Thursday, September 1

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

One joy of growing older is the collective memory of moments humorous, lovely, and glorious. In this less-than-uplifting election season, I think back to the 1992 Vice Presidential debate when Adm. James Stockdale, a war hero of the first degree, "lost" himself for a moment and uttered: "Who am I? Why am I here?"

Unlike Adm. Stockdale in that moment, Paul didn't struggle with this question. To the Corinthians, his zeal for their hearts may have seemed overwhelming, but he had strong motivation from having experienced the relentless love of Christ.

This summer, we have been studying 1 John during the Chinese ministry's Friday night Bible study times. In this book, the apostle highlights God's amazing love poured out for us and how we demonstrate our connection to Christ through pouring out a similar love for our brothers and sisters. Reflecting on Jesus's heart to "seek and save the lost," this idea of relentlessness has come to my mind repeatedly. How amazing that God would love us so much that He would send Christ to die for us "while we were yet sinners." His unconditional love destroyed the chains of sin and death.

Compelled by Christ's relentless love, Paul lived with abandon and trusted that, even with significant opposition in this world, his living sacrifice would reap eternal rewards. Paul has become fully committed to the ministry of reconciliation, bringing people to consider how they might have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Would you take a moment in prayer this week to ask God: "How may I become involved in Your ministry of reconciliation?" Would you pray to find someone or a group of people to honor and serve so that they might experience the relentless love of God, most clearly communicated through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

Lord Jesus, thank You for making possible the ministry of reconciliation to which You have called us. Thank You for giving us a clear purpose beyond ourselves and for sending the Holy Spirit so that we might be prepared and equipped to play our role in the ministry of reconciliation. Please bring to mind whom we serve and honor. We love You and rejoice in You. In Your Name, amen.

Adm. James Stockdale (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uKpX-5jQjQ0)

August 30

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10

The Spirit of Faith

There are many times I find myself wrestling -- I know what God's Words says, I know what I am supposed to believe, and yet the picture of the circumstance just isn't matching up to the Word. I think that's why I found Paul's words to be so encouraging.  Think about Paul and what he was going through. Think about the many Biblical examples of men and women with incredible faith. Personally, I want my faith to be as strong as theirs. Honestly, I do miss the mark.  In Matthew 12:24 Jesus said "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh"  Speaking with a firm and settled conviction that scripture is God breathed (2 Tim. 3:16) and believing the truth of the Gospel is what I believe Paul is emphasizing in this passage. Like David in Psalm 116, Paul uses the language of faith as he was "entangled by the chords of death" (v3), but he still cried out to God, trusted, and waited for His answer. I believe Paul is trying to encourage us to use the same language and strengthen our spirit. This is how faith grows. God promises us when we are hard pressed on every side, we are not abandoned, crushed or destroyed (4:18).  We have a treasure in jars of clay (v7).  Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think Paul was trying to remind us that the Holy Spirit Who lives inside of us is God's strength which will lead us through. Believing the truths of the Gospel, believing Jesus wins, believing in all that was done on the Cross, and reminding ourselves to keep our eyes fixed on what we can't see, is what gets us through our trials. Eternity awaits us.  Knowing this, we speak God's truth over our lives, our family, our nation, our church, and our schools. I pray this morning that as we go into the day we carry the Spirit of Faith like Paul did, knowing that greater is the One who is inside of me, than he who is living in the world.


Randi

August 29: The oppression of the world / Our children in His hands

Job 31:1-33:33

2 Corinthians 3:1-18

Psalm 43:1-5

Proverbs 22:8-9

"Vindicate me, my God

   and plead my cause 

   against an unfaithful nation."

Do you have children, and are you as worried for them and their future as I am for mine?  Because as silly as my Frank Sinatra/Cole Porter-listening-parents seemed to think my world was when I was my kids' age (see: Madness / Our House and anything Madonna was wearing at any point in her career) all that seems to pale in comparison with the ludicrousness the world demands we and our children accept as truth today, so much of it diametrically opposed to what we'd come to know and to believe.  

And, to make matters worse, the world today seems less and less willing to accommodate views that differ from the commonly held and widely trumpeted.  It used to be we could disagree, and agree to disagree - today, the world increasingly demands we embrace what we disagree with, that which we oppose (see: Christian bakers and wedding cakes, Little Sisters of the Poor, "settled science" climate change and gender fluid bathrooms).  Who wouldn't be disheartened for our children's future by the sight of a journalism professor refusing the press access to a public protest, or by university officials who charge $65,000 a year for an education, acquiescing to the misguided demands of group of students who, by their assertions, reject the very idea of learning they are in college to achieve? 

So little of it makes sense, so much of it madness we are being ordered not only to accept, but to live by, and live with.  I guess this gives me some idea of what Job must have been thinking.  He didn't understand why God was putting him through such suffering; what he knew was that he'd been faithful to God, and was going to remain so - regardless of what his friends insisted.  

"Why, my soul, are you downcast?

     Why so disturbed within me?

 Put your hope in God,

     for I will yet praise Him,

     my Savior and my God."

The good news is that, as we knew Job eventually found out, there was a purpose to it all - God's purpose, far above ours, and whatever the worry, the fear, the anguish and the despair he might have felt, that we (that I!) might feel for our children and the world they will grow up in, GOD HAS THIS COVERED.  I pray then not that my children be under His care - they already are, He loves them far more than their mother and I could, combined; but that I might live by the psalmist's words, reject the worry and the fear, and put my hope in Him.  

Thursday, August 25, 2016

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2016

"I know that my Redeemer lives

   and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed,

   yet in my flesh I will see God.

I myself will see him

   with my own eyes -- I, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27)

Even amid his despair, Job still holds to his faith in his Redeemer, understanding that his only hope lies in God.  This triumphant declaration may carry us, almost 4,000 years later, in our trials and challenges.

Earlier in the reading, Job refers to his Redeemer as his "witness," "advocate," "intercessor," and "friend."  He recognizes that, while his "friends" may have abandoned him, God has not.  He looks to the Lord as a "strong tower." (Psalm 46:1)

Job feels justified frustration in hearing his friends' desire to pin blame on Job for his fate, due to some supposed unrighteousness.  Their outlook has a backward focus and loses sight of the present.

With hindsight, we have read about God's heart regarding Job's situation.  Yet, not considering the outcome for a moment, what might we learn from Job and his friends that we could apply in our own friendships?  As I reflected on this question, two ideas came to mind:  (1) loving listening and (2) focus on the present, the future, and God's unchanging character.

When we speak with a loved one about a difficult situation, we may often turn to our problem-solving skills, suggesting remedies even before we have heard the whole story.  Observers have noted that men tend to take this tack more readily than women.  Nonetheless, we often become armchair quarterbacks when folks most often are looking for a sounding board first.  Responsive listening, where you repeat the key elements of what your loved one has just said, helps to solidify our connection and focus our listening during these moments.  As Josh McDowell sagely explained, "people need to know how much you care before they care how much you know."  We may love most effectively by listening in tough spots.

Secondly, we will do well to focus on the present, the future, and God's unchanging character during challenging times.  Job's friends rehashed the past over and over.  Their faulty reasoning and conclusions must just have inflicted more insult on the injured Job.  Instead, taking a forward-looking orientation helps us to see progress out of anguish.  If you do bring up the past, you may help your loved one to recall God's faithfulness during similar moments in recent weeks, months, or years.  Bringing forward Scriptures that discuss God's great love and compassion (Matthew 9:36-10:2; Psalm 103:7-18; Psalm 34:18) may be helpful.  Inviting your friend to trust God through these moments -- and committing to that -- may represent our greatest love.

Whether we find ourselves in Job's position or that of his friends today, we all may rest in the security of our hope in Christ.  We know that our Redeemer lives; He has risen from the grave!  May the Resurrection carry us forward in trusting and honoring our great God and King!

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us security of hope through Your Resurrection.  We seek to honor You today, as Job did.  Give us wisdom when we face challenging situations or seek to encourage others in that position.  Strengthen our faith in and vision of Your awesome faithfulness and compassion.  We love You and worship You today.  In Your Name, amen.

"Because He Lives" (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4M-zwE33zHA)

August 26

2 Corinthians 1 

The crucible of Christian Suffering

The combination of Job and 2 Corinthians 1 puts the target squarely on the issue of suffering today. Have you ever wondered why God allows us to go through trials and problems in life?

In chapter 1, we have one of the reasons why God allows this. Verses 3-7 tell us that God comforts us so we can comfort others. Suffering is an opportunity to know God and to know his comfort. This does not mean that God causes cancer, death, illness and unemployment, but it does mean that in those adversities God takes the opportunity to speak to us in a way we are not open to hearing when everything is going well. And, once we have experienced this comfort from God, then we have the responsibility to share that comfort with others.

Our adversity is his opportunity, the greater the suffering, the greater the comfort. No matter how great the suffering, God matches it with comfort. The comfort is never outweighed by the suffering. It is not given ahead of time but available in the trial. I don't envy those who have never known any pain, physical or spiritual, because I strongly suspect that the capacity for pain and comfort are equal. Only those who have suffered great pain are able to know great comfort. The Lord gets his best counselors out of the highlands of adversity.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

August 24

Psalm 39:4 - Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.  You have made my days a mere handbreadth, the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath


As servant's of the Lord, we are called to live our lives looking through heaven's eyes.  Jesus spoke about it in Luke 12:20 "You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?  This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God".  Eternity lasts a whole lot longer than our years on earth. David put it all into a heavenly perspective and even as king of Israel realized that gathering wealth and accomplishing worldly tasks makes no difference in eternity.  As the summer comes to a close and I get ready to go back to work in a new school, I am taking time to rededicate myself to the Lord's service. Even in a public school, I am His hands and feet and I am called to serve Him and do all I can with my mind and body.  I pray for all of us as we go about our day that we allow ourselves to be a channel through which His love and compassion can touch the lives of everyone around us.  Give us grace Lord to serve wholeheartedly in Your Name.  Let us keep in mind the words we long to hear,  "Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master's happiness!"  (Matthew 25:21)


Randi

August 22: Of children, gifts and misguided competition

Job 4:1-7:21
1 Corinthians 14:18-40
Psalm 37:30-40
Proverbs 21:27

We have two sons, 2 years apart; often, when they get home, one or the other will announce to us that our favorite son (or child) has arrived. The other one, hearing the first brother's words, will then sometimes demand to know which of them was their favorite. Sometimes they argue, leading to conflict and division. Sometimes the issue isn't even that one believes they are superior to the others, but rather that one winds up feeling less important, less loved than the others.

They miss the point, seeking primacy where they are all wonderful children, each with their own unique personas. The big sister is creative and musical; she gives joy with her compositions. The middle child is generously diligent and hard working, ever ready to lend a hand. The youngest one is so full of laughter he is incapable of holding a frown even when he is angry. A choice is impossible; they are all such wonderful gifts, and they each have such wonderful gifts. So we gently try to teach them that, rather than aspiring to primacy over their siblings, they should aspire to use their gifts the best they can.

In the NT reading, Paul continues to address a similar problem in the Corinthian church. The church is embroiled in internal strife, with people insisting that their gifts are more valuable than others'. He makes clear that the different gifts of the Spirit are valuable in different ways, and all are to be embraced and shared.

We each have our own gifts, gifts we can put in God's service, to help build His kingdom. There are none more valuable than the others; perhaps, as is the case with our children, the more pertinent question is whether or not we use them the best we can for Him.

Father, thank You for how You have created and blessed us uniquely. Allow us to recognize, appreciate and use the gifts and the abilities You've given us for Your greater glory.




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