Not to Lose

 February 28, 2023

Last Saturday, Linda and I watched our granddaughter Eliza’s boy’s indoor soccer team play the game that would determine the championship for the league (Yes, she’s good enough to play on the boy’s team). They had a disastrous first half, as their opponents took an early lead that ballooned to 5-1 by the end of the half. It was painful to watch.

I don’t know what their coach said to them at the halftime break, but they came out a different team, evening the score at 6-6 at the end. Now it was sudden death, and they lobbed one past the opposing goalie about two minutes in to win the championship.

Talking with Denny, her other grandfather as we left the Y, he commented, “the other team started playing not to lose instead of playing to win.” His words have stuck with me ever since, and came to mind at our pastor’s prayer time this morning. I was a few minutes late, and came in as they were talking about the Satan’s clubs that are starting to spring up throughout the state in local highschools. We were cautioned against going global over the rumors of one starting in Jamestown, as it’s surmised that the tactic is to get Christians to oppose such a club so that such opposition could be used against Christians clubs as well.

Denny’s words kept ringing in my ears. Too often we Christians play and pray “not to lose.” We engage ideas and ideology from a reactionary position instead of being proactive. We fear losing the privileges we’ve enjoyed in this republic of ours, and go to all sorts of lengths to maintain our standing in society. We are playing “not to lose.” The early church by contrast, had no such privilege to lose. They were a minority, mostly poverty-stricken and lower class, often of the slave population. But they saw life differently than we often do.

In the book of Hebrews, we read about Jesus, 

“You [God] have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” —Hebrews 2:8-9 

If all we do is look around us, like the author of these words, “we do not yet see all things put under him.” It looks as if the devil and the world are winning. By almost any metric we can cite, evil comes out on top. But that is only true if we only look where the world wants us to look. It’s the next sentence that is important here: “But we see Jesus…” Where we look determines how we play the game, and even how we pray the game. So often, our prayers take on a defensive mode: “Lord, protect us from the evil… Deliver us from trouble…” We pray as we think, and we think as we see, and we aren’t seeing Jesus, “crowned with glory and honor.”

Denny’s observation wasn’t just about our granddaughter’s soccer game; it’s a warning for life: “Don’t play to not lose.” Play and pray the victory promised through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, now crowned with glory and honor.” We are playing, not to lose, but to win, because in Christ, we already have.

Testing the Teacher

 February 27, 2023

Christians can be pretty gullible. The gap between faith and gullibility isn’t always very big, and history is littered with the wreckage of lives gone off the rails courtesy of a convincing and charismatic preacher. It’s nothing new; from the very beginning, Paul faced off against teachers who distorted or watered down his gospel of grace and faith in Christ alone. So from the beginning, he warned Christians of the danger of such teachers when he was no longer around to guide them. 

In Acts 20, Paul gives some of the warning signs of false teaching.

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””

—Acts 20:29-35 

Paul doesn’t mince words; these false teachers are like savage wolves out to devour and destroy. False teaching isn’t benign; it is an evil to be avoided at all cost. But to avoid it, we must be able to identify it. In his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders, he lays down some of the warning signs.

First is perversity. Though he doesn’t elaborate, he surely includes sexual perversity. It is tempting to believe that people who have listened to any sort of Biblical teaching would know that anything other than a monogamous relationship between a husband and a wife is off limits, but religious fervor is often accompanied by all sorts of forbidden sexual activity. Any teaching that condones sexual activity outside of marriage, or minimizes purity is a red flag for false teaching.

Second is a personality cult. Anyone who builds a following around himself is likely to be a false teacher. Such leaders refuse accountability to anyone outside themselves and get defensive and upset if questioned.

Third is an obsession with money. Anyone who has ever watched late night religious programming is familiar with the “send money for a blessing” scam. While every ministry needs money to survive, the way some of these preachers flash their diamond rings and expensive clothes is a warning to us to be wary.

In contrast to these warning signs, Paul shows us what we should be looking for. Genuine affection and concern for people is right up there at the top: “I didn’t cease warning everyone night and day with tears.” He speaks of building them up with the message of grace (instead of guilt). He worked hard to provide for himself and his team, not burdening his followers or demanding favors from them. Lastly, he taught and modeled the life of a faithful follower of Christ (v.35–“I have shown you…”).

This is a short, but important, list. It’s not exhaustive; he doesn’t say anything about what we believe about the death and resurrection of Jesus, or of his full divinity and humanity. This list is a bit more subtle, and somewhat of a litmus test of a spiritual teacher designed to protect God’s people from those who would take advantage of them to their detriment.

Everyday Hero

 February 26, 2023

I’m not proud of it, but I know I can be judgmental. When someone doesn’t measure up to whatever standard I’ve set in my mind, I may not say anything, but inside my head and heart, I can be pretty critical. A couple days ago, God brought me up short about my attitude. To understand, you need to hear the backstory.

Dick was a wonderful man, a hard worker, generous, giving of himself in the church, in the community, and with his family. He was almost bigger than life, loved to laugh and tease. He was town supervisor, active in the volunteer fire department, and served on a long list of community committees and boards over the years.

The one thing he couldn’t do was read. I don’t mean that he was illiterate; just that reading was difficult for him. In spite of this, he regularly read the Scripture on Sunday mornings, and when he did, often I would cringe inwardly. It was almost painful to listen, and though I didn’t intend it, I found at times I would be inwardly judgmental over his difficulty.

As the family was making arrangements for his funeral last week, we were trying to decide what Scripture to use. We laughed over the often difficult Biblical names that Dick regularly butchered when he read, and suddenly I knew which Scripture I would use. It was my favorite Bible verse from Luke 3:1-2 where all the movers and shakers of the day were listed before Luke said, “but the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness.” The main lesson is that God often bypasses the high and mighty to reveal his plans to ordinary people in out of the way places. Dick wasn’t one of the high and mighty, and I’m sure God overlooked others and used him instead.

God had another lesson for me in this text, and it had to do with Dick. Instead of judging his difficulty, I saw things from a new perspective. Where most people would have avoided the public reading of difficult texts, Dick stepped up and did it. He didn’t back away from a task just because it was difficult. Easy or not, Dick stepped up and tackled the task. God said to me, “Take a lesson from this man. You don’t quit just because it is hard.” 

So Dick Purol, among all your other life’s accomplishments, you taught this preacher to ease up on the judgments and to face difficult tasks, never giving up, even if it never gets easier. I am in your debt, and thank you for your faithfulness. You are one of my everyday heroes.

Highway Construction

 February 25, 2023

Yesterday, I wrote about how God isn’t impressed with status or titles, but chooses to give the Word of God to ordinary people in out of the way places. The content of that Word however, I didn’t explain. That’s tonight’s task. Here’s the message God gave to John in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” —Luke 3:4-6 

The fact that this is a quote from Isaiah 40:3-5 tells me something important: When anyone claims to have a word from the Lord, and it’s completely new, be wary. John was ushering in the Gospel age, paving the way for the Messiah and Savior of the world, but he didn’t do it with some brand new revelation. He simply restated what had been given centuries before, helping people to see the new thing God was doing in the context of what he had already done and what he had already promised. Whenever anyone comes up with a new and different revelation, there’s a pretty good chance it isn’t from God.

The message itself is clear. There’s lots of stuff standing between God and ourselves. Deliberate rebellion, guilt, shame, the pain of rejection or abuse, anger and bitterness, pride…the list goes on and on. Mountainous problems and difficulties, valleys of despair and hopelessness; it’s all there in these few words. It’s like the nurse who when doing intake for my annual checkup asked if I had any issues. “I’ve got plenty of them,” I responded, “but most aren’t anything the doctor can fix.” I don’t know too many people who aren’t in one way or another dealing with emotional, spiritual, relational mountains and valleys.

John’s word is simple: Level those mountains and fill the valleys. But how? In a word, repent. Turn away from what is standing between you and God. Learn to think differently about your issues. That’s what repentance means—to change your mind. Thinking differently about our problems usually means among other things, stop blaming everyone else for your problems. We are where we are because of choices we have made. Bad things happen to everyone; the difference in outcomes depends on whether we react or respond to life. Blaming is reactionary. Taking responsibility is, as the word implies, responsive. 

Taking responsibility is one way we level mountains and fill valleys. When we do so, we are giving God a superhighway into our lives, and he is an over-the-road trucker from heaven to our hearts.

There is a second part to John’s message. It isn’t just for me individually. He wants me to have an active part in leveling mountains and filling valleys for others so God can have a wide open road into their lives. It’s what Jesus was getting at when he said “the second Commandment is like the first.” Loving God is the first. Loving our neighbors is the second. The best way I can love my neighbor is by becoming God’s highway for them, instead of being a mountain or valley God must somehow overcome in order to have access to their hearts.

I am a bit more wordy than John, so I’ll just end by saying it the way he said it: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Where You Are

 February 24, 2023

Fellow Christians look at me a bit skeptically when in response to their question, I tell them my favorite Bible verse. Actually, I think they think I’m a bit weird, but that may or may not have any connection to my favorite verse. It’s from Luke 3, verses 1 and 2:

“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

No, I haven’t memorized it. I get easily confused by all the names, but the reason I love these two verses is because of how they help me put things in perspective. Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias, Annas, and Caiaphas were the movers and shakers of their day. If we were to update the story for today, we would hear (if you lived in in my neck of the woods of New York State),

“In the 3rd year of Joe Biden, when Kathy Hochul was governor of New York, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand senators, Paul Wendell county executive, George Borello state senator of the 57th district, Andy Goodell Assemblyman, and Willie Rosas mayor of Dunkirk…”

 And then, instead of the Word of the Lord coming to John in the wilderness, it would be, “the Word of the Lord came to (put your name here in whatever backwater place you live).” We tend to think it’s the movers and shakers, the politicians and elites who are making the world spin on its axis. They pontificate and we genuflect, but it’s all just a sham. God isn’t impressed. 

Instead of speaking through the high and mighty, he comes to John in the wilderness, an ordinary man unmoved by the pomp and ceremony, someone who has allowed the wilderness to strip him of pretension and illusion. John isn’t distracted; he’s listening, and he hears God.

Once upon a time when things were really cooking at Park church, I happened to be driving through Lockport, NY. I drove by a small UM church, a white-framed chapel on the corner of an intersection. It was surrounded by houses, and to my shame, I made a judgment about why church in the midst of so many houses remained small. I asked the Lord, “What could I have accomplished if I lived in the middle of so many people?”

God’s response was immediate, and humbling: “Jim, I couldn’t have done anything more with you there than I’m doing where you are. I’m doing the best I can with what I have to work with.” Point taken, Lord. Correction received. 

Don’t despise where you are. You may be off the beaten path; you may feel you’ve been overlooked, that the real action is happening somewhere else. Right now, it appears the action is happening in Wilmore, KY, at Asbury. But if God didn’t place you in Wilmore, don’t seek to go there. He put you where you are because it’s where he can best speak to you and get your attention. Pay no mind to the high and mighty. God isn’t speaking to them. He’s speaking to you in your wilderness. And what he says, the world needs to hear.

75!

  February 23, 2023

It looks like my budding career as a fashionista is having trouble getting out of the gate. If you’ve been following all things Bailey, you know about the “dress” I bought Linda’s for her birthday. In my defense, I bought it before Christmas, and when the package arrived along with another, I mistakenly assumed it was for her. I must admit, I was a bit puzzled over not having received the sweater I had ordered for myself. In retrospect, I am very relieved that I didn’t accuse the mailman of theft.

Here’s the backstory from Linda’s point of view: 

“This is the shirt Jim bought me for my bday. He wrapped it without opening the package it came in. I noticed right away it is a size large but I tht I could exchange it😊. When I held it up Jim immediately said.that is  the shirt I ordered for me! What???

So not only did he wrap his shirt for me, but he can't remember if he actually ordered me a shirt! Growing old is certainly a challenge for some of us.”

In response, I have offered my services as a fashion consultant, but instead of serious inquiries, all I’ve received is muted chuckles and outright guffaws. If laughter were my intentioned gift, Linda got my money’s worth.

It has been a good day. The best part, and the birthday gift Linda wanted most, she received. Last week, our son Nathan was a bit upset that Roswell Cancer hospital had postponed his scheduled MRI. He tried to convince them to keep the original schedule, to no avail. God knew what he had planned, and when Nate was forced off the road into a ditch yesterday, they took him to Buffalo to make sure there was no damage to his brain. The local doctors saw what they thought was a brain bleed, but didn’t have any baseline to ascertain whether it was from the accident or shadows of what he had last year.

The long and short of it is, he got his MRI, ahead of schedule, AND…wait for it…TWO of the tumors have completely disappeared! Nate claims that the space where they were is now occupied by genius brain cells.

So, despite my fashion faux pas, Linda’s birthday was the best ever. Dinner together and our grandson’s basketball game were merely icing on the cake. So, thank you everyone who prayed. And thank you, Jesus, for hearing those prayers and giving us grace upon grace.

Troubles

 February 22, 2023

St. Paul at one time retraced his steps through Asia Minor, visiting the churches he had founded. Acts 14:22 says he spent time “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”” Paul had a much more realistic picture of life than many of today’s preachers and other Christians. If you listen closely to the way we talk, you would think God’s main concern in life is to make us comfortable and happy. “Come to Jesus, and he’ll give you real peace and joy,” we say, forgetting to add that according to Jesus, there is a cross we must pick up and carry if we are serious about following him.

Jesus didn’t come to make life easier, but he does make it bearable, even through the times of pain and suffering. He does that not by removing the suffering, but by walking beside us through it. As an added benefit, if we are willing to receive it, he also gives us other people who will come alongside us, sometimes not saying a word, but simply loving us and praying for us.

I don’t think there is a single person who doesn’t know someone who is struggling with life right now. It may be you, or it may be a family member, friend, or work or school associate. I wish I could say God will take away your pain, will smooth the path before you and make roses bloom where there are nothing but stumbling stones in your way, but I cannot. Paul’s words are true: “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” That is why we, like the disciples of long ago, need to be strengthened and encouraged to continue in the faith. 

If you are struggling, don’t give up! If you know someone who is struggling, come alongside them. If you have no words, sit together in silence. If all you have is tears, cry with them. You needn’t try to explain God’s ways; in fact, you can’t. But you can love, and be the arms and hearts of Christ to someone hurting tonight.

Caring

 February 21, 2023

Every so often when I go to Facebook to post my musings, I see a post, “Your Memories on Facebook.” Fair enough. I appreciate reviewing what I’d written a year or more ago. It’s the subheading that gets me: “James, we care about you and the memories you share here.” Anyone who believes that is a fool’s fool. Zuckerberg and his organization care about money and influence. They don’t care about you or me other than how we improve their bottom line. 

While it’s possible to care about people we’ve never met (eg. caring for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, or those affected by the chemical spill in East Palestine, OH), imagining that an organization as large as Meta actually cares for a lowly peon like myself is laughable. 

I don’t say this by way of complaint. I don’t expect actual compassion from Zuckerberg, Schumer, Hochul, or Biden, or even my bishop. They don’t know me, and even supposing that they are genuinely caring people, them caring for me is a bit of a stretch. 

Sunday, I met with my friends at the Dunkirk UM church, people I haven’t seen in months. But I spent three years with them, and they somehow worked their way into my heart. Sunday afternoon, we sat down to a meal with family members, celebrating Linda’s and two other birthdays. In the evening, I met with four others who have covenanted together to seek God, and Monday led our men’s Bible study. These are the people I care about, and who care about me. It’s up close and personal; that’s the way a caring network works. Even those in my life who are today distant geographically remain in my circle of care, and I in theirs, because it all began face to face.

We live in a technological world that promised to bring people together; it’s possible, but technology as often as not, separates us. Just witness people sitting side by side with their noses in their cell phones, or the cyber bullying that has caused more than one teenager to commit suicide.

I am grateful tonight for the real life connections I have with people, for those who know me, and whom I know who add meaning and significance to my life. And I am grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ, who though distant in the sense of his ascension to the Father, remains close through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It still boils down to one simple ingredient: face to face love. I’ve received a boatload of it, and hope my feeble efforts have conveyed it to others…the ones I care about as Facebook could never do.

Connections

 February 20, 2023

Often when we read the Bible, it’s just so many words on a page to us. Even if I am diligent and faithful about my time in the Word of God, I confess that too often, I read with a dull head and heart. I’ve “done my duty” so to speak, but haven’t heard God speaking. Most of the time when that happens, it’s because I haven’t really brought myself to the Scriptures. The Bible doesn’t operate in a vacuum; it’s designed to address life as we experience it, so if I don’t take the time to get quiet before the Lord and to assess what’s going on inside me, the Word has no target to hit. Jeremiah assures us that the Word of God will accomplish its purpose, but it cannot do so apart from connecting with life as we live it.

This morning I received a call from some dear friends asking me to come to the ICU. Their loved one is very ill and possibly dying. “Would you come?” I had just showered, so needed just enough time to get dressed and drive to the hospital, but hadn’t had the time yet to sit down with my Bible for my morning’s devotions. I punched into my phone Bible app the Scripture reference for what I had intended to read; Acts 20, where Paul is saying goodbye to his good friends from Ephesus. 

The final verses read, “When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”

My time with the family touched me more deeply than usual. These long-ago people lived and loved much as we do today, and felt the pain of saying goodbye to someone they had grown to love. Sometimes Christians make the mistake of believing that knowing Christ and the promise of eternal life cancels grief. It does not. If anything, it deepens the sense of loss; the greater the love, the greater the grief. These people accompanied Paul to the ship, squeezing every last drop out of this relationship which they knew was ending except for in their hearts. 

This family today is experiencing the gut-wrenching loss of one who has been at the center of their lives for as long as they can remember. They stand in vigil by his bedside, tears flowing as the minutes tick by. Love runs deep for those who love Jesus, and though we don’t grieve hopelessly as do some, we still grieve. 

So look around you. All the stuff we spend so much of our lives to accumulate is just stuff, but the people…they are the heart and soul of our lives. Cherish them, hold them close, tell them you love them while you still can. All too soon, the tears will flow, and today’s reading will be your story and mine. Today, it connected, and I am humbled to have been invited to stand with this family on holy ground.

Robbing God

 February 19, 2023

Tonight in our Discipleship Training group, Nate said something that struck me as profound. What we share in this group is confidential, but there are things God teaches us that need to be shared. Tonight’s word is one of those things.

We were reflecting on how the Asbury Awakening is grounded in repentance and confession, and what this means for us, when he came up with this gem: “Don’t rob the power of the cross in your life by living in guilt.”

If God has convicted you of a sin and you confess and repent of it, it’s done. God promises it: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Our sins are forgiven because Jesus died on the cross in our place. When we believe this, God imputes the righteousness of Christ to us. That’s an old term that describes a legal transaction. It works like this: My spiritual bank account is not only empty; I’m in debt. Through Christ’s death on the cross, God takes his righteousness and places (imputes) it to my account. The debt is paid in full. 

So if I live in guilt, it means I’m not believing what God says is true. The power of the cross is that through it, our sins are forgiven. If I live in guilt, I’m muting that power and refusing to live in the joy and victory God freely offers me. Nate’s phrase is going to stick with me: “Don’t rob the power of the cross in your life by living in guilt.” Thank you, Nate.

Forgiveness

 February 18, 2023

Forgiveness is tricky and serious business. Just the other day in our newspapers we read of the sentencing of the young man who murdered all the black men and women at the Tops store in Buffalo. He will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. One of the family members of one of those slain said she will never forgive him for what he did—an understandable, yet tragic response. 

Sadly, such unforgiveness has the unforeseen consequences of binding her to the one person in this world she wants to distance herself from. The pain is raw and real, so I am not trying to judge her, but wish her to be free from the nightmares and the bitterness that so often accompanies holding onto one’s anger and grief. I pray to that end.

I’ve not had a family member murdered, but I have experienced significant sin against those I love dearest. It took a long time to work through the anger, the desire for revenge. Countless times, I would find myself thinking about the matter, plotting murder in my heart. Countless times, I would confess and ask forgiveness from the Lord, crying out that this isn’t the kind of man I wanted to be, choosing to let go instead of hold on. And every time I did so, I walked away a bit more free…at least until I picked it up again. Then the process would repeat itself, over and over until finally it no longer had a hold on me. I discovered that I couldn’t forgive on my own; I didn’t have it in me. I could only give what I had received, and that only came through Jesus Christ who forgave all my sins and gave me the ability to forgive others.

Those who have followed Jesus for any length of time can easily be in danger of forgetting their need for forgiveness. The grosser sins of lust, greed, theft, adultery, murder, and such have long been left in the dust, but the more subtle sins of envy, sloth, jealousy, pride, judgmentalism, apathy and the like continue to entangle our hearts in their slimy web. 

When Solomon dedicated the temple, he prayed for God to grace it with his presence. Interestingly, asking God’s blessing wasn’t at the heart of his prayer. Repeatedly, he says, “When we sin…hear from heaven and forgive” (1 Kings 8). Unlike us who often see ourselves progressing upwards, Solomon in the wisdom God gave him understood the human heart and the need for continuing repentance and forgiveness.

The Asbury Awakening happening now isn’t focused on charismatic gifts, evangelistic preaching, or doctrinal details. Reports coming from Wilmore, KY are that this is a revival of repentance and confession, of prayers for forgiveness. If so, it holds promise of bringing much needed and more lasting transformation of the Church than we have seen in a generation, for forgiveness has the power to actually set people free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  —John 8:36. May we become free indeed!

Interruptions

 February 17, 2023

Interruptions seem at times to be the basic building blocks of life. Some people are forever disorganized, running in a dozen directions at once, spinning their wheels. I suppose if you’re not really going anywhere, there’s no such thing as an interruption, but if you have goals, aspirations, or dreams for your future, you know some things will help you get there, and other stuff just gets in the way.

The problem is, some of the stuff that gets in the way turns out to be part of the plan. From the time I was 14, I planned on being a missionary. I was actually quite enamored with Mission Aviation Fellowship, an organization that flew supplies and missionaries into remote parts of the world, landing on airstrips improvised from fields carved from jungles, rivers, sandbars, and wherever a small aircraft could be safely put down. That was my plan, my future.

My plans were interrupted when I met Linda. That meeting turned out to be the real plan; I just didn’t know it at the time. Her plans were interrupted in a different way. When she received Christ as Savior, she struck a bargain: she wasn’t going to work in a Christian summer camp, she wasn’t going to marry a preacher, and she wasn’t going to go to Africa as a missionary. That first summer, she worked at a summer camp, the next year we met and began dating. She hasn’t yet made it to Africa, but who knows?

Then there was the time Linda and I were out to dinner before taking in a play at our local amateur theater. We were looking forward to an evening together when we got the call. “We’re at the ER, but Matt’s OK.” Nate was calling to let us know that when they and their cousins were kneeboarding behind my brother’s powerboat, a missed cue ended up with them zigging when they should have zagged, an Matt getting a knee board across the bridge of his nose. So much for our plans.

I’m taking our son Nate’s class on knowing God. One of the disciplines is daily Bible reading, prayer, and journaling; no exceptions, no excuses. He says he’ll kick out of class anyone who doesn’t do this. I’m his father, and though I can’t say for sure he would follow through on this, I don’t want to take any chances. After all, how would it look for the retired preacher to get bounced from class because he didn’t read his Bible?

So this morning, I had it all planned out. I’d get up early, work out, read my Bible and pray. However, Linda wasn’t feeling well and asked if I would just lay beside her so she could get back to sleep after a fitful night. It wasn’t even 7:00 am, and my plans were starting to unravel. By the time I got up, worked out, showered and had breakfast, it was time to go to my Spanish lesson with my friend Clark. Clark is a wonderful friend, and we not only talk Spanish, but swap stories about life, and at 90, he has plenty of stories to tell. We didn’t finish till 1:00.

I got home, had a quick lunch and settled into my chair to read. I had just scribbled a few notes in my journal when my phone rang. It was my friend Chuck, Facetiming me for our weekly connection and prayer. Like Clark, Chuck and I talked about all sorts of things before praying for each other. By then, it was nearly 5:00 and the first of the grandchildren arrived for their twice-monthly overnight. 

I managed to slip away for a short while to read and pray, but now it’s nearly 10:30. My time reading and praying was significantly truncated, which makes me grateful that a relationship with God is just that—a relationship instead of ritual, or rules, or religion. Just as there have been times when Linda and my plans have been interrupted, my time with the Lord was interrupted, but I noticed something significant: I didn’t lose the awareness of his presence, his love, mercy, and grace. Our relationship has been built over the years, and a single day’s interruption was only just that; the connection remains strong. Tomorrow is another day. I’ll get up early because I know it will be busy, and I’ll have my time with God. Hopefully, uninterrupted.

Sincere Prayer

 February 16, 2023

Almost every time I’ve prayed for someone, after the Amen would come a “Thank you.” I’ve heard those words countless times over the years, but today something was different about it. 

On the way home from an overnight with our granddaughters and time with my brother and sister in law, we stopped in to see a friend in Buffalo. I got to know him nearly two years ago, and whenever I’m in the area, I try to pop in for a few minutes. We talk, and he asks me how Nate is doing, how Linda is, and general chit chat, and I inquire about what’s going on in his life. He tells me he prays for Nate and reads my writings regularly, for which I am thankful and humbled. 

Quite often when I’m with friends, I’ll ask how I can pray for them, and today was no different…except for his response. He shared with me some pretty serious health issues he is facing, matters which like our son’s, you can’t see just from looking at him. Most people don’t share freely such personal matters. I told him I would pray for him, and then asked if I could do so right then and there, surrounded by numerous people I didn’t know. He said he would like that, so I bowed my head and asked God to reveal himself to my friend in the midst of his trials, and to heal his body for Jesus’ sake and the glory of his name. It wasn’t long or flowery, but it was sincere.

I don’t often get emotional in prayer and am not one of those who you’re likely to hear saying, “Don’t you just feel the presence of the Holy Spirit here?” But as we stood side by side, God’s presence was very real to me. I didn’t have twitchy feelings or anything like that, but it was for me, a holy moment.

My friend thanked me, but it is I who must thank him. His willingness to stand in a busy public place while I blessed him in the name of Jesus became the avenue of God’s grace to my heart. So, my friend, thank you. Together we stood on holy ground; you blessed me more than you can imagine. Now I pray for the Scripture to be fulfilled in us: 

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

—James 5:13-16 

 February 15, 2023

Linda and I have often spoken to each other about the overabundance of blessings we’ve experienced, so much so that we have bordered on feeling guilty over them, knowing that so many others haven’t received such an overflow. I had a doctor’s appointment Monday to try to track down what seem to be some minor, yet troubling issues, all on my left side. During the pre-examination when the nurse takes blood pressure and pulse and asks about medical history, she was quite surprised when I told her that at 73, I take no medications. Linda and I work out regularly, and are grateful for the good health we enjoy. Too many are not as fortunate.

The even greater blessing comes through our family. We will be celebrating Linda’s 75th birthday Sunday afternoon, and knowing that not all the grandkids can join us, we drove up to Churchville today and took Alex and Abi out to dinner. We sat for two hours, talking and laughing, filling our emotional tanks with the love we shared as we ate. Since it was almost closing time, we finally got up and drove to Abi’s home, where we laughed and talked till it was time for bed. 

Remember the old Mastercard commercial where they listed the price of various items, then had a short video of a family enjoying time together? The words accompanying this last scene was “priceless.” That’s what we experienced today, for which we are so deeply thankful.

Ready

 February 14, 2023

It was Saturday, and I wasn’t ready. The next day I had to preach; I hadn’t even chosen a text, and I was panicking. Preachers who are able to wait all week long before putting thoughts down on paper baffle me. Maybe it goes back to that first year when I needed someone to fill in for me one Sunday. I was a student at Houghton College, living off campus in the parsonage of the Alma EUB church southeast of Wellsville, NY. Each Friday when I left campus to drive home, the fellow I had asked to preach for me would ride with me as far as Wellsville before hitching a ride east to his home in Binghamton. Each Friday I would ask him how the sermon was coming. “The Holy Spirit will lead me,” he said assuredly. I wasn’t so sure.

The week after he preached I asked some of the congregation how he did. “There was a lot of “ums” and “ahhs,”” was all I could get out of these gracious people. Many were the times back then when I was up late Saturday night finishing up, but even with a full course load and a full time job, every lunch hour would find me holed up working on the sermon. I don’t like being unprepared, which is why this Saturday was so disconcerting. I was frantic, my mind racing to find words for thoughts I didn’t even have.

I have never been so glad to wake up as I was this morning! The burden was gone, the weight lifted from my shoulders; it was all a dream! I looked over at Linda sleeping beside me and thanked God for waking up beside her. I actually felt almost giddy.

The prophet Joel speaks:  

““And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.” —Joel 2:28 

I don’t see visions. I hate to have to say this, but I dream dreams, which tells you where God places me on the chronological charts. Most of my dreams are pretty crazy, and most of them are erased from my memory when I wake up. I’ll have a vague awareness that I’ve dreamed, but couldn’t give any particulars. So when one is so vivid that I remember it, I begin to wonder if God isn’t trying to tell me something. It’s happened before.

Weird things are happening in our world. From Covid to Hunter’s laptop and Chinagate to UFOs, strange things are going on. And just this week we are getting word from Wilmore KY, about the revival that is sweeping through Asbury University and Seminary. War rages in the Ukraine, hundreds of thousands are starving in Uganda, while the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has killed thousands. And though it’s not in the mainstream news, Israel is under constant threat from Russia-backed Iran.

In my dream, I wasn’t ready for Sunday. If indeed it is a word from the Lord, the question is, “Am I ready for Christ’s return?” The fear I felt in the pit of my dream-stomach urges me to search my heart before I answer this question. That is what I’m doing tonight. I hope it’s what you’re doing, too.

Saved

 February 133, 2023

A young man was driving through some of the South’s back roads when he came around a bend in the road and saw a boulder with “Jesus Saves” painted on it in huge red letters. As he drove on, he mused, “Well, if Jesus saves, maybe I should, too,” and decided right then and there to open an account at the bank.

What is required to be saved? We’ve drifted so far from traditional Christian beliefs that modern men and women don’t often think about such things. “Why do we need someone to save us,” they might ask; “What do we need to be saved from?” In a time when the concept of sin is antiquated, it’s a legitimate question. If our problems are merely human matters, or if there is no God who sits in judgment, the only thing we need to be saved from is our own mistakes and evil inclinations. For those, government always stands ready to step in with its solutions. Salvation? Not needed.

Only if we humans live in a world that is more than material, ie. a world that has a spiritual component to it, does salvation make sense. And if we live in such a world that needs saving, it stands to reason that we who are in trouble are not the ones to get us out of trouble. 

In Acts 15, a dispute arose over the requirements for salvation. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that salvation was needed. They understood that human depravity was not merely in how we treat one another, but was rooted in our rebellion against a holy God. Even the pagans of that era understood that mankind had offended the gods who needed appeasement.

The Gospel declares that this appeasement was made by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The only question left was whether something else needed to be added. It’s a question that lives on today. You can go to most any church and find requirements for belonging that are added to the simple faith in Jesus that was preached by the apostles. Dress codes, rejecting certain kinds of music, entertainment, people, are all additional requirements we have often added to repentance, confession, and faith in Jesus.

The early church decidedly rejected “faith AND…,” so much so that Peter’s address to the gathered assembly turned things around from how we usually speak. In v.11 he says, “We shall be saved in the same manner as they.” We would normally say, “they shall be saved in the same manner as we,” but Peter wanted to nail this down once and for all. We are made right with God, not by anything we can add, but by faith in Christ alone. That’s good news! God loves and accepts us just as we are so he can transform us into what we are not; holy men and women of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God the Father.

Sunshine

 February 12, 2023

The sun is shining here in WNY, a rather rare occurrence, especially in February. Our normally dreary days are a particularly needling thorn in the flesh for sufferers of SAD, Seasonally Affective Disorder, but I think it affects even the most cheerful of optimists. I know that I have to discipline my mind to be thankful no matter what, lest the dreariness get inside me.

Today has been glorious, but not everyone is able to enjoy the sunshine. Friends of mine are grieving the loss of a loved one, while others are struggling merely to take another breath. Still others are navigating family issues that tear at the very fabric of their lives. And that’s just people I know. The earthquake in Turkey and Syria have topped the news stories this past week, even surpassing the war in the Ukraine and the Chinese spy balloon our government inexplicably allowed to transverse the entire country before taking it down.

Everywhere I look, there is suffering, sadness, and questions whispered in the dark. But everywhere I look, I also see grace and mercy. It’s a strange world in which we live, filled at the same time with joys and sorrows; we must choose which becomes the focus of our attention and our hearts. Choosing well is not always easy, but it is always necessary, for if we choose poorly, life becomes as dreary as a Western New York overcast day. 

When towards the end of his life, Joshua gave a farewell speech to the children of Israel. They had conquered the Promised Land, but were in danger of forgetting the God who had given them victory. Joshua’s final words included this gem: 

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”” —Joshua 24:14-15 

Even when we feel hemmed in by our circumstances, we have the ability and the responsibility to choose the course of our lives. The details may be out of our control, but our responses to them are always within our ability. The forecast for the next few days here looks pretty good, making it easier to choose joy. But I know if the only time I am joyful is when the sun is shining, it isn’t really joy; it’s happiness. Happiness depends on what happens. Joy is my choice no matter what happens, and it is mine by the power of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Word of God, and the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ. And my choosing it.

Excellence

 February 11, 2023

It’s 10:30 pm as I write. I had something else in mind until this evening when Linda and I went to the Lucille Ball Little Theater for a presentation of “The Play that Goes Wrong,” a wacky and hilarious play about a play about a murder mystery in which anything that could go wrong on stage does go wrong, from props that fail to lines forgotten. No, this is not a theater critic’s column; it’s merely a member of the audience who appreciated two hours of lighthearted diversion from all the negativity and downright evil we see playing out before us in the daily news.

As a retired pastor, I can remember fussing over attendance statistics, trying to figure out how to attract people to church, and fretting whenever attendance took a dive. It took me a few years to figure out that you never have trouble attracting people to excellence. Tomorrow evening, millions will watch this year’s two best football teams face off. Even people who aren’t avid football fans will tune in just to see the excellence. Tonight, Linda and I experienced excellence as the actors captured and exaggerated nuances that you would see in a performance of amateurs who keep forgetting their lines and entrances. 

I remember years ago attending a seminar hosted by the Willow Creek church in Barrington, Illinois. Willow Creek at that time was a leader in the church growth movement. On this particular Sunday, there was a single announcement for this congregation of thousands. But it wasn’t just any announcement. As Lee Strobel was talking, a boy walked across the stage and tugged at his trousers. As Lee bent down to talk with him, the boy said they needed relief Sunday School teachers for the summer so their regular teachers could get a break. He had a signup clipboard that he gave to Strobel, who signed up for the task. As the boy left, he looked at the clipboard that Strobel had just signed and exclaimed, Wait a minute! You’re not Bill Hybels!” I thought then that this church put more effort into an announcement than most churches put into their entire worship service. Excellence matters.

Tonight, we experienced excellence. The theater was full and the audience appreciative. If I didn’t have an afternoon commitment tomorrow, I would pay the admission to see it again. Tomorrow, I will gather with other Christians for a performance where we in the seats are not the audience; we are the actors, playing for the Lord God Almighty. May we all play our parts with all the excellence we can muster, offering the best of ourselves in praise and worship to the One who alone deserves the best we can give (1 Corinthians 10:31). May he be as pleased with the excellence of our hearts and lives as we were with those on stage this evening.

Outsider no More

 February 10, 2023

If you’ve ever felt yourself on the outside looking in, it’s not a good feeling. Being an outsider may enable you to see things an insider cannot see, but it comes at a price. I always felt like an outsider when I was growing up. I wasn’t athletic; strike one. I wasn’t outgoing; strike two. I liked music, but wasn’t particularly good at it, so I ended up playing of all the instrumental possibilities, the bassoon; strike three. I was out, slinking from the plate in defeat, sitting on the end of the bench all by myself.

So when I read Paul’s sermon in Acts 13, I get excited. Five times (vv. 26, 32, 33, 38, 41) Paul says, “to you.” The Word of God is “to you.” The Good News is “to you.” It’s not just others, but “you too.” Reading these words reminded me of another “to you” in the Bible, surprisingly enough, from the pen of Luke, who just happened to also be the author of Acts.

In Luke 2:11, on the night Jesus was born, the angels announced to the shepherds, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Whatever else the Gospel says, it always says this: “To you” God gave his Son. You are no longer on the outside looking in. You who were estranged and alienated, he has brought near. The outsider becomes an insider when sins are confessed and forsaken, and Jesus is received as Savior and Lord.

Shame

 February 9, 2023

I was in fourth grade. The class was performing some sort of “play” on stage at Paddy Hill Elementary. I must have drawn the short straw because I got the part of a hayseed farmer. The script called for me to come out on stage and scold a couple other kids for some sort of offense. That wasn’t what makes me remember this skit, however. The scripted response to my line was for one of the “kids” to laugh and say, “Don’t listen to that old windbag.” 

Why would such a line in an elementary school play have burned itself so deeply into my memory? Because it burned into my psyche. Fourth grader that I was, I couldn’t distinguish between a script and real life. That laughter and that one line dug deep. The shame of those innocent scripted words became a part of my identity. I never stood on stage again.

Shame is a powerful incentive to behavioral change. In our Thursday morning men’s prayer group today, we read from Psalm 119:

“Let the proud be ashamed, 

For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; 

But I will meditate on Your precepts. 

Let those who fear You turn to me, 

Those who know Your testimonies. 

Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, 

That I may not be ashamed.”

—Psalm 119:78-80 

Twice in these three verses we see the word “ashamed.” The first is the author’s wishing shame on the proud; the second, the author wanting to be free from shame himself. I would be hard pressed to say I’ve been treated wrongfully with falsehood. There have been times, but my life hasn’t been characterized by such vitriol. However, these words got me to thinking.

I wish I could say I’m blameless regarding God’s statutes, but I would be lying. I don’t have to dig very deep in the memory bank to find ways I’ve fallen short. Thankfully, God has a remedy for it. “How shall a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed according to your word.” So says the 9th verse of this psalm. Every single verse mentions a synonym for God’s word: statutes, commandments, judgments, testimonies, precepts, laws—each verse giving a benefit of knowing and following God’s ways.

I’ve never had reason to be ashamed when I’m living out God’s word. Any shame I’ve felt has come when I’ve strayed from it or been unaware of the strength and blessing it provides. Often, that sense of shame has motivated me to change my behavior. When I’ve teetered on the edge of sin, I’ve said to myself, “That’s not the man I want to be,” and it has often been all I needed to change my behavior. In the New Testament, Paul said it best: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.” (Romans 1:16). And if I am unashamed, it tells me that God has been doing his work in me. For that, I am most grateful tonight.

Little Faith

 February 8, 2023

I must confess that today it’s hard to stop, read, and pray. It’s a beautiful sunny day; something we don’t often get in a WNY winter. Or summer, for that matter. Staying indoors to write is a real test.

If you’ve ever felt guilty about praying desperately about something, but without much confidence that God was listening, or if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a cruel accusation that if you had had more faith, God would have healed your loved one, Acts 12 is for you!

Acts 12 is both a challenge and an encouragement to prayer. Peter is in prison chained between two guards, awaiting his execution. Verse 5 gives us the response of his Christian friends to this dilemma: “Constant prayer was made to God by the church for him.” It’s this constant part that challenges me. A crisis comes and we pray intensely for a few days, perhaps a week or two, but when the immediacy of it is past, so are our prayers. Constant, or continual is rarely something we can claim in our prayers.

The encouragement part comes in verse 15. An angel has freed Peter; he walks home and knocks at the door. Inside, his friends—all Christians—are praying for him just like verse 5 indicated. Rhoda, a servant girl, answers the door. She doesn’t actually open it; after all, Herod has imprisoned Peter. Who knows whether he has sent more soldiers to ferret out any Christians they might find so he can imprison and kill a few more? Rhoda however, recognizes Peter’s voice and runs back to the room where the others are praying. “Peter’s here!” she excitedly exclaims. Their response?

“You’re Imagining things.” When she persists, they tell her she must have seen Peter’s ghost. Whether they were serious or making fun of her is hard to say, but give her credit—she refuses to give up. They finally go to the door and, lo and behold, Peter is standing outside! It’s really a bit comical; I can imagine impetuous Peter, pacing at the door, nervously looking over his shoulder for soldiers, and getting more impatient by the minute. 

Do you see the irony? They refused to believe God had answered their prayers! It can hardly be claimed that they were exercising much faith, which means there is hope for my prayers and your prayers. While Jesus chided his disciples for their little faith, it’s not the only factor in answered prayer. Sometimes when our faith is small, God delights in reminding us that he is big, and not limited by our shortcomings. After all, it’s in the Bible!

Barnabas

 February 7, 2023

“I don’t like those modern worship songs! They’re too loud, too repetitive, and hip hop and the Gospel just don’t mix.” “I wish my church would get into the Twentieth Century, let alone the Twenty-first! All they sing are old songs from the 1800s and before. When are they going to get with it?” “Our preacher talks too long!” “Our preacher just tells stories.” 

You get the picture. We all want worship to mirror our tastes, and when it doesn’t, we fold our arms, scowl like an old school-marm, and compile lists of grievances in our minds. It’s nothing new. Any time the church enters a new season of life, it stirs things up. That’s what new life does; ask any mother of a newborn!

The New Testament book of Acts is a showcase of new beginnings. In chapter one, the disciples had to come to terms with Jesus’ physical absence. In chapter two, the Holy Spirit stirred things up at Pentecost, much to the displeasure of the religious leaders. Chapters 3 through 5 brought “unregulated” healing and preaching in the name of Jesus, much to the chagrin of those leaders who had conspired for his death.

By chapter six, the church had grown to the point where some were feeling neglected by the apostles, whose work had burgeoned and threatened to overwhelm them. So it goes. In chapter 9, Saul is converted and commissioned to preach to the Gentiles, and in chapters 10 and 11, this brings a seismic shift into the church as it breaks loose of its Jewish roots. 

Dramatic change always brings tension, and the fledgling church was no exception. Fortunately, there were a few who had the gifts and graces to navigate this tension, helping people adjust, encouraging and enabling them to love people very different than themselves. Barbabas was one of those people. His very name is more of a title given him by those who knew his character: “Son of Encouragement.” In 11:23-24 it says, 

“When [Barnabas] came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

That’s the kind of man I want to be. I want to see God’s grace in those moments of tension; I want to encourage people simply to follow the Lord. I want to be a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. Why? So a great many people can be added to the Lord.

I’ve had to work at being a Barnabas. Since retirement, certain things have changed in the life of our congregation, and it’s not always easy to adjust. I’m working at it, and one thing that helps is my understanding of worship. Whenever I’m tempted to say, “I don’t like that song,” or “That sermon didn’t speak to me,” God reminds me that worship isn’t about me; it’s about him. How I feel about it is irrelevant. The only question is, “Did this bring praise to the Lord Jesus Christ?” That’s what worship is all about—the word itself comes from the Old English “worth-ship.” Jesus Christ alone is worthy of my adoration and praise. No matter how well I sing the songs or even preach the Word, if Jesus isn’t receiving my attention and devotion, I’m not worshipping him; I’m worshipping me. 

So bring on the change. And Lord Jesus, bring out the Barnabas in me!