God’s Providence

Greetings All,

     This morning at the men’s group I attend (where we were discussing the life of Fanny Crosby from last week’s thought) the conversation strayed into a discussion of the providence of God, or the sovereignty of God over all the affairs of our lives. Even the smallest details. Even the hurtful details. Things we can now (though not at the time we were going through it) thank God for, and even the things we may have wished had been different. God's providence is His divine oversight of the all that happens in this universe.
     In light of that conversation I wanted to send out a “thought” on that topic. A topic which I do not hear spoken of as much as I used to. Yet,  I would ask you to read, consider what is said, and see if what follows fits with what you believe and have been taught. I myself find the topic fascinating and very comforting. I trust you might also. This selection is by Ray Pritchard. Enjoy.

     “Providence is God’s gracious oversight of the universe.  Every one of those words is important. God’s providence is one aspect of his grace. Oversight means that he directs the course of affairs. The word universe tells us that God not only knows the big picture, he also concerns himself with the tiniest details. Here are five statements that unfold the meaning of God’s providence in more detail.

He upholds all things.

He governs all events.

He directs everything to its appointed end.

He does this all the time and in every circumstance.

He does it always for his own glory.

     The doctrine of God’s providence teaches us several important truths:  FIRST, God cares about the tiniest details of life. Nothing escapes His notice for He is concerned about the small as well as the big. In fact, with God there is no big or small. He knows when a sparrow falls and he numbers the hairs on your head (Luke 12:6-7). He keeps track of the stars in the skies and the rivers that flow to the oceans (Job 38-41). He sets the day of your birth, the day of your death, and he ordains everything that comes to pass in between (Psalm 139). SECOND, he uses everything and wastes nothing There are no accidents with God, only incidents. This includes events that seem to us to be senseless tragedies (Romans 8:28). THIRD, God’s ultimate purpose is to shape His children into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). He often uses difficult moments and human tragedies to accomplish that purpose.

     Many verses in the Bible teach these truths, including Acts 17:28, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3, Proverbs 16:9 (“in his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps”), and especially Psalm 115:3 (“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him”). The doctrine of God’s providence is really a combination of four other attributes:

Sovereignty—He is in control.

Predestination—He is in charge of how everything turns out.

Wisdom—He makes no mistakes.

Goodness—He has our best interests at heart.

     In the words of R. C. Sproul, “God doesn’t roll dice.” Nothing happens by chance. Ever."

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     Here is a story that is said to be behind the incredibly insightful and beautiful words of William Cowper's hymn that follows.  A story that exemplifies God's providence. Reportedly this is the last hymn William Cowper (1731-1800) ever wrote, and here is the story said to be behind it. Cowper often struggled with deep depression and doubt. One night he decided to commit suicide by drowning himself. He called a driver (horse and carriage, obviously) to take him to the Thames River. However, thick fog came down and prevented them from finding the river (another version of the story says the driver got lost deliberately). After driving around lost for a while, the gentleman finally stopped and let Cowper out. To Cowper’s surprise, he found himself on his own doorstep. God had sent the fog to keep him from killing himself. He realized that even in our blackest moments, God watches over us.

     He wrote the following hymn in light of that and other incidents (difficult and pleasant in nature) which evidenced the hand of God guiding the circumstances of his life -- can we say in a "Proverbs 16:9" manner?   “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

GOD MOVES  IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain."

     Can you trace the hand of God's providence in your life?  Do the circumstances of your life suggest an invisible hand of power and grace was guiding you to a destination you did not intend to go to?  Was your story written by you, or do the details of your life-story suggest another author scripted it?  Just some thoughts to ponder….

     Grateful for a God who cares enough to guide, direct and sometimes over-rule our choices, Pastor Jeff

Thoughts on Leadership

Greetings All!

     This week's post is a collection of 25 quotes relating to leadership.  I post them for three reasons.  First, because it is my conviction that no matter who we are, someone is looking up to us as an example, or for guidance of one sort of another, which makes us a leader of sorts even when we don't have the title and didn't ask for the responsibility.  One does not have to be delegated the authority to carry out the role, and we can inadvertently carry out the role without even knowing we are!  The person simply trying to be an example to others is being a leader in their own right.

     The second reason I post them is because we can all gain insight and wisdom from leaders of the past who have shared what guided their leadership -- even if we don't consider ourselves to be one.  And last, I share it because as I looked hem over I was amazed how much current thought of leadership is little more than a confirmation (plagiarization of sorts) of the teaching of Jesus on the topic, or practical insights gained from His words and example, even when those giving the advice are not themselves Christians. I had many more than listed. I paired them down to 25. I offer them as the best of what I found.  If you have a favorite (or favorites) and have a chance, let me know which ones.  Enjoy.

Thoughts on Leadership

1. "The true test of a leader is this: A respect for that person that is so deep that people will continue following their lead even when the official title and delegated authority have been taken away."

2. “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.”  Ralph Nader

3. “Leaders must possess courage.  Yet do not be mistaken: Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is the determination not to let our very real fears paralyze us, hold us back, or scare us into silence and inactivity when words and actions are what is needed.”

4. “You aren’t fit to lead until you know how to follow.  If you want to become a remarkable leader, follow a leader of character, conviction, and vision. Don’t ask people to follow you until you’ve humbly followed someone else. Following is perhaps the most neglected development principle of remarkable leadership… Follow advice from those more knowledgeable.  Follow a vision bigger than yourself.  Follow someone you respect.  Follow the most noble person available.  Follow someone who is going somewhere.  Remarkable leaders are remarkable followers. Admiration of big-egoed-leaders degrades us all.  Worry less about becoming a remarkable leader and more about becoming a remarkable follower.”   Dan Rockwell

5. “The chief characteristic of Christian leaders, Jesus insisted, is humility not authority, and gentleness not power… The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.”  John Stott

6. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”   John C. Maxwell

7. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”    Vince Lombardi

8. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it...  I never failed, I just learned 10,000 ways that won't work.”   Henry Ford

9. “According to Scripture, virtually everything that truly qualifies a person for leadership is directly related to character.  It’s not about style, status, personal charisma, clout, or worldly measurements of success. Integrity is the main issue that makes the difference between a good leader and a bad one.”   John MacArthur

10. “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.”   Unknown

11. “True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you.”   J. Oswald Sanders

12. "My research debunks the myth that many people seem to have… that you become a leader by fighting your way to the top. Rather, you become a leader by helping others to the top.  Helping your employees is as important as, and many times more so than, trying to get the most work out of them."   William Cohen

13. "The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one's capacity to lead is severely limited."    Robert Greenleaf

14. “The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.”   Sheryl Sandberg

15. "We must be silent before we can listen.  We must listen before we can learn.  We must learn before we can prepare.  We must prepare before we can serve.  We must serve before we can lead."   William Arthur Ward

16. “To change your life, you have to admit what’s not working. You have to humble yourself. You have to ask for help. You have to learn... Your ego will defend your current circumstances, but you cannot allow a fleeting feeling of shame to eclipse reason. You cannot live the rest of your life as you are just because you are too prideful to admit something isn’t right.”   Brianna Wiest

17. “If your objective is to be as good as you can be, then you’re going to want criticism.”  Ray Dalio

18. "If leadership serves only the leader, it will fail.  Ego satisfaction, financial gain, and status can all be valuable tools for a leader, but if they become the only motivations, they will eventually destroy a leader. Only when service for a common good is the primary purpose are you truly leading."   Sheila Murray Bethel

19. “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to be.”   Rosalynn Carter

20. "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."   John C. Maxwell

21. "When you get to be the president, there are the honors, the 21-gun salutes, all those things.  You have to remember it’s not for you.  It’s for the presidency…  It's amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”    President Harry S. Truman

22. "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."    John Wooden

23. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.”   Max Lucado

24. "Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain."   Ralph Waldo Emerson

25. "Servant leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win.  In that situation, they don't work for you; you work for them."   Ken Blanchard

     So, what are the key characteristics of good leadership?  Humility, learning to be a follower, the heart of a servant, integrity, character, love, determination, a desire to see others excel, pushing beyond our fears, and many more. They are all virtues that anyone can apply to their lives.  And when we do, we may in some cases find people following our lead -- even when that wasn't our objective.

Living in His Grace, Pastor Jeff

Spiritual Renewal

Greetings!

     This week's "thought" is about spiritual renewal.  Its about the power and presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives.  It comes to you from Jim Cymbala's book, "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire."  Cymbala has been the pastor of the large multi-racial "Brooklyn Tabernacle" since 1971, a church which had only 30 when he arrived that year, but now has over 16,000 members -- which is not, as this thought will show, what he really cares about.

     The Brooklyn Tabernacle is a church which has, by God's grace, broken down many racial and economic barriers, offering in the present a small taste of the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, inclusive body of Christ, where believers of every tribe and tongue, rich and poor alike, will one day gather side by side before the throne of God (Rev. 7:9).  Part instruction, part biographical, his book is well-worth the read if you have the time. Enjoy.

     "Are we not all prone to be a little cocky and think we can handle things just fine?  But let some trouble come, and how quickly we sense our inadequacy. Trouble is one of God's great servants because it reminds us how much we continuously need the Lord. Otherwise, we tend to forget about entreating him. For some reason we want to carry on by ourselves.  The history of past revivals portray this truth in full color. Whether you study the First Great Awakening, the Welsh Revival, the 1906 outpouring on Azuza Street in Los Angeles, or any other period of revival, you always find men and women who first inwardly groan, longing to see the status quo changed -- in themselves and in their churches. They begin to call upon God with insistence. Prayer begets revival and revival begets more prayer.  It's like Psalm 80, where Asaph bemoans the sad state of his time, the broken walls, the rampaging animals, the burnt vineyards. Then in verse 18 he pleads, "Revive us, and we will call upon your name." 

     The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer.  Only when we are full of the Spirit do we feel the need for God everywhere we turn. We can be driving a car, and spontaneously our spirit starts going up to God with needs and petitions and intercessions right there in the middle of traffic. [Eyes open of course!]  If our churches don't pray, and if people don't have an appetite for God, what does it matter how many are attending the services?  How would that impress God? Can you imagine the angels saying, "Oh, your pews! We can't believe how beautiful they are! Up here in heaven, we've been talking about them for years. Your sanctuary lighting -- it's so clever. The way you have the steps going up to the pulpit, it's wonderful..." 

     I don't think so.   If we don't want to experience God's closeness here on earth, why would we want to go to heaven anyway?  He is the center of everything there. If we don't enjoy being in his presence here and now, then heaven would not be heaven for us. Why would he send anyone there who doesn't long for him passionately here on earth?  I am not suggesting that we are justified by works of prayer or any other acts of devotion. I am not a legalist. But let us not dodge the issue of what heaven will be like --  enjoying the presence of God, taking time to adore him, listening to him, giving him praise. I have talked with pastor after pastor, some of them prominent and "successful" who have told me privately, "Jim, the truth is, I couldn't have a real prayer meeting in my church. I'd be embarrassed at the smallness of the crowd. Unless somebody's teaching, or singing, or doing some kind of presentation, people just won't come. I can only get them for a one-hour service, and that only once a week." 

     Is that kind of religion found anywhere in the Bible?  [Gathering to go to] Jesus himself can't draw a crowd even among his own people!  What a tragedy that the quality of ministry is too often measured by numbers and building size rather than by spiritual results. As a preacher myself, let me be blunt here. When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ, he is not going to ask me if I was a clever orator. He is not going to ask me how many books I wrote. He is only going to ask whether I continued in the line of men and women, starting way back in the time of Adam's generation, who led others to call upon God." 

     Cymbala is right.  God is not impressed by numbers, attendance figures, technology, marketing skills, architecture, stage presentation, etc.   Rather, what God wants is people who want him.  He wants people who want to spend prayerful time with Him in His presence.  He seeks people who yearn to seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He wants us to trust in Him and live a life of dependence on Him (II Corinthians 1:9). He wants us to realize what Jesus said so clearly in John 15:5 in the context of bearing spiritual fruit -- "I am the Vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."   That's what the Christian life is about:  Remaining in Jesus all the time. Abiding in Christ every conscious moment.  Being joined to Him unbroken fellowship.  Dwelling in intimate fellowship in His presence.  Bringing every thought captive to Christ (II Corinthians 10:5).  Communing with Him in ongoing prayer (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). Trusting Him with all our hearts (Proverbs 3:5-6). Living a life of reliance, surrender and dependence (II Corinthians 1:8-10).  If people are not led to call upon God, and seek His face in loving fellowship, earnestly seeking to do His will, all that other stuff matters little.  For "success" in the eyes of the world is much different than success (fruit that God desires) in regard to Christ's Kingdom.

May We Be Moved to Pray and Pursue Him More Passionately, 

Pastor Jeff

Modern Day Slavery

Greetings All! 

     I don't often urge people with great earnestness to read my posts. This one I will.  Please, read it!  It has to do with modern day slavery.  Most people believe slavery was done away with after the Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863) was put into effect in.  Sadly, this is not true.  In fact, slavery is on the rise.  According to the latest figures compiled by various organizations, there are more people in slavery today than ever before. "Estimates range from 25 to 27,000,000 people.

     Some pertinent facts include: Globally, the average cost of a slave is $90.  According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation. Traffickers primarily force their victims into: 1.) Prostitution  2.) Involuntary servitude and 3.) Compel them to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography.  80% of the victims are women or girls, while the other 20% are men or boys.  Half are children.  The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14-year-old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children.  According to the U.S State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, and the tally of victims brought into the U.S. by traffickers each year might be as high as 17,500 people." 

     This week's "thought" speaks out about this continuing and horrible injustice.  It is titled "Divine Interruptions."  It is written by Christine Caine (who runs shelters or safe houses for trafficked women).  It is found in the book, "Passion" which is edited by Louie Giglio.  After visiting Auschwitz, Christine was profoundly saddened by the thought that 6,000,000 people lost their lives while many (not all) idly sat by.  She left that place vowing: "If there is ever anything like this in my generation, I will not be silent."   She did not realize that just nine months later God would interrupt her life again, not with gross injustices from the past, but the present.  I sent it out early in 2016.  I send it out again as a way of asking,"When you read it, were you moved to do something about it?"  Will you now?  The problem is not going away.

     "I found myself speaking at a conference in Greece around the time that a little girl named Madeline went missing in Portugal.  Her picture was plastered across the TV, in airports and in magazines. Interpol was searching for this little girl, but I didn't know her.  I hadn't met her.  My sympathies were aroused, but what could I do?...  Then I saw a second poster for another girl that was missing. This child was named Sophia -- the same name as my second daughter.  Suddenly these missing children weren't simply numbers. They were real -- someone's daughters.  Someone's sisters and classmates.  I stopped and began to wonder what I would do if that were my Sophia on the poster.  What wouldn't I do to find her?  What wouldn't I give up to see her safe?...

     I found out later that these children were the alleged victims of human trafficking, something that at that time I didn't even know existed.  I assumed that the slave trade was abolished with William Wilberforce, but I was wrong.  On my watch, in my generation, the current state of slavery has been flourishing in the dark rooms of the world.  With all our great Christian gatherings, our tremendous churches, our wealth of worship songs and resources, right now in the 21st century, there are more slaves on earth than ever before. It was incomprehensible to me.  How could this be true?  How could this happen in our day?  How could the gospel have spread and flourished in so many areas, and yet not made a massive dent in something as simple and insidious as slavery?  Yet it is true. During our day, more people are being trafficked and sold for labor or sex than ever before in human history. This is unacceptable not merely from the standpoint of human rights; it's unacceptable from the standpoint of the teaching of Jesus. [The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:29-37 is a primary example, where we are shown that we should want to act on behalf of those who are hurt and wounded and victims of injustice, because compassion isn't compassion until it inspires action. It was the action of the Samaritan that separated him from the rest.]... 

     That being the case, here's the poignant question for all of us: What are you going to do?  Are you going to walk past on the other side, hurrying to your next event, or are you going to cross the street and actually get involved?  This was my moment to decide if these people, scattered throughout the world, were going to be people with names and faces, or if they were going to turn into just another pair of empty shoes (like the thousands I'd seen at Auschwitz).  With knowledge comes responsibility.  We know the slave trade is alive and well right now. We KNOW this, and because we do, we are responsible to do something about it.  In our choice about whether to cross the road, we must begin by realizing that at one point or another, we were the one lying in the ditch and Jesus crossed the road for us. I am a rescued person.

     I did not discover that I was adopted until I was thirty-three years old. Though our parents never told us the truth, on a single day we discovered this family secret and the truth was jarring to say the least. Suddenly I didn't know who I was anymore. I didn't know whether I was conceived in an adulterous affair or a one night stand. I didn't know if I was the result of a rape or an underage pregnancy.  As the panic started to set in though, the Lord reminded me that I didn't have to know those specific facts to know who I am. Because I encountered Jesus, I know something larger and more important than those circumstantial details. The Word of God tells me that I am not the result of a rape or the product of an affair, it tells me I am the workmanship of God, reborn in Christ Jesus, specifically for the good work he prepared for me beforehand to walk in (Ephesians 2:8-10). I may not know who I was, but I know who I am. I have been rescued by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus crossed the road between heaven and earth so that I might cross the road for the sake of others. I was saved by grace that I might walk in the way Jesus did in the world. This is the plan of God -- to use rescued people to rescue people... Jesus has set us free so that we might set others free.  He rescued us so that we might rise up, reach back, and rescue others...

     If I was not born in Australia, but had instead been born in Greece, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Nepal, or any one of countless other countries, I could have been one of those girls. In fact, if you could see my birth certificate right now, all you would see is a number. I was number 2508 in 1966. That's it. It's just another number, just another statistic. I could be any one of the 27,000,000 slaves in the world right now.  But that 27,000,000 must cease to be a number. Just like you and me, these people are living, breathing human beings, created in the image of Almighty God -- full of God-given destiny and God-given promise. The same Jesus who set me free can set them free. But how will they hear those words if we do not go?  How will they ever know the truth if we, together, don't raise our voices and declare that we will not allow this injustice to prevail?  The Apostle Paul said that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free -- and we must take that declaration to the world

     Not long ago, I was sitting at one of our shelters with Sonia, one of fourteen rescued victims.  One of these young women, one that wasn't a statistic anymore began telling me about how she was shipped to Istanbul in a container with sixty other girls. During the trip the oxygen tank broke, and when the crate was actually opened, thirty of the sixty girls were dead. The ones left alive had no passports because the traffickers had taken them. They were locked in an apartment and then raped several times a day by men wearing law-enforcement uniforms so the girls would not trust the police. Then they were put in a little rubber dingy to be taken from Istanbul to Athens through the Greek Islands. While en route, the traffickers were spotted by a coast guard patrol, and so they threw the girls overboard. (Keep in mind these girls were from villages and had barely seen running water, let alone been in a body of water to swim. Only five survived.)  Sonia was one of them. She was eventually brought to our shelter when the police raided a brothel in Athens. 

     It was about this time in this unbelievable story that a Russian girl sitting near us, who had also been rescued only a day before Sonia, began to yell at me in broken Greek: "Why did you come?"  As best I could, I began to tell her about how Jesus had rescued me and so I wanted to help. I told her that God has a plan, a purpose, and a destiny for her life. That it didn't matter what she had gone through, God was big enough to redeem her past.  But it's what she said next that I'll never forget. As I was telling her this good news she yelled back at me, "If what you are telling me about your God is true, then why didn't you come sooner?" 

     Why hadn't I come sooner? Those are haunting words. What is so important in our temporal lives that it will distract us from the eternal purpose God put us on earth for?  What deserves more attention than the very people Jesus died for?  Safety, comfort, and security are not the goal of Christianity; freedom is. Because it is, we must rise together to declare that this will not happen on our watch.  Not today, not ever again."

     Hearing such facts and stories is unsettling I know. At least it should be to anyone with an ounce of love in their heart.

     Yet the question is not, "Did I feel a twinge of compassion when reading this?"  The two men who walked by the wounded, beaten and discarded man in Jesus parable -- the priest and the Levite -- surely felt a twinge of compassion for the man.  But as Christine points out, compassion isn't truly compassion until it inspires action.  The question we must ask in light of the Good Samaritan story, is will those feelings of compassion move me to some type of action on behalf of the suffering and exploited.  Is my faith all about me, or all about God and what He would have me do to bring the good news of my faith in Jesus to others?  Will it move me to action.  All who know their Bible's well know the answer.  If compassion (fed by the love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit) doesn't move us to any type of response, it is not true godly compassion but mere sentimentality -- and sentimentality (though possibly better than nothing) is not what God calls for from His people.  Those who have experienced His love are called to show that same type of love to others.

May God gracious move on our hearts (mine included) to do what we can, where we can, however we can,  Pastor Jeff

Holiness By Grace - Delighting In The Joy That Is Our Strength

Greetings All!

     This week's "thought" comes from a book well worth the time it takes to read: "Holiness By Grace - Delighting In The Joy That Is Our Strength" by Bryan Chapell.  It has to do with God's grace and favor toward us, and the common misconceptions we often have about what it is that causes that grace to come our way.  There are very few who do not desire God's grace.  Few who do not yearn for His favor.  Yet, as Chapell points out, in our attempts to attain it, we often drive it further from us.  We often go astray in the ways we seek to become recipients of it.  I found his instruction in this regard helpful.  I pray that you might also.  Enjoy.

     "Despite the teaching of Scripture, I am at times no less troubled than Christ's disciples were with God's determination to resist human efforts to purchase his love.  I want to believe that God must be good to the organizations I serve, to the family I love, and the career in which I seek to advance, because I have tried to be good. Such reasoning abandons me, however, when I honestly compare my righteousness to Christ's standards... When I face the reality of the inadequacy of my works to merit God's favor, then I recognize that I must depend on his goodness and not my own. At times this dependence (on his goodness) is scary because it lifts control from me, but there is no other choice when I recognize the true character of my good works. For according to Scripture, even my best works are only "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:5). There is too much human imperfection and mixed motives in my best deeds to have them obligate God to do as I wish...

     That does not mean, however, that God never desires or blesses our goodness.  Walking in God's ways is itself a blessing (Ps. 1, Matt. 5:3-10). For example, being faithful to one's spouse brings integrity to a marriage that is a blessing.  Speaking honestly can enhance one's reputation and help secure faltering relationships... Still, no degree of human goodness will lock God into a pah of blessing according to our choosing, as though we have become his master through our merit.  God promises to bless obedience by using it for his purposes, but the blessings that result should be seen less as credit for our goodness, and more as evidence of his faithfulness to his purposes... Divine blessing flows from God's mercy rather than from our merit. Thus, we cannot guarantee that his care will flow according to our plans simply because we conform in some degree to biblical standards. Our works do not obligate God to care for us in the way WE think is best... God blesses according to the wisdom of his eternal mercy rather than in proportion to our works of earned merit...

     [In Luke 17:11-19 ten lepers cry out to Jesus in desperation, "Jesus, master, have mercy on us!"]... What does Jesus do when these desperate people plead with him for mercy? He shows them mercy.  Jesus shows pity to those who have nothing to claim but desperation.  He is moved by their desperate cry for help.  What is the message to us?  Our God is not moved by the deeds we trophy, but by the desperation we acknowledge as our own....

     God's heart is moved, not when we protest our innocence by pointing to our inadequate good deeds, nor when we promise that we will do better in the future. Though there is no reason for God to love us, yet he does.  This is the nature of grace that we must treasure to know the joy that God wants for our lives. Until we recognize that there is no reason God will be moved to love us other than the spiritual need we acknowledge, we have no good news to tell others or ourselves. How could it be good news that God waits to love us until we reach an unattainable standard of righteousness, or that he counts our "filthy rags" as meritorious?  Biblical faith is most evident not when we demand that God honor our flawed deeds, but when we trust that he will mercifully respond when we humbly and helplessly cry out, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

     Those who cry out in desperation have more hope of moving God's heart than any who would trophy their own righteousness before him.  Those who face the hopelessness of their spiritual condition apart from God's mercy are nearer to experiencing his grace than those who pride themselves on their goodness. Not beyond God's mercy is the homosexual dying of AIDS, who says in a broken spirit, "People may condemn me for a life they do not approve, but to tell you the truth, I would have loved anyone that loved me back."  In fact, such a man may be nearer to expressing what melts the heart of heaven, than I am on the days that my preaching, my position (as a seminary president), and my righteousness, swell my pride to make me think I am deserving of God's blessing.

     To experience God's blessing I must readily and repeatedly confess my own hopeless condition. What makes me willing to do this is the knowledge that it is my desperation that inclines God's heart toward my own.  The awareness that he does not turn away from my desperation will actually draw me to confession and deep repentance. The assumption that God only loves the righteous will tempt me to hide from him (and myself) the flaws under the public veneer of my character and my fears of deeper failures... 

     Our Lord's response to the leper's cry for mercy should compel us to confess our sin to him no matter its degree or persistence. We need not have corrected the wrong in our lives to ask him to forgive us We should not attempt to try and compensate for our sin before we ask him to love us. Remember that Jesus cleansed all the lepers when they cried out for his mercy, even though in his divine nature he could have known that only one would return to thank him.  Neither past failing nor future weakness will dissuade our Savior from showing us mercy when we honestly acknowledge our desperate need for his grace."

     One only needs to glance at the any of the four Gospels to see the truth of what Chapell says.  God inclines his ear and opens his heart to the desperate, but resists the proud. He embraces the sinful man who won't even look up to heaven but in shame cries out, "Lord be merciful to me a sinner," yet refuses to listen to the Pharisee who looks down on that heart-broken man and brags inwardly that he is so much better and thanks God he is not like him.  Pride and self-righteousness (that is, thinking we can make ourselves acceptable to God by our personal deeds and efforts) pushes the divine hand of grace away, it does not (as many curiously think) bring God's favor and blessings near.  We must always remember: "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble."   It is the acknowledgment and confession of our sin, deep need, and personal inadequacy that draws close the grace and mercy of God, and the vain illusion that we have all our moral and spiritual ducks in a row that drives it away.

     If you would like to pray for grace, here is a simple prayer I often use: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal God, be merciful to me a sinner." 

For His name's sake,  Pastor Jeff 

The Moment The "Light Goes On"

Greetings All!

     This week's "thought" is the story of one man who met Jesus. It tells of the moment in that man's life when the "light went on," it all made sense, and by the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel he was made new.  The man's name is Max Lucado, the well-known and best-selling author of many Christian books.  As with many other believers, his conversion came at the most unexpected of times, in the most unexpected way, in a rather ordinary place, through a man of little or no renown.  It's yet another confirmation that when God calls people to Himself, he often uses the most ordinary and unexpected of people to do so. And He does it that way to assure us that our salvation comes through the powerful message of the Gospel, applied to the heart and mind by the Spirit, and not as the result of the abilities, charisma, or persuasiveness of any earthly messenger.  Enjoy. 

     Many believers can distinctly recall the events surrounding their conversion experience...  "Do you remember yours? Where were you the night the door was opened? Do you remember the touch of the Father?  Who walked with you the day you were set free? Can you still see the scene?  Can you feel the road beneath your feet?  I hope so. I hope that permanently planted in your soul is the moment the Father stirred you in the darkness and led you down the path.  It's a memory like no other.  For when he sets you free, you are free indeed.

     Ex-slaves describe well their hour of deliverance. Can I tell you mine?  It was a Bible class in a small West Texas town. I didn't know what was more remarkable, that a teacher was trying to teach the book of Romans to a group of ten-year-olds, or that I remember what he said.  The classroom was mid-sized, one of a dozen or so in a small church.  My desk had carvings on it and gum under it. Twenty or so others were in the room, though only four or five were taken by the message.  We all sat back, too sophisticated to appear interested. Starched jeans. High top tennis shoes.  It was summer.  The slow-setting sun cast the window in gold. 

     The teacher is an earnest man.  I can still see his flattop, his belly bulging from beneath his coat that he didn't even try to button. His tie stops midway down his chest. He has a black mole on his forehead, a soft voice, and a kind smile. Though he is hopelessly out of touch with the kids of 1965, he doesn't know it. His notes are stacked on a podium underneath a heavy black Bible. His back is turned to us and his jacket goes up and down his belt-line as he writes on the board. He speaks with genuine passion. He is not a dramatic man, but tonight he is fervent.

     God only knows why I heard him that night. His text was Romans six. The blackboard was littered with long words and diagrams. Somewhere in the process of describing how Jesus went into the tomb and came back out, it happened. The jewel of grace was lifted and turned and I could see it from a new angle... and it stole my breath. I didn't see a moral code. I didn't see a church. I didn't see ten commandments or hellish demons. I saw what one other ten-year-old in that class -- Mary Barbour -- saw.  I saw my Father enter my dark night, awaken me from my slumber, and gently guide me -- no carry me -- to freedom."

     So, I ask the same question Max Lucado started with: Do you remember your conversion?  Do you remember the time you were "awakened from your slumber" (or more in keeping with Scripture, do you remember when God "raised you to life when you were dead in trespasses and sins" - Ephesians 2:1 / Ephesians 2:4-5 / Colossians 2:13)?  Have you since come to reflect and realize it was not the doing of any person (including yourself), but the miraculous and supernatural work of a gracious God softening a heart of stone and making it a heart of flesh and tender toward Christ?  A gift to one who could NEVER be good enough, or worthy enough, to deserve it?  Do you remember that event in your life?  Does the memory of it still stir your soul?  Have you every truly come to Christ and received new birth through the Spirit?  Jesus came, lived, died, rose, and is coming again, says Scripture.  Do you believe it?  Has the Father entered into the darkness of your soul to raise you to life and carry you to freedom?  Oh, what a day that was!  Or for some others, oh what a day that will be...

In the Bonds of Gospel Grace, Pastor Jeff