Thursday, November 30, 2017

There is a Fountain

Thursday, November 30, 2017
“On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.  
Zechariah 13:1(NLT)
We are now in the Season of Advent, a new year in the Christian calendar; it’s a season of promise and expectancy.  This time is filled with the images of people who walked in great darkness anticipating the dawn of light and life. 
God said through the prophet Zechariah that a fountain would be opened for the cleansing and re-birth of Israel.  God’s forgiveness birthed in a stable would become that fountain that washes away the sins and rebellion of the past.
Israel needed a rebirth because of their national sins; they had stopped serving God and were full-blown into self-serving worship of whatever pleased them most.  That is a microcosm of what is true for all humanity.  As the apostle Paul proclaimed, all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard[2].
Through another prophet, Isaiah, God spoke this same sweeping reality, that every one of us, like wandering sheep, have lost sight of God, and our deepest personal need is to be forgiven.  Zechariah’s prophecy of the opening of God’s forgiving fountain would be Jesus, the long-ago promised coming of a Savior:
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.  Isaiah 53:6(NLT)
This morning I’d like to let 17th century poet William Cowper hold-out Zechariah’s image of God’s fountain for us:
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains:
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in His day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away:
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its pow’r,
Till all the ransomed church of God
Are safe, to sin no more:
E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die:
When this poor, lisping, stamm’ring tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save:

For You Today

As we begin a new year in the Christian cycle of worship, thank God for the cleansing-healing power of the blood of Christ.  That fountain is what births you into the family of God, and it is the only reason you can stay there.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com
[2] Romans 3:23

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The View of Forever Right Now

Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Praise the Lord, all you nations.  Praise him, all you people of the earth.  For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.  Praise the Lord!  Psalm 117:1-2(NLT)  
“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.  This is what the Lord says:  “Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”  Long ago the Lord said to Israel:  “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.  I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.  You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines.  Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there.  The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.’”   Jeremiah 31:1-6(NLT)
Today is the last day in the Christian year’s lectionary cycle.  Tomorrow we move from having celebrated the birth, ministry, passion, resurrection, ascension, return, and reign of King Jesus; we then start over again at his promised first coming.  We are also nearing the end of a calendar year, and when you come to the end of anything it usually provokes rear view mirror thoughts!  Our Scripture passages today depict the different view of forever people can have. 
Jeremiah’s time was hard, harsh and hopeless.  Being conquered by cruel enemies tends to be that way!  The prophet first spoke a warning; then he spoke hope to their hearts.  People who have little (or zero) faith in God tend to see forever as something of either a curse or the end of existing – an entrance into nothingness.  This life is to be enjoyed, grabbed, pushed to the limits, and then you’re worm food.  Get all you can in your 70 years (plus or minus), because that’s all there is…and then you’re gone.
Even though Jeremiah’s warnings of the coming enemy conquest were blunt and harsh, they were an accurate picture of life in the family of God.  When you disobey your Creator, you’re going to the woodshed for a lesson.  But at the end of that lesson is hope!  There is a forever future to celebrate; there will be planting, dancing and joy!  You may have messed-up big-time in this life, but God is the forever Savior; the game is not entirely over!
And so both the Psalmist and the Prophet say go on and worship…praise the Lord for all His goodness and mercy.
This is the consummate difference between those outside the family of God and those within; the view of forever right now brings a smile for God’s children and a curse for those who are outside.  There is laughter and singing within, and hopelessness without.
The great news about the view of forever right now is that we get to choose which we will have.  God has called everyone to come close, be His child, and rejoice forever. 

For You Today

The positive, joy-filled view of forever right now begins with choosing to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and LORD. 
The ball is in your court. 
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Morning Star

Tuesday, November 28, 2017
I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things.  And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.  But he said, “No, don’t worship me.  I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book.  Worship only God!”  Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near.  Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”  “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  Blessed are those who wash their robes.  They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.  Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.  “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches.  I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne.  I am the bright morning star.”    Revelation 22:8-16(NLT)
One of the most asked questions about God is:  Where is He?  It’s not really a question about celestial location as it is a question about divine intention.  The question is asked with a passive-aggressive frustration over some tragedy (and haven’t we had enough occasion recently?). 
Where is God; why would He let this happen?
It’s not a simple question really.  Neither does it have a simple answer; although the short-answer is rather straight-forward:  we don’t know…none of us knows!  Not a single person in the world really knows what is in the plan of God for each life.  There are some things that are too deep for us to understand; there are some things too painful or too big a temptation to face before it happens.  Who indeed can know the mind of God?  Isaiah knew we are nowhere near that pay grade:
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:9(NLT)
And so we are left with the Psalmist’s instruction to trust and obey with praise:
Praise the Lord, all you nations.  Praise him, all you people of the earth.  For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.  Praise the Lord!  
Psalm 117:1-2(NLT)
But it seems that still leaves us hanging; while we’re trusting this God who claims to be good, we have this nagging question about why there is so much evil and tragedy. 
I do not pretend to have the answer to why, so let me simply offer a wee bit of comfort in the midst of questioning if you’re grappling with that:
It is comforting to know that He knows!
Note that in Jesus’ message to John, the Lord knows all about all the evil, tragedy and injustice we see (and do).  He knows, and in His timing He will come and set right that which has been wrong.  This is Morning Star thinking; this is having faith that a new dawn is coming.  It won’t be in any way according to what our human reasoning understands as the right time, but it will be according to the divine appointment God has made to dispel the darkness.  It will be as on-time as the rising of the sun throughout the eons of days since creation.

For You Today

In the midst of making sense of the latest tragedy or the commonplace of changing the baby’s diaper, lift your voice like the Psalmist:
Praise the Lord, all you nations.  Praise him, all you people of the earth.  For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.  Praise the Lord!  
Psalm 117:1-2(NLT)
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Monday, November 27, 2017

New City; Holy City

Monday, November 27, 2017
Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me!  I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”  So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.  It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal.  Revelation 21:9-11(NLT)
Can you imagine moving into the New Jerusalem?  It's a new home we're talking about; it’s new in time and new in kind.  It's going to be so different; can you imagine:
·       Living without shame, guilt and sadness for past sins?
·       Living without sinful thoughts?
·       Slipping out to do good things, just because doing good feels so good? 
·       Living with complete trust towards other people? 
·       Never losing your temper?
The New Jerusalem will be like that; it will be a wonderful place to live. 
A little girl was walking with her father in the country.  There were no neon signs, no automobile headlights or streetlights.  It was a crisp evening.  As she looked into the deep blue velvet sky, studded with an array of diamonds that put the most dazzling Tiffany display to shame, she said, Daddy, if the wrong side of heaven is so beautiful, what do you think the right side will be like? 
We certainly have only a meager understanding of what our new home is going to be like.  But some people are willing to settle for so little.  Paul Azinger is a professional golfer.  He is a dedicated Christian man, and some time ago he had a major struggle with lymphatic cancer.  He wrote about it, and how his priorities have changed so dramatically,
My friend Mike got on an airplane one day and saw one of the strangest things he had ever seen in his life.  The man sitting next to him in first class was dressed in a bathrobe and slippers.  The man's seat was a beautiful leather chair, but my friend's was simply made of fabric.  The man said to my friend.  I see you have noticed my chair. This chair is made of the finest leathers money can buy.  Then my friend noticed that the man had a mahogany tray table.  Again, the man said, Ahh, you have noticed my gorgeous tray table.  My friend looked up and saw that the guy had a ceiling fan.  The rich man was also surrounded by a VCR, a television set, a CD player, and a computer.
My friend was flabbergasted.  He asked the rich man, why would anyone go to the expense to have all these things installed in an airplane?  The man replied bluntly, because this is my home.
My friend thought, what a shame! A place that was intended to be a journey, he has made his home.[2]

For You Today

 How appropriate for us to remember that the place we're now living in and on, is not our home.  We're looking for a new home, a New Jerusalem, the City of God.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com
[2]Paul Azinger, Zinger, (Zondervan, 1995),  216. 

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Being Different

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you.  For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin.  And there will be no escape.  But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.  For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.  So be on your guard, not asleep like the others.  Stay alert and be clearheaded.  Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.  But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.  For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.  Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.  So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:1-11(NLT)
There are times when people are not ready for what happens, even though they should be ready.  My friend Curt Hatch went to Moody Bible Institute.  He paid his own way by working at a night job.  Curt didn’t get enough sleep so he had to choose carefully those classes in which he would stay awake.  One class he customarily snoozed-through was a first period study of church history.  At the start of each class the professors at Moody take roll, and then call on a student to pray for the class.  Curt normally waited until the prayer began, and then he would go into deep meditation for the duration of the lecture. 
One day Curt didn't last through roll call.  By the time prayer had been offered by another student, Curt was nearly comatose.  A friend of Curt's sat next to him in this class, and could sometimes barely contain his jealousy over the fact that Curt was getting an hour's sleep while he had to take notes.  About halfway through the class time his buddy poked him in the side and whispered, Hatch, wake up...He wants you to pray.  Curt stood bolt upright and bowed his head:  Father, thank you for this day, and this gathering of students...bless us as we study.  When Curt sat down, after a brief pause, the bewildered professor finally said, Thank you, Mr. Hatch, for that...er...inspiring moment of spirituality; you may return to your normal activities.
This part of Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica is all about being ready, and the difference between those who are ready and those who are not. 
Let’s look at those differences:

#1. Different as Night & Noon

There are considerably different values and lifestyles between what Jesus called the sheep and goats.  In Matthew’s Gospel account Jesus said at the final hour the sheep (representing those saved) would be on his right side, and the goats (standing for those who will be rejected into hell) would be gathered on the left.  This is as different as the values and lifestyles held by believers and unbelievers.
It is common in the school system these days to move children along through the system, no matter how much they have learned, or not learned.  There is no such thing as failure any more.  That leaves children with the idea that there is no such thing as failing; there is only learning at my own pace and somehow it’s all going to be alright. 
Friends, that may work with the local school board, but that’s playing with fire when it comes to your soul.  The very idea that there is a passing grade demands there is a failing grade as well. 

#2. Different as Asleep & Alert

We are not called to be the sleep-walking church.  The apostle Paul made it very clear that we are to be alert because we live in perilous times; the church cannot afford to be lazy or unconcerned about souls.
Babies arrive at their own schedule.  I learned that when our firstborn (Jennifer) came.  Elizabeth had gone into labor and I drove us to the hospital.  Dr. Matheson met us and sent my great with child bride to some other room.  (Dads were not allowed in the delivery room back then).  The doctor then told me…go home and get some rest.  This is Elizabeth’s first delivery, and it’s going to be an “all-nighter”; there’s no reason to hang around, come back in the morning.  I obeyed the doc’s instructions; big mistake!  I no sooner got into bed and the phone rang:  Hi, Dad…congratulations, you got a baby girl
Believe it or not, the same thing happened with our second child, Jason.  A dozen false labors convinced Dr. Matheson to induce Elizabeth.  He did, and told me it had never been less than 10 hours until delivery under these conditions…go home and get some rest.  Thirty seconds in bed was all I had before the phone rang; Hi, Dad!  It came as no surprise when Elizabeth started labor with Carrie 7 years later, that Elizabeth had me in leg irons and handcuffs, chained to her side when they rolled her into delivery!  It took me three tries, but I finally was ready.  It won’t be so in when Jesus returns; when He comes it will be sudden – no warning.  No one will get a second chance.

#3. Different as Fear & faith

“Sober” has nothing to do with alcohol; it is a matter of taking our faith seriously enough to put aside our anxiety and negative thoughts, trusting Christ.
 Christians should walk in faith, not fear. 
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7(NLT)
I had a difficult relationship with a church leader 30 years ago.  We were raised in different parts of the country, so we had to spend some time getting to know each other and figure out the differences in what our expressions meant.  But we were around the same age with similar family circumstances. 
When we talked out the difficulty we had about the church’s priorities his frustration with me came to a boil; he blurted out:  I can’t stand how you’re always so sure of yourself and calm; don’t you care about stuff?  Care about stuff?  Underneath what my friend saw as this a duck swimming effortlessly across the pond was two feet below the surface paddling for all I was worth! 
His opinion of me shocked me, because, what he described was exactly how I saw him…expressionless, hardly ever smiled, and much too serious about whether the church softball team would win next Tuesday.  What both of us failed to see is that Christians are called to walk in faith, not fear; we are not to walk around exploding over everything, super sensitive and moody. 

#4. Different as competitors   & compatriots

There is a vast sense of competition in our culture.  So many people are looking to put another gold star on their resume’ that the idea of cooperation comes way down the list of what’s important (if it’s on the list at all).
The churches I have served in my time as a pastor have been mostly smaller-membership.  In that kind of setting it is always a temptation for a pastor to place too much emphasis on getting a few more members to help with the work load, and the load of bills, that keep coming due.  But that’s not building the body of Christ; rather it is filling the seats to keep the numbers-counters happy.
The mantra I have lived with as a United Methodist Church clergy member since becoming part of this tribe of Christ’s church is:
Follow Jesus, Make Disciples, Transform the World[2]
That’s a whole lot different than just filling the pews.
One day our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back.  It may be before this service is over.  It might not be for many years.  It is valueless to speculate, but all of us should prepare. 

Our Challenge

·       Accept Jesus and BECOME part of the Body. 
·       Love Jesus and BE the Body. 
·       Serve Jesus and BUILD the Body. 
Do it, beloved!
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!
Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com
[2]

Friday, November 17, 2017

Armageddon

Friday, November 17, 2017
 “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief!  Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”  And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.  Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air.  And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!”  Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed.  And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth.  The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble.  So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath.  And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled.  There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below.  They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.  Revelation 16:15-21(NLT)
It is impossible for me to read through Revelation’s end-time scenarios, judgments, bowls of wrath and stinging scorpions without thinking of how the world sees the threat of such coming retribution for ignoring or flatly trying to dismiss God, the Creator and sustainer of all life.  Simply put, mention the end of the world and twenty-first century culture writes you off as a fringe lunatic nutcase!  The Psalmist understood that:
Day and night I have only tears for food,
     while my enemies continually taunt me,     saying, “Where is this God of yours?”   
Psalm 42:3(NLT)
The world (and so many in the church) might roll an eye at the mention of Armageddon, (the final battle where Satan and his follower’s rebellion is finally called to a halt with a single word from Christ). 
Skeptics scoff and mock at what they consider a naïve or antiquated, literalist view like the second coming, rapture of the church, or even an actual devil.  At the same time it’s interesting how much attention there is when you talk about it.  You don’t have to get far into the conversation about Armageddon to watch the sweat beads form on the brows of people who wish the whole thing would just go away.
Call it a somewhat perverted sense of humor, but it is that very attitude of the world’s rejection of God’s sovereign rule over the universe, which proclaims we are moving towards Armageddon, that compels me to preach on the subject enough to start a fuss! 
It may be an unpleasant topic, even for some Christians who prefer the nursery to the battlefield, but that’s exactly the point.  If you believe in God at all these days, you’re in a battle – and it’s not a battle over who gets to play with the best toys; it is a battle for the souls of human beings.  It may not be a pretty sight to deal with, but it’s better to settle some things here and now, than to deal with Hell later!

For You Today

The last several day’s devotions have been a little on the heavy side with sin, injustice and the end of the world.  These are heavy times in which we live.  And unbelievers will always taunt believers with the sarcastic question:  where is this God you worship?
But, if you have given your heart to the Lord Jesus, take heart; God’s love and care for you, even in the toughest times, is without question. 
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO
[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Thursday, November 16, 2017

The Distress of Justice

Thursday, November 16, 2017
After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.  The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal.  They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt.  They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them.  And they angered the Lord.  They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.  This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions.  He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them.  Every time Israel went out to battle, the Lord fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned.  And the people were in great distress.  Judges 2:10-15(NLT)
And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just.”                              Revelation 16:7(NLT)
The justice system in America is arguably skewed at times, as is every other system created by the human race.  As my friend Phillip recently reminded me, Winston Churchill is attributed to have said something like:  Democracy is the worst form of government ever created…with the exception of every other form of government.
With all due respect to my friend, and the esteemed Mr. Churchill, there is one justice system that is true and just; its righteousness is never failing!  That system, of course, is the judgments of God.
Joshua led the nation of Israel to conquer the Promised Land after Moses’ death.  They occupied it under the leadership of God (theocracy) until Joshua died.  Then a new generation decided that serving Jehovah was outdated and old-school.  They got with the new program of being like the other nations and left God in the dust.
For Israel, bad became worse.  Their strength as a nation disappeared.  Their military was never enough.  Their infrastructures became compromised; superstructures and resources were hacked and stolen, and no leader could be trusted.  The whole nation was in severe distress.
Sound familiar?
I know it is dangerous to insert “America” into the target scheme of any prophecy or Biblical scenario, but when the shoe fits it is appropriate to wear it.  The trend in our culture is to trust in an idea of America as inherently good and all-powerful.  The problem in believing such is that we wind up attributing the nature of God to a national identity.  America is not, has never been, and will never be…GOD! 
The identity of a nation is comprised in the nature and character of the people who make up that nation.  According to Scripture (which has yet to be proven wrong), the character and nature of humans is corrupt, and has been so ever since Eden.  This is a fallen world…and, despite the flag-waving that has most of us rallying around the stars and stripes, that is our heritage…prone to wander; prone to leave the God we love.
And leave God behind we have…for the pragmatism of bigger stock markets, bigger walls, harsher conversations, and a national profile of yell louder if you sense you’re losing market share…at what cost?
The distress of God’s justice rolled-down on the heads of those who led Israel after Joshua passed.  I am not a prophet in the sense of being able to foretell the future, but I am student enough of history and Scripture to sense that we are at harvest time, and what we have been sowing, we shall certainly reap!

For You Today

“Distress” in true justice only falls on those who have attempted to thwart eternal sovereignty.  To avoid distress, bow before God, not Congress or Pennsylvania Avenue.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO

[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons