Suffering

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Monday, May 25, 2015

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.  Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!  For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you.  Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.  We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.    2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ^(NLT)

Paul helped the Corinthian church make sense of why he had to endure suffering by showing them the value of patient sharing in times of crisis and hurt.  Further into this passage Paul recalled a time when his suffering was so great he even despaired of life itself. 

It’s at such times, when disaster comes, or tragedy strikes, Paul says, the meaning of his suffering was wrapped up in the comfort of others in the church, that they may experience how to endure the suffering this life will bring on us all.

In my early days of following Christ I had a friend who was a mentor to me.  Jerry used to tell me:  when I hurt you ought to cry.  I believe my friend understood Paul’s economy of the fellowship of God’s people.

If you recall the story of Job, you know that he was a wealthy, well-respected and honorable pillar of his community.  Then Satan was allowed to test him; the devil was allowed to take everything from Job, except his life. 

In the midst of the great suffering that was brought on by the indescribable loss of his family, wealth, health, and even the respect of his wife, Job had three “friends” come to his side to help him figure it out.  But these friends did not have a clue what Job was going through.  And how could they?  Not many have suffered what Job suffered. 

All that Job’s friends could do was sit by the fire and speculate what evil thing Job must have done to tick God off that much; it had to be that Job had some secret hidden sins to bring on the kind of punishment from God which takes away everything.

Job said of the three “friends” who came to sit with him: 

What miserable comforters you are!  Job 16:2 ^NLT

You tell ‘em, Job!

Another dear friend and member of the church I serve recently suffered through a minor stroke.  Years ago his wife of 50 years also experienced a debilitating stroke; she is dependent on him for daily care. 

As we visited in the hospital a week ago he told me:  I have a new appreciation for what she went through; I’m going to be able to understand how I can help her more in the future. 

I believe my friend understands exactly what Paul had in mind about the value of his suffering for the Corinthian believers.  And when we place that understanding in our everyday thinking and living, we can all begin to connect with the fact that we’re not alone in this universe.  God has made us for each other, and for himself.

Jesus endured the greatest suffering anyone has ever known, and it’s therefore not an empty sound when he says:  I will not leave you comfortless… John 14:18 ^KJV

And he really doesn’t you know; when I hurt, God has placed people alongside me to cry.  I am not alone.

For You Today

And what about when you hurt?

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[1] Title image: Albrecht Dürer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Red Nose Day

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Friday, May 22, 2015

A cheerful heart is good medicine… Proverbs 17:22 ^(NLT)

Celebrities, red noses and money – for thirty years there has been no more successful fundraising in Britain. 

Now it’s here in the U.S.

Well, the British invasion of the Beatles in the 1960’s was pretty successful; now we have Red Nose Day™.  Last night was the schedule for Hollywood’s “A-List” to gather and make fun of each other while thousands (perhaps millions) of American viewers send-in money for charity. 

According to the website the funds will be used (as in Britain) to address the woes of primarily children in poverty.  The funds are to be used 50% in America and 50% worldwide, for

        ·        Keeping them safe by reducing levels of violence, exploitation & abuse

        ·        Educate them by improving access to good quality basic education and helping them 

               with job training when they grow up

        ·        Make sure they’re healthy by giving them access to primary healthcare, clean water 

               and sanitation.

Now, you might ask, Russell – you are a pastor; what in the world are you doing promoting what Hollywood is doing?  Aren’t they the godless ones?

Well, let me be really clear – I don’t approve of a lot of what I see in the entertainment trade – I abhor both the proliferation of violence and sexual perversion, and the overt political agenda-mongering of most of that industry, which contributes to a degenerative moral effect on culture in general, and the young children who get caught-up in viewing the trash (and later emulating it).

But, on the other hand, in this case, if the money raised is going to help children, I’d stick a red nosed ball on my own face and let them throw pies at me all day long to help!

Which leads me to list one caution about giving to such events…and other so-called charitable fundraisers; sometimes as much as 90% of the money you send-in, following a solicitation call, is used to pay for the salaries of people making the calls, as well as other ”necessary expenses” – while only 10% winds-up actually helping those in need.  (I found no information about this on the Red Nose web page.) 

Well, can’t the church do a better job than that?

Yes – Yes – Yes we can; and we do – and we should do more!  A good case in point is The United Methodist Church’s Nothing But Nets campaign against malaria (malaria is responsible for one-fifth of all child mortality in Africa[2]).

A mosquito net costs $10, and your $10 donation buys a whole net, possibly saving the life of a child.  100% of your donated dollar goes into buying mosquito nets.  

Now, with all that done, why am I a “red-noser” supporting the likes of movie stars, rockers, comedians, rappers, Kermit the Frog and a host of other celebrities I would never want to meet?  I’m taking the approach that the children are worth it!

For those of you who need a proof text from Scripture….one day the disciples of John the Baptist got upset because crowds were beginning to follow Jesus instead of their guy.  They pitched a fit and went to John for him to call down some fire on the followers of Jesus.  Here’s what the Baptist said:

“No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven…I am filled with joy at his success.  He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.  

John 3:27, 29-30 ^(NLT)

For You Today

If God has touched your heart to stick a red clown ball on your nose to help children – wonderful.  If He has touched your heart to donate to buy mosquito nets – better!

Either way…ANY way…EVERY day…respond to God’s touch and call. 

For a follower of Jesus Christ, it’s ALWAYS Red Nose Day!

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[1] Title image: By Red Nose Day (TM) (Eigene Vektorisierung) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[2] http://www.nothingbutnets.net/partners/umc.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

And Who IS My Neighbor?

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Thursday, May 21, 2015

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say?  How do you read it?”  The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’  And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  “Right!” Jesus told him.  “Do this and you will live!”  The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”     Luke 10:25-29 ^(NLT)

The parable of The Good Samaritan was spawned by this question; the lawyer (or Pharisee) cross-examining Jesus wanted clarification on the Great Commandment’s twin brother, loving your neighbor as yourself. 

The Pharisee wanted Jesus to declare just how far we are to go with that; so the story is born with good guys behaving badly, and the supposed bad guy doing the good stuff.  Many a ministry has been founded upon this tenet of self-sacrificial service to the beaten and bruised members of society who’ve been left by the wayside.

And rightly so.

But we shouldn’t forget the catalyst for the story Jesus told.  When the Pharisee asked the question, and who is my neighbor, he was getting ready in his heart to justify the way he lived. 

What the Pharisee was demanding was comparison – a form of relativism.  He was looking forward to Jesus saying you must do this, this, that, and don’t forget this too.  And then the lawyer could say I live like that, better than that; I’m a really good person.  He was getting ready for a pat on the back.

That’s the way he expected the conversation to go because Pharisees led a strong moral lifestyle, keeping the law.  It was a full-time job when you consider they had taken the ten commands of Exodus and built a whole system of stuff NOT to do in your daily life; there were over 600 supplements to the original ten.  It had to be exhausting just keeping track of what NOT to do in life.

But Jesus wasn’t necessarily interested in hearing what the Pharisee didn’t do…or what he did do….he was interested in holding the lawyer’s heart up to the light to see if there was any compassion in there.

What surprised the Pharisee so much about Jesus’ story was that the heathen Samaritan (heathen according to residents of Jerusalem who hated their Samaritan neighbors) was the hero, and the religious leaders of Jerusalem (Pharisees, Priests, Sadducees), were the bad guys…and that made our Pharisee who asked the question the villain. 

This put our lawyer right in the center of crunch time.  His heart was resentful and crooked and Jesus had just put that heart to the test.

And so the Pharisee’s question was parried by Jesus’ sword that always calls for a response of commitment to God’s compelling question; in this case God’s question is: 

Are you willing to change your heart?

Are you willing to be like Jesus, like your Samaritan enemy?

Are you willing to begin…..right now?

For You Today

Wow!

What else can we say with a question that turns our whole day upside down? 

But isn’t that the question we always need to ask at the beginning of a day?

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[1] Title image:  James Tissot [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Profit of Prevarication

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve.  Ezekiel 34:3 ^(NLT)

God had Ezekiel write a blistering indictment of the religious leaders in Israel who were supposed to be shepherding the flock, but instead were using their position to get rich and powerful; all the while the people were wasting away in poverty and squalor.

It takes a robust sociopath to lie one’s way to the top of the heap – one who can promise much and deliver only to himself.

Adolph Hitler was a fine example of a prevaricator, a lying tongue that promised a silver lining for the poor, common folk.  His impassioned speeches were filled with false sympathy for the impoverished German citizens.  He had hidden plans.

In 1934 Germany only the well-off or powerful could afford an automobile.  Hitler gave a speech at an automobile show in light of what he was telling the German people he wanted to do for them: 

 “It can only be said with profound sadness that, in the present age of civilization, the ordinary hard-working citizen is still unable to afford a car, a means of up-to-date transport and a source of enjoyment in the leisure hours.”[2]

To be sure, Hitler looked like he was fulfilling his promises.  As proof of his benevolent leadership he approved design of the Volkswagen (literally:  the people’s car), and building of a superhighway system, the autobahn, so the average family could afford this modern mobility.  But not a single private German citizen got a vehicle, because once Hitler got complete control of the government, he turned production of the people’s cars into military vehicles of the war machine.

It’s hard to see a person’s motive.  It’s particularly tricky in church to even mention that, because we serve the one who said we ought not to judge others[3].

In the end, however, one way or another, leadership will be judged. 

Hitler had his comeuppance – eventually – and did what cowards do…he took the easy way out with a revolver.

For those of us charged (as I am) with caring for the souls of a part of God’s flock, we also will be judged for our conduct and faithfulness in ministry.  I take that seriously and fearfully; serving God is not to be approached casually or with personal gain in mind.

I can honestly say that most ministers I have ever met fall into that earnest, faithful and genuinely motivated category; faithful under-shepherds of the King.

Some have not.  (May God have mercy on their souls.)

For You Today

Here are a couple of questions with which you (as a follower of Jesus) should wrestle:

Do you trust your spiritual leader, your pastor? 

Do you trust God enough to leave the judging of your leader’s ministry…to God?

If you answered “yes” to both questions, you’re on solid Biblical ground.  Judgment and appropriate rewards or punishment are God’s prerogative.

If you answered “no” it may be time to answer a third question:

Who is running your church, God, or you?

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[1] Title image:  Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-H04560 / CC-BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Hitler’s speech on March 3, 1934, at the Berlin International Automobile and Motor Cycle Show  Source: USDOT

[3] Matthew 7:1

Follow Me

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

For VIDEO of this devotion go HERE

As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.  He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival.  But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem.  When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?”  But Jesus turned and rebuked them.  So they went on to another village.  As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”  He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”  The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”  But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead!  Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”  Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”  But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:51-62 (NLT)

Did you ever notice how easy it is to get on somebody’s list….and how agonizingly-hard it can be to get off?  Jesus said follow me to lots of folk; but he didn’t make it easy to join the band; he wanted them to have their eyes wide-open about the cost of following.

There are three primary costs of following Jesus in this text:

      

      1.     Sometimes you must forbear

James and John wanted to call down judgment on the rude Samaritans.  Jesus rebuked them; it wasn’t their job to judge, even in the face of injustice and unfair evil attacks.

We watched “Selma” last week; Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to non-violent resistance of oppression was the epitome of what Jesus wanted in disciples.  James and John had a long way to go.

      2.     Sometimes you must forego

One person offered to follow Jesus in whatever direction, and to whatever length the journey took him.  Jesus said, really?  Then he laid-out the retirement plan – zero!  There would be no assurance of even a place to lie down and rest. 

Are you sure you want to follow?

      3.     Sometimes you must forge-on

The last two people in our text wanted to take care of family responsibilities first – then follow Jesus anywhere.  Jesus said, if that’s how you organize your priorities you’re not ready to follow ME.

The point is not that Jesus doesn’t value family – there’s too much Scriptural evidence otherwise.  The point is that sometimes family expectations and tradition will make it hard to keep your eye on the goal of serving the Kingdom.  And sometimes your family will just, plain, not understand.

At such times you’ve got to know that when all else is weighed – family responsibilities, cultural expectations, injustice and the cries of whatever crowd the crowd is following these days – at the end of the day, if you’re following Jesus, you’re going to have to follow Jesus.  You must forge-on.

For You Today

Is there anything that wants to take Jesus’ place?

Let the dead bury the dead…follow Christ; but do it with eyes wide-open.  It won’t be easy, and you will get tired, hungry, overstressed and underappreciated. 

Sounds like there are crosses in your future!

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[1] Title image:  By Keven Law from Los Angeles, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

Welcome

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Monday, May 18, 2015

For a VIDEO of this devotion go HERE

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.  Galatians 6:10 (NLT)

As Paul finishes his pastoral letter to the church at Galatia he carefully lays out some pretty important guidelines for the young believers in their work of being God’s people.

In the first 9 verses we find:

         ·        How to restore sinful or fallen believers to fellowship

         ·        The importance of sharing one another’s burdens

         ·        The case for Biblical humility

         ·        How (and why) we ought to mind our own business

         ·        Living responsibly as Christ lived

         ·        Care and feeding by the church for its ministers

         ·        The principles of sowing and reaping

         ·        An encouragement to persevere in all Christian living

In our verse this morning Paul puts a ribbon bow on these and sums it up with an underlined reminder to be gracious to all, but particularly other believers.

Elizabeth and I experienced that yesterday.

We went to worship with our Daughter and Son-in-law at a local Presbyterian church.  As we walked in the foyer of the building we were greeted to a noisy group of believers who really seemed to enjoy each other’s company. 

Now, that isn’t a new concept for a lot of churches; what warmed this preacher’s heart was the fact that more than a few of the several hundred people there stopped what they were doing when they realized we were new; they welcomed us.

One lady in particular was so welcoming she wanted to know all about us.  I smiled and leaned in and whispered, we’re Methodists; we’re playing hooky today.  She looked so seriously at me, slowly shaking her head and said, ooohhhh, Methodists…..GOOD – we’ll roll out the red carpet!

I truly had a Laugh-Out-Loud moment.

Then we walked inside and I read the mission statement of the church sprawled all across the front walls; it said:

The Mission of Our Church is to savor the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and to be servants of that grace locally and globally.[2]

The greeting in the hallway was simply a manifestation of a church truly living –out that mission in simple relational ways to a local  stranger they’d never met before.

And with all the other welcoming and kind greetings we were able to enjoy a most memorable worship experience.  I felt like I landed in the middle of family.

And that’s the way it is so often. 

Wherever I go, whether I know nobody or everybody in the building, the Spirit of God is there, inhabiting people we meet, and it’s like we’ve known each other all our lives.

It’s called the Spirit bearing witness.

For You Today

So…do you sit with the same people every week?

How about sitting next to someone else this weekend at church?

Roll out the red carpet – you might make a new Presbyterian friend.

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[1] Title image:  By Themanfrom4g at en.wikipedia, from Wikimedia Commons

[2] Mission Statement of The Meadowview Reformed Presbyterian Church, Lexington, NC

Getting Dressed - Part 5

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Friday, May 8, 2015

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.  Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.  Colossians 3:16-18 (NLT)

This week we have thought about Paul’s list of those characteristics with which a well-dressed follower of Jesus Christ gets dressed every day – peace, thankfulness and gratitude, love – all part of a Christ-like character.

This morning we connect the dots of that string of character traits.

Paul said we should let the Word of Christ fill us.  The KJV says Christ’s word should dwell in us richly; the picture is that of setting up residence.  This means we should allow the Word of God free reign in addressing every aspect of the way we live our lives. 

Bible study is so important – the Bible is the Owner’s Manual of human existence. 

Having that Word “dwell richly” is to take it in, study, meditate on it and then put it into practice in our lives.  The Psalmist put it this way

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

Now, those are the foundational garments, love, peace, gratitude and wisdom.  Those are the transformational basic characteristics of the Christian life.  When you have those they will create the…

The Outer Garments

The outer garments of life are what others see and experience.  When the inner garments are love, peace, gratitude and wisdom they will make the outer garments particularly attractive.  What are they?

There is EMPATHY – so you can feel what your brother feels.

There is HARMONY – so you can strengthen your brother or sister, while she strengthens you.

There is MINISTRY so you can glorify God with all of your life.

This is the Christian version of “Dress for Success”.  Success in the world is measured by how you look; it is “the look” or styles that people see which really counts – look good at any cost!

The Lord measures success by what He sees on the inside…the inner garments of character

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

For You Today

What does the Lord see when he looks at YOUR heart? 

Does he see compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, mercy?  Does he see all these foundational garments held together neatly by the character girdle of love? 

If so, you’ve chosen to lay aside the world’s rags and you’re ready for a robe!

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[1] Title image:  By Paramount Pictures. Photographer not credited (ebay), via Wikimedia Commons