THE FINAL WORD

Lamentations 3:1-66; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 26:21-22

“Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’ The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command…. Angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.”

“Then the nations will tremble before the Lord. The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory. For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem. He will appear in his glory. He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas. Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord. Tell them the Lord looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven to hear the groans of the prisoners, to release those condemned to die. And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated...!”

Let us never forget that, no matter the outcome of our lives or circumstances, God has the final Word. When He wanted to teach us how to live the perfect, most fulfilled and fulfilling life, He sent His Son to empty Himself on our behalf. When He wanted to teach us compassion and wisdom, He placed His Spirit inside us, to live through us. No matter what, God lives. God rules. God decrees. And God loves. His response to sin is simple: He loves us through it, giving of Himself, lest we – His beloved children - perish. But this is not something we can ever learn by reading. Our victory in Christ is only something we experience by doing. Therein lies the rub. Most folks are afraid to bet their lives on Christ. They hold back. They live timid lives without Kingdom effect. So, in the end, they leave feeling fearful and uncertain, mainly because they never put Christ to the test in real life.

It’s no sin to test Jesus. How can we tell if He’ll catch us when we never fall into His arms? How do we know we can do all things through Him if we never muster the courage to trust Him with anything? God commands, “Test Me in this.” I think it’s Paul (or John, or the writer of Hebrews) who directs that we test the spirits. In any event, if we don’t take Christ and His teachings out for a test drive once in a while, we will never develop the confidence to fully live in His love.

There are any number of stories about the sad ends of people who were just too afraid to trust the Lord. I have my own. It involves the first person I ever really tried to bring to Christ. This particular young man was involved with our Singles Ministry back in the days when I was its primary facilitator (i.e., teacher/leader). He was friendly, involved and very interested in the Christian doctrine and lifestyle. For several years, he hung in with the group and took part in all their activities, but I never heard him claim Christ. One night during a retreat, I asked him about his faith. Turned out, he was one of the legion of seekers frozen on the doorstep to salvation. He could not bring himself to make the commitment. He pretended not to know how. When I explained – again – that all he had to do was ask and asked him if he wanted to do that, it was like being caught in an outtake from the movie Sybil. To this day, I remember being truly moved by the dichotomy between his words and actions. It was like watching someone who was demon possessed. He said yes, he would like to claim Christ, but as he said it, he fell to his knees and recoiled, seeming to shrink before my very eyes. He prayed the salvation prayer – or said the words, anyway - and claimed to have experienced the touch of the Master’s hand afterward, but we never saw him again. Like a true prodigal, he ran from the Father, afraid of even attempting the life to which he was called. And because he never to my knowledge tried living in Christ, he never did find the security and certainty he so desperately wanted.

We can be sure. We can know. But we have got to live it. If we want to determine whether the fire is hot, we may have to get a little warm. If we want to know the properties of water, we need to get our feet wet. Standing on the sidelines with our Christian books and music in hand never saved anyone. Until we have quite literally gambled something significant, something life changing, on the One we call Savior, we will never know for sure if we have won the game or not.

The true test of Christianity is change. If we cling to the people we were before Christ, we can never honestly become people of Christ. However, Jesus never asks for change just for change’s sake. He asks for it to help us prove to ourselves the reality of His presence in our lives. I have a hunch our serenity and certainty at death will be in direct proportion to the number of times we have allowed Christ to work in us and through us in this life. So, it’s probably a good time to get started. We need to get in position to make our last words all about God’s final Word.

A WORLD OF CONTRASTS

Lamentations 1:1-2:22; Philemon 1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 26:20

“My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. They cry, ‘Mama, we want food’ as they collapse in their mothers’ arms. Their lives ebb away like the life of a warrior wounded in battle. In all the world, has there ever been such sorrow?”

“I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.”

“My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.”

“Fire goes out without fuel….”

Lamentations is not hard to understand, but it is tough to read. In fact, our difficulty in reading it stems mainly from the fact that we understand it too well. The horror of its descriptions grips our imaginations until our minds recoil in silent refusal to accept the obvious analogies to our own time. No one wants to think of starving children and desolate civilizations. Sorrow, like depression, has a contagion all its own. To some extent, we actually do well to focus on something else for a time.

For what may even be a majority of people in the world, though, there really is nothing else. Many brother and sister humans know only too well what it feels like to put their children to bed hungry and listen to them wail for food to fill their empty bellies until exhaustion takes them. They live in unsanitary squalor, eating in conditions we would not countenance at a landfill. Disease is rampant; shelter is all but non-existent; and the modern amenities of plumbing, electricity and the like might as well be dreams. There are no doctors, no medicines, no health care of any kind to speak of. Truly, these folks are on their own, and they know well the price of independence can be far higher than most of us think. Economic isolation can turn to social isolation in a heartbeat. It is only a short step from there to physical alienation. Too often, we just turn a blind eye to their predicaments. They make us uncomfortable, and some of them can be downright draining to be around. But it is no good just looking away. We need to make our peace with how Jesus calls us to deal with those less fortunate.

First, we can learn. Some of the severely underprivileged actually can teach us a thing or two about gratitude and determination. There are those committed few who just refuse to be overcome by their circumstances, no matter how bad the situation. They love and sacrifice for their children to the point of denying themselves. They are not afraid to be footstools for their kids, if it means giving them the proverbial “leg up.” They also truly understand and give thanks for the miracle of supernatural blessing when they see it. After all, when one is dying of thirst, even a single glass of water takes on a whole new meaning.

Second, we need to recognize that in poverty, as in blessing, there are two kinds of people. There are those whose needs we can help, and those who turn help into greater need. There are those who suck the very life out of everything with their wants and profound sense of injustice, and there are those, like Philemon, who breathe life back into every situation. It seems to me this is more than just personal style. Some people are naturally wired to be life-injectors, while others gravitate toward being life suckers. We need to recognize and build up the first, and provide for and convert the others. These aren’t my rules. They’re what Jesus did.

Life injectors are the antidote to life suckers. They carry with them an infectious joy that transcends circumstances. They look outside themselves to the potential beyond. They share what they have. And they don’t spend a lot of time “fixin’ to.” Where they see needs, they move to meet them. Where they see problems, they act to address them. We are called to go and do likewise.

It’s no good moping about what any of us don’t have. Rich or poor, blessed or cursed, we all get greedy and too self aware at times. It seems to me that the life-injectors have got the right approach. If we could all learn to be a little more like them, we probably could start a cultural revolution the likes of which the world has never seen. Paul’s vision of widows and orphans being cared for by the church would no longer sound so arcane, because the life-injectors would be doing it. And they would be powered by the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to the big ticket items like poverty and oppression, there is much for God’s people to do. Many wring their hands in anguish, afraid any attempt to act will just prove futile and drain them. They forget that any time we fail to act because we want more to maintain our own place and power, we are living in fear of the insufficiency of the Father. When we act in joyous disregard of the effect our self-sacrifice may have, we lay claim to the sufficiency of the Father. Life suckers drain; life injectors infect everyone around them with joy and a sense of belonging. I know which one I’d like to be, the man Christ calls me to be. I’d like to be the guy who gives to others without regard for what he can get in return. I want to be Philemon, looking for opportunities to serve, rather than the writer of Lamentations, bound up by the apparent futility in what he sees. All it takes is an honest evaluation of what I really think about God. Will He provide, or won’t He? Put that way, the question brings most of life into much sharper focus.

BEST DAYS

Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 26:18-19

“Listen! Hear the cry of Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians. For the Lord is destroying Babylon. He will silence her loud voice. Waves of enemies pound against her; the noise of battle rings through the city. Destroying armies come against Babylon. Her mighty men are captured, and their weapons break in their hands. For the Lord is a God who gives just punishment; he always repays in full.”

“Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But, when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”

“Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon
 is someone who lies to a friend and then says, ‘I was only joking.’”

There are, in fact, times to celebrate. When we experience victory as God’s people, we ought to rejoice, even as we give God the ultimate glory. There is nothing wrong with taking individual pleasure in a job well done, either, so long as it does not mushroom into sinful pride. God wants us to be pleased with ourselves, particularly when He, too, is pleased with us. There will always be people like Michal, David’s wife, who claim our unadulterated joy is unseemly, and maybe even arrogant. But certain wins deserve recognition; they deserve to be lifted up, and they need to be shared. The small-minded among us who can only think of how to bring the winners back down to earth just need to find someplace else to go. When the good guys overcome the bad guys, there ought to be a victory party. Those who refuse to join in the dance deserve the isolation and bitterness they cultivate.

Days like the last two just don’t happen very often in an attorney’s life. In fact, as far as I am concerned, they have only happened… uh, this once. Only this week did the stars so perfectly align. Only Thursday and Friday has the legal victory ever been so complete, or so shared. It has been a golden time of blessing, made all the more special because I was able to share it with my oldest son. In the process, I also shared with him something of my legacy.

Trial, so far (we’re not done yet), has gone very well, beyond anything the team could have hoped for. The legal rulings are mostly going our way, and the facts are coming in better than we’d hoped. We have been very fortunate. The big event of the last two days was my cross-examination of the opponent’s first expert. It was more effective than I dared to dream. The witness really did turn out to have some serious credibility problems, and he left the courtroom with the truth completely exposed. Next week, the jury will hear the rest of the case and decide the parties’ fate knowing reality, at least. An attorney can ask no more. The best part, though, was that my son – a young attorney himself – got to watch me do it. It was my greatest professional victory, and one of the most special times I have shared with my son. The old man got to show the young buck how to do a thing or two, and the lesson was truly appreciated. There may be things sweeter than respect shared between professionals who happen to be father and son, but today, I can’t think of any. It truly has been a golden couple of days.

So, here is what I think today: our society’s overemphasis on political correctness and so-called “humility” frequently boils down to no more than an effort by those “Debbie Downers” among us to bring the beauty and victories in life back to the lowest common denominator. Read Revelation: our Lord expects – nay, requires – our praise and glory, our celebration of His victories. Our unwillingness or reluctance to give full praise and celebrate visibly actually has a damping effect on our ability to fully experience, claim and celebrate life with all its joy. We have forgotten or stunted our ability to rejoice, and that’s just wrong. As children of God, we can, and should, celebrate shamelessly, as long as we are rejoicing in the right things.

So, let me be very clear. The victories of the past two days have been the product of a lot of individual hard work and analysis on my part, but they also resulted from the incredible cooperation and participation of the whole trial team. They contributed everything from technical advice to legal research and analysis as we toiled into the wee morning hours together. But mainly, the glory does go to the Lord, for it was in prayer that I received the best advice. See, we knew what we had. The trick was to expose the man without coming across as merciless or mercenary myself. Several times, I was given more or less friendly advice to “be nice” while I was totally destroying his credibility (my first imperative). It’s not an easy thing to do both at the same time, especially with an uncooperative and credible-looking adverse expert. The Lord had an answer. After all the preparation, with adrenalin pouring through my body our first morning just before court opened, I took a moment and bowed in prayer to share my dilemma with the Father. His answer was immediate: “See him as I see him.” That was my way in.

I make no claim to having performed that part of my task as well as the rest, but the Holy Spirit had a major part in the victory, regardless. I could have been my own worst enemy. Christ once more saved me from myself by graciously tempering my intensity with a measure of His mercy. The outcome was a complete win… at least, for today. Trial, like life, will go on. I am taking the time now, or making the time now, to give glory to God for what He has already done.

DEATH OF A KING... AND QUEEN

Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 26:17

“The Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens are filled with water. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. Compared to him, all people are foolish and have no knowledge at all!”

“As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.”

“Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.”

Popular Christianity puts strong emphasis on tolerance and forgiveness. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, an awful lot of other important ideas can get lost in the process. In our desire to attract and recruit, it is tempting to soft pedal some of the more challenging teachings of the Bible. But today’s message is clear and cannot be denied: it still matters, very much, how we live.

I do not mean to sound callous, but while the entire world is mourning the passing of Michael Jackson, another death of a celebrity of much more subtle strength and dignity has been lost in the media frenzy over the King of Pop, and I feel a need to lift her up. I have no idea what Farah Fawcett’s religious leanings were, if any, but I do know this. Her life, and her death and quiet dignity through it all stand as a monument to the strength of integrity and human perseverance that has been all but ignored. I know, I know, The Poster and Charlie’s Angels are hardly the type of things we should be taught to emulate. But age and adversity brought out another side of Fawcett the world would do well to remember. Her movie on spousal abuse, The Burning Bed, gave many battered women the courage to say no mas to those who wounded them without cause or conscience. The way she faced her cancer head on and fought until the end with no public bitterness bespoke a class one would hardly have predicted when she thundered onto the 70's scene as a pop icon in a red bathing suit and lion’s mane of hair. Jackson, in contrast, leaves the world an amazing library of music, certainly, but also an over $400 million debt and a legacy of waste and issues so obvious and painful that it is really not much wonder that he came to an untimely end. Whatever the ultimate physical cause of Jackson’s demise, I’d bet that he ended up dead of a broken heart that simply never found the fulfillment he so desperately sought. He seemed, in many ways, a kind but troubled soul that longed to return to a childhood fame never allowed him to fully live. However, the irresponsibility of his later years reveals a personality in many ways simply tortured beyond our ability to comprehend. May both Fawcett and Jackson rest in peace, and may those of us who remain learn something from their passing, and their lives.

There are several obvious reasons why right living (even leaving religion out of it, for the moment) is important. First, it’s simply the correct thing to do. Adopting a biblical lifestyle actually suits our eternal DNA. It is, quite frankly, what we were created to do. As we fail or refuse to fulfill that intended destiny, we are denying our highest and best selves. We are settling for far less than we could be. I’m well aware there are those in the world who contend the Christian life is too restrictive. I would argue exactly the opposite. A life bound up in slavery to sin is much more limiting; we just refuse to see it. It’s part of that “knowing the truth and being set free” thing. As long as we remain willingly blinded to our own sinful tendencies and predicament, we may not realize how serious our captivity really is. Being bound by silk ropes, as Jackson undoubtedly knew, is still imprisonment, even if it does not look or feel that way at the moment.

Second, we set examples, too. Someone is always watching, and the results of our actions always affect others, whether we recognize it or not. A life out of harmony with the way we are supposed to live generates turmoil and strife that quite frequently becomes the most impactful thing our own passing brings to those we love.

When I die, I do not want my kids to remember a man conflicted and unacquainted with who he was created to be. I do not want to be other than who I am. I want to be fully spent in the plans and purposes for which I was uniquely created. I want my life to be a testament to reconciliation and redemption and renewal. I want others to learn from my mistakes. But what I want most to leave the world is a sense of hope that we can be better than we are. Through Christ, all things are possible.

WHERE'S THE VICTORY?

Jeremiah 49:23-50:46; Titus1:1-16; Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 26:13-16

“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.
 All who found them devoured them. Their enemies said, ‘We did nothing wrong in attacking them, for they sinned against the Lord, their true place of rest, and the hope of their ancestors.’”

“Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.”

“You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
 Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name! Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in.
 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord. For the Lord is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.”

“The lazy person claims, ‘There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!’”

We tend to forget we are already winners. As a result, we spend a lot of unnecessary time trying to win battles we do not even need to fight. I know in my own life, victory is not the kind of thing I have the guts to claim very frequently. It seems too bold and conceited to go around without some kind of thorn or adversity keeping us humble. Support groups abound, joining entire tribes of the afflicted in distress. Anyone who has the gall to believe they are truly an overcomer is regarded with a mixture of cynicism and jealousy.

But y’know, if we are going to be different, the best way to accomplish that is to rise above circumstances. It’s no good to claim Christ matters if, in fact, our lives are not changed by His presence. And we are not going to change if we do not look beyond and live past our limitations and challenges.

I currently serve on a United Way committee charged with finding a way to get and keep underprivileged kids in school. It did not take long for us to discover that the key was parental involvement. The trick was in discovering how to get the parents involved. For the most part, these folks work two and three jobs each, have a number of kids to go along with severe economic challenges, and thought they were doing all they could just to get by. On top of that, most parents in the mainly Hispanic culture we are working with had no education and could not speak English. They were honestly intimidated by the children’s education and did not feel worthy of coming to the schools and getting involved in the program.

Little by little, that started to change. It began with home visits. United Way volunteers recruited a few bold parents and trained them on the program, giving them the skills they needed to recruit their neighbors. Those parents, in turn, began to walk their neighborhoods and do their own visits and recruiting. Parent rooms were set up on the campuses as a refuge for the kids where warm cookies, computers and other resources and a sympathetic ear were always available. Slowly, a bond began to form among those in the program, and they began to look out for each other and each others’ kids, not just in school, but in the neighborhoods. More parents found a way to get involved as the program proved its worth. And grades and standardized test scores both began to rise dramatically, as did the rate of graduations. Now, the parents are taking ownership, and a cultural swing is beginning. The expectation of the community has gone from one of intimidation and fear to one of anticipated involvement and success. There are, of course, bumps in the road, and the occasional parent who just doesn’t, or won’t, get it. But the transformation has been undeniable. The hurdles that have been overcome are signs of accomplishment and growth of which both parents and kids can be justifiably proud.

We may be beaten down and oppressed for a season. Things certainly won’t always go our way. However, there is never any reason for those who call Christ Savior to ever be defeated. Resurrection is reality. Sometimes, the only way to it is through the tomb. But the tomb is only the end if we decide for ourselves that it is the end. The Holy Spirit begs to differ.

Jesus is probably the only person who ever lived who could truly see beyond the grave to the potential of eternity, but His example is nevertheless clear. We are to look beyond our problems to the possibilities of what the Spirit can do in and through us. The fact is, most of us live well beneath our potential. We see the lions on the road and cower, instead of moving forward in faith and power to tame them. It’s time to get out our whips and chairs and deal with our fears, to bring them to bay. We need not be victims. We were created to be victors!

SUFFERING IN SILENCE

Jeremiah 48:1-49:22; 2 Timothy 4:1-22; Psalm 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 26:9-12

“’…His pride is very great. We know of his lofty pride, his arrogance, and his haughty heart. I know about his insolence,’ says the Lord, ‘but his boasts are empty—as empty as his deeds.’…You are proud of your fertile valleys, but they will soon be ruined. You trusted in your wealth, you rebellious daughter, and thought no one could ever harm you.”

“Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. ”

“Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!”

“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise.”

There are some harsh words in today’s Scriptures, some fairly unsympathetic verses read in light of what has just happened. But I think, maybe, it is sometimes important for Christians to feel a measure of tough love from our Savior. Occasionally, we just have to have that kind of stark clarity before the truth can really set in. Life is not all roses and blue skies. Storms happen. If we are not prepared, not secure, not fully grounded and connected to the Body, they can blow us away whether we say we follow Christ, or not.

I was raised to believe that the measure of a man – or woman, for that matter – was best taken by their ability to get things done on their own. Where did we get that idea? Our aversion to getting help is not just self-limiting, but a logical impossibility, when one actually starts to think about it. Any time we begin to think we can do something on our own, the temptation is to think we must do everything on our own. That viewpoint inevitably brings Satan one step closer to victory.

This week, a woman threw herself off the seventh story of the parking garage of our office building. There was a bit of a clamor inside, but literally and figuratively, as we continued working feverishly on the 21^st floor getting ready for trial, we were pretty much above it all. Horrifyingly, the entire trial team’s reaction to the matter was not much more than, “Looks like we had another leaper. (We get one about once a year.) Must have been another transient from the bus station. Very sad.” Back to work we went, focused on our respective tasks.

That night, I learned the poor soul we figured was a transient actually was someone I knew from our church and had personally worked with a number of years ago. There is no doubt family and friends are beyond devastated. Anyone who has ever experienced anything close to such a tragedy knows what followed. There’s an inevitable need to search for answers that just do not exist. There may be any number of “reasons,” but no good, solid or logical explanations. Personally, the one question that continues to dog me is, how did we all miss this? How could the supposedly loving Body of Christ not see that much pain in one of its members? Week after week, we all saw her in the halls of church. We knew her as a sweet person with a heart for others, someone who was willing to make personal sacrifices, usually before those she helped knew they needed it. About all I can come up with at this moment is that, somewhere along the way, she just ran out of gas. One more question immediately follows. I wonder if she reached out to any of us and we did not understand the depth of her need, or if she just sentenced herself to suffering in silence and did not have the capacity to handle it.

Oh, my Lord! Save us, your people, from the idea that we are in this alone. Intervene supernaturally, if need be, to insure we do not live life in a way that denies your power because it isolates our hearts from those who might save us. I pray your grace, blessing and healing hand over the family of our dear departed. Bring them a peace that in fact does surpass all understanding, that is even more illogical and powerful than the sadness which torments them. And, if nothing else, Father, soften all our hearts, that this death may not be in vain. Remind us anew of your personal presence and fierce desire to be with us. Open our souls again to the warmth of your touch. Let us be certain that there are those to whom we can reach out and seek help when the loads of life become too much for us to bear on our own. Lift us up, Abba, into the very lap of your comfort.

THE RIGHT ALLIANCES

Jeremiah 44:24-47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 25:28

“’Prepare your shields, and advance into battle! Harness the horses, and mount the stallions. Take your positions. Put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and prepare your armor. But what do I see? The Egyptian army flees in terror. The bravest of its fighting men run without a backward glance. They are terrorized at every turn,’ says the Lord. ‘The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall…. Why have your warriors fallen? They cannot stand, for the Lord has knocked them down.’”

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! … But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.”

“Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on? Is he deaf—the one who made your ears? Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes? … But the Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.”

When I was in elementary school, I was not known as what one would consider tough. I wasn’t a wimp, exactly, just a little too bookish to fit in with the true athletes and too straightlaced to fit in with those other folks. Like a square peg in a round hole, it was difficulty to find a personal niche. I made a real mistake trying to fit in with my brother’s crowd. Four years older and in high school, there was a world of difference between those true jocks and other toughs he hung out with and the still largely make believe world of us pre-teens. Nevertheless, desperate to find some group with which I could identify, I pestered my big brother and his friends. One day, for whatever reason, big bro’ either left without me or was not around, and his friends let me know in no uncertain terms – without saying a word – that I really was not welcome in their little band. Battered and bruised, I returned home afraid to ever walk down their particular street again.

About a week later, my brother actually asked me to go with him for a walk. Back into the realm of the toughs we went. We visited every house where one of his friends lived that afternoon. We did not stay long, and I cannot say we were exactly welcomed with open arms anywhere we went. By the end of the day, though, one thing was clear. I was free to go anywhere I wanted from that point on. Never did I have to worry about being beat up for just walking down the wrong street at the wrong time. My friends seemed to have been given safe passage as well, at least when we were together. We had a new freedom that allowed us to experience a lot more of the world, and in the process, I found myself much more welcome with those my own age, too. We all grew up, of course, and turf became a thing of the past without great import, but I will never forget the early days or what it meant to have the right man on my side. I still have no clue how he found out what had happened or what he actually said to fix it, but there was never any doubt things changed with just a word or two from my big brother.

It matters who we are allied with. It is important to have the right Man on our side. We dare not go it alone. It makes no sense to try. The world is simply too hostile a place for those with a vision of heaven. We don’t fit in. We need more protection than we can ever provide ourselves.

I’ve seen people lost without Jesus, and I’ve seen people who think they don’t need Him in their lives who seem to do quite nicely, thank you very much. But I always wonder what it’s really like to be in their bedroom at 3:30 in the morning. Do they lie awake wondering why they are here? Do their demons keep them awake, tossing and turning? Certainly, many without Christ have those experiences, just as some who call Him Lord struggle. The absence of struggle is never an indication of the presence of Christ, just as strife is no proof the Lord has left us. The sun rises and sets on us all, and the rain falls on the just and the unjust. The question is where do we turn when there’s no place to hide. Do we find ourselves in a box canyon with no choice but to grin and bear it; or are we allied with a stronger, more courageous force capable of bringing our enemies to heel and protecting us from that which would separate us from eternity?

The question is simple. The answer is not usually quite as apparent, or consistent, as we might like to think. We don’t normally think in terms of alliances at all. We tend to see ourselves in isolation, and in so doing, we limit our options. Christ stands ready to fight with us and for us. It is up to us to accept His help and actively seek His protection.

STAYING PUT, STANDING FIRM

Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5

“You sent me to the Lord, the God of Israel, with your request, and this is his reply: ‘Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. … Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore,’ says the Lord. ‘For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power…. But if you refuse to obey the Lord your God, and if you say, ‘We will not stay here; instead, we will go to Egypt where we will be free from war, the call to arms, and hunger,’ then hear the Lord’s message to the remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and live there, the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, and you will die there.’”

“This is a trustworthy saying: if we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer….”

“For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, ‘The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!’”

“Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.”

“Stay put.” “God has a plan.” “Have faith.” We’ve heard it all before. What we want to know is, is it true.

The Lord’s pretty inscrutable when it comes to such questions. He puts us in situations, no doubt, but it can be pretty difficult to understand why, or what we’re supposed to do. We don’t handle ignorance as well as we should. We fidget; we fret. We’re not great at trusting. And we’re not normally content or even capable of just relaxing and standing still to face whatever is in store for us, either. We prefer to move, staying light on our feet. We dance around the real issues, having little faith that the Lord has prepared us “for such a time as this.” Thus, we actually tend to move away from the place and position in which we were placed before whatever we were prepared for happens. It’s no secret, then, why we don’t feel fulfilled. In our nervousness and disbelief, we simply are not where we were intended to be to fulfill our purpose. Elvis has left the building. We have gotten out of God’s way.

A dear friend signs most of his messages “gIHw.” For the longest time, I thought this was a typo, maybe a computer glitch associated with his e-signature. It made no sense. Finally, I asked him about it, and he made a really good point. (I’ll paraphrase, hoping I understood correctly. If not, he’ll certainly let me know!) He felt there is too much emphasis on getting out of God’s way, of releasing control, because most of us tend to take it too far. Whether we intend to or not, by disengaging, he was concerned what most Christians actually do is passively retreat and abdicate their mission of making disciples and growing in Christ. He felt that simply sitting around idly waiting for something to happen was never Jesus’ plan for his disciples. The Spirit wants us fully engaged, in partnership with Him, so we can move forward in His power into the work he has for us to do. Hence, my friend had taken to signing his messages “gIHw” as a reminder to us both to “Get IN His way.”

Excellent point. Christ never intended us to be “frozen Chosen.” By bailing out of a positive, proactive and responsible lifestyle in the name of “giving God control,” we do a grave disservice to the Body. He wants us actively recruiting for the Kingdom. We desperately need to get in and stay in God’s Way. However, at the same time, we need to find some measure of balance, because it is possible for us to move so far ahead we leave Him behind and soon, we are just chasing after our own dreams and visions. So, when do we move and when do we stand pat?

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have asked myself the same question. Is it time to change churches? Do we need to move to another area? Is this the right job? Are my kids in the right school? And so on. There is no formula. But over the years, as much as I hate to admit it, my instinct for change has repeatedly proven to be exactly the wrong reaction to the circumstance of life. Fortunately, between my wife and I, we normally make major decisions at the speed of, well…. Let’s just say the last one I recall was over a year ago. We’re not in a rut, we just choose our course very carefully. But we try hard not to move out of God’s way in the process of moving forward, too. Remarkably, when we are patient and considered, as frustrating as it can sometimes be to figure it out, we usually find we were right where we were supposed to be all the time.

It may be counterintuitive, and it can be extremely hard to accept, but the reality is that the best way for us to get in God’s way is simply to stay right where we are and just spend a little more time actively seeking His face and His will. This almost never changes our circumstances, but it sure can change how we see them and how we deal with them, and that can make all the difference. Jesus will come to us if we let Him. The idea we have to “move” or “change” to find either our purpose or His will can be an insidious lie of the Evil One designed to actually move us out of God’s way. So tread carefully. Tread considerately. Like Dorothy learned in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like Home.”

READY FOR TRIAL

Jeremiah 39:1-41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalm 90:1-91:16; Proverbs 26:1-2

“I will rescue you from those you fear so much. Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

“I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.”

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. ”

“Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest.”

“Ready for trial, your Honor!” There are few words that set a litigator’s heart to pumping harder than actually getting to try a case. Today, assuming all goes according to plan, I will be starting trial in one of the largest jury trials of its kind in this state’s history. We have been preparing for weeks. All the briefs and motions are filed, the questions and arguments are outlined, the witnesses are prepared, and all that remains is just to do it. We have left no stone unturned. For the first time in my career of trial law, I am not nervous at all. I have tried a number of cases, and every time before, not only has my pulse quickened, but my hands have started to shake, my breath has speeded up, and I obsessed about what I might have forgotten, and worried about whether I would be good enough. Not this time. I have fully prepared, in advance. There is no way my adverse witness is going to get the better of me. Our evidence is strong; theirs is weak; the law and experts favor our side; and worst case, we will get to write some new appellate law on a couple of legal issues. It’s a dream position for any attorney, and to top it off, we are trying it in a pretty idyllic, resort setting. Occasionally, I actually do love my job…. Tomorrow may look very different. Trials have a way of going in their own, unexpected directions. But then, we aren’t supposed to worry about tomorrow, are we? No, we are just supposed to give our best to the present and let the rest take care of itself.

But enough digression. I have a confession to make. For me personally, getting ready for trial meant more than just doing my legal bit. It also meant getting a little ahead on my Bible study and blogging so I can give full attention to the client over the next ten days or so. (This, for example, is actually being written on the 17^th.) Quite literally, I found myself getting ready for trial by intensifying my Bible study and prayer time. And I began to understand in the process why I am not better prepared for the trials of everyday life. Simply, it’s because I am not scheduled for, and I do not anticipate, those trials. I don’t take constant preparation and vigilance seriously enough. No wonder when life comes fast, sin so often seems to carry the day.

Christian study is no easy task. Spiritual preparation takes an amazing amount of time, actually. It is also true, however, that the rewards far outweigh the sacrifice. Seven or eight months ago, I would have been overcome with anxiety about now. But in a way I cannot explain, the tide has definitely turned in that particular battle, at least for the present. It is honestly supernatural; I have to believe the discipline of this project has something very direct and powerful to do with it. Regardless, nerves are much less of a problem now. Negativism is relegated to the back row. Potential now seems more important than self-preservation. And things overall are better that way.

I’ve always envied the attorneys who just think trial is fun. There are times when it is decidedly not fun at all. But at least going in, I’m feeling this case will be different. It will be hard fought. All the skills of both trial teams will be tested as we compete to achieve our respective visions of justice for our clients. It’s what we’ve trained and prepared to do. It will be fun, and may even be fun to watch.

So, here’s my conclusion: I very much want to feel about life generally the way I feel about this trial. I want to be fully prepared to be the Lord’s man no matter what situation arises, or what struggles are necessary. I want to continue learning and experiencing grace and forgiveness and always be ready to capitalize on the chance to share them with others. And I hope and pray I am not alone in the way I feel. Jesus is ready to do great things through each of us. We need to be ready, and should anticipate being used by Him in glorious ways to enrich the Kingdom!

THOSE PESKY "BABYLONIANS"

Jeremiah 37:1-38:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 25:28

“This is what the Lord says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t! Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”

“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

“You have renounced your covenant with him; you have thrown his crown in the dust. You have broken down the walls protecting him and ruined every fort defending him. Everyone who comes along has robbed him, and he has become a joke to his neighbors. You have strengthened his enemies and made them all rejoice. ”

“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.”

Pestilence! That’s what “little” sins are: pestilence! We work so hard to eradicate the big deal sins in our lives. We turn over new leaves; give things up for Lent; make New Year’s resolutions; and still, we are besieged by the temptation to shave a little here, tell the white lies and compromise there. We step out of a holes and trip over roots. Just as with the Babylonians, it doesn’t seem to matter how many spiritual wars we fight. Life is much more about dealing with the one-on-one battles. That’s where it gets personal. That’s where foundations are laid… or eroded. It’s where the real fights are fought. At first, we may not sweat the small stuff. But sooner or later, we all come to know what I learned from a friend in grade school. Another classmate turned to our mutual Catholic friend and said, “Tell me about the Seven Deadly Sins.” Enlightened as the Catholic boy was, his reply showed great insight: “They’re ALL deadly.”

Indeed, they are; some sins are just more subtle than others. Take pride, for example. In 2001, I was blessed to see the culmination of what remains to this day one of my greatest personal dreams and inspirations. I oversaw and directed the production of a full-length dramatic play, Love Song – The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene, literally ten years in the writing. Since I had written it, I was particularly leery of having such a major role in the production itself. Past experience predicted that, as director, I would take personal ownership of the show – which I really did understand was a divine gift - with a “my way or the highway” attitude that would at some point derail the sense of team and camaraderie the script required. I was so worried about this becoming a problem, I actually forced the production team to find someone else to direct. Others actually did try to capture the play’s vision and failed. The Lord finally called and released me to do it. Even then, though, I would not allow my name on any promotional materials and basically just tried to operate behind the scenes, more or less anonymously except to the cast itself.

Opening night came, the show was SRO, and the standing ovation at the end told the story. Success! The cast, which knew of my ego battles and had not just cooperated but participated in an anti-pride approach, was ecstatic. The months of hard work and discipline had not just paid off but been richly rewarded! Then came the second performance. The audience did not seem to notice any problem, but I did, and the cast did. Something was different. The show was flat. We’d done everything the same, no lines were blown or changed, but the show lost its zip nonetheless. Personally, I was devastated. I knew we’d let ourselves, and the Lord, down. I will never forget the 2AM prayer time that followed.

“Lord, what happened? We tried so hard to be true to Your inspiration and keep ourselves out of it. We tried to honor only you. What did we do wrong? Why did things go off track? We busted our butts to stay humble….”

“Oh, my beloved son,” came the immediate, compassionate reply of the Holy Spirit. “I know you tried so hard. But you failed. Pride crept in. I still love you, very much, and appreciate all you’ve tried to do. But there is more work ahead. Get about it. You need to fix the problem.”

I hardly even knew where to start. I’d seen no pride to identify. The following night, though, I just shared what I’d heard with the cast. Surprisingly, it actually inspired some tears. More than one person had been wrestling with the demons of pride. The problem, however, never arose again. In fact, each night of our run, the show got stronger. By the close, we had folks from all over the state of Texas and a few from other places in the audience, had sold far more tickets than we had seats every performance, and finished each night not just with a standing “O,” but with audience members who came to talk to the cast and crew about the message of the play and the Gospel behind it. Glory to God.

So, what’s the message here? We can’t win for losing? Keep fighting the good fight? Sin is a never ending battle? The pesky “Babylonians” will win at times no matter what? Don’t get discouraged? Probably. Any of those fit. But I think the most important lesson I learned in that episode of life was that, really and truly, the Father loves us in our sin, and in spite of it. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We give up on ourselves long before He does. The Lord will stay in the trenches with us, no matter what, as long as we continue to at least try to seek His Way.

It’s not that we should no longer sweat the small stuff. The Lord never appreciates compromise. It’s just that He does understand it and loves us in spite of our failures. We may never know all the close calls we experience in life, or all the times we stumble. It can be hard to keep track even of what we do recognize as separating us from the Spirit. But we can, and should, take great comfort in the fact that, no matter the number of false starts or stumbles we experience, we have a Savior ready to catch and correct us in lovingkindness.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Jeremiah 35:1-36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 25:25-27

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me. The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me. Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, ‘Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.’ But you would not listen to me or obey me.”

“Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters…. But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers…. Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. ”

“…If they do not obey my decrees and fail to keep my commands, then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their disobedience with beating. But I will never stop loving him nor fail to keep my promise to him. No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said.”

“Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty.

If we are ever going to get along with others – be they family, friends, strangers or other nations – we have got to learn to communicate better and understand rules of engagement. More important, we need to understand what needs to be said and the right time to say it. Too frequently, the message we intend to send gets lost in misinterpretation, the receiver’s expectations, perceived innuendo or secondary meanings. Our body language gives away our true heart and exposes our words as, at best, misleading. We do not understand our audience and say things in a way that alienates or simply cannot be heard. No matter the context, as far as communication is concerned, delivery is every bit as important as content.

I was reminded of this once again recently when working with one of our summer clerks. I asked him to research a straightforward question, and he came back with a straightforward, and expected, answer. All seemed well, until I discussed the matter with a lawyer more experienced in the particular field of research. It turned out the question was not nearly as clear cut as the clerk made it sound. In fact, there was a real, unsettled question as to whether or not the law he’d relied on even applied to the specific subject. When I later challenged the clerk to defend his memo, his reply was he had written it as an advocate. He thought I wanted him to defend a position rather than tell me the right position to take. Thinking that was what I wanted, he made no effort to fully discuss the law’s specific applicability. Wrong answer; had I presented his memo to the Court as I’d planned initially, I would have almost certainly been blindsided by a counterargument I was not ready for and did not even know existed. Communication would have failed altogether because a fundamental assumption had not been communicated at all.

Sometimes, I wonder if the Lord might feel the same way. We try to put our best feet forward in prayer; we advocate for a particular miracle; we try to withhold as much “personal” information as possible. Again, wrong answer. God wants to know us intimately, which means, among other things, that we have to know Him intimately and recognize He knows us as intimately as we know ourselves. (He does; the point is, we need to admit that fact to ourselves and communicate with Him accordingly.) He wants us to listen to, answer and understand Him every bit as much as we want Him to listen to, answer and understand us. But we can’t, and Scripture is clear it isn’t because we don’t, but because we won’t, accept His Word as it comes to us.

So, rather than proverbially talking Himself blue in the face, God sent us examples. Finally, He sent us His Example. The solution to our communication problem with our Creator was not more or different words, it was for our Creator to invade our world as the Word. No more did He try to engage us with lengthy prophecies and messages of gloom, judgment and doom. He engaged our imagination by sending His Son to show us His Way is the only way to true fulfillment and joy.

The story is told so often it has become cliché, but it is still worth remembering. One frosty night, a farmer was awakened by the squawking of a freezing flock of geese just outside his barn. Sensing their plight, he raced outside to open the barn and provide them shelter. However, they would not go in voluntarily, and no matter how he pursued them, he could not guide them into safety. Finally, in frustration, he cried, “Oh, if only I was a goose, I could lead them all into the barn, and they would follow me then!” Perhaps; and perhaps not…. But the point remains: if we want to effectively communicate, we have got to put ourselves in the other fellows’ shoes and work to understand what makes them tick, so we can make ourselves understood. Communicating eternal truths by example beats words any day.

THE POSSIBILITIES OF YOUTH

Jeremiah 33:1-34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 25:23-24

“Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me. And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.’”

“Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”

“I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.”

“As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!”

Most of us don’t give our young people enough credit. There’s no question they are coming into their own in the world at a very tough time. We have left them a mess. Jobs are scarce, and finding a mate is fraught with potential hazards we did not even dream of when we were dating. True enough, some are bitter and feel disconnected from the world, and it’s hard to blame them. But on the other hand, it has been my privilege to see a number of young people face the world with energy, enthusiasm and courage. They have no plans to let circumstances intimidate them. Their every intention is aimed at fixing the problems they encounter, and they are actually excited about having the chance to do it.

This kind of youthful exuberance could easily be dismissed as the ravings of immaturity by the crusty souls of my generation. In retrospect, it’s hard to believe any generation has ever advanced civilization so far with technology and the like yet actually advanced things so little. We’ve come dangerously close to screwing up everything we were given, including our own accomplishments. So, our jaded outlook is also understandable. But we sin egregiously when we attempt to pass our cynicism and our sarcasm on to the next generation. They deserve better. They need our hope and encouragement.

Paul and Timothy understood well the conflict that can arise between the enthusiasm of youth and the staid nature of the “Old Guard.” As big a mess as we have created, we are still reluctant to let go of control and let the youngsters run things. Some of us sit in sanctuary, for example, steadfastly resisting the efforts to bring “contemporary” services to our churches because we fear the drums, keyboards and guitars will erode the holiness of worship. We forget that our own services actually may be alienating those who can no more relate to the old hymns than we can to Christian rock. The only true advantage one style has over another is that one got there first. We got used to one way of doing things. We freeze out anything that is different. So Paul justifiably instructs Timothy, “Don’t be intimidated. Go ahead and teach. Be an example. Be passionate. Stand true.” Good advice for the next generation, too.

As a Dad, I often find myself tempted to be the voice of caution to my kids. Sure, there are times they can benefit from lessons I learned, but overall, I think I usually end up crossing the line between wisdom and meddling. I’m beginning to think the world has changed so much that there is a serious possibility some of my more practical advice may be outdated. (Perish the thought!) In any event, as I have experimentally backed of the role of Patriarch and allowed them the freedom to make mistakes, I see maturity and grit developing in their character. Sometimes, the worst thing a parent can do is protect their kids… unless they go to even greater lengths to protect themselves from kids.

Perhaps this is why the Holy Spirit allows His kids – us – to struggle so. As a loving Father, it cannot be easy to watch us stumble and fall and hurt ourselves. But as I have become fond of saying, they won’t believe it if they can’t live it, and they won’t live it if it doesn’t work. Our kids need to test their wings, and we need to give them that chance, even when it threatens us. Maybe we need to respect our kids more, too, and free them to do and be what they think they are actually called to do, instead of so often putting down their new ways of thinking and looking at the world. Part of any recreation is developing a new way of thinking. It’s just possible that, as Old Testament faded into New, so our old ways have run their course. Maybe it is time the world actually experienced some youthful reinvigoration. Let’s try listening to our kids for a change and see what we learn. At the very least, I'm betting they will benefit more from our loving support than from our war stories and alienation.

NEW DEALS

Jeremiah 31:27-32:44; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 88:1-18; Proverbs 25:20-22

“’The people will no longer quote this proverb: “The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.” All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker. The day is coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,’ says the Lord. ‘But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,’ says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, “You should know the Lord.” For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.’”

“So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.”

“Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound. If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.”

For folks who have a tough time reconciling Old and New Testaments, here’s the bottom line. Jesus Christ was a whole new deal. By completely fulfilling the law as no one before or after Him could, Jesus changed the game. The deck got reshuffled, and the rules of retribution and death were rewritten. No more was living a good life a guarantee of heaven. Isaiah was the first to realize it could not be done, but grace rendered a performance mentality next to irrelevant when it came to salvation. Eternal questions no longer concern active doing as much as they center on surrender and obedience. Instead of offering animal sacrifices, we are to offer ourselves to the Spirit so the Spirit can live through us.

So, why are so many of us still living by Old Testament rules and regulations? Why do we remain trapped by slavery to the law? I submit that it’s just harder to accept the freedom of Christ than we think looking at it from the outside. “Free to surrender” is not a concept that resonates particularly well with this generation. “Free to serve” does not sound like a blessing at all. Try explaining to a seeker that the greatest freedom in life is the freedom to unconditionally offer yourself in love for the benefit of another. It isn’t a concept we grasp readily, but it is a concept we need to understand if we are ever to get past the threshold of salvation and into the living room of sanctification.

So many people reject the freedom Christ offers because it just does not translate to our worldly minds as freedom at all. It sounds like slavery. Paul actually calls it exactly that when he encourages us to become slaves of Christ now that we are free from slavery to sin. However, the slavery that comes from giving ourselves over to Christ is anything but involuntary. It is the only way to true freedom.

As a teenager, I did serious battle with acne. Before the days of Retin A, my face, back and chest looked like a bombed out battlefield. It was a humbling and shaming thing to have to deal with, the equivalent of leprosy to an awkward young man none too sure of himself to begin with. Just talking to girls required major gumption gathering, and even with courage mustered, I was little more that a mercy case quickly forgotten as soon as a real prospect came along. Acne, of course, was not the real enemy; self image was. To survive, it was necessary to quit thinking about what others thought and ignore looks in general. Instead, the trick was to begin to see myself as I wanted to be, as I knew I could be, as Christ saw me. What humans can conceive, we can usually achieve, and eventually, I broke through numerous social walls with a bravado that surprised me. People quit noticing the acne because I didn’t see it. I refused to see myself as socially “handicapped” any longer. Instead, I completely yielded my looks and acne to Christ and went full speed ahead with what I could understand of His plan.

Now, what I actually was doing was seeing myself through Christ. He freed me from social convention and allowed me to see myself as I was created to be. In a very real way, He healed the acne long before the pimples disappeared. It did no good for anyone to say the acne did not matter. As long as we were playing by the social mores of high school and early college, it did matter. Once I realized I was free to say no to the kind of rules and regulations that stifled and frustrated social development, I was able to get over my personal anxieties and inadequacies. Jesus truly gave me a new deal… until Retin A finally did come along.