Finish

 November 4, 2023

2 Chronicles 14-16 outline the life of king Asa of Judah. He was the great-grandson of Solomon. The chronology goes: David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa. He is regarded as one of the better kings, having destroyed pagan altars and restoring temple worship in Jerusalem. He did pretty well for most of his life, but when threatened of invasion by Baasha from Israel in the north, instead of trusting in God as he had done when invaded by an earlier Ethiopian army, he bribed the Syrian king to the north of Israel. When confronted by a prophet concerning his weakening faith, he had the prophet imprisoned.

He had been told that as long as he sought the Lord, he would find the Lord, but if he abandoned the Lord, trouble would be the result. Sadly, his latter years were a mish-mash of trust and faithlessness.

Starting well is good, but finishing well is the goal. I am much closer to the finish line than the starting line. I’ve stumbled more than once in this marathon of life, but my most earnest prayer is to finish well. I’ve seen the toll of faithful Christ-followers who as the years piled up, began to compromise, grew lazy, or completely abandoned the faith they once championed. I’d be a fool to think it couldn’t happen to me. So I pray, “Lord, guard my heart, hold my hand, and protect my head, so I can say with St. Paul, 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” —II Timothy 4:7-8 

Prepared

 November 3, 2023

“He did evil because he didn’t prepare his heart to seek the LORD.” 

—2 Chronicles 12:14

Rehoboam came from good lineage. His grandfather was David, his father Solomon. The first had a heart that was “after God’s own heart,” and the second had wisdom above all others. Rehoboam had potential; promise that was never fulfilled. The kingdom that should have prospered descended into civil war. The writer of the Chronicles tells us why: “he didn’t prepare his heart to seek the LORD.”

People often imagine that God’s blessing just happens to fall on certain people willy-nilly; that some are just lucky, while others are not. While it is true that God makes his sun shine upon both good and evil, and that his mercy often pours out upon those who would least expect it, the continuance of that mercy and blessing is often dependent on what we who receive it do with it. 

We often labor under the mistaken belief that we can seek God at any time, that we can waltz into his Presence at will, as if the Trinity were little more than the heavenly welcoming committee. Scripture doesn’t bear this out. Isaiah tells us to

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

—Isaiah 55:6-7

God welcomes all who come to him…in humility and repentance. Jesus said that those who climb up another way are little more than thieves and robbers. James says, “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6), while Joel tells us to “rend your hearts and not your garments” (2:13).

If I seriously want to come into God’s presence, I must prepare my heart. Humbly recognizing and repenting of sin opens the door to God’s heart, and that is the one place where evil cannot dwell. Preparing my heart to seek God is the best guarantee of a good life of integrity and faith.

Katilus

November 2, 2014

Habakkuk the prophet was perplexed. He knew his people needed chastening for their unfaithfulness to the Lord, but when it came at the hands of the ruthless Assyrians, it seemed to him a miscarriage of justice. "These people who kill and rape and steal are worse than we ever were; how is there any justice in this?" he wailed. But instead of turning his back on God, he said, "I'll sit and wait to see what the LORD has to say to me." 

I don't know how long he waited for an answer, but when it came, it probably wasn't what he expected. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much of an answer at all. "The just shall live by faith" was what God told him. Huh? What kind of answer is that? Well, in this world, it is about the only answer we often get: Just keep trusting God." Sometimes there is no other choice except despair. It's either hang on or give up. God doesn't let us in on all his secrets. I don't believe it's because he delights in watching us weep at gravesides or writhe with the pain of cancer, but there are often paths along which he leads us that we would avoid like the plague if we knew ahead of time where they were leading. 

I've stood with parents by the grave of their child, wondering if I can find any words that can give some measure of comfort, knowing full well their grief will not go away. And yet, these very same parents when asked if they would rather not have been given that child, invariably say that the privilege of raising their child was worth carrying within them a broken heart. Love is worth the pain.

And yet, it hurts, and often makes no sense. The prophet Jeremiah even accused God of deceiving him. It hardly seems wise to challenge God, but when you are hurting badly enough, desperation often kicks in. "You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me" (Jeremiah 20:7). That's a pretty ballsy thing to say to God, but Jeremiah had had enough. As Ricky Ricardo used to say to Lucy, "You got some 'splainin' to do!" Still, God holds his peace, while we struggle to find ours.

Remember Habakkuk? When all was said and done, God's word proved to be enough. At the very end of his short prophecy, he concludes, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength." 

I think the emphasis in Habakkuk's final statement is on the word "will." I WILL rejoice..." I think he flings that word "will" down like a gauntlet, gritting his teeth as he by sheer force of willpower makes his choice. We always have a choice. When the storm hits we can either praise or protest. Neither one will change the storm, but our choice will change us. This evening the Bailey clan tearfully said farewell to part of our family. The Katilus family is on their way to new jobs and a new life in Texas. They have blessed us as we watched them grow in faith and love for Jesus, as we worshipped with them, and shared birthdays, vacations, and Christmases together. The tears are plentiful, the ache in our hearts is deep and raw. I can't pretend to understand, and in my prayers I am Ricky Ricardo, but God isn't 'splainin.' Yet I will praise him and thank him for the years we had together and the love that fills our hearts with pain, knowing that God has purposes he doesn't always choose to reveal until that day when all his children are reunited and the circle is once more unbroken.

November 3, 2014

The words have been recited in the homes of the faithful for nearly 4,000 years; "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." (From Deuteronomy 6).

Yesterday, Park church received a glimpse into how this works. It was an emotional day, with our kids, the Katilus family, moving to Texas to begin a new life there. Tears flowed freely even as we worked hard to help them pack for the long road ahead of them. But before that all transpired, God gave us a glimpse into his design for the preservation and flourishing of our faith. It happened at the end of the early worship service.

Pastor Joe had finished preaching; people had come forward to receive Holy Communion when he invited those who wanted prayer to join him at the front of the church. He looked at me and said, "Pastor Jim, will you come and pray with me?" I stepped out of my seat and stood by his side waiting. There was a rustling in the front seats to our left, and we watched as Ian and Nathan, age 10 and 7, brought their friend Cameron age 5, to the front of the church. I bent down to hear Nathan ask me to pray for his friend who was moving away. You know, it's awfully hard to pray when you can barely speak for the tears. I thanked God for Nathan and Ian, who love Jesus and Cameron enough to ask for prayers for him; then I blessed Cameron. My prayer was and is that all three of them will grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ to become young men of integrity, courage, faith, and love. It was one of the most moving experiences I've ever had, and is testimony to the power of that ancient blessing. When parents faithfully train their children by word and example, it really does take root. 

The music yesterday was inspired, and Joe preached well. But I suspect the most memorable sermon was delivered through these three boys who have been taught well at home, and who loved each other enough to step out in front of the entire congregation to be blessed in prayer.

 

The Game

November 1, 2023

It’s football season. Fans are fired up, ready to don silly gear, spend big bucks for tickets, and sit in the worst possible weather to cheer on their team. Tempers will flare, fans will be either jubilant or deflated, depending on the ever-changing fortunes of their team. Everything else in life takes a back seat to “the Game.” The true fan identifies with his team; the wins become a win for the fan, a loss is a personal defeat. The contest is everything, win or lose. 

It’s a sad commentary on Christian faith that it’s the rare person who gets as excited about Jesus as a football fan gets about his team. This time of year, when I come to church for any function, the before and after conversation usually revolves around football. Stats are quoted from memory, rolling off the tongue far more easily than sacred Scripture. We’ll sing the songs, pray the prayers, listen to the sermon, but when it’s all over, it’s back to where it’s really at: “the Game.” 

I suspect a big part of the problem isn’t the fault of the fan; it’s the fault of the Church. We treat our faith as an afterthought, the icing on an otherwise rather bland cake. When we gather on Sunday mornings, it’s not to participate in a cosmic clash between team Jesus and team Satan. There is no drama, nothing to indicate that gathering together is anything more than casual conversation around the Christian version of a bar. It’s often pretty humdrum; nothing to get worked up over.

When was the last time we cheered when team Jesus made a touchdown as a new believer took the long pass to dive across the goal line? When did we have a collective groan when a player got injured at the line of scrimmage, or when there was an interception as our opponent snatched the Truth from the outstretched arms of a potential receiver? When did we last take seriously the outcome of this game of life, weeping because we didn’t make it to the playoffs?

The problem lies, as I said, not with the NFL, but with us. Our game isn’t seen as compelling as theirs, and until it is, our people will skip worship to sit in the stands when they should be skipping the game to engage in the eternal life and death contest that plays out before us every Sunday morning. May God have mercy on us and grant us eyes to see life as he sees it.

 

Bounty

 October 30, 2023

The bounty of our earthly home simply astounds me. I am a terrible gardener, but when I drive past a roadside stand, I see squash, apples, and pumpkins in abundance, ready for sale. Tomatoes and peppers can still be found, while the sweet corn and green beans are for the most part gone. If I had to depend on my horticultural skills to keep us fed, Linda and I would be a lot skinnier than we currently are.

On our shelves in the basement are rows of applesauce and tomatoes Linda has canned; the freezer is filled with corn and beans, and now the honey and grape juice fills the house with a heavenly aroma. People ask me if I make the honey; I respond, “No; the bees make it. I only steal it.” 

The intricacy of the honeycomb fascinates me, as does so much of bee behavior. In her lifetime, a honeybee produces no more than a teaspoon of honey, and yet my hives yielded about ten gallons, not including that which I took the other day from my Kenyan long hive. They are all buttoned down for winter, and I will wait anxiously for spring, hoping they survive and thrive for another year. In the book of Proverbs, we are told to look to the ant:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; 

consider its ways and be wise! 

It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 

yet it stores its provisions in summer 

and gathers its food at harvest. 

How long will you lie there, you sluggard? 

When will you get up from your sleep? 

A little sleep, a little slumber, 

a little folding of the hands to rest— 

and poverty will come on you like a thief 

and scarcity like an armed man.”

—Proverbs 6:6-11 

I’ve often wondered why Solomon chose the ant instead of the bee, which to me, would have been a more logical and interesting choice. The lesson is the same however, and the bounty we enjoy is not our own doing, except to care and cultivate what he causes to spring forth. God commanded the earth to bring forth abundantly (Genesis 1:11-12), and it has been doing so ever since. At this time of the year, we reap and enjoy that bounty, for which I am thankful tonight.

On Time

October 29, 2023

I preached this morning on gratitude, which took me back more than ten years to when God told me to stop all negativity and focus on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8). Part of doing this consisted of giving thanks for three things each day. Today on the calendar calls for giving thanks for three gifts on time. 

I am grateful that 1) time passes. The bad, the failures, the troubles are not eternal. 2) God is always on time. He isn’t early; he isn’t late. We may have a hard time seeing it or believing it, but God’s timing is always just right. 3) Now is the right time for salvation, for repentance, for faith and love. 

 

True Friends

 October 28, 2023

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, 

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

—Proverbs 18:24 

Sociologists tell us that one of the biggest issues that modern men face is loneliness. Many men don’t have a single other man with whom he can talk about the issues we face. White men in particular, have been singled out as the whipping boy for society’s ills, from racism to sexism and beyond. If a man takes a firm stand on any of the social ills of our day, he is accused of “toxic masculinity.” Much of academia and the media seems to prefer softer, more feminine men. Any kind of aggression, even in defending others, is often vilified.

To be sure, many of the problems of society today are male-driven, but most of them are due not to toxic masculinity, but absent masculinity. Studies have shown that more than 95% of men in prison grew up in fatherless homes. Young men who haven’t been guided by strong men who have a moral and ethical foundation often seek strong leadership in gangs. Our problem isn’t toxic masculinity; it’s deformed masculinity. 

But to my point, men are often lonely, without the kind of support group that women gravitate towards naturally. Such men are easy prey for the Enemy of our souls who can twist and distort that need for deep companionship into fellowship over a bottle or the latest drug of choice.

I am among the minority who have men in my life who will on almost a moment’s notice drop what they are doing to step in and bless me in unexpected and unimaginable ways. A month or two ago, we had sixteen dying trees taken down along the creek that runs behind our house. I chunked them up and piled them under the spruce next to our woodshed until I could get around to splitting and stacking it. This morning at 8:00, nine men showed up unannounced, ready to split and stack my wood. For four hours, (along with my wife and daughter), they did just that. Tonight, between eleven and twelve cord of firewood is safely split and stacked.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, 

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

I’ve had “friends” who bent like a reed at the slightest wind of trouble. These men are like oaks; they stand like sentinels, unbowed by adversity and ready to lend muscle and sinew as testimony of their loyalty. I am both humbled and proud to call them my brothers.