Good Intentions Gone Wrong

            Have you ever done something with good intentions, but they backfired in some way? I did this past Sunday. I opened my sermon about Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:1-5 by retrieving a 6-foot piece of wood strapping from behind the communion table. Intending to act out the appearance of having a board in my eye as I criticized and judged people, the board knocked over a few things. Unfortunately two of those things were instruments that belonged to Mary, one of our young adults. Although it made the point (I think) about how harmful we are when we condemn others, I did not intend to do any real harm in just a sermon illustration. While I think the instruments survived without injury, I can tell you I felt pretty foolish, and pretty bad about it. Afterwards I thought, now if only any tendency in me to judge people would lead me to the same feelings of discomfort and disappointment. Our careless judgments of others truly are dangerous.

            So even our good intentions can miss the mark. When I was in high school a group of church friends and I were on a youth retreat. Kids attending developed a series of skits for our fun and laughs. We were all having a grand old time when – in one of the skits – one of the guys took a small fish coated in oil and threw it at me… as a joke. It would have been funny, but the reaction that came from everyone was dead silence. Instead of hitting me with it, the oily fish flew right into/onto my guitar. Though it was nowhere near as nice as the guitar I have now, it wasn’t funny, and everything just ground to a halt. People didn’t know what to do or say. Of course everything turned out to be just fine, and the weekend went on. But there’s another example of good intentions gone wrong.

            I think this is a fairly common experience. Often we express words or actions thinking that something good will result, when instead something else happens. Then we’re left trying to clear things up with expressions like, “I didn’t mean to say that” or “I didn’t mean for that to happen.” Hopefully people will respond to us with grace and forgiveness. Knowing how this all feels is a good thing to remember when someone else’s good intentions toward you go awry in some way. A gentle and soft response can do wonders and go a long way to bless someone who feels bad when they’ve blundered.

            May God bless you and me with such grace toward others. AMEN!

Proverbs 10:12 (NIV)  Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV) ¹²  Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for your abundant grace to me in the middle of my failures – well-intentioned or not. Thank you for knowing my heart and forgiving me when I miss the mark of your perfect will and plan. Thank you for the reminder of Jesus’ birth this time of year, and all that He did in the Incarnation that has saved me and brought me into your family. And thank you for all of your blessings in 2014, and please continue to pour out your grace upon me in 2015. I love you. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

Music Appreciation

            On Sunday a group of folks from our church visited Sonogee Rehabilitation and Living Center to spend some time Christmas caroling. Our custom is to slowly “wander” the halls as we sing, greeting people from room to room and stopping wherever two or three or more gather to listen. As many times as I ask the question, “Do you have a favorite?”… I receive the same response: “I like them all.” It doesn’t seem to matter what we sing: they’re happy we’re there. People just love the sound of our singing, amateur as it is. We had a few younger children with us as well. They are always a big hit with the residents and invariably brighten their faces with smiles.

            There was a moment during the caroling when I found myself unable to sing. While we were singing “Silent Night” I looked into a room nearby. A woman – in her eighties at least – was lying in bed, on her back, eyes closed, as if she were sleeping. But her lips were moving. At first I missed it, but then realized they were moving in sync with our singing. She was hearing us and “joining in” as best she could. There was something about that moment that began to choke me up, and I had to stop trying to sing and try instead to keep from tearing up and weeping. I’ve thought about that moment since, wondering why and how such things happen. Music has the capacity to be a very powerful emotion-impacting force. It can evoke deep memories, sentimentality, and feelings of sadness, joy, loss, loneliness, fun, and even anger. So much of our lives are associated with music in some way. I remember another time singing Christmas carols in a unit of Alzheimer’s patients, wondering if we would be able to connect at all with them. It turned out to be the best time of Christmas caroling I have ever experienced. It was amazing how much they sang along – word for word – the verses of each carol. That, too, was quite moving to see and experience the power of music.

            Our Creator God built into the souls of those made in His image a place where music reaches in and touches with power. Music itself has to be one of the most remarkable works of God in all creation. Just think of all that has been created in the minds of men and women with just a relatively few notes and rhythms. Music can be made in so many different ways, by so many different instruments. I recently saw a video someone posted on Facebook which depicted a man making an instrument out of a carrot and then playing it like a clarinet. In his hands it actually sounded pretty good. The variety of instruments and sounds is truly astounding. Just one more of the innumerable things that point to the greatness and glory of the Lord. Educational courses are taught on the subject of music appreciation and, like the visual arts, when it comes to music we all know what we like. We all have our own taste, and there is no shortage of styles and genres to suit our needs and wants. But there is an even deeper kind of music appreciation for us. It is the kind that wonders and worships the very Source of music. Music exists at all because of God’s great joy to craft and design it. That kind of appreciation must be the most important, I think.

            When I was younger my family would ask me to bring my guitar to Christmas gatherings so that we could sing Christmas songs. Sometimes I would hesitate, because my grandmother would always cry when we sang “I’ll be Home for Christmas” or “White Christmas”. And that would make me uncomfortable. Now I remember it fondly, and would love to be back together with all the tears. This Christmas may we enjoy the music of our Lord as a means of enjoying Him.

Psalm 100:1 (KJV)  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Psalm 150:1-6 (NIV) ¹  Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. ²  Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. ³  Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, ⁴  praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, ⁵  praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. ⁶  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for creating music. It truly is one of the greatest joys in my life, especially that music that is clearly to your glory. May my voice always be eager to join in on any sound that is pleasing to you. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

His Story

            How many pages would your biography have? If someone wrote your story for others to read, how big would the book be? I have been reading some biographies lately and one of them referenced a biography of the times that was 1400 pages long. That’s a lot of pages to sum up one life. Length, however, is no determinant of significance. I often think of the millions of lives of which no biography is ever recorded, full of things done and said that have made a great difference in this world. Yet no one will ever know. A hundred years from now – if the Lord has not returned by then – it is likely that no one will remember me or attach any practical significance to me. Maybe this is why people seek out and embrace their 15 minutes of fame so readily in our culture. The fact that my memory will be distant, or even completely lost one hundred years from now, might lead me to some existential angst of meaninglessness, with questions like… “What’s the use?”… “What does anything matter?” Questions like that always remind me of Ecclesiastes. Solomon had it all, did it all, knew it all, and left it all behind. He says… "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3) I take encouragement from this book that Solomon writes these things of the “under the sun” reality, because that is not all there is. There is more than just this material world to be considered. The fact is… my life is not just my story – told or not… remembered or not. Our lives in this world are part of God’s story.

            If all there is… is life under the sun, then I think – in the end – it doesn’t really matter. But if there is more… if the God of the Bible is real: Creator, Redeemer, and everything the Scriptures describe Him to be… then everything matters. There are no mundane things in life. Every biography – written or not – is significant. If this world and everything in it did not matter, then God would not have sent His Son into it. But His story finds its central “character” in Christ. And the cross of Christ infuses significance into every life and into every fiber of the universe. This expression of God’s love – made before the world was even created… and “publicized”, if you will, with the Incarnation is what the universe is all about, and it is the heart of God’s story.

            And my “little” story – whether I see it as worth a one-page telling or a thousand pages – is in God’s “book”. On many occasions I have tried to encourage people with the reminder that God always writes the last chapter. When our children stray, or when we face hardships and uncertainties of various kinds, it is good to know and remember that we are in God’s story, and that He always has the final word. And, from our perspective anyway, even though we know God is writing even right now, we also are aware that He already knows all of the final chapters. This kind of thinking could lead a person toward a shrug-your-shoulders fatalism, but that would not be my take. Our lives, our choices, etc., do matter. And knowing I can rest in my Lord… that by faith I can trust Him in all things… that by grace I am His… leads me to the joy of my part in His great story. I am a part of the Nativity story… a part of the Gospel story… a part of the crucifixion story… and the resurrection story… and the Church story… and the return of Christ story… and the eternal story of fellowship in His family in heaven story. So, with the psalmist I can proclaim, “He has made me glad.” May your experience with the Lord this Christmas fill you with great gladness and joy, and may you see His story and realize your significance in Him! AMEN!

Matthew 2:10 (KJV)  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Matthew 2:10 (MSG)  They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

PRAYER:  Father, in all of life’s circumstances – however they may appear to me – may I see your hand at work writing the story. Thank you for writing me in, especially the part about being saved by grace and becoming your child. I love being in your family. To you be all glory and praise.  In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

Christ is Not a Tidbit

            “Christ has been exiled from the lives of most Christians. Of course, we build him a temple, but we live in our own houses. Religion has been exiled to Sunday morning, to a place into which one gladly withdraws for a couple of hours, but only to get back to one’s place of work immediately afterward. One cannot give him only a small compartment in our spiritual life, but must give him everything or nothing. The religion of Christ is not a tidbit after one’s bread. On the contrary, it is the bread or it is nothing. People should at least understand and concede this if they call themselves Christian.”

            These words (cited from Eric Metaxas’ Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy) were spoken on December 11, 1928 in Barcelona, Spain, in the second of a series of three lectures to a group of young men (high schoolers) who were part of a discipleship circle started by a very young – 22 year old – theologian and assistant pastor from Germany named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was serving in a church that ministered primarily to the German expatriate community. He found there a people highly focused on themselves, and not on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were church attenders, but nominal Christians at best. He described them as “damned materialistic and have not received any sort of intellectual lift from their stay abroad…”. What he found were nominal Christians who had been baptized in the state church (Lutheran), but had little knowledge of, or use for, the Gospel, for the Word of God, and for a living and abiding faith in Christ. His ministry prospered as he preached Christ and led young people to know Him as disciples in a living, vital relationship.

            The church that loses or misses the Gospel is in serious trouble. It becomes a mere social club or social service organization. While it is good to serve the needs of people, and we are called to do so in Scripture, there must be something to distinguish the Church from Goodwill Industries or Food Pantries or the United Way. Christians can support the efforts of most such organizations, and participate in making a difference, but it is important that we do not confuse these efforts with the Gospel. Religion is a dead, man-made thing. It is not at the heart of Christianity. Only God Himself – the living God, the Creator and Redeemer – is there.

            Bonhoeffer would go on in his lecture to say, “Christ has given scarcely any ethical prescriptions that were not to be found already with the contemporary Jewish rabbis or in pagan literature. Christianity is not about a new and better set of behavioral rules or about moral accomplishment. Religion and moral performance are the very enemies of Christianity and of Christ because they present the false idea that somehow we can reach God through our moral efforts. This leads to hubris and spiritual pride, the sworn enemies of Christianity. Thus, the Christian message is basically amoral and irreligious, paradoxical as that may sound.”

            A church itself – sadly - can become nothing more than a human attempt to advance toward the divine. But we have no claims to God based upon our religiosity or church commitment. The glorious and awesome God who created this universe and who is sovereign over all things will certainly not be impressed by my efforts. They are nothing and can gain me no standing with Him. But will I be impressed by Him?... by Him who initiates a plan to redeem me and make me His child by sending His own Son – the very thing we celebrate at Christmas? Will I glory in my efforts, or will I glory in the infinite God taking on a human body, taking out Satan, taking onto Himself the sin that is deadly to me and to any kind of fellowship with God? Will I believe that I can add something to what God has done in the Incarnation, or will I believe that Christ has done all that is necessary for my salvation? Will I believe that His righteousness in all its magnificence has been applied to me and has placed me into His family? Will I cease trying to get to God and abide in the knowledge that God has gotten to me in Christ and that my joy is in trusting in His work and resting in all that Christ has accomplished?

            May the Lord keep us from exiling Christ by looking to our own righteousness or religious accomplishment. May we look only to Christ and to the grace that makes seeing and knowing Him possible.

Romans 5:8 (NIV)  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Titus 3:4-7 (NIV) ⁴  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

PRAYER:  Father, may I look to Christ only - nothing more, nothing less, nothing else – for my hope in you: knowing you and being your child. And may all of my life come out of what you have done for me in Christ.  In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

Doing the Dishes

            I did the dishes last night. No big deal right? Sometimes I can fall into a pattern that my dad lived – maybe once every two or three weeks I remember seeing him do the dishes. He would be quite proud of himself for helping out. My mom was a very hard worker at home and then both at home and at a job she held at J.C. Penney for many years. I’m sure she appreciated when my dad would do something like that, but I’m also quite certain she wasn’t as impressed as he expected she would be. She probably felt more like saying, “Welcome to my world.”

            Actually I do the dishes more often than my dad did (He said trying to justify himself!). But growing up I never did. I had three older sisters and in those days the women did “those” jobs. We never had a dishwasher, so I’m sure they did more dishes than they ever wanted to. The clean up every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and most Sunday dinners was massive, but the men were always off watching football or sleeping the turkey and gravy off. Joanne has lots of stories about doing dishes when she was growing up. In a family of eight with a mother who cooked and baked profusely, I know she did them in the thousands – probably even tens of thousands as the years went by. She is, no doubt, not unique in this experience. So I’m sure whenever I do them she is not all that impressed. But she is always thankful.

            There isn’t much about doing the dishes in the Bible. Perhaps the story of Jesus’ visit to the home of Mary and Martha comes the closest. Mary was doing nothing but enjoying being at the feet of Jesus, while Martha was out in the kitchen doing all the work. She didn’t like it and got angry at her sister. Then she “used” Jesus to try to settle her feelings toward Mary. Jesus patiently told her that Mary had chosen the best thing to do and that Martha was fretting too much.

            But someone’s got to do the dishes... eventually. I don’t think it was wrong for Martha to be doing the work. Her real problem was her attitude about it. I understand her attitude. We can become frustrated when we feel like someone else is not pulling their weight and stepping up to help. Frustration can lead to feeling sorry for ourselves, which can lead to anger and resentment and any number of negative emotions.

            It does not have to be this way. There is a solution that takes us down a different path. It’s a way that ends in joy. I try to practice it and to encourage others to go for it. The Gospel makes it possible. It is doing the job – whatever it is – as to the Lord. Others aren’t doing their share? I will do it as to the Lord. People are neglecting their responsibility? I will do it as unto the Lord. Feeling overwhelmed? I will do it as unto the Lord. And whenever I do… things are different. It is a real attitude changer. And it ends up being an opportunity for joy. It’s amazing how the Gospel at work in my life will change my attitude and perspective. It’s no longer getting “stuck doing it”. It is now a way to serve Jesus. This doesn’t just happen by itself. It involves being open and sensitive to the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life, and being responsive to God’s Word.

            So… whenever I do the dishes… may I do so as an act of worship, conceiving of it as if I am either cleaning up after Jesus Himself or getting them clean for the next meal as if Jesus Himself was going to be there.

Luke 10:38-42 - ³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

            ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Matthew 25:40 -  ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Colossians 3:23-24 - ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

PRAYER:  Father, may the everyday activities of life that are for the sake of someone else... be opportunities for me to serve Jesus with joy. Be glorified in all of life – from the mundane to the sublime. Thank you for the privilege of seeing what I do in this way.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

Appreciation and Prayer for Veterans

            Today is Veteran’s Day, 2014 – a good day to remember and appreciate all veterans of our armed services who are still living, along with those who have died in service or after service to our country. My own family has a limited connection to military service. My dad’s draft age came between World War II and the Korean War. My oldest brother obtained a deferment and my next oldest brother enlisted in the National Guard. The Vietnam War came to an end just before I graduated from high school and not long after that serving in the U.S. military became voluntary, so I never became a military man. I had an uncle who served in Korea. My son-in-law is a Captain in the U.S. Army. He did active duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He continues service in the Army National Guard in South Carolina. I have many friends and acquaintances who have served.

            With such a background, much of the impact of military life, service, and loss is not as personal for me as it would be for those who grew up all over the place because their dad moved around a lot. The experiences of those who saw combat duty has not been my experience. Many of the veterans I have known who saw combat duty were not all that fond of talking about it, especially if they lost buddies or fought and lived through extremely fearful or harsh situations. When I was just starting out as a youth pastor I used to visit an older couple in the church I served in upstate New York. The wife was a lovely and gracious lady who had patiently cared for and loved her husband for many years. He had been a veteran of World War I and had experienced “shell shock” (what they called it then). He had a difficult time communicating and I had a difficult time trying to understand him. His wife was a great help. They were grateful for my visits (filling in for the pastor of the church) and were very kind, but I never felt like I had really ever done very much. Perhaps just taking the time and showing an interest in him meant a lot to them.

            While there are veterans who may prefer not to talk about things related to their time of service, I think that they still are blessed if people simply show an interest and express appreciation to them. It is nice to be remembered. We may also remember in prayer both our veterans and those who currently serve in any of the armed forces. They may or may not be aware that we are doing this, but we know. We may place them in God’s hands for His will in their lives. We may pray for their safety… healing… encouragement… and in many other ways.

            I encourage you to pray for a veteran today… and to reach out to one if you can. Say thank you and give them a blessing. There is a sobering video at http://prayercast.com/war.html that reminds us that war is still a reality in many places in our world. There is an excellent prayer that you may want to join as you listen/watch. May God bless you today if you are a veteran with all that He gives us through Jesus Christ His Son.  AMEN!

Joshua 1:9 (NIV)  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV) ²⁰  We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. ²¹  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. ²²  May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

2 Samuel 22:2-4 (NIV) ²  He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; ³  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-- from violent men you save me. ⁴  I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

John 15:13 (NIV)  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Psalm 46:1 (NIV)  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for the men and women who have served our country in defense of freedom around the world. May their service not be in vain, and may they be encouraged in their families, communities, and churches. May they come to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be transformed buy its power. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

Two Four-Letter Words

            There are two four-letter words that we don’t always think about together, but it is quite important that we associate them. Though our citizenship is in heaven, we are called in Scripture to have a relationship with the governing authorities in the earthly realm as well. According to Romans 13 this relationship is to include honor and respect. While we are not called in Scripture to support and obey anything that is contrary to God’s Word and His revealed will, we are called to love people – even those we may strongly disagree with. But I think we have a calling that goes even further, and here is where the two four-letter words come in. The two words are “vote” and “pray”.

            While I may be tempted to pray a prayer of thanksgiving that the constant barrage of political phone calls and advertising will be over, today (Tuesday, November 4) I will honor God by voting and I will seek for the Lord’s will to be done in prayer. If you get this via email during the day, I encourage you to connect these words as well. Take time to vote. And also take time to pray. Voting is not the same as praying, but it is important to do both. Though it may seem that voting is active and prayer is passive, we know that praying is one of the most proactive things we can do in life. We minimalize prayer when we say, “all we can do is pray”, or “just pray”, or when we pray “as a last resort”. On election day, my prayer is not really too different than it would be on any other day, but I do have the election results in mind when I pray, as Jesus taught us, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10).  I pray for God’s will to be done in each race, in each referendum, and in each result. I pray that God will give wisdom and grace to each winning candidate as well. Though my vote is an opportunity to impact the election result, my prayer is no less significant. It puts me in a place of trusting the Lord in and through each result.

            And this call to prayer is not limited to election results. The Scriptures call me to pray for all those in authority, for through them God mediates the opportunity for peaceful and quiet lives in which we may seek and experience holiness and godliness. All the more reason for me to connect the words “vote” and “pray”. Prayer should precede and follow every election. It can be tempting to stop praying for the ones we did not vote for, yet were elected. We can feel like we didn’t get our way. We may want to think that God doesn’t get His way. But God always gets His way. He is sovereign over all things – even elections. And He calls us to keep praying beyond every election day. A couple of the words He associates with this action are “intercession” and “thanksgiving”. Because we trust the Lord, we can be thankful even in results we may not like. If it were up to us, how different might it be! But we do not wish for what we want. We are seeking what He wants. And when we pray, we trust Him.

            May prayer be our earnest activity throughout today. But may it not end when we see how things go. Let us commit to continue in prayer, and to continue in a confident reliance upon God, whose ways are higher than ours, and whose will we trust will be done.

Romans 13:1 (NIV) – “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV) – “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Romans 8:28 (NIV)  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

PRAYER:  Lord, may every election result in every part of our country today be according to your will. And may each winner do your will. When an elected official acts against your will, may Your Spirit bring him/her under conviction and may your grace be at work in that person’s life. May my confidence in you never wane, regardless of how the results may look to me. I trust you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

Confidence on an Uncertain Road

            After a terrific two days at the ABCOM Annual Meeting in Houlton last week, Joanne and I returned home on Saturday. We had seen many old friends (like Steve and Sandi Straubel) and enjoyed some excellent messages. The presentation by Bill and Ann Clemmer was extremely moving. Anyway, we had eaten lunch after it was all over with Joanne’s brother and sister-in-law at a country restaurant called Grammy’s in a very small town outside of Houlton called Linneus. From there I had made plans for a more direct route west on a road called the South Oakfield Road. Most of the main roads on the map looked like you had to drive back through Houlton to get onto 95 South. I didn’t feel like doing that. It seemed too far out of the way. Yes, I did have to zoom in quite a bit on my Google Maps App to see the South Oakfield Road. But it was there. John told me they would follow us, so I turned on my GPS and headed out on my “direct” route toward Island Falls, where I anticipated picking up 95.

            It was going very well… for a little while. The road was small, but it was paved. And then it wasn’t. It became a dirt road. I thought… “Should I keep going or not?” It was a “good” dirt road, though, so I decided to keep going. Then there was a sign that indicated some construction over the next 6.5 miles. Still the dirt road was good, so I decided to keep going. Then I hit the first soft patch. It had rained for several days last week and there were a few places with soft, wet dirt and some pretty deep ruts. “I can make it,” I told myself. “Just speed up a little bit.” We did make it, but I began to worry about things getting worse and the possibility of having to turn around. I didn’t want to do that, though. We had come down a couple of hills that I didn’t relish the thought of going back up. The further we went, the more I knew I didn’t want to turn around. But there were some “hairy” spots still to get through. At one point I stopped, got out of the car, and went back to ask John if he still wanted to follow me. I was feeling dumber and dumber, and more and more anxious about my decision to go that way. But the road was still navigable, so onward we pressed. Joanne asked at one point, “I hope I don’t have to get out and push us.” I said, “I am the one who would end up pushing.”

            After a while the dirt road got smaller, narrower, and a little rougher. I wondered if AAA could get to me if I needed them. I was still on course, but beginning to doubt it would come out to where I thought it would. According to my GPS I was right where I should be. I spent a good deal of time questioning my decision (to take that route), and no small amount of praying. Finally, much to my great relief, the road became paved again. Bumpy… but paved. Narrow… but paved. And then it became wider… and smoother. We drove past a lake with camps and homes on it and eventually connected with State Route 2, a major older road between Houlton and Bangor. From there it was on to Island Falls, Interstate 95, and home. The “adventure” was over and I hadn’t gotten lost, stuck, or in the doghouse with my in-laws, though I am quite certain my brother-in-law may not let me forget this little wilderness journey.

            Do you ever feel like the road the Lord has you on is maybe not the right road? It’s not smooth. It’s not easy. There is some doubt along the way… and some fear. You question if you should have taken another road. But His guide – His Word – has reminded you it is where He wants you to be. There are dangers of getting bogged down and getting knocked around by the bumps. You may feel alone, isolated, and far away from help should something go wrong. But your mind is set on His destination for you. You are trusting Him to get you there, so you just keep going. You trust that He will not fail you. God does take us on roads like that. And if we stay focused on His Word, we can be confident that He will take us through to whatever destination He has for us. In the middle of uncertainty we will pray, and we will rest in Him. And we will not fear.

Psalm 25:4-10 (NIV) ⁴  Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; ⁵  guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. ⁶  Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. ⁷  Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. ⁸  Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. ⁹  He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. ¹⁰  All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV) ⁵  Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." ⁶  So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV) ¹¹  For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹²  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for the path of your will for my life. Thank you for seeing me through those ways filled with questions and uncertainty. Thank you for never leaving me or forsaking me. Keep me in your Word, that I may know your way and walk in it. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

Minimizing What Is Deadly

            The news about the Ebola outbreak in the countries of West Africa has certainly been sobering. Its deadly impact was played out before us as we watched, read, and listened to news coverage every day. As long as the issue was an African issue many Americans did not think of it all that much. Yes, it was sad… and dangerous sounding. But our political leaders and medical experts assured Americans that it could never be a serious issue in our country. In my own estimation there has been a degree of hubris exhibited by those in these leadership roles. Hospital caregivers and transportation providers have been careless. Exposed people have either unknowingly or carelessly exposed other people. Proper procedures have been ignored. It is as if in our sophistication, technology, and expertise we think we are free of any concern or danger.

            Recent events have proved otherwise. The bubble of our invulnerability has been burst. The potency and movement of this virus has turned out to be not quite so “easy” to contain or manage. Mistakes have been made. Apologies have had to be given. Carelessness and actions without thought opened the door for exposure and transmission of the virus. It became something like a giant game of “Whack-a-Mole”, with authorities dealing with one situation only to find more and more people in need of watching, quarantining, or treating.

            My purpose in this devotional is not to point fingers and lay blame, or to suggest that I have a full understanding of all these events. I share these impressions more to make a spiritual point: the situation echoes the way that people often address the deadly issue of sin in the world and in their lives. In our arrogance we minimize our sin. We do not consider it to be all that serious – it’s just not that big of a deal to us. But the Bible says that sin is the sting of death (1 Corinthians 15). Human beings believe their sophistication, knowledge, technology, scientific accomplishment, etc., will deliver them into a better world and solve all or most problems. Sin is considered a trivial matter… nothing to worry about. Yet the Bible suggests it is our greatest enemy and the cause of death that separates us from God forever if it is not addressed. Our pride leads us to believe that we can manage our sin. We think we can contain its impact. "Our sin won’t be as bad as ___." (the spiritual equivalent of Africa). We think it is worse here in this person, or over there in that person. We believe… “I’m not as bad as ‘they’ are. Sure I have some. I’m not perfect. But it’s not all that bad. God will understand.” We minimize sin and we think we can manage sin to our great peril.

            God does not minimize sin. He knows its destructive power and pervasiveness in the lives of those He created and loves. He knows that it permeates every dimension of our lives and we have not been able to “control” it. It has taken us deeper and further into ourselves and away from Him than we care to admit. It has stained everything we are and everything we do. All of life in our world feels its impact. And the cure - the solution for it - must surely be greater than anything we are capable of. We know God does not minimize sin because of the steps He took to deal with it. The seriousness of sin is indicated by the step of love taken by God to send His only Son into the world to take that sin upon Himself. The atoning work of Christ on the cross is just so incredibly “big” as the means God resorted to in order to cleanse us, heal us, and free us from the inevitable death sin brings. The greatness of this work of love cannot be overstated.

            It is not healthy or wise for us to diminish or shrink the seriousness of sin. And it is just as unhealthy or unwise to believe ourselves capable of fixing it or eradicating it. How foolish we are. How proud we can be. The truth about sin is an opportunity to grow in our appreciation of and total dependence upon the cross of Jesus Christ. The good news is that as deep as our need is… the grace of God is deeper still. The blood of Christ has real power for our need… for cleansing… for even knowing God… for receiving and responding to grace in faith… for walking (living) a grace-made life in relationship with our Father each day as sons and daughters in His kingdom. Yes, we take sin seriously. But we take God’s grace more seriously (and joyfully) still.

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV) ²¹  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴  and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:6-9 (NIV) ⁶  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Romans 6:23 (NIV)  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 9:14-15 (NIV) ¹⁴  And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

PRAYER:  Father, I take sin seriously. It is deadly. But the cross of Jesus Your son has delivered me. As I think about this and live in the new life you have given me, every day I appreciate and value the cross more and more. Though my sin is great, Christ is greater. What an amazing and wonderful thing it is to be your child through such grace. Every day, in all my ways, may I continually experience the riches of your grace and the joy of being your son.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

"Well, No One Told Me"

            Joanne and I went to an event at the Collins Center at UMO Tuesday night on her birthday. We showed up at 6:15 p.m. for a 7:00 p.m. start time. At least that’s what it said on our tickets. We got inside and they were not opening the auditorium doors. Quarter of… ten of… five of seven, and still nothing. I couldn’t figure out what was happening, so I went to the ticket information booth to find out. Turns out that the event had been changed to 8:00 p.m.. The first thing I thought was, “Well, no one told me.” In fact, I was a little miffed. I don’t really like to have my time wasted, and it seemed to me that someone could have emailed me (having purchased the tickets online) to let me know of the change. What we had was a failure to communicate.

            The Collins Center website had been communicating it for quite a while. Since I have no regular reason to go to their website, I missed the change announcements and proceeded on outdated information. While the annoyed part of me felt like finding fault in the situation, another part of me understood that the information was there - and effort was made to let people know – it just did not reach me. So I had to put up with a little inconvenience. But I was with my favorite person and she ended up having time to finish the book we’re inviting church members to read (I Am a Church Member).

            Two spiritual connections to this situation come to my mind. One is how thankful I am that everything God communicates through His Word is 100% reliable, unchanging, and useful for my life every day. It never misses the mark or needs updating or changing. I don’t ever have to worry that what God has said in the past will undergo modification so as to catch me off guard. It is as true today as the day it was written. It is also as relevant. And God has no need of changing it, or changing His plans. He is right on schedule in all His ways, and He always will be.

            The second connection is the need for good, direct communication of spiritual things. Joe Bayly’s wonderful little story called The Gospel Blimp depicts a small group of Christians – surrounded by neighbors who don’t know the Lord, but might be interested – latching on to all kinds of spectacular ways of communicating the Gospel… except making friends and sharing at a personal level. The culmination of their efforts is hiring a blimp from which they drop thousands of tracts upon unsuspecting people hoping some will be converted. The point of the story is that nothing compares to a personal, caring, direct sharing of Christ’s love with others. All the communication techniques, technologies, newspaper ads, posters, banners, and strategies of many kinds are pretty much useless (though I will not limit what the Holy Spirit may use) compared to what comes directly from our hearts as we engage people. If Christ is there, I have something to share. People may never see a presentation of the Gospel on TV, the radio… or they may never read the Bible or a book in which the Gospel is communicated… or they may never go to a Christian website that presents Christ… etc.. But they will see you and me. They will hear you and me. Christ in us (Savior, Lord, Friend)… cannot be missed by the people in our lives every day. I do well to remember that I am God’s primary communication resource in the world today.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV) ¹⁰  As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, ¹¹  so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Matthew 24:35 (NIV)  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

PRAYER:  Father, may I be a vessel for the Gospel, poured out by you into the lives of others. May the Spirit so fill me with the life of Christ that your grace will flow through me to others as it is given to me in such overwhelming abundance.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott