Monthly Archives: October 2015

ELIGIBLE FOR SAINTHOOD?

“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (Revelation 14:12)

It has always intrigued me that the October 31st celebration of Halloween, a festival known for its ghosts and goblins and filled with stories about witches and ghoulishness, occurs on the eve of All Saints Day. This first Sunday in November is a day when we remember those who have labored faithfully in this life in their service to Jesus Christ and who have now have entered into their eternal home. On the other hand, Halloween or ‘All Hallows Eve’ is exclusively pagan in nature according to some scholars.  Others claim that its roots are solely Christian, and in many parts of the world the day includes church services and lighting candles on the graves of the deceased.. The relationship of the two observances has raised many questions throughout the ages and will no doubt continue for many years to come.

Recently, I read a portrayal of residents in a nursing home provided by a young person who described his reluctant visit there to be an enlightening one. While assisting some other folks in conducting a worship service, he watched “the joy of those older saints light up.”  I found his depiction to be interesting, and it made me wonder what it was that caused him to characterize those who lived there as saints. What qualities must one possess to be a saint?  Do you have to be a certain age, or must you be deceased to qualify?  Are there certain accomplishments or ‘good deeds’ one must do during one’s lifetime to be considered as ‘saintly’?  We have all heard of the famous saints including St. Patrick, Joan of Arc, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the most well-known and influential of the modern day saints, Mother Teresa. And who among us at one time or another hasn’t known someone with a Saint Christopher medal or necklace?

Is sainthood reserved only for those who lived an unscathed life? Can you become a saint after having been an individual known for your lack of generosity? The life of St. Thomas Becket would indicate that you can. Known as a cold-hearted man of great wealth who shared nothing with those in need, he later gave away all of his possessions and welcomed the poor at his table. Can you hate Christians and even contribute to their slaughter, and yet end up being known as a saint?  The Apostle Paul, who described himself as the worst of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), would be surprised to learn of his own sainthood. Can you abandon your faith, become part of a pagan society, and live with a mistress outside the blessings of a marital relationship and later be called a saint?  St. Augustine would tell you that it is possible to do so. In fact, he is quoted as having said: “There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.”

A saintly life is not a life free from sin but rather from sin’s condemning and controlling power. Even the greatest saint was once a sinner saved by the grace of God, and even the worst sinner has a potentially glorious future; that is if we allow our daily life to more closely align itself with the life of Jesus. By virtue of our connection with the Holy One, we are welcomed into the sainthood of His creation, “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12). But St. Therese of Lisieux would caution that “You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all.”

So what then is our role then as we journey through this lifetime?  It becomes obvious that it is “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). Once our earthly excursion come to an end, we will know the inexpressible joys that God has prepared for those who love Him. “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16-17). We cannot help but personalize the lyrics to that well-known song as it resonates, ‘O Lord I want to be in that number – when the saints go marching in.” Let it be so for each of us who endeavors to faithfully serve our Lord.  Only then are we able to respond to the question, “Eligible for sainthood?” with the answer . . . “Yes, even me.”

REFLECTION:  Who is the worst sinner you have known who turned out to have saintly qualities? What can we learn from the transformation of an individual from sinner to saint? How does such a conversion give us hope for our own life when we fail to be the kind of person God desires for us?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., NOVEMBER 7, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)

LOSING OUR WAY

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

If you’ve ever played a game of Hide and Seek with a very young child, it is quite different than it might be with someone who is a bit older.  In your search, it would not be unusual to notice feet sticking out from under the bed or hear giggling from the back of the sofa. It’s almost as if the security of being found far outweighs the prospect of becoming missed, even if only for a short time. In October, 2014 – it was not uncommon for visitors who traversed through the world’s largest corn maze at Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, California to have to call for help to get out. Once inside the 63-acre corn creation, adventurers frequently discovered that what they believed would be an easy maneuver became much more of a challenge than they had anticipated. Once everything begins to look the same and you lose perspective, one can easily panic. In this case, some even used their cell phones to call 9-1-1 after the frustration of being lost wore thin.

In this day and age, it is not infrequent for any one of us to be part of an organization that loses its way. Companies spend valuable energy and dollars hiring consultants to develop mission statements which, by their intent, are to contain the beliefs that define the organization’s purpose.  In practicality, a company should be able to turn to their mission statement as a source of reference to see if they are remaining true to their principles or if they have lost their focus.  Ideally, a good mission statement should be static and remain true over time.  Christian churches often develop mission statements as well, and different from other organizations, they almost universally center on some form of discipleship made possible through the loving grace of Jesus.  While companies are not always true to their mission, the Christian church is sometimes no less accountable. Perhaps they are not all that different, since through the course of time the church is often seen by its toughest critics as having become nothing more than another big business and lost to the origins of its own creation.

In response to condemnation from the Pharisees who were criticizing Him for welcoming and dining with sinners, Jesus cites three parables of ‘the lost.’ They are the Lost Sheep as well as the Lost Coin and the Lost Son, frequently referred to as ‘The Prodigal.’ In the first of these – Jesus said, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” (Luke 15:4-7). Jesus made it very clear that His mission was centered on those who were lost.

Throughout our lifetime, it is fair to say that there have been periods when we have been like that lost sheep. As individuals – our personal values may align but can also occasionally be in conflict with those organizations to which we belong. It is likely that as we continue on our walk, there will be times in our future when we will once again feel lost. Getting lost becomes a ‘rite of passage’ for each person as we determine who we are. As we do so, we hopefully draw closer to God and learn to always keep an open heart allowing Him to find us. It is not unlike that game of Hide and Seek engaging that naïve child for the very first time. We want to eventually be found. “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14). So when we discover ourselves in the midst of a maize, we come to understand that getting lost may occasionally become part of the journey. Our realization is that we need to know when and who to call for help.  Only then can we ultimately become free and once more find ourselves in His loving arms.

REFLECTION: Try to recall an incident when you were actually lost. What were the steps you took to find your way?  Can you apply this recovery to a time when you felt spiritually lost?  During those periods in your life when you have felt separated from God, how have you been able to renew your fellowship with Him?  What did it take for you to realize that He was there all the time waiting for your return?

 

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., OCTOBER 31, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)

ANONYMOUS

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)

A young widow goes to her mailbox.  It contains several cards, all expressing sympathy for the recent passing of her husband.  Among the cards, one stands out as being a bit unusual. First, it contains one-hundred dollars in cash which will undoubtedly be used in some way to make payment on the many unexpected bills they have received throughout her husband’s illness. But secondly and even more uncommon, after a brief note of condolence – the card is simply signed, “A Friend.” She wonders who might be so kind as to remember her in this way. The gesture touches her then and even to this day when she recollects the special manner in which it was given.

Following an accident at work which has caused him to be at least temporarily disabled, a man receives a letter containing these words:  “I am aware of your injury through a friend.  I want you to know that I am now on the upswing after having passed through a very difficult time in my life.  During the long journey back to normalcy – there were those who reached out to me, some whom I knew would do so but also others who surprised me.  Among them were those I didn’t even know. Now, years later – I run into or are introduced to folks who tell me that during my troublesome journey they were praying for me.  So, my unknown friend – that’s what I want you to know. Throughout this dark period in your life – there are those, like myself, whom you do not know who are and will be praying for you.”

Anonymity can be good thing if done for the right reasons. The group Alcoholics Anonymous attracts attendance in part because of the confidentiality of its membership. Throughout history, some literary works and famous quotes have been published by that notorious author ‘Anon.’ Likewise and to their credit, there are prominent individuals who do wonderful acts of charity choosing to remain anonymous. Others seemed to be motivated in their giving by having their name publicly attached.  People of means can dominate most causes, be they political or charitable, and gain recognition for it. In doing such, they exert influence or derive benefit from man-made systems like the tax law. One political candidate was recently quoted as saying: “I think we need to recognize that it may be time to quit worrying so much about the tax code and start thinking about the truth of the living God, and if it means that we give up tax deductions for charitable contributions, I choose freedom more than I choose a deduction.”

Jesus stated it this way: “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.  When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:2-6).

Is it always wrong then to do good works with others’ awareness?  Of course not. I recently took a gift of food to a neighbor who had surgery.  On the other hand, I choose to write this weekly devotional blog anonymously. My thought in doing so is that if the reader is blessed in any way from the words I have penned, I attribute that to God who works through me in writing them. For you see – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). It’s difficult to possess or have your name attached to something without it owning you just a little.  For those who choose to walk with Christ, giving anonymously encourages us to serve in kindness for the right reasons.

REFLECTION:  Are there ways you might need to examine your reasons for giving? How might we use the words of Matthew 10:8 to inspire us to give without expecting anything in return?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., OCTOBER 24, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)

IN HIS WHEELHOUSE

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,                          as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)

If you are listening to one of the baseball playoff games and the announcer calling the game says, “I didn’t know that was in his wheelhouse” – he is most likely speaking of the batter who just had a great hit.  When the player gets a pitch that is in his wheelhouse, it means that the ball crossed the plate in the perfect zone for that particular batter to exercise his greatest control and power over it. In other words, the pitch was right where the batter would want it – right in his ‘sweet’ spot, so to speak. Likewise if you are sitting in a brainstorming session somewhere in corporate America trying to figure out a way to implement a new product – someone at the table might speak up and say, “I’m not afraid to tackle that since its well within my wheelhouse.”  In this case, the individual using the terminology is applying the slang expression to indicate that he believes the resolution to the project application may be within his or her area of capability. The phrase may also be used as a general expression for a company who believes that their offer is best suited for a particular customer or market.

In reality, the original definition of wheelhouse is that part of a boat where the skipper has excellent visibility, is best able to control the vessel, and is prepared to face any perils that might be encountered. The term is commonly used for the pilot house on a steamboat. Applied to a person, a wheelhouse describes one’s area of expertise. Those who work with their hands use skills within their wheelhouse to define their work. Many grow to be quite adept at what they do and become known as master craftsmen in their field.  Others use their power of reasoning to become excellent teachers, investors, or product designers. Lucky for us that we do not all share the same wheelhouse. If that was the case – the world would most likely cease to function as we know it, and it might be a pretty dull place.

As we traverse the road of life, we hopefully come to realize that everything we have in our personal wheelhouse is a gift from God. The gifts that we have are not ours alone; they are meant to be shared with others. Jesus taught that we should use our gifts wisely.  In Matthew 25:14-30, He shares His ‘Parable of the Talents’ in which a man going on a journey entrusts three servants with various sums of money. Two of the servants make good use of their master’s investment; the third hides it, and his master is displeased. Like the three servants in the parable – we too are given a wide variety of gifts, not the same degree. The servant who did nothing with the gift was not condemned because he hadn’t achieved like the other two but rather because he did nothing with what he had been given. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).

If we are part of the family of God and fortunate to be surrounded by others who are spiritually like-minded, we come to realize that we each play an important and significant role in service to others. The problem with many of us is that we sometimes use our talents for our own glory or do nothing with them at all.  We grow to become captain of our own vessel and the manager of our own wheelhouse. We develop possessiveness of what God has made possible in the first place. Our vision for the journey becomes clouded, and we are at risk of being shipwrecked.  When we lose sight of who we are, it’s important that we invite God to right the ship. Fortunately for us, God’s wheelhouse is filled with grace. We have access to it at any time through faith in Him. There we will be rescued with enough peace, joy, and love to direct us away from the storms of life and put us back on the right course for the voyage ahead.

REFLECTION: What talents has God provided for your wheelhouse?  When you think of the ‘Parable of the Talents’ – have there been times in your life in which you have played the role of the various servants? When you lose direction, have you found God’s grace to be sufficient to get you back on track?  Can you apply Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” to different phases of your Life’s Journey?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., OCTOBER 17, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)

THE GREAT ‘I AM’

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites:             ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” (Exodus 3:14)

Remembered for flexing his muscle and eating his spinach, Popeye the Sailor Man is one of the ‘Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time’ according to a ranking by TV Guide in 2002. For decades, he appeared in comic strips and in cartoons on television.  He is known for his one liner, “I am what I am, and that’s all that I am.”  Expressed somewhat more thoughtfully, Frenchman Rene Descartes (known as The Father of Modern Philosophy) once said, “I think, therefore I am.”

Saying the words “I am” can be light-hearted, philosophical, confident, or just downright egotistical. But given the right set of circumstances, it can also be downright scary. There are far too many times lately when saying those words in affirmation of one’s convictions will likely get you killed. A wounded victim of a recent shooting reported that her attempted killer targeted persons of faith, asking the question, “Are you a Christian?”  When they positively identified themselves as such, he said – “Good. Because you’re a Christian, you are going to see God in just about one second.” Throughout the ages, Christians have been persecuted. However – it would appear that targeting them is once again on the increase.

I have a friend who has a young grandson who constantly refers to himself by using his name. He will say “Jack is hungry” rather than “I want something to eat.” One day, the “I” word will be prevalent in his vocabulary.  When man utters the words, “I am,” they are always followed with an explanation.  I am happy. I am a fan of football.  I am a man or woman.  I am married or single. I am young, or I am growing old. But when God uses those words, the phrase is complete, because absent everything else . . . He is! God alone can say “I am” and nothing more, for He is ‘The Great I Am.’

In the Book of John alone, there are seven “I am” statements expressed by Jesus. They include being the bread of life (John 6:48), the light of the world (John 8:12), the door (John 10:9), the good shepherd (John 10:11), the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and the true vine (John 15:1). They are significant because Jesus is not being philosophical here but is actually claiming to be these things. His declarations also serve as a source of everlasting hope for Believers. When confronted by the religious leaders of His day as to who He was, Jesus replied – “before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). They understood who He was claiming to be, and they threatened to stone Him but He escaped.

Because Christ is who He says, He makes the Journey whole for all who believe (Colossians 2:10). Therefore, we are able to make our own “I am” pronouncements.  I am at a peaceful place that is beyond all comprehension (Philippians 4:7). I am complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). I am a recipient of the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17) and a joint heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).  I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in His Blood (Ephesians 1:7). Jesus said, “”Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven’” (Matthew 10:32). So if you are ever asked, “Are you a Christian?”  Regardless of the situation, you can reply without hesitation  . . .  “I am.”

REFLECTION:  Are you able to practice your Christianity openly without any fear of reprisal?  Have you ever felt persecuted in your own life because of your faith?  In what ways might you bring new meaning to the phrase, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20)?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., OCTOBER 10, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)