Who You Are

 November 30, 2024

Yesterday, I said it was time to revisit Philippians, but tomorrow is the first Sunday in Advent. Maybe it would be better to ponder the wonder of our salvation via God becoming flesh for us. 

Tonight however, I’ll give one last nod to Philippians till after Christmas.

“Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.”

—Philippians 4:2-3 NLT

Yesterday I asked how we work out our differences. I suggested we start by looking in the mirror. So what do you see when you look inside your own heart? Euodia and Syntyche were hard workers. We don’t know anything about their disagreement, but it must have been pretty disruptive to the Philippian congregation. In my experience, it’s usually money, sex, pride, or power. I doubt if this were sexual or financial, so my guess would be pride and power. One thought the other was getting more attention than herself.

How do you feel when someone else gets the credit or the attention? Jealous? Angry? Down on yourself? One of the hardest and most important life lessons we need to learn is that only Jesus has the right to tell us who we are. Don’t let someone else by their words or actions determine how you feel about yourself. Look to Jesus. This is what God thinks of you:

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you.” —Isaiah 43:1, 4 

Remember: Only Jesus has the right to tell you who you are. No one else, not even yourself.

Thanksgiving

It’s Thanksgiving!

 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” —I Thessalonians 5:16-18 

As you can see, those who divided the Scriptures into chapters and verses (Originally, there were no such things; they were added later for convenience) divided these words into three different verses, but they really are more intimately connected than that. Taking it in reverse order, you’ll see that it’s hard to give thanks in every situation if you haven’t previously prayed and established a mindset of rejoicing.

Finding joy in life doesn’t happen automatically. It requires a certain mindset that must be regularly infused with prayer or it dribbles away. And when it comes to giving thanks, notice that word “giving.” It presupposes you possess something you are able to give. You can’t just manufacture it out of thin air. You first must receive that mindset of gratitude before you can give from an overabundance of it. Again, that’s where prayer comes in.

I am by nature melancholic, but I’ve learned that I don’t have to be. I can choose my attitude, no matter what my circumstances. So I keep prayed up, during which I discover much cause for rejoicing and gives me the mindset to look for that for which to be thankful. 

And it doesn’t hurt to remember that these three sentences are not declarative. They are commands. 

Word Power

 November 26, 2024

Whenever I’ve had to officiate at a funeral, my words have seemed to me to be weak and powerless. After all, what can you say that will take away a person’s grief? Even so, in the weakness of our words there is great power to heal or to hurt. Do you remember when someone said something cruel to you? I haven’t been able to forget when someone who should have known better slandered someone very close to me.

I also remember words of encouragement, like when people have commented that my bass playing has added to the worship at Koinonia or kept a steady beat in the jazz band. Listen to St. Paul:

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”    —Ephesians 4:29 

I remember 20 years ago when our church was going through a difficult time. While I was preaching one Sunday, someone in the back of the church was talking, slandering me and others. Pastor Roy happened to be sitting in front of them, and in the middle of the service, stood up, turned around and loud enough to be heard by everyone, quoted this scripture, adding, “The Bible says our speech is supposed to edify others. Who are you edifying? You certainly aren’t edifying me.” He turned and sat down.

There was utter silence. Those who were in that back row didn’t come back the next week…or in any of the weeks afterward. Instead of repentance, they sadly chose to ignore the Scripture. Don’t you do the same. Speak encouragement; they are the heart and words of Jesus.

Word Power

 November 25, 2024

Tonight’s post goes back about a month.

When I was growing up, it was called Columbus Day, a remembrance of when Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. I can’t remember exactly when the name changed to “Indigenous People’s Day,” but the new appellation has been the darling of whoever has the ear of the powers that be. To call it Columbus Day now is to subject yourself to charges of racism, colonialism, and worse. 

I don’t have a real preference one way or another, but the change is significant in that it demonstrates the power of language to define our reality. We Christians should have known this, because “the Word” is central to our theology. People often say they want to see Jesus, but the predominant Christian revelation is auditory, not visual. God spoke, and the world came into existence. The prophets thundered, “Thus saith the LORD,” and John says of Jesus, “The Word became flesh.”

In everyday life, pay attention to words. Remember that whoever defines the terminology controls the conversation. Is the craziness of our world simply social and political operatives gone awry, or are there as the Bible says, demonic entities behind it all? Is the confusion and bondage of addiction merely medical and psychological, or is there demonic activity behind it all? And the unexpected kindness of a stranger—might it be the work of the Holy Spirit in them? 

Pay attention to how you and others use language. Words have power for good or evil. “May your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:5-6).

Believe Jesus

November 24, 2024

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus asks his disciples what people are saying about who they think he is. The disciples answer, and Jesus responds with “Who do YOU say I am?” Peter responds with that classic line, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

Jesus commends Peter for this statement, and immediately tells them of his impending crucifixion, to which Peter essentially says, “NO! NEVER!’ Then Jesus tells them the implications of this: 

He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” —Mark 8:34 

Here’s the problem: We believe in Jesus, but we don’t believe Jesus. We expect life to treat us fairly, and get rattled when we face illness, ridicule, rejection, opposition, or tragedy of any sort. We expect to be blessed with health, happiness, and success, but Jesus here gives us what it means to confess him as Lord, as Christ, as the Son of God: a cross. It sounds pretty bleak until he adds, 

“whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” —Mark 8:35 

We cannot take Jesus if we are unwilling to take up his cross, but doing so is the only way to life.

 

Who Commands?

 November 23, 2024

The other day I was reading in Matthew’s gospel where Peter walked on water (chapter 14). You know the story. Peter got out of the boat and walked on water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. But when he looked around him at the storm, he began to sink. There’s a boatload of lessons in that, but I’m intrigued by one detail that we tend to overlook. It’s found in verse 28.

“And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.””

Doesn’t that sound like a strange thing for Peter to say? I’ve been puzzling over it for a few days now, until last night when I compared it to another part of Matthew’s gospel:

Those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” —Matthew 27:39-40 

Did you catch the contrast in the “ifs?” Peter’s statement was “If it is you Lord, command me…” The skeptics at the cross said, “If you are the Son of God, come down…” Peter’s “if” invited Jesus to command him. The skeptics “if” tried to command Jesus. There are times when we’re not sure about what God is up to, but if we invite Jesus to command us, we’ll be OK. But if we try to command him, we’ll remain skeptics who keep their distance from him throughout eternity. In the storms of life, we must never forget who does the commanding.

God’s Time

 November 22, 2024

A few weeks ago as I was praying with two pastor friends, we talked about how impatient we get in prayer. We want answers NOW! But God has his own time, as it says in Ecclesiastes: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (3:1). It’s true in all of life. Pick an apple before it’s ripe, and you have to rip it off the tree. If you eat it, you’ll get a bellyache. 

Why do you suppose we are so impatient? I think impatience is born out of fear. We pray for someone to be saved or healed or shown the way they need to go, but are afraid the answer won’t come until it’s too late. In short, we don’t believe God knows what he is doing. We forget God assures us that

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:8-9 

Just prior to these words in Isaiah, we are told to call upon God while he may be found. We worry that we are too late because we aren’t seeing the answer to our prayers right now. Here’s how Isaiah concludes this little lesson: 

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace.” —Isaiah 55:11-12 

Don’t be impatient in prayer. Don’t be afraid. Trust God. He knows what he is doing, and at just the right time, he will answer your prayers in the best possible way.

Compassion

 November 21, 2024

“And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.” —Matthew 14:14 

Having just learned that his cousin and friend John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod, Jesus wanted some alone time to grieve, think, and pray. The Bible says he went to a lonely place, but the people figured out where he was headed and beat him to his destination. 

Listen carefully to what the text says: “When he saw [them] he was moved with compassion…” I’ve listened to people praying for God to give them greater compassion for others, but that’s not how it works. We develop compassion when we actually see people; their sorrows, their pain, their bondage to sin. Praying won’t develop your compassion. Only seeing will do that. 

So take a good look at the people around you. Stop thinking of how you feel (remember, Jesus was grieving when he had compassion), and pay attention to the problems and suffering of those around you. When you see them…REALLY see them, God will give you all the compassion you need.

Laugh

 November 20, 2024

What are you thankful for today? I’m thankful to be able to get out of bed and go to work. Awhile back, when I woke up, everything hurt—my back, my wrists, my ankles. I left for church at 7:00 am, and didn’t get home till 7:30 pm. Two services, funeral, funeral dinner, cleanup, bass lesson, and discipleship group. I was tired when I got home, but unlike thousands of people in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, I had a house to go home to. 

I listened to an elderly comedian the other day. By elderly, I mean he’s 75–my age—but I think he looks older. I might need to double check that with a mirror, but at any rate, he was pretty good. He said he went to the doctor with what he thought was arthritis. “It wasn’t that. Turns out it was early onset rigor mortis.” I’m thankful I can laugh at myself.

The Bible says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.”

(Proverbs 17:22) There is a lot of truth here. When your our kids were growing up, we laughed a lot at Nate and Matt’s antics, so much so that Matt once told Linda that one of the things that kept him from some of the things his friends were doing was that we laughed a lot, probably at times we shouldn’t have. 

There’s a caveat here: Laugh at yourself, not at others. I am not a fan of much modern “comedy.” The joke is always at someone else’s expense, and has a barb that cuts deep. I grew up on the comedy of Jackie Gleason and Lucille Ball, who knew how to laugh at themselves. It’s that kind of laughter that is healthy. The other ages everyone.

Too many people take themselves too seriously, and as the Proverb says, “it dries the bones.” They are brittle, dreary, and old before their time. So laugh at yourself and at the often absurdity of life. It will do much to keep you young even when you’re old.

Drawing the Curtain

 11/19/24

One day last month as I was praying, a picture came to mind—somewhat of a vision, I suppose. I was in a theater where a heavy curtain was being pulled back to reveal what was about to take place on stage. Usually when I think of something like this, I am in the audience watching the curtain being drawn to the wings revealing the set with actors ready with their first lines.

As I prayed, I wondered, “Is God pulling back the curtain so I can see what he has planned?” I can tell you this—I have no clue as to what God has up his sleeve. So the next question is, “Am I pulling the curtain back so someone else can see what God is doing?” I think that is a most important question. We are God’s stage hands. If we don’t pull back the curtain, God’s activity remains hidden from the audience who never gets to see the wonders of his salvation plan for them.

“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” —Isaiah 42:6-7 

Years ago, God gave me this verse as a theme for my life, but it’s not for me only. There are people waiting anxiously, straining to see what God has in store, but if we fail to pull back the curtain, they’ll never be able to see. It’s not the most glamorous job, but being God’s stage hand is an important one, so when your time comes, pull on those curtain ropes as hard as you can.

Were/Are

 November 18, 2024

Following Jesus isn’t for the faint of heart. St. Paul said it best when he declared, “I die daily” (1 Cor 15:31). Yesterday I mentioned one benefit; here’s another: 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Though it’s been over sixty years, I remember well the day I prayed and asked God to forgive my sins and for Jesus to live within me. If you do the math, you’ll know I was just entering my teenage years, so I hadn’t really done a lot of what most people consider “bad stuff.” But even then, I could see the direction I was heading, and knew it wouldn’t end well. In the years since, God has delivered me from all sorts of pits and traps I would have fallen into were it not for his Holy Spirit living within me. 

It hasn’t always been easy, but I also haven’t had to deal with the harsh consequences of the bad decisions I surely would have made otherwise. God has given me a life I didn’t deserve and couldn’t have achieved on my own. For me, the best part of it all is having had the opportunity to pour this New Creation through Christ into the lives of others over the years. 

Maybe you had more “bad stuff” in your past than I. If so, God’s promise is still true: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” It may not feel as if everything is new. In your mind you may have memories of the old life that haunt you, but remember God’s Word is true; as far as he is concerned, the old has passed away. Don’t believe the devil’s lies that you are what you were. You WERE a child of the devil; you ARE a child of God. You WERE wandering in sin; you ARE home with your Heavenly Father. You WERE lost; you ARE found. You WERE dead in your sins; you ARE alive in Christ.

You Can

 November 16, 2024

Can you imagine being crippled for 38 years because you believed a lie? That’s what had happened to a man Jesus met one day in the city of Jerusalem.

“Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.” —John 5:5-9 

Jesus asked what must have sounded like a ridiculous question: “Do you want to be well?” It may have sounded ridiculous, but Jesus hit the nail on the head. Instead of answering the question, the man made excuses. Don’t judge him too harshly; we do the same thing all the time. We give Jesus excuses for why we can’t do this or that. What if we simply took him at his word, got up and did what he said we can do? What would change in your life if you believed Jesus instead of the lie that says, “I can’t?”

Later in this incident, Jesus tells us that “I can’t” isn’t just an admission of inadequacy; it’s a sin to be forsaken (5:14). Today would be a good day to listen to Jesus and say, “With your help, I can!” Paul did it (Philippians 4:13–“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”). You can do it, too.

Boundaries

 November 15, 2024

Pastor Brandon’s sermon awhile back ignited a spark that I just had to investigate further. I did, and it raised some questions I can’t answer. Here’s the Scripture:

“Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.””                    —Luke 4:24-27 

Jesus didn’t minister to everyone in Galilee or Judea. He ministered to those to whom he had been sent. He supported his position by telling of Elijah and Elisha who instead of ministering to their own people, ministered to foreigners. So here’s my dilemma:

Linda and I live busy lives for people our age. We don’t get much down time; if we want to do something together, we have to check our calendars to make sure we both have the time available. Yet we look around us and see so many more who need a friend, a listening ear, a helping hand. There are more of them than there are of us, so where and how do we draw the line? 

This is not just a question for us; it’s for you, too. If we are serious about Christian living, we’ll see people all around us who need what we have to offer. And if we begin to offer it, we’ll see even more who need us. If we aren’t careful, we’ll become overwhelmed by it all and find ourselves running out of energy. People who don’t set boundaries find themselves overrun, or they themselves crash and burn with emotional breakdowns, self-destructive behavior, or improper relationships.

Jesus understood this and didn’t try to minister to everyone he met. The question is, how did he choose, and how did he deal with those he couldn’t or didn’t help? And how do we handle those situations? The danger here is one of balance. There is always more need than any one of us can meet, but there is also our tendency to waste time, pamper ourselves, turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to those who need what we have to offer. The only answer I can think of regarding this dilemma is that which Jesus himself found:

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” —Mark 1:35 

In these times alone with his Heavenly Father, he learned one thing:

“Jesus said… “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” —John 5:19 

Spend time alone with your Heavenly Father. It’s the only way you can know to whom he sends you, and where the boundaries are.

Check the Box

 November 14, 2024

Awhile back as I was driving and praying, I thought of what I wrote the night before about the mystery of our salvation. I’ve found that it’s way too easy to do all the spiritual disciplines we’re supposed to do, but to do them with an “I’ve checked that box for today.” When I read my Bible, am I just going through the motions? Listen to what Jesus said about that: 

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

—John 5:39-40 

It is very easy to search the Scriptures without coming to Jesus. We do it all the time. As I was driving, the Holy Spirit convicted me of doing just that. I was reading to check the box, not to encounter the risen and living Christ. Often the difference is simply the attitude I bring to my reading, but even more, that I don’t give myself enough time to actually listen. Linda and I are close because we spend time together—we MAKE time together just to be with each other. We get close to God the same way, so don’t just check the box; take the time to get your mind set and your spirit ready to just be with Jesus. You won’t regret it.

Mystery

November 13, 2024

 Most Christians and plenty of pagans are familiar with Jesus’ words in John 3:16 & 17—

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

But we aren’t quite as familiar with what he said just prior to this.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

—John 3:8 

I suspect the reason we aren’t as conversant with this verse is that it isn’t something we can define, quantify, or measure. We like our world to be orderly, predictable, comfortable, but Jesus’ description of the life of the Spirit is anything but. It’s mysterious, unpredictable, unmeasurable. We can’t see it, hold it in our hands, control it. All we can do is observe its effects. But it’s those effects that are so important. One must believe in Jesus to be born again, but if that belief doesn’t translate into a life driven by the Holy Spirit, it isn’t complete. And that Holy Spirit driven life is not the safe and predictable lot we would often choose. God is a God of order, but also of surprises.

So as God brings order out of the chaos of an unredeemed life, also allow space in your heart for the mystery and wonder of redemption—that which you can’t fully explain or measure, but which is the stuff of life itself.