The Power Is Flowing

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hey say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.” Thus begins a song made famous by the group, the Drifters.  The song’s title is simply “On Broadway” and provides the material for our devotional this morning. 

A few years ago, I was watching a documentary about the neon signs in downtown New York, especially at Times Square.  Companies pay literally millions of dollars for huge advertisement panels constructed of neon lights.  The signs range from the very simple to the very elaborate, with some consisting of several displays controlled by computer.  Untold hours of planning, designing, building, installing, and testing, go into the making of each one of these displays.  And what is the purpose?  The panels have only one goal, conveying a message from the advertiser to the consumer, “Try our product!”

What is amazing about these displays is that they are most effective at night.  When the sun sets and the sky grows dark, the streets of New York spring to life with light!  Everywhere, neon signs point people to restaurants, shows, shops, theaters, and movie houses.  The light from these signs provides artificial sunlight and, in a large respect, artificial hope and security.

In Matthew 4:16, we find a wonderful description of the coming of Jesus in to the world.  This passage reads, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew is quoting directly from Isaiah 9:2, a wonderful passage about the coming of the Messiah.

There are a few good lessons tucked away in this very small passage.  First, notice that the people referred to have been living in darkness.  This darkness is the darkness of sin which does not allow the light of God’s love and salvation to penetrate the soul.  People who live in darkness have no sense of direction and are constantly stumbling and falling.  Second, these people are also living in the “land of the shadow of death.”

Death here means spiritual death which is separation from God.  Since God is light, separation from Him would be complete darkness. Third, God does not intend for people to remain in darkness.  This is why He sent His son, Jesus, to die for the sins of the world.  When someone accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, the lights come on and the darkness of sin is dispelled.  The person stops living in the shadow of death and lives in the light of life!

Going back to those signs on Broadway, we can learn a lesson from them as well.  Neon signs operate on a very simple principle.  A gas is placed in a glass tube and electricity is passed through it.  As the electricity heats the gas, it glows and gives off light.  This is exactly what we Jesus commanded us to do.  We are to let the light of Christ shine forth to a lost and dark world. But we can only shine forth when the power of Christ’s love and salvation is flowing through us.  Without electricity, Broadway would be a dark, cold, cavernous ravine offering no light, no warmth, and sending forth no message. This is the picture of man without Christ.

When Isaiah wrote about this light, he was excited.  The long reign of death was over because the light of life had come.  We should also be excited and we should share the truth of this light with those around us.  Are you shining for Jesus today in a world that is dark?  Do those around you notice the light in your life?  Is God’s power flowing through you, lighting your way and giving others hope?  If the neon lights make Broadway bright, how much more will the light of Christ light your pathway today?

A Clean Slate

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ne of the hazards of teaching class is chalk dust.  It gets everywhere and it coats and infiltrates everything.  Many a day, I have arrived home to find my pockets filled with bits of chalk and the ever-present chalk dust.  On more than one occasion, I have had it pointed out to me that my shirt and my pants were completely covered in chalk dust from leaning against the blackboard as I teach.  There’s just no two ways about it, if you’re going to teach, you must become acquainted and comfortable with chalk dust; it’s just that simple.

I must confess, however, that I am not stingy with my chalk dust.  I believe in sharing it with my students and on several occasions, I have them approach the blackboard to do exercises.  Invariably, several students will complain about the chalk dust and point out how it sticks to their hands, their books, and their clothes.  I simply tell them, “Welcome to my world!”

One morning, we had a particularly productive chalkboard session.  My students filled the board with sentences they had done for homework.  When the class started, I took several pieces of chalk, handed them to different students, and sent them to the board.  They wrote their answers, mistakes and all, and then returned to their seats.  When we finished reviewing and correcting the sentences the chalkboard looked more like an offensive attack plan from a World War II battlefield than answers to homework.  There were arrows, marks, and corrections all over the board when we finished.  What had started out as a clean, pristine chalkboard was now totally covered with errors and corrections.

By the next class period, I discovered that a small miracle had occurred.  As I entered the room, I was taken aback by the chalkboards covering two of the room’s four walls.  They were clean, perfectly black, showing no sign they had been the recipients of several errors only forty-eight hours before.  Where once there was chalk dust, and plenty of it, now there was only clean slate with no marks, no arrows, and no mistakes of any kind.  Were it not for the fact that I had witnessed all those errors a few days before, I would have never known any mistakes had ever been made.

What a wonderful picture of salvation this is.  Isaiah 43:25 reminds us, "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”  Here, God explicitly tells us that He not only erases our sins, He completely removes them and no longer remembers them.  We fill the boards of our lives with marks, mistakes, downright errors, and halfhearted attempts.  When we've finished making our marks, we step back and look at what we have produced.  What a mess!  It is impossible to tell where we started and where we ended and nothing on the board is ever right.  All our answers, all our theories, all the things we believe we know are riddled with errors, resulting in a board, or a life, chock full of chaos.

However, when we accept God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, He comes and wipes the slate clean.  He applies not only the eraser to take away the mistakes; God also applies a heavy-duty cleaner to completely remove any residue left over from our mistakes and markings.  The result is a clean slate, a clean life, a clean heart which is ready to receive whatever God chooses to write on it.  When we allow Him to write on our hearts and have control over our lives, we find that the board is never dirty and it is never riddled with errors.  All the mistakes we made are in the past and God, just like the janitor who cleans our boards, totally removes the markings in our lives.  They are removed and they are forgotten and we receive a fresh start.

In the classroom of your life today, what does the chalkboard look like?  Is it covered with chalk dust, riddled with errors, marked all over with your attempts to live a life pleasing to God?  Do the memories of all you've ever done in your life stare back at you from that board?  Then let God take the cloth of His love and the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood and apply them to your life.  Your sins and your past will disappear and as you become His child, you will start over with a clean slate!  Are you ready for some board work today?

When Will I Be Fluent?

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t is a question every foreign language teacher expects to hear and dreads to answer.  It is a question every foreign language student asks and is disappointed when the answer comes.  What is it?  I’m glad you asked.  The question is quite simply, “When will I be fluent?”

Students asking this question usually fall into one of two camps.  Either they are on their way to a foreign country and believe they will be able to walk off the plane and communicate as well in a foreign language as they do their own or they earnestly want to learn the target language for further study or as a means to make themselves more marketable as they search for employment.  Either way, the response to both of these groups is the same.  Fluency will be achieved only after much work, much study, much practice, and much listening.

I always tell my students that I have been studying the French language for 39 years and one day I hope to be fluent.  I do not say this to burst their bubbles nor to discourage them.  I just know after many years of hard work, more than my share of mistakes, and countless hours listening to French tapes, French music, and native speakers, I still am not as fluent as I would like to be.  One day I hope to be there but until that day comes, I’ll just keep working at it.

Of all roads leading to the wonderful land of fluency, the best and most effective is the road of total immersion.  Those choosing to walk this road break with their familiar surroundings and plunge headfirst into the language.  This is most often accomplished by leaving home and spending an extended period in a foreign country.  The ability to communicate in a foreign language greatly increases when you have to find a place to stay, get something to eat, make travel arrangements, and find the restroom!!  Believe me, you learn quickly, especially in that last situation!

There is also a burning desire in the Christian’s heart to be fluent in the things of God and this means spending time with him, listening to his voice, understanding his ways, and seeing things from his perspective.  Far too often, we expect to open our Bibles, read a verse, send up a quick prayer, and expect the answer by 5:00 p.m.  When this doesn't happen, we find ourselves frustrated beyond belief because we are convinced we did everything correctly.  We need to understand that the fluency of our relationship with God is based on the amount of time we spend listening to and learning from him rather than speaking at him.  When I was in France, I learned far more by hearing and listening than I ever did when I tried to monopolize the conversation!!

This is exactly the essence of Paul’s message to the church in Rome in the tenth chapter of his letter to the Romans.  He goes to great lengths in this section of scripture to underscore the necessity of listening to what God has to say in order to understand what He wants to communicate to us.  Romans 10:17 simply says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  In this passage, Paul writes concerning the Jews and why they didn't accept Jesus Christ.  The Scriptures spoke of him, evidenced by Paul’s reference to many great prophets in their history.  But notice that he says that faith comes by hearing and that this hearing comes directly from God’s word.

In order to hear God, we must listen to his word.  We must read it, study it, think about it, and make it an integral part of our lives.  Like a good language student, hotly pursuing fluency, we must immerse ourselves in God’s word if we ever hope to have the type of faith that will make us fluent in the things of God.  Immersion means that everything we hear, everything we see, everything we say, everything we do, and everything we think is in the target language and for the Christian that language is the language of God’s word.

How fluent are you today in the things of God?  How fluent do you wish to become?  This process will not happen overnight, in a few months, or even a few years.  I know many people who have been walking with the Lord for years and they still desire to be more fluent tomorrow in the things of God than they are today. Is this your desire?  Are you willing to spend a lifetime walking, talking, listening, and learning from God?  I hope so.  It is the most wonderful thing in life to learn the language of God; please don’t miss out. “When will I be fluent?” you may be asking.  It all depends on your hearing, doesn't it?  Are your ears tuned to the message God has for you today?

Equal Installments

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he year was 1987.  I had just returned from France and had started teaching in a local high school.  For the first time since college, I had a steady job and a steady paycheck.  That’s when it arrived.  I came home one afternoon to find a small package, wrapped in a small white envelope, addressed solely to me.  I checked the return mailing address and, although I recognized the name, I wasn't sure why I was receiving mail from this location.  As soon as I opened the envelope, however, I became painfully aware of the sender’s intent.

Inside were a letter and a booklet of coupons with my name and address printed on each one.  The letter informed me that the payment book for my college loan had arrived and that the first payment was due!  Furthermore, the letter instructed me to flip through the payment booklet to verify that my personal information was correct.  I quickly flipped through the coupons and, as luck would have it, all the information was correct.  That meant I could start making payments right away.  The lending company had even done the math for me, dividing my entire loan into 120 equal installments!  That’s 10 years for you math whizzes!!!

I stared at that payment book for what seemed like the longest time.  How in the world was I going to pay that back?  For the next 10 years of my life, a certain chunk of my paycheck belonged to a company hundreds of miles away.  After the shock wore off and reality set in, I shrugged my shoulders, took out my pen, wrote the check, sealed it and the payment coupon in an envelope, and sent them on their way.  For the next several years, I did the same thing, finally paying off the loan with help from my parents.

I’m sure that many of you reading this Tidbit can identify with the story above.  All of us, it seems, are making payments for one thing or another in our lives.  We are either purchasing a house, a car, or furniture, and we are making payments on a monthly basis.  Our payments are divided into equal installments and we make them an integral part of our budgets, making sure our money is used wisely so we can meet all our obligations.

Do you realize that God also works on the installment plan?  That’s right!  Now, I’m not saying that God is a mortgage broker or a lending institution.  He isn't!  However, the principle of making equal payments does apply to our spiritual lives.  Jesus addressed this in a conversation with his disciples concerning the cost of becoming one of his followers.  Luke 9:23 records Jesus’ words concerning the cost of discipleship. "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Look very carefully at the fourth word from the end of Jesus’ statement.  Did you see it?  Did you take a good hard look at the word daily?  Yes, you read correctly.  He said daily! These are the terms Jesus set forth as a requirement for following him.  However, unlike a bank or savings and loan, Jesus doesn't want us to communicate with him monthly.  Instead, he wants us to relate to him on a daily basis.  He doesn't want just a part of our lives, he wants the whole thing!

Some people, even believers, think this is a high price to pay.  However, when it comes to buying a house or a car, they are willing to sign a contract obligating them for several years, or a lifetime, in order to buy something. Making payments becomes a way of life for them, and they diligently and faithfully meet this obligation.  If we will adjust our lives to purchase something that is not permanent, doesn't it make sense that we would also arrange our lives in order to gain that which is eternal?  God is not selling us anything.  Instead, He is offering us eternal life and, more importantly, a loving and daily relationship with Him.

So we must ask ourselves some hard questions.  How much of our lives is God getting?  As we spend our lives, do we remember to make our daily payment to God?  Do we spend time with Him by reading His word and praying?  Are we budgeting our time and resources in accordance with His will and commandments?  Are we willing to give God the payment due Him, namely, ourselves and to do this on a daily basis?  Are we living our lives on the daily installment plan, seeking God’s will and obeying Him?  Think about it, won’t you?  Have you made your payment today?

A Few Bumps and Bruises

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he Lord’s lessons never stop and His classroom is anywhere you happen to be at any given moment.  On January 12, 2005 the lesson was faith.  My location was in the middle seat in aisle 17 of a jam-packed airplane, thirty minutes out from Chicago’s O’Hare airport and approximately 27,000 feet above the ground.  It was a memorable lesson but I was not a model student.

I was making my way back to Fort Worth after spending the Christmas holidays with my family in North Carolina.  The day started off very well.  My dad took me to the airport for the first leg of my journey, from Charlotte to Chicago.  The flight was very smooth and I actually slept most of the way to Chicago.  As we approached the airport, however, the captain’s voice came over the speaker system to inform us that weather conditions in the middle of the country and in the northeast meant that some connecting flights would be delayed but we would arrive at our gate on time.

We landed with just a few bumps on the way down.  There was very little snow on the ground and practically no fog in the area.  Heavy clouds, however, indicated that some sort of weather was brewing somewhere but I thought little of it and concentrated on finding the gate for the last part of my journey to DFW Airport. 

I located the gate and began munching on one of the apples my mom had shoved into a plastic sack a few hours before.  About three bites into the apple, someone noticed that our flight had been cancelled.  We all sprang to our feet but were assured we had been placed on another flight leaving in mid-afternoon.  So, I grabbed some lunch, found the gate, and waited.

Finally, at 3:30 we took off and around 4:00 the festivities began.  A strong weather system was approaching from the west and the plane began to bounce and shake because of the turbulence it was encountering.  The captain asked the flight crew to be seated—never a good thing—and they resumed their duties 25 minutes later.  During that time, the plane was jostled and shaken several times and all the while my nails dug deeper and deeper in to the plush upholstery covering the armrest of my seat.  Needless to say, I don’t like turbulence.

In my mind’s eye, I could see the plane falling to the ground, thanks to the turbulent winds blowing against it.  But the turbulence only proved that there was air underneath the plane, holding it up.  Although the winds were against it, the plane continued to make forward progress and it continued on its course because the pilot knew where he was going. He was experienced, and he knew how to get to our final destination.  The fact that I could not see him and that I had absolutely no control made me nervous but it didn’t affect the outcome of our flight.  For all my worry and concern, we arrived at DFW Airport safe and sound, ready to greet family and friends and head for our homes.

I learned a great lesson in the skies over the mid-west.  Flights are not always smooth.  Sometimes, they are choppy, bumpy, and a bit scary.  There are no guarantees that an airplane won’t encounter any turbulence and in point of fact that expectation is very unrealistic.  No, turbulence is part of flying and sometimes you just have to fly right through it.

Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that the same principle is true in the Christian life.  It has become very popular today to hear sermons and read books that paint a very rosy picture of the Christian life.  Indeed, there are those who believe that once a person becomes a Christian all life’s problems are over.  There will be no turbulence, nothing but smooth sailing ahead.  It’s a nice thought, but it is dead wrong.  Nowhere in the Bible do we find any such promise or guarantee.  In fact, Jesus promises us just the opposite will be true in the Christian life.

In John 16:33 we read, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  Notice very carefully that Jesus tells us plainly that in this world, in life, we will have trouble.  There will be times when life doesn't make sense; there will be times when we experience unexpected sadness, pain, or rejection.  But Jesus also tells us that we will have peace in him.  Peace in Jesus means trouble in the world because the peace that Jesus offers us the world cannot give.

The bumps and bruises of life are not fun but they do not hinder us from making forward progress.  They just make that progress a little more difficult and a little more challenging.  But the Lord has promised to be with us through the bumps and bruises of life and to make sure we land safely at home.  If it is turbulent where you are today, just dig your hand a little deeper into God’s and cling a little more tightly to Him.  The bumps and bruises will only last for a while; we have His word on that.

Life's Street Corners

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lmost every afternoon, the ladies from the office and I would take a walk around campus.   We did it for our health and also to get away from the hustle and the bustle and the “little” challenges of the office. As the weather turned nicer and warmer, all of us looked forward to that little 30-minute escape and we carved out a special time on our calendars for this one purpose.

Our walks always took us the same way but we never saw the same things from day to day.  We met different people, heard different conversations, and talked about different subjects.  We discussed the progress of new construction occurring around campus and we discussed our respective days.

Our jaunts eventually brought us to the math building which is built in the shape of a huge triangle.  We made a right-hand turn at the corner of the building and continued our walk.  On several occasions, however, that corner was a source of deep reflection.  It was not so much the corner itself; it was what it represented.

If you think about it, we are faced with corners every day and at every one of them a decision must be made.  As I leave the university, I make no fewer than seven turns at seven different corners just to get to the Interstate.  At any one of those corners, should I make the wrong turn, my journey home becomes much more frustrating.  That’s the thing about corners; you have to make a decision.  Do you go right, left, or straight?  The decisions made at a corner will have a definite impact on everything done from that point forward.

Nestled in the book of 2 Chronicles, the Old Testament records the story of King Ahaz, a man who was challenged at the street corner’s of life.  In 2 Chronicles 28:22-24 we read, “In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel. Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.”

There are many lessons to be found in this passage but three stand out above all the rest.  Firstly, Ahaz was an unfaithful man.  Notice the scripture says he grew more unfaithful during his time of trouble.  In times of trouble, in times of great difficulty, our one refuge is in the Lord. Ahaz chose not to seek this refuge and he began a downward spiral that affected not only him but all Israel.

Secondly, we see that Ahaz offered sacrifices to other gods, seeking to solve his problems by any means other than looking to the God of his fathers.  In her history, God had protected, provided for, and given victory to Israel.  Ahaz had the opportunity to continue in that tradition and he chose not to.

Thirdly, Ahaz’s decision to abandon God utterly is complete.  Notice that he took the sacred things of the temple, closed its doors, and set up altars on every street corner in the city.  Not only did he refuse to worship God, he prevented everyone else from doing so.  The decision to set up altars on every street corner tells us that Ahaz’s decision was complete and permeated every area of daily life.

What a tragic statement but one that has bearing on us today.  The Scriptures tell us that our bodies are the living temples of God.  How often do we take the sacred things of the Lord, close the temple doors of our hearts, and seek to worship and serve other things around us?  How often do we, like Ahaz, set up altars to our jobs, to our ambitions, to our possessions, and to our wants?  How many people are we leading astray by our actions? What decisions are we making at life’s street corners today? 

Through The Kaleidoscope

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ike most people, I have several important things in my home that I simply will not part with.  Some of them I purchased on my trips to Europe.  Some I have come across in little shops or in out-of-the-way places.  Some of them are gifts from dear friends and others are moments captured with the aid of a camera.  But perhaps the most precious items are ones that my parents have given me over the years.

There is the clock that hangs in my living room which was a Christmas present from mom and dad.  There is the clock hanging in my bedroom which they presented to my brother and me as a house-warming present when we moved into our home on Oak Street.   There is the silverware in my kitchen that mom brought and when I moved into my first apartment. It is the same silverware I used growing up and I love it.  I also have my great grandfather’s ice cream scoop and the scoop my mom used to measure sugar when she made cakes.

There are several little knick knacks around the house that mean very little, if anything, to my visitors but they mean the world to me.  One of these items is a small kaleidoscope that resides on my coffee table.  Mom and dad found it in an antique store in Ohio and brought it back to me.  It is very simple, made of three mirrors joined together to form a triangular tube.  At one end is a piece of metal that securely holds one of four differently colored marbles that rest in holes cut in the wooden base that holds the kaleidoscope.

The marbles are very unremarkable.  One is blue, one is yellow, one is red, and one is light orange.  Taken by themselves they aren’t very inspiring but once placed in the end of the kaleidoscope, they spring to life with unimaginable shapes and patterns.  What was a few seconds earlier a commonplace marble changes into a vibrant splash of color that changes formations as the marble is turned around and around.

The secret of the kaleidoscope lies in its ability to make us see an image, not for what it is, but for what it can become when seen from another perspective.  This idea was not lost on Jesus.  In fact, when calling his first disciples, he saw them not for what they were but for what they could become.

In Matthew 4:18-19 we find these words, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  Here is Jesus walking along the shore when he spots two ordinary marbles, Peter and Andrew.  They have been fishing all of their lives and have earned their living from the sea.  They are like so many others who ply their trade on the Sea of Galilee.  But if we look closer at this passage, we see that Jesus sees so much more in these brothers than is visible to the ordinary eye.

Notice Jesus words, “I will make you…”  These men are fisherman, anyone can see that.  But Jesus sees so much more. He sees them not as fishermen, but as fishers of men.  When seen through the eyes of Jesus, Peter and Andrew are no longer men who catch fish; they are men who catch souls. What they can become is unimaginable to them but is crystal clear to Jesus.

Is it any different with us?  God sees deep into our hearts and souls.  He sees us not for what we are but for what we can become through a relationship with his son, Jesus Christ.  What may seem ordinary to us becomes alive once we are placed in Jesus Christ and our lives are viewed from God’s perspective.  Wherever you are in your walk today with the Lord, rest assured his plans for you are beyond anything you can imagine.  Only when we are placed in Christ can we ever fully reveal what is inside.  What does God see when he looks at your life today?  Are you willing to see yourself from his perspective?

How Sweet It Is

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n North Carolina, we like our tea sweet!  In fact, if you order tea in North Carolina, it’s going to be both iced and sweet.  There simply is no other way to drink it!!!!!  That’s what I thought until I came to Texas.  Here, the tea is iced but it is not sweet.  Several establishments offer sweetened iced tea but standard fare is iced tea without any sugar added.

Several years ago I was discussing the virtues of sweetened iced tea with a lady in a local restaurant.  She wanted to know exactly how sweet we drink our tea in North Carolina.  So, I explained to her that North Carolina tea had three distinct uses.  If the tea is iced, it serves as a refreshing drink.  If the tea were heated, it could be served over pancakes as syrup.  Finally, I explained that our tea had so much sugar in it that NASA is considering it as an alternative source of fuel for the space program.  She looked at me aghast!  “I don’t understand how you can drink sweetened tea!”  I had to chuckle at her comment.  She made the last statement as she dumped two packets of artificial sweetener into her tea!!

I assure you there is a point to all this rambling about sweetened tea.  During my visit home for the Christmas holidays, I had the opportunity to make sweet.  After bringing the water to a boil, I dumped in the appropriate amount of sugar and let it dissolve.  As soon as the sugar entered the water, the entire mixture took on a different complexion.  After a few seconds however, the water became clear and it was impossible to see the sugar.  It had completely melted and had become part of the water.  The two elements were now totally inseparable and indistinguishable from each other.

As I stirred the sugar into the hot water, one of the greatest truths in all the Scriptures came to mind.  The Apostle Paul understood the principle of being lost in and totally inseparable from Jesus Christ.  Paul knew that when we are “in Christ,“ when we belong completely to Him, when we accept Him as our savior and Lord, we are secure.   There is no way we can escape from His love.  Like the sugar in the boiling water, we become one with Christ, united in a bond and in a relationship that are both eternal.

In Romans 8:35; 37-39, Paul writes, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What a glorious passage this is.  Paul categorically states that in no way can we be separated from the love of Christ.  People can’t do it, circumstances can’t do it, nothing in our past can separate us from Him, nothing in our future will, no power on earth, no distance, and not even death can separate us from our God.  Once we have entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the love of God completely enfolds us, surrounds us, engulfs us, and cleanses us.  God lays complete claim on us and His claim is eternal.

One more thing you need to know about North Carolina tea.  The longer it sits, the sweeter it becomes.  Isn't this the way our relationship to God is supposed to be? The longer we are with Him, the more we get to know Him, the deeper we understand Him, and the more we trust Him, the sweeter our relationship with Him grows.  So, can I offer you a tall, cool glass of spiritual sweetened iced tea today?  I think you’ll find it most refreshing!

After Sunset

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he hefty 737 airliner rumbled down the runway gathering speed in its effort to leave the ground and become airborne.  Just a few more seconds and we would leave the earth behind and begin our ascent toward the magical altitude of 37,000 feet, destination Paris, France.  The captain pulled back on the stick and the bulky piece of metal jumped into the air and gently floated aloft, upheld by the cool air passing over its wings and lifting it gently higher into the sky.

The plane continued its ascent, passing through cloud banks, playing tag with the small clouds that drifted near its wings, and shaking ever so slightly as small bumps of turbulence were overcome with ease.  After a hard right bank, the pilot evened the plane out and the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport was soon nothing but a speck and a memory.  In the distance, the sun was making its way toward the western horizon, inching slowly downward, heading for the darkness of night and a well-earned rest.  All that remained was the soft drone of the engines and the conversations of passengers in the seats around me.

About three hours into the flight, I cast one last glance out my window and could see the final rays of sunshine disappear into the western sky.  The sun slipped below the horizon and night cast her velvety shawl over the clouds, bringing peace to the earth below.  What a wonderful sense of calm I experienced as I gazed at that sunset until the moon rose in the distance.  Then I closed the blind, adjusted my blanket and settled in for my journey around the world, still thinking about the sunset I had seen at 37,000 feet.

There is something soothing about a sunset, whether it is viewed from terra firma or from 37,000 feet in the air.  It brings closure and is a welcomed rest from the work and hustle of daytime hours.  Perhaps this is why Mark paints the following scene of Jesus healing the sick and possessed after sunset.  In Mark 1:32 we read, “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door,“  In the cool of the evening, after the hustle and the bustle of the day, Jesus comes and heals the people of the village.  He takes away the cares of life and replaces them with his presence, his joy, and his peace.  After sunset and in the presence of Jesus, the troubles, cares, pressures, and problems of this life simply vanish.

Jesus is aware of the difficulties of life.  He knows when friends forsake us, he knows when unexpected trials and tribulations come, and he is aware of life’s most difficult and challenging moments.  He invites us to bring our burdens and our cares to him and to place them at his feet.  Have you spent time after sunset with Jesus? Wouldn't you love to do that today?

A Watched Pot Never Boils!

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sn’t that the absolute truth?  I am promptly reminded of this little proverb every time I cook.  One particular Saturday serves as a good example.  I was preparing a rice pudding from my one of my mom’s recipes.  Everything was ready for the assembly line except the rice which had to be cooked.  However, before I could cook it, the water in the pot had to boil and boy was it taking it’s time!

Have you ever watched a pot of water, waiting for it to boil?  I believe Rome was built in less time than it takes for two quarts of water to come to a rolling boil.  While waiting for this little miracle to happen, I washed the dishes, then checked the pot—nothing.  I made my bed, then checked the pot—nothing.  I read a magazine article, then checked the pot—little bubbles.  I did a load of laundry, then checked the pot—more little bubbles.  Although I am exaggerating, you get the idea, right?  It took a long time for that little bit of water to come to a boil.

As I stood there watching the pot, trying to encourage and coax the little bubbles on their way, I remembered a lecture from one of my chemistry professors in college.  There isn’t much intellectual depth in a pot of water, so reflecting on Plato or Aristotle while waiting for the pot to boil just didn’t seem appropriate.  Anyway, the chemistry professor told us that a large amount of energy is required for hydrogen and oxygen atoms to break their bonds.  As you watch the pot, the little bubbles you see represent the beginning stages of these bonds breaking apart.  As the heat rises, more and more of these bonds are broken and the water begins to dance.  It can then be used to cook rice which leads to rice pudding, something worth waiting for!

Have you ever considered that a pot of water waiting to boil represents the Christian life?  Consider that pot filled with water.  It just sits on the stovetop, lifeless, wet, with no purpose.  Anything place in that pot will just become water logged until heat is applied.  Only when the temperature is raised will the energy be released and the pot changed into a boiling cauldron ready to be used by the cook to prepare a meal for many people.  But as long as there is no heat underneath the pot, the water inside will have no purpose.

Many Christians resemble the pot on the stove.  We get so caught up in ourselves that we are practically useless to God.  When we read the scriptures, we do nothing with them.  We don’t’ apply them to our situations, we don’t share them with others, we don’t let them change us in any way.  We sit around like pots full of water and God’s word becomes water logged because we have no initiative to internalize it, apply it, and share it with others.  Our faith needs to be stretched and we need to learn that God is who He says He is and that He cares for us and wants us to share His love and salvation with those around us.

It is just about this time that the heat gets turned up on the Christian and we encounter a challenge or trial, something unforeseen that drives up the heat, causes discomfort, but definitely makes us boil!  James wrote about this in his epistle.  James 1:2-4 tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James tells us to rejoice when we face challenges in life.  He did not mean we were to throw a backyard barbecue and invite the neighbors!!  James was looking at the bigger picture, to the growing of our faith so that we could be complete in God, lacking nothing.  The boiling pot has a much greater purpose.  It will be used to cook food that will touch the lives of many people who would never be fed unless the water in the pot reached the boiling point. 

Who knows how many people will be blessed because you persevere in the challenge God has set before you today?  Who knows what God will teach you through this and how many people will be encourage and have their faith strengthened because of what God is doing in your life.  God knows where you are and he knows just how to use you for his purpose.  So, if he has turned up the heat today, know that he is doing it because he sees the bigger picture.  He knows there are things in your life that will be released when and only when your spiritual pot reaches the boiling pot.  So, what is God cooking up in your life today?

Right Under Your Nose

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o you notice anything different?”  My mom’s question caught my brother and me off guard.  A quick perusal of the room revealed nothing out of the ordinary.  There were four walls, two windows, a sofa, a chair, a coffee table, a grandmother clock, two end tables, two lamps, a television set, several pictures, and the light switch on the wall was right where it had always been.  No, everything about the room seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary.

She couldn’t believe we didn’t’ see it and told us to take another look around the room for anything that looked out of place.  “It’s right under your nose,” she said so I immediately looked down at the floor but the carpet I walked on that morning was still securely tacked down and had been vacuumed.   Neither of us noticed the big black box sitting atop the television set and mom had to point us in the right direction.  Suddenly, the box grabbed my attention and I proudly pointed out that it hadn’t been there earlier in the day when we left for school.

Mom was relieved we saw the big box on top of the set.  She wasn’t, however, too impressed with our investigative skills but at least we wouldn’t have to visit the doctor for an eye examination.  The big box covering most of our television set was one of those new VCR’s that permitted you to record your favorite shows and play them back.  In addition, you could rent movies and you could watch them at your leisure and as many times as you wanted.  How wonderful was that?

Yes, it has been several years since the VCR burst onto the scene and the machines now have almost gone the way of the dodo.  But the VCR is not the focus of today’s devotional; our inability to notice the obvious takes center stage today.   That afternoon in our home, my mom was so excited about the new VCR that she wanted to share the good news with us.  I was so wrapped up in the enthusiasm and excitement of the moment that I got my signals crossed.  The VCR was very noticeable and should have caught my attention.  Instead, I was looking for other things in the room like furniture, carpet, paint, new drapes, etc., anything but a VCR.

Jesus had a similar experience with his disciples in Samaria near Jacob’s well.  John 4:35 gives us the brief but revealing statement about that event, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”  This passage comes from the story of the woman at the well whom Jesus asked for a drink of water.  By the end of their discussion, Jesus had shared with her the secret of eternal life and had revealed to her that he was the long-awaited Messiah.

His disciples had gone into the village to buy food after their journey.  When they returned, they found Jesus talking with this woman but did not ask him who she was or what he had told her.  When the men offered him something to eat, Jesus refused saying he had food they knew nothing about.  Immediately, they assumed someone had given him something to eat during their absence and at this point in the conversation, they missed the big black box that should have been so obvious.

Jesus took a well-known saying and used it to make his point.  Farmers worked planting seed and once it was in the ground, they waited until the crop came in.  As Jesus stood there looking over the landscape and seeing many of the Samaritans coming to him due to this woman’s testimony, he saw an abundant crop of souls ripe for the picking.  His disciples, however, did not understand what he was saying.   Jesus told them to open their eyes, to see the work and the opportunity that was right under their noses.

Lest we be too hard on the disciples, let’s examine our own lives in light of this story.  We have opportunities every day to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.  All around us, there are people hurting, who are searching, and who just want someone to talk to them or to listen to them.  All these are opportunities for us to share Jesus Christ.  Yet sadly, we go about our daily routine, looking for just the right moment to witness to people.  All around us the field is ripe and we don’t even notice the fruit hanging on the vine.  More to the point, we believe and are searching for extraordinary opportunities and circumstances to witness for Christ.

Today, wherever you are reading this tidbit, let me assure you the opportunities are endless.  If you are at a desk, look around your office.  Your co-workers as well as the people entering your door are an opportunity.  If you are a teacher, your classroom is bursting with possibilities.  If you are a housewife, your family is your field.  If you are in business, your employees, your boss, and all the representatives from other firms and organizations that darken your door are living pieces of fruit waiting to be harvested.  If you are a pastor, a Sunday school teacher, a youth minister, a janitor, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, you name it; your field is located right under your nose.  Don’t neglect the opportunities God gives you daily to gather fruit for his kingdom.  

Are You A Siren Or A Foghorn?

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ate one afternoon, I was stopped at an intersection waiting for the traffic light to change from red to green.  Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a piercing sound split the air above the waiting traffic.  I jumped in my seat and almost hit the car in front of me.  Even the music of my radio could not squelch the sound coming up rapidly behind me.  A quick glance in the rearview mirror confirmed what I already knew.  An ambulance was making its way up the street, barreling toward the intersection where I was waiting for my green light.

The cars behind me pulled over to the left and to the right as the sea of traffic parted to allow the ambulance through. I pulled over to the right and the ambulance whizzed by on its way to whatever emergency had summoned it.  As I watched the red and white flashing lights, the siren continued to cut through the air.  I can still hear it and feel the cold chills on my skin and the erect hairs on my arms.

Today, the sound of the siren is associated with danger and fear by all who hear it.  It is no wonder. The siren takes its name from Greek mythology.  The sirens were originally associated with the sea.  As sailors navigated their vessels through treacherous waters, the sirens would begin singing a lovely song.  So beautiful were there voices, that sailors lost their concentration.  Instead of focusing on the dangerous waters around their vessels, they focused on the lovely voices, steered toward them, and dashed their ships onto rocky shores, sinking their vessels and losing their lives.  That is how the term siren became synonymous with danger.

There is another sound associated with the seashore that also serves to warn ships of the dangers of sailing to close to shore.  The foghorn sends out a low, monotonous tone that warns ships at sea of the treacherous rocks lying in their paths.  The horns are used whenever a fog bank rolls in that obscures the lights from lighthouses and harbors on shore.  Instead of luring ships to their demise, the foghorn guides ships to safety, warning them of the dangers of coming too close to the coastline. 

The distinction between these two sounds is incredible, isn’t it?  The sirens were intent on luring ships toward shore in order to wreck them while the foghorn was used to push ships away from the shore in order to save them.  Although appealing on the surface, the sirens were deceitful and following their voices ended in destruction.  The foghorn, however, while not the loveliest of sounds, gave an accurate representation of the danger ahead and showed captains the only way to safely avoid sinking their vessels.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul commented on the dangers of misrepresenting the gospel message.  Paul knew that eventually society would prefer to hear an appealing message, one that made them feel good about themselves, and one that gave them assurance they were on a proper heading.  But Paul knew that this message, like the sirens of Greek mythology, would lead many to a false hope and would end in spiritual shipwrecks all along life’s coastline.  His words in 2 Timothy 4:3 should give all Christians something to think about. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

In light of Paul’s statement, we must ask ourselves what kind of message we are sending out to a lost world.  Are we like the sirens, sending out a wonderful and lovely message that belies the dangers of life’s rocky shore?  Are we more concerned with being accepted than we are with sharing the truth of Jesus Christ?  Or are we like the foghorn, sending out a message that correctly points out the only way to safety?  In today’s world, it is much easier to be a siren than it is a foghorn; and yet, God expects us to share His truth in a straightforward way.

How would you characterize your witness for Christ today?  If your life were viewed as sending a message to a ship lost at sea would it be a message of sirens or of foghorns?  Which one represents your life today?