Truth and Footballs

    One of the great facts of the universe that has always given me comfort is the fact that the truth never eludes God. He is never fooled and no amount of information – small or great – escapes His notice and knowledge. His omniscience is awesome and amazing to consider. God has no questions that He doesn’t already know the answer to. There are no secrets that can be kept from Him.

It is fascinating to hear all of the analysis, scrutiny, and investigative comments and conclusions in the sports world since there was a problem with under-inflated footballs after the AFC Championship game. It can make your head spin as you try to sort out fact from fiction and try to discern who and what to believe about what actually happened or did not happen. Everyone has an opinion and many are perfectly willing to express theirs. And somewhere in the middle of it all there is a real reality: that which truly happened and did not happen. Human beings may never get to the bottom of it, and if the truth does come out there will be doubters regardless of outcome. But everything – even in the football world - is clear to God.

    It is a blessing to us, and comforting that God has full and complete knowledge of not only all that happens, but He also knows the motives of the hearts of each and every one (the “whys” behind everything). It is comforting if we desire the truth and do not live in fear of it. If we are afraid of the truth, however, it will separate us from God and the truth will be no comfort to us. When the truth is “bad”, we are tempted to hide. But that is about as useful for us as it was for Adam and Eve when God called for them after their first sin. We also are often tempted to embrace what is not true because we think we will be safer. If we can just keep people from finding out, everything will be okay. The truth “hurts” so we avoid it.

We do well to remember, however, that God is aware of everything. Does He care about football teams and media frenzies? Well… yes and no. God cares about everything. There is nothing unimportant to Him. His interest is not as a fan, however. He is not a sports “booster” for any team. His knowledge, however, goes to the depths of the heart. God always goes to this level, whether in sports or our family relationships or our personal, inner lives… or our work ethics… or our worship. And in all of these places and more, nothing short of truth in the inner person pleases Him.

May our hearts find joy in the truth in the same way that God does.

Psalm 51:6 (NIV)  Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach        me wisdom in the inmost place.

John 8:31-32 (NIV) ³¹  To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)  But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Psalm 15:1-3 (NIV) ¹  LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? ²  He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart ³  and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,

Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV) ⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. ⁹  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

1 Corinthians 13:6 (NIV)  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

PRAYER:  Father, there is no fear in love. Because of your love, I do not need to run away from the truth. If it is bad truth, I can repent and find forgiveness from you. If it is good truth, I can rejoice and take delight in it. Either way, may you be glorified in me. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

My Hope is In the Lord

            Some of the greatest moments in the history of sports have happened after many fans have given up on their team or athlete and “left the building”. Such was the case this past Sunday in the football championship playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks pulled off one of the most exciting finishes of the NFL season on Sunday with their come-from-behind victory.  They are well known for the loudness of their fans, whom they refer to as their “12^th Man”. But some of the famous "12^th Man" had to catch Jermaine Kearse's winning touchdown in overtime from outside of CenturyLink Field ... even though they were once inside the stadium. With the Seattle Seahawks trailing 19-7 with five minutes to go, lots of Seahawks fans were spotted leaving the stadium. When word of the comeback spread, many tried to get back in, but were denied re-entry, a common rule at NFL stadiums. Instead, they had to do the NFL fan version of the "walk of shame" and catch it on TV outside the gates.

            These fans had given up hope and had given up on their team. They believed their beloved team was in an impossible situation so they left the building. By doing so, they missed one of the greatest events in the history of their team: a comeback you had to see to believe.

The more difficult the situation, the easier it seems or more tempting it is to lose hope. On the narrow road where we walk with Christ we are likely to face circumstances that will challenge our hope. It can look like the world is winning. And it can even seem, at times, that we don’t have a chance. But we can always have hope… because of Christ. Paul tells of Abraham’s hope in Romans 4 (vs.18-21) – “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” Abraham could have pointed to all the reasons why he should never have been able to have a child, but he didn’t give up on God, and God’s promise. His hope prevailed, so he never “left the building”. In the memorable words of Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till it’s over!” God had the last word, as He always does.

            Hope is only as good as its object, and the Lord is certainly the most worthy object in which to place our hope. His will and His Word will always prevail and He is worthy of our confidence. When we face the next “no win” situation, it will be good to remember His words: "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)  

Genesis 18:14 (NIV)  Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

Jeremiah 32:26-27 (NIV) ²⁶  Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ²⁷  "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

Psalm 31:24 (NIV)  Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 33:20 (NIV)  We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 42:11 (NIV)  Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Romans 12:12 (NIV)  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

PRAYER:  Father, may my hope, because it is in you, be strengthened in measure by your strength. Because you are a great God, I may have a great hope. Set my eyes upon you, and my hope will not fail. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

In the Band

            During a recent vacation I was watching a concert movie that featured many of Elvis Presley’s performances during one tour in (I think) the early 1970’s. The extent of his success and popularity and his love for Gospel music make him an interesting person to me. Much like Frank Sinatra in the generation before him, there was a time when Elvis Presley created a movement and mania of fan devotion and adulation. No one was better known and his fame was at a peak. It did not last – of course it never can – but his influence and popularity with his adoring fans still held a strong place, even though he had been “supplanted” by the Beatles among the masses.

            One of the things that struck me while watching the film was the role of the back-up singers and Elvis’ relationship with them. They were valued by Elvis and he considered them an important part of his act. They were always with him on stage. There were several female singers (The Sweet Inspirations) and the men were typically Gospel singers:  J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet in this film. Back-up singers, as well as those playing the instruments, are all very talented people. But the fans – those who came to the concerts – did not come to see them. As low a note as J.D. Sumner could hit… or as great as the piano and guitar players and drummers might be… people came not for them, but for Elvis. Elvis was the star. Elvis was the adored one. Elvis was the main attraction. Everything the back-up singers did had one purpose alone:  to enhance the “star” and NOT to call attention to themselves. The spotlight was on the star and not on the back-up singers.

            I believe there is a significant spiritual parable in that. While I would never want to relegate our Lord Jesus Christ to some earthly idea of fandom and worldly fame, there is something significant about who I am in relation to Him and what my place is in His universe. There is always a temptation for we Christians to make our Christian faith all about us, as if we were the “star of the show”. Do you ever sense that in you? The more exposure we have to the public and the greater role we have in front of people – leading, speaking, performing, etc. – the more opportunity we have to think about and “enjoy” the spotlight’s shine upon us. We need to exercise great care and always remember our place. It truly is awesome that we get to be close to Jesus – that He knows us, uses us, loves us, makes the most of our talents and abilities (which He gave us in the first place) – but all of that is designed for His glory, not ours… for people to think well of Him, not us. I remember hearing about a pastor who came to his pulpit his first Sunday and found the following message taped down in front of him (for his eyes): “We would see Jesus!”. What a great reminder for all of our lives – in any place of service to the Lord, prominent or hidden from others. The greatest thing that could ever happen in my life is that people would see Jesus, be drawn to Him, and come to know and love Him.

            None of us are ever likely to become superstars in the category of an Elvis. Many of us feel that just the opposite is the case, and many want nothing to do with any spotlight anywhere. In the end it doesn’t really matter. We are all “back-up singers” using our talents (from Him) to the increase of His glory, honor, and praise. May it be so from the quietest of moments when no one is around to the most public of times when we may be before other people. What a good and blessed thing it is to be “in the band” in the gracious design and plan of our Savior and Lord. To God be the glory!

John 3:30 (KJV)  He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30 (NLT)  He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (NIV) ⁵  For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ⁷  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Matthew 5:16 (NIV)  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

PRAYER:  Father, may my life always point to Jesus. May I seek only His glory and honor. May I be satisfied with decreased attention and importance so that His name and reputation may become greater and that He will be loved more and more. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

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