I’M GOING TO LIVE FOREVER!

READING FOR TODAY:  Psalm 27-29  John 11: 1-29

My thoughts today surround the story of the illness, death, and resurrection of Lazarus as recorded in John 11.

“Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”

The subject of dying is a forbidden topic for many people.  Perhaps you have experienced a death in your family with the past year and you understand the pain that Martha was experiencing.  Unless the death was unexpected, there would have been an opportunity to talk to the person who was dying and give last expressions of what that person has meant to you.  Or perhaps you had time to make amends.  Often when this important step in not taken,  regrets follow.

In most of the world, death is an accepted part of life.  And aging is honored.

Not so much here in America where youth, vigor, and good looks are continually sought after.  Often we try to avoid any attempt to think about dying and aging.  Shelves are filled with anti-aging creams, spot banishing creams, wrinkle removers, etc.  There is a common sentiment in our society where many of us strive to look and feel decades younger—to prove to ourselves and the world that we are healthier and more vital than our parents were at our age.  We’ve all heard it:  60 is the new 50 and so on.

Jesus risked his life to go to the house of Mary and Martha when he heard that his friend Lazarus was ill.  “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you’re going back there?”  But Jesus had a lesson to teach to his friends, and especially to his disciples.

Hearing that his friend was critically ill, Jesus intentionally took his time in getting to Bethany.  Martha’s trauma was much like yours or mine would be when our time expectations are not met.  “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” she scolded. It was a tearful crowd that Jesus addressed at the tomb of Lazarus.  The crowd knew that four days in the grave would mean that the corpse had already deteriorated.

At the words of Jesus, “Lazarus come forth!”, the stone was rolled away and Lazarus walked out!  The raising of Lazarus was a precursor to another resurrection that would take place just nine chapters later.  Jesus himself would rise from the dead, showing that death will not hold us captive.

As Christians we need not fear the specter of death.  Obviously, we wish to avoid it as long as possible.  For all of us, immortality will take up where mortality ends.  We who believe will enter indescribable joy for eternity.

When comparing eternal life with mortal life, Paul put it this way.  “For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.”  (Phil 1:21)

As I look at myself in the mirror these days, I definitely see some changes.  If a cosmetic surgeon would stand beside me, I am sure that he might recommend some wrinkle filler, and perhaps even some botox.  He might have a conversation with me about the “new seventy.”  When all of those procedures were finished, he might even say, “There, that’s the new seventy.”  You don’t look a day over fifty!”

I think I will continue moving forward with the face that life has given me.

Any unkindness that aging might give me doesn’t hold a candle to the eternity that awaits me.  And I will live again—forever!

HOPE AMID HOSTILITY

Psalm 7-8; John 7:28-53

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.  Up to that time the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”  John 7:37

Today’s reading highlights a conversation that occurred during  a high and holy event in Jerusalem.  From all over the nation a pilgrimage had been made to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

Along with the ten commandments given by God on Mount Sinai was a requirement to celebrate seven feasts throughout the year.  He included the names, why they were to be celebrated, and when.  Israel’s history was rehearsed each year through the various feasts:  In the spring they celebrate the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First fruits to celebrate their trek from slavery to the promised land.

During the summer they celebrate the Feast of Pentecost.

In the fall the final three are celebrated:  The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and finally the Feast of Booths.

In contrast to the other Feasts, the Feast of Booths was to be a week long celebration.  They were asked to remember the comparatively flimsy accommodations that the wilderness provided.    Celebrants erected crude tents or huts for their families to dwell in for a period of seven days.

The Jews were looking for him to show up at this feast and began asking “Where is that man?” Each had their own perspective on just who he was.  Comments like;

“He is a good man.” 

“No, he deceives people. “

“He is the Christ.”

“How can the Christ come from Galilee?  Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family…?”

As I read the John 7 account of this celebration, I was surprised how how little was given to “reminiscence.”  Rather, there is an overwhelming  environment  of hostility.  I would imagine that a hostile audience is a difficult audience to face.  Have you noticed that politics seems always to find a way of trying to trump what God really wants to accomplish.  The religious dignitaries at this feast had one goal.

Jesus remained out of sight until the middle of this feast.  When he began to teach, immediately people are amazed.

“How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

Jesus replied that his teaching came from his father.  And then he confronted them by asking, “Why are you trying to kill me?”

The arguments and fights escalated and some thought was even given to arresting him.

Finally on the last day of the feast, Jesus boldly proclaimed “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

You and I are so privileged to be alive in the age of the Holy Spirit.  We have had the pleasure of living our lives in the light of Jesus’ promise in John 7.  So much of the value of our faith rests in remembering what God has given us.

The role of Jesus, the Incarnate God, was not an easy role. However, no amount of resistance kept Him from announcing a better day for His people and for all of us.  Just as the Jews got sidetracked at the feast we sometimes do the same and the church turns inward rather than outward.

After many years of knowing Christ and serving the people of God, I must insist on keeping the Holy Spirit alive in me and in the church.

ITTAI THE GITTITE

READINGS: II Samuel 15; Psalm 3:69; John 4: 27-.54

If you were sitting across the table from me, I would ask you to tell me what you think when I mention the apostle John? You might say: disciple of Jesus or a writer of one of the gospels or the disciple whom Jesus loved.

What about David might you remember? He was a famous king or he was the shepherd boy who killed Goliath.

Does Absalom conjure up any thoughts? Perhaps it would be his rebellion against his father, David.

Does Ittai ring a bell with you? He is an easy one to pass over as we read through II Samuel.

Ittai was a Gittite. Ittai and six hundred of his countrymen had joined the somber departure of David from Jerusalem. David had been warned that Absalom, his son, had won the hearts of the nation and was bent on killing his father so that he could usurp the throne.

The back story which sheds light on this story is that Absalom had been banished from Jerusalem by his father. His offence was that he had committed a murder. After three years of not seeing his son, he sent for Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem. The emotional wound between father and son, however, was not healed. He became obsessed with stealing the kingdom from David. Absalom set out to win over the nation to himself. To accomplish this he got up early each morning and positioned himself at the city gate. As travelers entered the city he won their favor, by saying, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice.” II Samuel 15:4

It took four years, but in the process he did win the hearts of the people. The tactics of Satan have been consistent throughout history. The lust for power always takes a similar path. “If only I was in charge…”

When a messenger came and told David that the hearts of Israel were with Absalom, David and his company left in haste. As the king reviewed his followers, he noticed the Gittite,  Ittai. The king said, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. You came only yesterday, and today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you. ” II Samuel 15: 19, 20

However, nothing would dissuade Ittai from following King David. He responded with these words. “Surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.” II Kings 15:21

The stories of Absalom and Ittai provide a clear picture of the best and the worst in all of us. Absalom, son of the king, rightful heir to the throne, possessing strength and good looks, chose to obsess on power. Even at the cost of assassinating his father, he would force his way to the throne. “If I was in charge, things would be different.” Absalom was not going to settle for less than control of the Kingdom of Israel.

What did Absalom’s aspirations gain him? He was cut down in battle. He was found hanging by his hair in an oak tree.  He died alone.

Ittai, on the other hand, possessed no particular advantage. He wasn’t even an Israelite. He was a Phillistine. He knowingly aligned himself with David, even at the potential cost of his life. The issue of control never entered his mind. His desire was to be close to the king. Submission was more desirable than power.

And Ittai?   He remained loyal to David and soon was promoted as a general and placed over one third of David’s army.

So, are we like Absolom or Ittai?  Grasping and losing or serving and being promoted as the King chooses?

I am reminded of Christ as He is described in Philippians 2.  I’m quoting it here from the Message:

 ^1-4If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. ^5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

^9-11Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

 

THE POWER OF REFLECTION

II Samuel 1,2 Luke 24:36-53

‘Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” Luke 24:45

I looked forward to the weekend. It had been a particularly busy time in the church. My wife was out of town on a speaking engagement leaving me to fend for myself. I had a strategy. I planned to lock myself in my office, away from any distractions. It was to be my time alone with God. With my Bible in hand and some other good reading material I closed the door, and with a sigh of relief, sat down for my own personal retreat. You know how it is, there are those times when you feel like, “I deserve this.”

I had forgotten one important thing, the telephone. I had failed to shut it off. As you might predict, it happened, the phone rang. I have never been one who could just let a phone ring. Who knows, it might be an emergency. The voice on the other end of the line was a bit desperate. “Sir, I know you don’t know me, but I am stranded here in South Bend. I need a ride. I have identification. I would really appreciate your help.”

I couldn’t help but wonder how in a large town like South Bend, Indiana, he happened to choose our church to call. Following a string of excuses as to why I couldn’t, I gave up. Traveling across the city, I groveled in self pity, thinking that this is the price one pays for being a servant.

There he was, just where he said he would be. In one hand he carried a duffle bag; in the other, a somewhat tattered Bible. Josh went out of his way in expressing appreciation for my good deed. For me, it felt like this would be a journey of mild resentment for this kid who couldn’t find his own way in the world.

Entering the Indiana toll road, the conversation began, one sided that is. Josh began sharing his life and testimony with me. I learned that he was a Jewish boy who had fallen into friendship with a group of Christians. Through study of the Scriptures, Josh became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Readily, Josh had turned his life over to Jesus the Messiah.

My spirit lightened as I listened to this excited follower of Jesus express his love for his Bible. I began to re-interpret this invasion of my private space as a kind of personal seminar on what it means to discover Jesus in the Scriptures.

Before I knew it, ninety miles had been spent in this new “foisted upon me” friendship. The final exit was just ahead. I pulled off and stopped. Thanking me profusely, Josh left my car and went on his way.

Heading back home, I mused, “I wonder if Josh thought I was an angel.” Quietly, the Spirit whispered, “Josh was the angel.” Unquenchable tears flowed as I continued that journey back to what I had thought was a well deserved time alone. Conviction mounted as I contemplated the power of loving and understanding the Scriptures. I found myself wanting to study more, to know more, to be fruitful in ministry.

I find it interesting that Jesus closes his discourse with the apostles by opening their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. It has been said, “Christianity is a thinking person’s religion.” Jesus didn’t open their emotions so they could understand. He opened their minds.

Included in the greatest commandment is this one, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your MIND.”   (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)

Reflecting on this vignette from my life prompts me to keep opening my Bible. I encourage you to do the same.

Read it! Love it! Live it!

Timothy was taught by Paul to “study yourself to be approved to God…”

THE LOST SWORD

1 Samuel 21:9  The priest replied, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod.  If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.  ”David said, there is not like it, give it to me.”  

I SAMUEL 20-21; PSALM 34; LUKE 21:20-38

In today’s reading, we find David at a lot point.  He is hiding out like a criminal, lying and deceiving in order to protect his life.  To make matters worse, he and his men are famished, unable to find food.  In desperation he seeks out  the priest Ahimelech who offers him holy bread that was left over from the previous day.  Being without a weapon, he asked if he had a sword or spear.  Ahimelech replied that he had only one sword in his possession, one that he had carefully wrapped in a cloth and hidden behind the ephod.  In fact, it was the very sword that Goliath had used when he fought David several years earlier.

How did the sword make its way from the battlefield to the House of God?  Who decided to hide it?  No one knows.  Was it a coincidence?  Had the weapon been designated a relic or a memorial of battles won?

The defeat of the giant had been high point in young David’s life.  For generations even up to today, the story has been told and retold throughout the centuries.  A young boy’s bravery won a victory for an entire nation with just five smooth stones.  That climactic moment when David took Goliath’s sword and decapitated him brought a sigh of relief to David and his nation’s army.

After the battle, David’s career took a quick ascent.  Before long he moved to the palace and became a war hero. His best friend was the king’s son.  He soon gathered a huge following.  What could possibly go wrong!

But it did.  Any honest Christian will admit that life has its highs and lows.  Our bio’s all reveal those ecstatic episodes in our lives that had a way of catapulting us upward to a new level.  And more often than not, we don’t always remain there.

Nothing more is mentioned of the sword.  It’s even incidental and often overlooked in the retelling of our bedtime stories.  I’ve never heard a sermon preached about it.   It seems that the sword has been lost forever.  Perhaps even David had forgotten about it.    However, God hadn’t.  And he had it safely ensconced for a future time when it would be needed.  And even as I read this story this week, I had to wonder, where is this sword today?  Perhaps we could see if Indiana Jones just might come up with a theory and we could all see it on America’s marquees:  THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST SWORD.  Far out?  Perhaps so.  However, what we are reading about in this story is more than coincidental.

The preservation of this particular sword was God’s way of looking out for David’s future.  He knew that there would be days of disappointment along the way in David’s rise to the throne.  God was aware of not only King Saul’s bitter jealousy and hatred of David, but also of David’s love for Him.  David asked only for a weapon, but what he received was a special sign that God was aware of him even during this confusing point in his life.  And he had preserved, not just any weapon, but the very sword that would remind David of a past victory–Goliath’s sword!

A very good friend of mine, now deceased, one told me at a low point in my life, “John, you have to keep your eyes open for clues as to what God is doing in your life.”  That piece of advice from a mentor has prompted me to be open to finding clues along the way.

1 Samuel 21:9  The priest replied, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod.  If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.  ”David said, there is not like it, give it to me.”  

While David was in a survival mode, a retired sword lay in wait for the time when David would need a clue that he had not been forgotten.  David had been anointed, but he had no crown.  He had the anointing and he was starving.  He had the anointing and his life was in great jeopardy.  He was a fugitive and he had no sword.

We currently face a major vacancy in our congregation.  Our pastor recently announced that he is moving on to a new field.  This kind of event can cause us to ask questions, worry, and even fear for the future.  Be confident, however, that hidden away, God has a ministering family who is even now being proven for a new assignment.  Our future is in His hands.

MAKE SURE….

SCRIPTURE: I Samuel 4-6 Luke 18:1-23

Ark of the Covenant

I Samuel 4:18 “When he mentioned the ark of god, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate.  His neck was broken and he died for he was an old man and heavy.  He had led Israel forty years.”

The fly leaf of my Bible has become a sort of traveling bulletin board. Whenever I have heard or read something that stuck to me, I wrote it down in the flyleaf of my Bible.  Here’s one that I am sure I read in some of Jim Elliot’s writing. “When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.”

To be sure, life can become an accumulation of trash and trivia that needs on occasion to be sorted and discarded.  What could be worse than coming to the end of a long life and be filled with regret.  Will the grudges we hold matter at all when we come to the end of our fleeting lives?  What a price one pays for the clenched fist of unforgiveness when it comes time to die.

Our text is a very succinct description of Eli’s life.  We learn that this priest was old,  he was obese, and he was full of anxiety.  How is that for an obituary!  Old.  Obese.  Obsessed.

The story of Eli has always caused a tug of sadness for me.  What was this old man doing sitting by the side of the road anyway?  At ninety years of age, why wasn’t he being taken care of by his family?  After all, the ministry of Eli had touched the lives of several important people in  significant ways.

Many years prior, God had promised that the family of Eli would be priests in the House of God forever.  Eli’s post in Israel was distinguished. The stewardship of temple worship was solely in his hands.

It was Eli who assured Hannah that the child she desired would be born. That child was destined to become a great priestly judge in the nation.  It was in the hands of Eli that Hannah placed her young son, Samuel, to be tutored in the life of Judaism.  Young Samuel was taught by Eli the art of listening to the voice of God.

What could have led to this kind of death for a man of Eli’s prominence?

A closer look at Eli’s life reveals that the disciplines he was able to teach Samuel, had not been transferred to his own sons. Consider the description of these young men described in I Samuel 2:17.

“This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.”

While Eli disapproved of the behavior of his sons, he nevertheless failed to remove them from service at the altar.  A verbal statement of disapproval was issued by Eli.  Again, no attempt to remove them from their positions at the altar.

The wages of sin is always death, death to individuals and death to nations.  Israel was weakened by weakness at the altar.

In I Samuel 2;30-32 a prophetic message was delivered to Eli. “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel declares:  ’I promised that your house and your father’s house would minister before me forever.’  But now the Lord declares, far be it from me!  Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.  The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line and you will see distress in my dwelling.  Although good will be done to Israel in your family line there will never be an old man….”

Eli was never able to bring his sinful sons under subjection.  His inexcusable casualness regarding the altar cost him and his nation a despicable price.

Israel found itself unable to manage an onslaught by the Philistines.  In a desperate attempt to ward off their enemies, the Ark of the Covenant was dragged into the war.  Surely, no one was about to destroy the Ark.  However, the Ark was taken by the Philistines, resulting in a loss of thirty thousand foot soldiers.  Samuel’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, were among them.  An agonizing father was sitting by the side of the road when he heart the awful news.  Not only did he lose a lot of his army including his two sons, but the Ark of the Covenant which represented the presence of God, had also been captured.  He lost his balance and fell backwards from the chair breaking his neck.

Thus this short obituary:  Eli was old…He was heavy…He was anxious…He was dead.

Lesson to be learned from this reading?  The management of ones life demands attentiveness to God’s wishes.

NO EXCUSES

SCRIPTURES Judges 9-10 Luke 14: 1-24

It might surprise you to learn that one of my favorite television shows is the one called THE BIGGEST LOSER.  Each season morbidly obese people are selected from across the country and given an opportunity to go through rigorous physical and dietary restrictions for the purpose of gaining a new image. Viewers witness the pain and agony involved in each contestant as they submit to discipline as never before.

The current season has a theme called “No Excuses”.  Each week a familiar excuse is addressed: “I can’t lose on vacation..It runs in my family…I’m too busy, etc.  As the season progresses, hundreds of pounds have been shed as the contestants face up and overcome their hollow excuses.

My pleasure in watching this show, I think, is born out of my sometimes lack of control regarding diet. I often excuse late night grazing as a way to ease stress.  After all, I work hard trying to make life better for others. Don’t I deserve a bit of over indulgence.  Nonsense! I am relieved of my own excuses as I have watched obese contestants face their own excuse demons.

The Bible is replete with verses that condemn excuse making. Paul remarks to the Romans. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” On one occasion Jesus indicated that “he who judges another is without excuse.”

I am sure that most of us would have to admit that there have been times, in an attempt to rationalize our behavior, that we have pulled an excuse from our arsenal of defense.

In Luke 14, we find Jesus dining on the Sabbath in the home of a prominent Pharisee.  In the ensuing conversation, the matter of who will be allowed to eat at the great feast of the kingdom.  Jesus replied: A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, “come for everything is now ready.” But they all alike began to make excuses…

The Church remains the largest and most significant volunteer organization in the world.  For the church to be effective, much is required of us who are declared members.  Excuses for non-involvement must be dealt with in all of us.

As a young person, new in my faith, I committed the lyrics of a chorus to memory.  I caught myself singing it once again the other day. My short term memory has begun to give me trouble, but this sixty year old chorus remains firmly affixed in my mind. It goes like this:

After all He’s done for me, after all he’s done for me,
How can I do less than give Him my best and live for Him completely.
After all He’s done for me.

The closer I look at Jesus, the more I see that He was unswerving in completing the task that He came to earth to fulfill.  I often wonder what was in Jesus’ mind when He prayed, “If it be thy will, let this cup pass from me…” Was there a fleeting moment when he wished for an easier way? After all, He could have called ten thousand angels, but opted to face the Cross.

Our church in Murphysboro, Illinois presently faces some major challenges. Our pastor of nineteen years is being called to another field of service.  This will bring about changes in the nature of our church.  Many people will be faced with the privilege of taking more responsibility.  We will be guided through a transition time in the process of placing a new ministering family.

We will be called on to minimize any excuses we might raise in order to see God’s Glory remain visible among us.

Those in our text who were invited to the banquet offered only excuses for their absence. “I have married a wife.” I have bought an oxen.  He must be tried.” “I have bought a piece of real estate. I cannot come.”

What’s your excuse for not being all that God has called you to be?  What’s mine? Let’s prayerfully look to the days ahead and rise to the challenge.  Together let’s see what great things God has in store for us.  NO EXCUSES!

GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN

 

SCRIPTURES: Joshua 13-15   Luke 10: 25-42
In one of my recent blogs, I reported on the health of my father-in-law. At
nearly ninety-seven years of age, we were concerned that double pneumonia might cost him his life.  God’s mercy and with the loving care that he has received from his wife and family, I am glad to report that he is doing quite well.  I phoned him the other day.  His pastor answered the cell phone, which gave me a little concern.  When I asked concerning Dad’s health, he said “ I am with him in his boat.  He just landed his third catfish.”  That was all that I needed to hear.

In today’s Old Testament reading we hear from another elderly man. Sample the spirit of Caleb as we find him in Joshua 14: 10-12. “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. NOW GIVE ME THIS HILL COUNTRY THAT THE LORD PROMISED ME THAT DAY. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

When Israel reached the outskirts of the Promised Land, Moses sent twelve spies to survey the land of Canaan.  Of the twelve who returned to report on the promised land, only two issued a positive report.  Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim and Caleb from Judah became renowned for reporting that Israel was well able to seize their future in the Land that God had promised them. The negativity of the ten remaining spies caused them not to enter the land.  For forty years they wandered in the desert. When the occupation came, the only two adult Israelites to enter were Joshua and Caleb.

E.M. Bounds in one of his books said, “We don’t need better programs, we need better men.”  Caleb meets the criteria of being a better man. His tenacious faith caused him to adhere to the promise of God for a long life and a good inheritance. “Now then, Just as the Lord had promised…”

In every place that I have ever served, whether in the local church or on some mission outpost, there has been one constant–men and women who have found the Grace and faith to claim mountains.

Through the long history of the church where I am now privileged to serve, there are people who have been constant in their belief in the mission of the church.  Folks who are now in their eighties and nineties still find their place of worship on Sunday mornings. Changes in the culture, church music styles which have transitioned to a much more contemporary sound, leaders who have come and gone, have not deterred them from faithfulness to Christ and His Church. I have noticed that those who are now in their eighth and ninth decades of life have retained a robust hopefulness that makes them a joy to serve.

I am aware as I write these words this early morning, that this is Good Friday.  At noon I will join others in the faith community to remember the crucifixion of Jesus. I could spend the rest of my writing this morning mentioning great men and women who climbed mountains by faith.

The man whose death we remember today has no rival. Unflinchingly, Jesus faced the task that was given him and completed it at the cost of His life. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God”.  (He. 11:6)

So what about you and me. We all face challenges of one kind or another. Standing among the great men and women of history and of the Bible, we are provided strength for our journey.

By the time you read these remarks you will have celebrated Easter with hundreds of millions of Christians around the world. The empty tomb reminds us that that with Resurrection power we can face and conquer all that life presents us.

ODE TO BRIAN

Deuteronomy 28, 29  Luke 7:31-50

Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little.  Luke 7:47

His name was Brian Wallace.  The information on his guest card described him as a single parent of two young daughters.  He desired a pastoral visit.  As I thoughtfully poured over this information, I wondered how he had happened to find our church.

I recalled seeing him in the audience at last Sunday’s service.  He did not appear to be a physically healthy person.  I hadn’t thought too much about it then since everyone comes with their own situational history.  He must have some special need to indicate that he would like to have a pastor visit him.

Seated behind my desk that Monday morning, I wondered what his need could be–prayer for his health? financial help?   Little did I know that morning the profound lasting affect that Brian would have on me and on our entire congregation.

At my next convenience, I drove across the west side of South Bend to a small house near the Notre Dame campus.  A knock on the door opened me to the world of Brian; a world of disappointment, disease, and some disillusionment.

I soon learned that I had accurately assessed his physical condition.  He had been a diabetic from birth.  Having taken little care of himself, his disease manifested early in vision problems and late stage kidney failure.  A few years earlier he had received a kidney and pancreas transplant from his mother.  His careless lifestyle brought about early rejection and continued deterioration in his health.  He readily confessed his failures, including the loss of his wife, the love of his life.  He didn’t blame her for leaving him.

Despite the setbacks he had experienced, he came across as bright, happy, and with a quick sense of humor.  He made me glad hat I had come to see him.

In no way was Brian’s decision to explore God and His church a “fox hole” decision.  He was quick to repent of his sin.  He devoured the Word.  His fast devotion to the church was exceptional.

Phyllis and I had left Murphyboro in 2003. when we had been invited to South Bend to become interim pastor of Christian Tabenacle. We knew that church, having served there as an associate pastor from 1993 to 1997.  When we moved to join the staff in Murphysboro, we had left behind many friends.  It was with great optimism that we now returned.  We looked forward to our new assignment.

Life has taught me that expectations don’t always match reality. The folks in South Bend had been serving for several years under the leadership of some fine elders. They had their set ways of leading the congregation.  As one might expect, my leadership was tested early.  All of that notwithstanding, we loved the people and tried to serve faithfully.

Toward the end of our first year of service, Phyllis was driving us home after church. Sitting at red light, I turned to her and asked. “Have I made the biggest mistake of our career in returning to South Bend? “

“Do you feel that way,too?” she responded.  I was surprised, but relieved that she shared some of my sentiment. Those kinds of episodes sometimes rapidly come and  go in ministerial life.

Brian’s first visit to our church came very soon after that bout of self doubt. His entrance into the body of our church gave me an accurate glimpse of the quality of people that we served.  Our people soon noticed his plight and were quick to help in any way possible.

One of our men was rehabbing an old house for resale. When he learned that the place where Brian had been living was sold, he felt led to make that house available to Brian so that Brian would have a place where his two daughters could come to spend time with him.

Other church people offered assistance and the old house was made habitable.  Brian offered profuse appreciation for all that was done for him.  He looked for ways that he, in turn, might contribute.  Brian was an artist. He offered free lessons for any young people who cared to take an art class.  He got involved in the vacation Bible school by designing the props.

He loved music and moved proficiently in the hip hop genre. The year that he led the Christmas program lives on in all of our memories.  Kids sang and danced their hearts out.

Amid all of this joy was the realization in all of us that our young friend was deteriorating medically. There were times when we couldn’t awaken him on Sunday morning and the EMT would be summoned  for emergency treatment. These episodes became more and more frequent. Once in the middle of the service, Brian went into a diabetic coma and the ambulance had to called.

From this vantage point several years removed. I note that Brian’s presence changed all of us in profound ways.  Our hearts began to reach outward as we found ways of serving our brother and others like him.  The church began to grow.  Like the woman who brought precious ointment and anointed Jesus’s feet, Brian loved much.  He had been forgiven much.

The day of Brian’s baptism was a day of great rejoicing.  His ex-wife and daughters were present to help celebrate the great change in him.  For all of us ,it was a day of pure joy and celebration.

In 2007 we finished our assignment and left the church in good hands to return to Murphysboro. Painfully, I bid farewell to my young brother, Brian.

Two years ago I received the phone call that I knew would some day come.  Brian had experienced a severe stroke and was now in his final sleep from which even the EMT could not awaken. The family requested that I return to preach his funeral.

The room was filled with friends he had made since he had come to Christ.  The service was a celebration filled with tears and laughter as friends shared the difference Brian had made in their lives.

Just this morning I was panning my cell phone numbers, there in the “W’s” I saw B WALLACE.   I haven’t been able to delete it.  Seeing his name evoked a sentimental journey that I have now shared with my readers.

Thank you, Brian. You were forgiven much.  And you loved much.

THE GIFT OF MEMORY

 Deuteronomy 8 – 10   Luke 4:1-30

   “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands”.

Memory is a wonderful gift.  I am realizing that more and more as I get older.  There was a day when I didn’t need a calendar to keep track of my schedule.  Now–where did I put my calender?

This day finds me in Livingston, Texas.  We have been tending to my ailing father-law.  Pneumonia at age 97 tends to be life threatening.  At the beginning of the week we had moments when we wondered if he was close to the end of his life.  In a remarkable way, God has turned things around.  Excellent medical care has enhanced the whole process.

Bob Bird is one of those rare self-made men.  Always an eager learner, his education ended after grade six.  The pressures of helping his family make a living cut him off from his desire for a formal education.  What could have been the beginning of a downward spiral in his life became quite the opposite.  He found work wherever he could.  His way of coping with poverty was his determined belief in creating a better future.  It is safe to say that Bob’s journey from there to here has been fraught with “many dangers, toils, and snares.”

Bob has never forgotten his roots.  Throughout this week there have been frequent reminders from him regarding his spiritual journey which began at age 19.  He shares with any who will listen, his hunger to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Walking home from church one Sunday, he pointed to a tree in the distance.  He cried out, “Lord, when I get to that tree, I want to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”  As he relates the story, his voice breaks and you sense that you are with him that moment as he kneels, lifts his hands, and begins to speak in a heavenly language.  He readily gives God praise for it all.

Some of what he remembers about me, however, I have tried to forget.  But as long as he lives, I’ll get reminded.  His memory is a real gift to him and to his entire family.

In this final address of Moses, he makes clear the need to remember their journey through the wilderness.  He recalls the provision of water from a rock.  Don’t forget that when you were hungry God provided quail.  Don’t forget that it has not been your superior works that wins the Promise land for you.  It has been God’s Grace on a nation of stiff necked people.

It was not until after Christ’s crucifixion that his disciples remembered many of His words.  Frequently, He had reminded his follower’s that the “shepherd would be smitten and the sheep would be scattered”

The Apostle Paul keeps us reminded throughout his writings that his  spiritual life began on the Damascus Road.  He began his ministry reminding us that he was the least of the apostles.  He ended his ministry reminding himself and us that he was “least of the saints.”  His memory never let him forget who he was.

This holy season in the church gives ample reason to remember.  I recall the days of Good Friday services when we took time to remember His life and His death.  We sang hymns like, “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”  and “Near the Cross.”  I recall the excitement of preparing sunrise services on Easter, bringing the family of God together to celebrate the resurrection.  We sang, “I serve a risen savior, he’s in the world today…” We did all of this in order to keep fresh in our minds God’s rich gifts to us.

Our memories permit us to reminisce about days gone by.  Our memory reminds us not to forget that every good gift we possess comes from His hand.

When we take communion, we are remembering the price Christ paid for us.  He said, “As often as you do this, remember me.”

If you are a Christian, I challenge you to take some time during this lenten season to remember the moment when Jesus Christ changed your life and how has He provided for you since.