A Time for Everything

    In the book of Ecclesiastes, the prophet wrote these words, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven- A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up."  Prov 3:1-3

   I've seen that in my own life and work.  Things seem to move in patterns.  We go through a season of growth, then pruning, then testing, then waiting, then watering, then rebirth.  When I left Philippi, I told the church that God calls people to places and he calls them away.  He moves by his own times and seasons, not ours.

   The important thing is to see that each season has its purpose.  When I wait, it tests my faith, so that I am ready for the next step that I must take.  When I am pruned, it is for the purpose of more growth.  When things die or move on, then it makes room for other things.  Each season has its own joys, its own heartaches and its own trials.  They build on each other sometimes.

   When I was a chaplain at WakeMed, I can recall being afraid at first when I was on call.  Being on call at a hospital with 550 beds by yourself is a terrifying thing, at least it was to me.  I can recall one Sunday doing a worship service and having a trauma call right in the middle of the service.  I had to pray and end the service and run to the other end of the hospital.  You just never knew who you would meet or what they would be going through, could be a car accident, or a knife wound or a stillborn baby or something else.  Most of the circumstances were sad and difficult, a valley to be walked through.

   But, even the valleys have a purpose.  Though God does not cause them.  He can bring something good out of them.  That is the meaning of Romans 8:28.  In Romans 5:3-5 it says "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulations brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; andhope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."   The apostles never promised a trouble free life.  Most of them were actually martyred for their faith.  They promised that it wasn't in vain.

The Good Shepherd

       When I first started work as a chaplain, the ministry that I worked for was a non-denominational ministry started by a guy named David Peterson called "The Shepherd's Staff".  I remember it very well because it had a picture on the logo of Jesus carrying a staff and also a lamb that he was carrying.  The image is taken from John 10 where Jesus calls himself the good shepherd.  I have been thinking about these verses and what it means that Jesus would call himself that.

        Jesus often used images found in daily life in the New Testament to teach.  He pointed to water, light and a door.  Jesus would use parables to get people's attention and was a master storyteller.  Jesus tells us in John 10 that he is not a shepherd who is a hireling.  In other words, the sheep are his and he puts himself at risk to protect them and watch over them.  In fact he says, "even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." John 10:15

    Jesus would go on to say that his sheep understand and know his voice.  They aren't fooled by imposters who seek to lead the sheep astray or steal them.  He says they won't follow a stranger.  This is something every person living in those days would know, that the shepherd and sheep have a very close bond.  The sheep could be led by simple voice commands.   Jesus said, "When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him becasue they know his voice." John 10:4.  This goes back to the practice of shepherd mixing they're sheep at night and then calling them out by name in the morning to go out to pasture.

   Then the thought occurs to me, that the Shepherd leads best when he is in front.  The sheep don't tell the shepherd where to go.  In fact, they may very well walk right off a cliff if allowed to.  The shepherd and his staff are there to protect from danger and to guide.  I've gotten into trouble a few times when I wanted to be out front.  It must amuse God that I want to lead when I don't know the way.  It is just as dangerous though as being too far behind.  Our goal is to stay close to the Lord.  That is how we hear his voice.

    I think it is pride and maybe some anxiety that causes people to act first and then listen for God's voice.  The first king of Israel had that problem in the person of Saul.  The story is located in 1 Samuel 13:8-24 where Saul grows impatient with waiting on Samuel to come.  There is a delay for some reasont that we are never told and Saul becomes fearful, so he acts in haste.  It is for this reason, that the kingdom is taken from Saul and given to the next king, a man named David.

  "But now your kingdom shall not endure.  The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."  1 Samuel 13:14

   So, how do we respond when there are seemingly delays in answers to prayer?  Do we realize that sometimes waiting is in order to build up our faith?  For us to show that even if we think God is silent it doesn't mean he is not at work?  Most great theologians and giants of church history have always talked about when God appears silent.  Early years, there is great bursts of insight and growth and it seems God is writing his will in neon colors.  Later, the neon sign is taken away because we don't need it anymore.  The feelings may be gone because God doesn't call us to walk by feelings, but by faith. 

With Your Cross

      As I was driving down the interstate today, I saw a commercial bus that has the motto "Travel with the Cross".   I thought about what this motto means and what it means as a believer to "travel with the cross".  It reminded me of scripture where Jesus told his disciples to take up their cross and follow him.  In a word, it means "surrender".  Surrender my will over his, my time over his timing, my goals over his goals for me.  The cross signifies surrender and also sacrifice.

    When we talk about sacrifice, I think of giving things up, but when we talk about sacrifice for Christ we should remember it is in order to gain what Christ has to give us.  If our hands are full of our own goals and desires then they are too full to grab a hold of what he wants for us.  We have to trust God that He is indeed good and knows what is best for us. I think that is the true issue, is one of trust.  Do I trust God enough to let go?

Rapture today?

Jesus said; "For this reason you be ready too for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." Matthew 24:44

   For about two months now a group led by Harold Camping has been claiming that today is the today of the rapture.  He marks a date in October as the date of the second coming.  I'm not really sure how he came up with those numbers.  But, the sad thing is that some people actually believed him and sold house and property and left jobs and followed him to tell people of Jesus' return.  This is despite the fact that Jesus himself said that he didn't know the date or hour.

   There were believers in Paul's day in Thessalonians who were confused about this issue also.  They had become lazy and sold houses and businesses and sat around waiting for his return.  Paul wrote some of 1 Thessalonians dealing with this.  For example:

   Now as to the times and the epochs breathren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.  For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.  While they are saying, Peace and safety! then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." 1Thess 5:1-3

  So, according to these verses it will be a time of optimism, when people are declaring themselves safe and not expecting his return that Jesus will come back.  Then there is the whole other issue all together, that many people don't agree that the rapture and the second coming are seperate events to begin with either.  Where did the idea of a rapture come from?  One reference is in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

   "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

   Many teach the rapture and say that the rapture is done in secret or people will simply disappear.  But, that is not what this passage teaches either.  In fact, I use to believe in the rapture because that is what many taught when I was a young believer.  But, the verses in 1 Thessalonians aren't actually teaching a rapture at all.  The word rapture means "caught up" and though those words are used in this passage, this is clearly a time when the Lord visibly returns with a shout.  Graves start opening up and the dead in Christ rise and I have a hard time believing that would happen secretly.

      I think it is a shame that so many people were misled by Mr.Camping and his predictions.  I imagine that for some this prediction will cause a crisis in they're faith.   It says something about the state of the church that so many are being misled.  Hopefully, the church will use this as an opportunity to teach what the Bible does actually teach and what it doesn't.  For this man's predictions could actually be turned into a teaching opportunity to educate people about what the Bible actually says.

   Jesus told us not be misled by man people who claim to be him.  He told us that many would claim to be Jesus and mislead people. He didn't claim that he would come invisible to those on the earth.  Rather he said,
   "If therefore they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness, do not go forth, or, Behold, He is in the inner rooms, do not believe them,  For just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be."  Matthew 24:26-27

God is Shy

"God gives us just enough to seek him, and never enough to fully find him.  To do more would inhibit our freedom, and our freedom is very dear to God."  Ron Hansen.

    At first this comment in Philip Yancey's book "Reaching for the Invisible God" shocked me.  He says "God is shy."  What he means by that is that "God is shy to intervene."  And when you think about it it really is true.  God allows many things to happen on this planet that must make him unhappy.  An abused children for example or father who abandons his children.  Sometimes God does intervene in miraclous ways such as with the Israelites being led out of Egypt.  But, first we should remember that that was after 400 years of enslavement.

    We might pray for a particular couple to be reunited only to hear that months later they divorce.  Or maybe for a wayward child to return to God only to hear they died of a drug overdose.  The extent to which God allows us to make choices and then to live with those choices is amazing.  Considering how many times our choices can hinder his plan for our lives and for others.  It shows you how true the quote is that this post starts with, that our freedom is very dear and important to God.

    The fact is, that God could overwhelm us with his power.  He could thunder from the heavens and shock us into submission.  He does show up a few times in scriputre with thunder and lightning and terrifying everyone around.  But, that doesn't appear to be the way that God most of choses to operate.  Rather, he choses to love and then to express that love through His Son.  He choses love over fear to motivate us to in turn, to chose Him.

    The way that God works Yancey says is illustrated in 1 Kings 19:11-12 where it says, "Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire came a gentle whisper."  Then when God does speak, he does scold Elijah for running from Jezebel, but simply says, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" verse 13.  He demonstrated mercy and gentleness even here where he has a right to say to Elijah, "I just threw down fire from heaven.  What is wrong with you?"  But, instead he gently whispers and confides in His prophet.

    This fact that God loves us appears to be the overwhelming motive behind why God does what he does.  He does not love us because we are valueable, but because it is His nature to love.  His love makes us valueable.  He loves because it is part of who He is.  And that love is without limit or restraint and also without strings attached.  I cannot make God love me more or less by what I do or say.  I cannot earn it or demand it or manipulate it.  This reality that God loves us is what should cause us to then accept ourselves.  If the God who made us, loves us, then whose opinion matters more than that.

A Note from the Mental Ward

   I had to go see a client today at Central Regional Hospital in Butner, NC.  I asked the man who was escorting me back to see how many patients were in the hospital.  He commented that there was about 500 last he heard.  He said that many people stay there for a long time at the mental hospital.  One man is said to have been there since the late 70's.  I know the hospital sure is huge.  I had to pass through three locked entry ways before I saw the person I came to visit.

   One of the hardest things about my job is seeing the young people effected by the abuse and neglect of others.  I'm not sure about the particular person I came to see today, if what he has been experiencing is the result of abuse or simply mental illness.  I'm just not sure, but I know a lot of the problems I have been seeing lately stem from abuse and emotional and sometimes sexual abuse that occur.  Sometimes from a brother, parent or trusted extended family member.  We live in a culture where many people use other people and do horrible things.

    Jesus said, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, when neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:20-21.  When I think about this verse and verses like it, I think to myself, "how do I lay up treasures in heaven?"  I think one of the ways we do that is by being a blessing and ministering to other people.  I think that is because there is nothing more valueable on this earth than a person's soul.  And when we love and respect other people we are truly giving people the greatest gift we can give.

    We got a new cat a few months ago.  Her name is Keke and she is the same color and markings as a cat named Oscar that we had who died last January.  I guess you could call her a replacement cat.  She is scared of everything.  She spent the first month at our house under the bed.  She has onlly gradually come out and let us pet her and depending on what mood she is in sometimes will still run away.  It makes me wonder if she has been abused.  Unfortunately, when that bond of trust is destroyed or never formed with people and animals it can be very difficult to claim back.  But, with patience and love I think it is possible.  Because God doesn't make trash or hopeless cases.

Oscar

Be Renewed

"Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Eph 4:23-24

    When I think about this passage, a number of thoughts come to mind.  Paul uses this phrase in his epistles a number of times to "put on" or "put off" like a person puts on clothing.  I actually used a jacket to illustrate that one time in a sermon.  We need to make a conscious choice to put on one and to take off another.  Even as believers, we can remain in the flesh.  It is a daily decision, to cling to Jesus and to let go of the things of the flesh.

    You notice that Paul emphasizes "the mind" in verse 23.  It basically is challenging me that I need to change the way I am thinking and to adopt a biblical view of my world, of who I am and who God is.  When we adopt this new way of thinking it is renewing.  For example, the Bible tells me  God loves and cares for me.  It tells me that he hears my prayers.  I have to remind myself of this daily.  That though this world may seem cruel, God does love me.  God does care about the things that are on my mind.  Not only that, but that he wants to hear from me!

      I think it also means that God wants us to change our way of thinking in terms of priorities.  The world system in some places in the Bible is referred to as a "Babylon" or "Rome".   You see this in Revelations 18 where the world system is described as the whore Babylon.  The world is guilty of committing spiritual adultery with this whore.  They have not remained faithful to God and His values.  I am sanctified or "set apart" for the purpose of his kingdom.  God calls us to set ourselves apart and to be different.  Different in thinking and different in priorities.

      This concept also means that we are different in values.  The world appears to place a low value on human life.  When gunman can open fire on crowds protesting in Egypt or Syria or places like that they are saying that those who they are firing upon are not valued.  When we call unborn babies a choice and abort millions of babies a year it shows what our true values are.  In contrast to this, our values are placed in people, because Jesus found people valueable.  To the point that he was willing to suffer and die for save us.

     This true is so renewing, that God loves us, wants to hear from us and values our relationship with Him.