Why?

 When my struggles move me to whisper in my Savior's heart, "Why?", the Spirit always draws me to the foot of His cross. Gazing up at the agonizing, amazing love of my Redeemer, again I whisper, "Why?" And His answer is always the same: "Al Iten, my son, before I laid the foundations of the universe, I loved you with an everlasting love. I willingly died in your place that you might spend eternity with Me in the Father's house so that We could lavish on you Our unconditional, eternal love. "Amazing love, how can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.?"

"I need no other argument, I need no other plea, it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me."

Dance with Me

 Times of sorrow. A vibrant pastor, loving husband, father, friend of many, godly mentor of many has been taken home. A friend--pray for the Callahan family--loving husband, father, grandfather, devoted follower of Christ is nearing his Homegoing. Times of sorrow.

At such times I identify with a poem by Wendell Berry:

Old Man Jayber Crow

Many I loved as man and boy

Are gone beyond all that I know.

Fallen leaves under falling rain,

Except Christ raise them up again.

I know my blessings by their cost,

Thus is the pride of man made low.

To ease the sorrow of my thoughts,

Though I'm too weary now and slow,

I'd need to dance all night for joy.

And I am, I admit, too weary now and slow. But that's the beauty of the power and the unity of the body of Christ, of the family of God, of the loved ones of the Savior. I do not have to dance alone. Together we can unite our hearts, wrap our arms together in prayer to the God of all comfort, be strengthened by our hope-filled sorrow--by the promised joy that comes in the morning. May we not hide from the world our sorrow. May we radiate our sure hope that is deeper than our sorrow. May we lean on each other in the bonds of prayer. May we comfort one another with the comfort He has given us to enrich our lives even in--especially in--the times of sorrow.

I am too weary now and old, but if you will link arms with me in prayer and encouragement and sorrow and hope, we can together dance all night for joy. For the promise is true and faithful because our loving Father is true and faithful. Joy comes in the morning.

Take my arm please. I need it. Dance with me.

Self-assessment

 Self-assessment:

I am always patient--when things are going my way.

I am always loving--to those who love me first.

I am always giving--when I know I'll get something back.

I am always humble--when the praise if deafening.

I am always wise--when I get to chose the questions.

I am always praying for God's help--when everything I've tried hasn't worked.

I am always giving a soft answer--when no one else is in the room.

I am always thankful--when I get what I want.

I am always willing to do the dirty work behind the scenes--when my name is in bold print on the bulletin.

I am always courageous--when I'm in hiding watching someone else fight the battle.

I am always compassionate--when I don't have to do anything about the problem.

I mean, why do I always feel so spiritually weary?

I

Reflections

 Reflections:

I was reminded today on many occasions of a heartbreaking and sobering truth.  Perhaps the most hated word in our country (and the world) in these times is the word:  "Sin."

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"Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me."

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He will enable you "to feast your eyes" on His salvation.

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Today, and every day until you go Home, He will lavish you with good gifts.  He doesn't know how to give any other kind of gift to His beloved children.

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I am held securely in the eternal, omnipotent of my Savior.  And wrapped around His hands are the eternal, omnipotent hands of my Father.  "More secure is no one ever than the loved ones of the Savior."

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Life with Jesus is a symphony.

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"Jesus is the sweetest name I know; and He's just the same as His lovely name."

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You do not "expectantly" wait for His return by standing on a hill gazing up into Heaven.  No, you wait expectantly for His return by being about your Father's business.

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As your Eternal Advocate when you stand before the Father, He will stand and say, "For this one, whom I loved before the foundation of the world, I paid His debt to sin forever, willingly.  I am His, and He is mine."

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Your Savior is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

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Though it is through the enabling of the indwelling Spirit that you are empowered to obey and serve Him, when He greets you, He will say, "Thank you, for loving Me and serving others in My name."
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Your life is hid in Him.  When you see Him, you will be like Him--immortal and incorruptible

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The Holy Spirit has sealed you until the day of redemption.  Who do you think can break that seal?  Exactly.

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He nailed all you sin, all your iniquities, all your transgression to His cross.  The "bill" is stamped, "Paid in Full."  The one who stamped the bill "paid in the full," is the God who cannot lie.

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You are a joint-heir with Christ.

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He will come again to escort you to the room in His Father's House that He has prepared for you.  He want you to be where I Am.

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You are His adopted child, and His child by the new birth--doubly His.

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He knows you by name.

His Goodness

 A favorite verse of many Christians is Romans 8:28. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Often, that promise has been a great comfort to me personally. But I think at times we don't consider all the truths this promise reveals. For example, do we really embrace the truth that all our struggles are His working to do us good? When my plans are changed or altered, do I embrace the good that is coming or murmur and complain about the circumstances and what He is asking of me in this situation? Do I ask Him, "Lord please help me to surrender to this failure, this illness, this loss, this confusion so that you can use it to transform me more fully into Your likeness. Help me to live for You in such a way that others will know that I see this as Your good hand at work in my life--that I trust Your goodness even though what I am experiencing doesn't seem so good to me." Do I really believe that His goodness is at work in my life in "all" things--even if I can't see it? Do I trust Him and surrender to His will--His good will? To not do so will result in a loss of peace, a loss of contentment, a hindrance to my transformation into the image of Christ. The issue in my life in such times has always been: Who knows what is the best for me, the good? My Savior or me? I don't deserve this. You don't deserve His goodness for sure--and all things are His goodness being lavished on you.

And may I add that all that is going on in our country--and the world--is God at work. Revealing His wrath against the ungodly who are trying desperately to suppress the truth? Yes. But He is also using all these things as a vital part of His plan to do good for His people. Yes, all these things. And whatever happens next--even in November--will be the goodness of God at work for His children. Will we submit to His will? Or murmur and complain and fear? One way the goodness of God and our confidence in that promise will be seen in our lives. The other way will lead to a walk identifying us with the children of Israel who wandered through the wilderness for forty years never able to see and embrace His goodness. One way we will die in the wilderness short of God's best. One way we will say fearlessly with Caleb "bring on the giants. If God be for me, who can be against me? I will not fear what man can do to me. I rest on the promise of His good hands at work in my life."

All things--do you and I trust in His goodness?

Opportunity

 We live in a culture petrified of death. We should not be surprised. A culture that eliminates God from the picture, eliminates meaning and purpose as well. Narcissism is not a synonym for meaning and purpose. When we tell our children that they have no soul or spirit to worry about, just the body; of course, they then worry about the body and its inevitable end--decay and death. I read a comment from a well-known doctor/author that we don't know why we age and die. But we do, sin.

Is dying, is losing someone we love to death without deep sorrow. No! But we sorrow as those who have hope. And our hope rests in the promise of God. "Absent from the body, present with the Lord." "He that believes in Me, will never die." "I go to prepare a place for you, and when I return I will take you with Me. So shall you ever be gloriously alive in My presence."

This is not a time to scoff at humanity's fear. Without Christ it is absolutely logical and understandable. No, this is a time when we share our hope with all God leads into our life. So many are seeking. I believe a spiritual hunger exists. Let us show and tell them of the Bread of Life and the Water of Life. We look at a world in chaos, anger, and fear, and we bemoan the culture. Instead of being uselessly critical, let's be courageously seeking the seekers. What an opportunity God is giving us! Let us not waste it in arrogant Christian narcissism. Let us show the world His peace and love as the antidote for anger and hatred. Let us not tremble in fear of the future, but radiate a confidence in the future of those who are His children. Let us be those who speak with soft answers. If we continue to act as the fearful world is acting, we will have wasted a marvelous chance to tell the lost and fearful that Jesus offers them hope and joy and purpose and meaning in their lives forever and ever. "One short sleep passed. we wake eternally, and death shall be no more." Death will die. How dare we keep that truth from a dying world!

Doubts

 We all struggle with doubt at times. Doubt is often evidence of faith--faith being stretched and deepened. Such struggles. our doubts, of course, can also be dangerous. Sometimes I think we take on somebody else's doubts. He or she has said they are doubting certain truths, and we think that we should too. The greatest threat, however, arises from our attitude toward God's Word--the Sword of the Spirit, the Person whose mission is to guide us into all truth. If I doubt the authority of God's Word or spend no time in God's Word, how can the Spirit teach and lead me--confirm for me the prayer of Jesus, "Sanctify them through Your Word; Your Word is Truth. Critical thinking is essential for Christians. We need to know why we believe what we claim to believe. We need to "make it our own." We need to hold up our doubts to the light of God's Word, to the leading into truth that the Spirit promises. Honest prayer is essential. Can truth be found outside of Scripture? Yes. But if the conclusions I reach contradict Scripture, whom should I believe?--The Holy Spirit or man's reason--no matter how brilliant he may be. I must be immersed in a prayerful study of Scripture in order to face my doubts honestly. Perhaps the need is to doubt my doubts and not my faith. The Holy Spirit may show me that what I have been taught to believe is not consistent with the truth found in His Word. The Holy Spirit may teach me that my doubts are not consistent when held up to the teaching of God's Word. But He is the Teacher. My intellect--or any man's intellect and understanding of truth--cannot begin to measure up to His--the Author of Truth. Embrace your doubts--then hold them up to God's revealed truth in His Word. Let the growing and deepening of your faith take place. Remember the promise is "He will lead you into all truth." And it's a lifetime journey.