I was told some of the opinions and occasionally over-the-top expressions of ignorance that popped up on Facebook after last week’s election.  While I did not check out the rants and counter-rants, here are some thoughts on the matter.     

The Jewish people of Moses' day up until now have emphasized the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deut. 6:5. Jesus referred to that when he told us to “Love the Lord Your God,” and referencing Leviticus 19:8, second we need to “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”    “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.”  This could be a good foundational statement, but it doesn't seem central in current nation-building efforts around the world.      

Most of us have no idea how much we really have in America.   Still, America is not our eternal destination.   If you want to vote, fine.  If you want to pray for your leaders, do it “so that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives.” I Tim. 2.  But please do not allow political storms to shake your faith, get you depressed, or lash out at your neighbor or “friend” on facebook.  Do not get your eyes off of the Kingdom of God, which is not a political system, but is found in the Body of Christ.      

Our constitution begins with this statement “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”   I see no reference to the Lord in the entire constitution; it is about “we the people.”  Yes, the Declaration of Independence references our Creator, but He seems to be brought in solely for the purpose of outlining our “rights.”  The Kingdom of God is made up of believers, not political systems.   Hold America with an open hand. 

If you voted, fine.  But if you are upset with the results and are mad the way others voted, consider loving the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.  At the end of time, America will eventually burn with the rest of the world, so you really need to join the work of the Kingdom of God, a never-ending kingdom that knows no end and is not limited by geographical boundaries or political systems.  If this thought makes you mad or if you dismiss it as cheesy, preachy, or pious, may I suggest that your ears and thoughts have been overly intent on reforming a political system through voting.  Take some time to pray.   “For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.”   Psalm 75:6,7.   In the end, it is not we the people.  It is God.  God wins.

Allow me to share a few thoughts on time and punctuality, but first, some background.  Folklore has given us Father Time.  In reality, our Creator is the Father of time.  Even before you and I were created into the here and now of time and space, God, the eternal I AM, has been, is, and always will be.   "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you remain… like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."  Hebrews 1:10-12.   Consider unknowable eternity, and it becomes apparent that our God is awesome, mighty, transcendent, timeless, and the Creator of time.   “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Galatians 4:4.  What generosity!  What love!  How can I say thanks, dear Father of all time?  

For the follower of Jesus, one way to give thanks back to our Creator, the Father of time, is to “redeem the time, for the days are evil.”   Make an effort each day to keep a “significant” portion of your schedule set apart, devoted to the ministry of God’s Word and to prayer.  This should not be just a priority for pastors, but for every believer.  May God direct each one to know what that “significant” portion of time should be, and then to go out and do the right thing with what we know.    Make it your goal “to attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).   This is best realized as we spend time with Christ, and as we come together with hearts united in worship and minds seeking further transformation.          

Now, on to punctuality.  Could it be that the desire for God, the hunger for holiness, the recognition of our own neediness, and the hope to encourage other believers should all serve as motivating factors to arrive early for our times of gathered assembly?  Could it be that peacefully entering the meeting-place 15 minutes before the opening helps to set our minds on things above?  Could it be that perpetual tardiness in our attendance of Christ-centered events indicates a lack of interest in joining into the ministry of the church, the Body of Christ?   It is a blessing to join into a service even before it starts—but don’t take my word for it; realize it for yourself.  This is not simply a call for punctual attendance,  because if you try to be punctual just to please Rich, it probably won’t be too effective.   So I hear “But Sunday is the only day of the week that I get to sleep in.”  Or someone may say “But I don’t really like to arrive on time anyway—I just come for the parts of the service that I like.”  I believe I know the best response to those self-centered excuses, but ask the Father for counsel.  Trust His guidance, and consider punctuality for the Lord’s sake.                                  

We like those who like us.   This is not always a godly practice, and even Jesus said “if you love those who love you, what reward will you get?  Do not even the pagans do that?  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?”   There are limits to this general principle of “we like those who like us,” and those who spend hours trying to avoid adoring fans and unethical paparrazi would be the first to argue against this statement.   Still, it seems that human nature predisposes us to be drawn towards people who like us.

James 2 gives the believer instructions to treat both rich and poor with generous hospitality, not showing favoritism.   How does this compute when I am approached by a well-dressed businessman holding a briefcase, allegedly a Google executive, whose wallet has been stolen and who needs $14 for the Long Island Railroad?  Keep the story and change the person, what is my response when a toothless, unshaven man in dirty clothes asks me for the same amount, allegedly for the same reason?  It takes the Spirit-filled, transformed mind of Christ to know how to respond wisely to requests like these.  Jesus, after the “If you love those who love you” portion of his Sermon on the Mount, gave us this impossible instruction: “Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father also is perfect.”  Good news, in this area of relationships, we will never be able to live perfectly without the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives!  Even with the saving power of Jesus, perfection is more a future hope than a present reality.   The hope of perfection is another gift we receive through the gospel, and we can begin living it in the Spirit, by the grace of God.  

It seems that “best friends” and “loyal” relationships can wander into the mine field of favoritism.  Something to consider: are there people in your congregation with whom you generally hang out, and who seem to like you?  Hopefully somebody likes you, right?  J  If you can’t think of anybody who likes you, try to put me on the list.   If you don’t think my name belongs there, come talk to me.  If we only hang out with people who like us and who we like, our  spiritual gifts may not be fully exercised.  Taking it further, are there people who you do not speak with, mostly avoid, and who seem to not like you?  Well, it may be because of something you have done, or it may be your imagination.   Whatever the case, be the mature one—try to enter into relationships with people in the body of Christ who you think do not like you.   Check it out, it’s time to reconsider your loyalty and evaluate it based on God’s instructions against favoritism.  “Don’t show favoritism!”  James 2:1.

What if Jesus was our lead pastor?  Would He clear out our church or other local churches because we have “turned the house of God into a den of thieves”?    Would he remind individuals that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil?  Would he visit bars to save alcoholics?   Would he hang out with prostitutes?  What about sick people..which ones would he heal and which ones would he allow to remain as they are?   How would he handle conflict?  Would he laugh at my jokes, or would he quiet me with a look?  Would he multiply food to feed the poor?   Would we listen to His teaching if Jesus was here in the flesh?   

Let’s go deeper.   We say in belief and teaching that Jesus Christ is the head of the church.   “And he is the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:18).   He is the “chief Shepherd” of our souls. (I Peter 5:4).   The truth is that if you are a follower of Jesus and a member of His church, He must be your leader.   He must also be the leader of the human “lead pastor,” so Jesus is ultimately the Lead Pastor of the church, which is you and I.   This is Scriptural, and we want to obey the Word of God, but how does this work?  The real Jesus, God in the flesh, does not stand up on Sunday morning and give a message.   Yes, but He empowers and equips people with His Spirit to share His Word.  The real Jesus does not physically sit in your living room and share His love with your neighbor, but His Spirit in you leads you to be Jesus to your neighbor.   The real Jesus doesn’t use your ATM card or write your checks, but Christ gives joyful obedience in being a cheerful giver!    Jesus, our Lead Pastor, speaks through the Spirit and reminds us that the Father heart of God calls us to love our neighbors, everyone, in truth.      

Christ in you, the hope of glory.  (Col. 1:27)  Christ in you, the hope of glory, is the great mystery that we present to a dying world.   Jesus is our Lead Pastor.  I  am your servant for Jesus’ sake, and my job is to point you (and sometimes carry you) to Jesus Christ, encouraging you to be clear representatives of this “mystery” of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”    We are only human, but Christ in us, the hope of glory, brings divine power granting us everything we need for life and godliness.   For now, I seek to follow Christ with my whole life, point others to Jesus, and encourage believers to be honest-to-goodness ambassadors of the grace given us in Christ.   This is your job too if you are a repentant believer, since Jesus is to be your Lead Pastor as much as He is mine.  

After here and now, there is eternity.  Eternity will either be heaven with God, or hell without God.    Lord Jesus, be the Chief Shepherd of FJMC.   We would have it no other way.   And Father, help Rich as your undershepherd.                            

Against my better judgment, I walked into an unknown barbershop last week and, five minutes into a 45-minute haircut, closed my eyes and decided to sleep my way into temporary oblivion after the front of my hair was buzzed off despite instructions to the contrary.  I can laugh about it now.   Last Sunday at an outdoor birthday party a bird deposited something on the back of my shirt.  It’s rather funny now, thinking about it.   Laughter in its purest sense can be helpful. 

While recently contemplating the weight of life, the seriousness of our broken condition, and the many possibilities of things to do, a still small voice reminded me that “A merry heart does good like a medicine.  Prov. 17:22.”   I think that means that it is a good thing to laugh.  The real kind of laughter.  If wisdom is the better part of valor, and in order to get wisdom we need to ask God with a single-minded purpose, I submit that in our asking for wisdom we need to be ready to smile at the world that God has dropped us into.  Trust me, crass “comedy” shows or vulgar bathroom jokes are not what I’m suggesting as incentives to  drum up a little laughter in your life.  Just try this.  Consider how seriously you take your life and how seriously you take others, and ask God to show you how to live a life wherein the “joy of the Lord” is your strength.  Probably closely linked to a healthy sense of humor and a tendency towards spontaneous laughter is that all-important attitude of thankfulness God calls us to embrace.   

I remember as a teenager noting with interest how the mouth of an older man I knew seemed fixed into a perpetual frown.   I would wonder to myself what was up with that.  Didn’t he know that it actually takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile?   Déjà vu hit rather hard the other day when I considered my grim visage in the mirror and noted that I wasn’t necessarily “Mr. Smiley” myself.   So here’s to laughter and a merry heart—pray that we could take that good medicine and have the joy of the Lord in our hearts and minds spill out of our speech and be observed in our countenance.  May God be praised! 

One caution.  It is said that “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.”  Proverbs 14:13.  Some of us face systemic areas of pain and heartache.  Why is that a person may make a grand effort to be a smiley, laughing individual around others, determined not to let others get a glimpse into the raw hurts and desperate chaos in his life?  Is it that we want to fool others (and ourselves) into thinking that if we act like there is no problem, then the problem will go away?   May we live honest lives of joyful thanksgiving!

Last Sunday, we discussed godly responses to those seeking help for overcoming homosexual temptations.   Yes, a plain reading of Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, and Romans 1 establishes that homosexuality is not God’s design for creation.   Just like other sins, a person struggling with homosexual temptations is called to come before Jesus and make Him Lord, praying that His divine power will give the grace to say no to ungodliness and worldly lusts.       

On June 24th, the NY legislature passed into law a “Marriage Equality” act that for now legalizes same-sex marriages in the State of New York.   Generally speaking, I stay away from politics.  I figure my time is best spent devoted to the ministry of the Word and to prayer.  But let’s take a closer look at this June 24th passage of that law.  The standard for our lives should be based on the Word of God.   This “Marriage Equality” act has two fatal flaws.   One flaw is the premise that all fluid and changing notions of “human rights” are equally valid and therefore should not be discriminated against.  The second flaw is the premise that the standard for determining these “rights” is found by counting how many people “prefer” something and changing the standard to fit preferences.   No external standard is addressed in this law, only a standard based upon rights and preferences.  What is next to fall?   “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  Ps. 11:3.   Is polygamy next?  Legalizing pedophilia?  Incest?

The Bible’s standard for marriage is “ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN, FOR LIFE.”   The majority of evangelical Christians in America have conveniently deleted the “for life” Biblical standard from their definition of marriage, allowing divorce and remarriage without blinking, in the name of “equality” and “love” and “mercy.”   In the church in America, 75 years ago only a few churches would have allowed a divorced member to remarry while the first spouse was living.   Now most churches don’t blink an eye when members remarry while their first spouse is alive, thus living in a state of adultery.   In that area, the majority evangelical church has changed the Bible, in the name of “mercy” and “love” and “rights” and “equality.”   New York has now joined other states in extending “rights” to homosexual partners who violate the standard of God’s Word, and most of evangelical America is aghast.   Give us 30 years, and the trend among evangelical Christianity will be that in the name of “mercy” and “love” and “rights” same-sex marriages will be accepted and welcomed in the church, regardless of what God’s Word says about it.   God’s standard of “equality” hasn’t changed; man’s has.   May God help us to give attention to public reading of the scripture, to exhortation, and to sound doctrine.   I Timothy 4:13.    We need it! 

Thoughts on James 3:13-15, with a call to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

If the truth were told, most of us prefer to stay away from dark alleys.   There could be monsters there after all, or just as bad, some thuggish robber wannabe with a big club to knock my lights out.   An interesting corollary truth is that many of us prefer not to reveal what we are really thinking, preferring noise and “busy”ness and distractions to mask the reality that life can be a real mess, and that we are in need of help.   Even the repentant believer in Jesus does well to recognize that she is in need of a Savior!    Especially for the believer in Jesus who wishes to delight himself in the Lord, the struggle of daily living can be an uphill workout without much rest.   To whom can we turn?  We need Jesus!  

We are in a battle.  Walt Kelly’s comic figure Pogo famous statement “We have met the enemy and he is us” has some truth to it.   Our struggle is with our “self”, that flesh that keeps inserting its sensual, selfish nature to disrupt the work of the Spirit.   But it’s not only “self,” the struggle is also with the world, the pride of life,  the consumerism and cronyism and peer pressure to stay “sane” and “calm, cool, and collected.”   And as if “self” and the world was not a big enough dual enemy, we find that the struggle is with our enemy, the devil, who is out to steal, kill, and destroy.   We are in a battle, folks, with well-meaning people falling all around us and staying down—defeated, discouraged, and unable to get up anymore.  

Now more than ever, we need help.  We need the transforming work of Jesus Christ through the Spirit of the Lord in our hearts.   If we have ever needed the cross of Jesus Christ to chip away at cold hearts and infuse us with a passion for our Father, we sure do need Him now!    Consider these words from the Scriptures:  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  James 3:13-15.    There it is again.   There is the reality of truth, and then there is the base façade of lies that is earthly (of the world), sensual (“self” and the flesh), devilish (of Satan, who is out to steal, kill, and destroy).   If we wish to walk in victory, to get up again when we fall, and if we wish by the grace of God to fall less and less and to live holy lives as we glorify our Father more and more, we must be honest.  The fight will only be won through honesty with our Father and with each other, first to recognize that we need Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior, to live a life of a repentant believer, and to be filled with the Spirit.   Fight on, brothers and sisters.   We are in a battle!      

Thoughts on Hebrews 12:7, and recent news events occurring in the country of Japan

How you respond in hardship is a living résumé of who you are.   I’ve thought about this over the last several weeks in considering the plight of the Japanese in the Northeastern part of their country.  More than a few people have written with amazement about the disciplined response of the Japanese in the aftermath of the recent earthquake, the tsunami, and now the uncertainty of a nuclear plant spiraling out of control.   No looting.  No riots.   I have not come across any news that would indicate pandemonium or out-of-control behavior in Japan.    In a way, it seems that the instructions in Hebrews 12:7 are playing out in these mostly non-Christian Japanese citizens: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” 

Writing how the Japanese tend to face adversity and come out stronger, Ian Buruma speaks of their “primitive but common human reflex, which is to impart meaning to the impersonal forces of nature.  Traditionally, earthquakes were ascribed to the stirrings of a giant catfish, and this catfish was treated as a deity, to be worshipped and appease.”   The pantheism is wrong, but there is a certain humility there, a kind of teachable spirit.  Even the mayor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, called last week’s earthquake a “divine punishment” for the “egoism” of contemporary Japanese.  “We need to use the tsunami,” he said, “to wipe out egoism, which has attached itself like rust to the mentality of the Japanese people over a long period of time.”    Mr. Ishihara apologized later for “his lack of feeling for the victims,” but his thoughts on egoism are instructive.  

A little humility goes a long way when we face hardship.  Contrast Mr. Ishihara’s statements with those of former NYC Mayor Guiliani, who after 9/11 said "Tomorrow New York is going to be here, and we're going to rebuild, and we're going to be stronger than we were before...terrorism can't stop us."   9/11 was a terrible event, and it was necessary to encourage New Yorkers.  Still, a little humility goes a long way.   God allows hardship in our lives to teach us about Him, about ourselves, and about the world.   "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. (Heb. 12: 5-8)   Endure hardship as discipline.  Pray for the Japanese people, that they would call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda      

by: Shel Silverstein

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' in the sun,
Talkin' 'bout the things
They woulda coulda shoulda done...
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little Did.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'    Matthew 25:34-40

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.   I John 3:17-18

With God, all things are possible.    Matthew 19:26

Actions can speak louder than words.   This year, bring your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength before a God who loves you; love Him in return!   BE a follower of Jesus; DO the will of the Father!      

You know, there is so much going on at church, so many committees, so many things to do, so many meetings, I wonder what we would be like if we were a really big church!   I mean, if we have this many things going as a small church, what would we be like if we were a lot bigger!”   This thought was laughingly communicated to me recently, and today I reflected some more on it. 

Some of this has to do with Rest.  Is my heart at rest in Christ?   Is your heart able to become quiet before your Maker, honest in speech and intent in listening to His heart for You?   

Rest in Jesus.  Hope in God  

When it seems that all the props I have leaned on are either pulled out or are being pulled out, what is left?   I come back to Jesus Christ—there is no other foundation to be laid except the foundation of Jesus Christ.    We can set goals.   We can create programs.   We can institutionalize and codify great ideas.   We can “market” the church to the community.   For what?    Upon calling a local church to see if we could partner with them on a weekend event, I was asked by the operator to explain my situation, after which she put me in touch with their “Director of Marketing.”   What exactly are we marketing?   Too much of the peripheral things that we aim at as believers have become the foundation, at the expense of the One Foundation, Jesus Christ.   This is not rhetoric, friends.   Jesus Christ has to be the foundation of all things, including but not limited to our cell groups, our ministry events, our prayer meetings, our preaching, our teaching, our evangelism, our goals, our vision.     Surrender  ALL  to Jesus!  

Cardinal Danneels of Brussels once wrote: “When I get home after a long day, I go the chapel and pray.  I say to the Lord, “There it is for today, things are finished.  Now let's be serious, is this diocese (church) mine or yours?”   The Lord says, “What do you think?”  I answer, “I think it's yours.”  “That is true,” the Lord says, “it is mine.”  And so I say, “Listen, Lord, it's your turn to take responsibility for and direct the diocese (church).  I'm going to sleep.”     

Yes, God has called me to be His undershepherd of this local church, the Body of Jesus  Christ.   We have all been called by Jesus Christ to be His sons and daughters.   This is His church.  We are His followers.  May we follow His call as the Chief Shepherd.   We need His direction.  We must keep our foundation in Jesus Christ, Sunday through Saturday, moment by moment. Let us encourage one another in this!