Monthly Archives: April 2016

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6)

Two talk show hosts find themselves at odds over a botched communication that one of them is planning to leave his co-host job for a bigger role on the network’s morning program. Hearing the news at almost the same time as it was released to the public, his female counterpart then fails to appear on their program for several days stating that she feels betrayed and hurt. After a lot of media drama and behind-the scene conversations, the two reunite on-the-air apparently under an agreement to “play nice”. Now he is transitioning off of the show sooner than expected, and there is much speculation that if she doesn’t get a new co-host of her choosing, she might also walk away when her contact expires. It has led to a lot of labeling from him being classified as ‘inconsiderate’ for not giving her a heads-up to her being called a ‘diva’ for the way she reacted.  If you pull back from taking sides and the emotion of all of this – it just makes you want to yell out, “What is it that you want?” There are so many more important things to be concerned about than how this plays out, but the world watches in anticipation.

A relative of mine recently related a story about her friend who some time ago had been diagnosed with cancer. After several series of chemotherapy treatments, it will soon be time for an imaging test to scan for the presence of the disease. The friend has told my relative that she is asking God to be healed, stating “I know I am expecting a miracle but that’s what I want.” In a desire to not discourage the friend, her reply was that certainly if that was God’s will, He could make it so. She is concerned that if the scan continues to show presence of the cancer that her friend, who has been doing somewhat better, will lose heart and not continue to progress. By helping the friend to recognize the progress and giving thanks for what God has already done, she has created an atmosphere for continued healing rather than defeat. She also encouraged her friend to help God reveal what it is that she might be able to learn about her faith journey while in this current situation.

Is it acceptable to be very specific with God about our needs? At times, Jesus was quite direct with people who were seeking His help. “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’ So they called to the blind man, ‘Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.’ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked him. The blind man said, ‘Rabbi, I want to see.’ ‘Go,’ said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road” (Mark 10:46-52).

When we have someone whom we care about in crisis – the first question most of us normally ask is, “What can I do to help?”  We ask for specifics, because when we have something concrete, we can focus on meeting that need.  Should we think that the God who created us cares any less than we?  Of course not. It is important that we not only be specific but also persistent. Jesus said: “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). His timing might not meet our expectations, and His answer may come in a different form that we might expect. But be assured, God hears our requests and answers our prayers according to his merciful will and purpose in our lives.  He never gives up on you, so don’t give up on Him. When we keep praying and don’t lose heart in spite of our frustration and disappointment – we affirm our relationship with Him. and He realizes just how much we are trusting Him. And in the end, that is precisely what prayer calls into question: What do you really want?

REFLECTION; Are there time that you have wondered why you have to keep asking God for what He knows you need?  Have you been specific, persistent, and accepting of God’s timing in your prayers? Do you want God even more than you want what you are asking for?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., MAY 7, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

MORE THAN ENOUGH

“But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.”  (Exodus 16:18)

I don’t know about you, but when I invite guests for dinner, I like to have what I believe to be an acceptable menu. I try to get an idea ahead of time what their preferences are, and then I plan the meal accordingly.  In doing so I feel that the basic entrée with a starch, vegetable and a salad will be adequate, and I anticipate a generous portion size for each person.  Beyond that, I don’t worry about the meal other than what to serve for dessert.  I am pleased when my guests eat all that I have prepared, and I don’t become overly concerned that they had enough to eat.  I know others, however, who subscribe to the belief that their company was not satisfied if they consumed everything. In other words, if there is no food left over, they will conjecture that their guests must not have had enough to eat. I’m not sure who has the most gracious philosophy. I tend to think if they enjoyed the meal, there was plenty.

When Jesus was faced with the feeding of a very large crowd, His disciples expressed concern that they were not adequately prepared and that the masses should be sent away. “Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’ ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children” (Matt. 14:16-21).

This miracle was recorded by Matthew, Mark and John, and in each case it is stressed that after all had been fed and satisfied, there was food remaining.  John states it this way: “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten” (John 6:12-13).  Not only did Jesus perform a miracle here, but He was attempting to teach a lesson to His followers. It’s as if He was saying, “Can you not see that you don’t have to concern yourself with how much you have? I can supply all that you need and more.” The fact that there is an abundance left over demonstrates that God is a gracious provider. Just as God delivered bread for the five-thousand and manna for the Israelites of the Old Testament who were in exile (Exodus 16), He will meet our needs as well if we trust Him to do so.

We live in a society of excess, and seldom are we grateful for what we have.  We want more and more. We overextend ourselves financially and sometimes become so deep in debt that we will never see the light of day. We embrace our politicians who promise us the world and fail to realize that somewhere along the line, we will end up paying for all that “free stuff”.  We say what we want is enough to get by and keep us comfortable, but what we have is never sufficient. If our neighbor has it, we want one bigger and faster. We need to come to terms with the fact that the God who loves and cares for us is, in fact, a God of abundance who fulfills our daily needs. However, through the worry and anxiety that we most often bring on ourselves – we can miss out on the true Bread of Life. St. Augustine put it this way: “He who has God has everything; he who has everything but God has nothing.Embrace Him as your absolute EVERYTHING. He is indeed all you’ll ever need. “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). What He provides is more than enough. We just have to trust and believe it to be so.

REFLECTION: Do you ever find yourself sometimes becoming apathetic with all the blessings God pours on you each day? What is that thing that you may need to reconsider to be a necessity as you reassess what God has already made available to you is most likely more than adequate?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., APRIL 30, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

WAY: THE PLACE THAT THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

“Teach me your way, O Lord and I will walk in your truth.” (Psalm 86:11)

It’s become a culturally accepted response that when you elicit the statement “No way”, the person to whom you are speaking responds by saying “Way.”  In other words, if something is unbelievable and you get excited, you may evoke the sentiment that there is no way this could be.  Someone tells you that of course this is so . . . that, in fact, there is a way. The term ‘way’ can be understood by several definitions. For instance, it can mean the manner in which someone acts (“It’s just his way”).  It can be used to describe a distance, such as “He was raised a long way from here.”  Or it can reference a system or a method of doing things, as in “We’ll try it your way first.” It can also mean a road or a path as evidenced in this scriptural passage when Jesus responds to His disciple. Thomas asks, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:5-6)

I love the scene that is set in one of my favorite commercials crafted by State Farm Insurance.  A young man tells his buddies he is never getting married, while the next scene shows him with a jeweler who is giving praise for his selection of a beautiful ring. On an airplane with his wife at his side overhearing a baby crying, he states that they are never having kids, flashing, of course, to the next shot with the wife in labor. In their city apartment, they vow to never move to the suburbs. The next scene shows them in the front yard of . . . you guessed it. “We are never getting one of those” pointing to the car that they will soon own, followed by him saying “We are never having another kid” and then her response, “I’m pregnant.  At every corner of life, it’s as if he is yelling out “No way” and someone or something pops up and says, “Oh yes – Way!” The best part of the ad, however, occurs at the very end as he is sitting on the couch surrounded by his family echoing the words, “I am never letting go.”  One wonders if he finally gets it and has found his way. Fade to the voiceover which states – “For all the ‘nevers’ in life – God is there.”  Well actually, the voice says State Farm, but this is my rendition – not theirs.

There are many great examples in scripture of God providing a way for the faithful. There is no better illustration than when God tested the faithfulness of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-13). God asked him to take his only son Isaac to a mountain and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Abraham did as God requested and when asked by Isaac where the lamb was for the burnt offering, Abraham responded that God would supply. Just as Abraham draws his knife to slay his son whom he had laid on the altar, God provides ‘the way’ – a solution in the form of a ram. “So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided’” (Genesis 22:14). Songwriter Don Moen has penned these lyrics to a contemporary chorus: “God will make a way when there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side. With love and strength for each new day. He will make a way for me.”

For many of us, this is a difficult process. We are much more familiar with the lyrics of the Frank Sinatra song “My Way” than we are with those in the previously mentioned chorus. In our Journey we choose to rely on our own life experience, and we do not allow our faith to move beyond our own comprehension. If we are patient, we will come to understand that the Lord often acts in ways which transcend human reasoning. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). So in ways that often will not make sense at the time, we must learn to put the faith that we say we have into practice. In doing so, the word ‘never’ disappear from our personal vocabulary.  When someone says, ‘No Way’, we will instead cry out ‘Way’ – and we will be in full agreement with Abraham, certain that the LORD will indeed provide.

REFLECTION:  Try to remember a time in your life when in the face of hopelessness and despair, you were able to discover God’s truth and promise. Have you been able to remember God’s provision for an additional personal experience or in offering help to another who is struggling in their journey?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., APRIL 23, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

IMPLOSION: A PATH TO SELF-DESTRUCTION

“He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”   (Psalm 107:20)

It has happened on most main streets of small town America.  The old storefronts have disappeared and are now replaced with more progressive buildings in an effort to revitalize what was at one time a thriving downtown business area. In our town, buildings that once contained clothing shops, five and ten department stores, as well as banks and other places of local commerce have now been demolished. Structures which have housed the local mercantile for many generations have been levelled in the name of progress.  An all-in-one service center will soon provide groceries, health and beauty supplies, as well as a full-pharmacy. Many wish it could be like it once was, but those who have seen it decline live in hope of something better. And with it, the memories of yesterday will be preserved only in photos.

Sometimes things get destroyed that were never intended to be so. Homeowners in a small Texas town had their house reduced to rubble recently when a demolition company mixed up addresses and bulldozed the wrong house. The families who lived there were waiting on their insurance to cover costs for damages to the home caused months before by a tornado. Part of the confusion resulted from a twisted sign that directed the crew down the wrong street leading to an improper identification of the duplex scheduled for demolition. It should not surprise us when our personal lives can also head for destruction if the paths we choose to take are somewhat misguided. When this occurs and our lives become twisted, the Apostle Paul has sent out this warning: “They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth”. (Philippians 3:19).

There’s an interesting form of structure demolition called an implosion in which blasting material is strategically placed so that when it is exploded, the structure will cave inward onto itself. Sometimes large parking garages or sports complexes are destroyed in this manner. I have also heard references made about organizations that have imploded. Not so long ago, I observed the use of the term by a baseball manager whose team was in the lead until the latter few innings of a game. When bullpen pitchers took the mound in relief, they blew the lead and were appropriately described by this phrase. It is not unusual for similar destruction to occur within churches, families, or within our own lives. The psalmist writes: “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Implosion is always possible when we fail to honor God’s fundamental principles and instead allow the selfish purposes of what is right in our eyes to rule. Sometimes it may not even be intentional. Like Paul, we may find ourselves conflicted and cry out: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15).

Years ago, the television show Mission Impossible began every episode with a scene in which the team leader would receive a tape describing his next mission. The tape always began, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it . . .”  and ended with, “This message will self-destruct in five seconds.” Lucky for us, we have a Creator who makes our mission a possible one. “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free” (Isaiah 44:22). Just as the suffering of Israel paved the way for forgiveness and the rebuilding of the nation, we too can be restored. We have a Savior in the name of Jesus who gives us this direction – “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it” (Matthew 7:13). He gives us plenty of time and opportunity to choose a path that is always vitalized, never confusing, and one that we should always consider a desirable mission . . . unless our goal is to somehow implode.

REFLECTION: What are those twisted signs in your life that have misdirected you from a true fellowship with Jesus?  What faith practices do you need to put in place in your daily journey to assure that you are being constructive?  How can you apply these in your network of family, friends, and organizations?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., APRIL 16, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

POLITICALLY CORRECT

“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?” (James 2:1)

As I entered the checkout line at the local supermarket, I looked behind me to see a lady with whom I had worked a number of years before. As we chatted while waiting for the line to move, I asked about her nephew who had also worked with us at one point. Remembering that he had studied the culture of Indian tribes, collected memorabilia, and at one time lived on a reservation – I inquired how he was doing. I thought I had posed a very logical question by asking, “Is he still living with the Indians?”  She looked at me hesitantly and said, “You mean Native Americans, don’t you?”  I replied, “Well I guess I do.”  The interesting thing about the conversation is that I don’t recall this individual being a particularly sensitive person, especially as it would have related to the realm of political correctness.

Every day, our culture provides us with what our appropriate references should be toward others so that they do not take offense. Much of the time, most of us fall in line in order that respectful communications and positive relations can be maintained. It has come to the point, however, that any mention of God or love of country can force us to be thrown off a team, ostracized by the neighbors, or lose our livelihood. It’s infiltrated our culture and is forcing young people to be raised with a whole new set of values and self-expression. Examples include a high school track team disqualified because one of the runners “made a gesture thanking God” once he had crossed the finish line. At one California school, five students were sent home for wearing shirts that displayed the American flag on the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo. A student at a western state university was ordered to take off a cross that she was wearing because someone “could be offended“. For those of us who grew up publically wishing folks a “Merry Christmas” – we are often surprised when we get more than a “Happy Holiday.”  I say it anyhow.

The concept of Christianity from its very beginning was offensive to those who followed the old law of Jewish custom and tradition.  Jesus was frequently politically incorrect. When He dined with Levi, many tax collectors and sinners of that day were also gathered there. The teachers of the law criticized Him for doing so. “When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor–sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Mark 2:17). He was questioned about fasting and also healing on the Sabbath. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!’” (Mark 2:27-28). People often use the notion of being visibly offended as a way to gain support in labeling or judging the motives of someone’s heart. At other times, political correctness can become overly focused on issues of self-esteem. In either case, when these become your motivation – you risk distancing yourself from the One who loves you the most.

Political correctness in and of itself is not a bad thing. If we reduce it to mean that we treat people of different backgrounds with respect and do not use gender stereotypes, racial slurs, or other derogatory references – then we are practicing what is, in fact, very Biblical. After all, we are each part of God’s creation. As Believers in Christ, we must not allow our sensitivity for political correctness to diminish our expression of faith to that of second-class citizens or less.  The Apostle Paul warned his young friend Timothy to not be ashamed to preach the Gospel, saying: ” preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:2-4). Christians should boldly focus on being Biblically correct. We must not allow correctness in the secular or political arena to be our primary concern, for our ultimate citizenship is not of this world but rather in Heaven with our Creator who is correct in every way.

REFLECTION: Have there been times in your life in which you have been so concerned about being politically correct that you failed to consider what Jesus would have you do?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., APRIL 9, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.