Filled with Thanks

When I get a chance I like to take a long walk in the evening. One of my favorite “routes” is a walk from Morrowville to the “Marrowville” electric sub-station (south and east of town). It’s a scenic four-mile round trip and I always enjoy the journey. It’s a great time to unwind, to have a long conversation with God, to do some day dreaming, and to just let my mind wander.

Well the other day I was over halfway through the journey – my long conversation with God had concluded – and my mind was just wandering or “working.” In other words I wasn’t really paying much attention to what was going on around me. That’s fine most of the time – but not so much when a pheasant flushes from the plum thicket beside the road. It was one of those moments when you are glad no one was watching. Needless to say, they would’ve gotten quite a chuckle over my reaction. 

Sometimes I fail to notice stuff…

Two days ago as I was reading through the Book of Jeremiah I came across a prophecy against the mighty kingdom of Babylon. (Babylon was the nation that finally conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, killed countless Israelites, and hauled most of the survivors off into exile.)  Here is a portion of the prophecy God gave to Jeremiah to deliver to Babylon:

Because of the Lord’s anger, Babylon will become a deserted wasteland.  All who pass by will be horrified and will gasp at the destruction they see there.

The Lord has opened his armory and brought out weapons to vent his fury. The terror that falls upon the Babylonians will be the work of the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

 

“I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture.  I will chase Babylon from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice.  For who is like me, and who can challenge me?   What ruler can oppose my will?”   Listen to the Lord’s plans against Babylon and the land of the Babylonians.   Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed. The earth will shake with the shout, “Babylon has been taken!” and its cry of despair will be heard around the world.  Jeremiah 50:13, 25, 44-46

My immediate reaction to this reading was, “I’m glad I didn’t live there then.”   But that thought was quickly followed by another, “I’m so glad that I live here now.”   I am truly blessed.

November is typically a month where we make an effort to take stock of our blessings and offer our thanks to the One who faithfully provides. We truly have so much to be thankful for. We are blessed beyond what we deserve. Don’t miss this truth!  Don’t get so caught up in the journey that you fail to notice the wonder of His creation, His amazing grace, His bountiful mercy, and the promise of His everlasting inheritance.

Give your thanks this month and then take them into the following months and give them again.

Filled with thanks,

Ron

Siding with Truth

Do you watch TV news often? Read the newspaper?  If so, did you come across the following?

“Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.  Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.”

I did. But I didn’t find it on the editorial page of any newspaper. It wasn’t on the evening news – not CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN or FOX.  But it could have been.  Doesn’t it seem like justice and truth have been taking a beating recently?  Of course it isn’t new – living in truth has always been a struggle.

Back in 0 B.C. a snake slithered up to Eve, and whispered untruth. But, it seemed good so she and her husband ate what wasn’t supposed to be eaten.  Later, when God came strolling through the garden, Adam and Eve hid. This wasn’t an out and out lie, but it was an attempt to hide what they had done.  The Garden was the birthplace of dishonesty. 

Okay – it wasn’t fair (honest?) of me to imply that the words I quoted above were recently written.  The prophet Isaiah wrote them about 700 years before Jesus (Isaiah 59:14-15). Clearly Israel was struggling to reflect their Creator.  They had been created by Truth to live in and live out truth. But things weren’t going well.

What has changed since Adam and Eve?  Since Isaiah?  Since Jesus’ time on earth?

A few moments ago – just for fun – I completed an online survey to find out just how liberal I am. There were a variety of questions about social issues, domestic policy, education, health care, foreign policy, economy, immigration, and the environment. Here is a sample of the questions asked:

• What is your stance on abortion?   Pro-life? Pro-choice?
• Should the government increase environmental regulations to prevent global warming?
• Should foreign terrorism suspects be given constitutional rights?
• Do you support Obamacare?
• Etc.

I submit that if truth were applied to most, if not all, of these issues, we would not need to put them on an online survey!

What I didn’t realize about this survey, was that at the conclusion, my answers would be matched to presidential candidates to see who I sided with most often. Wanna know who that was for me?   I’d love to tell you, but I can’t. I’m a preacher, this is a church newsletter – therefore I have to keep my politics in my pocket – you know, that separation of church and state thing.

Anyway, I suspect all of this presidential activity will heighten interest in truth. Fact-checkers will dig back in an attempt to get to the bottom of statements, claims and activities.  Talking heads will spout opinions. Editors will editorialize. 

And while all that can be exhausting, I’m kind of excited for it. I would love for truth surge in popularity. And I hope any increase in interest won’t be fleeting. Our hearts are supposed to be in the process of transformation – to take on the characteristics of our Savior. Who once called Himself – the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  May His truth reign in us – and then shine out of us in ways that reflect Him into a world that is more desperate than it knows

Trying to side with Christ on every issue,

Ron

Seventeen Twenty-one

My favorite Gospel account is John’s.  I like it because John spends more time on Jesus’ week leading up to the crucifixion, and, no other book has as many “red letters.”  A case could be made that John was the closest of all the disciples to Jesus, as Jesus told him to “take care of my mom” while hanging on the cross. John also recorded some other amazing things Jesus said hours earlier, like:

After washing twelve pair of dirty feet, He said, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  (John 13:12b-15)

A bit later He said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.   Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:12-14

And then, just before going out into the garden, where He knows He is going to be arrested, Jesus prays for His disciples. And at the end of that prayer He prays for us – you and me!  Hard to imagine, but it’s true…

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:  I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:20-23 

  

Two things jump out at me in His prayer.  First, Jesus cares more about unity than we have. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.  Unfortunately this statement still stands true. Of course, King was talking of race and how men and women of different color choose to worship separately. But we know separation isn’t confined to race. Economic status, age, denomination, various life choices, etc. all prove to be issues that separate more than unite. Sad.

Second, Jesus says our unity has a very specific purpose – to encourage the world to believe that – God sent Jesus and that He loves.   Unity with a purpose!

So, over the past few weeks our church, Washington Christian Church, and Faith Connection Church have been discussing and planning for a time of worship together. We’ve named this worship service “Seventeen Twenty-One” as a reminder of Jesus’ prayer for unity.

It is scheduled for September 27, at 10:30am, at the Washington County High School Gymnasium, and it will take the place of our usual Sunday morning worship. All three churches are taking a leadership role, and other area churches have been invited to join us. An offering will be taken, and it has already been designated to go to yet to be determined need at the school. In other words, we want our unity to impact our community and draw attention to our Savior Jesus Christ! Unity with a purpose!

Please mark this date down on your calendars and make plans to attend. And, invite others to come!

Surrender

Last week a friend of mine passed away after several years of battling with Parkinson’s disease. And as I mulled over times spent with him, one memory stood out above the rest. It was a conversation we had where I listened as he shared about the challenges he was having with one of his sons. 

This young man was determined to live in rebellion and that irked dad. He didn’t like the rebellion being thrown his way, but what really bothered him was rebellion toward the Lord.  So, the two of them had many conversations where dad tried to get son to “see the light” and yield himself to the Lord. But the boy wasn’t having any of it.

Finally dad, who was a bit exasperated, finally said, “You just need to surrender.”

That word – surrender – stuck with me. I hadn’t thought about my walk with Christ being an act of surrender. But it truly is. Each of us have an independent streak in us. We like control. We like to do it ourselves. Set the rules. Evaluate the results. Determine the outcome. Etc.

Sometimes we see that better in the lives of someone else…

This morning I was reading the story of Ahab and Jehoshaphat. Allies based on convenience rather than common sense. Ahab was the king over the ten northern tribes of Israel – and if you looked up “rotten king” in the dictionary you’d find and picture of him.   Jehoshaphat was king over the other two tribes – Judah and Benjamin – and was basically a “good king.”

Well, one day as Jehoshaphat and Ahab were sitting together talking about “king stuff”, when Ahab asked a question. “I’m going to attack Ramoth Gilead. Would you and your troops be willing to join me?”   And without hesitation, Jehoshaphat agreed, “I am as you are, and my people as your people – we are in.”  But before we fight let’s check with God.

Now when Jehoshaphat said, “I am as you are…” he was leaving out one very important difference. Jehoshaphat served God in Heaven, but Ahab worshipped Baal and Asherah, among others. So when Ahab agreed to a consult it was check in with a god made of wood and stone.

Well that god said what it always said – exactly what the “prophet” wanted it say. In this case the “answer” was “Go to war! You’ll win a great victory.”

Well, Jehoshaphat wasn’t satisfied, so he asked if Ahab had anyone who could speak to the God in Heaven. Well there was one guy left in Ahab’s kingdom. Just one guy!  But Ahab didn’t like him because advice from this guy always conflicted with what Ahab wanted to do.  But Ahab relented. And this prophet was called in.

When the prophet arrived he also was asked “Do we go to war or hold back?”  And the initial response was sarcasm “Sure, knock yourselves out. You’ll win.”   But when pressed for a serious response the prophet said,  “Listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left.  And the Lord said, ‘Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-Gilead so he can be killed?’

“There were many suggestions, and finally a spirit approached the Lord and said, ‘I can do it!’  “‘How will you do this?’ the Lord asked. “And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’ “‘You will succeed,’ said the Lord. ‘Go ahead and do it.’   “So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”

So what happened next?  Well the prophet was thrown in jail. Then the armies of Israel and Judah marched out to fight. And, during the battle a stray arrow from the enemy struck Ahab between the joints of his armor and he died. A lucky shot? I don’t think so!   

Surrender would have been the best option. Not during the battle, but instead of it! 

I loved the fact that Jehoshaphat thought of asking God before acting. (In my independence I’ve been known to forget this part.)  But when God spoke both of them chose to go ahead and do what they already had in mind. (I wonder if God ever thinks “If you are going to do whatever you want then why do you ask Me what I think!)

Try as we might we are not independent. We don’t know best. We don’t wield absolute control. Whether we recognize it or not, we are dependent beings. Without God we are not!  So let’s surrender and yield control to the One in control!

Ron

Run Toward or Away?

What do you tell someone who has just learned they have an aggressive form of cancer?  Do you have words for someone who just lost a job?  Do you do anything when you hear of the death of a loved one? Does it take a card shower to provoke you into sending a few words of joy to those who celebrate?

When a Sunday School class needs a teacher, does volunteering to lead cross your mind? When you learn that a neighbor has a financial crisis do you reach for your wallet?  When someone needs help planting does your John Deere head that way? When a younger Christian struggles do you, as the more mature one, offer encouragement?

Few things are more fun than seeing something you did not notice before…  

The Philistines had mustered their armies against Israel. Saul countered by assembling the Israelite army. And battle lines were drawn with each army occupying a hillside with a valley in between.

Now, the Philistines had some really big dudes in their army. One of them was named Goliath.  He was over nine feet tall and weighed who knows how much. He was big enough to wear a bronze coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds, carry a spear tipped with an iron head that alone weighed 15 pounds.  

As my dad would say Goliath was “big enough to go bear hunting with a switch.”

Everyday this mountain of a man would come out and taunt Israel. (and I paraphrase) “Hey, why aren’t you coming out to fight? Tell you what, let’s skip the mess of a big battle. You just send out your biggest and baddest and he and I’ll tussle. Winner take all.”

That sounds like a decent idea – if you are a 9’ foot giant – but to the regular Joes in Israel’s army it didn’t sound good at all. So no one stepped forward. Day after day, Goliath stepped forward to embarrass Israel by reissuing his challenge.

As it happened one day a young Israelite lad named David came into the Israelite camp as the giant was bellowing away. David was on an errand for his dad who wanted news from his sons on the front lines. Well, David heard the giant’s challenge and he watched as Israel cowered, issuing nervous glances to one another as if to say, “Not me. You go!”

David was filled with emotion – not fear – but disgust that this giant would defy God’s army. In David’s role of tending his father’s sheep he had experienced challenges from larger foes – fending off lions and bears that attacked to steal lambs from the flock. So David sought permission from King Saul to fight for Israel against the giant Philistine.

Once permission was granted David got his weapons – a slingshot and five smooth stones – and stepped out of the Israelite lines to face the giant. Well, needless to say the ole giant wasn’t impressed.

(Paraphrasing again)  “Is this the best you can do?  Do you come at me with a stick because I’m just a dog!?!?   Come over here boy – and I’ll feed you to the birds!”

To that David said, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!  And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

And here is the part of the story I hadn’t taken notice of before…   As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. (1 Samuel 17:48)

Most people run away from a fire – few are willing to run into one. Most run away from those with difficult news or losses. Most pass on opportunities to encourage. Most don’t stick their neck out to help.

If David was one of those who run away, Goliath would probably still be standing there today – a 3100 year old, gray headed giant with a big spear and a bigger mouth. But David was not one of those who run away. David ran toward.

May we take a lesson from him and become people who run toward not away. May we be people who being empowered by Christ, inspired by the faithful, and armed with loving hearts, reach out to those who are facing a giant.

Running Toward,

Ron

If You Love It, Lose It...

“Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.” John 12:25 (NLT)   This verse jumped off the page at me and my thoughts were flooded with questions, the biggest of which were:  What does loving your life in this world look like, and how does caring nothing for it work?  

From the moment I met him, I knew instantly that Tyler was a special young man. Special enough that I once told him that I wished he were triplets because I’ve got two daughters that I’d like to introduce him to.

My first interaction with Tyler was when he approached me after church in July 2013. He had just moved to Manhattan from Ames, Iowa. He had finished an undergraduate degree at Iowa State and was in Manhattan to pursue a graduate degree from Kansas State.

Unlike most students, at the top of his priority list upon arriving in Manhattan was finding a church to attend. And again unlike most, his agenda after church was to find out how to get plugged in and become a part of a church family. I invited him to attend our small group and from there our friendship blossomed.

Caitlin moved to Wamego in August of 2013. They weren’t engaged as of yet, but that was in the works. So she wanted to be close by. Within a year Tyler proposed marriage and in a few days (June 2015) their lives as husband and wife will finally begin.

The other day I told Tyler and Caitlin that I’d be at his apartment at 9am. They were merging two households just prior to their wedding day – by the way this is becoming rare, as the merging of households is more often done without regard to a wedding these days – and they had some things they wanted to give to a single mom who might need some help.

Again unlike many, Tyler understood the plight of a mom who has to raise children on her own. He grew up in a single parent home after his dad had made choices that removed him from the picture. So, Tyler wanted take the duplicates from merging households and give them to a single mom who had a need.

So we spent a couple of hours together loading and unloading. And, later, as I considered the “stuff” in my garage, it hit me…  God had arranged for some of my questions from earlier in the day to be answered.

I had just experienced an example of living without caring for life in this world. Some of the things given away could have been sold. But instead and more important, they were being used to glorify God and bless another.

I have witnessed a life of integrity that shines a spotlight on God’s greatness. And I saw a young man who cared for others by being observant, generous and loving. A young man in his early twenties, and his sweet fiancé brought me a lesson the other day…

“Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.” John 12:25 (NLT)  

Ron

The roof will cover it...

“Don’t worry the roof will cover it…”

On Monday I helped shingle a gazebo that had been given to the city. The shingles on it were well worn and needed to be replaced.  I haven’t shingled often, so I only know enough to be dangerous. With every bit of tar paper, flashing or shingles that I put on I find myself hoping that the roof doesn’t leak. And, every time I crawl onto a roof I hear, “Don’t worry the roof will cover it…”

My dad was a school teacher while I was growing up, consequently summers were “free” for him. He used to say that he got into teaching for three reasons: June, July and August. So, dad would spend that “free” time working another job. One of those summer jobs was working for local carpenter named Delbert Spain. 

Delbert didn’t often turn dad loose on many projects without supervision – after all dad was a teacher not a carpenter. But once in a while dad was directed to tackle something on his own. Later Delbert would come and inspect the work. Well one day dad made a bit of a mess with a project. And all Delbert said was, “Don’t worry the roof will cover it.”  (Delbert had a good reputation, so I suspect he fixed it later, but I don’t recall that part of the story.)

Last week I discovered a plumbing problem at our house. The line to the lagoon was blocked. So we had the line dug up at the point of the blockage and found the reason.

Apparently when the trench was backfilled a rock fell down on the pipe and knocked a couple of holes in it and partially crushed it. “Don’t worry the dirt will cover it.”  I’ve since learned that there are ways of filling in a trench that ensure things like this don’t happen. None of those steps were taken in this case.

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church he delivered some sobering news to those who attempt to put a roof or dirt over their shortcuts, errors or failures.

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.  But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.  If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.  But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.   1 Cor. 3:10-15 (NLT)

After five years of use the broken pipe was finally found out, and just like it some of our Kingdom efforts may be revealed for what they are.  But some errors, shortcuts, and failures may remain covered up forever – not!  Eventually God will reveal the truth. Which, by the way, is something that He has known all along.

I’m guessing that most of us wouldn’t knowingly bury an error we created and then sell it to others. We wouldn’t build a building full of mistakes and then hope that the roof will cover it. So let’s take Paul’s encouragement to heart and give nothing short of our best to God. Kingdom work has eternal consequences, it has to be “built” to last.

Ron