Sightseer

This year, our family has been actively traveling a little more than normal. Some of the places are our usual hangouts, the Mojave Desert in spring, Sierra Nevada’s in the summer. Over Easter vacation, we visited Arizona; taking in Route 66 in Williams and the Grand Canyon. It was fun seeing new things. The Canyon was inspiring and beautiful just as you might think, stunning its visitors with colors and grand views. It even snowed on us as we visited the south rim. We stood on a corner in Winslow… well, you get the point. We also found a few places along the way that we were sure we never wanted to live, or even spend the night. Those places were desolate, dry, and void of services and people for the most part, but we were enjoying our sightseer status, eating in new places and taking in all the surroundings.

We sought out interesting and different things that caught our eye, just like many people do when they go to new churches. Not only trying out the taste of the food spiritually but the sights and sounds as well. The Christian life can be a little like being a sightseer. You enjoy the fun parts, the beautiful scenery, and then when things get serious or dried out, you move on to the next point of interest. The term ‘Day-Tripper’ comes to mind, I’m sure a lot of you might remember a song by that title. Big concert settings can give us that feeling, a fun-loving and fast-paced free sense. At certain times, a well-organized church camp or retreat can give you a real ‘mountain top experience’; you know the ones, you hear a great worship band or a speaker that gives you goosebumps every night when they share. While you’re there, you almost start to feel like a Super-Christian. Someone with a mission to accomplish and vision to see exactly what that mission is. If you’re like me, when you come home, you find it more and more difficult to see and find the mission, much less feel like a super anything. The ‘real’ world returns you to reality with a thud.

Lord, help me not to be a Daytripper Christian.

It is a process that I continue to struggle with yearly, how do you keep that fresh and vibrant sense inside when it comes to serving God. Lord, help me not to be a Daytripper Christian. One that bounces from spiritual high to spiritual high; who fades and moves on when the work gets tough, or the people get hard to deal with. If we think about it, there might be some wisdom in the vacationing story I mentioned earlier. Do you ever go away from home on a much-anticipated trip, only to find that near the end of that time, your remembering how nice your home is? For the campers out there, maybe it’s the soft comfortable chair or taking a long hot shower. Or maybe you love coming home to your own special bed. Whatever you think of when it comes to home, it always seems a little better in our minds, when we haven’t been there in a few days.

Escaping the ups and downs of life, in general, is likely impossible for most of us to do, but there are some things that Jesus spoke about in a major sermon He gave during his ministry. These are some of the footsteps of growth that are still relevant today and will be every day of our lives.

• First, realize that you are blessed. Through all of our successes and trials; when we are lost, hungry, made fun of, and content, these times teach us things about ourselves. They help us to have perspective and grow stronger in our faith in God and acceptance of His grace.
• Another is to accept your mission as the salt and light of this world. Our lives show others that God does make a difference when you walk with Him. We go to our schools and workplaces, and flavor the relationships by showing grace, and offering mercy, things that are given freely to us, and intended to be shown to others. They will know that we are Christians by the difference they see in the way that we respond to adversity and cruelty. By doing these things as often as you can, your life will produce light, a ‘light’ that is put into this world through Jesus to lead others to Him.
• Don’t make promises or enter into partnerships that you know aren’t healthy or productive, keep your word. If you promise something, do it.
• This one is really difficult for most of us, love your enemies.  I don’t think that this means let everyone run roughshod over you so that you can shower them with love; but I do think it means to walk away from someone who is provoking you, whenever you can. Defend yourself and loved ones when it’s necessary, that is your responsibility, but don’t write off those who come against you. Be generous with your prayer and kindness. Anyone can enjoy being around people that they already get along with, but Jesus says walk those extra paces toward those who are difficult. God loves each of those people that you and I can’t stand, and He sends His blessings to everyone equally; wherever and whenever you can - love those people, even if it never feels like they deserve or want it.
•  Don’t put your faith on stage for everyone to see. Being a leader in worship or being on stage is different than putting your faith “on stage”. In other words, your motives should be to love and help others see Jesus through what you do; if that is in leadership from a stage that’s ok, if it’s mopping the nursery after a busy Sunday, that’s great too. Just remember who it is that you’re serving, and make sure that someone isn’t you.
• Pray. Prayer scares many people, they are afraid that they don’t know the proper way to do it, and where do you learn all those special words that they hear used on Sundays, or from TV personalities. Keep it simple; sometimes you need to find a personal and quiet place or time so that you can just let your heart pour out. But don’t let that become restrictive, pray all day, any time and place is a good place to talk to God. He wants to connect with each of us in this way; keep it a two-way relationship. Don’t just ask for things, offer your praise and thanksgiving for what you have. It’s the number one way to keep yourself in tune with God’s plan in your life, and one that we all need to do more of.
•  Make sure to use your wealth wisely, even if you’re like me and not a “rich” person. In spirit, we are made rich through our relationship with Christ. So, whatever you have, whether it is a lot or a little, don’t put it on a pedestal and make it too important. Be generous, and don’t make a public show of your intentions. This goes for looks as well as money; looking good does make us feel better about ourselves at times, but don’t let it be your judge and jury when it comes to worth. God loves you and I the same, without any strings; rich, poor, skinny, heavy, bald, or anywhere in between, His love never fails. Be faithful and wise with what you have.
• Live a life that values those around you. It should be obvious but bullying others or constantly criticizing people will eventually be returned to you, and that boomerang can be painful when it lands. It’s a pretty simple philosophy that we used to teach children at a young age. Treat others like you want them to treat you. If you don’t know what that is, think of actions and things you would like, and then go do some of them for others. Try it.
• Lastly, there are no shortcuts to living a Godly life. Don’t treat your faith like one of those ads offering instant weight loss. We all fall for things we later find out to be too good to be true. Learn from that. Things of value take honest effort, including your walk with God. Do and be genuine in your effort to know God and live the best life that you can. We all trip and fall missing the mark, just keep asking Him to help you up.

So, what does this all have to do with having ups and downs in our life, and being a spiritual sightseer? Everything. Each one on its own is a good thing, but putting these steps together create a mindset of living. Living in a way that will build in you and me an ability to appreciate what we have, be positive in perspective, and proactive with our time and talents. Finding a way to tell your story through living it to the fullest. I need to do this more in my life, I struggle with nearly every one of these steps, and sometimes I feel as though I’m never quite content, or that it’s just a step or two in front of me, not quite close enough to be caught. Are you in that same boat? I am sure that the Gospels recorded this sermon of Jesus on the mount for that reason, we needed the roadmap. The reminder that faith and walking with Him was like anything else, you get out what you put into it. To quote an old Christian pop hit, I don’t want to be a casual Christian, sightseeing my way from one touristy place in life to the next. Now to just put these actions to work in our hearts and lives. May our journeys become more effective and lead us to a place of serving Him with fewer and fewer mountain tops and valleys, but a meaningful, rewarding and level path of serving and loving others daily -as a family.

           

Mathew 5,6 &7 MSG

Sermon on the Mount

Peace

  The dictionary says this about peace, that it's the state of tranquility or quiet; a place of security and freedom from oppressive thought; being in harmony and without the aggression of war, or disagreement. Take a journey with me and imagine yourself on a wooded pathway, the trees filter the sunlight through to the ground, and a wisp of mist floats above the ground cover, with its multicolored flowers sprouting from vines and bushes, so beautifully placed that it appears that a gardener had planted them there just for the ones on the path to enjoy.
     Standing alone and quiet, you close your eyes to hear the sounds of nature all around you. The chorus of birds chirping on the branches above you, the slow and gently warming breeze flowing around your body, and through the grasses and ferns on the forest floor. The faint sound of a small distant waterfall as it flows gracefully to the stream winding through these woods. You walk slowly along the dirt path, running your hands over the branches of the tiny trees as they learn to grow skyward and join their family of giants. Just for one moment, there is no rush from work, no bill to pay, no sick child to tend. No telemarketer on your phone, or leaking faucet in your house dripping to remind you that your list of honey do's is growing by the day. Only the sounds of the birds, the wind, and your footsteps break the silence. There are only you and the sights, smells, and sounds of peace.
  I wish this kind of place and peace were that easy to find whenever we needed it. In fact, the older I get, the more that I find that I need it, and seemingly the harder it is to be found. If your life lacks peace and tranquility, then we are in the same boat. Maybe we have missed the opportunities that God provides to us for finding our daily retreat, by lacking the vision to see it when it comes along. If we are so focused on success that we miss our children's laughter or musical number that they perform for us, perhaps we miss Gods invitation to enjoy the flowers of peace. Have you ever made plans to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with a book, or the paper? How often do these plans work out? In our desperation and desolate hour, we call out to God for deliverance, but have we regularly called out to Him in real praise? Our busy lives and the temptation to have success at any cost will most certainly derail any opportunity God puts in front of us to enjoy the flight of the birds through the treetops, or feel the warmth of the afternoon breeze through our wooded meadow. I find myself guilty of these distractions as any of you. Not that I've given it all for success in business, actually I gave up my personal business to spend more time with my family years ago. But I allowed other things to slowly work their way into powerful positions in my life's schedule. Some of these were church and ministry-related, so I told myself that God called me to do it, therefore, the sacrifice was divine. Be very careful with that line in your life. God can and does call us to sacrifice for His work, but rarely have I seen that sacrifice come through the cost of our families, and friends worth. I say to us all, guard against being too busy or "called". Serve your family first, for if you lose that battlefront to the enemy, what will the rest of your life's work mean when you're called home.

If you need peace as a regular part of your life as I do,then you must first learn to seek it, accept it and finally enjoy it.

     It hasn't been that easy for me to find and I bet the same can be said for you in your life. when we need it the most, we are often too far from it to see it. This is where the seeking part comes in. In John 14: 25 - 27 Jesus is trying to explain that He is leaving the apostles. That the plan of His destiny had already been set into motion, and that He should follow the Father's will right down to the very last detail. From Palm Sunday right through the rest of the week, He was following the plan of God. So obedience and a faithful heart are at the core of serving God, but peace, how do we seek peace? That same passage goes on to quote Jesus saying, "This friend of mine, the Holy Spirit who will be sent by my Father because I have asked Him too, will make your eyes to see all of the things that I have talked to you about, remind you of every word, every council, and every story. I am leaving you in the very best of hands, complete and connected as whole children of a loving and grace-filled God. That is my going away gift to you, Peace. I don't go away leaving you the way that I found you, alone, abandoned and void of the knowledge of my love"
  It seems that before you were even born, a map was drawn with the words and directions from Jesus and given directly to us, on how to find that peace that we each long for so desperately. I believe that it doesn't come through success or owning a lot of nice things, we cannot create our own peace. He said that His friend, the Comforter, was coming to remind us of the things that He taught. Lessons like Love is kind, it never demands it's own way. To treat others as we would want to be treated. That grace was abundant and free for every one of us. That those who prayed out loud just to be heard by others would find no reward in His kingdom. That the only way to the Father was through Him; He is the way, the truth, and the light.
  How often do we go through life forgetting the amazing truth of those lessons? God loves us in spite of who we are; He loves us because of whose we are. If you long for the quiet of the forested meadow, with the tall trees and the smell of the flowers and pines filling the air, and the sounds of all nature at your ears, then you long for the worship of our King. For in our silence, the rocks and the hills cry out to affirm that He is Lord. Maybe that is why we find such solace in that setting. Deep within ourselves, we know that they are singing our song, praising our Father. Seek out your way to praise Him in private. Find a way to move your branches and chirp your song, but do it in a way that it is between you and God alone. Start slowly and without a big production, remember this is your meadow song before your Father. Your peace is there, in that place. Don't be too busy to try, it might only be a few minutes each day, or you might decide to make more time for it, whatever the case, seek Him, praise Him, alone. In that quiet space, you will find rest, you will find comfort, and peace will find you.

The basis for biblical quote from John 14: 25-27 (MSG)

Foxhole Faith

     Everyone knows the saying, "there are no atheists in foxholes". Especially when you're in battle; under fire, about to be overrun, and feeling the 'end' is near. Impending defeat from a fierce enemy has a way of speeding up the soul searching that we do to find our purpose, our reason for living. Often that battlefield searching within ourselves reveals a need to believe in a power, an order, beyond what we see and know here in this world. The call goes out to God, save me, or take care of my family. In crisis mode, when things are as bad as the soldier thinks they can get, faith in God is natural, easy, and outright compulsory.

     In our desperate times, we too turn to God, whether it's to save us from something we've done to ourselves, or from what danger someone is about to impose on us. We shout to God when we think He has been unfair to you or subjected a loved one to an illness. Or when a family member or friend is taken to heaven. Even as believers, there are times that we do not seek God until we are frantic enough to admit that we cannot solve the problem on our own. Issues big and small, crisis that are life-threatening or not, each of us has a threshold, an ability to cope, that once reached forces us to seek a source of deliverance beyond ourselves.

Foxholes can hasten your belief in God,

they can even inspire you to reach out to Him for absolution.

But they can also be a great place to hide

     I see two kinds of Christians in foxholes. The new Christians, that just realized how much they need God and are accepting God's grace at light speed because of their immediate need. And the Christian that has known God's grace and forgiveness over and over. The tired and worn Christian, that obeys and takes up the arms of the battle only to find that they can't go on. Exhausted, used up, consumed and eaten alive by the "religious commandos" of the church Pharisee squad, they hide. They hunker-down and take cover, just in sight of grace, but not quite under its full power and forgiveness. Afraid to move, paralyzed by fear, shame, or the ridicule of others. This is a very scary place. To know that you need to move towards God, but not have the ability to move. To see the Savior at a distance, but not believe that He is here to care for you.

     Foxholes are also full of dead soldiers. Those that never found a way out. That didn't believe that they could be saved, or that God could forgive them. This is the condition that I seek to help you and I avoid. We all struggle with acceptance, and self-worth at some point. We think that we've fallen too far or done too many bad things. That we have already chosen our path, and it's too late to change it. The good news is that God doesn't give up on us when we fall. His love is unlike anything we experience here in this world, and his forgiveness stretches farther than you have ever been. Most of His chosen men fell upon doubt and disbelief when Jesus was crucified. As with us, they failed. But God had a plan for them, and though some of them hid in their foxholes waiting for the battle to calm down, grace came to them where they were. You see, those in the foxholes who die because they are too afraid or conditioned to believe that they can make it from where they are to where God is, fail to realize one thing.

Grace meets us where we are

     Scars, defeats, sickness, addictions and all, God sends the might of His generosity and compassion to our hiding place. It pierces the darkness of our lonely struggle to believe that we aren't alone in our foxhole. The truth is that He is as near as the air that we breathe. The deeper you dig, the harder it is to see out of your hole. Don't stop looking for God to answer your call. Don't ever stop. The good news I want you to know is this; He has already answered your call. Before you were in trouble. Before you knew that you needed Him, and before you were born into this world, He loved you and wanted you to know Him. Hiding in your foxhole or not, He has a purpose for your life, and He will meet you on your battlefield. You are the front line and the last line of God's enduring mission to reveal Himself to each of us, through good times and bad. Seen or unseen, He is within reach; do not lose faith. Close your eyes and touch the hem of His mercy and forgiveness as He answers your call, reach out and you will be renewed.