Letting God Speak

      All the hoopla around the suspension of Tom Brady has been hard to avoid. I am a New England Patriots fan and the likelihood of some level of wrongdoing – especially covering up the truth – is disappointing to say the least. Whatever happened, I think the old saying applies: “Honesty is the best policy.” I wish Tom Brady the best and hope that he will handle himself in an honorable way as the story continues to unfold.

The recent judgment of the NFL against the Patriots and against Brady raises lots of questions. Many New England fans feel it is unfair. Most football fans from the rest of the country think it falls short of what he deserves and what the team deserves. The response to his cheating has been almost vitriolic. People seem very happy to point fingers at his wrongdoing. Many feel that justice has finally been served and they want Brady and the Patriots to pay severely. Such things fill newspaper columns and make for interesting conversation on ESPN and sports radio. Everybody has an opinion and strong feelings so there is a highly dramatized element to the whole story. By way of example, Mike Sielski, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote on May 13: “Boiled down, it doesn't. The pretext for this entire exercise in pedantry and self-importance is that, by having others fiddle with footballs on his behalf, Brady gained an inappropriate competitive advantage in the Patriots' 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 18. Nevertheless, the seriousness of the transgression doesn't justify the saturation coverage of the story, the hue and cry over Brady's snickering at the accusations, and the haughtiness of the NFL's investigation. (The Wells Report was 243 pages. The Gettysburg Address was 272 words. And it certainly doesn't justify so draconian a penalty, no matter how much face commissioner Roger Goodell and the league want to save after mishandling the Ray Rice spousal-abuse incident last year.”

A mentor of mine was fond of saying, “This too will pass.” He used it frequently with my friends and I as he discipled us in a high school ministry our church sponsored. He would see us get all worked up about something – what you might call getting in a “tizzy” – and we would always hear those words: “This too will pass”. And such will happen to this story, because the media is constantly on the lookout for the next big story and the masses move on as the spotlight shifts.

Whenever I observe feelings as strong as those associated with (the ones against) Brady and the Patriots, it makes me wonder why people so often have such a hard time recognizing that God has the right to be angry with sin. Every day people make judgments about the wrong that others do. Their sense of justice can result in a righteous indignation that is quite intense. If I asked an anti-Brady fan if he had the right to be angry and judgmental of Tom Brady, the answer would come back, “Of course I do!” (actually that is the polite version of the response). But how many people who practice some form of this in life (well beyond just the realm of football) would at the same time be offended when the Word of God calls something a sin. Society considers pointing out sin or pointing to a God who judges sin as one of the greatest offenses a person could commit. “How dare you suggest…”… “What gives you the right to…”… “You hypocrite…”… “Judge not…”… etc.

When they do such things, people like this are claiming a right to do something but refusing to give God the right to do the same thing, though of course only He can judge justly. Our religious culture loves to declare, “My God is a God of love… A God of love can’t possibly call what I want or what I do… wrong! He loves me just the way I am…”  But God, who is sovereign, does indeed have the right to define and declare what is right and what is wrong. Human opinion does not and cannot change or undo God’s decrees. But human humility and submission to God can lead us to experience His grace, something we so desperately need for missing the mark of His will and ways. His standards and judgments lead us away from pride to our need for Christ, in whose righteousness we have life. May we take God’s law seriously and cast ourselves on Christ, depending wholly on grace. AMEN!

Isaiah 46:9-10 (NIV) ⁹  Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. ¹⁰  I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Psalm 19:7-11 (NIV) ⁷  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹  By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

PRAYER:  God, please let me recognize as sin what you call sin and may it lead me to my desperate need for Christ. Your decrees are right and your will is perfect. Give me grace to strive after holiness in thought, word, and deed. Cleanse me, I pray. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

God Helps Us Understand His Word

            Recently I needed to buy a new windshield wiper for our car. When my wipers go bad it always seems to be a spot in my driver’s sight line. There’s a streak where the wiper isn’t working properly and the only thing you can do to make it better is replace the wiper. Usually I’ll let it go for a while until I can’t stand it anymore. I usually just go to Walmart and buy one of the cheaper replacement wipers. Assuming I can actually get it on to the wiper arm correctly, it usually works okay. But the cheaper ones don’t typically last that long. On this occasion I decided to lay out for a top line Bosch model. They aren’t cheap, but they are supposed to work amazingly well compared to the $5 no-name brands. I was able – with relative ease - to mount it properly and, feeling very proud of myself, got in to test it. It was horrible. It was streaking worse than the broken one. I thought, “What is up with this?” and began feel a little irritated. When you spend a little more for something you expect a better result. And when you spend a lot more for something, you expect it to dazzle you.

            Joanne is very good at not laughing at me when I do foolish things. And she was good that day. I got out of the car and took a closer look at the wiper. I noticed that its entire edge was whitish in color. That didn’t seem right. Then it dawned on me that the whitish edge was a piece of plastic put on to protect the rubber edge. In other words, a bit of fancy packaging and protection for such a “fine” piece of equipment. I decided to see if it came off. Was it part of the product, or part of the packaging? I didn’t know for sure. You can tell how experienced I am at car stuff. It slid off easily. I placed the wiper back against the window, and returned to the driver’s seat and tested it again. Wow… I really was amazed. Crystal clear… no streaks… all was well in my world again, except that I felt a little foolish. It’s one of those occasions when you hoped no one was around to see you do something that was laughable. Joanne and I had a good laugh and the life of the day resumed.

            When you read the Bible – God’s Word – it is not always crystal clear. There can be passages, phrases, and words that are confusing or hard to understand. But as Christians we have been given the Holy Spirit, and one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit to us is illumination. The doctrine of illumination relates to the ministry of the Holy Spirit that helps the believer understand the truth of Scripture. The Holy Spirit “unveils” our eyes – the eyes of our understanding – to comprehend the things of God. He does this directly as we read the Bible, and also as He leads and gifts those who teach God’s Word to instruct us. He uses things like language and grammar study, as well as spiritually – what we might call miraculously – revealing God’s mind to us. As we humble ourselves… as we seek the Lord wholly and with open hearts and minds… as we ask Him to speak to us, guide and lead us, and teach us His Word, the Holy Spirit does just that. For me, prayer is like removing the plastic covering of the wiper. I confess my sin and put my trust in Him, and I ask for His help. I remove anything in me that might be getting in the way of the Holy Spirit’s work. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination, because God’s Word is so very important to know and to apply. Through it I know God. I know of God’s character and nature, of His holiness and His love, along with all that He has done in His world. I know of His Son’s existence, life, death, resurrection, and eternal reign – for sinners like me.

            When you read the Bible, may the Holy Spirit give you understanding and make very clear to you the person and will of God the Father and of Jesus Christ, His Son. And may you and I seek to be doers of that word, and not hearers only.

Psalm 19:7-11 (NIV) ⁷  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹  By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 119:9-12 (NIV) ⁹  How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. ¹⁰  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. ¹¹  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ¹²  Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.

James 1:22-25 (NIV) ²²  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

PRAYER:  Lord, open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth Thou hast for me. Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God Thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine. In the name of Jesus, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Search Me, O God

            How do you respond when you pick up the phone and someone wants your opinion? Since this often happens during supper, if you’re like me you say you’re sorry… not interested… not available at the moment, or some such thing. You may find it easy just to hang up on the person. Or you may find it hard to say no, and do it so as to not disappoint your caller. My typical response with such calls is, “How long will it take?” I do not want to get hung up answering questions “forever”, so I like to check first.

            One of the things we may not necessarily like to do, yet is a very helpful thing in life, is to take time to evaluate. Job evaluations, personal evaluations, medical evaluations, product or service evaluations, church health evaluations… this list can get quite large. Socrates is credited with the statement, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” In other words, life has greater value if it is examined… or shall we say, evaluated (surveyed, inspected, scrutinized… however you want to put it).

            If my life is going to be examined, then an important question is, “By whom?” Who would you allow to examine your life? Who do you trust enough to go beyond the surface into the depths of who you are? Do you trust yourself? Most of us would not want to subject ourselves to the examination of just anyone. It might be too painful. We might not listen as carefully to the results. Allowing others to evaluate us can be extremely difficult, but when it is done in good faith by people we know to care about us and our well-being… and even love us… it can be so helpful, and great gains in life can be realized.

            Another important question is, “What does a person do with the examination?”… How do I decide to use it? Do I change anything? What do I change? What will happen if I change? This question helps us be intentional. What good do surveys do if nothing comes out of them? Our church completed a survey in February. It hasn’t been forgotten, but we are just getting around to using it to ask these kinds of questions. Whether personal or corporate, no one wants to do any kind of evaluating that adds up to a waste of time.

            In Psalm 139, David affirms that his life is constantly under God’s scrutiny. This brings some fear into his life. He is overwhelmed at the scope of God’s personal knowledge of him. But it also inspires him with great awe. To think that the Creator of the universe knew him with such detail and care. He concludes the psalm with a request for God to examine him: (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV) - “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” He knows God can be trusted, that God knows him truly, and that God loves him. To put himself in the hands of God might be intimidating, but it was the most necessary thing if God’s way was to become his way. And “the way everlasting” was what he longed for. When we seek Him out as David did, God will never waste our time. But He will change us… for His glory and our good.

Proverbs 27:6 (NIV)  Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Psalm 139:1-7 (NIV) ¹  O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. ²  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. ⁵  You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. ⁶  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. ⁷  Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV) ¹³  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. ¹⁴  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ¹⁵  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, ¹⁶  your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV)  "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

PRAYER:  Father, soften my heart that I may willingly come under your examination, and may out of that search come the person Christ died to make possible. In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

What Remains to Be Said?

            Have you said all you need to say… to that person who may be waiting for or needing more from you? I recently used gmail to respond to an email I had received. I am more comfortable using Outlook, but typically competent to use gmail. On this occasion, however, I must have typed something at the wrong time because, before I was ready, I saw that my message had been sent. “Wait… I didn’t want that sent. Why did gmail do that?” I thought. Obviously I mistakenly somehow told it to, but I wasn’t really ready. My message was incomplete, but it went anyway. There was no harm done, though I can envision circumstances where incomplete information – a partial email - could be less than desirable.

            My communication skills can always be improved. What I think I have said is not always what is heard, or understood from what I have written. And I fail frequently on the listening end of the process. I know there are some situations in life where too many words can get in the way. But there are also occasions in relationships where there is unfinished business. For example, how many conversations fall short of containing two very necessary short words: “I’m sorry.”? Or the words “I was wrong.”… or “Please forgive me.”? Yet those may be the very words our loved one is waiting to hear, and we haven’t said all we need to say. “I forgive you”… “I love you”… “I’m responsible”… “It was my fault”… Can you think of others?

We sometimes tell ourselves we don’t need to say “it” – whatever “it” is. We may stubbornly just not want to. We may assume s/he already knows. We may be afraid it won’t be received well. It is a good thing to overcome obstacles like these, by asking ourselves, “Is there anything I need to say today to my wife, husband, children, parents…?” This is a good question to ask ourselves regularly. Reminders are helpful. In his acceptance speech for winning best supporting actor at the Academy Awards, J.K. Simmons said the following: “And if I may, call your mom, everybody. I’ve told this [to], like, a billion people, or so. Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ‘em. Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell ‘em you love ‘em, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you, Mom and Dad.” I wonder how many people were blessed by that reminder and how many moms and dads had their (next) day brightened.

I understand that there are many things in life that are better off unsaid. James tells us that the tongue is an out-of-control fire and that it can do great damage. We do well to beware of this and to guard our tongues. But the tongue is a great tool for blessing, too. So… if you have more you can say today that can bless another, don’t leave it unsaid. Break through whatever might be holding you back – pride, fear, anger – and go for it. Speak with sincerity and from the heart. Such words will bring joy and encouragement to the hearer.

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)  An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

Isaiah 50:4 (NIV)  The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

Proverbs 25:11 (NIV)  A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

PRAYER:  Father, fill my mouth with words that bless and build up, and may I use them freely and be generous in expressing them. Keep me from unfinished business. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Getting Our Attention

            On a recent vacation Joanne and I visited a zoo. There was something about seeing the animals “live” as opposed to watching a television program about them that brought out to me their glory, which is actually God’s glory. The shapes, sizes, colors, skin textures, and unique features were all striking. The variety that exists in the animal kingdom is truly remarkable, and it’s a reflection on their Maker. I was especially taken with the giraffes. There is nothing like a giraffe. You could call them “horse-like”, but that would still miss the mark. And the pattern of their hide (not sure if that’s the right term) is extraordinary. In a way the zoo brings out the kid in you, because you see things you’ve never seen before. And it brings some wonder with it. I think that is one of God’s primary intentions for His creation – to bring wonder to our minds… to make our hearts leap with joy when we behold something glorious. And what makes it glorious? God invests it with a glory. He does it with sunsets, mountaintop vistas, crashing waves, fascinating creatures, and so many other ways in His universe. Wonder will lead us to Him.

            In the busyness of life it is easy to miss what is wonder-full around us. We have to be intentional about it if we truly want to see it. Mainly we have to stop, and explore. When we do, God will always “show up”. His creativity always leaves a witness to Him and so whenever we encounter it we find ourselves in an opportunity for worship. Enjoying the giraffe or the view from the edge of the Grand Canyon or even the intricacies if a single leaf is part of what it means to worship the Lord. Do we delight in what He has made? If we do, then we, ultimately, delight in Him. How much of what we encounter every day could lead us to ask and think about, “What does this show me about God?... Where is God in this?... How does this reflect His glory?”? In Creation God is constantly getting our attention and steadily bringing our thoughts back to Him again and again.

            May God get your attention today, and may you enjoy Him. AMEN!

Job 38:39-41 (NIV) ³⁹  "Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions ⁴⁰  when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? ⁴¹  Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Job 39:1-18 (NIV) ¹  "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? ²  Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? ³  They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. ⁴  Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. ⁵  "Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? ⁶  I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. ⁷  He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver's shout. ⁸  He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. ⁹  "Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? ¹⁰  Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? ¹¹  Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? ¹²  Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor? ¹³  "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. ¹⁴  She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, ¹⁵  unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. ¹⁶  She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, ¹⁷  for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. ¹⁸  Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.

Job 39:26-30 (NIV) ²⁶  "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? ²⁷  Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? ²⁸  He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. ²⁹  From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. ³⁰  His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he."

Job 40:15-24 (NIV) ¹⁵  "Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. ¹⁶  What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! ¹⁷  His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. ¹⁸  His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. ¹⁹  He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword. ²⁰  The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. ²¹  Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. ²²  The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him. ²³  When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth. ²⁴  Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose?

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for displaying your glory all around me. Give me eyes to see and a heart to enjoy it all, and so enjoy you as well. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Bloviation and the Fear of God

            A character from an old TV program was famous for always behaving like he knew everything about everything, when the truth was he knew practically nothing about nothing. The character, played by actor John Ratzenberger, was Cliff Clavin, who was one of the regular patrons of a bar in Boston on a show called Cheers. Ratzenberger (his voice, anyway) has appeared in every single feature length animated movie from Pixar. Cliff Clavin is the bar know-it-all, a man who has something to say about any and every possible subject. Full of uninteresting trivia and bizarre stories of plausible half-truths, he is really nothing more than a pompous blowhard.

            Have you ever been listening to someone blab on about something you know nothing about, yet you still try to contribute to the conversation? Welcome to the age of overconfidence, says David Dunning, a professor at Cornell University. Dunning reflects on overconfidence through our predisposition to be ready to talk knowingly about things that we know nothing about. "There's actual science behind that phenomenon, argues Cornell professor David Dunning. He's recreated similar experiments in the lab, asking subjects about fictitious political figures, for example, or nonexistent cities—and gets much the same results as the late night hosts [Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel] do. Dunning says, "What we find is that people are quite ready to start talking about things they can't possibly know anything about because we made that thing up in our office just the week before." Mark Twain’s well-known proverb is a great reminder: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

We have such an urge to impress or to be accepted by someone else that we may speak too freely of “that which we know not”. We do not want to look or feel stupid or ignorant, so we pontificate and end up – if caught – proving we are just that. Truly, our pride leads us to foolish places sometimes. It is sometimes an act of courage, and definitely an act of wisdom to say, “I don’t know” when that is the truth. I know I have had to do that sometimes when answering people’s questions (theological or biblical) in Sunday school classes and Bible studies. Biblical and theological studies are so big (there is so much to know) that – for me, anyway – I cannot master it all. It’s better to go find answers (get help from what others have learned and taught through the history of the Church) than to wax eloquent about that which I am clueless.

This doesn’t mean we can’t know anything about anything. I believe we certainly can, and God’s Word is the sure foundation of our knowledge and wisdom, and the basis of true confidence. Yet care must be given that we are not guided by our pride of knowledge. Instead, our knowledge may inform, and be informed by our humility. That we know anything is surely a result of the grace of God. May He continue to give us grace to know more, and to use what we know wisely and humbly. AMEN.

Psalm 19:7-10 (NIV) ⁷  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

John 20:30-31 (NIV) ³⁰  Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

1 John 5:13 (NIV)  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)  Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Romans 11:33-36 (NIV) ³³  Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ³⁴  "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" ³⁵  "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" ³⁶  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)  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.

Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV) ¹⁰  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹  and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Colossians 2:2-3 (NIV) ²  My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

PRAYER:  Father, grant wisdom and grace to me, for I desperately need both. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Who Are We Here For?

            I have a distinct memory from college days that came to mind recently. Houghton is a Christian liberal arts college and, from time to time, Christian artists were brought in for concerts. The mid-70’s were the “early days” of contemporary Christian music, so it was a pretty big deal. The groups that came then may not be well-known compared to today’s massive Christian music industry performers, but back then we considered them “big”. One night Joanne and I went to a concert by a group called “The Second Chapter of Acts”. Their music was quite popular among young Christians at the time and the college chapel was packed out. It was so crowded that we had to sit near the back of the balcony. Still pretty good seats, though. We were enjoying ourselves when a girl behind us decided that the event was a “sing-along”. She was quite a fan. She knew every one of their songs by heart and was bursting to join in. The problem was… everyone else was there to listen. Her enjoyment was ultimately selfish and led to the diminished enjoyment and frustration of all those around her. What would you have done? Give her a dirty look? Tell her to shut up? Clear your throat in an exaggerated manner?

            Forty years later I live in the age of the selfie. It’s not a bad thing to capture moments with photos, but the narcissistic spirit of the age comes through from time to time when someone thinks they are the star of the show and not someone else that others have paid to see. At the 2013 College World Series two young ladies rushed out on the field to take a selfie, later posting a video of themselves being tackled by security and earning Internet fame in the process. It probably never occurred to the young ladies that all the people who dropped good money to watch skilled athletes compete for a national championship were not actually there to see them. Something significant was taking place on that field, but in their minds the field was their stage and this was their time. Can you imagine the bat boy for the Red Sox thinking on opening day at Fenway, “Look at all these people who came out to see me today!”? Or an uninvited usher jumping on stage to become a player in a Broadway show? Statistics are not kept on bat boys. Playbills do not list the names of ushers. Someone and something else is the object and focus of the crowd’s interest.

            When you and I worship God, I pray that He is the focus of our attention and affection. May He be glorified by those who do not seek to be the center of attraction, but only wish to lift up Christ and make Him to be prominent, and to be known, loved, and adored. May Jesus Christ get the praise and the honor from us. After all, when we gather to worship, that’s what we’re all there for. Right?

Psalm 145:1-7 (NIV) ¹ I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. ²  Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. ³  Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. ⁴  One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. ⁵  They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. ⁶  They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. ⁷  They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

PRAYER:  Father, be glorified by me, in me, and through me, so that Jesus Christ may be seen and loved more. In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott