February 5, 2022

 

Really Pray

 

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

– Acts 12:5

 

Most of us are familiar with this story. Herod had Peter arrested and he was to bring him to trial the next day. Peter was bound with chains and sleeping between two soldiers. God sent angels to rescue Peter and lead him out of the prison.

 

This story reminds us of God’s power and that anything truly is possible when our hope is in Him. But let’s not rush past this sentence in Acts 12:5. The church was earnestly praying to God for Peter. They weren’t talking about praying. They were praying.

 

A dear friend shared a post about her sister, who is currently on a ventilator fighting Covid. The request was simple and powerful. The writer asked for prayer. He specified that he wanted real prayer. Not the kind of prayer where we post images of hands in prayer or even that simple word that tells others we are praying. He wanted people to please take a moment and really pray for my friend’s sister. The power of prayer when God is our only hope.

 

We talk a great deal about our lives being in God’s hands. We know that while we cling to an illusion of control that we really aren’t in control. Our lives could end in a moment. Our lives could be upended with one phone call, one diagnosis, one ugly rant. We are so often at the mercy of circumstances and situations that we can’t choose or control.

 

God is our only hope. Always. We don’t even need words because we have the Holy Spirit to intercede for us when we don’t know what to say. (Romans 8:26-27) God hears our anguished hearts. He provides comfort and strength no matter the outcome.

 

When someone asks you to pray, do it. Don’t just throw out some words and call yourself done. Actually pray. Take a moment to close your eyes, quiet your mind and ask God for healing, strength, direction. Your words and your heart do make a difference.

July 18, 2021

 

God Doesn’t Have Favorites

 

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” – Acts 10:34-35

 

I’ve never understood why some Americans believe that God favors the United States above all other nations except, perhaps, Israel. It’s not in the Bible. In fact, we are told again and again that God loves everyone equally. Yet some cling tightly to the belief that we are somehow favored above all others.

 

That belief fuels so much discord and hatred. We look down on people who speak in a different language or have different cultures. We angrily condemn the poor as “lazy” and the unwed mother as “promiscuous.” We don’t know their stories but we judge and condemn them as though we do.

 

“Not in my neighborhood,” we shout. “Stay out of our country,” we spew. “We don’t want that kind in our church,” we explain. “They should help themselves,” we insist. We are full of justifications and excuses for why refuse to do what God commanded us to do.

 

Love people. Welcome people. Extend a helping hand. Not send money to a foreign land or pray for someone while keeping them far away and not telling people they are welcome after they clean up their lives. We don’t want to be inconvenienced. We don’t want to actually do the work. We don’t want to kneel down and wash another’s feet.

 

We are better than others. It’s what we believe in our hearts. Except those same hearts are getting judged by the only One who truly sees. What does God see when He looks into your hearts?

October 14, 2018

It’s All About Perspective

All the believers were together and had everything in common. – Acts 2:44

People met today to worship God. For some, it was another routine Sunday. They gathered in their sanctuaries and other buildings to sing and hear a sermon. Some complained about the temperature. Others noted the loudness of the music or the appropriateness of the pastor’s message.

There was another group of people who met today to worship God. They gathered outside, bringing their own chairs to sit in. The only music was what came from their voices. They listened intently to the pastor’s voice, desperate for a word of hope and thanksgiving.

They met outside because Hurricane Michael had ravaged the sanctuaries of the churches they once attended. They brought their own chairs, or sat on the ground, because there was nowhere else to sit. They weren’t concerned about how loud the music might be or how long the sermon went.

Priorities shift when the life you once knew is gone forever. They came today to hear that God always keeps His promises. God promises to turn bad into good if we’ll just hand it over to Him. God promises to never leave us. God promises to sustain us, to give us strength and courage, to show us the way.

God always keeps His promises. That’s what they were holding tightly to today.

The “church” in our world today means a building that houses worship services. But, actually, the church is the body of believers. It’s you and me. We are the church.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. – Ephesians 2:19-21

We get so caught up in comfort and control and things that really don’t matter. Sometimes it takes losing everything to refocus our lives on what’s important.

A dear woman posted today that it finally occurred to her that while she was whining about being without power, others have lost everything. It’s not just that their home and possessions are gone. They don’t have jobs anymore because their employer is gone too. She finally understood that while she was focused on her own discomfort, there was people who would give anything if electricity was all they were missing.

It’s all about focus, isn’t it? It comes down to what is truly important. People are important. Stuff, well, it can vanish quickly in the face of 150 mph winds.

Today people gathered to thank God for their lives. They thanked Him for volunteers and bottled water and so many other blessings. And they asked for courage as they cling to hope that one day this will all be a distant nightmare.

August 29, 2018

Why Do You Doubt?

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

   – Acts 3:16

We ask God constantly for things. It might be healing. It could be a request for a new job or saving grace for a lost child. We bombard Him with requests every day. But do we truly believe that He can and will do what we ask?

James says that we don’t have because we don’t ask. And we don’t truly believe. Oh, we know that God can do anything. We just don’t believe He will.

My favorite movie is Facing the Giants. It’s a Kendrick Brothers movie that focuses on many issues we all deal with. How do we keep believing God will show up when day after day we hope and pray and life still seems to go from bad to worse?

Then God shows up. He always does. And have you ever noticed when God shows up He does it in a big way? In the movie, the underdog team that wasn’t supposed to have more than a mediocre season ends up winning the state championship. The coach who was on the verge of being fired, gets a pay raise and job security. And the coach and his wife, who are facing infertility end up pregnant.

Let’s continue: the soccer player turned kicker, who doesn’t believe he can do it, makes the winning field goal. Did you catch that? He didn’t believe he could. But the coach asked him if he believed God could help him make that kick. Well, of course. It’s what all of us would say. The coach tells the player to go out there and give it everything he’s got and trust God with the rest.

God can and will do anything for His children. But we have to ask. We have to show up and try. And we have to believe in His goodness to know that He loves us and truly wants only good for us.

We keep waiting for the miracle before we start forward. God is saying trust Him, start moving and know that He is there and will use whatever is going on for our benefit and His glory.

In this passage of Scripture, a man who was lame from birth asked Peter and John for money. Peter demanded that the man look at them, then he told the man they didn’t have money to give him but “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” and then he helped the man up.

Everyone saw the man walking and praising God. They were amazed at the miracle. Peter asked them why they were so surprised. He then reminded the crowd that they’d handed Jesus over to be crucified but God raised Jesus from the dead. It is Jesus who made the man strong. It is Jesus who makes us strong.

What would happen if we stopped doubting God’s goodness and trusted that He would see us through whatever we’re facing? What would happen if we stepped out in faith and trusted that God would lead us down the right path instead of holding back in fear and doubt?

There are days when your faith probably burns like fire and you are on that mountain top ready to take on anything you face. And then there are days when you’re likely cowering back, afraid to try, afraid to change, afraid to believe. Step out in faith anyway. Just reach out and put your hand in His and trust in Him. God loves you. God is good. When you don’t trust in anything else, trust in that.

June 20, 2018

Don’t Twist God’s Words

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

Attorney General Jeff Sessions used the Bible, quoting the Apostle Paul, to justify the Trump Administration’s policy to separate children from their parents as these desperate people cross the border asking for help and a better life. Shame on him!

Should the world have remained silent while Hitler slaughtered Jews? Should Colonial American have remained attached to Great Britain instead of fighting to create this country? Should Daniel have stopped praying because the king ordered that no one pray to anyone but him? That’s exactly the logic Sessions uses in his comments.

It creates horrific injustice when someone takes the Bible out of context and uses His Word to justify their own cruelty. Most people don’t know the Bible well enough to understand the context of this passage.

Paul was writing to a very specific audience: Roman Christians. He was urging them to obey Roman law and pay their taxes. Nero was on the throne. He was truly an evil king. But the Romans were afraid the Christians would rise up in rebellion. Paul’s words encouraged the Roman Christians to get along with others and, as Jesus noted in His ministry, give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar.

Paul also talks a great deal about loving others.

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13:10

Are we loving others when we separate parents from their children? Are they criminals for trying to enter our country through legal channels? Why are we traumatizing young children, who are screaming out for their mothers? When did we become a nation who believes this is right?

And to say it’s from God?! It defies everything God is. John tells us that God is love. This is nothing from God. This is horrific behavior from a government that has come to believe it can do anything without fear of repercussions.

In the Book of Acts, Jewish leaders commanded that Peter and John stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. They refused.

But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” – Acts 4:19-20

Later, they were warned again by authorities.

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” – Acts 5:29

Yes, we must make sure that those wishing to enter our country do so legally. But we must also extend compassion and kindness to those who have journeyed far, sacrificed much, with great hope in their hearts. They are desperate for what most of us received by mere chance of birth. We shouldn’t think ourselves better than we are because of that.

We must also remember the words from Leviticus.

“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 19:34

There’s that word again. Love. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the LORD our God and then to love others as ourselves. There is no love in the actions of Sessions and others. No one is above God’s law, including them.

This is not a debate among Republicans and Democrats, no matter how they may try and position it. This is matter of following God’s law before a policy set by man. It’s past time Christians rose up and said no more. Obey God’s law before man’s.

May 26, 2018

Go Boldly Forward

Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

– Acts 2:13

Acts 2 is the story of a group of outcasts who finally find their voice. That’s how our pastor summed up Pentecost and the boldness the Holy Spirit brought to the men and women who were staying in a locked, upper room, praying even as they waited for something they didn’t fully understand.

Your life belongs to God, he told the high school graduates. Put your seatbelt on and get ready. They, of course, have no idea what awaits them. Thursday night they celebrated with family and friends, beginning a new chapter of their lives that is full of possibility and hope.

Some of them will go boldly into their dreams. Others will hold back, uncertain of what God’s calling on their lives really is. Others will seek the approval of those around them, unwilling to venture out into the unknown.

I’ve been reading an autobiography by MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard. He suffered horrific abuse as a child, only to see his Dad come to Christ and change dramatically. That’s the story line, the movie version, of it all.

The rest of the story involves a youth group that welcomed a young man who needed a safe place and a “family” to spend time with him. And it involved people who believed in his voice and, at times, forced him to use his talent. I wonder where he would have ended up without the encouragement and belief of those people.

Even then, Millard thought his journey would be worship leader and youth minister. He saw seminary and a traditional path. God had another plan, intervening in such a way that lead Millard into his destiny.

Was it an easy path? Absolutely not. There was no overnight success story. There was no immediate wealth and fame. There was struggle and perseverance and finetuning God’s gift. There were people to form relationships with and a journey to take.

We are quick most of the time to support someone who is taking a traditional path in life. And there certainly is nothing wrong with that path if it’s what God has called you to. But trying to stuff a square into a circle has never been what God intended. We are each unique. We each have a special calling.

Every moment we waste doing something we weren’t ever intended to do is a moment we can’t get back. Every step we take on a journey the world has called us to is a step away from God’s better plan for our lives. It’s not that He can’t and won’t use us wherever we land. It’s just that God’s plan is perfect and it’s what is best for our lives.

The disciples didn’t understand what awaited them. They only knew they were waiting for God to show them the way and then, with the Holy Spirit filling them up, they stepped boldly forward to proclaim the gospel of Christ. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times and who was only ever trained as a fisherman, became a preacher who led 3,000 to know Jesus. He never again faltered, instead becoming the rock Jesus had called him to be.

What is God’s calling on your life? Go boldly toward it. Don’t let anyone tell you to hold back, to do what is practical, to be someone you aren’t. Your future lies before you. It is filled with promise and hope. Grasp hold of Jesus and take that first step toward God’s plan for your life.

May 20, 2018

Possibilities

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. – Acts 2:1-4

Today was Pentecost and Senior Day at church.  It was fitting really. There’s nothing quite like moving from high school into the adult world, leaving so many of the rules behind and going forward into a brand-new life. That’s much like Pentecost was for those who gathered behind closed doors to wait for the Spirit Jesus had promised.

There’s just so much possibility. Each of the students plans to head on to college but that’s where the similarities ended. Some are headed into the medical field, others education or even agriculture. The students are so diverse, just like their dreams.

How many will end up where they plan to go? It will be fun to watch that unfold. What we can guarantee, as our pastor noted, is that plans have a way of getting derailed when we least expect it. One thing we all learn is that God is in control, not us.

Can you imagine what the Apostles and others felt as they waited for Pentecost? The man they’d followed for three years had died a brutal death on a cross. They’d seen Him resurrected. They knew He was the Messiah. They’d spent time with Him and then He’d left again, promising the Holy Spirit.

They had to have been afraid. There were those who wanted to see them dead. So they did what all of us do when we have reached the end of ourselves. They prayed. Constantly. They prayed. Did they even know what they were praying for? Protection? Jesus’ promised gift? Strength and courage to face whatever came?

Life rarely turns out the way we planned. An illness shatters our normal. A job loss turns us in another direction. Marriage and children, or their lack, turns us around yet again. What we thought we’d enjoy turns out to be something that fills us with daily dread. The life we’d imagined isn’t at all what we’d planned.

The Apostles didn’t plan on Jesus dying. That was not something they could envision, no matter how many times Jesus tried to prepare them. Some things we just can’t understand until we’ve experienced it. Some things seem destined to destroy us until we get to the other side and realize that God truly did have a purpose for it all.

What happened on Pentecost? Everyone spoke in different languages and understood one another. Peter – the same Peter who denied Jesus three times – preached boldly. About three thousand heard the message and believed.

Everything changed that day. Their lives would never be the same. They were filled with a boldness – the Holy Spirit – and fear would no longer hold them captive. They finally got it. They finally understood that this was not the end, that Jesus was waiting for them in heaven, that they were placed on this earth to serve.

I looked over at the graduates and wondered if they truly understood what awaits them. I doubt it. Understanding comes from life experiences. Wisdom comes from failure probably more than success. They are filled with hope and dreams and that’s how it should be.

I pray they go boldly into their futures, refusing to let fear or doubters hold them back. I hope they cling tightly to the Holy Spirit, seeking guidance from the only One who truly knows the way. I pray they always remember this day filled with possibilities and live their lives boldly as they reach toward the dreams God has planted in their hearts.

May 18, 2018

Share Life With Fellow Believers

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – Acts 2:42

It’s one of those things that boggles the minds of those who see it happening. We don’t know how to change it. Invitations fall on deaf ears. How do we get people to be more than Sunday morning pew sitters? How do we get them involved?

We call it so many things. Sunday school, small group, circle or bible study. We gather for dinners and lunches and speakers and outreach. We host sports activities and choir for the children, for the youth and for adults. We offer so many opportunities at so many times. Still, they never come.

They are people content to sit on the sidelines of faith, never getting too deep or too involved. How do we explain to them what they are missing? How do we encourage them to partake of the fellowship, the laughter, the prayers and support that is so freely offered?

What are they afraid they’ll find? Are they afraid of conviction for things they don’t want to give up. Maybe they aren’t as sure of their faith as they claim. Maybe they don’t want to question themselves, preferring to slide through life without examining who they are in Christ.

Or maybe it’s something else. Maybe they are afraid of a past they prefer to keep hidden. Maybe they’re beyond certain they’ll be judged in some way. Maybe it’s just easier to pretend they are the people they want to be rather than accepting God’s grace and actually being the people He created them to be.

I could throw out all those trite phrases. We are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. We are not to judge others but rather to extend the grace that’s been extended to us. We are to help one another and support one another through joy and sorrow, happiness and disappointment.

And most of the time we do. I’m sure there are churches who don’t extend Christ’s hand with a clean heart and open arms. That’s not the case with our church. I don’t think it’s true of most churches. We are all flawed people trying to navigate a world to which we don’t belong.

Doing it together is what makes it possible. It’s the real, practical help that comes with a grocery store gift card or a ride to a doctor appointment. It is the prayers that surround us when our hearts are broken. It’s the celebratory cake and shared meals, the laughter and joy that comes from doing life together.

That’s what people miss when they only come on Sunday morning to occupy a pew or a chair. They say all the right things. They have smiles and excuses ready when invitations come. They don’t want to be part of a community of believers. At least until their world falls apart and they have nowhere else to turn.

There are no perfect churches and no perfect people. We are a community, a family, who loves and squabbles their way through it all. If you haven’t joined a small group, take a chance and step forward in faith. You’ll be amazed at what you find.

May 10, 2018

Does Satan Know You?

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of that house naked and bleeding. – Acts 19:11-16

Does Satan know who you are? That was the question posed in the Battle Plan for Prayer workbook. You’re probably thinking, “I hope not!” None of us wants to face an attack from Satan. But if Satan isn’t worried about what we might do for God, then maybe it’s past time we looked in the mirror and asked ourselves why not.

Spiritual warfare is all around us. That’s true whether we recognize it or not. What’s also true is the harder we push forward to serve Jesus and bring God glory, the more Satan wants to stop us. It’s just an unfortunate fact.

One primary way Satan attacks us is in our minds. Satan wants us to believe that God isn’t trustworthy, that He isn’t good, that God wants to deny us all those things we deserve. The devil will twist God’s words and dangle lots of stuff in front of us. His primary purpose is to make us turn away from God.

Don’t do it. Just don’t. Yes, God wants good things for us but that doesn’t mean He gives us everything we desire. It’s not good for us. Think about it this way: Would you let a two-year-old eat chocolate until he got sick? Of course not! You would let him have pieces in moderation so that the chocolate gave him joy and not a sick tummy.

God knows what is best for us, even though we might not always see it that way. He’s trying to mold us into the image of His Son. Sometimes that hurts.

It also forces us to come face-to-face with our total reliance on God. We want to do it all by ourselves. We give something to God – and then we take it back because God isn’t doing it the right way or isn’t completing the task quickly enough to satisfy us. Then our plans fail and we give it back to God. It’s an endless cycle.

We can do all things through Christ. It’s through Him that we accomplish the tasks God has placed before us. It’s not enough to claim faith; we have to believe and live that belief out loud.

Do you know why the sons in this passage couldn’t do anything to the evil spirits? Because they didn’t believe in Jesus. They said all the right things but their heart wasn’t filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s not words that save you. It’s genuine belief in our Risen Lord. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. There is no other way.

Satan knows that his time is limited. Jesus has already won the war. Satan is out to do as much damage as he can, while he can. It’s up to us to keep fighting in the Spirit.

I’ll ask you again: Does Satan know who you are? I hope he does because that means you’re living a life focused on bringing God glory.

April 10, 2018

God Is Waiting

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. – Acts 1:14

How important is prayer on your daily “to do” list? Is it an afterthought or is it something you dedicate specific time to? Is prayer something you do out of obligation or is something you look forward to doing? And is prayer a once-and-done kind of thing or is it something that carries you through the day?

Several years ago I lead a study titled The Battle Plan for Prayer. I always knew God would call me to do it again and He has. It’s been a wonderful refresher course in being specific in my prayer life.

This study, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick and based on the movie War Room, leads us into a more strategic prayer life. How many times do we pray in generalities so that we never really know if our prayers are answered? How many times do we hold back because we’re afraid God will let us down, that He’ll say no, or, worse, that He’ll ignore us and our request?

What shallow faith we have. We’re so intent on doing it ourselves, on counting on ourselves, that we leave God out of the equation until all of our options are done. We have no where else to turn. We have nothing left to lose. Then we turn to God, who was waiting there all along, eager to help us and longing for a relationship with us.

That’s what God wants. He wants our hearts. He wants our devotion. He wants us to turn to Him, to run to Him, with all our joys and sorrows, our needs and our celebrations. He wants that relationship. We’re a bit leery. He is God, after all. He is Almighty. Powerful. Our Judge. The Creator of our world and the One in charge of it all.

What if He says no? What if He doesn’t heal or provide for us? What if He sends us on a journey we’d rather not take to a place we’d rather not go?

God has good plans for us. God provides for us. God loves and sustains us. These are His promises. He wrote them down for everyone to see. He is a God of truth. We can count on Him when we can’t count on anything or anyone else.

What would happen if you were as devoted to prayer as you are to your cell phone or to your kids’ ball schedule or your job? What would happen in your if you made prayer a priority rather than an obligation or something that was an option?

Schedule your prayer time and keep it. Then learn to pray spontaneously throughout the day. Is it a beautiful day? Thank God for it. Did your meeting god well? Thank God for that too. Are you stressed over finances? Turn it over to God and thank Him for handling it – before He does. Whatever it is, learn to include God in the moments of your day. He cares and He wants to be included.

May 12, 2016

Life Events Change Us.

3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” -- Acts 9:3-6

Paul was never the same. He had persecuted Christians. He had held the coat of Stephen, the faith’s first martyr. He was looking for Christians he could take as prisoners.

Then Jesus met him on that road and Paul was never the same. He would live the rest of his life serving Jesus and preaching the gospel at great cost to himself.

Of course, we are not Paul and while I sure hope we’ve all met Jesus I doubt we’ll spend years in chains for Him. But we are changed by His Presence. Or we should be.

Just as we are changed by life events, some good and some bad. Scars, especially, mark us. We are forever different. Life becomes before and after.

Infidelity rocks a marriage and the people involved are forever different. One woman, who through counseling was able to forgive her husband and continue the marriage, admitted that it would never be the same. Trust is a precious thing. Once broken it never really returns.

Then there’s illness. There was life before cancer and then there is life after cancer. Things once taken for granted are now cherished. Days are seized with vigor because the fragility of life has become evident in a way that can never be changed.

Sometimes it is a job loss. There is the time before the lay offs hit and there is the time after. The longer the unemployment, the deeper the scars. We are taught that if you’re willing to work hard, you can always find a job. Learning that it isn’t true can be devastating.

Sometimes geography splits our lives. Sometimes it is family dynamics. I doubt anyone goes completely through life without some event derailing our plans and causing us to question who we are and what is really important.

That’s what happened on that road to Damascus. Paul met Jesus and he was never the same. We are all better for it. Paul wrote most of the New Testament. In his suffering, he still preached. He still taught. He still lived a life full of praise for his Lord and Savior.

We could learn from that. Life happens, sometimes leaving deep scars. But we can still live a life full of praise for Jesus because of all He has done for us.

February 25, 2015

Salvation Can't Be Bought

 

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

Peter answered: "May you money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!"

-- Acts 8:18-20

I woman I know recently suffered a broken relationship with her cousin. It was over money. Of course. It always is. The woman expected her cousin to give her something her aunt -- her cousin's mother -- had wanted given to her. The cousin resisted, lied, then finally handed it over.

The relationship remains broken. The woman can't believe her cousin -- someone she thought of as a sister -- would keep something of financial value from her. She doesn't need the money. I understand her point. What she wanted was expensive jewelry she had given to her aunt. Her aunt wanted her to have it back. But was it worth the relationship? For either of them?

Well, the rest of the story: This woman uses her money to "buy" people. She helped her aunt and cousin financially. She paid for a new air conditioning unit. She bought them expensive clothes. She even helped her cousin buy a used car. In return, her cousin was expected to drop what she was doing and run errands for her. The cousin cooked and shopped and carried her to doctor's appointments. She was an unpaid servant.

It was all informal of course. The woman believes it was her "right" to expect such servitude for the money she gave away. She just doesn't get it. None of her gifts came from her heart. They weren't given freely, without obligation. There were strings attached, invisible though they were.

The cousin seems relieved at the broken relationship. There is a freedom in knowing that you aren't obligated to someone who believes they "own" you.

Now let's look at the church. Our church has four services. One traditional service has very low attendance and there has been some talk about discontinuing it. Not going to happen, church leaders say. Why? Because some of those who attend that service contribute a great deal financially and no one wants to offend them. Really?! Should that even be a factor? No.

The sad fact is that even in churches those who are financially able to give more are accorded greater respect and say in church matters. Money should never enter into the equation. Remember that Jesus pointed out the woman who gave all she had and contrasted her to those who gave from their abundance. What is of more value? That which comes from the heart, involves sacrifice and trust in our Lord.

Maybe it's easier for me to see. Years ago, money mattered to me. Then I lost someone I loved, suddenly and without time to prepare. My views on what is important changed for the better. Money doesn't define a person. Character does.

Faith isn't something that is for sale. You can't buy your way into heaven. Salvation isn't dependent on your bank account. Or your works. Or you looks. It's dependent on faith in Jesus. And that comes from the heart.

May 19, 2014

The Sting of Conviction Comes From God

As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” -- Acts 24:25

Truth hurts sometimes. Felix, the Roman governor, was intrigued by the Apostle Paul. Felix knew a bit about the Jews. He was married to one. A woman who was once another man's wife. Oops.

Conviction can easily turn us defensive. Make us run away, point our fingers in outrage, deny the obvious.

It's no fun for the person speaking truth either.

I never set out to be an editorial writer and columnist. It was just something that happened and, well, I was good at it. Good at pushing people's buttons. Good at speaking truth when everyone else played their games. Good at causing debate and uproar.

I took it in stride. At least on the outside. The awards were nice. The hours were long. And some days I felt like a punching bag at the end of a long day.

So I took another path. It worked out for a while. My goal was to simply get along. I didn't want to ruffle feathers. I didn't want to cause distress. I prayed for God to hold my pointed tongue. I kept a lot inside. I refused to be baited. I forgave a lot more than I wanted to forgive. And I put up with a lot more than most ever would have.

And still I prayed. Except one day I paused and heard God say so clearly to me.: "Child, if I'd wanted you to be a sweet-tempered doormat then I would have made you that way. I made you to speak truth when it isn't popular, to stand up for those who don't have a voice, to stir things up when others are simply skating along.

And He was right. So I do my best to listen to Him and heed His words. I speak truth sometimes that makes people uncomfortable. Sunday someone walked out of class when the lesson came to this verse. I knew it was a God-thing and for once I didn't take it personally. It stung, yes, but it was necessary. Sadly, the man will likely continue to deny what everyone else sees. He is not the man he thinks he is. Somewhere along the way he stopped serving God and began to serve himself. God will never stand for that. The weight of conviction weighs heavy. I didn't call his name. I didn't mention his specific situation. But he felt the sting. It came from God. It was easier to point the finger at me.

How often do we do that? How often do we blame others for our own mistakes, our own issues? It's easy to live in denial than to face hard truths. But is that really living? Maybe. But not authentically. It's not living to the potential God calls us to.

When something makes you uncomfortable, take a moment to consider it. Before you lash out at someone else, look in the mirror and be really sure that the solution doesn't lie with you. Pray and ask God to speak to your heart. Then listen. Really listen. If what you're hearing is making you uncomfortable, then maybe the one you need to fix is you.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Do We Expect God To Answer?

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. -- Acts 12:5

One of the highlights of our Sunday small group and our Women’s Bible Study group is the prayer time. Every person has an opportunity to offer praises and prayer concerns. And then we pray.

There’s something so special about hearing someone lift your name, your concern, up to God. There’s something so empowering in that. And there’s something so joyful about thanking God for answered prayers. That communion brings us closer as a group and as God’s people.

Peter was in prison and the church -- God’s people -- prayed for him. Just as we pray for those around us. We are forever asking God our Father for His touch in our lives and the lives of those whom we love. We beg for healing. We ask for mercy. We seek peace in the middle of a storm.

But do we really expect Him to answer? We hope He does. We pray for that. But do we really expect healing? Do we really expect peace? Do we really expect God Almighty to get involved in our own little mess?

In this story, an angel came to Peter while he was in prison and let him out of the prison. They passed guards and went through an iron gate that “opened for them by itself.” Then the angel left Peter and he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark.

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

But Peter kept knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

-- Acts 12:13-16

They no doubt asked God to spare Peter’s life. They likely begged Jesus to release Peter from his prison cell. And yet they never expected Peter to show up on their doorstep, even as they had gathered to pray for him.

Isn’t that like us? We expect God to hear us and answer our prayers. And yet when He does we are astounded by it. Almost as though we never really expected Him to answer.

Our God is a God of miracles. He is a God of love and compassion and kindness. He welcomes His children -- that would be me and you -- into His open arms. He hears us when we cry and He hears us when we laugh. He is present in our lives and He answers our prayers.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Change Can Be Scary and Rewarding

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I Have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

-- Acts 18:9-11

Change is hard for most people. We sometimes say we want it but we feel far more comfortable in our own little cocoon we call a routine. The problem with sticking to our routine is that we may miss all the wondrous blessings God has planned just for us.

Our church is in the planning stages of a new contemporary service. It should be simple. We already have one contemporary service and two traditional services. But as with anything, there is resistance from those who fear that adding another service will have a negative impact on the church.

It’s difficult for me to understand that view. We are reaching out and growing, spreading the Good News and drawing new people into our midst every week. I suspect that some of these same folks had those exact concerns when the first contemporary service began more than five years ago.

A committee member told a wonderful story that really illustrates this point. I don’t know if you like to fish. I don’t. But the story just rings so true.

One day two fishermen were out fishing on different sides of a lake. One man noticed that the other fisherman was catching some pretty large fish, then taking them off the hook and throwing them back in the water. Then the man would catch a smaller fish and keep it.

This went on for several hours. Toward the end of the day, the man walked around to where the other fisherman was and asked him why he’d thrown back the large fish and kept the smaller ones. The man explained that he only had a 10-inch frying pan so he was throwing back all the fish that wouldn’t fit in the pan.

Isn’t that how we are sometimes? We reject everything that might cause us to shift our way of doing things. We get upset if our routine might get disrupted. We refuse to try new things because we’re fearful they might have a negative impact -- when just the opposite could be true as well.

We’re so caught up in our ways, that we miss the blessings God has for us if we’d just walk a little ways out of our comfort zone. Because change never comes while we’re standing still. It comes when we’re moving forward and toward the voice of our Savior.

I don’t know how this new service will turn out. I suspect we’ll have a few kinks to work out, as is the way of most new ventures. But I also believe that God has blessed this new addition to our church and that we will see many new faces in the weeks and months to come. There’s a lost world out there searching desperately for a Savior to carry them home. Open the doors and let them in.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Our Actions Should Reflect God’s Love

“You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him -- you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” -- Acts 7:51-53

Stephen spoke truth but it wasn’t the truth that the religious leaders of his day wanted to hear. So they stoned him to death. We know this story well. We remember that Saul, whom we know mostly as Paul, was there that day.

What we don’t think about, what we don’t consider, is that we could possibly be those religious leaders. We get so caught up in being right, in telling everyone exactly what the Bible says and means, that we lose sight of the love and compassion that marked Jesus’ ministry. We forget that maybe, just maybe, we don’t know as much as we think we do.

We’ve been inundated lately with news reports about a fast-food franchise owner and his religious views. Political views, too, I guess. Because he opposes homosexuals and favors a family unit of one man, one woman, and children. That is his right.

Gay rights activists threatened to boycott and out came the Christian supporters. They chose a day and turned out in force to support the restaurants. How nice. But I wonder if anyone, on either side, stopped to think about Jesus.

Because this isn’t about Jesus. It isn’t. Jesus is about love and this is about hate. Jesus is about compassion and this is about rejection. Jesus welcomed the outcasts and the sinners. These people are condemning and judging the very people that Jesus loves.

It all comes back to the Old Testament. I’ve read what it says. I know the words, just as I know what it says about food and slaves and stoning adulterers. What I don’t understand is why we, today’s Christians, are so quick to pick and choose which words we’ll apply today and which we’ll excuse as not being relevant in today’s world.

I don’t have any answers when it comes to what God thinks about homosexuality. But I do know that God loves all His children. Every single one of them. And He expects us to love them too. I also know that, contrary to what many would prefer to believe, homosexuality isn’t a “choice” for most. It is simply who they are as people that God fearfully and wonderfully made.

I’m a huge advocate of the First Amendment. I strongly support anyone’s right to express his/her views on any subject. But hatred has no place in God’s house. Before we rush out to support an issue, we should consider how Jesus would react -- then act in love, not hate.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Don’t Value What Doesn’t Matter

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. -- Acts 4:32

It’s that time of year again. It’s that time when the finance committee at church starts talking about money, about tithing, about trusting God. Have you tuned out yet? That’s what most people do.

We trust God. We do. We trust Jesus with our salvation. We trust Him to answer our prayers. We plead with Him for healing and blessings. But we don’t tend to trust Him with our finances. That’s off limits. We prefer to keep that to ourselves and decide how we’ll spend it. Or not.

There are few issues as volatile as money or possessions. We don’t want to share. Ask any small child. They’re happy to share -- when they’re done playing with it and when they’re good and ready to share. Not before. Don’t even think about taking it before then.

We adults are no better. We value our possessions and our bank accounts. Some of us are generous, but on our terms and in our timing. We don’t want anyone standing up there and telling us what a blessing it is to give more to the church, to charity, to someone we’re not sure deserves it.

There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. -- Acts 4:34-35

We tend to think of ourselves as superior to others. The more money and possessions we have, the better we feel about ourselves. Do money and possessions make us better people? No. In fact, sometimes just the opposite is true.

We look down on those who have less and that’s just plain wrong. Max Lucado once spoke of a friend in another country. The man works harder, perhaps, Lucado noted, harder than he works. Yet his family lives in a small hut with a dirt floor. It wasn’t about working hard. Or being smart. Or making wise choices. It was about circumstances and a life sometimes determined by where you live more than anything else.

Our hearts grow hard when we think of handouts to the poor. We are conditioned to believe that those in need aren’t worthy to receive our help. We blame them for their circumstances, and sometimes we are right. But God gave us another chance so why do we refuse others the same opportunity?

It all comes back to holding on to that money and those possessions. None of that matters, not in the scope of eternity. I wonder sometimes about those who think it does. It must be exhausting trying to hold on to something that you’re destined to lose sooner or later anyway.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Why Do You Do Good?

You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached -- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. -- Acts 10:37-38

Why do you do good things for other people? Do you expect something in return? Maybe that they’ll do something good for you? Or that you’ll be recognized and praised?

Jesus simply went around doing good things for people. So, therefore, should we. Not because we get anything in return, but because He showed us how to live.

I overheard a fuss the other day that really had me shaking my head. One woman had given numerous vegetables to another. She had an abundance and she shared. That was a wonderful thing.

Well, the situation had reversed itself. Now the woman who received had an abundance and the woman who had given did not. Except this woman didn’t want to share. She was downright stingy, finally telling the woman she could have two or three tomatoes but that was all. Needless to say, her friend told her keep them.

There were hurt feelings all around. The first woman gave generously -- but not freely. There was an unspoken requirement with her gift: You will share with me as I have shared with you. Obviously, the second woman should have shared just as freely as the first woman, not because it was “required” but because it was the right thing to do.

Aren’t our gifts usually the same? We attach unspoken expectations to our gifts rather than give freely because we can. We buy a friend a birthday present because we expect one in return on our birthday. We lend someone a tool and we expect to be able to borrow a tool when we need it. We give financially to a worthy cause and we expect a nice tax deduction and public recognition.

We are so accustomed to the give and take of our lives that we don’t realize we’ve missed the point. Giving to others, doing good, isn’t about what we might get in return. That road can only lead to anger and disappointment and hurt feelings. We should give because Jesus gave. It really is that simple.

Jesus gave to others because He loved them. He loves us. And because He loves us and we love Him, we should care for those who belong to Him and to the lost and the hurting. We should show His love, not because we expect something in return but because we represent Jesus and His love on this earth.

So why do you do good to others? Think about it. Examine your motivations. And ask Jesus to open your eyes and your heart to do good things for others just because of Him.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Trust God With The Details

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. -- Acts 16:6-7

Who controls your life? Maybe you’re one of those who control your own destiny. Or maybe a spouse or parent controls your life. Maybe it’s a boss, a company, the military, or even the economy.

Actually, it’s none of the above. God controls your life -- if you’re wise enough to give it over to Him to be used for His purpose.

Some folks just aren’t comfortable with that. Even Christian folks. Even, sometimes, pastors and other church leaders. It’s not that they don’t trust God. It’s just that they don’t trust God to do what they want Him to do. It’s like they feel they need to help Him out a little bit, just until He sees the light.

I know. It’s laughable and just so very misguided. God will do what God will do. Period. And most of the time I’m really glad about that because He truly does know best. When I get a little upset, it’s almost always when He’s calling me to do something I’d really rather not do.

Someone once asked me if I felt threatened when the former teacher of the Sunday school class I lead came to visit. Why would I? As I explained, God called me to teach the class. I wasn’t expecting it but He did it anyway. And I’ll teach it until He tells me not to. End of story.

Another man is determined to do good for God in all things. I watch him sometimes and I am amazed. He truly has a wonderful heart and is open to new ideas. Except that he wants to micromanage everything and everyone around him. It can’t last. He’ll burnout eventually. Unfortunately, that will probably come after he’s alienated other wonderful people.

It all comes back to each of us doing whatever God has called us to do. Not what God has told someone else to do.

That’s difficult to do sometimes. It’s that control thing. It’s really hard to let go and trust others to do things the way we want them done. We’re afraid that someone will drop the ball and we’ll be left with a mess to clean up. Truly, it sometimes happens that way.

But what about those times when everyone does his or her part and it all just comes together and God’s glory shines brightly? God is in control and He knows what He’s doing. Don’t just trust Him with the big things in your life. Trust Him with the details and let others do the same.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Pray To See God’s Will, Not Your Own

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” -- Acts 4:12

Tell me about your religion. What first comes to mind? Do you hurry to describe the building where the church meets? Are you quick to point out the style of music? Do you talk about the types of people who attend? Or is the first word that rolls off your tongue the name Jesus?

I decided to check the dictionary definition of “religion” just to see how it was officially defined. Here’s what it said: 1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life; 2. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine; 3. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by.

Interesting. So if religion is our belief in God, in our own set of values, what is the most important thing? Or whom is the most important one? Jesus. Because without Jesus Christianity and our faith, our beliefs, our religion, doesn’t exist.

We humans are forever seeking something to fill us up. Those of us who are fortunate to know Jesus have come to understand that only He can fill that void inside of us. Others are lost until we share with them. Oh, they may sense that God exists but they really don’t understand the One True God until they know Jesus.

Jesus is God’s attempt to reach humanity, Pastor Rob West said recently. Jesus shows us God’s heart, God’s love and God’s grace. Jesus is the bridge between God and sinful humanity. His sacrifice reunites us with God.

It is that simple and that complex. Because we want to make it so much more complicated. We want to talk about buildings and style of worship and money and good deeds. We want to proclaim His vision to the world, whether we truly understand it ourselves or not.

Politics always manages to bring out the best and the worst in us. Okay. Usually it brings out the worst in us. We loudly proclaim our personal views and give God credit for them, regardless of whether those views fit with His character or not. We are concerned for our own pocketbooks first rather than caring for the poor, the sick, the elderly.

Our religion defines who we are as people. It dictates our values, our morals, our political choices. The challenge then becomes distinguishing between our personal beliefs and those that truly belong to God.

This political season take time to search the Bible for answers, not necessarily to support your already established views but to truly seek God’s Word and His Will. Then pray not for God to agree with your will but that He would align your political views to agree with His Will.