Look After Your Brother

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hen I was a small boy, my brother and I played together, went places together, shared toys together, and looked out for each other.  Like all brothers, we had our share of fights and scuffles, but there was always a bond between us.  If I got a new toy, I wanted him to have one too.  If someone gave me something, I shared it with him.  When went to birthday parties or to new places, I looked after him and took up for him.  My parents always told me that I was to look after my brother and set a good example for him.  I didn't always set a good example but I never forgot their admonition to look out for him and care for him.  Their words consistently played over and over in my mind as a constant reminder of my responsibility to and for my brother.

The book of Genesis records a similar understanding between Jacob and his father-in-law Laban.  These two men made a covenant with each other and erected a pile of stones as a reminder of that pledge.  They gave different names to the place where the covenant was reached.  These names served to remind them of their collective responsibility to and for each other.  The covenant was sealed with the understanding God would keep both these men safe when they left each other.  Laban's words to Jacob regarding God's care for them both are recorded in Genesis 31:48-49, “And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore, its name was called Galeed, also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another."

In May of 2001, I participated in a covenant identical to the one between Laban and Jacob. I graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree along with more than 300 classmates.  We came from many states and other countries, yet we were all brothers and sisters in Christ.  As we walked across the stage, we each received a diploma, a document which reminded us of our mutual experience at seminary.  Our speaker also reminded us that we were to pray for each other and that we all had the same mission whether together or apart. 

Like Laban and Jacob's agreement, our diplomas all looked alike, similar to that heap of stones.  However, just as Laban and Jacob assigned different names to the place of their covenant our diplomas all had different names.  Each time I look at my diploma, I think of and pray for my classmates, serving in different parts of the world and I know when they look at their diplomas, they are thinking of and praying for me. 

My diploma represents so much more than just writing on a piece of paper and more than my individual effort.  It is a testimony to the faithfulness of God, of family and friends who faithfully love me and pray for me.  It is a testimony to the spirit of Jacob and Laban's agreement so many years ago, to look after each other, and, when absent from each other's presence, to pray God's guidance, blessing, protection, and sustaining love for all those we call friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is my prayer for each of you today that God will keep you in his care, gird you with his strength, comfort you with his peace, and enfold you in his love, "while we are absent one from another."

Gas In The Tank

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ne morning, before leaving the men’s dorm at seminary to go to work, I stood outside my door, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything important.   A quick checklist ensured me I had everything I needed so I locked the door, took out my car keys, and turned to go.  As I turned to walk down the hallway, I noticed that one of the guys who works in the housing office was staring at me with a rather comical smile on his face.  Who knows how long he had been watching me; but I'm sure the sight was entertaining, as I stood there, motionless, staring at my door, seemingly "out to lunch!"

When I realized I had been under surveillance, I had to laugh, imagining what my reaction would have been if our roles had been reversed.  He never asked me what I was doing so I volunteered the information, explaining that usually I forgot to do something and realized it only when I had driven twenty-five miles to work.  At that point, it's a little too late to go back and retrieve something I left behind or to do something I had meant to do before leaving work.

 I got into my car, inserted the key, and started the engine.  A quick glance at the gasoline gauge demonstrated I hadn't forgotten to fuel the car.  The tank was at least three-fourths full, which meant I could make the trip to work with no worry about stopping for gas. That simple little gauge on my dashboard revealed a great truth about the Christian life.

In order to keep my car running, I must keep fuel in it.  Without gasoline in the tank, the engine will not run and the car simply will not go.  No matter how much I plead, cajole, push, or prod the car, without the right type of fuel it will not be able to fulfil its function.  However, knowing the right type of fuel and having a sufficient amount constantly on hand are not the same thing.  If I know where to find gas but never place gas into the tank, that knowledge is of no use to me.  I must act on my knowledge and keep enough fuel in my car so it will always be ready when I need to go somewhere.

The children of Israel learned first-hand the necessity of maintaining an adequate supply of fuel on a daily basis.  Each morning when they emerged from their tents, they found the ground covered with bread they called manna.  God's instructions to them were specific.  They were to gather enough bread to meet their daily needs. Exodus 16:4 records God's instructions with these words: “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not."  

According to God's own words, there would be enough bread for all the people and this provision would come daily.  The people, however, would have to glean the manna themselves.  God provided the bread, He made sure there was ample supply, and He was faithful in His provision. However, it was the people's responsibility to gather the manna.  Simply knowing the manna was outside the tent flap didn't fill their containers nor provide the day's supply of food.  Each family was responsible for providing for its own needs.  The jar, like the gasoline gauge in my car, indicated the level of their supply.  When they ran low on manna, and this happened each day, they simply had to replenish their stock.  Failure to do this on their part did not constitute unfaithfulness on God's part. 

There is great truth in this short passage from the book of Exodus.  God provides for us on a daily basis.  All the spiritual nourishment we need is to be found in his word.  It is right there, as close as our bookshelves, or our desks, or our coffee table.  All we have to do is open it and receive our daily bread from it.  Our tanks need refilling each day.  We must ensure that we maintain our spiritual fuel at an optimal level so we will be ready at a moment's notice to meet the challenges that life places in our paths.

What does your spiritual gas gauge tell you?  Is your tank full?  Are you ready to handle the road of life today?  Can you say with all confidence that you have enough of God's word in your tank to complete the day's journey or do you need to fill up?  Why don't you open God's word and fill your tank today?

All In One Place

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 was fortunate to grow up in a small North Carolina town.  It wasn’t exactly Mayberry, few towns are, but it did provide a nice environment in which to grow up and learn about life.  One of my favorite things to do was to go downtown.  Most of the activity in our community centered around the small stores and shops located on Main Street.  Here, you could find just about anything and everything you wanted. 

There were two drugstores, two men’s shops, two ladies’ shops, a dime store, a movie theater, a hotel, a small family-owned grocery store, three barber shops, a bank, a savings and loan association, a hardware store, a general mercantile, and two department stores.  You could spend all day downtown, browsing through the shops, pausing to talk to the store owners as well as the people on the street.  Everyone knew everyone else and there was always something to talk about and news to catch up on.

Usually, I would accompany one of my parents on these little jaunts downtown.  My mom would go to the grocery store or to one of the clothing stores to get something she needed.  My dad usually went to the hardware store, the general mercantile, or one of the men’s shops to find what he wanted.  I never gave much thought to the fact that we visited different stores for different things.  It just seemed to be the way things were done.  If my dad needed nails or screws, we went to the hardware. If my mom needed bread and milk, we went to the corner grocery.  And if we needed clothes, we went to one of the several shops downtown.

However, when I turned sixteen and was able to chauffeur myself around, I began to notice a difference in the way people shopped.  In the towns to the west and east of us, several large department stores had been built.  It was possible to go to these stores and purchase a number of different items under one roof.  The stores offered everything from house paint to shoestrings, from ink pens to motor oil, and cassette tapes to chewing gum.  In time, these large stores gave way to the super, mega stores we are accustomed to today where you can have your prescriptions filled while you wait to have new tires placed on your car.

In a way, our spiritual lives resemble my hometown during my childhood. We are constantly looking for answers to all of life’s questions.  We visit one place to find answers about life’s trials and challenges, we look in certain books to discover our “inner child”, we turn to various spas and exercise establishments to “feel good” about ourselves, and we chase after anyone who can teach us how to “take control” of our destinies.  However, all this running around trying to find satisfaction only leaves us unfulfilled and more confused and frustrated.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could find what we really needed and wanted in one place?  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could locate everything under one roof without having to run all over creation looking for an answer?

Well, there is such a place and the Apostle Paul knew just where to find it.  In his letter to the Philippians, he makes the following promise to his readers: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) Notice that Paul does not encourage the Philippians to seek the answers to their questions in various places.  He never tells them to explore a certain new idea, or to run after such and such a promise.  Instead, Paul states very plainly that the answer to all of life’s questions is found in one person, Jesus Christ.

Not only does Jesus hold the answers to all of life’s most pressing questions, he is also the source that supplies all our needs.  Notice Paul’s words in this verse.  God meets all our needs—not some, but all—according to his riches in Jesus Christ.  You want to talk about finding everything under one roof, here it is.  No matter what your need, physical, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, relational, marital, etc., Jesus Christ stocks everything necessary to address and fulfill all of them.  There is no need too small or great that he cannot completely satisfy.  He has everything we need all in one place.  Won’t you pay him a visit today?

Give Me A Printout

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orking on a computer has taught me a very valuable lesson—make several copies! I usually place a copy on the hard drive of my computer, I place several copies in the cloud, and I produce a hard copy that I keep in a file.  Of all the ways I store information, the hard copy is perhaps to me the most amazing.  The computer stores all of this information in its memory, not in the actual form of words, but in a language it understands.  Whenever I reopen a file, however, I see it in a form recognizable to me.

Most of the files I save are in English but some are in French, especially the notes and tests I use for the classes I teach.  Other files contain information about my finances including my personal budget and my checking and savings accounts.  Whenever I need to produce a hard copy for myself, I simply open the file I need and press the print icon and the computer does the rest.  Whatever is in the computer comes out on paper in exact detail.  In fact, I can only print what is stored in the computer's memory. 

Do you realize that we operate on the same principle as the computer?  Would it surprise you to realize that Jesus spoke of this process almost 2000 years ago?  Without the advent of electronic filing systems, floppy disks, or printers, Jesus described in precise detail the functioning of today's computers.  However, Jesus spoke of this, not in terms of electronics, but in terms of the human heart.

In Matthew 12:34-35, Jesus says, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."  

The message here is simple and straightforward: what goes in, comes out!  Jesus was addressing his listeners and teaching them that our words and our actions are the indicators of our true selves.  Just as an apple tree produces apples and not peaches, the human heart can only produce what has been planted in it.

Look at the second sentence in this passage from Matthew. The source of our words, our thoughts, our actions, and our motives is the heart.  Jesus says that our words indicate the condition of our hearts.  A direct connection exists between what we say and who we are.  Much like the hard drive on our computers, our hearts store the files of our life.  But the heart can only produce what we put into it!!!  There are no files written in Russian on my computer because I have put none in there.  Likewise, if I haven't placed God's word, God's love, God's mercy, and God himself in my heart, I cannot share him with others nor retrieve anything about him.  There simply is no file inside my heart labeled God!

This is a very sobering thought!!  When I open my mouth and speak, other people know exactly what kind of person I am.  If, as Jesus said, my mouth speaks from the overflow of my heart, then what I say reflects that with which my heart is filled!!  Every time I open my mouth, I am giving someone a printout of the files contained within my heart!  Ouch!!!  That hurts, doesn't it?

Today, let's take an inventory of our heart's hard drive.  What files are stored there?  When someone speaks to us, what kinds of printouts are we giving them?  Do our lives contain enough files about God and His love for us?  Do we have the necessary information to share Jesus with someone today?  Is there enough information buried in our hearts to produce good quality printouts about God and all he has done for us?

Because I Said So

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he teenage years are anything but a joy ride for parents.  The darling little children who used to be so cute and sweet suddenly metamorphose into people hardly recognizable by their parents.  Their taste in clothes begins to change, their taste in music becomes more interesting, and the time they spend on the phone seems to increase daily.  In fact, the only people who receive phone calls are the kids and they call each other about everything, at any time of the day or night.

I remember these years very well.  They were challenging for both my parents and me.  The one thing I wanted most was to be independent, to do my own thing, to be my own person, and to make my own decisions.  This led, at times, to a contest between my mom and me.  She always won, by the way.  When she would tell me to do something, I would question it, wondering why I had to do what she told me.  The response I often got and liked the least was, “Because I said so!”  Although I didn’t know it then, she was teaching me a very important lesson.  That lesson was listening to and obeying those in authority.

That was a hard lesson for me to learn, not because my mom wasn’t a good teacher, but because I wasn’t a good student.  I wanted to believe I knew what was best for me when all along my parents were far wiser and more insightful than I.  If I had learned this lesson earlier, I could have saved myself a lot of heartache and difficulty.  But part of learning is discipline and discipline is never fun or easy.

This is a lesson that spills over into our Christian lives as well.  We often find ourselves holding conversations with God about things happening around us.  We want an explanation for our situations or we want to know exactly why God requires us to face a certain trial or to do a certain task.  We also believe that we know what is best for us and we do our best to be independent, to exert our will above our Heavenly Father’s.  But we learn, through much heartache and difficulty, that He is much wiser and more insightful than we.  He is the parent, we are the teenagers. 

In Deuteronomy 6, God addresses the Children of Israel before they cross over into the Promised Land.  He impresses upon them the importance of keeping His commands and teaching them to their children.  The commandments He gives serve to protect them, to preserve them, and to give them the means to live a life pleasing to God.  Deuteronomy 6:24 provides the reason behind God’s instructions.  This verse reads, “The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.”

Notice Moses’ words here.  God gave them commands for them to obey!!!!  That’s the rub.  We are to listen to God’s voice and obey His leading because He says so, and for no other reason.  He knows what is best for us, He knows the road ahead, and He alone knows what we need to face all of life’s circumstances.  However, Moses continues by giving the result of following God’s commandments.  God’s decrees always give life.  Notice the closing part of this verse.  Obeying God’s commands insures prosperity and keeps us alive. Prosperity here does not mean hitting the jackpot.  Instead, it means the ability to continue living and to continue in the relationship we have with God.

So, the next time a teenager challenges your authority by asking why, simply say to them in all love, “Because I say so!”  Then, when you are alone with God, practice what you preach!  

Beaded Fruit

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rts and craft projects never really interested me as a kid.  They required patience and the ability to work long hours poring over tedious details.  After five minutes or so, it was impossible for me to keep my focus and I’d start fidgeting and looking for any excuse to stop what I was doing and being another activity.  The sole exception to this was Bible school during the summer.  I enjoyed the arts and crafts there because we concentrated on one or two projects and had several days to complete them.  They didn’t try my patience nor frustrate me.

My grandmother, however, was just the opposite.  She always had some sort of project going.  She wrote children’s plays for our church and spent untold hours making costumes and props.  She also enjoyed making the decorations and writing the narration for the annual Christmas tree decoration at church.  She always gave one hundred per cent to all these activities and the finished products bore witness to that fact.

However, there was one project she did that I will always remember. Grandmother took pieces of plastic fruit and transformed them into beautiful arrangements that she placed in her kitchen and in her living room.  The project was very simple and the results were fantastic.  She would take a piece of fruit and, using straight pins, would attach colored beads to it.  When she finished, the fruit had a very different look.  It was much prettier and more attractive than it had been lying on the store shelf. 

She made arrangements for her kitchen, her dining room, and her living room.  Several people saw the fruit and started the project for themselves.  My mom did some for our house, making arrangements for our kitchen and den.  The project was so simple, that I enjoyed helping.  There was nothing to make, cut out, or glue together.  Instead, we started with a piece of plastic fruit and changed its appearance into something more pleasing and attractive than when we first began.

           

Would it surprise you to learn that this is the same process Jesus used when he called the disciples?  They were rough, rugged men, set in their ways and accustomed to a certain way of life.  They had careers, they had families, they had their habits, and they had some different ideas concerning living.  They were diamonds in the rough, just waiting for someone to see their potential, to spend time teaching them, molding them, and changing them into something more attractive and beautiful than they were. 

That someone was Jesus!  He chose these men, not based on what they were, but based on what they could and would become after he finished working with them.  Mark 1:16-17 gives us an important glimpse at these men as Jesus calls them from their every-day lives and invites them to begin serving with him.  And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."

There are three interesting points we need to see in this brief passage of scripture.  1) Jesus was walking by the sea.  He didn’t go the financial center, he didn’t visit the universities, and he didn’t visit the religious center in the area.  Instead, he walked by the sea, looking for common men to accomplish an uncommon task. 2)  Simon and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea.  They were doing what they had done for years; they were practicing their livelihood, providing for their families.  Yet, Jesus knew he could take them and teach them to use their talents in ways they never dreamed possible.  3) Jesus called them to change the focus of their lives, to concentrate on catching men rather than fish.  He took them as they were and promised to make them into what they could become.

As I think about those pieces of plastic fruit that my grandmother transformed into beautiful arrangements, I can’t help but understand that God wants to apply that same process to our lives.  He takes us as we are despite our blemishes, faults, and weaknesses and he promises to make us become something else. He patiently and painstakingly works, until we have a new appearance and are ready to be placed into a new arrangement that he has designed for us. 

Instead of an ordinary piece of fruit lying on a shelf, God makes us over, giving us a new look and a new life.  The process is not always easy; but it is worth it.  Each test, each trial, each blessing, brings us one step closer to being what God wants us to be.  Remember, Jesus told Andrew and Simon that they would become fishers of men, not that they were fishers of men.  We can’t be what God intends for us to be without change.  Only he can change us and only he knows what we can become when he has finished working in our lives.  Won’t you let him work in your life today?    

Because I Love You

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t’s amazing what you can learn while eating lunch!  One particular Wednesday, I was looking for something really good to eat and that meant I had to get out of the kitchen and visit a place that offered wonderful food.  I went to Julie’s Fresh Kitchen (this is the restaurant where I worked while attending seminary) and, as usual, the place was packed.  I grabbed a menu, located an empty table, seated myself, and began making the agonizing decision of what to have for lunch.  Everything looked exceptional; but I could only select one thing to eat.

While I sat there musing over the menu, Jody, the owner, came over to say hello.  He indicated that a good friend of mine was sitting in the next section and asked if I’d like to join him.  Not fifteen minutes prior to that I had tried to call Chris to see if he wanted to meet me at Julie’s for lunch.  Isn’t it neat how God just works things out for us?  I picked up my menu, silverware, and iced tea, and went to join Chris at his table.  Fortunately, he hadn’t ordered yet, so our food arrived at the same time.  Chris opted for the pot roast and I went for the turkey and dressing.

After our food arrived, Jody came over and sat down with us for a chat.  He always did this with his customers and I loved it.  His youngest son, Jonathan, joined in our conversation.  Jonathan was wearing a new T-shirt that his dad bought for him.  Jody told us about purchasing these items for Jonathan.  They just happened to be directly related to Jonathan’s favorite hockey player.  So, he bought them for him, and, as you can guess, Jonathan was very happy.

When asked why his dad had purchased the items for him, Jonathan simply answered, “Because he loves me!”  And in that statement, was the focus for a Tidbit.  You never know what God will teach you over a plate of food.  God’s lessons are all around us and he takes every opportunity to teach us about himself if we will just open our eyes, ears, and hearts and listen to his voice.

That Wednesday was such a day for me.  After Jody left our table and long after I left the restaurant, I mulled over in my mind the conversation that had taken place during my lunch hour.  Without Jonathan ever mentioning the T-shirt and other items, Jody knew he would be happy with him. He knew this because he knew Jonathan.  He knew what would make him happy, he knew what his interests were, and he also knew Jonathan couldn’t get those things for himself.  So, as any good father would do, Jody purchased the things for his son and gave them to him.   He did this just because he loved Jonathan and wanted him to have that T-shirt.

What a wonderful picture of what God has done for us.  Long before you and I were ever born, long before our great, great, great, great, grandparents were born, before the earth was even created, God made provision to give us something just because He loves us.  To understand God’s gift, we need look no further than the most often quoted verse of scripture in the Bible, John 3:16.  Here, Jesus tells us plainly, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Although this verse is well known, don’t be in such a hurry that you neglect to understand its full meaning.  Look at the ninth word in the verse.  That word is “gave.”  Stop and think about that word for just a minute.  Think about its implications and meanings.  When you give someone something, you think about them and select the gift with them in mind.  You only want the best for them and you purchase the very best gift you can because they mean so much to you.  Now, if that is how we feel and act when we give a gift, just imagine how much more wonderful God’s gift and reasons for giving are.

God sent Jesus to pay for our sins because he had our best interest in mind.  He knew us before we were ever born and he determined to give us the very best he had to offer.  He did not do this because we deserve it, we don’t.  He didn’t do it because we are worthy, we aren’t.  He didn’t do it because he had to, he didn’t.  He did it because he loved us and for no other reason!  That is so hard for us to understand because we don’t understand pure, unconditional love.  But that is just the way God loves you and me, unconditionally.

Furthermore, God did not send Jesus to save us because he needed us; he sent him to die because he wanted us!  What a humbling thought that is.  The God of the universe sacrificed his own son because he wanted us!  he wants us despite the fact that we are sinful, despite the fact that we are selfish, despite the fact we are imperfect, despite the fact that we are arrogant, despite the fact that we fall so far short of what we were meant to be.  Like Jonathan’s father, God knows we could never save ourselves, never pay the price for salvation, never find our way in the darkness.  So, he paid the price, he lit the path, and he gave us salvation through his son. He did all this because he loved us.  What a wonderful God we serve!

In closing I want to leave you with something I heard a pastor say in a sermon.  I think it speaks directly to what God did for us on Calvary all those years ago.  It is possible to give and not love but it is impossible to love and not give.  

All Night Long

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sn’t it funny how a photograph can catapult you back in time and take you to a specific place or memory?  It is a moment frozen in time, captured on paper, eternally the same.  I have a special photo that does just that.  In this photo, five of my former students stand, smiling, side by side, with the Parisian Latin Quarter serving as background.  Although all of them have graduated from college, and have gone on to lead lives of their own, in the picture they are still teenagers, full of excitement and anticipation of all that life has to offer. 

Each time I look at this picture, I notice things I never noticed before.  For instance, there is another person, whom I don’t know and never will, walking down the street.  There are several shops advertising their wares and I know there are people in those shops.  The more I look at the photograph, the more I think and wonder about all the things going on that day, in those shops, and in the lives of the people captured on film.

Have you ever thought of the Bible as providing snapshots from the lives of the people who walked and talked with God, who saw His miracles and heard His voice?  They are moments frozen in time, providing us the opportunity to look deep within them, learning and seeing things we hadn’t seen before.  One such snapshot with several lessons is found in Exodus 14, when the Children of Israel camped before the Red Sea, positioned to witness the greatest miracle God would perform to that point in their history.  Let’s enter that photograph and see what God has for us to learn.

You have to think about this in order to see it.  The Isarelites are camped in front of the sea.  Behind them, coming at full gallop is Pharaoh and his entire army.  There is panic in the camp.  People are fraught with despair and anxiety as they see, hear, and feel the approaching chariots.  There is no place to go, no place to run, and no place to hide.  They are trapped, exposed, and extremely vulnerable.  Suddenly, the pillar of cloud disappears, only to reappear behind them.  No longer does God seem to be leading them, He has taken up station behind them.  Does this mean He is leading them back to the Egyptians?  What is going on?

At that moment, the pillar becomes a barrier, giving light to the Israelites and darkness to the Egyptians.  For the moment, Pharaoh’s attack is halted but they still have nowhere to go.  Suddenly, from nowhere, a strong wind begins to blow, a wind stronger than anything ever experienced.  It blows over them and around them, almost knocking them to the ground.  It is so strong that the sea responds by dividing in half from one side to the other, the way of escape is made known but it lies through the sea.  

As they begin their crossing, they find that the ground below their feet is dry and all night long, as the wind continues to blow, they walk across on dry ground. Can you see this picture in your mind?  Can you understand the great lesson God gives us here?  The lesson is that God is present and in control of every situation.  He knew Pharaoh’s position.  He knew the Israelites were caught between his army and the sea.  And God also knew how to provide a way of escape and rid Israel of her enemy, all at the same time.  While the Children of Israel stood there panicking, God was working, preparing the way of escape and the means of the enemy’s destruction.

Verse 21 simply says, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.”  Please notice the words, “all that night.”  It was dark, the wind was blowing, the fire of God was behind them, and it seemed the darkness would never end.  There was the darkness of night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of moving into the unknown, but God was there.  His presence was all around them during this trying time.  He was in the fire giving light, He was in the sea holding the water back, and He was in the wind, making the ground dry, maintaining this miracle until the last person was safely across.

Is it night where you are today?  Does it seem you are caught between impossible situations?  You can’t go backward, for that means losing ground, and the way ahead is hopelessly blocked.  You panic, become anxious, and grow more and more fearful.  Take courage!   God is there!  He knows all about your situation and He is in control.  The way out, the way to safety and to God’s promises lies before you, never behind you!  He is working in the middle of all this chaos to bring you through on dry ground?  

Look around you and you will see Him working, holding your enemy back while the sea opens in front.  Do not be afraid to walk through it, the waters will hold and the ground will be dry.  No matter how long it takes, a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, or longer, God will never leave you.  Just as He was with the Israelites, He will be with you.  That’s right, all night long!!!!  Forward march!!

New and Improved

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y last visit to the grocery store, lo these many months ago, proved to be quite a learning experience.  As I pushed my cart up and down the aisles, several items caught my attention.  Every shelf, it seemed, was dotted with little tags indicating a bargain buy or a new item.  On one aisle, in particular, almost every item had one of these small tags attached to it.

At first I was overwhelmed.  It was almost impossible to distinguish which tag went with which item.  In no way, I thought, could these many items be on sale.  Upon closer inspection, I discovered I was right.  While some of the tags indicated discounted items and others indicated new items to the store, there were several tags that had a very different message.  These tags carried the slogan “New and Improved!” 

As I continued to shop, I noticed several of these tags were affixed to some of my favorite items.  I finally arrived at the aisle where the cereals and breakfast foods were stocked.  A broad smile spread across my face as I noticed that not only did my favorite cereal have a tag indicating it was on sale, but the box also indicated it had a “new and improved” taste.  I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.  Not only was my cereal discounted, it was new and improved.  What more could a guy ask for?

I quickly finished my shopping, checked out at the register, loaded my car, and went home.  All I could think about was that box of cereal and its new taste.  My taste buds were already exploding with anticipation and excitement as I considered what the “new and improved” taste would be.

After unloading my groceries and putting everything away, I grabbed box of cereal, poured myself a large bowl, doused it with milk, and took my first bite.  Something wasn’t quite right.  The cereal did taste “new” but I didn’t consider the taste to be “improved.”  A few more mouthfuls proved my point and I finished the bowl with much less enthusiasm than when I began.  “New and Improved” the tag had promised.  Well, it was new, that much I had to agree with but it was most definitely not improved.

Every day people from all walks of life experience the very same thing.  However, instead of shopping for groceries, they are shopping for meaning and substance in life.  Everywhere, the shelves of life are full of ideas, beliefs, and promises.  Some of these notions are new, some are discounted, and others claim to be new and improved.  All of them look appealing, all of them come wrapped in flashy packaging, and all of them claim to offer what we are looking for.

Most people are reluctant to try something totally new, but they will select ideas and beliefs that are labeled “New and Improved.”  This is true of Christians as well.  And therein lies the great danger for us. We become frustrated with our personal walk with God, believing that if we don’t feel anything spiritual, then our relationship with God is not what it should be.  In order to correct this, we begin looking at the latest trends in worship, the latest releases from our favorite authors, and the most inspiring music we can find.  We get excited about all of these things but soon realize they do not satisfactorily meet our needs.  They are new but are they improved?

We need to understand that we serve a God who cannot be “improved upon.”  He is perfect and His ways are perfect.  In Malachi 3:6a, the prophet records God’s words concerning Himself: “I am the Lord, I change not!”  There you have it.  

In a world that is constantly changing, constantly adrift in the sea of new ideas, new belief systems, and new solutions to life’s problems, isn’t it nice to know that we serve a God who doesn’t change.  His love for us is constant and all His promises remain eternally true.  No matter what changes come our way, He is the one mainstay of life, the one anchor that holds everything in place, and the one who always protects us no matter what. New and improved!  I think I’ll stick with the tried and tested!  How about you?

Look AtAll This Stuff

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oxes, boxes, boxes! Big boxes, little boxes, round boxes, square boxes.  Honestly, if I see one more box, I believe I’ll go absolutely bonkers.  For the past week, I had been concentrating all my efforts on moving from my dorm room to an apartment across town.  I never knew one person could accumulate so much stuff in the space of five years.  I was firmly convinced I held the record for the most items crammed into a single room.  I should have called Guinness Book of Records.

My parents and sister were gracious enough to haul all my worldly possessions from North Carolina and help me set up my apartment. Everything was going very smoothly until Tuesday afternoon.  That’s the day I moved the remaining contents of my dorm to my new place.  When I began unpacking all my “stuff”, I began to get really frustrated and overwhelmed.  The more I unpacked, the more stuff I seemed to have.  My room resembled a verse from the children’s song, “Old MacDonald”:  Here a box, there a box, everywhere a box, box!!

My mom was sitting at a safe distance across the room watching my frustration level mount as I unpacked each box.  Finally, just before I reached critical melt-down, she came to my rescue and helped me sort through all those boxes.  I remember saying to her, “Look at all this stuff!”  I couldn’t concentrate on the task at hand nor could I enjoy the fact that I was moving into a new place because all the boxes and the “stuff” they contained weighed me down.  Just thinking about unpacking their contents robbed me of the joy of moving into a new home.

The writer of Hebrews hit the bull’s-eye when he warned his readers about the dangers of becoming entangled and ensnared by all the cares of this world.  He knew how easy it is for the Christian to become side-tracked from the daily walk with God.  He fully understood how the “stuff” of life—its cares, its worries, its challenges, its trials, and all the alluring things it offers—can serve as a stumbling block and a hindrance to those who follow Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 12:1, the writer makes the following observation: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  Notice the four distinct things addressed in this passage: 

·        First, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, those who have finished the race and are now with God.  They serve as examples to us that the race can be completed and their lives inspire us to stay on course.

·        Second, the writer admonishes us to cast aside anything and everything that hinders us from running the race God intends for us to run.  This passage tells us plainly that there are things in life that hinder and entangle us. 

·        Third, we all have a race to run.  God has determined our race and he also knows we can finish it!  According to his word, he will not place on us more than we can carry so we know the race is doable. 

·        Fourth, we must run this race with perseverance, determining daily to see it through to the end.  This means we must throw off all the excess baggage that would prevent us from being at our best at all times.

I learned much from that move.  I had way too much stuff and I had to take a hard look at what I really needed in order live on a daily basis.  My Christian walk must be the same as well.  I must look to see what kind of “stuff” is keeping me from being all that God would have me to be and I must send it to the trash heap and determine not to accumulate more “stuff” in my life.  There can be very little room for God in my life if I continually fill it with “stuff”.  Instead, I must empty my life of everything that prevents God from filling it completely.  What kind of “stuff” do you have in your life today?

Read Only

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ave you ever stopped to consider what wonderful things computers are? Now, I know, there are times when they are anything but wonderful, especially if you're in a hurry or really need something.  Who hasn't had the experience of downloading a file from the Internet only to have the computer break the connection at the last minute?  Or, knowing a particular file exists on the computer, receiving the message the file can't be found.  Moreover, right in the middle of entering some important information, you get a message that a "fatal flaw" has occurred.  My favorite is when I perform an illegal operation.  I just sit in my room and wait for the cyberpolice to come arrest me for doing something illegally on my computer.  However, the worst experience I have encountered is losing a whole file because I failed to hit the "save" button on a regular basis.  Sound familiar?

Earlier this week I had an interesting experience while trying to save a file.  I had opened a document saved with my word processor.  When I went to save the document, I received a message indicating the file was in read-only format.  Perplexed, I continued to hit the save button, only to receive the same message again.  It now became personal, between me and the computer.  There was simply no way I was going to admit defeat until the computer accepted the changes I had entered.  Do you know what happened in the end?  You guessed it, the computer won.  Read-only format, means just that, READ ONLY.  No additions, alterations, or subtractions can be made to the existing text.  It stands just as it is.  It reads the same every time it is opened, no matter if it is place on another computer.  The file always remains the same.

Would it surprise you to learn that the Bible is a read-only document?  Each time it is opened, it reads the same way, using the same words, in the same order, revealing the same truths.  No matter how much we want to add to it or subtract from it or alter it, we simply can make no changes to it.  The same promises given to Moses, Abraham, David, Solomon, Daniel, Elijah, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, Mark, Paul, Peter, etc. are exactly the same promises given to us.  Likewise, the same admonitions, warnings, and rebukes given to them are also directed to us as well.

While various debates continue concerning the accuracy and the exact meaning of the scriptures, two passages of scripture give clear and concrete insight into God's design for his word.   The prophet Isaiah records the following statement concerning God's word in Isaiah 55:11, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  Likewise, God's word is everlasting.  The words of Jesus in Luke 23:13 speak to this point, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

The message is clear.  God's word is everlasting and immutable. It is read-only, and it will always achieve his purpose and fulfill his promises to his people.  In a world where things are constantly changing, it is comforting and reassuring to know that God, wishing to reveal himself to all people through all time, made his word a read-only document.  Now, if people would ONLY READ it!!

A Bowl Of Chicken Soup

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everal years ago, I visited an oral surgeon to have two teeth extracted.  It wasn't exactly my idea of a swell time but it was necessary to prevent further difficulties with my mouth later on.  I have very little recollection of the procedure but I was sure it took place because I was sore and just a little swollen, with a space in my mouth where the teeth used to be.  Other than these obvious signs, you'd never know I had anything done to my mouth.

Due to the wounds in my mouth, I had to follow a set procedure about eating.  For the first twenty-four-hour period, I could have nothing hot and nothing solid.  This effectively relegated my diet to ice cream and pudding.  Although they are good and fun to eat, a constant diet of them leaves much to be desired.  It's one thing when you know you can have them and it's something totally different when you know that's all you can have to eat.

The following day, however, I could have warm food.  Now, solid food was still a bit tricky so I found myself craving chicken soup.  No matter what else I considered eating, chicken soup kept winning out.  I knew it would be warm, I knew it would taste good, and I knew it would make me feel better.  Nothing else would satisfy me this evening. It had to be chicken soup or nothing.  I went to a local restaurant that served great chicken noodle soup and ordered myself a bowl.  As I began to eat it, I felt satisfied, soothed, and relieved.  That bowl of chicken soup was the one thing I wanted, the one thing that would satisfy me, the one thing that would meet my need. 

David, Israel's most beloved king and writer of numerous psalms, understood what it was to have a craving for only one thing.  In Psalm 27:4-5, the New Living Translation records his words,

The one thing I ask of the Lord—

the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord’s perfections

and meditating in his Temple.

                  For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

he will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

Here, David makes a list of the things that are the most important for life.  Notice that he asks the Lord for one thing.  In other words, David prays specifically and he continues asking for that one thing over and over, constantly seeking it above all other request.  However, unlike our prayers at times, David does not seek possessions, favorable circumstances, power, money, etc.  Instead, the one desire of his heart is to "live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in his temple."

What did David mean by this prayer?  What, exactly, was he searching for?  I believe David wanted to be as close to God as possible.  In order to live continually in God's house, to walk in his presence, to fully understand God, would mean to have a relationship with him that was unhampered by anyone or anything else.  Just imagine what our own walks with God would be like if this were the earnest prayer of our heart; that nothing in life would be more important than our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Moreover, David realizes that when our relationship with God is our most important concern, then we reap the benefits of all God has to offer.  Notice how David says confidently that God will hide him in time of trouble and he will place him out of the reach of any difficulty.  When we totally rely on God, when he becomes our one goal, when we seek to please him and no other, then we find in him all that we desire, all that we need, all we could imagine or dream.  This in no way means the road ahead will be easy, but it does mean that we will never walk it alone or without the help of the one who knows us and who created us for his glory.

The chicken soup I had that evening satisfied my need and provided comfort.  However, my mouth was still sore and many days of recovery lay ahead.  But continually partaking of hot, rich, healthy, chicken soup, made me feel better in the end and provided the comfort I needed until I was back in tip top shape. 

If a small thing like chicken soup is good for healing a small mouth wound, don't you just know how good God's presence, his love, and his word are good for healing all that ails the human heart and soul?  So, how 'bout it?  Don't you feel like having a bowl of soup today?  I heartily recommend a heaping dose of God's word.  It will cure what ails you!!!

Busted!

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ost people would never associate mining with North Carolina. In fact, when most people think of North Carolina, they imagine rolling hills, lush forests, vast tracts of pasture lands, sand dunes along the coast, and trees of every variety.  This is all true and very accurately describes my home state, but there are other things about the area that people just don’t consider.

Very close to my hometown, was a large mine which removed lithium ore from the ground.  North Carolina is one of the leading states for the production of this mineral.  The mine employed many people in our area and provided for an interesting field trip for the local school children. I will never forget seeing that large hole in the ground nor the size of the equipment needed for removing the huge boulders left after blasting occurred.

One of the by-products of the mine was gravel.  Large boulders were crushed into smaller rock which was sold to companies and individuals to be used for various reasons.  I went with my dad once to the mine to get a load of gravel.  The parking lot behind his business used to be gravel and after so much wear and tear on the lot, it was time to replenish the old gravel with new.

We took a large dump truck, drove to the mine, paid for a load of gravel, and waited for it to be loaded.  While we were there, I watched them make gravel.  It was a very interesting process.  Large boulders were placed into a heavy piece of machinery which proceeded to break the large chunk into millions of small fragments and shards.  The noise was deafening but when it was over, the large boulder had been rendered into very small pieces which could then be used for driveways, flowerbeds, drainage ditches, etc.  The large rock was useless; but once broken into pieces, it had many new and useful applications.

This is a wonderful lesson for us today.  Many times, in the Christian life, we feel as if God is breaking us into smaller pieces.  He digs deep, pulls out a large chunk of our hearts, and then places it in the grinder.  Just when we feel we have nothing left to give, God takes what we have and crushes it into smaller pieces.  Although we don’t understand why, his purpose is to make us more useful for him.

Jesus demonstrated this at the feeding of the five thousand.  A little boy brought him five loaves and two fish.  Among so many people, they were nothing.  They would hardly feed a little boy, much less a throng of five thousand people.  Yet, when Jesus took those items in his hands, he fed the multitude, until all of them had as much as they wanted.

Matthew 14:19 shows how Jesus accomplished this task, “And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”  Jesus gave thanks for the fish and the bread and then he broke them.  That is the secret we need to see today.

In their original form, these loaves and fish could only feed one little boy.  They were meant for his lunch, to sustain him until he arrived home for dinner.  However, when Jesus began to break them, they took on much more ability.  Not only did they feed the little lad, they fed the entire group with twelve baskets full of pieces left over.

Today, you may feel as if you are being broken and crushed.  From your perspective, this brings confusion and frustration.  From God’s perspective, however, it makes perfect sense.  He is using you to touch the lives of countless others, others who are tired and hungry for spiritual food.  Who knows how many people your life will touch if you will yield yourself to the Master’s hand?  Won’t you let him break you today?