Inspirational Writing

Greetings All,

     This week's 'thought' comes to you in the form of a poem/prayer.  It was one youth's entry for "Inspirational Writing" at the 2014 IFCA National Youth Conference.  It's author is Casey VanderStel of Caledonia, WI, and is taken from, "VOICE - An Independent Church Journal" (May/June 2015).
     As you will see, she writes with keen insight, discernment and wisdom considering the fact that she appears, from her picture, to be of High School or early college age at best.  Yet despite her youth she possesses a good degree of self-understanding and expresses it with ample writing skills. I couldn't stop reading it once I started. I trust you will find it spiritually insightful and engaging as well. Enjoy.

A Selfish Prayer

     "My God, my God, why have I forsaken You?  My own spotlight drowns out Your stars. I choose my own ways over everything You are. 

     My God, I have forgotten the sound of Your voice, because my own always gets in the way.

     My God, sometimes I catch myself answering my own prayers when I pray. But this is my honest prayer, and it hurts to tell the truth... I struggle to trust You and don't always love You. The days I get it right are far too few. And I cringe to think of what people see when they look for You inside of me.

     My God, I've forged Your signature on a beautiful blueprint I've drawn up for my life, and keep it tucked inside my Bible, hoping You can take a hint.

     My God, my God, why have I forsaken You?  My fears have grown their own ugly heads and they are all I can see when I look to heaven. But I've perfected my Sunday smile and become a walking contradiction, a poster child hypocrite, everything I've always hated.

     I steal the praise that is meant for You. I am so reluctant to fall on my knees.  When I'm honest, my God, You are not everything to me.

     Does it break Your heart when I don't tell them I know You? They mock Your Christians and I don't tell them I follow You. They defile Your Name and I don't tell them I love You.  You are my travel God. I keep you in my glove compartment, with the packets of stale ketchup, between old napkins and owners manuals, and I pull You out whenever my engine stalls.

     My God, I need You every hour, but I only want You every Sunday.

     My God, sometimes I'm not even talking to You when I pray.

     You come in a solid second. You're my plan B. You're only my first choice if You're the only choice I see.  Every time I come to worship You I end up thinking only of me. My God, I am nothing but a selfish pray-er.

     My God, my God, why have I forsaken You? You fill my life with beauty and grace, but still I don't seek Your face. You know the number of my days, but I'm still chasing my own ways.

     And that is the ultimate beauty and the ultimate tragedy -- when I stop loving You, You keep loving me.  I've spent enough time stuffing You in my sock drawer and leaving You outside the door to know this, and yes, You're not just an object I can lose, Lord, but I'm so wrapped up in my own dreams I've forgotten the fact that You control my destiny. 

     I don't hate You, but I don't love You like I should. I don't ignore You, but I don't trust You like I could. You'd think I'd know how to listen and live by now, but I still wake up without You on my mind. And I always say I'll fix myself some other time.

     My God, my God, why have I forsaken You? You are the voice I've replaced with empty space. And the sounds of those clamoring to take your place sound like a siren song I'm too weak to resist after so long. I'm sorry.

     I have met a god called Busyness, and he runs me till I am empty.

     I have met a god called Shame, and he has me pinned under the sacrifices I bring.

     I have met a god called Pride, and she says I'm doing just fine.

     I have met a god called Apathy, and he tells me I don't have to do a thing.

     I have met a god called Selfishness, and she looks a lot like me. She looks a lot like me.

     My God, my God, I have been my own god for far too long.

     Father, forgive me, for I know exactly what I've been doing."

     Most of us, I am sure, could see a little bit of ourselves in some of her soul-revealing confessions. It is refreshing to read such an honest and transparent prayer. It even prompts us to ask forgiveness for such things as well. May it be so.

Yours in the Gospel, Pastor Jeff

Two of the Grave Dangers in Western Society

Greetings All,

     This week's 'thought' comes to you from missionary and author Sarah Young.  Sarah, who studied under Francis and Edith Schaeffer in the L'Abri community in Switzerland back in the late 1970's, along with her husband Steve (a third generation missionary to Japan), spent 8 years planting churches in Japan, as well as planting the first-ever Japanese church in Melbourne, Australia. They are currently ministering to Japanese people living in Perth, Australia.
     Sarah's devotional book, "Jesus Calling," was birthed as a result of many things -- reading Andrew Murray's book, "The Secret of the Abiding Presence", a desire to experience a greater sense of God's presence, and struggles which included four surgeries for melanoma cancer while ministering in Australia.
     And, yes, as one who preaches I know it is always dangerous (presumptuous?) to try and put words in Jesus' mouth.  But she has done a admirable job. I offer you two of her selections. Enjoy.

     "Be still in My presence, even though countless tasks clamor for your attention. Nothing is as important as spending time with Me. While you wait in My Presence, I do My best work within you: transforming you by the renewing of your mind.

     If you skimp on this time with Me, you may plunge headlong into the wrong activities, missing the richness of what I have planned for you.

     And do not seek me primarily for what I can give you. Remember that I, the Giver, am infinitely greater than any gift I might impart to you. Though I delight in blessing My children, I am deeply grieved when My blessings become idols in their hearts. Anything can be an idol if it distracts you from Me as your First Love.

     When I am the ultimate Desire of your heart, you are safe from the danger of idolatry. As you wait in My Presence, enjoy the greatest gift of all: Christ in you, the hope of glory!"

(Romans 12:2 / Revelation 2:4 / Colossians 1:27)

     "I am calling you to a life of constant communion with Me. Basic training includes learning to live above your circumstances, even while interacting on that cluttered plane of life. You yearn for a simplified lifestyle, so that your communication with Me can be uninterrupted. But I challenge you to relinquish the fantasy of an uncluttered world. Accept each day just as it comes, and find Me in the midst of it all.

     Talk with me about every aspect of your day, including your feelings. Remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me.

       A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day. Do not let you to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life. Instead, ask My Spirit to guide you moment by moment. He will keep you close to Me."

(I Thessalonians 5:17 / Proverbs 3:6)

     I do appreciate how she warns us against two of the grave dangers in western society: The danger of idolizing God's gifts more than God Himself, and the danger of thinking, or being convinced, that God is more pleased with us the more busy we are or the more we achieve (even if the busyness that keeps us in constant motion has nothing to do with anything of eternal significance).

     In a society where people find meaning in life simply by being busy, or gain their sense of worth by how much they produce, it can be easy to fall into the trap (the idolatry) of actually believing that our acceptance with God hinges on what we do rather than what Christ did for us.

     The words of Isaiah 30:15, written to a people who were scurrying around doing everything they could to save themselves, are appropriate here: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength."  And Sarah's favorite verse (Psalm 46:10) also applies: "Be still and know that I am God..."

     So I pray for blessings on your day.  Yet while you go through it, set aside a few moments to obey God: rest, be quiet, still yourself, and spend some time doing "nothing" but communing with Him and getting to know Him better. For Sarah is right,  "A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with [Him], even if many things remain undone at the end of the day."  

In His Service, Pastor Jeff

Urgent vs Important

Greetings All,

This week's 'thought' comes to you from a little booklet called "The Tyranny of the Urgent," by Charles E. Hummel. It should speak to most in North America and Europe, though the spread of the - "must keep busy, must produce, and must always achieve more to have true meaning in my life" - mentality, has moved far beyond the borders of those two areas to infect places that used to be more relational and laid back in their approach to life.

This nearly universal persuasion in the West--that being busy, or always being in a hurry adds meaning to our lives--actually robs us of the more important things of life, such as depth, intimacy, satisfaction, and fulfillment in our relationships with God and others. After all, how can we relate to God or others on anything more than a superficial level if we never slow down long enough to put aside the tyranny of the next pressing task or appointment, focus of the person in front of us, listen attentively to what they are really trying to say, and then share with them (from an engaged heart) in return?

Merely sending off a rushed text or a tweet as we hurry to our next appointment may make us feel superficially connected, but it won't bring about the degree of intimacy the heart craves. Superficial interactions lead to superficial relationships and superficial relationships lead to a superficial life -- which is not God's intention for anyone.

Yet avoiding the trap of non-stop busyness, and breaking free from the addictive adrenalin rush that keeps us locked into that hurried pace, requires an earnest re-evaluation of what's important (in light of eternity), and a counter-cultural reorientation of both our priorities and schedules! In this sense Mr. Hummel offers some very sound advice. Enjoy.

"Have you ever wished for a thrity hour day? Surely this extra time would relieve the tremendous pressure under which we live. Our lives leave a trail of unfinished tasks. Unanswered letters, unvisited friends, and unread books haunt quiet moments when we stop to evaluate what we have accomplished. We desperately need relief. But would a longer day really solve our problem?...

When we stop long enough to think about it, we realize that our dilemma goes deeper than shortage of time. It is basically a problem of priorities... As an experienced factory manager once said to me, 'Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important.' He didn't realize how hard his advice hit. It has often returned to haunt and rebuke me by raising the critical problem of priorities...

Freedom from the tyranny of the urgent is found not only in the example of our Lord, but also in his promise. In a vigorous debate with the Pharisees in Jerusalem, Jesus said to those who believed in him, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin... If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.' Many of us have experienced Christ's deliverance from the penalty and power of sin in our lives. Are we also letting him free us from the tyranny of the urgent? In this message he points the way: 'If you hold to my teaching.' This is the path to freedom, continuing day by day to meditate on the Scriptures and gain our Lord's perspective.

P. T. Forsyth once said: 'The worst sin is prayerlessness.' Does this statement surprise us? We usually think of murder and adultery as among the worst offenses against God and humanity. But the root of all sin is self-sufficiency, or independence from the rule of God. When we fail to wait prayerfully for God's guidance and strength, we are saying with our actions, if not with our words, that we do not need him. How much of our service is actually a 'going it alone'?

The opposite of such independence is prayer in which we acknowledge our need of God's guidance and empowerment. In this respect we have seen the example set by Jesus in the Gospels. He lived and served in complete dependence on his Father. Contrary to popular views, such dependence does not limit or repress human personality. We are never so fully personal -- free to become our true selves -- as when we are living in complete dependence on God."

Have you stopped to distinguish between the urgent and the important and made the important the priority? Do you do what is pressing when you really need to be doing is what is primary and crucial. I will never forget Martin Luther's famous words when he was swamped one day with a huge load of tasks: "I have so much to do today," he said, "that I need to spend the first three hours in prayer." What a word to the wise! So often we tend to use some pressing task or an overloaded schedule as a reason to skip our time of prayer, whereas Luther used it as a reminder of his need to pray all the more, and even pray longer than he normally did. That's probably because we tend to forget where our strength comes from. Many I've spoken with have confused the adrenalin rush of busyness and the accompanying sense of 'accomplishment pleasure' with the power of God and the strength He gives -- that is until they crash.

We would do well to remember that ongoing strength and focus and a right perspective on life come from time spent in His presence. That communion with God sustains the soul and uplifts the wearied spirit. That godliness is far more important than productivity. That God is far more interested in who we become than what we accomplish. That being still and knowing He is God is far more beneficial to the soul than simply being busy.

After all, as the Scripture declares, "The joy of the Lord is our strength" -- a joy conveyed to us (to renew and sustain us) as we spend time in the presence of the One who loves and delights in us -- even when we aren't doing, rushing, achieving or accomplishing anything!

Are you busy? Maybe its time to spend the next three hours in prayer.

Pastor Jeff

Resting in God

Greetings All,

    This weeks "thought" comes from an article entitled "Entering God's Rest," by Marc Brisebois.  It was of help to me when I first read it years ago.  I trust it could be of help to some of you as well. Enjoy.

                                        

   "The fact that the world around us worships productivity makes the subject of rest a little thorny.  The natural man functions from the premise that more effort generally means more productivity, and more time at work means the same... This principle of busyness is the catalyst for a great deal of "Christian" activity today.  We like to be "doing" because it makes us feel like we have purpose.  This activity is not to be confused with fruitfulness, however; and since it is our desire to be fruitful, we must look for something more effective than mere busyness. This search may require us to bring our present state of clamor to a halt.  Unfortunately, 

stopping is very difficult for most to do, and makes others very nervous.  We are often advised to keep moving, as it is easier for God to steer a moving vehicle than one which is at a standstill.  This is a sound principle in physics, but there is no precedence in Scripture...

    Likening the Christian to a sailboat would do more justice to the biblical principles we seek to live by.  The believers responsibility, when it comes to handling the holy plans of the Lord, is to put up the sail and catch the wind of the Spirit, not provide the strength of propulsion...

     Most of us prefer self-propulsion since we have neither the faith nor the patience to appreciate God's timing... The needless toil we often put ourselves through as the result of anxious fretting will usually have us doing much unnecessary labor.  This steals our capacity to rest and be prepared for the labor to which we have been called...

     The writer of Hebrews tells us there is a promise of rest which we may fail to enter because of unbelief (Heb. 3:19)... Working in our own strength can be very gratifying in the short-term but tends to cause burnout over the long haul... In the midst of this toil, the Father may try to speak to us.  Unfortunately our fretful anxiety will deafen us to His voice.  During this time the Lord patiently waits for our own strength to run out.  Then, and often only then, can He begin to teach us about rest.  Unbelief (the inability to trust God) requires 

vast amounts of human effort, ingenuity and resources.  Faith, in order to produce requires only obedience, for when we labor in faith and obedience, we labor in the strength God provides."

 

     It hints of the paradox of faith Isaiah had learned long ago when he prayed to the Lord on behalf of the people: "All that we have accomplished you have done for us."  And again, four chapters later, God confirmed it.  The people of Israel were frantically scurrying around seeking to avert disaster by all their efforts when He spoke to them and said: "In repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."  (Is. 30:15)

     True believers learn it soon:  The real source of fruitful and restful productivity is to move in the power of God where and when He is moving and bathe it all in prayer.  

     Luther put it well when he shared the secret of his fruitful productivity with a friend:  "I have so much to do today 

I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."         

 

In the Bonds of Christian Service,   Pastor Jeff

 

Dr. Jeffrey F. Evans