Nowhere to Hide

A friend recently shared a story from when his son was about four years old. The boy was constantly getting into the cookie jar despite repeated admonitions from both of his parents. Finally, they decided to put it up on top of the refrigerator where it was out of reach. They discovered their solution was less than perfect one day when my friend walked into the kitchen from the garage to see the boy standing on top of several pieces of furniture precariously stacked to form a makeshift ladder. He was just about to reach the cookie jar when he was caught. The dad said, “What were you thinking?” The four-year-old’s immediate reply was, “I was thinking I sure hope you don’t walk in here right now!”

Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24)

There is no hiding our sins from God. He knows. And how it must hurt Him. But He has also provided the way out for us. Even though we are ‘caught in the act’ and deserving of punishment, by virtue of our faith in Christ Jesus we can be certain a complete pardon. The price was already paid for our sin. Jesus did it all. That makes me want to live a better life as a way to say “thanks” to God.

An Unwelcomed Visitor

The Sunday before Christmas Cheryl and I arrived at church to prepare for early service. We discovered that a visitor had been there before us. All the poinsettias were knocked over. The advent wreath was torn up. Lots of ornaments were off the tree. I quickly surmised that our visitor was a four-legged one. My first guess was a squirrel. Cheryl thought maybe a raccoon, given the level of damage. We simply cleaned up the mess and got ready for the early service, followed by our Children’s Christmas program, both of which went very well.

While I was driving home, I got a text from some members who were still at the church. They informed me they had just chased a baby squirrel out of the building. I wish one of them would have turned on the video camera in their phone – it sounds like it was a hilarious experience. It reminded me of that old Ray Stevens song about the day “the squirrel went berserk in the first self-righteous church…” I wonder where he was during the services? And will he visit again? He was an unwelcomed guest. And those who chased him out let that fact be known.

That made me wonder how often we make those who visit our church feel unwelcome. Do we run them off? Hopefully we would not do that to any of our two-legged visitors. If they come to us, we have the chance to share with them the best news they will ever hear, the message of God’s love for them in Christ Jesus. He came into this world to share His love with everyone. His disciples should be the ones sharing that love today. And that includes sharing Christ’s love with those who visit our church.

I hope our guests will be made to feel welcome and experience the love of God in Christ Jesus when they join us for worship!

What Did You Expect?

Expectations can be funny. Things do not always work out the way we expect, the way we think they should. When our children were younger, we always had one special present for each of them to open at Christmas that we would save until the last thing. It came to be known as “the big present.” There was always a lot of excitement and anticipation leading up to that last present being opened by each girl. I remember one year, though, when it didn’t work out so well. After all three of them had opened their “big present,” what mom and dad thought would be an extra special gift, one of them was sitting there very quiet and dejected. I asked what was wrong and she said, “It wasn’t exactly what I wanted.”  You know how parents can be. We thought we had bought what she wanted, but it wasn’t right. I don’t remember all the details, but an exchange was made a few days later and there was no lasting damage done to either parents or child. And I don’t tell this story to embarrass anyone. But think about how it felt to hear, “It wasn’t exactly what I wanted.” Or expected.

How must our heavenly Father have felt when He made good on the promise to provide a way out from sin and death and condemnation, when the timing was absolutely perfect for everything to happen. He had set it all into motion right after Adam and Eve disobeyed Him and passed the promise along through Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Ruth and David, and all the way down to Joseph and Mary. The time had come and there He was, in the city of David, the Son of God born for us, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. God kept His Word. Jesus came to save all people. And God’s chosen people looked and said, “It wasn’t exactly what we wanted.”

• He was born in the poverty of a stable, not the opulent surroundings of royalty – not what we expected. Not what we wanted.
•  He grew up and began His ministry. He told people about the kingdom of God, about why He has come, and Jesus heard, “You’re not what we expected. You’re not what we wanted.”
•  After Jesus lived a sin-free life, after He was betrayed and condemned and crucified for the sins of the world, after He rose in triumph on the third day, His disciples took the message of who Jesus was and what He did throughout the world, only to hear, “No, we don’t want that.”
• And our world today continues to say, “We don’t want that.”

Consider how that must break God’s heart to hear those words, to have us reject Him. What is the pain that our God feels at those who say, “I don’t believe it. It is not what I would have done. The Son of God born in a stable? It doesn’t make sense to me. It is not what I was expecting. I don’t think any of it is true.” But simply saying something is not true does not make it false! God kept His promise, sent His Word to us in the form of that baby boy. And God continues to lovingly say, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

You deserve condemnation because of your sin, but God says, “Put your trust in me, in My Son, and I will forgive you.”

God kept His promise. He sent the one who would take care of the problem of our sin, the one who would offer Himself in payment for the sins of everyone, the one who would satisfy the judgment that stood against us. Jesus was and is the Savior and Redeemer, that little baby was  God’s Son. Just as it had been promised. Not what the world was expecting, but exactly what we needed. What we all still need. A Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Be Thankful

Is anyone else out there confused? Is it just me, or have “the holidays” now become some kind of all inclusive package that stretches from Halloween to Christmas? It seems like they have all congealed into one big amorphous mess. People in some parts of town took down their Halloween decorations and immediately set up their Christmas lights. Perhaps I have finally reached the stage in my life where I am a curmudgeonly old fuddy-duddy, but I just don’t understand why people have Christmas decorations on their homes and in their yards in mid-November. I understand the marketing strategy of the retailers – even if I don’t like it – trying to get people to shop early and shop often. But does having your Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving aid in celebrating the birth of Jesus or make it anti-climactic by the time December 25 arrives?

I’m really not trying to say, “Bah, humbug!” I’m all for celebrating on Holidays. But I try to remember what we read in Ecclesiastes 3: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. I also try to remember that traditions are manmade and not divinely instituted. I believe there is value in many of the traditions we have in this country. The one that occurs to me in particular right now is observing a National Day of Thanksgiving.

That is what prompted my little tirade at the beginning of this article. It seems to me that Thanksgiving is getting pushed into the background, almost to the point of being ignored. While there has been plenty of talk about “Black Friday,” I have not seen or heard much mention of Thanksgiving. Sure, we all enjoy having the day off, but has it devolved into nothing more than a day of football and getting ready for the big shopping sprees?  Do you take the time to be thankful?

For believers in Christ, every day is a day to give thanks. When you know the love of God that was willing to sacrifice Himself as the payment for your sin, opening heaven and life everlasting for you, you have reason to be grateful. Jesus Christ crucified and risen is my reason to rejoice and be thankful. And this is not just something for the future. Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). We have peace already, a present reality. We know we belong to Him and He is with us in everything. We have reason to give thanks.

Having a special day to give thanks is a good thing. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that set the precedent for our National Day of Thanksgiving. In that proclamation, he encouraged everyone to “observe the last Thursday of November … as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” In other words, set aside a specific time to say “thank you” to God. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

It is my prayer that the people of our nation adopt this kind of attitude and mentality. I think that would go a long way toward everyone getting along better. Even on “Black Friday.”

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

God’s Favorite Play

Another baseball season has come to a close. A few years ago, someone sent me an article entitled “GOD’S FAVORITE PLAY” by Phil Tuttle. His thirteen-year-old son’s baseball team traveled to a tournament and asked him to give “a biblical-but-not-too-churchy message” to the team on Sunday morning before their afternoon game. What follows is my retelling of his story.

When Sunday morning came, every ballplayer, parent, and sibling who made the trip was there. The boys were all in uniform, seated in the front, thinking of the clutch hits, well-timed stolen bases, and incredible catches they would soon make. They had big, heroic dreams. Mr. Tuttle knew they were all thinking about baseball, so he asked them: “What is God’s favorite play?”

The response was silence.  No one had an answer, so he suggested: “I think God’s favorite play would have to be the bunt.”

“Cause it’s not being selfish,” one of the boys suggested.

“True, but I think there’s more to it than that. What do we call it when someone bunts?”

“A sacrifice.”

“Right, a sacrifice. And look at the language we use for it. You can ‘lay down’ a bunt, and you can ‘give yourself up’ for the team. The reason the bunt is probably God’s favorite play is because that’s exactly what Jesus did for us. He laid Himself down and He gave Himself up.  John 15:13 tell us, ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.’  Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice.”

He looked at one of the boys who reputation for avoiding bunts had become a humorous part of team lore.  “Why do you hate them so much?”

“It’s a wimpy thing to do,” he said.

“That’s what most people think. It makes us look weak. It goes against our nature. It is not easy to sacrifice yourself. Even Jesus tried to shake off the bunt sign the night before He was crucified: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (Matthew 26:39).  But what did He do in the end? He did what was best for the team.”

Then Mr. Tuttle tried to bring the point home – literally.  “What is the ultimate goal of a bunt?”

“To move the runner,” several said in unison.

“Really? What good does it do to just move a runner?  What’s the real goal?”

“To get him home.”

“That’s right.  And to get him home how?”

“Safely,” they answered.  It was starting to sink in.  “One last question. What’s the worst thing that can happen if you’re the one who makes the sacrifice?”

“That the idiot on third base doesn’t move,” said one.

And that was the lesson he wanted to share. The sacrifice of Jesus has already been made. That opens the door for everyone to make it home safely. But too many don’t. Some stay on third base because they do not know about the sacrifice. Others don’t move because they don’t believe it is true. Only the ones who believe the sacrifice was for them make it home safely.

If you put your faith in Jesus, you will be one of them.

Go Cowboys!

My family moved to Dallas in 1966 when I was in the third grade. It did not take long for me to become a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. I remember going to see them play in the Cotton Bowl, and I have been a fan ever since, through thick and thin. Since that time I have lived in Nebraska, Missouri, Nevada, Illinois and Oklahoma, but I have remained a fan of the team that wears a star on their helmets.

A good friend of mine, Karen, is just as big a fan of the Redskins. Her birthday was just before the Monday night game this year, so when I sent her birthday greetings, I added “Go Cowboys.” Her response was something to the effect that the Redskins would prevail.

The game was one of those that grinds out and it was not pretty. Dallas could not score a touchdown, but did manage 6 field goals and held on to win by one point. The day after the game I texted my friend to rub it in just a bit. Her response was: “It is frustrating when a team plays down to such incompetent competition! I gave up and went to bed before the game ended.” Later, she added me that there was surely a sermon topic in there somewhere.

She was right. The temptation we face every day is to “play down” to what everyone else in this sinful world is doing rather than concentrating on being the people God has called us to be in Christ. We try rationalize our misdeeds with that tired old “everyone else is doing it.”  But that is not what God wants from His redeemed children.

Ephesians 4:22-24  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Jesus has already paid the price for every sin by offering His perfect life. He gives us His righteousness and holiness and wants us to live in it.

My friend Karen also raised the question that if you see a car that is parked crooked in a parking space and crossing over the lines, do you park the same way or do you try to park within the lines as intended?

God has given us “lines” in His Law. We don’t have to stay between the lines to get to heaven. Jesus took care of that for us. But we know that God wants us to stay between the lines, so we should be doing our best to live that way in order to show our gratitude to God.

P.S. For Karen’s sake, I hope the Redskins win a few more games. Just as long as they lose when they play the Cowboys.

Marriage God’s Way

Our youngest daughter was married this summer. Her mother and I are relieved to now have all three of our girls married, and we rejoice that they have all found loving, Christian partners with whom to share their lives. The wedding was truly a joyous occasion even though dad once again got choked up near the end of the ceremony. There were more than a few humorous episodes along the way, and that helped to make it a celebration of Leah and Martin entering into the one flesh union that our God describes in His Word. (Genesis 2:21-24)

One of the things I loved about this wedding was the singing. Those assembled together to celebrate with the couple joined in singing “How Firm a Foundation,” “One Pure and Holy Passion,”  “By His Wounds” and “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone).” Martin and Leah picked these songs to keep the focus on God and His goodness. The joy was evident on their faces, as well as on the faces of their friends and family there to witness this union.

Since that wedding, Cheryl and I have celebrated another anniversary of our own. God has blessed us with 32 years together so far. As with any relationship, there are good times and bad. It is not as simple as falling in love and living happily ever after. Making a marriage work means working at your marriage. In our case, this marriage works because we have a mutual commitment not just to each other, but to Jesus Christ.

Some might think, “Well, of course a preacher would say that.” But this is not just some pious platitude. This is a reality. Jesus has always been at the center of our relationship. It is what keeps us grounded. His presence convicts us when we do wrong. We love each other (which means actions and not just a feeling or emotion – 1 John 3:18) because we have experienced His love in our lives. We forgive each other as we have been forgiven by God. Knowing that Jesus has paid for our sins with His death makes all the difference in our life in this one flesh union.

We don’t take the credit for having a solid marriage. We see it as a blessing from God. It is just one more evidence to us of His goodness and that things really do go better in your life if you live according to His plan.

The Hair in the Soup

It is so easy to lose the joy of worship. If you arrive at your church for worship and see  something you don’t like, you can let that overshadow all the good that is there. It is like  finding a hair in your soup. The soup may have been good, but the hair ruins it for you.

That “hair” will be something different for each person. Maybe you object to a song or  hymn being sung. Maybe it is the musical instruments being used. Perhaps you don’t  like the children’s message or what the preacher is wearing or the Bible translation being used. It only takes one “hair” to ruin a worship service for someone.

In the Old Testament, God’s people offered different kinds of sacrifices. You often hear about the sacrifices for sin. Those were all pointing to the final sacrifice for sin Jesus would offer: Himself. He has paid for all sin, which is why we no longer offer animal sacrifices at our altars. Instead, we display a cross to remind us that the sacrifice has been made.

However, there were other types of offerings that Israel made that we can and do make. One such offering the Jews made was called a “Fellowship Offering.” Only part of that was burned. The rest was eaten by the priests. It was a gift the people gave to God to recognize their fellowship with Him. God let some of it be eaten so that His people would see their fellowship with each other as a part of their fellowship with Him.

It would be good for us to offer a New Testament Fellowship Offering. For example, there may be a song in the service I don’t like, but many others do appreciate it as a way  to worship God, so we sing it. I should not let this spoil my worship. Rather, it can add  to my worship if I give it as a Fellowship Offering. I still won’t like the hymn, but I can enjoy other people enjoying it. That hymn can remind me that the worship service is not  about me. It is for the body of Christ to have the opportunity to worship God. For me to receive something from worship, I must give to worship. I give my praise to God and I
give to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

If we would take the attitude of giving fellowship offerings in worship together, you will display a proper attitude of humility before God. It will enable you to be uplifted by the worship service even if there are one or two things in it you don’t like. If you give those things as a fellowship offering, you remove the hair from the soup.

We need to grow in our understanding of worship. You should not approach it as though you are a customer. You should not go to worship just to receive, but also to give. You want a menu that offers not just what you need, but what others need as well. You need fellowship with God and with God’s people. As we join together in worship, we all give something. We make fellowship offerings to God for each other.

Love is What You Do

Something my wife and I say on a daily basis is “I love you!” It happens many times every day. Often times as we are driving somewhere, Cheryl will say, “You know what?” and I will dutifully ask “What?” She will then reply, “I love you.”

Last week we were on vacation. We had spent a few days in Savannah, Georgia and were making the drive up to Charleston, South Carolina. As we were taking in the sights, she asked, “You know what?” I thought I was one step ahead of her so I replied, “You love me?” to which she quickly said, “No, that’s not it.” That was not what I was expecting to hear! And that was not what she meant, either. She quickly said that she did indeed love me but that she was trying to tell me something else at that particular moment.

More important than simply saying those words to each other is the expression of that love. Love is not merely a feeling or something you talk about. Love is what you do. It is good to verbalize, but it is even more important to live. In marriage, love is shown in many ways. An act of tenderness. Doing a chore you don’t like to do because you know your spouse hates doing it, too. A hug and a kiss. Putting the needs of the other person ahead of your own.  Spending time together. Being understanding. Not demanding your own way.

Love is an action. That is true whether you are talking about a marriage or a friendship or how we should treat other people in general. It is also what God has done for us. In 1 John 4 we read the words “God is love.” The one who made us did not simply say those words. It is who He is and what He does.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9) The sacrificial love of Jesus paid the penalty for your sins so that you could have eternal life. He gave Himself to death so that you would not have to die eternally. He put your need, the need forgiveness, ahead of everything else in His life. He loved you.

The One who is love desires you to follow His example. He said, “Love each other as I have loved you”  (John 15:12). Let’s try to do that.

Hot Enough for Ya?

“Hot enough for ya?”  How many times have you heard that this year? By the time you read this there will have been more than twenty consecutive days of triple digit temperatures in this area. This record breaking summer has kept a lot of folks indoors as they try to escape the heat. 

 

Twenty folks from my congregation went on a mission trip to New Orleans in the middle of July. I will admit that I was dreading the heat and humidity combination down there. But it turned out to be more comfortable in New Orleans than it was when we returned home. This heat is oppressive and draining.

 

Coupled with the heat is the drought. While it is bad enough here, other parts of Texas have it even worse. It is being touted as the third worst drought Texas has ever experienced. Farmers are losing their crops. Ranchers cannot afford hay or feed for their herds. The economic impact is widespread. If the farmers and ranchers are not making money, all the businesses in their communities suffer. And it will most likely affect everyone in the form of dramatically higher prices for the commodities they produce, like beef and wheat and cotton.

 

How do we deal with the heat? We have no choice but to take things as they come. Our modern conveniences, like running water and air conditioners, make it much easier now than it was in the past to live with the heat. Even if your air conditioner breaks – and many of them have this year – you can still take a cool bath or shower!

My yard, like most of them around here, is brown. What amazes me is how the trees in my yard continue have green leaves. It is because their roots run deep and absorb the needed moisture from deep within the earth.

 

Scripture draws a parallel to our spiritual well-being. “…blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV84)

 

If we are rooted in the one who came so that we might have life and have it to the full, we need not fear when the heat – physical or otherwise – comes. Jesus saw to it that our greatest need was met when He gave Himself as the sacrifice for sin and provided forgiveness. He gives the drink our spirits need to live (John 4:14). And the one who sent Jesus to be our Savior has promised that along with Him He will give us everything we need (Romans 8:32). That includes what we need to endure this heat and the drought.

 

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