September 28, 2016

By Skip Holman

Thom Rainer, CEO and president of Lifeway Christian Resources, wrote his latest book in response to a questioning email from a pastor who was so desperate and frustrated, he was about to resign from his church.

Suffering is an effective teacher, both for the one who is suffering and for the caregiver. I’ve learned a few lessons thus far in my 24/7 caregiving of my wife, following her accident, surgery, hospital and rehab stay, and now home health care activities. One lesson learned is that when you share the pain with others (in person, or on social media), you get varied responses. While the majority are sympathetic, prayerful, and affirming, a few are critical of any focus on the caregiver that takes away focus on the one suffering, especially when the caregiver is forced to make a decision, and then shares that decision with friends. There is a world of difference between making a decision and having an opinion. When a caregiver shares with friends, he or she finds who the real friends are. George Eliot, English novelist, poet, journalist, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era, said it this way, “Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.” I am thankful today for so many friends who are described in these words, and I pray for the others, that their intentions were good, and that they realize that while there is a time for criticism, this is not such a time. The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). So when you speak to the suffering or their caregivers, be positive, encouraging, supportive, brief, biblical.

ALL (or nothing)

When a person catches a glimpse of the awesome holiness, compassion, and magnificent servant hood of Jesus, their response is often an all out commitment, holding nothing back, inviting him to become their Lord and Savior. When we see and begin to grasp the all-out love, commitment, provision, and sacrificial payment Jesus made for us it is relatively easy to respond in kind.

But in simple direct instruction, the Bible warns us of oppositional factors that will undermine and tend to degrade and disable our initial all out commitment. These are namely the world system of self-centered politically correct philosophy, our own human flesh which cries out what about me with the rationale that if I don’t look out for me who will, and the super salesman Satan, who is a master deceiver and liar whose specialty is beautiful gift wrapping which hides the consequential destruction that lies within the tempting package. Each of these tempting distractive influences has great potential to disarm, distract, and propel us into a destructive downhill spiral, away from our initial all out commitment to Christ.

Here’s one passage that starkly emphasizes the necessity for each disciple of Christ to uniquely and distinctly put him first.  Luke 14:25-27 (NLT), called The Cost of Being a Disciple.

²⁵ A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ²⁶ “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

For God to entrust his reputation and the success of his kingdom propagation to his disciples is both very vulnerable, risk taking, and honoring and challenging to us. Being his ambassadors with the ministry and message of reconciliation to God (2 Cor.5:18f) is a very high bar of God’s confidence in us and also our challenge to represent him well. Indeed it requires our all, every day, and in every way. There may be times of failure, forgetfulness, distraction, or defeat. But God provides a way back to restored fellowship with him through repentance, godly sorrow, and humble confession of sin through which he restores fellowship and makes it more difficult to slip away again.

Being all out for Christ, in the pattern of his being all out for us, is a wonderful motivating, empowering, and life-giving principle. Just as lukewarm, tepid, tasteless coffee is very unappealing, so a less than all out life for Christ fails to be reflective of who he is and of who he has called us to be. My, what a worthy pioneer, Savior, and Lord is Jesus Christ, full of grace, truth, motivating challenge and empowerment.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now,

All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly thine
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me
May I know Thy power divine

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all!

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.

I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.

Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!

Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him

and commit yourself to him, for he is your life.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT

All the natural laws God instituted, in every part of the universe He created, preach the same sermon and reinforce the same truth—there are inevitable consequences for the personal choices we make. Death inevitably derives from disobedience. Curses accompany carnality. Blessings result from belief. Life cascades from love.

Moral decisions affect emotional, physical, and spiritual health. They impact our future and the welfare of our family. They are critical, not inconsequential. Time and eternity will be colored by what we choose day by day.

If we are obedient, we will choose the Way—walking with Christ in humility and habits. We are challenged to live a life of unselfish love—following Jesus’ example of sacrificial living, not trying to impress but meekly considering others better than us.

If we are wise, we will choose the Truth—walking with Christ in honesty and holiness. We are challenged to live with moral integrity, avoiding evil no matter how it is packaged.

If we are trusting, we will choose the Life—walking with Christ in hope and heaven. We are challenged to celebrate buoyant and eternal life in relationship to God’s Son—purposefully motivated, optimistically anticipating paradise restored, enthusiastically serving, singing the song of hope through long nights, and relying on supernatural strength to see us through every difficulty. Living this way, we do not just exist—we exult!

Is our mind genuinely open and receptive to the Holy Spirit? Are we willing to let the Lord cleanse our soul and teach us to love Him with all our personality and intellect? Can we clearly hear the message of ultimate truth echoing in our heart?

If we turn away from God, there is only bitterness and death. If we obey Him, life in all its fullness is ours.

God never twists our arm; but if we take His hand and hold on for dear life, He will teach us how to live life in all its fullness day after day, year after year—the choice is ours.

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 105 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

A friend was surprised by my reply when he said that he and his wife were incompatible.

“Of course you are!” I said. “Apart from a miracle by God, men and women are inherently incompatible.”

“Hmmm… a miracle from God?” he wondered aloud.

Then I told this friend the result of my informal study on the subject. “Based on personal observations and lots of statistics, there aren’t nearly enough couples who ever receive that miracle from God,” I opined.

I recounted a conversation I’d overheard between two men, one divorced and the other married.

The divorced man was complaining about his lonely lot in life, all caused by the fact that his wife had left him for another man. Although he apparently thought he would get some sympathy from his married friend, that’s not at all how the conversation went.

“Don’t you realize, there are MILLIONS of men who would gladly trade places with you?!” the married friend told him.

So sad, but so true. Not only are many people unhappily divorced, but there are also countless people who are unhappily married.

Remember what I said about needing a miracle from God in order to have a different outcome than this?

When I look at what the Bible says about this difficult subject, here’s what I conclude: God made men and women inherently different, but not inherently incompatible. The incompatibility didn’t begin until sin entered the equation in Genesis 3.

You know the story. Eve was deceived by the serpent into disobeying God and tasting the forbidden fruit, but Adam apparently did so quite intentionally. Why? My guess is that he didn’t want to be separated from Eve, the wife he dearly loved.

But here’s where the story gets quite ironic. By disobeying God in order to be with his wife, Adam created an ongoing state of friction (incompatibility) within the marital bond.

We see this when the Lord confronted Adam about his disobedience. Instead of immediately repenting and accepting responsibility, Adam chose to throw Eve under the bus, blaming her for his decision: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). And notice that Adam found a way to blame the Lord as well…

By choosing to embrace the woman instead of obeying God, Adam unwittingly created a barrier to his relationship with both. Apart from a miracle, there would never be harmony again between men and women, or between humankind and God.

But thank God for His miracles! Through the cross of His Son Jesus, He broke down the wall of separation and alienation, making it possible for us to freely enter His presence.

That same cross solves the incompatibility between men and women. You see, the only hope for marital bliss is for the partners to die to themselves. Like Jesus, they must set aside their own interests and lay down their lives for each other.

The good news is that God makes this miracle readily available to those who will embrace the cross. Yes, it ultimately takes TWO to have a happy marriage, but it always starts with ONE. Someone has to take the first step, trusting God to work His miracles in their partner’s heart as well.

Are you willing to go first? You never know whether a miracle might come, replacing incompatibility with harmony, and maybe even some bliss. 

BAPTIST STANDARD REVIEW

BROKEN AND WHOLE

A LEADER’S PATH TO SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION

BY

STEPHEN A. MACCHIA

IVP FORMATIO

Stephen A. Macchia, the founding president of Leadership Transformation, Inc., director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and author of ten books including “Becoming a Healthy Church” has penned his new work “Broken and Whole”. This work takes the meaning phrase by phrase of 1 Corinthians 13 as each chapter has its subtitle a portion of “the Love chapter of the Bible”. The book is directed to those in leadership and Macchia speaks of his failures and failures and/or sin general. Every one of us have experienced the pitfalls he lists in this book. The author encourages us to see and implement the specific aspect of love that can overcome those failures.

For instance, in Chapter 7, the chapter title is “The Destructive Power of Unbridled Anger” and the subtitle is “Love is not easily angered”. Then each chapter ends with a “Spiritual Leadership Audit”—a spiritual inventory of where the reader is on what he/she has just read. Leaders will appreciate this work for their work in the Kingdom.

Skip Holman

minister of discipleship

Northeast, San Antonio

He was 23 years old, married to a girl back in Ohio. He had been trained to become part of the elite battle-ready 82^nd Airborne. He was ready for anything the war on terror might bring. From his observation post on a housetop in Baghdad, his sniper-sharp eyes scanned the streets for signs of the enemy.

Separated from his partner, he was ambushed by a squad of insurgents. He was helpless against their cruel, methodical shooting at him. Taking aim beginning from his feet, they slowly worked their way up his legs to his abdomen, approaching the threshold of murder.

Seconds from death, he was rescued by his buddies. Then he was evacuated from the combat zone to a military hospital in Germany, and eventually to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C., where both of his legs were amputated. A double prosthesis did not cancel his will to walk again. Searing pain did not stop his desire to achieve. Self-pity did not even seem to enter the picture

Observing this authentic patriot and American hero, now part of the Warrior Transition Brigade, I saw an object lesson in endurance and the personification of perseverance. Not only was he daily placing cones and agonizingly stepping over them, he had chosen to live in a third-floor apartment, because he liked the challenge and wanted to get strong again—so he could return to the front.

I thought to myself—here is a man “who more than self his country loves.” I wondered where there might be found that kind of unflinching courage and devotion in Christian soldiers “who more than self their Savior love”—believers willing to die with their boots on, facing the enemy.

Marveling at his dogged determination to fight again. I wondered how followers of Christ find the tenacity to fight on when self-pity threatens to quench the fire of our resolve.

Then I remembered the Scripture—We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.  2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18 NLT

With these truths cascading through my heart, I recalled the lyrics of an old Isaac Watts hymn—Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause or blush to speak His name? Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord! I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Thy Word. 

High-sounding words indeed—but If you and I are truly honest, we must admit there have been times we’ve been tempted to quit the fight of faith. Gazing at the figure of the One on the cross dying in our place sends us back to our tasks again.

I believe that if we ask Jesus to help us, He will (Philippians 4:13). Music historians say many Bach manuscripts have J.J. at the beginning—Jesu juva (Jesus, help me), and at the end of the manuscript S.D.G.—Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone be the glory). In between are found some of the most uplifting music phrases and compositions ever heard by human ears. If you and I are ever going to “make music for our Lord to hear,” we’re going to have to live life like Bach composed music. If  we’re going to soldier on for God’s glory, we need Jesus’ help.

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

Once upon a time, two men were stuck. The men were brothers—sons of the same Father. Yet they were as different as day and night.

Although both were stuck, the men were stuck in very different ways. And one of the brothers never did seem to realize how stuck he had become.

If we pick up the story in the middle, we find one of these men stuck in a pigpen. A dirty, filthy, stinky, slippery pigpen. After growing up in a privileged home, he had so squandered his opportunities that he seemed to have no future at all.

Meanwhile, his older brother was playing it safe. Proud that he’d never made reckless decisions like his foolish brother, this man was dependable…faithful…hard-working…exemplary in every way. Never causing any trouble, he was the kind of son any father would delight in having.

And the father in the story was a good father—a very good father. Right to the end, he loved both of his sons, even the one who got stuck hanging out with pigs.

Against all odds, the seemingly hopeless brother came to his senses. He got unstuck. He humbled himself and came home to his father.

At this point, something quite remarkable happened. Instead of chastising his wasteful son for living life in a pigpen, the father threw a big party. No expense was spared in this massive and joyous celebration of the younger son’s improbable return.

Even though the father was overjoyed, the older brother was not. In fact, he was angry. So angry that he refused to join in the festivities. So angry that he refused to enter the father’s house. So angry that he missed out on the great celebration.

Until then, no one even realized that the older brother had been stuck all along. No he wasn’t stuck in a pigpen, like his brother had been. He was stuck in the land of obligation and duty, of self-righteousness and religion.

How odd that the brother in the pigpen got set free, while the older brother remained stuck in his pride and bitterness right up to the end of the story.

How could such a thing happen? I think I know, because I too am an “older brother.”

You see, the younger brother came home, well aware of his need for the father’s mercy and grace.

The older brother sought to earn the father’s favor by hard work and moral uprightness. Despite years of serving diligently on his father’s estate, he never really entered into the joy of his father’s unmerited, unconditional love.

This story, told so beautifully by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32, has been on my mind a lot lately. This all started when I was asked an unusual question by an older man of God I had just met: “Jim, do you really know that God loves you?” he asked quite earnestly.

How dare he ask a question like that? I wondered. Didn’t he know I was saved back in 1969 and had basically served in some form of ministry ever since? Didn’t he know about the sermons I had preached, the books and blogs I had written, or the leaders I had discipled?

But as I sought to honestly answer his question, it became painfully clear that I had unwittingly become stuck in the same mindset as the older brother.

I had to admit that I felt God’s love only when He used me to preach a great sermon, write an inspirational blog post, or make a difference in someone’s life.

It was all about good works, productivity, and merit—not about the amazing grace of the Heavenly Father who throws parties for His kids.

The good news is that God can’t wait to throw a party for you and me today. The bad news is that unless we humble our hearts and acknowledge our need for His grace, we’re in danger of sulking outside the door instead of entering in.

Do you see why this is one of the most important stories ever told? Our Father dearly loves both the prodigals and the older brothers. But often the prodigals are the only ones who really experience the fullness of that love.

How ironic that the brother who was stuck in the pigpen ended up getting unstuck, while his older brother remained stuck from the beginning of the story until its end.

Isn’t it strange that it’s often easier to get untangled from sin than it is to get unstuck from the clutches of works-based religious duty and obligation?

A few chapters earlier, Jesus explained that a person who’s forgiven much will love Him much, but a person who thinks they don’t need much forgiveness will only love Him a little (Luke 7:47).

In reality, we’ve ALL been forgiven much, and we’re all loved much by our Father. The trouble is, when we base our relationship with Him on our meritorious works, we miss out on the grace and can’t enter the party.

Lord, set us free from our elder brother tendencies. Let us experience Your loving embrace as the prodigal did.

Fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 28:58 NLT

My Awe-inspiring Name reflects My ability to meet every need.

I am the Becoming One—becoming whatever you need.

I am God, Absolute Goodness—the One and Only.

I am the Prince of Peace—enabling you to sail through troubled seas on an even keel.

I am the Mighty God—carrying you whenever you cannot carry on.

I am the Wonderful Counselor—unerringly giving right advice.

I am the Everlasting Father—Rock of Ages in a quicksand world.

I am the Holy One—the Sole Source of righteousness.

I am the Lamb—the Vicarious Sacrifice for your transgressions.

I am the Prince of life—satisfying your search for significance.

I am King of kings—orchestrating order out of chaos.

I am the Lion of Judah—the Ultimate Solution to earth’s problems.

I am the Author and Finisher of your faith—Center of Gravity of your life.

I am the Advocate—your Perfect, Understanding Defense Counsel.

I am the Dayspring—changing midnight crying into sunrise joy.

I am Jesus—the Heartbeat of your salvation.

I am Christ—King of hearts, Sovereign of the future.

I am the Way—the One Way to heaven, the Highway of holiness.

I am the Truth—the Quintessence of reality.

I am the Life—Fountainhead of exuberance and eternity.

I am the Light of the World—Window to health, hope, and joy.

I am the Door—the Only Access to paradise.

I am the Bread of Life—Rich Nourishment for your heart’s hunger.

I am the Good Shepherd—caring for you in your sheepishness.

I am the Resurrection—making possible real life before and after death.

I am El Shaddai—All-Sufficient One, the One Who Is Enough.

I am Lord God Almighty—absolutely nothing is too difficult for Me.

I am the Light—illuminating dark corners of your mind.

I am the Great Physician—healing the sick and your soul’s diseases.

I am the Creator—I made people to begin with; I am making you like Me.

I am Alpha and Omega—Holy Alphabet of unsurpassed wisdom.

I Am the One Who Will Always Be Who I Have Always Been.

Reverence My Name—live in holy awe, hate evil, and trust Me forever!

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional is Day 104 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

I recently asked a college student, “How are you classified”? “Oh, I don’t know, I’ve been taking mostly courses that I want to take,” she said. Focus on electives, and graduate in 5, 6, 7 years. Focus on requirements, and more likely graduate on time! Life is made up of both electives and requirements, and the Bible helps us separate them. The verses that precede Micah 6:8 ask what kind of sacrifices would please God – burnt offerings, calves one year old, thousands of rams, 10,000 rivers of oil, and finally, “Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” These are electives. If sacrifice is not what God desires, what does He require? Micah 6:8 has been called the high-water mark of the O.T. One author called it, “the greatest saying in the O.T.” True or not, it calls us from our self-seeking, and self-satisfying versions of true religion. Not our familiar forms and rituals but God’s requirement. Not our emotional highs, but God’s steady requirement. Not our comfortable agendas, but God’s requirement. Not what we desire, but what God requires. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God?” Enjoy your electives, but remember, the priority lies with the requirements.

Recently I attended a new church plant and was horrified by the young pastor’s message. His premise was that all Americans are rich in comparison to the rest of the world, and we should feel guilty about that. According to his perspective, our materialism was the biggest hindrance to living the normal Christian life.

Why was I so troubled by this pastor’s earnest sermon? He quoted lots of Bible passages along the way, including the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22) and the verse about not serving both God and Money (Matthew 6:24).

Much of my annoyance with this anti-materialistic rant stems from the fact that I used to preach almost exactly the same message. “Live for the kingdom, not for money!” I would passionately said. “And if you happen to have any money beyond your basic necessities, you should give it all away, just like Jesus told the rich young ruler.”

Hmmm… What’s the problem here? Isn’t this a sound Biblical perspective?

As I looked around at the pastor’s small, fledgling congregation, I saw that it was mostly composed of young people. My guess was that many of them were struggling just to pay their rent, utilities, and car payment. I could be wrong, but I didn’t spot a lot of rich young rulers that day. And by the looks of the cars in the parking lot, these weren’t extravagant spenders.

I took away several lessons from this church visit…

First, I concluded that even if a message is Biblically accurate, it may be the wrong message for a certain audience. If I had been preaching to the young congregation that day, I would have given a much different message. Instead of telling them they were too rich, I would endeavor to stir their faith that God wanted to bless them and meet all of their needs (Philippians 4:19).

And that brings me to my second conclusion: Most heresies are not an absence of truth, but they're merely unbalanced truth. The pastor said many things I fully agree with. For example, he told his flock that material things never bring a person true and lasting happiness. Very true.

But the problem is what he failed to say. He shared the truth, but it wasn’t the whole truth. And because of that, I’m convinced it misrepresented the heart of God.  

A few days after this church service, I had lunch with the pastor. He’s a pretty humble guy and received it well when I told him his message was heretical.

I explained that he had missed a key point in the rich young ruler story. How could Jesus demand that this man sell everything he had and give the money to the poor? Take a closer look at what He said: “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21).

You see, Jesus’ goal was not to turn the rich man into a poor man. To the contrary, He wanted the rich man to have true and lasting riches—“treasure in heaven.”

From cover to cover, the Bible is a book about God’s desire to have a covenant relationship with His people. What does that mean? Among other things, it means that EVERYTHING we have belongs to Him, and EVERYTHING He has belongs to us as His beloved children.

This explains why the disciples readily dropped their fishing nets and left their boats in order to follow Jesus (Luke 5:1-11). They had just seen Him supply them with a miraculous catch of fish. They “forsook all and followed Him” because they saw they could trust Him to abundantly meet all their needs!

So I agree with the young pastor that we should lay all of our earthly possessions at the feet of Jesus. In fact, that’s a great thing to do on a daily basis.

However, the point of laying things down is to enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:9). Once we’ve laid our possessions on the altar, He usually tells us to take them into our hands again so we can make an impact on a lost and needy world (Matthew 14:15-21).

Does your Heavenly Father want to bless you? Absolutely! And for two distinct reasons: because He loves you, and because He wants you to be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2).

My visit to the new church plant was a reminder that we must be careful in handling Scripture, making sure we’re “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Even the devil quotes the Bible, after all (Matthew 4:1-11). As a former attorney, I’m keenly aware of how dangerous it is to only present one side of a case, while conveniently ignoring any contrary facts.

Our Savior was full of grace, but also of truth (John 1:14). He opened the pathway to heaven, but also warned people of the dangers of hell. And yes, He cautioned us not to be controlled by a quest for earthly possessions—even as He promised to give us an abundant life (John 10:10).

I’m convinced the truth will set you free today (John 8:32), especially if you embrace the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help us, God.

“And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him”.

Luke 5:11

            “I’ll Say Yes, Lord”.  These are the simple words of a song sang beautifully and worshipfully by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  This morning as I listened to this award-winning choir sing with all of their hearts, I began to ponder my own personal journey with the Lord.  I reflected on my beginning times of communion with God when I would venture often to a nearby park in the south suburbs of Chicago—a quiet area nurtured by a calm river and bordered by endless rows of tall standing trees.   I recall the Spirit of God causing me to face towards the direction of the big city and then speaking directly to my heart the message that there is where He would send me.  I simply said, “Yes”. 

            And now after several years of having served in a city where change happens regularly and rapidly—after having suffered the many hardships of urban ministry—after having established by the grace of God a family to nurture and love and lead, once again God appears to be calling me onward.  This time to a rural place, a far land on foreign soil.  “To Your will, Lord, I say, Yes”.   

            When Christ calls, we do not know to where His call may lead.  Yet, the worshipping heart has come to see in Jesus something so very precious and exceptionally rare that it is worth leaving all else behind—even the very things and people we truly love.  Obedience to God may very well lead to personal discomfort, to significant loss, to periods of uncertainty and even to violent persecution such as those fishermen of Galilee would eventually encounter.  However, for those who have experienced a genuine encounter with the Eternal Son of God, saying “Yes” is in many ways the simple part.

Have you said “Yes” to the Lord’s call?

When a friend recently asked me how I was doing, my response was troubling.

“My body and mind seem to be slowing down,” I said, “but my responsibilities seem to be speeding up. That’s a bad combination!”

As I later reflected on that conversation, the Whac-a-Mole arcade game came to mind. As the game begins, the moles pop up fairly slowly, but their speed continually increases until the game finally ends.

This prompted me to think of a story about three young boys who took different approaches when they played Whac-a-Mole at the county fair one day…

The first boy just did his best. As the moles first began to emerge, he had little trouble whacking each one. But by the final moments of the game, the moles were getting the better of him. Unable to keep up with the frantic speed, he became exasperated.

The second boy, after watching the plight of his friend, came up with a clever plan to foil the pesky moles. After easily whacking a few moles at the beginning of the game, he calmly went to the back of the machine and pulled the power cord before things got out of hand.

“Why did you do that?!” his friends demanded. “You can’t just stop the game in the middle.”

“I outsmarted those moles,” the boy explained. “I cut the game off before the speed got too fast for me.”

But his two friends pointed out the folly of his logic. By pulling the plug, he had ended his chance of scoring any more points. Yes, he had avoided the frustration and feeling of failure that comes when you can’t keep up—but this impulsive act had diminished his final score.

The third boy had watched his two friends and devised a better solution. He alertly noticed a speed control on the side of the Whac-a-Mole game, and he turned it to the slow, “senior citizen” mode. All the moles still popped up, but practically in slow motion. This young man ended up getting the highest score, because he could easily keep up with the speed.

What are the lessons in this story?

• If you play Whac-a-Mole at the regular speed, you’re likely to become overwhelmed and frustrated at the end.
• When you become overwhelmed and frustrated, at times you might feel tempted to simply pull the plug.
• But the better solution is to adjust the speed control, acknowledging that you aren’t as fast as you used to be.

You’re probably thinking at this point, “Jim, I see no way to adjust the speed control in my life. The ‘moles’ just keep popping up, totally out of my control.”

Believe me, I’ve had similar thoughts. Finding life’s “speed control” seems difficult, if not impossible.

But here are a few thoughts that can liberate you from your Whac-a-Mole dilemma…

1.     First, consider this amazing truth: Some of the “moles” popping up can simply be ignored!

Like a batter in baseball, you mustn’t swing at every pitch people throw at you. You have to be patient…know the pitches you can hit…and say “no” to curveballs that are out of your strike zone.

2.     Next, you need to acknowledge that you’re not Superman or Superwoman.

Yes, it’s humbling to admit you need to slow down life’s Whac-a-Mole game a bit. But that option is preferable to going insane or simply pulling the plug.

3.     Finally, you need to recognize that God has given you permission to rest…to take Sabbaths and vacations...and simple to SLOW DOWN.

“Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway?” (Jeremiah 2:25 MSG).

What great advice! Slow down. Take a deep breath. Quit being in such a hurry.

As I’ve reflected on the lessons I learned from the Whac-a-Mole story, I find myself meditating on this great principle from Scripture: “Only in returning to Me and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15 NLT).

As we return to the Lord and learn to rest in His presence, life will slow down a bit. Noise will give way to quietness. New strength will come, and confidence will rise. We might even enjoy life—really enjoy life—for the first time in years.

This is to whet your appetite.  The book is available now by request to my email, johnhoelzelsr@gmail.com  I accidentally deleted my post, so here it is again.

Here are two excerpts:

Additional Exercise and Application

For those willing to be challenged and inspired in increased opportunities to share the good news of Christ (gospel) and your personal testimony. I highly recommend reading Born to Reproduce (The Parallel between Physical and Spiritual Reproduction and Multiplication) by the founder of The Navigators, Dawson Trotman,  which you can find on the web at http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/pdfs/aa094.pdf

When you take time to read this, you will likely find it to be the most compelling true account you have read to show the necessity and urgency of discipleship follow-up with new believers.  Billy Graham realized his need for help with follow-up of his new believers, so he called on  Dawson Trotman to help.  Paul’s prayers and letters are mostly his recorded testimony of how extremely important follow-up was to him, coming alongside long enough to develop spiritual maturity. 

Two final questions: 1- who is your current “Timothy?” (God will show you at least one, if you ask Him) and 2- how many of those you showed how to trust Christ as savior this past year are living a victorious spiritual life in His power today?  “Only one life, it will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last!”

Two central examples of making disciples and follow-up, from the Scriptures

First and foremost, Jesus shows us how to pray, let the Father identify his disciples, and promptly call them to an open, learning, sharing relationship, with investments of lots of time, truth, love, patience, and prayer, so they would later mature and reproduce other disciples who would also make disciples. When you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through these recorded scenes of Jesus interacting with his disciples, he will show you unique examples of how to plant the seeds for maturing disciples to grow in their unique way, and according to God’s unique timetable, not available anywhere else. Be sure and do some journaling when you submit to the Holy Spirit’s insights.

Paul recorded lots of his discipleship investments which included prayers of appreciation, expressions of thanks, requests for them, letters of encouragement, equipping, correction, and endearment, and Christ-like attitude of truly putting his disciples ahead of his own interests and needs as a real servant leader. You will find lots of patient, enduring investment and follow-up of Paul with his disciples, including a hungry heart attitude to go back and revisit them for more.

Reverse evil—live!

Purge such evil from among you.

Deuteronomy 22:21 MLB

Our Heavenly Father knows us through and through. He is aware when we sincerely want to get rid of the evil in our life. He knows we struggle with addictions we would like to conquer and undesirable attitudes we would like to change.

If we are honest to God, we must admit that we brag sometimes, eat too much, sigh now and then, feel that we are a little better than others, get irritable when interrupted doing our thing, are impatient with people who do not quite measure up to our moral standard, choose selfishly, lack heartfelt compassion, and lose sleep worrying about contingencies.

God understands that we are imperfect. We really desire to do right, but in the course of pursuing perfection we are bombarded with wrong suggestions. Our sinful nature sabotages what we know is best. We are in a constant tug-of-war between the compelling desire God has given us to be Christlike and our inherited human nature to have it our way. We are never free from the civil war raging within between opposing forces of light and darkness. We tackle life’s noblest quest to be like our Savior, but miserable failures sidetrack us.

We sometimes grow weary of this life of contradictions—struggling with sin gets next to us. But we should never give up. Though we are far from perfect, God does not condemn us—any friend of His Son is a friend of His. Trusting Jesus, the Father does not judge us. Instead He views us through eyes of mercy.

If we keep giving in to our sinful urges, we will self-destruct—if we yield to God’s ennobling Holy Spirit, we will be freed from the ravages of sin.

If we allow our nature to be in charge, we will be agitated—if we let the Spirit control us, we will enjoy serenity.

If we get preoccupied with trinket gods, we will be perpetually dissatisfied—if we let eternal treasures

permeate our thoughts, we will be content.

If we strut in our accomplishments, we are in for a fall—if we glory in the Master’s cross, He will promote us to a glorious destiny.

If we go off on our own, we will ruin our life—if we nestle near God’s loving heart, we can rest assured.

If we rely on our power to conquer wickedness, we will fail—if we rely on supernatural power, we will celebrate expansive, exhilarating vitality.

In light of these contrasting consequences, it is the highest wisdom to let God execute sinful desires lurking within us and run from all sin.

Here’s heaven’s challenge—reverse evil and live!

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 103 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

“What I am doing you do not understand now,

but afterward you will understand”.   John 13:7

When Michael Jordan was at the height of his career he was the darling of the public media.  The famed NBA player had worked hard to gain the confidence and favor of both local and national reporters.   And so apparently when there were things they knew about Jordan that would potentially diminish his squeaky clean image, they chose not to report it.

Protective of our own personal and public image, we work hard at keeping hidden the damnable, shameful realties or “skeletons” pertaining to ourselves.  If given the choice we might ignore or find clever ways to justify our very dark, sinful traits.  Christ absolutely refuses to ignore them.

It is a most humiliating and painful experience once God enters into our darkest spaces and begins to bring the disease to the surface, exposing it so that He might purge it out completely.  It is a humbling season of acute confusion.  We do not know what He is doing or why He is doing it.  Yet afterwards when we began to experience the fruit of restoration and the joy of increased intimacy we are happy He has done so.  And we are increased in affection and love towards the One who is ever condescending for our good.    

For the past few years, I’ve used a “clicker” to control the PowerPoint slides when I preach. In the old days I had to wait for the guy in the sound booth to advance my slides, but no more!

Being in control is exhilarating, so it’s no wonder I love the PowerPoint clickers. Best of all, they eliminate the need to rely on anyone else to help me while I preach. I can do it all by myself, and I like it that way.

When I was preparing for a ministry trip in Ohio a few months ago, I purchased a fancy new clicker that had a longer range and some additional bells and whistles. I couldn’t wait to use it for the first time, and I shared my excitement with the church where I was preaching.

“This will be the first time I use my new PowerPoint clicker,” I told them with pride. “I love these clickers, because they allow me to be in complete control. It’s so cool not having to wait for the slides to move and not having to rely on anyone else.”

But when I pushed the button on my new clicker, nothing happened. The slides wouldn’t advance. Something was wrong with my beautiful clicker, and I had absolutely no ability to change what was on the screen.

But of course, I’m always looking for a “prop” to illustrate my messages, so I didn’t miss a beat.

“Well, I guess my defective clicker is a parable about life,” I said sheepishly. “We all like to think we’re in control of the events in our lives, but control is just an illusion. Only God is fully in control, and we must patiently submit to His sovereignty.”

Since then, I’ve concluded there are some things we can learn when our “clicker” goes bad and we can’t change the slide on the screen.

Although I’ve never thought of myself as a control freak, the defective clicker revealed how much I’ve been seduced by a misguided pursuit of control. It also exposed my dysfunctional quest for self-reliance, never wanting to feel dependent on anyone else. The Bible says God created us to live in community and cooperation, mutually dependent on one another to fulfill His purposes (1 Corinthians 12). Yet that is hard for independent folks like me.

Perhaps, like me, you’re more of a control freak than you’d like to admit. If so, I encourage you to buy a PowerPoint clicker—but make sure it’s one that works.

With a functional clicker, you’ll be able to move your slides forward and backward to your heart’s delight. You can even use the included laser pointer to emphasize what you’re trying to say. I’m sure people will be impressed!

However, let me warn you against false expectations. You still won’t be able to control your spouse, your kids, your boss, the weather, the stock market, or most other circumstances in your life.

But you still might find the clicker helpful. Even if you’re unable to control anything else in your life, you hopefully can at least move your PowerPoint slides.

Have you ever reached the breaking point? Sometimes you can see it coming, but often it sneaks up and catches you unaware.

Running late to the office on a recent Friday morning, I was carrying my laptop computer case, a huge glass of iced tea, and an apple as I left my kitchen. At the last moment, my computer case slipped, causing me to spill a large portion of the iced tea.

Although this was an incredibly minor event, I reacted as if it was the end of the world. I was irate at myself, not just for spilling the tea, but for reacting in such a dramatic and childish way.

What had just happened? An old proverb immediately came to mind about “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

This was a busy morning, capping off a busy and stressful week. I seemed to go from one deadline to another…one meeting to another…one emergency to another…and one friend after another who needed my listening ear and words of encouragement.

I had handled the load so well all along the way—until my rush to get to the office caused me to spill my tea.  

Like the camel in the proverb, I had seemingly been doing an admirable job of carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. One responsibility after another was loaded on my back, and I accepted each one without flinching or complaining. In fact, I carried the heavy load as a badge of honor, smugly concluding that few people could do what I was doing.

But my perspective was rudely jerked back to reality when I spilled my iced tea. It suddenly became obvious that I’d unwittingly allowed myself to approach dangerously close to the breaking point. The tea incident was as insignificant as a piece of straw would be to a camel—yet it shattered the illusion of my invincibility.  

Camels are known for their ability to carry heavy loads for long distances. We celebrate their knack for going many weeks without the need for water.

But even a camel has a breaking point.

Even a camel must maintain proper margins or risk an eventual breakdown.

Right when you think the camel has unlimited capacity, the final straw causes it to reach its limit.

If you are getting close to the breaking point, you are surely not alone. Countless people today are living on the edge, brutally overloading their body, mind, and emotions.

Even though some of our responsibilities may be unavoidable, I’ve concluded that many of the burdens we carry are completely unnecessary—the result of our unwillingness to say “no” when we’re in danger of reaching our breaking point.

Two thousand years before I spilled my iced tea that Friday morning, Jesus was reaching out to help me and you shoulder our heavy loads:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

When was the last time you experienced this kind of peace and rest? You don’t have to wait until you spill your iced tea before you accept Jesus’ amazing offer. Cast your heavy burdens on Him today, and you’ll breathe a whole lot easier.

If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and then hanged on a tree,

the body must never remain on the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day,

for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed of God.

Deuteronomy 21:22–23 NLT

Rereading this ancient command thoughtfully and prayerfully, we detect shadows of Calvary. This Hebrew law gives a preview of Love.

Centuries later, a high priest rudely demanded that the Son of God answer spurious charges hurled against Him. On the verge of slaughter, Jesus remained silent. When the high priest misused God’s name to pressure Him to reveal whether He was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Yes, I am. And what’s more, in the future the world will see Me majestically enthroned at God’s right hand and returning triumphantly on the clouds of heaven.” Horrified, the high priest tore his robe and ruled Jesus had committed blasphemy, a capital crime.

The Sanhedrin returned a guilty verdict, and innocent Jesus was deemed worthy of the death penalty. The flawless Lamb was sacrificed so you and I could be friends with God. His death in our place commends Him as worthy of our highest devotion.

When God’s dear Son was crucified, punctilious Jews did not want to see His body left on the cross the next day, since that was the Passover. So they requested that the Roman governor take the body down. The day of Jesus’ vicarious death was more critical than their “special Sabbath.” That dark day the Father’s obedient Son was wounded for humanity’s rebellion, flogged mercilessly so people could find mercy in relationship with God, and hurt to the depths of His soul so the spiritually sick could get well.

Jesus was mocked, so we could inherit a mansion. He was deserted, so we could delight in the pleasure of My company. He was spat upon, so we could be shielded from the effects of sin. He was bruised, so we could be blessed. He shouldered a heavy cross, so we could wear a crown. He was crucified, so we could be changed. He experienced agony, so we could experience ecstasy. He went to hell for a while, so we could go to heaven forever.

Hanging on a tree on Skull Hill, Jesus took upon Himself the insult for our wrongdoing. Others may curse the Savior, but He has transformed our life, so we show our love by blessing Him. Jesus offers us life’s greatest challenge—self-denial, cross bearing, and walking in His footsteps. To the world, this appears to be suicide; in reality, it is the only path to life. 

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 102 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity