Charley and the Nis

There once was a boy, or so the story is told, who went for a hike in the woods. He came upon a group of youth, about his age, gathered in a circle. “C’mon over,” they invited. Tentatively he walked toward them to notice that each one had a small animal looking thing. It was tiny, furry and friendly, crawling over the one who was obviously its owner, nuzzling and purring. He stepped into the circle. Introductions were exchanged. He stared at the animals until one boy laughed and said, “You’ve never seen one of these before, have you? This is a “nis”. See, on the side of each are the letters, n, i, s. It’s a wonderful pet, easy to care for and it makes you feel incredible. Here, hold one.” With that the boy reached into a box, pulled out a black and white nis and handed it to Charley. It was furry and had a long body. As soon as it touched his hand it crawled up Charley’s arm, on to his shoulders and laid across his neck. “It likes you,” one of the girls in the circle squealed. Indeed, it did, purring and content. Truth was that Charley liked the nis, too. As it laid across his neck it radiated a warmth that started at Charley’s neck, ran down his back and legs, through his arms. Charley felt good, very good. The warmth lulled him into a twilight relaxed state. There was something about this nis,” thought Charley as he sat down to join the others in the circle.

When Charley returned home that night he took the nis with him. Every day it would curl up quietly in a corner until Charley came home and every evening he would spend time with it. He didn’t have to feed it, it found food for itself and it seemed to draw energy from their time together. As the days went by, the nis grew. Soon it stretched from one arm to the other when it lay on Charley’s shoulders. It still sent good shivers through Charley but he could feel the weight growing, not uncomfortable, but certainly noticeable.

One day Charley was so busy that he didn’t spend any time with the nis. The next morning he awoke to find the nis crouched 2 inches from his face, with a purr that sounded much like a wheeze. Strange, thought Charley. He had never heard that sound before. He picked it up, placed it on his shoulders to realize that it wasn’t quite as warm as before. Throughout high school the nis comforted and seemed to help Charley.

As the days moved on, the nis continued to grow. Instead of lying in a corner, it would bother Charley in the morning as he prepared for work, it would greet him at the door when he came home, it would follow him throughout the evening constantly crawling on to Charley’s shoulders whether he wanted it to or not. As the nis grew heavier, it also grew colder. In fact, it seemed to suck energy and warmth out of Charley instead of putting it into him. The nis became ever more demanding. It was staring Charley in the face when he awoke, when he ate, when he read, whenever he did anything. And it seemed to be losing its soft fur and the once alluring purr was sounding more and more like a hiss.

Charley didn’t know how it accomplished such a feat, but one Tuesday he answered the phone at work to hear a hissing calling his name. He thought it was a crank call and was about to hang up when he to recognized that sound. No, it couldn’t be, he thought. He listened. It was, but how? This creature was calling him at work. As he listened he felt the weight of his nis upon his shoulders though it was not there and they sagged. Every day the call would come. Sometimes several times a day. His production decreased, his mood declined, his relationships suffered.

A couple weeks later, having awakened, washed, shaved, and eaten to the stare and hiss of this animal, he headed for the door looking forward to the privacy of his ride to work. In front of the door stood the nis, blocking Charley’s path. Having grown to the size of a Labrador, it was impossible to step over. Charley walked to the back door, but the nis raced to block it. To the side door, the garage door, the same. When Charley tried to push it out of the way, it bit him. Charley was not seriously hurt, but shocked. This was not what he had brought home so many years before. “Just this once I’ll stay home from work with you,” said Charley, thinking perhaps the nis was sick. All day it lay around his neck, sinking him deeply into the couch.

The next day the nis attempted to block Charley’s way. He knew he could not stay home from work so he resignedly placed a leash on it and took it with him to work. Though no one seemed to notice or perhaps care, it was a pain to have the nis at work. It went wherever he did, staring and hissing and weighing him down. Charley’s productivity, already declining from the impact of the phone calls, nose dived with the thing actually at work. Yet he couldn’t get out the door without it. At the end of the week Charley’s boss pulled him aside. “I don’t know what’s going on, son. You used to be such a good worker, but lately, well… If you don’t pick it up, I’m afraid we’ll have to let you go.” So that was it, the nis was going to get Charley fired.

And as for relationships, that was a bigger problem. Charley’s friends had at first thought the nis was cute, but as it grew and began to hiss, they refused to be around it. They feared it and warned Charley it was taking over his house and his life, but he didn’t believe them. Some of Charley’s other friends had their own nises. They, too, had discovered they couldn’t get out of the house without theirs. And his girlfriend had long ago given him an ultimatum. He hadn’t intentionally chosen the nis over his girlfriend. It was just simply that as much as he tried, Charley couldn’t part with it. So alone he was. With his nis.

Even on Sundays, when he went to church, it was there. Charley would try to leave the nis at home, but it would somehow, always go with him. It seemed to especially bother him there. Charley would try to listen to the sermon or lesson or words of encouragement from a friend, but the hiss would get so loud he couldn’t concentrate.

He was thinking about all this, how his life had not gone as he had imagined and how the nis was the source of so many of these problems when he felt the nis on his shoulders and strangely around his neck. When he reached up to his throat, he realized that instead of draped across his shoulders, it was somehow wrapped several times around his neck, getting tighter. Instead of fur he felt scales. He looked to his right, where the head of the nis would always lie purring. It appeared to be changing. Like a strobe light that flashes, one second it would be the nis he always knew and the next second be a creature he had never seen before. Beady eyes, a split tongue flipping in and out of a scaley mouth, and somewhere to his left rattles. Then back again to the soft, warm, furry, black and white pet that he loved and added so much to his life.

“Charley,” hissed the creature. “It’s over. It’s time to take you home.”

“What was happening?” Charley moaned in terror. “The nis is my friend, my companion, my strength. It is so small, so soft, so gentle, so delighting, so invigorating. How could it be changing into something ugly? How could it have taken over my life, my relationships, my work, my everything?”

“Oh, I’ve not changed,” hissed the creature. “You’re seeing what I’ve been all along. Now I am fully in control Its time for me to take you to the other side. Nothing can help you, you are mine!”

“NOOOO!” Charley screamed in confusion. “Someone, anyone help me! Isn’t there anyone who can rescue me?”

At that moment the front door burst open. Calmly an unassuming man, dressed in white, walked in surrounded by a group of people also dressed in white. Gently, but firmly, he said, “Charley, this creature has been ruling your life for a long time and you didn’t even realize it. You’ve been unwilling to see it? Do you realize it now?”

“Yes,” said Charley meekly.

“Charley, I can rescue you, free you from this creature. But more than rescue you, I offer to treat you as a son, provide for you, make your life what you were created to be. Look at these people with me, they are free and you can be like them. Do you want that?”

“Yes,” choked Charley, the pressure increasing around his neck.

“Charley, listen carefully. If I rescue you, you must surrender your life to me forever. No more playing with this or any nis. Are you willing to do so?”

“I guess so.” Charley mumbled, more focused on the nis than the man’s words.

“NO. Charley, look at me. You must make a deliberate choice to serve me. Will you?”

“Yes, but I don’t see how I can do that.” Several of the folks in white walked to Charley, put their arms around him. “We didn’t think we could do it either, but it is possible. Just surrender. And we’ll help you.”

“Charley, one more thing,” continued the man in white. “You must be willing to allow me to destroy this creature.”

Charley balked. He remembered all the times they had together, back in the early days when it was small, and soft, and made Charley feel so good. Maybe it would be that way some day again. Surely it wasn’t as bad as it looked right now. Maybe it was just having a bad day, or maybe it was sick. We could have those good times again, couldn’t we? Charley vacillated even as the nis squeezed tighter and tighter.

“Charley, look at your nis. Hear the rattles. Feel the hiss. It is evil. It does not love you. It has deceived you all these years, waiting to control your life and eventually murder you. There is nothing good in it. It only wants to destroy you, now and forever.”

The man in white waved his hands over Charley’s eyes. As he did, something like rose colored contacts fell from his eyes. Charley looked, saw the nis, really saw it, for the first time saw it. He saw the ugliness, felt its grip around his throat, smelled the stench of its scaly body. As the light of understanding came on, Charley realized that the nis was moments away from killing him.

“Charley, you must hate this thing and surrender yourself to me.”

“I do,” he cried.

“Charley, the nis must die. I know you are unable to kill it. That is why I’m here. I only need your pledge to me and your permission and I will kill it.”

“Yes, yes, I surrender. Save me.”

With those words still hanging in the air, the man in white grabbed the creature with amazing strength and lifted it from Charley’s neck. Oh, the freedom in that moment. Freedom he had not experienced in, well, forever. He felt safe and loved and light hearted and giddy and so many things that he couldn’t describe. What wonder!

In the exhilaration of rescue he had almost forgotten about the man in white. Finally Charley glanced to the right to see the man lifting the snake. For a moment it appeared he would dash it to the ground. Instead, he draped the creature around his own neck. Without resistance the creature wrapped itself around him, choking, squeezing. The man dropped to the floor in agony, yet did not resist. The creature continued to squeeze until there was no more life. Charley was in shock. How could this be? The man was so strong. He saved Charley, he could have saved himself. Fear began to grip him again. With the man dead, surely the creature would return to do the same to him.

Frozen, Charley could only watch. The nis did not move. In fact, it could not. It was as if the murder of the man by the nis had also taken its life. Both lay still.

As he stared at the man and creature in an awful heap, he noticed for the first time in years the letters on the side of the animal. The letters long ago pointed out by the youth in the circle. They were different. From this angle, with the light of understanding, in the freedom granted Charley by the man’s sacrifice he realized that the letters were not “n, i, s”, at all. Rather, they were “s, i, n.” Sin. It was not a nis, but a sin that had lured him, manipulated him, controlled him and nearly destroyed him. The man in white had taken Charley’s sin, wrestled it, and died to set him free.

Still staring, suddenly the man in white sat up, threw off the sin, smiled at Charley. Scars from the attack circled the man’s neck. “Deadly, nasty, horrible creatures, those sins. But not deadly, nasty or horrible enough to destroy the Son of God or those who surrender to Him. Now, let’s experience the life I have for you.” With that He put His arm around Charley’s neck and gently guided him away. When his Savior’s arm touched Charley’s shoulders, a strange thing happened. A warmth radiated into Charley’s neck, across his shoulders, down his arms and legs. But instead of lulling him toward twilight, it filled him with a keen awareness of life and reality. In that moment Charley realized that the warmth of the nis/ sin was a counterfeit of what he was experiencing now.

Every day Charley sees the creatures. Every day Charley hears the whisper of invitation again. Sometimes another type of nis, often the same breed as his. Sometimes the whisper is nearly overwhelming. But when he looks up, into the face of his Savior, the power comes to walk away from the invitation and into the warmth He provides. Much to the anger of the creatures.

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

"Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:34-36 (NIV)

When Heaven Weeps, When Heaven Responds*

A thousand people sit
Looking at the back of the head before them
The building ornate with sculptures
Stained glass all around
Watching as a man in a robe talks
Looking up or looking down
Solemn words in solemn tones
He pronounces a dignified and reverent “Amen”
The crowd of individuals file out
They call that “prayer”
And heaven weeps

A hundred people kneel
Looking at the back of the head before them
The building austere
Windows covered, no one seeing in or out
Watching those around them
All kneel with their foreheads to the ground
On special rugs for this special act
Several times each day
Repeating special words they’ve been taught
By men who are “holy.”
After the final bow, the crowd of individuals file out
They call that “prayer”
And heaven weeps

A community gathering is called
A special need has arisen
Varied people from varied walks of life
The building used for assorted occasions
A woman walks to the music stand
Unfolds a piece of paper at the proper time
Where her name is printed beside the word “invocation”
Asking the group to stand and bow their heads
(it’s the way these things are done here)
She puts words to voice
Far away, very old, very formal
Obvious by what she says
At the end the crowd joins in
Repeating words from the Bible starting with “Our Father”
After the final amen, the crowd of individuals file out
They call that “prayer”
And heaven weeps

A family gathers around a browned bird
Pumpkin pies, cranberries and stuffing
The event of autumn
For family members far and near
Anxious to glutton themselves
But obligated to pause to “give thanks”
Grandfather voices words to One he barely knows
Hesitating not to speak with Him
Pressured by those around the table
Who also have not spoken to Him
Except in emergencies and wants
The stiff words are completed
All say amen and dig in
They call that “prayer”
And heaven weeps.

A young boy misses his dad
Called to defend his family and country
In a place far away
With a name he can’t pronounce
Tears running down his cheeks
Hidden in the darkness
The little one pleads out
“God, if You can see my daddy
From where you’re sitting
Please put your arms around him
Like he does when I’m scared
And make him invincible like Superman.”
From beside him shines a smile
Heaven calls that “prayer” …and responds

A small group of believers
Gather in a small house because they care
One reads from a well worn black book
As if reading a letter from an familiar hand
Another leads in a song sung in several keys
Very little talent, but very deep passion
As if sung in honor of a intimate friend
They pause, speak in turn to that One
In deep conversation that brings
Tears and laughter and peace
From within the circle shines a Smile
Heaven calls that “prayer” …and responds

A runaway truck
A minivan full of family
A country road on a rainy day
A squeal of tires
A cry from front seat and back
“God! help us!”
Heaven calls that “prayer” …and responds

An old man in tattered clothes
Beaten hat, beaten eyes
Softly enters a very old church
When no one is around to look down their nose
He lights a candle, lays coin in a cup, kneels at a rail
Whispers words that only One can hear
Words of desperation, of repentance, of sorrow
He rises to return to his cardboard house
His life changed only on the inside
Meeting eternity tomorrow alone but for the angels unseen
Heaven calls that “prayer” …and responds

A noisy office filled with people going
All directions for all reasons in all hurry
Telephones ringing, copiers copying,
Fax machines faxing, doors banging,
Conversations from every corner
Rats running the human race
At the desk in the back with the worn chair
Beside no windows and free of doors
A man puts his hand on the shoulder of another
Without bowing his head or closing his eyes
In the middle of the cacophony of the race for success
He asks for One beyond all the mess to reach out
Into the life of his friend and fails to say amen
From between the two One smiles
Heaven calls that “prayer” …and responds

Much of what the human race calls “prayers” are simply
Sounds uttered by human tongues without passion
Touching not the One prayer is intended for
Done for the benefit of humans
Out of duty, ritual, tradition and rote
The One is not touched
Power is not moved
Heaven weeps
And earthlings miss their destiny

The words of the sincere who speak out
With intensity, deep need, deep love
Touch the heart of the One who hears
Who loves and answers and
Cares and makes a difference
In lives and eternity
Not because they speak
But because they lean on Him in deep friendship
The One is touched
Power is moved
Heaven is rapturous
And earthlings experience their destiny

Will you?

* This poem was inspired by the poetry and life of Jim Harvey, a poet and a man of prayer.

"He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." Luke 16:15 (NIV)

"We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Cor 5:7 (NIV)

Worthship That is True

You blink and instead of standing in your driveway, you are on a dusty road. Instead of sweater and slacks, a robe. Instead of shoes, sandals. Instead of a briefcase, a palm branch. Hundreds of people are crowding the street you’re on. A cacophony of sound moves toward you from just beyond view. Children squeal, women sing, men shout. Not sure if the mob is mad or happy, you step into the doorway of a building.

The wave of sound moves closer. Conversations, exclamations, hurried calls to “come see” turn into shouts of praise and spontaneous singing. The source of commotion finally comes into view. Seated on a donkey is a man, thirty something, riding slowly through the streets of this primitive city. Men spontaneously design something of a makeshift carpet, laying their outer robes on the roadway before him. Women and children wave palm branches in some type of salute. Ah, the reason for the one in your hand. All join the chorus being repeated, known to everyone except for you, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!"

"Must be the king of the country," you whisper under your breath.

"Not yet," replies the man next to you. "But we hope he soon will not only be king of Israel, but the one who frees us from Roman oppression as well."

You watch as the focus of all the attention rides by. Doesn't look like a king. Seems awfully ordinary, much like the men in the crowd. You marvel at the whole affair. Never in your life have you experienced such emotion from an assembly. It is not only what you hear, but what you can feel. Seems the entire city is shouting, singing, waving branches.

Then He looks at you. Not a passing glance, as one stranger to another. A knowing look as if He has known you forever. And you Him. Drawing your heart toward His as time stands still. Ordinary on the outside, but extraordinary in that look. You now grasp the reason for the excitement, He is more than a man.

You feel the power in the crowd. Surely they will crown him king whether the city fathers like it or not. The air is magnetic, pulling you into the momentousness of it all. Even you, a stranger from another time and place, can see the rightness of the parade. You wave the branch and shout the praise.

Palm Sunday. Surely, of all the days that ever were, that was a day of true worship. A day when Jesus received the praise and honor that was long overdue him. When God was recognized as God. We even call it, "THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY." But was it true worship? Things are not always as they appear.

Fast-forward a few days. Same city, but the powerful intensity of the throngs has changed from “love” to “anger”. Instead of praise for His life the crowds shout for Jesus' death. The one they claimed as king, they refuse to allow to be released. The one they exalted, they mock as He is beaten. The one they believed would free them, they demand be bound and confined. The one they sang to, the murder on a cross. Had so much changed? Had Jesus done something that removed His deserving praise? That made Him deserve death?

The problem was not in the divinity of Jesus, but in the expectations of the people on that Palm Sunday. They were praising him, worshipping him, honoring him because they thought he would give them what they wanted. For hundreds of years the Roman Empire had cruelly occupied Israel and now the Israelites desperately wanted freedom. THAT'S what they expected Jesus to give them. He didn't. Though He could have easily done so, He blatantly refused. And, boy did it make the people mad. They turned their backs on Him. Their leaders killed Him. Their desires blinded them from truth… and what they needed most.

In missing Jesus, they missed what they longed for most. They exchanged God’s greatest offer to pursue an invention of their own imaginations.

Ever been there with God? We praise Him, honor Him, sing to Him, profess to give our undying loyalty to Him. Why? Because He deserves it? We’d like to believe that, but too many times it is not true. We do offer worship because we believe that God will give us what we want if we will “praise” Him. WHAT ARE WE THINKING? Same thing the crowds were thinking so many years ago. Human nature doesn’t change.

So it goes…"Oh, God, save me from this mess and I’ll serve you forever!” Or “heal me, correct my mistakes, let me pass this course, or (fill in the blank) and I'll give You first place for the rest of my life!" That's not worship, that's called, "Let's make a deal." Then when God doesn't do what we want because He knows it is not best, we bail out on Him just like the Israelites. Worship is not a way to get what we want from God.

True worship is giving “worthship”, honoring God because He is God. Period. No strings attached. It is making God #1 in our lives, everything we do and say. One form is singing, praying and studying the Bible with others on the weekend. But it is far from confined to that. Bugs me that there is a genre of music called “praise and worship.” Every kind of music by a Christian should honor God as God. Should be worship.

True worship is “worthship,” recognizing that because God is God we must give Him complete control of our lives. No deals, no if-thens, no requiring God to hold up His end of some contract we manufacture and He never signed. It is loyalty to God no matter what. Had the Israelites worshipped Jesus that way, they would have turned the city upside down with praise on Easter Sunday when God did the work He intended all along that was best for all. But NOOOO, they bailed when things didn’t turn out their way. And lost the greatest moment of all.

One of the best pictures of true praise comes from an unlikely source, Job. Not job, as in where you work. Job, you know, the guy famous for all his problems, like “the trials of Job.” Well, he ought to be famous for more than his troubles. We ought to recognize him for his worship. Listen to his words…

"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;" Job 13:15a (NIV)

THAT is true worthship. In the middle of the trash heap of life, when there was nothing else that could go wrong, Job still honors God as God. He expresses his total loyalty to God and then backs it up with his life. Whoa! Would we do that?

That is the question I’d like you to ponder as you approach your Palm Sunday this week. Worship well, sing praises, do church with your church. But as you do ponder…as people look at our lives, is there a fluorescent arrow pointing them to God? Do they see “worthship?”

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." Hebrews 13:16 (NRSV)

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." Romans 14:19 (NIV)

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

What Will You Leave Behind?

“Stick your fist into a bucket of water, pull it out and look to see the hole that is left,” Vern said to us. “Next time you begin to think you are irreplaceable remember that is about what you leave behind.”

A good lesson, I thought at the time. Probably true in organizations. A good way to stay humble, to maintain some perspective.

Problem is that it doesn’t translate well, not in friendships. Especially the deep ones. Those heart to heart relationships that have been formed over years of laughing, crying, working, learning, talking, encouraging, praying, confessing, arguing, forgiving, verbally jousting, putting down, building up and just being together. Those friendships welded together in transparency, being vulnerable enough to let yourselves into each other’s souls. Those friendships that you carry with you even when the other is not physically there. Those friendships that cause you to ask, “I wonder what Jim would do in this situation?” Those friendships that can be picked up right where you left them after being apart for a month or a year. Those friendships that are not deteriorated by living on opposite sides of the country.

Those are the friendships that leave a hole. Those people stick their hands into the bucket of your heart and when they pull out the water never, ever, ever fills it again.

I know. Last month I lost one of the best friends I will ever have when Jim Harvey died of a heart attack. He was a “closer than a brother” brother, my confidant, my mentor, my priest, my prayer partner, the other soldier in my foxhole. I have many, many other friends, but a very few times in life does one come along who shares the same heart and soul in nearly every way.

Frankly, I’m ticked. He was only 54 years old. I’d assumed we had at least another 15 years together. We were discussing ways to do some ministry together. We were dreaming together. We had plans to be together in Colorado in May. The day before he died I’d made a mental note to call Jim to get together a day early to hike. Boy, did he ruin that! The last time he turned me down on a hiking offer was because he and Betsy had just gotten married. I can cut him slack for that, but not this one. I WANT that hike with him in May, doggone it! Not for the hike, but for the incredible value he always added to my life.

I’m also a bit jealous. Like one of my kids… “Why does HE get to enjoy heaven and we have to stay here and fight the battles? That’s NOT FAIR!”

Jim’s death has caused me to feel exposed. Like a platoon of soldiers who depended on the point man to lead the way forward and alert them to danger, I depended on Jim. Now that he’s gone, I feel unprotected. You can’t believe how many times I find myself thinking, “I’ll call Jim and ask him about… I’ll call Jim and ask him to pray about that… ” only to realize he’s not there.

I’m not alone. Jim touched so many lives along the trail that the tally will only be revealed in heaven.

Along with the sadness, Jim’s death thrust upon us the reality of our mortality. I’m one of the old guys now. How did that happen? I’m closer to the front of the platoon and must shoulder the responsibility of leading and protecting.

I’m not sure of the theology of this, but I wonder if God didn’t take Jim so he could pray for us from heaven. The Bible says that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, constantly interceding for us. Perhaps, (forgive me if I’m completely off base here), but just perhaps, Jim is doing the same.

The loss also challenges me. What will I leave behind when it’s my time to ride the Harley into the sunset? I’m going to leave a hole. So are you. Question is what kind, how big and for how many? Would you commit along with me to live so that the hole is huge? Not because of who we are, but because we allow Christ in us to touch everyone along our appointed trail.

Betsy recalls words Jim spoke often to others who lost a loved one, “It will never be the same, but it will be good again.” We can take comfort from those words. As usual, one more time, Jim’s wisdom provides just what we need, at just the time we need it.

Jim showed us…

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness" Titus 2:7 (NIV)

How Jim would encourage us…

"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34 (NIV)

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NIV)

But You Promised Security!

We are living in times of incredible insecurity. The war, the economy, the terrorist threats. What in the world shall we do?

Truth is all times are times of incredible insecurity. Just ask the mom and dad who lost a child, the woman who lost her job, the man who lost his pension, the teen who lost his friends at school, who is surrounded by profanity and violence, the lady who lost her health, the grown children who watched their once strong dad lose his memory. There are no warranties on life – what seems to be secure today can be ripped from us in the next moment.

In times of incredible insecurity, what in the world shall we do?

Searching for security in this world is like trying to climb to the top of a tree. Using toilet paper. Go ahead, try it. Get that Charmin and scramble up the old oak tree in the back yard. It will may look good, even have nice flower prints and stamped in patterns on it. Problem is, it won’t work. The first tug and it’s shreds. You could even use multiple layers of the stuff to make it stronger. Still won’t work. No matter how hard or long or effectively you try, you’re not going to make it to the first branch, let alone the top. The soft, gentle replacement for Sears catalogues was never meant to provide a means to go upward.

Try climbing up and grabbing security in your todays and tomorrows. Go ahead, grab the promises of the culture that pledge to provide safety. Some might look good, even have bells and whistles. Might even appear to work for a while. But they won’t really. Everything in this world was never meant to provide security. So why do we keep trying? Mostly because it’s what everyone else does and what seems the thing to do. It even feels like we have security sometimes.

Problem is that it is a fake, pseudo security – a false sense that lulls us into believing that we are secure until some loss (child, parent, job, pension, friends, health, memory) blasts our pseudo security to bits. Then, for a while, we realize the insecurity of life and live differently. For a while. Eventually we PICK UP THOSE BITS of water soluble tissue paper, glue them back together, pretend they’re perfect and live in false security again. Why? To keep ourselves from going CRAZY! (Sorry, didn’t mean to yell.) Unless we have something to cling to for security, we will dive into the emotional tank. So we choose something rather than nothing, ignoring the only true source of security. Yet in those quiet moments of complete frankness, when we are honest with our hearts, we realize we are lying to ourselves to avoid the intense feelings of uncertainty

Stephen lived in a time of incredible insecurity. Threats of attack, loss of jobs, financial markets in turmoil, morals at an all time low. Sound hauntingly familiar? Yet he discovered complete security. No toilet paper tree climbing for this boy. Steve was part of the First Jerusalem community church and had been occupied with the presence of the Holy Spirit. He took to serving others in the controversial ministry of Gentile/Jewish food distribution. The man astoundingly lived with confident security in the midst of the same opposition that killed Jesus. Though Steve experienced fear, fear didn’t matter because his security was in Christ. Somehow he struck up a conversation with the local religious leaders. The crowd grew until he found himself in the middle of a full blown debate with the chief reigiosos of the city. Boldly, he told the truth, offending the authorities. Being religious examples, they maturely handled the disagreement by dragging Steve out of the city and rocking him with real, very hard rocks. His confident security never wavered. Just before he died, his face shone and he saw Jesus at the right hand of the Father. More rocks and Stephen was eternally secure in the arms of Jesus.

Where does real, lasting, solid, heavy-duty rope, security come from? Through Jesus, revealed and embraced in our lives, while we are living smack dab in the middle of a world that is upside down. It does not come from the removal from circumstances that can drive insecurity right through our hearts, but it comes while we are in the tornado of those circumstances.

Of course that doesn’t make any sense to most of the world. We often hold on to that which we can see, even if it is as frail as toilet paper, rather than depend on that which we cannot see, even if it is the Strength of the Universe. Instead we gather possessions, grab at positions, grasp for relationships to provide us with security. They all end up looking like Charmin. Usually when we’re lying flat on our back, staring up at the tree we tried to climb with a handful of toilet paper in our grasp. WHAT ARE WE THINKING? Nothing lasts but Jesus.

The more we look for security in the world, the farther we drift from God. The farther we get from God, the more we look for security in this world. What a vicious circle.

Now, I’m going to guess that you’re living in the same world I am. Just a guess. It is an incredibly insecure place. It’s not going to get better. When it appears to do so, remember it is a temporary reprieve from insecurity, not security itself. What in the world shall we do?

The life of confident security comes as we let go of our death grip on this world and climb into the arms of our loving, security-giving, Heavenly Father. It is not complicated, but it is hard. And worth it. Like Stephen, we can experience security in a very insecure world. Will you?

Open your hand, let go of all you’re depending on for security and fall into the arms of God. Right now. C’mon, you can do it. Makes a whole lot more sense than clinging to the Charmin.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." Matthew 16:24-27 (NIV)

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him," Nahum 1:7 (NIV)

""Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."" John 14:1-4 (NIV)

Hold On To Your Valuables

“What time is it?” I asked with enthusiasm.

The children responded, “KID’S TIME!”, ran to the front of the worship area and slid to a stop at my feet.

Yes, it was Kid’s Time at New Song Church. The kids never know what the topic will be. Neither do the adults, but I’m suspicious that they look forward to the 5 minute story more than the sermon. “I wonder what’s in my brown bag today?” I asked.

On this day, I pulled out coins. “Does anyone know what this is?”

With a hungry smile, all replied, “Money!”

“Would you like one?”

“YES!” the group of greedy misers replied. I gave each child a quarter and told them to hold it tightly in their hands.

“What’s it worth?” I asked holding up a shiny George Washington.

“Twenty-five cents.”

“What can you buy with it?”

The older and wiser children wrinkled their noses as one said, “Not much. Maybe a piece of candy or gum.”

“I have something else in my bag.” I reached into the bag and pulled out my fist. “Would anyone be willing to give me their quarter for what I have in my hand?”

Blank stares. Can you believe they don’t trust their pastor? I could see the wheels turning in their little brains, puzzlement on their faces, dilemna in their eyes. “Should I? Shouldn’t I? What if he has nothing in his hand? What if he has something really good in his hand? What if someone else trades him before I can decide and it’s really good? What if I trade him first and it is a dead worm and everybody laughs at me? But Pastor Herb wouldn’t give me a worm, would he? But he has had some strange things in that bag before.”

Finally, Hailey the gambler, chirped, “I will!” I held out my hand, she placed the quarter in it. She held out her hand, I placed a $2 bill in it.

Suddenly, in unison, with no further encouragement, a cacophany of voices rang out, “I’ll trade! I’ll trade! I’ll trade!” I smiled.

“Why?” I asked. “What makes it better?”

“The $2 bill is worth 8 times what a quarter is worth,” one quick thinking boy answered.

“Then why wouldn’t you trade before?”

“We didn’t know what you had.”

Lesson 1. That is exactly what God says to us, is it not? “Give me what you have and I’ll give you what I have.” Hailey was willing to take a risk because she trusted me, even though she couldn’t see what was clenched in my fist.

“Do you still want to trade?”

“YES!” nearly every voice cried. I pulled out an envelope of $2 bills and traded with each child as they stood to go to class. Except for one. Sarah came close to me. With a bit of a worried look, she quietly stated and asked at the same time, not knowing if it would be okay, but hoping it would, “I’m going to keep my quarter and put it in the bank at my grandma’s.”

A voice from my right, “Sarah, take the $2! Make the trade.” Her mother.

“Are you sure you don’t want to trade?” I asked.

Shaking her head yes, as if that would convince me to let her keep it, “I want to keep my quarter and put it in my bank at my grandma’s.”

A voice from my left, “Sarah, take the money. Give him the quarter and take the money.” Her grandpa.

This was getting good. I was going to split a family right here in the middle of worship. A new experience even for me. As she held tightly to her coin the treasure she so wanted to put in the bank at her grandma’s, I saw confusion begin to creep across her face. She was hearing the voices of her greedy grandpa and her money seeking mother telling her to make a trade she did not want to make. Her heart valued a shiny, silver coin much more than a dull-green piece of paper, but those she depended on were calling out to her. She looked to me, her trusted, friendly, helpful pastor for direction.

Before she could give into those voices and make a trade she didn’t want to make, a trade she would later regret, a trade that just might bring a flood of tears, I encouraged her. “Sure, Sarah, you can keep that quarter and put it in your bank.”

Relief. Satisfaction. A smile as she skipped off to class. Bewilderment, frustration, pity on the faces of her mom, dad, and grandparents. Shaking their heads as we began the next song. Sure she could have bought more with the paper, but that was not what this was about for Sarah. Value, as well as beauty, is very often in eye of the beholder.

Lesson 2. Sometimes the voices around us don’t know what is of greatest value to us. But God does.

A couple questions…

Are you holding on to the quarters of life, when God is offering so much more? Do you trust Him enough to trade what you can see, touch and taste for what you can’t? When He asks you to give up everything for Him, does He really have something better?

To whom are you listening to tell you what is of most value? Voices coming from your left and right, or the voice of the Great Giver Himself? How easily are you swayed or do you cling to the treasure that is only in Christ?

Questions about ultimate value. Hope you’ll answer them today. Before it’s too late

Boldness and Blessings,

Herb

"He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." Luke 16:15 (NIV)

"We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Cor 5:7 (NIV)

Living Free in 2003

I can’t believe it. It was there, I turned around and now it’s gone. People tell me it didn’t evaporate, but it sure feels like it. They tell me I can’t ever get it back but that I can get a new one if I’ll just wait.

It’s not as if this is the first time this has happened. Seems like it happens all the time. It’s just that it is happening more often these days.

Other people tell me they lose them, too. And that there is nothing we can do to stop it from happening more and more. In fact, those that are older say it happens more quickly to them. That is if they can remember it.

I’ve had a bunch of them – all of which are gone now. Some of them I used, some I wasted, most were a combination of the two. I really want to cherish the next one, the one that people tell me is coming.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HERB TALKING ABOUT? The past year. Is the description above true for you? The older I get, the faster it appears to go. When I was six it felt like forever between birthdays and Christmas days. Now I ignore birthdays. I have been in a holding pattern at 29 for some time. It’s getting harder to hold on to that now that Andrew is 20. Hey, I was a very young groom! Christmas feels like it repeats every couple months. And it feels like someone inserted an extra Sunday into every week. What in the world is going on?

Days are not getting shorter, hours are not moving faster. It is simply that the older we get, a year is a smaller percentage of our total existence. When I was six, a year was about a quarter of the life I could remember. At, ahem, 29, (or 45) a year is a very small slice. I’m not losing my mind; it just seems so much shorter.

“Well, Herb,” you’re thinking, “that is some of the least helpful information I’ve heard.” Hang on. Since there is nothing we can do to make the next year feel longer, we must live it with intentionality to prevent it from slipping through our fingers. Again. To live the coming year with hope and confidence. Let me make some suggestions.

We must intentionally pay attention to DIVINE ENCOUNTERS. Did you know that God is the God of divine encounters – those times when He invades our lives with His Presence and work? God reached into the magi’s circumstances to point them to Jesus. We don’t know how He did it and it doesn’t matter. The point is not the how but the fact. And it changed their lives.
You might think that God reaches into others’ lives, but not yours. Wrong! To say that is to call God a liar. The Bible says that God reaches into each person’s life every day. Most come in the routine, in small ways that might go unnoticed. A call, card or word from a person that brings encouragement. An “aha” moment of direction at just the right moment. A song that touches your soul and connects you to God. Just pay attention; God is intersecting your life all the time. He is the God of divine encounters.

We must intentionally accept God’s SECOND CHANCES. Did you know that God is the God of second chances – reaching into our lives to pick us up, forgive us, brush us off and offer another shot? What were the magi thinking when they went to Herod? They had followed the star for some 2 years, and then when they got close they followed common sense. A king will be born in a palace, right? We would never do that, would we? Of course. We do it all the time. But instead of getting tired of us and taking us out, God offers us second chances.

The Bible is full of people who didn’t deserve even one second chance, but who received a barrel full of them. Your church if full of the same kind of people. So’s your family. In fact, if you look in the mirror you’ll see someone to whom God wants to give second chances in 2003. Trust me, you’ll need them.

The devil tries to paralyze us by convincing us that our failure removes us from God and the work He wants to do through us. But God is the God of second chances.

We must intentionally seize NEW OPPORTUNITIES. Did you know that God is the God of new opportunities – opening doors to serve Him and others in ways that bring meaning to our lives? After the magi left Herod, followed the star to Jesus, worshipped Him and presented their gifts, God gave them a new opportunity to serve by covertly leaving the area instead of returning to tell Herod of Jesus’ location.

December 31 and January 1 are days to think about new opportunities. The world calls them New Year’s resolutions. God calls them new opportunities. What do they look like? Serving and giving in ways that brings meaning to life. Opportunities to grow, to step out in faith, to serve, to sacrifice, to share good news, to suffer, to be a friend, to care, to help, to use what God has given for a purpose higher than ourselves. It’s not about us, but about God and much bigger than us. And when we seize an opportunity our obedience provides another one. They build on one another and are oh, so satisfying. God is the God of new opportunities.

2003 is on its way and 2002 is on its way out. Before you know it, 2003 will be over. Here’s how we can make it a year to remember. Every day look for divine encounters, second chances and new opportunities. When we sight them, let’s write them down and tell a friend about them. Simple, easy, powerful.

Maybe I won’t lose this one.

"Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."" John 5:17 (NIV)

"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. " Rev 3:8a (NIV)

Experiencing Christmas

It was a typical elementary school “Winter” pageant. Parents were in the cafeteria with video recorders and cameras, ready to capture the timeless moment for posterity. (We veterans can tell the first time parents by their “this is the most important moment” attitude. I smile and think, “I was never like that.” Well, okay, maybe I was.)

Each class entered the cafeteria with their teacher, sat down cross-legged on the floor and waited for their turn to shine. Long ago the Christmas theme had been replaced by songs of reindeer, snow, the big guy in the red suit, good wishes and holiday greetings. Not much else was expected by those in the audience. It was a surprise, then, when the kindergarten class took the stage to sing, “Christmas Love.” The students were dressed in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters and bright caps. Thirteen of them stood on center stage preparing to hold up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class sang, “C is for Christmas” a child was to hold up the letter C. Then “H is for happy,” and on and on until each child holding his letter would spell out the complete message, “Christmas Love.”

The performance was going according to plan until the small, quiet girl in charge of the M proudly held up her letter upside down, a W. The children in the audience responded like typical 1st through 6th graders, snickering at the little one’s mistake. Fortunately, she, oblivious to the laughing, proudly held up her W. Though the teachers tried to “shush” the children, the giggling continued until the last letter was raised.

Members of the audience, the adults and many of the children, saw it at the same time. A hush rippled over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that moment they understood the reason they were gathered, the reason why they celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the hectic hurry there was a great purpose for the festivities. For when the last letter was raised, the message the class proclaimed loud and clear read:

CHRIST WAS LOVE! He still is, and that is the meaning of Christmas.

Since most would agree, why do we miss it far too often each Christmas season? It is one thing to recognize the truth, it is a far different thing to EXPERIENCE it. We get caught up in “stuff” that causes us to miss the hugeness of the love of Christ. Why? Because we don’t connect with the depth of God’s love represented by December 25th. So how can we? I’m glad you asked.

The love of God expressed at Christmas must be possessed by accepting God’s UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. We live in a world where love and acceptance are contingent on our performance. Do a good job at work and we’re accepted into the “club.” Be a good child and we’re accepted by our parents. Play well and we’re accepted on the team. Even in religion we’re conditioned to believe that if we do the do’s and don’t do the don’ts then God will accept us and love us.

To experience Christmas we must accept God’s acceptance of us just as we are. Jesus did not wait until we were good enough before He came to earth. The prodigal son’s father did not wait until he cleaned up his life to fly down the lane at breakneck speed to engulf his son in embrace. The father only waited until the son turned toward him. However, the unconditional acceptance is not experienced until it is received. Then how the love flows!!!

The love of God expressed at Christmas must be possessed by deriving our SIGNIFICANCE from God. We live in a world that convinces us that significance comes through what we accomplish, what we possess, what positions we hold, what power we wield or who we know. That is why the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is so loved. We are created with a need for significance yet feel so insignificant because we are so ordinary. We’ve had dreams, just like George Bailey, that we believed would make us happy, prosperous and noticed. Most of us never realize those dreams and believe our lives haven’t mattered.

Experiencing Christmas comes from deriving our significance in our relationship with God. We matter so much to God that He sent His only Son to forgive us and have a relationship with Him. It’s about the relationship. Period. No matter how much we think we’ve done or failed to do. Receiving our significance through the relationship allows the love to flow!!!

The love of God expressed at Christmas must be possessed by gaining our SECURITY from God. Our world has been rocked since February 2000. The stock market has plummeted, the economy has tailspinned, the terrorist attacks filled us with fear, and every year we lose people we cared about. By all natural appearances we should feel insecure. Unless our security comes from Someone beyond this world.

We seek security in our nation, our jobs, our relationships, our money, and so many other things. However true security comes in only one flavor. GOD.

Experiencing Christmas comes from gaining our security in trusting God. God has promised that nothing can touch us in the ways that really matter if we place our whole weight on Him. Even when we cannot see what God is up to. Receiving our security through trust in Him causes the love of God to flow!!!

God created us with the needs for unconditional acceptance, significance and security. We all strive to get those needs met. In many, many ways. In many, many places. Through many, many things. But the only way for them to truly be experienced is in God through Jesus.
The Father sent Jesus that first Christmas to invite us to experience Him and all He provides. That can only be experienced by intentionally receiving Him. Will you accept all that this Christmas? You will not regret it.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." -- Mark 10:15-16

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." -- Jeremiah 31:3

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -- Matthew 6:26-31-34

Crabby or Thankful?

There once was a man who lived in a $5 million house. But he was not happy. (Hard to believe, huh?) He COMPLAINED that the swimming pool wasn't the shape he liked, the chandeliers did not have the right reflections and the 3 kitchens were not laid out correctly. A friend who owned a $1million house could not believe it. He thought to himself, "If I lived in this house I would never COMPLAIN. I would have everything I ever wanted."

The man in the $1 million house went home, looked around and started COMPLAINING about his house. A friend stopped by who lived in a $ ½ million house and couldn't believe his ears. He thought to himself, "If I lived in this house I would never COMPLAIN. I would have everything I ever wanted."

The man in the $ ½ million house went home, looked around and started COMPLAINING. Why couldn't he live in a nicer house? A friend who lived in a $100,000 house happened to overhear. Astonished, he thought to himself, "If I lived in this house I would never COMPLAIN. I would have everything I ever wanted."

That man went home to his $100,000 house, looked around and began to COMPLAIN. Why couldn't he have it as good as his friend? A coworker who lived in a $50,000 home dropped in and heard the whining. Amazed, he thought to himself, "If I lived in this house I would never COMPLAIN. I would have everything I ever wanted."

On his way home he began to focus on all that he didn't have because he lived in a $50,000 home. As he stopped at the grocery store, he began to COMPLAIN to the man bagging groceries who lived in a $10,000 home. The worker was bewildered and thought to himself, "If I lived in his house I would never COMPLAIN. I would have everything I ever wanted."

The man bagging groceries started thinking. As he did he became dissatisfied with his $10,000 house. He grumbled to himself and to those buying groceries. A man counting out change, hoping there was enough to buy milk for his children, overheard. Perplexed, he thought to himself, "I live in an apartment! If I had any kind of house I would never COMPLAIN. I would have everything I ever wanted."

And the man started to COMPLAIN about the difficulty of living in an apartment and having just enough to scrape by. If the millions of people around the world who wake up every morning wondering if they will have any food to eat that day could speak to the man in the apartment, they would say, "If we had what you have we would never COMPLAIN. If we had a little food, a place to live and safety we would have everything we ever wanted."

Are you crabby or thankful? A COMPLAINING spirit comes from looking at what we don't have, at our problems, at others and at this world. A thankful spirit comes from looking at what we have been given, at God who is bigger than any problem, at ourselves and at the next world with all that God promises.

You may be thinking, "Herb. It's no big deal. COMPLAINING is a part of the Western Civilization Way. We just COMPLAIN when things go wrong or there's something we don't like." NOOOOO! It is serious. COMPLAINING is a HUGE sin and separates us from God.

COMPLAINING is actually spitting in the face of God

COMPLAINING is unbelief, not trusting that God will take care of us. (Lots of Israelites died because they COMPLAINED to God after He had done so many miracles on their behalf).

COMPLAINING is an ironic activity. By COMPLAINING we eliminate the possibility of enjoying what we have. By being grateful we open up untold vistas of enjoying what we do have.

COMPLAINING focuses us on that which is trivial in the scheme of the truly important.

DID YOU KNOW? At one point during the second winter in America, the pilgrims' daily ration of food was FIVE KERNALS OF CORN a day? Can you imagine? The records show no COMPLAINING but only gratitude and seeking God. Soon after God provided a ship from England. I wonder if the ship would have arrived if the pilgrims had chosen to COMPLAIN rather than be thankful.

You too have a choice during this Thanksgiving and Christmas season: be crabby or thankful. Like Bart Simpson, that great theologian, you can say, "Since we paid for all this ourselves, thanks for nothing!" Or you can consistently thank God for all that you have and have been promised.

Here's a suggestion to use sometime in the next month to foster gratitude. Place 5 kernels of corn or candy corn or beans or some other type of food on each person's plate at a meal. Ask each person to share what he is thankful for and eat one piece of corn. Go around the table five times until the food on the plates is gone. Join hands and thank God together for all He is and has done and promises to do. In the future, every time you start to whine, take it as a signal to express gratitude to God.

And then you will be a lot more pleasant and fun to be around. Just ask your friends.

"Do EVERYTHING without COMPLAINING or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe" Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Sense or Nonsense

I believe there is a conspiracy at our house. Against me.

Each one of our children has been introduced to foreign languages in seventh grade. A couple weeks of French, of German, and of Spanish. In eighth grade they choose one of those languages full-time. Sheila took German in high school and has been secretly lobbying each of the kids from birth to follow in her footsteps. I took Greek in college, but unfortunately, the school doesn't offer that. I took French in high school and thought that would be nice. (I can still recite the poem, "The Ant and the Grasshopper." I have NO IDEA what I'm saying but my French teacher was bound and determined we would leave her class with something.)

Amber is now in eighth grade and taking, you guessed it, German. She reports to us at the supper table of the words she is learning. Sheila asks her questions about other words and phrases in German. And I have NO IDEA what they are talking about. They could be calling me an ugly dog and I'd take it as a compliment! (Maybe it WOULD be a compliment?!) I decided to fight back. "I'll show them," I thought. "I'll talk in German, too."

So one night as I was hugging Amber and Chadd goodnight, I said, "Gutten Noggin." "Good-night is 'Gutten Nacht,’" said my wife. "Gutten Nac-HT!" said I. Sheila just shook her head.

The next night… "Gutten Noggin, Chadd." Patiently my wife corrected me. "Gutten Nacht." "Gutten Nac-HT," I repeated. This went on night after night, Sheila getting more and more irritated. She wasn't sure if I was simply a slow learner (she's not the first) or if I was doing it intentionally. After a couple of weeks, in frustration she said firmly and boisterously, "It is Gutten Nacht! If you're going to say it, SAY IT RIGHT! There is no such word as Gutten Noggin!" "There is now," said I. Hey, there was no word, "ain't" in the dictionary when I was growing up, but there is now. I figure if they can add a word, so can I.

So every night as I hug my kids goodnight, I glance over at my lovely wife with a mischievous smile. She gives me another look that communicates, "Don't do it." But I can't resist. "Gutten Noggin, my children." "It is not Gutten Noggin! Oh, never mind," say she.

I've been thinking about going into Amber's German class to tell them about my new word. But I'm afraid. You see if I go into her class, I’m certain I would feel out of place. No, not because I'm so tall. I've gotten used to being around short teenagers. Because I wouldn't have a clue what they are talking about. The teacher would be speaking in German. The students would be responding in German. They could be calling me an ugly dog, I'd respond with the only German I know, "Gutten Noggin," and they'd all laugh at me. And you know how easily I am embarrassed. It would sound like nonsense to me.

Would it really be nonsense? No. It would simply be a language I don't understand. It would make perfect sense to those who understand the language, but gibberish to me.

When it appears that life doesn't make sense, is it really nonsense? Or are things operating in a language I don't understand? It feels like gibberish, but maybe, just maybe it is a language that I’m still striving to learn – the language of heaven.

More importantly, when it appears that God is not making sense, is it really nonsense? Or is he operating in a language we don't understand? Is it possible when it appears that our prayers aren't answered, that life is unfair, that we don't get what we deserve, that God is far away… that it is because God has a language that we can't understand? Could it be that in those times we need to trust God and do as He instructs because we will never fully understand the language and ways of heaven until we get there? Oh, we can learn some of the words and phrases. Enough to get us by. But the depths will not be understood until we arrive on the other side.

It may seem like nonsense to us, but in heaven it makes more perfect sense than we could ever dream. And if God tried to tell us, to explain things to us, we'd blow a gasket anyway.

Are you facing something that doesn’t make sense? Figure it out if you can, but if you can't, trust God that there is no nonsense when He is in charge. It’s just too big for us right now. But someday…

Gutten Noggin, my friends.

""For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

Some Things Have Changed, Most Things Have Not

At the risk of sounding like an unpatriotic scrooge, here are some thoughts as we remember the tragedy America experienced one year ago.

It is a time to reflect. As we did a year ago, we should stop to gain perspective on what is important, thank God for all He has given us, and adjust our lives to live for what matters.

It is a time to pray for those who continue to suffer. The tragedy brought irreparable damage to many, many lives and families. We must not forget them.

It is a time to remember those who acted sacrificially in service to others. We should applaud those who have acted as heroes during and after the tragedies. Those are people to thank and remember.

It is a time to praise God for all the good that has risen out of tragedy. We should celebrate the stories coming out of New York of people who have sincerely turned to God. God wants to use all things to pull people to Himself.

BUT…

Some things have changed in the past year. Many things have not.

Though there was an initial increase in church attendance, the initial flood of people to churches in most of the country has long subsided. Human nature is to turn to God when threatened and neglect Him when the fear is gone. Who would have imagined anyone wanting to take the words “under God” out of the pledge of allegiance on September 12? Our society, by and large, is back to its old self-centeredness one year later. We want God on our terms, a heavenly sugar daddy instead of the holy God of the universe. God will only be in our lives on His terms. Sorry. Actually, no I’m not. He’s GOD! A very, very good God to those who love Him on His terms.

The messages God gave me on September 13, 2001 are still true. Why is the country stopping to remember those killed in the terrorist attack? May I propose that it is not so much because people died, but that we all feel violated by an outside attack? Because it affected us personally? Because it was so tragic? Because so many died so senselessly and suddenly? Because the planes exploded in places that we had visited? Because of the horrific nature and the vulnerability we all felt? Yes, yes and yes.

But wait. Almost a million and a half babies were killed last year. People in the US murdered one another to the tune of 15,500 people in 2000. Over 2,400,000 people died in the United States in 2000. Read that figure again – 2.4 MILLION. That figures out to about 6,500 people every day. Over twice the number of people killed in the attacks. Many of them are dying heroically – firemen and policemen and emergency workers and ordinary people acting in extraordinary ways. Where is the memorial for them? What about those “ordinary” people who day after day are good moms, dads, neighbors, co-workers, and friends?

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not minimizing what happened a year ago – just trying to put it into perspective. Truth is, Todd Beamer was a hero long before September 11 because, by all accounts, he was a Christian being a good dad, husband, neighbor and friend. That is a hero. So were many of the other folks who died. Some of the other folks were victims, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

God also told me, “There is something worse than dying – that is dying without a personal relationship with God and going to hell.” That is still true. I sense the urgency even stronger than a year ago. Those who went to heaven received the goal of this life, an eternity far beyond our wildest imagination. Even though the folks they left behind have a gaping hole in their lives, September 11 for those Christians was a magnificent, glorious, wondrous coronation day. That is not a tragedy, but a triumph that God desires for everyone. If Todd Beamer could return, oh, the wonders he would tell.

Those who died without a personal relationship with God through Jesus lost more than their lives; they landed in an eternity far worse than the most horrific pain of the burning building. Not everyone goes to heaven, only those who place their lives into God’s hands through Jesus. Dying was not the worst thing for those people – it was the beginning of the worst thing. Hell. Forever.

Life is preparation for eternity. If we have the relationship with Christ here, it is perfected in Heaven. If we refuse it, we lose everything in Hell with no second chances.

Perhaps part of what we felt and revisit today is the facing of our own mortality. I hope so. Life is short. Just ask any of the families of those who died. Life is too short to make the things that don’t matter into huge issues. SO STOP THAT!! Let God put things into perspective by turning to Him and trusting Him with your whole life. Then when death comes, it will be OK because it will be coronation day for you. It will more than OK, it will be tremendous, the culmination of all that we long for. It will be the best day of our lives. Really.

Please take some time to read and meditate on the following scriptures and spend some time in reflection on your life and your future.

""For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17 (NIV)

""Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."" Revelation 21:3-8 (NIV)

""There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'" Luke 16:19-26 (NIV)

What Did We Expect?

The world is shocked, appalled, devastated, surprised, disappointed by the many discoveries of corporate fraud motivated by greed. But what did we expect?

The older generation looks at the lack of morals and values by so many in the younger generation and wonders what the world will be in a couple of decades. But what did we expect?

Those who enjoy sports cannot believe that millionaires who get to play baseball for a living would even consider going on strike. But what did we expect?

The entertainment industry is constantly pushing the envelope on what is allowable in TV, movies and music until it appears most is unfit for human consumption. But what did we expect?

And those of us who are striving to present the message of hope and love in Christ struggle to find many who are interested in the depths of what God offers. But what did we expect?

A society that has no sense of absolutes is bound to experience the harvest of that lack. Harvesting is that way. A little history. In the fifties the music industry pushed on the boundaries of absolutes and found them to be softening. But Elvis and some of the others didn’t seem too harmful and so we said, “Okay.” In the sixties the prosperity of the post world war economy, the “if it feels good, do it” attitude and the questioning of moral absolutes came together in an unparalleled rebelliousness in America. Everything was up for grabs. Christians were thrown backwards by the sheer blatantness of it all. The root of relativism was planted and selfishness became king. Moral absolutes were abandoned as prayer was taken out of school, the Ten Commandments no longer ruled, and relativism replaced religion.

The seventies were a continuation of the sixties without the riots. Instead a steady revolution continued to undermine right and wrong. The eighties and nineties saw the kids from the sixties take positions of corporate and governmental power. They had not changed except that now they wore ties instead of tie died T-shirts. Though they possessed position they had never recovered the absolutes they abandoned decades before. Instead of a plumb line of right and wrong to guide them, they pursued a path of selfishness, rule bending and relativism. It simmered underneath the surface for the most part until recent events. Then the moral vacuum was exposed as the corruption hit the national spotlight.

But what did we expect? That a society without absolutes would somehow find its way to honesty, integrity, character and fairness to all? No, we’ve reaped what we’ve sown. Corruption, self-serving actions, destruction of thousands of retirement benefits, and favoritism have rippled throughout the world. Decency standards in entertainment have been worn away and the industry is influencing folks to lower standards even further.

"The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:8-9 (NIV)

But what did we expect? The only sure way to reap anything different is to reestablish absolutes. There must be some standard to hold us strong when the tests and temptations of life come. Otherwise everything is up for grabs. But absolutes are of little value unless they are founded on something that is absolute. Where do we turn? Remember those Ten Commandments that were once displayed in every school classroom? That’s it. From there we can move to open up the rest of the Bible, God’s authoritative truth, to discover the absolutes to live by in every situation.

How can we influence an entire nation that has lost its way? The same way the absolutes have been worn away – by consistently, persistently living them out individually and influencing those around us one person at a time. A return to God and His absolutes will not happen by mandate, but by individuals and groups of people living by God’s standards in His power for His purposes. We will not see an immediate difference. We may not even see much in our lifetime. But we dare not stand idly by, throwing rocks at the lack of morality in frustration. Rather let’s be the light that shines the way for those who desire to find God.

Then what can we expect? At least a group of people who desire God and strive to live by His standards. And who knows where the ripples of that might go! NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF GOD WORKING THROUGH THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.

So are you with me? One day at a time. One person at a time. In every situation, from the smallest, seemingly insignificant decision to the huge things in life, living by God’s absolutes. Let’s do it together.

"He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." 33 He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."" Matthew 13:31-33 (NIV)

What Kind of Trip is That?

Let me tell you about my trip.

Before we left on the trip I purchased a map. It was a good map. But at the first rest stop, I noticed another map so I bought it. When we stopped for gas, the convenience store had an entire rack of maps, so I bought a couple more. It seemed that every time I turned around I found a newer map, or a different colored map, or a bigger map that I simply had to have. So I bought them. It got so that I was throwing away perfectly good maps because I had so many.

Before we left, I also purchased traveler’s checks. As we drove I pulled them out once in a while to look at them, admire them, hold them and then put them back in my bag. My children asked to stop for food. I explained that we didn’t have any money. “What about the traveler’s checks?” they asked. “Oh, no we can’t use those. We might need them some day.” So my children went hungry as I hoarded our travelers checks.

For this trip I rented a van. It was a nice van, brand new. Each time we stopped, I jumped out to clean the chrome and check for dents. I changed the oil every 400 miles. My children asked to listen to a CD. “No, it might get the CD player dirty.” I made them sit in the van, hands folded, shoes off to make sure they didn’t harm the van or get it dirty. The longer we traveled the more fanatical I became with the condition of the van and how it looked to others.

Do you have any idea how impertinent other drivers are these days? They didn’t want to give me my rights on the road – the right to be at the front of the pack, the right to drive where I want to drive at the speed I want to drive. I had to cut people off constantly to keep them in their place. Hey, I deserve to be first, you know.

When we did stop to eat on this trip, I insisted that we only eat at five star restaurants. Well, I did anyway. I left the rest of the family in the van. But I ate and very well, insisting on the finest 7 course meals, demanding to be served and catered to. Basking in the experience, lingering at the table. I always made certain I sat by the door so that when the meal was over I could slip out the door without paying. Back to my starving children.

Finally, after many days of travel, we approached our destination. Instead of being excited, I was very sad, very nervous, very anxious. Earlier on the trip I drove like a maniac. Now I slowed to a crawl. In fact, I did everything I could to avoid going to the destination. Eventually, when I could put it off no longer, we arrived. My dehydrated, starving, crying children in the back of the van.

“You are a stupid man!” you are probably saying, (if you believe I really took this trip). And you would be right. Not only stupid, but insensitive, despicable, selfish, conceited and more.

My priorities are completely turned upside down. It is obvious I missed the entire purpose and value of the trip. If that is so, and it is, then WHY DO WE DO IT ALL THE TIME?

The trip is the journey we call life. It begins at conception and ends at death. It is a trip through human existence. Life is not a destination, but a journey. That view changes everything.

The maps are our possessions. We buy, gather and keep buying even though what we have can still serve our purpose. Why? Because the new, the different has selfish appeal and we justify our purchases with high sounding words.

The travelers checks are our money. We work to get it, value it, admire it, hoard it and spend it selfishly while people in our lives go needy. Why? Because it has selfish appeal.

The rental van is the body we live in. God gives it to us for the journey. As we travel we can get obsessed with how it looks and functions. We forget that God expects proper care, but intentional use while we are on this journey.

The demands for rights on the highway are our position and reputation. We believe the constitution as if it is the Bible when it says we have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” We forget the only position that is truly is important is our position in relationship with God and the only reputation that is ultimately important at the end of the journey is how God thinks about us.

The meals at five star restaurants are our desire for pleasures our way. We want to feel good. God has created pleasures to enjoy His way, but our selfishness lures us toward pleasure our way, ignoring others along the way. Remember my poor starving children suffering while I was in the restaurant? You say you would never do that? We do it anytime we choose pleasure our way – it always hurts God and others. Always.

The sneaking away without paying is our character. What do we do when we think no one is watching as we journey?

Finally, the destination is our eternity via death. It is easy to forget we are simply passing through and to become obsessed with the trip and the tools instead of the destination. When we fixate on the trip we fear death, try to avoid it at all costs, get nervous as we approach it. When we focus on the ultimate goal we realize death is the doorway to the destination of this journey.

The reward at the end of life will be determined by how we travel through the human journey. If we have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and live to do the works He has prepared for us to do, the reward will be great. If we have a personal relationship with God but only do enough to get by, we might make it to heaven but there will be no reward. If we ignore God and live this journey our way, well, we ought to fear eternity because it will be eternal punishment.

So, how are you going to travel from now forward? It is never too late to start traveling right. Use the map, the travelers checks, the rental, the highway, enjoy the pleasures, develop Christ like character and approach the destination the way God has designed. Pleasing Him and serving others in small and large ways. We have nothing to fear as long as we are pleasing God. Travel well. I’ll see you at the end.

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me... 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew 10:40, 42

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

The True Look of Power

Of all the miracles God has ever done, which would you give first place on your top ten list? Creation of the world? Parting of the Red Sea? (Charlton Heston got some mileage out of that one). Tearing down Jericho? Saving Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace? Feeding thousands with several sardine sized fish and some biscuits? Perhaps one of the many healings Jesus provided? Putting the guard’s ear back on his head after Peter swung his sword? There are so many to choose from.

Did you know God has one at the top of His list? Yep. Here it is…

"17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." Ephesians 1:17-23 (NIV)

The greatest display of God’s power is putting life back into a very, very dead body. The power of God is best displayed in bringing life where death appears to reign.

The human race has been able to accomplish the incredible. Banish diseases, communicate without wires, walk on the moon, even make “food” out of chemicals. But we cannot put life back into a body that has surrendered it. Perhaps our power in so many other places causes this powerlessness in the face of death to frustrate us more deeply. We stand beside the body of a loved one and feel so powerless, are so powerless because there is nothing we can do to bring him back.

Ah, but God. God. GOD is not limited as we are. He brought Jesus back to life with no trouble at all. And some day, will bring all back to life. No matter what conditions those bodies are in. The power of God is best displayed in bringing life where death appears to reign.

It is still happening today. No, we don’t see people crawling out of caskets very often. But we do see God bringing life where death appears to reign.

A man who has pursued position and pleasure, neglecting his family and hurting his friends turns to God for forgiveness. Life comes where death appeared to reign.

A woman has given up on a marriage that is stone cold dead. She turns to God because nothing else has worked. God brings life where death reigned in her heart and over the course of time brings life to her husband and their marriage. The power of God is best displayed in bringing life where death appears to reign.

A teen is on the brink of ending it all. Nothing seems to matter or make sense. When all seems lost, God’s love penetrates to bring life where death reigned.

God wants to give us His power. More than we want to receive it. So what is the hold up? Look at the scripture again. When did Jesus receive God’s power? Only after surrendering to the Father’s will, going to the cross and dying. He had to die first, then the life giving power came to bring life where death had reigned and seated Him on the throne of heaven. No surrender, no death, no power. Great surrender, great death to self, great power.

Same with us. When does life come to our souls, our marriages, our churches, our dreams? Only after we surrender them to God in trusting obedience and die to ourselves. And only then. As long as we want control, we will remain dead. Even when we think we are alive. (There are a whole lot of walking dead people around us). But at the point of giving ourselves in obedient surrender to God, we experience the life giving power. No telling God what to do. No making deals with Him or attempts at manipulation. Simply giving ourselves unconditionally.

One other thought. That power is most often funneled through a Christian in whom God’s power is at work through His Spirit. Don’t look for it “out there,” watch for it to come through one of God’s kids. And those of us who are God’s kids must allow that power to work through us.

So, what do you need God’s power for today? He’s willing and ready. Don’t tell Him what to do, just give Him yourself and your circumstances. No conditions, no preconceived ideas, no timelines, no fine print, no buyout clauses. Just surrender into the arms of your loving heavenly Daddy and let Him work.

W.I.G.S.?

The popular acronym, WWJD, has been around for several years. It’s a good one. What Would Jesus Do? A good question to ask when contemplating any plan of action.

I have another one. I think we should make bracelets and jewelry to remind us of a different question to ask when facing all circumstances. WIGS? What Is God Seeing?

I happened across this question in the past few weeks as I’ve thought about situations that make me go, “hmmm.” Those circumstances that appear wrong, upside down and sideways. That frustrate us and anger us and make us cry and challenge our faith. I’ve realized that our first impression of those is nearly always from a human perspective. And that the human perspective never gives us ability to see what is really happening. Only God’s eternal perspective gives us the ability to see the true picture. Thus, “What Is God Seeing?” is the question to ask.

The king of Aram was ticked at Elisha, (2 Kings 6). His majesty was trying to defeat the nation of Israel and Elisha continually warned the king of Israel. When the army of Aram set an ambush, Elisha warned Israel. When Aram planned to attack, Israel knew of it because of Elisha. The king of Aram became so enraged he gathered his leaders and asked, “Which one of us is on the side of Israel?” "None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."

Now you would think, wouldn’t you, that since Elisha had demonstrated such incredible ability his majesty would pause just a bit before charging headlong against such a prophet. Nope. The king of Aram immediately sent troops to capture Elisha. The prophet’s servant woke up the next day to see the chariots and horses of Aram surrounding the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

Press pause for a second. What was the servant seeing? Horses, chariots, soldiers, danger, impossible odds. Were they real? No question. The result was fear and panic. He thought it was over, curtains for them all.

Back to the story. Elisha seemed far too calm. Instead of fear he exuded confidence. Unruffled, he replied, "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Press pause again. What did Elisha see? Soldiers, chariots and horses AND horses and chariots of fire straight from Heaven. I wish I could have seen the look on the servant’s face! That would have been priceless. Were the horses and chariots of fire real? Oh, yeah. Just as real as the army of Aram. Why could Elisha see both armies? Because Elisha was seeing what God sees. When God opened the servant’s spiritual eyes, he saw what God sees.

Most of the time we only see part of the picture. Not even the best part. Because we are only viewing what we can touch. The human perspective. Pretty stupid, huh? Yep. Me, too. This is where the acronym comes in. When we look at life, we need to ask WIGS -- What is God seeing? Then we need to pray as Elisha, “Open our eyes so we may see.” When we do, God will pick us up, put us on His shoulders to see our lives as He sees them. The big picture. Not all the details and results, we are finite after all. But enough of His eternal perspective to give us confidence and trust in Him no matter what we’re facing.

So what are you seeing these days? What are the soldiers of Aram in your life? Would you like to be flattened by fear and panic, or would you like to watch unruffled as the forces of heaven are unleashed into your life? I thought so. Then ask … WIGS? And allow God to open your spiritual eyes.

For the rest of the story read 2 Kings 6:8-23.

A Question From God

I was lying in bed a while back, praying. Not the ordinary kind of prayer. Deep, passionate, heart prayer. I had disobeyed. No, I had not “stumbled” or “fallen” into sin. I had deliberately chosen to disobey God. I knew it at the time and was feeling it now. I was in agony. It wasn't just the guilt, it was that I had broken the heart of my Heavenly Father. My prayers went something like this…

“God I feel awful. I have sinned against you again. Why do you put up with me? I don’t deserve a relationship with You or Your love or forgiveness. I have turned against You and hurt someone else in the process. I am guilty. I feel so bad for disobeying You. Why do you put up with me?”

As I was wallowing in my self-loathing, I heard God’s voice as His Spirit quietly spoke to my spirit. I figured He would and expected something like, “You’re right! You are an idiot. Over and over and over you just keep blowing it. You make me sick, but I have to forgive because I said I would. But I’m putting you on probation. So get it right.” That’s what I expected. In the back of my mind I thought it could also go like this, “Now, now, now. I love you and forgive you. You are my child so crawl up into my lap.” That’s what I get for having preconceived ideas.

What I heard was a blunt question. “When your kids mess up, what do you do?”

"I love them. I discipline them if I have to. But I reach out to them, pray for them and care for them even more than usual. I do everything I can to restore them. I help them know they are accepted and cared for through words and hugs."

"Exactly! Now, if you do that for your kids, don't you think that's how I'll treat you? And more!"

"Wow!" I said through tears.

A couple days later, God spoke again, this time through a book. "God expects more failure from you than you expect from yourself." On the surface, that sounds strange and disheartening. But stay with me here. It is not that He WANTS us to fail; it's just that He knows us, that we will fall or fail from time to time. We have the idea that we should be perfect and when we aren't we are surprised at ourselves. God knows that we are not perfect. And when we fall or fail, He is not surprised, but ready to forgive and help us up. In fact, when we start believing we are perfect, He'll stick out His foot and trip us up so we'll come back to Him. Pride always causes a fall.

I know what some of you are thinking… "That kind of talking will cause people to think it's OK to do whatever they want to do. They'll take it as a license to sin."

No, not if they are grabbed by God's love. Rather than giving me license, God's words caused me to desire to live in deeper obedience than ever before. I don't want to disappoint Him, I don't want to experience the separation, I don't want to break His heart. Because I have experienced His forgiving Daddy love.

I am still overwhelmed by God's words to me. Out of His love and faithfulness He picked me up, dusted me off, sat me on His lap for a while, and then placed on His path again. He has engulfed me with His ungraspable love and I am more motivated to please Him than ever before.

Have you and are you? I hope so. If not, why not today?

Crawl up on to His lap to experience ultimate love. You can trust Him.

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

"And so we should not be like cringing, fearful slaves, but we should behave like God's very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family, and calling to him, "Father, Father (Daddy, Daddy)."" Romans 8:15 (TLB)

You paid what?

Maybe you heard about this… A collector auctioned a chewed piece of gum on the internet that was supposedly thrown on the ground by Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Luis Gonzalez. A CHEWED piece of gum. Already used, spat out, discarded by the owner. The auction started a controversy. Well, I would think so. I mean, really, selling a chewed piece of gum! But that was not the source of the controversy. It seems a security guard reported that the collector had simply picked up the nearest piece of gum after a spring training game. The controversy was that it might not be the one chewed by Gonzales. The solution: Gonzalez has agreed to chew a fresh piece of gum and send it to the collector and the money will be donated to a high school sports program.

“That was a runaway train that needed to be stopped,” said the player about the controversy over the authenticity of the gum.

Now, you’re probably wondering how much the collector sold the piece of gum for, aren’t you? Are you ready? Sit down, take a deep breath. Three thousand dollars. That’s right. A 3 with 3 zeros. For a chewed piece of gum!!! (World Magazine, 4-20-02).

So I have an idea… let’s all chew some gum, auction it on the internet and raise money! Let’s see $3000 a piece... if we can get every one who receives this newsletter to participate we can raise over a million dollars. And if each one can get three others… Where have I heard that before?

Something is wrong here. We have a huge problem when someone is willing to pay thousands of dollars for a chewed piece of gum. I don’t care whose teeth mutilated it.
Think about it, every day clean up crews are paid thousands of dollars to REMOVE chewed gum from floors, chairs, tables, carpets, sidewalks and parking lots. What are we thinking?

We hear stories like that, shake our heads and ponder, “There are sure some stupid people in our world.” And we are right. And we are some of them! Some of OUR values are just as stupid. That’s right. Yours and mine and we are often blind to them. The greatest tragedy is that some are not just stupid, but eternally destructive and disastrous.

Listen to the words of Jesus…

"He (Jesus) said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." Luke 16:15 (NIV)

Think for a moment about the things that are highly valued by our culture. The Apostle John captures 3 broad categories in 1 John 2:15-17 that include all of man’s highest values: pleasure, possessions and pride. They are amazingly consistent throughout history. The methods for getting them change, but the values remain the same. The types of pleasures change, but the value remains the same. Gluttony of natural food to exotic, junk food; homemade wine to hundreds of types of alcohol; illicit sex to cyber pornography. The types of possessions change but not the underlying value, “Nice cave…nice hut… nice cabin… nice house.” Or “nice walking stick… nice horse… nice chariot… nice wagon… nice car.” The types of power change, but the value remains the same, head of the tribe… head of the village… head of the kingdom… head of the office.

All of which Jesus said is not simply undesirable, but detestable in God’s sight. The Herb translation is that it will make God vomit. He can’t stand those distortions of His creation and WON’T. And will not forever put up with those who pursue them.

WELL, if God is that serious about this we need to understand and own His values. The good news is that we don’t have to look far to find them.

"Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."" Mat 22:37-40 (NIV)

There we have the broad categories of God’s values: Love God first with everything we are and have, and love other people just as much as we love ourselves. Those have not changed throughout history, and never will.

God’s values lead to life, man’s values lead to destruction.

God’s values prepare us for real life on the other side of the door we call death, man’s values lead us to real death in eternal separation from God and all that is good.

Here’s the great irony… If we live for God’s values now, we get pleasure, possessions and position beyond anything our minds can dream up. In all purity and godliness as God originally designed. It’s true. Check God’s owners manual. But if we live for human values now, we lose everything we really want.

SO WHAT YOU GONNA DO? I choose God’s values. And life, peace, joy, and contentment that come with God’s love. And I choose it BOLDLY!

What About the Day After?

It was a day of egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, leftover ham, candy wrappers, storing the baskets back in the attic, changing the decorations in church sanctuaries and going back to whatever “normal” is supposed to be. Weeks of religious focus in Christian denominations and family preparations reached their climax on Easter day. Most folks pick up the eggshells, pick up the plastic grass and pick up their busy lives where they left off.

But what about Jesus?

For Jesus, Resurrection Day was just the BEGINNING, not the end. With a twinkle in His eye He greeted the women outside the tomb. “Surprise!” He seemed to say. “I am risen, glorified and more alive now than ever! Only now can I work in your lives as I really desire.”

With a twinkle in His eye He greeted the disciples gathered in a room. “Surprise!”

With a twinkle in His eye He appeared to the disciples again, Thomas now there. “Surprise! Come touch my hands and my side and believe!” He did and they did.

Standing on a beach, with a twinkle in His eye, He gave the disciples a lesson in fishing. Only after their nets were full did they recognize Him and rush to shore. “Surprise!” He seemed to say as He conducted a fish fry.

For forty days He showed up. “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” In unlikely places, at unlikely times, with unlikely words. Defying expectations, warming their souls with His Presence, getting into their hearts and minds with His words.

He led them to a hill, gave them final instructions, and miraculously rose into the heavens. “Surprise!” Who knows how long they stood staring into the sky or what they were thinking. An angel got their attention, (loosely paraphrased), “OK, that’s enough gazing into the clouds. Jesus will come back the same way, but now it’s time to obey.” He will and they did.

Jesus still shows up. With a twinkle in His eye He comes, “Surprise!” In unlikely places, at unlikely times, with unlikely words. Do you see Him? Do you hear Him?

Or are you so busy with cleaning up eggshells that you miss Him?

Ever wondered where Thomas was when Jesus appeared to the other disciples that first time? Maybe it was his fault, or maybe he drew the short straw to go get take out. But He missed Jesus either way. I don’t think His mistake was that he missed Jesus the first time, but that He was so brazen about his unbelief. Oh, but Jesus is so faithful. And so loving. And so caring. And a bit mischievous. He didn’t scold Thomas. He took Thomas at his word. With a twinkle in his eye Jesus invited Thomas to place his fingers in the nail prints and his hand in Jesus’ side wound. “Surprise” He seemed to say. Why? So that Thomas would believe the Resurrection and see Him when He appeared in Thomas’ future.

Jesus will do the same for you, you know. What will it take for you to see Jesus in the moment by moment living of your days? Funny, Thomas never did get around to touching Jesus’ scars. But I doubt that he ever again missed seeing Jesus when He showed up.

Jesus, through His Spirit, His Word and His Body (the people of God) wants to show up in your life. With a twinkle in His eye He’ll surprise you by what He will say and what He will do. If you notice. So put down the egg salad sandwiches and the vacuum for a while. If you need to touch the nail prints, tell Him. He’ll let you. He wants you to see Him more than you want to. Watch and listen and experience the Presence of Him, the Resurrected One, who offers life.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live." John 14:16-19 (NIV)