A Rich Man's Witness

My brothers, show NO PARTIALITY 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if YOU PAY ATTENTION to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become JUDGES WITH EVIL THOUGHTS? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not GOD CHOSEN those WHO ARE POOR in the world TO BE RICH IN FAITH and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

This verses in James (2:1-5) are pretty straight forward. There are three guiding rules. First, Show No partiality. In other words, don't play favorites. Secondly, Don't Give Special Attention based on how a person looks. Thirdly, Don't be Judges, who render a verdict, through the offering of preferential seating. The writer concludes, that kind of thinking represents evil thoughts. That's such a tough verse to swallow because we do this all the time, whether in the church, or through routine encounters in life. 

Several years ago, there was a man, I'll call him, "James," who had just transferred to our congregation because his old one had recently closed. I was a young pastor, who had one desire in mind, that being to grow the church. Unfortunately, James represented an obstacle to this intrinsic desire of mine. He walked into our church barefooted. To make things worse, instead of making his way to the back, he preferred to sit in the front row where everyone could see his toes. Anyhow, as the leadership and I discussed this situation, we concluded the best thing to do was to buy James a pair of shoes as a "token" of our spirituality and appreciation. 

When presented with this gesture, James politely declined and told me that he had shoes at home. I wasn't sure what to do because there was no plan b. He was supposed to accept the shoes and wear them to our services for the rest of his life! I hate when a plan is foiled. In times like those, you simply conclude that God had a sense of humor, and like a rubber band, he is STRETCHING you.  

After meeting with an elderly lady, whom James took care of in her home, she told me that James had been kicked out of several churches because of the "No Shoes, No Worship Service" policy. Anyway, I was stuck. On one hand I wanted him to wear shoes so we would appear as a normal church, on the other hand, it did not seem right to have him leave. My thoughts would migrate from frustration to anger, to compassion. I wanted to grow the church. I wanted to have "normal people" join. I wanted to have a church with great role models, people who could help us both spiritually and financially. 

I was concerned more about what I wanted, not what God required of me. Scripture taught over and over that I was not to show favoritism. Consequently, my mind, according to God's Word, was filled with partiality. With favoritism. With Evil thoughts! Often in life, it is hard for us to acknowledge that the way we perceive people is not the way God does. God does not  concern Himself with how a person looks on the outside, he is more concerned about what is on the inside, specifically, the heart. 

Well, one day, I decided to do what no one had done with James. I decided to ask him why he did not want to wear shoes in our church. Now, James was not much of a talker, and pretty much kept to himself, but I will never forget his response. He told me that several years ago he was in an accident and had nearly lost his life. It was in that context that he made a bargain with God. He told Him, "If you let me live, I will go back to church. If you let me live, I will consider the church "Holy Ground" and like Moses, I will take off my sandals." Wow! Now I could understand what God meant when he inspired James to write...

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers, has not GOD CHOSEN those WHO ARE POOR in the world TO BE RICH IN FAITH and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

You see, James was not just rich, but filthy rich, when it came to his faith. When he was kicked out of one church, he would simply go to another that would accept him into their fold. He simply would not compromise his oath to the Lord. In the end, his relationship with God was more important than what others thought. He may not have looked good on the outside to us, but to God, that man glowed with radiance. He was chosen to demonstrate to us what spiritual wealth truly looked like. May you reflect on this man's beauty. 

Thankfulness = Happiness

I had the privilege of baptizing my five year old son recently. Holding him with pride, I could not help but rejoice at the gift God had bestowed in my arms. Seeing Trajan. Hearing Trajan. Holding Trajan. I was just so thankful. My son makes me happy. Not all the time, but most.

The feeling inside reminded me about a devotion I read on Thanksgiving. 

It is not Happy People who are thankful.

It is THANKFUL people who are HAPPY. 

There have been many times I have pondered happiness. There have been many times I have said, "If only I had what he had. If only I had made that decision. If only I had a couple things differently. If only I had that one big break, I'd be happier." I think when we are yearning for happiness, we continue to look for that missing we internally think is the missing link in our quest for happiness.  

Many theologians I've read write, "We are not called to be happy, we called to have joy. Happiness is fleeting and conditional, joy is eternal." To be honest, hearing these statements sometimes makes me feel like being happy is a bad thing. 

I had a friend once tell me that Jesus wasn't happy, he was a man of sorrows. Honestly, judging by some of the medieval paintings of him; it doesn't seem like he smiled much. Yet is happiness really a bad thing? Honestly, there is something I find attractive with happiness. It's something I desire. I'm just being real.  

I do think that joy and happiness are two different feelings, though sometimes they seem to merge together and feel the same. Happiness is typically thought to be transient; while joy is something that should be present no matter what the circumstances. However I must admit though joy is taught to be eternal; there have been many seasons in my life where I have felt the absence of joy.

Yet, there is a common denominator when I feel empty of joy or happiness. I tend to lack thankfulness. I get caught up so much with what I don't have, that I cannot grasp firmly in my heart what I do possess. I honestly believe if I were more thankful in life, I would be happier and more consistently filled with joy.

Despite the medieval paintings, I believe that Jesus was happy and filled with joy. I believe that Jesus smiled and that made a difference on people. Think about it? Have you ever been around people who were miserable? I'm not a psychiatrist, but those types of personalities don't promote personal growth. There is a reason for the phrase, "misery likes company." Yes, Jesus knew many sorrows, but he had a heart that was thankful. 

• He gave thanks for a small portion of food (John 6:11)

• He was thankful for bread and the wine that symbolized his brutal death (Matthew 26:27,38)

You see, he saw opportunities that would lead many to be discouraged and see them as opportunities to see God work in the miraculous. He rejoiced at the big picture and was not held captive by his bleak present circumstances.

Jesus was happy because he was truly thankful.

Here is my prayer.

"Lord, help me to be thankful for what I have, even if it is less than others. Help me to see my present bleak situations as an opportunity to see you do amazing things and get the glory. Help me to be thankful for the things I take for granted, my life. Thank you for this playground called earth. Thank you for my health, my mind, and the opportunity to live out another day.

Help me to be more thankful so that I can be happier in my spirit and a better witness for all that you have given me."

I hope your days are filled with thanksgiving.

 

My Own Loss & Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, the bleakest moment for us in the gospel story. To refresh your memory, here are the four Gospel accounts of the story.

§  Matthew 26:14-27:66

§  Mark 14:12-15:47

§  Luke 22-23

§  John 18-19

Reading the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion today, we have the benefit of knowing that it’s all leading up to the triumph of the Resurrection. But to the Jesus-followers present at the scene, it must have seemed that the world, as they knew it, was falling apart.

One of the challenges of reading the crucifixion story more than two thousand years ago is that it is difficult for us to empathize with its participants.

The best way to mildly experience Jesus and his crucifixion is to take time to meditate on each day leading up to his crucifixion. Read the passages repeatedly, meditate on them in silence, and pray to the Lord in a personal way. If possible, pray and dialogue with others so that you can talk about it and think of the event through different lenses.

Another way to experience to some degree the gamut of emotions the followers of Jesus went through is to think about those closest to you that you have lost.

My Story of Loss: For me, it is my father. Although I was only seven-years-old, I can practically remember everything that led up to his death. You see, my father was someone I put my hope in as a child. He was someone I trusted. Someone who I could turn to amid my pain.

I remember leaving a juvenile detention center the night that he died. My brother and I had stayed there for an extended period of time because the courts did not know where to place us kids. Finally, they decided that my brother would live with my mom and I would be sent to a Foster Home. 

When my parents found out about the arrangement, they did not want to lose me, so they got back together for my sake. It was a happy day, one that I had longed for in my young life. 

When we made it home to Fort Lewis, Washington, while my brother and I were playing with his pinball machine upstairs, my father had a heart attack and was taken by ambulance to Madigan Hospital. They were not able to revive him. He was dead. 

Later, my mom told me what had happened, and, I was in total shock and disbelief. I could not understand it, I had experienced such joy that day, knowing my family was back together.  The pendulum had swung from extreme joy to ultra-extreme grief.

I remember the next day I woke up, I had hoped it was all a bad dream. It wasn’t, it was as real as the heaviness in my heart. I had lost someone I had given my life to as a seven-year-old.

Good Friday: As I reflect on my steps of loss, I can to some degree understand how all those followers of Jesus felt. Their hope in life was gone. The person that gave them value and worth had now left the building. No doubt they were in disbelief and trying to process what happened. No doubt they woke up the next day and hoped it was a bad dream. It was not, it was as real as the intense pain in their soul.

Yet, and this is hard for many to understand, this tragic outcome had to happen for there to be hope for our tomorrow. In the end, there just was just no other way to solve the criminal problem of sin. You must remember, Jesus did not dread having to die, he had prophesied that reality on several occasions throughout his ministry. What he dreaded the most was that you and I would not be able to have that relationship with God that would guarantee your joy and peace now, and your eternity for tomorrow.

So, as you reflect on Good Friday, remember the One who valued you to such an extent that he gave his very life for you. Why would he do such a thing? Jesus did it so that you would experience life to the fullest now, and throughout all eternity tomorrow. May you find strength as you reflect on the magnitude of what happened on that Good Friday. History was changed now and forever! 

Betrayal and Redemption

Wednesday Morning Reflection

Have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever had someone you considered a friend take advantage of you, abuse you, steal from you, lie about you, or tell others something you shared in confidence? If you have, you have experienced what an empty feeling that is, it damages you on the inside. Once you come to terms with that betrayal, you begin to slowly mourn inside because you know that relationtionship will never be the same again, it is hard to repair and reconstruct intrinsic damage.  

Although Jesus knew Judas would betray him, I am sure it still hurt intrinsically, like a punch
to the gut. You see, it's one thing to suspect a betrayal coming, quite another to experience the heaviness of its weight. What we learn here is that no matter how good you are (Jesus was perfect), people can and will betray you, disappoint you, and grieve your soul to some extent. 

What’s the verdict here? Quite simply, something wasn't right with Judas' soul. Somehow, he felt thirty silver coins were more valuable than his relationship with the one who loved him more than anyone had ever in his lifetime. Most know what happened to Judas afterward, he hung himself, intrinsically covered with guilt and shame. It is hard to find compassion for someone like Judas, some people never will. Yet if you take a step back, and look at his life from the big picture, you can to some degree, grieve for Judas. He was a troubled soul.

In the end, this story of betrayal reminds us that no matter what happens in life that reeks 

of selfishness, betrayal, and evil, God can still turn that experience into something positive that can eventually help others. Jesus proved that reality by dying for our sins on the cross. He turned something evil into goodness. He would not allow evil to win! Neither should we! 

Some ask, if Judas will be in heaven. Most people say he was destined for damnation, prophesied as the son of perdition. Some say his suicide prevented that heavenly possibility. Many write such conclusions because they can't find an alternative scenario, or they simply don't want to look for one. However, you must remember Jesus' death on the cross was for all humanity, not minus the exception of Judas.  

Reflecting on his life from that perspective, it becomes apparent that the sins of Judas were forgiven at the cross. The death of Jesus covered the lives of everyone, past, present, and future.

The real question, was whether Judas received this forgiveness. Ultimately, that is the same question for anyone who has wronged us or denied and betrayed Jesus during their lifetimes. Judas was a troubled soul, a flawed man, who at that moment in history, felt thirty coins where worth more than his relationship with the Savior of the world. What a tragedy! What a sad end to someone’s life! 

Yet, Jesus, demonstrated how to turn a tragedy into our redemption. He showed us that no matter what happens in life, we can overcome evil with good. I don’t ever want to minimize the hardships others have encountered throughout their lives, the trail to forgiveness can be steep and intensely difficult climb.

However, we must remember that forgiveness of sins cost Jesus greatly, yet he fought through it to bring us to the entrance of eternal life. Now, we must make that decision, whether or not to accept his efforts and enter. Jesus, would not allow one mans sin to define him; the betrayer cannot be allowed to win, evil must not prevail. So, let us reflect, on the path Jesus take on the cross for our ultimate redemption.

Let us, know that forgiveness is possible, though extremely difficult. Let those who have been the betrayer also understand that redemption is never out of reach. You just have to seek it in Christ. 

Why Christians don't Pray for their City

Today of course is the Day we have dedicated to Praying for our City. Now several of you do not live in Fountain Valley, but that’s okay, God, the Father, still wants you to pray for YOUR City and leaders. But here’s the deal. Many Christians never pray for their city? In general, there are three primary reasons why Christians seldom pray for the city and its leaders

First, We Don't Think About It. We have been conditioned to pray for health concerns or situations involving our immediate family, friends, acquaintances, or those friend of a friend, uncle’s, nephew’s, step dad prayers, which tends to damage your brain cells just trying to remember.

However, we are called to broaden our prayer scope. Praying not only for health concerns and people we know, but also for other areas like our spiritual growth, praising God with words of thanksgiving, and like I mentioned today, praying for our leaders nationally and on a local level in our own cities. 

The Second Reason is Indifference!  Indifference toward our city and its leaders. We just don’t care either way! As far as we are concerned we just happen to live here.

We must remember however, God doesn’t just place you where you are for no purpose. There is a reason you are here, whether it is job related, family related, school related or simply for a transitional period in your life.

Make no mistake, God has you here, so you can make a difference, and to be a witness to your neighbors, to your volunteer organization or even your Bunco group. You see, God has provided a circle of people in your community for you to make an impact. God doesn’t like indifference, Scripture says He would rather spit you out if your neither hot nor cold (Revelation 3:15-16). He wants you to make a difference in your city, so pray that you will no longer suffer from indifference, but rather that you will make a difference!

The Third Reason is Dislike. Some Christians don’t pray for their city because they don’t like where they live. They don’t like the leaders and the direction the city is headed. Unfortunately, they can go out of their way to make it known to others.

Many times, when some think of their ideal city, they long to return to the good old days, where they grew up, where they had better relationships, where people believed more like them.

That kind of attitude makes this passage more intriguing here, because God’s people,the Jewish nation, did not like their new city nor its leaders. They longed to return to their ideal homeland. Yet the Lord wanted them to have a change of heart, make Babylon their new home. 

4 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

You see, as verse 4 indicates, all of them where exiles who had been deported, forced to move from their home in Judea to Babylon, where they underwent a culture shock, a plurality of gods to choose from, and leaders who were prone to use violence to promote their city's agenda. To add insult to injury, the Babylonians burnt down their sacred city, their beloved Jerusalem. So, if you don’t like your city or its leaders, can you imagine how they felt?

Yet, believe it or not, this was all a part of God’s disciplinary plan. Generations of bad decisions by Judea’s leaders, abandonment of the Lord’s instructions, lack of compassion, pride, etc., led to their city’s demise. Therefore, intrinsically, you can bet your bottom line they longed to return to their city were life was simpler.

Yet, as verse 4 states, He sent them there to be exiles in a foreign land. In fact, God had declared thru a prophet that his people would be exiled for 70 years. As a result, they needed to get used to this reality and make Babylon their home.

That is why the Lord tells them in verse 5, to build houses (Stake their claim, plant their flag), to plant gardens (Add character to your neighborhood and contribute to its agricultural economy), to marry and have children, to make sure their children married and make a family (Leave a family legacy).

The Lord wanted them to make the most of their time in their new home, so they would be stronger and better people when they left to rebuild Jerusalem generations later. Babylon was by an imperfect city, yet God wanted his people to be role models as citizens in a foreign land, contributing members to welfare of the city of Babylon.  

The Welfare of the City: If you want God to change a city, you must do your part thru community involvement and by praying for it.  That’s what God communicates when he says in verse 7, to seek the welfare of the city and to pray for it.

In my experience, attending city council meetings and even worse, reading on various forums on social media, I often hear or read about what people disapprove of, like “that” decision, “that” building project, “that” new measure, etc., etc. Furthermore, this rhetoric is often accompanied with criticism, even character attacks on the city leaders.

Now, I am not saying you must agree with all their decisions, but what I am saying is that as Christians, there is a wrong way to deal with disagreement and a right way. So instead of having a critical spirit we need to voice disagreement in an appropriate forum.

Make sure you do your homework and vote for the leaders who you believe will represent and serve the city the best. If you have ideas that would make the city better, share them with your council members, or form a committee that will present, petition or protest with integrity.
In the big picture, we must understand that we are always witnesses for Jesus, whether in a negative way or a positive one. Consequently, the Lord wants to make sure that His people seek the welfare of the city and to be actively praying for it and its leaders.

Why? Verse 7 concludes, in the city’s welfare, you will find your own. If the city is doing well, you will reap some the benefits. If not, the opposite effect is true. Pray, even if you don't like the direction because ultimately God is in control. He has a master plan that dwarfs what you think is best. So, let’s pray for our city and its leaders, wherever we live, because in its welfare we will find our own!

  

It's Legal, Now What?

After the Supreme Court made their ruling, by the slimmest of margins, 5-4, same sex marriage became a federal law in all 50 states, just like that! 

Emotions varied in the US, from joyful elation to empty sorrow.   

As a conservative Christian I am aware that many in our ranks are still wrestling with the decision and anxious about this verdict and what it will mean for the future of the church. Yet in spite of this anxiety, it is important to contemplate some important truths.  



1. God is Sovereign

Many wonder what will happen next to the church? Will we be forced to officiate same sex weddings in our buildings? Will we be sued for discrimination if we fail to hire members of the LGBT community? Will we lose our non-profit status if we don't comply, much like what happened to Bob Jones University in the 80's, when they refused to allow interracial marriage?  

In the midst of such anxiety we must remember one important reality. God is still sovereign! 

Jesus reassured his followers that the church will always prevail, even in the most difficult of cultural climates (Matthew 16:18). While we should grieve that God's intended design for marriage has been redefined (‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife' - Matthew 19:5), we cannot allow this decision to underscore the reality that God is still sovereign. 

We must remember that God's sovereignty shines brightest when we don't have control over an outcome and must humbly seek Him for guidance. We've had it relatively good in the United States for hundreds of years as far as influence, respect, and being a sought after commodity in our community, now God wants to see how we respond as a unwanted minority in a changing moral climate. 

The newness of the situation has stunned us; however there were 20 countries before us that had to make a similar adjustment. Believe it or not, God can still continue to establish His kingdom despite the increasing bias toward conservative Christians and their beliefs. 

Sadly, some influential Christian leaders want us to fight and call the LGBT community into repentance, but is that really the best approach? Will that lead to the best results? In reality, we have already gone that route on numerous occasions and have made little impact, whether in the courtroom or being a positive witness outside our Christian community. 

It is time to trust in God's sovereignty and seek to make adjustments on how we should engage our changing culture. We must abandon Christian cliches, regurgitating thoughtless rhetoric, and learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to lovingly share truth. We must confess, "I don't know what to do Lord, please speak through me so I can be Your effective ambassador, Your committed disciple, Your humble witness." Call me naive, but I am not overwhelmed by the verdict because I know God is sovereign, unlike the nine judges who preside on the Supreme court. 


2. Biblically, we should not be Surprised 

If we have studied our Bible, this ruling should not surprise us. In fact, the Bible clearly stated the realities of such cultural shifts thousands of years ago. Romans 1:26-27 reminds us that homosexuality is nothing new, along with its growing support and public approval (Romans 1:29-32). Institutionalizing same sex marriage on the federal level is just another reminder how reliable the Bible really is when it comes to truth. 

With the legalization of gay marriage in Vermont, year by year, more states adopted same sex marriage into their state laws. In fact, before the verdict, 37 states had already legalized it, despite our efforts to remove it from state ballots or overturn unwanted rulings. Yes, what happened last week is just a reminder of what Scripture has already revealed. 

Consequently, how one views the Bible becomes the central issue in this whole debate. Is it really God's inspired Word as He directed the biblical authors, or is it just a bunch of male religious authors attempting to explain God as best as they can within their own cultural context, blinded by their own personal biases?  

For those who uphold divine inspiration, the majority will stand by what God has communicated in Scripture, rather than their own personal feelings. Admittedly, this is hard, especially if you have good relations with others that are part of the LGBT community, but ultimately, we must submit, ensuring that God has the final say.  

On the flip side, those who see the Bible as a human book, will view it as instruction that no longer applies in the midst of our changing culture (or at least some aspects of it). They will see Scripture as a potentially harmful book that serves as a roadblock towards societal advancement and the goal of social justice. 

I view the Bible as a divinely inspired book. I believe the Scriptures are God breathed and useful for correction (2 Timothy 3:16). I believe that the Scriptures are not the product of human interpretation or their willful intention, but rather that God guided biblical authors, thru the Holy Spirit, to write instruction according to His will (2 Peter 1:19-21). 

As the Apostle Paul once wrote his apprentice, Timothy, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy :3)." 

Now, this is not meant to slam the LGBT community or those who view the Bible on some level as a human book, but rather to remind Christians, who hold to divine inspiration, not to be surprised by what is taking place in our rapidly changing culture. 



3. We Must not Lose Focus of the Mission


Now this does not mean we should hate and become defensive when it comes to liberals and those belonging to the LGBT community. The Bible also reveals heterosexual practices that we are also guilty of on many occasions, such as lust / pornography (Matthew 5:26), sex before marriage, (1 Corinthians 7:2), divorce (Matthew 19: 3-6), and martial affairs (Hebrews 13:4) to name a few. Conservative Christians must not place themselves on a pedestal, we have no room to sit in judgment. We are all sinners, saved by grace.

Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear that our job is not to disassociate with those who aren't believers and choose not to follow our Christian "rules," whether they are straight or gay. Instead we must intentionally engage them so we can become better witnesses; otherwise we are truly just preaching to the choir (1 Corinthians 5:9-10). 

We must understand that people within the LGBT community have experienced hate in the worst ways, thus we must not add to that reality by intentionally hating, pointing fingers, or thumping Bible verses. Instead we must learn to demonstrate that despite disagreement, Jesus has transformed our lives and given us the ability to love others who hold different views well. 

In the past, I personally have spent time, having some of the most thought provoking conversations with those in the LGBT community, on their time, and on their turf. I have been treated with respect because I was willing to listen and dialogue, not become defensive. This doesn't mean I affirm their stance on marriage, but it shows I was willing to invest my time to listen, to share, so we could better understand each other. 

Ultimately, Jesus calls his followers to share his message to our prevailing culture, locally, regionally, and internationally (Matthew 28:18-19). Peter, one of the most influential disciples of Jesus, instructs us to share with others the hope we have in Christ, but to do so in gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). 

We must not be focused on the court decision; we must be focused on the mission. We must allow God through Christ to work thru us, just as he did when we thought and lived our lives differently. Transformation happens when we are willing to be used by God in mission. 




4. The Victory has already been Achieved

Back in the day, Monday Night Football was tape delayed on television by an hour in the Pacific Northwest, it was not live. I can't begin to tell you how this bothered me, especially when the STEELERS played. I could not find comfort watching the game because the plays that were unfolding before my very eyes had already occurred in the past. 

How did I deal with this reality? I listened to the live broadcast on the radio to hear the current score. Once Pittsburgh won the game (which they usually did), I watched the tape delayed television broadcast and guess what? I STILL stressed about the game. 

I found myself pacing, criticizing bad decisions, and even superstitiously standing up when they played defense, hoping that I could help prevent the other team from scoring, let alone getting a first down. 

Yet I knew in advance who ultimately won! The STEELERS!

Many times that is how we live life. We stress out with court decisions, its impact, and what will happen in the future. It is so easy to forget that Jesus has already achieved the Victory. The final score has ALREADY been decided.  

In the end, we may not know why things happen in life, but we must have confidence that God is in control. Yes, we will grieve, but we must remember that if we have accepted Jesus into our lives, everything will turn out, even if we don't see it now. 

Ultimately Jesus died for our sins, whether one is straight, gay, bisexual, or transgendered because he loved us enough to sacrifice his life. If you believe what Jesus died on the cross, you are already a member of the winning team. If you are a member of that team Jesus will change your life, not me. 

Ultimately, we must live our lives with this BIG PICTURE perspective in mind, otherwise we will continue to be shaken by current events. 

In the end, we win and our prize is much better than going to Disneyland. May we never forget whose team we are on when life brings us those unexpected twists and turns in life. Remember we already won.

A Prayer for "The Times"

What’s going on? It’s been a crazy month in the news. Bruce Jenner becomes Caitlyn. Rachel Dolezol says she’s black, then steps down from the NAACP when it is discovered that she is really white. Nine Christians are gunned down in a SC church, and Donald Trump is running for president. I can president delivering some bad news to the Secretary of State as he squints his eyes, points his finger, and exclaims, “Your Fired!”

We live in a changing world. One where people are making up their own rules, like God does not even exist. We need prayer. It is easy to get mad, but it won’t help. It would probably make things worse. We need prayer. We need a psalm.

There is a Psalm in the Bible that was written by Moses. It is the only one he wrote, and it is written as a prayer from a father figure. You see, as Moses surveyed his own world, he recognized without divine guidance in troubled times, his people were in trouble. Moses is near the end of his life and a lot has happened. 

Leading his people out of Egypt was the highlight. But things went downhill from there.

•  The people resented his leadership

•  Many were killed as they rebelled

•  40 years passed with no promise land conquered

•  Millions perished, even Moses siblings    

• Then the Unthinkable happened: Moses's temper would prevent him from going into the  promise land.

An entire generation seemingly wasted, millions of people had perished. Life did not turn out as he expected. Honestly, I don’t know if it ever does. 

So as he writes this Psalm he reflects on the most important things we should know when it comes to God. He puts things in perspective. He is an old man, a father figure, and he is imparting wisdom that only comes from a long life of lessons learned. His agenda is simple, he wants to contrast God with man so we can live life from an eternal perspective. 

His prayer has several layers, and it is important that we comment on each one.

1. The Eternality of God. Moses begins….

              

1 Lord you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth or ever you had formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

One of the most important things we can know about God is that he is eternal. This is important because as people come and go in life, including our loved ones, we don’t have to worry. GOD WILL ALWAYS BE THERE!  No one created God. No one was before God. No one can outlive God. He is beyond time.

Moses says He has been around for long time.

Before our generation

Before the mountains 

Before the earth was even formed.

When things are crazy, the eternality of God allows us to know that God will always be there. Moses says, “You have been our dwelling place.” Other translations use the word, refuge. “Lord, You have been my Refuge.” How many times in your life have you needed to find refuge?

The loss of a loved one

The loss of employment

The Loss of an important relationship

The loss of health

If you’re going to find refuge in someone, there is no one who can offer you security like God. He will always be there. For you, your children, your grandchildren, even your great grandchildren. Find refuge in that reality.

It is hard to wrap our minds around the fact that God is eternal. For us, everything has a beginning and an end.
Not God!

Illustration – Imagine a rope that goes on forever, but with a small 1/2 inch red section in the middle of it that represents all the aspects of your life.

      

                                                      Our birthday 

                                   Our childhood

                                       Our teenage years

                                            Our Adult years

                                                 Our senior years 

                                                       Our lineage

Within that little minuscule red area is the narrative that represents our life accomplishments, our disappointments, you name it.

But we never see ourselves as just a microscopic fraction of the eternal rope, we think of our red area as “the whole rope.” In order to see God for who He is, we have to realize that our own lineage is but a blip on God’s eternal radar. 

As Moses, reflects back on his life, he begins with the mind boggling reality that God is eternal. He contemplates the BIGNESS of God.

Where does he go from there in his prayer? He contrasts God’s eternality with the frailness of man.

2. The Frailness of Man

3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

Nothing shows the frailness of man like death. From the dust we return to dust. We are merely a blip on the radar of God’s eternity.

You see, when you contrast God with man, it reveals how inadequate we are. We are frail to God, sort of like a bug that we swat away and ultimately kill. In God’s scheme of things, our existence is fleeting. Yet we gallantly strive to build our own legacy, even though we cannot see the vanity of it all. Moses says, we are like grass that springs up in the morning and withers away by evening.

My Story: I had a heart attack over a year ago. I thought with exercise and nutrition things would be better. My life would be back to what it once was before. Yet the doctor says differently. Every time I receive an echo-cardiogram, my heart seems to pump even less. Now I am told to strongly consider getting a defibrillator in case my heart suddenly stops. 

Day by day, I am seeing with more clearly the frailness of my life. 

Our Psyches - The stories of Bruce Jenner and Rachel Dolezal showcase the frailness of our psyches. One, a man, wants to be a woman, the other, a white woman, wants to be African American. One an Olympic icon; the other the former president of the NAACP, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

It is easy to get mad at Jenner and Dolezal. It is easy to scorn them for believing that somehow God got it wrong.  It is easy to criticize them for trying to play God by rejecting the DIVINE CREATOR'S initial design. However, the reality is that Jenner and Dolezal reveal the frailness of the human psyche. Jenner and Dolezol don’t need our anger, they need our prayers. They need to understand they were already beautiful in God’s eyes.

They have to look beyond their red markings on God's eternal rope. Ultimately, when we realize and accept that we are fragile human beings; that is when God can work with and through us.

3. The Reality of Sin

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?

Without the recognition of sin, you cannot see God clearly. Without understanding the significance of sin, we make a god in our image. Here, Moses says something we don’t like to hear, our iniquities bring out God’s wrath. Our secret sins bring out God’s wrath. No matter what we do, we cannot hide them from God like we hide them from others.

Moses asks a very important question at the end of this section. “Who considers the power of your anger and wrath and fears you?” The answer, not many people. Again, we are all focusing on the red mark of the eternal rope, we are not looking toward God.

Evil Manifested: This past week we saw sin manifested in a twenty one year old man named Dylan Roof. The details are hard to imagine. He visits a historic African American Church, seeks out the pastor, who invites him to a Bible study / prayer meeting. The young man is embraced and enjoys their company for an entire hour, then all of the sudden goes postal and opens fire in the church. Nine people, including the pastor, killed. All African American.

We later learn from his roommate that Roof had been planning this for six months. We are told that he had a hatred for African Americans and wanted to make his mark in history by doing such a crime. What Roof fails to understand is that killing nine African Americans won’t stop the rise of the black man; it will, however, essentially stop his life at the ripe ole age of twenty one. Dylan Roof is a classic example of how sin can over take you in life.

At one point in his life, he was colorblind. At one point in his life he probably played with African Americans on the playground or in the sandbox. Unfortunately, sin, bad company, and a twisted manifesto shaped his perceptions. From that point forward he was so focused on his red mark on the eternal rope, that he could not see God who made every human in His image, giving us all, despite the hue of our skin, red blood. 

It is easy to hate this young man, but we must remember that he most likely will have a short time to live. What he needs most is not our fists, but rather our prayers so that he can meet Jesus before his self-imposed judgment day. Likewise, we must also look beyond our small red marks of the rope and think in terms of God’s eternity. God is angry at Dylan Roof, He does not take what he did lightly. Yet he still has hope. Like it or not, Jesus also died for Dylan Roof. 

Finally, with all this craziness, Moses ends his prayer by appealing to God’s grace.

4. The Necessity of Grace

  

12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17       Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Moses shows us that we need is unmerited favor from God. In this section he pleads….

•     Teach us to number our remaining days wisely

•  Have pity on us

•  Let your favor be upon us

•  Establish the works of our hand

In the end, Moses’ prayer highlights the gospel and answers the question why God sent Jesus into our world. 

      *   He wanted you to have a relationship with the    
           eternal God

      *   He wanted you to realize your human   
           frailness

      *   He needed to have someone perfect (Jesus) die 
           for our sins to appease His wrath

      *   He needed you to know, heaven is yours, if 
           you believe, not by your works, but thru His 
           son’s (i.e., Grace).

I hope that encourages you. I hope that prompts you to ask God to teach you to number your days and learn the importance of making them count. 

I hope that drives you to make a difference so that God can establish the work of your own hands.

Moses prays this psalm as a father would to his children. 

May we heed the important lessons and insights God imparted to this man for our own times. May we pray in unison for the sign of our times!