Worth Repeating - November 30, 2017

Psalm 139: 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? (NIV)

God claims lordship over all the details of our lives.*

We tend to assume that David wrote these words because he wished to hide from God. What could make you want to flee from God’s presence? Guilt? Shame? Fear? You do know that you can’t hide from him, don’t you? So why not face him with your dirty secret since he already knows about it anyway? What have you got to lose – besides your guilt, shame and fear?

Actually, the psalm from which this verse is taken is all about how marvelous it is to be watched over by a God who is omniscient and omnipresent. David finds comfort in the knowledge that God is never out of touch, ever on the job, and always working things out for our good. From birth to the end of life, our God is intimately involved in the details of our lives.

Still concerned about your guilt? That’s one of the details he has taken care of. He sent his Son to wipe your record clean. No need to run – you have nothing to hide if Jesus is your Lord.

When you feel like running away, claim your privilege as a child of God and approach the throne of grace. There you will find the personal and tailored help you need.*

Worth Repeating - November 29, 2017

I Kings 21: 21, 25-29 “‘I am going to bring disaster upon you. . . .’”(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil . . ., urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols . . .) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. . . . Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah . . . “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day. . . .” (NIV)

If we are completely honest with ourselves, we must acknowledge that we deserve God’s wrath.*

Remember how Jonah reacted when Nineveh repented and God spared them? How do you think Elijah felt when he heard the news about Ahab’s reprieve? We aren’t told his thoughts on Ahab’s change of heart and God’s subsequent pardon but at the very least he had to be skeptical of the king’s sincerity. What are your thoughts when you learn that a celebrity has announced that he has been “born again”? We can wait and see if his life reflects a change of heart but we don’t always get to follow-up on how they’re doing. What about mass-murderers who have a “come-to-Jesus” experience in prison?  Are you buying that?

Our feelings are conflicted about God’s mercy upon the most heinous of sinners. We tell ourselves that one sin is as bad as another in God’s eyes. We base that on James 2: 10, which says that if we stumble at just one point of the law we are guilty of breaking the whole law. Yes, under the law, a law-breaker was a law-breaker. But even under the law there were different penalties for different sins. Some sins are worse than others. Murder is bad but torturing someone before you kill him is worse. Lying is bad but a lie that leads to another person’s suffering is worse. James’ point wasn’t that all sin is the same; he wanted us to understand that once we break the law – even if it was only one and only once – we are in need of God’s grace.

We may have trouble believing that Ahab and Jeffrey Dahmer deserve God’s mercy but hear this: neither do we. How we conduct ourselves is an indication of the condition of our heart but only God knows for sure if our repentance is for real. He will judge us based on who sits on the throne of our heart. 

It was Christ who said that those who have been forgiven the most will love Him the most. Is there a place in our churches for those who will love Him more than we?*

Worth Repeating - November 28, 2017

II Samuel 12: 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” (NIV)

You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth.*

Nathan had the God-given mission to confront King David with the grievous sin he had committed and to pronounce God’s judgment against him. If David had been a different kind of king, Nathan could have been executed for his audacity. How would you like to have Nathan’s job? You may know how to speak the truth in love but have you ever had to do it at the risk of losing your head?

Speaking the truth in love is a risky business. Knowing whether or not it is your place to confront someone; avoiding the passive-aggressive trap; being certain that your motives are pure – there is more to it than just being right. But what if you are the one who is being confronted? How will you respond then? It could happen that you are being falsely accused but what if you’re not?

David’s conduct in the face of Nathan’s rebuke is a vivid illustration of why he was called a man after God’s heart. He was a sinner – adultery and murder are the two “big” ones – but he loved God and so his heart was well-prepared for repentance. We are all sinners, but when we love God, our hearts are tender towards him. Being confronted with our sin should result in a gracious response, not denial and defensiveness. Do you have a contrite heart that is ready to confess and repent and to be reconciled to God? God’s heart is ready for you!

Those who have been overtaken in any fault ought to reckon a faithful reproof the greatest kindness that can be done them and a wise reprover their best friend.*

Worth Repeating - November 27, 2017

III John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (NIV)

The first church flourished and grew simply through intentional relationships, clear presentation of the facts about Jesus, and the witness of transformed lives.*

I took my children to church. Sent them to Christian camp. Prayed with them. Exposed them to Christian people. Encouraged them in their faith. Tried to be a good role model. But after all of that, it was still up to them to choose to walk with the Lord. What a joy it is when our children begin to walk in their own faith! 

It is also a delight to watch your “spiritual children” grow in the Lord. The word translated in this verse as “greater” is a “double comparative.” John is saying that hearing about his “children” walking in faith is somewhere between greater and greatest – “betterer,” if you will. Have you ever had the privilege of mentoring a brother or sister in the faith? Youth ministers and children’s ministers have the unique joy of participating in the spiritual growth of many young lives.

If you wish to experience the joy spoken of here, you must be willing to become a “spiritual parent.” What can you do to prepare yourself to disciple a child in the faith?

God wants you to step up to new opportunities to use the lessons you have learned and the talent He has given you.*

Worth Repeating - November 26, 2017

Obadiah 12 “You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.” (NIV)

Grace dies when it becomes us versus them.*

God assigned Obadiah the task of prophesying to the nation of Edom. The Edomites were descendants of Esau and thus they were the kinfolk of the people of Judah. They were not, however, one big happy family. Edomites rejoiced in the misfortunes of the Jews while also aiding their enemies and taking advantage of their weaknesses. Obadiah warned Edom of their eventual comeuppance for their conduct toward Judah.

Today’s world is divided into “us and them” camps as well. We have all chosen sides in religion, politics, race, nationality, and social issues. It is human nature to prefer to associate with like-minded people and perhaps that’s not such a bad thing. But it is not right – not righteous – to gloat every time the other side suffers. It is not Christlike to wish for our enemies to get what they deserve. Jesus loved all those wrong-thinking Pharisees who wanted him dead. He spoke truth to them, not angry, bitter rhetoric. Yes, Jesus’ message was divisive but not hateful. Everyone has to give up their worldly baggage of dogma to follow him.

In verse 15, Obadiah pronounces that God’s judgment upon Edom was imminent. What they had done to their Jewish relatives was going to be done to them. As Obadiah rebuked Edom for their treachery toward Judah, we stand accused as well. Some day we will answer to the Judge for our uncharitable wishes, our bigotry, and hatred. Let’s turn our name-calling and side-choosing into a game of “Red Rover” and invite “them” to come on over!

Be careful, lest in fighting the dragon you become the dragon.*

Worth Repeating - November 25, 2017

John 10: 10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV)

You have two choices. You can live for the moment and reap a shallow, temporary joy or you can live for God and reap a deeper, eternal joy.*

In this passage, Jesus contrasts his purpose with that of a thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Jesus says that he came so that we could have life to the full – or more abundantly, as the King James Version puts it.  We are not surprised that Jesus came to usher us into eternal life, but we might have overlooked his desire for us to live it up while we are earthbound.

It might be possible to live a Christian life and make it to heaven when you die without having lived an abundant life. Those of us who spend our lives in the free world can’t imagine anyone in the persecuted church having life to the full – but they might tell you something different. “Life to the full” by Jesus’ standards may not meet earthly qualifications for a rich, full life, but if you are living the life that Jesus wants for you, you have abundant life.

If your life lacks joy, perhaps you need to examine the choices you have made. Jesus doesn’t promise an easy life, but with or without him, life is hard.  If life is going to be hard anyway, why not get the most out of it by accepting the abundant life he offers? If he wants a better life for you, why don’t you?

The hardest life with him would be better and more meaningful than the best life without him.*

Worth Repeating - November 24, 2017

Luke 7: 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?” (NIV)

[Read 7: 36-50 for the whole story.]

Christian love is not blind!*

For 25 years I worked in an office where the staff was always composed of more women than men. At one point, we had one lone male working with us – and he was only part-time. As long as he was doing his job, we treated him like he was invisible. He was exposed to sights and sounds that no man should ever have to endure. Women talk about everything – and sometimes we resort to some show & tell in order to get our point across.

My co-worker is not the only invisible man in the world. It’s not that we simply ignore these people – we really don’t see them. Simon, in this passage, didn’t see a person – he saw a problem. A nuisance.* A homeless person standing on the corner with his “Will Work for Food” sign: do you see him as a human with feelings and needs? That woman who is not quite right in the head – don’t make eye contact with her or you might have to talk to her.

My church has opened its doors (and eyes) to the invisible people.  Our congregation meets physical and spiritual needs in several different ways, one of which is a meal and a sermon every Sunday. It is an avenue of ministry for a lot of our church members but it touches all of us – in unexpected ways. Even those of us not directly involved in the ministry are forced to see these invisible people because many of them don’t stay contained in their “assigned” area. Some of them want to worship with the rest of the congregation. Many of them are mentally challenged in one way or another and they don’t understand boundaries.

Every week, we are presented with opportunities to love as Jesus loves – in so many socially awkward encounters. How would Jesus treat Randy who sometimes sleeps on the church lawn? Would Jesus turn away from someone who hasn’t bathed in months? What would Jesus say to John - who thinks he’s on the church staff - when he misdirects visitors? How should we talk to the drunks and drug addicts, the prostitutes, and the crazies who hear voices?

When Jesus was finished with him, Simon finally saw the woman. Whether it changed his life or not, we don’t know. But when we begin to see the invisible people as souls for whom Jesus died, we cannot stay the same. We will have to start pretending that we still don’t see them, or we will have to ask ourselves, What would Jesus do?

Poverty has real faces and real names.*

Worth Repeating - November 23, 2017

Zechariah 7: 5, 6 “Ask all the people . . . ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?’” (NIV)

Just think how difficult it would be to share our faith during the holidays if “reason” didn’t rhyme with “season.”*

Christmas was approaching and my co-workers (all women) were stressed over how much they had to do to prepare for the holiday – shopping, baking, wrapping, decorating. I didn’t have much sympathy for them. “Who said you had to do all that stuff?” I asked. Turns out, they were doing it because they chose to.

Zechariah was instructed to have a similar conversation with the Jews who had returned to their homeland from exile in Babylon. They wanted to know if they should continue observing the days of fasting and mourning they had instituted in memory of Jerusalem’s defeat. Through Zechariah, God answered their question with more questions. “Did you fast and mourn for me?” and “Did you feast for me?” It seems their fasting and feasting had lost its meaning.

Does that sound familiar? While there is nothing wrong with getting together with family to eat turkey or exchange gifts or hide eggs, let’s not pretend we’re honoring God when we have left him out of the festivities. We may kid ourselves that Thanksgiving is about being thankful; Christmas is about Jesus’ birth; and Easter is about his resurrection; but seriously . . .

We may have become like Zechariah’s compatriots – turning a perfectly fine religious tradition into a meaningless version of its intended purpose – but our danger lies in how we observe the only mandatory “holiday” instituted for Christians: the Lord’s Supper, in which we commemorate Jesus’ death and resurrection. In I Corinthians 11: 17-32, we find instructions for the right way to participate and the warnings about what will happen if we allow it to become just another meaningless tradition.

In the situation addressed in this passage, God did finally answer the people’s question with an answer. In 8: 19, we find the good news: their self-imposed fasts would become joyful and festive occasions. The same may be possible for our traditional holidays if we include God in our celebrations once more and if we heed his plea to “love truth and peace.”

It can be a deadly thing to come to God with unexamined lives.*

Worth Repeating - November 22, 2017

Mark 16: 1-4 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices so that they might go anoint Jesus’ body. . . . [O]n their way to the tomb . . . they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone . . . had been rolled away. (NIV)

Difficulties and obstacles are God’s challenges to our faith.*

I see a good news/bad news scenario in this passage. The bad news: the women were worried that the stone blocking the entrance to Jesus’ tomb would prevent them from accomplishing their task. Worry is always bad news. The good news: in spite of their worries and in spite of not knowing how it was all going to work out, they proceeded with their mission. Going forth in faith is always good news.

Jesus spoke often about the perils and pitfalls of worry (as did Paul and Peter); he also mentioned that faith could move mountains. Like the women in these verses, we worry too much about those big obstacles that we can’t possibly move on our own. We can’t worry enough to budge those heavy obstructions. If we know we can’t move them, why can’t we trust God to move them for us?

What does that kind of trust in God look like? It looks like the women in our story – minus the worry. We demonstrate our faith by going forth in faith, equipped for the mission with the physical tools we need and the faith that God will roll the stone away – or send an angel to do it for us. 

We can either look at the circumstances surrounding us or we can see Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.*

Worth Repeating - November 21, 2017

Matthew 11: 5 “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (NIV)

His ministry with them [the poor] was never just about material provisions or the healing.*

John the Baptist was in prison but he was not out of touch with his disciples. When news about Jesus reached him, John sent his disciples to gather information. They were to ask Jesus if he was “the one who was to come” or if they should keep looking for the Messiah.  This verse contains Jesus’ reply to their inquiry. Jesus told John’s disciples to report what he was doing – and then left John to form his own conclusions, it seems.

Jesus was restoring sight to the blind, healing the infirmities of the crippled, curing leprosy, causing the deaf to hear, raising the dead, and making the poor rich . . . wait, what? No, he didn’t say anything about eliminating poverty. He just preached the good news to the poor. Based on other scripture passages, I could speculate why solving the problems of the poor wasn’t included in Jesus’ marketing strategy - but not today. Today we will look at Jesus’ ministry to the poor.

In Jewish society of the day, no one would have expected the Messiah to stoop to minister to the poor. Apparently, it was believed that they were to blame for their condition and they deserved what they got. Jesus changed the way we look at the poor – and at anyone whose life choices have led to poverty of any type.

Jesus performed miracles among the people who needed them most as a sign to all people. Not everyone needs to be healed of a physical disability; not everyone is poor. But everyone needs to hear the message of Jesus. His miracles were part of a carefully crafted plan to get people to listen to his words of life. As someone else observed, he “restored sight to many blind people but not to every blind person he encountered. He healed many lepers but not every leper in Israel. He did his Father’s will.”*

Who is poor? Not just those who lack material possessions and money but anyone who hasn’t heard the good news. Jesus is no longer walking the earth as a man who performs miracles, but his message is still good news and in his final words to us, he commanded us to preach it.

We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy

this kind of poverty.*