Heaven on Earth – Worthington, Minnesota

 

Psalm 126:  "When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.  2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." 3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.  4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. 5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."

At the Renville County Fair last week, I visited with a neighbor and friend who is a farmer and a college instructor.  He told me the story that I am about to share with you.

He was on a tour of a meat processing plant in Worthington, Minnesota; the plant employs some recent immigrants from Southeast Asia.  He thinks they are from Laos or Cambodia.  Another tour group was going through the plant at the same time; a group from Southeast Asia.  The Southeast Asian group asked the tour guide if they could talk to the employees.  The tour guide agreed and the group began to ask questions of a Southeast Asian employee.  They asked him, “What is it like working here?”

The worker replied, “It’s Heaven on earth.”  “People are nice to me here,” he added.  “In my old country we have thugs and bandits coming through our village every couple of weeks stealing stuff, terrorizing us, and sometimes killing someone to send a message and remind us of their power and violence.” 

“I live in a house,” he continued.  “I never dreamed of living in a house”  (He shares the house with another family); “I always lived in a hut.  I have a car—never dreamed of having a car!  The water and air are clean; I work and get paid every two weeks.  My wife and kids are not afraid; this is Heaven on earth!”  My friend said that nearly everyone present had tears in their eyes.

I’ve thought about this—Heaven on earth in Worthington, Minnesota; working in a meat processing plant!  Let’s be honest, most of us would consider this kind of job “below us.”  We take much for granted in America.  Much of what this man treasures we think God owes us or we take for granted.

We need to kneel down and pray; no, more than that, we need to be face down, asking for forgiveness for our indifference to God’s many blessings.  Yes, we need to repent and, if so led by the Spirit, weep.

I Can’t Save Myself; He Can; Let Him

I Cannot Save Myself: 

Romans 3:9-18 -- What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."13 "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know."18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Romans 7:21-25 -- So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

He Can:

Romans 5:6-9 -- You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

2 Corinthians 4:6 -- For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Colossians 1:9-14 -- For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Let Him:

Romans 8:9-11 – You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

1 Corinthians 10:31 -- So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 1:9-11 -- Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

What about Anger?

(This is a repost from Sept. 21, 2006)

I was in a Bible study with some men and we were studying John2:12-25 where Jesus went into the temple and cleared out the money changers and others who were doing business in the temple court. A man asked the question “Is it ever right for Christians to display anger?” The question was not addressed and went unanswered. The question hung in my head; it just wouldn’t go away. I decided to study this question in detail and I will share some of what I’ve learned.

My first question was “Why did Jesus become angry and clear the temple this year?” He obviously had been walking by these people since he was 12 years old. Why this year?

He was acknowledged as Messiah and Prophet by the Lord in the presence of John the Baptist in Chapter One of John. He wore the mantle of the Prophet, King and Messiah. He had the authority to clean out the temple.

What does that mean to us? We have authority and responsibility in our lives also. We are husbands, dads, business owners, church elders, etc. These are our areas of responsibility. If there are cattle and sheep in the narthex of the church, go to the elders; ask them to clean it out. Why? Because it is their area of responsibility and they need to do what they must do. We can’t go through life popping off at everything—we need to be cautious when and if we display anger.

Why cautious? Because I believe God is cautious and gracious. The first two references in the Bible about God’s anger are the same in Exodus and in Numbers. It says the same thing in both places: “The Lord is slow to anger and abounds in love and faithfulness.” Do we do more yelling than abounding? This sounds rich to me, “slow to anger,” oh how Jesus has been slow and patient with me. I have experienced the “abounding” of the Holy Spirit, full, deep and rich in love and faithfulness. Oh Lord, you have been slow and patient with me. Thank you for your “abounding” love and faithfulness.

Situation Hopeless?

Luke 1:6-7 - “Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.”   

Luke 1:11-17 – “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.  And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

“But…they had no children”…  Luke 1:7

Zechariah and Elisabeth were “well along in years.”  They were old, and the implication was that she was beyond child-bearing years.  Their situation in the eyes of the world seemed hopeless.  Have you been there?  Does it seem as if God does not care or hear your prayers?  Yet haven’t we, like Elisabeth and Zechariah (verse 6) wondered what have we done wrong?  “Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.”  Have you asked yourself, this does not seem fair—we don’t have any children?  What’s God’s trying to tell us?

In Luke 1:11-13, the angel of the Lord appears to Zechariah and says in part…”Zechariah, your prayer has been heard…the bottom line is you are going to have a son.”

Wow!  They are old, the world may have given up on them having a baby but obviously, Zechariah did not.  He was still praying!

Have you ever felt hopeless about a situation in your life?  Have you quit praying believing nothing is going to change?   Instead, remember God recognizes faithful payers.  He does things that in the eyes of men seem impossible.

Whatever your hopeless situation is, keep praying with expectation.  It was not their sin that held them childless; it was God’s sovereign will.  I don’t understand it but God has His purposes in how He unfolds our life.  The lesson learned, no matter what, keep praying.  We don’t need to understand God’s moving in our life no matter how hopeless we feel.  We must pray and hang on.  What God has in store for us will come true at its proper time.  (Luke 1:20 - And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

Praise be to the God of ages.  Keep praying; keep praying.

Are you living life shorthanded?

 

2 Chronicles 16:11-12 - The events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.  In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.

The economic predictions for the near and long term future are ominous.  Decisions confront us:  long-term care, Social Security, when should I retire or should I?  If we listen to the world, the future looks bleak if not, at best, challenging.  We must make decisions because we all live in the “real world.”

Asa was a King of Israel; even though he was King, he lived in the real world.  No doubt he could afford the best health care of his day, but he had a severe foot disease.  His problem, the writer of Chronicles reveals, is this—he only sought help of the physicians, not the help of the Lord.

Yes, we face many challenges as we all grow older but who brought us this far?  The Lord did.  In Psalm 139:16 is says in part ”all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”   Yes, the Lord runs the ship; He rules with physicians and everyone else but we, in the end, all answer to Him.

Afraid of the future; concerned about tomorrow?  Work with the people who God has sovereignly put into your life, physicians included.  Entrust it all to the Lord for He cares for you.  (“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7)

The Spiritually Lazy Saint

 I'd like to share the following which is the July 10, 2012 devotional from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest."

  

"Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" . . . —Hebrews 10:24-25

 We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our primary objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world. The ideas put forth in these verses from Hebrews 10 are those of stirring up one another and of keeping ourselves together. Both of these require initiative— our willingness to take the first step toward Christ-realization, not the initiative toward self-realization. To live a distant, withdrawn, and secluded life is diametrically opposed to spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

 The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy. While being tested, we want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of finding a quiet retreat. We use God only for the sake of getting peace and joy. We seek only our enjoyment of Jesus Christ, not a true realization of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things we are seeking are simply effects, and yet we try to make them causes.

“Yes, I think it is right,” Peter said, “. . . to stir you up by reminding you . . .” (2 Peter 1:13). It is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up— someone who is full of spiritual activity. Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up— all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement— He says, “Go and tell My brethren . . .” (Matthew 28:10).

July 4, 2012 – Is there not a God in America?

The Living Bible version of 2 Kings 1:1-10 says: 

1 After King Ahab's death, the nation of Moab declared its independence from Israel. 2 One day Israel's new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria, and he was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover. 3 But the angel of the LORD told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, "Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will get well? Is there no God in Israel? 4 Now, therefore, this is what the LORD says: You will never leave the bed on which you are lying, but you will surely die.'" So Elijah went to deliver the message. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you returned so soon?" 6 They replied, "A man came up to us and said, 'Go back to the king and give him this message from the LORD: Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will get well? Is there no God in Israel? Now, since you have done this, you will never leave the bed on which you are lying, but you will surely die.'" 7 "Who was this man?" the king demanded. "What did he look like?" 8 They replied, "He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.""It was Elijah from Tishbe!" the king exclaimed. 9 Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, "Man of God, the king has commanded you to come along with us." 10 But Elijah replied to the captain, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.

Debates carry on in America; is this a Christian nation?  Opinions abound but I know this, American was founded by men influenced by Christian thought.  Only men influenced by Christian thought (beliefs) could write this in the Declaration of Independence.  It reads in part…”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable (incapable of being transferred, denied or taken away) Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

Truth that is “self-evident”?  Where did this idea come from?  Who revealed this truth?  What kind of radical idea is this “all men are created equal” stuff?

In God’s Word, Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 (NIV): “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  This is where this idea came from.  America’s founders wrote down this “idea” and yes, we have not carried it out in perfection.  As a nation, we are a work in progress or a work heading towards destruction.  Which one is it?

Hindus have a “caste system;” you are born into a certain caste or social group.  You can leave your “caste” by marrying “up”.  If you do, it will cost you something.  In the Hindu faith or system, all men are not created equal. The lowest caste is the “untouchables”.   The Hindus could not have written the Declaration of Independence.

The Muslim faith does not believe in equality.  Women are considered property; at best they are second class citizens.  Education of women is not encouraged.  Infidels (non-believers) are to be killed or subdued by violence.  Social life is highly restrained.  No equality; no “life”; no liberty; and no “pursuit of happiness” here.  They didn’t write the Declaration of Independence either.

Why does America run from its Christian roots?  Only men of the Christian faith could have written the Declaration of Independence.  Yet we, like King Ahaziah, are asking the Baal-Zebubs of the world, “What is our future?”  The New Living Bible says in 2 Kings 1:2-5:  After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury." 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!' "So Elijah went. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you come back?"

What’s wrong with America?  We have forgotten the God who created us, sustains us, and saves us.  It’s from Him that we derive our “unalienable rights”.  We are too proud to humble ourselves and return to Him but we will ask every “non-existent mini-god” for advice as we slide down the slippery slope to oblivion.

We have run everywhere else and we may die in our plush beds in our over-stuffed houses, just like King Ahaziah.  Even if some of us were stricken dead, would we listen? 

Return to the True God, Jesus; He came to serve not be served.  We no longer need be afraid of God.  Jesus has come.  God is with us.  We can serve Him without fear anywhere in the world; that’s true freedom and liberty.   

The Supreme Court Ruling -- Remember, God is still on the Throne

 

Yesterday was a dark day in American history; the rule of law went out the window.  Yes, as a country, we will survive to face another day.  For most of us it is unsettling but we shall not worry—God’s still on the Throne.

Government was ordained by God; its purpose was to bring control and discipline upon the people.  Romans 13:1-5 says:  “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.  For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” 

As professing Christians, we are to be witnesses to the Truth whether free or slave; we are to live out our faith no matter the cost or sacrifice.  We need not lose our head about the court ruling made this week or Obama care.  Who brought us safely this far?  God has alone, not some politician or Supreme Court Justice.  They may think they are the end of line, they hold the authority but they answer to God.  A day of accountability is coming for all of us.

No matter what the future holds, hold fast to the faith for “kings and kingdoms will all pass away but there is something about that name” and that name is Jesus.

Sleep well, Christian, this is another sign of Christ’s eminent return.  Sleep well, God’s plans are never thwarted; they are just being unfurled before us more plainly and clearly than ever before.  Let’s work with Christian zeal serving the Lord.  Occupy with vigor until He comes.  Be in the world not of it.  Work to hasten the day of His return.  Sleep well, Christian, the devil and his men can only harass our spirit.  They have no sting; all they can do is buzz like a fly. 

Send in the Clowns

Clowns have a special place in the history of the circus. Their job was to lighten the mood. If an act did not go off well, the call went out to “send in the clowns” and the clowns flooded the ring. Clowns were also used to create a distraction especially if a tragedy or accident occurred. The clowns were sent in to distract and maintain the “happy” experience.

Stephen Sondheim wrote a song called “Send in the Clowns” which was popularized by Judy Collins and others. The song is from a musical in which an aging actress begins to see her talent steadily slipping away and wonders if she is at that point where they need to “send in the clowns” to distract the audience from her diminishing talent. A sad day for this actress when she realizes as far as her career goes, “it’s over”.

Churches have clown ministries. I guess they have their place; special occasions, working with children but I wonder if it is frivolous. What are they trying to distract us from, if anything, or is it just good fun?

As Christians, we are called to be joyous not morose. James 1:2 says: “Consider it pure joy”. Titus 2:7-8 says in part: “...in your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech…” But I don’t see where we are called to be frivolous. I mean when the wheels fly off of our life and we need help, will we seek out the clown?

I believe we will seek out a friend who is rooted in God’s word, a friend who is tested, passionate about life and the faith, encouraging with wise words of comfort. I believe we are called to be serious about the faith, not frivolous. Christ was never pictured as a chuckling, jolly figure. Isaiah 53:3 described Him as “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

In school, I was the class clown and I was good at it. As class clown I deeply wanted the approval of my peers. It masked or distracted from what was really going on in my life. Inside my heart was a God-shaped hole and no amount of acceptance from a fractured world could fill that hole. I needed Christ but I didn’t know it. I distracted myself from the sadness unfolding around me. It was a frivolous, self deception; I was the court jester.

How many people on the surface appear happy and well adjusted, keeping up a “glittering image” while being lonely and hurting deeply? Have we as a The Church “sent in the clowns” when we should be demonstrating the love of Christ?

Praying for Family in these days

Considering things I saw this week, things I thought I would never see--example, on one news site seven stories related to human cannibalism!  What's happened to us?  When a culture denies the existence of God, a culture pays a high price.  Doesify said, "When there is no God, all things are permissable."  The good news is this, there is a God no matter how much as a culture wishes He is no more.

In these days we must pray.  Let's start with our families.  (I encourage you to print out the following so you have it for your daily use.)

Praying for Family in these days

Who will I pray for?

1.       ____________________________________         6.   ____________________________________

2.       ____________________________________          7.   ____________________________________

3.       ____________________________________           8.  ____________________________________

4.       ____________________________________          9.   ____________________________________

5.        ____________________________________         10. ____________________________________

*Note:  Include yourself!

1.  Forgive them; forgive yourself

                1 John 1:8-9: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He (God/Jesus) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

            James 5:16:  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

            1 Peter 2:24-25:  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  (Jesus is the Shepherd and Overseer)

            Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

2.  Pray for protection for them and yourself

            John 17:1-3:  After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

            John 17:15-17:  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

            John 17:20:  "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message” (This is us today)

3.  Love your family enough to share with them, in love, the message of Christ

            Romans 12:2:  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

            Romans 12:9-16:  Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

4.  Remember this

            Jeremiah 29:13:  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Suffering or Struggling? Which One?

As Christians, we can have days when we enjoy our own personal pity party; this happens but we shouldn't live there.  Many Christians and non-Christians alike say they are suffering when in reality, they are struggling. We all struggle but we are not always suffering. If we have no recognition of "struggling," we then deduce we must be suffering.

Suffering is defined as "the bearing of pain, inconvenience, loss, distress, injury incurred ("not imagined"--my comment), sorrow, grief, etc."

Struggle is defined "to strive or make efforts, use great effort, labor hard, to contend forcibly, "to struggle with adversity", or avert an evil..., contend, contention, and strife."

 Fredrich Nietzsche said, "To live is to suffer; to survive is to find meaning in the suffering."

 The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

 We are "struggling" most of the time, not suffering. Remember whom we struggle against--it is the evil one, not one another. Struggle on brother and sister; let’s be here for one another. When suffering comes, will we be ready to be there for one another in our time of need?

Why does the jaywalker cross the street?

I can hear it already…”to get to the other side.”  I know.  I know.

The jaywalker jaywalks because he wants to beat the system.  He feels he is more important than the law.  He is in charge; he is the boss; he writes the rules.  No, he doesn’t.

When the jaywalker crosses the road, he incurs a certain danger—the risk of being killed or severely injured.  The jaywalker jaywalks until he gets splattered or he gets caught by the law.  (Whether he likes it or not, there is a higher power.  He does not make the rules—God does.)  When he gets hit, the chicken in so many words, has come home to roost.  The jig is up.

We must cross at the Light, the controlled intersection, the crosswalk.  The purpose of the light and the crosswalk is to give us a safe, stress free environment to cross the street.  When we obey and cross the street at the crosswalk, we are protected and free from stress, danger and possible death.

Are you a jaywalker believing you are above God’s law and man’s law?  Are you so self-centered that you believe the world revolves around you?  It doesn’t.  It doesn’t!

Come to the Light—cross in peace.  Obey; it’s the only way.  It brings freedom.

Romans 8:1-2 says:  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Happy Memorial Day

Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven.  We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity.  We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown.  But we have forgotten God.  We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.  Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!  It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."

April 30, 1863

(Click on the Title of this blog to link to a devotional from Crosswalk.com about Memorial Day)

The Call to Build Community by Marva J. Dawn

In reading from the book “The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call” by Marva Dawn and Eugene Peterson, I found some paragraphs worth sharing.

The most extreme leap in the breakdown of the social fabric came with the onset of the technological milieu.  Jacques Ellul states that technicization brought as drastic a breach as the
Fall, but that is a typical Ellulian overstatement.  Though nothing could be as decisive as human entry into sin, Ellul is right to recognize how terribly (and subtly) disruptive of the communal fabric our present milieu is, to a great extent because the very tools we work with and the toys with which we play pull us away from each other.

For example, consider dishwashers.  We might think they are great labor-saving devices, but we do not as easily notice how they have stolen part of our household fabric for intimacy.  When I was a child, my brothers and I did the dishes together and sang in three-part harmony while we cleaned them.  I won’t falsely romanticize that intimacy—we also whacked each other with towels—but the potential for enjoyable singing and good conversation was there.  We also sang together with our parents in the car on our way to Wisconsin to visit our grandparents; when we were in college (a time when lots of siblings lose touch with each other), my closest brother and I used to make up fugues on the train home for holidays.  The point is that we had established the practices of fellowship and nurtured them while we did dishes.  If a family uses a dishwasher, taking care of the dishes is usually a solitary job.  In addition, think of all the technological toys, like Walkmans and solo computer games, that keep us from singing with each other in our society.

Consider television sets.  We never owned one when I was small.  Instead we played games and various sports together.  These days if my husband and I go for a walk in the evening, we notice that in some houses as many as three different television sets are on in the some houses as many as three different television sets are on at the same time in different rooms.   What kind of camaraderie is possible in a family that spends its time so separated?

I am grateful for technological tools.  (I am not a Luddite!)  The problem is that we become too enthralled with their advantages and don’t ask good questions about how much they take away from us.  For example, computers are much faster than typewriters for writing books; I’m glad simply to punch “Print” after making corrections instead of retyping everything.  However, computers can also contribute to our alienation far more than we realize.

Once a whore, always a whore…not so with Jesus

Luke 7:39-43 says:  “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."  Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"   Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.”

A certain Pharisee was having a dinner party and invited “the Prophet” Jesus for dinner.  When Jesus entered the Pharisees dinner party, he was treated with indifference.  He was not afforded the customary or traditional feet washing due a guest as they entered someone’s home.

An uninvited guest came in, a local woman of ill repute.  It says in verse 39 “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."  Notice, the Pharisee “said to himself,” then Jesus answers him (v.40) “Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.”  Note:  Jesus knows our thoughts.  Have we confessed our sin of distracted evil thoughts?  A sobering reminder.

In verse 39, the Pharisee questions whether Jesus was a prophet since a prophet would know “what kind of woman was touching Him.”  The Pharisee at best thought Jesus a prophet not God himself in human form.  The thought that this woman’s life was transformed by the Living God never entered the Pharisees mind—once a whore, always a whore.  Not so with Jesus…this woman’s very open display of love, in the midst of uppity Pharisees, proved a life touched by the Living God is and will continue to be transformed.

The question to ask is this:  do we give people a second chance?  Do we believe God moves in the lives of people?  Do we believe in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit?  The world says “once a whore, always a whore.”  God inspired word says, “Be ye transformed.”  The transformed woman’s acts of love did not save her, her faith in Jesus did.  “Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."  Luke 7:50

Only Jesus makes new.  We can live in peace with each other and with God for eternity no matter where we came from.  God changes and transforms lives…that’s good news for us sinners.

Crab apple trees, crow calls, old dogs…and another day of Mercy

As the sun came up over the horizon this morning, the light illuminated the small crab tree.  The blossoms were beautiful in the early morning light—almost iridescent.  Before the moment passed, I grabbed my iPad and went out to take a picture.  I didn’t realize that I had it on video.  The quality was really bad but in the background you can hear crows calling, birds chirping and our black lab, Lily making early morning noises.

In the beauty of the early morning, I realized how blessed I am just to be alive.  I treasure the simple things of life.  To be able to walk, talk, smell and still be free and alive.  (I guess they are not really simple things, are they?)

I have attended four funerals in the last few weeks; one more today, one more tomorrow.  Life goes on.  It’s the time of “all things new on the prairie” yet at the same time, it’s a time for dying.  It’s kind of like our spiritual life—saint and sinner at the same time; spiritual refreshing, new birth, yet physically dying.

The sun is bright, the rains have brought freshness to the farm.  I listen to Radio Oberheim out of Munich, Germany (old time German music) while I eat duck fat sandwiches for breakfast.  (I’m not really eating duck fat sandwiches but my ancestors did.)

Life goes on.  God’s timetable plays out.  I live to greet another morning but I remember this day is truly in God’s hand.  I know not what it brings…  Lamentations 3:19-33 says:   I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.  Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.  Let him bury his face in the dust-- there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

New mercies each morning this I know is true; mercy in the midst of great sin; faithfulness even when I wander.  Unfailing love in the mist of grief and affliction—what a God!  What a Savior!  Thank you, Jesus…I will wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord…