Lord Have Mercy on Them...and Me, Too

A friend of mine has a part-time job at a driver's training school. He not only helps young people learn to drive, but also conducts classes for experienced drivers who want to take a course to keep their insurance rate lower.

At the beginning of his classes he plays a fun game with his students -- getting them to share the most annoying things other drivers do. You can probably name your own. I hate it when I'm behind someone who is driving really slowly, who then start to turn right into a driveway or another street and take forever turning.
Or how about when you're at an intersection, with your turn signal on, waiting for the oncoming car to pass you so you can turn left and then they turn right on that same street -- and they didn't have their signal on! I find myself too often talking (maybe even yelling?) to other drivers like this, sharing with them how annoyed I am with their insensitivity.

And then I find myself doing some knucklehead thing on the road, get honked at by a driver who is mad at me, and I say, "I'm sorry." I need mercy from other drivers, just like they need grace and mercy from me.

Lately I've been fuming over a couple of injustices. Some people I know are doing things that I believe are not right and yet are getting away with it. Yesterday I was upset about something going on with a person in a land far, far away from here. And I found myself obssesing over this. Finally, I prayed and asked the Lord to fight this battle for me, turning this matter over to Him.

I can get so upset and annoyed at other people's sins...and feel so self-righteous. And yet too often I am overlooking my own sins. I think about people who may spend a lot of time doing other things at their work besides the job assigned to them and get upset. But then I find myself reading e-mail or surfing the web for minutes on end in areas that have nothing to do with my work. Ouch. Mr. Hypocrite!

As Jesus tells us, let's take the big plank out of our own eye before removing the speck from the eye of another. It's so easy to see the flaws and sins of others, and to feel so justified in criticizing them and wanting them to get justice. And yet when I realize that I live under the mercy of Jesus and that He continues to forgive me for my sins, I need to pray for others rather than being os harsh with them.

And my Master calls me to forgive them, just as He asked the Father to forgive those who put Him on that cross.

And so, Lord, for all those we know that we feel are not doing right, would you open their eyes and help them see their sinful ways so that they would turn to you in repentance and seek Your forgiveness. Have mercy on them, Lord. And please have mercy on us, too. And realize that we need Your mercy and grace just as much as they do. In name of Jesus we pray, and Amen.

More on Margin

While on the treadmill last night, I read more of the book Margin that I mentioned yesterday. The author, Richard Swenson, is a medical doctor who was on the fast track of life until God woke him up to the insanity of his life. He decided to do research on what happens to a life that is on overload. Out of it came this wonderful book that I highly recommend. I re-read much of the chapter on Margin in Finances. What a bone-shaking, eye-opening chapter.

To restore financial margin in our lives, where we're getting out of debt and not constantly living on the edge money-wise, the Doctor offers several "prescriptions." One of them is to begin travelling in the direction that our Father is pointing us to. The issue for followers of Jesus is that if we want to have financial margin in our lives we must settle the matter of lordship. Do I seek financial peace and getting out of debt in order to be more comfortable and financially secure? Or is my motive to honor my Lord Jesus?

I thought and prayed about this for several minutes as my workout wound down. Why do I want to pay off our house early? What is my motivation for putting money away for retirement? And should I be plowing a lot of that money into the kingdom of God (supporting more missionaries, giving more money away to the poor) now, rather than wait until I feel financially secure?

I have a friend that is always helping the poor and buying food and other things for those in need. When I commended him for his generosity, he told me in essence, "The Lord gives me this money so I can give it to others."

I'm just wondering...am I reluctant to give sacrificially and not save much because I don't trust the Lord to provide? I need Jesus to remind me each day that I cannot serve God and money. And when you and I give money away, in Swenson's words, "we not only neutralize its power over us, but we also bring it under the domain of the Kingdom of Light."

Jim

Breaking the Power of Money

In our men's class yesterday, Ray Pettit told his story of visiting an orphanage in India over the holidays. He and his wife lead a ministry called "Sanctuary Home," where they support orphans in a Christian mission in a "village" of 700,000 in eastern India. The video he showed was mesmerizing. Little girls singing praise songs. Cramped, thatched-roof huts that served as places of worship for the churches. A "motorcycle-cam" view of driving through the streets, with people precariously crisscrossing the streets on on bikes and motorized rickshaws.

One of the most touching stories he told was of the widows. Because of the high mortality rate of people, many women with children are left without a husband and have to raise their kids by themselves. But their culture frowns on remarriage... and then comes the double whammy -- it's very difficult for widows to get work. Some of them turn to prostitution while others go from house to house asking if they could clean people's houses for money.

During the summers it gets up to 120 degrees, and yet in order to keep food on the table, workers will go out in the sun to work the fields. Some of them die from heatstroke.

And then there are the children. They learn to work at a very young age, and yet seem to be content even they don't have T.V.'s, laptops and not even an X-Box!

As I heard Ray talk and thought of the poverty and simplicity of these people's lives, I thought of how skewed my view of the world is since I live in such a rich country. I don't want to be controlled by my prosperity and instead use these financial blessings to help others, including those precious kids at Sanctuary Home.

Reading the words of Jesus this morning put a punctuation mark on what I heard from Ray yesterday. In Matt. 19, Jesus told the rich man to sell all he had, give to the poor and follow Him. We all know how the rich man reacted.

And I just wonder how much I cling to money and let it get in the way of my relationship with Jesus and in blessing others. I struggle with this issue, because I want to put money away for retirement and pay off our house so as not to be a burden on others when I can't work. Susan and I hope to give away more money in our later years. And yet how much do we need to be giving away now?

I often think of the chapter on our attitude towards money in the terrific book, Margin by Richard Swenson. He writes:

Again and again the Word instructs us in explicit terms to distrust money. It is not that money is evil, but that the love of money leads to all kinds of evil. With sufficient wisdom and discipline, money can glorify God and be a blessing to many.

And then one of my favorite lines from this book:

How is it possible to break the substantial power money holds over us? Very simple-- give it away. When we give money away, we not only neutralize its power over us, but we also bring it under the domain of the Kingdom of Light... God is honored, and His lordship is confirmed.

Lord Jesus, please give us Your wisdom and discipline in how to handle the money You have entrusted to us and help us freely give it away for Your glory and praise, trusting You with all of our hearts to provide everything we need. Amen.

Jim

Sherry

Early yesterday morning I was all prepared to write about what I heard the night before -- Randy Harris' great message at Highland. He talked about how to see people differently. Because of the cross and since we have died with Christ, we no longer see people from a worldly point of view (2 Cor. 5:16). "What a great topic to blog about," I said to myself.

However, a few minutes after I opened up the Service Center and before I could get to my computer, I heard a loud banging on our front door. I went to the waiting room, opened the door and there was "Sherry." The left side of her face was scraped from a fall the day before. She was wearing dirty pajama bottoms and a raggedy shirt and sweatjacket. Sherry was jumping up and down, moaning in pain because of a terrible toothache. I could have seen her as a nuisance, an interruption to my writing. But I believe the Lord brought her here so that we could display His love to her.

In the meantime, our office manager arrived and we both tried to settle Sherry down -- giving her a warm cloth to press on her aching cheek. Getting her to rub ice on her hand, which I read helps with a toothache. Sadly, these treatments didn't seem to work. I offered to take her to the emergency room, but she started to scream and jump up and down, yelling, "I've already been to the emergency room last week. They just made me wait for four hours. I need this tooth pulled."

We called a dentist that helps our clients with emergency situations like this. And then I called my friend, Scott, who runs the Medical Care Mission. Within 45 minutes, one of his nurses called us and asked to bring Sherry in right away. Thank the Lord, He provided Sherilyn, our new intern who is a social Work major at ACU. She went with me to take Sherry to the dentist.

After looking at Sherry's tooth for a couple minutes, the dentist came out to inform us that her tooth was so infected that she'd need to be on antibiotics for a week before they could pull the tooth. I learned something new. They called in a prescription to Wal-Mart, and so off we went to the pharmacy department to wait for the prescription. In the meantime, Sherry kept moaning and crying about the pain she was in. At one point we found out she had been smoking crack recently and so we were a bit concerned about getting her pain medication. But the pharmacist assured us she'd be okay with it. Sherry said that she once had a scholarship to the Air Force but threw it all away when she got on crack.

After a trip to McDonald's to buy Sherry a milkshake so she could eat non-chewable food and start taking her antibiotics, Sherilyn and I took her to her house -- a ramshackle dwelling where she lives with her grandfather.

Seeing others no longer from a worldly point of view, but through the eyes of Jesus. We're going to contact Sherry some more -- taking her to the dentist next week since she has no transportation. I want to sit down with her and ask her the question that Jesus asked the man at the pool of Siloam: "Do you want to get well?" She needs the Lord desperately -- to let Him fill her heart and not drugs. I want to lovingly share the gospel with her. And to tell her that if she'll work with us, we could get her with some Christian folks who will help her get on a healthy path -- counselors, mentors, drug rehab people, and so on.

Would you please pray for Sherry today? After being with her much of the morning yesterday, it's pretty clear that she is a sheep without the Shepherd. Jesus sees her as a precious woman whom He created and for whom He died and was raised. I want to see her and everyone else with the same eyes.

Jim

Radically Rescued

The Hollywood world is abuzz with the announcement of the Academy Award nominations. And as in every year, there's always news about what films were snubbed.

Susan and I saw a very moving movie last night that was released in 2006. And after it was over we were both surprised how it was overlooked by the Academy. Oliver Stone directed a very realistic and emotionally compelling re-enactment of that dreaded September 11 in his film, "World Trade Center." The way the computer animators recreated the burning towers and heap of smoking metal was amazing.

I hadn't realized that while 2,749 died in that national tragedy, only 20 people were rescued. This film tells the story of #'s 19 and 20 -- two policemen who were trapped in an elevator shaft and were in desperate need of being rescued. Nicolas Cage and Luis Pena (who was wonderful in "The Count of Monte Cristo") play the two Port Authority policemen whose families frantically await word on their fate while the two men lie under concrete, talk about their families, pray and try to keep each other awake and alive.

I am naturally claustrophobic and so as I watched these two guys I cringed in thinking what it would be like to feel so trapped and helpless.

Warning, I'm going to give away the ending, just in case you want to stop reading this and go rent the movie. The scene of the heroic Marines, firemen, and paramedics digging out these two men and pulling them out of this hellish hole was beautifully done.

Being trapped in a pile of steel and concrete. Unable to get out by yourself. Needing someone to come rescue you. Rejoicing and being so grateful to your rescuer when you're finally pulled out of this death grip. It just reminded me of another Rescuer that all of us need ...

Jim

Leading with Love

People donate all sorts of things to our ministry, including books. I will comb through these books often and pick out the Christian ones that we then put out in our waiting room for our neighbors to take. This is a seed planting ministry. Occasionally I'll find a book that will feed me as a leader and so I'll read some of it first before giving it away. One such gem that came here was Leading With Love by Alexander Strauch. It's directed to Christian leaders and teachers, describing how Scripture puts so much emphasis on love.

While on the treadmill last night I read a couple chapters. One of the neatest stories was of the great evangelist Dwight Moody. He had a life-altering encounter with the love of God when his church invited a young British evangliest named Henry Moorehouse. For seven nights in a row, Moorhouse preaching John 3:16, going through the entire Bible showing the revelation of the love of the Lord. In his journal, Moody wrote of this experience:

I never knew up to that time that God loved us so much. This heart of mine began to thaw out; I could not keep back the tears. It was like news from a far country. I just drank it in . So di the crowded congregation. I tell you there is one thing that draws above evertying else in the world, and that is love.

I took up that word "Love" and I do not know how many weeks I spent in studying the passages in which it occurs, till at last I could not help loving peole! I had been feeding on Love so long that I was anxious to do everybody good I came in contact with.

As I finished my workout last night, I decided that I, too, want to be consumed with God's love as Dwight Moody was. I want to lead with love above anything else -- as a husband, father, elder, son, director of this ministry, and in everything. Just like Jesus does with us each day.

What if you and I tried this experiment today: ask God to give us opportunities all day to display His love in creative ways to those around us, or with someone we haven't talked to by phone or e-mail for awhile. And then just expect Him to bless others through us. Let's try this today, and then let each other know how the Lord worked His love through us.

Jim

Staying the Course

We all love comeback stories, don't we? I'm not sure that I've seen a better comeback in many years then in last night's heroic plays of Peyton Manning and his Colts. Until last night' s thrilling game, they had been disappointed so many times in the playoffs -- twice at the hands of the Patriots.

While watching the end of the game, where Peyton had his one last chance to not only win this game but also redeem himself by finally making it to the Super Bowl, I turned to Susan and said, "I'm afraid to get my hopes up that they can beat these guys." To which Susan replied, "You want to protect your heart."

After the excitement of the game end, which was so thrilling as I watched the owner and coach of the Colts both give God the glory, I pondered Susan's comment. Why is it that we sometimes want to give up and stop trying -- whatever challenge we may face? I think Susan's right -- we don't want to get our heart wounded again. So we protect it by not getting our hopes up. And in doing so, we may miss out in some great victories in our lives...and may miss a more subtle positive experience in our lives.

Perseverance does more than lead us to a way of finally overcoming our challenge. I know of many people who have persevered for years in trying to reach a goal, and yet never quite made it. Dan Marino is one example. When I watched him comment after the game last night, I remembered that he was one of the best all time quarterbacks. A few years ago he was inducted in to the NFL Hall of Fame. And yet he never won a Super Bowl. Did he not succeed in life?

Not giving up, staying the course, persisting towards a goal may result in finally reaching that dream. Or it may not. And yet there’s something that happens within us while on that pursuit, as we go through challenges and trials. Scripture calls it character building.

I love the New Living Translation of James 1:2-4:

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

I think of the character built in an athlete training for the Olympics who ended up in last place. Or the business owner who is able to survive but never really made the profits that he or she had expected. Or the mother who prays and prays for an adult child who is battling drugs or alcohol – and yet the child never overcomes their addiction.

As we keep facing defeats and discouragement, we could lose heart, protect our hearts, and just give up. Or we can keep going and let Christ change us more into His likeness while on this path of endurance. For if we never quite reach our goal and have the type of life we had once dreamed of, and yet we’ve allowed Jesus to shine more brightly through us during this refining process, then I would say we’re a winner. We’d be a victor in the eyes of Christ. That would be a victory much sweeter than winning a division championship. Or even a Super Bowl.

Jim

Helping People on a Deeper Level

I'd like to refer you to the comment by Deb. She had some wonderful insights in response to yesterday's post.

As I ponder how to help others, especially those in desperate need like my friend Billy, I recall the chapter of a book by Eugene Peterson. The chapter title is, "Teach Us to Care, and Not To Care," from the excellent book, Subversive Spirituality:

If unwary, the person providing care is co-opted into feeding selfishness, which is to say, sin. There is a great irony here -- that so much of our caring nurtures sin. ..Because of their failure to take with full seriousness the nature and presence of sin, a great deal of caring is simply collaboration in selfishness, in self-pity...We wake up one morning and realize that we have poured ourselves out for these needy people and they are not getting any better...

As Christians who begin to sense a vocation, a reaching out, knowing that this life matters now to other people, the most central thing that we are doing is to teach them to pray. This is our genius as Christians, this access to God, this life of intimacy with God. This is why we are Christians, to live in this healed, loved way. If we do not use the occasions of need, of caring, as a school for prayer, we abdicate our most central concern.

Eugene's thoughts made me think of the story I heard a British pastor tell at a conference last year. He is very involved in an evangelical ministry to the poor in London. He described a government project where they built a large housing project for low-income people. Within a year or so, the residents were tearing up the place and stealing things from the building.

His point was that if we just help people physically but don't address matters of the soul, we won't really be helping them on a deep, spiritual level.

This is why I am so deeply committed to the ministry I'm leading to be Christ-centered. To keep pointing people to Jesus and not just alleviate poverty. Secular and government social services can provide many basic needs for those in poverty. But only followers of Christ can given them food that lasts, living water, a message of hope that can be life changing for eternity.

Jim

Trapped in the Gap

A few minutes after I sent that post yesterday, our receptionist buzzed me to say that there was a man on the line who was homeless and desperately needed help. It's as if the Lord was telling me, "Okay, Jim, it's time to live out what you just wrote." How could I resist His call?

I got on the line and talked to Billy, a man who told me that he was blind, a diabetic and homeless. Yesterday, some members from a downtown Methodist church found him walking around their building and decided to put him up in a motel for the night. After getting his social security #, I made some calls and found out that his story was true.

An hour later I picked up Billy at the motel and took him to visit with a social worker friend of mine who works for Call for Help. She was such a blessing to Billy, exploring with him resources in town to help him with employment, his health needs, etc. He told us that he has applied for disability, having hired an attorney who probably has to spend months or years fighting for his case (he said that she'll get a percentage of what he'd receive). Because of his vision problems, Billy said, he cannot get employers to hire him.

He said that he's worked all his life and thus paid into the Social Security system for many years, but since he's 56 years old, he cannot draw Social Security for six more years. Billy leaned back in his church, looked up at the ceiling and with a sigh he told us, "My mother died when she was sixty. I may not last that long."

My friend scheduled another appointment with Billy and then I took him to the Salvation Army and let the Service Center pay for seven days. He gave me a big hug before I left.

As I've thought about Billy's dilemma, "trapped in the gap" as I see it, I realized how complicated helping the poor is (It's a lot easier writing about it!).

1. It's not always as easy as telling lazy people to just go get a job. What if they're disabled like Billy?

2. What do you do to provide housing for someone who cannot work and yet may not qualify for a place like Hope Haven, a local homeless facility where the residents are required to work?

3. How can you avoid just giving a low-income person a "quick fix" (food, clothes, a bus pass) and instead help them more long-term?

4. If the person has no support (family, church, etc), what do you say to them about seeking out some support systems? Billy told us he has five siblings, but he's embarrassed to tell them about his condition. Do I urge him to call his sister (the one closest to him) and ask her if he could move to her area and get her help?

This takes much wisdom from above, and patience from above.

I'm open to your suggestions. Father, please watch over Billy...and grant us love, wisdom and long-suffering in ministering to the "Billys" of this world.

Jim

Give Me a Break

Our family was deeply moved when we together went to see "The Pursuit of Happyness." Based on a true story, it tells of a man named Chris Gardner (played terrifically by Will Smith) whose wife abandoned him and their young son. They ended up homeless in San Francisco while Chris struggled to make a living selling bone scanners to doctors. Then he saw a great opportunity -- to get the choice job of an intern at the investment firm, Dean Witter. I won't give away all the plot, in case you haven't seen it yet.

However, there is one theme from that film that keeps lingering in my heart. Chris would not have made it if he had not been given a break by some people in power. He was very vulnerable, struggling to take care of his young son while living on the edge financially and dealing with a very competitive and stressful internship -- an unpaid internship at that! Two men in particular gave Chris a chance to break through his poverty -- the executive at Dean Witter who accepted him into the internship program and a CEO at a large telecommunications company who introduced him to many potential clients.

I thought of the times when I really needed someone in power to help me out. In the early 90's, when our kids were very young and I was working two part-time jobs at ACU and finishing a master's degree, we were on the edge financially. And I was very frustrated in not having a full-time job and not being able to use my gifts and ministry experience. I always remember that time in the spring of '92 when both of my jobs ran out and I was sitting at home in our duplex wondering what I was going to do for work. Then I heard a knock on the door, opened it up and there was Terry O'Rear, who at the time was on staff at Highland. He told me that he found some funds to be able to hire me part-time as his ministry assistant. I was thrilled.

Then the next year when things were still unstable for me career-wise, Randy Becton, then CEO at Herald of Truth, offered me a job writing scripts for the radio program he taped each day. A few months later he asked me to take over his job as response minister. This eventually turned into full-time work for the next eight years. I was in need of a break, and God used men like Terry O'Rear and Randy Becton to open those doors and release me into meaningful work and some financial stability.

I'm thinking of all those that come into the Service Center each day -- feeling vulnerable, weary of poverty, perhaps embarrassed at asking for help. We could have this air of superiority -- that we are the strong ones helping those who are weak. But I would hope that instead we'd have a spirit of humility, knowing that absolutely everything we have comes from God. And I would hope that we would allow the Holy Spirit to grant us the same kind of compassion that Jesus had (and still has!) on the weak and vulnerable. This verse that I read this morning describes so well how our Lord treats the strugglers of life:

He will not crush those who are weak,
or quench the smallest hope,
until he brings full justice with his final victory.
And his name will be the hope
of all the world. -- Matt. 12:20-21

Lord Jesus, please deliver me from any sort of pride about the blessings You have entrusted to me. Remind me that in my own weakness, You are my strength. And please give me a heart like You, so that I'll gently and lovingly be an encourager and an advocate to those who are in vulnerable positions of life. For Your glory and praise, Amen.


Jim

God Helps Those Who Don't Help Themselves

A friend of mine has been in a real pickle these past few weeks (where did that phrase come from? what's the deal about a pickle?). Anyway, he is now finding some stability in his life and sent me an e-mail reflecting on this recent ordeal. The last line of his e-mail jumped out at me:

"Jim, I am more convinced than ever that God oft times "helps those who don't help themselves."

Here is an excerpt from my reply to him:

Many years ago, when I was a new believer, a Christian friend of mine said, "Jim, you know that God helps those who helps themselves." At first I that sounded great. Maybe it's even in the Bible. But later I learned it came from the lips of Benjamin Franklin.

Then I heard a preacher/professor quote Romans 5:8 in response to the popular myth of B. Franklin:

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Sounds like we were absolutely desperate for a rescue from Jesus. And we still need Him every day!

Our pride fights having to depend on the Lord and on His people. We want to "do it my way." But then I recall this other promise from the mouth of our Lord:

"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." -- Isa. 66:2

May we all encounter the Lord Jesus and experience His tender mercies as we meet Him in our brokenness and neediness.

Yours on the Great Journey,

Jim

What my friend said also reminded me of a comment another friend made after seeing the popular film, "The Pursuit of Happyness." While she thought that it was a great rags to riches story, what she noticed was that the character played by Will Smith had no community in his life. No supporting resources. And yet somehow he and his son survived this harrowing ordeal and eventually got back on their feet.

I'm not advocating that we rely so much on others for help that we take no responsibility for our lives. What I am saying is that if we're going to really experience the power of Jesus in our lives, we need to recognize and experience the truth of His words: If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

And haven't you found that depending on Jesus involves relying on the body of Christ? I certainly have. God helps those who can't help themselves. So that He can get all the glory.

Jim

Elevator Speeches

Early this morning before we got out of bed, Susan shared with me a story of how she and several others from Highland are trying to help a man in crisis (we'll call him David). He's been a chronic alcoholic and has apparently wasted much of his life. However, he seems to have turned a corner, thank the Lord. Susan asked me, "Do you think that telling him of the passage in Jeremiah would be taking that verse out of context?"

Susan was referring to Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I told her that these words from the Lord were directed to those in covenant with Him, and yet were not living out God's dreams because of their disobedience. And yet the Lord in His mercy and grace was using His prophets like Jeremiah to call His people back to Himself -- so that they could experience hope, forgiveness, and a new life.

How would I explain this promise to this man Susan and others are trying to help? Maybe I'd say, "David, you don't have to be living this destructive way any more. God loves you and has such a better plan for you. And this promise from the Bible can be yours, if you are in relationship with God. If you put your faith in Jesus and turn your life over to His plan for your life, whether for the first time or in re-dedicating your life to Him, then you really will have a hope and a future."

Our conversation made me think of how I want to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within me, as 1 Peter admonishes us to do. And yet I don't want to just tell people, "You need to change and stop doing so and so." I want to begin with the gospel. To share with them what Bill Hybels tells folks that he encounters: "The good news is do verses done." Religion is "do" -- do more, try to be better, attempt to live up to God's standards. Christianity is "done" -- Christ has taken care of our sin problem on the cross. And now He invites us to accept that gift and then enter a journey of becoming a fully devoted follower of Him.

Being ready to tell people the gospel in a few sentences reminds me of some leadership principle I read: Be prepared to explain the mission of your organization to a person riding on an elevator with you. By the time the person gets off of the 16th floor, they'll know what your organization is all about.

I want to be able to do that with the gospel -- to summarize very quickly what this good news is. The Lord could use those brief words to change a person's life. Maybe a person who is in the bondage of drugs and alcohol. And perhaps even someone you meet at the grocery store, the mall, on an airplane... or even on an elevator.

Jim

Entering the Danger Zone

I've probably read the book of Matthew at least a dozen times. But for the first time in reading this particular section, I was struck this morning by how "giving it all up" and following Jesus often means entering the danger zone.

When I first read Matthew in the $2.95 Good News for Modern Man Bible that I bought when I was 20 years old, the words of Jesus pierced me. He scared me when I read these words: "I came not to bring peace but a sword. " I feared giving up allegiance to my family, whom I loved so much. And those fears were confirmed. Yes, I did need to let Jesus be my greatest allegiance, my deepest passion, and not my Mom and Dad, brothers and sisters, and friends in the world.

I hate to admit it but I was a stubborn mule for the next four years and would not submit to Jesus. But over time the Holy Spirit wooed me so much I could not resist. He brought me to faith in Christ. By His grace I became a Christ-follower.

In Matthew 8, all these people said they wanted to follow Jesus. And yet Jesus warned them of the cost: He had no place to lay His head, they need to let the spiritually dead bury their faither. His disciples ended up in a raging storm. They witnessed a frightening confrontation between Jesus and demonic spirits that were sent into pigs who then went to their death in a ravine. The owner of the pigs were frightened by Jesus and told Him to go away.

Following Jesus does mean comfort and peace and amazing joy. And what amazing hope beyond the grave! And yet, and yet, now that we're on Jesus' side, we are in a battle with the enemy. And so we'll be disliked or misunderstood by family or friends (this has happened to me). Our own children may think we're a bit weird if we take Jesus at His word and refuse to be squeezed into the world's mold (Rom. 12, Phillips trans.). And we will face spiritual warfare.

"Arm yourselves for the battle, "John Eldredge reminds us in his tremendous chapter on spiritual warfare in Waking the Dead.

And then I hear the call by the apostle Paul (who definitely was in the danger zone as he proclaimed the gospel of Christ and suffered terribly for it). He urges us to be prepared for the battle:

Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. - Eph. 6:10-13, New Living Translation

And isn't it comforting to know that we are not alone in the battle.

Jim

All the Lonely People

"I think of all the lonely people.

Where do they all come from?"

Remember that line from the old Beatles song?

That song came to mind as I thought about a couple visits I've had recently at an asssisted living center near my work.

A couple that has been married 71 years(!) has been very generous in their financial support of the Service Center. And so I scheduled a visit with them last week to thank them. We had lunch in the dining room of their new home. What a blessing it was to hear about their lives and careers. You can learn a lot from a couple who has been together for more than seven decades. What I noticed as I walked in the dining room was how many of the residents looked up and wanted to catch my eye. I knew a few of them and went over to give them hugs. The others looked happy just to have a guest who was younger than them.

All the lonely people...there are so many of them in nursing homes and retirement center.

Then on Sunday morning it seemed that the Lord put on my heart our dear friends from Highland, David and Jodie Fry. We lived next door to them for nine years while our children were in elementary, middle school and early high school. They had a pool and often invited us over for a cool dip which felt so good on those 90 plus degree days. We often ate with them at our house and theirs. The Frys taught us how to play Chicken Foot. And Jodie taught Shannon how to dive off the board.

David and Jody were so active and vibrant back then. Walking around the neighborhood. Going to ACU basketball games. Swimming. Working in their garden. Now, with earth suits that are wearing out like all of ours are, they a quiet and simple life at this same retirement center.

We took them to Rosa's Cafe after church. They're both on walkers and move quite slowly. It was wonderful catching up with them, talking about memories as neighbors. But it was also sad to see how they've slowed down so much. I thank the Lord for prompting me to give them a call and inviting them for lunch.

All the lonely people. We who are still healthy and active with our jobs, our children and church activities often forget those whose bodies have caused them to get off the fast track. I call them "the forgotten people, " since people like me are so busy that I don't slow down enough to take time out to go see them or take them to a movie or dinner. It's kind of an "out of sight out of mind" phenomena.

Who are the lonely, elderly people in your life? I know that a visit or phone call from you would likely be the highlight of their day. It certainly seemed to be highlight for the Frys and the couple in their 71st year of marriage.

Jim

Making Room for God's agenda

I am an incessant list maker. Maybe even a bit obssessive-compulsive about making lists. I remember when I was in college, I'd post a list of things to do next to the doorw of my bedroom of our guys' apartment.

Maybe I'm such a listmaker because I'm a natural scribbler. Possibly I do this because I'm a visual person. And I'm sure this trait is also due to the fact that I love accomplishing tasks.

Susan makes fun of my lists at times -- especially when on the weekend I put things on the list like "Shower and dress." Would I really pass up that task? I hope not -- neither would my family! On Saturday mornings I'm usually up earlier than Susan and so by the time she rises I've had my quiet time, made a long "things to do" list and am already working on tasks. Most Saturdays we sit down and plan our day together. And invariably she'll look at my list and suggest that I cross out half of the tasks, saying something like, "Jimminy, there is no way you can get all this done in one day." To which I sheepishly reply, "But I'd like to try."

My wife also encourages me to take Sabbath rest seriously and have some down time at least on Sunday afternoons. I know that I need to slow down like this regularly. But I fight it. I want to keep getting stuff done, because I feel constantly behind. And o how I love accomplishing tasks.

Last night I finally picked up a book that Susan has been urging me to read. The talented Canadian writer/pastor Mark Buchanan has hit another home run with this latest -- The Rest of God. Subtitle? "Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath." His words that I read last night hit my thick skull like a two-by-four:

"Drivenness erodes purposefulness. The difference between living on purpose and being driven surfaces most clearly in what we do with time. The driven are fanatical time managers..."

Then Buchanan brings out his trump card -- the lifestyle of Jesus. Our Lord was so purposeful and focused on His mission on earth -- to do the will of the Father, all the way to the cross. And yet Jesus was so often interrupted and saw these interruptions as ministry.

"Jesus didn't seem to keep time. But he noticed. So many people along the way -- blind men, lame men, tax men, pleading fathers, grieving mothers...captured his attention."

Then he applies Jesus' purposeful and yet flexible lifestyle to our daily walk:

"Purposefulnes requires paying attention, ,and paying attention means that we make room for surprise. We become hospitable to interruption. We need... a conviction in our bones that God is Lord of our days and years, and that his purposes and his presence often come disguised as detours, messes, defeats."

I realize that you and I don't need to be controlled by the whims and interruptions of everyone that crosses our paths. Some folks have no boundaries and will take over our lives if we let them. We do need to keep some structure to our days and draw boundaries.

However, as I consider the way Jesus "managed" his time, I'm going to look at my list a bit differently today. Maybe I should write them in pencil. And leave more room for those divine interruptions -- where Jesus has someone in mind or something to teach me that was not on my beloved list.

I want to always make room for God's agenda, knowing that He has some appointments in mind that are the most important tasks of "my" day. Right now that appointment may have come my way. A volunteer doing community service for our ministry just knocked on my door, came in my office and said she is in crisis and needs to pray with me now. I'm going to send this blog and then meet with "Diane" in a few minuts. I pray that God will use me and this appointment He just set up to bless one of His children.

Let's all keep our eyes open this week for those heavenly interruptions. After all, it is His time. We've just been loaned it while on earth.


Jim

Mid-Night Surrender

God blesses those who realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them. -- Matt. 5:1, NLT

I hate it when I wake up in the middle of the night and my mind starts racing so much that I can't go back to sleep. At 3:30 this morning I suddenly became conscious and a number of thoughts and concerns flowed through my mind..

* A client at work that I don't know how to best help

* A concern about our board meeting next week that I don't know how to solve

* A decision to make about serving on a committee at church

* A prayer for our daughter who asked us last night to pray for her and a job on campus

If I toss and turn too long in these early morning brain surges, I often get up and write down all that I need to do or pray about the next day. Or I'll make some warm milk and toast and read for awhile. But last night I just wanted to go back to sleep.

Then one of the 12 steps came to mind: "Make a decision to turn your life over to the care of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ." I thought of that technique that Keith Miller taught me in one of his books. He visualizes all the problems and concerns for his family, friends and himself, cups his hands and imagines holding all of these concerns. Then he places these needs and burdens into God's large hands, turning them over to Him.

I decided to do the same at 3:30 this morning. So I just told the Lord I surrender to Him my worries, decisions and problems. It wasn't too long before I was in a deep sleep, dreaming some odd dreams about being in the snow-covered mountains of Colorado (random!). There's something about turning our cares over to our Father that really does bring peace to our souls. You're giving up control of trying to figure everything out. You're admitting to Jesus that you can't run your life. And you once more turn the reins or the steering wheel over to Him.

Back in 1993, when I bought my first copy of The Message, I came across one of my favorite New Testament passages in this marvelous paraphrase:

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful when Chrsist displaces worry at the center of your life. -- Phil. 4, The Message

Maybe it's not so bad waking in the middle of the night. Especially when you experience that peace of Christ as you turn everything over to Him.

Jim

Turning Towards Joy

Last night I found myself surrounded by a bunch of teenagers, huddled around tables while sipping expensive coffee at Starbucks (I see this popular hangout as the modern equivalent to the soda fountains of the 50's). My dear friend Randy Becton and I were enjoying a wonderful time of catching up on our lives after the holidays. While sipping our apple ciders, I read him a quote from the Yancey book on prayer that really hit me.

Yancey tells the story of a Catholic priest interviewed after 20 years of hearing his parishioner's confessions. The question was, "What is the most common problem you've encountered in hearing these confessions?" Without hesitation he said, "God." "Very few of his parishioners behaved as if God loves them. They don't see God as a God of love, forgiveness, gentleness and compassion. They see God as someone to cower before, not as someone like Jesus, worthy of our trust."

This interviewer commented on the priest's experience: "Do we wake up every morning amazed that we are loved by God?...Do we allow our day to be shaped by God's desire to relate to us?"

I thought of this story again this morning as I read these words in Psalm 4:

Let the smile of your face shine on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine.

I also read today these words of Jesus, when He began His ministry:

Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” -- Matt 4:17

I'm wondering how much our perspective of our relationship with God would change if we realized that repentance results in experiencing this great soul joy that the psalmist describes. Turning away from our sin and self-dependence and turning to Jesus is a turning towards joy!

At times when I really blow it and watch something on T.V. that I know I shouldn't, I'm at first reluctant to tell Susan. I'm embarrassed and ashamed. And yet when I confess this sin not only to the Lord but to my wife, I receive mercy and grace -- not judgment. Susan doesn't hammer me with shame but instead thanks me for being honest about my sin. Knowing that she'll treat me with grace and love motivates me to be honest with her.

How much more in our relationship with Jesus! He LOVES us and welcomes us with His grace and forgiveness when we bring our real selves to Him. Hearing this message once more as I read this story to Randy was so sweet to my soul. Sweeter than that apple cider.

May the smile of His face shine upon You today as you turn to Him for forgiveness, strength and mercy. For you are turning towards joy.

Jim

Yancey on Prayer

Nearly every Christmas my bride Susie gives me a new book. She did it again a couple weeks ago, "surprising" me with a book by my favorite author, Philip Yancey. (I actually asked her to give this to me for Christmas a few months ago). Like so many millions of others I'm sure, Yancey's insights have blessed me deeply in my walk with Christ. Disappointment with God, The Jesus I Never Knew, What's So Amazing About Grace? Soul Survivor. I loved each one of these by this insightful and gifted writer. Now he's done it again with Prayer -- Does It Make Any Difference?

Right now I'm in the third chapter titled, "Just As We Are." He asks and then answers the question: "What is the natural state we all share in approaching God?" One such state is that we are all helpless (even though we may live under the illusion that we're pretty self-sufficient). He writes:

As adults we like to pay our own way, live in our own houses, make our own decisions, rely on no outside help. We look down upon those who live off welfare or charity...All the while we are systematically sealing off the heart attitude most desireable to God and most descriptive of our true states in the universe. "Apart from me you can do nothing," Jesus told his disciples, a plain fact that we conspire to deny.

Then he points out that we are much more reliant than we may realize. To drive a car we rely on car manufacturers to produce them. Electricity wouldn't be available if it weren't for companies that generate this invaluable resource and direct it to our homes. We depend on ranchers and farmers to feed us.

Yancey's words punctured my pride and illusion of self-reliance. I thought about this blog. In order to write it each morning I rely on Dell to provide this computer, Google to make this Blog available, and SBC Global to connect me with the internet. And every breath I take, thought given to me, inspiration to write is completely dependent on almighty God.

And when I pray, as Yancey reminds me, I am declaring my utter dependence upon God.

My flesh fights against this dependence. I don't like having to rely on other people (just ask my family). And this prideful, self-sufficient spirit spills over into my relationship with God. And yet the Holy Spirit within me is calling for continual surrender, humility and constant reliance on the living God to direct every step I take, every thought I think, each action I take. And He keeps wooing me to know the love of Christ more and more... and to realize that constant surrender and reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit is the path of life, joy and peace.

If you want a good read this year, I highly recommend any book by Yancey. You might start with his new one on prayer.

Jim

Sex...It is Really Good

I thought I'd get your attention with the title of this post. This topic pervades so much of our mass media, as we all know. Unfortunately, sex in our culture is mostly discussed or portrayed in a context outside of God's beautiful plan. Take for example the film I saw over Christmas time.

It seemed like a sweet love story when I read about it. So I succumbed to Susan's preference for a chick flick and took her to see "The Holiday." This film has some great acting by Kate Winslett and Jack Black. And the latter half of the film really comes through as a wonderful story of friendship, family and love. But in my opinion Nancy Meyer, the writer/director, blew it when she had one couple jump in bed within an hour of meeting each other.

I thought about this film while at Starbucks with Susan last night. We love to go there to read and drink coffee. And I read a tremendous article on God's perspective on sex in the new Discipleship Journal. Paula Rhinehart, a marriage counselor and terrific writer, does a wonderful job articulating a Christ-centered perspective on sex. She tells of why God puts boundaries around the sexual experience, limiting it to husband and wife. Sex is more than two bodies coming together, she says...it's a deep connection between two souls.

Rhinehart writes, "We cannot engage in something with our bodies without our hearts and souls being affected...When we bond physically with another person, through sex, our souls also bond. ...This glue is what helps couples endure together the stress and strain of crying babies and aging parents, of lost jobs and chronic illness."

After I read this article I took another sip of coffee and thought of how refreshing it was to hear God's truth on this subject. He loves us so much that He gives us this gift to be expressed in marriage. Yes, to create children. But also to continually bond us as a couple. And in His great love He tells us how to safeguard ourselves from the misuse and abuse of sex.

I want others to hear this truth! I'm so weary of the message of films and T.V. that tell us that sex can be toyed with and then one can escape from the consequences of sexual sin. I pray for our children, that they will wait until they get married to experience this blessing solely with their mate.

I think of the many people that have been so messed up by pre-marital or post-marital sex -- whether as a promiscous teenager, living with someone, being in a common-law relationship, being sexually abused, or committing adultery.

And then I think of how this longing for intimacy with the opposite sex is really a metaphor for or a reflection of the deep longing for closeness with God that can only be found through faith in Jesus. It seems to me that this this obsession with sex in our culture stems from an emptiness in people's hearts. An empty space that cannot be filled by any experience or anyone but the Holy Spirit, given to us by Jesus.

When our souls are bonded to Jesus, then the Holy Spirit and God's word will give married couples the guidance and the power to deeply appreciate and be strengthened by this sex drive. And if we're single, Jesus will give us the strength to resist sexual temptation and seek an intimacy with Him that cannot be matched by anything. Not even sex.

Jim