This One Is For Kate

Acts 20:24 I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

It's a big day in the life of our family. The youngest, Kate, is graduating today. It will be the first of many graduations for her as she pursues her dream of becoming a doctor. It seems like only yesterday that she started high school. Time flies by so quickly. She has grown to be a very smart, focused, and very fun young lady. I am looking forward to seeing her succeed in achieving her goals. Her future looks so very bright.

Many thousands of kids are graduating this month. Each one has a future laid out in front of them. Some will go on to college to obtain the important degree(s) needed for what they see as their path to success. Some will try a technical school to learn what us old people call is a trade. Some will enter the armed services to serve their country. And yet a few others have absolutely no clue and will just go from day-to-day living their lives doing whatever. The choices are endless for this generation. Choosing is the important first step.

The grace of God is a constant in all of our lives. It has been there, and will continue to be there. Many know of this grace. But many, many more do not know of it. The god they know is the all mighty dollar/yen/peso/yuan/etc. Or the God they know may be a god of hate,and revenge who to some demands martyrdom to reach heaven. But the God Christians know is a loving and merciful God. That message simply has to be shared with the world. The venues for sharing have changed over the past 2000 years. And they will continue to change until the day that Christ returns. It does not take a pile of degrees to be able to share with others the grace of God. If you ask for the right words in prayer, they will be given. Each and everyone of us has the opportunity to really make a difference in testifying to others the good news of God's grace. The opportunities are out there every day. The opportunities may be staring you in the face right now. So, to all the new, and old, graduates out there my advice is to share that good news freely and often. Of all your pursuits in life, sharing the good news will yield the most phenomenal of results in the lives of those you touch each and every day.  So, congratulations to the graduating class of 2011. Your futures are bright.  The horizons are endless.  And the opportunities to reach out and share the Gospel are as plentiful as the grains of sand on a beach.

PRAYER: Lord, the lives of our most precious of assets, our youth, stand on the edge of greatness today. Our children are graduating and moving on with their lives. They are ready to embrace the great adventure that is out there waiting for them. As parents, we selfishly ask for Your protection on their lives. We ask for Your guidance in their lives. We ask for Your Spirit to be poured out richly into their hearts and minds. We ask for Your grace to surround them in Your love. We ask all these things in the name of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Revenge is a dish best not served

Luke 9:51-62 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.

Many of us have been deeply disappointed by the decision of some organization or agency having sway over an aspect of our lives. Dismay, anger, and frustration, are just some of the emotions we may feel. A thought that may have crept around in many of us is revenge.  I have to admit I had that one pop up in my mind on more than one occasion. In place of telling fire to come down from heaven and consuming “our oppressor(s), it is time to head to court for a remedy to the injustice foisted upon us. Hanin’ is too good for them, let’s nuke’em in court!  Martin Luther has a few words for us to contemplate relative to the Luke 9 passage and calling in fire from heaven. 

“Christ says Remember children of what spirit you are, namely, of the Holy Spirit, who is a Spirit of peace, not of division. Peter forgot this in the garden, and was rebuked when Christ said to him: ‘Put the sword in the sheath.’ The Christian Church does not require fighting, but suffering. The Holy Spirit permits it now, and maintains his silence that Christ is thus crucified and abominably dealt with. Because we have the pure doctrine, it happens also to us that everything that is great in the world uses power and might against this doctrine. But God alone upholds His doctrine, else it would have been destroyed long ago…  But since they vilify the doctrine and defend their godless estate, we cannot hold silence, but must speak against them. In this we are like John and James, and in our heart desire revenge upon the godless tyrants… Here everyone should repent thoroughly and pray God that He would keep us from such murderous thoughts. We should not desire revenge, but have compassion, and remember why the Son of Man is come, namely that we should not desire judgment and revenge upon the sinners.

There is one final thought we can keep in our hearts, now that we can divert our attention from revenge and look with gratitude towards the cross.  That thought is, to me, embodied in the words of Gamaliel when he was speaking to the council regarding killing the disciples continued teaching and preaching of the Gospel.  From Acts 5:35-42. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do to these men. For before these days Theudas rose up. Claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were not counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

We do not know the end point for our suffering. Our responsibility is to keep humility as our watch word, and grace in our dealings with those who would seek to oppress.  Regardless of the outcome, we will each and every day without ceasing teach and preach Jesus is the Christ in our current location. We do these things because the compassion shown in full measure to us by a loving God, is what we are to must share with all we encounter in our daily walk. To God be all the glory in all that we do each and every day. Amen.

PRAYER: Almighty and everlasting God, You have seen us through this latest storm. You have brought comfort to us with Your words. You have given to us the gift of salvation and life everlasting in the sacrifice of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. As we move forward we ask for Your wisdom to be known to us. Guide us, protect us from ourselves, and sustain us today and every day. This we ask in the name of Jesus, who with the Father and the Spirit, reign as One God, now and forever. Amen

I'm Up To My Eyeballs Already!

Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

I love the Weather Channel, but a sure sign that there are problems with your weather is the arrival of a Weather Channel On Camera meteorologist in your town. It is something I would pass on if I had my druthers. My prayers are with all those who live where these guys show up in the midst of a disaster.

There are times when we have the opportunity to experience challenges in our lives.  These challenges may come in the form of difficult working conditions, a personal tragedy such as the loss of a loved one, or a natural disaster. We do not understand in the midst of the difficult times the why. And so we have to rely on God for a couple of things. First, he knows what we need. He knows that if life were a continual bowl of cherries it would not be to our benefit. Storms enter our lives to form our character. They define us and they refine us. Faith is easy when life is good. But faith in the midst of severe trials is faith that has weathered the storm and that shows strength, resolve, and a trust in God. Secondly, God gives us the promise of a soft landing. Jesus Christ suffered the cross so that you and I would have life eternal with the Father. The life we could not have possibly achieved and embraced was given to us. But not on a silver platter, rather on the gnarled wood of a device used to torture and ultimately kill its' intended victims. Life from death on the cross is indeed life most precious.

We need to keep things in perspective my, brothers and sisters in the Risen Savior. Our severe challenge in life today is an opportunity to learn, possibly share with someone in the future, and maybe even allow us to comfort someone else who is in the midst of deep turmoil. We can do this because we too have come through the storm, stronger, wiser, and more appreciative than before in what Jesus gave us in His life, death, and resurrection.

Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Hallelujah, Amen

PRAYER: Lord and giver of life, we owe everything to You. We have a debt we cannot, by ourselves repay. But You have generously given to us Your precious Son Jesus Christ. Our debt has been paid by Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross wrote the check to pay for our freedom from the death of sin. For this we are forever grateful. Our thanks, humble as it may be is reinforced by our worship today and everyday. We offer this prayer of thanksgiving in the name of Your Son, who with the Father and the Spirit are One God now and forever. Amen.