Wednesday, February 28, 2018

References Available Upon Request

O
ne of the many joys of teaching for me occurs after final exams have been given, the chalk and the erasers have been put away, and the students have been promoted to higher levels of learning. A student, perhaps from previous semesters or years, will contact me and request a recommendation for a scholarship, a job, or graduate studies.  

It always pleases me to find out what these students are doing and the direction they have chosen for their lives.  Moreover, it gives me another reason to be of service to them, doing whatever I can to ensure they achieve the goals they have set for themselves.  However, no matter how often I receive a request for a recommendation, I find myself humbled as I try to put into words the attributes and characteristics demonstrated by my students. I am aware that someone I don't know will read my words and make a decision based upon how I represent each individual to them.

Recently, I was updating my resume, and, at the very end, I placed the phrase "References available upon requests."  During the years I have been constructing my resume, I have requested several people to provide recommendations for me whenever the need arises.  Graciously, they have agreed and whenever I need someone to represent me, they are very willing to do so.  I have no control over what they say or how they say it.  My job is to keep my character and my influence in such a way that their recommendation of me will be favorable.  Writing the recommendation is not my responsibility but providing the foundation on which the recommendation rests is.

I have often marveled at the number of recommendations God gives in the scriptures concerning those who serve him.  David was called "a man after God's own heart."  Abraham was known as "the friend of God."  Moses is described as the man to whom "God spoke face to face" and Noah was known as "a righteous man."  None of these individuals was perfect; but all of them had a heart devoted to following God and the character and integrity to live a life wholly dedicated to him.

The New Testament also relates a story about a man who received a wonderful recommendation from Jesus.  John the Baptist's story is recorded in the book of Matthew.  After his imprisonment, his followers were concerned about him.  Could they have been mistaken?  Was John a great prophet or was he a lunatic? After all, he lived in the desert, he wore garments made from camel's hair, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  He doesn't resemble someone who would be at the top of anyone's invitation list for dinner. But Jesus thought differently.  He saw John in another light, the light of character and dedication to God.  His words in Matthew 11:11 are worth considering: “I assure you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!"

What a glowing recommendation this is.  Jesus is not paying John an empty compliment, rather, he is stating categorical truths based upon John's life and witness.  If you consider all the "great" spiritual leaders who lived before John, Jesus says that John is greater than them all.  He is greater than Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Elijah, etc.  In other words, out of an applicant pool with all these people, John would get the job, hands down!!  Jesus did not base this on John's appearance, his status, his knowledge, his oratorical savvy, nor his brilliant preaching.  He based it on John's heart, his love for God, and his obedience to the call God placed on his life.

Today, take time to read Matthew 11:7-14 which is the full recommendation given by Jesus about John.  If Jesus were to give a recommendation of our lives today, what would he say?  Are we living in such a way that his ultimate recommendation for us will be "Well done, good and faithful servant?"

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Service Included

O
ne evening I decided I had had enough of my own cooking and needed a break.  So I took myself out on the town and ate at a nice Italian restaurant not far from the seminary.  When I got there, the parking lot was relatively empty so I got a choice spot.  I went in, sat myself, and prepared to order.  The menu had so many wonderful things on it that it took me a while to make a decision.  But I settled for the fettuccini alfredo with chicken, a most excellent choice.  My waitress was new to the job but she handled herself very well.  She took my order and when the food was ready, she brought me my dinner.  She checked with me from time to time to make sure I had everything I needed and then left me to eat in peace. 

Across the room from me sat an older gentleman who also was dining alone.  Since there were very few people in the restaurant, we shared the same waitress.  Although she checked with him at regular intervals, it seemed she could do nothing to please this gentleman.  The bread was too hard, he had to wait too long, the food wasn't cooked to his liking, the tea was too strong and the coffee was too weak.  His napkin had a spot on it, he didn't particularly like his table, and he thought the waitress was too slow.  Complain, complain, and complain! The waitress, to her credit, continued to offer this gentleman exceptional service.  At the end of the meal, she gave him his check, cleared his table, and wished him a good evening.  He left her a dollar for her trouble.  I couldn't help but believe that the man was the loser in this situation, not the waitress.

Now there are only two kinds of people in a restaurant, those who serve and those who are served.  Most of us fall into the second category.  We enjoy placing an order, having our glasses refilled, receiving undivided attention, and feeling very important.  If the service is good, we leave a tip.  If the service is exceptional, we may leave a little more. However, if the service is less than we expected, we leave less or nothing at all.   Therefore, it all comes down to whether or not we feel as if our waiter or waitress has adequately met our needs.  It all revolves around our egos and the tip we leave, or don't leave, is in direct proportion to the degree with which we feel our expectations have been met. The amount of the tip says as much about the generosity of the person being served as it does about the service given by the waiter or waitress. 

Would it surprise you to know that Jesus faced this same situation?  He wasn't sitting in a restaurant and he wasn't deciding how much tip to leave.  Instead, his own disciples were vying for positions of importance in his kingdom.  James and John asked Christ if they could occupy the thrones immediately to his right and left, which are elite positions.  The other disciples were very upset at learning of this request.  It could have been because they thought James and John out of line, or it could have been because they felt they were beaten to the draw.

Whatever the reason for their anger, Jesus sent a very strong message about being a servant.  In Mark 10:43-45, Jesus makes the following observation, "but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. “And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  The requirements for true greatness, according to Christ, are the exact opposite of the world's standards.  We are not here to be served, but to serve others. 

In all points, the life of Jesus was a life of service.  He provided food for five thousand people instead of asking for something to eat himself. When there was no wine at the wedding, he provided it.  When people couldn't walk, he healed them.  When they couldn't see, he opened their eyes, and when they couldn't hear, he unstopped their ears. When a woman was entrapped and accused by her peers, he came to her defense.  When we couldn't come to God on our own, he gave himself as our ransom so that we could be reconciled to God.  The life of Jesus was one of constant self-sacrifice and service.  If Christ were waiting tables today, he would refuse the tip, simply saying, "the service is included."  Could the same be said of us today?

Monday, February 26, 2018

I'm Available


I
 love gadgets.  The other day, I stopped by a Best Buy Store on the way home from work.  I affectionately refer to this store as the adult "Toys R Us" because it's just full of fun and nifty things to play with.  All those buttons just begging to be pushed, all those dials to turn, and of course, all those neat little gadgets you just have to pick up and play with.  The hard part about this store is NOT buying anything.  If you ever wanted to torture me, turn me loose here for several hours, let me play with everything, and then make me go home empty handed.  In my book, this is cruel and unusual punishment.

However, there is a neat little gadget I use everyday that I didn't find at Best Buy.  Instead I found it on the Internet and I use it constantly.  It's one of those little programs that informs you when a friend anywhere in the world is online at the same time you are.  You can send messages, chat with them, send files back and forth, or just bug them, especially if they're busy.  I am always amazed at how quickly I can communicate with someone clear across the country or the planet through this useful little device.  Yet, there is something about this little gadget that provides our tidbit topic for today.

Whenever I access the Internet and connect to this service, I have several options about my availability to those people on my list.  I can be totally available, meaning they are welcome to send me messages or strike up a conversation.  But I also can choose to be busy, away from my desk, out to lunch, on the phone, or invisible to them.  I can even make up my own reasons for being unavailable.  Whenever I make one of these choices, everyone on my list sees my status and knows not to disturb me if I'm busy or to send me messages if I'm not.

Sadly, this little gadget speaks volumes about how we make ourselves available to God.  We wake up in the morning and perhaps we have a million things to do so we logon on as busy.  The phone rings and we strike up a conversation with a friend and we change the sign to "on the phone."  Next, we have several errands to run during the day and our sign reads "not at home" and when we are filling our mouths instead of our souls it reads "out to lunch."  At times, however, we would rather God just left us alone and we try to become "invisible" afraid that if he sees us, he'll give us something to do.

The fact is, we are full of excuses for not spending time with God and for not being totally available to him.  Today's scripture is very short and is taken from a statement made by the prophet Isaiah.  At the time of this scripture, Judah had lost her king.  Uzziah was a powerful and righteous king and with his death, everything seemed out of kilter.  What the people needed was a leader, but who could take the place of such a man?  God's call went out and Isaiah just happened to be online, plugged in on that day.  When God asked who would be his representative, Isaiah responded in this way, "Here am I; send me."

Notice that Isaiah's sign read "I am available."  I'm sure he was frightened, I'm sure he felt inadequate, I'm certain he didn't know where to begin, what to do, or how to do it.  However, God didn't ask him to figure out all those things, he just asked him to be available.  And Isaiah was available to God and because of this he became one of God's greatest prophets.  God was not looking for excuses from Isaiah; he was looking for willingness from him.

Today, I wonder what the signals our lives are sending to those linked to us in our homes, in our relationships, in our workplaces.  Are we too busy, not at home, away from the desk, out to lunch, or just plain invisible?  When God sends us a message, are we willing to respond to it?  Or do we send these same signals to him as well?  

God never calls us to do anything for him unless he equips us to do it.  He never expects us to use our ability to accomplish his purposes because we don't have that ability. No, what God wants from us is our availability.  Like Isaiah, all we need to say to God is "Here I am, Lord; send me!"  God will do the rest.  Who knows what God can accomplish through you today if you will simply make yourself available to him.  Won't you do that today?  Won't you set the indicator panel of your life to "Available" and see what God can do through you for his purpose?

Friday, February 23, 2018

Full Privileges

"E
nter him as a new faculty member and give him privileges."  These were the words I heard from the head librarian at local university where I would be teaching in the fall on a part-time basis.  It was the first time anyone had used the term privileges with me in a professional manner.  The more I considered the implications of her words, the more I liked what I heard.  After all, doctors have privileges at certain hospitals, lawyers have privileges to practice in certain states, so why shouldn't instructors have privileges at the institutions where they work?  It made perfect sense to me and I left the library thinking to myself, "I've got privileges."

But, what exactly did that mean?  As I familiarized myself with the campus and visited the room where I would be teaching French 1 in the fall, I couldn't shake the words spoken only moments earlier by the librarian.  She had given me all the privileges due a faculty member to reserve and borrow materials and books from the library.  I could place readings there for my students and I had access to the databases and research information afforded by the university. 
In essence, my status as a faculty member gave me full access to all the university's resources.

However, the key to my privileges with the university was based, not on me personally, but on my status as a faculty member.  In my wallet I carried an identification card denoting me as a faculty member.  As long as the card was valid, I had privileges and could exercise them.  I could teach, turn in grades, make assignments, and give tests.  My status as faculty entitled me to all these privileges with the right to practice them on campus.

It is not a far jump to realize that the Christian life is also one of privileges.  It is a privilege to be called God's child.  It is a privilege to carry everything to him in prayer.  It is a privilege to have him carry my burdens for me, and it is a privilege to be able to talk with him anytime of the day no matter where I am.  In addition, the privilege of being one of God's children gives us full access to his resources.  In Philippians 4:19 the Apostle Paul writes, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."   Only someone to whom full privileges are extended can ever hope to realize this great promise.  Only those who can call God father know the privilege of having all their needs met by the one who knows and loves them best.

My status as faculty allowed me to enjoy all the privileges the university had to offer.  When I accepted the terms of employment, I also accepted the privileges that go along with it.  The same is true for the Christian.  As soon as we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we step out of our need and into his provision. We no longer have wants, we have fulfillment. We move from having no identity to having full status before God!  We are born anew with the full rights and privileges of sons and daughters.  John, the Apostle, makes this point abundantly clear for us by stating, " But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."

Today, as you continue your walk with God, consider how privileged you are.  Consider how much he loves you and how much he gave to make you his own.  Jesus came and gave his life so that we could be called the children of God.  What other privileges do we need?

Thursday, February 22, 2018

You May Safely Cross Over


I
t was a very typical Monday morning.  I had originally planned to get up earlier than usual to allow myself a little more time to get ready for work, a second or third cup of coffee, and a pleasant, leisurely drive to work.  Well, you can guess what happened, right?  The alarm clock went off on time but I dozed just a few minutes longer than I should have.  There was no coffee and my drive was anything but leisurely.  The traffic was awful and felt more like an Indy 500 race than a leisurely drive to the office. 

 I got off the Interstate at my usual exit and began my way toward the university.  This street is always congested but this morning it seemed to be more so. This was probably due to the fact that I was running behind and wanted to get to the office.  As I made my way around the last bend, I noticed an older gentleman in an orange vest sitting at an intersection.  He had a bright red stop sign beside his chair and he sat there very calmly in the cool morning air. 

This man was one of many volunteers who work for the local school systems.  His job is to stop traffic until school children have safely crossed over from one side to the other.  The power this man yields is incredible.  No matter the color of the traffic light, if he is in the crosswalk with a child, all cars, trucks, vans, scooters, and bicycles must stop until he has safely delivered a little boy or girl to the other side of the street.

The Old Testament book of Joshua has a very similar illustration for us today.  The Hebrew children were poised, ready to enter the Promised Land and to rout their enemies before them.  On the eve of their entrance, God informed Joshua that he would provide safe passage for the people across the Jordan River. Joshua was to instruct the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant before the people and the priests were to stand in the middle of the river.  What happened next is simply amazing!

Joshua 3:15-16 records this for us, “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.”

Wow!  Don’t you wish you could have witnessed this!!  Notice the condition of the Jordan River—flood stage!  Notice God’s instruction to the priest—step into the water!  Notice the course of the Jordan River—toward the Dead Sea!  Notice the results—the water upstream stopped flowing and the water downstream was cut off!  Now I ask you, what better illustration of crossing over our problems into God’s promise exists than this?  Outside the crossing of the Red Sea, nothing!

God had promised to be with His people and to provide for them.  When it came time to cross over into the land, the waters of the Jordan, even though at flood stage, posed no threat and were, in fact, inconsequential.  The priests took the Ark, the symbol of God’s presence, and entered the water.  When we take God into the middle of our trials the result is always miraculous.  If we enter the water when, how, and where He tells us, we find that we have safe passage from where we are to where He has called us to be.

In essence, God walked with the people, holding a stop sign, and the waters ceased their flow.  The waters upstream piled up while the waters downstream just drifted away.  Like the Jordan River at flood stage, a life without Christ who lovingly walks with us through all of life’s difficulties, leads to certain death and eternal separation from God.  However, when we choose to become a follower of Jesus, we are able to cross over and enter the promise of God’s love, mercy, and grace.  We are able to inherit the kingdom he created for those who choose to follow him.

Jesus, himself, spoke to this point.  In John’s gospel, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24) 

What a wonderful promise this is.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have crossed over the Jordan River, over the river of sin, over the river of death, and we have received life!  Just like the children in the crosswalk this morning, and just like the people crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land, we can walk confidently, secure in the knowledge that Christ Jesus walks with us in all of life’s difficult paths.  He looks at us and says, “You may safely cross over with me!”  Are you enjoying this kind of walk today?

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Border Line

N
ot far from my hometown there is an amusement park.  It is a great place to spend an entire day with family and friends.  You can ride different rides according to how brave you are, you can visit shows, play games, and attend concerts.  The name of the park is Carowinds and is located on the border between North and South Carolina

I remember my first visit to the park.  I wasn't so much enthralled with the rides and attractions as I was with the bright blue stripe which ran the length of the park.  This stripe was the legal border between the two states.  Right away, my friends and I began determining which state offered the best variety of rides and attractions.  We decided that North Carolina won the contest because the majority of the food and beverage stands were on the North Carolina side.  Of course, this had nothing to do with the fact that North Carolina was our home state.  The contest was devoid of all forms of favoritism!!!!!!

As I stated earlier, I became intrigued with the border and several times during the day, I would walk with the border placing one foot in front of the other, trying my best not to touch either the North or the South Carolina side.  As long as I remained on the border, I could enjoy the best of both states without actually standing in either of them.

There is something odd about a borderline.  As long as you are on the border you are legally no where.  At the park, I was neither in North Carolina or South Carolina as long as I remained on that border.  Neither state could legally claim I was on its territory and as long as I remained there I was in a constant state of limbo.

Jesus had an encounter with several men who were walking on a border.  The border they were walking was located between Samaria and Galilee.  The men he encountered were lepers and when they saw him approaching they called out to him.  Luke records this meeting in chapter 17:11-13 of his gospel, "As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

The border was a very appropriate place for Jesus to meet these men.  Suffering from leprosy, these men were not only on a border legally and physically; they were also on one socially and spiritually as well.  Under the law, a leper had to announce himself as being unclean in order not to infect those approaching him.  Lepers had no status, no rights, and no legal existence.  They could not live in close proximity to other people, they could not hold jobs, and they could not participate in or enjoy the every-day routine of life.  In addition, they could not hope to enter the temple and worship God because they were considered unclean, unfit to enter God's presence and worship him.

What a vivid picture this is of someone before they have an encounter with Jesus Christ.  We spend our lives walking on a border, having no direction, no purpose, no status, and no rights.  We merely drift through life, existing but not living.  Then we meet Jesus walking on the border.  Since we cannot go to him, he comes to us and meets us where we are.  Like the lepers, we cry out to him to have mercy on us and he responds.  There is no one else to turn to, no one else who cares about us like Jesus, no one else who loves us as Jesus does, and no one else who can save us from our wretched condition.  Like the lepers, we stand at a distance and cry to him in our misery, in our helplessness, and in our desperate need.  Jesus simply speaks the word and we are healed and renewed.  We now have purpose, status, rights, and direction.  We have a new life, we can leave the border, and we can venture forth into the world to share with others what Christ has done for us.

Today, you may be walking a border.  It may be physical, mental, emotional, financial, or spiritual.  You may feel forgotten and completely alone.  However, if you look just up ahead, you'll see someone approaching.  He stays on the border, heading directly toward you.  He does not change his direction, but instead adjusts his path to cross yours.  As you get closer, you recognize Jesus.  He is used to walking borders, because it is the best, and perhaps, the only place to find those whose hearts are really longing and searching after him.  Won't you walk toward him today?

Monday, February 19, 2018

See Me After Class

A
s a teacher, I occasionally request to see a student after class.  There are several reasons leading to my decision to have a conference; but usually the student is encountering difficulty in one or more areas evidenced by a low grade on a test or homework assignment. I notify the student by writing a small note which reads, “See me after class.”  This usually causes some alarm on the student’s part but it always gets his/her attention and allows us to meet and to discuss the student’s performance.

The underlying cause of the student’s problem could be one of several possibilities. It might be he/she failed to understand the directions.  It might also be the case that he/she failed to study properly or studied the wrong material.  However, in all likelihood, the student is having difficulty with a certain aspect of the lesson because he/she has not learned the material.  If the student doesn’t understand the concepts being presented, he/she will not progress in the learning process because a huge obstacle has fallen across the path.  This is the reason for the conference.  It lets me understand the student’s perspective and gives me an opportunity to revisit the material and to make sure he/she understands the material so that learning can continue.

Jesus held many after-class sessions with his disciples.  On more than one occasion, he met with them to explain the meanings of the parables he used in his teaching.  The crowds who followed him were drawn and captivated by Jesus and his method of teaching.  Never had anyone explained things as he did and no one had ever spoken with such authority about the kingdom of God.  Still, there were things that escaped their understanding and for those who wanted to know more, it was necessary to visit the teacher after class.

Mark 4:33-34 preserves for us one of these sessions with Jesus.  The passage reads“With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.  He did not say anything to them without using a parable.  But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.”  

Do you notice the two different groups in this passage?  The first group contains all of Jesus followers as a whole.  They all heard his teaching and they all listened to his parables.  Like any good teacher, Jesus only explains as much as his students can understand.  He doesn’t overload them but gently leads them into knowledge.  However, for some of the students, namely his disciples, Jesus’s teaching leaves them hungry for more.  So Jesus sees them after class to clear up the areas of difficulty and to teach the points again in order to insure his students understand the lesson.

There is a great opportunity for us to learn from this passage of scripture.  Into which group do we fall today?  Are we in the larger group, hearing the teaching, hanging on every word, but leaving when the lesson is over?  Or are we in that inner group of students that lingers around after everyone else is dismissed so that we can learn even more?  Notice that only the second group has everything explained to them. Only they receive the full extent of Jesus’ teaching.  Only they had the privilege of being taught one-on-one by Jesus and learning directly from him.  So, do you feel the need to stay after class today?

Friday, February 16, 2018

Planning Ahead

A
 question often asked in the course of any job interview goes something like this, "Where do you see yourself in five years?  What are your plans?"  Now if you're like me, you don't have a clue what you'll be doing in the next five minutes, much less five years.  However, we spend the majority of our time looking into the future, trying to position ourselves to get the perfect job, buy the perfect house, find the perfect mate, etc.

I learned a very valuable lesson while serving as one of ten chaplains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, NM.  Each day, treks of hikers would enter Philmont for a ten-day adventure into the wild back country of the ranch.  Before starting on their trek, the hikers had to visit several checkpoints, get their food and equipment, and the leader of the trek had to meet with logistics to discuss the plan.  Everything had been provided as long as they followed the map and the plan given the crew at the start.  They were to pick up food on certain days at certain places and they were to follow certain trails to arrive at their various camps.  Communication was also provided at various staffed camps along the way.

What the hikers didn't know was that months before their arrival, plans had been made for them.  All the different itineraries were checked out, all the food was prepared and packaged, all the trails were prepared, and all the necessary emergency procedures had been implemented.  All this was done to ensure a safe journey and an enjoyable experience for them.  All they had to do was trust us.

God is just like this.  The prophet Jeremiah tells us in the 29th chapter of his book and the eleventh verse that God knows the plans He has for us. “For I know the plans I have for you, for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  These plans are for our good, not our harm.  They will also give us hope and a future.  Everything we need, God has already provided.  He knows where we are going, even when we do not.  Our responsibility is just to trust him. 

Think about it.  Plans are made with someone in mind and with the full knowledge of what will happen as the plan unfolds.  In addition, every conceivable situation has been thought out and addressed ahead of time.  All we have to do is walk with Him.  The hikers at Philmont came to have a good time.  They trusted us and did not worry about the journey ahead.  How much more then should we trust our Heavenly Father who knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning and who has prepared works in advance for us to do?  And what he begins in us he is faithful to accomplish!!!

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Speed Bumps Ahead

O
n my way home one evening from dinner I decided to take the scenic route.  You know how it is, don't you?  You just get bored of the same old drive home so you decide to take a street or a road you've not traveled in a while.  Usually, you drive more slowly and, if you're lucky, you notice things you haven't before and sometimes you notice something that will make you think.

This is exactly what happened on this particular evening.  I didn't see anything earth shattering, nothing that would cause you to slam on the breaks, stop the car, get out and take a picture.  No, what I saw was much more subdued and ordinary.  What I saw was a road sign.

This particular road sign was like all the others.  It was white, rectangular, and affixed to a telephone pole.  However, the message on the sign made me sit up and pay attention.  The sign read, "Speed Bumps Ahead" Now, like any other driver, I hate speed bumps.  They always get in the way and prevent me from doing what I really want to do, drive!  You expect speed bumps in the parking lots of malls and supermarkets.  They make sense there because people are backing out, parking, and getting into and out of cars.  There are also a lot of people walking around these areas and speed bumps help prevent accident or injury.

Nevertheless, these particular speed bumps were in the middle of a street.  No sooner had I crossed one and regained my speed than I was forced to slow down and cross another one.  This went on and on for what seemed like 100 miles.  In actuality, however, it was less than one.  That's the beauty of writing, you can exaggerate and get away with it!!!  That road sign, however, taught me a very valuable lesson. 

Because of the speed bumps, I was forced to slow down.  However, due to my reduced speed I was able to see that flowers had started to bloom and that trees were beginning to bud.  I saw a family outside spending time together and I noticed how green and pretty everything had become.  Normally, I would cruise down this street without taking notice of these things but with those speed bumps in my path, I had to slow down.

Life is a lot like this.  We are so accustomed to cruising along through life that sometimes we must be forced to slow down.  That's when God places speed bumps in our way.  These come in various guises and seem to appear at the most inconvenient time.  We tend to see them as problems, difficulties and obstacles to overcome.  God sees them as opportunities for growth.  Some of life's speed bumps come in the form of illnesses, financial challenges, fatigue, emotional difficulties, times of waiting, and moments of uncertainty.  During these times, we slow down even though we want to rush forward.  God is getting our attention, making us look at the road ahead, calling us to consider those little things he has for us that often go unnoticed. 

The Christian life does not mean smooth sailing.  Nowhere are we told that the road will be without challenges, hills, or speed bumps.  We will have difficulties and problems in life, but through Christ we will be able to overcome them.  In John 16:33, Jesus says“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Once I grew accustomed to the speed bumps, I became relaxed and enjoyed my drive down this road.  I drove for a few minutes, crossed a speed bump, drove a few more minutes, crossed another speed bump, etc.  I arrived home, having enjoyed the beauty of the world around me.  I also arrived home with a new appreciation for life’s speed bumps.  Funny how God uses those little "bumps" in life to teach us the essential things we need to know.  I hope you have a few bumps in your path today!

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Wipe Out

O
ne of the most important lessons that any teacher can learn is the proper use of the chalkboard.  This is the most invaluable weapon in the instructor's arsenal.  It is here that the war against ignorance is waged.  Carefully mapped strategies and battle plans are drawn on its surface with one goal in mind--the education of the student.  Working in conjunction with the chalkboard are two more indispensable items.  These are the chalk and the eraser.  With these three items, the teacher provides the necessary environment for learning to occur.

As a new teacher, one of the first lessons I learned concerned the chalkboard.  Instead of focusing on the various ways of teaching with the board, I learned that the most important thing to do with a chalkboard was to clean it!  This was especially true if I shared another teacher's classroom.  Unless I removed the information I placed on the board, the next teacher would have to take valuable time removing my charts, diagrams, and assignments before using it for a new class.  On more than one occasion, I have been annoyed to find that someone failed to clean the board after using it.

The telltale sign that a chalkboard has been frequently used is the amount of chalkdust in the tray.  An accumulation of chalkdust and a dusty eraser indicate that information has been passed from teacher to student.  Likewise, the absence of chalkdust and a clean eraser testify that a small exchange of information has occurred.  Since I love to use the chalkboard, chalkdust has become part of my wardrobe.  Sometimes, it appears I am wearing eau de chalkdust because it is everywhere, even in my pockets.

Occasionally, I send students to the board to work with French grammatical structures.  They approach the board, write their assignment, sit down, see a problem, get up, erase the error, and correct it.  When they are satisfied with their handiwork, I approach the board and survey their work.  When I find an error, I discuss it with the student, then I take the eraser, remove the incorrect answer, and replace it with the correct one.  When the entire process is finished, the student understands where he or she was wrong.  However, there is no trace of the error, only the correct form is displayed on the board.

Have you ever stopped to consider that our lives resemble a chalkboard? We fill them with all kinds of information, thoughts, ideas, and our own solutions to life's problems.  We also fill them with our wants, dreams, wishes, and goals.  Like a good teacher, God lets us finish our turn at the board.  He waits very patiently, observing our work, noticing where we are wrong, but never interfering until He is asked.  Then, when we finish, when we make all the corrections we deem necessary, he approaches the board, eraser in hand.  

Our Heavenly Father looks at what we've done, he lovingly locates our mistakes, he patiently explains and shows us where we're wrong, and he carefully and methodically demonstrates why things don't work the way we think they should.  Then, he does something absolutely wonderful.  he takes the eraser, removes all our mistakes, corrects them, and makes our work acceptable!

King David learned this lesson well.  He learned that a trip to life's chalkboard is necessary so that God can show us our mistakes, our sin, and then He wipes them out.  Psalm 51:1 addresses this idea with the following words: "Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your loving kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions." David's trip to the chalkboard had divulged several areas of error in his life.  Not only had he committed adultery with Bathsheba; he was also responsible for her husband's death.  When confronted with the truth, David's errors became obvious.  In this psalm, he asks God to show mercy and to wipe out his errors.

This is a common occurrence in every-day life.  We are constantly writing on life's chalkboard, believing we have all the correct answers.  Most of the time, we are extremely proud of our work, thinking it to be perfectly acceptable, not only to our peers, but also to God.  That is when God approaches the board, takes his eraser, shows us our errors, and wipes them away.  He does this in love, in mercy, and in justice. 

Errors, no matter how small, are still errors and they must be corrected if our work, if we, are to be acceptable to God.  However, when God erases our sin, when he wipes out our mistakes, he does so forever.  There is nothing left on the board to indicate our faults, no long list of wrongs committed, and no record of the number of times we didn't get it right.  When God finishes grading our work, it is correct. He does this out of His love for us; not because of anything we do nor because of who we are!

When was the last time you took a trip to the chalkboard?  The eraser is waiting! 

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

It Smells Wonderful

T
he beginning of summer brought with it longer days, freedom from schedules and routines, an end of books and homework, and the promise of non-stop adventure and fun.  Every kid in my neighborhood wrung every possible opportunity for fun and excitement out of each passing day.  We would start play early in the morning, surrendering at night only because darkness had fallen and because our parents expected us home in bed so we could be prepared for the next day.

In addition, the summer months also heralded the season for grilling out.  My mother loved this time because it meant my dad shared the cooking.  From hamburgers and hot dogs to steaks, whenever we cooked outside, my dad did the honors.  Other fathers in the neighborhood also turned their backyards into outdoor kitchens.  On the average, someone in our neighborhood was cooking out almost nightly.

I remember several occasions when our play was interrupted by the smell of burning charcoal, lighter fluid, and the wonderful aroma of supper cooking on the grill.  It didn’t matter whether dad was cooking hamburgers, chicken, steak, or pork.  The entire neighborhood was filled with the pleasing odor and everyone knew that somewhere, someone was using their barbecue grill.  The aroma prompted others to join in and the aroma of cooking grills soon permeated the neighborhood.

The Old Testament book of Leviticus provides a brief glimpse into the sacrificial system of ancient Israel.  When God gave Moses the law, he laid down specific instructions concerning sacrifices.  There were sacrifices for everything from the birth of a baby, to atoning for sin.  The number of sacrifices required by the law underlined man’s impossibility to achieve salvation for himself.  At every turn he was reminded just how far short of God’s standard he fell.

Leviticus 3:5 presents us with an interesting statement to consider, “…an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.”  Several times, God repeats this phrase in direct relation to the giving of sacrifices.  Why does he make this statement?  What lesson does this teach us today?  How are we to understand this?

Well, God certainly does not intend for us to build an altar, slaughter and animal, and sacrifice it to him.  This was done in ancient Israel as a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice God would make in order to obtain man’s salvation.  The Old Testament sacrifices had to be performed over and over again because they didn’t do away with sin, they just covered it.  The death of Jesus, however, fulfilled God’s requirement for the perfect sacrifice, eliminating the need for the law’s requirements.  When Jesus paid the sin penalty, the daily and yearly sacrifices were no longer necessary.

However, the principle of the sacrifice still remains.  When a sacrifice was offered to God, it was accompanied by fire.  The fire was the means of burning away all the sin separating man from God.  The aroma rising to God pleased him because it represented forgiveness, repentance, and obedience to his commands.  Nothing pleases God more than when his children offer their lives to him in true repentance and obedience.  Not only does this aroma please God, but it also affects others, encouraging them to repent and accept Jesus as well.

Every day, our lives give off an aroma that either encourages others to come to Christ, or it prevents them from doing so.  When you are under “fire”, what aroma does your life emit?  Is it pleasing to God, demonstrating your faith, trust, and obedience for him?  Does it encourage those around you or does it dissuade them from becoming a follower of Jesus Christ?  When you fire up the grill, do others come running to be fed, or do they run away instead?  Think about it!

Monday, February 12, 2018

Low On Memory

 I
f you’ve worked with computers at all, whether at work or at home, chances are you’ve received the following warning.  It happens when you attempt to run several programs at once.  The computer slows down, becomes less responsive, and gives you a little warning box that simply states, “Low On Memory!”  What the computer is communicating, even with its wonderful capabilities, is that it does have limitations.  The poor little thing can only remember so much and then its brain gets overloaded.  No matter how many buttons you push, no matter how frustrated you get, no matter how many times you turn the thing on or off, once you’ve reached the limits of its memory you have only two options, buy more memory or buy another machine.

Believe me; I know how the computer feels.  It doesn’t take a great deal to overload my little brain!!!  I write myself notes so I won’t forget to do things then I forget where I placed the notes!!!!  Let’s not even talk about car keys!!!  It’s a good thing that a car comes with at least two sets of keys.  I am forever looking for mine.  I’ve tried everything, even designating a special place for them.  This works great when I remember to put the keys where they belong.  But at least twice a week, I spend my time going through pockets, searching through drawers, and looking under everything in the room in an attempt to locate my keys!  What I need is more memory.  Where do I go to buy this stuff?  I would love to have a few extra megabytes worth of memory just lying around somewhere that I could plug in. Presto!  No more problems, no more misplaced items, and no more missed appointments.

I’m sure there are those of you reading this who can easily identify with my plight.  The busier we become, the more sophisticated our world grows, the greater the frequency with which we forget things.  Some people claim that age has something to do with it.  Personally, I’m not buying that interpretation.  I’m growing more mature, not older!!!!

However, as Christians, we must admit there are times when we believe God’s memory has reached its capacity.  Sometimes we feel He has forgotten us and that He has no idea about the situations we face in life.  We pray and we pray and we study our Bibles and still our circumstances don’t change.  We know that God loves us, but we wonder if He really takes notice of us on a consistent basis. 

Moments like this often arise when we are faced with difficult circumstances like the loss of a loved one, financial difficulties, employment worries, or emotional unrest.  When we face issues such as these, we want assurance that God is near, that He still loves us, that He is aware of our trials, and that He hasn’t forgotten us.  Let me assure you, God is near.  He knows all about you today and what you’re facing.  He loves you, He cares for you, and He only has your best interest in mind.

The Children of Israel felt very much abandoned and forgotten during their exile in Babylon.  Where was God?  Why did He not answer their prayers?  Was He even listening to them? Was He aware of their existence?  God’s answers to these questions can be found in a beautiful passage of scripture which is one of my personal favorites.  The prophet Isaiah records the following words of assurance in Isaiah 49:14-16, “But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me. Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

It is apparent from the opening sentence of this passage that God is fully aware of His people.  He knows they are frustrated.  He knows they are lonely.  He knows they feel neglected and abandoned.  God is not surprised or upset when we feel this way; only when we believe this way.  That is why His words are so gentle and reassuring in the second part of this passage.  The bond between God and His people is far stronger than that between mother and child.  How aware do you believe a mother is concerning her children?  They can’t make a move without her noticing it.  If they make a sound during the night that is out of the ordinary, mother is there, checking to see everything is all right.  Any change in the child’s voice sends out a signal that something may be wrong and she immediately sees about her child.  Nothing escapes her notice, nothing escapes her ears, and nothing escapes her love.

God carries His love and care for us one step further.  Even though an earthly mother may forget her children, and that’s unlikely, God promises He will never forget us. When we sleep He is with us, when we are awake, He is with us, when we travel, He is with us, when we are in need, He is with us, when we are happy, He is with us, when we are sad, He is with us, and when we are hurting, He is with us.  There is not a moment of our day, there is not a circumstance in our lives, there is not trial that we face, and there is not a triumph that we experience that escapes God’s attention.  We are the apple of His eye!

The computer may give you a warning about being low on memory.  Your brain, like mine, may forget things, but we serve a God who is never low on memory and who always remembers us.  If you doubt this, just check your pulse!  Who remembers to keep our hearts beating?  That is how close God is to you today.  He is closer than any human parent could ever be.  Low on memory?  Not a chance!!!!

Friday, February 9, 2018

On The Cutting Edge

T
he country of South Africa, for a gemologist, is synonymous with the world's most precious stone, diamonds.  Some of the world's purest and most valuable diamonds come from the diamond mines scattered throughout the country.  Dealers and wholesalers in diamonds come to South Africa from all over the world, looking for that perfect stone which will ultimately become a beautiful necklace, brooch, bracelet, or, more likely, the center piece for a woman's most prized possession, an engagement ring.

But diamonds don't start out all sparkle and fire.  Instead, they are to be found in mines deep in the belly of the earth.  In order to find one diamond, tons of earth must be drilled, scooped, loaded, excavated, sifted, washed, and broken.  The expert eye searches for lumps of coal concealing diamonds inside.  These rocks have been formed by intense pressure over centuries or millennia, waiting for someone to discover their value. 

Once discovered, however, the diamond must undergo several steps before it takes the form of the precious and costly jewels everyone searches so ardently desires.  The work of preparing the diamond for its transformation lies in the skilled hands of a lapidary, someone who studies and produces valuable gems from their rough state.  The experienced lapidary takes the diamond, which is scarred, dirty, and oddly shaped, and begins to study it, to understand its structure and form.  He will spend time with that diamond, learning its flaws, its weak points, its cracks, and its scuffs.  All this information is necessary as the gemologist slowly and methodically works toward producing a precious stone of great value.

After polishing, smoothing, and shining the diamond, it is now ready for the most important step in its transformation.  The lapidary places it into a holder and tightens the clamps.  He examines the stone repeatedly, making diagrams and sketches from different angles so that no part of the stone is left unstudied.  Then with a steady and confident hand, he takes a hammer and a chisel, places them on the exact spot on the surface of the diamond, and with one clean strike, he cuts the stone.  He continues this process until he has removed all parts of the diamond hiding and obscuring the valuable stone inside.  The entire diamond is not as valuable as the stone the lapidary sees inside at its heart.  He knows that the value of the diamond lies in the cut, in removing the unnecessary so that the essential can shine through.  From a chunk of rock, he brings forth that which did not exist prior to his cutting, a valuable and precious gem.

In Romans 4:17, Paul writes, "God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did."  Do you realize that God sees you as a diamond having infinitely great value?  Too often we, as Christians, forget or just don't realize how valuable we are to God.  Like diamonds in the rough, God sees the inherent value locked inside the human heart.  He knows that to unlock value, we must be shaped, polished, buffed, shined, and yes, cut.  Sometimes the cuts are deep, but God knows that the true value lies in the cuts.  He is only interested in the heart, our deepest and most precious part. 

God studies our hearts. He knows their flaws, their weaknesses, and their cracks.  He understands us from every angle, from every thought we have to every word we speak.  He has drawn diagrams of our hearts from every conceivable vantage point and he sees the value inside each one of us.  That is why he puts us on His table, tightens down the clamps, takes His hammer and His chisel, and cuts away everything that keeps us from shining forth and reflecting the value we have as His children.  So precious are we to Him, that God will not entrust this process to any hand other than His! 

When you feel the deep cutting of the chisel in your life, know that the hand behind the hammer and chisel is none other than God's.  He will only strike necessary blows and will only remove those parts of our lives that are keeping us from being all He wants us to be.  Don't be afraid of the chisel's blows for they are the evidence that you are being perfected and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Can you hear the sound of metal on metal today?  Yield to it and become the diamond God knows you can be!

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Sharpen That Pencil

T
here is a little gadget on my desk that I simply love.  It is small, compact, lightweight, and extremely useful.  You probably have one on your desk as well or you know where to find one if you need it.  This handy little tool is an electric pencil sharpener; don't balance your checkbook with out it!!!  The one I use is battery-powered but it really gets the job done.  I've yet to meet the pencil this little machine can't grind to a razor-fine point.

When I insert a new or used pencil into the sharpener, it whirrs to life, eagerly eating away at the wooden pencil until all that is left is the sharp point of the lead.  Through the window, I can see the shavings as they are collected.  These pieces of wood, once surrounding the lead, now lie useless on the bottom of the pencil sharpener, ready to be discarded when the machine is finished.  Although the shavings were originally a part of the pencil, they prevented it from fulfilling its purpose.  They were in the way of the lead, keeping it imprisoned, not allowing it to perform the task it was designed to do.

There is a lot of gospel in that pencil sharpener.  Just think about it!  Our lives are full of things that prevent us from being what God intended us to be.  Money gets in the way, status gets in the way, titles get in the way, even family and friends can become hindrances to our spiritual walk with God.  When we get bogged down by all the different things packed into our lives, we become ineffective in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and our witness is severely hampered.  We find ourselves imprisoned, trapped, and stifled by all the clutter in our lives.

That's when God steps in.  He knows just what we need.  Like a dull pencil, we need to be sharpened, honed to a razor-fine point so that we will be ready to perform the tasks God has laid out for us.  God takes us in his hand, places us into his sharpener, and grinds away everything preventing us from living a life that is pleasing to him.  He also cuts away areas of our lives so that we will be able to share Jesus with those around us.  Like a pencil with a dull lead, we are unable to effectively communicate all the wonderful things God has done for us and wants to do through us.  However, once sharpened and honed to a fine point, we are ready to give testimony about God's love, mercy, and grace in our lives.

John 15:1-2 addresses this process of being sharpened, of having everything unnecessary removed from our lives so God can use us for His purpose.  This passage reads, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." Although Jesus speaks in terms of vines and branches, the application of his lesson is the same. 

A dull pencil is of no value until it is sharpened.  In order to sharpen it, everything blocking the lead must be removed by shaving and grinding until a firm point is created.  It is the same in our spiritual lives.  God wants us to produce fruit for Him, to share Jesus with those around us.  In order to accomplish this we must be in perfect spiritual shape.  God will remove anything that keeps us from bearing fruit and from sharing Christ with others.  He does this by grinding, shaving, and cutting away everything in our life that does not serve His purpose.

Today, if you feel like a pencil in a sharpener or vines being pruned, take courage.  These are the obvious signs that God is preparing you for a different area of ministry with greater results.  Although it may not be pleasant, God sees the end results of the difficulties and challenges you are facing now.  Remember, he only prunes those vines that produce fruit and he prunes them so they can produce more.  Vines that are unproductive, he simply throws away.

So, as you sharpen pencils today at work, at school, or wherever you may be, remember today's lesson.  Only in the sharpener, only when we are being shaved, ground, and cut, are we in the place where God can prepare us to do the things he has called us to do.  Only the sharpener can shape us into the form necessary to be used by God.  Get the point?