By Whatever Means

 June 8, 2021

Last night I received word from a friend who informed me that her husband had contracted COVID, was hospitalized in ICU, and that he had to be revived after his heart stopped. His blood pressure is all over the charts. She asked me to pray for him. I shall not mention either of their names, as they live in a restricted country where if word of their work leaked out, it could cause problems for them and their ministry. 

Here’s the backstory: When I met them years ago while on a mission trip, we immediately connected even though we could only communicate through an interpreter. By his own admission, he had been a thug until visited in prison by Christians who shared the Gospel with him. He repented, came to Christ, and later married the woman who visited him and led him to faith in Christ. We worked with them for nearly two weeks, and have stayed in contact ever since, watching him grow in his faith till he launched out on his own as a missionary to his people. He has sent me videos of his preaching to crowds of people, but asked that I not share them on social media due to the problems it would bring.

Just over a month ago, our Christian brothers and sisters in Cuba laid to rest Jose Santiago, another very effective evangelist. I’ve watched over the years as the work he started grew, impacting hundreds in a very difficult spiritual climate. It seems to me the Enemy is using this disease in an attempt to destroy God’s most prolific evangelists—first Jose, and now my unnamed friend. Jose is no longer with us, but my friend is.

Today’s Scripture reading happened to be from Luke 8 which consists of four consecutive accounts of Jesus healing people. What strikes me is that there is no single formula, no particular pattern to these healings. Jesus spoke and touched the leper; he declared almost off-handedly to the centurion that on the basis of his faith the man’s servant was healed; touched Peter’s mother without saying a word, and finally, cast out demons with a word, and healed without a specific method being mentioned.

So Lord, by whatever means you choose, through the work of your Holy Spirit and by the merits of Christ’s sacrifice for us, please heal my friend. There are still many who need to hear about you through him.

Boastfulness

 June 7, 2021

Be careful what you pray for. You just might get it. Because I have a constant battle against my tendency to be somewhat judgmental, God occasionally steps in to nudge me towards grace. The other day I was reading Psalm 5 when the fifth verse jumped out at me: “The boastful shall not stand in your sight.” I’ve seen my share of braggarts, and am never impressed with them, so I’ve always seen this verse as a vindication of my attitude; “God is going to cut this person down to size,” I would think. But this time, when I read this verse, I saw it through a different lens. Instead of this verse offering vindication for my judgmental spirit, I saw it as cause for sorrow. Why do I not weep for the boastful, knowing their end? God takes no joy in the death of the wicked, Ezekiel tells us. Psalm 5:5 is merely a statement of fact, not a justification for judgmentalism.

Boastful people are usually insecure, lacking the confidence that comes from knowing who you are in Christ, knowing that you have a Savior and Defender who accepts you no matter what. If I am boasting about my accomplishments, I am not as Paul hopes, boasting in the Cross, and if I am not boasting in the Cross, I am cutting myself off from the one Source of joy, confidence, and salvation. Inwardly rejoicing that the boastful cannot stand is a denial of the Gospel and a betrayal of my faith.

“Lord, teach me to see the boastful not as pride-filled, but as needing the confidence of knowing you. May I see such people as you see them, and treat them as you treat them, with patience and kindness, so they may come to Christ and discover that which is truly worth boasting about.”

Ordinary

 June 6, 2021

Our fifty-first anniversary hasn’t been a whirlwind of romance; instead, it’s been a celebration of a different kind of love that gives till it comes back to you, wave upon wave. Jesus himself told us to cast our bread upon the waters and it would come back to us, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Such has certainly been the case for us as we spent the day cleaning up after our granddaughter’s wedding reception in our backyard. Hundreds of china plates, stemware, silverware and all the pots and pans required to feed two hundred people took most of the day to wash, pack, and put away. We have been blessed to be surrounded by wonderful giving people who made it all possible.

Last night our backyard looked like a fairyland, and now it’s back to normal, much like life itself. High and holy moments such as we witnessed at Abi and Jake’s wedding, as wonderful as they are, are few and far between. Most of life is lived in ordinary circumstances, and as much as we love and remember these special occasions, if we rely on them alone for our strength and inspiration, we shall live disappointing lives. 

Luke’s gospel tells of Jesus’ encounter with two people walking along a road to Emmaus, a small settlement near the ancient Jerusalem. They talked about the Scriptures as they related to current events, but it wasn’t till Jesus broke bread with them, ie. shared a meal, that they recognized Who it was at the table with them. It is in such ordinary matters as sharing a meal together that Christ reveals himself to us. Ordinary days are often God’s choice vessels for extraordinary encounters. Abi and Jake’s day yesterday was extraordinary, but so was Linda’s  and mine as we experienced the presence of Christ worshipping together this morning, and working together this afternoon.

Last Call

 June 4, 2021

The tables are set, the dance floor built, the rehearsal is over, and lastly, the girls are tucked in for the night, although they aren’t too happy about it. Tomorrow, they’ll be even more buzzy when they discover they’ve been confined to the premises for the day. It’s been a long and busy day getting the backyard ready for tomorrow’s wedding reception, but these events don’t happen every day. As we’ve told all the grandkids—“One and done!”

I was too busy working today to take any photos, but if I had, those pictures would show some thirty people setting tables, arranging flowers, building a dance floor, stringing lights, and doing whatever was needed to transform our backyard from a lawn to a beautiful wedding venue. A task which could have produced tension and conflict was drama free, testimony to the quality and character of the people Jake and Abi have surrounding them. One of my prayers for them is that they would always have such a cloud of witnesses to encourage, instruct, and even correct them. Pity the couple who have no one to lean on other than each other. 

Jake and Abi have each other, they have Jesus Christ, but they also have family and friends who believe in Christ, believe in marriage, and believe in them. The foundations have been laid; tomorrow they start building. May they build well.

 

Soul Food

 June 3, 2021

Psalm 34 is one of my favorites, filled with nuggets of encouragement and wisdom. Take verse 8, for example: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” When I was a little kid, the dinner rule at our house was we had to try everything mom cooked. We didn’t need to take much, but if it was on the table, we were expected to have some on our plate. And whatever was on our plate had to be eaten in its entirety; no taking a big helping and dumping half of it in the trash. To this day, it bothers me to see people doing that.

It’s that trying whatever was set before us that grabs my attention. Too many of us don’t like the looks of something, so we pass it by, never discovering the depth and breadth of culinary delight, especially in the spiritual world. We stick to the things we know we like, and so miss out on the menu God has prepared for us. We suffer from a spiritual anorexia, all the while a feast has been prepared for us. That meal may have some servings we would just as soon avoid, but God knows what we need for a balanced and nutritious diet, found in his Word, revealing Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. 

An Amazing Gift

 June 2, 2021

She’s sleeping now, after a long and busy day getting ready for the wedding. The gardens are planted and mulched, the lawn mowed and trimmed, cookies are baked, the garage is full of supplies, and our dining room looks like a restaurant supply warehouse. It has been her labor of love for our dear Abi, but the greatest gift is where Linda is snoozing tonight. 

Every couple weeks as we climb into bed, she slowly looks around the room and exclaims, “Have I told you how much I love this room?” It’s the ground level bedroom we added on three summers ago. It’s spacious, with a pastel teal paint scheme, antique sconce lighting, hardwood floor and the carved queen bed I bought her for Christmas about six years ago. She absolutely loves that room! Tonight however, she is sleeping upstairs in our old bedroom so our houseguest for the next ten days doesn’t have to climb stairs at 87 years of age.

For nearly 51 years I have been married to the most amazing and most giving woman I have ever met. I have watched her sacrifice time after time in order to bless someone who usually hasn’t the faintest idea of the magnitude of her generosity and what it cost her to give as she does. If besides my salvation God only gave me her, I would consider myself the most fortunate man on earth, and tonight, she sleeps unaware of the depth of my gratitude for the most amazing gift of her love for me.

Secrets

 June 1, 2021

“No secrets, no subversions, no surprises” was bishop Yeakel’s operating principle. It’s good for organizational operations, but God doesn’t seem to be bothered by secrets. IN fact, he loves them. The Gospel of Matthew records a few in chapter six; v.4–good deeds done secretly, v.6–prayer in secret, v.18–fasting secretly. In 11:25, Jesus speaks of things hidden from the wise, and chapter 13 is filled with parables designed to hide truth from those unready to hear it (vv.13-15). Matthew repeatedly echoes Deuteronomy 29:29 where we are told that the “secret things belong to the LORD, or Psalm 25:14—“The secret of the LORD is with those who fear him,” or Psalm 91:1—“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High...” Then there is Isaiah 45:3 where God’s treasures are hidden in secret places, or Daniel 222—“He reveals deep and secret things.” Amos 3:7 tells us that “God does nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.”

God has his secrets that he has revealed in Jesus Christ, but only to those who will hide away in secret places with him. I have often been too busy to enter into that secret place, to my own detriment. I suspect God operates this way in order to reveal to us the secrets of our own hearts. Our daily busy-ness often serves as a foil protecting us from the searching gaze of the Holy Spirit. We imagine we are doing great things for God, but haven’t taken the time to discover the little things that make for greatness as we gloss over Scripture, rush our way through our prayers, and hurry past the lessons only learned in patient waiting. Our emptiness is disguised in our busy-ness while we substitute entertainment for study, prayer, and service. 

Lord Jesus, you asked your sleepy disciples why they couldn’t wait with you for one hour. What must you think of us who struggle to spend ten minutes in your Presence? Forgive our busy ways, and slow us down so you can reveal your secrets to us.