December 1, 2009

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" Genesis 3:8-9

"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46

Here are three of the most tragic verses in the entire Bible. They are tragic because they speak of broken relationship. Pain oozes from these words. Loved one who desire to be in fellowship have found that their fellowship has been severed.

It is painful to be separated from someone you love and desire to be with but there is a barrier preventing that from happening. You want to be with them but you can't.

I remember when my parents were divorced. I was just a very young child but I remember missing my dad after he left and wishing I could be with him. But then, when I went to be with him I would miss my mother. I was grieved that I couldn't be with them both. I often fantasized about how great it would be to have my parents together. So my childhood was haunted by this empty feeling of broken fellowship.

Many of you know what I am talking about.

God knows what I am talking about. So does Jesus. They both knew the heartache of being separated or alienated form the one you love.

Every morning since Adam had been created He and God had walked hand in hand, face-to-face in the beautiful Garden known as Eden. Obviously, Adam enjoyed it (who wouldn't!) but amazingly, God looked forward to it as well. Think about that - God wanting to fellowship with you!

But one sad and fateful morning God came to the appointed place at the regular time - but no Adam - nowhere. So God calls out, "Adam! Where are you?"

Heart-breaking isn't it?

Want some good news?

God wanted to be with us and have fellowship with us far more than we wanted to be with Him! Yes, He did! And so God did something to repair the breech, to redeem our race, and to restore the fellowship.

"But God commended His love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us."

God loves us that much? Yes! And it would cost Him one more painful separation. He would have to send His Son to earth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a woman, to become a sinless sacrifice for the sins of mankind. That meant Jesus leaving Heaven.

Because Jesus took our sins upon Himself and died on the cross as a sinner, God had to turn away from His Son. For the first time in all of eternity Father and Son were separated. It was the only way that Jesus, the second Adam, could undo the damage of the first Adam.

That is the amazing, joyous news of Christmas! God bore the pain of separation so that we would never again have to be alienated from Him!

November 30, 2009

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

As you know if you have been following my blogs, I have been commenting on thankfulness the entire month of November. It has been helpful to me to concentrate on the topic of thankfulness for that period of time. One thing it confirms is that I do not as thankful as I need to be.

This verse gives us some insights on why it is so important to be thankful and what that means.

Thankfulness indicates that you are at peace, "Let the peace of God rule in your heart...." Having a thankful heart indicates that you have found peace with God. How? By surrendering to His reign and rule in your heart. When you allow Him to be the Lord of your life, one of the by-products is a thankful heart. That happens because you come to appreciate His victory. He has won the victory over sin and death by virture of His atoning death and resurrection. When you surrender to Him, His victory becomes your victory! You also come to appreciate His value. Until you surrender everything to Him you will not understand that He is WORTH everything! He adds value to everything and everyone Who He touches. Anything that is separated from Him loses value.

Thankfulness indicates that you are at peace with yourself. In order to make Jesus your Lord, you have to confess that He is God and you aren't. That is the essence of surrender. When you stop striving against Him you can begin to serve Him. As you serve Him you gain a growing understanding of His value TO you and THROUGH you. As Jesus said to His disciples, "without me you can do nothing." And, as Paul confessed, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Thankfulness also indicates that you have God's vision, "since as members of one body you are called to peace." When you are at peace with God you not only realize His victory and His value but you gain His vision. You see life as He sees it. You see time and eternity as He sees it. You see people as He sees them. You see His Kingdom as He sees it. When you are at peace with God and at one with His purpose, life gets good, and when life is better than it has ever been you become thankful!

Thankfulness grows out of relationship with the God of peace. It is one of the fruits of the Lordship of Christ. So, if you are struggling with maintaining a thankful spirit that is the first place to look. Are you surrendered to the Lordship of Christ?

What a great time to check it out! As we move from Thanksgiving to the Advent Season, examine your heart over the Lordship issue. Do the hard work. Ask the hard questions. It isn't easy but it is worth it! You'll be thankful!

November 29, 2009

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7

Pastor Kent Crockett gives this insight on the nature of thankfulness.

One afternoon my wife Cindy called me from the bank where she worked. “The diamond fell out of my wedding ring!” she sobbed. “It broke loose from the ring prongs and I don’t know where it is!”

My mind flashed back two decades, while as a poor seminary student surviving on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheap buffets, I saved $750 to purchase the most beautiful diamond ring in the world for my future wife.

Diamond appraisers wouldn’t describe it that way, of course. Less than half a karat. Small carbon flaw. However, the true worth of a diamond isn’t determined by karats and clarity, but by the love with which it’s purchased.

The chances of finding it were slim to none. We had no earthly idea where it could be hiding. Cindy could have lost it in our house while getting ready for work, at the restaurant where she had gone for lunch, or somewhere in the bank.

Lord, I prayed, You know where Cindy lost her diamond. Please show me where it is.

Immediately I felt prompted to go to the bank parking lot to begin my search. When I arrived, the first place I looked was inside my wife’s minivan. Nothing in there. When I turned around to scan the lot, I saw something glisten. Tiny rocks and small chunks of gravel covered the parking lot. As I drew closer to investigate, my heart leaped when I discovered Cindy’s diamond lying in a crack in the pavement. I snatched up the diamond and ran into the bank lobby holding it high for everyone to see.

“Look—I found it!" I yelled.

Bank customers turned around to find out why I was causing such a commotion. Cindy looked up from behind her teller window, burst into tears, and came running through the lobby into my arms. As we hugged in the middle of the bank in front of the customers, we looked like the final scene of a romantic movie.

Although we hadn't noticed the diamond that morning, it became the center of our attention that evening. We called our friends and relatives to tell them how our lost diamond had been found and then went out to dinner to celebrate.

Our lost diamond incident bore an uncanny resemblance to the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-9). The woman in the parable lost a silver coin, searched diligently, and found it. She was so excited that she called all her friends and neighbors to share her joy. After finding the lost jewel, Cindy and I had unwittingly followed the same script as the woman in the parable.

Had the value of the diamond changed? No.

What had changed? Our perception of its value.

I learned one of the great secrets of thankfulness through this adventure. The value of something isn’t determined by how much it appreciates, but by how much it is appreciated.

Salvation is certainly like that. Once you discover Him you don't want to lose Him. And the longer you walk with Him and live in Him the more valuable He becomes to you. The more you value Him the more thankful you are that you found Him - and He found you!

November 28, 2009

"Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold."

Acts 28:1-2

The Apostle Paul had a difficult life because of his determination to do the will of God. Because he preached and ministered in places and ways that were illegal, he often suffered arrest or harrassment. In fact, several of his epistles were written from prison.

With that in mind, an act of "unusual kindness" had a memorable effect on him. So much so that he noted it in his record of his missionary journeys. The warmth of a fire against a damp chill makes a significant difference. You tend to remember that - and he did. He was thankful.

I believe we tend to underestimate the importance of small acts of kindness - small to us but not so small to the recipient. Often we aschew the little obvious deeds in search of the big dramatic one. Obviously, when you get a chance to do the spectacular deed, go for it. But understand the impact of small deeds done well, or done often or done in a timely fashion.

You could probably tell me if I asked you the last nice thing someone did for you. Can you remember the last act of kindness you extended to someone?

This week I had such a kindness extended to me by someone I barely know. It might not mean much to you but it was significant to me and it made my Holiday week-end extra special. A friend of a friend gave me tickets for the Virginia Tech versus Virginia football game in Charlotesville today. That's $200 worth of tickets generously handed over to me. Nice!

Due to the kindness of this person, Barbara and I got to enjoy Saturday afternoon with 58, 555 of our closest friends in Scott Stadium. It was a great day made even more enjoyable by the fact that the Hokies won!

I would venture a guess that far more people have been won to faith in Jesus Christ by small acts of generosity than by extravagant gifts or exeptional deeds. Small things done well or done often or done at precisely the right moment can have significant impact for the Kingdom of God.

Who are you trying to reach for Christ? What Christian brother or sister are you trying to encourage? Have you considered doing some small thing that might be big for them - and for your influence for Christ?

A simple act of building a camp fire got recorded in the Holy Scriptures and remembered some 21 centuries later! A small thing?

What do you think? What can you do?

November 27,2009

"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Ephesians 1:15-16

I was thankful yesterday that I was able to begin my Thanksgiving Day by having a phone conversation with my mother. She had been up late baking pies and a german chocolate cake from scratch. It was up to her to supply dessert for the family gathering at my sister's home. I am so blessed to still have my mother and have her doing so well.

It was a good year for my sister. She has taught high school for about twenty years and had been thinking about teaching on the college level. This Fall the local Christian college called her and asked if she would interested in teaching one class. She had already committed to help the the local Community College so she asked if they would need her in the Spring semester and they told her they would. I am thankful she will get to realize a career dream.

Her husband retired last Fall and they have grown much closer since he hasn't had to be on the road so much. He has enjoyed becoming domestic and she has enjoyed letting him. He is one of the best men I know. They have had a great marriage but it's getting better! I am thankful for them.

They recently found out that their middle daughter is pregnant. She is due in the Spring. Joanna is married to a fine young man and they are serving the Lord together. I was privileged to unite them in marriage several years ago. I am thankful for them!

My son hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my daughter and her crew. They had a great day together. Life has been hard for her recently. She needed a good day. I am thankful for them!

Bill and Resa Kjar invited us to join them for their Thanksgiving dinner at Resa's brother's home in Stafford. They graciuosly welcomed us like family. It was nice. We were thankful for their kindness and their generosity.

Throughout the day I received text messages from various members of the church family wishing us a good day. When I returned home I had several emails of the same kind. Each message meant a lot. I was thankful.

Being away from family on this family Holiday made me thankful for cell phones and email and facebook. I felt close and connected even over the miles.

I am especially thankful to God Who has so richly blessed me with amazing family and friends! It was a great day - but today is, too!

November 26, 2009

When it comes to thanksgiving and praise it is hard to do better than the Psalmist! So, in his words:

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. 4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. 5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. 10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. 11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. 12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. 13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. 14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. 15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. 16 to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever. 17 who struck down great kings, His love endures forever. 18 and killed mighty kings—His love endures forever. 19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever. 20 and Og king of Bashan—His love endures forever. 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever. 22 an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever. 23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. 24 and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever. 25 and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Thank God His love endures forever! Without it, nothing else matters. Because of it, everything is blessed!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2009

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

I don't have to think very long to identify reasons to be thankful. I can't even list all of them.

This morning before Thanksgiving I am thankful that one of my bad days is still more blessed than many peoples' good days.

What a faith! What a God! What a way to live!

How can I say that? Because it is fact! James verifies it in the first few verses of his letter to the believers.

If you were writing a letter to bless and encourage struggling Christians how would you begin that letter? I am not sure I would begin it by reminding them of their sufferings but James did. And it makes sense when we think about it.

These are some of the very first believers. This Christian faith is a brand new phenomenon. They have seen the signs and wonders. They have experienced the freedom and the fellowship. All the wonderful benefits that have come from receiving Christ and joining these Christians almost seemed too good to be true. How long can this last? What am I missing here?

Now they are facing the pressures of persecution. Some of their beloved leaders have been jailed. It is risky to identify yourself as a Christ follower. Public worship is becoming a thing of the past. The heat is being turned up on every hand. BUT through these trials and tribulations they have discovered something very significant - THEIR FAITH WORKS! Everything is true! God is real! Suffering as a Christian is better than prospering as a pagan! What would have destroyed them before they believed now develops them!

What sort of faith is this! What an incredible God! What a blessing to have a faith that works! What a joy to know the truth - because the truth is in the Truth. Pain now has a purpose! Suffering now has significance! Heartache now helps me understand the heart of God!

Can I count it joy when I suffer? What sort of notion is that? Is that healthy? Is it a delusion?

No! It is the blessing we have as Christ-followers! It is real! It is His reality! "All things really DO work together for the good of those who love Him....."!

On the eve of Thanksgiving, I thank God that because He is so good and so strong and so holy that living for Him and with Him makes my worst day make sense!

How about you?