The Miracle of Flight 1549 or for some, an opportunity to wallow at the trough of victimization

I’m sure we have all heard of the miraculous nature of the ditching of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in New York. Many things had to go right. The perfect pilot was in place; a Texan by birth, a crop duster at age 15 (anyone in agricultural areas knows the potential danger a crop duster faces on a daily basis) and an Air Force pilot who flew fighters in Viet Nam. Yes, Chesley Sullenberger was by God’s sovereign choice the right man at the right place at the right time. From all accounts, the rest of the crew also exhibited exemplary behavior and expertise.

More miracles: the river had to be clear of tugs and boats. People saw the plane struggling, 911 knew of the problem before the plane ditched in the river. The tug boats were manned by people who made the proper decisions at precisely the right time. The rescue boats and tugs were on the scene within minutes. What a blessing for all involved.

U.S. Airways gave each passenger $5,000 for lost luggage and other incidental costs due to the ditching. The passengers were also upgraded to the highest customer status for one year. They had an opportunity to fly to Europe at highly reduced rates. By all accounts, U.S. Air and all the other people involved acted in a truly all around professional manner. On all fronts, a high level of expertise and sensitivity was displayed.

Yet, some of the passengers are complaining. They feel they have not been compensated enough. “What about my stress?” “I flew last week” one said “and the tension and stress were present.” Yes, I think tension and stress would be present but get over it. Why in America today do we think any stress or tension we experience should be compensated for by someone else?

We have become a nation of whining, money grubbing victims who at the drop of a hat wallow up to the trough of “woe is me” and now you must really pay. Yes, owe me something (preferably a lot of money) for my so-called suffering.

Listen people, on take off, U.S. Air could do nothing about the geese in the air at precisely the right time and right altitude! The response to this encounter by all accounts was superb to the last detail. People were compensated for their inconvenience and given future privileges and benefits and yet they complain.

Listen up you whiners, YOU’RE ALIVE! Yes, you are alive; isn’t that reward enough? Because the actions of everyone involved, you are alive when in most cases you should have been dead. You ungrateful louts! Do you value your life so little that the preservation of your life was not reward enough? How sad.

I guess if we think about it, in America we do not value life very much whether it is the unborn, the aged, the young, the deformed, the developmentally disabled, or even our own! Oh America, how bankrupt we have become. The passengers of Flight 1549 should shout for joy; they should dance in exhilaration; they are alive! We should dance with them.

It is easy for me to point my finger at the passengers of Flight 1549 but how would I have reacted? Do we value the every day God sovereign, protecting love that He shows to us? In reality, many times we are unaware of that from which He has saved us? (Were we spared an accident, a fall, a fire, a lost child, etc?) I must be grateful for all things.

God bless the aircraft crew and all the boat operators and all the unnoticed, unrecognized people who worked together to make the survival of all 155 passengers and crew possible.

Forgive us Lord, for our ungrateful whining.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Amen.

A time to be Irrelevant

I recently heard the following story. On the same day at a California High School, all four of the military services were giving presentations. The Army, Navy and Air Force made their pitches; the Marines were the last to make their presentation. Knowing that his audience was young, impatient and possibly bored the Marine’s message was short. “I’m going to be straight and to the point. Most of you here will not qualify to be a Marine. If you are serious about being a soldier and you are willing to die for a cause greater than yourself, come and see me.” When it was over, the Marine recruiter had by far the largest number of people talking to him.

The call to excellence, sacrifice and dedication is mostly lost in the church today. The modern church wants to “be relevant”, mushy, tolerant to a fault and does not demand much from its members, and it shows. We, as Christians, have been losing our influence because we are lukewarm and indifferent. Some of us make Jesus want to puke (Revelation 3:16: "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.") When the church is on the move, it is always counter culture. The church thrives when it is persecuted or threatened; people will die for a worthy cause greater than themselves. The Marines are proof of this.

It is high time the church gets back to its “high calling” Christ has given us. Are we ready to lay down our life and with the help of the Holy Spirit, turn our family, friends, and neighbors from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light? In Acts 26:17-18 Paul recounts his conversion experience. The Lord says, “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'”
Brother, raise your head; you are a Child of the King, our God still reigns. Read this (Paul speaking): Acts 26:19-23 -- "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles". If we believe tradition, Paul was beheaded on a road outside of Rome.

We are powered by the Holy Spirit and protected and saved by Christ Jesus (John 17:15-23 – "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. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one,(this is for us today) Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." Do we honestly believe all the promises and prayers the Lord has made?

Lord, make us willing to lay down our life for you. Let us do the same as Paul. It is time to be irrelevant. May the Good Lord be with us in these days. Amen.

Afraid, ashamed and alone

From birth, Jacob was a “grabber” (grabbing a hold of his older twin brother Esau’s heel as they were being born). He wanted to “grab all the gusto” as it were. Although second born, Jacob wanted to be the first born and benefit from all the blessings bestowed on the first born. This grabber, Jacob, connived a way of getting Esau’s birthright and he also stole Esau’s blessing from their father Isaac. Jacob was not a “good” man.

His story begins in Genesis 25 and ends, as it were, in Genesis 50. In Chapter 32 of Genesis, after many years of separation, Jacob is lead to reconcile with his brother Esau. Jacob was afraid (Esau vowed to kill Jacob when he stole their father Isaac’s blessing). Jacob was ashamed of his past sin and in Genesis 32:34, Jacob is alone in the middle of the desert. God came to visit Jacob in the person of the Angel of God (or some think the pre-incarnate Jesus) and they wrestle one another through the night. At daybreak, with just a touch, the angel dislocates Jacob’s hip. I have this vision of Jacob lying on the desert floor in pain. Jacob realized he has just fought with the Angel of God and lived and he realized he is still alive by God’s grace. Jacob realized he was a sinner, lived his life his own way, and God beat him into submission and yet let him live… God loves and tolerates us sinners to a point (although there is a limit to God’s patience – Romans 1) but God works out His plan in our lives and we are not capable of understanding His entire plan for our lives. In spite of his sin, Jacob was the one chosen to become the nation of Israel. God never works in our lives like we think He should; He is God, we’re not and the quicker we accept this fact, the easier our life will be. God is Holy and Sovereign and He does not need our input or help or opinions.

Jacob asks the Angel of the Lord in Genesis 32:29: “Jacob said, "Please tell me your name.’ But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he (the Angel of the Lord) blessed him there.”


Why did the Angel of the Lord ignore Jacob’s request for His name? In Judges, Samson’s Mom and Dad had an encounter with the Angel of God (Judges 13:17-18: “Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?" He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.”


Listen people, we go through life questioning God’s moving and shaping of our lives. If we saw the plan from the beginning, we wouldn’t understand much less believe it. As sinners, redeemed by God, growing towards spiritual maturity, God will wrestle with us, put trials in our life to refine us and in many ways we won’t understand much, if any, of it. When in the midst of a trial we become angry because we think God is saying “no” when in reality He is not revealing the truth to us because “it is beyond our understanding”. We couldn’t take it all in. We want to tell God what to do and we can’t even understand His name. Without Christ Jesus, we are hopeless, lost and miserable. We are, like Jacob, afraid, ashamed and alone. Thank you, Jesus. Never let me go. Hold on. I need you just one more minute, one more hour, one more day. My time and future are in your grace-giving hands even if I don’t understand it, I will trust you. Amen

The Eternal Star Namer

Each holiday season I hear ads for a company that will name a star in your honor. They think this is a fantastic gift to give someone and it only costs $59.95.

Brothers and sisters, be aware that the stars are already named. Yes, each one. They do not and should never need anyone to name them; God has and will always name each star. Isaiah 40:26 says: “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

“Calls them each by name”? Yes. In Chile, the European Union has built a VLT. VLT means “Very Large Telescope”. I like that name; it’s quick, simple and completely to the point. The lens for the telescope is 27 feet across! There are three of them in series; a VERY LARGE TELESCOPE! The VLT has allowed astronomers to see out to the edge of the universe and what they see are “new” stars being born. The creator God, who is alone worthy of our praise, honor and respect, is still in the star making and star naming business and He doesn’t need our help or our $59.95! How does God make a star? God breathes and speaks the stars into existence. Psalm 33:6 says “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” That’s impressive. How can mere man comprehend this? Psalm 8:3-4 says, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”

The God of the ages, who loves, cares, redeems, restores, protects, saves, sustains and holds the future in His hands, has given His one and only Son for our salvation. I cannot comprehend any of this and yet God is mindful of us.

Isn’t God good? Do you want to know what’s beyond the stars? It is His Glory! What is His Glory? It is all of God’s beauty, honor, magnificence, praise and splendor. “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” Psalm 8:1.

Next holiday season, ignore the star naming ads. Remember this, God names the stars and His Glory extends beyond the stars. We name our children; what a privilege. But God alone names the stars.

Spoiled Brat Christians

2 Timothy 3:1-2: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves…"
Romans 12:3: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

The property management business often reveals the true character of our tenants. We have dealt with domestic violence, terrorist threats, suicide attempts, and suicide; some days we see all joy and celebrations. In our business we can see the full scale and range of human emotions.

We manage properties for Christian organizations. We also manage multi-tenant properties that have Christian organizations as tenants.

In our company, we have employees with a mix of faiths. One day we were discussing bothersome, irksome, unhappy tenants. One employee said that the Christian organizations have more than the usual number of people who are complainers and prima donnas (for example: requiring special parking spots next to the building, etc.). If we plow the parking lot in the morning and additional snow occurs during the day, one Christian organization wants us to clear the snow next to their cars in the parking lot. No one else has ever made this request. They pay extra for “this service” but it angers me when I envision people giving sacrificially to these prima donnas.

I asked some of our employees why they thought these Christian organizations and Christian people act this way. One man, who grew up poor on the south side of Chicago, had a most interesting comment. He said most of the people that work in these organizations are Christian. They grew up Christian, had two parents, stable homes with two incomes, stable finances, and lived in stable slightly up-scale communities. Most have college educations and most have been blessed but along the way “they have become spoiled brats” (his words). His insight is very interesting.

If we accept his analysis, God has blessed us as Christians, and yes, he has but, along the way, we have served ourselves rather than the Lord and other people. We have become Christian narcissists not humble, willing and obedient servants of Christ. I hope this will not be the epithet of the Christians of this age. In some ways, I must agree with his ideas about this. In so many ways I do not want it to be true. Any wonder why Christians are losing their influence?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

"Gallup: Americans See Religious Influence Waning

Religion News Service reports that two-thirds of Americans think religion is losing its influence on U.S. life. This shows a sharp jump from just three years ago when Americans were nearly evenly split on the question, according to a new Gallup Poll. Sixty-seven percent of Americans think religious influence is waning while just 27 percent say it is increasing. That perspective demonstrates a continuing downward trend, Gallup said. But the 27 percent figure is still higher than the record low, set in a 1970 poll, when just 14 percent of Americans thought religion was increasing in influence. The latest poll also finds that the percentage of Americans believing that religion "can answer all or most of today's problems" has reached an all-time low."



Source: http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/11597507/

Hiding behind our “Sinner” labels…

He and his family are typical new church-goers. Both growing up in the faith, and they both know the truth. In college and early career days, church was not on their agenda. The children came along and they decided they must go back to church. They wanted a church that lived the truth not just talked about it. They found one; some fellowship, and the truth was being preached and lived out. They were beginning to feel comfortable.

They were involved in ministry to the poor, soup kitchens and other forms of outreach. A project was scheduled; they arrived to find they were the only ones there. They left voicemails to find out where and when or what happened. They heard from no one. E-mails were sent, voicemails left, no one responded.

The man said, “If they treat potential new members this way, how do they treat the people they minister to?”

The man said to me, “I thought I found a church that lived out their faith, but the way we were treated leaves me wondering. If my business treated their customers and potential customers this way, we would be out of business.” Then he said, “What kind of people would do this?”

I said, “Sinners. Yes, sinners just like us.” I thought some more. How long will we as Christians hide our personal failures behind the fact that we are sinners? We use it as an excuse to justify our lack of competence or just plain decency.

Yes, the truth is, we are all sinners but we are to be on the road to Spiritual maturity (sanctification). We are to live our faith with love, kindness and humility. Why couldn’t the people who forgot to tell the young couple of the change in schedule just call them back and confess the failure? These people would have understood; they understand we all fail at some time and they would be willing to continue on. Instead, a lack of response, no attempt to right a wrong, drives another young couple away from the church. They are left wondering “What kind of people are they?” “Just another church which says one thing and their people do another,” the wife said. “Why would we want to be part of a group like that?” Good question.

Brothers and sisters, let us stop justifying our incompetence by hiding out behind the fact we are sinners. Yes, we are sinners but Christ has redeemed us and supposedly transformed us. Let’s cut out the good ol’ boy back slapping, oh, we’re just sinners, crap and live a changed life and get serious about our faith. If we cannot treat new families that come to our churches with a minimum of decency, how do we expect to reach out beyond our walls to a hurting world?

Let’s stand up, admit our mistakes, ask for forgiveness, change our ways and go to work. Do I believe this will happen? I can only say, please Lord, help us.

Do you have any dreams for 2009?

The winter brings a special problem to us in the property management business—snow. It does not cooperate with our schedules. We clear seven blocks of sidewalks in downtown Minneapolis each snow event. The snows have been coming early in the morning or during the evening rush hour. When we have people around, we cannot use some of our blowers because of potential injury to pedestrians. All this brings me out early in the morning.

I like doing snow in the early morning; surprisingly, early morning street traffic is busy. By early, I mean between 5 and 6 a.m. Every morning AA meets at the Dunn Brothers Coffee Shop down the street. People who come to AA meetings are a cross section of our society. One man I notice drives a Jaguar car, dresses impeccably, he carries himself with dignity and class; an obvious success. He looks like a successful businessman.

Other mornings on the same street in the loading dock, “Mike”, the homeless guy, rummages through our dumpster to find food thrown out by Eddie’s Café. Mike is a little weird but friendly. He has been on the street by choice for over 10 years. He definitely is not a success by our world’s standards.

I ask a question: Is the homeless man a failure? I think it depends. Most of us believe that he is a failure. But, we can achieve our dreams like the man with the Jaguar (my assumption) and yet not feel fulfilled. We can have accomplishments, possess the symbols of success and yet feel unfulfilled. Dreams accomplished don’t necessarily bring contentment and fulfillment. (Notice: The well dressed man driving the Jaguar is going to an Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting.) He is still searching for something but what is it?

We see the dumpster-diving Mike with his stark hollow look, his disheveled life and presence, and view it with sadness. What’s he really looking for; probably something not much different than the Jaguar driving successful businessman. We just don’t see the scavenging going on in the businessman’s life, searching for meaning in his successes and accomplishments but we very openly see Mike’s scavenging.

Where are you today in a dumpster or a Jaguar? What dreams do you have? “None” you say; you’ve accomplished it all yet you’re looking for fulfillment and hope in drugs, booze, food or whatever.

I think many of us don’t have dreams because we are bored. Ravi Zacharias once said “We know that hopes come and go and that life returns to the common and the repetitive. If that fluctuation and disappointment were only momentary, we could endure it. But life is not what we thought it would be. The problem with life, then, is not that a man ends up burrowing through garbage looking for something to fill his stomach but that no matter what we have achieved or attained in our life, we still find ourselves burrowing deep within, trying to assuage (diminish) the hungers of our soul.”

We are bored to death. We lack passion for life. We lack passion for our family, work, our faith, and our community, whatever!

Do you have a dream? We should have. I believe the more impossible the better. The secret is this—serve someone else. Jesus said in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Serving other people takes the focus off ourselves and our problems; purpose and meaning return to our life when we become Christ to others. Let’s go and serve one another. Jesus is our example.

Joel 2:28 says: "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Yes, we all need to dream.

Remember this, dream your dreams, but their fulfillment may not satisfy. Only a transformed Christ-centered life satisfies. Hold on to that in these perilous days.

Hope on a cold December day in Western Minnesota

Friday, December 12th was Barb Miller Slagter’s funeral. I’m sure that in hundreds of different towns across the prairie they had a funeral also. This Friday morning broke cold and raw even by Minnesota standards. I walked to the car to drive into Danube. The snow crunched under my feet and the west northwest wind was starting finger drifts from the west side of the road. The wind blew serpentine drifts we call “snake drifts” across the road in an almost soothing manner.

This week Barb, 62, lost her long battle with Parkinson’s disease. A year ago November her husband Gary died from a genetic lung disease. It’s been a tough year for the Slagter kids.

Barb was a Miller. They lived north of us; she rode the bus with us—No.6, always driven by Elgin Kurtz. My first memory of the Miller’s was when the tornado hit their place. It came out of the southwest, nicked the Freiborg place and then wiped Miller’s place off the map. It was a stormy night. When a tornado rumbles on the prairie during the night, it is extra scary; especially if you are a 7 year old girl like Barb was.

Her Dad, Otto, farmed and worked construction. He was killed in a construction accident the week before she graduated from Danube High School in the spring of 1964. She married Gary in 1965. They were a good pair, raised a good family, worked hard, and kept their noses clean. Yesterday as I sat at the funeral, I had a nagging feeling, “This isn’t fair.” God forgive me. I know You are sovereign, you do as you please and I have no problem with that. But, I must be honest, I wondered why.

I saw the procession move towards the south cemetery, thirty cars and trucks. It was a good day; she is with Jesus. Gary and Barb are back together. It was a sad day as children and grandchildren wept.

When Barb was confirmed, her class sang “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.” We sang that as a closing hymn at her funeral. On this cold, dark blustery December morning, hope seemed hard to find. I left Danube with the words of the hymn ringing in my ears… "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus love and righteousness."

I had to go to Renville to drop off a donation at Mentorworks Too-Kinship run by Lori Dobmeier Clasemann. Lori’s a local girl, an eternal optimist in ministry to the down and outs in Renville County. The store front she works out of is unmarked. It is a conglomeration of boxes of food, clothes, and other goods. It is cold in there, not warm in the least bit. Its noon, Lori sits in the back room eating soup with a smile from ear to ear. She is a dreamer; she loves the poor and ministers to them quietly without much help from the traditional church. We like to talk about ministry more than we like to minister. She ministers rather than talking about it—she just ministers.

Across the street, Dan is the manager at Maynard’s Grocery. A relocated Nebraska corn husker, he’s built low with an open smile. He does it all and doesn’t seem to get the least bit flustered. He has the pulse of this small prairie town community. Dan loves to minister to men. Recovered drunks and drug addicts are comfortable in his presence. He’s busy most nights of the week, ministering beyond just the local community.

I had left Danube with a somewhat sad, empty feeling, only to find the hope being lived out just five miles away in downtown Renville. God’s plans are never thwarted. His message will reach His people. No, He’s not God at a distance but God with us—Immanuel. Yes, He was at Barb Slagter’s funeral and He is also in the backroom of Mentorworks with Lori and across the street with Dan, grinding meat in the grocery store.

God is with us. I need not be afraid; God is with us this Christmas—Immanuel; a light for the Gentiles and the only hope for the future. God bless you this Advent season.

America as I know it, slips away

Isaiah 3:8-9: "Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves."

We have entered into the annual spendathon—Christmas shopping season. Yes, I have the privilege to drive all over the country, wait in line to buy cheap, Chinese junk that I really don’t need. In reality most of it will (or should) be in the dumpster in two years.

The “good news” about this is that I can put it on the credit card and according the ads bombarding my desk, I don’t have to pay the bill. Yes, I can avoid bankruptcy, settle with the credit card company for 20 cents on the dollar and preserve my somewhat damaged credit rating. Isn’t this America great? I can have my pie and eat it too.

I also see ads on TV on how to settle delinquent taxes for only a fraction of the original cost. A fifties something woman with jacked-up hair sitting next to her docile, somewhat ashamed husband, chortles, “I settled my $115,000 tax obligation for $7,500 with the help of ‘Tax Busters’.” Not a bad deal. I mean with the money I save by not paying my credit card bills and taxes, I can have a good old time this Holiday Season.

As I listen to these ads, I hear our core values being eroded away. In our culture there always seems to be an out for ridiculous, immature, irresponsible behavior. People, it’s no free lunch, the rest of us pay the bill. We pay the bill with higher prices for goods and higher taxes to ease the insurmountable deficit.

On Channel 4 News the other evening, a woman psychologist reported they are doing a land office business with people struggling with economic issues. The Doctor said, “What is sad this time is the people who have done everything right, worked hard and saved their money, are now losing it. The system has failed them.” A sobering comment in these days.

On December 10, 2008, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said "The federal government of the United States of America is broke.” “What they are proposing to do is pay credit card debt with more credit card debt." "They are engaged in a very elaborate Ponzi scheme," said Pawlenty. "It is a house of cards and it is eventually going to collapse, I will predict to you, sooner rather than later." If this will come true, it will be sobering.

America, I hardly know you. In these days we would do well to remember the words of Scott Wesley Brown in his song, “This Little Child.” In verse two, it says in part: “Yet in the midst of this darkness, There is a hope, a light that burns. This little child - the King of kings – Some day will return!” (Click on the Blog Title above)

Speaking of Jesus in John 1:1-5: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Church, rise up—be the light in this dark, dark world.

Do Not Be Afraid – Forever More

Luke 1:28-30: “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.’

Many times throughout the Advent Season we hear the encouraging words “Do not be afraid.” In numerous scriptures beyond the Advent story we also see the hopeful words in one way or another. In other parts of scripture we are told to fear God. In Proverbs 1:7 it says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

Taking all this into consideration, is God talking out of both sides of His mouth? I think not. To fear God is to have a loving reverence for God that includes submission to this Lordship and to the commands of His word. The Lord is our King and Savior and as we stand in awe of His presence we can rejoice at the same time.

A part of us knows that God’s awesome wrath lingers in the background. This makes us uneasy waiting for the Hammer of God’s Wrath to drop. The good news for believers this Advent Season is this: “The Hammer of God’s Wrath” has already dropped. For us believers, we need not fear God’s wrath because Jesus Christ upon the cross took all of God’s wrath that should have been directed to us. Yes, Jesus took it completely, bore all the pain and suffering and in return, we get undeserved forgiveness and grace. We need not be afraid anymore. Yes, we stand in God-fearing awe and reverence when we consider what Jesus has done for us but we need not be afraid. This is the good news of the gospel.

When the God of the universe says “Do not be afraid”, we need not worry about any lingering wrath of God because Jesus paid for my sins. Can we stand in awesome fear and reverence? Yes, but we no longer need to be afraid.

Sleep well Christian, your sins are forgiven and you have been rescued from the coming wrath through Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10: "for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” And Christians remember Jesus watches over you. Be not afraid. Oh Jesus, thank you again. Amen.

Our Ship Has Come In

My wife Judi and I are second and third generation Americans depending which family line you trace back. Our ancestors came from Denmark, Germany and Czechoslovakia. They were poor and hard working. When they left Europe, they left with little more than some money, their hat in their hand and a dream. One thing they all had in common was their devout faith. When they left Europe the power brokers of the day said, “Good riddance” but in two or three generations, the descendents of these immigrants are blessed.

The following two verses from Joe Diffie’s Song “Ships that Don’t Come In” remind me of how our ancestor’s may have felt as they were leaving their homes and families in Europe:

To those who stand on empty shores
And spit against the wind
And those who wait forever
For ships that don’t come in

‘Cause the things we’re calling heartaches
Hell, they’re hardly worth our time
We bitch about a dollar
When there’s those without a dime

We (the descendents) have spread out across the country; many have their own businesses, and most are busy, involved productive citizens of America. Brad fixes telephone systems on the prairies of North Dakota; Adrienne works to preserve old buildings in Charleston, South Carolina; my cousin Andy preaches the gospel to the farmers and ranchers near Edna, Texas; Paul ministers to the street people in Corpus Christi, Texas. Nancy and Jim build houses in Jacksonville, Florida; Bobby is a college professor in Michigan. The Jacobsen brothers run their sawmill in Western Wisconsin shipping wood products all over the United States.

Dr. Ron is one of the world’s experts on turkey diseases; Steve is till the “best looking” UPS man in Forest Lake. The Folkert boys still ranch in Southwest Nebraska; David raises cattle and hay in Idaho.

The Hansen boys pour concrete in Northfield and the Twin Cities. Many farm in the Midwest, mainly Iowa and Minnesota. Gary and Laurie rise to milk cows every morning in the hill and plateau country of Western Wisconsin. Some own implement dealerships and car dealerships in Minnesota, Kansas City and Houston. We have truckers hauling everything from turkeys to furniture. We are writers, nurses, teachers, golf caddies, care givers, ministers, lumber yard owners, and librarians and some of us are still dreamers.

Yes, in just 2 to 3 generations our “ship has come in”. We need not spit into the wind. Through it all, hard work, tears, fears, tornados, floods, fires, blizzards and heartbreak, God has blessed us. My prayer this Thanksgiving Day is that we would not forget the Lord’s provision, protection and good mercy that He has shown to
our families.

Read the words of Deuteronomy 8: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." (Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 17-18) Thank the Lord for life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25).

May these descendents of the “Big Hands People” live with hope and face the future with expectation. Come quickly Lord Jesus; Come. God bless your Thanksgiving Day.

The Limerick Laden Church—Limerick Laden Pastors

Edward Lear was famous for what? He invented the Lear Jet. No, I lied; that was Bill Lear. Edward Lear was an accomplished artist; his art work hangs in the Louve. He painted birds as well as Audubon, was a poet, and was an instructor to the Royal Children in England. But he was most famous for the limerick much to his chagrin. A limerick is a humorous five line ditty which is not very demanding. Light hearted fluff, it is literary junk food, but it made Lear rich. Late in life Lear called limericks “awful and noxious distractions.” Limericks require little if any effort; they come cheaply and we should beware of such things.

We in the church in these times have become “limerick laden”. We don’t want worship to be too demanding. We don’t want doctrine that challenges us. We want “our kind of music.” The preaching must assure not challenge. We want preaching that affords a sense of serenity. We want our services to be serious but not too much because we don’t want to come off as Christian sticks in the mud.

We want Christianity to be reduced to a simple formula. We want the five easy steps to victorious Christian living; meanwhile our children are asking who am I? Why am I here and where am I going? We remain distracted practicing false intellectualism, pondering how many angels dance on a pin head and all the while our children are leaving the church searching for people in the world with the “real answers”. How sad.

I’ve seen a change occurring in the last month, people are telling me they want to be challenged, and yes, even offended by Truth, if need be. Pastors love Christian limericks also but people want to hear the truth of Christ and they want to be pointed toward the vision of a Christ-ruled world and future. We, the Pastors (or Shepherds) have failed our people. They want spiritual food not spiritual limericks. We have not carried out Christ’s command to “feed my sheep”. It’s time we quit being inoffensive, clever and politically correct and do some serious sheep feeding. The following limerick summarizes Limerick Laden Christianity best.

There were three little birds in a wood
Who always sang hymns when they could
What the words were about
They could never make out
But they felt it was doing them good.

Will this limerick-level faith and discipleship be adequate in these days?
I think not. God help us.


Politically Incorrect Verse of the Week:
Romans 16:18: "For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."

Something else to ponder...

This is just too good to keep to ourselves...


An excerpt from Bill Keller’s Daily Devotional – November 14, 2008:

“It is too bad that those who oppose God are busy in the marketplace boldly declaring their opposition to God. In the meantime, those who love the Lord are out of sight, silent, not even in the game. If there is one thing that frustrates me to the point I want to scream, it is the passiveness, the lack of boldness, the lack of courage, the gutlessness of most Christians who are too afraid go into the public square and compete with the agents of satan for the hearts, minds, and souls of men! It is no wonder why we are losing souls each and every day. We don't go out and fight for them! We know we're saved and really could care very little about those who are not. GOD WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR APATHY TOWARDS THE LOST!!!”

http://www.liveprayer.com

Finish Well Christian

I played football in high school and in the Air Force. In many ways I wasn’t that serious about it; it was always a game to me and I thought there was very little, if any, reason to get “serious” about football. The coaches told us to “finish well”. They told us “most games are won in the last quarter. Yes, come to think of it, they usually take the final score at the end of the fourth quarter.

As God’s plan plays out, how are we American Christians finishing the race? Jesus tells the Parable of the Ten Virgins (us, the Church) waiting for the Bridegroom (Christ) to return. (Matthew 25:1-5: “Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”

In their waiting they begin to slumber and become drowsy then fall asleep. Notice the order. We “slumber” (lose focus, become disoriented, lack drive or vision) than we fall asleep (loss of consciousness). Are we like the virgins slumbering away our life? We need to finish well. Two people who finished well were Simeon and the Prophetess Anna. (Luke 2: 25-26, 36-38: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

They both waited for the Messiah with expectation. They waited for the long expectant Jesus. We should wait with expectation for the second coming of Christ. When we live with expectation we are alert, looking ahead with anticipation for what is to come.

We have a choice in this life. Live out the rest of our days in a fog, probably even living in fear. Or we can live out the rest of our life being alert, anticipating what’s coming, living with excitement and expectation.

Dear Christian, let’s finish well. Why lead a boring life when we can wait for Christ’s return with hope, excitement and anticipation. Finish well; we are late into the fourth quarter.

New weekly feature to make us think and/or discuss;

Politically Incorrect Bible Verse of the Week:

Joel 3:10: “Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!"

Historic and Perilous Times

On Tuesday American elected our first black President; a historic event, an event I never thought I would see in my lifetime. At the same time we live in perilous times. We are involved in two wars, the Stock Market crashed, we are in a recession, and we just bailed out Wall Street for billions of dollars. It’s amazing that anyone would want the job of President.

King Asa of Judah (his story is told in II Chronicles 15 and 16) is blessed by God. He eagerly seeks God and God delivers and intervenes for the Nation of Judah. Then they have a period of peace (possibly 20 years) and the story is picked up in Chapter 16 when King Baashi of Israel begins to make a problem. King Asa then does something remarkably sad; he bribes a foreign king (King Aram of Syria) to break an allegiance with Asa’s enemy, King Baashi of Israel. King Asa goes on to live a defeated, sad life. He does not finish well.

King Asa pays the bribe with money for the Lord’s treasury plus money from his own palace (II Chronicles 16). Here we have a rich, or should I say wealthy king, leading a passionless life, possibly distracted by all of his stuff who sins against the Lord by bribing the King of Aram. I wondered why the change of character. King Asa definitely lost his passion for the Lord. I wondered why did he bribe the King of Aram? Because he could! Yes, the passionless, fat and happy king who has been living in peace pays a bribe because he can.

King Asa would fit right in with us today. In a time of peace, we lose our edge. I have no problem with wealth; praise God for it. But when we have wealth in the hands of a king who is passionless and distracted, we get into major-league trouble.

We bribe people also; we just don’t call it that. No, we form Political Action Committees, hire a lobbyist and make our own $200 donation to the political party of our choice expecting to be heard. We think God doesn’t see our bribery tainted dirty hands but God does see them just like He saw King Asa’s hands.

During this election cycle, billions of dollars were spent to influence us; a very sophisticated bribe. We slap each other on the back during this madness and say, “This is just the way it is.” How sad. We, as Christians, are to be agents of change but being the fat and happy passionless, distracted people we are, we slumber with a smile on our face while our country and culture hurtle towards Hell.

Christians wake up!! We live in perilous and historic times.

Humility in Days Like These

C. S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity that “pride is the greatest sin.” Lewis said that pride for the most part is competitive. The devil fell because he wanted to be like God or should I say, he wanted to be God. God does not put up with such silliness

In Matthew 18:1-4 Jesus overheard his disciples discussing who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. He then provides an illustration bringing a little child into their midst to teach them (and us) a lesson. (“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1-4)


Do you live your life in childish competition with other people or in childlike dependence upon God? We like the disciples are competitive. Competition moves us forward; in many ways it is good but competition run amuck is childish. We have all seen the screaming child clutching a toy through tears and anguish screaming “mine”. When these children do this we consider them childish and honestly repulsive.

C. S. Lewis said the sure sign that we have pride is when we so readily see it in others (like this little child). Yet we as adults, and may I say Christian adults, seldom recognize it or address it in our own lives.

We can judge and smirk at the first century disciples arguing over who would be first in the kingdom. “How immature they are” we say. Yet we act and live in such a way to attract attention to ourselves rather than to the Lord who saved us. We put much effort in being good. Being good so the world will notice how upstanding we are when in reality we come off as arrogant, prideful and distant.

We live in perilous times. Financial crisis continue to loom on the horizon like a hungry wolf; in our gut we know change is coming. Our politicians in this election cycle scream for change; change is proclaimed everywhere. But I think it is all bunk; it will be more of the same.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:2 in part…"unless you change (be converted) and become like little children, (not childish but possess a childlike faith, with no agenda, fully trusting in the Lord) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Buckle up, Christian—perilous times mean change; politicians promote change. But the change Jesus talks about to Christians is this: it’s time to be humble. Yes, humble; humble enough to accept God’s free Gift of Salvation. We must “change and become”. Who are we to put our puny fist in the face of God and question His sovereignty or power? We should be on our knees asking for forgiveness. Amen

How do we pick our leaders?

Exodus 18:14-21: “When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”

The campaign material arriving at our house tells me what the politicians will do for me. If I cover up the politician’s name and party, the rest of the campaign material would be pretty much the same. If I believe it all, no one will increase my taxes, all of them are strong against terrorism and they all believe in the need to reform health care. All of us want a healthy economy; all of them support the troops. Politicians at one time had promised “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage” (if it has not been foreclosed upon), to court our support and/or vote.

Is this how we should pick our leaders? By what is in it for me? Should I vote just to protect my tail and my pocketbook?

Jethro was Moses’ father-in-law. I respect Jethro because he saw that his son-in-law (Moses) was overburdened. He offered advice with God given grace and God saw fit to preserve his word for us today. What is the standard we should use? See verse 21, Jethro lays down three qualities for the judges Moses should appoint. I believe they should be our standard also.

1. vs. 21 – They must be “capable”. What experience do they have? What is their record of leadership? Are they fit for the office they are seeking?
2. vs. 21 – They must be “men who fear God.” This should always be a question of someone seeking our vote—“Do you fear God?” This would shake up the apple cart at any debate or candidate forum. Would it not reveal a lot about the candidate seeking our vote?
3. vs. 21 – They must be “men who are trustworthy and hate dishonest gain.” Are you (the candidate) in this to line your pockets or to serve us, the people. Where is your heart?
   
   If we use Jethro’s standard, I think it would clear the fog and flotsam that surrounds our politics today.
   
   “Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.” James Garfield, 20th U.S. President
   
   O Lord, we need truth and clarity. Guide us in the choices we make. Amen.
   

Get Rid of Those Greedy Bastards

It’s early Monday morning and I don’t want to face another week like last week as I’m afraid it will be more of the same. The financial crisis in our country has incurred angst among many of the tenants and building owners. I visited with one of our tenants, a psychologist who said, “All this stress is coming out in many different ways”. I agreed with him.

Last week (and I’m sure this week) people in the Twin Cities were on edge. People are ill tempered and smart mouthed. Minor issues become major. I wonder what we’d really be like if we were hungry. I believe we, as a society, would come unglued.

One person has a solution for all of this. “Get rid of those greedy bastards in Washington, D.C.” he said. I wonder if we did get rid of “everyone” in Washington, D.C., what guarantee do we have that we’d get anyone any different from the previous governing officials. “All those greedy bastards” come from every state and congressional district across the land. I don’t think the replacements would be any different. Call me pessimistic but the people here in good old Minnesota don’t keep their word either.

What America needs is not “new politicians” or even the “old politicians”, what America needs is spiritual transformation.

I looked back through my blogs and yes, I’ve talked numerous times about this. I bet you think I’m beating a dead horse. I may be but in light of the everyday, frontline problems in Minneapolis and Olivia, spiritual transformation is our only hope.

The call for spiritual transformation may fall on deaf ears, like before. A young man said “before that will happen, Jerry, America may need to be hungry and naked in the street.” It may be, sad to say.

I am concerned for what we’ll face. I am excited as I wait for the Lord’s moving, which will come. Meanwhile, to us believers—repent, fast and pray and share the Good News of Jesus. By God’s choosing people will come out of the Dominion of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. Colossians 1:10-17: “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, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

This is good news. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come.

When a Nation is in Trouble

Early this morning I couldn’t sleep so I was reading in the book of Joel. I noticed some old notes I had written in the margin of the Second Chapter. The note said: “to God’s people…what to do in the time of trouble… Joel 2:15-17:
"Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

It tells us:

1. Blast the trumpet – do not be quiet about the reality of the matter at hand; get the people’s attention.
2. Declare a Holy fast – Fast for Spiritual purposes not health reasons
3. Call a sacred assembly—come together across denomination lines for a serious look at our sin and our nations sin
4. Gather the people – ask them to come; “work the crowd”; be pro active
5. Consecrate the assembly – prayer before, during, after and forever
6. Bring together the elders – listen to the wisdom of the elderly; encourage them to come to church; to the church elders—lead
7. Gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Teach the younger generation that God still reigns and we need to submit to His Sovereign power and authority
8. Bridegroom and bride leave their chamber – Interrupt the honeymoon; refrain from sex
9. “Let the priest minister before the Lord” – Do it; quit talking about it!
10. “Weep” between the temple porch and altar” -- Let’s get serious about the reality of “our” sin and quit pointing our finger at other people. Ask for forgiveness and restoration.
11. What should we say to the Lord? Spare us – we’re in trouble; Save us – save us not because we’re “good” in and of ourselves, but save us for your own glory, Lord, so the nations will know you are God!
12. Then the world will know – without a doubt You are God. Amen
    
    Lord, save us because you are our only hope, the only sovereign, mighty, holy God. May our nation tremble before you; may the world know this truth. Quiet your mockers (Jeremiah 10:24-25: “Correct me, Lord, but only with justice-- not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.”) Correct us Lord, but only with justice not in your anger lest you reduce us to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you… We stand in your presence Lord, not on any merit of our own. We stand alone on the shed blood of your one and only son, Jesus Christ. Thank you Heavenly Father, thank you Jesus. Come Holy Spirit. Forgive us, save our nation. Amen.
    
    Or is all of this to “old fashioned” for us “modern men”?
    

The Prayer Warrior and the School Teacher

The young school teacher works out three times a week at Snap Fitness. She first noticed the older man on the treadmill where, as he exercised, he read out of a “Billy Graham Hymnal” (her words) and was continually reading note cards.

As the teacher studied the older man, she realized that she had met him before; he had been in her school as a substitute teacher. The teacher introduced herself and was surprised when the older man said he remembered her. She apologized for not remembering his name; his name is Paul.

Paul told the teacher, “I bet you wonder what I do when I walk on the treadmill.” The teacher said she did and Paul proceeded to tell her. “These note cards are my prayer cards. I have people’s names on these cards and I pray for these people when I walk on the treadmill. I have your name right here.” Yes, the old prayer warrior had been praying for her by name since the first day they met at school. The old prayer warrior said, “I bet you think I’m weird.” The teacher replied, “No, I think it’s cool. Thank you. Yes really, thank you.” “You see” she continued, “we had a neighbor named Myrtle who was a prayer warrior and prayed for all the neighbor kids every day. When Myrtle walked, she would pray for the people in each house on the street as she passed by. If you waved to Myrtle when she was walking, she seldom waved back because when was so engrossed in prayer.”

“Look” said the older man, “I’ve worn out these note cards.” The teacher looked at the cards and they were tattered and worn. He said to her, “This is my second set. I left the first set in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.” He went on to explain that he and his wife went on a trip to the Holy Land and he took his first set of prayer cards along and left them in the Wailing Wall. It is tradition to leave prayer requests in the cracks in the Wailing Wall. He said the requests are picked up and they are buried in the Garden of Gethsemane. This left a lasting impression on the young school teacher.

Jesus prayed this in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified. John 17:13-23 - "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 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. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, (this is us today) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

The older man told the teacher that he hadn’t realized the power of prayer until a few years ago after his mother died. She was a prayer warrior and she used note cards to keep track of the people for whom she was praying. The older man said he wanted to carry on his Mom’s tradition. He now realizes how his faith has grown as he sees the reality of prayer and the reality of Christ.

What a blessing to be blessed by a man such as this. What an example has been set by his mother and now him. You see, that young teacher is our daughter Katie. Katie’s first prayer warrior was our Cokato neighbor, Myrtle Breitholtz. Isn’t God good? Isn’t God great? Let this be an encouragement and challenge to all of us.

Pray on, Christian; pray on. Amen