If one has friends, he is wealthy. A man who had spent a childhood in poverty once shared with me about the frustration of becoming wealthy. The frustration stemmed from his being unable to qualify friends. He said, “When I was poor, friends were simple to identify. Now that I am wealthy, I am never quite sure why people want to spend time with me.” Friendship can be slippery!
Everyone needs friends and Solomon reminds all who will listen, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Have you noticed that Job had at least four men who were willing to associate with him, in spite of his having lost everything except a nagging wife? Each friend was imperfect but willing to spend time with a broken spirited, impoverished, sick friend. Job didn’t have to wonder, “Are these fellows after my money?” or, “Do they want to borrow my ranch equipment?” He had none!
One thing I have noticed in Job, “All friends are flawed!” No one is able to perfectly live up to our expectations. Friends are human and say things they will later regret. The Lord has had to correct all of us who spoke with eloquence and all sincerity, just like he rebuffed Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu. When reading carefully, each of the friends had something good to say, true observations about life and God. On occasion even my friends and I have had deep insights, flashes of theological and philosophic brilliance.
Elihu ranks as a special nominee on the slate of candidates for “most likeable friend.” Being the youngest, he waited patiently, listened carefully, and weighed thoroughly the speeches of Job and the others. (May his tribe multiply, fill the earth, and run for President of the United States!) The process Elihu went through before speaking makes me want to meet him and share a cup of coffee. You have to love this young fellow! He spoke and many things made sense.
The one thing all five men had in common, they could not see or hear what God could see and hear. Each could wax eloquently from their narrow experience base. But, when the Lord speaks, He begins with a series of rhetorical questions which leave wise men speechless. The Lord established His qualifications to speak by asking –
• “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?”
• “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?”
• “What is the way to the abode of the light? And where does darkness hide?”
• “What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed?”
• “Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons?”
The innate limitation of human friends is evident. The One who “sticks closer than a brother,” is far better qualified to unravel the imponderables in life, light the darkness, calm the storm, and heal oozing boils. We all tend toward “A” and “B” as possible solutions. Right and wrong is the usual scope of our consideration. But the One who is Alpha and Omega says, “I have considered ‘A’ through ‘Z!’”
On occasion I get bogged down in “A” or “B” thinking, thrashing wildly, searching for an exit to unpleasant circumstances. Then the Lord speaks, often through a friend who unwittingly shares a “D” or “Q” solution. The Lord delivers a word of wisdom, or a word of knowledge, supernaturally, by the Spirit, and through a friend.
In the end, Job prayed for his friends and they continued together. It seems to me that the four friends continued with Job through his second season of prosperity. I am keeping mine too!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Communciating the Message
From the preface of a book authored by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Last time I made a book I trod on some people’s corns and bunions, and they wrote me angry letters, asking, “Did you mean me?” This time, to save them the expense of a halfpenny card, I will begin my book by saying —
Whether I please or whether I tease,
I’ll give you my honest mind;
If the cap should fit,
pray wear it a bit,
If not, you can leave it behind.
At the risk of confirming friends’ suspicion that I am a “Johnny One Note,” redundant and stubborn, I appeal, again, asking that Jesus’ disciples assess our strident and militant assertion of rights. How well are we communicating Jesus in the role of political operatives? Can the “Joyful Sound” be heard above our boisterous, whining dissatisfaction with national politics? Is anyone moved toward the Christ when we rattle political swords weighted with numbers and money akin to worlds’? Can anyone come to believe “Jesus Saves” when the message is imbedded in the rabble of politics and rancor of truth wrapped in unloving, unforgiving, impatient language used in the world’s marketplace? Is there a place for kindness and mercy in the political arena?
The most frequently quoted line from Esther is Mordecai’s appeal to Hadassah, “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14) In response to her uncle’s urgent request, Hadassah risked her life and became one of the great ladies of the faith. But, the line that challenges me is found in chapter eight, and is repeated three times, “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.” (Verses 10, 15, 16)
King Xerxes authorized Mordecai to issue decrees righting the wrongs of Haman. The “tables were turned.” (8:2) The weak were now large and in charge. The power had swung from a mean spirited antisemitism to the Jews. “Mordecai was prominent in the palace,” the hour for flexing muscles had arrived. (8:4) The Jews, terrorized and disenfranchised for decades slaughtered more than five hundred men, but refused to take the livelihood and security of the men’s families. “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.”
In a “go for the jugular” political arena, could the church prove its otherworldly value as citizens of a greater Kingdom? Are we confident that the “kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ? Are we convinced that, “He will reign forever and ever?” (Revelation 11:15)
Let us stride forward in faith, exploring ways to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, rather than sniveling fearfully, overeating and grabbing for the plunder. How do we do that? I am not sure, but kindness, forgiveness and mercy are the message of our King.
Whether I please or whether I tease,
I’ll give you my honest mind;
If the cap should fit,
pray wear it a bit,
If not, you can leave it behind.
At the risk of confirming friends’ suspicion that I am a “Johnny One Note,” redundant and stubborn, I appeal, again, asking that Jesus’ disciples assess our strident and militant assertion of rights. How well are we communicating Jesus in the role of political operatives? Can the “Joyful Sound” be heard above our boisterous, whining dissatisfaction with national politics? Is anyone moved toward the Christ when we rattle political swords weighted with numbers and money akin to worlds’? Can anyone come to believe “Jesus Saves” when the message is imbedded in the rabble of politics and rancor of truth wrapped in unloving, unforgiving, impatient language used in the world’s marketplace? Is there a place for kindness and mercy in the political arena?
The most frequently quoted line from Esther is Mordecai’s appeal to Hadassah, “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14) In response to her uncle’s urgent request, Hadassah risked her life and became one of the great ladies of the faith. But, the line that challenges me is found in chapter eight, and is repeated three times, “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.” (Verses 10, 15, 16)
King Xerxes authorized Mordecai to issue decrees righting the wrongs of Haman. The “tables were turned.” (8:2) The weak were now large and in charge. The power had swung from a mean spirited antisemitism to the Jews. “Mordecai was prominent in the palace,” the hour for flexing muscles had arrived. (8:4) The Jews, terrorized and disenfranchised for decades slaughtered more than five hundred men, but refused to take the livelihood and security of the men’s families. “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.”
In a “go for the jugular” political arena, could the church prove its otherworldly value as citizens of a greater Kingdom? Are we confident that the “kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ? Are we convinced that, “He will reign forever and ever?” (Revelation 11:15)
Let us stride forward in faith, exploring ways to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, rather than sniveling fearfully, overeating and grabbing for the plunder. How do we do that? I am not sure, but kindness, forgiveness and mercy are the message of our King.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Integrity
People may startle us. We get used to them, become familiar with their mode of operation, and then, suddenly, they confound us. Nehemiah does that. He appears as a manager, organizing people, developing plans, and establishing systems that assure order and productivity in the newly rebuilt Jerusalem. Nehemiah numbered and organized the priests, exiles, and workers according to their crafts. A system was implemented to care for the poor. (Could he have been have a “do good” liberal?) He is most commonly remembered as a letter writing labor negotiator and super-foreman for a massive building project. He organized the relocation of masses of people. His record of events was written in the first person complete with a prophetic streak rushing to the surface in the last chapter where Nehemiah erupts with a short list of indignant rebukes.
When Nehemiah discovered that the offerings in support of the priests had not been distributed he issued the first of three reprimands. “I learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. So I rebuked the officials and asked them, ‘Why is the house of God neglected?’” (Verses 10-11) Misappropriation of funds, carelessness with God’s money is a grievous offence. The records of Ezra and Nehemiah establish that the people gave generously. There was no shortage, just bad management!
The second infraction lighting Nehemiah’s fuse of outrage was the misuse of the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day. “I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this wicked thing you are doing— desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.’” (Verses 17,18) One can hear, “How dare you?” from Nehemiah’s quivering lips! He offered no room for excuses.
And, finally, Nehemiah railed against the grave infraction of corrupting God’s expectations about marriage. To a rebuke, curses and punishments are added. “I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: ‘You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.’” (Verses 25-26) Hello! Is our culture ready for such narrow minded bigotry?
There is no lack of passion, no ambivalence or ambiguity. The Lord’s spokesman makes his points as clear as fine crystal. Nehemiah’s rebukes cannot be misunderstood or ignored. Money management, observance of the Lord’s Day and marriage are God’s bell weathers. We cannot overlook how frequently the same issues define culture and church today. How will we respond when God appoints someone to deliver a sound rebuke today?
When Nehemiah discovered that the offerings in support of the priests had not been distributed he issued the first of three reprimands. “I learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. So I rebuked the officials and asked them, ‘Why is the house of God neglected?’” (Verses 10-11) Misappropriation of funds, carelessness with God’s money is a grievous offence. The records of Ezra and Nehemiah establish that the people gave generously. There was no shortage, just bad management!
The second infraction lighting Nehemiah’s fuse of outrage was the misuse of the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day. “I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this wicked thing you are doing— desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.’” (Verses 17,18) One can hear, “How dare you?” from Nehemiah’s quivering lips! He offered no room for excuses.
And, finally, Nehemiah railed against the grave infraction of corrupting God’s expectations about marriage. To a rebuke, curses and punishments are added. “I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: ‘You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.’” (Verses 25-26) Hello! Is our culture ready for such narrow minded bigotry?
There is no lack of passion, no ambivalence or ambiguity. The Lord’s spokesman makes his points as clear as fine crystal. Nehemiah’s rebukes cannot be misunderstood or ignored. Money management, observance of the Lord’s Day and marriage are God’s bell weathers. We cannot overlook how frequently the same issues define culture and church today. How will we respond when God appoints someone to deliver a sound rebuke today?
What could have been
“What could have been” is a too familiar phrase in conversation. The phrase is used of athletes who are injured before reaching their prime, singers who develop polyps on their vocal chords, or youth who entangle their lives in foolishness. Promising personalities litter the pathways leading to recognition and accomplishment because of a small flaw left untended. “What could have been” can be applied to Josiah whose biography is found in 2 Chronicles 34-35.
Josiah was only eight years-old when he became king of Judah. As a sixteen year-old he began to seriously seek God and started a nationwide reform movement. Full of courage and youthful idealism, Josiah smashed the altars of the gods of lewdness and perversion allowed by his grandfather, Manasseh, and father, Amon.
When Josiah turned twenty-six, his administration initiated a massive temple rebuilding project. While the renovation project proceeded, the Book of the Law was discovered somewhere in the Temple compound and was read to the still young king, Josiah’s heart was stirred and the king demonstrated the broken and contrite spirit who his ancestor David said would never be denied. (Psalm 51) Huldah the prophetess was called to Jerusalem where she delivered God’s promise, “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.”
Josiah’s fatal flaw, literally, was a response to feelings of self-satisfaction and stubbornness. Josiah was euphoric! The people had responded to his appeals for offerings and temple renovations were completed without a mortgage. The Passover was a national success and Israeli citizens were content. So, emboldened by his achievements, Josiah butted into a war in which he didn’t need to be involved. Neco, the king of Egypt tried his best to dissuade Josiah, but forty-nine-year-old was on a roll! He would fight because he wanted to fight. Was winning a war, in Josiah’s reasoning, a way to expand his influence? We’ll never know “what could have been.” Josiah was killed in a battle he didn’t need to fight.
A faithful mentor repeatedly reminded me, and I remember years after his death. “We are driven toward the Lord in failure and struggles, but are lured away when we are feeling successful.” In other words, success is harder to deal with than failure. “What could have been” moments are most frequently rooted in personal flaws which render us careless, undisciplined, vulnerable. Josiah had probably forgotten sage counsel of his forefather Solomon, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20)
Josiah was only eight years-old when he became king of Judah. As a sixteen year-old he began to seriously seek God and started a nationwide reform movement. Full of courage and youthful idealism, Josiah smashed the altars of the gods of lewdness and perversion allowed by his grandfather, Manasseh, and father, Amon.
When Josiah turned twenty-six, his administration initiated a massive temple rebuilding project. While the renovation project proceeded, the Book of the Law was discovered somewhere in the Temple compound and was read to the still young king, Josiah’s heart was stirred and the king demonstrated the broken and contrite spirit who his ancestor David said would never be denied. (Psalm 51) Huldah the prophetess was called to Jerusalem where she delivered God’s promise, “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.”
Josiah’s fatal flaw, literally, was a response to feelings of self-satisfaction and stubbornness. Josiah was euphoric! The people had responded to his appeals for offerings and temple renovations were completed without a mortgage. The Passover was a national success and Israeli citizens were content. So, emboldened by his achievements, Josiah butted into a war in which he didn’t need to be involved. Neco, the king of Egypt tried his best to dissuade Josiah, but forty-nine-year-old was on a roll! He would fight because he wanted to fight. Was winning a war, in Josiah’s reasoning, a way to expand his influence? We’ll never know “what could have been.” Josiah was killed in a battle he didn’t need to fight.
A faithful mentor repeatedly reminded me, and I remember years after his death. “We are driven toward the Lord in failure and struggles, but are lured away when we are feeling successful.” In other words, success is harder to deal with than failure. “What could have been” moments are most frequently rooted in personal flaws which render us careless, undisciplined, vulnerable. Josiah had probably forgotten sage counsel of his forefather Solomon, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20)
Love is doing the right thing!
Yesterday Pat and I watched a morning television news magazine as a young family was interviewed. Their story has been made into a film being released in time for Valentines Day. “The Vow” is the true story of a very young couple recovering from an accident that put the wife, Paige, in a coma. She awoke with severe memory loss and couldn’t remember any of her life with her husband. Leo had to fight to win Paige’s heart all over again.
Paige and Leo had been married for five years. While traveling by car on a snowy night, the couple were hit by a truck. Paige, who wasn't wearing her seat belt, was seriously injured. Awakening from her coma, Paige did not remember Leo or the past five years of her life, believed she to be a law student, still on good terms with her parents, and engaged to marry her ex-fiancee. Despite this, Leo made heroic efforts to help Paige regain her memory. However, she could not remember and struggled to get back into her old routines and even moved back into her parents’ home.
Leo’s love for Paige continued throughout the struggle. The details of how they are keeping the vows made years ago make the rest of the story. The extreme tests of love experienced by Paige and Leo are unusual. But, all love is tested.
Sunday Pat and I began our forty-sixth revolution around the sun together. Pat nor my memories have been snatched away by a massive head trauma. Our memories are just hazy now and then! The real demands of life, including illness, moving, changes in how we express our vocation, financial needs – everything common to people everywhere, require that vows are remembered and renewed.
The most impressive line in the interview is, “Love is doing the right thing, keeping one’s vows.” Both husband and wife clearly “get it!” Paige and Leo mentioned their faith repeatedly. Solomon counseled, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Paige and Leo had been married for five years. While traveling by car on a snowy night, the couple were hit by a truck. Paige, who wasn't wearing her seat belt, was seriously injured. Awakening from her coma, Paige did not remember Leo or the past five years of her life, believed she to be a law student, still on good terms with her parents, and engaged to marry her ex-fiancee. Despite this, Leo made heroic efforts to help Paige regain her memory. However, she could not remember and struggled to get back into her old routines and even moved back into her parents’ home.
Leo’s love for Paige continued throughout the struggle. The details of how they are keeping the vows made years ago make the rest of the story. The extreme tests of love experienced by Paige and Leo are unusual. But, all love is tested.
Sunday Pat and I began our forty-sixth revolution around the sun together. Pat nor my memories have been snatched away by a massive head trauma. Our memories are just hazy now and then! The real demands of life, including illness, moving, changes in how we express our vocation, financial needs – everything common to people everywhere, require that vows are remembered and renewed.
The most impressive line in the interview is, “Love is doing the right thing, keeping one’s vows.” Both husband and wife clearly “get it!” Paige and Leo mentioned their faith repeatedly. Solomon counseled, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Little ones count!
It was the second or third week in our first pastorate. I had fallen asleep on the floor of the parsonage. We had no furniture yet. I answered a knock at the door to meet a pastor from a nearby town. As we chatted, he asked, “Well, how many did you have in church this morning?” I was thrilled to answer that there were more than twenty in worship. (There had been seven the first week!)“How many were kids?” he asked. “You know, kids don’t count and don’t contribute to the offerings!”
But, little ones count! Hezekiah, one of the really good kings of Judah, teaches us the importance of children with his example. He ordered the priests to “Distribute to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records ....They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community ....” (2 Chronicles 31:16,17)
Jesus reinforced the importance of little ones. St. Mark included the following in his gospel, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-15)
In 1992 we were privileged to plant Vailsburg Assembly of God and Growing Garden Preschool in Newark, New Jersey. Actual church ministries were preceded by almost two years of renovations on the former Presbyterian church building we had purchased. The heroic efforts of Pat and Rayanna Baines, who worked for pennies per hour, resulted in the academy gaining enrollment and strength. Among the first children enrolled was a girl whose mother was born in Africa and immigrated to New Jersey. That girl is now completing her studies at Rutgers University specializing in prosthetic engineering. Her ambition is to create state-of-the-art prosthetics for people who have lost limbs. Throughout high school that “little one” was a leader among the church youth.
Like most urban church plants, Vailsburg needed financial help at the outset, but gradually gained strength. After Jonathan, our son, became the pastor in 1998, he pointed out that Vailsburg Assembly was doing well financially under his leadership. In the short history of the church, “little ones” and preteens had grown and taken jobs. They began contributing tithes and offerings. You can be sure that the young engineer, who remains in the church, will make significant contributions when she enters the workforce full time.
In less than twenty years since Vailsburg Assembly began the community has become a far more desirable place to live. Children have married, and some of the first new disciples are now grandparents and three generations worship together. Three of our grandchildren’s first lessons in corporate worship and prayer were learned there, beginning as infants. “Little ones” count and are worthy of large, concentrated investments.
Occasionally we need to remember that the man who plants an acorn will not live long enough to sit in the shade of the oak growing from that seed. Orchard owners plant trees that won’t bear fruit for years. But, if they don’t, there will be no fruit in the future. Little trees grow and bear fruit.
For more than forty-five years Pat has reminded everyone within hearing how important little ones are. She has been vindicated hundreds of times over. Thank God for Pat’s long and effective ministry to the “little ones.”
But, little ones count! Hezekiah, one of the really good kings of Judah, teaches us the importance of children with his example. He ordered the priests to “Distribute to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records ....They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community ....” (2 Chronicles 31:16,17)
Jesus reinforced the importance of little ones. St. Mark included the following in his gospel, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-15)
In 1992 we were privileged to plant Vailsburg Assembly of God and Growing Garden Preschool in Newark, New Jersey. Actual church ministries were preceded by almost two years of renovations on the former Presbyterian church building we had purchased. The heroic efforts of Pat and Rayanna Baines, who worked for pennies per hour, resulted in the academy gaining enrollment and strength. Among the first children enrolled was a girl whose mother was born in Africa and immigrated to New Jersey. That girl is now completing her studies at Rutgers University specializing in prosthetic engineering. Her ambition is to create state-of-the-art prosthetics for people who have lost limbs. Throughout high school that “little one” was a leader among the church youth.
Like most urban church plants, Vailsburg needed financial help at the outset, but gradually gained strength. After Jonathan, our son, became the pastor in 1998, he pointed out that Vailsburg Assembly was doing well financially under his leadership. In the short history of the church, “little ones” and preteens had grown and taken jobs. They began contributing tithes and offerings. You can be sure that the young engineer, who remains in the church, will make significant contributions when she enters the workforce full time.
In less than twenty years since Vailsburg Assembly began the community has become a far more desirable place to live. Children have married, and some of the first new disciples are now grandparents and three generations worship together. Three of our grandchildren’s first lessons in corporate worship and prayer were learned there, beginning as infants. “Little ones” count and are worthy of large, concentrated investments.
Occasionally we need to remember that the man who plants an acorn will not live long enough to sit in the shade of the oak growing from that seed. Orchard owners plant trees that won’t bear fruit for years. But, if they don’t, there will be no fruit in the future. Little trees grow and bear fruit.
For more than forty-five years Pat has reminded everyone within hearing how important little ones are. She has been vindicated hundreds of times over. Thank God for Pat’s long and effective ministry to the “little ones.”
Friday, February 10, 2012
Rails on which locomotives run
When our children were still young, in elementary school, our family visited a train museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The behemoth locomotives seemed so much larger up close than when others passed by at railroad crossings. The sound effects, anecdotes of railroading, and inventory of paraphernalia displayed were all interesting, but dwarfed by the massive engines.
The strength of railroad locomotives is awe-inspiring. Modern engines generate up to six thousand horsepower, the required power for staggering payloads. During our tenure as pastor in Lansing Michigan we often sat at a crossing near our home when locomotives pulled 1000's of newly assembled Oldsmobiles from the factories to their point of sale. Cars were stacked three high and I always lost count when trying to number how many passed by.
Preachers make a big point of pointing to the power of God, the promise of the Spirit, the purposes of God being fulfilled in the power of the Spirit. I have, and have enjoyed listening to others. To apply a metaphor, we speak about the locomotive but seldom recognize the need for rails on which the engine must run. Locomotives are not designed to sit idly making noise and puffing steam or smoke! They are designed to pull, to move product and people from one place to another. In my opinion, sermons and lessons must include a rail system, a plan of action that helps the listener to move from the present into the future on a clearly designed and prepared path. After the inspiration of the moment and the sense of the Spirit, one must know what is next. Rails must be laid before progress is made.
Rail laying is tedious, hard work. Low places must be raised. High places must be made lower. Tons of material are required every few feet, stone, timbers, spikes. The process is labor intensive. The places of preparation are mostly lonely, places between stations and civilization, teeming with adversity and difficulties.
The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad was commemorated by driving a gold spike. The spike had been manufactured earlier in 1869 and the sides were engraved with the names of the railroad officers and directors. The ceremony was originally to be held on May 8, the date actually engraved on the spike, but it was postponed two days because of bad weather and a labor dispute. Ah, the metaphor goes on! We are affected by circumstances beyond us. We could get more done if everyone would cooperate and not dispute minutiae, things which really do not matter in the big picture.
When laying rails, millions of spikes must be driven. Making disciples who follow Jesus in the Power of the Spirit is similar. Hundreds of appointments made, cancelled and kept; gallons of poured coffee, tea, and soda; and pondering the unanswerable, sharing assurance that there is One who is infallible, omnipotent and compassionate can be tedious. Those who make disciples share Word and Spirit with others – for a long, long time. Progress is slow as resistant mountains and sluggish valleys are traversed. The wonderful sounds of Sunday’s worship and Word are often dissonant with the realities of daily difficulties. “How can I love God when I have a boss that is so demeaning and unappreciative?” It takes time to cross from one high point of faith to another when children are hospitalized, a parent dies, or a teen rebels. Locomotives of Spirit Power run on rails. Rails are made of caring, unselfish, well-informed investments of Word and Spirit exchanged between fellow disciples.
To extend the figure of speech a few inches more, when the rails are laid and the engine is fueled, the ride is great! We who are Jesus’ disciples enjoy life with others with whom we have learned The Way. Life, progressing down the rails, is beautiful and satisfying. The long hours of parched thirsty throats, blistered hands, sunburned skin, and weariness all are forgotten.
P.S. Pat and I can attest to the inconvenience caused by long, lumbering trains. The photographer hired for our wedding missed the whole ceremony, forty-five years ago tomorrow, because he sat at a railroad crossing waiting, waiting, waiting! We never did get the photos we expected. But, we have chests full of indelibly recorded memories!
The strength of railroad locomotives is awe-inspiring. Modern engines generate up to six thousand horsepower, the required power for staggering payloads. During our tenure as pastor in Lansing Michigan we often sat at a crossing near our home when locomotives pulled 1000's of newly assembled Oldsmobiles from the factories to their point of sale. Cars were stacked three high and I always lost count when trying to number how many passed by.
Preachers make a big point of pointing to the power of God, the promise of the Spirit, the purposes of God being fulfilled in the power of the Spirit. I have, and have enjoyed listening to others. To apply a metaphor, we speak about the locomotive but seldom recognize the need for rails on which the engine must run. Locomotives are not designed to sit idly making noise and puffing steam or smoke! They are designed to pull, to move product and people from one place to another. In my opinion, sermons and lessons must include a rail system, a plan of action that helps the listener to move from the present into the future on a clearly designed and prepared path. After the inspiration of the moment and the sense of the Spirit, one must know what is next. Rails must be laid before progress is made.
Rail laying is tedious, hard work. Low places must be raised. High places must be made lower. Tons of material are required every few feet, stone, timbers, spikes. The process is labor intensive. The places of preparation are mostly lonely, places between stations and civilization, teeming with adversity and difficulties.
The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad was commemorated by driving a gold spike. The spike had been manufactured earlier in 1869 and the sides were engraved with the names of the railroad officers and directors. The ceremony was originally to be held on May 8, the date actually engraved on the spike, but it was postponed two days because of bad weather and a labor dispute. Ah, the metaphor goes on! We are affected by circumstances beyond us. We could get more done if everyone would cooperate and not dispute minutiae, things which really do not matter in the big picture.
When laying rails, millions of spikes must be driven. Making disciples who follow Jesus in the Power of the Spirit is similar. Hundreds of appointments made, cancelled and kept; gallons of poured coffee, tea, and soda; and pondering the unanswerable, sharing assurance that there is One who is infallible, omnipotent and compassionate can be tedious. Those who make disciples share Word and Spirit with others – for a long, long time. Progress is slow as resistant mountains and sluggish valleys are traversed. The wonderful sounds of Sunday’s worship and Word are often dissonant with the realities of daily difficulties. “How can I love God when I have a boss that is so demeaning and unappreciative?” It takes time to cross from one high point of faith to another when children are hospitalized, a parent dies, or a teen rebels. Locomotives of Spirit Power run on rails. Rails are made of caring, unselfish, well-informed investments of Word and Spirit exchanged between fellow disciples.
To extend the figure of speech a few inches more, when the rails are laid and the engine is fueled, the ride is great! We who are Jesus’ disciples enjoy life with others with whom we have learned The Way. Life, progressing down the rails, is beautiful and satisfying. The long hours of parched thirsty throats, blistered hands, sunburned skin, and weariness all are forgotten.
P.S. Pat and I can attest to the inconvenience caused by long, lumbering trains. The photographer hired for our wedding missed the whole ceremony, forty-five years ago tomorrow, because he sat at a railroad crossing waiting, waiting, waiting! We never did get the photos we expected. But, we have chests full of indelibly recorded memories!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Lesser Lights, Great Effectiveness
Have you ever been tempted to speed read through the family lists in Numbers or First and Second Chronicles? Chronologies are tedious for most readers. Few take the time to memorize the familial relationship between Gershom and Eliezer or Micah the first and Isshiah (No. That’s not a typo!) the second. But God apparently deemed those who filled roles in the redemptive chain of enough significance to at least mention their names. Siblings of the famous spend life in the shadow of famous brothers and sisters. The deeds of the heroic, the mighty and influential are memorialized while the members of the supporting cast are largely ignored.
In church life, the small church is scoffed at and becomes the object of fix-it strategies. The not so silent assumption is that small is bad, ailing, and an embarrassment. The megawatt lights of big institutions dwarf smaller groups, but authentic, effective, well-focused lamps shine on the work to which they were called. If the lesser lights are forming pastors and missionaries, shouldn’t that be celebrated? Is size and public influence really that important and does size really guarantee effectiveness?
Conventional wisdom declares, “Hire tens! Don’t hire people who need help, hire people who can help you!” Only fools don’t understand the intent, but few begin as “tens.” Most are threes, fours, or fives at the onset. Few reach the elite level of widespread recognition. Most ministers and churches ply their craft in relative anonymity. But, without the thousands of Gershoms and Isshiahs, David and Solomon would have lived in a vacuum and had no one to lead!
I remember entertaining a newlywed couple at lunch after a morning worship service. The young man was a newly minted credential holder, licensed to preach, the wife, a nurse. They were seeking a place to get started, a place to apply their classroom preparations. Sincerity flowed freely from the idealistic and eager youth. Frustration was similarly present. When I asked, “How has your pastor affirmed you and your calling?” the response was, “We have now spent more time with you than we have ever spent with our pastor.” And, we hadn’t ordered dessert yet. What is especially troubling, they both had grown up in the church! For more than a year they served their novitiate of ministry with distinction and now flourish as ministry team members in another fine church.
A legendary person in Philadelphia’s Highway Tabernacle history is so well hidden that few recognize or remember his name. (How is that for an oxymoron, “legendary” and “unknown?”) Brother Leon receives a mere footnote in remembrances written about the church, but for more than 25 years the effectiveness of several pastors and the comfort of thousands of people were guaranteed by this humble brother who slept in the church cellar making sure the furnace properly warmed the building for Sunday ministry. He shoveled walks, made repairs, and nursed the landmark pre-Civil War structure through many storms, extra cold nights, and special events. Thorough, Leon even kept a log, in German, of weather conditions, building usage, loaned equipment, and other details. Remember the name, Leon Grzybowsky, I believe he will receive a loudly announced, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” at the final judgment.
Maybe God has included the Rehabiahs and Shelomiths in His Word to remind us that there are, as Francis Schaeffer’s book title says, “No Little People.” For every Moses, Joshua or David that God employs, there are thousands whose names we tend to skip over casually. But, they all count!
Let’s speak with some of the Rehabiahs and Shelomiths who are in our personal spiritual lineage. And, we may learn more than we can imagine from those who have filled the lesser light venues tending the fires of faith for the good of all.
In church life, the small church is scoffed at and becomes the object of fix-it strategies. The not so silent assumption is that small is bad, ailing, and an embarrassment. The megawatt lights of big institutions dwarf smaller groups, but authentic, effective, well-focused lamps shine on the work to which they were called. If the lesser lights are forming pastors and missionaries, shouldn’t that be celebrated? Is size and public influence really that important and does size really guarantee effectiveness?
Conventional wisdom declares, “Hire tens! Don’t hire people who need help, hire people who can help you!” Only fools don’t understand the intent, but few begin as “tens.” Most are threes, fours, or fives at the onset. Few reach the elite level of widespread recognition. Most ministers and churches ply their craft in relative anonymity. But, without the thousands of Gershoms and Isshiahs, David and Solomon would have lived in a vacuum and had no one to lead!
I remember entertaining a newlywed couple at lunch after a morning worship service. The young man was a newly minted credential holder, licensed to preach, the wife, a nurse. They were seeking a place to get started, a place to apply their classroom preparations. Sincerity flowed freely from the idealistic and eager youth. Frustration was similarly present. When I asked, “How has your pastor affirmed you and your calling?” the response was, “We have now spent more time with you than we have ever spent with our pastor.” And, we hadn’t ordered dessert yet. What is especially troubling, they both had grown up in the church! For more than a year they served their novitiate of ministry with distinction and now flourish as ministry team members in another fine church.
A legendary person in Philadelphia’s Highway Tabernacle history is so well hidden that few recognize or remember his name. (How is that for an oxymoron, “legendary” and “unknown?”) Brother Leon receives a mere footnote in remembrances written about the church, but for more than 25 years the effectiveness of several pastors and the comfort of thousands of people were guaranteed by this humble brother who slept in the church cellar making sure the furnace properly warmed the building for Sunday ministry. He shoveled walks, made repairs, and nursed the landmark pre-Civil War structure through many storms, extra cold nights, and special events. Thorough, Leon even kept a log, in German, of weather conditions, building usage, loaned equipment, and other details. Remember the name, Leon Grzybowsky, I believe he will receive a loudly announced, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” at the final judgment.
Maybe God has included the Rehabiahs and Shelomiths in His Word to remind us that there are, as Francis Schaeffer’s book title says, “No Little People.” For every Moses, Joshua or David that God employs, there are thousands whose names we tend to skip over casually. But, they all count!
Let’s speak with some of the Rehabiahs and Shelomiths who are in our personal spiritual lineage. And, we may learn more than we can imagine from those who have filled the lesser light venues tending the fires of faith for the good of all.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
A salute to capable people
Recent reading in 1 Chronicles reminded me of the counsel of a mentor. Pastor Green said, “If you can find a church custodian who can keep the church clean without becoming angry because others are inconsiderate and make it dirty, a person to organize the nursery so children are safe and parents happy, and a treasurer who can handle God’s money without becoming possessive of it, you can lead any church!” He was right! And, I have been privileged to know capable people in each church where people called me “pastor.”
The three groups of capable men in 1 Chronicles 26 included gatekeepers (verses 6-8), treasurers (verses 20-28), and record keepers (verses 30-32). King David was able to confidently delegate responsibilities because the men to whom he assigned work were capable, skilled, willing. I salute those men and women who have happily filled key roles well behind the scenes. They have made the task of leading pure joy. Their contributions of time and talent are written in the heavenly records. God bless them!
In a few days Pat and I will travel to Indiana to celebrate my father-in-law’s ninetieth birthday. Roy Kolas is a member of Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation.” Family and close friends will salute a veteran of World War Two, an entrepreneur businessman, a member of First Assembly of God his entire life and a deacon-elder for more than 50 years. His son is a pastor, as are two sons-in-law. The family Christian bookstore business is managed by his youngest daughter and her husband. Roy Kolas’ grandchildren all serve the Lord and are teaching their children to be disciples of Jesus. He is a “capable man.”
Another observation, capable men work in teams. Gatekeepers, treasurers and record keepers all enjoyed a supporting cast of workers who shared responsibility. No one can do it all. No one reaches their full potential without others. Thank God for capable people who share the work!
The three groups of capable men in 1 Chronicles 26 included gatekeepers (verses 6-8), treasurers (verses 20-28), and record keepers (verses 30-32). King David was able to confidently delegate responsibilities because the men to whom he assigned work were capable, skilled, willing. I salute those men and women who have happily filled key roles well behind the scenes. They have made the task of leading pure joy. Their contributions of time and talent are written in the heavenly records. God bless them!
In a few days Pat and I will travel to Indiana to celebrate my father-in-law’s ninetieth birthday. Roy Kolas is a member of Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation.” Family and close friends will salute a veteran of World War Two, an entrepreneur businessman, a member of First Assembly of God his entire life and a deacon-elder for more than 50 years. His son is a pastor, as are two sons-in-law. The family Christian bookstore business is managed by his youngest daughter and her husband. Roy Kolas’ grandchildren all serve the Lord and are teaching their children to be disciples of Jesus. He is a “capable man.”
Another observation, capable men work in teams. Gatekeepers, treasurers and record keepers all enjoyed a supporting cast of workers who shared responsibility. No one can do it all. No one reaches their full potential without others. Thank God for capable people who share the work!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Public reading of Scripture
For Jesus’ disciples, repeating obvious truths in a memorable manner becomes a daunting challenge. We say, rightly, reading God’s Word is essential to spiritual health, but frequently give little instruction to “how” to read God’s Word. For instance, recently a mature disciple of Jesus said, “I never knew that!” when she heard that the daily reading five Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs monthly helped establish rhythms in worship and built an internal encyclopedia of wisdom.
The turning point of Josiah’s reign in Judah occurred when Hilkiah found a book in a temple closet. The Law of God was in a state of disuse. Biblical illiteracy allowed kings and subjects to cook their children on altar spits as sacrifices to pornographic gods. Their behavior may have caused the grossest of people to hang their heads in embarrassment.
Josiah said, “Read the book!” “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
A national revival broke out in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah when the Word of the Lord was read from a scaffold they had erected! The ordination charge read to ministers before the laying on of hands by spiritual elders includes, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching,” taken from Paul’s letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:13). It seems obvious that our worship services should include spirited, well-read, lengthy passages of Scripture read aloud and with an expectation that God’s Word would work powerfully.
When Hezekiah heard the words of the book, he began a movement of national repentance. ”He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.” (2 Kings 19:1ff)
What might happen if a leader among us would stand still, listen to the Word of the Lord, and then lead God’s people in a widespread movement of humbling repentance? Is it possible that the Lord would heal our nation if spiritual leaders led by reading of God’s Word in the hearing of those against whom they hurl angry invectives? If prayers by the brokenhearted followed, maybe all the laws and political gerrymandering would be unnecessary.
The turning point of Josiah’s reign in Judah occurred when Hilkiah found a book in a temple closet. The Law of God was in a state of disuse. Biblical illiteracy allowed kings and subjects to cook their children on altar spits as sacrifices to pornographic gods. Their behavior may have caused the grossest of people to hang their heads in embarrassment.
Josiah said, “Read the book!” “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
A national revival broke out in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah when the Word of the Lord was read from a scaffold they had erected! The ordination charge read to ministers before the laying on of hands by spiritual elders includes, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching,” taken from Paul’s letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:13). It seems obvious that our worship services should include spirited, well-read, lengthy passages of Scripture read aloud and with an expectation that God’s Word would work powerfully.
When Hezekiah heard the words of the book, he began a movement of national repentance. ”He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.” (2 Kings 19:1ff)
What might happen if a leader among us would stand still, listen to the Word of the Lord, and then lead God’s people in a widespread movement of humbling repentance? Is it possible that the Lord would heal our nation if spiritual leaders led by reading of God’s Word in the hearing of those against whom they hurl angry invectives? If prayers by the brokenhearted followed, maybe all the laws and political gerrymandering would be unnecessary.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Spread the Good News!
Israel was in the throes of an epic famine. (2 Kings 6-7) Grievous conditions brought the worst out the people. An adage says, “One knows what is within by what comes out when bumped,” and Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) The Bible record mentions that at least one woman cannibalized her own child. In desperation, Israelis ate ass’ heads. If a shekel is valued at $10, an ass’ head, the least desirable and least meaty part of an unclean animal, was worth $800 in today’s dollars. People were so desperate, they gathered bird dung for food.
The stakes were international in scope. The Arameans had laid siege and cut off the food supply. Israel’s king had the public stage. Elisha was home, secluded from the public. The king had a politician’s “bully pulpit,” the prophet had the “word of the Lord.” The king made symbolic gestures of humility and repentance, wearing sackcloth beneath his robes and making a colorful public display on Samaria’s city wall. But, he was bumped, and the overflow spurted out! He needed a scapegoat, so he chose the prophet, a person of dissimilar power and influence. The Prophet Elisha was to be executed, immediately.
The story continues, “The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And ‹the king› said, “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” And then, Elisha daringly prophesied, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”
The story continues (7:3ff) with God’s miraculous intervention. God sent a heavy dose of irrational fear upon the Arameans. The army scattered fearing phantom armies, and left everything behind. The “floodgates of the heavens” actually opened and there was enough of everything for all the people!
Lessons for us to apply are found in a subplot. Lesson one, God alone can right the wrongs of nations. No political activism could have delivered Israel. The kings phony humility and blame game ought to reinforce our dependence on the living God. Power is ultimately with the Lord alone!
Lesson two, share the good news, God will have His way! Four lepers were starving with the reset of their countrymen. In desperation, they risked their lives by approaching the Aramean army camp and were the first to learn of God’s phantom army victory. They ate, pilfered a few silver and gold items and selected a few items for their wardrobe. And then they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” We have good news! God’s devices for delivering His people are ingenious, consistent, and cannot be frustrated. Scheming to oust one politician and placing hope in another are a futile and frustrating exercise. But, calling sincerely on the Lord is satisfying because He has plans and power that result in deliverance.
Let us do what is right today. The most effective thing we can do is spread good news! Point to the Lord’s deliverance and tell our story. The Gospel song says –
’Tis the grandest theme through the ages rung;
’Tis the grandest theme for a mortal tongue;
’Tis the grandest theme that the world e’er sung,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
Refrain:
He is able to deliver thee,
He is able to deliver thee;
Though by sin oppressed, go to Him for rest;
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
’Tis the grandest theme in the earth or main;
’Tis the grandest theme for a mortal strain;
’Tis the grandest theme, tell the world again,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
’Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll,
To the guilty heart, to the sinful soul;
Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
The stakes were international in scope. The Arameans had laid siege and cut off the food supply. Israel’s king had the public stage. Elisha was home, secluded from the public. The king had a politician’s “bully pulpit,” the prophet had the “word of the Lord.” The king made symbolic gestures of humility and repentance, wearing sackcloth beneath his robes and making a colorful public display on Samaria’s city wall. But, he was bumped, and the overflow spurted out! He needed a scapegoat, so he chose the prophet, a person of dissimilar power and influence. The Prophet Elisha was to be executed, immediately.
The story continues, “The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And ‹the king› said, “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” And then, Elisha daringly prophesied, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”
The story continues (7:3ff) with God’s miraculous intervention. God sent a heavy dose of irrational fear upon the Arameans. The army scattered fearing phantom armies, and left everything behind. The “floodgates of the heavens” actually opened and there was enough of everything for all the people!
Lessons for us to apply are found in a subplot. Lesson one, God alone can right the wrongs of nations. No political activism could have delivered Israel. The kings phony humility and blame game ought to reinforce our dependence on the living God. Power is ultimately with the Lord alone!
Lesson two, share the good news, God will have His way! Four lepers were starving with the reset of their countrymen. In desperation, they risked their lives by approaching the Aramean army camp and were the first to learn of God’s phantom army victory. They ate, pilfered a few silver and gold items and selected a few items for their wardrobe. And then they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” We have good news! God’s devices for delivering His people are ingenious, consistent, and cannot be frustrated. Scheming to oust one politician and placing hope in another are a futile and frustrating exercise. But, calling sincerely on the Lord is satisfying because He has plans and power that result in deliverance.
Let us do what is right today. The most effective thing we can do is spread good news! Point to the Lord’s deliverance and tell our story. The Gospel song says –
’Tis the grandest theme through the ages rung;
’Tis the grandest theme for a mortal tongue;
’Tis the grandest theme that the world e’er sung,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
Refrain:
He is able to deliver thee,
He is able to deliver thee;
Though by sin oppressed, go to Him for rest;
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
’Tis the grandest theme in the earth or main;
’Tis the grandest theme for a mortal strain;
’Tis the grandest theme, tell the world again,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
’Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll,
To the guilty heart, to the sinful soul;
Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Beauty Counts!
One of my personal values is, “Beauty counts!” In a culture where progress and efficiency rule, the destruction of beauty is tolerable. Great forests have been denuded without a thought to how long centuries old trees would be replaced. Majestic homes are razed to accommodate another high-speed Interstate exit ramp. Marvelously hand-crafted pieces of furniture are left at curb sides, doomed to landfills, and replaced with plastic laminate facsimiles.
Cultures committed to efficiency inanely trash the majesty of sea shores with plastic bottles, wrappers and audio systems which drown out the rhythmic movement of timeless tides and ignore sunsets which stun the observant into silence. The craft and beauty of now extinct stained glass artisans are obliterated with boards made of compressed wood chips so as to accommodate digitally generated images projected on rambling white surfaces. We have done it because we can, and in the name of progress, but without asking about the importance or influence of beauty.
Church leaders and I struggled with the cost of restoring a large stained glass window over the altar of Resurrection Life Church. Will people break it with rocks and bricks? Will another bullet pierce the image of Jesus? Can we better give the money to the poor? What will replace the beauty?
The singers of an old Gospel chorus prayed
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
All His wonderful passion and purity
Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
How could the singers reconcile their prayers with Isaiah’s prophecy, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him?” (53:2) His beauty is found in the stark respite, silent contrast to the raucous raging of those vying for office and computer clicking clerics, red-in-the-face promoters of Judeo-Christian values.
The beauty of Jesus is that he was as a lamb before shearers, silent. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) The beauty of Jesus is found in the cross where he demonstrated everything he had taught. Then, as his disciples, why do we argue, complain, and wish destruction on presidents, bosses, neighbors and evil enemies of his Message?
The failure and embarrassment of the crusades proved that the sword cannot advance the Kingdom of God. Angry epithets and retorts in kind will never reveal Jesus’ beauty, and that is what our culture really needs!
I know, all that needs to happen is for good men to do nothing. Then evil will run rampant, unchecked and win the day. Is that what happened when Jesus “did nothing” on the cross? How much might happen if we prayed as Jesus, “Father, forgive them, they don’t what they are doing?” When another edict is handed down that we find abhorrent, dare we pray as when Peter was imprisoned for doing good, and find another evidence of the power and presence of the Kingdom. Does the God we serve still clamp shut the mouths of lions when we are in the pit? The beauty of Jesus, I believe, is when we allow the Holy Spirit to apply the “Blessed are they who . . . ” to daily life, allow both cheeks to be slapped before considering how we will embarrass a foe, to await the Day of the Lord when the fullness of the Kingdom will be realized. But, until then, I’ll go on singing, until then I’ll carry on, making an effort to demonstrate the beauty of Jesus. Beauty counts!
Cultures committed to efficiency inanely trash the majesty of sea shores with plastic bottles, wrappers and audio systems which drown out the rhythmic movement of timeless tides and ignore sunsets which stun the observant into silence. The craft and beauty of now extinct stained glass artisans are obliterated with boards made of compressed wood chips so as to accommodate digitally generated images projected on rambling white surfaces. We have done it because we can, and in the name of progress, but without asking about the importance or influence of beauty.
Church leaders and I struggled with the cost of restoring a large stained glass window over the altar of Resurrection Life Church. Will people break it with rocks and bricks? Will another bullet pierce the image of Jesus? Can we better give the money to the poor? What will replace the beauty?
The singers of an old Gospel chorus prayed
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
All His wonderful passion and purity
Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
How could the singers reconcile their prayers with Isaiah’s prophecy, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him?” (53:2) His beauty is found in the stark respite, silent contrast to the raucous raging of those vying for office and computer clicking clerics, red-in-the-face promoters of Judeo-Christian values.
The beauty of Jesus is that he was as a lamb before shearers, silent. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) The beauty of Jesus is found in the cross where he demonstrated everything he had taught. Then, as his disciples, why do we argue, complain, and wish destruction on presidents, bosses, neighbors and evil enemies of his Message?
The failure and embarrassment of the crusades proved that the sword cannot advance the Kingdom of God. Angry epithets and retorts in kind will never reveal Jesus’ beauty, and that is what our culture really needs!
I know, all that needs to happen is for good men to do nothing. Then evil will run rampant, unchecked and win the day. Is that what happened when Jesus “did nothing” on the cross? How much might happen if we prayed as Jesus, “Father, forgive them, they don’t what they are doing?” When another edict is handed down that we find abhorrent, dare we pray as when Peter was imprisoned for doing good, and find another evidence of the power and presence of the Kingdom. Does the God we serve still clamp shut the mouths of lions when we are in the pit? The beauty of Jesus, I believe, is when we allow the Holy Spirit to apply the “Blessed are they who . . . ” to daily life, allow both cheeks to be slapped before considering how we will embarrass a foe, to await the Day of the Lord when the fullness of the Kingdom will be realized. But, until then, I’ll go on singing, until then I’ll carry on, making an effort to demonstrate the beauty of Jesus. Beauty counts!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Bamboozled!
Last week someone used, “bamboozled,” a term I haven’t heard for years. My father used it when describing foolish deceptions or decisions, “Oh, they were bamboozled.” The recent use of “bamboozled” reopened my ongoing wonder of why Spirit filled people are so frequently undiscerning or gullible. Why are some so prone to being misled by the outrageous claims of preachers, prophets and promoters?
In the more than 45 years in my vocation, I have lived through dozens of cure-alls, fail-safe, quick-fix ministries that held promise to complete the task of evangelizing the world and produce a church with 1000's of members. Those with whom we shared the pastoral vocation out-lived an encyclopedia of Sunday School contests, have learned nuances of newspaper advertising to reach the masses, and purchased fleets of vehicles to facilitate “buses, Bibles and banana splits.” As a child I remember attending huge tent crusades, sitting poised on the edge of a folding chair waiting to see a miracle, and later was assured by practitioners in print and pulpit that the revival of “fivefold ministries” would equip the church for an unprecedented harvest of souls. Small groups, singing “Scripture choruses,” and citywide efforts have recurred cyclically. When I traveled representing urban church planting ministries, I was frequently startled to see pastors’ bookshelves lined with vinyl binders full of audio-video programs promising growth, power, blessing, and influence.
Why are we prone to being bamboozled? I suggest –
• We are not as well versed in God’s Word as we ought to be. God’s Word is full of wisdom, a perfect antidote to foolishness and easy remedies. The Bible teaches a healthy balance of God’s blessing combined with human discipline. To employ an analogy, the locomotive’s power is wasted when no rails are laid for the engine to move on. Too often we speak of the power of the Spirit outside the context of human responsibility. It is appropriate to sing, “Come, Holy Spirit, I need you,” and we must also sing, “I’ll go where you want me to go.”
• Our counsel is flawed. We listen to those who tell us what we want to hear. Joab was a fine military strategist, a loyal politician in King David’s cabinet, but an erratic, ambitious murderer who failed David at key moments. The gift of the Spirit, the discerning of spirits, empowers one to hear more than the audible. The Spirit applies the Word of God which distinguishes between joint and marrow, thought and intent. When I have been on the threshold of the bamboozler, More than once I have heard the caution of a counselor, “No, this is not for you.” Does anyone know you so well, and to whom you have given permission to stand between you and a mistake?
• We are too often ignorant of history. Solomon assured us that there is nothing new under the sun. Since that is true, those who understand history, are able to look backward and shake off the temptations of being bamboozled.
I list a few diagnostic questions to ward off the urge to be bamboozled.
• How deeply am I immersed in God’s Word?
• Have I given permission to anyone, someone with whom I sometimes disagree, to challenge key decisions, slow me down in decision making, or challenge my motive?
• How often did Jesus minister to the masses? How many were with Him the next day after He fed 1000's? How many were with Him Easter evening in the room where the door was shut?
• Am I working diligently preparing individuals for their roles in life and the church, or do I focus on crowds? How much time have I allocated for one-on-one life-forming conversations?
• What was the latest, most promising technique offered today called in earlier issues?
• Am I frustrated with the rate of success, or content because I know I am obedient to Jesus? “Next level” thinking can weary one, practicing the presence of Jesus is always refreshing.
Surely, there are more, and better diagnostic techniques. They are tucked away in biographies and histories which document the survival of God’s people.
Please don’t believe me to be cynical. My appeal is that we ought to be wise.
In the more than 45 years in my vocation, I have lived through dozens of cure-alls, fail-safe, quick-fix ministries that held promise to complete the task of evangelizing the world and produce a church with 1000's of members. Those with whom we shared the pastoral vocation out-lived an encyclopedia of Sunday School contests, have learned nuances of newspaper advertising to reach the masses, and purchased fleets of vehicles to facilitate “buses, Bibles and banana splits.” As a child I remember attending huge tent crusades, sitting poised on the edge of a folding chair waiting to see a miracle, and later was assured by practitioners in print and pulpit that the revival of “fivefold ministries” would equip the church for an unprecedented harvest of souls. Small groups, singing “Scripture choruses,” and citywide efforts have recurred cyclically. When I traveled representing urban church planting ministries, I was frequently startled to see pastors’ bookshelves lined with vinyl binders full of audio-video programs promising growth, power, blessing, and influence.
Why are we prone to being bamboozled? I suggest –
• We are not as well versed in God’s Word as we ought to be. God’s Word is full of wisdom, a perfect antidote to foolishness and easy remedies. The Bible teaches a healthy balance of God’s blessing combined with human discipline. To employ an analogy, the locomotive’s power is wasted when no rails are laid for the engine to move on. Too often we speak of the power of the Spirit outside the context of human responsibility. It is appropriate to sing, “Come, Holy Spirit, I need you,” and we must also sing, “I’ll go where you want me to go.”
• Our counsel is flawed. We listen to those who tell us what we want to hear. Joab was a fine military strategist, a loyal politician in King David’s cabinet, but an erratic, ambitious murderer who failed David at key moments. The gift of the Spirit, the discerning of spirits, empowers one to hear more than the audible. The Spirit applies the Word of God which distinguishes between joint and marrow, thought and intent. When I have been on the threshold of the bamboozler, More than once I have heard the caution of a counselor, “No, this is not for you.” Does anyone know you so well, and to whom you have given permission to stand between you and a mistake?
• We are too often ignorant of history. Solomon assured us that there is nothing new under the sun. Since that is true, those who understand history, are able to look backward and shake off the temptations of being bamboozled.
I list a few diagnostic questions to ward off the urge to be bamboozled.
• How deeply am I immersed in God’s Word?
• Have I given permission to anyone, someone with whom I sometimes disagree, to challenge key decisions, slow me down in decision making, or challenge my motive?
• How often did Jesus minister to the masses? How many were with Him the next day after He fed 1000's? How many were with Him Easter evening in the room where the door was shut?
• Am I working diligently preparing individuals for their roles in life and the church, or do I focus on crowds? How much time have I allocated for one-on-one life-forming conversations?
• What was the latest, most promising technique offered today called in earlier issues?
• Am I frustrated with the rate of success, or content because I know I am obedient to Jesus? “Next level” thinking can weary one, practicing the presence of Jesus is always refreshing.
Surely, there are more, and better diagnostic techniques. They are tucked away in biographies and histories which document the survival of God’s people.
Please don’t believe me to be cynical. My appeal is that we ought to be wise.
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