Hindsight is... by Greg York

Hindsight is… (A Little Meditation on Human Memory for the Week of Easter)

 

Hindsight is always in HD, isn’t it?  Memory filters out so much of the material— whether fact or opinion—which seemed important, so right at the time, but later is revealed to be utterly unimportant or simply wrong.  It’s as if our collective memory washes all of that out.  All that’s left is amazing clarity.

 

And once that forgetting has taken place, it’s easy to look back at the now sanitized version of the past and think it was not possible that it could have happened any other way.

 

We look back on World War II as a “good war.”  It’s completely clear to us (from our present vantage point) that it was always a foregone conclusion that the United States would enter the war.  It’s clear to us that it was a foregone conclusion that once we were in, victory was assured.  Shed of any pesky details, it’s an easy picture to remember and “know.”  It must have happened that way because that’s how we remember it.

 

This week, I heard an interview with the author of a new book about the political climate in the United States between 1939 and 1941.

 

Those are not arbitrary dates:  Germany invades Poland and the war is underway in September, 1939.  Then the United States enters the war after the events of December, 1941:  the attack on Pearl Harbor, our declaration of war on Japan in response, and then Germany’s declaration of war on the US in response to that.

 

Between 1939 and 1941, there was a huge internal debate in the United States between those who felt we should enter the war (the “Interventionists”) and those who felt we should stay out (the “Isolationists”).  The rhetorical and political battles involved such luminaries as President Roosevelt (sympathetic with the interventionist view) and Charles Lindbergh (who was an unofficial spokesman for the isolationists).  Both sides of the war in Europe had active espionage operations in this country trying to influence public opinion.  Isolationist leaders on campuses included two future presidents and a future Supreme Court justice.  Interventionist leaders included titans of industry and Hollywood figures.

 

One of the isolationists’ reasoned arguments was that in the wake of the Great Depression trying to fight a war would cause the nation’s economy to take another dive, if not collapse totally, leaving us unable to defend ourselves should we need to.

 

Another of the isolationist arguments (based on the experiences of trench warfare in the First World War) was that millions upon millions of American soldiers would be needed to effectively wage the war and that millions would die…and it wasn’t even “our” war.

 

In point of fact, neither of those arguments turned out to be “what actually happened.”  The economy actually benefited from the war production.  The casualties, reprehensible as any are, turned out to be far less than the “reasonable estimates” of the isolationists.

 

Here’s the point:  It’s very easy for us to sit on this side of that history and see that the isolationists’ arguments were wrong and that World War II is the dictionary definition of “the good war.”  Because we’ve scrubbed the history clean.  In our collective memory, the history of World War II goes straight from “Germany invades Poland” to “U.S. enters war and victory is assured.”

 

But absolutely no one could know that in 1939-1941.  No one.

 

Is there a point lurking somewhere in here, Greg?  (I know; wordy.)

 

Here goes:  As I listened to the interview, I went further back in history in my mind, to a spring weekend almost two thousand years ago when a young artisan-turned-preacher died on a Roman cross.

 

Some thought, “That’s the end of that…and good riddance!”

 

Some thought, “That’s the end of that…what’ll I do now?”

 

Some thought, “That’s the end of that…and it might as well be the end of the world, because this is the worst thing that could ever happen!”

 

Some thought, “That’s the end of that…and how can I ever trust God again?  If God won’t save this guy…”

 

Some thought, as they laid him in a tomb, “That’s the end of that…”

 

I wonder if we have scrubbed and sanctified our shared memory of that weekend to the point that there’s no Saturday left.  We jump straight from “died on the cross” to “raised from the dead.”

 

But maybe what makes Sunday so unbelievably sweet and joyous is that Saturday.  A Saturday in which there is no assured outcome, no sure next step, no future to anticipate.  A Saturday filled with numbness and fear and disorientation.  A Saturday seemingly emptied of any hope.

 

But now, in retrospect (and only in retrospect!), it’s all so clear.

 

My hunch is that most of us live a great deal of our lives in “Saturday.”  “Saturday” is a hard time to live, a hard time to trust God.  But in all of our “Saturdays,” those times of fear and hopelessness, we can remember that “Sunday” is coming, with its proof that God is faithful and that all of our “Fridays” and “Saturdays” are redeemed and vindicated.  In fact, “Sunday” with God turns out to be so amazing that “Saturday” with all its doubt and disorientation may be utterly forgotten.

"Getting the Message" by Mike DeCamp

Last weekend, the elders and ministers gathered together to work on another project that we have derived from our congregational vision statement.

“Growing hearts toward God—

                Where people are…

                                devoted to God in love.

                                                trained by Christ for life.

                                                                and led by the Spirit to serve.”

And the project we were working on?  EVANGELISM.

We discussed our views, some of the congregational comments from our Vision class, and how to develop better tools and efforts toward that end.  During the discussion, two comments in particular struck a chord with me, and I’d like to share the thoughts that I’m contemplating as a result.  As I am thinking these things through, I really think the first comment will be greatly addressed as we get a better handle on the second one. 

Here goes:

COMMENT ONE:  Evangelism has a negative connotation in our society, so we should call it something else; something less offensive.

Really, this shouldn’t surprise any of us.  Persecution has tended to follow Christians across the centuries and Christ himself predicted it.  More than likely a good deal of it comes because Christians “share their faith” with those who don’t have a faith, or those whose faith is contrary to Christianity.  I have three primary responses:

A.      Evangelism is NOT optional to Christianity.  It is our mission given to us by our Lord.  We are called to “pay it forward” when it comes to the Grace we have received, and we do that by sharing it with others that are still “like sheep without a shepherd” in our lost world.  “Go into all the world,” Jesus said in Matthew 28, “and make disciples of all nations.” (See Matthew 28:18-20)  In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul said: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.”  (See 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

B.      Even in times when the message is not appreciated, Christians continue to share.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.  Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.  But Saul began to destroy the church.  Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.  Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.  Acts 8:1-4

As Christians, like it or not, evangelism is something we are supposed to do.  As a result, we may be disliked, insulted, and punished, but we must never scream “RETREAT!” and flee from our mission.  We can call it something else if we want.  “Community Outreach.”  “Sharing your faith.”  Whatever makes the effort not get in the way of the end result is fine with me, but we need to be about the business of making disciples. 

C.      Our message needs to have integrity.  No hidden agendas.  No mixed messages.  If our message comes from the heart and holds to the gospel, then folks will normally at least respect our effort.  For instance, we don’t feed the poor so that we can bring them to church.  We feed them because they need food, then we share the message because they need hope.  We don’t want to be guilty of hiding the message behind a façade of service.  Whatever we do needs to be real.

And that leads me to…

COMMENT TWO:  We need to understand what The Message really is.

I’d like to open my response here with what it is NOT.  First, it is not our doctrine.  And, it isn’t our church affiliation, or even church attendance.  It isn’t our view of worship or our understanding of the purpose and point of baptism.  The message is not to "avoid Hell!”

All of those things are important.  They really are.  But, they are not at the core of the message.

So, what is our message to this dark world?

The Gospel = The Good News.  What is the “Good News” of our message?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16-17

·         Despite all of our personal failures and weaknesses, God loves us!

·         He has taken the first step…a drastic step…and before we have shown any interest in Him…to provide for us hope in an eternal life!

·         God will not count our faults against us, but wants to be reconciled with us…brought together with us…bonded to us.  He wants a relationship with YOU, ME, and that guy that lives next to you.  You know.  The guy who sleeps around, gets drunk, shoots off his mouth, and makes fun of your dog.  Yep.  Even him.  And, you have the job of telling him.

The creator of the universe…the King of all kings…the Master among the stars…

He loves us...you, me, and that guy.

And, He is going all out to convince us to love Him back!

He is just looking for us to trust Him…have faith in Him…in that love.

The response of faith in the love of God will lead us to all of those other important details.  We can share those in our further studies.  However, it is the genuine trust (faith) in that gift of the love of God that will motivate us (and those folks we share the good news with) to take action.  That’s how God’s Grace has its effect on us.  It moves us to respond.

So, in my view, the message in a nutshell is:

God loves us and wants us with Him.  Jesus died to make that happen.  The Holy Spirit awaits our response.  We can find love, relationship, and an eternal hope in our trusting response to that loving sacrifice.

Is that something you can share?

What Would the Police Find? by Craig Hill

What Would the Police Find Out about Us?

If you were killed and the police investigated your murder, what would they find out about you? Would they think you were a good person devoted to God, or not?

First they’d interview the people that knew you well - the people closest to you.  They’d ask, “Did he have any enemies?”  Who would want to kill you?  Have you wronged someone and you haven’t made it right?  Mathew 5:22-25 says:

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court.  And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,  leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.  Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.  26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

What does God think of the relationships in your life?  If someone hates you it may indicate that you did something wrong that needs fixing.  Don’t wait.  Go fix it.  Treat people right so they don’t hate you.

Next the police would say, “What vices did she have?  Was he dealing drugs?  Did she steal money?  Did he cheat on his wife?”  Why do they investigate these things?  Because if you play with fire you are likely to get burned.  Proverbs 6 says:

Can a man scoop fire into his lap

without his clothes being burned?

Can a man walk on hot coals

without his feet being scorched?

So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

People do not despise a thief if he steals

to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,

though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

But a man who commits adultery has no sense;

whoever does so destroys himself.

Blows and disgrace are his lot,

and his shame will never be wiped away.

For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not accept any compensation;

he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.

What does God see when he looks at what you do when no one is looking?  If you are doing something really sinful, it’s going to catch up to you.  Stop it now.  Repent!

Next the police would say, “Let’s check out her financials affairs?”  They’d look at your bank statements and check book.  They’d look at your credit card statements.  They’d look at what you spent your money on?  Did you spend money or receive money doing righteous things or sinful things?  What would they find?  Matthew 6 says:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

What does God see when he looks at how you manage your money?  If you spend it on earthly foolish things, and you don’t give to build up treasures in heaven, then you may need to take a Dave Ramsey course (go to www.daveramsey.com). 

Next the police would say, “Let’s check out his calendar.”  They’d want to know who you spent your time with and what you did all day.  Did you visit someone in the hospital, or did you go someplace nasty?

Proverbs 2 says:

Surely her house leads down to death

and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

None who go to her return

or attain the paths of life.

Thus you will walk in the ways of the good

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

Where does God see you going and what does He see you doing?  Okay, you get the point.  The police investigating your life is sort of like God’s all seeing eyes.  God knows all and sees all.  Our behaviors indicate the pattern of our heart, what we love, what we value, and ultimately what we worship.  Do we love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind?  

And what can we do to improve the answers to all these questions?

I Am What I Am by John Wright

            So many people have had much to say about grace, what it is, what it does and so on.  I don’t have anything new to add and I sure can’t say it better than what has been said in God’s word.  The great thing about the truths in the Bible is that they are always relevant, and the Bible can shine light into ones heart whenever one is ready to receive its truth.  The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 reminds his readers that it is the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus that has the power to save sinners.  Paul in verse 10 gets very personal, “I do not even deserve to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God.  But By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.”

            I am what I am!  What does that mean to you?  If you have been washed in the blood as Paul was, and like I was, then it has to strike you to the core of your being.  I am what I am by God’s grace and only God’s grace.  It does not matter what I was, because I am in Jesus.  You see we are all the same; Paul’s experience with grace is the same as ours.  We do not deserve it, and how can we possibly live up to it?  God made a way for us because of his infinite goodness and mercy.  Through our faith and obedience in his Son Jesus we have been reconciled!  “Reconcile” means “to make friends again.”  Jesus said in Jn. 15: “You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his masters business; instead I have called you friends."

            God’s Friend!  It is what God’s grace has done in me.  What a blessing it is to be included in God’s family.  How has this grace affected you?  God’s presence in our lives has to affect us in powerful ways that should be transforming our lives into the image of our Lord.  Jesus paid a dear price for this grace that God freely bestows on us.  We must take care as to how we live our lives, and out of love and reverence for our friend and God proclaim that “this GRACE was not without effect.”

But What Can I Do? by Frank Black

          In the last piece I wrote I asked the question, “Are You Persecuted?”  If you read that and followed my reasoning, my conclusion was that, “Yes, today we (Christians and Christianity) are persecuted.”  I said that in our country we aren’t physically persecuted or punished, but that ours comes in the realm of spiritual and psychological persecution.  Virtually every day in the news I learn of events or decisions that are spiritually and psychologically painful. What am I talking about?  I’m talking about so many of our Biblical beliefs being diametrically opposite to the moral direction of our country – yet being approved or even flaunted by too many [see my list from the previous article – October 2012].  I’m speaking about Christianity being “squelched”; put down; belittled; excluded; and believers being called narrow, old fashioned, intolerant, prejudiced, bigots, or worse.

 

          This gradual, relentless assault on non-Christian values seems to have many in the Christian world stymied. The “name calling” causes many of us to “back off” and be silent.  Perhaps we are fearful; perhaps embarrassed; perhaps we don’t know what to say or how to respond; perhaps we think these ideas will pass; perhaps we are depending on others to ‘defend’ Christianity.  At any rate, in being loving and ‘tolerant’ of those with a different standard (non-Biblical), it makes us appear weak.  Likewise in “turning the other cheek” and not responding in a timely and proper manner, we add to the perception of weakness.  Being silent on issues can be interpreted in several ways by the “world”:  1) That we agree with the world’s position [tacit agreement].  2)  That we don’t really care  3) That our position is weak, and we and don’t know how to defend it.

 

          In a speech by Dr. Ben Carson at the February 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, he decried the “PC” concept [that of being “politically correct”].  He said that being PC stymied free speech.  He said it was dangerous, for it took away our freedom of expression – in effect it muzzles people.  We Christians must be strong and courageous, while prayerfully and forthrightly confronting the world, when people and institutions and laws run contrary to God’s principles.  We must speak up!  We are God’s witnesses – His ambassadors. The very Holy Spirit of God will help us with the very words to say.  We must look for the opportunities and supply the desire, the will, the confidence, and the action.

I look forward to Greg York’s upcoming lessons.  In an introductory lesson yesterday [2/24/13], he set the stage for discussing specific matters which seem to be in the domain I’ve been discussing.  Stay tuned!  

 

SO WHAT CAN I DO?

 

1. Regularly pray for our nation and our leaders.
2. Pray for yourself!  Pray for wisdom, for courage, for recognizing the opportunities to speak up, for the words to say [as mentioned above], and then:
3.  SPEAK  UP !!

[Several scriptures fit in here specifically:  Romans 8:26-7; I Peter 3:15; Colossians 4:6]. 

Start with your family, friends, the work place, etc. [in your ‘world’ –   your environment]

4. Keep abreast of current events and happenings. Listen, read, and learn from other Christians who can help you better understand and how to better approach the situations – even with the words to say.
5. Help support Christian leadership – those who may have a wider Christian voice.
6. Some of you may have the opportunity to speak to groups; to write; etc.  -  Look for opportunities and then Do It !
7. VOTE !  Tell others who you are voting for and why.  Some of you may choose to become more politically active.
8. Some of you may wish to join various groups that support Christian values.  This would open other doors for you to be an ambassador.
9. Look to become examples for others and leaders yourselves: to help others learn to keep abreast; to pray; to be a witness for Christianity; to speak up; to let all their actions ‘speak’ for Christianity.
10. …….  Keep adding to the list …….

 

Conclusion: Don’t lose heart.  We will win!  Christianity will win.  It has stood the test of time and will continue to do so.  We may lose some battles, but we will win!  The victory is ours.  (I Cor. 15:57)

F. Black – Feb. 2013

Link to Frank's previous article: Are You Persecuted?

Turning the World Upside Down by Dale Robinson

                                                                                                         

 

I was reminded this week while reading the story of a first-century Christian why the early church was so successful in “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

 

The story is about a man named Trophimus who lived in a little house by the side of the road just outside the city of Ephesus.  There he humbly witnessed to the love and goodness of Jesus through various expressions of hospitality.  As weary travelers passed by, he would offer them a cool drink of water from his well and fresh bread from his oven.  Quite often those who passed later in the day were offered a place to rest for the night.

One evening three Roman soldiers stopped at his home.  Trophimus asked about their journey, and the soldiers explained that they were under the orders of the Roman emperor himself to find a violent and dangerous man named Trophimus.  As they explained, Trophimus was suspected of sedition because of his refusal to bow before the image of the emperor and give his allegiance.  They were sent with instructions to find him and execute him on the spot.

Trophimus told them they didn’t need to go any further.  They could rest for the night and he would deliver the dangerous Trophimus to them in the morning.  And so he fed the soldiers and gave them a place to rest for the night.

 

While the three Romans soldiers slept, Trophimus went to the small flower garden behind his house and dug his grave.  The next morning after the soldiers had eaten and refreshed themselves, Trophimus said to them, “Come with me, and I will deliver into your hands this Christian, Trophimus.”

 

He led them to the flower garden and, standing by the open grave, he said, “You seek the Christian Trophimus?  I that speak to you am he.  I but ask that you bury me in the midst of my flowers.”  And he bowed his head for the stroke of the sword.

 

Antiquity gives us many such stories of Christians who out-lived, out-died, and out-loved those around them.  No wonder they turned the world upside down.  They lived by a set of values that were contrary to the world’s values, remembering the words of their master, “Love those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28).

 

Jesus taught that the power of a life lived under the rule of God is like a mustard seed or like yeast (Matthew 13:31-33).  Though small, both grow quietly and steadily until their influence is unmistakable.

 

Small beginnings.  Humble service.  Quiet submission.  Confident testimony.  Powerful faith.  These things changed the world in the first century.  They still change the world today.

Mountain Out of a Molehill by Chris Kirby

Mountain Out of a Molehill

This past Saturday I was watching the kids while Jill was gone for a work thing all day.  I was also sick with the worst symptom being a pesky case of Laryngitis.  Needless to say, not having a strong voice makes keeping up with our two little angels slightly more challenging.  You ever tried to say something with authority when your voice is weak?  You sound so convincing.  Going places is no good because it’s hard to keep up with the kids and speak to other people.  Staying around the house gets draggy because reading isn’t much fun and neither is playing games in which you have to speak much. 

However, one game that keeps Jack and Tatum entertained for long stretches and uses minimal voice is Hide and Seek.    We play in the upstairs of our house which consists of 3 bed rooms, a couple of baths, a playroom and a few closets.  Combined with my size, that makes for limited places to hide.  But, it’s fun to pop out of a closet and “scare them”, act surprised when Tatum jumps up from the same spot every time she hides, and pretend that Jack won’t be able to see me standing behind a curtain.  It made for a great way to pass some time that morning.  After we played, we ate lunch and Tatum took her nap.

After the nap was over, I was busy finishing something in Jack’s room when I hear some knocking and a very distressed sounding two year old coming from another room.  I go to see what the emergency is.  Evidently, Tatum was using our recently implemented skills of hiding behind closed doors from that morning to hole herself away in our room.  The only problem is that she doesn’t quite have the height and strength yet to reopen a door that requires a nob to be turned. So, after realizing I wasn’t coming to “seek”, she started calling for daddy to come save the day. As I opened the door, relief comes over her.  She gives me a quick hug, a “tanks Dadee”, and shoots down the hall.  I assume she’s headed to “play” with Jack (aka, see how fast she can destroy the current Lego project).  I go back to finish what I was working on.  Crisis averted. 

However, no more than 2 minutes later I hear “Dadee, Dadee."  Knocking is coming from down the hall and Jack comes to inform me that Tatum has indeed trapped herself again.  Notice how helpful he is… He doesn’t help her out, he is just the informant.  Had we still been officially playing Hide and Seek, it would have been a champion’s move.  She was stuck in the bathroom this time.  I go and open the door for her again.  She gives me her little smirk and another “tanks Dadee!”  Once again, I get to be the hero.  I make the suggestion she not close anymore doors she can’t open.  She agrees with an “otay Dadee” and goes and plays for a few minutes while I finish my project. 

You know, these little moments are awesome as a dad.  I get to laugh at how silly my two year old is at the same time as having my heart melt realizing that I am still her hero because of a simple little thing like releasing her from a self-made bathroom prison.  It also gives me a chance to have a tiny little glimpse of what we must look like to God.  Particularly the second time I had to “rescue” her, I was thinking just how funny it is that Tatum put herself right back in the same situation that I’d just saved her from less than 5 minutes before.  Shouldn’t she know better? I also thought it was funny just how desperate she sounded at trying to open the door.  It was a huge obstacle for her.  But, it was so easy for me to help her out of the situation she was confined by.  Even if she’d accidently locked door, I could have had her out in a matter of seconds with the little screwdriver key. 

While I chuckled to myself, I did stop and wonder how many times God looks at us and just shakes his head at some of the obstacles that we perceive to be trapped by.   To God the solution is as simple as opening a door.  His promises are huge for us!  Even in things that seem big to us, Jesus gives promises of provision such as in Matthew 6:25-34 when He calls us to seek God and he will provide the other concerns in life.  We see in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 that even in the hardships that may come with faith, there are assurances of hope from God.  Throughout the Old Testament we see examples of God leading his people against overwhelming odds.  I love the scene in Joshua 3 where the people of God find themselves in what seems an impassable moment.  They found themselves trying to figure out how to cross the Jordan River.  (It was at flood stage.  A river is hard to cross without a bridge or a boat right?  And, at flood stage, even a small river becomes dangerous.)  But, God simply held back the water and His people crossed on a dry river bed.  Obstacle gone.  On the other side, the Israelites stopped and said a “Tanks Dadee” (very loose interpretation) in a special occasion of worship to remember God’s provision to overcome this challenge. It’s a powerful scene to remind us of God’s love and desire to be THE Hero for his children.    

We all have obstacles in life.  Some of them are rather small and some are bigger in our eyes.  But, if we remember that any obstacle in front of us appears simple in the eyes of God, we can have the ability to approach those challenges with confidence, assurance, and use them as faith building experiences! 

A Patient Listener by Terry Gardner

A Patient Listener

By Terry Gardner

 

Connie and I were on a long drive back from scenic Tennessee a few days ago and we were discussing patience.  Specifically my patience and areas where I had improved but more importantly areas where I still have a ways to go (maybe a long ways).  James wrote, “This you know, my beloved brethren.  But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20.  Patiently listening is a big challenge for me.

It takes patience to listen to others and to understand their point of view.  Men often want to cut to the bottom line.  Women (and some men too) like to give you all the details in living color!  I am not patient in listening to the all the details and this is not an area in which I have improved much over the years, indeed, I may be advancing backwards!

Why don’t we listen to others?  I don’t know about you but I’ll suggest some of the flaws I see in my own character in this area including (but not limited to) the following:

1.  My time is more valuable than your time.  At least that is in the back of my mind sometimes when I am not focused on listening.  How do you feel when you are talking about a subject that is important to you but the person you are talking to is a million miles away?  How many wives have had that experience with their husbands?  If you want to be successful in life, learn to listen to each person as though they were the most important person in the world and you will go far.

2.  I don’t value the knowledge of the person speaking.  R. L. Whiteside was an early president of Abilene Christian University and one of the finest scholars of his generation.  While living in Abilene he became acquainted with G. W. Harvey and wrote of him that, “he was, I think, the wisest uneducated man I ever knew.  He was uneducated according to world standards, yet one day he said to me, ‘Ain’t it hard to get people to be as gentle, and considerate, and forbearing as they ought to be without their becoming so soft they ain’t no account.’  Think on that.  Can you be gentle without being tame, considerate without being soft, forbearing without being tolerant of wrong?  And someone remarked that it is hard to get people to be firm and steadfast in their attitude toward the truth without their becoming so dogmatic they are nuisances.”  Every human being has something to teach us, if we will listen.

3.  I’d rather talk than listen.  Some years ago I asked an acquaintance of mine why he became a preacher.  His reply was, “Well, I figured if I have to go to Church, I’d rather do the talking than the listening.”  The Jews that James addressed were like my acquaintance.  They wanted to talk when they needed to be listening.  James wanted them to be swift to the listen to the Word of God.  However, when we hear God clearly it may make us mad and we know that when Jesus spoke the Word of God to those of Nazareth, they were filled with wrath. (Luke 4: 28-29).  Sometimes we talk when we should be listening because we don’t want to hear the truth, we don’t want to change.  We need to remember that man’s anger, whether directed toward God or man, works not the righteousness of God.

I have sign at my office that says, “Be here now!”  It is supposed to remind me to focus on the person I am talking to completely and totally!  That in such conversations I should not be checking email, surfing the web or even daydreaming.  Easy to say all this of course, but hard to do.  Listening is a true of test of patience.  How are you doing in this area of your walk with God?

Using Simple Words by Greg York

Using Simple Words

 

"Yes." "Yes." "Yes." "Yes."

—Lance Armstrong, in an interview aired on January 17, 2013, when asked, in succession, whether he ever took banned substances, whether he doped through blood transfusions, whether he used other banned substances such as testosterone, and whether he took banned substances during all seven of his Tour de France victories.

 

"I lost both my grandparents and my girlfriend to cancer."

—Manti Te'o, in a pre-Heisman ceremony interview on December 8, 2012, two days after he now says he learned the girlfriend had never existed

We’ve recently been treated to two national shows of deception, thanks to Lance Armstrong’s confession to years of deception and denial, and the discovery that Manti Te’o’s late girlfriend never actually existed.  And we still don’t know whether or not Te’o is a colossally deceptive young man or a colossally gullible young man.

 

These two cases seem to just beg to be treated as “morality plays,” with a neat little conclusion tagged on the end, some moral for us to all emulate.

 

The problem with that is that we could all walk away feeling really good about ourselves – after all, I’ve never used PEDs during a big sermon series and I have actually seen most of the people I have close relationships with at least once.

 

That’s too easy.

 

There are, in fact, valuable lessons illustrated for us in these events.  But they might not be so easy for us to hear and feel good about.

 

First, in the case of Lance Armstrong’s blatant, bullying lying for years about his use of PEDs…

 

Listening to his interview with Oprah, he offered the most tread worn, lame excuse of them all: “Everyone else was doing it.”

 

The reason I know it’s a tread worn, lame excuse is that I’ve used it myself as a rationale for words or behaviors before.

 

To his credit, if I understood him correctly, what caused him to “come clean” and reverse years of angry denials was when it hit him that his teenage son was one of his staunchest defenders.  His son completely believed the lies and denials.

 

Apparently, it was not the publication of overwhelming evidence, the sworn testimony of former friends, colleagues, and co-conspirators that was the tipping point for Armstrong, but an epiphany that he was crafting a legacy for his son that would include deceiving his own flesh and blood.  Finally, that was too much. Finally, he realized that his real legacy was not in victories at the Tour de France or even in using his celebrity to do charitable good (which he has certainly done).  His real legacy was in his son.

 

I’m not sure that’s a bad reason to come clean.

 

And it calls me to ask, what will be the “true” legacy my sons inherit from me?  Will it be substantive or will it be merely an image?  Which legacy do I want them to have?

 

For the sake of others, especially those closest to me, am I willing to be a person who tells the truth and who lives the truth?

 

Second, in the case of Manti Te’o’s situation, whether he in the final analysis he is deceiver or deceived…

 

Let’s say we accept Te’o’s current iteration of events, that he only lied about the relationship at the end.  It all smells to me then like a bad prank that spun out of control.  It was supposed to be a private humiliation, but it went “viral” and now what do you do?  Have to keep spinning the tale, can’t back off now.  Lies begetting lies.

 

Or, let’s say we assume Te’o is involved from the get go, and that it’s all about creating Heisman buzz.  Then it all smells to me like…well, let’s just say it completely stinks if that’s the case.  You’ve got a case of words creating an alternative reality, a world (complete with loving, understanding, globe-trotting, leukemia-fighting girlfriend) that otherwise does not exist.  But because of mere words, many were led to act as if it did.

 

Either way, what a parable about the power of words!

 

And it’s precisely because of that legacy-shaping, world-creating power of words that Jesus calls us to be careful with words.  To be people whose words (and lives) have integrity:

 

…you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.”  But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5.33-37).

 

Simply tell the truth, Jesus says.  And just tell it simply.

 

That’s where we get into trouble.  We forget that little statement there at the end: anything more than this comes from the evil one.  Just keep your words true.  Simply true.

 

We could feel some sense of moral superiority if we ended this by asking: Are you listening Lance Armstrong?  Are you listening Manti Te’o?

 

But that’s too easy, and besides, we can’t control other people, only ourselves.  So we need to end this way:

 

Are you listening to Jesus Southeastern Church?  Are our words simply true?

Revisiting the Great Commission by Mike DeCamp

Revisiting the Great Commission

 

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18b-20—Jesus

I don’t know about you, but I was so very encouraged as I watched the baptisms of Jason and Tanya Larrabee last week.  Their baptisms on top of the baptisms of the three young people in the few weeks before just iced the cake and made me feel like we are truly making a difference in some people’s lives.  And, isn’t that what it's really all about…the reason we “continue to meet together with glad and sincere hearts”… the reason we develop our various ministries and hire our various ministers and hold our various classes and worship times…don’t we want to make a difference in the lives of folks around us?  Don’t we want to make a difference in each other’s lives?

The scripture I’m quoting above is known as “The Great Commission.”  It was the last great set of instructions that Jesus gave his followers just before he ascended back to Heaven.  It has been the call to action for His church for the many centuries that followed; right up to the present day.  “Go.”  “Go make disciples.”  “Go make disciples of all nations.”  “Baptize them.” 

And then, to paraphrase: “Teach them to GO.” 

It seems to me that it is time for Southeastern to revisit that call.

In early December, we had our financial presentation.  Numbers.  Ministries.  Giving.  Budgets.  We listened to a bunch of stuff that could make our eyes fog over.  However, to all our joy, near the end of the service, a young woman came forward to be baptized.  To close out that service, I stood up for the closing prayer, but before I prayed I pointed at the baptistry and said: “That is why we have our budgets.”  My heart was warmed by the enthusiastic response that the church gave as I heard “Amen!” being shouted in the room.

I know our congregation loves to see lives changed.  I know we want to regularly use that rectangular pool of water behind the curtain.  I know we believe in evangelism.

We DO believe in The Great Commission! 

I just know we do!

The question really comes down to What are we each willing to do about it?   Are you willing to put yourself out there?  Are you willing to involve yourself in the process of helping a friend, co-worker, neighbor, family member, or even a stranger to find their walk with God?

Or, do we only believe in Evangelism by Osmosis?

Evangelism is a dirty-hands kind of thing.  You have to get down into it with people.  You have to be willing to invest yourself.  You have to challenge folks to be open with their lives and their hearts, and apply the scriptures to themselves to bring about personal change…and it really helps when you model that for them.  (And, that modeling starts with the leadership.  We, the elders and ministers need to challenge ourselves to model this for the church!  We need to get our hands dirty too.)  But, I get ahead of myself….

Evangelism really all starts with an invitation.

We have to be willing to invite someone.  Invite them to church.  Invite them to study God’s Word.  Or, maybe just invite them to be our friends.  Be outward.  Be loving.  Be giving.  Share the faith that God has provided us.  Can we do that?  Will you do that?  I think that was what Mike & Lisa Fleetwood did with the Larrabees.

Imitate and repeat!

But, let’s initiate this with the question of desire.  Do you want to help change someone’s life for God?

DO you?

Do YOU?

If you do, and in response to this article, I want to challenge you to find your nearest elder or minister and tell them so. 

Walk right up TODAY and say:

“I want Southeastern to evangelize, and I want to help.”

I hope to hear from you!

Mike

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  2 Corinthians 5:20—Apostle Paul