There's always something to be thankful for...

It's been a few days since my last update on this blog and for that I apologize.  It's been pretty hectic around here and I just haven't made the time to get this update done.  So I've decided to do something a little different this morning...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

It's true...Thanksgiving is officially less than one week away.  And that means that Christmas is just about a month away.  It's crazy how fast this year has seemingly flown past! So perhaps it might be good for us to recount some of the blessings that we've enjoyed so far this year.  We should definitely do this more often because I believe we are greatly empowered when we praise God for our blessings. 

Paul here in Philippians says that we're supposed to bring all requests to God with thanksgiving.  It means that there are so many things around us to be thankful for all of the time that we should never run out of thankfulness!  When I lived in Denver, CO for a year, I had the chance to meet a man who seemingly had nothing going good for him.  This gentleman had more health problems than I could remember.  He was failing fairly fast.  He was getting older and couldn't get around at all anymore.  He relied on other people for nearly everything.  But there was something peculiar about him - he was thankful.  He was thankful that God had given him today, even though today hadn't been all that great.  He was thankful that he could breathe - even though his breathing was assisted by an oxygen tank that was cumbersome and had to be taken anywhere he went.  The man was nothing less than thankful. 

Perhaps we can learn something from Paul's words and the life of this man.  Perhaps the lesson to be learned is to look around us and find something everyday to be thankful for.  Perhaps from now until Thanksgiving we should make that a regular part of our prayer life - giving thanks to God for every situation and circumstance that we find ourselves in. 

What do you have today - to be thankful for?  Who are you going to share that with?

Lord, I have so many things for which I should give thanks.  Unfortunately this thanking thing just isn't part of my nature.  So thanks!  Thanks for all that you've given me, for all that you've done for me, for all that you've allowed to happen to me.  Help me to be more thankful today.  Amen. 

Do you overflow?

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  Matthew 12:34

Right before and after this verse are accounts of how Jesus is getting lit up by the Pharisees.  They're scared that he's gaining a following too fast.  They want to stop him and quick.  Jesus heals a man of his blind, mute condition - only to be met by their accusations and frustrations.  They even plan to kill him because of these great things he's doing. 

But Jesus never retaliates.  He doesn't get angry.  He doesn't lash out.  He just overflows! 

Let me explain...Jesus says that whatever we put into our hearts will come rushing out.  When we feed our heart and mind evil, death, violence, murder, foul language, stealing, slothfulness, malice, sexual misconduct, judgment, and the list goes on and on - these things will become our natural reactions in life.  Have you ever noticed that before?  You've been around a fairly lewd group of people all day - you tend to speak and act like they do.  I know when I worked in a car factory, this happened to me.  Surrounded by a certain type of language, I just naturally started to speak as if it were acceptable.  It became a reaction to my surroundings. 

Jesus offers another solution however.  He says that what you put into your heart will allow it to overflow through your mouth.  The mouth is like the relief valve to the heart.  When the heart is hurting and filled with sadness, the mouth overflows with tears, crying, and a mopey sadness.  When the heart is is filled with anger and stress, the mouth blows out that steam by burning anyone that gets in the way.  But when the heart is filled with love, forgiveness, and the mercy/grace of God, then the mouth will gently forgive, lovingly serve, and mercifully look past the wrongs of others to show them grace. 

Today, let's focus not so much on what goes out as we do on what goes in, because Jesus promises that when he goes in - the stuff that he teaches comes out.  Part of being a disciple is learning what is of Jesus and what is of the world.  Let's get our fill today.  Let's spill a little bit of Jesus on our friends and co-workers and maybe, just maybe, they'll get a little Jesus on them. 

Lord, today we need you to fill us.  Amen.

Don't be silent!

For we cannot help speaking about what we have heard and seen.  Acts 4:20

Peter and his crew were facing some pretty rough times.  They had just healed a man in Jesus' name and were arrested for it.  The scene was pretty hot!  They were being told to say nothing about Jesus anymore.  The leaders and rulers were afraid that these men were gathering too strong of a following.  People were talking about what they did.  The rulers had to put a stop to this, so they ordered them to stop preaching Jesus. 

Peter knew that was not possible so he says the words found above.  He admits that there is no possible way for them to keep quiet.  They've seen too much.  They've heard too many of the accounts of Jesus' life and the lives that he's impacted.  It's just not possible for them to sit quietly any longer! 

This week is pray for the internationally persecuted church week. Long name just means to pray for the church around the world that is being persecuted, but I'm not sure my prayer today is going to sit well with a lot of people.  I believe Jesus warns us that we should be ready for persecution.  I believe that we're supposed to plan on it happening.  We're supposed to work on our reaction to the persecution that we'll certainly face.  We must prepare ourselves to not be silenced by persecution.  Much like Jesus in the face of his beating and crucifixion and Peter in the face of his many trials - we too must remain faithful to the task of proclaiming Jesus' resurrection everywhere we go! 

For we've seen too many examples of God's grace and mercy.  We've heard and read too many of the accounts of who are God is to keep quiet any longer.  We must shout it from the mountain tops.  We must not be silenced!  Since I mentioned it before, we'll conclude this morning with a prayer for the persecuted church...

Lord, thank you for the persecution that you allow your church to go through.  Thank you for allowing us to see the struggles we face and the trials that we meet.  Lord it's such a blessing to know that in the face of these trials - you are much bigger.  It's wonderful to know that you promise to bless us in the midst of persecution and trial.  Lord thank you for persecution and keep us strong and steadfast in the midst of it.  AMEN. 

Do you really believe it?

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26

Jesus has said some pretty crazy things in his ministry.  He’s done some things that shook people up.  But this one just might take the cake.  He stalls on his way to heal Lazarus by doing other things.  And then when he actually gets there Lazarus is dead – and I mean good and dead!  He’d been dead for days.  He was dead enough to make a stench.  

Now he looks at Lazarus’ grieving family and tells them that it will be alright.  Then he says, I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoa!  Wait a minute!  You mean that you stalled and were a few days late and now you tell me that real life is found in you!  This is absurd. 

But that’s not the biggest thing Jesus says!  He then asks a very pointed question – Do you believe this?  He says the same thing to you and me today.  He knows that we go through some pretty crazy things in life, but the question he asks never changes.  Do you believe this? 

Jesus would eventually show how he was the epitome of life and resurrection when on Easter he broke out of the tomb and freed not only himself but all who would follow him in faith.  Now the same promise is for you and me.  Believe.  Believe not in a book, not in a sermon, not in a death, not in a good guy.  Believe in an event – the resurrection.  That’s what set Jesus apart from every other world religious guru that would ever walk this earth.  He’s the only one that rose! 

And it’s that very resurrection that guarantees our resurrection as well.  Do you believe it?  Do you believe that Jesus died AND rose?  Do you believe that Jesus’ resurrection is the thing that not only allowed Lazarus to raise but also secured our resurrection?  Do you believe?  Do you really believe? 

Lord, today we want to believe. We want to cling to the promise of your resurrection.  We want nothing more than to live in the certainty of our resurrection right here and now.  Lord help us.  AMEN

Death Still Stings

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) 

Don’t misunderstand this Beatitude. Many have misinterpreted this to make it sound like Jesus would go to a funeral and say:

“It’s all good!”

“Don’t worry; be happy!”

“Turn that frown upside down!”

That’s not what Jesus would do. He wouldn’t pretend like death doesn’t hurt. He would acknowledge that it’s ok to be sad, and that tears are appropriate. Death is painful. Death has nothing to do with life. So death hurts and death still stings.

“Blessed are those who mourn” does not mean quit mourning. Press release: mourning is acceptable. Tears are not a sign of faithlessness. Grief is understandable. Granted, God doesn’t want us “to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)  But, it’s not something we can just gloss over or ignore.

Jesus mourned. Two examples…. First, at Lazarus’ funeral, Jesus mourns over a close friend. The shortest verse in the Bible says it all, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) Also, when Jesus pronounced judgment on the city of Jerusalem, he expressed his grief with these words: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37, emphasis added) It takes a lot of insensitivity to not hear His grief there. 

Jesus mourned over the death of His friends and over the destruction of His enemies. Both grieved Him enough that He was willing to die so to remove death’s sting. The Beatitudes show us that we follow Jesus wherever He goes for us. Since He mourned, His disciples will mourn with Him.

In fact, as we follow Jesus we may feel death’s sting even more acutely than others, because we will become more and more aware of just how out of place death is in our lives. We will develop a deep longing for the day death is destroyed.

While we mourn with Jesus, with our blessed Savior we will also be blessed – even in the middle of our mourning. We will long for the day of comfort that this Beatitude promises. We will long for the Day of Resurrection when “the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’” 

Right now, death still stings. Tears fill our eyes. But, those tears will be wiped away. (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4) Don’t grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. But don’t forget that, for now, it’s ok to grieve. 

Lord - reassure us that mourning is ok.  Help us to find our comfort in you and in your resurrection.  Amen. 

Be Mournful

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Matthew 5:4  NIV

According to the dictionary mourn means:  be sad over loss; to feel or express sorrow or grief over misfortune, loss or anything regretted; deplore; to utter in a sorrowful manner.

What first comes to your mind when you hear or read the word, mourn?  For me my first thought is death or loss of life.  We mourn when a parent, friend, sibling or relative dies.  We also mourn when a pet dies.  We mourned 9 years ago during the events of 9/11.  We mourn when a relationship has ended.   We even mourn when we, a relative, or a friend is diagnosed with a terminal disease or a chronic condition.  When we mourn we may sob, weep, cry, or scream.  We may even experience a feeling of helplessness and sometimes hopelessness.  We may even feel angry and mad at God for taking something so precious away from us . We are devastated and aren’t sure if we can continue.  We’re angry because our lives or the life of someone else isn’t going to be the same.

But do you mourn when you have hurt someone with your words or actions. Do you mourn when you are disobedient to God?  Do you mourn when you have been sinful and have not followed God’s word?  What about when you lie, cheat or fib.   Do you have the same feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, feeling of being angry or mad?  Hopefully the answer is yes.

Mourning indicates the pain and the grief and the anxieties of the soul over some loss, often the death of a loved one.  But it could be over the loss of a valued life.  Or it could be over the loss of possessions, or status, or health.  People mourn over any disaster or tribulation.  And in times of mourning they look for hope. 

We should be mournful for being disobedient to God.  “Those who mourn”  speaks of those who express deep sorrow over sin, or those who repent from their sins.  The freedom found in the forgiveness of sins and the joy of eternal salvation is the “comfort” of those who repent.

This verse and all the beatitudes tells us what our attitude should be and should be which is used to guide us in our daily lives.  Each one starts with the word blessed.  One of the meanings of blessed is happy or joyful.  Each of the “blessed” statements describes a person who puts God and other’s interest above his or her own interests.  We can not be blessed if we live selfishly.

If we are humble and appreciate that all of our gifts and blessings come from God, we grow in love and gratitude for Jesus Christ our Savior.  But this can only produce mourning and regret over our own sins and the sins of this world, for we have hurt the one who has been so good to us.  One also mourns for the suffering of others.  But we are comforted in knowing that God forgives and we will have eternal life with him.

Dear Lord, I humble myself before you and I ask to be lifted up.  Comfort and forgive me.  Amen

A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.- Revelation 21:1-4

During our trip to New Orleans for the National Youth Gathering we took a number of tours of the city.  One of our guides shared with us their unique style of conducting funerals known as a Jazz funeral.  The first part of a Jazz funeral is slightly eccentric but familiar.  Mourners march from the church or home to the grave site while a band plays an appropriately somber dirge.

Once the dead has been buried the atmosphere does a complete 180 during the second part known as the Second Line.  The solemn music is replaced by loud, upbeat, raucous music as participants dance to a gathering place, joyfully celebrating the life of their loved one bringing to life the classic verse from Ecclesiastes “there is a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

Mourning the loss of family and friends is to be expected.  What I love about the Jazz Funeral is that while they take the time to mourn they also provide a great opportunity during the Second Line to revel and take heart in the message Jesus shares in the gospel of Matthew, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”  And Jesus loves to comfort you…He has conquered death on the cross, He forgives His children for their sins.   And how great is it that even in the midst of the suffering of this world we know that the Second Line is coming when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, but only joy and dancing with our fellow believers and Jesus for eternity!

Prayer: Jesus help us in our times of mourning and wipe away our tears.  Today I thank you for the comfort of your forgiveness and love, and rejoice that I get to spend eternity with you and my family of believers.

Snickers Really Satisfies

I love Snickers bars.  They are really good.  Admittedly I have a bit of a sweet tooth so that might have something to do with it.  One thing that always intrigued me was the statement on those Snickers commercials, Snicker Really Satisfies. I don’t think that’s true.  I’ve had those candy bars before and I can easily walk away wanting more than just one.  And what’s more – I will grow hungry again in a pretty short time.  They don’t really satisfy.  

So if Snickers don’t satisfy, then what does?  According to Jesus, when we eat of the bread of life we will be satisfied.  We will have our fill.  We will be able to appease our appetite and have the strength to go through the day.  But what is the bread of life?

Honestly the bread of life is something that we don’t have to chew and swallow.  It’s something that we do ingest however.  The bread of life is the very word and promise of God.  As we eat of the word of God, we are satisfied – not because we have everything we want but because we are content with what we have.  Jesus is teaching us in these verses to hunger for the right things.  He wants us to hunger for him.  Jesus calls us to fill ourselves with the things that are of him, not the things that are of this world. 

We can mask our hunger with a million different things, but it is only when we hunger and thirst for the grace of God, for a deeper faith in his promises, for a hope that is built on nothing less than Jesus – then, and only then, will we know what it means to be satisfied. 

May we be satisfied today.  May we have everything we need.  May we have nothing that will distract us from following Christ.  Lord give us our daily bread.   Help us hunger and thirst for your word.  We want to be satisfied with your promises.  Amen