3 Things To Do When Circumstances Get Tough

From the moment I surrendered to the ministry as a college junior, the only thing I ever wanted to do was serve the Lord. Coming to grips with my "giftedness," I learned experientially that I was best suited for the pastorate. Nevertheless, this journey has taken me into some directions that I had not pursued or even considered. I have been a seminary professor, interim pastor, and Academic Dean of a seminary. I have also spent considerable time as a writer with four books and numerous articles. 

When I look back on the paths that Fern and I have taken, it might be easy to point fingers and blame circumstances, certain antagonists, or even the devil for some of the events we have had to endure. Yet, when the dust settles, I have to conclude that all things have been permitted by God, and ultimately our lives are in His hands. And instead of complaining wisdom dictates that we be thankful because only God knows what He is doing. Some of the things that I might want to complain about the loudest, may be the very tool He is using to prepare us for the greatest part of our journey.

When I look at Moses, I see a man who easily could have gotten bitter over the circumstances he endured. Forty years as a shepherd in the wilderness was certainly a contrast to where he spent the first four decades of his life. Yet, what seemed like a wasted existence turned out to be preparation for his greatest work. The same can be said of Joseph. The worst of circumstances proved to be the setting of an incredible feat of preserving life. Did Joseph not tell his brothers that "what men meant for evil, God meant for good?"

So where does that leave us and what markers can we put down? 

1. Before blaming God for bad circumstances, consider that this might be preparation for your greatest work. 

2. Look for God's leading in the midst of those circumstances. 

3. Realize that God is not through with you on this earth until you step into eternity.

One of the great Christian leaders in American history was Jonathan Edwards. After 24 years as Senior Pastor of the Congregational Church at Northampton, he was fired. What happened next was intriguing. He accepted a position at Stockbridge, an insignificant position by comparison to his former work. Yet, what appeared to be a great misfortune and injustice proved to be one of the greatest blessings to subsequent generations. It was at Stockbridge that Edwards penned some of his greatest works. If he had not had circumstances unfold as they did, we might never have captured some of the great insights from this great man of God.

Let me encourage you to let God be God in your life. If He cares enough about us to give us His Son, Jesus, certainly He cares enough about you to be in ultimate control of your life. So, I challenge you to trust Him when you are tempted to doubt, complain, or point fingers of blame. Fix your eyes on Jesus and trust that He still has work for you to accomplish.

6 Reminders about Time from the Last Rose of Summer

The Last Rose of Summer

King Solomon attempted to put life in perspective when he wrote, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Moses prayed,  "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). And Jesus, commenting on His earthly days (and ours as well), advised, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4).

Earlier today, I shot a photo of the last rose growing in our flower garden. Over the spring, into the summer, and now with the fall under way this flower finally makes its magnificent entrance onto planet earth. It will be here momentarily then just as quickly as it appeared, it will fade away. Meteorologists are telling us that early this week in Kansas City, we will have the season's first visit of Arctic air and the temperature will dip into the low 20s. Goodbye rose!

Between Scripture and the garden, I find some life-lessons that I want to be mindful of. 

1. Each of us lives in the present. Cherish the time God gives. It will not last. It will move hastily on. We cannot slow time down. We all live in the present.

2. As we live in the present, we also live in community. Even there, each of us is in a different stage of life. I glance over to watch my grandson and see his mother (my daughter) walk across the room. It seems like yesterday that she was the grandchild and I was the parent. We are together but find ourselves at a different stage of life. And time races on.

3. Life passes all too quickly. I recently saw a portrait of Philadelphia from the late 1800s in "Historic Pics" on Twitter. What stood out for me was that everyone in the photo (which captures a moment in time) is now deceased. Life was here and now it is gone.

4. We should do all we can to display the reality and goodness of God while we have opportunity. We never know when the present opportunity is the last we will have. Even the last rose of summer (or fall), declared God's glory even for only a moment...and then it is gone.

5. In the end, life is over. I have said many times, there is nothing so sure as death and nothing so unsure as the time. All of us have a date with death from this life when we will step into eternity.

6. If we really embrace the reality of the brevity of life and the infinity of eternity, would we not choose to live differently? Does Hebrews not teach us, "it is appointed unto man to die and after that the judgment?" And if we will be judged, should we not live our lives in light of that inevitable appointment? 

Even as the last rose fades, I am reminded that we will too. So, like the rose, let's live our moment in the sun to display the beauty God intended.

5 Assumptions of Prayer

Luke 18:1 states that Jesus taught His disciples that "at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart (give up)." In fact, the challenge is for us "to cry to Him day and night." Jesus concludes that God the Father will will bring justice quickly, then asks a salient question: "when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" In other words, will He find His people praying and trusting, or complaining with despair?

I’d like to remind us all, myself included, of prayer's assumptions.

1. God is God of the universe. He created it and sustains it with purpose. By sending His Son to earth, God initiated His desire for reconciliation with all humanity. With reconciliation comes relationship, and with relationship comes both responsibility and privilege. Prayer is both.

2. We as humans live in a world of multiple planes. The horizontal is what we see. The vertical is what we do not see. The vertical controls the horizontal. The spiritual controls the physical and social.

3. Here is where prayer steps in. Every concern should be lifted to God in prayer. Every challenge should be a matter for prayer. If something is big enough to worry about, it is big enough to pray about. Every opportunity should be processed through prayer. Every hurt and insecurity and perceived injustice should be taken to The Lord. Every problem, decision, and plan should be laid before The Lord. That is how God designed us to live.

4. We were created to live in harmony with God's will. How can we do His will if we do not know it? Should we not go to Him and ask what it is that He wants? Yes, much of His will is found in His Word. But, the specifics of our lives on a day by day basis depend on our asking.

5. Prayer, intense focused prayer, can change the direction and trajectory of our lives personally, corporately, our families, churches, communities, and even society as a whole. There is no issue that God is unable or unwilling to resolve. But He waits for us to ask. We should pray and not give up. We should pray day and night. We should be a people who are known for our faith and for our prayers!

Run to Win

Photo by Juan-Carlos Lagares

Last week, I wrote about running the Virginia 10-Miler road race and shared some observations. I'd like to continue that stream of thought in today's blog. 

One of my favorite PhD seminars was the Life and Letters of Paul taught by Professor Jack MacGorman. Besides giving great attention to exegeting the Pauline literature, we also gave attention to the incredibly complex cultural context in which Paul penned his epistles. Paul, no doubt was a sports fan and as such alluded to athletic contests for illustrative purposes. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, he alludes to running and boxing specifically, and sports in general. He refers to the competition and uses it as a metaphor and analogy for the Christian life and ministry.

Paul opens this passage by noting the obvious, "Do you not know that all who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?" Then, he begins to make application: "run that you may win... exercise self-control...run with an aim (with intentionality)... box without beating the air (make your punches count)...discipline your body (make it your slave)...." All this Paul says is for the dual purpose of receiving the imperishable wreath (God's reward for faithful service) at God's judgment in the future, and remaining qualified to serve in the present. Even as great as Paul was, he was constantly concerned that he might live in such a way that he would not be disqualified for ministry. 

So what does that say to you and me? Here are three insights.

1. Because life is like a race, we need to run (live) in such a way that we are winners.  We can strive for the things that pass away or the things that matter for eternity. Paul says opt for the latter. By the way, Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you."

2.  If we are going to be winners, we must exercise self-control. Embracing self-   discipline, having an attitude of deferred gratification, learning how to resist and run from temptation, and refusing to let human desires get out of control are all important components.

3.  Being intentional in our lives, working to accomplish things that benefit people and honor God are all important. By the way, from my perspective, Christians in general and ministers particularly have only two assignments: we prepare people for death, and we equip people for life. We should be intentional with both. So, what do you intend to do?

Here is the bottom line. Don't waste your life. Run to win!

Jesus Came to Build His Church

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18

This text is rooted in a play on words between "little stone" and "bedrock." Peter is the former and the truth of Who Jesus is constitutes the latter. Peter had just made the declaration, "You are the Christ the Son of the Living God." After Jesus' responsive affirmation of blessing--"Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you but My Father in Heaven"--Jesus makes His magnificent declaration. "I will build My church and the gates of Hell (Hades) will not prevail against it."  Here is another reason why Jesus came...to build His Church!

The Scripture is not saying that the Church will be built by or upon Peter, but rather it will be built upon the truth of what Peter proclaimed. Peter had confessed Jesus' true identity. He (Jesus) is the foundation upon which the Church will be built. In the words of F.F. Bruce, "what matters here is not the stature of the confessor, but the truth of the confession" (see The Hard Sayings of Jesus, p.143). Peter declares Who Jesus is, and  Jesus declares that He Himself will build His Church.

Notice in this passage that not only is Jesus' true identity revealed, but His work is likewise unveiled. He will build His Church. This is the first time the New Testament mentions the word, "Church." This word in the Greek text, comes from combining two smaller words, "to call" and "out of." The word "Church" literally means "the called out ones." All those who have heard God's invitation and responded constitute the "Church." 

Jesus goes on to describe the Church's invincibility, "and the gates of Hades (or Hell) will not prevail against." Though some see this as a straight forward declaration that Jesus will not allow the devil and his forces destroy the Church, I believe Jesus is actually pointing to another and equally true reality. Gates are for keeping people and possessions in, or people and possessions out. "Hades" is the normal word for death and the grave. Here, Jesus is declaring that not even the power of death will be able to halt the building of His Church. 

True, God's intention is to build the Church upon Jesus, but He will use people all through history as His instruments. Can He use you?

The Key to Effective Prayer

One of the most intriguing and inspiring classes I took in seminary was "Spiritual Awakenings" taught by Roy Fish. Several years later I had the privilege of teaching that same subject at Southwestern Seminary. As a follow-up to my keen interest, I (along with my wife, Fern) twice attended one-week intensive classes on Spiritual Awakenings at Regents Park College, Oxford University hosted by J. Edwin Orr. Orr, at the time, was considered the world's leading authority on the subject. One lesson I learned through this study has always stuck with me.

I hear and read friends say over and over, "pray for revival,” "pray for an awakening,” or "pray that God will intervene." It seems to me that these are general prayers and as a rule, general prayers are ineffectual prayers. 

How we can better focus our prayers? Let us trust the scripture in Philippians 4:6: "Be anxious for nothing; but in everything (greek word 'panti' meaning 'every single issue or item; all, any, every') with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God..."

We in the church are alarmed by the spiritual condition of family members, friends, co-workers, folks in our neighborhoods, our communities, the media, the sports arena, the business world, the entertainment industry, the academic world and the political world, not to mention the international scene. We are alarmed at the ungodliness that runs rampant, the shifting mores, the prominence of behaviors, attitudes, and  distorted values that the Bible clearly denounces as manifestations of sin.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ question: "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Matthew 20:32, Mark 10:36,51-52, and Luke 18:14) What do you want God to do for you? Would you answer that question in your prayers? Tell the Lord what it is that you want to see happen!

When you pray, I encourage you to pray in specifics. Instead of "Lord, send revival," pray, "Lord, would you open the eyes of our President to see that homosexual marriage is wrong?" "Lord, help the Supreme Court to see that homosexual marriage is detrimental to the nation." "God, intervene in the life of President Obama, Vice-President Biden, Speaker Boehner, and Chief Justice John Roberts." "Lord, in Hollywood, raise up believers who will challenge the hedonistic norms." "Lord, at Harvard, Yale and Princeton, raise up professors who have both brilliant minds and biblical convictions." "Lord, in my church, I pray that you will open our eyes to see the lost all around us." "Lord, I pray that you would place a hedge of protection around my Pastor and make him holy. Keep him from the destructive temptation of the evil one." "Lord, you know my family's needs. Please provide for us and open the right door for employment."

Each of these is an example of "specific" praying. If you will be more specific in your praying, I believe God will be more specific in His answers. Please, let's redirect our prayers to be more specific. I am convinced that if we pray specifically, God will answer specifically!

Grace and Faith: Part 1

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to a Bible study group on Ephesians 2:8-10 concerning the process of God's salvation. I’d like to share it with you. Today's post will be followed up by a post focused on faith on Thursday. 

Salvation always and only starts with God's grace. This is God's initiative in seeking the lost. It is the operating principle from Luke 19:10 where Jesus said He came to "seek and save the lost."

God's grace comes from many directions. It is seen in what is commonly called General Revelation. In Romans 1, Paul asserts that mankind knows the reality of God through conscience and creation. Paul's assessment is because of these two realities, we are "without excuse."

Jesus related in John 16:8 that the Holy Spirit would come at His direction to convince (convict) the world of the reality " of sin, righteousness, and judgment." The Spirit's work, too, is a manifestation of grace.

When we hear a sermon, or a testimony, or read Christian literature  that gives testimony to Jesus and the Gospel, that too is God's means of extending grace.

When a Christian lives a life which demonstrates compassion, or patience or generosity, that too is a means of extending grace. See Ephesians 4:29.

At times, God Himself orchestrates circumstances that drive us to Him. Remember Jonah?

God's grace was seen ultimately in the cross of Christ where He endured the punishment for our sin.

My point? Salvation for anyone always begins with God's grace. Grace convinces me that I am hopelessly lost left to myself. It directs me to God's only provision for my sin. It points me to and draws me to Jesus. That is grace.

When God extends grace (and there is no salvation apart from grace), our responsibility is to respond to that grace with faith. Faith is the human response to grace. Consider Hebrews 11 and the long list of saints who placed their faith (or trust or belief) in the Lord. Everything we receive from God, we receive as a gift through faith. Faith to use a theological and grammatical term is "the agency of means." It is how we connect with God's grace and, indeed, God Himself.

We are saved when God extends His grace and we respond in simple child-like faith. That is why Paul wrote, "By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In the words of one prominent writer, grace is an amazing reality!