I consider everything a loss…

Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

It is a travel day for me.  I am departing for Seattle to see Andy and to observe his Article 32 hearing.  It’s a day of many and mixed emotions.  I am happy to be traveling to see my son, who unfortunately is incarcerated for following orders. I very disappointed at having the life of a young man (my son) and the lives of his family disrupted by this whole process.  May the truth of God be the victor in spite of the plots of man.

The big picture, the grand scheme, are phrases frequently used when the short term seems to defy explanation or common sense.  We are temporal beings, and have a definite time line. Couple that with a short span of attention and we have impatience as the result of all this. We look to the here and now for answers and explanations.  And when they are not immediately available or readily apparent we become frustrated. This is the way of the world. And that is the problem. God works on a different timeline and to different reasons. He works to accomplish his will. He uses our lives and us as tools. We are not in control, he is and that can cause us “control freaks” problems.  This is the day to consider where lives will go, how they will be changed in the short term by Andy’s hearing. But there is one irrefutable fact. Through this whole process the strong hand of God is readily apparent. Old wounds are healed. A young man lost, has been found. People are standing up demanding that the truth be heard. Only God would have chosen this path. None of us would deliberately “take this cup.” For that we thank God for His love. We are not led into temptation by the Lord. Yet we are given trials and tribulations that while they seem daunting, none are impossible to go through with the Lord on our side. All these difficult lessons are a gift. Help my O Lord to cherish these gifts in times of struggle. And truly ‘I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

PRAYER: Lord of all things visible and invisible. Your love and mercy endures forever. Today and everyday I ask that Your will be done in my life. I ask that through You all things are possible in my life. I ask that the strength of the Lord stand strong. May the belt of truth encircle the proceedings on Monday. This I boldly ask in the strong name of Jesus. Amen

Who put no confidence in the flesh--

Philippians 3:3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

It seems just yesterday that we finished the Halloween trick-or-treat ritual. It is always fun to go to the door and see the kids wearing their costumes. We have the opportunity to see miniature version of cartoon and comic book super heroes, or a traditional ghost, a skeleton, or maybe even a witch. Regardless of how much careful pre-planning we do at our house, we end up with lots of candy left over. In my mind it is better to have extra candy than to run out too early in the evening. Well, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

Halloween reminds me of many things. There are childhood memories of running all over a small town in Michigan trick-or-treating. There are adult memories of taking my kids trick-or-treating in Pocatello.  There is another aspect of Halloween memories that comes to mind. It is the remarkable similarity between the costumes people wear and the Christian walk of some folks.  It is like they put on the costume of a Christian on Sunday and then go right home after church and hang it up in the closet never to look at it until the next Sunday they go to church.  It is a shallow walk, and a dangerous path too. They can be deceiving and deceptive in their actions while the Christian costume is hanging in the closet. Beware O believer.

Stop and think for a minute. How many people do you know that have that very same walk? The walk of a costumed Christian.  When churches look at what constitutes a fully devoted follower of Christ, and active member if you will, they usually identify at least three characteristics.  One is a regular attendance at worship services. By regular attendance that means more than two weeks in a month.  Two is participating in fellowship event like a small group or bible study group.  This is where they share their love and devotion to Jesus with others in a comfortable setting. Third would be actively involved as a volunteer in church activities.  This type of person cannot just put the costume on for Sunday, they are fully dressed all the time. And it is not a costume, it is the armor of Christ. This is what they wear into the battle against all the other forces arrayed around them seeking to distract their focus from Jesus.  When you see these people you see a true warrior for Christ, not a costume wearing wanna be.  Be very careful of the wanna bee’s. The path they chose to follow is not the path you should be on. Give it some thought. If you are going to talk the talk you better walk the walk.  Faith without love is an empty faith.

PRAYER:  Lord of all creation, there are many among us who talk a good faith. Help us as we move forward in our faith walk to not take that path. Guide in Your path. Light the way for us, lest we stray off that path and become lost.  And help us to reach out to those who do not walk the true path. Give us the words, Your words, to reach out in love. Let Your Spirit fill us with the faith to survive against the ploys of the evil one. We ask this in the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil

Philippians 3:2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

This verse was next in line for the devotionals. As tempting as it might be to expound on the last part, especially in light of Andy's case I will refrain. Rather let's talk about those men who do evil. I have prayed and studied the word on this and it is the right time and the right place.

I was reading a news article on msnbc.com a few weeks ago and found an interesting quote attributed to Andy. "By the power of Christ you will not mention me at your hearing." He is alleged to have used this as a threat against a fellow inmate at the detention center. I was surprised as you might be the quote. And so I decided it was time to look deep into the possible meaning of this, what scriptural references serve as the basis, and why it might have been used. For the record, I have no direct or indirect knowledge regarding whether or not Andy actually said what he is attributed with in the quote. This is just an exercise in reasoning and theology.

Invoking the power of Christ when facing evil is not something new. Our Savior tells the disciples to pray in his name in Mark 11:24. The power of Christ was used by the disciples in driving out demons and evil spirits.  Mark 6:7-13 also keeps rolling around in my head. He gave the disciples authority over evil spirits. And there is one where the disciples tried to drive out a demon, but failed (Mark 9:14-29).  Some demons come out only by prayer.  In Mark 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.  So my friends, there is a strong precedence for invoking the name and the power of Christ and it has to do with encountering evil in whatever form it presents itself. The power of Christ is able to drive out evil. The light of Christ drives demons away in terror. It is the ultimate weapon in the battle field we find ourselves on every single day. We put on the armor of Christ and go into battle. We call on our Lord and the enemy is left trembling. His is the name above all names. Every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And so, If I am ever starring face to face with evil, I will without hesitation say "By the power of Christ." No one, or nothing else will save me or my soul. That's how it is and how it should be.


PRAYER: Almighty God, You are out rock and our salvation. You, and You alone stand against all forms of evil. You give us hope when all hope is lost. Your armor deflects all the slings and arrows of Satan. Help us O Lord to stay firm in our faith. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit that our faith does not waiver. Strengthen us in all adversity. Defend us from all that seeks to harm us, destroy us, or take us away from Your side.  We ask this in the strong name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit. One God now and forever. Amen