What To Do?

 [1]

Friday, December 4, 2015

See VIDEO here

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past.  And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.  For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.  But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ.  So I really don’t know which is better.  I’m torn between two desires:  I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.  But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.  Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.  Philippians 1:20-25 ^(NLT)

If you’ve lived longer than twelve minutes as a human being you understand the conundrum of being torn between two choices.  In this life you’re facing a choice, choosing, or dealing with the consequences of your choices.

And choices always have consequences.  Adam and Eve made a choice that not only affected them, but has affected every other human being since.  Judas made a choice he regretted all the way to despair.  Christopher Columbus made a decision to go “all-in” when he left the “Old World” in search of the new.  Living in America is a consequence for me, of a choice Columbus made 500 years ago.

Paul the apostle was under house arrest for being a Christian.  He was torn between the choice to press his legal issues and perhaps be executed, or dial back his case and maybe get released so he could continue his missionary work.

What to do…what to do?

Paul knew what he wanted to do; he was tired and had been fighting the good fight for years – he wanted to go home to be with Christ.  But the ultimate help factor in Paul’s choosing came into play when he released his want and chose to think with the mind of Christ; he said:  But for your sakes….  That is what Jesus did when he came to die for us.  It would have been much more desirable for Jesus to stay with the Father in heaven; but for our sakes….

So, what decisions are you facing?  And HOW will you decide?

Depending on who you ask, you can find a wide variety of methodology for choice management.  For instance, when choosing where to live, some will advise you to look for an affordable house near your kid’s schools.  You might get a heads-up on what the taxes are in that district, or the crime rate, or availability of medical services.

Choosing whether to marry might be settled by what E-Harmony™ says about your match.  Choosing a career might be influenced by salary, perks and retirement plan.  Choosing to have, or not have children…choosing a car, a pet, an aftershave, a hairstyle, a waffle iron…choosing, choosing, choosing…what is a person to do?

Have you thought about asking God?

Really!

You see, when faced with a life-choice, there isn’t a thing wrong with googling the subject and looking for advice; but, in making life-decisions, shouldn’t the priority (for a Christian) be Kingdom-centered?  Shouldn’t the mind of Christ be our first desire? 

Doesn’t it make sense that, following the example of Paul, we should articulate the choices (for the apostle it was life continued in ministry for the sake of others…or death and getting to be with Jesus), and then ask Christ to place in our hearts the greater desire for what pleases Him?

For You Today

You will have choices today beyond eggs or cereal for breakfast.  In those choices there may be a “New World” versus an “Old World”.  But, big choices or small, there are always consequences to all of the choices you’ll make.

Getting God in on the decision is what a person will do when he or she has surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. 

A surrendered life makes choices to honor the King.

Think about that out on the Rocky Road today…and have a great day!

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[1] Title image:  See page for author, via Wikimedia Commons

Figuring It Out

[1]   

Good Friday, April 3, 2015

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.  I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do.  I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.    1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (NLT)

The idea of trying to please everybody is common to me, but flies in the face of any kind of contemporary common sense.  It is often said that when you try to please everybody you end up pleasing nobody and offending everybody.

If you want proof of this, suggest at your next board meeting that you would like to start a new “contemporary service” because some folks don’t like the hymns, and you want to try to reach new people.  You’ll quickly find out Paul was pointing you down the pathway of thorns when he told you to figure out the way to live without offending.

Even Peter agreed that Paul’s thinking wasn’t an easy read:

Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture.  And this will result in their destruction. 

2 Peter 3:15-16 (NLT)

Being a disciple of Christ isn’t without its gray areas; who can know the mind of God in the deep things?  When does personal preference become racism, or stewardship become greed, or evangelism become fanaticism?  Where are the clear lines?

I believe those lines become clearer (as much as they can be clear in this life) in the heart of one who truly bows in submission to God daily.  That was one thing Paul also taught without a trace of ambiguity:

I die every day!  1 Corinthians 15:51a (NRSV)

Paul wasn’t talking physical life here; how could you cease to breathe every day?  No, he was talking about the life of his will – his personal comfort and preferences taking a back seat to the will of Christ. 

His commitment to worship God meant he lived as a voluntary slave of Jesus Christ.

If you want more clarity on living the kind of life where you see Christ-likeness growing in you…in which doing all for the glory of God becomes reality, then figuring it out will start each day with the humility of putting to death your own agenda, and letting God lead.

Apart from that, there is no way to truly follow Jesus Christ as a disciple-servant.

And isn’t that what you signed-on for?

For You Today

At whatever stage of life or Christian development you may be, there is one constant – we all must bow before Christ with surrender and receive his mercy and blessing.

Every day.

Make this day like that and you’ll figure out a lot of things that weren’t clear before.

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[1] Title Image: By Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park, via Wikimedia Commons

Come Gracious Spirit

Monday, July 21, 2014

The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this:  “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.  I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.      Isaiah 57:15  (NLT)

I love the hymns of the church.  These express for me much of what is an inexpressible depth of the soul’s love for God. 

In particular, I love old hymns, less-prone to mindless repetition, or slave to the driving beat.

Don’t misread this – I do love contemporary worship songs; I just prefer more than one thought per session.  I want to pray and think deeply as I worship with song.

Check out Simon Browne’s prayer to the Spirit, written in 1720:

Come, Gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove, with light and comfort from above;
be thou our guardian, thou our guide o'er every thought and step preside.
O'er every thought and step preside.

The light of truth to us display, and make us know and choose thy way;
plant holy fear in every heart, that we from God may ne'er depart.
That we from God may ne'er depart.

Lead us to holiness, the road which we must take to dwell with God;
lead us to Christ, the living way nor let us from His pastures stray.
Nor let us from His pastures stray.

Lead us to God our final rest to be with Him forever blest;
lead us to heaven, its bliss to share fullness of joy forever there.
Fullness of joy forever there.

(You can listen to The Altar of Praise Chorale sing it here)

I imagine the reason I’m drawn to hymns like these are because they call me to surrender my will to God’s.  Browne’s hymn is more than drawing me, it’s an invitation for the Spirit to show up in my life and lead me.

I need that.

I need to defer my personal choices to God’s intervention and direction in my life.

I need much more than just what I like.  I’ve found that my personal preferences and petty choices usually have little to do with what God is trying to do in me.  

I need to (like the invitation hymn intones) surrender all.

For You, Today…

Is your will surrendered?

Did you make it a point to come to Christ this way today…

Just as I am, without one plea,

but that thy blood was shed for me,

and that Thou bidst me, come to thee,

O Lamb of God, I come; I come.[1]

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[1] Just As I Am, Words:  Charlotte Elliot, 1835, Music:  William B. Bradbury, 1849

Negotiating the Peace

Monday, July 14, 2014

The LORD your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.  Joshua 2:11b (NRSV)

What would you do with a bit of family “history” that everyone would advise you to delete from your resume´?   Rahab was a “great-great” of Jesus, an ancestor many would not like to list on the family tree.  She was a prostitute. 

You mean Jesus’ great-great-great grandma was a lady of the night?  Wow!  You don’t see that in the stories of religious leaders every day, do you?

During the conquest of the Promised Land Joshua sent spies to Rahab’s city.  Their presence was discovered and they were being hunted.  But this street-smart woman could see the handwriting on the wall.  She had heard the stories of how the followers of Jehovah had won every battle as if they were fighting against preschoolers.  She knew her little town couldn’t survive.  So she took the opportunity before her and hid the spies in exchange for a promise of protection for herself and her family.  This was granted, and the spies lived.  And when the battle went as expected Rahab’s little clan was saved.

Digress with me for a moment.  In wanting to be saved, Rahab confessed to the spies:  The LORD your God is indeed God…

She was uttering “surrender” words.  Now, if you’re watching an action movie full of guns and macho-men, surrender is for cowards.  But in the case of dealing with God – it is sweet music to His ears.  It is how we begin a relationship with God – give up, surrender our willfulness and come to terms with being saved; just like Rahab.

Incidentally, we ALL have that “great-great” sinner in the family tree; more than one, really.  Their names were Adam and Eve.  And it’s hard to delete that one from the resume´!

For You, Today…

Remember to live in surrender today.

The surrendered life – harlot or president – it’s how the peace between heaven and earth is negotiated.

Love Lifted Me

Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves.  At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits.  “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror.  But Jesus was quick to comfort them.  “Courage, it’s me.  Don’t be afraid.” Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come ahead.”  Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus.  But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink.  He cried, “Master, save me!”  Jesus didn’t hesitate.  He reached down and grabbed his hand.  Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”    Matthew 14:24 - 31 (TMSG)

Think for a moment about Jesus as the lifeguard. 

It had been a long night in a little boat and the disciples had fought the storm as best they could.  In the midst of despair, suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water towards their boat.  Somebody once told me that’s just like Jesus – he’ll walk over anything he has to if his children need him.

The disciples weren’t quite certain about what they saw.  Peter finally spoke and said, “Master, if it’s really you let me come to you walking on the water…just like you.”  Jesus simply said, “Come on.”  It’s amazing to me Jesus did that knowing Peter would mess it up. 

But Jesus simply said, “Come ahead.”  Why did he do that?

He did it for the same reason he allows you and I to make a lot of dumb choices – God gave us all free will as a gift without any strings attached.

Why did God do that if he knew we’d mess up so badly?  The same reason he allowed Peter to step out of the boat with fragile faith – so that Peter would understand that he is not Superman, and no amount of self-help and positive thinking can change the fact that we need God.  Peter knew very quickly that without his hand firmly planted in Jesus’ hand, he was going down!

And when Peter realized without Jesus he was sunk, he was ready to receive a miracle.  Because when he was flailing about thinking he was going to drown, he didn’t call the coast guard, or an ACLU lawyer or his momma…Peter simply said “Master, save me!”

This is a picture of where some of us stand tonight.  Somehow it seems we should be able to walk on anything in front of us in this life.  But we find out that’s not true.

We try all sorts of things to make us happy or feel safe, or better than we really are.  But deep down we know it’s a struggle against the deep water – we are sinking, and we know our need for God.

Do you know why God hasn’t just picked you up and rescued you?  He’s doing what any lifeguard knows – you don’t rescue a drowning person until they stop struggling against you.

For You Today

So….the question before the house tonight is…are you ready to put an end to the struggle between you and the Lifeguard?  That can happen if you’re ready like Peter was ready.

It begins in the heart where the words “Master, save me” are formed, and then launched out the mouth as a prayer of desperation.  “Master, save this drowning sinner; amen”

Can You Hear Me Now?

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

In the days leading up to the cross Jesus’ teaching became alarming to his family.  It was so disturbing his mother and brothers attempted an intervention.  When they arrived to try to “talk Jesus down from the ledge” Christ used the occasion to teach the crowd about eternal relationships.  He said, when you are obedient to God’s will you’re part of his household.

Earlier Jesus had set the tone for this, teaching that when you choose to follow him there would not only be opposition from the devil and this world’s selfish system, but it would divide families as well.[1]  In this case it started with Jesus’ own family.

Sadly enough, it’s that way even in the church family.

There will be many fewer people attending Good Friday night services in the land than Easter morning.  That’s because the cross, sin, darkness and death are, quite frankly, downers!  Who wants to dwell there?  It hardly fits with our sanctified view of what many people want in a God. 

We prefer resurrection morning, lilies, new dresses, white shoes and hats, and a stirring choir presentation at church – that’s Easter, right?  Oh, and don’t forget those wonderful family gatherings for dinner.  Easter brings us together….

…or not?

Now, don’t misread this – I love resurrection morning, but you can’t get to the empty tomb unless you go first to the cross and death and pain and darkness. 

And that’s what Jesus meant by dividing people; you don’t get to be part of the Father’s household without doing the Father’s will.  For Jesus that issue was settled, and expressed in Gethsemane:

And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.   Mark 14:36 (KJV)

It is in bending your will to the will of the Father that makes you Jesus’ brother.

A popular thought I have heard throughout my life is:  follow your heart.  Well, that’s a good thought for a believer, if your heart is surrendered to the will of the Father.

Today…for you

Where is your “heart” telling you to travel today?  To what are you giving your allegiance?  Does the pathway your heart desires create an intervention?

Is it an intervention against the cross?  Or are you allowing the cross to intervene in your will and choices?

This is not an issue for a believer to stand on the sidelines and watch. 

Nevertheless…not my will….can you pray that prayer?

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[1] See Matthew 10