Reflection in the Silver

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but I’ve never really been a big jewelry person. I do have a soft spot for bohemian bracelets and shiny earrings, but that’s about it. Most of the jewelry I’ve kept through the years has sentimental value to me. I’d rather have jewelry that has meaning than monetary value.

I’ve always been a very sentimental and sensitive person. Even as a young child. I have boxes of keepsakes I’ve kept for years. If you have ever given me a sentimental gift, card, letter, or keepsake; there’s a good chance I still have it. It might be tucked away, but I’ll never part with it because I’m so sentimental!

I’ve always loved silver jewelry as well. One time a friend gave me her silver ring. We were best friends that summer. I wore it for over ten years until I eventually wore it out. One friend gave me a “no fear” silver charm before a surgery. I still have that one too. One time before I moved away, another best friend gave me her silver ring as a friendship keepsake. I wore it for a long time. I still have it as well.

There is a beautiful verse about silver in the Bible. Malachi 3:3 states: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." Take a few moments to read the story of “The Silversmith.”

 The SILVERSMITH

-Author Unknown

The woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. 

She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.

He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire.

If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Take comfort in the fact that God is never in a hurry, will never leave your side, and only has his best in mind for you in your life; to give you a hope and a future! May he continue to refine us until his reflection shines brightly in our lives.

How Kind Are You?

As I make my way through the middle-aged years of my life, I am becoming more and more convinced of the need for Christians to engage in what is referred to as orthopraxy.  Perhaps you are not familiar with the word.  Its meaning is simple. “Right practice.”  The word orthodoxy means “right belief.”  I have always considered myself to be orthodox in my beliefs.  For instance, I believe that salvation is received by grace through faith alone, that the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God, and that Jesus is the only way to receive salvation.  Orthodoxy is important, especially in a postmodern world which attempts to declare that all belief systems are really the same.  It's important to “contend for the faith,” as Jude says, and make sure that what we believe is based on revealed truth.  It’s important to believe what is right.

However, in recent years, I have become equally convinced of the need for orthopraxy, which is right practice.  And what I mean by this is clear.  Our lives as Christians must reflect the life of Jesus in us.  We must allow his Spirit to produce that precious fruit that is mentioned in the 5th chapter of Galatians, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness . . .” Wait.  Let me stop.  “Kindness.”  That word got my attention this morning as I was having my quiet time.  I read in Romans 2 of how it is the “kindness” of God that produces repentance.  His “kindness.”  Hmm.  This begs a question. What if we believe all the right things, but are not kind in our efforts to reach out to others in the name of Jesus Christ?  What if in our efforts to persuade others to believe the right things, we omit kindness?  I think the answer is simple.  There will be no repentance.

If you think about the most amazing stories of life change in the ministry of Jesus, the vast majority were produced by Jesus’ kindness.  Zacchaeus.  The woman at the well.  The woman caught in adultery.  The woman who wiped the feet of Jesus with her tears.  Jesus was kind to the wayward, to the sinner, to the person who knew they did not measure up.  Look at the gospels and you will notice that Jesus’ harshest words were reserved for the religious leaders of the day, for those who believed all the right things, yet failed to put that belief into proper practice, to those who failed to love their neighbor.  The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke chapter 18 is a prime example of this. 

To the struggling sinner who was beat up by life and the consequences of their wrong choices, Jesus offered forgiveness, new life, and hope through him.  He certainly called for repentance, for the individual to “sin no more,” yet the person heeded these words because of the love and kindness Jesus had demonstrated to them.  The formula rang true.  Kindness produced repentance.  I believe this is the reason Paul includes the beautiful chapter in 1 Corinthians we call the “love chapter.”  In that thirteenth chapter, he reminds Christians that anything we do in the name of Jesus that is devoid of love profits nothing.  Again, orthopraxy must accompany orthodoxy.

I came across a video on Facebook this past week of Billy Graham preaching at a crusade near the end of his ministry.  He was unable at this stage of his life to preach with the charisma and passion he once possessed.  Yet, his message was just as strong and powerful.  In a tone filled with kindness, he uttered the following words:  “No matter how bad you’ve been, no matter how many sins you’ve committed, God loves you.  I could talk all evening just on that.  And God is not only a God of judgment, but he is a God of love.  But he is also a God of mercy and forgiveness.  He wants to forgive you.  He offers his hand of mercy to any one of you that are willing to open your heart and receive him into your heart.”  The kind tone of Billy Graham is what caught my attention.  He conveyed the kindness of Christ.  And that kindness led thousands to repentance and faith in Jesus that evening.  Orthopraxy.  How are you doing in this area of your faith?  How am I doing?  My spiritual mentor once said, “Be kind to everyone, son, because everyone is having a hard time.” 

Faith Over Fear

“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.  Just to take him at his word.  Just to rest upon his promise.  Just to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’  Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him.  How I’ve proved him over and over.  Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, oh for grace to trust him more.”  I learned these words as a child.  We sang them often in our church services.  I’m glad we did because they still resonate in my mind.  I remember them during times when I need them.  I find myself singing them when I need to choose faith over fear, when I need to remember the promises of God and how they apply to my life, when I need to “let go, and let God.”  They remind me that God is completely trustworthy.

I was visiting with my brother-in-law and his wife several months ago.  As we were chatting with them in the living room, I could not help but notice the behavior of their family dog, who looked to me like he was a pit bull.  At first glance, he appeared to be the kind of dog you would not want to meet in a dark alley, or anywhere for that matter.  He was big, strong, and seemingly more than capable of handling himself in all situations.  And yet, I soon discovered the dog’s demeanor was the exact opposite.  Rather than ferocious, he was bashful and fearful of anyone except his owner.  When I reached down to pet him, he cowered.  I soon learned he had been attacked by another dog in the past and nearly died.  Though he survived, his life was now one of fear.  He trusted neither human nor animal.  And his face conveyed this anxiety he carried with him with a constant look of worry.  I felt extremely sorry for the dog the more I observed him.

“This dog has no idea who he is or what he is capable of,” my sister-in-law said.  When she uttered these words, they struck me.  I immediately made a spiritual application.  Perhaps this is what I look like when I choose fear over faith, when I give way to anxiety instead of allowing the Lord’s peace to reign in my life, when I do not recognize the power of God within me.  Maybe this is what the Lord says about me.  “He has no idea who he is or what he is capable of.”  I think it’s true, more times than not.  God has given us everything we need to face the challenges of life.  And that “everything” consists of him, who he is, what he has done for us, who he has made us to be, our identity in him.  But too often, we choose fear over faith.  We choose not to believe this.

If you look in the Bible, there are many situations when Biblical characters are faced with the choice of whether they are going to allow their extenuating circumstances to get the best of them or whether they will believe God is greater than those circumstances.  David passes the test with Goliath.  Peter doesn’t and falls into the water.  Joshua and Caleb believe God will certainly give them the Promised Land.  The other ten spies do not believe and poison the faith of the Israelites.  The pattern is consistent throughout Scripture.  When faith is chosen, when God is believed and trusted to be bigger than the opposition, God is given the opportunity to prove himself.  When this belief is absent, when there is a lack of faith, the consequences are faithless as well.

I wish I could recount the entire story I heard preached in a sermon from a good friend of mine recently.  I do not recall the complete context, but I do remember several sentences that struck me from his illustration.  A man is faced with dire circumstances.  His enemies are threatening to take his life.  He is faced with a kind of fear that many of us will never be faced with.  A fear that is paralyzing, tormenting, debilitating.  Yet, in that moment, amazingly, surprisingly, faith wins the day instead, as he is reminded of the presence and promises of God through the gentle whispers of the Spirit.  Faced with crippling fear, the Spirit whispers to him not to be afraid.  He hears the words, “Your life is not in your hands . . . Nor is it in the hands of your enemies . . . I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Peace is the result and the man’s life is saved.  Did you know the same is true of you and me?  What if we chose to believe it?  Will you choose to believe it today?

Finding Jesus in the Life of Joseph

There is no doubt that Joseph could be accused of being an overly confident teenager.  He is the favorite son of his father, who gives him a colorful robe to wear, an act that infuriates his older brothers.  Joseph is also a dreamer, as he has a series of dreams in which he is always the hero.  In one dream, the sheaves of his brothers bow down to his sheaf.  In another, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bow down to him.  Joseph’s brothers despise him as a result.  Sibling rivalry goes too far, and Joseph is thrown into a pit by his brothers and sold into slavery.  They tell their father that Joseph has been killed by a wild animal.  Jealousy turns to hatred, over offenses that certainly do not deserve such.  

To make matters worse, Joseph continues to be punished for crimes he does not commit.  People recognize that there is something different about Joseph, that he carries with him God’s anointing.  The right-hand man of Pharaoh, Potiphar, as he is called, promotes Joseph to the highest position there is.  Perhaps justice has prevailed.  Yet Potiphar’s wife reverses such justice, as she tries to seduce Joseph into becoming her lover.  Joseph resists her advances and Potiphar’s wife gives up.  Not wanting to be found out, she accuses Joseph of trying to seduce her instead.  Joseph ends up in prison, in a dungeon to be exact, again for a crime he does not commit.  Punishment that is not worthy or just.  Joseph is an innocent man, but he is not being treated like it.

And yet, Joseph, the dreamer, keeps on dreaming.  Two fellow prisoners recognize Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams and seize on the opportunity.  The cupbearer and the baker of Pharaoh.  Joseph reveals the fates of each.  The cupbearer will be restored to his position, while the baker will be killed.  The only thing Joseph asks in return for the interpretation is to be remembered.  “But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison . . . I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon” (Genesis 40:14-15).  There likely should be several English exclamation points here.  I imagine that Joseph is screaming this statement with a face that is red.  Injustice creates such a response.

Joseph is not remembered though.  He is forgotten.  And he continues to suffer in prison for crimes he has not committed.  He continues to be treated unfairly.  He has been abandoned by those he loves, enslaved, falsely accused and imprisoned, and he has done nothing wrong.  In return for his desire to be righteous, he has reaped the punishment of the unrighteous.  Does any of this sound familiar?  Might there be a foreshadowing of Jesus here?  A pointing ahead to the cross?  Just an observation. 

Finally, things begin to get better for Joseph.  The cupbearer remembers him when Pharaoh begins having disturbing dreams of his own.  When this happens, the cupbearer tells Pharaoh to go and get him, and Joseph saves the day.  Interpretation of dreams belongs to God, he tells him, and the interpretation God gives him is that famine is coming, famine that must be prepared for.  Recognizing Joseph as a wise and discerning young man, Pharaoh makes him his right-hand man.  He puts Joseph in charge of all of Egypt.  And Joseph sees to it that Egypt is prepared for this famine by storing up sufficient grain.  Pharaoh has been wise in his decision.

Countless individuals from Egypt and other lands come to Joseph for grain during this famine.  As a wise steward, Joseph distributes grain to those in need.  And all goes well until he looks up and sees the faces of those he is not prepared to see.  Faces he has thought about, there can be no doubt.  Faces he has associated with severe emotional pain and injustice, faces of those whose actions caused him slavery and prison.  Joseph sees his brothers.  And the only thing he can do is weep.  He has struggled so long to understand the “whys” behind their actions.  Why did they go so far?  Why did they not come back and rescue him?  Why did they choose to hate him for such ridiculous reasons?  How could family treat family this way?

If you read the end of Genesis, Joseph’s famous words to his brothers are, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).  Joseph forgives his brothers and recognizes God’s providential hand in the process, that God was using these events for a greater purpose, to preserve people’s lives all throughout the world, but also to preserve the lives of his brothers, of those who had treated him so badly.

Joseph chooses to forgive the hatred of his brothers in the end.  He recognizes how God can bring good out of bad.  He makes the hard choice to forgive as he cannot deny the hand of God in this process, but not just that.  He chooses to forgive because he is a righteous person, someone who can be likened to David, an individual who possesses the heart of God.  His love for his brothers never turned to hatred.  Though he suffered and struggled with the temptation, bitterness never won the day with Joseph.  His love for his brothers remained, despite their actions that caused him relentless emotional pain. 

Sound familiar?  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).  These words uttered from the only man who had done nothing wrong his entire life, who had committed no sin, the Son of God who chose to overlook the hurt, the pain, and the sin of those punishing him so that a greater good would result.  Joseph is a type of Jesus, there can be no doubt.  He points ahead to the forgiving nature of our Lord. 

Why forgive others when they hurt us?  Because the Lord forgave us.  Why forgive when we do not understand how in good conscience they could disregard us, abandon us, and force us down paths of emotional pain and injustice?  Because Jesus commands us to.  Because the same has happened to our Lord.  Because greater good can be the result of our decision to forgive, his greater good, a greater purpose made possible because an innocent man willingly suffered for sinners like you and me, suffered to love us despite our weakness, selfishness, and sinfulness.  I love the story of Joseph because his life points ahead to Jesus, to his love and forgiveness, love and forgiveness we do not deserve.

“Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”

“Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?”  These words were written by singer and songwriter, Alan Jackson, shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Today it has been 22 years since the events of this day that are still sketched in the minds of most who were alive and capable of understanding them.  Through the years, I’ve asked people to tell me where they were and what they were doing when the first plane hit, and most people can do so with precise details.  I was not alive when John F. Kennedy was shot, but I’m told this event was similar as far as people’s ability to recall such information.  As you are reading these words, you likely are remembering, and remembering with amazing accuracy.

I can do so as well.  I was a full-time seminary student, who was also pastoring a church part-time.  On this Tuesday I did not have class, and so I planned to use the day to do some sermon preparation for the next Sunday.  We lived in Alabama, which is on Central Time, so I was just taking a sip of my coffee when the first plane hit.  I remember that strangely, I decided to turn on the television, which was odd since we didn’t have cable.  The only channels we received were the networks and they did not have good reception.  With coffee in hand, I looked at the snowy television and was dumbfounded.

I called my wife who was working at a pharmacy.  I called my mother and my father.  Most people did the same.  But I didn’t stop there.  I called my grandfather and grandmother (I was only 26 and they were still alive).  I wanted to make sure nothing was going on in the city of Atlanta, where most of my relatives lived.  As the day went on, I became concerned about the members of the congregation I pastored.  How were they holding up?  So, I called them.  Every single one.  It was a small church, but 30 plus phone calls is no small number.  If they were not home, I left a message with them.  Many prayers were prayed that day on the phone, a prayer for a cousin of a church member who worked at the Pentagon, a prayer for a friend of another who worked at the World Trade Center, both who thankfully survived.  That evening, I attended a prayer service at a local church who opened its doors for the community.  I stood in the parking lot and gazed at the gas station across the street with lines at the pumps.  The next day, I drove two hours to Atlanta and will never forget the highway signs which read, “Airport Closed.  National Emergency.”

Today we remember.  We can’t help but to, because the date of September 11 is undoubtedly marked in the minds of all, whether they were alive that day or not.  My children were not, but they have learned all about it.  They seem to understand the emotional impact of the events, which is amazing to me.  We remember.  But why?  What is the purpose of such remembering?  What good does it do for us now, 22 years later?  Especially as people of faith?

As a Christian, I can tell you why I continue to remember.  I remember because I had never witnessed an event that humbled every aspect of society.  It was a first for me.  It did not matter who they were, their level of education, their race, their political persuasion, or socioeconomic status.  Everyone was humbled.  And most people, religious or not, turned to God instinctively, began praying to him even if they had never done so before.  Congress joining hands and singing together?  Hollywood actors raising money for victims and calling for prayer?  Workers at the rubble ending the day with songs like, “Amazing Grace?” 

God was sought in ways he had never been sought before.  Most people did not dwell on the spiritual “why’s” behind these events.  Instead, they recognized God’s presence and prayed for divine healing upon our nation.  Many recognized their ultimate dependency upon their Creator for the very first time.  This is something that is hard to forget as a minister.  And it is something I have never seen repeated, not on such a national scale. 

The bottom line is that much good came from much bad.  And if you read the New Testament, you’ll discover the formula is Biblical, that it plays itself out time and time again.  God birthing hope in extremely hopeless situations.  God calling forth resurrection in the darkness of death and despair.  Romans 8:28 rings true more times than not for those who have spiritual eyes to see and for this we should be grateful.  Yet as Christians, perhaps our remembering today should ultimately cause us to look forward, to anticipate with great excitement the actual day when the world will stop turning, the day the Bible speaks about, the day of our Lord’s return.  For such a day will be the day when “all things will be made new,” when all wrongs will be made right, the first day of the new heaven and the new earth, an eternal place where events like September 11 will never occur for all eternity.  A perfect place. A perfect world. Eden restored. Are you ready for such a day?  Are you ready for such a world?

What is God Like?

Jesus makes an interesting statement in a conversation he has with Phillip in John 14.  Phillip, who is confused, asks Jesus to “show” the disciples “the Father,” so they can know for sure who Jesus is talking about (John 14:8).  And Jesus, perhaps to the surprise of the disciples, answers by saying, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).  In other words, anyone who has seen Jesus has seen God.

Virtually every person has asked the question, “What is God like?”  Jesus came to answer that question.  He came to show us what God is like.  What this means is that we must pay close attention to Jesus’ life and especially to the way Jesus treated people during his time on earth.  As you read through the gospels, it will not take you long to discover a pattern.  Jesus treats people with compassion, with dignity, with respect.  He treats people in this manner who are not used to being treated this way, tax collectors, outcasts of society, people who have checkered pasts, to say the least.  As a result, they are drawn to him and experience transformation.  The woman at the well is a great example of someone who is completely changed through just one encounter with Jesus, who leaves her sin behind and tells as many people as she can about this man who offered her a forgiveness that no one else could.

The miracles of Jesus certainly point to his deity, to the fact that he was God incarnate.  Jesus gave sight to the blind, cast out demons, healed countless numbers of people of their sicknesses, and even raised the dead.  These miracles, in and of themselves, are enough evidence to back up Jesus’ claim to be God.  However, what is worth noting is the context of so many of these miracles, what it is that leads Jesus to perform them.  More times than not, it is compassion.  It is love.  It is the constant kindness Jesus carried with him to people of all walks of life, people who he came to die for.  Sure, Jesus got angry.  He got frustrated.  He lamented at the cataclysmic effects of sin upon the lives of people.  Yet, so much of what bothered him was the toxic nature of the religion of his day, how rules and regulations were elevated far above the dignity of human beings.

Why did Jesus, being God, value imperfect human beings the way he did?  Why did he love these sinners?  The answer is simple.  It is because people, as the highest form of his creation, bear his spiritual image.  Though fallen, we still carry with us the image of our Creator, marred as it is.  This reason alone was enough to send God to this earth.  It is why he became one of us as a baby in Bethlehem.  It is why he chose to bear the cross.  We bear his spiritual image.  Why do parents love their children?  Why do we sacrifice and give so they can succeed in life?  Because they came from us.  They are the bone of our bone and the flesh of our flesh.  When we look at them, we see part of ourselves.  Such is what it means to be created in the spiritual image of God.

God takes sin seriously, there can be no doubt.  His holy nature cannot look upon it.  Sin separates us from the presence of God and that’s why the sin of Adam and Eve was so tragic.  Yet, the book we call the Bible tells the story of a holy God who is also, to borrow author Phillip Yancey’s language, a “lovesick Father,” a God who was willing to go to extreme measures to get his children back.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). 

If you want to know what God is like, if you want to know his ultimate characteristics, look at Jesus.  Jesus came to show us what God is like.  He came to show us the Father.  Most importantly, he came to show us the love of the Father, a love that led Jesus to exclaim, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:24).  This, as he was dying one of the most agonizing deaths one can ever imagine.  Do you need forgiveness today?  Do you need to know that you are valued and loved by the eternal God of this universe?  Jesus came to make this clear.  Does your life belong to him?

Friends Find a Way

In Mark chapter 2, we read that Jesus is teaching in Capernaum. Many people heard that he was back and the crowds were forming to listen to him. Jesus was at a home and the crowds were so overwhelming that people were gathering outside into the streets. It was causing quite a stir in the town!

A paralytic lay at home, hearing the commotion. People ran past his door exclaiming that Jesus was right down the road. “Hurry!” they said to each other. “You don’t want to miss this!” Dust flew in the air as they hurried by. But he was used to missing out. Used to being left behind. Used to being a burden. “I wish I could go” he thought, as he had thought so many times before.

As he lay on his mat, he realized the chance to meet Jesus was passing him by. He would stay back with the familiar. The familiar feeling of physical pain, the familiar feeling of his old mat, the familiar feeling of being left behind. He closed his eyes but it couldn’t stop the hot tears.

Suddenly, four of his friends appeared in the doorway. “Let’s go!” they exclaimed. He was a little confused as they gathered around the four corners of his mat. With one unified upheaval he was lifted into the air and on his way to Jesus.

As they bounced along, his friends said “We’re not leaving you behind! You’re going to meet him!”

“This seems a bit impossible. We won’t be able to even get through the door, much less even close to him” the paralytic exclaimed.

“Watch us!” His friends laughed.

In the end, the friends lowered him through a hole in the roof they had dug, straight into the presence of Jesus. That day he was healed- spiritually and physically. What a story of faith and friendship!

I’m so glad the four friends went back for their friend. Aren’t you?

So today, who is someone you know you need to go back for? Who is someone that was left behind, abandoned, or forgotten? Is there someone in pain who doesn’t have the strength right now to pray, go to church, or keep up with daily tasks? Is there someone you know who is discouraged or who has given up? They may not lay on a mat paralyzed, but their heart and spirit have been paralyzed. They need someone to go back for them.

Lord, help us see the ones who need us to go back for them and help them on their way back to you.

“A Good, Good Father”

A mentor of mine tells the true story of a young lady who was taking her third trip to the hospital. She was being rushed there by ambulance. Her life was in danger. Unfortunately, it was her own doing, her third suicide attempt. But something was different this time. Something happened that she did not anticipate and caused her to take heed. As she was being rushed into the ER, the admitting nurse looked her in the eye and screamed, “young lady, don’t you realize that you are precious in the eyes of God??!!” Thankfully the young lady recovered, but she could not get these words out of her mind. They caused her to begin searching for this God who felt she was so precious. Who was he? Where could she find him?

She decided to attend a church service not too far from where she lived. She had never been there before. The speaker was captivating. He spoke about this God who felt she was so precious. He explained how he loved her so much that he sent his Son to die for her. She learned how this God is like a loving Father who is desperate for his children. She began to understand that if she had been the only person ever created, this God would have still taken on the cross to save her. That night, she walked the aisle and received Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. She began living her life with the understanding that she was indeed “precious in the eyes of God.”

I have been a minister for over 25 years. During a quarter of a century in this capacity, I have seen a lot. I have been exposed to nearly every ministry situation there is, to every pain that can shake the human heart. And I have concluded that the greatest need people possess is the need for unconditional love and complete forgiveness. No matter what situation they are in. As the church father Augustine rightly said, “our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee.” If people really understood how precious they are in the sight of God, so much of what holds them back would no longer hold them back. They would shake off the chains of fear, doubt, and anxiety and would embrace a life of faith instead. They would embody the miraculous reality that the Son has set them free, that they are “free indeed” (John 8:36). They would live with an inner confidence rarely seen among people today.

I played sports when I was growing up. Basketball was my sport. I played from the age of 8 to 18. During these games, my father was in the stands watching every game. I cannot remember him missing one. And the result is that I played with greater confidence. I understood he was my biggest supporter, my greatest fan. I knew that Dad was “for me” and “not against me.” He longed to see what he knew was inside of me, my God-given athletic talents, developed and expressed to their fullest extent on the court. I don’t think I would have played so long if Dad had not constantly been there, had he not demonstrated such love and care.

This really is the difference between religion and relationship. Religion values the “self-made man,” the individual who can pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and overcome obstacles through sheer strength and determination. Only a few achieve what religion has to offer. Yet, relationship invites us to surrender to a God who loves us so much that he cannot bear the thought of life without us, a God who will supply us with the strength to overcome much more than we could ever overcome without him, a God who desires to encourage and empower us to pursue all he is leading us to pursue, the life of meaning and purpose that can only be found in Jesus Christ.  As the popular song reminds us, he is indeed, “a good, good Father.”  “A good, good Father” who longs for us to understand how precious in his sight we really are.

The Sermon on the Mount is not Enough

A young Billy Graham had been given the opportunity to meet with the President of United States, Harry S. Truman.  This was huge for the young evangelist, an incredible opportunity.  His popularity was increasing thanks to crusades he led for the Youth for Christ organization.  God was opening doors of influence for his evangelistic team, and now, with an opportunity to meet the President, the largest door was opening.  He would have to be prayed up and ready for such a meeting.

And knowing Billy Graham, he was.  He and his team were spiritually prepared.  It’s just that the meeting did not go as well as he planned.  In fact, it did not go well at all, not from Billy Graham’s perspective.  Here’s what happened.  When Billy Graham asked President Truman about his spiritual life, the President answered by saying that he tried his best to live up to the Sermon on the Mount.  Graham’s response was something to the effect of, “that’s not enough, Mr. President, it’s faith in Jesus Christ and a personal relationship with him that you need.”  The meeting didn’t last very long after this.  In fact, the President gave his staff the instructions never to allow the young evangelist into the White House again. 

The irony is that Billy Graham was right.  As noble as it is to try to live one’s life according to the Sermon on the Mount, this is not what brings salvation to the individual.  In fact, this was not the Sermon on the Mount’s purpose at all.  I agree with author Phillip Yancey’s assessment that the purpose of the sermon was to demonstrate to the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day that their works and rule keeping were not even close to what God required.  By heightening anger to murder and lust to adultery, the Sermon on the Mount suddenly made the Law impossible to keep, more than impossible.  Something else was needed.  Someone else was needed. Grace.  Jesus. 

Yancey writes this way, “thunderously, inarguably, the Sermon on the Mount proves that before God we all stand on level ground:  murderers and temper-throwers, adulterers and lusters, thieves and coveters.  We are all desperate, and that is in fact the only state appropriate to a human being who wants to know God.  Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace.” 

Yancey’s intriguing words serve as a reminder that greater effort only brings greater frustration, as you and I do not possess the strength nor the power as fallen human beings to live up to God’s holy standards on our own.  As the late author Tim Keller notes, “change won’t happen through ‘trying harder’ but only through encountering the radical grace of God.’”  We need God’s help to change.  We need the good news of the gospel to do so, understanding that Jesus has already achieved all that God has required.  He completely lived up to every righteous standard his Father demanded.  He embodied the Law in every way perfectly.  And then he laid down his perfect life for sinners like you and me.  “But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

And that is good news.  Good news for those who have ears to hear.  It wasn’t good news for the President that day.  And it continues not to be good news for those who think they can achieve salvation or work their way into God’s good standing.  Yet, Billy Graham understood that it was the only news that could save a soul, change a life, and bring purpose and meaning for living.  And so, he dedicated his life to sharing that good news with as many people as he could, knowing that his calling was a higher one, that he answered to an authority that even the President of the United States must bow to.  I can still hear his words from a crusade I attended as a college student, his voice echoing through the stadium as a man in his mid-seventies.  “God loves you,” he said.  “And the cross is how we know of this love.”  Is this good news to you today? 

Who Will Love More?

In Luke chapter seven, Jesus is invited to dine at the home of a Pharisee named Simon.  While there, a woman with a very sinful reputation enters and approaches the feet of Jesus while holding an alabaster jar of perfume in her hands.  To the shock of everyone watching, she begins wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair and this perfume, crying as she does so. 

Everyone is dismayed and appalled, especially Simon, the host, who verbally makes it known that Jesus cannot be from God if he allows such an activity to take place.  This woman is a sinner and should be treated accordingly.  If Jesus were in any way associated with the Jewish God they worshipped, he would know this. 

Yet, Jesus’ response is to tell a parable, which he was known for doing, a riddle to the host of the evening, if you will.  “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender,” he says.  “One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both.”

To give us an understanding of what kind of money Jesus is talking about, it is helpful to know that a denarius equaled a day’s wages.  Which means that the second man owes nearly two years of work to this moneylender.  That’s a lot of debt.  And yet, an extraordinary event takes place.  The moneylender cancels both men’s debts.  The two workers are suddenly “debt free.”  They have not a financial care in the world.  This is unexpected yet extremely good news, especially for the second man who owes so much.  We can only imagine the freedom and relief he now feels.  He has been given a new chance at living.

The riddle is then posed to the host of the evening, as Jesus asks, “which of them will love him more?”  Simon has no choice but to answer, knowing he has been defeated by Jesus’ wit.  “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled,” he responds.  After which, Jesus uses the opportunity to issue words of indictment on Simon and the religion of the day he represents, words that are likely not welcomed, but cannot be refuted either.  It seems that Simon recognizes that Jesus has placed him in a kind of religious checkmate.

Which is interesting because the telling of this parable reveals that Jesus immediately picks up on what is happening with this woman.  He understands her actions as an act of gratitude on her part.  As terrible as her past sinful lifestyle has been, she has received complete forgiveness and the natural result is for her to express thankfulness and love for God to Jesus.  As the apostle John would later write, “We love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).”

Is your love for Jesus like this woman’s love for him today?  Are you grateful for the pardon he has granted to you?  Are you thankful that your many sins have been forgiven and that you are now spiritually “debt free?”  Is your response to fall on your knees and worship him? Are you passionate about his gospel, eager to share it with another? How will others see the love of Jesus through you this week?

What the Good Samaritan Didn’t do

Most of us are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan. We know about the man who was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho where he was robbed. We know about the religious leaders passing him by. We recall how the Good Samaritan helped him. But if we explore this passage a little further, we can see the love the Good Samaritan showed was not just in his actions, but in a few things he didn’t do as well.

The Good Samaritan didn’t shame him for his struggle. The story doesn’t really give us insight into why the man was traveling alone or on such a dangerous road. This road was already known as a hideout for outlaws and robbers. Why would he go this way? And especially alone? Didn’t he have more common sense? Didn’t he know better? It’s interesting that the Good Samaritan never shames him for this, he only gets him off the road and on the way to wholeness.

The Good Samaritan didn’t help him halfway. In the story, the Good Samaritan is not the only one who saw the dying man. Two religious leaders passed him by. How could anyone who claims to love God leave their brother in his time of great need and distress? Was it too much to be there for him? Was it too inconvenient? Those answers are for another day, but we see here the Good Samaritan jumps into action.

The Samaritan could’ve just carried him to shelter, maybe given him some nourishment and been on his way. But no, he made sure he was fully healed and helped. He arranged for him to stay at an inn, expenses paid, and made sure he was better. He exemplifies true love by seeing his friend to wholeness.

The Good Samaritan didn’t make the man feel like his brokenness was a burden.

It says the Samaritan “came to where the man was.” He went to his place of need. He came to him when the man had no strength and couldn’t go on.

The Samaritan never said “You’re too much! You’re too heavy! You’re too expensive! Helping you is hurting ME!” The list could go on. He never made the man feel bad for being in such a situation. He just got him better. He got him off the road, where he didn’t belong, to a better place. He never made him feel like a burden, or that helping him was just too hard.

What a wonderful example of covenant love.

The story of the Good Samaritan is a story of how God loves and helps us and how we should do the same for each other.

May we always have eyes to see the broken and a heart to help them instead of turning away. Who needs your help today? Who is hurting and needs your love and friendship?

You Can Come Home

Today’s Devotional is the conclusion of a sermon I preached this past Sunday at the Homecoming Service in a church of a dear friend of mine in ministry.  I pray it ministers to the deepest parts of your heart.

You may say to me today, “Steven, you don’t understand.  I’m a Christian, but you don’t know what I’ve done.  You don’t know how far I feel from God.  I can’t humble myself before him, because I just don’t think he would ever take me back.  I just don’t see how God would ever love or accept me.  I’m here today, but I don’t feel very spiritual at all.  I don’t feel loved or accepted.  There’s just no hope for me.”

Well, if that’s where you are today, thank you for being honest with me.  Honesty is important.  However, I want to challenge your assumption.  In fact, I want to challenge your perception of how God feels about you.  Because the Scripture tells us that it is the “kindness of God” that leads us to repentance, “the kindness.”  The Bible also tells us that God loves us with a love that is so powerful that it cannot be measured, a love that we can never be separated from as Christians, no matter what.

I want you to think about the word “Homecoming” in your mind, as it is Homecoming Sunday, a word that means “coming home.”  And I want to challenge you today to begin viewing God as someone who wants you to come home, as someone who is, as Phillip Yancey says, “a lovesick father,” the kind of “lovesick father” we read about in Luke chapter 15, in the parable of the prodigal son, the kind of God who loves you in ways you cannot imagine and who, again, longs for you to come home, is desperate for you to come home. 

You remember the parable and the story.  The youngest son of the father has asked for his inheritance from his dad, which would have been considered an insult in the ancient world.  He wants to leave his dad and make it on his own.  But instead of doing it responsibly, he goes the opposite route.  He decides to sow his wild oats in what the Bible calls prodigal living.  And he spends his entire inheritance doing so and hits rock bottom in the process.  No more money.  It’s all gone.  And the only job he can find is a job feeding pigs. 

He knows he can’t go home.  He knows his dad won’t accept him back because he’s offended and insulted him too much in his mind.  But maybe, just maybe, his dad will allow him to be a hired laborer in his house, a paid servant.  It is worth a try.  And so, he approaches his home with his head held low.  And he begins rehearsing the speech he will give to his father: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” 

Time goes on and home gets closer.  He can start to see the house, the house he’s grown up in, but then he puts his head back down. He peeks up, again, to see how close he is, but as he does, he sees something that he doesn’t expect to see, something that he really doesn’t know what to do with, something that is shocking.  He sees his father, the father he knows will not accept him back, his dad, running to him, running to him with open arms!  It was considered a disgrace for a grown man to run in public.  But the father doesn’t care.  He runs to his son and throws his arms around him and kisses him. 

The son gives his prepared speech, “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and against you and am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  Yet, the father, again, does not respond the way the son thinks he will.  In his “lovesick” excitement, he demands that a robe be brought and placed on his son, a robe that traditionally would have been worn only by a guest of honor.  A ring is then placed on his son’s finger, which is a sign of authority.  Sandals are placed on his feet, something that only a free person would wear.   And all these surprising and shocking actions are done because, in the words of the father, his son “was dead and is now alive again.”  He “was lost and is now found.” 

How this gives us insight into the way that God views us, the way that God feels about us, yes, feels about us!  We serve a God who feels, who has great feelings for us!  So, if you feel unworthy today, if you feel like you’ve gone too far, and that you can’t come home, open yourself up to this perception of your God today.  If you have turned away from God, if you have gone your own way, if you have done things that have hurt him, hurt other people, or hurt yourself, God is waiting, patiently waiting, painfully waiting in love.

He has not given up on you.  Like the father in the parable, he is waiting, and he longs for you to come home, to come home and rest in his arms, rest in his mercy, rest in his love, rest in his grace.  He longs to restore you completely.  He longs to make you into a person you never thought you could become, molded by his grace. The question is, on this Homecoming Sunday, will you come home?    Because you can come home.  You can come home and experience God’s love in Christ in a way that you have never experienced it before. 

The Victory is Secure

When I was a child, I was obsessed with basketball.  I loved the sport more than life itself.  And I was a good little player, this cannot be denied.  My specialty was outside shooting.  In fact, as I grew and developed, I became known in high school for my ability to shoot behind the 3-point arc.  I also loved watching the game of basketball, which means that when the month of March rolled around, my eyes were usually glued to the television set taking in as much of March Madness as was humanly possible.  My favorite team was in the Atlantic Coast Conference.  For the purpose of this devotional, I will not reveal the identity of this team for fear of creating a stumbling block to my readers :)  Let’s just say they were known for their winning tradition, and I cheered for them constantly.  My loyalty to this team has not changed since becoming an adult.  I continue to cheer for them to this day.

My love for basketball was passed down to me by my father, and to him by his father, my grandfather.  I was privileged to have my grandfather as my basketball coach for three years of high school.  Not many can boast of something like this.  I thoroughly enjoyed playing for him and believe he was one of the reasons I was so confident as a player.  Basketball was in our blood and instead of fighting it, we succumbed.  We allowed it to consume us, and I must confess that we still thoroughly enjoy it years after my days as a player.

I remember one Saturday in March as a young pastor, I was called on to conduct a funeral of a member of the church where I served.  Since my birthday is in March, my parents and grandparents had come to visit me one Saturday afternoon to celebrate.  This Saturday also happened to be the same day when our favorite team was playing a huge game in their conference tournament.  Because of the funeral, I would have to miss the contest.  I was sure to record it, though, so that I could watch it when I returned.  In the meantime, my father and grandfather viewed the game at my home live.

When I returned from the funeral, I made it clear to the two of them that I did not want to know the outcome of the game.  I wanted to watch the recording as if I was watching it in live time.  My father and grandfather agreed, and they watched with me, possessing amazing poker faces through the so many twists, turns, and lead changes of the game.  “Keep watching,” they simply said.  And I did, with a hopeful anticipation of my team’s victory.  “Surely they would not tell me to keep watching if my team does not win,” I thought to myself.  “Even though the game is close, and our team’s opponent is extremely impressive, they would not bother to make me watch if our team does not ultimately emerge victorious.”  I was aware of their knowledge of the outcome.  They knew what I did not.  As I continued to watch, there were times when I was tempted to doubt, but this is what kept me committed.  This is what kept me in the living room day.  And thankfully, I was right.  In the end, our team edged out an exciting victory after an extremely hard-fought contest. 

I can’t help but think of that day during times when I get concerned about the unknown details of the future God has in store for me.  The Bible makes it clear that he has a plan for my life.  It makes it clear that he is committed to leading me through that plan.  It tells me that he possesses ultimate knowledge and is aware of every detail of how that plan will play itself out, just like my father and grandfather in my living room that day.  I do not.  I am simply a player in his game.  Yet, unlike that day, I do know the outcome of this contest.  Victory.  I am on the winning team because I belong to Christ.  How long I play is up to him.  The position I play is up to him.  But the victory is secure.  The Bible guarantees us of this.  And because the victory is secure, I can trust God with the details of my role in this victory.  I can trust that all is going to be well with me and this world because of who oversees the game. 

Sometimes waiting for the details to play themselves out can be hard.  Sometimes not knowing the precise nature of what will take place in the next quarter of life can create a temptation on our part to worry or give way to fear.  But during such times, I am learning to allow the Master of the contest to supply me with his peace instead.  I am learning to stay in the game and keep playing hard in whatever role he has assigned to me.  I do this in anticipation of a victory celebration that is more exciting, amazing, and joyous than anything we could ever imagine, a victory celebration that will last forever.  I do this knowing that I am playing a role in that victory.  What does the assurance of this victory and its eternal celebration mean for your life today?  What does it mean for how you will approach your role in the game?

How Secure Are You in Grace?

“And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Rom. 11:6).

The older I get, the more I realize the importance of possessing security when it comes to our relationship with God.  Our status as God’s children does not come from how good we are or ever can be.  Christ’s finished work on the cross is both a demonstration of his love for us and a reminder of the fact that he has done everything that was necessary for our salvation.  In fact, when we received Jesus as Savior and Lord, we may or may not remember that he is the one who made the first move.  He prompted us to respond to him by knocking on the door of our hearts.  He said, “I love you,” to us first.

Such security flies in the face of much of what I hear in pulpits today.  Moralism is preached passionately from preachers of various theological persuasions, usually without intention.  It’s just that grace is never mentioned in the context of their plea to be more committed followers of Jesus.  Do better when it comes to your attempts to be moral.  Do better when it comes to your attempts to love your neighbor.  Do better when it comes to your church attendance.  The emphasis on right living is well and good, for faith naturally affects action by design.  However, we must always remember that it is only by grace that we have been saved.  In other words, good works that are not produced as a result of grace are really attempts to please God through what we do, to earn our righteousness and ultimately our security with him through the way we live.

We must never assume that people know better as ministers of the gospel.  That’s why as a preacher, I was taught to allow the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of his grace, to walk through every sermon that I preached in some way, shape, or form.  Every sermon.  It is imperative that people know that God loves them and that he has done everything necessary for them to trust him in faith and receive the relationship he freely offers.  When they grasp this foundational truth, they are more likely to connect the dots, to understand that it is the Holy Spirit living within us who produces the kind of fruit God desires, fruit which is holy, moral, and socially aware.  They will better comprehend that these fruits come as a result of grace, that they are the natural result when we “abide” in Christ, when we relate with him.

Attempts to be moral, righteous, or to love our neighbor on our own, by ourselves, without the help of God, without a proper understanding of his grace will lead only to frustration on our part.  The reason is because we do not possess the strength nor the power to live in this way.  Jesus clearly tells us that apart from him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).  And he is right.  It’s best to allow it to come naturally.  Every day, as those who belong to Christ, we respond to his love by loving him in return.  We choose to renew our minds.  We seek him first.  We allow him to remind us that in addition to being loved, we have been forgiven and set free from our sins.  We surrender to his presence by asking the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of Christ, to lead and control us.  That’s when we discover that we’re more like Jesus in the way that we live because it is Jesus who is living through us.  That’s when we begin operating in the Spirit, when we experience the power of God in our lives, power that comes, without surprise, as a result of grace.

The line in John Newton’s famous hymn likely says it best:  “Through many dangers, toils, and snares.  I have already come.  Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”  Are you allowing God’s amazing grace to lead you closer to Christ this week? 

He Came to Bring Peace

As I write these words today, it is raining outside.  Rain can affect people in different ways depending upon the season and the person.  It is the month of June, so this rain comes in the summer.  And as you know, summer can produce afternoon thunderstorms that can be violent at times, causing power outages and fear in young children.  Yet, the rain I’m experiencing today has no thunder or lightning.  It’s a peaceful sort of rain, the kind that can calm you if you are in the right state of mind.  It’s the type of rain I prefer the most if I had to choose because of the inner serenity that it brings.

There is so much in our world that causes the opposite.  Fear and anxiety are extremely common and have multiple causes.  They seem not to discriminate when it comes to their victims.  We also read in Scripture of an enemy who seeks to “steal, kill, and to destroy,” to fill our minds and hearts with chaos and doubt rather than trust in an Almighty God and his plan for our lives.  The result is that so many people lack the kind of inner peace that I mentioned earlier, a peace that causes us to relax and know that all will ultimately be well with our lives and our world, that there is a God who is in control of both.

And yet, if you read the Bible, you’ll notice that inner peace is something that Jesus seeks to give us the most, something that he longs for us to experience even during times of chaos.  I’m reminded of the raging storm the disciples experience and Jesus’ response to it.  It is notable that Jesus sleeps through this violent storm, that it seemingly has no effect on his inner being.  And when he is awakened by the disciples, his command to the storm is “peace be still.”  Sudden and overwhelming peace is the result, the same peace he had been experiencing as he slept, the opposite of the fear and panic being felt by the disciples.

We live in the in between times.  As a minister, I constantly remind people of this truth.  This world is not the finished product.  It is not our ultimate home.  There is a heavenly home that is being prepared for us by Jesus and this will be a place where there will be no more sin, conflict, sickness, or anything that causes difficulty or grief.  Heaven will contain perfect peace.  And yet, it is extremely important to understand that it is not God’s desire that we wait until Heaven to experience this peace.  He wants to give us his peace now.  He wants us to choose his peace today.  In our lives here on Earth, he wants to provide us with a peace that “surpasses understanding” through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. 

Such a peace comes through trust, there can be no doubt.  It comes as a result of spending time with him, of abiding in Christ, of walking in step with his Spirit.  This peace is experienced when we are reminded of the Lord’s constant presence and his countless promises that cannot be broken.  This kind of peace makes life more enjoyable as we experience joy in him.  It’s a type of peace that causes people who do not have it or do not yet know Christ to stop and ask themselves what it is that makes us different, who it is that makes us different, what we have that they do not yet have. 

If you are filled more with fear or anxiety today, did you know that your Heavenly Father desires the opposite?  Did you know that he wants to supply you with peace instead, with peace that is stronger that your chaos and uncertainty?  “Peace be still,” is what Jesus says to the storm that is literally petrifying his disciples.  He is saying that to your storm today.  Trust that it is true.  Keep walking with him.  Christ is with you and has promised to never leave.  Continue seeking his face on a regular basis, a daily basis, a momentary basis.  As you do, the likelihood is that you will begin experiencing a peace that you cannot explain, and that this peace begins to “rule” in your heart as a result.

Have You Ever Been Carried?

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a story where a shepherd searches for a lost sheep. He has left the ninety nine to go after the one. Like a good shepherd, he won’t rest until he is found. Finally, after the search, he puts him on his shoulders and heads back home. 

Have you ever thought about why he put him on his shoulders? Sheep are heavy, dirty, and don’t smell that great. Especially if one has been out roaming alone for a while. 

Why didn’t he use his rod and staff to hurry the sheep along beside him? Or a little leash to lead him? He even could’ve made him follow him back by walking beside him. But no. The shepherd puts him on his shoulders. 

So why did he carry him? 

Sometimes, you need to be carried.

There are times in life when we are crushed, exhausted, or broken. We can no longer walk. We don’t have the strength to follow the shepherd. Even a rod and staff can’t make us get up. That’s where his unfailing love comes in. He puts us on his shoulders and carries us. We lean into his gentle and loving hands as he carries us when we can no longer carry ourselves. Thank goodness he is willing to carry us. When is the last time Jesus had to carry you? 

Jesus does so joyfully! 

Scripture says he “joyfully” puts the sheep on his shoulders and carries him back. If you had to spend the day going after a lost sheep, you might be a little tired and frustrated when you finally found him. You might berate him, scold him, tell him he should know better than to wander off. You might tell him he sure did put you through a lot of trouble. But not Jesus. He is joyful! That’s how God feels about you! You are never a burden, too heavy, or simply “tolerated.” You are a JOY to him! 

Good things should be celebrated within the body of Christ. Scripture says when the shepherd got back he called his neighbors and friends together to celebrate! He wasn’t ashamed of his little lost sheep. He didn’t hide him away. Or put him in a sheep time out. No, he was so happy to have him back! That’s how God feels about you! He’s always happy to have you back! You are never second class in the kingdom. It’s ok to be carried by the Lord sometimes. When what is lost is found, we celebrate! Even heaven celebrates over this! 

So today, let him carry you! Gentle and steady, never letting go, the hands of the Good Shepherd carry you on his shoulders back to the loving safety of home. 

Do They Know How Much I Love Them?

As a parent of three teenagers, I sometimes wonder what would happen if my children knew how much I loved them.  They say they do when I ask them.  However, I am aware they don’t really grasp the depth of this love, that my love for them is so tremendous it cannot be measured.  There are many times I feel they would respond differently to me if they possessed a real knowledge of this love, that they would have a clearer understanding of why I am urging them to make certain decisions and encouraging them to take different paths in their lives.  During the times when they decide otherwise, I am usually left to wonder if they might have chosen differently had their knowledge of my love been an accurate one, if they had been able to understand how powerful this love is, even for a few brief seconds.

I can’t help but believe that God feels the same way so many times in his dealings with us.  If we only knew how much he loves us.  We say we do.  We point to Bible verses that tell us he does.  And yet, do our actions convey that we believe this?  Do we make decisions that are based upon his love for us?  Do we choose the sometimes-hard road of discipleship because we understand the love that is behind the prompting of us to do so?  Do we say “no” to what we know is wrong and sinful because love would have us pursue a different way, because love understands the harm that sinful choices can bring to our lives?  What if we really could grasp how much God loves us?  How would it affect the way we related to him?  How would it influence the way we related to others around us?

The common theme of the New Testament is the theme of surrender.  The various authors of Scripture continually urge believers to surrender to Christ each day, to the leadership of his Holy Spirit.  We are told to “walk in step” with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), to be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).  We are to surrender and allow the Lord to lead us in all we do.  Yet, what is easily missed by many believers is the motivation behind such exhortations, in other words, why we should have the desire to live our lives in this way.  And again, it is love, the love God has for us, the love that sent Jesus to the cross.  “We love because he first loved us,” John says (1 John 4:19).  Paul makes it clear that it is the “kindness of God” that leads us to “repentance” (Rom. 2:4).  Which means that discipleship, taking up one’s cross and following, should really be viewed relationally.  It is choosing to respond to God’s love for us each day.  It is choosing the intimacy of a relationship with him that results in his Spirit controlling us, intimacy that is based upon his love for us.

Does God want us to understand how much he loves us?  According to the Bible he does, as Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 is that we might have “power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” so that we “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  It sounds kind of like a contradiction, in a way.  God wants us to know of a love we cannot ever fully know, to know of a love that “surpasses knowledge.”  What this tells me is that even a brief and passing glimpse of such a love is enough to profoundly affect us, to cause us to fall on our knees and surrender in gratitude to such a God who loves us this way, to allow the presence of his Spirit to fill, lead, control, and display life through us each day, the life Jesus died and rose again to give us.

Yet, it all goes back to love, to taking the time to at least try to understand the way God feels about us each day.  We may not comprehend where he is taking us, what may be right around the corner, or why we find ourselves in certain valleys, but we can know and be convinced of the deep love God has for us, that because of his love he has promised that he will “never leave us nor forsake us” (Heb. 13:5) and that nothing can “snatch us out of his hand” (John 10:28).  We can live with the daily assurance that God is “for us” and not “against us” (Rom. 8:31) and because this is the case there is nothing in this vast universe powerful enough to “separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).  Have you thought about God’s love for you yet today?  Have you thought about it long enough? 

A Friend Loves at All Times

As a child, we had pets of all kinds, mostly cats.  I remember when our cat had kittens, I was the proud owner of five cats, until we found homes for them, of course.  I also owned a dog, more than one lizard, a hamster, and a parakeet.  At least that’s all I can remember.  Which means that during my childhood, I learned a great deal about animals, how to love and properly care for them, what I needed to do to ensure their needs were met and they were happy in our home.

I remember two lessons I learned as a young child as it pertained to animals, what not to do in certain situations.  I was told that one should not disturb a pet when they are eating, especially cats, that they are likely to bite or get defensive with you.  I also found that one must be very careful if there is an injury with a pet, that a dog or cat may, again, bite or claw you out of sheer instinct.  In both scenarios, the pet owner should not allow their feelings to be hurt if their beloved pet acts out of character.  Instead, they should possess wisdom and maturity to know the behavior is due to instinct, especially in the case of injury.  And in this case, they should allow the love they possess for their pet to look past this behavior and focus instead on the healing that needs to take place.

In over twenty years of ministry, I have found the same to be true with humans, especially during times of crisis.  When an individual is in crisis, the one thing we do not need to do is become offended at the individual’s behavior.  There is a reason the person is acting out of character.  The reason is their crisis.  These are the times when we must put our feelings aside for the sake of the person who is hurting and confused.  We must overlook their behavior and ask ourselves what is causing the behavior.  We should allow our love for our brother or sister to help us look past their actions and instead focus on the healing that needs to take place.  People in crisis need to be loved unconditionally.  People in crisis need us more than ever.  The worst thing we can do is to abandon a person in crisis because we do not understand their behavior.

The book of Proverbs reminds us that “a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”  I have found that times of crisis reveal who real friends are.  Do we appear to love people only for what they can give or do for us?  Is the love they think we have for them based solely on the role they play in our lives?  Is the relationship simply a contractual one?  Or does it go deeper?  Is there real and genuine friendship that exists, the kind that will cause us to run to their aid during their time of need and stay with them until their brokenness results in healing?  Will our love look past behavior we know is not in line with their character, realizing it is produced by crisis?  Can we set aside our personal feelings long enough to help a person we care deeply about? 

Contractual relationships are easy to replace.  They model business relationships in many respects.  Get a new employee.  Get a new teacher.  Get a new coach or instructor.  However, friendships, the true friendships God calls us to possess with members of the family of God should go much deeper.  “Koinonia,” the Greek word for “fellowship” in the New Testament, demands it.  It calls us to go the extra mile for a brother or sister in need, to be a true friend, to love in such a way so that the brother or sister can see Jesus through us. 

It is Jesus who a person in crisis needs to see the most.  It is Jesus who can help them the most.  Our commitment to not abandon a hurting brother or sister will remind them that Jesus’ commitment is the same.  Our willingness to show care and concern will remind them of Jesus’ care and concern.  Yet, here is the catch.  These are reminders that only a true friend can bring, a true friend who is committed to the help and healing of their brother or sister.  Only a true friend can love in this kind of way.  Which begs the question, what kind of friend are you today?  Who needs you to be this kind of friend?

When Forceful Intervention is Necessary

The movie Forrest Gump is now an American classic.  Most people watch it for the humor that is conveyed, but also for the film’s historical significance.  A fictitious Gump finds himself responsible for numerous events in history that are beyond his ability to comprehend, such as Elvis Presley’s dance moves, Watergate, Bear Bryant’s coaching success, to name a few.  For that reason, the movie is enjoyable to many because it reminds them of events they can remember as children or younger adults.  The movie is nostalgic.

One of the key moments is when Forrest Gump saves the life of Lieutenant Dan in the Vietnam War.  The lieutenant has been significantly injured and he knows it.  He does not want to go on living after an injury such as this.  He does not desire to be interfered with.  He feels like he knows what is best for him, and what is best is to die in battle just like his father, grandfather, and great grandfather who also died in historical American wars.  As a result, he protests when Gump picks him up and carries him off on his shoulders.  He is angry with Gump for violating the course of action he thinks is best for him. 

Lieutenant Dan faces an uphill battle for sure.  He is visited by the demons of bitterness, grief, and anger as he adjusts to life without his legs.  Yet, in the end, he finds healing and wholeness, even spiritually, thanks to the help of his friend, Forrest Gump, the friend who is always there for him, the friend who cares about him enough to save his life, the friend who refuses to allow him to die alone in a swamp in a foreign country.  Years later, he thanks Gump for saving his life.  The two go into business and become millionaires.  They find special women to marry.  Lieutenant Dan even receives prosthetic legs and walks again.  Yet, none of this would have happened had Forrest Gump respected the wishes of his friend during a time of crisis, leaving him to die.  No healing 0r future life would have occurred.  Somehow, in his simple mind, Gump knows that friendship demands more.  He knows that sometimes we must forcefully intervene for the life and good of our friend, even if our friend gets angry with us and protests, even if our friend’s response is the same as Lieutenant Dan’s.

Have you ever wanted people to leave you alone during a time when you were hurting?  Have you ever found yourself in a situation that is emotionally like that of Lieutenant Dan?  Your world crumbles without warning, and you just want to be left by yourself.  You don’t want anyone to interfere.  Do you know someone who is in such a situation?  Are you, like Forrest Gump, skeptical that their chosen course of action is the right one?  Here is a harder question.  How much do you care about that person?  Do you care enough about them to intervene?  Do you care enough to forcefully intervene, especially if it is for their own good?

The tragedy of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that the people who are supposed to intervene and come to the aid of a person who is hurting, the religious people, do not.  The people who are charged with caring and representing God to humans do not.  Instead, they pass by someone who will die without their intervention.  They walk the other way, as they are more concerned with ritual defilement.  We hear no protest from the mouth of the man who is injured.  Perhaps he expects it.  It may be a stretch to say that he might want it.  Maybe he prefers death to interference, who knows?  There are no recorded remarks on his part.  What we do know is that there is no intervention from the priest and the Levite.  The only reason the man lives and is nursed back to health is because a Samaritan man intervenes at great risk.  Someone else decides what is best for the injured man.

I am becoming more and more convinced that as followers of Christ, we are called to carry with us a heightened awareness of what is best for our friends in the family of God, our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I think this to be a more than necessary calling. Many times, “loving one another” means disagreeing with “one another,” stepping in and doing what we know is best for “one another,” even though this hard route will require great risk and boldness on our part.  When we are faithful to this calling, the result will likely be that these friends, these brothers and sisters, like Lieutenant Dan, express gratitude to us in the long run.  Over time, we should not be surprised if they thank us for the forceful intervention they did not initially appreciate, yet they now view as necessary to bring wholeness and healing to their lives.

Are You a Barnabas?

“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” -Acts 11:24

If you read about Barnabas in the book of Acts, you learn that he is known for being an encourager.  He is known for his good nature.  He is a person who the early believers love and want to be around because of his ability to lift others up spiritually.  In fact, we are told in the fourth chapter of Acts that his name literally means “son of encouragement.” 

What this indicates is that Barnabas possesses a God-given ability of helping people see the bright side of their situations, no matter how dire they may seem at the time, that he is known for doing this wherever he goes.  A great example is how many commentators believe that Barnabas is responsible for encouraging the apostle Paul at a critical time in his life, during a time when he is facing rejection among the leaders of the early church.  We read of how Barnabas comes to the rescue and convinces them that Jesus Christ has changed Paul’s life and has called him to be an ambassador for him. 

This act of encouragement on behalf of Barnabas must have worked, as the apostle Paul becomes emboldened as a result.  We read in Acts of how he is later used to plant numerous churches throughout the known world.  In addition, Paul becomes the human author of God-breathed Scripture, letters that make up a significant portion of our New Testament.  It appears that Barnabas’ gift of encouragement was a powerful instrument in moving the church forward in the world.

Have you ever benefited from such encouragement in your life, perhaps at a critical time?  Has the Lord ever sent an encourager to intersect your path, someone who helped you believe that God was present in whatever you were facing, that he loved you, and that he had a plan?  Has God ever blessed you with someone to lift you up during such times? 

As Christians, we can all benefit from encouragement in a world that too often points out the negative.  As followers of Christ, we sometimes desperately need these individuals who will serve as gentle reminders of the presence, plan, and power of God.  The body of Christ needs more encouragers, individuals like Barnabas, good people who will remind us that God is “for us” and not “against us.” 

Are you such a person?  Are you a Barnabas?  If so, do not underestimate your gifting.  You never know what it may contribute to a person’s life or to the kingdom of God.  If God has given you this gift, it is powerful!  Consider the root of the word “encourage.”  Its root is “courage.”  Which means that we “en-courage” someone, we are the instrument God is using to supply that individual with spiritual power!  When we lift someone out of the dumps by encouraging them, we reverse the effects and damage of discouragement, and the result is life and power!

So, if you are an encourager, keep using your gift!  The body and kingdom of Christ need you.  Countless lives need you.  Your gift can help change the world for our Savior!  Can you be a Barnabas to someone this week?  Is God leading you to encourage another believer?