Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Troublemaker

Tuesday, October 31, 2017
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.  People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.  This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time.  God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.  Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God?  No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law.  It is based on faith.  So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.  Romans 3:21-28(NLT)
In last Sunday’s worship at First UMC, Lexington, which included a commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, I was listening to the Pastor describe Martin Luther’s focus of the Three Onlies, only Scripture, only grace, and only faith.  Today is the day, 500 years ago, Luther nailed his faith in Scripture and Grace to the door of the chapel at Wittenberg, Germany.
One thing the pastor, Rev. Jamie Armstrong, said shook me into Google-mode, searching for connections.  He stated flatly:  …and without the Reformation Luther started, there’s a good chance the American Revolution never happened. 
The point is, and was aptly made by the pastor, that God is always working on us.  It took 249 years from Luther’s bold move to that day in Philadelphia Hall and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  But it displays the reality that God is always working to reform and call us back to Himself; we see this at every point in history.
One author expressed it this way:
By the time Luther died, of natural causes, in 1546, his revolutionary beliefs had formed the basis for the Protestant Reformation, which would over the next three centuries revolutionize Western civilization.[2]
“Troublemakers” in the church are generally shown the back door.  Luther was no exception; he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and the edict of Worms declared him an enemy of the state and Christ, and fair game for being killed on sight by anyone without consequence.
Luther held in 95-theses nailed to the door, only grace, only faith, and only Scripture.  Three onlies, extolling the singular true theme of the ages:  ONLY CHRIST!
Five hundred years later we honor Luther’s sacrifice and bold stand for the grace of God, holding up Scripture as our authority and faith as our daily bread.  We can never forget that Luther (as Wesley decades later) would never want to be remembered above the Christ for whom he gave his entire life in service.  And that is the very thing that compels us to remember troublemakers like Martin Luther. 

For You Today

Kids in costumes looking for candy will probably knock on your door sometime today.  When they smile and say “Trick or Treat” be gracious and generous. 
But remember to wish the parents with them a Happy Reformation Day.  In the spirit of Martin Luther, our freedom to worship Christ is too important to let goblins and witches have the day.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Ferdinand Pauwels [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Monday, October 30, 2017

Navigating the Christian Calling

Monday, October 30, 2017
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures.  We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.  He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.  Titus 2:11-14(NLT)
Paul wrote instructions for Titus to share with the believers at Crete.  Crete was known as a barbaric culture that could make our modern day anything goes thinking look like a refined ladies’ tea party.  This was a tough place for Paul’s gentle companion[2], who had accompanied the apostle on his missionary journeys and been instrumental in helping the Corinthian churches through their squabbles and brushes with heresy. 
The apostle reminds Titus of the Gospel in a nutshell with just a few thoughts:
·       The grace of God came in Jesus Christ to reveal salvation
·       Our call is to reject godlessness and live with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion while we keep our hope fixed on Christ’s coming
·       Our commitment is to be total, unselfish, and result in good deeds to others.
Not an easy calling to live-out in a culture that teaches selfishness as a virtue.
I would not exactly be going out on a limb to say all of us have experienced at least a time or two when someone either tried, or tried and was successful in taking unfair advantage, or doing us harm.  It could be financial, reputation-slashing, or even physical harm.  It is beside the point whether we deserved it or not; harm is harm!  That stuff happens, and, in Crete it was a way of life. 
Paul told Titus to swim upstream, climb a steep rock, and do the unthinkable…be full of grace at all times, no matter how wicked the culture was in Crete.  This is the Christian calling; lighting candles wherever there is darkness, blooming where you’re planted. 
I recall one particular time when that task seemed harder than ever.  My career, reputation, and future were at risk because of a church power struggle.  Without recounting all the details, pointing fingers or defending who said what and why…I made a conscientious effort to remain calm.  It was a rough time, and I would like to say everything turned out just fine; it didn’t.  Ministry in that place was over for me, and I had to move-on.  But the larger picture is what God’s grace did in the lives of many, including me. 
In the years since that time I’ve had conversation with a number of the people who were part of that situation and heard much the same story; although the circumstances were unpleasant and challenged everything about their walk with Christ, the change that God brought about was something they couldn’t have imagined.
Navigating life as a Christian in a culture that overlooks and sometimes even mocks the cross is not easy; it’s a good thing we have a Navigator who has been through that water personally!

For You Today

It may be that you travelled some rough seas this past weekend, and maybe it’s still not calm out there; wherever you’re headed this week, make sure your compass is set on He who is the True North Star.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Courtesy Pixabay.com
[2] Holman Bible Dictionary description

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Warning Song

Thursday, October 26, 2017
The Lord said to Moses, “You are about to die and join your ancestors.  After you are gone, these people will begin to worship foreign gods, the gods of the land where they are going.  They will abandon me and break my covenant that I have made with them.  Then my anger will blaze forth against them.  I will abandon them, hiding my face from them, and they will be devoured.  Terrible trouble will come down on them, and on that day they will say, ‘These disasters have come down on us because God is no longer among us!’  At that time I will hide my face from them on account of all the evil they commit by worshiping other gods.  “So write down the words of this song, and teach it to the people of Israel.  Help them learn it, so it may serve as a witness for me against them.  For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey.   There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat.  But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant.  And when great disasters come down on them, this song will stand as evidence against them, for it will never be forgotten by their descendants.  I know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I swore to give them.”  So that very day Moses wrote down the words of the song and taught it to the Israelites.  Deuteronomy 31:16-22(NLT)
Everyone who has raised a child knows that sense of foreboding when you warn a child to stay away from something harmful or NOT to do this or that.  You just KNOW by that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach there will come a time when curiosity, inattention, or downright rebellion will bring the consequences to his disobedience.
For Israel the chief warning was expressed in the first commandment – no other gods!  That’s exactly like what my mother used to say to me whenever she would see me off to school, or if I was going out to play:  Remember who you are, and WHOSE you are.  It’s a simple song of warning to keep in mind that we are created and cared-for by a loving God and we should act like it, remembering to honor Him at all times and in every action we take.
Israel’s history bears out their transgression; the first commandment was oft-repeated, and just as oft-forgotten.  The warning song Moses taught them that day stood as evidence that they were not innocent; their sin was first-degree, premeditated, and without defense.
Fast-forward to the current day; what defense could the church offer for our stewardship of the first commandment?  What is it that takes first place over worship and honoring the Lord God? 
In America four of every five churches are flat-lined in attendance, with no evident desire to be resuscitated.  In the space of my time in pastoral ministry I have seen the definition of active member morph from members attending nearly every service and activity (if you weren’t physically ill), to attending once or twice a month.  It seems something else besides worshiping the one true and living God has our attention.
The claim is often made (with ample Biblical support) that the New Testament church is the New Israel.  Considering how lightly we treat the first commandment I can find no words to deny that with a straight face.

For You Today

You cannot be responsible for your neighbor’s choices, but you can (and do) lead your neighbor by your example. 
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Courtesy Pixabay.com

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Rescued

Tuesday, October 24, 2017
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!  I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.   You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.  I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.  Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
Psalm 63:1-8(NLT)
There are a number of ways to be rescued in life.

·       Financial Rescue

You’ve got a debt load that threatens you will lose everything; bankruptcy seems certain, but someone offers to clear the obligation.

·       Professional Rescue

You’ve done something stupid and everything you worked-for in life is at risk; disaster is going to be your new name, but friends and colleagues circle their wagons around you and give you new hope.

·       Physical Rescue

You’re in danger and going down for the third time; Superman swoops in to the rescue!

·       Spiritual Rescue

Each person, whether early or late in life, comes to the end of his or her own resources; we tap out, run out of gas, go sour on life, or just plain come to the end of whatever has been driving us to go it alone, and we realize we cannot…we just cannot continue without knowing our purpose, and that there is hope. 
And then…God!
I have been rescued in all of these ways at times in my life…too many times to recount here.  At each of those times the words of the 16th century poet John Donne come to refresh my perspective on the trouble I’ve been through and the rescue God has brought my way:
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.  If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”[2] 
Thomas Merton used Donne’s words and wrote of the despair and brokenness which leads to our spiritual rescue:
“Only the man who has had to face despair is really convinced that he needs mercy.  Those who do not want mercy never seek it.  It is better to find God on the threshold of despair than to risk our lives in a complacency that has never felt the need of forgiveness.  A life that is without problems may literally be more hopeless than one that always verges on despair.”[3] 

For You Today

Life in despair today? 
Problems caving your world around you?
You are not an island, alone.  Embrace God’s rescue; like the Psalmist you will know that his strong arms never fail, and you will know what it is like for a strong right hand to hold you securely.  You will know what it is to sing for joy under his wings.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO


Monday, October 23, 2017

When a Queen Rides the Lightning

Monday, October 23, 2017
After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.  He gave a mighty shout:  “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!  She has become a home for demons.  She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.  For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality.  The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. 
Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”  Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people.  Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.  For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.  Do to her as she has done to others.  Double her penalty for all her evil deeds.  She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.  She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow.  She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne.  I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’  Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day—death and mourning and famine.  She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”  And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.  They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment.  They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city!  In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”
And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief.  And they will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city!  The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas.  In a single moment it is all gone.”  Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets!  For at last God has judged her for your sakes.  
Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20(NLT)
The Green Mile takes place in 1935.  “The Mile” is Louisiana’s death row where John Coffey is electrocuted.  Against all odds Paul Edgecomb, who was 44 when he supervised the death sentence, lives another 64 years and is now telling the story to his friend Elaine in the nursing home of why he lived to be 108:
I've had to see my friends and loved ones die off through the years... Hal and Melinda... Brutus Howell... my wife... my boy.  And you Elaine... you'll die too, and my curse is knowing that I'll be there to see it. It's my atonement you see; it's my punishment, for letting John Coffey ride the lightning; for killing a miracle of God.[2]
In John the Revelator’s vision he sees the queen of Babylon ride the lightning in punishment for leading the entire world into evil and darkness.  It is a stiff penalty meted-out by a holy and righteous God, who will one day put an end to even the presence of sin and its twin, injustice.
No one on earth can predict when that will be; only God in heaven knows.  But Jesus preached of that day, as did every prophet sent to warn Israel. 
Sin against God is as rampant today as in any epoch of history; all of it pushes against the patience and lovingkindness God displays toward his creation.  This passage of Scripture tells us that when the cup of evil is filled, judgment will fall – and it will be swift and sure.                          

For You Today

Want a word for what to do about the evil you see – even in so-called high places?  Hear the apostle James:
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  James 1:27(NLT)
I take that to mean our distress with what’s going on in the world, and the darkness we perceive covering the land isn’t going to change until God says so.  Our task, meanwhile, always is to light a candle, not to curse the dark.  Get busy lighting candles.  Let the Queen ride her lightning.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image: “Old Sparky” via Wikimedia Commons

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Exalt the Lord

The Lord is king!  Let the nations tremble!
He sits on his throne between the cherubim.
    Let the whole earth quake!
The Lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem, exalted above all the nations.
Let them praise your great and awesome name.
    Your name is holy!
Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness.
You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel.
Exalt the Lord our God!
    Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!
Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name.  They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them.
He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud,
    and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.
O Lord our God, you answered them.
    You were a forgiving God to them,
    but you punished them when they went wrong.
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the Lord our God is holy!  Psalm 84:11(NLT)
I was never in Boy Scouts, but I love their motto:
Be Prepared.
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country….
The first priority in that pledge is duty to God!  The Psalmist teaches us the same thing, how to be prepared to exalt or worship God, who is holy.
One of the church’s great hymns “Holy, Holy, Holy”[2] has, in part, a basis in Psalm 99 (as well as Revelation 4:8-11).  This hymn, sung by the angels, cherubim and seraphim in Isaiah’s(Ch6) vision expresses the way we can best respond to God’s holiness – which is to rearrange our thoughts and the way we live our lives to be in line with God’s will.  He is the LORD, God, Almighty!
Exalt God by Knowing him
The hymn says all Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth and sky, and sea; As created beings on earth we have been given a special position and privilege to be very near the heart of God.  He loves us; He is the best Father that one could imagine, and so much more.
Our job is to get to know our Creator.  One of the ways we can do this is to worship.  As we lift our praise God’s presence is made known to us, for God inhabits the praise of His people…
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.  Psalm 22:3(NLT)
Our job is to praise Him so we get to know Him.  We can grow in our relationship to God by praising Him; He is also worthy of that praise. 
Our hymn teaches us that those praises belong to God, and we do well to lift our voices from early in the morning…
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Bryce Canyon is a wonderful sight in the state of Utah.  It was named for a 19th century farmer named Ebenezer Bryce.  There are huge trees in the canyon over 700 years old.  The views are breathtaking.  God’s handiwork is awe-inspiring there, seen clearly in every direction.  But some people don’t see so clearly.  Ebenezer was asked what it was like to live in the midst of such a pristine canvas of God’s artistry; all he could say was:  it’s a heck[3] of a place to lose a cow.
If you’re going to learn who God is, what He is like, and what He wants you to do with your life, you’ve got to spend more time praising Him than the time you spend thinking about how tough life is, and where you put your cows (or play-station cartridges or car keys).
…and as you get to know holy God, you will then understand that the task changes from knowing to doing as you…
exalt god by Living                            a Holy Life Before God
So you must live as God’s obedient children.  Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.  You didn’t know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14 - 16 (NRSVA)
Our hymn has several references to us changing our ways (what we do) in order to live a life of humility, or holiness as God observes us.
Holy, holy, holy!  All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Notice the emphasis of worshipping God by actions:
·       adoring God,
·       putting our own successes in humility at His feet,
·       watching the angels bow down in humble worship. 
It’s not about us at all; it’s ALL about HIM!
It is a powerful picture of the angels bowing down before God.  Angels are not the insipid effeminate characters pop culture makes of them.  Angels are fierce warriors.  If an angel of God appeared in this building right now, you’d probably fall down in trembling fear.  Unbelieving or un-informed people make angels sweet and non-threatening enough to hang them on our Christmas trees and print them on t-shirts.  The Bible never does that; whenever an angel appears on earth or heaven it is a holy occasion filled with power and majesty.
Now, if those majestic angels bow down to the throne of God and constantly sing praise while flying in a display of humble praise before God, doing His bidding instantly and joyfully, what should OUR lives be like?  Should we ignore God or live our life humbly attempting to please Him?
The Boy Scout Promise (oath) says on my honor…; to live a life holy before God means He trusts us to do just that. 
Jesus was proclaimed by the Gospel writer to be the light coming into the world.  Yet, there is a great darkness in our land today.  It was the same nearly two hundred years ago when the hymn was written:
Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Darkness has always stood for sin and separation from God.  The eye of sinful man may try to hide God from view, but our job is to live life holy before God, to be people who stand up, even in the face of ridicule.
challenge:  Honor God in all
Many of us have a sense of embarrassment about being thought of as religious fanatics.  We need to be more like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  These Old Testament saints angered King Nebuchadnezzar by refusing to worship him.  The king got so ticked at their holy lives that he had the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.  But even the fire was not able to touch these men of God.  Honoring their God was more important to them than the king’s ego!
Jackie Mickels tells the story of the day after their wedding when the 4-year- old ring bearer asked his mother if he had gotten married the day before. 
“No,” she reassured him. 
Little Jerry’s reply:  “Then what in the world was I doing up there?”[4]
Sometimes in this world we face things that make us wonder like that.  Your best preparation to do your duty to God is to know Him, and live life holy before Him. 
For the LORD our God is a holy God!


In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com
[2] WORDS: Reginald Heber, 1826, MUSIC: John B. Dykes, 1861
[3]http://www.utahoutdoors.com/pages/brycewinter.htm (Expletive deleted for our “G” rated audience).  Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
[4] Jackie Mickels, Madrid, Nebraska. Christian Reader, “Rolling Down the Aisle.”