on, but I just had to use it. And in case your wondering, it has nothing to do with angels or evangelicals).

Early in dating, every moment with that person thrills you. Everything is new and fresh. You can't wait to spend time with the person and just be with him or her. Then as time passes and you get to know the individual the newness can fade. You start to hear the same stories again or the same jokes and the person's hand in your hand is an all too familiar feeling. The early thrill wanes and the relationship can stale.

Though love can grow cold, it doesn't have to. You can nurture love with your spouse, but you must be intentional. One of things I've found to keep the spark vibrant in a relationship is to regularly pursue shared adventure as a couple. And I'm not talking about a trip to the Himalayas to climb Mount Everest (though that certainly would be an adventure). It can be any variety of new tasks or challenges you take on together as a couple. But honestly, I've found that following Christ's leading in your life will set you on the greatest adventure. When you pray together, read His word, listen to His voice, and obey you will discover an amazing adventure in life.

That's the beauty of our LORD Jesus. The infinite depth of His personality continually challenges our pursuit to know Him. The more we know about Him, the more we want to know. We have the privilege of consistently entering into deeper levels of "newness" in our relationship with Him. I don't think we ever grow 'comfortable' with Christ. What I mean by that is He continually urges us to go deeper. We don't hear the same old stories with our LORD, but He opens His word to us in new ways that we have not noticed. I can't tell you how many times I've read a passage of scripture that I may have read fifty times before and yet the LORD shows me something new.

Our relationship with Christ is one that never should go stale. And when we have a spouse joining us in that Divine adventure, our marriage never needs to stale. This Valentine's day spend some time in Scripture and praying with your spouse. Renew your adventure of faith with the LORD and with each other. Then say, "I Love you," first to Jesus then to your spouse. And if you need some silly putty, ask me and I'll pick some up for you.

Have you learned to laugh?

2010-02-12T09:07:00.004-06:00

Alright, I'll do it. I'll give you one of my embarrassing moments as a minister. I can do that now, because my readership of this blog is quite low. So here it is. At my first church I was preparing to begin the adult Sunday School which met up in the sanctuary. It was a small Sanctuary and we would gather together as a class on one side. I stood up and sorted my notes for the class looking out to make sure everyone was ready. Everyone was seated and we were just about ready to start, when one of the older ladies leaned over and whispered to her husband. However, her whisper carried in the small sanctuary and I at least heard it. Whether others did, I don't know. She said to her husband, "Tell pastor his zipper's down." (NOTE to young minister's starting out in the ministry, always check your zipper before going up front to preach, teach, or do a ceremony. Double or triple check if necessary. And if your still paranoid, discretely check while standing behind the pulpit.)

What could I do, but turn around ,zip up, and start the class. Of course, my face looked like I had a terrible sunburn, but I managed to get through it. I don't know if that incident was quite as bad as calling the groom a woman at an extravaggant wedding I performed in LA. I hardly knew any of the guests, many of whom were an upper society class, and I asked the bride, "Do you take this woman--" She immediately interrupted and said, "I'm the woman!" Fortunately, the groom was my friend (one of the few people I knew at the ceremony) and took it in stride. In fact, both him and the bride hammed it up a bit, making it quite memorable.

A.W. Tozer, in his classic book The Pursuit of God, wrote, "The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. He develops toward himself a kindly sense of humor..."

Tozer went on to note how such a person does not allow the slights of others to eat away at him or humiliate him. The meek man has a healthy sense of humility that knows his own shortcomings and accepts that reality. He can laugh at himself for he knows as a human being he is full of imperfections.

This meekness, however, should not be viewed as an inferiority complex. One who consistently talks about how horrible he is has an unhealthy focus on self. Such an attitude is really an inverted form of pride. Tozer describes the motto of meekness like this: "In myself nothing; in God, everything." The meek person focuses on God.

I'll be honest, I don't like it when people speak negatively or disparagingly about me. Yet, I need to remember that this world isn't about me, and the fact is there's a lot about me a person could rightly criticize. I'm human and make plenty of mistakes, but I have a perfect God who can overcome them (even when I forget about my zipper).

Learning to laugh at ourselves and trust in our loving, omnipotent God will save us a lot of grief. The burden of pretense will be lifted and we'll find "the peace which meekness brings" (Tozer). Let's learn to laugh!

Why does God do that?

2010-02-11T09:53:00.006-06:00

Why does God call us to tasks that seem impossible in our current situation?

My wife asked a similar question this morning. Like many American families, we have a tight budget and don’t have a lot of wiggle room. The LORD has always provided for our needs and has often blessed us with some extras. We have a very generous congregation that God has also used to bless us in numerous ways including financially. Yet, we still need to keep a pretty tight budget to meet our expenses. Then when those unexpected car repairs, medical expenses, or other needs arise, we find ourselves a little behind budget for that month. Yet, despite our situation, we strongly believe God has called us to adopt internationally. But why does he call us when our current financial situation prohibits us from fulfilling that call?

It’s interesting to notice throughout scripture how often God calls people to a mission that in their current situation seems impossible. Think about God’s call to Moses. God calls Moses in the wilderness after he had been away from the Egypt for 40 years and had already killed an Egyptian soldier. Had God appeared to him in the burning bush while he was still in Egypt, he could have used his influence as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter to help his people, right? But God waits until Moses is wanted for murder and has been out of the land for forty years. His adoptive Egyptian mother was probably not even alive anymore and could offer no sympathetic voice on Moses’ behalf.

Moses understood the dire situation and didn’t want to go. The last time he was in Egypt Pharaoh had tried to kill him and it seemed ridiculous to go to Egypt in Moses’ situation. He offered the LORD one excuse after another until he finally said, “O LORD, please send someone else to do it.” Yet, God calls him.

So Moses obeyed the call of the LORD on his life, despite feeling that his history in Egypt made him the least likely candidate to secure the freedom of the Israelites from Pharaoh. As it turned out, Moses’ first attempt seemed to affirm his insecurities. He asked Pharaoh to release the people so they could worship the LORD. Pharaoh, in response, increases the amount of labor for the Israelites. Now Moses not only had Pharaoh angry with him, but his own people. Afterward, Moses basically asked the LORD, “Why on earth did you call me to this task?”

You know the rest of the story: God sent ten plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh released the people but then changed his mind, God parted the Red Sea, Israel crossed on dry land, and Pharaoh along with his army drown in the water. In the end the Israelites plundered the Egyptians, gained their freedom, and Egypt lay decimated. Moses thought he was the last person for the task, and yet he was the one God called.

Why did God call Moses at eighty years of age to deliver Israel from Egypt when he was a wanted man there? It didn’t seem to make sense. Yet, the answer lies in scripture. Moses wondered why God had called him to this task and in Exodus 6:6-8 God answered:

“Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. ‘Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ‘I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the Lord.’ ” (NIV)

Why does God call us to tasks that seem impossible in our current situation? So He can glorify His name. God loves to take situations that look humanly impossible and reveal His glory. It’s maybe not always comfortable for those involved, but God's purposes are not our comfort, but His glory. And when all is said and done we look back and say, “Wow! What an Awesome God we serve!”

Shock in Samaria!

2010-02-10T12:05:00.001-06:00

“I am your birth mother.” I received an e-mail with those words after about a year of attempting to locate and contact my birth mother. I had been adopted as an infant and never knew my birth parents. I grew up in a wonderful home with loving adoptive parents, but I must admit that my body trembled a little when I read those words. You don’t contact your birth mother in a nonchalant way. Emotions surged within me as I read the e-mail. I had found and successfully contacted the woman who gave me life!

I wonder if the Samaritan woman at the well had a similar, or even greater, surge of emotions when Jesus revealed who He was. Remember the context. Jesus, a Jew, engaged this Samaritan woman in conversation, which Jewish men were not supposed to do. After some dialogue and a prophetic revelation about the woman by Jesus, the woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming, when that One comes, He will declare all things to us. (NASB)” Then Jesus rocked her world. “I AM, the one speaking to you,” He declared.

The Greek phrase for “I am” is “ego eimi.” Jesus also used that phrase in John 8:58 and a number of other places in John. It hearkens back to the name of God and alludes to the Divine nature of Jesus. In those words, Jesus declared that He was the Messiah whom this woman had been waiting for all her life.

What’s her reaction? She’s absolutely shocked. She leaves her water jug and sprints to town (the Bible states that she ‘went’ to town, but I imagine it was more than a casual stroll). I bet she totally forgot about the water. The euphoria of encountering the Christ superseded any thoughts of water, despite the fact she came to draw water from the well in the first place. Her mind must have gone numb like someone finding out they just won the lottery. Adrenaline and emotions coursed through her flesh during her journey to town– the Messiah of God had come!

She couldn’t keep quiet. She announced to everyone in town who would listen that she met a man who she believed was the Messiah. I wonder if they had to tell her to slow down as her lips labored to keep pace with her thoughts. This man Jesus knew everything about her. He had declared, “I AM” the Messiah. As a result of her testimony, many from the town placed their faith in Jesus, the Messiah.

Have you met Jesus, the Messiah? He wants to reveal Himself to you even as He did to that Samaritan woman. Does the revelation of Jesus the Christ overwhelm you and flood your soul with emotions? When we recognize our desperate need of a Savior, then the revelation of Jesus, the Christ should overwhelm us. Does your encounter with Him compel you to share Him with others? Jesus is as much the Savior of the world today as He was then.

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming, when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”

Well my friends, MESSIAH HAS COME!

The Ayatolla's Threat

2010-02-09T22:40:00.003-06:00

"The Iranian nation, with its unity and God's grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman, February 11, in a way that will leave them stunned," declared the Ayatolla Khameni on Monday to a gathering of Iranian Air Force personnel.

What will that "punch" be? That's the question everyone is asking. I wouldn't be surprised if Iran conducts an underground nuclear weapons explosion on that day. Their aggresive enrichment activity seems to indicate they're looking for more than just clean energy.

Whatever the punch turns out to be, I find the phrase in which he prefaces his threat intriguing. He cites God's grace as the empowering agent to carry out this act that will "punch the arrogance." Scripture does say that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, but I have seen little of what I would call humility out of Iran. And I admit that America doesn't demonstrate a great deal of humility either.

But is God's grace the means of judgment as the Ayatollah implies? Tragically, I fear that the Ayatollah and others like him have no concept of God's Amazing Grace. It's becasue of God's grace that He can take sinners like you and me, cleanse us of our sins, and offer us a place in heaven. God in His grace makes His enemies His friends. Sadly, the Ayatollah and many Muslims miss this beautiful truth.

God will one day judge humanity for rejecting Him as the Revelation and other prophecies indicate. Yet, now we live in the blessed age of grace, where God extends His nail scarred hand to His enemies and offers forgiveness and reconciliation. Oh, may the world receive that gift of grace while it is still available.

YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?!?

2010-02-08T20:58:00.003-06:00

“And the LORD said…”

It sounds so clear and matter of fact in the Old Testament, but what if you felt that phrase ended with your name? What if the LORD’s voice challenged you to do something specific?

That’s where I believe I find myself. I feel the LORD has challenged me and my family to provide a family for an international orphan through adoption. You might say we’ve been challenged to take Hebron, a fortified city defended by giants. Those of you who have been listening to my sermons know where I’m coming from. For the rest of you, you can read the story of Caleb in Joshua 14 or listen to my sermon online (http://www.riversideefc.com/-listen to the sermon “Courageous Faith”). Caleb believed in a God who could overcome any obstacle, even a well-fortified city inhabited by giants. He refused to allow obstacles thwart him from God’s calling.

Adoption lies close to my heart, because I was adopted. For years, I have desired to bless a child with a family even as I had been blessed. Though the desire has remained dormant for the most part, the tragedy in Haiti jolted it to new life. The LORD used passages like James 1:27 (…look after orphans and widows in their distress…) and Psalm 68:6 (God sets the lonely in families…) to stir my heart to action.

Throughout scripture you discover a God whose heart yearns for orphans and who has himself modeled adoption. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ, then you have been adopted into God’s family. It seemed that pursuing this calling of adoption was following the example of my Heavenly Father.

Yet, was God truly calling me to this life changing mission? Couldn’t God plaster a billboard with “SCOTT, YOU MUST ADOPT A CHILD INTERNATIONALLY!!! THUS SAITH THE LORD” just to make sure? As you know God doesn’t seem to use billboards to speak to us (though I wouldn’t say He couldn’t), but He does speak to us through His word, His people, and even circumstances. So God, in His grace, confirmed His calling.

Last Tuesday (February 2) I was preparing to have a little devotion time with my two boys. Every morning I try and read few verses from Proverbs with them and pray to start the day. This particular morning we were running late and gathered in the living room instead of their bedroom. Christy and Abby were sitting on the couch and asked if they should leave, but I figured they might as well listen also (NOTE: I do pray with my wife and daughther as well. I don't have some odd belief that forbids me from having devotions with them. It's just that I use the morning time in the Proverbs to encourage my sons to grow into Godly men).

We had all the application paper work completed and in an envelope next to me as we prepared to read from Proverbs 3:27 (our passage for the day). We planned on mailing the paper work that day. I opened to Proverbs 3:27 and read, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to act.” That verse might as well have been plastered on a billboard. The LORD’s voice seemed to boom at me through that verse. We could certainly provide a family and home for a child who needed one and orphans certainly seemed like those whom God would say deserved good. So we needed to obey God's word and act. We mailed the application that day.

Our love and prayers for a new little girl coming to our home began stirring since then, but we have also discovered the walls of Hebron are well-fortified. I understood most of the costs involved in the adoption process, but I didn’t know all of the financial requirements for international adoption. A positive net worth is one of them. For various reasons like school debt, medical expenses, and admittedly some foolish spending earlier in our marriage, we have a negative net worth. So at this time we do not qualify to adopt internationally.

What do we do? When Israel saw the fortified walls around Hebron, they told Moses they couldn’t take the land and should simply turn around and head back to Egypt. Caleb, however, believed he could take the land with God's help. Eventually, Caleb did just that! He took the fortified city inhabited by giants and demonstrated God is able. We are choosing to follow Caleb’s example and trust God to overcome the obstacle we have encountered in this process. How will He do that? Right now, I have no idea. We will do all we can in trimming expenses to pay down our debt and move to a positive net worth, but we know that ultimately God will have to do a miracle. I believe He will.

I invite everyone who reads this blog (all five of you) to join me in prayer on this journey and I will keep you posted on how God moves. To HIM be all the Glory!

Joshua 14:12
“So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” NIV

A Heavenly Glimpse at the Life of VernaAnn

2009-11-13T15:00:00.003-06:00

Flashes of Divine light and rumbles of celestial thunder emanated from the Heavenly workshop. Gabriel glided to the Creator’s workspace and lighted silently outside the entrance. He peeked inside the sacred shop and watched the LORD complete the final touches on a new soul. The LORD leaned back with a contented smile. Gabriel thought he heard Him whisper, “This is very good.”

"Come in, Gabriel," the LORD said. His voice reverberated like the crashing of a thousand oceans. His attention seemed to be focused on His work and yet at the same time fully fixed on His angelic visitor. God’s mysterious omnipresence still invoked awe among the angels, including Gabriel. Gabriel had long ago realized that no one sneaks up on the LORD. He phased through the entrance and stood next to the Creator.

"LORD," Gabriel inquired, "What will be the purpose of this soul?"

"My dear Gabriel,” the LORD said as He laid His Divine hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, “this one will be hard for humanity to understand. Many will not recognize the purpose of this dear child of mine. In fact, some will criticize Me and condemn Me for bringing this soul to earth. They will wonder why I allowed the heartache and suffering. But despite their doubts, I certainly have My reasons and it has nothing to do with a lack of love or a lack of power.”

The omnipotent Creator lifted and cradled the soul in His hand. “Humanity simply does not understand my greater purposes. I have told them in My Word that My thoughts are not their thoughts, nor are My ways their ways. Yet, they still struggle with that truth. And though they may not understand, her life will serve a great purpose."

"What will her life consist of LORD? Will she marry? Will she have a family?"

"No, Gabriel. I have not ordained that number of days for her. Most of her life will be lived in the security of her mother's womb. There I will knit her body together, but many will believe my knitting was incomplete. Her breaths upon the earth will be few. She is one of the chosen ones that will be spared the hardships and trials of living among fallen men in a decaying world. I will usher her quickly back to Me to enjoy My glory forever. However, in her brief time on earth she will be dearly loved and will touch the lives of many."

Gabriel glanced at the soul and then fixed his vision once again upon his Maker. "This child's parents will come to be with her one day, but she will not return to them will she?"

"That is right, Gabriel. Like David my servant inscribed, this child's parents will come to be with their child and Me in heaven, but their child will not return to them on earth. And though the time will seem long to them, when they enter eternity they will realize how short of a wait it truly was. But while they wait, I will strengthen their faith and draw others to Myself on account of this child."

Gabriel leaned over the newly formed soul in the LORD’s hand. His angelic wings caressed her face. He lifted his head and asked, "LORD, do you think they will understand how much You love the child and them despite the suffering they'll endure?"

"They will in time. I died for this child even as I died for her parents and grandparents and all of humanity. That demonstrates My love for them more than anything else I could do. The child's parents have trusted in My shed blood on the cross, and this child is covered by that same atoning blood since she will never reach an age to take that step of faith.

"Gabriel, hand me that book over there."

Gabriel grabbed a thin, white book on the corner of the LORD's workbench and handed it to Him. "What is it LORD?"

"This is her diary. All the days that I have ordained for her on earth have been written in this book. I have known the scope of her life from the beginning and have loved her from the beginning. Her life is as precious to me as every child."

The LORD laid the small book down on the workbench in front of Him and slowly wiped His Holy finger across the front cover. Glistening gold letters appeared upon the heavenly material following the course of His finger. He withdrew his hand and revealed the name: VernaAnn Gabrielle Johnson.

The LORD lifted VernaAnn to His face and breathed upon her the breath of life. "Now go forth my child and accomplish the purposes I have for you. Fear not, for I am with you and will bring you back to My Glorious Presence very soon."

VernaAnn vanished from the LORD's workshop. The LORD exited and stood in front of a crowd of saints who had gathered outside. The group consisted of earthly relatives who had trusted in Jesus and had gone on before VernaAnn to be with the LORD in Heaven. They faced the LORD with their faces aglow and brimming with joy. VernaAnn's namesakes stepped forward and said, "She's so beautiful, LORD, and such a wonderful addition to Your family.”

“Yes, she is my children. Yes, she is. But now there is other work to be done.

“Gabriel!” the LORD beckoned. “Gather some seraphim and prepare to strengthen and comfort my children on earth. Many of VernaAnn’s loved ones will need ministering to in the times ahead. Remind them of My love, strengthen their bodies, protect them from the fiery darts of doubt, guilt, and depression. And make sure to tell them that I am coming back very soon to bring all My family into eternal Glory.”

Gabriel spread his wings and sped away upon a Heavenly breeze to carry out the LORD’s bidding. As soon as he had departed, another angel approached the LORD carrying bowls of incense. He laid them at the LORD’s feet and backed away with his head bowed. The LORD bent over and inhaled the pleasant aroma. “Ahh, the prayers of the saints,” He said. “Now their faith will grow and they will know Me better.”

"For I know the plans"

2009-05-19T10:18:00.006-05:00

During my devotions this morning I was reading in Jeremiah 29 and came across a familiar and often quoted verse. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

Often this verse is cited as an encouragement to a newlywed couple, a graduate, or someone starting a new career path. Certainly we would find such a promise encouraging, but as is always the case in scripture, context must be maintained. The context of this promise involves Judah’s exile into Babylon. God has just told them they will be exiled in Babylon for seventy years, but that after their exile they will be restored to the land. Why were they exiled? They were exiled because of their rebellion against the LORD. They chose to trust in other nations and people instead of the LORD, and the history involved flagrant idolatry.

So God gives this promise of a hope and a future after His people learn their lessons as captives in Babylon. Now let’s look at verses 12 and 13 that follow.

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

God’s promise to His people is not open ended, but tightly bound to their pursuit of Him. After seventy years of exile, the people of Judah cried out to the LORD in genuine prayer and earnestly sought Him as the one and only true God. Their trust in foreign gods and nations dissolved away and their trust turned to the LORD God only. Out of that context the LORD restored His people to their land and blessed them.

So as I was thinking about verse 11, I began questioning whether or not we should ever quote verse 11 apart from verses 12 and 13. The three verses seem tightly bound to each other. God will bless His people, but in the context of trusting and seeking Him alone. And we must remember that God’s blessing might not be monetarily. The ultimately blessing is God Himself and He promises to be found by those who search with all their heart. Perhaps, then we should keep these verses together and remind those who hear verse 11 that the blessing of God is tightly bound to seeking and knowing Him.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart’.”

IN GOD WE TRUST

2009-05-05T12:41:00.007-05:00

That national motto has been emblazoned on our currency since the 1860’s. Treasury secretary Salmon P. Chase instigated the new inscription on our currency at the prompting of concerned citizens wanting to acknowledge God’s hand in our nation. Emboldened by these promptings, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, the Philadelphia mint director, in a letter to prepare a motto:

Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.

http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml

After approval through an act of Congress, the US Treasury began minting coins with the motto “In God We Trust” in 1864. One Hundred and forty-five years later we still read those poignant words on our coins and bills as we transact our day to day business. But do the words still ring true?

A 2008 Pew Research poll noted that the number of Americans unaffiliated with a particular religious group is more than double the number who say they were unaffiliated as children. 16.1% of Americans now claim no affiliation with any particular religion. Among the 18 to 29 age group, 25% say they are not currently affiliated with any particular religion.

http://religions.pewforum.org/reports

Now this survey does not indicate a total abandonment of God by the unaffiliated. Out of those who are unaffiliated, only 25% define themselves as atheists or agnostics. Yet, I do believe the research reveals a growing disillusionment with the traditional understanding of God. So the motto “In God We Trust” will likely have a significantly different meaning to different people, and some will discount it all together. Even those that are affiliated with a religious group may not look to God as their source of hope and help.

What then does America trust if not God?

Some may argue government. A survey by Rasmussen revealed that 33% of Americans under 30 favored socialism over capitalism. Only 37% of that age group favored capitalism over socialism and 30% were unsure.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/just_53_say_capitalism_better_than_socialism

This survey, as far as I know, didn’t define socialism or capitalism, so some of the results may reflect misunderstandings on the part of the survey participants. I would simply define socialism as an economic system based on collective or governmental ownership and governmental administration of production; whereas, capitalism refers to private or corporate ownership and the administration of pricing and distribution determined by private means.

Let's assume the majority of those who participated in the Rasmussen survey had a similar understanding. In that case, I find those Rasmussen and Pew Research polls complementary. In other words, as some people in America turn away from a trust in God they in turn shift their trust to government. This was particularly evident in the poll results for the 18-29 age group. This group had a higher number of people with no religious affiliation and a higher number of people who perceive socialism as superior to capitalism when compared to other age groups.

Now let me clarify that I don’t think any particular worldly economic system will be perfect. Regarding ownership, scripture indicates that everything ultimately belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). Yet, scripture also refers to man’s stewardship of God’s possessions. God does seem to entrust property to individuals as is evident in both the Old and New Testaments. The Israelites were given land and in the New Testament individuals sold personal property to care for those in need.

And though scripture tends to lean more toward a capitalistic approach, both systems have the potential to lead people into trusting something other than God. Under capitalism, people can grow dependent on their wealth to solve their problems. I believe we have seen that in America over the past decades. As Americans increased in wealth we began to look to our finances to take care of us. Whether that was through retirement accounts, insurance, savings or other financial means, we began to trust in our finances to help us in our time of need.

Now with our economy reeling, many Americans have grown disillusioned with a dependency on wealth. Many individuals have never ‘made it’ and younger Americans may wonder if they will even have the opportunity to ‘make it.’ Instead of depending on wealth to solve their problems, Americans are beginning to look to the government to solve their problems. Whether it’s paying their mortgage, health care costs, or retirement income, a number of people are looking to the government to provide for their needs.

Tragically, dependence on the government is no better than dependence on wealth from a spiritual point of view. Trust in either of those things will provide a disastrous substitute for trust in God. The hope for our nation or any nation comes not in a political party, an economic system, or a charismatic leader, but our hope ultimately rests in God. He alone can meet our needs.

Jeremiah understood the dangers of trusting in something other than the LORD. His people were looking to other entities to deal with their problems and God warned them to trust only in Him. We read the following in Jeremiah 9:23-24 and 17:5-8.

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. (Jer. 9:23-24)

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:5-8)

Those are powerful truths for every American to consider. I pray that God, out of the richness of His mercy, may grant America one more revival before Christ returns. Then, perhaps, our currency’s motto would again ring true “IN GOD WE TRUST!”

Persecution in America?

2009-04-15T11:47:00.006-05:00

On March 5, Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad and Maryam Rustampoor were arrested by Iranian security forces and labeled "anti-government activists," according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN).

Marzieh and Maryam's apartment was searched and their belongings were confiscated. "Their only crime is that they are committed Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus," FCNN added. " They are being unfairly labeled as 'anti government activists' because of the hostility of the government towards practicing Christians."

http://www.persecution.com/topStory_twoIranianChristianWomenInPrison.html

The above report from Voice of the Martyrs went on to say that the two ladies are allowed only a one minute phone call per day to family. On their last call (March 28), Mazieh said, “I am dying.”

Such is the reality faced by followers of Jesus Christ in Iran and other parts of the world. This shouldn’t really surprise us, because Jesus said in John 15:20 “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” In fact, scripture indicates that persecution will likely increase in during the last days (Matthew 24:9-13). Studies indicate that Christian persecution has dramatically increased over the past century when compared to the previous centuries. Not surprisingly, God's word confirms this trend. We read in 2 Timothy 3:1 and 12, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come… Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

(The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Jn 15:25)

As Christian believers in America, we have, for the most part, been free of persecution. Of course there have been instances of ridicule and mocking, but as far as physical persecution it has been minimal in our country. We should thank God every day for the freedom we have had to share our faith and live our Christian lives without fear of imprisonment. However, a recent report reveals that we may start being labeled as “anti government activists” even as the Iranian government labeled Marzieh and Maryam.

An unclassified report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assessed the dangerous rise in right wing extremism amidst the current economic and political climate. This report was not intended to receive media coverage, but still found its way into the public eye. The report clarifies at the outset,

“The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues.”

So, even though there is no evidence of any threats of violence by ‘right wing extremists,’ the DHS has sent this report to local law enforcement agencies to start monitoring these ‘right wing extremists.’ Now you may be asking, “What groups are they referring to?” This is where it gets quite interesting. Usually, this type of report mentions specific groups to watch, but this report mentions no specific groups. Instead, it generalizes rightwing extremism with the following definition:

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

The broad strokes used to paint rightwing extremism should be concerning for everyone, because it covers such a wide spectrum of our population. Ironically, it would even seem to include America’s founding fathers if they were alive today. Our founding fathers desired to minimize federal authority and added to the 10^th amendment to ensure the rights of the states. The founding fathers also inscribed their belief in the “inalienable right to life” upon the Declaration of Independence. Yet, when we look at the DHS's definition above, those two issues are construed as rightwing extremism.

Now I recognize that there are individuals who hold those positions and take extremist actions. There are those who have blown up abortion clinics, shot abortion doctors, and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement while holed up in some militia compound. But the DHS report uses a broad enough definition to implicate every believer who holds dear the sanctity of life as a potential ‘rightwing extremist.’

This report also raises suspicions about those who embrace “end times prophecies.” Under the heading “Economic Hardship and Extremism” on page 4 the report declares, “Antigovernment conspiracy theories and ‘end times’ prophecies could motivate extremist individuals and groups to stockpile food, ammunition, and weapons.”

Now I can understand the DHS’s concern about groups stockpiling weapons (though under the fourth amendment that is legal), but why mention stockpiling food? As I understand prophecy, difficulties will intesify and stockpiling food might not be a bad idea. Yet, now that is considered a ‘rightwing extremist’ attitude.

We have been blessed as American believers to enjoy freedom from persecution, but scripture never promises that we’ll always enjoy such freedom. I think we will begin to see more persecution directed at believers from a variety of sources including the government. Wisdom instructs us to prepare for such a reality. Prepare yourself mentally and prepare yourself spiritually. Pray for the grace and strength to persevere. Hide God’s word in your heart. We take for granted the accessibility of scripture, but there may be someday when it isn’t available. Scripture memory has value even apart from persecution. One verse you might begin with is John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

No matter the conflicts and trials ahead, Jesus Christ is our peace and victory! Amen.

(Warning: reading this blog may designate you as a ‘rightwing extremist’ by the Department of Homeland Security)

Christ's Take on AIG

2009-03-23T11:18:00.007-05:00

Here are the facts about the AIG bonuses as I have been able to ascertain. AIG received over $170 billion of federal bailout money to stay solvent. The company used $165 million (now their saying $218 million) to fulfill contractual bonuses to over 400 employees ranging from $1000 to $6.4 million per individual. The Stimulus Bill passed earlier this year included an exemption crafted by Chris Dodd and the Treasury department to permit the bailout money to be used for such bonuses. News outlets have had plenty to talk about since the bonuses were revealed. The bonuses have incited public outrage. And finally, most Americans don’t even know what AIG stands for. OK, I can’t actually substantiate this last fact, but I have a feeling its true.

Public outrage has in fact turned quite ugly. One person e-mailed the company stating, "All the executives and their families should be executed with piano wire — my greatest hope." Another person suggested publishing the names of those "Yankee" bankers "so some good old southern boys can take care of them." The numerous death threats these executives have received has prompted the company to recommend that they travel in pairs.

The House of Representatives voted to retroactively tax the bonuses received at a 90% rate. Many on both sides of the political aisle felt the public outcry from these bonuses warranted such an extreme action. President Obama stated, "Today's vote rightly reflects the outrage that so many feel over the lavish bonuses that AIG provided its employees at the expense of the taxpayers who have kept this failed company afloat. Now this legislation moves to the Senate, and I look forward to receiving a final product that will serve as a strong signal to the executives who run these firms that such compensation will not be tolerated." He has since changed his view on the 90% tax, citing constitutional and legal concerns of such legislation (see article 1 section 9 of the US Constitution).

Thus, we have observed two solutions in dealing with this issue: kill the executives or steal the bonuses back through unconstitutional retroactive tax laws. Both of those options stem from emotional outrage and suggest that two wrongs actually do make a right. However, God’s word affirms nothing of the sort.

The AIG issues brings to the forefront familiar sins that man has wrestled with from the beginning: greed and envy. Paul instructs believers in Colossians 3:5 to "put to death…greed, which is idolatry." Adam and Eve exhibited greed in the garden of Eden. They wanted to be like God and greedily ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, even though God said not to. Certainly some of the AIG executives fell into this sin of greed by seeking such bonuses in their contracts. Scripture informs us that the love of money is the root of all evil, and the love of money can twist a person's worldview. The general public lashed out at these executives for accepting such bonuses when the company used public money to stay afloat. It didn’t matter to the populace whether the bonuses were contractual obligations or not. It just seemed greedy to accept such bonuses.

The public outrage however, reveals a second sin that has plagued mankind since the beginning. That is the sin of coveting or envy. When Abel received God’s blessing for his offering and Cain did not, Cain envied his brother. Cain dealt with what he perceived as an inequity by murdering his brother. One sin led to another. Cain was outraged that Abel would receive a commendation from the LORD and he did not. I think if people were honest with themselves, they may discover something similar in their own outrage over AIG.

Now by no means am I suggesting the AIG executives are the equivalent of Abel. That’s certainly not the case. But I am suggesting that some in the American populace have fallen into the sin of Cain. From a legal standpoint, the individuals receiving the bonuses have done nothing wrong. The bonuses were in their contracts and the stimulus bill signed into law permitted the federal funds to be used in such a fashion. However, many people want to see that money stripped from them. I have a feeling though, that if these same outraged people were on the receiving end of these million dollar bonus, then their tune would change.

So, would Christ's attitude toward these individuals be "stick it to them any way you can?"

Jesus certainly warned the rich about trusting in their wealth and storing up treasures here on earth. He condemned the rich when they oppressed the poor or trusted in their wealth for eternity, but he never condemned them solely because they were rich. Many wealthy individuals, in fact, contributed to Jesus’ ministry. These included Joseph of Arimethea, Joanna (the wife of Herod’s household manager), and Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Neither did Jesus condemn Zacchaeus for His wealth, but rather transformed how Zacchaeus used his wealth.

We must guard ourselves from an attitude of envy toward those who have more than we do. God will deal with greedy individuals in His way and in His time. We should leave the judgment and discipline up to Him. Our job as believers is not to act as Robin Hood, but to avoid greed and envy in our life. We must make sure that we use the resources God entrusts to us in a God honoring way. Then we can encourage other believers to use their resources in a like manner. Paul instructed Timothy,

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

Notice that Paul didn't instruct Timothy to strip the wealth from those who are rich. Nor did suggest any death threats or mob lynchings. Was it greedy for those executives with extremely large bonuses to accept them despite the company having received billions in bailout money? I think we could argue, yes. But is it also envious to confiscate that money simply because we don't think they should receive that much? I would also argue, yes.

So what would Christ’s mind on the AIG issue be? I believe He might suggest that each of us focus more on how we use our money and resources for His glory and let Him worry about how other people use theirs.

The King is Coming!

2009-03-04T09:53:00.003-06:00

I rarely remember my dreams and most of the time my dreams are not worth remembering much less blogging about. However, a few nights ago I had a dream that I want to put in print to remember. I probably want to do this more for my own sake than any other reason, but perhaps it may encourage someone else in the process.

In my dream, I was driving on a highway into a metro area and about to cross a large suspension bridge. I looked up into the sky and noticed some odd features in the clouds. I saw some circle shapes that I can't really describe, I just know they were there. Then I noticed indentations in a number of clouds. There was only one indentation in each cumulus cloud and they were different sizes, but each one was perfectly symmetrical. It was like someone took a ball and pushed it into the cloud leaving a perfect indentation. Some indentations seemed to have a ring indentation around the bowl shape. Others were just the bowl shape.

I believe I had just finished preaching a sermon in my dream or was going to preach one. I understood these strange cloud formations as signs of Christ's coming and so I wanted to share with people that Jesus was coming back. I arrived in the city and went to a church that met on the top floor of about a ten story building. The service had just ended and the clouds outside were beginning to circle. I let the congregation know they could leave if they wanted to, but for those who stayed I would share about Christ's coming.

I began sharing about the anomalous indentations in the clouds and someone tried to explain it away as some meteorological phenomenon. My voice intensified as I protested his explanation and clarified that what I saw has never occurred before. It was too symmetrical and distinct. This was a supernatural event.

As I debated this doubter, the clouds outside continued circling and the sky grew ominous. Massive funnel clouds appeared but taller than any I've seen and more numerous. They were all over the city and reached high above the city's skyscrapers. Lightning bristled through the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance. The congregation's attention turned to the events outside. Building tops were ripped off and windows shattered. The funnel clouds moved closer to our building and we witnessed people being taken up into the clouds. I realized that these people were going to meet the Lord in the air and my heart leapt with anticipation.

As a funnel cloud neared our building the windows shattered and the roof was removed allowing us to gaze upward into the sky. Joy and excitement flooded my being at the realization I would soon be taken up to Jesus. Then it happened. The cloud lifted me out of the building and began rising upward. However, there was no violent wind or thrashing of my body. In fact, it didn't even feel like I was rising, but I knew I was. My head was tilted back and my eyes gazed upward as I rose to meet Jesus. I can't describe the exhilaration and joy that pulsed through my being at that moment. The peace, excitement, contentment, and joy I felt was unprecedented. A smile of serenity and love marked my face.

Then I woke up.

As I contemplated my dream what stood out most was the anticipation and desire to meet my Savior. I couldn't wait to see Jesus. There was no fear or worry, just eager anticipation. I knew I was going to meet Him soon and I could hardly wait.

I described my dream to my wife that morning and she noted something else. She pointed out that I was preaching to the very end. I was preaching about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ til the very moment I was taken up to meet Him. What a joy that would be for every believer to be sharing about the Lord at His coming.

I also considered some of the sad components in my dream regarding unbelievers. I thought about the man who tried to explain away the cloud phenomenon with bizarre meteorological rationale. How much that is like today as man repeatedly attempts to explain away God's hand in this world. And how tragic it will be for those who ignore Him to the end.

I know this was only a dream, and I certainly don't claim this is how the rapture will occur. But what I found so encouraging for myself was the great anticipation I felt as I rose to meet the Lord in the air. I believe that anticipation should mark every moment of our life on this earth, and I confess I often fail in that area. Yet, I want to live my life in that anticipation of the Lord's coming as scripture exhorts us to do. What motivation and strength that gives us to face the challenges of each day.

Paul, in I Thessalonians 4:18, instructed believers to encourage one another with the coming of the Lord. It truly is a wondrous encouragement to know that one day the Lord will come and that coming may be very soon. So on that thought, I will close with the words of the apostle John in the Revelation, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"

2009-02-11T09:16:00.002-06:00

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

President John Adams spoke those words to America's military on October 11, 1798, fifteen years after the American Revolution officially ended. During the infancy of our nation and in the midst of a military expansion Adams expressed a prophetic concern about the nation he helped form. What perspectives solicited such comments from one of our founding fathers?

I don't claim expertise in American History or the life of John Adams, but I will venture a hypothesis regarding Adam's perspective. The founders of our nation established a limited form of government in contrast to the British monarchy from which they separated. The constitutional congress established three branches of government as a means of checks and balances to avoid an authoritarian government that would infringe on individual freedoms. The Bill of Rights proposed by the states further defined and protected the individual liberties colonists held so dear. However, this limited form of government was based upon a general understanding of moral and religious virtues exercised by people as a whole. Of course, there were those of vice prevalent in society, but generally speaking business could be conducted with a handshake and trust in one's neighbor. The golden rule generally applied. When a neighbor went through financial trouble the rest of the town helped them get through it. Government influence was not pursued but shunned.

When the moral and religious fabric of our society began to deteriorate, people were increasingly taken advantage of and hurt. We have seen this often in recent years. After 9/11 many gas stations raised their gas prices in an unwarranted fashion to take advantage of the tragedy. After Katrina, many residents began looting stores and homes. In such a climate, laws are established to curtail the effects of moral bankruptcy and vice. Government grows and new agencies are formed to enforce rules that once were enforced by morality and religious virtue. The larger and more authoritarian government then begins stripping freedoms as a means of 'protecting' its people from themselves. Unfortunately, those who gain governmental power often lack a solid moral and religious foundation themselves, and thus legislate from their own personal opinion of right and wrong.

In the end, the bloated and authoritarian body governing the people no longer matches the limited government established by our founding fathers in the constitution. I believe John Adams understood that once a people lost their moral and religious compass, government would by necessity have to grow and step in to legislate its own understanding of right and wrong.

It seems that this is the current state of our union with an ever increasing government and decreasing individual liberties. However, the answer to our national troubles lies not in the increase of our government, and not even the decrease of government (though that may be beneficial). Rather it lies in the moral transformation of our people, and that can only occur by the work of Jesus Christ in each individual. Only then may we once again enjoy the bounty and blessings of our nation as the founding fathers intended it.

Our call to duty today, thus mirrors the call to duty issued by John Adams on March 23, 1798:

"As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and blessing of Almighty God; and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him, but a duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety, without which social happiness cannot exist, nor the blessings of a free government be enjoyed; and as this duty, at all times incumbent, is so especially in seasons of difficulty and of danger, when existing or threatening calamities, the just judgments of God against prevalent iniquity are a loud call to repentance and reformation...

...Under these considerations it has appeared to me that the duty of imploring the mercy and benediction of Heaven on our country, demands at this time a special attention from its inhabitants."

May we heed those words today.