June 30, 2022

Revelation 2: 19, 20 (NIV)

I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: . . .

On the sin scale, we’re all tied for worst.*

You may have noticed Paul’s fondness for buttering people up before delivering the bad news. We see God employing the same strategy here in the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the church in Thyatira. The Lord commends them for their good works and perseverance, as well as for their love and faith. He is especially proud of their improvement. But after all that glowing praise, he delivers a harsh reprimand for the “cancer [that] was gnawing away at the vitals of the congregation.”*

When I read these verses, I ask myself: Is it possible to please God when you are only partially getting it right? And then I have to ask: How could I ask that? Do we ever get it right? And even if we did finally learn to live a life that is totally pleasing to God, it’s too late; we’ve already got all those past sins on our record.

Or do we? According to Romans 3: 22, our righteousness comes through our faith in Jesus Christ, not through how close we come to “getting it right.”

We are under grace, even when we sin.*

June 29, 2022

Luke 22: 42 (NIV)

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Had any of God’s chosen ever understood why the Lord’s answer to a prayer was not exactly as anticipated?*

My friend probably echoed this prayer for a couple of years. Beginning with the discovery of breast cancer, she endured surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Before she could savor a victory, she faced a new crisis – one after another. She was a bright light of faith in the dark world of cancer sufferers and she was surrounded by an army of prayer warriors. But at the end, she knew that the answer to her prayers was “no.” What I am about to say would have provided little comfort in the midst of her misery: 

We can ask God to deliver us from our troubles and we have faith that he is able; but if he denied the request of his beloved Son, how can we expect our cup of suffering to be taken from us? 

So why pray? More to the point: why did Jesus pray? He already knew what the answer would be. He had lived his whole life knowing what to expect and yet he begged to be released from his horrible fate. He knew it had to be done but still he implored his Father to find some other way. What can we learn from our Savior’s anguished cries in the garden that night?

First, we see Jesus submitting to his Father’s will. Before and after his request, he expressed his concession to the Father’s will. Second, we see that Jesus was not hesitant to tell God what he wanted. Even knowing what he knew, and what he knew that God knew, he clearly expressed what he wanted from God for himself. 

And finally, we learn the most important lesson from Jesus’ prayer: the true purpose of prayer. Jesus didn’t pray to get stuff from God; he didn’t pray because God didn’t know what his Son wanted. Jesus prayed because he and the Father needed to spend time together. When we spend time with our loved ones, we talk; and God, a jealous God, wants our undivided attention when we talk to him. He wants to draw us so close to him that we are compelled to spill our guts to him – to purge ourselves of what we want and binge on what he wants. 

From scripture, we can compile lists of what we should pray for, how we should pray, and whose prayers are answered. But we look to the life of Jesus to see that the true purpose of prayer is . . . prayer.

To be a master of the mystery of prayer one must pray, pray continually, pray hourly, pray at all times, pray without ceasing.*

June 28, 2022

I Kings 19: 11-13 (NIV)

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks . . . but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. . . . Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

There is little joy to be found in having unrealistic expectations.*

Unrealistic expectations can ruin our dreams and our relationships. In our society, we are bombarded with messages that cause us to think that if we want it bad enough and work hard enough, we deserve whatever it is that we obsess over. The truth is, wanting and hard work aren’t always enough. Luck, talent, opportunity, genetics (Danny Devito was never going to be drafted by the NBA) – many factors are involved in how our lives turn out.

Keeping expectations real is a constant balancing act. Our aspirations aren’t the only area where we have been misled into a fantasy version of reality. Do any of these phrases sound familiar:

    ·         Name it and claim it!

    ·         Health and wealth gospel.

    ·         Pray through.

    ·         I know the plans I have for you . . .

    ·         Just ask Jesus into your heart.

These are just a few expressions that have caused people to look for God in all the wrong places and with unrealistic expectations. They are based on unscriptural principles or taken out of their intended scriptural context. Elijah was sent out on the mountain to look for God in an object lesson for all of us. God was not where Elijah expected him to be – not in the tornado; not in the earthquake; not in the fire. We are in awe of God when confronted by forces of nature but they are not how God usually chooses to speak to us. When he spoke to Elijah, it was in a whisper. In order to hear a whisper, you have to lean in and listen.

God speaks to us through his word but sometimes his Spirit whispers to us in unexpected ways to illuminate what we have read. I have heard his whisper through (of all things) a  commercial for feminine hygiene products, and through the delight of a needy person upon receiving two rolls of toilet paper from a food pantry. He has whispered his answer to me when I have voiced my despairing – and, I thought, rhetorical – questions. He has whispered into my mind not what I expected to say but what I needed to say.

Has God ever spoken to you in an unexpected way? Nature testifies of God but we must lean in and listen if we want to hear his voice.

Because we look for the bonfire, we miss the candle. Because we listen for the shout, we miss the whisper.*

June 27, 2022

I Samuel 24: 4, 5 (NIV)

. . . David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off  a corner of his robe.

Forbearance is putting up with people you’d like to put down.*

The North American plains Indians had a custom called “counting coup.” (I don’t know what they called it, as “counting” is an English word, and “coup” is French.) The warriors scored points for touching the enemy and then escaping unharmed. It didn’t count if there was no risk of injury or death.* Doesn’t this sound like what David did that night in the cave, risking his life to prove that his enemy’s life was in his hands?

So what caused him to be “conscience-stricken”? He didn’t harm Saul; he didn’t even cause him public embarrassment – it is doubtful that anyone would have noticed a tiny tear on the corner of the robe of someone who had been traipsing about the wilderness and sleeping in a cave. All he did was obtain proof that he could have killed Saul but chose not to.

David’s shame reminds me of a line from the movie, You’ve Got Mail. Kathleen is lamenting that in the face of the rudeness of others, she never can think of the snappy comebacks until it’s too late. Joe reminds her that “when you finally have the pleasure of saying the thing you mean to say at the moment you mean to say it, remorse inevitably follows.” You think it’s going to feel so good to “get them back” but you usually end up sorry – if you are an honorable person.

While Saul may have been out for David’s blood, David recognized that Saul was still the king, anointed by God. Continue reading this chapter and you will see that instead of taunting Saul as he surely was tempted to do, David used the occasion to attempt reconciliation with his former mentor and friend. David, the warrior king, had a rare opportunity to be a peacemaker.

Most of us are like Kathleen in the movie – the clever retort arrives in our brains too late for us to put that obnoxious person in his place. But most of us have had the experience of “saying what you mean to say when you mean to say it” at least once in our lives. Instead of being proud of our cleverness, perhaps we should have stepped back and asked how we could use the situation as an opportunity to be a peacemaker. . . . Well, it’s too late now . . . but there’s always a next time!

What I say says more about me than it does about the person toward whom I have directed my impassioned speech.*

June 26, 2022

Proverbs 26: 13 (NIV)

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”

Fear can haunt us and paralyze us. Or fear can trigger us to flee to the one whose “perfect love drives out all fear.”*

About the time that my boys were preparing to go on a mission trip to Honduras, I read a newspaper article about some violent incident that had occurred somewhere in that country. I was already a little uneasy about letting my teen-agers go off to a foreign country, but then the thought came to me: the parent of a Honduran youth might not want her child to come to the US if she read about some of the things that happen here.

Life is dangerous everywhere. We might scoff at the lazy bums of the world whose imaginations have conjured up an excuse to avoid industrious or constructive activity but the fact is, there really are lions roaming the streets. It is not just the sluggard’s convenient delusion.

The Bible has a lot to say about facing fear – the Book of Job and the Psalms in the Old Testament offer comforting words; and I John 4: 18 is the New Testament go-to verse for the fearful: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear . . .” But God’s word has much more to say about fearing God than about any other type of fear. Read Leviticus and Deuteronomy and the Book of Acts. In Luke 12: 5, Jesus delivers the ultimate warning: Fear him who has the power to throw you into hell. Doesn’t that put your other fears into proper perspective?

Hell . . . is God’s idea.  It is God, not the devil, who holds the power to cast body and soul into Hell.  It is at the juxtaposition of these two facets, both the love and wrath of God the Almighty, that we find the cross of Christ.*

June 25, 2022

Joshua 2: 4-6 (NIV)

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. . . . I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

(Read the whole story in Joshua chapter 2.)

God always nourishes what is right.*

Many years ago, I was with my boss for a conference at a fancy resort. We were getting ready to attend an evening event for which the suggested attire was “resort casual.” My boss, an attractive lady in her fifties, came out wearing some white shorts that, in my opinion, were inappropriate for the occasion. Before I could decide if I should speak up, she said, “Connie, you are the most honest person I know; so tell me, are these shorts too short?” I very tactfully replied, “Well, since you asked, I believe you might be more comfortable if you wore something else.”

Speaking the truth can be risky but Rahab and the spies faced more than just the possibility of offending someone or the danger of losing their job. Their lives were on the line. Did Rahab have to lie? Is there any record of God giving his approval for the commission of a sin if it’s for a good cause?

I would like to excuse Rahab because of the danger and because, as one surrounded by a pagan culture, she didn’t know any better. I have tried to imagine scenarios in which she didn’t lie and in which there was still a happy ending for the spies. Pointless. The Bible reports the story the way it happened without offering excuses or justification. It is not the only time in history (or even in the Bible) that God’s will has been accomplished by imperfect people with good intentions and flawed methods. But if he can use us in our sinfulness, how much more glory could we bring to him if our good intentions were accompanied by a divine strategy?

I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to choose truth when my life is being threatened, but God has promised never to forsake us.  Let’s claim that promise. Let us be found faithful whether the risk is great or small.

He sent out his disciples to do the work of ministry despite their imperfect understandings, their spiritual immaturity, and their deeply flawed character.*

June 24, 2022

Genesis 17: 18 (NIV)

And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

[read Genesis chapters 15-17 for the background story]

Prayer puts one in touch with a planet.*

Abraham, in his attempt to give God a hand in accomplishing his will, unleashed a conflict upon the ancient world that has raged throughout history. Abraham could not know the generational repercussions of his actions, but he did come to regret what happened to his firstborn son, Ishmael. He prayed for Ishmael to live under God’s blessing, the same as any parent would wish for his child. Muslims believe that Ishmael is an ancestor of Muhammad, and that God promised Muhammad that he, too, would establish a great nation.*

Today, the news is full of accounts of horrifying acts done in the name of Allah, the version of God that Muslims worship. I don’t claim to know enough about the religion to say with certainty that it is or is not a religion of peace, but clearly many who claim to follow the teachings of the Koran (or whatever the acceptable spelling is!) are not peaceful people. (History reveals that many have committed atrocities in the name of Christ, as well – but that’s another story!)

What can we do? We can start where Abraham did – we can pray that “Ishmael” might live under God’s blessing. Just like every other sinner, Muslims need the Savior. We can pray for workers who are willing to go into a field that is ripe and ready for harvesting – in every part of the world! If you find it difficult to pray for a bloody terrorist, picture Saul before he became the Apostle Paul. Even now, a Muslim who is actively persecuting Christians may be on the brink of a conversion experience, igniting an evangelistic fire among the Islamic world . . . if only someone is willing to confront him with the gospel.

We live in a scary world. But Christians have the ultimate WMT – weapon of mass transformation: the Holy Spirit. Open your instruction manual and learn how to operate the Spirit’s power to overcome the world.

The Gospel army must move upon the nations. The Lord seeks universal empire, and sends forth his armies to conquer the world. Every church and every disciple must understand that they have marching orders.*

June 23, 2022

I Corinthians 5: 1-3 (NIV)

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you . . . And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of our fellowship the man who did this? . . . I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.

Many who claim Christ live in ignorance of or in rebellion against God’s Word, misunderstanding grace and casting a poor reflection on the Christian life.*

Paul’s words in this verse remind us that sexual sin is not new. What I find interesting is that he accuses the Corinthians of being proud of the sexual immorality they have allowed among them. Were they proud of themselves because they weren’t judgmental? Did they see themselves as modern-thinkers because of their tolerance? Did they accept sexual sin as just an alternate life-style? 

When I learned that my friend, a member of my church, was living with her fiancé, having set a wedding date sometime in the near future, was it my place to confront her? Should I have gone to the elders when I learned of her situation? Am I looking for excuses for myself for having done nothing? To be honest, I am relieved that I didn't say anything to anyone - it's all ancient history now . . . but does that make it right?

Paul had no such qualms. We may be willing to tolerate blatant sin in the congregation, afraid to offend the offender, but not Paul. We may fear accusations of being judgmental but Paul makes it clear that he has already passed judgment. Paul is authorized to administer church discipline and he is bold in performing his duty. Shouldn’t the elders in my church – and yours – be so audacious? Shouldn't church members be more proactive in holding each other accountable?

Continued unrepentant sin should never be tolerated in the body of Christ.*

June 22, 2022

Romans 6: 22 (NIV)

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

He rules whether or not we admit it.*

We Americans tend to have a negative reaction to the idea of being slaves to anyone or anything. We are free! We are similar to the Jews who got so indignant at Jesus’ suggestion that the truth would set them free: “We have never been slaves of anyone!” (John 8: 33 and 34) (Never mind that they were slaves in Egypt, Babylon, and even at that moment in the Promised Land under Roman rule.)

Paul uses slavery as an analogy to contrast our old life with our new life in Christ (see Romans 6: 6). In human terms, a slave has no control over his choices but spiritually, we are free to choose our master: impurity and ever-increasing wickedness; or righteousness leading to holiness (Romans 6: 19).

While we sort through our feelings about slavery, we overlook the real point: the Lordship of Jesus. In Matthew 28: 18, Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” That makes him Lord of Everything. And when we choose to be his slaves, suddenly the analogy changes and we become his children – heirs who, if we choose to share in his suffering, may also share in his glory (Romans 8: 17).

As His children, we have family privileges, assume family responsibilities, and dwell in family affection.*

June 21, 2022

Genesis 12: 2 (NIV)

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”

God delights in making somebodies into nobodies so he can make the nobodies into the somebodies he had in mind.*

I never longed for motherhood, but since June 8, 1987, I am overwhelmed by the honor of being Will and Jake’s mom. I am humbled that God entrusted me with the awesome responsibility of their physical welfare and their spiritual development. They have brought me nothing but joy (keeping in mind that James said to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds!) and I have to ask myself, “Why me?”

So, we ask ourselves, "Why Abraham?" As someone else has observed, “Theoretically, God could have established his covenant with anyone.”* Was Abraham the only man in the world who met the qualifications to be the father of a great nation? Had God already offered the job to someone else who turned him down? All we know for sure is that God chose Abraham because he chose to choose Abraham. His selection may appear to be random but nature proves and scripture confirms that God is orderly and never purposeless.

God may not have chosen you or me to be famous historical figures, but he has chosen us to be his children. Abraham, though handpicked by God to receive the blessing, could have chosen to decline the honor. We must decide, too, whether we will accept the call to his family. We are part of God’s plan (Ephesians 1: 11) but we are included only through our connection with Jesus Christ. We are wise to follow Abraham’s example of obedience but we must never forget that it was for his faith that he was deemed as righteous.

We aren’t all special.  There was one Moses and millions of followers, one Mary and a country full of unremarkable Jewish girls.*