Meeting God On Hemphill Street

 

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he drive home from the university was pretty much the same as every day before it.  I passed the same houses, the same businesses were peddling their wares on Cooper Street, the same construction zones were still under construction and probably always will be, and the same houses that were there on Monday, were there on Tuesday.  Yep! All in all, the drive home wasn’t all that spectacular, just routine!

As I neared Fort Worth, I began lining up my car to exit from the Interstate.  During the ride from Arlington, about 20 minutes, I had to maneuver from one side of the Interstate to the other in order to follow I-20 West.  At several points, other roads diverged from the Interstate, forcing me to change lanes in order to stay on course.  As I neared Fort Worth, however, I had to maneuver again, back to the right side, in order to exit the Interstate.  The fun just never ends!

I maneuvered through traffic with relatively little hassle.  I passed Campus Drive and came upon the south mixmaster, that’s what Texans affectionately call the junction of several major roads.  It looks more like the arms of an octopus and if you’re not careful those arms can make your life a living nightmare!  Just beyond the mixmaster, I saw the exit for Hemphill Street, my exit from the Interstate.  As I changed lanes, something happened in my car, something very exciting.

There were no flashing lights, no bells and whistles sounded, the horn didn’t start honking uncontrollably, nor did the radio go haywire.  For all intents and purposes, everything was normal inside the car except for me.  As I took the exit for Hemphill Street I felt God’s presence so real and so near.  The only word that came to mind to describe it was joy.  It wasn’t a giddy happiness or a knee-slapping laughter kind of joy but a warm sense of peace, contentment, and reassurance that comes from knowing you are securely in the center of God’s will no matter what the circumstances of life tell you.

A passage from Nehemiah came to mind as I reflected on how good God is.  He is good all the time, not just when things are going well, but all the time and even more so when life’s road changes from a smooth path to a minefield.  Nehemiah fully understood this feeling when he penned the following from Nehemiah 8:10: Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Nehemiah had gained the permission of the King to return from his exile in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.  As the construction proceeded, Nehemiah also had the word of the Lord read to the people.  Upon hearing it, they began to weep and mourn with sadness.  Nehemiah wanted them to be joyful, to dedicate this time to the Lord and to rejoice in His provision.  His enthusiasm can is especially felt when he tells the people the God’s joy is their strength.

The people were to rejoice with God’s joy, not their own.  They were to stand in His strength and to walk in His light.  These are the things God provides to those who follow Him, who have accepted His son as Savior and Lord.  In the middle of a construction project, with enemies all around them, with no written guarantee for tomorrow, Nehemiah encouraged his people to rejoice in the Lord.

I want you to know that Nehemiah’s word is still good and applicable to our lives today.  Wherever you are in your walk with God, know that He loves you, that He cares for you, that He is working even now to provide your needs, and He wants you to rejoice in Him.  God’s strength and joy can be found in your office, in your home, while paying bills, in the grocery store, at the car wash, etc.  Yes, you can even meet with God on Hemphill Street!  

Sounding The Alarm

 

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very morning at 4:45, my alarm sounds.  No matter the weather outside and no matter how restful my sleep may or may not have been, that alarm sounds telling me to get out of bed and start my day.  As I lay in bed this morning listening to that alarm, I began to think about all the different ways I receive warnings and alerts throughout the day.

My computer at work has an alarm informing me of the arrival of new e-mails.  This alarm sounds all the time as you can imagine.  Outside my office door there is a fire alarm to alert everyone in the building of impending danger.  My car is equipped with an anti-theft system that will send out a blaring shrill should anyone attempt to climb in without permission and, like most of you, my home has an alarm to alert me of a fire or an intruder.  I constantly set off this alarm by opening doors without first turning off the alarm.  I’ll bet this happens to many of you as well.

It should come as no surprise to us that the Bible speaks of the alarm found in the human heart.  This alarm sounds to alert us of the potential dangers in our thought lives, in our actions, and in our reactions to the various situations life brings our way.  This alarm is found in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

You want to talk about an alarm!  My morning alarm hurts my ears but God’s alarm goes straight to the bones, joints, marrow, and the heart!  It leaves nothing to chance!  It touches and affects every fiber of our being and it judges our thoughts, our attitudes, and our intentions.

If you are like me, you hear this alarm several times during the day.  God continually warns me of thoughts, of reactions, of words I’d like to say but shouldn’t and of attitudes I have that are unpleasing to him.  That is the purpose of the alarm; it is to wake us from our slumber in order to face things in the proper frame of mind and spirit.

Is the alarm sounding in your life today?  If so, listen to it and obey it.  Don’t roll over and hit the snooze button, hoping for a little reprieve.  Instead, let God search your heart and alert you to the changes that need to be made in order to face life’s situations in a way that is pleasing to him.  Have a great day today!

What A Dump!

              

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he look on my mother’s face confirmed that my words had hit their mark and had drawn blood.  As most kids do, I had made a simple observation.  My statement had been blunt with absolutely no tact and no compassion, going right for the jugular.  Little did I know that my comment actually echoed a very famous line from a Betty Davis movie.  Her line was simply, “What a dump!” my line was, “What a shack!”

I was commenting on our home which was anything but a shack! My mom and dad worked very hard to provide a nice house for our family.  Our home was always clean, it was attractive, the yard was well maintained, and everyone who visited us was always welcome.  However, I didn’t quite see it that way. 

I had been visiting one of my friends in another neighborhood where all the houses were made of brick.  Our house was constructed of wood with siding.  Our house had to be painted at regular intervals while brick houses always looked as if they had just been constructed.  The point was, I thought that those living in brick houses were more well-to-do than those of us who lived in wooden houses.  When I shared my observation with my mom, she was not pleased and had an interesting solution to this situation.

She shared my convictions with my dad, who himself was just a little displeased with my observation.  She suggested he take me and show me a “shack” so I could see the difference. I will never forget that ride into the country to see a shack. When we got there, I was greatly embarrassed because in front of me was a dwelling that was not at all attractive.  There was no yard, the siding was discolored and falling off the structure, the windows needed replacing and the roof was in desperate need of repair.  Nothing about the structure looked comfortable or inviting and I was ashamed that I had hurt my parents by not appreciating or respecting their hard work to provide me with a good home.

There is a great parallel between my observation as a child and the way we view ourselves daily both as Christians and as people.  The world’s system does its best to convince us that we can always improve ourselves and be better.  Advertisers constantly bombard us with products to make us look better, to make us feel better, to remove unwanted wrinkles, to give us 20/20 vision, and to remove all signs of aging.  These ads are filled with “beautiful people” who don’t need the products they are advertising.  Does it bother you that people in perfect shape are selling diet pills?  Or how about the people without one shred of fat selling liposuction surgery? 

All this is geared toward making us believe that our bodies are indeed shacks, old, worn out, unattractive dwellings that no one wants or cares about.  The problem is we believe them.  We buy the notion lock, stock, and barrel that we are not good enough, that we are substandard, that we have little, if any, worth.  What a vast difference there is in our perspective and the way God sees us!

Isaiah 43:7 simply says, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."  This verse is part of a larger passage where God promises to bring the children of Israel from the four corners of the globe and to re-establish them in their own land.  But I also find great comfort in the words of this small verse.  Three things we need to understand from this statement pertain to who we are and what our purpose in life is.

First, we are called by God’s name.  Think about that for just a minute.  All of us have a name and that name carries with it all the character of the person who gave it to us.  If that is true on a social level, how much more wonderful it is to know that God has given us his name and calls us his own. 

Second, we were created with a purpose and that purpose is to glorify God.  Every aspect of our lives is to glorify him because when we live life according to his plan and his will we are happy and satisfied and when we live life this way we glorify God.  This means we fulfill the purpose for which we were made. 

Third, and my personal favorite, is the fact that God says he made us and formed us.  Have you ever watched someone working with clay?  It is a fascinating process.  To make something from the clay, it must be formed.  Forming means to give shape to something. The craftsman must get his hands dirty and work and mold and gently rub the clay until it becomes what he intended.  Can you grasp the truth that when God created you, he got his hands dirt? He molded and worked and shaped and rubbed until you became you—a masterpiece!

The God we serve does not make junk and he does not make shacks!!  He is in the business of making masterpieces.  The Scriptures also tell us that we are God’s temple, his dwelling.  God does not live in a shack—he lives in you.  If you are one of his children, there is no way you can ever look at yourself as a shack!  That is the world’s perspective while God’s is completely the opposite.  Which perspective are you living today?

Underneath The Pavement

 

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nderneath the large esplanade in front of Notre Dame in Paris lies a large collection of ruins, memories of days gone by, witnesses to what used to be.  In order to visit these ruins, it is necessary to descend a small set of stairs and enter into the past.  Here, in this well-lighted museum, far below the bustling streets above, the foundations of buildings, houses, and streets lie uncovered in plain view.

There is a walking tour that guides you through this maze and all along the walls are written explanations about the ruins in front of you.  Models and maps at the entrance to the gallery provide a vivid representation of Paris as it grew and changed from one century to the next.  Yet, here below the streets, the past speaks to the present, reminding us of what once was and causing us to consider what will be.

As I mused through this gallery, one area in particular caught my attention.  In the back of the museum, not far from where the cathedral is standing were the ruins of a home built in the first century A.D.  The ruins clearly showed an arched doorway, a staircase, and several foundations for walls that divided the dwelling into rooms.  Although the actual walls and roofs were no longer visible, the foundations of that structure were as clear as the day they were cut from the stone before me.

I began to play a type of game during the remaining portion of my visit.  At each exhibit, I located the foundation of the structure, be it a house, a building, a cellar, or a street.  Each foundation was the same as the one I had seen earlier in the back portion of the crypt.  The stones, perfectly cut and expertly laid, were fashioned to bear the burden of the structures placed upon them.  What better picture could there be of Jesus Christ, the foundation upon which we must build our lives, than these stones?

In 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, the Apostle Paul writes these words, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 

As we can see from this passage, Paul understood the importance of the foundation.  He knew that in any construction project the foundation plays the pivotal role.  If the foundation is poorly fashioned and laid, then the structure, no matter how elegant or sound, is doomed to destruction.  Without a firm foundation, no building will be able to withstand the wear and tear that comes from being exposed on a daily basis to the weather and other forces of nature.

If this is true for a building, how much more true is it for a life?  Paul also understood that in order for our lives to have meaning and purpose they must have a solid foundation and that foundation is Jesus Christ.  Look at Paul’s admonition that one must be careful how he builds.  The only foundation upon which we must build is Jesus Christ, and only on him must we anchor and build our lives.

This is nowhere more true than in the church.  We must understand that the church is the church of Jesus Christ.  It belongs to him, not to us.  The foundation of every church must be Jesus Christ.  Neither the pastor, nor the Sunday school teacher, nor the deacons, nor a doctrinal statement, nor a building, nor traditions, nor particular families, nor the members of a church can be considered as the church’s foundation.  We sing the hymn, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord…”  How true this is.  Jesus is the only foundation the church has, any other foundation, no matter how appealing or convenient, is unacceptable to God.

 

What are you building your life on today?  Is it the sure foundation found in Jesus Christ?  If your life were excavated and laid bare, what type of foundation would be found?  Would it be like those found underneath the Paris streets, still solid, still visible, still as robust and strong as the day it was laid?  Would it show evidence of having endured the hardships and challenges of life while still maintaining its steadfastness and strength?  This is exactly what your life would resemble if Christ were the foundation.  What is under the pavement of your life today?

Want To Or Have To?

 

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uying my first brand new car was quite an adventure, especially since I was purchasing out of necessity instead of want.  My brother, however, also decided to buy a car, but his motivation was one of desire.  But anyway you sliced it, we were both looking for cars, eyes wide, mouths gaping, and checkbooks at the ready.  Not a very good combination if I must say so myself.

One Saturday afternoon after a rainstorm, my parents, my brother, and I loaded up in mom and dad’s van and went in search of cars.  We arrived in a town about 20 minutes away that had row upon row of car dealerships.  It was an automotive smorgasbord and we were just salivating, waiting for our chance to sample all the delectable dishes. 

We first stopped and looked at some cars my brother was interested in.  Specifically, he was interested in a fire-engine-red-two-door-convertible sports car!  We took it out on the road for a test drive and it was a blast.  While we were out joyriding, the salesman asked my parents if both of us were looking for cars.  My mom said, “Yes.  One is looking because he wants to and the other is looking because he has to.”  The salesman confessed he didn’t know which was worse!

The test drive proved to be fatal!  Kevin fell in love with the car and decided to buy it.  As for me, we continued on to a few more dealerships before my checkbook was critically wounded.  But I was happy with the car I’d found and after a few days of wheeling and dealing, it was sitting in my driveway right along with the payment book!!

It shouldn’t surprise us that in the Christian life, we perform our acts of service from one of these two standpoints.  We serve God because we want to, or we do it because we feel we have to.  God, however, is very clear concerning the type of service He wants from those who call themselves His children.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul makes the following observation, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. “ Most people believe that this verse concerns only money and I would have to say that for the most part, pastors use this verse in this manner.  However, I believe there may be broader implications than we are at first aware.

First, please notice that giving begins in the heart, not the head!  The heart is very important to God because it represents the motives and the reasons behind our actions.  God always looks at our intents to see why we do the things we do.  Thus, performing any task, no matter how noble or spiritual it may appear, if it is done from a spirit of obligation, reluctance, or under compulsion, God is not pleased with our service.  Which do you appreciate more, a gift someone gives you because they want to or a gift they give you because they feel as if they have to?  Hands down, we all would rather receive a gift given because someone wanted to serve us rather than a gift from obligation.

How are your serving God today?  Is your heart in the right place? Have you determined that the gift you will give to God will be given willingly and cheerfully?  It may be money, it may be time, it may be service, it may be visiting someone who is sick, or it may be showing love to someone who isn’t particularly lovable.  What ever your gift, remember that God wants and expects you to give it cheerfully.  Are you a want-to or a have-to-giver today?

Until The Finger Work Is Done

 

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ne of my fondest memories from childhood centers around the back hall of our home on Main Street.  Much like a magnet, everyone in the house was drawn to the back hall, usually at the same time, creating a traffic jam which made New York City look tame.

Our back hall contained the washer and dryer, which were always in use, the pantry, the most popular spot in the house, the utility closet, daddy’s closet, the dog’s box, the back door, and mom’s sewing machine.  As you can see, there was always a constant stream of traffic in the back hall and, although congested, it was a place I thoroughly loved to be.

Several times during the year, mom sat in the back hall at her sewing machine doing what she loved best, making us clothes.  She loved the challenge and I could always tell when she was working on a project because it was the only time she tolerated any kind of clutter in the back hall.  Since it is impossible to sew without making a mess, mom tolerated piles of cloth, balls of unused thread on the floor, scraps of pattern paper, and the presence of the ironing board which effectively blocked traffic flow in the back hall, forcing us to detour through the rest of the house.

As Easter rapidly approached, I remember seeing her in front of her sewing machine, making clothes for all of us. Every Easter I remember the clothes mom made for me, for my brother and sister, and for herself.  Daddy always had suits but mom wanted to make clothes for us, and make them she did.  Beautiful clothes, ones that made me feel very good about myself, and one’s that made me very proud of her.  I still have several shirts mom made for me in my closet.  Even though I can no longer wear them, I will not part with them!

The most important part of mom’s sewing was the finger work; it was also the most tedious.  This involved hemming pants and skirts, sewing on clasps and snaps, working buttonholes, and placing buttons.  Mom finished all her projects up to the finger work.  Usually, she worked well into the night sewing buttons and placing decorative stitching for that added touch.  While the rest of us slept, she sat in the back hall, listening to the radio, singing as she worked, her hands expertly working the needle and the thread until the job was done.

Many things I have learned from my mother but this example of her diligence in the details speaks volumes to me about the love of my Heavenly Father and His care for me.  God is very interested in the finger work of my life and of your life.  He pays close attention to every detail and leaves nothing undone or unfinished.  Working while we are resting, working while we are asleep, working so far ahead of us we can’t even fathom the things He has planned for us. God does not rest until the finger work of our lives is done.

In Psalm 139:13-16, David reminds us just how important God’s finger work is: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Notice the words David uses to describe how God works.  God created, He knitted, He made, He wove, He saw, He ordained, and He wrote!  Every one of these activities requires thought and planning.  Every one of these actions speaks about God’s will and desire to create and to make us down to the last detail.  It is impossible to knit without touching the yarn.  It is impossible to weave without first conceiving a pattern.  It is impossible to ordain without giving a purpose.  Yes, God’s finger work is most evident in us because He loves us and He cares for us and He wants us!  Of all the things God created, only man was given the opportunity to have a relationship with God.  Only man has the opportunity to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and the redemption of man from his sins is the reason Jesus came to die on Calvary’s cross.

Wherever you are today in your walk with God, know this.  As His child, He loves you, He has plans for you, and He is constantly working on you to bring you into conformity with His son, Jesus Christ.  God will keep working in your life until He has accomplished His purpose for and through you.  No detail will be neglected because God will not finish until the finger work is done!  You have His word on it today!!

The Power Bill

 

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nce a month I receive a nice little reminder in my mailbox.  It comes in a neat little envelope with my name and address appearing prominently in the window.  Just like clockwork, the mailman brings it at the same time and each month I open it, peek inside, pull out the papers, and look at the lovely charts, numbers, and explanations printed on the face of my power bill!

First, there is a billing summary of my charges complete with a reminder of how much I spent on power the month before, as if I want to be reminded of that!  Next comes the current usage and finally at the bottom is the total amount I owe for my power bill.  To top things off in a decorative manner, my electrical company provides a chart displaying my usage for the past twelve months.  The little bars go up and down showing me where I saved money as well as the months where I spent money--lots of it—for which the power company is very grateful!

A quick gander at the chart reveals that most of my power consumption occurs during the hottest and coldest months of the year.  This should come as no surprise to me or to anyone else.  It is during the winter and the summer months that I am powerless to ward off the biting cold or the sweltering heat.  So, I run my heating and my air conditioning units to protect and comfort me during these months.  The spikes in my power bill represent those times when I must use the resources available to me to make it through both the heat and the cold.

How much of God’s power are we using in our daily walk with Him?  If God presented us with a power bill indicating the amount of His power flowing through our lives would the spikes on the graph be high or low?  Would there be months when no power was used at all, a flat line as it were, indicating the times when we didn’t want or use God’s power?  Or would there be an even row of spikes showing that we call on God’s power all the time, realizing that we need Him on a daily basis if we are ever to live the Christian life as He intended?

For those Christians who maintain a close relationship with their Heavenly Father, the spikes on the graph would be pretty even.  Still, there would be times when the bars on the graph were very high, indicating a greater need to call on God’s power and strength to see them through.  No doubt these spikes would coincide with times of great struggle, trial, pain, disappointment and growth.  It seems that at those times in life when the road grows steeper, the way grows more difficult, and the path grows weary, that God gives us an extra portion of His grace to strengthen and sustain us.

The Apostle Paul knew this all to well.  In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, he reminds his readers, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

In this passage, Paul is speaking of a “thorn in the flesh” that plagued him during his life. On three occasions, he asked the Lord to remove it from him and each time the Lord said, “No.”  God, however, did not leave Paul without an explanation.  This entire passage is one of great encouragement to Paul and to us.  God explains that our weaknesses are actually opportunities for Him to display His power through us.

In moments when we face tragedy, in moments of medical crises, in times of all types of difficulties, we find that God’s grace is indeed our strength, the power we need to continue.  It is during the times of our greatest weaknesses that God’s power reaches its greatest levels in our lives.  That is the promise of this passage.

Notice Paul says he is able to persevere in all types of struggles because he realizes that when he is weak, God becomes his strength.  So how would you rate your usage of God’s power in your life?  Is there a steady flow running through your life on a daily basis?  Are you constantly in contact with your Heavenly Father, drawing your strength and energy from Him for every situation in your life?  Are you thanking Him for the times when you need extra power and He provides for you in your moments of weakness, in the face of overwhelming odds and insurmountable circumstances? 

His grace is sufficient for your every need and His power is perfected, made complete, in our weaknesses.  Whatever you are facing in life today lay hold of the promise that God knows where you are. He understands your situation and He stands ready to provide all the strength you need to meet all the challenges life throws in your path.  What does the power bill of your life tell you about your usage of God’s power today?

The Other Side of the Jordan

 

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he Jordan River is a very famous landmark, especially for Christians.  This is the river the Children of Israel crossed to enter the Promised Land.  It is the river which split as the priest, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, entered and remained opened until the people had crossed over.  Joshua took twelve large stones from this river and built a monument as a lasting memorial to succeeding generations of what God had done for the people.

We also know this river as the place where John the Baptist baptized his followers and it is the same river in which Jesus himself came to be baptized.  The Jordan has become the favorite image of many songs and hymns.  George Beverly Shea sang “Roll Jordan Roll” and who can forget the popular hymn “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand”?  We speak of the moment of death as crossing the Jordan River with Heaven waiting on the other side as we cross over from this life to the next.

All of these are accurate and play such an integral part of our faith.  However, one passage from the Scriptures sticks out in my mind that paints the Jordan River in a different light.  That passage is found in John 1:28, “This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”  In this chapter, we learn that a delegation of priests and Levites came from Jerusalem to question John.  They wanted to know what he had to say about his ministry and they expected an answer.

It is interesting to me that they came to John in Bethany instead of John coming to them in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem was the capital and the center of all religious life for the Jews. Yet the leaders left Jerusalem and crossed the Jordan in order to speak with John. This should serve as a great encouragement for us today and also a stern warning.  God’s work will be accomplished in His time and by people dedicated to His purpose.  John was not a priest, nor a prophet, nor a Pharisee, nor a Levi.  He wasn’t anyone considered by the religious leaders to be theologically learned or someone with a vast amount of training.  Yet, God was working through John’s ministry and John was privy to the identity of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, while those of the religious order stumbled in the dark.

The encouragement comes when we realize time, place, or individual people do not bind God.  He can and will use any one in any situation to accomplish His purpose.  John is proof positive of this.  Likewise, just because we attend a certain church, serve on a dozen committees, give of our time and our resources to our local congregation, does not mean we are serving the Lord and His purposes.  It is just possible that we are serving our own and that is something God simply will not tolerate.

Today, the Jordan River still rolls and there are people today still visiting its banks.  As believers in Christ, we must ask ourselves which side of this river we occupy.  Are we standing on the side of the river where God’s work is seemingly being done?  Are we comfortable in our religious activities, content to maintain the status quo of going to services and placing our offering in the plate?  Or have we crossed the river and entered the wilderness where the Spirit of the Lord is working, calling people to Himself, using us to bring others to the knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ?  Are you standing on the other side of the Jordan today?

The Pilot Light

 

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he last time my parents remodeled our home on Main Street, they made several drastic changes.  Not only did they alter the house structurally, making two new rooms and cutting a hole in the front of the house for a bay window; they also made changes in the heating system of the house.  Mom and dad decided to change from electricity to natural gas as a source for their heat, hot water, dryer, and cooking appliances in the kitchen.  We knew several families who had made the switch and mom and dad decided this would be a good move for them.

I distinctly remember the day the workers completed their task.  Our family was so excited and we moved all the furniture back into the house and mom spent weeks getting everything just as she wanted it.  No matter how much time you spend in construction, it’s nothing compared with the time spent arranging the house and its furnishings until everything is just perfect!

Not long after the remodeling was completed, I was in our basement.  It was always dark down there and as a kid I was convinced the whole place was haunted and inhabited by a host of hobgoblins.  You know how it is, a kid’s imagination just runs away from him and he imagines all kinds of things and all of them are real.  Anyway, on this particular day, I was convinced the goblins had returned to set up housekeeping in our new home.  In the basement, I saw an eerie blue light glowing from the furnace.  I wasn’t sure what this was but decided to investigate.  As I approached the furnace, I was very surprised to see an open flame burning, shedding a small glow in the basement’s darkness.

I immediately panicked, not knowing what to do.  I mean, there was a fire in our basement, an open flame that needed to be extinguished.  However, as I watched that flame, it just continued to glow, flickering harmlessly in the darkness.  Then I remembered what my dad had told me earlier.  Gas appliances have a pilot light, a flame that continually burns to prevent natural gas from building up in the house.  The pilot light also serves as the source of fuel for the appliances, supplying the necessary spark to run them when they are called into action.

As Christians, we have an ever-present pilot light in Jesus Christ.  John 1:5 gives us a wonderful description of this light that came into the world to dispel the darkness of sin.  “The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” This is one of the most beautiful passages in all the Scriptures.  Before the coming of Jesus Christ, the world was completely immersed in darkness.  There was no light to bring man to God and the darkness of sin left man without hope, without the ability to see where he was going.  But when the time was right God sent Jesus into the world to shine the light of His mercy and grace, to provide a way for man to come to the light of salvation and come out of his sin.

Notice that John writes this verse in the present tense.  The light always shines in the darkness.  It is always there, always glowing, always providing the spark that brings us into the light of God’s salvation, and the darkness of the world is powerless to put it out.  No matter how dark the storm, no matter how gloomy the way, no matter how thick the night might be around us, the light of God’s love and salvation shines in the darkness and the darkness can never put it out!

How long has it been since you noticed the Pilot Light of life?  When was the last time you were in a dark place?  How long has it been since the darkness made you realize and be thankful for the light of God’s salvation, the light that can never go out and that will never, never grow dim?  Don’t you think it’s time you checked your heart’s pilot light today?

Spiritual Magentism

 

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ife in the sixth grade was anything but boring.  I remember this as being one of the most pivotal years of my education.  It was the last year of elementary school, the last year of having only one or two teachers, and the last time I would keep my books tucked safely beneath my desk.  Junior high school and the seventh grade loomed large on the horizon so I determined to make my sixth-grade experience count for everything.

As a young boy, I loved science.  Anything that explained how things were put together and how things worked caught my attention.  I don’t think my sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Houser, ever forgave the bunch of boys who got into her chemistry kit and mixed things together in a small plastic container and watched as it exploded!  It was awesome but unfortunately Mrs. Houser didn’t share our enthusiasm!

A safer science lesson came in the form of the magnet.  Mrs. Houser passed around different magnets and pieces of metal and we all took turns watching as the magnets grabbed and pulled the pieces of steel rapidly toward them.  You could feel the attraction one piece of metal had for another and the pull was so strong sometimes that the magnet literally pulled the piece of metal out of my hand.  While I was amazed and fascinated with these two pieces of metal, I became more enthralled when Mrs. Houser passed around two magnets marked with a capital N on one end and a capital S on the other.

At her instruction, we held the N of one magnet close to the S of the other.  Amazingly, the two magnets joined forces and became one piece of metal.  However, the experiment didn’t work in the opposite direction. When the N of one magnet approached the N of the other magnet the two pieces of metal pushed away from each other.  In fact, it was impossible to make them join forces.  The same thing happened with the ends marked S.  What Mrs. Houser wanted us to learn was the principle that opposite forces attract while similar forces repel each other.

There is a direct parallel between my sixth-grade science class and our walk with the Lord.  As Christians, we live in the world and our job is to attract others to Jesus Christ.  Just like that magnet in Mrs. Houser’s room, if we would attract others and lead them to Christ, we must be just the opposite of what we see in the world.  Jesus used the picture of a light shining in the darkness to attract and draw people to the truth.  In Matthew 5:14-16 he says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

The first thing we must notice in this passage is Jesus’ description of his followers. We are light in a dark world.  Jesus does not give us a choice, if we are truly his disciples and his children then we are light.  Light is always the opposite of darkness and attracts people to its source.  Second, we cannot hide from the world.  It is impossible to hide a lit candle in a dark room and the same is true for Christians.  We will and must stand out against the darkness of this world.  We must let our light shine so others will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of our light shining in the darkness is that others will see our light and praise our Heavenly Father.  We are not in this for any pats on the back or so others will compliment us on our good behavior and thoughtful deeds.  We let our lights shine so that God may be praised.  Everything we do must point to God and must bring honor and glory to Him.  When we stop bringing glory to God and try to take all the credit for ourselves, we become like the rest of the world.  Then, instead of attracting others to God, we repel them.  We must guard against this!  Sadly, one of the must condemning criticisms of Christians is that it is sometimes impossible to distinguish us from the world system.  We say one thing but our actions indicate that we believe or hold to another series of principles. 

Today, as we walk with the Lord, let us ask ourselves how our spiritual magnets are working.  Are we living a life opposite to the world thus attracting others to our message or are we living a life in line with the world, repelling others from accepting the truth about Jesus Christ?  How well are we applying the principles of spiritual magnetism to our lives today? 

Nothing To Wear

 

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k, how many times have you opened up your closet and just stared?  You have been invited to go out to eat, or to a party, or over to a friend's house and you have absolutely nothing to wear?  If the truth were known, your closet is probably hanging full of clothes that are both attractive and fashionable but for some reason you don't wear them because you don't like the way you look in them.  Moreover, you are worried what people's reaction to you will be in a particular outfit.

We spend way too much time worried about our outward appearance.  We spend both time and money to find just the right apparel so we will be accepted by our peers.  Someone once said that we buy things we don't need at prices we can't afford with money we don't have to impress people we don't like. I believe this comes pretty close to the truth for most of us.

John the Baptist's wardrobe would have driven any modern-day designer crazy. The scriptures tell us in Matthew 3:3-4 that "John's clothes were made of camel hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.  His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan."  Pardon me, but John doesn't sound like someone you'd invite to a nice restaurant, or someone you'd probably have in your home as a dinner guest.  Yet, people from all over the region went out to see John. 

What was it about him that caused people to travel such a great distance to see him?  It definitely couldn't be the clothes or his diet.  Could it have been John's message?  Could it have been the fact that John's words and actions spoke of a man who knew God and spent time with him? I believe it was for this very reason people went to see him.  John came preaching repentance, telling people that what they needed was to be forgiven.  He came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.  His message was real, timely, and touched the lives of those around him.

We are called to do the same thing.  People should be drawn to us because of the message we share.  What is it about your life today that attracts people?  Is it what you wear, or the person you are underneath the clothing?  Is it the words you use or the message you send?  Is it the claims you make or the actions you perform?  John had no great store of clothes in his wardrobe.  There were no Armani suits or Oscar de la Renta ties.  All he had to give and to present was the message of God, and that can be worn anywhere for any occasion.

The Name Plaque

 

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n my office sits a name plaque I purchased in the summer of 2000 while I was a chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.  As I came to know the people working in the main office, I noticed that several of them had name plaques made by this man.  There were various designs and colors but all of them depicted scenes from the American Southwest.  All of them used earth tones and were made completely of sand.

Each time I visited one of the secretaries, I couldn’t help but noticing the name plaque on her desk.  I finally inquired as to how I could buy one for myself and one of the ladies was more than happy to share the information with me.  I contacted the gentleman, asked about the plaques, gave him my information, and then waited on him to complete my order.

After two weeks of waiting, he arrived on the ranch, bearing my name plaque in his hands.  It was very nice, much nicer than I had imagined.  Although I had written my name several times, I had never seen it displayed quite like this.  Now when I look at that name plaque, I remember all the people and the circumstances connected with it.  I remember feeling very proud and very excited at seeing my name displayed on such a lovely plaque.  I still get that feeling even now as I glace up from my keyboard and look at the plaque.

The book of Proverbs reveals the importance of a good name.  The writer gives us the following admonition in Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”  Notice the comparison he makes between a good name and the most precious metal known to man, gold.  We wear gold as a mark of good taste and prosperity.  We refer to gold as the standard for judging the wealth and worth of a person.  How much more true should this be of the name we wear, especially the name of Jesus Christ?

As Christians, we must understand that we do in fact wear the name of Jesus Christ wherever we go. The way we live our lives is a direct reflection on the name we claim.  If we speak one way and act another, we give people no reason to believe our claims about being Christian and every reason to reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

All of us have a name plaque on our lives today.  As Christians, our plaque should be inviting others to know more about our savior and lord.  They should be asking us where they can get a name plaque just like ours and we should be able to point them to Christ, who will give them a new name plaque, made by his hands.  Wherever you are today and whatever you are doing at this moment, stop and think about the way you represent Christ to the world.  Are you faithfully living according to the name written on the name plaque of your life?  

Not Even Close

 

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oday was the day!  After a week of discussions, preparations, decisions, and brainstorming sessions, our dream of building a tree house would finally come true.  My best friend, David, and I had discussed building a tree house for a long time.  Occasionally we would talk about the project, dreaming about the design and what we would do there once we had built it.  Finally, we decided we had talked enough!  What we needed now was action and a firm resolve to build that tree house.

David had the perfect spot.  There was a large tree with thick, heavy branches located beside his house.  It was just begging us to build a tree house in it!  Our fathers had plenty of hammers, saws, and nails we could borrow.  What we needed now was wood.  This was a major concern of ours but it didn’t stop us from making our plans.  We were convinced we would locate some wood, it was just a matter of time.  Finally, the day before we began the project we found a stash of wood perfectly suited for the job.  All that was left to do was to get my father’s permission to use it.

Our family ran the local funeral home and every few weeks a shipment of caskets would arrive.  The caskets came in large wooden crates that were discarded once the caskets were removed.  David and I found a large stack of broken-down crates outside the funeral home’s garage.  When we saw those discarded containers, we knew we had found our wood supply for the tree house.  He and I went straight to my dad and asked for the wood.  My dad gave it to us.  We made plans to meet early the next morning and build the tree house.

When morning came, David and I met in my backyard.  We went to the funeral home and carted all the wood to his back yard.  After a few short hours of dismantling the crates, we determined we had enough wood to do the project.  We decided to build the floor first and then add the walls and roof.  We chose the best branch in the tree and set out to construct our masterpiece.

It wasn’t long before every kid in the neighborhood caught wind of what we were doing.  They came to David’s house with their fathers’ saws, hammers, nails, and sandpaper.  Everyone wanted to get in on the action.  What started out as a friendly project for David and me turned into absolute mayhem.  David’s backyard looked more like a war zone than a construction site.  Finally, the construction started but none of our plans turned out the way we hoped.  Instead of a tree house with several rooms and a nice roof, the neighborhood kids succeeded in building a seat. 

All the planning, all the dreaming, all the gathering of materials, and all the creativity in the end came to naught.  David and I had good motives.  Our plan was good, our hopes were high, we had the best materials, and we believed in what we were doing.  However, what we got wasn’t even close to what we had envisioned.  To make matters worse, David’s dad was not pleased to come home and find his tree full of nails.  He called David inside for a brief discussion.  When David came out, he informed us that the seat had to come down and we helped him dismantle it.

There is a great lesson for us in this story from my childhood.  Although David and I had good intentions and a good dream, the end result was disaster.  We had thought everything out, we had gathered the materials, and we had designed the tree house.  However, we neglected to recognize that neither of us had the know-how or the ability to build a tree house.  Without this ability, all our efforts, no matter how wonderful, were doomed to failure.

The prophet Isaiah understood man’s inability to live a life pleasing to God.  No matter how noble his thoughts, no matter how lofty his dreams, no matter how well intentioned his actions, man simply cannot please God on his own merits.  In Isaiah 64:6 we get a good understanding of how our actions stack up against God’s standards for righteous living. “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away.”

What a sobering statement this is for us today.  Isaiah states here very plainly that all our efforts to live righteously are in vain.  It doesn’t matter that we have good intentions, that we perform noble acts, or that we give to worthwhile causes.  The Scriptures tell us that all our good works, all our good attempts, all our wonderful intentions, are counted as rubbish next to God’s requirements and standards for those who follow him.  Our works will never be good enough, our thoughts will never be pure enough, and our intentions will never be honorable enough to secure salvation for us.  There is no way we can earn God’s favor or his salvation. 

What, then, is left for us?  How can we ever hope to live a life that pleases God?  Is there any way we can be acceptable to him?  The answer is yes, by God’s grace.  Grace is receiving what we don’t deserve so that we can live a life that is pleasing to God and have a personal relationship with him.  When we were without hope and dead in our sins, God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for us.  He did this because we could not pay it ourselves.  Our sacrifice would have been just like us, filthy.  Instead, Jesus sacrificed himself in our stead, making all those who receive him acceptable to God. 

In our own strength and on our own merits we have no chance of coming to God.  However, when we accept his grace and the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we are made righteous before him.  With Jesus, we can enter directly into God’s presence.  Without him, we don’t even come close!