Advent 2018: Humble Service and Christmas Love

In the spirit of Hebrews 10:24, I offer the following words to incite others to love and good works. May we in this Christmas season find ourselves like our Lord wrapping a towel of humility around our collective waists as we pursue the greatest job ever—loving those God has loved in a way that they do not expect.

Remember, Jesus came as a child—a seemingly defenseless, helpless babe. He lived among us as a “normal” person—he worked with his hands, he talked to people, and he showed them love. He was human (in the “flesh” as John and Paul tell us), and in community with us he revealed to us the character of God: selfless love, humble service, and unmerited grace. Jesus also encouraged and admonished his followers to serve one another, to outdo one another in being kind and in service. "The one who serves is the greatest" says Jesus.

Do we really believe it? Often I don’t think so.

I am reminded of my call as a Christ-follower--I am to offer debt-free love and service to others with no expectation of reward. I am to love as Christ loves. I am to lay down myself so that someone else may live. I am to live simply so that others may simply live. That isn't the American dream, now is it. What person in our community has gone days without a hot meal? Who are the "little ones" in our neighborhoods who are wounded, hurt, dispossessed? Will we love Jesus enough to love them?

Steve Camp used to sing a song that said something like "Can we taste the tears that they cried?" The song deals with loving the unlovable, embracing those others avoid, touching the untouchable. Jesus did that. He walked right up to people with leprosy. He put his clean hands on their decaying flesh. He touched them. He loved them.

Remember when Jesus took a child and set the child in the midst of his disciples? He encouraged his disciples to develop a child-like tendency to trust God (see Matthew 18:1-6). He says to them "Whoever humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble . . ." Well, you probably remember the rest.

Earlier Jesus had told his disciples that to offer others even a "cup of cold water" in the name of Christ was considered a good thing to do.

Jesus also encouraged and admonished his followers to serve one another, to outdo one another in being kind and in service.

"The one who serves is the greatest" says Jesus.

Do we really believe it?

Who are the "little ones" in our areas who are wounded, hurt, dispossessed?

Will we love Jesus enough to love them?

Who are our modern day lepers? Are they the drug addicts? The alcoholics? The divorcees? The liberal democrats? The conservative republicans? The victim of cancer, aids, etc.? Are they the orphans of war? The ones left behind by our refusal to care?

Finding them isn't hard--they are out there.

Loving them is harder. They may even share a home with us.

May we learn today to offer debt-free love and service. Like Jesus may we learn to take joy in the smiles and laughter we receive. May we (like Jesus) even be willing to be killed by those we love and yet love them anyway. May we learn that humble service is greater than power, prestige, or position. May we love as Jesus loves us. May we humble ourselves to serve others in his love. Merry Christmas! 

Thanks for reading!

Advent 2018: Are We Ready for Hope? Reasons for Hope in Troubling Times

Three weeks ago I had the privilege of preaching on the first Sunday of Advent at Clover Baptist Church in Clover, VA. You may find the notes for my sermon below. Merry Christmas! 

Are we ready for Hope? Reasons for Hope in Troubling Times: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36

Introduction: 

Today marks the first Sunday in the Advent season. For those churches who celebrate by following a liturgical calendar, the first Sunday of Advent is a time for lighting the first candle on the Advent wreath and discussing the idea of Hope. The concept of Advent as a season is established on the idea of expectation and preparation for the celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the Incarnation of God in flesh—that is, the first coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem. In the West we celebrate this day as December 25, Christmas day. Our American culture is skilled at anticipating Christmas. In fact, some may say we enter into a bit of overkill in that “anticipation”! We so engorge ourselves on Christmas spirit that we are bloated with the stress of the season, and nearly sick of Christmas music by the time the twelve days of Christmas actually arrive. Part of that is because this first “coming” of Jesus has already come, and we have attached a date to it. We know when to expect it, so we build up anticipation as we count down the days (maybe even the hours) until the event happens.

It was not always so. The first of our two texts (from Jeremiah) represents a time prior to this blessed first coming. The prophet Jeremiah had been imprisoned (33:1). The armies of Babylon, were advancing on Jerusalem. The streets of Jerusalem would soon be filled with the corpses of her people (33:4-5). Jeremiah's prophecies of judgment that put him in prison were coming true. For nearly 400 years, descendants of David had occupied the throne of Judah. God promised David's house and kingdom would endure before Him forever (2 Samuel 7:16). But soon the Babylonians would destroy David's city, burn Solomon's temple, and take David's heirs into exile. It was a time of trouble and distress, but not one without some hope. In the midst of catastrophe, Jeremiah spoke words of hope. He spoke of a restoration, which included the line of David. To a people soon to be devastated by loss, Jeremiah's prophecy offered promise, an anticipation of the hope of rescue. God was still faithful. The house of David might be cut down, but God can bring life out of death. A branch would sprout. God would send the Messiah. (READ Jeremiah 33:14-16)

The time of Jeremiah isn’t really unfamiliar to us. Although we get ready to celebrate the first coming of Messiah prophesied by Jeremiah, we also face times of trouble. Our world is not always a safe place. In fact, if you read the news it seems to get worse every day. In the spirit of those “end” times or troubled times, our second passage resounds like a thunderclap. In the middle of bows, ribbons, lights, cheery Christmas music, and the ongoing reminder that God sent his Son and became one of us, we also find ourselves in trouble or trials, a little distressed, feeling a bit like things are quickly falling apart. In Luke's Gospel, we find words from Jesus that we may pair up with the words of Jeremiah. Rather than speaking of a coming Messiah, a babe in a manger, or a “holy night” in which angles sing and shepherds and wise men rejoice, Jesus speaks of a time of shaking and judgment. This is an apocalyptic second coming of Messiah that will resound with God’s justice and holiness. When Messiah returns a second time, things will be a bit different. (Read Luke 21:25-36)

Both of these passages are delivered in a context of troubled times (current for the Jews in Jeremiah’s day and somewhat more distant for the recipients of Jesus’ words). Yet both passages also remind us that there is “hope”. That in this season of Advent (first or second), we can find reason for hope in spite of the trouble. Are we ready for hope?

Our passages today point us to three reasons for hope: 1) God’s timing is right, 2) God’s Word is reliable, and 3) God will rescue his people. If you are ready for some hope in troubled times, then let’s take a closer look at these.

Are we ready for hope? Hope can be found in reliance on God’s timing.

Point 1—God’s Time is Right: Days are coming (Jer)/there will be signs (Luke)

"But when the completion of the time came, God sent His Son, . . ." - Galatians 4:4 (HCSB)

"Jesus’ arrival during the Roman Empire’s Pax Romana (the peace of Rome) was perfect timing. The known world was united by one language of commerce. A network of global trade routes provided open access to the whole world. All of this guaranteed that the gospel could move rapidly in one tongue. No visas. No impenetrable borders. Only unhindered access to help spread the news of the Savior whose crucifixion fulfilled the prophecy of the Lamb who would be slain for our sins. All in God’s perfect timing!" - Joe Stowell (President of Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, Michigan)

"All history is in God's hand. He knows the best season for sending help to His church and new light to the world. Let us not be anxious about the course of events around us, as if we knew better than the King of kings what time relief should come." J. C. Ryle

If we think God has forgotten us, we need to think again. When the time is right, He’ll show up, and when He does, we’ll be amazed at His timing!

When the Jews faced exile in Babylon, God sent Jeremiah to prophesy not only doom and gloom, but also to speak of a future and a hope. In the time of Jesus, God fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah to send a branch. In the future, he will send this Son to establish an eternal kingdom based on the promise to David that seemed to end so long ago. In other words, the times are in his hands. What are we waiting for to which we think God is late in responding? Where are we thinking God is “missing the mark” in our lives? If his timing was right in all these things, why do we think he will be late now? Where is our hope?

Are we ready for hope? Hope comes from trusting God’s timing. God is on time and reliable. Hope also comes from a realization that God’s Word is reliable. He does what he says he will do! Are we ready for hope?

Point 2—God’s Word is Reliable: Fulfill the good word (Jer)/none of his words will pass away (Luke)

These verses remind us that God had not forgotten His promise or His people.

"The Bible is full of God’s promises to provide for us spiritually and materially, to never forsake us, to give us peace in times of difficult circumstances, to cause all circumstances to work together for our good, and finally to bring us safely home to glory. Not one of those promises is dependent upon our performance. They are all dependent on the grace of God given to us through Jesus Christ." - Jerry Bridges

Adoniram Judson: "The future is as bright as the promises of God."

The passages from Jeremiah and Luke represent a promise and a proclamation of what will last forever: Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s words and promises will never pass away. These are the words of Messiah Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God.  Even though the world may be cast into oblivion, the word of God remains. Jesus not only says what God wants us to hear, Jesus’ very life is the revelation and expression of what we need to know about God (John 1:18). Jesus explains God (and his plan) by both his Words and his life. Where is our hope placed? Do we rely on what God has said, or are we confused and conflicted by the terrifying “signs of the times” that take our minds off of jingling bells and Christmas wreaths and cause us to worry that things are going horribly wrong?

Are we ready for hope? Hope is found in trusting what God has said, but it also recognizes that God isn’t finished yet. If God’s Word is reliable, then we can count on the fact that God will rescue those who trust him. Are we ready for hope?

Point 3—God will Rescue his people: Justice and Righteousness (Jeremiah)/redemption draws near (Luke)

God will fulfill his Word, he will keep his promise. One part of that promise is rescue for those who trust in him. God will provide justice, righteousness, and redemption for all those who welcome the first coming of Jesus and look forward to his second coming!

What does it mean to live in hope and expectation?  It means we build ourselves up with hopes of what can be in the redemption promised in Jesus.  It involves making preparations and plans.  It involves living in particular ways so that we find ourselves prepared for what will happen when Messiah returns.

Christians should be a people yearning to keep hope alive, to see beyond what we see, to perceive something higher, and deeper and richer than what we can merely observe with our eyes. We are called as beloved children of God to push beyond just what we can see, into the things for which what we can hope. Paul reminds us, “Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25)

The hope that we are to have as Christians pushes us into some apparent yet wonderful absurdities—like the idea that God became one of us, he became a helpless baby. God became one of us and took on our sin and suffering. God even died for our sins, but then he got up out of the grave.

Christians who look at Jesus in the manger and say “Yes, that is what God looks like,” or gaze at Jesus hanging on the cross and declare, “There is God too,” may seem simply absurd, but at least our faith encompasses birth and death, life and suffering, and declares that none of it is outside of God.

Everyone in the human race wants a life that is fulfilling, a life that is full of purpose and complete. In Jeremiah’s time, the people were using the promise of the Davidic dynasty as an excuse to pursue what they wanted by looking everywhere but to God. Today we use technology or prosperity or even trouble as an excuse to look for fulfillment in things that do not honor our Creator. But that which we want will never be ours until we recognize that we need a right relationship with our creator that has been provided through the sacrifice of the Messiah Jesus. That is our rescue; that is our hope!

Christian hope is standing right in the middle of life, the middle of the signs of the end of the times, and raising our heads because even in the middle of it all we get a sense that our redemption, our rescue is drawing near. That is a powerful image—in the midst of the chaos, standing on our tiptoes to catch a glimpse of what is promised beyond what we can see.  In the midst of the madness leaning towards redemption, towards rescue, moving toward hope like the sun flower moves towards the sun as it travels across the sky. Our hope is in God’s ability to keep his promises in his time.

Are we ready for hope? Are we recognizing that God’s timing is right, his Word is reliable, and his rescue is sure? Are we ready for hope?

It is interesting to discover that for the Jews in the pre-Christian era hope in the coming of the Messiah—the one who was to restore the fortunes of Israel—was dependent on God, but also place a requirement his people to act, to respond to his promise. God required, even demanded, human action. God's promised people were not to wait passively for God to bring justice to the widow and the orphan, they were to make sure that the widow and the orphan were taken care of in real time.

As we prepare our hearts to welcome the incarnate Word, the new born babe in Bethlehem . . . as we get ready to celebrate the birth of Salvation and Hope . . . are we also preparing ourselves for his second coming? Are we anticipating his second advent with the same expectation and hope as we celebrate the first? Are we ready for hope to appear in the sky? Are we working with God to act as his agents until he returns?

Conclusion: How should we respond to these things?

Rely on God--trust him for our rescue, for our redemption, for our salvation

Respond with obedience—we should imitate Jesus, be the hands and feet of God

Find our hope in God’s right timing, God’s reliable Word, and God’s rescue.

Thanks for reading! 

Some Reasons for being Thankful: A Repost

I was reading through my blog, and I found the following post from a few years ago.  The list seemed rather appropriate for this month, so I thought I'd share it.  Here are some things to be thankful for according to David.

Psalm 138 

1 A Psalm of David. I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. 3 On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul. 4 All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth. 5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. 6 For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the arrogant He knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8 The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. 

Since we just celebrated Thanksgiving, and since I seem to hear some complaints lately (most of them coming from my own heart), I decided to post a list of things I am thankful for based off of some words from David. Psalm 138 above describes a Hymn of Thanksgiving. With David, I'd like to remind myself to be thankful for the following:

1. There is no God like the God of the Bible. The Triune God does not rely on his creation, nor is his subsistence dependent on it. He is above all things, and by him all things exist. In fact, Paul tells us in Colossians 1 that Jesus holds all things together and is the author of creation. Nothing exists outside of God's authority.  His sovereignty is unending and unlimited.

2. God's lovingkindness and truth are available to all of us. Jeremiah reminds us that God's mercy is new every morning. The Psalmist often reminds that God is patient and longsuffering, showing mercy and lovingkindness to many generations. His love is such that he gave his only Son (the only one of his kind), Jesus, the treasure of his heart. His lovingkindness not only gave us life, but it also provides us with all we need to live this life and to obey his ways. His mercy is amazing! His truth is convicting. God does not lie. He reveals truth inside humans, but he also makes truth known in nature itself. Even God's very attributes are observable in nature around us. God has made Truth known, and he is the very essence of Truth. All truth points to him, and he alone knows all truth exhaustively. His truth and lovingkindness lead to salvation and a proper relationship not only with this great God but with his creation as well.

3. God has given us a Word that will never fail. He has magnified, valued, advanced, enlarged, even exalted his Word above his own name. If the name of God is the name above all names, then his Word must be the Word above all words. He has revealed himself in Jesus who is the Logos, the Word of God in flesh, the exact representation of the image and character of God himself. The Word that God has provided for us is active, alive, and powerful. It can bring knowledge, life, and salvation. This Word explains, reveals, and interprets the very nature of God for us.  Jesus is the perfect revelation of God.  God has given us his Word!

4. God answers prayer. When we call on God, he is faithful to respond. And his response emboldens us and gives us courage. Conversation with God leads to conversion of our souls. His response to our requests shows his presence, his love, and his great kindness towards us. He hears when we call, and he responds.

5. God is friends with the humble, but he is an enemy to the proud. I am grateful that even though our God is high and exalted, he finds it satisfactory to dwell with those who are humble and lowly. He is not at home with those who think too highly of themselves, but he chooses to dwell with those who humble themselves to him.  Arrogance is an offense to the Creator of all (since none are above him), but the humble person finds audience with God.  He takes up residence among those who are humble and do not think too highly of themselves.  In fact, in chapter 2 of Philippians, Paul tells us that God humbled himself and served us.  If Jesus could humble himself, we should do so as well.

6. God will be with us in trouble. There is no obstacle or problem that can separate us from God (Romans 8:28-39). His love for us is never ending and his reach cannot be blocked. No matter the circumstances in your life, God is faithful. He will walk with his child in the midst of problems and provide what is needed to live a life of godliness even in hard circumstances (Psalm 23). He does not always deliver us from trouble, but he never abandons us in it. Like the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, God is with us in the midst of our trials, troubles, or problems. He bears them with us, he walks with us, he gives us his joy in spite of our trouble, and he never fails.

7. God will complete the task he has begun (Phil. 1:6). He is faithful.  He will not forsake the works of his hands. He will accomplish all those things that pertain to his people. He will not fail. He is constant, kind, considerate. He will finish what he starts and will bring to pass all that he has promised (Isaiah 66:9). His Word is true, and he is faithful to complete it. Not a single stray mark of his Scripture will fail to happen. If God speaks it or if God begins it, it will be done in his time and by his outstretched hand. There is nothing too difficult for God, and he is worthy of our praise and our thanks!

Because of these things and so many others, I want to develop a grateful and thankful heart. May we all find comfort in God's character, Word, and love this season. May we give him the thanks and praise he deserves!

Thanks for reading!

Prayer for the Hurting

I was listening to some old music lately, and a group named Allies (made up of some former members of Sweet Comfort Band) sang a song entitled "A Prayer for the Children."  It is a haunting tune full of sympathy and anguish for those who hurt and are broken in this world.  In light of current events that continue to happen in this fallen and broken world--people being shot in public places, women being sold into sexual slavery, children being abandoned or turned into soldiers--I wanted to offer these lyrics (with some minor changes) as a prayer for those who are hurting.

We may never completely understand the pain that some face due to the wicked and violent actions of others, but we know sorrow and brokenness when we see it.  We come to realize (sometimes later than we hoped) that this world is not always what we expect, and the story that we hope will end with "happily ever after" sometimes simply ends with no happy or positive resolution in this world.

If you are facing hurt or pain or some kind of situation that has broken you or caused you harm, this prayer is for you.  May we all find healing for our brokenness, and may the Restorer and Healer of broken hearts hear our prayer.   Here are the lyrics to the song:

I see the children on the TV, asking, "Have you seen me?"
More little faces every day; they don't go away,
Torn from their world and out on their own, you can hear them calling,
Taken from home unto the unknown, so lost and alone.

Hear our voice, hear our cry,
Say a prayer for the children,
Heal the pain, heal our world,
Say a prayer for the children.

Suffering hearts bear all of the pain while the world is watching,
The innocent die and nothing is changed; it's always the same.

Hear our voice, hear our cry,
Say a prayer for the hurting,
Heal the pain, heal this world,
Say a prayer for the broken.

We pray for the broken, their voices are crying,
The hurt and the pain is too much for a wounded heart to bear,
We don't hold the answers, we can't find the reasons,
My God, can you hear us? - Please let us know that you're there.

Hear our voice, hear our cry, (hear our voice, hear our cry)
Say a prayer, (for the children)
Heal the pain, heal this world, (heal this world)
Say a prayer, (say a prayer for the broken)
Hear our voice, hear our cry, (hear our voice, hear our cry)
Say a prayer, (for the children)
Heal the pain, heal this world, (heal the pain, heal this world)
Say a prayer. (for the hurting)

Heal the pain, heal this world.

May the God of all grace grant healing and restoration to those who are broken and may the broken and resurrected life of Jesus be a balm to us.  He suffered, he lives, and he suffers with us in our brokenness.  May we soon realize his resurrection life and restoration as well.

If you know someone who is hurting, go to them, call on them, show them love.  Don't wait.  Help someone near you.  The world is broken enough, act in a way that would promote healing.

Isaiah 61:1-3 speaks volumes.  May the people of God be a people who announce his good news, who act in ways that resemble his Son, who embody the justice and grace of God.  Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

Thank you for reading!

Dealing with Discouragement Jeremiah 20:1-13

Back in July, I had the honor of preaching at Providence Bible Church in Culpeper, VA. My sermon came from Jeremiah 20:1-13 and was entitled "Dealing with Discouragement". If you want to hear the sermon, you can find the podcast here on Providence's web page: Dealing with Discouragement . I will include the sermon notes below for those who want more details. Thank you for reading!

Sermon: Dealing with Discouragement (with special thanks to Rick Ezell for his sermon Rise Above Discouragement, Jeremiah 20, whose notes were very helpful to me)

Scripture: Jeremiah 20:1-13

Introduction

Discouragement is part of life. Discouragement comes most often when we do right things but experience poor results. We work hard, but we don't seem to make progress. We show up to practice every day, giving it our all, but we lose anyway. 

Discouragement eats a hole in our hearts. It makes us want to quit, saying things we shouldn't say, shaking our fists at God. That's how Jeremiah felt. God called him to speak a harsh message to a rebellious people. He was obeyed. Yet on one occasion Jeremiah so angered an assistant to the high priest and chief security officer for the temple, Pashhur, that the man arrested Jeremiah, beat him, and threw him in jail, locking him in stocks so that his body was contorted, writhing in pain. Here was a man in deep distress. He endured physical, emotional, spiritual, and professional anguish. He walked into deep despair, all for doing God's will.

Jeremiah was released the next day, emerging with a sentence of his own. He gave Pashhur a new name: "Terror on Every Side." This name described the terror Babylon would inflict on Judah, specifically the fate Pashhur would suffer when God's judgment fell. He would die and be buried outside Israel, which was considered a judgment, for the Gentile lands were labeled unclean. But what difference would that make? He had been preaching lies in the name of God and encouraging idolatry in the temple. So, why not live in a land of lies and idols, and eventually be buried there?

Enough about Pashhur - it is Jeremiah's rise above discouragement on which we want to focus. In this last of his recorded laments, which is similar to Jesus' Gethsemane experience, we find the highs and lows of human emotions: grief and joy, despair and delight, perplexity and praise. Like Jesus, Jeremiah reminds us that even a faithful servant of God can become discouraged. Jeremiah lived above his feelings and fulfilled God's will.

We, too, can rise above discouragement. Here's how.

I. Be honest with God--tell God how we feel (v. 7)

Jeremiah was honest. He felt deceived by God. The word "deceived" means to be enticed or seduced. Obviously, God does not mislead or trick people, but Jeremiah felt that God had lured him into the ministry only to make him a laughingstock. He felt ridiculed and offended. His voice was not making a difference. He was crying out for the people to repent, yet they continued toward destruction and judgment. Jeremiah's intense lament was private – for God alone, not public.

God wants us to talk to him, even when we are angry, upset, and frustrated. He wants us to tell the truth. A lot of dishonesty goes on in relationships, even with God.

People ask me: Is it wrong to be angry with God? First, we must remember that anger is an emotion, and oftentimes emotions are neither right nor wrong: they just are. What we do with our emotions is a separate issue. People are sometimes surprised by the answer I give them: "If you feel anger toward God you should tell him. God is big enough and strong enough to handle your hurt and anger. So tell him about.  He wants you to pour out your heart to him. He wants you to express what is in your heart." 

Consider the Psalmist as an example of one who poured his heart out to God. We should do the same. Hold nothing back when you pray. Tell the Lord exactly what's in your heart, especially the bad feelings. By pouring out these emotions we are freed from their hold, and we enter more deeply into the loving embrace of the Lord.

God does not want us stuck in anger or any other negative feelings we may have. This is why we should be honest with God in prayer. We should go before God as we are, not pretending to be someone we are not. If we are honest with God in prayer, we will feel a sense of deep freedom, and we will find ourselves having a deeper relationship with God and less discouragement.

To bottle up our anger--even anger toward God--usually only causes harm, rarely good. To be dishonest--even in our prayers--clouds our relationship with God. God desires real people, honest and forthright, who pour out their hearts before him, bringing him all their motives and emotions. The truth is that God knows the depths of our hearts--our thoughts, our motives, our emotions--even before we speak them. So, if we fail to be honest with God then we are only deceiving ourselves. Honesty with God can be liberating. 

But being honest is only one part of the relationship, we also need to recognize the quality and character of the One with Whom we have to do. He is God. He deserves our obedience, even when things aren't going our way. So, to deal with discouragement, we need to learn obedience. 

II. Be obedient to God--keep doing what we've been called to do (v. 9)

Because of Pashhur's unjustified actions, Jeremiah was ready to let go of God and leave him out of all conversations. But he couldn't do that. He would not be at peace doing anything else. God's message was like a fire in his bones that he could not put out. He could not be quiet about it. Jeremiah did not preach because he had to say something, but because he had something to say. Not saying it would have destroyed him.

Do you know why most pastors keep at the task despite rejection and anger? Plain and simple, the call of God upon their lives keeps them going. I spent time with a group of pastors. We bemoaned the struggles of our vocation. One said: "Do you want to know what I tell everyone who comes to me asking if they should go into the ministry? I tell them, ‘If you can do something else, do it.'" Another pastor piped up, "You know why I don't do something else? Because I am called."

When a person has a call, that call becomes hard to ignore.

To overcome discouragement, we need to be about the things God has called us to do. We need to get back to the task he put in front of us. What were you doing BEFORE you were discouraged? Was it a task from God? Why not continue to do it? When called, we should obey. Obedience is difficult and painful, yet I suppose disobedience is moreso. To deal properly with discouragment, learn to obey what God has called you to do. 

But honesty and obedience are not the only tools for dealing with discouragement. In fact, to do the first two properly, we must include the third point. We must be focused on God to deal with discouragement. 

III. Be focused on God--know that the Lord is with us (v. 11)

Jeremiah realized that he wasn't alone. "But the LORD is with me like a violent warrior" (Jer. 20:11). He was not on the losing side.  He was going to win because the Lord was with him like a mighty warrior. God would deal effectively, in his own way and time, with his enemies.

Often in our discouragement we look inward--to our problems, our frustrations, and our situation--when we need to look upward to a God who has not abandoned us. He is with us. He accompanies us. He is a present-tense God.

Can we imagine the difference it would make in our outlook if we remained consciously aware that God is with us? Imagine going into a difficult board meeting knowing that God is beside you. Picture entering into a stressful presentation knowing that God walks with you. Envision confronting the status quo with the mighty arm of the Lord surrounding you.

Knowledge of God's presence can help us accomplish significant things despite our discouragement. It provides courage, valor, guts, strength, tenacity, and perseverance.

A. W. Tozer writes:

"The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God, and the church is famishing for want of his presence. The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us. This would lift us out of our pitiful narrowness and cause our hearts to be enlarged. This would burn away the impurities from our lives as the bugs and fungi were burned away by the fire that dwelt in the bush."

Living in the glow of God's presence will enable you to fight on despite discouragement. 

And what is the best way to focus on God? That would be our regular worship of him, Worship is a great way to deal with discouragement. Like Jeremiah, we need to be honest, we need to be obedient, we need to be focused, and we need to develop a heart of worship. 

IV. Be a worshipper/develop a heart of worship - praise God with your whole heart (v. 13)

Jeremiah's despair turned to joy, his defeated attitude turned to triumph, his dismay to courage. The key that unlocked the door to victory was praise. Jeremiah triumphantly proclaimed, "Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord" (Jer. 20:13).

Praise is the one weapon in the Christian's arsenal against which Satan has no defense. When we praise God we acknowledge that he is in charge--he can do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants.

Praise is more than just acknowledging God for the good that comes our way. Praise is accepting from God all that comes our way, both the good and the bad. The praise we offer when things don't go our way is far more precious to God than the praise we offer when all is well.

Praise does four things:

A. Praise recognizes a Provider

B. Praise acknowledges a plan

C. Praise accepts the present

D. Praise releases power

When we praise God for the present situation as a part of God's plan, God's power is unleashed. This power cannot be brought about by a new attitude or a determined effort of self-will, but by God working in our lives.

Conclusion

Let me close with a legend that reveals the source of discouragement. Supposedly, the devil put his tools up for sale, marking each for public inspection with its appropriate sale price. Included were hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit, lying, and pride. Laid apart from these was a rather harmless looking but well-worn tool – discouragement - marked at an extremely high price. Why the costly price? The devil answered: "Because it is more useful to me than the others. I can pry open a person's heart with that when I cannot get near her with the other tools. Once inside, I can make her do whatever I choose. It is badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me."

Many people succumb to this infamous tool of Satan. Maybe you feel its effect 

now. You can rise above discouragement. Will you:

Be honest - tell God how you feel?

Be obedient - keep doing what you've been called to do?

Be watchful - know that the Lord is with you?

Be worshipful - praise God with your whole heart?

Thanks for reading! 

Victory in Jesus

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil—flesh, sin, the grave, death.

In the incarnation, God met flesh, and flesh lost.

In the wilderness temptation, God met sin, and sin lost.

In the cross, God met death, and death lost.

In the resurrection, God destroyed the grip, fear, pain, and power of death (the power of death is sin, and sin has lost).

In Messiah Jesus all these things have been overcome. God will put all things under his feet. 

Victory is found in Jesus and in Jesus alone. No other foundation will suffice, and no other person can truly save us.

Thanks for reading!

"Borrowing Grace" . . . Do You Hear Him?

Some recent reading prompted me to pen the following thoughts.  I am indebted to people like C. S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer for the thoughts below. They not only compelled my thinking, their writings provide the source of some of the "grace" I tend to "borrow" the most.  So, "borrowing grace" refers to receiving something of worth unexpectedly.  Here is today's "borrowed grace".

C. S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity:

The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.

Each morning there is a voice calling to us. Do we hear it? Oh there may well be a cacophany of voices in your mind/heart! I know there often is a raucous and rowdy group of them in mine!

"Don't forget your work! Don't forget that review you promised! Don't forget to play with your children! Don't forget to read your Bible!"

The voices vie for my attention even as my mind tries to shake the cobwebs of sleep and regain some semblance of focus. I hear them every morning. As Lewis notes, they rush at me.

What voices call us away from the Voice?

Do you hear him?

God is calling--"come to me, all who are weary and I will give you rest."

"Take my burden upon you."

"All you like sheep have gone astray."

"Come to me, all who are burdened."

The imagery of coming out of the wind is a good one. Lewis reminds us to leave the wind of the voices calling us to busy-ness so that we can stop to listen to the one voice that matters.

God's call matters.

There is something about the call of God that transforms us when we hear it and respond. It isn't what we do, it is the very fact that God in his grace and kindness "called" us, spoke to us, singled us out, so to speak.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer says in The Cost of Discipleship:

The call of Jesus makes the disciple community not only the salt but also the light of the world: their activity is visible, as well as imperceptible. "You are the light." Once again it is not: "you are to be the light," they are already the light because Christ has called them. They are a light which is seen of men, they cannot be otherwise, and if they were it would be a sign that they had not been called. How impossible, how utterly absurd it would be for the disciples--these disciples, such men as these!--to try and become the light of the world! No. They are already the light and the call has made them so. Nor does Jesus say: "You have the light." The light is not an instrument which has been put into their hands, such as their preaching. It is the disciples themselves. By an amazing act of mercy, they are the light.

When God speaks, something changes. The very call to discipleship changes us.

As in the beginning when God simply spoke things into existence, his Word continues to breathe creative life into the heart of humanity (see John 1). His Word enlightens us, illuminates our dark lives, transforms us into the light of the world.

God speaks, something happens. Light comes into being. Darkness is confused, overcome, ruined.

God speaks, light breaks forth.

God calls, and we become salt and light. Every part of us becomes a testimony to the kindness of God. Every aspect of our life bleeds his kindness, his love, his grace, his mercy, his call.

God speaks, stuff happens.

Wow!

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Thank you for reading!

In honor of the 4th of July--Happy Birthday America

I posted this material a couple of years ago, and I thought it appropriate again this year. As we approach the day we celebrate our independence in the USA, let's remember that the freedoms we enjoy came at a cost. Happy birthday, USA! May your freedom continue and may the courageous and selfless individuals that secure and defend that freedom multiply. Here is my post from a couple of years ago:

Well, the USA is about to celebrate yet another birthday, and although some people think that the brightness has worn off this "city on a hill," I'm not ready to read her obituary yet. I went back into the archives to find some quotes for today. The first one comes from John Wayne. On the internet you can find a lot of fun stuff about the Duke, but this audio of him speaking about his country is priceless to me. Click here to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuteyiYN6js.

I wanted to add another one from my favorite actor. In the movie "The Alamo," Duke plays Davey Crockett, leader to the Tennessee volunteers. At one point in the movie he gives a speech about the USA and the idea of a "republic." Here is the excerpt I liked the best:

"Republic. I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose. Some words give you a feeling. Republic is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat - the same tightness a man gets when his baby takes his first step or his first baby shaves and makes his first sound as a man. Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words."

Finally, I wanted to share a poem with you all. About 8 years ago I discovered the poetry of Edgar Guest. The first poem I ran into was his "It Couldn't Be Done" in which he describes an optimist who wouldn't say "it couldn't be done" until he tried, and in trying the optimist accomplished the thing. At any rate, Guest is the author of dozens of patriotic poems, and I wanted to share this one in honor of the men and women who serve the USA in the various branches of our military and reserves. As you read this poem, why not say a short prayer of thanks for their service and ask God to protect them as they serve? Here's the poem, "The Things that Make a Soldier Great," by Edgar Guest:

The things that make a soldier great and send him out to die,
To face the flaming cannon's mouth nor ever question why,
Are lilacs by a little porch, the row of tulips red,
The peonies and pansies, too, the old petunia bed,
The grass plot where his children play, the roses on the wall:
'Tis these that make a soldier great.
He's fighting for them all. 

'Tis not the pomp and pride of kings that make a soldier brave;
'Tis not allegiance to the flag that over him may wave;
For soldiers never fight so well on land or on the foam
As when behind the cause they see the little place called home.
Endanger but that humble street whereon his children run,
You make a soldier of the man who never bore a gun. 

What is it through the battle smoke the valiant solider sees?
The little garden far away, the budding apple trees,
The little patch of ground back there, the children at their play,
Perhaps a tiny mound behind the simple church of gray.
The golden thread of courage isn't linked to castle dome
But to the spot, where'er it be --the humblest spot called home. 

And now the lilacs bud again and all is lovely there
And homesick soldiers far away know spring is in the air;
The tulips come to bloom again, the grass once more is green,
And every man can see the spot where all his joys have been.
He sees his children smile at him, he hears the bugle call,
And only death can stop him now --he's fighting for them all.

As we prepare to celebrate the fourth of July, as you give thanks for the freedoms and opportunities God has given you in this land, please remember to pray for those who defend our way of life and for the families of those whose loved ones paid the ultimate price so that we can enjoy our great republic. Remember, it may be a cliche, but it is true that "Freedom isn't free."

Thanks for reading!

Where is God when it Hurts? God's Response to Suffering

On May 27, I had the honor of addressing the fine congregation at Salem Baptist Church in Dobson, NC. The topic of my sermon was "Where is God when it Hurts? God's Response to Suffering", and my texts were Psalm 137 and Mark 15:33-39. The link below will take you to a video of the 10:45 broadcast of the sermon. I hope it is a blessing to you. Thank you for watching!

Salem Baptist May 27 Service

Freedom and Humility: A Repost

Some time back (about the time I first started writing on this blog), I posted a note on the topic of "Freedom."  Reading through my posts recently, I thought this note might be worthwhile for a re-post with some changes.  I hope it is a blessing to you.

1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (NASU)

“Be not anxious! Earthly possessions dazzle our eyes and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety. Yet all the time they are the very source of all anxiety. If our hearts are set on them, our reward is an anxiety whose burden is intolerable. Anxiety creates its own treasures and they in turn beget further care. When we seek for security in possessions we are trying to drive out care with care and the net result is the precise opposite of our anticipations. The fetters which bind us to our possessions prove to be cares themselves.” From The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Phil 3:19-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (NASU)

What does it mean to be free? That isn't really a rhetorical question.

In America we talk of "Freedom" as if it is a birthright or an entitlement. We all want our "rights" protected so that we can pursue whatever petty little thing it is that makes us feel better.

Is this freedom?

I mean, look around us--we are tied to our cares and our anxieties, we are chained to our possessions. We run around anxiously trying to protect the very things that often hold us in the very chains of bondage.

Why do we do that?

Why do we think that a new job, spouse, relationship, haircut, car, movie, boat, home, location, etc. will free us into some kind of blissful realm of happiness?

I don't know that I can answer that, but I am aware of a remedy.

HUMILITY

It doesn't come cheap, and it isn't easy to maintain, but humility will help us break free from bondage.

Look at the Bonhoeffer quote above, then read the passage from Philippians underneath it.

Paul tells us that our citizenship is in another country besides this earthly domain. We don't belong here. Since we don't belong, why do we waste our time buying into the stuff of this place? Why do we bind ourselves to the stuff of earth?

Those who are Christ followers have a home that is not primarily located in this mundane, temporary place. We have a home that is not fully realized yet (to be sure), but one in which we can live to some degree right now. We don't have to wait for Independence Day or Christ's return, we can live in the gracious and overwhelming abundance/liberty of our King now.

Okay, enough preaching. Here's the deal. We were meant to be free with heavenly freedom. We were not meant to be chained up here. Jesus didn't live, die, and get out of the grave just so we could have the latest laptop or so that our kids could enjoy the newest video games.

Jesus lived so that he could grant us true freedom. The freedom he grants liberates us from hanging too tightly to stuff, too selfishly to our own expectations and dreams; and this freedom offers us the chance to be real, to be authentic, to live as we were meant to live.  Christ's gift is to free us from chains of ego and selfishness so that we might live in the liberation of humility.  He puts us all on the same level, and then he loves us with the same gracious and holy love.  Shouldn't we follow his example of humility and love?

When the the light of Jesus shines into our darkness and illuminates the world around us, I think things become more "real" for lack of a better term.  We can see things as they are.  Some of those things may scare us a bit, but with God's help even the broken things can become benefits.  And I admit, there is a part of me that LONGS for that to become reality.  Even so, Lord Jesus, come . . .

Tonio K sings a song that may be appropriate here. The song is entitled "You will go Free."

you've been a prisoner
been a prisoner all your life
held captive in an alien world
where they hold your need for love to your throat like a knife
and they make you jump
and they make you do tricks
they take what started off as such an innocent heart
and they break it and break it and break it
until it almost can't be found

well i don't know when
and it don't know how
i don't know how long it's gonna take
i don't know how hard it will be
but i know
you will go free

you can call it the devil
call it the big lie
call it a fallen world
what ever it is it ruins almost everything we try
it's the sins of the fathers
it's the choices we make
it's people screaming without making a sound
from prison cells in paradise
where we're chained to our mistakes

well i don't know when
and it don't know how
i don't know how much it's gonna cost you
probably everything
but i know
you will go free

you can't see your jailer
you can't see the bars
you can't turn your head round fast enough
but it's everywhere you are
it's all around you
and everywhere you walk this prison yard surrounds you

but in the midst of all this darkness
in the middle of this night
i see truth cut through this curtain like a laser
like a pure and holy light
and i know i can't touch you now
and i don't want to speak too soon
but when we get sprung
from out of our cages baby
god knows what we might do

well i don't know when
and it don't know how
i don't know if you'll be leaving alone
or if you'll be leaving with me
but i know
you will go free

Be free.

Live humbly.

Do justice.

Thanks for reading!

Repost: Easter--What did we really Expect?

A few years ago I wrote the note below as I contemplated the days leading up to Easter Sunday. As I read the note earlier today, I thought it might be worth posting again. I hope it is a blessing to you!

The week before Easter is commonly called "Holy Week" by Christians. During this week we celebrate (is that the right word?) the last week of Jesus' life on earth. People will make pilgrimages to Israel and retrace Jesus' final steps, they will pause at the "rock of agony" and cry where Jesus cried out to God in Gethsemane, they will go to the pit where Jesus was interrogated, they will pause where Jesus supposedly stumbled under the load of his cross, they will visit and contemplate Golgotha, they will visit the empty tomb, and they will weep and cry and mourn.

Rightfully so . . . this was THE WEEK for which Jesus lived his entire human life, and it was a rough one for him. On Sunday before his crucifixion he entered Jerusalem with cheers ringing in his ears. The (usually fickle) populace embraced him for all the great miracles he performed, and they hailed his coming as though a conquering warrior had entered the city. Like paparazzi following a Hollywood star, they trailed behind this carpenter from Nazareth and looked for ways to become part of his entourage or to at least get a "piece of the action" as Jesus came to town.

Some of these same folks will probably yell "Crucify him!" in just a few days, by the way.

When Jesus offered them something tangible to grab, they wanted to be a team player, they wanted the fishes and loaves, the healings, the wonders, the mighty signs.

How soon their tune would change . . . how quickly they would turn on the one who was innocent of any sin except the failure to live up to THEIR expectations.

How like them we are today . . .

When things are going our way, we look to heaven and sing God's praises. We celebrate and sing and run to join the band as God rides triumphantly over all our "enemies." But as soon as Jesus fails to live up to OUR expectations, what do we do?

I know the spiritual answer--"though he slay me yet I will praise him."

Do we really? Will we? Will I?

I'm struck with how Jesus routinely challenged the popular expectations of the crowds who showed up hoping for another demonstration of heavenly power and flash. In John 12, just after the people have celebrated his "triumphal entry," Jesus tells them that the way to jump on his bandwagon is for his followers to hate their lives in this world. Just think how that must have sounded to the celebrants rejoicing in the coming of their conquering hero!

"You want to be a part of my movement, a part of my thing?" Jesus asks, "Then you will have to regard your life in this world as a dead man would. You have to become the least, the slave, the dead one, in order to get in on my movement."

Come and die.

What an invitation!

Of course, Jesus knew that in just six days he would literally fulfill that invitation. The innocent would die for the unquestionably guilty . . . and he would die horribly.

I can just imagine how this conversation must have put a damper on the celebration in Jerusalem. Jesus took a party and turned it into a wake. The next thing we know he is engaged in theological discussions with the people and with the Jewish leaders. He created a controversy that caused folks to take sides. All he had to do was accept the adulation and promise to "win the war that must be won," but Jesus decided to go against expectations again. He decided to allow God to get the glory through humility and death.

Hasn't this happened to us? Just when we think we have God's agenda all spelled out like it ought to be, He throws us a curve ball that reminds us we aren't in charge! We have a hard time "boxing Jesus" into a neat package.

What's the point then? The point is that we should reverse the procedure. Instead of putting expectations on God, we should look for HIS expectations for us. What has He required of us? What does He want? How should we respond to His voice?

The week of Easter we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the process maybe we should participate in a funeral of our own. Maybe we should let die our selfish expectations about how God "ought" to act towards us. Bury them, and let God resurrect them in His image.

As we contemplate the price of our salvation, let us willingly become slaves to the one who has paid such a price to purchase our freedom. Like Jesus, let our prayer be "Father glorify your name." Remember, if a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it will yield much fruit. It is, however, pretty useless in a bag with other seeds. Let's allow God to plant us where he wants so that our service can produce fruit for his glory. Let's follow our crucified Lord by living cruciform lives.

What would the world look like if we did?

I'd really like to find out!

Thanks for reading!

The Long Winding Road to Emmaus: A Twice Told Tale

“O Lord my God, when the storm is loud, and the night is dark, and the soul is sad, and the heart oppressed; then, as a weary traveler, may I look to you; and beholding the light of your love, may it bear me on, until I learn to sing your song in the night. Amen.” From Little Book of Prayers by George Dawson.

Job 13:15a "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him." (NASU)

Luke 24:21 "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened." (NASU)

Sometimes in the midst of the trials and burdens of life, we lose sight of our anchor. We feel tossed and thrown as on a wild and restless sea. Our emotions tell us that things will never be good, all will be despair and loss. Our hope seems shipwrecked, our desire to go on in life sinks into depression. We see nothing good, only evil all around us. Our enemies (both physical and spiritual) seem to have the upper hand, they seem to be winning the day. Things are just not working out the way we expected! The victory we felt sure would come has not yet manifested itself, and we feel ourselves sinking ever deeper into a pit in which we cannot get the proper traction to climb. The clock is ticking down, our hope is gone, our day is over, and Christ has not come.

Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, we had hoped that Jesus would be the one who would rescue us. We had fervently prayed that maybe, just maybe, today would be the day when we would “live happily ever after” and find our dreams coming true. We shake our heads and go out for a walk. Maybe some fresh air and a quick walk will clear out the cob webs in our minds. Still, the topic of our recent failure hangs like a cloud over our heads, raining down doubt and fear.

We chat quietly together, commiserating a bit in our sorrow, in our recent loss. We try to remember all the "good reasons" we came to this time--like the first time we heard the story of Jesus, or the first time we met him, or even when we experienced firsthand some of his mighty works. Still, sorrow clings to our soul like a wet coat in a sudden thunderstorm. We can't get rid of the sense of sadness, it is drenched on us and sticks to our bodies. We wonder why we even brought the subject up and continue to make our journey in silence. Maybe time alone with our thoughts will help.

Suddenly, a stranger approaches. He seems rather ignorant of our experiences, and besides that he has a fairly sunny disposition. He is definitely someone we want to avoid at this moment. No pie in the sky false hope will satisfy us. We fear that he will say something like, “Cheer up! Keep a stiff upper lip! Things will work out in the end!” We try to avoid the stranger, yet he resolutely comes our direction. He seems determined to interrupt our brooding, our despair. He is on a mission, and we seem to be his primary targets. We try to ignore him, but then he speaks.

“So, what’s going on? Why the sad face?” he inquires. Out of pure human kindness we try to explain our pain in as brief a manner as possible. We do not want to burden strangers with our “little” concerns, after all. The stranger hears our story and stands tall. Looking at us he says boldly, “Foolish ones, slow of heart to believe what God has said!”

The force of his accusation causes us to stumble in our walk. How dare this stranger tell us our business? How dare he interject his thoughts into our moment of pain, our sorrow? Just who does he think he is to interrupt our musings with his “pollyanna” announcement? We look at him with disdain and think that he likely has nothing of real value to offer.

Then, he begins to speak to us again. Starting with the beginning of our story and bringing us pretty much up to date he tells us things we knew but somehow in our anguish had forgotten. As he speaks, our hearts get a bit lighter. We can literally feel a burning inside that slowly (painfully slowly) begins to purify our thoughts and hearts. His words seem to dry the wet sorrow drenching us. Like sunshine after a thunderstorm, we begin to feel a bit of relief. Spring may yet come! We even feel encouraged (a little at least) .

We invite the stranger to eat with us, and he offers to say grace. As he prays, we realize his true identity. He is Jesus, our Lord, the one who was beaten brutally, was painfully crucified, who died with the full weight of our sin upon his broken and bruised body. He has been there all along, listening to us, sympathizing (or is it empathizing?) with our pain and anguish. He has been waiting to comfort us with his presence. He loves us in this way, even when he seems silent.

We beg him to stay. Oh, the situations of our life haven’t changed dramatically. We still have problems, and those problems seem just as depressing and burdensome as before. The difference is that we have Jesus in the house, and the light of his love gives us courage to press on, he becomes an anchor for our souls. Why? Simply stated—“Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Through him and his love we may not have better situations or circumstances, but we can still be “more than conquerors through him who loved us” in the trials we share as his joint heirs. How? Talk to him. Let him talk. Trust his character. He is faithful even when we are faithless. We genuinely matter to him.

He longs to say to you "Keep pressing on, I have not forsaken you. I love you."

As we walk our soggy paths of life, we should pause and wait for the Lord. Let him catch up to us in our musings. Listen to his words (even the ones that gently rebuke). Get in his presence, let him pray for us  and with us. Let his words and actions encourage and empower. Remember, he walks with us whether we acknowledge him or not. Why not sit in his presence for a minute and acknowledge his concern for us?

Thanks for reading!

An Empty Story and a Life Affirmed

"I just feel worthless," he said quietly.

It wasn't the way he said it that attracted my attention, but it was his demeanor. This was a person who was in some sense utterly defeated. Everything about him echoed his words. Worthless. Useless. Empty.

I wasn't sure at first how to respond. Sitting before me was a shell, an empty person who felt as though he had absolutely nothing to offer.

I tried to help. "You're not worthless, just look at all you've accomplished."

The words sounded hollow, almost accusatory. His eyes flashed, but it wasn't "life" coming in. It was genuine anger. I had misunderstood him.

"No, you don't get it. I have nothing to offer. I am worthless. I am done."

The words hung in the air like heavy fog, demanding an answer. I honestly didn't know what to say.

If you knew this man, you'd be surprised at his self-evaluation. He earned several degrees (some from prestigious universities and with well known professors). He taught thousands of people, and he mentored many who would ultimately follow in his academic footsteps. He had traveled to a variety of places. He married well and his children were healthy, intelligent, and well behaved. He had rebounded from a moral failure and rebuilt his life and reputation. He was respected by his peers. He "had it all" in a country where such an existence was supposed to be the "American dream".

I wanted to remind him of these things, but he sat there glaring. His red eyes and sad look reminded me of an old derelict building left standing too long that now leaned and threatened to fall over. The supports were gone, the shell was hollow, there was nothing left. How do you rebuild on such a foundation?

The person sitting before me was an encourager. Many times I saw him take last place so that others would be acknowledged and even honored. He prayed that his students would accomplish more than he, and they did! Oh my, how well his students had done! The man went out of his way to make sure others were served, to make sure that others had affirmation, that others were encouraged. He was a Barnabas, and people would flock to him to receive his ministry of encouragement.

Yet here he sat, downcast, done, empty . . . How do you encourage the empathetic man of encouragement who has run dry? Who is worthy of the task?

And then I had an idea. I looked into his eyes and his sad face, and I said, "You know, sometimes I wish I had your life."

He gave me an incredulous look, but I continued. "I can't count how many times I wished I could treat others as well as you treat them." Then I said, "I love you, and I can't imagine what this world would be like without someone like you."

The eyes that were wet with tears showed a few signs of life. A wry grin appeared on his face. Life was returning, and for a moment the derelict building began to look a bit like a stately home once again.

He didn't need a history lesson. He didn't need me to recount his glorious deeds. He simply need to be affirmed. He needed appreciation.

I didn't write this story to get you to feel sorry for this man (okay, maybe just a little), but I wrote this to be a reminder to us all. We need to be appreciated, we need to be affirmed. We all cry out to be loved.

You see, this person's story could be your story, it could be my story. Life has a way of draining us, and sometimes we aren't sure how to refill the well. Feelings of worthlessness can pile up, and we begin to compare ourselves to others (often unrealistically). "I'm not good enough. I don't have the stuff. I'm not needed."

Yet the truth is probably bigger than we realize, and a little affirmation can go a long way.

Take a moment today. Give some affirmation to someone who has encouraged you. Let people know that you appreciate them, and that you are thankful for their contribution to your life. Who knows, it could restore life . . . maybe even yours.

Thank you for reading!

A Communion Meditation at Epiphany

Yesterday was Epiphany on the Church calendar. Epiphany usually means something like “a moment of sudden insight or understanding,” but in the Christian calendar it represents the day that Messiah was manifest to the Gentiles when the wise men came to visit. So, January 6 was Epiphany, the last of the 12 days of Christmas, the day when the wise men from the east came and found Jesus. As of yesterday we have officially ended the Christmas season and are starting the build up to Resurrection Sunday. As we started Advent, we spoke of hope—the hope revealed in the first coming of Christ and the hope in his imminent and sudden return at the end of the age. We are at the “in between” time of that hope. Jesus has indeed come, and his coming is not for the Jews only, the Messiah is born for all nations. For our Lord’s Supper today, we thought we’d look at a couple of passages for Epiphany as part of our communion meditation.

Isaiah 60:1-5 (HCSB) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you. For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the LORD will shine over you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your radiance. Raise your eyes and look around: they all gather and come to you; your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried on the hip. Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and rejoice, because the riches of the sea will become yours, and the wealth of the nations will come to you.”

Matthew 2:1-11 (HCSB) “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ . . . ‘In Bethlehem of Judea,’ they told him, ‘because this is what was written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel.’ . . .  After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was--the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.”

The passage of Isaiah contains some extravagant promises. The prophet speaks of “brightness,” “glory,” “radiance,” and overflowing heart, and the “wealth of nations.” And who first heard these glowing words? Exiled Jews who had just returned home to a Jerusalem in ruins. Somehow, the words of the prophet didn’t quite match up with the realities on the ground. But that didn’t stop these believers from committing themselves to God’s work to see the glory that God had promised to them.

Similarly, how did the wise men recognize an earth-shaking event in the humble birth of Jesus to Joseph and Mary? Even the religious and political leaders of Israel missed the coming of Messiah. So how could these foreigners fall to their knees so readily, and offer such valuable treasures to this lowly child? Again, their expectations didn’t match up with what they found when they first laid eyes on the Messiah.

The wise men represent the “nations” mentioned in Isaiah, and as they come bringing gifts to Jesus they are the beginning of the fulfillment of the promises of Isaiah. They brought gifts to a promised king that they had never seen until that day. They also represent true worship by their humility (they kneel before this child, the king of the Jews) and later they obey God by not returning to Herod to tell of Jesus’ location. Like the exiles in Isaiah, their situation was not ideal, but they trusted in the God who promised.

Like the wise men and the returning exiles, we find ourselves in an interesting time, one that is not always ideal. Maybe our situations and circumstances are not what we expected. We came through the joy and celebration of the Christmas season, but for many of us the joy seems short lived. The “reality” of life around us seems to darken the sky once lit bright with hope and joy. We celebrated the birth of Jesus, the incarnation of God, but maybe after the new year we no longer feel like celebrating.

Yet, the New Year is a promise of new beginnings, and it is the promise of God’s continued watch care. We can trust him. The New Year is a time to look back and see God’s hand, and a time to look forward with expectation to his continued faithfulness and grace. It is a time to surrender to God and offer a gift of obedience. We start this new year with a recognition of our Messiah, the one who came for ALL people,  the one who came as a Lamb to be “slain, and to purchase for God with his blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” We celebrated Messiah’s birth, and now we celebrate his obedient death in the Lord’s Supper.

When we come to this table before us, we renew a covenant made long ago at a place called Golgotha.  The elements here—the bread and the cup—symbolize the body and blood of Jesus.  When we take these elements, we remember that Messiah Jesus gave his life for us.  At the beginning of the new year, we can do nothing more appropriate than to come to this Table and let Communion be for us an act of consecration, an act of giving ourselves again to the Lord Jesus our Messiah.

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread.  He blessed it and broke it.  He said, “This is my body, which is broken for you.” This bread is his body, eat it as often as you eat it in remembrance of him.  Jesus also said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”  Drink it as often as you drink it in remembrance of him. Paul reminds us to take time to consider our lives before we partake in this supper. It is time to prepare our hearts for Communion. Make sure you have nothing between you and God or between you and another human. Look at yourself, and then look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Consecrate yourself to God.

As the hymn says:

Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord to Thee;

Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be, Swift and beautiful for Thee;

Take my voice and let me sing, always, only, for my King.

Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne.

Let’s pray: Thank you, Father, for the way you have traveled with us so far, and for the journey that lies ahead. As we begin this new year, remind us of your faithfulness and grace. Remembering these things, we come to celebrate this supper, and we remember the last meal between Jesus and his disciples. His body was later broken for us as a way to remember the greatest gift ever given, his life for ours.  We ask that you bless us to your service.  Lord Jesus, you taught us how to serve.  You taught us to be faithful.  You have blessed us in so many ways.  May we be reminded daily of the ultimate sacrifice given for us through the giving of your blood, and may we find the courage to offer our lives to you in obedience.  We ask these things in your name.  Amen.

Thanks for reading!