First World Problems

Ever heard the expression “First World Problems”? These are frustrations and complaints only made by privileged people living in wealthy countries. They would include things such as “My car’s heated seats are making my back sweat!” or “I cracked the screen on my iPhone 5 and have to go back to using my lame iPhone 4.” Along the same lines, a couple of summers ago, our air conditioner went out. It was really hot INSIDE our house. The only possible upside to this situation was that when we bought our air conditioner, we shelled out a little extra for the extended protection agreement, so we knew we wouldn’t have to pay for any repairs. Problem is we could ONLY use Sears to fix it, and the earliest time they could get out there was one week from the day I called. ONE WEEK. Seven days. An eternity.

On the first night of this disaster, our thermostat climbed to 86 degrees. As I lay in bed, I began praying, as I always do at bedtime, and I found myself praying for cooler weather - for a cancellation to move my service appointment up a few days - for ANYTHING to make my life easier. And it occurred to me - how often do I pray this selfish prayer?

We Christians like to remind each other that God cares about the things that we care about. This may be true, but I think we may have warped God’s feelings of care into believing that He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable.

God never promised us an easy life. He promised His love, His presence, His guidance - NOT a carefree existence. I believe that wholeheartedly, and I remind my kids of it all the time. So here’s the kicker - Why do so many of my prayers involve me asking God to make things easier or more comfortable for me? Whether we’re upset about having no air conditioning or a cracked $700 phone or other “First World Problems,” or if it’s something that IS a crisis - something like Cancer, heartbreak or grief. How often do we find ourselves asking God to make our lives easier?

I don’t think that’s God’s job.

He is our heavenly Father - our parent. In my role as a mother, should I do my best to make sure things are as easy and comfortable for my kids as possible? Heaven for-bid! What lazy, spoiled children I would raise if that were my goal!

When Jesus models prayer, he doesn’t ask for God to make the wind ease up so his feet won’t get quite so dusty. He asks for his daily bread - He asks for enough. Even when faced with the very real crisis of an agonizing death on the cross, after asking for the cup to pass from Him, Jesus quickly adds the disclaimer, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” He doesn’t beg God for a more comfortable end - because that’s not God’s job.

The next time you find yourself seeking God’s help in the face of adversity - whether real or imagined - take a second to think about what, exactly, you are praying for.

Alison Wellborn

Abilene, Texas

Cleansing

Americans, in general, are never satisfied.  We have a tendency to seek the newest, the biggest, the fastest,… the best.  Marketers understand that this notion is ingrained in our minds, and they use it to their full advantage.  For example, consider the promises prominently stated in cleaning product commercials.  “You’re not fully clean until you’re Zestfully clean.”  “Tide’s in – Dirt’s out.”  “You’ll want our product, giving up yours.”  “Setting a shining example throughout the area.”  “The Ultimate Shine.”  Never mind that the cleaning products we already have work just fine.  (Honestly, our particular vulnerability for buying the newest cleaning products is probably more revealing about our lack of desire to put in the necessary effort.)

Spiritually, we also crave the same benefits for our life.  Fortunately, God planned and provided the best cleansing for our soul through his son, Jesus Christ.

The world recently celebrated Easter, observing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I wonder how many looked beyond the commercialized trappings of the day and caught the significance of the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood?

God provided Jesus as an atoning sacrifice, removing our sins.  Jesus Christ is God’s son and a sinless, unblemished lamb.  He is a gift from a merciful God.  Jesus is a once-in-a-lifetime, once-is-enough, perfect offering, so that we can obtain eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-14).  We have been “justified by his blood” (Romans 5:9).

Don’t you know, Peter states, “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).  John tells us, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin” (1 John 1:7).

There’s no need to look further.  God has the answer you seek.  Jesus Christ offers the ultimate cleansing.  In God’s eyes, through the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood, you are spotless and pure.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please accept our thanks for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.  As you promised, we believe Jesus’ blood has the power to cleanse us, completely removing the stain of our sins.  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Carl Smith
Stephenville, Texas

In the Storm

In the sixth chapter of Mark, we see an amazing story. Jesus fed 5000 men with five loaves and two fish. After this miracle, He sent His disciples across the sea and went up on a mountain to pray.

A storm came and the disciples were struggling. Verse 48 says He saw them struggle, but did nothing. The disciples bailed and rowed for hours. Then Jesus went out on the sea but His intention was to pass them by. Only after they saw Him, did He rescue them.

This story is hard. Not because they were in a storm, but because Jesus knew about it and left them in it.

From the disciples’ point of view, there was nothing worse than a storm. And the proper response from God must be rescue. We are reminded of another storm when they said, “Do you not care if we perish?” From Jesus’ point of view, the storm was not all that important. What was important was the faith or lack of faith His disciples possessed. They had been in storms before. They were with Jesus when He stopped a storm. They had seen Him in the very act of creation when He fed the multitudes. They should have grown in faith and not been afraid.

Storms are for testing. They reveal where we put our confidence. If it is in our strength of rowing, we will surely be afraid.

If it is in Jesus, we will have faith.

Dear Heavenly Father, in my head I know you love me and always take care of me, but sometimes when the storms get rough, I forget. I know you love me but sometimes I forget. I know you have all power but sometimes I forget. I am tempted to believe that when I am in trouble, you either do not care or do not have the power to help. For this, I am sorry. Help me to remember there is at least one other alternative. That is you do love me and have the power to rescue me but know it is better for me to stay in the storm at least for now. Help me Father, to love you, praise you and trust you while I am in the storm. Help me to become what you want me to be. Help me to learn what you want me to learn. Help me to row, bail, pray and learn. In the name of Jesus, who rescues us from the storms and protects us in the storms. Amen.

Paul Shero

San Angelo, Texas

Painful Silence

I have been in a season of prayer that results in lots of painful silence.  I have prayer warriors praying on my behalf and those prayers likewise have resulted in painful silence.  We are calling out to God to change my situation, to give me favor in the right places and to reunite me with family and my home on earth.  Painful silence.  

I cannot help but ask God “why” he is silent and I remain in this situation that is lonely and depressing.  There are moments I get a sense of what I am here for but I do not see things unfold in the way I had sensed.  I pray boldly.  I pray meekly.  I throw myself at God’s mercy.  I pray David’s prayers of lament.  I also give thanks for what he has done.  In the midst of what I hope for, I can see his hand at work in my life.  Having just come through the Easter season, it’s easier to remember what is most important is not what I want but what he has already done.  

As I pray through the painful silence I seek out others who can help remind me that I am not alone on this journey.  I walk the same path as many of my Biblical heroes, people who knew pain, who chose to live in faith and who saw their rewards in this realm and the next.  Thomas Merton is one of those people of faith who has shared his thoughts and his faith as another example to me.  One of his written prayers resonates with me in these days of silence.

My LORD God, I have no idea where I am going.  I do not see the road ahead of me.  I cannot know for certain where it will end.  Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.  And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.  Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.  I will not fear for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.  - Thomas Merton, “Thoughts in Solitude”

I do not know if the road I am on is the right road.  I want to hear God’s call and seek his direction over my own but when all I hear is silence, I cannot help but wonder if where I am is where I am supposed to be.  So, I rest in the idea that my desire to please God does please God and he will take me down the path to where I am supposed to be if this isn’t the one.  

More than anything, I want to be God’s instrument.  I want to be used by him to do his will.  Where there is silence, I will continue to hope I am doing what he wants.  And when I hear his call, I want to be ready and willing to fulfill his plan.  The pain of his silence is simply in my desire to know I am where he wants me to be doing what he wants me to do.  I hope I hear his voice soon.  Until then, I trust that my hope to please him does in fact please him.  

Jeff Jones
Decatur, Texas

Graveyard Truths

“...man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”     (Hebrews 9:27)

I have never thought much of “graveyard tales” – stories by preachers designed to overly stir the emotions of hearers.  Any response based primarily upon feelings, apart from  knowledge and conviction founded upon God’s inspired Word  will play out when such feelings subside.  First century evangelists called upon their hearers to hear, know, believe the truth about Jesus, and to respond in “the obedience that comes from faith.” (Acts 2:14-41;  Romans 1:5;  16:26. )

Nevertheless, there is need that we contemplate the realities of life and of death that we might live soberly in view of such.  The Psalmist prayed, “Show me, O Lord, my  life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.  You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.” (Psalm 39:4, 5.)

               

Some time ago, while in a sm
all town preaching the good news of Jesus, I went alone to a graveyard located nearby.  The setting was well calculated to deepen reflection – removed from the rustle of the town, on a knoll overlooking a twisting creek, shaded by cedar trees aged and gnarled, the only sounds, the whispers of the cedar boughs and an occasional dirge by a mourning dove sitting in a dead tree across the creek.

As I slowly walked among the graves a number of things there suggested truths which the living need to consider.  The markers, some large and ornate, others but a moss covered rock turned on its edge, remind us of several things about death.  Death is the great leveler.  I saw old graves in which slaves were buried, and nearby reposed their former masters.  “The small and the great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.” (Job 3:19.)  Row upon row of tombstones reminded that death is as natural and certain for us as are birth and life, unless the Lord comes first. “…man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”(Hebrews 9:27.)  I further saw clear reminders that the time of our departure is unknown.  Death has no favorite age.  In the same family plot were placed the bodies of a grandmother called from life at 84 years of age, and, of two of her grandchildren who died the day they were born.  Therefore, Jesus would say, “…you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”(Matthew 24:44.)

This little cemetery proclaimed the faith common to all mankind in the hour of death, that there must be something beyond this existence in which man is involved.  The very designation of this burying place, “cemetery”, reminds that we count it a place of sleep, not a depository of oblivion.  (fr Greek, koimeterion, ‘a sleeping chamber’…fr. koiman ‘to put to sleep’.)  The bodies in the tombs faced the east, a common practice growing out of man’s hope to see on the morning of the resurrection, Him Who is “…the Resurrection and the Life”. (John 11:25-26.)

Many signs could be seen reflecting man’s feeling after his Maker in the hour of sorrow – symbols on flower sprays, carved in stone, etched in bronze, of Bibles, crosses and similar thngs.  Over the grave of an acquaintance of mine stood an open Bible of styrofoam substance.  My friend had died of cirrhosis of the liver due to his heavy drinking.  How strange that the very Book which we neglect in life is the Book we crave in death!

A quiet graveyard is a good place to go to reassess the true values of this life.  One does not see shiny cars, flashing neon nor digital lights, rowdy revelry, immaculate mansions, or  the stock market quotations. One sees the brevity of this life, the certainty of death, the need to live for the Sovereign Savior and Judge before Whom we shall stand when called forth from the grave.  We are reminded of the folly of procrastination.  Not one person whose body then lay in the dust of death intended to die in his or her sins, in an unsaved condition.  Knowing that Jesus promised, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…”(Mark 16:16)), some truly intended to do so, but just waited too long.  Others were there who had really meant to repent of breaking their covenant with the Lord Jesus.  But death came before they got around to confessing the evil they had practiced after they once became Christians.  So, with all there, they wait for the judgment which  God’s Word promises they will face after death. (Hebrews 9:27.)  Graveyards remind us of sobering truths, and that we would do well now and then to ponder God’s truths in such a setting.

Ted Kell

Brownwood, Texas

SPIRITUAL REALITIES

.....God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."
I Corinthians 1:21

Difficult to understand and even more difficult to explain from a human vantage point is the spiritual plane God calls us to.   The message of the cross for so many at this time of year is Easter eggs, new clothes, a trip to church, and out quick to beat the long lines at the restaurant.  More bizarre in comparison is the real story.

A loving Father sends His Son and saves us from our greatest fears:  inadequacy, rejection, and dying.  He rescues us and covers for us taking into account our weakness and inability to win over the very real enemy in Satan.  Our worst fears in Satan and death are defeated.  Christ is given as the anti-toxin to Satan.  Even in the grips of death in the last second Christ offers the vile of forgiveness that when injected directly into the heart, reverses the poison and certain death of my sin.  He has saved us and rescued us before that moment is faced.  We have already won!   God has made a way for us through a sacrificed Son, not based on our doing.   Adopting us and changing us to be like him to live in His kingdom: royal sons and daughters safe, forgiven, valued, and loved forever. This sounds like foolishness and fairy tails to the majority who hear it.

Yet for the few willing to take the risk and buy into this journey, unimaginable, wonderful things are revealed. Though bodies weaken, skin sags, hair grays, vision blurs, and hearing fades our spirits are getting stronger. We learn to trust God's promises transitioning away from a physical emphasis to a Spirit-filled follower catching clearer glimpses of where we are going.    We grow in our love for God living holy, righteous lives demonstrating spiritual wisdom and deeper love for those around us.  The grandest step in our journey is that first moment, the first realization that being with Him is better than life itself, and we see Him for who He really is.  We begin to long more and more to be with Him.  This may not seem realistic and this spiritual reality may seem impossible to attain, yet God calls to us over and over again to believe it and embrace it.

Once we accept He'll do the rest.  It is a journey of faith rewarded in ways beyond comprehension for those crazy enough to leave the crowd and follow Him.

"Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day....We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words." (2 Corin- thians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 2:6,7,13)

Father in heaven the mystery of the cross makes no sense to this world.  We ask for Your Holy Spirit to grant us the wisdom and vision to understand this incredible gift of Jesus dying for us.  In Jesus name.

Scotty Elston
Shallowater, Texas

Looking Past Easter

Another Easter is upon us.

With it comes so many wonderful experiences.  Time with family.  Colorful fashion.  Picnics.  And, of course, the traditional egg hunt. 

For Christians it is a “calendar” day that marks the greatest event that has ever happened in human history.  Every other thing Jesus said and did including his death swings on the hinge of the resurrection event.  Why?  Because the truth of his resurrection validates all the other things.  Without the resurrection the other matters simply evaporate as good intentions. 

Scripture reminds us at several turns that remembering the resurrection is much more than a scheduled trip through scripture’s museum on a special day each spring.  It is an atmosphere we live and breathe every day.  His bodily resurrection is more than a romantic idea – a feel good for anybody who wants to acknowledge it as historical event.  It is “the” historical marker.  It is the precursor to the new age and, the declaration that the “end of the ages” is upon.  It completely alters any conversation about what it means to be human and to live in wisdom.   It sets before us God’s intentions for not only human beings but creation in general.   Jesus' resurrection represents a lot of things.  Here's a few to think about this Easter.

It is a powerful declaration of his Lordship.  He is the firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:15-17).  He is the first fruits of those who sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20-21).  After his ascension into heaven space, he took his seat at the right hand of power.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15-16).  The resurrection elevates his word above all other “words.”  Paul said this is the One whom God has appointed to be the judge of the living and the dead (John 5:25-28; Acts 17:30-31). 

His resurrection offers immortality to those who believe on Him and accept his reign.  Immortality is commonly thought of as a human right.  The common assumption is that we are “born as immortals.”   Genesis 3 reminds us that man was created dependent on God for life.  The first humans ate from the tree of life.  Their sin and expulsion from the garden brought death…literally.  Jesus changes that!  Romans 8:10-11 says, “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”  Jesus brought “life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).  Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:25-29).  Immortality is a blessing given to those who have been born of the water and the spirit (John 3:3-5).  Jesus’ resurrection makes the singular defining statement about immortality.  It is available through Jesus, the firstborn from among the dead ones (Ephesians 1:19-21). 

His resurrection declares that a new age has begun.  When Jesus came forth from the tomb, he took the powers of evil captive (Colossians 2:13-15).  He said before his death that the ruler of this world would be thrown out (John 12:31).  He came that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).  They have been put on notice.  God is putting the world to rights through the ministry of the Son of God – his death and resurrection.  A new and better world is coming.  And it will not be one of harps, clouds and spirits floating around in eternal singing sessions.  Peter says we are anticipating “a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).  Jesus, the gospel, and his kingdom are the greatest adventure we can ever know! 

Easter is about a lot more than family traditions, egg hunts and a traditional church service.  A lot more. At the very least it is a reminder of what the Father began through His Son nearly 2000 years ago.  It continues to reach out to us every day as the leading headline in a broken world.  Jesus is Lord – immortality is possible – a new age pregnant with new adventures in new world is coming!   If we move it beyond the grip of domesticated thinking and romantic ideas it can awaken Christian communities to their calling to be signposts pointing people back to this most significant of human events and, of course, forward to the magnificent experience that is hope in Jesus Christ.   He was changed early one Sunday morning.  Everyone who has made him Lord of their life will be changed one day, too (Colossians 2:12; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. – Colossians 3:1-4

Father, this world can be so overwhelming.  We think in terms of what is right in front of us.  Time becomes something we treat as our own possession.  We plan our lives – even our death.  Sometimes we don’t think beyond the experiences and arrogance of this broken age.  Thank you for reminding us through the resurrection of Jesus that life has changed.  We can live in hope of eternal life because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  May we live in the triumph of that conviction.  May we live out the power of the resurrection every day as those who have been raised from the dead now anticipating that day when we will be raised completely by the One who has gone on before us.  Amen.

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas