Decide Today

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond 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 24:15

It seems altogether fitting to revisit this familiar verse as we close a tumultuous year and enter a new one that holds unknown tests and promises. Like Joshua and the people of God long ago, we are about to cross into new territory where frightening inhabitants and faith-rewarding miracles await. Before we embark, we must decide to devote our lives to God and turn our backs on the folly of the flesh. 

I remember when I first made that choice in earnest. I had fallen into frivolous and foolish habits that pleased the people I worked with. I quickly learned that it was pointless and fraught with the potential to slip into permanent consequences. By the grace of God, I was untethered to others in such a way that I could not swiftly end my dalliance with worldliness. When I married and starting raising children I felt a deep compulsion to return to my Father’s house and I saw Him running toward me as I went. I put myself through every kind of rigor so that I could be a strong witness to my family and I learned that self-care and self-discipline would make me a better husband and father, and servant to the LORD. It was not a short, easy journey. In fact, it has taken years. But, I have seen the fruit many times over as I co-labored with the Spirit.

In those early days of crossing over from the wilderness into the promised land, I did some things that helped my family and me remember who we are and where we are going. Like Joshua and the people of God, I raised my Ebenezer stones of remembrance. One day, I printed the words to the verse above on paper and then taped them to the window of my front door. I looked at it every day when I came home from work and entered my home. It served as notice to everyone who came to my threshold that we had made our choice and they ought to know it before they enter. 

As I was a professional salesman at the time, I subscribed to the motto that “It ain’t real if it ain’t in writing” so I wrote down what I was leaving behind and what I was working toward. I Wrote down past hurts, burdens of bitterness, and words of self-hatred that lingered in my mind. On one auspicious, but private occasion I took those written words to a place of prayer and worship and consigned them to flames as I asked the LORD to take the heartache away with the smoke, In time, I realized that God was faithful and those bitter herbs no longer held their flavor. 

Beloved of God, trust me when I say that my efforts would have been in vain without the Holy Spirit and a precious companion, my bride, who supported and encouraged me. I’ve found that God is more than faithful to those who will trust in His promises and leave behind their old lives. I have learned to be patient and to think of life in eternal terms. As a born-again Christian Believer, I have the entirety of timelessness to work out my salvation. Nevertheless, I know that life in this time and space is far richer and more meaningful when it is devoted to God and redeemed by Christ. My senses and my sensibilities are radically enhanced by the Spirit so that serving the LORD today is more rewarding than words can say. I pray that you will know the same and more as you begin this new year. 

Think About These Things

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  Revelation 7:9-10

At this point in my service as a pastor of churches, I can no longer recall the number of funeral services I have been privileged to officiate - that’s a funny word for it, don’t you think? It sounds like I was the referee or something. Anyway, as I said, I don’t know how many anymore. I can say that they all included these traditional words near the beginning of the ceremony: 

Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restored our life. Christ will come again in glory. As in baptism Name put on Christ, so in Christ may Name be clothed with glory. Here and now, dear friends, we are God's children. What we shall be has not yet been revealed; but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Those who have this hope purify themselves as Christ is pure.

It says that, when we die in Christ, we will shed the covering that Christ put upon us through His sacrifice so that our sin is hidden from God’s glory, just as God clothed Adam and Eve by the sacrifice of animals for their skins so that their nakedness was covered. Having shed our sin-covering at death we receive another covering that marks us as children of God by adoption through Christ. 

It is interesting to think about that day and imagine a new garment that we cannot wear until we shed the excessive weight born out of pain, suffering, sorrow, poison, and pride. Our eternal being carried the gravity of flesh and all the junk it collected through the years. When we arrive at Heaven’s threshold we will be directed to a cloakroom where we will be presented with a white robe we feel sure we cannot fit into. We will stand naked before a mirror that reflects who we really are. It will be the person God created us to be. It will be a reflection that we have never seen before because it will be the person God sees. 

It will take some time to learn to accept who we really are. It will be a continuation of our spiritual journey on earth, but without the heavy loads that our flesh absorbed and chose to carry. Stripped of these burdens, we will be ready for heavenly fitness. The spiritual journey will be accelerated and comprehensive in its outcomes. The world will fade from memory as we witness the reality of Christ’s Kingdom, seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling more clearly than we can imagine now. 

What’s more exciting than this? It is the coming of the King so that He can make Heaven and Earth one and the same. When the Lord’s great Day is complete the earth itself will be stripped of ugliness, scars, and contamination caused by sin. The creation will be made new and we will dwell in Eden again.

When temptation comes and we fret and worry about the world and the needs of our flesh, let us think about these things. When we look in the bathroom mirror and the voice of evil condemns the flesh, think about these things. When we look at others and think we know the true nature and worth, think about these things. When it seems like hell is loose on earth, think about these things. Then, pray and praise in Christ’s beautiful Name.

Embracing God's Will

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ~ Luke 2:1

There have been numerous times throughout history when ordinary people lived under oppressive regimes. In fact, a survey of human history reveals it is more often the case. Oppression is the ultimate expression of evil that comes directly from Satan. When one views God as less than the primary creator, ruler, and object of his affection and devotion, it is called sin. Sin is about how one views himself in relation to God. Once a person has relegated God to subjugation there is a rapid descent toward the subjugation of fellow humans, especially those who don’t seem to support his ambitions. The resulting oppression turns into systematic sin. 

Joseph and his bride, Mary were days away from the birth of their firstborn child who was the Son of God. After Joseph dutifully accepted his commission as a stepfather, protector, and provider for his little family, he must have worked very fast and hard to prepare a place for his bride to live with him. His neighbors and friends had likely changed toward him as they whispered amongst themselves about his pregnant fiance and their hurried marriage. Despite the scandalous circumstances, Joseph probably imagined that things would settle down and somehow his personal problems would cease to be front-page news. Then, when their home was ready, He brought Mary there to live, though there would be no consummation until after the birth of God’s Son. Then, the great oppressor prompted one of his human servants to issue a decree that all persons would return to their ancestral home to be counted, just a few days before the baby was due to arrive. 

    The story is familiar to most of us so we will jump ahead to the days following the child’s birth and to the arrival of the Majai. After presenting their gifts and creating quite a stir in the region, they were prompted by the Spirit to return to their homeland via a more secret route. Similarly, Joseph was prompted to escape with his wife and child to a foreign land for an undetermined amount of time. Once again, the great oppressor inspired his earthly servants to force Joseph further from stability and peace. And, once again, he dutifully trusted the LORD and gave up the illusion of control over his life. 

The bible informs us that the little family eventually returned home and even resumed a “normal” life. A life of provision, protection, and preparation. The family worked, worshiped, and waited until God would reveal what was next for God’s Son. The last time the bible speaks of Joseph is when his plans are disrupted again as God’s Son, Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem after attending a religious festival. Joseph and Mary returned to the City to find their charge and realize that this time it is not the work of Satan. This time, Jesus has come into his own and placed his Heavenly Father above all else. 

Poor Joseph. A simple, predictable life was not to be his lot in life. It is believed that he died before Jesus reached adulthood because he is no longer mentioned in the bible. One can only imagine what it must have been like for him at the moment when he knew he was dying. “Now this?” he must have thought. “How will my family survive?” “How can this be part of your plan, LORD?” Then, there is Mary, thinking similarly and knowing she will live to see the pain in her children’s faces. She will see her eldest son take on the role of head in their household while very young.  

While we struggle with the seemingly endless disruptions to our plans, we will be blessed if we are mindful of how typical that really is in the life of Christ’s family. The enemy will constantly use his human minions to oppress the family of God and there will be times when the LORD will upset our plans for His divine purposes. What then, shall we do? Let us resolve to be like Joseph. We must dutifully love and serve the LORD without complaining. We must embrace the LORD’s eternal nature, perfect timing, and mysterious plans. With clear hindsight, we can see that Joseph and Mary were crucial to God’s plan and their faithfulness should be lauded. One can only imagine the things that Christ will do in and through us if we will keep the faith without complaining.   

Focus and Hope

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. ~ Habakkuk 2:3

I am currently reading “A Higher Call” by Adam Makos. It’s the story of extraordinary heroism and gallantry in the skies over Europe during the height of World War Two. I was drawn to it because of my life-long interest in history. I’ve been especially interested in the first half of the 20th Century since so much of my character is shaped by the generations of that era. It is impossible to succinctly summarize what I’ve learned about the cultural impact of The Great War (WWI) and the sequel, World War II. Suffice it to say, Western society started changing about a hundred years ago in ways that are very evident today. Our human minds tend to measure time according to generations, while historically significant events have a much longer lifespan. It is rightly said that “those who will not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” 

It has been my honor to have known and learned from the elders of those generations. I have gleaned much about everything from trench warfare, the Spanish Flu, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, naval, airborne, and ground combat, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and more from the people who lived through it whether as civilians or servicemen and women. I am sharing this so that I can justify in some way the perspective I have on our current circumstances. In addition to the influences named above, I have been a life-long learner with a special emphasis on the Bible and Christianity. With all this and more in mind, I strive to encourage you during this incredible year. 

During times of “unprecedented” uncertainty, people live with daily trauma, which is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Combat veterans frequently experience post-traumatic stress disorder that results from surviving long periods of high stress and anxiety that forced them to focus on a moment-by-moment basis while chaos reigned around them. There is no sense of normality and no way to know what tomorrow will bring. In effect, PTSD is preceded by MID-traumatic stress disorder (disorder = chaos). If this condition seems familiar, it is because we are living with similar stressors.

 How do people survive and thrive during very difficult times? Most will tell you that the intense focus upon the immediate issues takes away the burden of overthinking things that can not be predicted, such as whether one will live or die. The main thing is to deal with the matters at hand. During random downtimes, one can afford to think about the future, but only as an abstract hope without a definite arrival time. It is a mindset of focus and hope. 

Today’s verse is from one of the prophets of the Babylonian exile period of first covenant history. Habakkuk experienced his people’s trauma as they saw their Temple destroyed, the holy city in ruins, and their people dispersed across the continent. It was for them an “unprecedented” time of uncertainty and chaos. Yet, Habakkuk received and shared messages of focus and hope. He plainly stated that, while some would not see redemption in their lifetime, there would be a day to look forward to. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. 

If we, the short-lived and generationally-minded, have trouble comprehending history’s multi-generational events and consequences, then it must be so much harder to grasp the LORD’s millennial movement that is directed from outside of space-time as we know it. The truth is, it takes faith. “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) In other words, focus and hope. Faith is found in one’s heart and is only truly known to him or her, and the LORD. It will not remove trauma, or make one cheerfully endure it, but it is the real sense that the circumstances are a brief moment of discomfort in an eternal life that culminates in the LORD’s fulfilled plan and the consummation of the LORD’s relationship with the LORD’s creation. 

Whatever you confront, whether mildly disconcerting or downright traumatic, deal with it and then focus on the revelation [that] awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. There is a time coming when things will not be as they presently are.

Genuine Thanksgiving

 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17  

     It is hard not to reiterate what everyone with an audience will say on the eve of America’s Thanksgiving Day; that it is a time for giving thanks and for humble gratitude offered to God. It will be tempting to think too much about food, family, and football, but we should take time to count our blessings, etc., etc., etc. These annual cliches are absolutely true and yet, as with anything that is too often repeated, it can become another form of background noise. So how can we find a greater depth of meaning amid the noise this year? 

     Let’s start with the quote above from Paul’s letter to the Church in Colosse. It reminds us to do all things in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. It will be helpful to go back to the letter’s introduction to grasp the significance of giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ. 

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, ~ Colossians 1:3-6

     First, Paul gives thanks to God for opening the way to His presence through Christ, then Paul gives thanks for the way Christ exhibits himself in the saints through the Word. In other words, he sees the two-way connection in the Body of Christ and it gives him joy. Now, let’s look at what Paul says about Christ in the next few verses.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. ~ Colossians 1:15-23

     The preeminence that Paul speaks of is Christ’s headship. He means it literally when he says that Christ Jesus is the head of the Body, the Church. So, as with any living creature, if you cut off the head the rest of the body dies. Or, put another way, when the signals are lost between extremities and the head, the hands, feet, fingers, toes, etc. become useless, atrophy, and die. When Paul says that we were once cut off, he means that we were dead and useless to the head, Christ Jesus, who has been our head since before creation. We were created to be His Body. Since severed the connections so that the Body was like that of a quadriplegic. What God has done through Christ is to repair the severed spinal cord and restore the Body. 

     So, when we give thanks in whatever we do, in word or deed, we do so in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thus to God the Father through him. Paul summed it up succinctly when he said in Acts 17:28, “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” Paul is not only saying that we are Christ’s Body again, but that being so, we are nothing less than sons and daughters of God the Father. 

     This is something that you can give thanks for that has nothing to do with the size of your feast, the number of persons around you, or whether your team wins or not. It doesn’t matter if you are sick, unemployed, in broken relationships, or grieving. It doesn’t matter if your candidate won the election, anarchy or political systems frighten you, or pandemics shattered your dreams. You are more than those things. You are a child of God, destined for eternal life and perfect oneness with God through Christ. Now, there’s something to be thankful for.

The Unknown God

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Acts 17:16-34

Introduction

Imagine driving down a major thoroughfare in an urban area. As you endure traffic congestion and plod along from stoplight to stoplight, you see home improvement centers, clothing stores, supermarkets, pet shops, outdoor supply stores, restaurants, beauty shops, car dealerships. There are shopping malls, big-box stores, bars, liquor stores, farm supply stores, and then, right in the middle of it all stands a nondescript little building with an A-framed roof and a tiny white cross at its peak. There is a small sign in front, but its words blur amid the moving vehicles and noise. It seems so out of place amid the urban - dare I say, “houses of worship” that you feel compelled to go back to read the little sign. You finally pull into the narrow old driveway and park before the sign after great effort and frustration. Black and white sheet metal letter cards form the words, “Dedicated to An Unknown God.” 

The Unknown God

 Athens had many altars to unknown gods. Hoping to stave off a terrible epidemic six centuries earlier, the Athenians had taken a flock of sheep to the Areopagus. Wherever a wandering sheep laid down, it was sacrificed on the nearest altar to appease that god. If no altar was nearby, the people built an altar to an unknown god and sacrificed the sheep on it. Athenians brought their dis-eases to the most suitable god and offer it prayers and sacrifices. Paul’s words flew in the face of the Epicureans in particular because they believed that the knowledge of God was unattainable. It certainly would have surprised them to hear that Paul claimed to know God personally. The Epicureans devoted themselves to things of the flesh because they didn’t believe God was paying attention. Imagine their response when Paul declared that,“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” This meant that the very core of one’s being resides within the heart of the creator; that one’s being is grafted from his side.  

Conclusion

  If the Apostle Paul appeared before us today, would he say, “I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, [and now] I found also an altar. . . ‘To the unknown god’” again. If the truth is told, it could be said that many church-goers worship like the Athenians. They turn to the gods of the flesh to relieve their discomfort and keep the “unknown god” in reserve for times when all else fails. This is far from living as children of the Lord’s flesh. 

The reality of Christ’s redeeming act is that it returns us to the Father’s family. In the same way that God drew Adam’s bride from his side, Christ, the new Adam, emptied himself so that His bride emerged from His side. As redeemed, born-again believers, it truly is within Him that we have our being. We are more than children of God, were are flesh of His Flesh, bone of His bone. The born-again Christian is like a caterpillar who enters the cocoon is deconstructed and remade into a butterfly. It is a metamorphosis. 

In the Genesis story of creation, we read that God took the woman from within the Man on the eighth day, or after the creation was complete. Therefore, the love and passion of the woman came from within the man. In the same way, our new life in Christ comes from within the Lord, and therefore, our passion and love for Him and for His other offspring. It is a trustworthy sign of Christ’s life in you when you love like Him. Now, consider your life as a Christian believer. What would it be like if it was in Him that you live and move and have your being? How would your other objects of worship change? How would your love and passion for others change?     

Feeling God's Pleasure

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

I started my workday with three sources of grief weighing me down. The biggest one came late in the day before and troubled my sleep; the second came as I sleepily stepped upon the bathroom scale, and the third came when I read an email message that disappointed me. Grief is an emotion that is typically associated with death. It’s a natural response to a loss that seems irreversible. With that being said, grief is then far more common in daily life than we may realize. In this year of fluid change, it is almost impossible to hold on to anything with certainty. The upside is that most people are adapting and learning about what is most important to them. The downside is that even those things can be changed or taken away. Therefore, a sort of grief-refinement process has occurred. Things that used to be important are easier to let go of, but things that are defined as significant are much harder to release. 
My griefs this morning arose from my passion for keeping the Church family connected and in love with God and one another; my desire to stay healthy so I can serve those whom I love, and my need for personal, deep spiritual mentoring from outside my local service. This morning, COVID-19 and its various consequences are re-emerging as a threat to my passionate pastoral sense of purpose. This morning I am struggling with decisions and striving to be a light of hope, even when I am discouraged. This morning, I am reminded that my mind often lies to me about stress, but my body is always direct and refuses to be ignored. Thus, weight gain, muscle and joint pain, and general weariness serve as my signals and signs. This morning I am aware that a rich experience with someone I look up to came and went and there will not likely be any more meaningful interaction. 
My sense of duty and responsibility, combined with a deep love that can only come from the Spirit of the LORD, compelled me to open the word processor and write this weekly devotional. The same instincts will drive me to finalize sermon study notes, a written sermon brief, and to provide leadership and encouragement for coworkers, lay leaders, and others. It will drive me when I am leading Bible study tonight, and in any other ways that I am called to serve the LORD. When I am doing these things it will be hard for most participants to know how I feel deep inside. Not because I am putting on a brave face or being insincere, but because I am filled with life and vigor when I am serving my Master. I receive joy when I am poured out for Him. 
Beloved, I do not write these things in order to attain your sympathy - far from it! I am opening myself for the LORD’s sake so that you can hear His heart and mind. My hope is that my vulnerability might serve Christ as a means of grace to you. Please hear Him more than me. Is the Spirit reminding you that grief is a natural part of daily life in a fallen world? Are you reminded that duty and purpose are natural instincts that come from God? Have you considered the probability that your life in Christ is best understood in what causes you grief? If you can relate to my story, then think about what you can do that brings the joy of the LORD. 
Last week I wrote about my German Shepherd, Bella. We play in the backyard together almost every day. I call her favorite game, “buzzing the tower.” She takes off running at full speed across the yard and then makes a wide arch and returns to zoom within inches of my legs. Watching her run gives me such pleasure! It reminds me of what Eric Liddell, the early 20th Century Olympic runner, and Christian missionary said, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Watching Bella’s beautiful gate and remarkable speed is so pleasing, especially when she flies effortlessly over sticks and stepping stones, momentarily airborne like a wingless eagle.
What if, when we rise through our despair, motivated by duty, honor, loyalty, and love, it gives our Master the same kind of pleasure? What if, rising from bed, going to to the work that feeds and meets needs; going to the work that contributes to a plethora of interrelated agencies that meet the needs of countless persons and fuel economies . . . what if, that pleases God? Again, it depends upon what causes you grief. If you are compelled by Christ’s command to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself, then you can feel God’s pleasure when you run the race set before you.