Four Simple Words

Back in my college days a few of us would occasionally play a game that went something like this:  someone calls out a book and chapter in the New Testament and someone else would call out a verse or verses in that chapter they knew by heart.  It was always interesting to see which verses got mentioned.

Hebrews chapter ten was always interesting and usually predictable.  I can't remember a time when that chapter was called out that someone didn't give 10:25-31 as their textual reference. Most of the time it was 10:25.

Remember how it goes? “…not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Walking across campus one day it dawned on me that Hebrews 10:25 had been made "famous" in our memories because it was a well-used text in sermons and gospel meetings. It was one of those "wake you up and get you to church" verses. It is a hard-hitting text and definitely deserves our attention especially given the malaise that is in so many lives at the moment. But as I thought about this text I was struck by how little attention had been given to 10:24. We had gone to Hebrews 10 for a particular text for so many years that we had overlooked an important piece of the writer's exhortation and, a piece that provided much of the potential remedy for the dark side of what 10:25ff speaks to.

Remember what Hebrews 10:24 says? "Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works..."

10:25 is actually the continuation of a sentence that began in 10:24.  Attention to grammar alone should have pressed us backwards into 10:24 for a more complete picture of 10:25-31.  It is true that we can become so accustomed to looking at something from a certain perspective that we can’t see what's really there.

Hebrews as a "word of exhortation" (13:22) was read to the gathered church. But, the gathered church is reminded about what they – and every person! - need to do for each other beyond the confines of gathered church. As the scattered church they are to take care of one another. But, you can't take care of what you don't pay attention to! Several texts in the book of Hebrews resonate with this “take care of one another” idea.

Staying connected to gospel and community was contingent on their attention to each other as individuals beyond the gathered church experience.

In the space between gathered church and the disconnect from each other that is becoming characteristic of all too many churches, sin, deception, and spiritual numbness can grow steadily and completely. And, as odd as it sounds, our fixation on gathered church has become a red herring of sorts. We are so focused on tweaking and fine-tuning gathered church that we don't know how to (or do we want to.... really?) be there for each other as brothers and sisters. Authentic community gets lost as an assumed practice in all the hi-tech announcements, colorful handouts, heartfelt pleas, and pithy reminders to be about the Lord's business. We need more! We don't need information packaged more neatly, colorfully or articulated by our best speakers. We need healthy exhortation to become more human and personal in its implementation. We need to think and live more personally with each other.

To be in the body is to be in people's lives - not church as an idea, a place, a gathering per se. Authentic community (not the slick, high glossy, a place to belong, "come have a great experience among us" version) is intentionally constructed and maintained by individual believers with believers. I like the way someone put it the other day: great church is built on our excellence with small church. Churches don't hemorrhage people. People hemorrhage people. People let people walk away. Businesses come after you when you try to walk away. Why? They care about your business...your money....their profits....their reputation. What we do together in Jesus Christ is way more important than a quarterly profit report and a stock rating.

We need to bite into Hebrews 10:24 and chew on it for a long time. It has much to teach us! It calls us to see the person's with whom we live together in community. To know them. To pray for them. To think about how we can serve them and, when needed, encourage them into a place of strength. Doing so can help us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and to run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2). It reminds us that the responsibility tucked away in the new “us” created by our fellowship in the gospel is critical to helping “me” remain a part of the kingdom which cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:27-29).

Consider how to stir...

Four simple words worth our time. You want to stimulate your congregation? Turn those four words loose in your life.

 Randy Daugherty
Stephenville, Texas

Footprints In My Dust

The other night I was sitting in the recliner talking with my husband about the day’s events.  As I glanced over at the end table between us I noticed a layer of dust in the lamp light.  My initial thought was “yet, another task to add to tomorrow’s list”.  However, as I listened to Jeff, I noticed an impression in the dust.  It was a foot print…a rather small foot print…and the toes were pointed toward the window.  It dawned on me that it was our three-year-old, Leif’s foot print.  Suddenly the irksome dust turned into a memory recording medium. 

As I postulated how such a foot print could have been made I remembered the previous day’s excitement at daddy’s arrival home from work.  Leif was in the kitchen playing as I prepared supper.   Upon hearing our truck pull into the drive he ran into the living room and leapt up into the window to see his daddy’s approach.  Jeff opened the front door to Leif’s squeals of delight and a hearty, “Welcome home, Daddy!” 

It is an awesome blessing to have a three year old to show me life through his perspective.  At his eye level, the world looks different.  A daddy coming home is the equivalent of winning the Publisher’s Clearing House.  The arrival of winter’s first snow, gives you a reason to dance.  Time spent wrestling with your parents after dinner is better than a day at an amusement park.  A bed-time story is more exciting than a trip to the movie theatre.  A bowl of ice cream is a complete escape, a new toy a marvelous delight.  A kind word of encouragement is not only heard but it is taken to heart and recorded in the annals of his mind and displayed in the ear to ear expression of emotion on his face. 

We come from our mothers’ wombs meeting life with awe and wonder.  Somewhere along the way we become jaded and affected.  We are hurt and wounded by other’s words.  We are tempted, enticed, and lured away by our own desires.  Where do those desires come from?  We are not born with a sinful nature, yet as our exposure to this fallen world lengthens day by day, so does our aptitude for sin.  Somewhat like how the chances of skin cancer increase with every bad sunburn.  Like the Roman writer so aptly says,

“So I find it be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me  from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:23-25)

Thanks be to Jesus.  He had that three-year-old perspective of life and urged others to have it as well.  He said that, “whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  It is by him and through him that we can regain this child like perspective.  We can once again meet this life with awe and wonder and, like my three year old longs to see his daddy coming home, we too can eagerly await Jesus’ return. 

My husband reminds me often that God gave us parents to rear us and children to finish the job.  I know he is right when I am taught such a beautiful lesson as this.

Thank you, God for opportunities for contact with some of your most precious creations: children.  Thank you for the reminder to be more like them.  Help us to meet life with innocent expectancy, enjoying all that you have blessed us with, and looking forward to your redemptive return.

Dana Jaworski

Anchor Point, AK

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