What Makes Us Clean Before God

Genesis 8:20 (NIV)  Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.

            Currently in my Bible reading I am in Leviticus. Leviticus is not typically at the top of the list of inspirational reading in the minds of most Christians. But God has included this book of Moses in His Word. Therefore it is a blessing to any reader who loves Jesus Christ. So far the book has been all about various ceremonial states of cleanness and uncleanness. Today I read about what was appropriate for the Israelites to eat and what they had to avoid. I found myself questioning why or how God would allow one “class” of foods and not another (one species of animal, bird, fish, or insect, and not another)… just wondering how He decided the differences. After all, He created it all and declared it all good at the time of creation. Perhaps it had something to do with what would be most healthful and practical for them on their transitional journey to Canaan and beyond to when they had settled there.

            When God used Noah to preserve humanity and animals from the flood, Noah was directed to board two of every species onto the ark, except for “clean” animals. There were to be seven pairs of these. Why was that? When sin entered the world, a process of atonement for sin was established by God which involved the death of an animal as a substitution for the person who had sinned against God. God showed grace to human beings in this manner. But the process is a reminder of the seriousness of sin, which always has a cost, and the response of a holy God toward sin. All sin produces death. By grace God allows the blood of a substitute to work in the sinner’s favor. This history of Noah’s time would have been known by Moses and taught to the people. For after the flood subsided and Noah and his family could go out, the first thing Noah did was to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. For this only clean animals would do. This is likely why more clean animals were brought onto the ark.

            There is an association between clean animals and sacrifice in the Old Testament. It is not just about clean animals and what may be eaten. God’s people were set apart to worship Him. And God arranged for particular animals to be set apart for this worship. “Clean” animals were a reminder to them of this separation unto God. Every time they ate, and every time they sacrificed they would be reminded that they were set apart to God, so even just in the eating they could worship and acknowledge Him.

            In the New Testament we learn that people are no longer judged according to the food they eat. In the new Kingdom Christ comes and He Himself is the full and final atoning sacrifice for sin. God’s own Son ends the need for any other kind of substitute, for He Himself is THE substitute for our sin. On the cross as His blood is being shed, our sin is being punished in Him. At the same time, His righteousness (His “cleanness” before God) is being given to us. In this gospel God works what we call our salvation from sin and death to eternal life. This gospel of God’s grace is received by faith, and through it God transforms our lives. Nothing more than the blood of Jesus – the ultimate sacrifice – is necessary. Nothing less will work to meet our need before a holy God. Nothing else can bring us into relationship with God. The cross of Jesus Christ alone is our hope. I pray that your trust is in Him alone today.

Mark 7:17-19 (NIV) ¹⁷  After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. ¹⁸  "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? ¹⁹  For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")

Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Isaiah 53:5-6 (NIV) ⁵  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Hebrews 9:24-28 (NIV) ²⁴  For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. ²⁵  Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 10:8-14 (NIV) ⁸  First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). ⁹  Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹  Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹²  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. ¹³  Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, ¹⁴  because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

PRAYER:  Thank you, God, for the ultimate and complete sacrifice of Jesus, your Son, on my behalf. His death is sufficient for the forgiveness of all my sin. Thank you that I need not depend on any other thing or person… that Jesus has done all that is needed. And thank you that you have declared all foods clean. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

How to Make a Difference in Someone's Life

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

            The 2015 football season is over – to the relief of some and the disappointment of others. As a faithful Patriots fan I enjoyed the season, though I would have enjoyed it more had they played in the Super Bowl. In their AFC Championship playoff game with Denver they came within two points of having a chance to win. It should have been one point and easier to tie (with a kicked extra point). But they needed two and did not get it with a play. When they failed to tie the game they lost any chance to win in an overtime period. Why did they need two instead of one? Earlier in the game their kicker – Stephen Gostkowski – missed an extra point. Since he is one of the best kickers in the sport this miss was extremely rare and unexpected. When the game ended with a loss, Gostkowski tried to take the blame. Yes, he was responsible for the miss, but not completely responsible for the loss. Sixty minutes of play meant that many team opportunities to get points came and went. His teammates and coach resisted the opportunity to blame him and chose instead to point to his extreme value to the team over the course of the season (and many seasons).

NFL kickers are in a tough position. When they are successful they can dramatically win games and the adoration of millions of fans. When they fail they can be the goat – depriving their teammates and fans of victory and sometimes becoming an object of scorn and even hate. Fans can be extremely fickle in their affections and support. On January 12, CBS News in Minnesota reported the story of another kicker this season. The Minnesota Vikings place kicker Blair Walsh had made an NFL-high 34 field goals. Before the Vikings' playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, he had converted 33 of 34 kicks inside 30 yards in his career. So when the Vikings were down 10-9 with 22 seconds left and Walsh lined up for a 27-yard field goal attempt, it looked the Vikings would win. But Walsh's kick sailed wide and the Vikings season came to a crashing halt. In the midst of the social media storm directed against Walsh, a group of first graders in Minnesota set out to encourage the broken-hearted kicker. First grader Allie Edwards said, "Blair was really sad, and we wanted to make him feel better." One of her classmates, wrote, "Dear Blair Walsh, I think you shood keep trying. Don't give up! We still love you! Git better by practicing." Tyler Doffin filled a whole page for Walsh: "Dear Blair: I fell bad for you. Don't give up. You're still #1. Practis more so that you can get better at cicing. You're so good at cicing. So don't give up! Keep trying! We still love you." The kids' act of kindness got his attention. He was so touched to hear from children who didn't know him that he pushed his flight home back a day to visit the classroom. After the visit he said, "It was very touching to me. … A lot of [the cards] were very pretty and creative. … I will cherish them forever."

            There are no age restrictions or education limitations for encouragers. And people need encouragers. They may not be as devastated as Gostkowski or Walsh, and the occasion of their discouragement may be completely different from a football game, yet encouragement is exactly what they need. That’s where you and I come in. When opportunity presents itself, are you ready? Because you can be used by the Holy Spirit to lift spirits, give hope, and meet needs. Anyone can be an encourager. Yes, it’s true that some people may be gifted in this area, but that should not keep the rest of us from stepping up when we see the need. This is a practice that I know I can improve in my life. It’s often easy for me to be critical. But criticism is rarely helpful. Words from an encourager are a blessing, and we do not always know just how valuable they are. Lives have been saved or dramatically changed just with words of encouragement. Relationships have been transformed with words of encouragement. Hurts have been healed. New strength has come. Let us as disciples of Jesus seek to offer this blessing to others, especially to those who are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Romans 12:6-8 (NIV) ⁶  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 (NIV)  Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 (NIV) ¹¹  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ¹²  Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴  And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

PRAYER:  Father, let me make a difference in someone’s life today: someone who needs a word of encouragement. It’s easy to criticize. Lead me down a different path, with words that lift up and bless people. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

When Life Goes "Pop"

Psalm 23:2-3 (KJV)   ²  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

            “Pop!” came the sound from the kitchen. I looked at Joanne and asked, “What was that?” Neither of us could figure it out. But later, when Joanne was cleaning the stove, she came across a crack in the glass that formed the cooking surface of our stove. “That must have been what it was,” She told me.

Over and over again… day after day and week after week… for years we have been using those burners, doing our best not to scratch or misuse them. The glass is very strong, but it is not unbreakable, either from direct blunt force or from long-term use. I’ve learned that even if you keep the surface very clean, over time very small scratches can eventually weaken the surface and make it prone to cracking. I’m not sure if that’s exactly what happened in our situation or not. But the crack still came.

Stress has a way of making an impact in our lives sooner or later. Like the glass top on a stove we may endure scratches – maybe even many of them – that come and go. When we come under high pressure in life’s situations or high heat from life’s tribulations we may endure for a while. But unless we have relief of some kind we will likely “crack” in some way – losing our temper, having a nervous breakdown, lashing out, or experiencing severe exhaustions to name just a few. People who go, go, go without a break cannot last. In our pride we may try to convince ourselves “it” won’t happen to us, but stress will catch up with us. We need rest, renewal, and rejuvenation. We need a different pace doing nothing or doing things that help us to “de-stress”.

How true this is spiritually. Jesus is often depicted in the Gospels as getting away to pray and to spend time with the Father. He was busy – doing good and teaching – on a daily basis. In His humanity He was subject to the limitations of a body. Physically and spiritually He needed to rest and to reconnect with the Father. If Jesus had these needs, it would seem that we also would have them, and that our need would certainly be no less than His. While we can often tolerate the small “scratches” of life for a while, if we do not get away to be with the Lord they will lead to major breakage in our fellowship with Him, and possibly even physical and mental harm.

Jesus invites us into the yoke that He bears for us. God is a sustaining God in times of stress. He is also the God of peace who welcomes us into His presence and out of the world’s stresses. Let us fly to Him in time of need, and especially anytime “the pressure’s on”.

Psalm 55:22 (NASB)  Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) ²⁸  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV) ⁸  "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. ¹¹  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Matthew 6:6 (NIV)  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV) ²⁵  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸  "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

PRAYER:  Father, be the strength of my life, and protect me from trusting in the adequacy of my own resources. I am weak, and I need you. It’s as simple as that. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

W-A-I-T With God

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NASB) ¹⁵  Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶  making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

            “You will always have time for what you really want to do.” Do you agree with that statement? Many people I know would prefer to debate its veracity from the negative point of view. They do not agree that it is true. So many of us run around either frustrated or complaining (or both) that we never have time for what we want to do. We face so many competing demands upon our time. However, I would like to advocate for the positive point of view regarding that statement. When I say, “You will always have time for what you really want to do.’… what I mean is that “You will always make time for what you really want to do.” In other words, all of us have the potential to control our schedules and not be controlled by them. You and I will make time for what we consider are priorities. How we use our time, in fact, is a statement of what our priorities are. I understand we have to work. But most of us take time for this as a means of supporting and caring for our families. That’s a great priority. God wants us to love our families in this way. What about the rest of our time? Are we intentional to spend any of it with God? How much? It is not my place to dictate to you some legalistic amount or percentage that will make you “godly” or “spiritual”. For me, the answer to those kinds of questions is almost always, “Well… I need to use more than I am now, anyway.”

            Quite a few years ago I gave the following encouragement (in a sermon, I think): W-A-I-T with God. Consider the following excerpt from Book of Times by Lesley Alderman:

      “One urban legend holds that we spend three years of our life waiting. It's a great stat, but likely untrue. But here are some real stats about waiting. New Yorkers lead the nation in wait time. According to a 25-city survey, New Yorkers spend an average of 6 minutes and 51 seconds waiting in individual store lines. Miami comes in second at 6 minutes and 44 seconds. Who spends the least time? Clevelanders—they spend just 4 minutes and 33 seconds in line.

      Which lines do people hate the most? Grocery store checkout lines. The same survey also found that half of consumers have refused to return to stores that had long wait times. The average wait times for doctors is 24 minutes. But in urban areas and among certain specialties, the waits can be much longer. Neurosurgeons have the longest wait times—30 minutes, on average. Why? "All patients have questions for their doctor, but not surprisingly surgical patients have more questions about the procedure, process, and expected outcomes." The average wait time for an ER visit was a staggering 4 hours and 7 minutes in 2009.

      Do you hate waiting? Don't move to Russia. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association sent its spies to wait in lines in stores, banks, post offices, and drugstores in 24 European countries and found that Russian customers spent the most time waiting in queues, followed by the Italians and Bulgarians. The Swedes got off easy, just 2.2 minutes per line.”

            What if we could reclaim some of our waiting times? We all encounter these times in various ways as we live our days. But what if we “converted” these times into times when we Welcome An Intimate Time with God (WAIT with God)? Just think about how much time we could spend in His presence just talking to Him! We could talk to Him about of families, our work, about the people around us in that moment, about the future, our problems and our needs. And we could talk to Him about what made us sad or mad or glad or afraid that day. We could spend some time thanking Him for specific things He has done – especially that very day, and for what He has done in our lives in the past. We could take a little time to think about God’s nature – unfolded for us so beautifully in the Bible. Whether it’s a minute at a red light, a few minutes in line at the store, or many minutes waiting at an appointment… all of that precious time could be spent with the living God – the Creator of the universe who knows and loves us and who desires fellowship with us. We aren’t really doing anything all that important while we are waiting. So why not do something of infinite value? Indeed, why not?

Psalm 39:4-5 (NIV) ⁴  "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. ⁵  You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah

Psalm 90:10 (NIV)  The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Psalm 90:12 (NIV)  Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

 John 14:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- ¹⁷  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

PRAYER:  Father, help me to remember to redeem the time and to make the most of every opportunity to spend with you. Your company is better than life itself. Let me seek the joy of dwelling in your presence continually. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Untanglers Wanted

Revelation 1:5-6 (NIV) ⁵  …To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶  and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

How did you do through December and the Christmas season—with all that shopping, cleaning, and getting those Christmas decorations up? Did it go smoothly? In case you stressed, at least one company is trying to help. You just have to move to England to get their help. Tesco, a British supermarket company, posted the following ad for a new job—a Christmas Light Untangler:

“Tesco is advertising a vacancy for what is thought to be Britain’s first professional Christmas tree lights untangler. The ideal candidate should be persistent and patient and able to untangle three metres of Christmas lights in less than three minutes. The successful applicant will be based at a store in Wrexham, north Wales, where they can expect to untangle up to 60 sets of lights a day for frustrated customers. To help locals enjoy the festive season and relieve some of the stresses often associated with the yuletide season – specifically tangled tree lights – Tesco has launched a search for someone who can conquer one of the most frustrating jobs of Christmas. The position will require a friendly, helpful demeanor, oodles of patience and of course, the innate knack to be able to untangle even the most scrambled of wires. The ideal candidate should be passionate about Christmas. The service will be free to customers and offered on a first come, first served basis.”

            Wouldn’t it be great to be known as “the Untangler” where you live? Everybody in town calls you that. It’s your nickname. You get a reputation over time for caring for and helping people solve problems in a non-intrusive way, no matter how big or small they are. People learn that they can come to you any time and find help when they’re down, or when they face difficult situations of life. You always seem to have time. You’re a good listener. You give really good advice. You have great ideas that make a practical difference. You don’t judge. You are kind and considerate.

            People all around have tons of problems and they do and say many things that tie their lives up in knots. Some of their circumstances are like nasty knots – hardened and tight and so difficult to deal with. If you ever had to bring a shoe helplessly to your mom because you just couldn’t get the know out, then you have an idea of the frustration people can have with their problems. This doesn’t mean we have a right to become meddlers, but we can be “untanglers” when invited. We can help them find solutions and get the help they need. We typically cannot fix their problems for them, be we can help them “de-clutter”, set priorities, and commit to do “the next thing”.

 We can bring the Word of God to people and pray with them. Christ is the great untangler. He has extricated us from the mess that sin produces in our lives. There is no knot of sin that grace cannot untie. The Gospel frees us from those bonds in which we had been kept like slaves. May the Lord pour out His grace upon us, and may we minister grace to one another. AMEN.

Psalm 18:1-6 (NIV) ¹  I love you, O LORD, my strength. ²  The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³  I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. ⁴  The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. ⁵  The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. ⁶  In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

Psalm 116:16 (NIV)  O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.

Psalm 129:4 (NIV)  But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

Mark 5:31-34 (NIV) ³¹  "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" ³²  But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³  Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴  He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for delivering me from the cords of sin. Let me minister to others as Jesus has ministered grace to us. In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

The Gas Runs Out

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)  ²⁸  Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. ²⁹  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; ³¹  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

On Sunday evening a power outage began in Bar Harbor a little after 8:00 pm. I don’t mind a power outage now and then, but I have expectations that they won’t last long and whatever repairs needed can be quickly handled. When it’s raining hard and water is flowing into your basement and your sump pump can’t do its job… or if you have health equipment that depends on power… or if you just don’t want to miss the game… power loss is inconvenient and frustrating at best, and potentially dangerous and destructive at worst. If you are fortunate, and have a generator, you may be able to avoid some of the negative consequences of power loss. Your neighbors might not like you very much when you run it for six straight hours into the middle of the night, but hopefully they will be forgiving and forgetful. In my case, I was thankful to have a generator that could temporarily meet an emergency need. But what if it were long term? Sooner or later the gas would run out.

            When I was in high school a friend and I went to a movie released in 1971 called The Omega Man. It was based on a 1954 novel, I am Legend, by American author Richard Matheson, and featured Charlton Heston as the only survivor in a war waged with biological weapons. He lived in a small, barricaded apartment complex because there were a few other “survivors” left who were no longer like him. They had been transformed into almost non-human creatures who could only “come out” at night. (It was a science fiction movie J). They hated him because he was “normal”. He was a doctor who had used a developmental vaccine and saved himself, but they wanted to kill him, and would not listen to his attempts to help them with his medical knowledge. So, because they were bothered by light, he barricaded himself in this complex and used generators at night to power bright lighting in order to keep them away and stay safe. You can imagine what happens at one point in the movie: the gas runs out and creates an emergency situation that puts his life at risk. He had foolishly neglected keeping the tank filled.

            Sooner or later in life, for one reason or another, the gas runs out. The power supply is interrupted. Our personal and community energy resources – when depleted – reveal to us our weaknesses. Many years ago, when a similar situation occurred, we did not have a generator at our home. We had to bail water by hand in an attempt to keep the cellar dry. It doesn’t take much of that to realize the insufficiency of your own strength. Because we virtually have always lived with the energy we needed at our fingertips, it is easily taken for granted. But our weakness is exposed when it’s not there.

            Personal strength – physical, emotional, etc. – needs renewing in our lives. That’s why we eat and sleep. These are gifts from God. Spiritual strength is also a gift from Him. If we are to have faith… if we are to be able to endure trial and hardship… if we are to resist and overcome temptation, God will have to give us power. When we draw from our own resources, we may last a short time, but sooner or later the “gas runs out”. Without His Word and without His Spirit we will be weak constantly. Without the encouragement and help of sisters and brothers in Christ (the Church) we also will be weak. God uses these folks to give us strength.

            God’s power is real… and available to us. He is generous to give it and we are desperate to have it, for without it we will be overcome by many things which are dangerous to our soul’s well-being. We access it by asking, by immersing ourselves into the Word, by waiting on Him, by trusting Christ, by going to our fellow believers, and by repenting of our self-sufficiency and our sin.

            The Lord, and the Lord alone, is our strength and our salvation.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV) ³  His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Exodus 15:2 (NIV)  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Psalm 18:1-2 (NIV) ¹ I love you, O LORD, my strength. ²  The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 28:7-8 (NIV) ⁷  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. ⁸  The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Psalm 118:14 (NIV)  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

PRAYER:  Father, be the strength of my life, and protect me from trusting in the adequacy of my own resources. I am weak, and I need you. It’s as simple as that. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

Swallowed Up in Victory

Psalm 116:15 (NIV) - Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

On Monday the Associated Press reported that the Maine State Police are investigating the death of a motorist in a crash on Interstate 295 in Gardiner after a passer-by noticed the vehicle. Apparently, the crash may have gone unnoticed for as many as five days. Investigators believe it happened on December 28^th.  That’s the day that the driver was last seen going to work. The story then says that no one reported him missing. The car came to rest at the bottom of a steep embankment, so it must not have been obvious to others on the highway. Still, there is a sadness to the fact that he was not reported missing for five days. It makes you wonder if anyone cared, and what the story behind the story was.

This reminded me of another story I read recently, about Yvette Vickers, a former B-movie star, best known for her role in Attack of the 50-Foot Woman. It seems that her body was found in 2011, after having lain dead for about a year. A neighbor noticed cobwebs and yellowing letters in her mailbox and found a way into the house to investigate. Navigating through piles of junk mail and strewn clothing to the upstairs, the neighbor found Ms. Vickers’ “mummified” body in her bedroom, the heater still on and computer still running. The social “circle” of this 83 year old woman had come to virtually nothing and she lived – and then died – in isolation. In a world of growing digital connections, she is a reminder to us that technology cannot ultimately solve the problem of loneliness. We have Facetime and Skype and Facebook and email and mobile phones and internet and more. Personally, I am thankful for them. I get to see my grandson “live” and talk with my daughter at the same time. But technology will never replace being together in person… face-to-face.

Both of these stories speak to our hearts about loneliness and aloneness at the time of death. Most of the people I have ever observed near death want more than anything else NOT to be alone. They long for someone they love – someone who loves them – to be with them. That presence makes a powerful impact. But it cannot always be this way. And when I read or hear stories like these it prods a bit of melancholy within.

For we who know the Lord, there is comfort, though. When you are in Jesus Christ, you are never alone. The Holy Spirit dwells in you and the presence of the Lord never leaves you. He sees everything that others do not see. He hears everything you say, and He knows your heart completely. He promises to stay. For centuries many followers of Jesus have died hard, lonely deaths. Persecuted Christians around the world lose their lives often cut off from people they love. But they can never be cut off from the Lord. He gives grace even in the darkest valley of the shadow. This is another way His goodness is manifested to us, and we can be encouraged by His faithful promises. Death is an uncomfortable subject to think about, and we typically in conversation talk about everything else… anything else… first. But our good God has us in His hands and is always with us. He gives peace regarding one of the greatest fears we face in life. Jesus is its conqueror and we are resurrection people because of the Gospel. Thank You, Lord.

Numbers 23:10 (NIV)  Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!"

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)  The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Psalm 23:4 (NIV)  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Proverbs 14:32 (NIV)  When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

Romans 8:35-39 (NIV) ³⁵  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶  As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." ³⁷  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 14:7-8 (NIV) ⁷  For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. ⁸  If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Philippians 1:20-21 (NIV) ²⁰  I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you that in Christ I am never alone. I place my life… and my death… in your hands, confident of your presence and grace. Deliver me from the fear that accompanies death – even the idea of it. You are the God of the living, and you are my God. Be glorified in me I pray. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott