The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength (includes retreat download)

Joy 3-Hour Retreat download here.

Then [Nehemiah] said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

I have been told that the joy of the Lord is my strength since I was a small boy. I wanted to be a strong and faithful person then…and I still do. One problem—no one ever explained what joy was and how one received it! I might even have it and not know it! Joy is a Christian term we toss around a lot but rarely gets clearly defined.

The joy that that Israelites experienced in Nehemiah’s day was based on getting reacquainted with God’s law. The people of Israel had been in exile for decades and God’s Law had been lost. They returned from exile to Jerusalem, a ruined city. During reconstruction, the scrolls of the Law were found. A large gathering was arranged for the Law to be read to the people again. Priests were secured who would help the people understand what they heard. The result was a collective repentance and grieving that they had strayed so far from God’s law. Nehemiah, Ezra, and other leaders encouraged the people to celebrate rather than grieve. They were taking big steps to live rightly in their relationship with God. As they rejoiced in the rebuilding of Jerusalem, they could also rejoice in the rebuilding of their relationship with God. The peace, stability and comfort that came from living rightly with God is the essence of the joy that would strengthen them.

The joy of the Israelites is just one facet of biblical joy. There is joy that comes with experiencing God’s salvation (Acts 16:16-40; Psalm 51:10-12). Joy springs from the help and mercy we receive from God (Psalm 28:6-7). Jesus taught and guided his disciples so they might experience complete joy (John 15:16; John 17:13). Joy is even possible when God corrects us (Job 5:17)! Ultimately, biblical joy is not an emotion but a state of being.

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in our lives. Joy is also a product of our willingness to live in sync with Jesus’ commandments. May our joy increase as we strengthen our faith in worship and reflection this month!

Joy 3-Hour Retreat download here.

What do you want Jesus to do for you?

Then Jesus said to [Bartimaeus, a blind beggar], “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:50-52, NRSV)

I ran across the movie, “Soul Surfer,” on TV the other day. You may remember that “Soul Surfer” is the story of Bethany Hamilton. She's a world-class surfer. As a teenager, Bethany was surfing near her home in Hawaii, and a 14-foot tiger shark attacked her, bit through her surfboard, and then bit her left arm off. Since then, her response to the tragedy has made Bethany a worldwide inspiration.

Besides being an awesome surfer, Bethany is also an awesome Christian. Her pastor said, "I think she's always had a heart for God. I have the feeling that the experience she's gone through has brought this out even more. She had that faith and that hope all along, but it seems to have increased." Bethany has experienced full healing…body, mind, and spirit.

What's necessary for this kind of healing to happen? Basically two things: it takes the power of Jesus and the presence of faith. The power of Jesus is always present. Faith is what we bring to the table -- to trust Christ to be true to his promises. Faith takes persistence in prayer and in the walk of faith. Sometimes it takes a while to heal. The important thing is to stay in the partnership. Jesus wants to partner with us -- his grace and power, our faith and trust -- to make us whole again.

When Jesus healed Bartimaeus, the Gospel says he "followed Jesus along the road" (Mark 10:52). That isn't an accidental choice of words. Bartimaeus not only became a sighted person that day; he became a disciple of Jesus. The story’s focus is on Bartimaeus seeking, calling out for Jesus, then his response to the question, and then his action following the healing. The point isn't about the healing; it's about the following.

We come before God with many needs, many hurts, many wounds, many illnesses, and many anxieties. But there's only one Healer. And ultimately, there's only one healing. We find that healing not by focusing on our problems, but by getting lost in the wonder of the Healer. Christ the Healer is faithful; he's powerful; he has a desire to make us well. He's with you wherever you are, and he asks you the question, "What do you want me to do for you?" How will you respond in faith? How will you pray?

Thrive on Jesus

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (New Living Translation)

There is the story of a newspaper reporter who went to interview a successful entrepreneur. "How did you do it?" he asked. "How did you make all this money?"

"I'm glad you asked," the entrepreneur replied. "Actually, it's a rather wonderful story. You see, when my wife and I married, we started out with a roof over our heads, some food in our pantry, and five cents between us. I took that nickel, went down to the grocery store, bought an apple, and shined it up. Then I sold it for ten cents."

"What did you do then?" the reporter asked.

"Well," he said, "then I bought two more apples, shined them up, and sold them for twenty cents." The reporter thought this would be a great human interest story.

"Then what?" the reporter asked excitedly.

"Then my mother-in-law died and left us $20 million," the businessman said. That man prospered, not because of his own ingenuity, but because he was connected.

We enjoy the wealth of God’s blessings because we are connected through Christ. Jesus uses the word picture of a vine and its branches to help people understand that our lives thrive on a relationship with him. Jesus Christ is the vigorous rootstock that brings life to the branches, that is, to those who follow Him and the church they form.

Jesus is the source of our power and life. We often try to live life without availing ourselves of life’s central source of power and purpose—Jesus Christ. When we try to live like that, we run out of gas.

The good news is that when Jesus has taken up residence in our hearts, we are empowered to live fruit-bearing lives. We will be out of gas. If we take steps to stay connected to Christ…if we let Jesus’ teaching, Jesus’ way of living, Jesus’ way of loving become our ways…we are able to thrive in life because we do not live on our own power, but on the power of the resurrected Christ!

We live in particularly challenging days. Our over-committed, over-extended, stressed out lives are sapping our energy and joy. I see it others and I see it in myself. You and I need the connection to Jesus that can only come when we are willing to let Jesus take up residence in our lives:

• Take up residence in our hearts by worshipping Him;
• Take residence in our hearts through prayer;
• Take up residence in our hearts by learning the scriptures;
• Take up residence in our hearts through fellowship and the sharing of mutual love together;
• Take up residence in our hearts through sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.

Our lives can thrive on Jesus because Jesus will give us the power to live in the way he has called us. We thrive on Jesus because apart from him we have no life . . . we fail to thrive.

God give us what we need to live right

(This is the homily I preached for the Lockhart Ministerial Alliance Holy Week service on April 1, 2015 on the theme, “Love the Lord Your God.”)

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

--1 Kings 3:5-10, NRSV

Since the subject of the scripture text is wisdom, I thought I would share a few nuggets of wisdom from the mind of a popular contemporary source…Larry the Cable Guy:

• A day without sunshine is like night.
• He who laughs last thinks slowest.
• A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
• Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Larry the Cable Guy’s wisdom is probably not that useful for living well, but laughter is always good for the soul. Living well and what is good for our souls is what our theme for these Holy Week Services is all about. God gave the Israelites the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength,” so that God’s people would live well and live in right relationship with the Lord. Jesus reinforced the importance of this covenant principle by teaching it as God’s primary commandment. When God’s people love God wholeheartedly, they enjoy God’s favor, care, and protection.

As followers of Jesus, I think we are interested in loving God wholeheartedly. You and I want to live as members of the kingdom of God. In a recent blog post, Pastor Mark Altrogge reflected on his 30 years of ministry. One of his insights was that God’s people want to please God. He used to think that he had to convince people to obey Jesus against their wills. His understanding shifted to seeing that Christians deep down want to please Jesus, obey him, and worship him.

This is Solomon’s concern in today’s text. He wants to lead the Kingdom of Israel righteously. Solomon recognized that, in becoming king, God was honoring the promise…the covenant…that God made with his father King David. Solomon also recognized that he needed to live up to his end of the covenant by living and governing righteously. And so Solomon asks God to shape his mind in such a way that he would be the wise and righteous king God called him to be. Solomon asked God for what he needed to live up to his end of the covenant.

In the Last Week of Jesus’ life, he held the traditional Passover meal with his disciples. He shared the Passover cup of wine with them and told them that it represented the blood of a new covenant with God. Through it, people would experience forgiveness of sins. Living rightly with God was now based on our love of Jesus. The covenant sacrifice was made, the debt of sin was paid, by Christ’s death on the cross. Once, and for all time, through Jesus, by God’s grace, God provided the way for our redemption and eternal life.

God gives us what we need to live in a right relationship with him. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2 that when we give ourselves over to God, as we ask God for transformation, our minds are renewed. Our thinking is shaped by God to what is good and pleasing to God. Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia that the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of Christ’s presence within us, is love and faith (Galatians 5:22-25). It is Christ’s Spirit that grows our love and strengthens our faith. It’s Good News that God gives us what we need to live rightly with God. Solomon’s experience assures us that when we ask for what we need to live up to our end of the covenant… when we ask for what we need to love him wholeheartedly…God is pleased to give us what we need.

It is good for us to be here...

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here…” (Matthew 17:1-4)

In his book, This Sunrise of Wonder, Michael Mayne writes this to his grandchildren: “If I could have waved a fairy grandfather’s wand at your birth and wished upon you just one gift it would not have been beauty or riches or a long life: It would have been the gift of wonder.”(1) He goes on to suggest that they set their sights not on success, but wonder. They should live with a sense of awe. Perhaps that is what Jesus is trying to help his disciples experience by giving them a glimpse of his glory. Jesus is trying to give the disciples the gift of wonder, a sense of awe.

In the Bible story above, notice what Jesus did to help create the experience of the Transfiguration for his disciples. Jesus took Peter, James and John away by themselves. Jesus set them apart to focus their attention on what God would reveal to them. On that holy ground they were given a glimpse of Jesus’ majesty and they heard the testimony of God Himself of who Jesus was. Peter, in his excitement, exclaimed: “Lord, it is good for us to be here!” I think that was an understatement!

Jesus is God’s Son, who reveals the character and the ways of God. God urges us to pay attention to him. God is willing to reveal who Jesus is to us. Worship is one of the primary experiences God has put in our path to see and hear who Jesus is. Worship is a set apart time where God calls us to be with Jesus…to see him and to listen to him.

One of the temptations of our spiritual journey is to take our opportunities to see and hear Jesus too lightly. Worship can start feeling too familiar, too rote. We lose that sense of being set apart…we lose that anticipation that we are coming to meet Jesus and to express to Him our love and our need for him. We lose that sense of “It is good for us to be here.” When you take opportunities to worship too lightly…you may very well miss being awed by Jesus.

In these weeks that mark the approach to Easter, I encourage you to take time to set yourself apart with God’s people for worship. The testimony of scripture is quite clear: People of God need worship to be humbled, refreshed and invigorated. People of God need worship to capture glimpses of God and catch God’s vision for their lives. You and I need worship to keep our sense of wonder at the power, love and mercy of God. You will find, when worshiping with your brothers and sisters in Christ, that it is truly good for you to be there!

(1)Mayne, Michael. This Sunrise of Wonder. London: Fount Paperbacks, 1995, p. 11.

Spiritual diabetes

Living with an insulin-dependent diabetic has been a real education. In the ten years since my son was diagnosed with Type I diabetes I've learned some interesting things about food, metabolism and how the body functions. Normally, when a person eats, the sugars are broken down and enter the blood stream. At that point insulin, produced by the pancreas, converts these sugars to food that the cells of our body need to function. In diabetics the pancreas is not producing the insulin needed to convert the blood sugars into usable food for the cells. It's entirely possible for an untreated diabetic to be eating heartily and, at the same time, be starving at the cellular level.

This is the way it is with life. We can be eating heartily from the banquet of life--enjoying opportunities, working hard, playing hard, striving for all the things we've been convinced will bring us some level of satisfaction or sense of worth. We may even manage to achieve some level of fulfillment and contentment. But it is entirely possible that we may still be starving at the spiritual level.

Jesus taught his followers that they are happy and blessed when they "hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). Jesus was teaching us to recognize that our deepest hunger must be for a right relationship with God and with other people. Our other pursuits--work, school, family, recreation, even the altruistic things we do to improve our community, will not bring us full satisfaction unless they are put into perspective by an overarching desire to satisfy our hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God and with other people.

The life you can be thankful for...

“…you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Surely I have a delightful inheritance.”
Psalm 16:5-6

A small group conversation in Professor Jim Wilson’s church was silenced by this question: "If you had the power to recreate yourself, what would you leave unchanged?" Everybody quietly considered the possibilities for a moment. Finally, Tom, a former alcoholic spoke.

"The thing I would leave unchanged is my relationship with Jesus," he said thoughtfully. "If I changed everything else, it might mean I never met Jesus. I don't want to take that chance."

One by one the other members of the group agreed. The one thing they would not change showed them what they were most thankful for. Each member of the group could thank the Lord for houses, cars, and plenty of food. They could thank God for spouses and the love of family. Given the opportunity to keep one thing, they choose to hang on to Jesus.

The psalmist King David saw that, in his life of faithfulness to God, God had provided him with a good life. As he went God’s way, King David discovered God was faithful to him . . . giving him the sense of joy and peace and satisfaction he truly desired. Even when he needed to cry out to God for help . . . thanksgiving and recognition of God’s faithfulness to him were on his mind.

The essential truth the psalmist is conveying for us is this: The life you and I can be thankful for is a life built on loyalty to God. When your life is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, it is a secure and stable life. It is a life that enjoys a good direction. That good direction sets your life on a trajectory for a great future. That good direction gives you the security that you will never be separated from the presence and love of God.

Does life in Christ guarantee that you will avoid rough times? Not at all! But you can be thankful that loyalty to Jesus does assure you that God is by your side, giving you support, keeping your life on the right track, strengthening you for life’s journey.

Whenever you pause to give thanks for something this month, don't forget God's greatest gift, the gift of his Son, Jesus. The Apostle Paul commended the church at Corinth for their generosity which caused the overflowing of thanks to the Lord. Then he added, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Generous Giving

Jesus asked his disciples to come to him. He said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. That poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. They all gave a lot because they are rich. But she gave even though she is poor. She put in everything she had. She gave all she had to live on.” -- Mark 12:43-44 (English Standard Version)

Lonnie Porter was a janitor for almost all his life at United Theological Seminary. When he wasn't mowing the lawn or washing windows, he was talking with students. His income was small, but his heart was large. Or as he put it, "My mother taught me to do two things: sew and save." So he did. He sewed together a life of service at a seminary, and he saved as much money as he could for that seminary. When he died a few years ago, Lonnie Porter left over $100,000 in his will to the work of the seminary. By action of the trustees, who were moved by this large gift from a small income, United's premier program in African American ministries is now known as the Lonnie Porter Program in African American Ministries, the only known endowed educational program in the church named after a janitor.

Jesus stood across from the Temple Treasury and saw an act of great generosity. While the rich people were giving their “throw-away” money, the widow was giving all she had—100 percent. The widow’s gift—a gift given out of humble gratitude and reverent faithfulness is more profound and valuable than the one given for recognition, prominence or out of excess.

Jesus is teaching his disciples a lesson beyond monetary giving. Jesus is drawing our attention to an example of a Christian steward. The widow understands that everything comes from God. Ultimately, she does not give because she is forced to give. She certainly is not giving to be noticed or rewarded. She does not share her offering because it will lead to prominence in the synagogue. The gift of her last two coins serves as a giving of herself to God. She gives to God something far deeper than money—she gives her whole life, her very being. She trusts God to take care of her as God promised. And I believe she had a sense that God could do something significant with what she had given.

October brings our annual Stewardship drive. It’s our opportunity to give generously to God and to the ministry of growing God’s kingdom through the Good News of Jesus Christ. Your past giving has born a lot of fruit—kids going to camp, mission trips, help for the struggling in our community, bible study, worship…the list is probably bigger than you realize! Your generous giving is an essential element in the fruitful ministry of First Christian Church. May you know God’s love and care as you give yourself fully to God.

Jesus wants the best for us

“This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
--John 15:8-11 (NIV)

There was a study a few years back of a group of adults, aged 95 years or older, all of whom were asked, "If you had life to do over again, what would you do differently?" Their responses fell into three major categories.

First, reflect more. Spend more time considering who you are, what you are here for, what God is calling you to become. What makes life worth living and fulfilling? Family and faith, both of which require hefty doses of forgiveness.

Second, take more risks. Life is very short. Take some risks to accomplish more. Don't be afraid of failures or mistakes. Why climb out on limbs? Because that's where the fruit is. No limb-climbing, no fruit-picking.

Third, do more things that will last forever. Invest in eternity. Make this world a better place because you sojourned here.(1)

You can hear in these words how important finding a life of significance can be. When people come to the ending moments of life their greatest concern is that their life counted for something.

Jesus taught us that the significant life is a fruitful life as his disciple. What does it meant to be fruitful? Loving God, living rightly, loving your neighbor, sharing the gospel message, being part of a Christian community-- these are all things Jesus considers bearing fruit. These are the things that ultimately give us significance. These are the things that will resonate with our deepest yearnings and give our lives vigor and excitement.

The fruitful, joy-filled life is ours as disciples (studious followers) of Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us that it’s vitally important to have an ongoing (abiding) relationship with him through prayer and God’s word. It is “. . . so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

That’s good news! Joy—that sense of contentment and connection with God no matter what’s happening in life—is God’s desire for you. Our living and ever-present Lord wants to nourish us and invigorate us. He wants to shape our lives in a way that brings us significance and joy. What can be better to hear in times like these than that Jesus wants the best for us!

(1)Bouldin, Ears to Hear, Eyes to See: Witnessing Through Media (Nashville: Broadman, 1987), 81.

Heart Fitness

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
--Psalm 139:23-24

The late great coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry, once described the kind of character he was looking for in team members:

“Give me a choice between an outstanding athlete with poor character and a lesser athlete of good character, and I’ll choose the latter every time. The athlete with good character will often perform to his fullest potential and be a successful football player; while the outstanding athlete with poor character will usually fail to play up to his potential and often won’t even achieve average performance.”

Landry was always on the lookout for athletes who would perform up to their potential. He was looking for players who were fit in their hearts. Players fit in their hearts would realize their potential on the field. They would pursue Super Bowls with dogged tenacity.

I believe if I were to take a poll of Lockhart Christians, I would find that we have a decent understanding of God’s plan to keep us spiritually fit—undoubtedly you would mention practices like studying the Bible, regular time set aside for prayer, attending worship, and experiencing the support and fellowship of other Christians. But, like most things in life, knowing and doing are two different things. Many modern Christians struggle with having the heart for these practices that develop a richer, fuller spiritual life. This weakness in our Christian character is keeping many followers of Jesus from realizing their fullest potential to be used by God and from experiencing the fullest joy from their relationship with Christ.

The psalmist was asking for a fit heart. He wanted insight into his own life so that he might live in a way that pleased God. A God-pleasing life, he knew, leads to a “way everlasting”—a joyful, significant, blessed life. To that end, he asks God to purge every thought, attitude, belief or behavior that offended God’s sensibilities. He is asking God to help him live to his fullest potential.

The psalmist provides an excellent example for life on the “way everlasting.” We can’t reach our fullest potential along the Way without God’s help. The psalmist knew that our heart fitness improves with prayer…Prayer that asks God for insight into our lives…Prayer that welcomes God’s testing and accountability…Prayer the makes us open to God’s tough, but merciful, soul-cleansing.

Heart fitness helps us reach our fullest potential as followers of Christ. We are able to love more fully. We are able to worship more fully. We feel more fully connected to and grounded in God. This is the good life…this is the “way everlasting.” It’s ours for the asking!

Peacemaking begins in the heart

"Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-10

Many people are resigned to the notion that humanity will destroy itself. We’ve become resigned to the idea that people ultimately cannot get along. A poll taken by the Associated Press a few years ago indicated that six out of 10 American adults believe that world War III is inevitable.

Peter, one of Jesus’ first disciples, wanted Christians to understand that they must live in harmony with each other and with the world. He understood that making peace in our chaotic and contentious world begins in the heart. Take a look again at how the scripture above begins. Notice the words he uses: “unity,” “sympathy,” “love,” “tender,” and “humble.” Making peace begins with the attitude of our hearts.

Most people seem to concern themselves with changing the whole world—they have a very global vision. Peter’s vision begins with our own hearts. For Christians, peacemaking does not begin with a question like, “How can I get the Arabs and Jews to get along?” Peacemaking for Christians begins with questions like these:

How do I get along with my brother . . . my sister?

How do I keep working with the person in the next cubicle who is really annoying me?

How do I treat the kid at school who keeps making fun of me?

How do I maintain a relationship with my parents when they clearly don’t understand me?

How do I live in peace with my neighbor when his dog keeps coming into my yard to do his business?

How can I continue to volunteer in this church when my committee chair is not doing her job?

How do I keep my cool with my kids when they are being so disrespectful?

These questions represent the beginning of peacemaking. Peacemaking begins when we’re willing to look at us . . . at ourselves. Peacemaking begins when we’re willing to check the attitude of our heart and begin to deal with the deep down feelings of hurt and distrust we may have accumulated over time. Peace making begins with purging our hearts of attitudes and stereotypes that keep us from living in unity with one another.

Here’s where Jesus comes in…we can’t make these heart changes without Christ’s Spirit working within us—growing in us the fruit of peace (Galatians 5:22-23). The apostle Paul says that the fruit of peace grows in us as we practice Christ’s commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves and as we prayerfully yield our lives to the guidance of the Spirit. My prayer for us all is that the fruit of peace will grow in all of us and that we will bear the fruit of peace in our chaotic and contentious world.

Advent Again

“God, make us new again.
Let your face smile on us with favor.
Then we will be saved.”
--Psalm 80:3

In an intriguing episode of the classic sci-fi tv show X-Files, Agent Scully, the female FBI agent heroine, was facing an uphill battle against cancer. Agent Scully was a driven career woman. She had gotten far with her brains, her talent, and her pluckiness. She was trained as a medical doctor and her faith was squarely in science.

Agent Scully was home for the holidays and her mother had a large meal planned. She invited family and friends, among them their parish priest. Father McKay took time to talk with Scully about her cancer and the faith she had forsaken. She firmly told Father McKay to get lost. She had no need for religious faith. Her career and her science would sustain her quite well.

As her cancer progressed and her doctors treat it more aggressively her attitude begins to change. She faces losing her career as she grows weaker and weaker. The science she dearly loved had not been able to save her. She became aware of her need to be connected to a higher power. In a moving scene, she apologized to her mother for being so abrupt with Father McKay and asked that he come to see her. The episode concluded with Father McKay at her bedside as they prayed together.

Agent Scully became aware of her deep need for God. The psalmist recognized this need when he cried out: “God, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved” (Psalm 80:3). It’s awareness hard to come by. After all, there is bit of Agent Scully in all of us. We fancy ourselves as independent and self-reliant. From an early age we are taught to be self-sufficient. All of this hinders the awareness of our need for God.

The Church calendar calls these weeks before Christmas Advent. In Advent, we anticipate God smiling on us with favor in the coming of Jesus Christ. These days before Christmas bring excellent opportunities to prepare for a fresh coming of Jesus into our lives. Recent events should convince us that there is no amount of money, no politician, no job, no scientific theory … no person or thing… that can be counted on to bring renewal to our lives. A proper understanding of our lives will lead us to an awareness of our great need for God. It is a constant need. Only a fresh advent of Jesus in our hearts can meet that need. We wait…we anticipate…we long for…the promised
coming of the Lord.

Let every heart prepare Him room!

Discipleship's Value

44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
--Matthew 13:44-46

In Jesus’ time, if someone was known as a disciple of someone it meant they were a student of that person’s philosophy or trade. What was Jesus’ philosophy? What principles did Jesus’ life exemplify? Life lived under the rule of the kingdom of heaven. This is the life Jesus invites us to. People who seek this life and find it, dis-cover that they have found something more valuable than anything they have known before. It makes that big a difference.

In order to experience discipleship’s value, we need to give ourselves totally to following Jesus. Paul, one of the prominent writers of the New Testament, discovered the value of discipleship. He told them that before he became a disciple of Jesus he was a Jew of great status. He could trace his bloodline back to the great Abra-ham. He was an important leader in the church. He kept Moses' law flawlessly. He distinguished himself so much as a Jew that he was given the task of protecting their faith from people who were following Jesus. He had done very well for himself. He thought he had quite a life. That is, until he had a life-changing encounter with the risen Christ. He said that he counts all that he had before as garbage when he compared that with the surpassing value of knowing Jesus. All that he had before he was happy to lose in order to have the life he now had as a disciple of Christ (Philippians 3.4b-14).

Jesus offers us life. Not life as the world offers it, where security is found in status, power, and possessions. Jesus offers us a life of hope. We always have a place in the kingdom of heaven. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Life can come at us with all it has got. Our future is secure. Jesus offers us life with meaning and purpose. We have a mission to live out as Jesus’ disciples—proclaim His love and live out His love in the world. It’s a life, if we are willing to give ourselves totally to it, that Jesus assures us we will find more valuable than anything we’ve ever experienced before.

Why I won't be driving through to get my cross of ashes.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Church season of Lent. Traditionally Christians receive the mark of the cross on their forehead in ashes from the burnt palms from the previous Palm Sunday. It's meant to make significant statements about our state as followers of Christ. Christians are recognizing their sinfulness and mortality. Christians are also acknowledging their utter dependence on Christ. They are joining Him in the journey to the cross. Lent is the season where Christians reconnect with Christ's call to take up our cross and follow Him. These statements are meant to have great gravity in the life of a Christian. If taken seriously, they have consequences that are rarely convenient.

That's why I won't be driving through any church or or other trendy, convenient location for my cross of ashes. Drive-thru imposition of ashes is getting increasing attention in the media. (Read here, here, and here for a few examples.) The title of the NBC News article alone ought to give one pause, "Lent made easy: Get your 'ashes to go.'" An act meant to impress upon people the gravity of their circumstances and deep need for Christ has been made "easy" for the convenience of Christ's "customers." Can I get a skinny mocha latte with that? Unfortunately it may come to that.

Making this important day and act of discipleship as easy as ordering at the drive-thru of Starbuck's strips Ash Wednesday of its gravity. If I don't take the time to remember and reflect on my sinfulness, mortality, and dependence on Christ, I will drift toward a convenient faith that "ashes to go" promises. On the surface, this seems to be a hip and relevant adaptation of a spiritual practice. But it sends all the wrong messages about the way of faith. I can't afford to take faith that lightly. No one can.

We Live, God Helping Us!

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5, NIV)

“How can I grow in faith?” For we who follow Christ, it’s a challenging question. I don’t think many of us are completely satisfied with the strength of our faith. You may think Jesus’ original disciples are the ultimate examples of faithful people. But it’s clear that even they recognized their faith needed to grow. We’re in good company!

Those first followers of Jesus rightly understood that Jesus is the source of our faith. That’s good news! The life of faith is hard. You and I can’t live this life of faith without the Lord’s help. With the Lord’s help we have extraordinary power to face the distress, disease, and disorder that we encounter in life. With the Lord’s help we have the extraordinary power to put blessing, wealth, and the goodness of life in perspective. With the Lord’s help we have extraordinary power to accomplish things not possible by our own strength.

While staying alone in her convent, an 85-year-old Catholic nun got trapped inside a broken elevator for four nights and three days. She tried pushing the inside elevator door, but the electricity went off. She had her cell phone with her, but there wasn't a signal. Fortunately, she had carried a jar of water, some celery sticks, and a few cough drops into the elevator.

At first she said to herself, "This can't happen!" But then she decided to turn her elevator into a personal prayer retreat. "It was either panic or pray," she later told an interviewer for CNN. She started viewing the experience as a "gift." "I believe that God's presence was my strength and my joy—really," she said. "I felt God's presence almost immediately. I felt like he provided the opportunity for a closer relationship." (1)

When the Church commissions pastors, teachers, or missionaries, a part of the commissioning liturgy frequently includes “Questions of Commitment.” Each person is asked to commit to their mission through responding to several statements by saying, “I will, God helping me.” This is a response every Christian could make every day, for every circumstance, and for every task: “I will do it, God helping me.” Perhaps this declaration captures the essence of living by faith: “I live, God helping me!”

The New Year is often a time when we reflect on our lives and make plans to better ourselves. This year make it a daily practice to ask the Lord to increase your faith. You and I cannot live fruitfully as Jesus’ disciples by the strength of our own will. We live only by God helping us.

(1) Jenny Wilson, "Nun Stuck in Elevator Survives Four Nights on Celery Sticks, Water and Cough Drops," Time.com (4-28-11)

Jesus is coming...invite Him in!

The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over shadow
you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. . . . For nothing is impossible
with God.”

Then Mary said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Luke 1:35, 37‐8

Standing in the checkout line at the local grocery store one year I noticed the cover of a national tabloid, “Christ will Return on Xmas Day!” According to the tabloid, visions of John the Baptist are signaling Christ’s return on Christmas Day. I don’t put any stock in these tabloid articles . . . but what if? Jesus Christ could come at any moment . . . what if this Christmas is THE day? Would you be ready to welcome him?

Christ’s return on Christmas day this year would be as unexpected as the news Mary received that God would come into our world as a baby boy she would bear. As shocking and unexpected as that news was, Mary invited God’s miraculous presence into her life. “Let it be with me according to your word.” She was willing to let God’s presence touch her. She was willing to go where God would lead her. The consequences and implications of her pregnancy weren’t fully known. But the Lord was with her, and she invited the Lord to work in her life. She said, “Yes!” to God’s
presence and plan.

Will you invite the miracle of God’s presence into every aspect of your life this Christmas season? Christian author and teacher Richard Foster observes that God will not enter into many areas of our life uninvited. The initiative to bring God’s presence into your world rests squarely on your shoulders. So invite God into every experience of life. Foster writes:

“We invite God to set our spirit free for worship and adoration. We invite God to animate our . . .singing and praying. We invite God to heal our bodies. We invite God to inform our minds with creative ideas for our business enterprises. We invite God to touch broken relationships and resolve conflicts at work or home. We invite god to make our homes holy places of worship and study and play and love. We invite . . . we invite.”

Our Lord Jesus is coming on Christmas Day! The Lord who saves is coming. The Lord who builds up is coming. The Lord who restores is coming. Invite the miracle of God’s presence into your life this Christmas!

Peace and prayers!
Randy

Getting Somewhere on Purpose: Book Review of Chazown by Craig Groeschel

The key to your future lies at your death bed. That’s the fascinating place where Chazown, the latest book from Craig Groeschel begins. Groeschel, founding pastor of the nation’s second largest church, LifeChurch.tv, wants us to consider our legacy…what will the reader’s life add up to? Will one’s life really matter? His ambition with this book is for people to capture their vision of the unique life God has designed for them, because: “Everyone ends up somewhere. But few people end up somewhere on purpose” (6). Finding the God-designed vision for your life is the essence of this book. In fact, its unusual title comes from the Hebrew word for vision. Capturing this vision and living into one’s purpose will have positive, life-changing effects.

Groeschel uses a fast-paced, concise style that is easy to read. Each short chapter addresses a singular thought. He begins by helping the reader uncover their God-given vision by exploring their core values, giftedness, and life experiences. Through well-chosen stories and personal anecdotes, he helps you see how these things intersect to reveal the chazown God has designed for you.

One feature I really appreciated was the “You’re the Author” pages. After each major section he provides focus questions and guidance to explore the section through a Chazown journal. There are also a couple of helpful appendices devoted to this. And you will notice several places throughout the book where you are directed to additional resources online. I particularly found helpful the appendix on learning from past experiences.

Indeed, personal application is a major emphasis of Chazown. Almost half of the book is devoted to helping the reader apply the chazown they have uncovered to one’s daily life. He identifies five “spokes” of chazown: Relationship with God, Relationships with People, Finances, Health and Fitness, and Work. As with the vision itself, discussion of each spoke concludes with a “You’re the Author” page where the reader is encouraged to set some specific goals to live out one’s chazown. I found his frank discussion of relationships with other people to be especially insightful.

This is certainly one of the most application-oriented texts among recent books for helping people find their purpose. Though practical in nature, Groeschel takes just enough time to lay a biblical foundation for his points. This book is definitely meant for a lay audience and he hits that target well. I highly recommend Craig Groeschel’s Chazown.

Link to the first chapter.

Watch video introduction of Chazown.



Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Prayer as an occupation

Acts 1:12-14 (NSRV)
Susan Guise Sheridan, a biological anthropologist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, has been studying the bones of a large monastic community that lived in fifth-century Jerusalem. After examining more than 6,000 skeletal elements pulled from the crypt complex beneath Saint Stephen's Monastery, she found that the Byzantine monks shared several traits: they were robust, well-nourished men; they lived on average into their 40s; and they had bad knees.

In almost every monk over 20, there was damage to kneecaps, leg bones and heel bones. "If you consider prayer an occupation," concludes Sheridan, "then we have a case of occupational stress."

The glue that kept the early Christians together was their deep devotion to prayer and intimacy with God. The monastic community’s whole life was ordered around worship and prayer.

Prayer is such an important practice for living well. As the hymn “Take Time to Be Holy” observes: “the world rushes on.” Those words were written by William D. Longstaff in the late 1800s. How much more true are they for the world today. “Rushes” is almost too tame a word to describe the pace of most of our lives. And still, God calls us to pray.

Don Postema, in great book on prayer entitled, “Space for God,” wrote:

I used to write in my daily calendar "7-7:30 a.m.: Prayer." But many times I passed that up. It was one more thing to pass by that day. Now I write "7-7:30 a.m.: God." Somehow that's a little harder to neglect.

It is not prayer that beckons us to pause, but God. There is nothing more important with which to occupy ourselves.

May the coming year be a blessed one for all of you!

Let it be with me...

Luke 1:35-38

I read this passage again while I was in Minnesota for my father’s memorial service. I am always struck by Mary’s willingness to accept the lot in life that was set before her. The news that the angel delivered was both exciting and scary. As an unmarried young woman in her culture, the implications of her pregnancy were life-changing…far deeper than simply becoming a mother. She would have to endure much. She risked losing a lot. So her ability to say, “Let it be with me…” was a very big thing.

There is challenge for me, as I believe there is for many Christians, found in Mary’s response. Are we able to accept the lots in life that we are dealt? Are we willing to endure the consequences and the challenges that God allows into our lives? Will we live yielded to God’s way and power so we can say, “Let it be with me…”?

It’s important to recognize that when Mary said “yes” to God, she was also saying “yes” to the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary was not in it alone. God’s Spirit was with her, and in due time, God’s Savior would be with her. Whether life is dealing you hardship or opportunity…whatever challenges or rewards lay before you…there is much to endure and much to risk. Fortunately, we live in the generous grace of God who reassures us that “…nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

To get to the place of saying “Let it be with me...” you and I have to answer a big question. “Will I trust God and the Spirit’s power?” When I read this a few weeks ago I found myself confessing that I was taking on a lot in my life without yielding to God’s power and guidance. I was worn out. God’s gracious word to me was that I wouldn’t get through the challenges of dad’s memorial service and the Christmas season very well without inviting God’s presence and power into ALL facets of my life. I share this with you because I believe many who read this know exactly what I am talking about. My confession is your confession.

The Advent season is a time of preparation to receive God’s Messiah. It’s our opportunity to deepen our trust in God and to yield ourselves to the Spirit’s leading and power. Christmas gives us the opportunity to welcome Jesus into our lives afresh. It is from this place of trust and yieldedness…it is when we can say “Let it be with me…” that we discover the very real power and grace of God.

Looked on with Favor

"Mary in the house of Elizabeth" Robert Anning Bell (1917, oil on canvas, Tate Britain Museum)

Luke 1.39-55

In our day it seems that those who seek to serve God don’t get a lot of recognition. Instead, the people we seem to idolize, the people we think have made it, seem to be the God-neglecting. These people often encourage us to live for pleasure—satisfy our desires—that’s what life is all about. Rock stars, superstar athletes, powerful business executives are always before us--meeting presidents, throwing big parties, making more money than we can imagine, able to go anywhere and do anything they want. At times we may find ourselves envying them.

Who ever notices that person trying to do what is right in his home and community? Who ever notices the person who’s loyal to her family and her children? Whoever gets noticed for putting in an honest day’s work for what seems like an ever diminishing paycheck? How often is one noticed for being a member of a church and serving it faithfully? He or she never makes the headlines…they never gain much power…they’re doing well just getting the bills paid by the end of the month. Who notices him? Who idolizes her? Who sets them up as the ideal of how to live?

God does! God notices and blesses those who seek to follow him and do his will. They may never be noticed by others, but they enjoy God’s favorable attention! Therefore God will bless them with something that all those rock stars, athletes and powerful business men often miss out on. God blesses his humble, faithful servants with the gift of abundant life that comes through the savior. God blesses us with a sense of hope…a sense of purpose…a sense of joy!

How can we live in Christmas joy all year long? Recognize that the greatest way God has remembered and blessed us is by sending his Son Jesus Christ. Each of us has been afflicted with the stain of sin and the pain of death. Each of us needs salvation that only God could arrange. The world needs the salvation and restoration only God can arrange. God remembered his promise to save us. God, the Mighty One, has done a great thing for us through the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

You and I can rejoice knowing that God’s grace will prevail. Jesus is coming! You and I can rejoice knowing that God’s justice will prevail. Jesus is coming! A day is coming when tyrants will be defeated and the callous will be put in their place. A day is coming when the oppressed will be raised up and the poor will no longer lack. God’s mercy and justice may not seem to be at work in the world with any consistency. But the God who has the power to bring hope and joy to a shy, teenage girl has the power to bring hope and joy into your life. Our God has the power to bring hope and joy into this fallen and conflicted world. God has promised it. God has remembered his promise. God’s grace has triumphed! Joy to the world! Let earth receive her king!