Month: March 2020

In troubled times like we are facing now; when assurance and peace are so badly needed, I turn to some of my favorite Gospel videos on You Tube. I just listened three times to Karen Peck & New River sing Special Love and I want to share those inspiring lyrics with you.

“I really hate to bother you but Lord; I’ve got a whole lot on my mind. I know that you’re real busy but I promise I won’t take much of your time. Lord, I need a little grace to help me make it through. I need to feel that kind of love that only comes from you. As a child I heard the preacher say that you are a sinner’s friend. I remember when I came to you with a heart so black with sin. That night you turned my life around. It seemed you made me over new; and the mercy that you gave me, Lord, keeps me coming back to you. If you’ll just squeeze my hand; let me feel you by my side. You said you’d never, never leave me; you’d always be my guide. But the storms of life sometimes won’t let the sunshine through. Lord, I need to feel that kind of love that only comes from you. Yes, I need to feel that kind of love that only comes from you.”

Those of us who experience that special love and relationship with God through Jesus Christ have the glorious privilege and responsibility to share it with others who desperately need it.

I’m posting this a day early because I want to let everyone know that the drive-in service last Sunday was so well received, they are holding another one tomorrow, Sunday March 29^th at 10:00 am in the Ewing Baptist Church parking lot in Ewing, Missouri. But this time it will also be streamed live on The Lesters Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/TheLesters1925/ so we can enjoy that unique “Church on Wheels” service online. I plan to join them at ten and then watch the live stream from my church at noon. I’m expecting a spiritual lift from both services. God is good all of the time, even in this season of social distancing.

Last Sunday, with the worshipers unable to gather for worship as usual, many churches streamed worship music and sermon live over social media. My church was one of them. One of my Wisconsin friends mentioned a Catholic Church that held a drive-in mass. I found that interesting, but thought no more about it. Then I received my weekly Lester-gram from Brian Lester about a drive-in service his son Jonathan put together with the cooperation of two small Missouri churches. Brian is a third generation member of his Gospel singing family group which now consists of Brian, Jonathan and Jonathan’s wife Bailee. We used to enjoy Lester family concerts when we lived in the St. Louis area. I want to share with you Brian’s description of that unusual church service.

“This all came together in a matter of two days. Jonathan called me at home and said, “Dad, I have an idea that I believe God gave to me.” He went on to say, “It’s a rather Radical idea, but I really think it would be a great outreach because people are hurting and searching for answers; they need some encouragement and assurance that God is in control.” That was last Friday morning about 11:30am; by 1:00pm that afternoon Drive-In Church was put in motion to take place @ 10am Sunday morning in the parking lot of Ewing Baptist Church in Ewing, MO. (EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS TO: Pastor Ted Middleton of First Baptist Church, Lewistown, MO, for helping to coordinate this event. This is Jonathan & Bailee’s Home Church; when they’re home.)  We also wish to thank the Congregation of Ewing Baptist Church for allowing us to have this service on their property.  I’ve had the opportunity to be part of many wonderful events in my lifetime, but this has to be one of the most exciting ever. On top of everything else, we didn’t take into account what the weather might be on Sunday morning…It Began SNOWING about 9:25am and continued through the service. YES, we sang outside in the snow and 30 degrees! But from the very moment the service began, we didn’t think about how cold it was because the Spirit of The Lord was all across that church parking lot. Jonathan set up a transmitter so everyone could tune into the radio in their vehicle to hear the service; that was AWESOME! It was definitely different singing and staring into a crowd of folks parked in their cars or trucks, and then to hear their Horns Blowing at the end of a song instead of applause! As Pastor Ted shared a wonderful message, there were “Horns of Amens” to be heard! It was quite an experience.”

This time of crisis is a reminder that we are God’s church, not the building where we usually meet. However we are able to worship and listen to the Gospel being preached, Jesus will always keep his promise. “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)  

When I was 13, there was a popular TV quiz show where a contestant was led into an isolation booth where they couldn’t see or hear audience reaction. They were then asked a question and given sixty seconds to come up with a correct answer for a big money prize. I remember yelling the answer at the TV (I had all of the answers at that age). I wonder how many claustrophobic contestants never made it to TV because they could not stand isolation for even that short period of time. God created us to be social creatures. He created Eve for Adam and then ordered them to be fruitful and multiply. One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to try to separate us from our support network of those who love and encourage us. Every cult isolates members from anyone who is not in the cult to give them complete control. Solitary confinement is considered a punishment in our prison system.

Today, isolation has been given a new name – social distancing. (Wireless electronic communication has already caused social distancing to a great degree.) I know people who get “cabin fever” after only a day or two of being trapped in a two bedroom house because of weather conditions. Some of them because of lack of social contact and others because they get on their own nerves. In my last post, I mentioned the family locked down in their high rise apartment for over two months in Wuhan, China. Fortunately, they still had social contact with neighbors in the building and because they are Christians, their love for each other and the Holy Spirit within them kept them from stomping on each other’s last exposed nerve.

Before the current pandemic caused this present social distancing, I experienced a degree of isolation because I live alone and no longer drive. My Christian brothers and sisters, my friends and my neighbors maintain contact with me and offer assistance when I need it, but I have never felt alone even after several days without hearing from any of them. That is because I am comfortable with my identity as a child of God; I constantly commune with God’s Holy Spirit within me; and my Lord walks with me every step of the way, even if it is only to the kitchen or bathroom.

A friend told me she worries about the elderly at a time like this; then she suddenly realized she is one of us. I pray for those who have lost loved ones and cannot experience the degree of closure a funeral or memorial service would provide because gatherings are temporarily banned. I especially pray for those who are critically ill and isolated in a hospital or nursing home room; unable to speak on the phone and with no visitors allowed to encourage and pray with them. We must reach out to those who are physically isolated with every means possible, even if it is touching them with our prayers. When we do that, our own isolation will become more bearable and less burdensome.

In a live stream this week, our senior pastor at CLC announced that because of the virus that is spreading in our country and around the world we will not meet together in our church on Sunday until the danger has passed. Instead, the worship music and sermons will be live streamed to everyone. This action comes as sporting and entertainment events are being cancelled and businesses and government offices are closing. I’m sure this crisis has already touched each person reading this. I want to address what affect this has, if any, on Christian faith and worship.

 When we become Christians by faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God’s Spirit dwells in us and not in a tabernacle, temple or church building. Each of us is a temple and together we form the true church; not a physical building, but a spiritual structure with Christ as the cornerstone. It is no longer where we worship, but how we worship that matters to God. (John 4:23-24)

Please don’t misunderstand. I am not minimizing the power that is released when Christians meet together for worship or fellowship. Jesus promised that where two or more of us are gathered in His name, He will be there with us. (Matthew 18:20) His presence is felt in a very real way and I have felt it sitting at a table in a restaurant early Saturday morning with my brothers in Christ and at church worshipping with my brothers and sisters. My point is; God is not waiting in the church building or any other place for us to join Him. We bring His Spirit with us to the church or wherever we go and when we meet together He magnifies His presence just as He promised.

All of this said, how will church at home affect us? A dear friend shared a long letter recently from a Christian woman in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of this pandemic. She and her family had been locked down in their high rise apartment for over two months. There was too much in that letter to share here, but what jumped out at me was how much closer her family had become; eating every meal together; praying together and worshiping together online. My hope and prayer is that all of the young families in our congregation will experience that same closeness.

For me personally, I had a sample of it this past Sunday when I decided to avoid the crowd and stay at home worshiping noon service in Tinley Park, Illinois. The worship teams and online. It wasn’t the same experience, but it helped when I “double dipped” watching the service and sermon of my young pastor friend in Hammond, Indiana, and then tuning in to my regular messages touched my heart and lifted my spirit.

By the way, I just saw photos from Wuhan, where things are finally beginning to return to normal. There is light at the end of this seemingly dark tunnel for us as well. God is good all the time and in every situation.         

Tomorrow I turn 77. It is another personal best for me. In the words of Mickey Mantle, “If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of my body.” I’m quite aware that not everyone is granted this much (or more) time on Earth and I am very thankful for every day. God is not done with me yet. I’m not sure if that means He has more for me to do, or if I still need more work. Probably both!

My age and medical condition put me at increased risk from this new Corona Virus or any flu virus. I get flu vaccine every year and just got a booster pneumonia shot, but no vaccine is available for this new virus yet. Media is overblowing the danger to the general public so I have been keeping up with suggestions from medical experts who recommend washing hands often, not touching your face; and avoiding large crowds.

The governor of Illinois has mandated that all events of more than 1,000 people be cancelled. Christian Life Center celebrates 30 years of ministry this month and had planned a gathering of all three of our campuses to celebrate. It has been cancelled and will be rescheduled when possible. The governor also recommended groups of 250 also be cancelled, but our senior pastors have prayerfully decided to continue with Sunday services. They have asked everyone who is sick to stay home and watch the service online. They also recommend avoiding physical contact with each other (handshake or hug). Closing the doors of our church on a national day of prayer at a time of crisis when worship and prayer are needed the most doesn’t make sense and certainly doesn’t agree with the mission of the church to provide peace in times of fear and comfort in times of trouble.

I trust God to protect me from the Corona virus and all other dangers, but I will not test God by taking unnecessary risks. There are so many passages of scripture telling us not to fear and giving us comfort in times of peril. My favorite is the entire 91^st chapter of Psalms beginning with that spiritual 911 verse, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” I plan to worship from home today and I will let the Holy Spirit guide my decisions each day. I will not live in fear, because like the Apostle Paul, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” (Philippians 1:21)

A friend of mine wears a fitbit bracelet to monitor his physical activity during the day. He questioned its accuracy when after getting dressed one morning it congratulated him on a great workout. I asked him which article of clothing he wrestled with and he got a big laugh out of it. If he ever saw me putting on my winter coat, he would know that I was only half joking. There are physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual struggles that face all of us throughout life. The physical and mental struggles become more frequent with old age.

Not all struggles are external. You have probably read the story circulating on social media about an American Indian chief who told his son, “Inside every person there are two wolves fighting. One is good and the other is evil.” His son asks, “Which one wins?” The wise chief replied to him, “The one you feed.” The good news for Christians is that fight within us becomes one-sided when God’s Holy Spirit also dwells within us feeding the good and starving the evil.    

Last Sunday our senior pastor preached about the tests (struggles) we face. Sometimes God provides a test, not to see if we can pass (He already knows that), but to prove to us that we can overcome when we rely upon Him. Sometimes it is Satan tempting us in order to lead us into sin and away from God. Adam and Eve failed Satan’s test. Jesus passed his tests in the wilderness by quoting scripture. So, the tests Satan gives are all “open book” tests. We can look up the answers in God’s word and never get it wrong. Sometimes the tests or struggles we face are just part of living in a lost world and the One who overcame the world will get us through those as well. (See John 16:33)

Paul wrote about his struggles. “We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.” (Philippians 1:30) Paul also tapped a resource of help we have available to us. “Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:30) Not only can we rely on our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and pray for us, but as God’s son or daughter we are tested and overcome so that we are able to reach out with encouragement and prayer to a brother or sister facing the same struggle.

I have a friend on Face Book who always ends every post about someone who has touched her life or blessed her in any way by referencing Philippians 1:3. After seeing this several times, I looked it up and found these words in the NLT, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” What a wonderful way of letting someone know how much they mean to you!

I will be the first to admit that in my younger days there were times I began to take the special people God placed in my life for granted. After all, when my mother and father provided love and security, weren’t they just doing what parents are supposed to do? After my mother died and my father remarried, I completely underestimated the commitment of my step-mother, who provided loving care for a new husband and a teenager after raising two grown children of her own and experiencing the loss of her first husband.

I got married at the age of 20 to the love of my life. By that time I began to realize that I shared with Carol something special. Our love for each other was an extension of the unconditional love of God that He placed in our hearts. I knew from the beginning that not everyone was as blessed as I. But even then, I know there were times in our marriage that I took her loving care for granted; although my gratefulness to God for our nearly 51 years of marriage has now blocked the memory of those brief times.

Today, God has placed in my life so many wonderful Christian men and women who continue to care for me with agape love. It is impossible for me to take any of them for granted. Almost every day one or more of them touch me with their prayers and acts of kindness. Without them I know I would not have survived the loss of my wife or my mobility.

And now to each and every one of you reading this blog post – Philippians 1:3.     

Most of us carry some form of identification. In the past I have worn an ID badge from my employer around my neck or carried business cards. In my wallet right now I have three photo IDs from the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles (until it expires), the Veterans’ Administration and my Pace ADA (disabled) bus pass. In addition, I have two insurance cards, my voter registration card, my library card and the debit/credit card from my bank. Even though I am quite capable of identifying myself to someone, those documents give third party proof that I am who I claim to be.  

Before I continue, I want to make it clear that I am not writing about the current mind games going on in our society where someone can “identify” as anyone or anything they want in order to excuse behavior that normally would not be tolerated. Those “identifications” are not based on reality and cannot be confirmed by any third party because they are internal machinations.

What is it that forms our identity? Our last name is passed down to us by our father, and then wives usually take the last name of their husband. Our first and middle names are given to us by our parents at birth. In addition, we often assume nicknames with which we are comfortable. Jesus’ disciples, James and John were the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them Sons of Thunder. In New Testament times people were also identified by their hometown such as Jesus of Nazareth or Saul of Tarsus. Is our name really who we are?

Our true identity is more complicated than our name or our hometown because each of us is uniquely created. Unique DNA determines our gender and physical features. The environment of family and society determine our character and our mental and emotional reactions. We search for spiritual identity as well, but until we meet Jesus that search is fruitless.

I am James Michael Anderson (nickname Jim) originally from Evansville, Indiana, but because of God’s mercy and grace I also have a spiritual identity. I am a child of God. I didn’t have to earn it or prove my worthiness. God’s mercy released me from the death sentence for my sins and it was by His grace that He stamped my adoption approved; which is much more than I deserve.

There is one last observation. Just as I bear a family resemblance to my earthly father, I bear a family resemblance to my Heavenly Father when His Spirit within me bears fruit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) are the features of my Heavenly Father that can be seen in me.    

You may wonder why I quote so many song lyrics in my blog posts. I think the main reason is that the writers use powerful poetic imagery to set their personal testimonies to music. I have been a Christian for nearly 66 years and I have experienced most of the situations they write about and I can relate to their feelings and reactions. Even the song writers from the 1700s and 1800s strike a chord with me when I hear or sing those old hymns. Let me give you three examples.

 “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” What a wonderful description of the spiritual rebirth Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about in the third chapter of the Gospel of John. Every one of us who has experienced that rebirth can relate those words to our personal conversion.

“My sin – oh the bliss of this glorious thought – my sin, not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord oh my soul.” What a wonderful description of the burden of sin being lifted off of our shoulders when we first believe. One of my very good friends refers to it as amnesty. That same song writer, who had lost his wife and child at sea, also wrote, “When peace like a river attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’’’ The comfort of God’s presence in the life of a Christian, no matter what we face could not be described better.

“Blessed assurance, Jesus in mine. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation; purchase of God; born of His spirit; washed in His blood. This is my story. This is my song. Praising my savior all the day long!” That personal testimony resonates within my heart every time I sing those meaningful words.

Modern gospel and worship songs also reflect the personal experience of the writer to which every believer can relate.

Another reason those lyrics stay with me is because they are heard and not just read. Jesus is quoted several times in the gospels saying, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Paul wrote, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Whenever I want a passage of scripture to really sink in, I read it out loud so I can hear it.