The Old Man in the Back of the Sanctuary

We have all heard that ancient adage, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” It did not originate from the Bible, but God’s word does have a lot to say about forming good intentions and following them up with decisive action.

When we hear that quotation our first reaction is to think of procrastination. Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” A good example of procrastination is all of those wonderful resolutions we made at the beginning of this year that we never put into action at least for more than a brief period of time. We meant well when we formed the list, but life happened or reality set in and they simply didn’t get done. The enemy loves to keep us from doing what is good in God’s sight. It could be that he froze us with fear of failing. Maybe he distracted us with “busy work”. He may have simply appealed to our lazy nature by getting us to tell ourselves, “Someday, but just not today.” However it happens, when we know to do what is good in the sight of God and fail to do it God’s word calls that sin. (James 4:17) Because it is a sin of omission we are tempted to overlook it when we repent of our sins, but God doesn’t overlook our failure to act and neither should we.

There is another way to look at the road paved with good intentions. Proverbs 14:12 tells us, “There is a pathway that seems right to a man, but in the end it’s a road to death.” We might sincerely believe our intentions are good but are they God-approved? You don’t have to look very hard to find someone who is sincerely wrong.  I’m sure that is what T.S. Eliot had in mind when he wrote, “Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.”

A third point of view is when people think they can get to heaven through their good works. We are saved through faith not by works (Romans 3:28). Even though we mean well if our intentions and even our actions are designed just to gain points with God they are only good as paving material on that road in the wrong direction. Our good works must come from our hearts in appreciation for what God has already done for us.  We show our love for Him by our acts of obedience because He first loved us.

As believers we need to ask God to give us intentions that are pleasing to Him and compatible with His intentions for us. Then we need to ask for strength to act on them with confidence. He has provided the Holy Spirit to guide us on the road He has prepared for us (Psalm 23:3). That road leads us right into God’s presence.

As I read in Leviticus about the elaborate procedures God’s people had to go through to approach Him I have a profound appreciation for our access to God through prayer today.  When Jesus died on the cross the heavy curtain in the temple that separated us from God’s presence was ripped from top to bottom allowing us to approach God directly in Jesus’ name. We could never begin to thank God enough for the wonderful opportunity to communicate with Him through prayer. But do we make the best use of that great privilege?

In the summer of 1963, I was a twenty-year-old airman first class stationed at a remote communication site on Okinawa. Every Sunday morning I took the bus to Kadena Air Base to worship and to teach a Sunday school class of dependent youngsters.  As a result, I was invited to attend a three day religious retreat at a resort at the foot of Mt. Fuji in Japan.  That retreat had such a profound effect on me that I still remember it clearly today. The theme of the retreat was prayer and the three men of God who led the services were Colonel Terry (Commander of Air Force Chaplains), Dr. Oswald Hoffman (Lutheran Hour radio host) and Dr. David H. C. Read (Pastor of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City).

(A quick side note. On that trip I discovered America isn’t the only place with regional accents. While in Japan I tried to use the little Japanese I had picked up and every time I did they would smile and say, “Okinawa.”)

As you can imagine, much time at the retreat was spent on Jesus’ example of how we should pray. We call it the “Lord’s Prayer”, but it really is a basic guide for us to follow when we pray.  The actual prayer of our Lord is, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”  (Matthew 26:42)  That prayer and His obedience to the will of His Father make all things possible for us including our prayers to God in Jesus’ name.

They also covered different types of prayer.  One type they called the foxhole prayer.  It is simply, “Lord, help me,” followed a little later by, “Thank you, Lord”.  After my wife died I became the king of foxhole prayers asking for God’s help literally hundreds of times a day and thanking him just as often.  Since then, I have tried to stand on God’s word that He will be with me always, so now I just thank Him when I feel His hand at work in my life which is still quite often.

Another type of prayer they talked about was intercessory prayer.  Praying for others is an act of love that blesses us as much as the one for whom we pray.  Being part of the CLC prayer team has truly blessed me.  It has taken my focus away from me and onto the needs of others.

When and where should we pray?  Of course we have access to God at any time, but Jesus seemed to prefer early morning even before daylight. (Mark 1:17) He also liked to find a quiet place away from distractions.  Jesus doesn’t tell us not to lead a group prayer out loud, but he does warn us if we pray publicly to impress men, that will be the only thing our prayer will accomplish. (Matthew 6:5)

Jesus didn’t teach us how long to spend in prayer but He didn’t put a time limit on His prayers (Luke 6:12), so what is long enough?   As our love for God grows we will automatically want to spend more time with Him, but even back in 1963 the hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer” was an ideal and not a reality for most people.  The important thing is that we spend time listening for God’s response.  Otherwise we are just leaving a message on His voicemail.

We need to prepare our hearts and minds before we pray.  When I need an ego trim or an attitude adjustment before approaching God I repeat the words of a song I learned long ago.

“I can’t calm the raging sea, but God can.

Can’t make honey like a bee, but God can

Can’t turn darkness into light

Can’t make mountains snowy white

Can’t give blinded eyes their sight, but God can

For His power is unlimited by bounds of time and space

And every soul that breathes a breath is covered by his grace.

He makes sin clouds fade away

His touch turns the night to day.

Man can’t help me when I pray, but God can!”

With renewed respect for God’s power and full awareness of my weakness, I am ready to kneel before the throne in prayer. My knees no longer allow me to kneel physically, but I still kneel in spirit. By the way, I love the fact that Jesus prayed for me. “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.” (John 17:20)

 

 

 

 

For centuries it has been accepted that science and human intellect are incompatible with faith in God. Nothing could be further from the truth. Each scientific discovery brings us to a higher understanding of God’s creation and God Himself. St Augustine wrote, “God does not expect us to submit our faith to him without reason, but the very limits of our reason make faith a necessity.” Our finite minds can’t grasp the full magnificence of all God has created but as we learn more about our universe, our world and ourselves faith in God and His word are confirmed, not contradicted. Scientific theory and opinion often oppose faith, but scientific facts do not.

The biggest divide between faith and science had to do with the creation of the universe. Most scientists believed that the universe had no beginning or end and had always been in existence contradicting the very first verses of Genesis. A few years ago scientists discovered evidence of a single cosmic event that brought the universe into existence and suddenly the Genesis account no longer sounds so far fetched after all. Dr. Gerald Schroeder, retired MIT physicist, has an interesting video on YouTube titled “Believe in God in five minutes” that shows how scientists may have unintentionally proven the existence of God.

Not one of the countless archaeological discoveries in my lifetime has disproved anything in God’s word. On the contrary, evidence has been found to confirm Bible accounts. When scientists discovered and mapped the human genome, another barrier between faith and science came down. At the press conference announcing their work, I heard one of them state that the complexity of a single living cell makes it impossible for that first cell to have developed by chance (a common theory explaining how evolution began).

In 1981, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from a group of internationally-known geneticists and biologists representing the scientific community. Their testimony lasted two days as they each answered the question, when does human life begin? All but one agreed that life begins at conception and that lone scientist, representing the abortion industry, did not dispute the others but simply stated his opinion that it is impossible to know when life begins.  Dr. Jerome Lejeune, known as the father of modern genetics, told the committee, “To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion…it is plain experimental evidence. Each individual has a very neat beginning, at conception.” Pro–choice proponents continue to ignore scientific proof that a new human is being killed each time an abortion takes place, but God knows each of us in our mother’s womb just as He did Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 1:5)

I have had the privilege to know and love some wonderful men and women who have had successful careers in medicine, biology and other branches of science and are believers. I am convinced that as science learns more about us and our environment, the easier it will be for faith and science to work hand in hand until that day when our faith will truly become sight.

It is February 15^th, Carol’s birthday and the day after Valentine’s Day. Throughout our fifty years of marriage I always did my best to make it an annual two day celebration of my love for her. This is the third time that I have spent these two days without her. In her honor I want to share this brief article I wrote about love.

What is love? The dictionary definitions use words like feeling, affection, emotion and attraction, but if any or all of those words apply, then how can we stand before God at the altar and vow our love to our bride or groom “until death do us part”? Feelings, affections, emotions and attractions all fade or change over time. We can’t rely on them to remain strong and we can’t summon them back at will when they begin to fade. No wonder so many marriages end in divorce as their feelings change. I used to wonder if our love would stand the test of time under those conditions. It was our mutual love of God through Jesus Christ that held us together.

Carol and I often vacationed in Branson, Missouri. One summer, after we had celebrated our 30^th wedding anniversary the previous December, we visited the Wilderness Church, a log chapel built in the Ozarks over 120 years ago. We noticed that you could sign up to renew your wedding vows and we thought that was something we would like to do. After we exchanged our promises to each other once again, that wise old parson asked us to promise him something. He said, “When you get back home, I want you to find a quiet spot and read the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians together. We told him we would and we honored that promise.  We read, “Love is patient. Love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”  Wow! There it is – a definition of love that we can vow to keep all of our lives because it is not a feeling, affection, emotion or attraction. It is a way of life that can become a permanent habit.

I was on my way to lunch after attending the noon service at CLC one Sunday. The words of one of the worship songs kept echoing in my mind; “I love you because you first loved me.” Then it hit me. I began to tie those words to that Biblical definition of love. I had read that passage again and again after we renewed our vows as a reminder of what my love as a husband should be. Now I see that it is also a definition of God’s love for us. Because he first loved us in that beautiful fashion, we can love Him that way too.  Jesus orders us to love others with that same enduring love. “This is my command: Love each other,” (John 15:17) not just on birthdays or holidays but every day of the year.

By the way, that part in the wedding vows about “until death do us part”? Don’t believe it. Love doesn’t end just because one of you dies. It may not be as tangible as before, but it is still there as strong as ever.

Walt Whitman wrote, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” Casting Shadows was the topic of a breakout session I attended at our men’s conference last year. It was based on Acts 5:15, “As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by.“ People were blessed with healing just from coming in contact with Peter’s shadow.

Each of us casts a much bigger shadow than we think. Leadership expert John C. Maxwell points out that sociologists estimate the average person will influence 10,000 people in their lifetime. The key is to keep our influence positive.  As believers, we each face toward the “light of the world” and cast a shadow of influence and blessing that touches those around us. We will never know all of the people we influence because many are watching and listening from a distance, but God knows and so do they.

My emergency scripture is 911 (Psalms 91:1) “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” There is real peace to be found in God’s shadow. James writes, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”

While writing about shadows I am reminded of a touching story I read years ago about a woman whose young son was terminally ill.  While she was caring for her son he suddenly asked, “Does it hurt when you die?” She quickly excused herself with tears welling up in her eyes and said she would be back in a few minutes and talk to him about it. Sobbing bitterly, she asked God to give her words that would comfort him and give her the strength to speak them without breaking down.  She felt a peace come over her as she returned to his bedside. She began by reminding him about the 23^rd Psalm that she had read to him many times. “Remember the part that says, ‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me?’ Jesus has made it possible for us to pass through the shadow of death. Shadows aren’t scary or painful are they?” He shook his head and said, “No.”  She went on, “Remember when you fell asleep in the car on the way home from Grandma and Grandpa’s house and you woke up in your bed the next morning because your father had gently carried you from the car to your bed? When you die you will fall asleep here with us and wake up the next morning in heaven because your heavenly Father will gently carry you there to be with Him.” He smiled and so did she as a sense of relief came over them both.

 

 

Have you ever stood on a city street corner on a summer day and look down to see the sidewalk sparkling in the bright sunlight? I first noticed this as a young man in St. Louis and I became curious. It turns out the contractor added ground glass to the cement before it was poured to provide traction on the surface when it hardened. It occurred to me at the time that Christian believers are a lot like that glass. We are in the world, but we are different from the world and that difference is manifested as we reflect the light of the Son (not a typo). Like the glass our purpose for being in the world is to keep others from slipping and falling.  Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who spent a lifetime studying death and dying, wrote, “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” Praise God we not only sparkle with reflected light from above, but we have God’s light from within us displaying His true beauty.

Being different isn’t easy. Our nature desires to be accepted by others and be part of the crowd, but when others ask about the source of our light, we have the opportunity to share the Gospel with them. Some will begin to shine themselves as they start a relationship with God. But there are many, even those we love, who will reject the message of Christ and in so doing perhaps reject us as well.

Rejection hurts. I am convinced from reading the scripture that even more than the physical torture he had to endure the thing that hurt Jesus most was being rejected by his family, the people of his hometown and God’s chosen people. (John 1:11 and Matthew 23:37) One of his closest friends betrayed him to his enemies and then all of the others deserted him. He was well aware that it all had to happen to fulfill scripture, but that didn’t stop it from hurting.  Yes, Jesus felt the pain of rejection and he warns us that we will experience it too if we follow him. Jesus tells us to follow him we must take up our cross. (Matthew 10:38) That doesn’t mean we will suffer physical crucifixion as he did, but the burden of our cross will inevitably involve being rejected by the world, sometimes even by those we love. Carrying our cross involves other burdens too but with every burden God provides us with strength and provision. Jesus said, “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.” (Matthew 5:11)

When we are accepted into God’s family it is so much better than the world’s acceptance.  Our fellowship with believers gives us that sense of belonging that we crave. As we share our burdens and our blessings with each other, we join in agreement and prayer for loved ones who have rejected Jesus that their hearts will be softened and they will be convicted by the Holy Spirit to accept Christ before it is too late. There is no greater joy than answered prayer for family members and friends who have now become our brothers and sisters in the family of God.

 

 

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. The coin toss represents a call to action for each player in the game. Later this month the Academy Awards will present Oscars to those who answered the call, “Lights – Camera – Action.” These events shine a spotlight on those who have achieved excellence in their chosen fields. We often overlook the hard work, practice and rehearsal that got them there. In addition to talent it takes a lot of practice and experience to reach the top of any career. Vince Lombardi once said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” He knew that to achieve excellence in the big game you must strive for excellence in your preparation as well. Lombardi also knew that a championship team requires excellence at every position. When we honor individuals we must never overlook the fact that success is nearly always a team effort. The best acting performance may go unnoticed without the proper lighting, sound, costume and cinematography. The success of a quarterback, running back or receiver would not be possible without the effective work of each offensive lineman.

There are comparisons to be made between answering those calls to action with excellence and answering our call to live a God centered life of excellence. There is, however, one big difference; not everyone has the talent or ability to be a successful athlete or performer, but each of us has what it takes to answer God’s call to live the life He has planned for us. There are no spectators or audiences in His plan. We are each called to excel in our roles in church, family, occupation and community, but as in the case of athletes and performers it will take practice, experience and help from other members of God’s team (His church) to answer our call.

God’s call to action begins when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Then we learn to study God’s word and pray. Our prayers are answered as the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us and we receive the encouragement and prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. God provides us daily with experiences and exercises to test and strengthen our faith. Preparation, practice and testing are not fun; they are hard work, but our calling is to prepare for and fulfill God’s plan for our life. Following Jesus will bring trials and tribulations but He promises to be with us through it all and make it well worth our effort as we love and serve others in our own special way utilizing our unique God-given gifts.

I am convinced there are two things that keep us from succeeding in our Christian walk or anything else we try to achieve. The first is fear.  When I was a teenager I overcame my fear of public speaking with the help of the Holy Spirit in front of the congregation of our small church. Once my greatest fear was conquered my faith increased and my other fears started to evaporate. The second is laziness. Now that I’m old and feeble I am dealing daily with laziness and in some ways it is harder to overcome than fear. The Holy Spirit and my two dogs keep me moving in spite of my objections, excuses, aches and pains. With God’s help I will continue answering His call to action until I cross the finish line victorious.

When I was growing up, whenever I would become quiet, introspective or preoccupied someone would offer, “A penny for your thoughts.”  Sadly, there were times my thoughts weren’t a good investment even at that price.  I haven’t heard that phrase in a long time, maybe because pennies are becoming obsolete or it could be that people are so preoccupied with their own thoughts and their devices that they are no longer curious about what others think.  As Philippians 4:8 reminds us, our thoughts should be worth much more: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Prospective brides used to be told, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.  Of course that was before fast food, takeout and frozen meals turned most kitchens into warming stations.  Ask Satan the way to a man’s heart and he will tell you it is through his mind.  There is a very close relationship between what is in our heart and what is on our mind.  Evil can enter a mind from an evil heart, but it can also enter a pure heart through evil thoughts planted in one’s mind by the enemy.  I learned a long time ago that as a believer I cannot keep tempting thoughts from flying through my mind from time to time, but I can keep them from building a nest there.

Each form of sin and addiction begins with a single tempting thought.  How can we shoo those thoughts away before making themselves at home in our minds and then our hearts?  Thankfully, God has provided the power of His Spirit within us to protect our hearts and minds if we are obedient to His promptings.  We certainly could not rely on our sinful nature to resist.  God promises to keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him and whose thoughts are fixed on Him. (Isaiah 26:3)  That is the key.  When our thoughts are fixed on Him and His will in our lives, there is no room for those tempting thoughts to take up residence.  Praying, worshiping and studying God’s word all fill our minds and our hearts to overflowing.  That provides the antidote for Satan’s infectious evils, the shield for his fiery darts, and the repellant for those pesky tempting thoughts.

While we are keeping our minds fixed on God, what does God think about us?  Scripture tells us, “No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:11) As God’s Holy Spirit speaks to us from within, we learn what God thinks.  He thinks we are to die for. (John 3:16)  As the psalmist put it, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered.” (Psalms 139:17)

That is what is on my mind – a penny for your thoughts.

Justice can be tough sometimes. Pastor Gordon Banks told us at our annual First Love Conference a few weeks ago about being stopped and ticketed for speeding when he knew he was not guilty. He took his case to court and before entering the courtroom he prayed, “Give me justice, Lord. That’s all I want is justice.” After hearing his story the judge said, “Guilty, next case!”  He left the courtroom muttering to himself that he would wear an orange jumpsuit and pick up trash along the highway rather than pay that unfair fine. When he got back to the car he pleaded, “Lord, I asked you for justice.” The Holy Spirit replied, “I gave you exactly what you asked for. That fine is for all of the times you were speeding and didn’t get caught.  You should have asked for mercy.”

Even when we recognize our need for mercy, we still have a tendency to call for justice for others. Our nature draws us to the Old Testament form of justice that says “an eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth” (Exodus 21:24 and Leviticus 24:20). In the hands of men, that becomes revenge instead of justice. We need to turn to Jesus (Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27&35) who tells us to love and show mercy to our enemies while letting God dispense justice.

The Laws of Nature are created by God and discovered by man.  In addition to the law of gravity, Isaac Newton discovered his third law of motion which states, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  There is a parallel spiritual law that states “You reap what you sow”. (Galatians 6:7) It is God’s law of just reward. Some call it karma; others just smile and say, “What goes around comes around.” Whatever you call it, it is just as dependable as gravity or any physical law of nature. If you want to be blessed – bless others. If you want to be forgiven – forgive others. If you want encouragement – encourage others. If you want to be loved – love others. If you treat others cruelly – brace yourself.

Our God is not only just, He is also loving and merciful. He gives us grace (that which we don’t deserve) and mercy (sparing us from what we deserve). In this world justice and mercy are an either/or proposition; we can receive one or the other.  Only God can be both just and merciful.  Here is how that works. God’s word tells us that all of us have sinned. (Romans 3:23) It also tells us that the penalty for sin is death. (Romans 6:23) Imagine standing before the judge and receiving a death sentence for your crimes, and then the judge takes off his robe, steps down from the bench and offers himself as your replacement on death row. That is how our loving God is both just and merciful; Jesus gave up his life for your sins.

As I prayerfully write this using a computer keyboard with spell and grammar check and the ability to delete or edit mistakes as I go along, I am reminded of some ancient history.

I was 19 when I arrived on Okinawa with the Air Force in 1962.  For the first six months I was assigned as analyst on the second shift working in our secure compound from 4:00 pm to midnight.  It was usually very quiet with no one looking over my shoulder, but at the end of each shift I had to create an activity report with my analysis of everything that happened on my shift.  There was no computer; just an electric typewriter and continuous feed four ply paper with actual carbon paper between the plies.  The pages were perforated but the report had to be continuous and free of errors (any correction would make the copies illegible).  Some nights my report was five or six pages long and as I approached the last page, knowing that just one typo would cause me to have to start all over again, my hands would literally tremble above the keyboard.  I would stop, pour my fourth or fifth cup of coffee (which didn’t do much for my nerves), clear my mind and then pray for God to steady my hands and help me complete my report without error.  That calmed me every time.  My prayer life was actually strengthened by the nightly stress of those reports.  By the time I got promoted and reassigned to a position on the day shift as supervisor, I was relying on the Lord for peace and strength in everything I did, not just my reports.

Sports trainers and physical therapists will tell you that to build strength you need resistance.  The more resistance you work out against the stronger you become (up to a point).  We’ve all heard the saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you strong”.  You may have thought, as I have, “If that is true, I should be able to bench press a school bus by now”.

Our spiritual resistance usually comes from our own sinful nature on the inside and from the enemy and his minions on the outside.  Struggling against both of them strengthens our faith muscles and our prayer muscles.  As you know, believers already have the power within us to overcome anything or anyone standing in our way.  Our faith and our prayers release that power allowing us to overcome the enemy and even our own sinful nature.  God really does cause everything to work together for good. (Romans 8:28)  I am so thankful Jesus has made it possible for us to overcome all resistance using it instead as a way to strengthen us.

When I think about how all of the battles in my life have strengthened my faith and my prayer life, it almost makes me want to thank Satan for providing the resistance – ALMOST.   I’ll continue to praise God instead for showing me how to use that opposition for good in my life.