Saturday, July 30, 2016

Saturday, July 30, 2016

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it

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"
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭24:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Friday night I heard the story of a father who almost lost his daughter in a swimming accident.  I'll spare the details, but I want you to imagine the horror of looking

​across

a body of water trying to locate your child and not knowing whether she is dead or alive. Your heart is pounding in your chest for what you realize is about eight minutes - but feels like an eternity - of searching for your baby and you finally see her. You run to her. There's nothing that can stop you! No rules, no etiquette. You only find satisfaction in holding her, tangibly knowing that she is okay.  That is the heart of a father for his child. He would move heaven and earth if it was necessary to make sure she was okay.

That is how our Heavenly Daddy feels about his creation…"the world and ALL who live in it" (Psalm 24:1)!  Jesus agrees with this point when He says, "For God so loved

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THE WORLD

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that He gave His only Son" (John 3:16).  Jesus doesn't say that God just loved "the good people" or "the nice guys." He says that God loved (and loves)

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THE WORLD

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- that includes everyone.

What does this mean for us? Well, it forces us to ask at least two critical questions as those who would follow Christ, the One who said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30):

1. If God loves the world, shouldn't we love the world, also?
2. What does that love look like?

The answer to the first question is a pretty obvious "yes." However, to answer the second we return to John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave [sacrificed] His Only Begotten Son..." As Christ-followers we are sons (children) of God (John 1:12), who have received His Spirit (Romans 8:14-15).  Our love is to be sacrificial and unconditional.  When we take on this heavenly perspective we don't get to choose who we love.

Like you, I'm on a journey of learning to love people like my Daddy has loved me - to pay His love forward, not out of obligation to Him, but because I love Him.  At some point on this journey, we need to realize and embrace the

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FACT

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that the Father runs after us like the man I heard about Friday night, who was lovingly searching for his daughter.  Once we do this we begin to get "our love tank" filled so that we can love like God loves. We need to be filled because we can't give what we don't truly (in our hearts) know that we have.  If our hearts don't know it, we're running on empty.  We need that filling daily!

Today, I need to rehearse how much God loves me so that I can, with confidence, love this world and

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ALL

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who live in it...sacrificially and unconditionally.

Lord, may we know deep in our hearts how much You love us!  Help us to believe the truth, that nothing will ever separate us from Your love.

July 29

July 29, 2016

Romans 12:21  ^"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Americans are angry. They are angry about shootings, discrimination, rigged election results, people living above the law, lying politicians, taxes and being manipulated by the media. A recent study of 3,000 American adults found that about half are angrier today than they were a year ago. That is why sociologists have called this the "age of rage."

Kathie and I saw this first hand on Tuesday. We were travelling on the highway when we saw a motorist rapidly speed up and then deliberately cut off a car, almost sending it into the median strip. They missed each other by less than a foot. Both cars were travelling at a high speed so if they had bumped, it would have been a fatal car crash.  Both of these drivers were overcome with evil.  

The world's response to anger is to get your revenge. Jeffrey Kuger wrote an editorial for TIME in June reminding us of this widespread anger and how people are now organized around rage. There are groups called "Vegans Outraged," Dancers Outraged,"  "Gardeners Outraged,"  and even "Knitters Outraged." That last group scares me because they have those long needles.

But there has to be a better way of dealing with our anger than the old adage, "I don't mad; I get even." We now have a whole nation of people getting even.

The apostle Paul wrote Romans after his first-hand experiences of being locked up on trumped up charges. He could have been a man filled with rage. It would have been easy to become overwhelmed by evil. But the gospel changed everything in Paul's life. He had experienced God's grace, love and forgiveness in his life.

Revenge and getting even are contrary to the Gospel. Managing anger well doesn't mean we live with massive doses of denial.  It means that instead of becoming overcome by that anger, we turn it over to the Lord and ask him for the strength to respond with grace and love.  

Here is the good news. Because of Jesus' presence in our lives we don't have to allow anger to control us. We can learn a new way of responding that will keep us from falling victim to the age of rage. When we do what is right, live peacefully, pray for and love our enemy, then we unleash the unseen power of God into the situation. Although evil may try to overcome us, because of Jesus, we are compelled to do no evil in return. 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, July 28

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2016

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

     How unsearchable his judgements,

     and his paths beyond tracing out.

Who has known the mind of the Lord?

     Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God

     that God should repay him?

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

     To him be the glory forever!  Amen."  (Romans 11:33-36)

This doxology concludes what many commentators describe as the heavily theological first 11 chapters of Romans, in which Paul has covered many deep topics including sin, grace, election, and sanctification.  In conclusion, he reflects all these topics back on God's character and the (positively viewed) mystery of His mercy.

Yesterday, I read through a blog post about overcoming doubt (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-ways-to-deal-with-doubt).  In the article, the author suggested that we should "embrace the mystery" of God's presence.  This passage echoes that sentiment, in which Paul recognizes his inability to understand everything but trusts in the sovereign grace and awesome love of God.

In an increasingly technologically sophisticated world, we have become experts in understanding the "how-to" and "what" of this world.  According to Max Lucado, we have become increasingly ignorant as to the "why" of this world.  In some ways, the beauty of technology is the "black box" or "virtual reality," which provides us escape from those deeper existential questions that might instill some degree of panic. Our distant ancestors stared into the star-filled heavens or watched the uncontrollable power of an oncoming storm and instantly realized their smallness and dependence on greater forces.  On the other hand, we may seemingly "control" reality through a five-inch screen that brings us everything our minds could dream, curated by us to bring consistent pleasure.

I understand that this description oversimplifies our lives today; there is certainly plenty of chaos that should and does drive us towards the "dependent dignity" that honors God and brings us wholeness.  Yet, we will do well to emphasize and celebrate the boundless mystery of God because it will draw inexorably into worship.

Please consider the vastness of the universe, the amazing complexity of DNA, the heights of the mountains, the depths of the oceans, the power of love, the sweet aroma of freedom, and the warmth of family and friends.  God has created all of these with just a single word from His lips.  He sovereignly controls it all now and direct all these forces for His good purposes.  We may see His awesome beauty in every single moment.

How have you seen God's mystery today?  How may you celebrate His awesome power, love, grace, or holiness today?  How could you encourage your family and friends to take a similar look?

Lord God, thank You for Your awesome power, love, grace, and holiness.  We will never understand even a portion of Your mysterious ways, but we thank You for making us the beneficiaries of Your sovereign care nonetheless.  Reveal Your truth to our hearts and minds so that we may embrace You more fully and bring glory to Your Name.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

July 25: CDs, Windows, and the glory of God

2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14

Romans 9:1-21

Psalm 19:1-14

Proverbs 20:1

The heavens declare the glory of God;

   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

   night after night they reveal knowledge.  

I have an old CD (kids reading this, ask your parents what that is) that I still really like.  I play it, but there comes a point when the player is no longer able to read the information.  It fails to comprehend the data that I know is on the disk.  It reminds me of old computers (Windows 2000, anyone?) that would hang when you tried to install and run software too advanced for it.  It also reminds me of how my mind behaves when I try to comprehend the greatness of God's creation.  I look at the sky, and I see the sun, the moon, maybe the stars if it is night time - and then I try to imagine the billions of stars beyond those I can see, the planets circling them...and my mind shuts down.  I just can't.  

The same thing happens when I try to approach the question a different way, to understand how the world works.  Have you ever thought of that?  The sun provides the energy to the plants that feed on carbon dioxide and exude oxygen that we breathe and exhale carbon dioxide and the water rains down from the sky but then winds up evaporated again into the sky so the rain cycles down and the moon creates the tides and the revolution around the sun creates the seasons and...click.  There it went again.  My mind just shut down.

And then I think: God created all this...did creation end when the universe was put in place and set into motion?  And I wonder how it could, and cannot help but think that, having willed everything into existence and having willed the establishment of the rules by which everything exists, God has to continue to sustain this existence. Otherwise, we would have had the seeds of existence in ourselves all along.  So each and every moment, God has to command that everything continue to exist, the way fuel has to continue to flow for the engine to keep running, the way current has to continue to pass through the bulb to keep the light shining.  Shut off the current, the bulb goes dark.  Were God to withdraw His will, I suspect we would revert back into the nothingness from which we came.  

This is our God, on Whom we depend not just for our creation, but for our continued existence.  The commands of the Lord "are radiant, giving light to the eyes."  And in this context, as difficult as it is to comprehend, He and His decrees are most certainly "more precious than gold, than much pure gold".  This is the God whom Asa and Judah sought eagerly, and was found by them.  This is the Lord that could, and did, give "them rest on every side".  I look forward to the day we get to know Him fully, without the mental overload.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Saturday, July 23, 2016


The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. (Romans 8:15-16)

In 1985, 26-year-old Jody Roberts lived in Tacoma, Washington, working as a reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune. In May of that year, Roberts' friends and family started to notice some strange changes, as she stopped taking care of herself and began to drink significantly more than usual. On May 20, she mysteriously vanished and would not be seen by her loved ones for 12 years. Little did they know that five days later, a disoriented Roberts was found wandering around in a mall in Aurora, Colorado, over 1,600 kilometers (1,000 mi) away. After being admitted to a hospital in Denver it was determined that Jody had amnesia - she had no idea who she was.

Knowing who you are is very important. Over the years I've determined that most issues that people face are either because they don't know who they are in Christ or they have forgotten. In Romans 8, Paul attempts to help the believers at Rome get an understanding of who they are in Christ. He talks about the difference between the law and the Spirit and uses the analogy of Roman adoption to drive home the point.

This is a genius move because every one of his readers would understand what adoption was all about. Here are some facts about adoption:

• Anyone could be adopted.
• Adoption was permanent. Unlike a baby, who could be refused at birth by her/his father for different reasons, an adopted person was accepted and could never be rejected.
• The father would assume and pay for ALL debts incurred by the person being adopted.
• The adopted person received a new name indicating their position in the family
• The adopted person became an heir to the father's inheritance.

Doesn't this adoption stuff sound pretty good?  It is REALLY good, especially if you know that you have a Good Father!  That's the sweet part.  We have a Good Father, who has given us everything through Jesus Christ, even righteousness, joy, life, peace, love, favor and fullness.  He doesn't withhold good things from us (Psalm 84:11).  No one can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).  We have a great inheritance in Him (Psalm 16:6; Isaiah 54:17).  

Not knowing who we are and who our Father is makes us disoriented and prone to wander.  However, when we embrace this reality we encounter Our Father and Good Shepherd, in whom there is no lack.  The One who leads us beside still waters, down paths of righteousness, and restores our soul.

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Knowing who you are is very important.

Thursday, July 21

"So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.  For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.  But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Romans‬ ‭7:4-6‬)

In Romans 6 and 7, Paul explores the implications of dying to sin and becoming made alive in Christ.  Once, he explains, we were slaves to sin, unable to live righteously because of the sinful nature that dominated us.  Through the mercy and grace of Christ -- that free gift that brings us life -- God has granted us freedom.  In view of His abundant mercy, our response leads us to become slaves to righteousness, committed to living out God's purposes for our lives.

Here, in 7:4, Paul writes that we have come to belong to Christ so that "we might bear fruit for God."  We have become free from the chains of sin and now may "serve in the new way of the Spirit."  Our freedom has come at a great price -- the blood of Christ -- and we rejoice and gratefully commit ourselves to magnifying the glory of the One Who has given us life.

What does it mean to "serve in the new way of the Spirit"?  Why is this way "new"?  Paul indicates that the "old" way represented life under the "written code," the law of Moses.  The Scriptures point out that, even if we do not know the law of Moses, the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19) and that those without the law recognize some moral standards (Romans 1-3).  Living under any such law leads to frustration and entrapment because of our constant tendency towards breaking the law.  Only a casual glance at our world reveals the plague of selfishness and its typical effects.

Simply, the Spirit regenerates and transforms our hearts, minds, and wills so that we have the capacity to "serve in the new way of the Spirit."  Only by God's grace may we go beyond our natural resources, which, as Paul has argued, are inherently flawed.  After receiving Christ as Savior, the renewing of our minds and hearts plays out over our entire remaining lives, but the Spirit's work remains incomplete before our passing into His presence after our deaths or Christ's triumphant return.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus highlighted that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.  The filling of the Holy Spirit and our hungering and thirsting for righteousness promote a virtuous cycle of blessing and wholeness that brings glory to God and joy to our hearts.

May we seek Him wholeheartedly and rejoice in the freedom to give Him everything.

Lord Jesus, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit so that we might hear Your voice and respond to it by faith.  Thank You that You have provided everything we need for life and godliness and that we are now free to serve You.  Give us grace through the Spirit to discern Your plan for today and to honor You moment by moment.  We confess that we are often more satisfied with the world's false than with Your true purpose.  Change us from the inside out and spur this hunger and thirst for righteousness that brings You glory and makes our joy complete.  In Your precious Name, amen.

July 22

Psalm 18

 

The story is told of a young man on the first day of his new job. He was a new clerk in the fresh produce section of a supermarket. A lady came up to him and said she wanted to buy half of a head of lettuce. He tried to dissuade her from that goal, but she persisted. Finally he said, "I'll have to go back and talk to the manager." He went to the rear of the store to talk to the manager, not noticing that the woman was walking right behind him. When he got into the back of the store, he said to the manager, "There's some stupid old bag out there who wants to buy half a head of lettuce, what should I tell her?"

Seeing the horrified look on the face of the manager, he turned about and seeing the woman added, "And this nice lady wants to buy the other half of the head of lettuce. Will it be all right?"

Considerably relieved, the manager said, "That would be fine." Later in the day, he congratulated the boy on his quick thinking. He then asked, "Where are you from son?" The young man said, "I'm from Toronto, Canada, the home of beautiful hockey players and ugly women."  The manager looked at him and said, "My wife is from Toronto." The young man said, "Oh, what team did she play for?"

 

We need to be careful with our words because words can do a lot of damage in life. They are the number one source of conflict in our world. There is nothing more inevitable in life than feeling the sting of cruel words. Because of the fallenness of our world we daily find ourselves in situations where we feel attacked, criticized, harassed, misunderstood, and maligned by others. What do you do when you find yourself in that situation? 

 

Psalm 18 shows us what David did when he was attacked.

 

Psalm 18:1-2   I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

 

David ran to the Lord and asked Jesus to be his defense attorney. Many years ago I was going through a difficult time of conflict and the Lord spoke to me through a little devotional book called, "The Pursuit of God." Here is the section where He spoke to me.

 

"First of all, he should put away all defense and make no attempt to excuse himself either in his own eyes or before the Lord. Whoever defends himself will have himself for his defense, and he will have no other; but let him come defenseless before the Lord and he will have for his defender no less than God Himself." 

 

So the next time you find yourself in a conflict, give up all self defense, take responsibility for your part in the disconnection, and then take refuge in the Lord our fortress. 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

July 20

Psalm 16

 We are all guilty of planning out our own agenda and then asking God for his blessings.  In this Psalm David open ours eyes to the joy of living our life in companionship with God. David shows us that by putting God first and seeking His will, we posture ourselves for Godly instruction and counsel. This Psalm is referred to as a Messianic Psalm as it is quoted by Peter and Paul in the book of Acts, for they too set the Lord before them (v.8). We see here that by putting the Lord before us, knowing that He is a God who loves and will provide, brought joy to David's heart. David understood that by thinking about the Lord first, his "portion", (original Hebrew word manah),  or the ration belonging to him which was appointed by God, couldn't be shaken because it came from God.  Each one of us as believers in Christ has been given a portion as part of the Body of the Christ to further the Kingdom of God.  As we seek God's face and ask Him what His agenda is for us, like David, we take refuge in Him. As we seek His presence daily, we find joy.


Randi

July 18: Of faith, Abraham and Sarah

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34

Romans 4:13-5:5

Psalm 14:1-7

Proverbs 19:17

Rom 4:19-21 "Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised."

Everyone needs an Abraham and Sarah in their life.  

It's difficult to imagine just how impossible God's promise to them - not just one child, but descendants that outnumbered the stars - must have seemed, given how old they already were when He made the promise.  It's difficult to appreciate just how much harder it must have been to believe the promise with each day that passed, leaving them one day older.  

But even without knowing how or when God was going to fulfill His promise, Abraham's faith in the One Who made the promise and, consequently, in the promise itself, did not waver, despite the inexorably tightening grasp of age and the impossibility of fatherhood that came with it. 

"Without weakening in his faith".  I wish I could say that of myself.  God has made me - us - so many promises, but don't you find that in this increasingly secular, self-gratification focused world, it is increasingly difficult to stay focused on Him and His promises?  I often find my vision of Him clouded by worry - for our relationship with Him, for the development of our children's relationship with Him, for many things.  As a parent who trusts in Him, I am inspired by our friends, whose daughter has been so very gravely ill for so many years.  And I am in awe of how firmly they have clung to God.  They are my Abraham and Sarah.  As a father seeking to provide for his family, I am inspired by my own parents who, during a difficult period, went literally day-to-day needing God's just-in-time provision.  I am still in awe of how my mom took what worry she might have felt and channeled that into fervent prayer to God. They are my Abraham and Sarah.  

Father, help us learn from the many Abraham and Sarah examples you bring into my life.  May we develop the same unwavering faith that will allow us to be Abraham and Sarah to others. 

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Saturday, July 16, 2016

"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
‭‭(Romans‬ ‭3:21-24‬)

I love Romans 3! This passage has become a pillar of basic Christian doctrine that is known as "justification by faith." Here's the gist…

• We're all sinners and out of alignment with God. No one is righteous and does the right thing all the time, as God would require.

• So God sacrificed Jesus for us, the righteous for the unrighteous,

• so that we could become righteous in God's eyes through our faith in Jesus.

Faith in Jesus removes the wall of separation between us and God that is a result of our sin! We can have direct unhindered relationship with God the Father when we make Jesus Lord of our lives. That is Good News!!!

However, too often we forget, miss, or omit Romans 3:31 which asks the question, "Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."

The righteousness that comes by faith doesn't mean that we stop being righteous and doing right toward others. In fact, because of this great gift that God has given to us, we ought to be the most radically loving, just, and generous people on the planet! When people are hurting, Christ-followers should be the first ones on the scene to help. When injustice has been done, we should be the loudest voice for equity, our communities being the example for the world to follow. Jesus made us completely righteous in Him so that we would live righteously from a place of love and thankfulness rather than working for God's approval.

"Learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows." (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭GNT‬‬)

This is your call.

This is my call.

Father, we love you and thank you for giving us Jesus so that we could come to you freely, openly, with no fear, only love. Thank you for making us righteous through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Now, we ask that you would give us good eyesight that we would be able to see the places where you desire is to do justice, righteousness and mercy for those who are on the fringes of our society. Give us courage to not shrink or shy away from what you call us to. Thank you for always being with us even to the ends of the age! In Jesus' Name...Amen!

Thursday, July 14

"But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  God 'will repay each person according to what they have done.'  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism." (Romans‬ ‭2:5-11)

Romans 2 presents a portrait of humanity far different than the one prevalent in the media of my childhood memories.  The late 20th-century world appeared to make progress in unlocking human goodness, spreading prosperity and peace as communism lost its grip on the world outside China.  Even China had turned towards a more market-based economy, albeit achieved through strict central planning.  Human freedom looked like a rising trend.

Since September 11, 2001, the world has come to look different.  We have endured two significant recessions in this new century, and conflicts have risen, starting shockingly with terrorism and the effort against it and rounding out into entrenched wars.  Even casual observation reveals that there are strong forces at work to divide us and to sow hatred.  Tonight's tragic attack in Nice, France, only underscores the tenuous days in which we live.

In light of God's Word, how may we consider today's challenges?  Should we resign to despair in light of reality?  Or may we find hope even in difficult moments?

The first three chapters of Romans provide a withering picture of human depravity, contrasted sharply with the unmerited graciousness of an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving Creator God, Who has sent His Son Jesus Christ as an unmerited sacrifice for us.  Through the redemption of Christ, God has provided means by which we might become new and, with Jesus, overcome the world.

Just as we trust in Christ alone for salvation, living through harrowing times requires a deep trust in God's sovereignty and awesome power.  His goodness assures us and gives birth to hope -- of wholeness and freedom.  As Habakkuk observed, we wait in joy for the Lord:

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (3:17-18‬)‬‬

Lord God, I pray that You would bring hope to my brothers and sisters in these difficult days.  We need Your presence and love to be poured out in our world.  Cause the hearts of those who hate to turn towards love and forgiveness after they have trusted in You.  Bring peace into the hearts of Your followers and confidence for the days ahead.  Give us Your strength and spread joy in our hearts.  In Jesus's powerful Name, amen.

July 13

Romans 1:25

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen"

I read this verse over a few times.  It was one of those "WOW" moments.  When I read the verses that came after it I realized that what was God breathed (2 Tim. 3:16) and penned over 2000 years ago is exactly what we see unfolding in our society today and the root cause is the same.  As a society, the truth of God has been exchanged for a lie.  The Good News behind all this is also found in today's reading. "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.  Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgements he pronounced. Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day"  (1 Chron. 16:11-12,23).  God, in His everlasting grace, love, and mercy, has given us a choice and a way out.  As badly as we have messed this up, He still loves us and through commitment to Christ there is forgiveness and healing.  It's that simple. Spread the Good News -  We can continue to believe the lie, or we can commit to Christ.  This song by the Newsboys is one of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Tn_r-XYWw



Randi

July 11: Paul didn't know...

1 Chronicles 11:1-12:18

Acts 28:1-31

Psalm 9:1-12

Proverbs 19:1-3

So much uncertainty in the world today, so much of what we took as rock solid and dependable we find is flimsy at best.  Consider: 8 years ago, precious few saw the coming collapse in the US economy; when the US presidential campaigns started, no one expected Bernie Sanders to have such a strong showing; and I can't imagine anyone thought Trump was going to be the Republican nominee.  The polls were showing one thing, but it didn't seem  anyone - not even the head of UKIP, Nigel Farage, expected BREXIT to win.  Or take a different area - when the NBA Finals started this year, more so when Cleveland went down 3-1, nobody expected them to come back, to win 3 in a row, to win game 7 in Oakland.  I don't think anyone expected Micah Johnson to kill 5 police officers; protesting police activity is one thing, but actually shooting officers?  I don't think anyone saw that coming.  We didn't know.

Paul didn't know either.  When he first journeyed to Damascus to persecute Christians, he didn't know he was about to get an offer he would not be able to refuse.  He didn't expect to be persecuted the way he intended to persecute Christians, he didn't expect to be falsely accused, and then thrown in jail.  More recently in our readings, when he set off to see Caesar, he didn't expect to get shipwrecked in Malta, nor to find himself in Publius;s home.  You know who else didn't know?  Publius.  He didn't know Paul was coming, didn't know that among the people he was going to be hospitable to was the man God would use to heal his father.  And the people of Malta didn't know that these bedraggled shipwreck survivors would bring with them the one through whom God would heal the rest of their ills as well.

No one knew.  No one knew that this series of soap opera tragedies would lead to the restoration of health for so many.  No one, that is, except God, Who caused all this to come together.  

Which, if you are anything like me, makes it even more frustrating when we doubt, when we worry, when we fret and fear.  Because today's psalm reminds us that "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."  Because we seem to consistently forget that "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble".  And that rather than worry, we are called to "give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; [to] tell of all Your wonderful deeds; [to] be glad and rejoice in You..."

Paul didn't know.  Was he caught up in despair?  It doesn't seem so.  Thank God for his example, and for today's reminder of God's perfect knowledge, perfect love and perfect dominion over all things.  May I - we - remember that, while we may not know what is going to come, we can always trust in Him.

July 8

Acts 26

 

Today our nation is in mourning. It is a profoundly sad day for America. Evil has broken out in our country again. Again we are faced with the question of why?  Why have two more black men died at the hands of the police and why are five police families mourning in Dallas? One of the eye witnesses in Dallas asked a reporter, "What do we do next?" She did not have an answer.

 

But the Apostle Paul has the answer to that question in our reading today.

Acts 26:17-18  I am sending you to them  to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

The most important word in the Bible is "Gospel." It means good news.  The gospel is our hope for change in America. Christianity is not about creeds and traditions.  Christianity is about a person, Jesus. Because Jesus is alive He can change individuals and nations. No one has to stay locked up in prison to hatred and rage. We can change and experience healing and freedom. We can change. That's the gospel.

 

This gospel is the only hope for people to change from the inside out. Here is the truth about America. We have turned our backs on God. We have told God we don't want Him interfering with our prejudices, our families, our sexuality, our policing, our governing, our race relationships, our violent entertainment, our selfishness, and even our churches. The result of this defiance is the chaos and the evil that has broken out in our nation.

Sunday Kenny so powerfully shared with us that justice means, "if you see something, do something."  You cannot remain silent at this moment in time. Each one of us must speak up and tell the story that Jesus is not in a tomb but he is alive and he wants to bring healing to our lives and our country. That is the only hope for America.

Our mission today is the same as the Apostle Paul's many years ago, to bring the light of the gospel into the current darkness. It is only the gospel that can turn people away from the power of Satan to the power of God.

This is our mission on this dark day in our country's history.

 

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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, July 7

Festus:  "When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with an of the crimes I had expected.  Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.  I was at a loss how to investigate such matters, so I asked if he would be willing to got to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.  When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar." (Acts 25:18-21)

The concluding chapters to the Book of Acts touch upon the events leading up to and the time of Paul's Roman imprisonment.  Commentators have suggested that Luke prepared the Book of Acts in part to serve as a legal brief that detailed the spread of the faith and Paul's integrity.

In this trial, we see Festus's desire to provide the Jewish Sanhedrin with a favor:  to offer Paul to them for a trial to decide his capital case.  This trial would not have given proper hearing to Paul concerning his innocence, as the mob mentality that had led to threats on his life would likely carry over into the trial atmosphere (or at least surrounding it).  Paul shrewdly established the conditions under which Festus should indeed send Paul's case to the Roman court ("Caesar"), in order to encourage an unbiased consideration of the facts.

Through his defenses, Paul maintains his innocence and integrity but does take responsibility for his actions, willing to suffer punishment if so deserved.  Yet, even Festus gathers that this trial does not involve capital (criminal) offenses, but rather questions about the authenticity of the Resurrection and the truth of the Gospel.

In His sovereignty, God had brought the Roman Empire into being prior to Jesus's Incarnation.  In addition to providing a ready venue for communicating across the Mediterrean world -- through the Greek language and Hellenistic culture -- God's designs also included the Roman legal system and its protections for Roman citizens.  Paul took keen advantage of this system -- to the glory of God!

Leading up to his arrest, Paul appears to choose defiantly not to follow prophecy of his impending capture.  While his actions may not make logical sense on the surface, I believe that Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, understood that, by standing trial before Caesar, he could foster the seeds of legitimacy for the Christian faith and ultimately advance God's Kingdom.  He did so, of course, at great personal cost and had to abandon his missionary preaching while imprisoned.  As he instructed in Colossians 4:2-6, he did make the most of every opportunity, bringing the Gospel to even Caesar's household.

What about Paul's tactics surprises you?  Does it encourage you to see the interaction of God's sovereign design and Paul's boldness in advancing the Gospel?

Lord Jesus, we give thanks for the great sacrifices that Your servants have made through time, which have advanced the truth of the Gospel into our day.  Guide us to follow You wholeheartedly and take a stand for You, just as Paul did.  Show us how to act with shrewdness so that Your Name may be greatly glorified.  In Your Name, we pray.  Amen.

July 6

Psalm 4:4

In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent

When I read this verse God reminded me of how letting Him work in my heart has changed me - truly in a way that only He could do.  Being silent when I am upset was never something I was good at.  About a month ago I received a text from a family member and Steven saw my face -- I was visibly annoyed.  He looked at me waiting for my reaction. He even wondered why it was taking me so long to go off the deep end.  In that moment, I stopped and asked the Lord "how do you want me to answer this?"  Much to my surprise I got no answer from God. So I asked Him again.  Still no answer.  Steven looked at me and asked why I wasn't answering the text and I told him "I asked the Lord what to say but He didn't answer me.  So maybe I should just be quiet". The expression on his face was priceless. And so, I remained silent.  To this day, I haven't reacted or answered the text.  Reading this verse confirmed what God was teaching me that day.  When we are angry and our first line of defense is to react in a way which usually will not bring glory to God, we sin. Among the many lessons God is teaching me, this perhaps is one of the hardest.  Thinking about it now, I realized that God gave me peace in that moment which surpassed my understanding - giving me strength to be silent. When we search our hearts and find God in the moments of anger, silence is golden.

Randi

July 4: Of citizenship, rights and responsibilities

2 Kings 23:31-25:30

Acts 22:17-23:10

Psalm 2:1-12

Proverbs 18:13

I meant to avoid writing a cliche reflection that involved citizenship, but when, in today's reading, we saw Paul about to get flogged, but for the fact he revealed he was a citizen of Rome, I thought "what the heck".  

Today is Independence Day in the US.  The 240th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, when people from 13 colonies decided to sever ties with their home country and form their own nation, with its own set of rights...and responsibilities.  The rights are nice - they give us the freedom to do things.  The responsibilities we sometimes forget...but they are there, and to be fully citizens, as we enjoy the rights, we have to meet the responsibilities as well.  Sometimes those responsibilities are easy...sometimes less so.  Some of these others impose upon us.  Taxes - I mean, who really wants to pay them?  Or - when invoked - the selective service (aka the draft)...I am reasonably certain there were many whose service was required who would have preferred to have been doing something else.  Some of them are self imposed, as was the case with 19 year old Christian West Point cadet Tom Surdyke who, when in the ocean recently was, together with a friend, caught in a rip tide.  Tom felt the need to keep his friend afloat - he ended up swallowing too much water.  He passed away as a result of his actions, the choices he made, the obligations he took upon himself.  

Today's readings are rife with reminders of the privileges and obligations of citizenship.  Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin were kings of a nation called apart and consecrated to God; they enjoyed His protection and prosperity, but then refused to acknowledge their responsibilities - to acknowledge Him as the One True God.  And they suffered the consequence.  Paul's situation was interesting - he invoked the rights of His Roman citizenship to avoid the injustice the Jews wanted to inflict upon him as he fulfilled his responsibilities as a citizen of God's kingdom.  I wonder if he knew his Roman citizenship would protect him...nonetheless things got to the point he was stretched out to be flogged before he was saved.  Talk about close shaves - which he seemed prepared to suffer.  

A few brothers and I are going through a book - 7 Men, by Eric Metaxas.  Today's chapter discussed Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Christian who recognized that hi citizenship both on earth and in heaven called him to a course of action that could (and eventually did) cost him his earthly life.  He was part of what has come to be known as Operation Valkyrie, the plot assassinate Hitler, seize control and cease hostilities with the Allies.  The assassination failed, Bonhoeffer - a pastor and theologian - was arrested, and he was hanged on Hitler's direct orders.  In the book, Metaxas writes "Bonhoeffer really believed that obeying God - even unto death - was the only way to live.  And it was the only way to defeat evil.  In his famous book, The Cost of Discipleship, he wrote 'When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.'"

Bonhoeffer, Paul, even Tom Surdyke, all appreciated and embraced the responsibilities of citizenship in God's kingdom.  As I celebrate the 240th anniversary of this, my adopted country's independence, may I willingly, wholeheartedly embrace the responsibilities of my heavenly citizenship, that I might enjoy its rights and privileges as well.  

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Saturday, July 2, 2016

By Keesha Sullivan

        When I thought about my Heavenly Daddy seeing and hearing me in the secret place weeping, my eyes became moist with tears and I felt butterflies in my stomach. As I thought about Him coming to the rescue as my Protector and Helper, I felt a burning sensation within my chest and the tears began to roll down my cheeks. There have been so many moments where I've needed supernatural help in my life and God was the only One I could turn to. When I called to my Heavenly Daddy, He came running even quicker than my earthly daddy, which is pretty hard to do. Our Heavenly Daddy loves us with such a passionate, unconditional, deep, intimate love that it softens the hardest hearts and warms the coldest places. 

"Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 'Remember O Lord how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah wept bitterly'" (2 Kings 20:2-3). Hezekiah was in a dire situation. The prophet Isaiah had let him know that he was going to die and that he would not recover from his illness. Hezekiah wasn't ready to die. The only One that could save him from death was God, so he pleaded with the Lord.

Although Isaiah had just delivered the news to Hezekiah, before he even left Hezekiah's dwelling, the Lord stopped him and filled his mouth with a new prophecy. " 'Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.'" (2 Kings 20: 4-5).

God saw Hezekiah in his secret place weeping and crying out to Him. He immediately came to His son's rescue. He gave Isaiah a word of encouragement to share with Hezekiah to let him know that his Heavenly Father saw him and had heard his prayer. 

Although the Lord doesn't always say yes to my requests as He did for Hezekiah, just knowing that God, the Creator of the universe, listens to me and that He sees me when I'm in need makes my heart swell with joy and gives me an incredible peace. I trust that we have a Good Father and that His Word is true. Isaiah 55:9 says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." I know that our Heavenly Daddy knows what's best for us and that He always has our best interest at heart. 

Father, thank you for always being there for us. Thank you for taking the time to love us, help us and protect us. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for always having Your sons and daughters on Your mind and close to Your heart. We love You, and we are grateful that You are a Father that deeply cares for His children. You are the best and we adore You with all of our heart, our soul, and our mind. In Jesus's name. Amen!

July 1

2 Kings 19 

"Do not be afraid."  

These are the words of Isaiah the prophet as the nation faced the crisis of their inevitable defeat at the hands of the Assyrian army. There are times when the storms of life are so overwhelming that we lose perspective and become overwhelmed with fear.

The only antidote to fear is faith. This week Jim Rumsey told me that the acrostic for faith is, "Forsaking All I Trust Him."

There are times in life when we must forsake everything we can do and simply rely on the Lord. The month of June has been a difficult month for Kathie and me. We have had a host of medical issues and relational storms that have caused us to fluctuate between faith and fear. On Tuesday morning for about 3 hours I was a victim to fear. But at times like this it is good to remember the command "Do not be afraid." By the way, this is the most frequent command in the Bible.

Certainly the city of Jerusalem was in such a situation. Surrounded by a hostile army of 185,000 ISIS warriors, they were in a hopeless situation. But then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, "Do not be afraid." God said he would rescue them and He did.

This week we have on the sign out front of the church, "God is at work in the worst of circumstances." We need to remember this during the good times and the bad times. So today, place your faith in him. Make it your goal not only to go through the storm, but to completely trust him.  

 

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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"