Worship While You Work

If this were a leap year, we'd celebrate International Underlings Day on February 29th. It's a day to celebrate those who work behind the scenes; the people who toil day in and day out, with little to no recognition.

Under such circumstances, it can be easy to get discouraged; to worry about your impact and your legacy. To ask, "is this all there is?" But, as 1 Peter reminds us, there is nothing we do that is truly insignificant, when we work for God's glory, instead of our own.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

"So that in all things, God may be praised through Jesus Christ." This is a high calling. Whether you are a plumber, or a daycare worker, or working on an assembly line, or flipping burgers -- "whatever you do," says 1 Corinthians 10:31, "do it all for the glory of God."

And, because you're doing it for Him, do it to the very best of your abilities. Maybe you'll be recognized for it on earth, and maybe not. But when you do it as a form of worship -- because that's what it is -- know that you will be rewarded by Him whose rewards really matter (Colossians 3:24). 

So don't be downtrodden by the drudgery of what the world says is a mundane job. Worship God in your work, and with your work. Glorify God in what you do, understanding that, when people know you are a Christian, what you do -- and how you do it -- reflects on Him. Do what you do with an attitude of service to your Savior, so those around you can, through you, experience the grace of God.

An Inconvenient Love

The fourth Wednesday in February is celebrated as "Inconvenience Yourself Day." If there's a better day to consider the "golden rule," I honestly don't know what it is.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." The words of Jesus, recorded in Luke 6:31. He clarified in Matthew 22.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Here's the tricky part, though. This love, this doing unto others, doesn't mean we act only when it's convenient. It's easy to be charitable as long as it's not out of your way to do so. A practical example: a friend asks for a lift. Well, if we're already going that direction, no problem, right? But what if we have to change out of our sweatpants first? Disrupt plans? Delay our arrival elsewhere by a few minutes? 

Jesus didn't say, "love your neighbor after yourself;" He said "as." This means putting others first. Putting their needs ahead of our own, even when it's not convenient to do so. It's an easy thing to say -- but far less so to put into practice.

So, why not give it a shot today. Go out of your way -- inconvenience yourself -- to help someone out. Actively be on the lookout for somebody who needs a touch of grace today, and be the hands and feet of Jesus. 

Happily Ever After

It's a classic tale of good versus evil: a White Knight, a King, rides from His kingdom into a dangerous wilderness, His one goal to rescue His beloved. It's a story of charity, grace, and self sacrifice. It is, of course, the story of Jesus Christ. A King who left His kingdom to live among us, to teach us how to love, and to rescue us from the dragon of our own sinful natures.

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
 
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:13-21)

We are, all of us, in a high tower built by our own hands, and awaiting release. Our burden is twofold, then: first, to recognize our prison for what it is, and second, to recognize the One who can set us free. This Jesus, so great was His love, he willingly allowed Himself to be lifted up -- nailed to a cross -- and killed as an atonement for our sin. He offers His forgiveness, the price for everything we've ever done or ever will, paid in full, and asks nothing in return but that we love Him back.

Today is "Read a Fairy Tale Day." So why not start with the greatest of all of them -- greater still because it really happened, and is happening today -- the story of a God who loved us so much, He sent His son, a King, to bring us back to His side. It doesn't get any more "happily ever after," after all, than an eternity at the side of a God who loves you enough to die.

Cutting to the Heart of the Matter

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:9-13)

The first 13 verses of Hebrews 4 is a look at how very seriously God takes the Sabbath. Indeed, He took it so seriously from the very beginning, He made it one of the ten commandments. How many of us, though, willingly internalize all the other commandments, but sort of skip over that one? We don't lie. We certainly don't murder. We won't commit adultery. But how seriously do we take the Sabbath?

What Paul reminds us, in Hebrews 4, is that sin -- any kind of sin -- is a matter of the heart. The word of God -- God's law -- is, Paul says, sharper than a double-edged sword. This sword is held in judgement, not of our actions, but of the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. 

The passage above is specifically about keeping the Sabbath, but it's significant that he's talking about one of the Ten Commandments, because this judgement of the heart applies across the board. We don't murder, but Scripture tells us if we hate, we are nevertheless guilty of murder (1 John 3:15). Why? Because it's not a matter of action, but of the state of our hearts. We don't commit adultery, yet if we lust, Jesus says we are guilty of it anyway (Matthew 5:27-28). 

In the same way, simply going to church isn't keeping the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a matter of turning our whole hearts to God, of allowing ourselves to rest in him, and to rest from our labors. 

Jesus isn't interested in what we do, because our actions are simply the fruits of what is in our hearts. And that is what He is interested in.

A Greeting Card From God

Have you ever had one of those days where all you want to do is stand outside and feel the sun? You allow the cool breeze to cross your face, and listen to the sounds of nature around you. You open your eyes and stare at the breathtaking beauty around you: trees and grass, birds and squirrels. You hear the laughter of children playing. Feel the arms of your husband or wife around you. Focus outward, to your friends and neighbors, going about their lives.

There is so much beauty, just standing on your porch, when you allow what has become commonplace to be seen instead as the gift of a benevolent Creator. We can look at the world around us as being more or less the same day after day. A living drudgery of the same scenery over and over. Or, we can view God's work with a Genesis 1 vision: an understanding of the care with which God crafted everything we see.

We can search in the tiniest of details -- the cracks in the bark of trees, the variations in every flower and blade of grass, the instinctual magnificence of the creatures, from insects to birds to household pets, which surround us -- and find in them the glory of God.

I want to encourage you to meditate today on God's creation. Read through Genesis 1, and look around you as you read it, taking in every piece of what He built as you read about its formation.

Start today at the beginning, and see the sky, not as something that may or may not drop more snow or rain -- not with a view of what it will mean for your day -- but as the first part of a wondrous work of living art: a love note from God to you. Start by looking up and remember: In the beginning, God created the Heavens...

Social Justice, God's Way

Today is, according to the United Nations, the World Day of Social Justice. The term, "social justice," has different meanings depending on who you talk to. In recent days, the idea of "justice" has been rather distorted to mean many things it just doesn't mean. But what is social justice? Maybe the easiest way to define it is the way it's defined in business law. That is to say, "the fair and proper administration of laws conforming to the natural law that all persons, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race, religion, etc., are to be treated equally and without prejudice."

Actually, our just God agrees: Exodus 23:6, for example, says, "Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits." Leviticus 19:15 is even more explicit: "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly."

God Himself treats us equally, as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:44-45.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 

The truth is, we don't live in a world capable of total social justice. We live instead in a world that is fallen and incapable of the grace of Christ. But, in Him, we can treat one another with equality and justice. We can be kind to our neighbors and pray for and love our enemies. This is justice, God's way.

As often as we cry out for the heads of those who hurt us, God's justice is one tempered with mercy.

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

We are a condemned people -- and under God's justice, we ought to be. But he adds to His justice grace and mercy. The price must be paid, but our God has paid it Himself, for all who believe. That's not the World's justice -- but it ought to be ours. 

Social justice, God's way: equal grace, equal mercy. Love for friend and foe alike. Pointing all, no matter who they are, how much money they make, or what they've done, to the cross of Christ.

 

I Found The Prize!

Today is Cracker Jack Day.

I love Cracker Jacks. The caramel popcorn and peanut concoction recalls a simpler time, sitting on the lawn, that little cardboard box in front of me, hands slipping in for another handful and finding instead that wrapped object, shoved in among the deliciousness. The prize. It was always some cheap piece of junk, a plastic magnifying glass or... actually I can't even remember any other prizes. But there was a time in our lives when we loved it.

Yet, that was never why I bought cracker jacks with the day's allowance. I bought it because it was a tasty snack. The prize was a bonus.

Christianity is like that. We hear about our "reward" in Heaven, but that's not why I'm a Christian. I am a Christian because Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be humbled, to be humiliated, to be tortured and killed, all so that I could be forgiven, and know God. He called me out of sin, and into righteousness. He has given me a life of purpose, of grace, and of Love. He has given me a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. And then to top it off, He extended it for all eternity, and without the pain we suffer in this life. A life lived as close to the presence of God as we are able, an eternity in the actual presence of the Most High. That's the goodness in the box, for me. That I am loved by a sovereign king, the creator of all things, the God of the Universe.

But then, as though it isn't enough that He willingly forgives everything I've ever done, he adds a prize.

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." (Revelation 22:12)

That's not why I'm a Christian. That's not why I serve Him. I serve Christ because I love Him. A life serving a loving, living God is the box of cracker jacks. But God's reward sure beats a plastic magnifying glass.

Recharge!

Life. It is tiring. Stressful. Constant. Between work, kids, politics, and other stresses of daily life, it becomes so easy to wear down; to want to just stay in bed and spend a week talking to nobody and doing nothing. Even now, there's a good chance you're thinking to yourself how nice it would be to just have thirty minutes of complete silence, perhaps with your head on a pillow.

All of the above can be true, whether you are a Christian or not, and in fact, if you're involved in any type of ministry -- whether it is formal, or simply giving of your time to the cause of Christ -- that can even be a further drain on your emotions, your mind, and your soul.


Certainly, I'm describing myself here -- and it's recently occurred to me, maybe the problem is me.

Take out your cell phone and look at the charge status. Chances are, if you haven't plugged it in for a few days, it could stand to be charged. To be plugged into a power source and left alone. Similarly, your body needs to recharge, with the appropriate amount of rest, and with the right kinds of food.

And, like your physical self, your spiritual self -- your soul -- also needs a charge. The fact is, when we fail to "plug in" to the Source of all life, we will run down and burn out.

Even Jesus needed this time with God. Mark 1:35 says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Jesus needed to spend time with His Father. To shut out the world and prepare for the coming day. He had work to do for the kingdom, and needed to be at His best. And He knew His best could only come from the Father. 

Are you starting to drain? To run down and burn out? It's a lesson hard-learned: you can't be at your best, unless you're drawing power from the Father. 

Find solitude, and kneel in the presence of God. Rest in Him, and let Him refresh you. Follow the example of Christ, and prepare to serve God by basking in His presence.  

Loving the Unlovable

Saturday, February 16, is "Do A Grouch A Favor Day." A day to get that grumpy neighbor, perhaps, to crack a smile by just doing something nice.

A holiday that, frankly, seems to me to be profoundly biblical. Jesus, in Matthew 5, reminds us what charity and love are all about. "Give to the one who asks you," he says in verse 42. "And do not turn away the one who wants to borrow from you." Notice, here, that He doesn't say anything about the asker's disposition. Just in case there's any confusion, however, He continues:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48)

Love your enemies. Meaning, of course, that you will have enemies. There will be those who persecute you. You'll have that guy at work for whom nothing you do is ever good enough; that neighbor who yells at your kids or complains endlessly about the fact that you own a dog. You'll come across the person who wants to beat you up because your kids don't get along, or the driver slams on the brakes, and then the gas pedal when you try to pass him. People who are just downright unlovable. 

But Jesus tells us, it's easy to love a nice person. It's easy to be kind to those who are kind to us. He calls us to a higher standard, because we represent Him, and He is our example. And what did He do? When He was stripped, beaten, mocked, and crucified? He cried out in anguish and in exquisite love, "Father, forgive them!" 

Think about that. Think about that deep love He has for each of us. Do we, who have no claim on Salvation beyond the grace of Christ have the right to even consider withholding grace from others?

So be kind to those who are unkind to you. Love them patiently, gracefully, earnestly -- so that, by you, they may also come to know Him.

What's This Love Stuff All About, Anyway?

Today is Valentine's Day, and it seems like the obvious thing to do would be to take a look at what God says about love. So, never one to ignore the obvious, I'm going to do just that. But before looking at 1 Corinthians 13 -- the famous "love chapter" of the Bible, I want to look at what kind of love is being described here. This chapter, particularly verses 4-8, are often used at weddings -- as they ought to be. But the love described isn't merely a romantic love. Rather, it is love in its purest form: the love God has for His children, and the love we must have for one another. It's easy to be patient and kind when it comes to your spouse (though, admit it, some days are easier than others). But this ideal love extends to everybody when we do as Christ commanded and love our neighbors as ourselves.

So what is love? Paul begins his description in verse 4.

^"Love is patient." Patience is a quality of "quietly and steadily persevering," says the dictionary. Endurance of hardship, provocation, or annoyance. Diligence. 

"Love is kind." That is, generous and good. Affectionate, altruistic, and sympathetic. 

"It does not envy." Indeed love is the quality which allows us to sacrifice for the good of others; to rejoice in their successes and good fortunes, and to wish for them only the best -- even when it means we go without. 

"It does not boast, it is not proud." It doesn't delight in the suffering of others. This is the flip side of not being envious. Love means, when we are blessed, it is our desire to share that blessing, rather than brag about it.

"It does not dishonor others." Love means we won't elevate ourselves at the expense of others, whether in words, or in deeds. "It," in other words, "is not self-seeking." 

"It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." Because love forgives.

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." A saying I've heard here and there says, a good friend won't let you get into trouble; a great friend won't let you get into trouble alone. In fact, love requires a steady hand to hold our friend back from folly. And that we are honest.

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

Finally, when you look at this wonderful, glorious description of love, remember, too, that God is Love (1 John 4:8).

Thank God for love.

We All Fall Down

Today is Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, this first day of Lent, we begin our 40 days of sacrifice with sorrow and remembrance of our wicked lives. The ashes are representative of this deep sadness and regret -- a symbol sprinkled throughout the Old Testament of anguish.

More than anything, it is a sign of repentance. A way to humbly come before God with an expression of sorrow for how we have sinned against Him (Matthew 11:20-22).

These next 40 days we know as Lent are a great reminder of everything Jesus gave up in order to bring us closer to Himself. Of how He traded Divinity for Humanity, how He allowed Himself to hunger, thirst, and be tempted, so He could then lead a life of service before being brutalized and murdered -- all so you and I wouldn't have to suffer the eternal consequence of Godless lives. Ash Wednesday reminds us of the sorrow and humility with which we approach the Throne of Grace. We understand our position in comparison with God, and realize we haven't the right to even ask forgiveness -- but that He has freely and willingly offered it anyway.

I confess I have mixed feelings about Ash Wednesday. When I sin before my God, I am reminded of how little I have to offer Him -- that my deeds and what material possessions I have are as ashes before His glory. But at the same time, Psalm 103:12 tells us "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." 

So are we, then, to be sorrowful for a life God Himself no longer remembers? Now that we are forgiven, are we to drape ourselves in sackcloth and ashes, to continue to regret the sins which are no longer a part of who we are? I believe Christ removed that Sin from my life, and can't therefore grieve over it, but instead must rejoice in knowing I am clean. 

I can only conclude Ash Wednesday is indeed for all of us. Because we all sin and fall short of the Glory of God. And when we do, we must humble ourselves in deep sorrow, and come before God to repent. But once forgiven, Ash Wednesday is a way to remember who we once were, and rejoice that Christ has transformed us.

Out of This World!

The second Tuesday of February is Extraterrestrial Culture Day: the day New Mexico celebrates visits from folks not of this world. Aliens, if you will. It just so happens, a favorite scripture of mine is a reminder that we, too, are strangers to this planet. That while we walk for a time on earth, it is not our home. It was in Hebrews 11, the "by Faith" chapter, in which Paul outlines the lives of Able, Abraham, Enoch, and Noah: men whose lives reflected their faith.

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (italics mine)

"Foreigners and strangers on earth." We understand we don't belong here. As long as we reject the ways of this world -- as we are instructed in Romans 12:2 -- we have declared that we are, indeed in the world, but not of it. 

As Christians, we know we are citizens, not of the Kingdom of the Earth, but of the Kingdom of God. A higher, greater kingdom. Here, we'll have trouble. Money trouble, trouble with work, or with other people. People may not like us. Yet, because we are visitors here, we are Christ's ambassadors, sent to show His love to a lost world. And someday, our work here will be done, and we'll go again to our true home, seated at the feet of our Lord.

Spring Cleaning For The Soul

This week begins Lent, a time of celebration and renewal before we remember the death and resurrection of Christ. Today and tomorrow -- the two days before Ash Wednesday -- are Shrovetide. A time to cleanse the soul. Today, Shrove Monday, particular traditions will enjoy a breakfast of bacon and eggs, maybe clean the house, and meditate on a renewed spirit.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

The truth is, we don't need to wait for a particular time of year to renew our minds and souls. In fact, it is an ongoing, daily process. And we don't do it ourselves, but through God's mercy, and by His renewing of our minds. 

Our God is a transformational God. He doesn't simply come in, say you're forgiven, tell you to "go and sin no more," and be on His way. Instead, He gives us a Counselor, in the form of the Holy Spirit, to guide us onto a right path. You and I cannot simply cleanse ourselves once a year and go on with our lives. If we have been truly saved -- if we have truly received the gift of God's Spirit -- we allow Him to change us daily, and to make us into His perfect image.

Cards & Other Acts of Kindness

Today is Send A Card To A Friend Day. It's a simple concept. One I've personally never been very good at, but easy in theory. Show somebody you care by just sending a card. It may not seem like much, but occurs to me that Christians ought to excel at little, random acts of kindness. Kindness is, after all, an attribute of God and, indeed, one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22).

Colossians 3:12 reminds us that, if we are in Christ, kindness is a part of who we are.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

So, what is kindness?  Being a word guy, I find the best, most descriptive definitions can often be found among the synonyms for a word. Another word for kindness is charity. Benevolence. Humanity. Sympathy, generosity, compassion. 

In short, kindness is a verb. It's not about simply having nice thoughts toward somebody. What good does that do, anyway? Kindness is not just another word for "being nice." Nice is too easy. No, kindness is using your actions to tell somebody, "you are a person of value."

I'm known for a lot of things, and not all of them positive. When I'm gone, I'll probably be remembered as being somewhat sarcastic. Cynical, even. Maybe, charitably, as quick-witted. But what I hope I'm remembered for -- the legacy I hope to leave behind -- is as somebody who reflected his Father's love in his kindness toward others. 

Maybe I'll send a card today. Nothing flashy. Just something to say, "You are important to me, and you are important to God." Because I think more people ought to hear that more often.

Lame Duck Christians

Today is Lame Duck Day, in honor of the signing of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which reduces the amount of time between the Presidential election and the inauguration of the incoming President. Originally, there was a four-month gap. The amendment changed it into a two-month gap, because, for the time between the election of a new President, and his or her installation, the nation is essentially leaderless. The sitting president is a "lame duck." In the final months, he is simply ineffective. This happens not only in government (and pretty much at every level), but in the work place, and other areas of life, too. At the end of high school, they call it "Senioritis."

As Christians, we know this world is not our home. That our permanent residence is with God. The temptation exists, therefore, to sit in our pews, to simply try to live pious lives, and just shut the world out. After all, it's a scary place, full of trouble and temptation. If we can just close ourselves in and avoid the sins of the world, we should be okay come Judgement.

Never mind that this approach entirely misses the point of Christianity.

Jesus tells the story of a man who gave his servants bags of gold (Matthew 25:14-30). To one, he gave five bags; to another, two; and to the last servant, one bag of gold. The servants with five and two bags of gold went out and increased their master's wealth.

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

You and I may not belong to this world, but we have work to do while we're here. We don't have the privilege to sit back, to simply shut ourselves in as pious hermits, and wait for Jesus to return. As I mentioned yesterday, He is coming back, and He expects us to prepare the way. There's a world of souls who need to know Christ. A field prepared for harvest. So what are you going to do about it?

Don't Need To Be A Weatherman...

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. (Matthew 16:1-4)

Today is National Weatherman's Day: a day to appreciate the folks who know how to read the signs and make a -- usually reasonable -- prediction about what the weather will be doing. Of course, the prevailing wisdom is they quite often have no idea what they're talking about, and that we'd be just as better off simply opening a window. 

Actually, though, meteorologists have studied quite a bit to get where they are, and they do have the ability to be more accurate, thanks to their readings of the signs, than you and I can be simply sticking our heads outside or sticking a wet forefinger in the air. But yes, sometimes they're wrong.  They're wrong because they simply don't have access to all the information in the universe. They can't know what's beyond their own instruments and readings that may have an effect on the future. 

This was not true for the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' day. They actually had everything they needed to see the signs of the times; they simply failed in their interpretation. They knew the prophecies of the coming Messiah, but they built their own interpretation around those prophecies, and failed to look for anything outside of those interpretations. They created a Messiah in their own image and, basically, stopped looking. This would be like a weatherman sniffing the air, testing the wind, and declaring a sunny day -- and then refusing to accept the instrument readings to the contrary. He'd stand outside in his shorts and loafers, and get soaked when the rain came. 

Because the Jewish teachers refused to alter their own interpretations, they would be shown their error by the reality coming to life: that Jesus would die and rise again in three days. 

God has also given His children today signs and prophecies. We know we're living in the final days. We have been. We may not know exactly what that will look like -- we argue about the timing and process, for example. But we know time is short. We know we have work to do in the meantime. We know we need to be ready, and to help others prepare as well. 

As Bob Dylan sang, you don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. Jesus is coming -- and the hows and whens don't matter nearly as much as what you are doing in the meantime.

World Cancer Day: the Arms of Christ

Today is World Cancer Day. A day to remember the millions of people afflicted by some form of the illness. In fact, nobody's life is untouched by some form of this disease. Whether it is a father-in-law with Leukemia, an aunt with breast cancer, a mother with melanoma -- maybe you are yourself dealing with cancer -- all of us are affected.

But for all the uncertainty in dealing with such a painful, potentially deadly affliction, we can know two things for sure: that our Savior understands our suffering, and that His people are people of prayer and of care.

We don't always know why some people have to deal with this disease while others are seemingly untouched. The fact is, some of the best, most faithful people I know have been afflicted with some form or another of cancer. People who I know don't deserve it. But we know our God is faithful. He cares for those with cancer, and we -- His children -- are His hands and feet and arms.

Have you encouraged somebody with cancer today? Have you given a hug to somebody who needs it? Brought food to somebody too sick to get up and get it?

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:31-40)

Free Indeed!

Today is Freedom Day, commemorating the date in 1865 when Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment, ending slavery in the United States.

History tells us a slave is somebody who labors without pay. A person who, for all practical purposes, has no will but that of his master. Slavery, as it was in the early days of this country -- indeed as it is practiced in various forms around the world even today -- is a horrifying symptom of human nature.

And yet, humanity is itself enslaved to the very nature that makes slavery possible.

Jesus tells us, in John 8:34, "everyone who sins is a slave to sin."

We have surrendered our autonomy -- our wills -- to our sinful human natures. We don't have the choice to be sinless. We, in our humanity will sin, because we must. We are enslaved to our desires. Otherwise "good men" will throw away their families to indulge lust. Good children will behave selfishly. A person with a fish on his car will tell a little white lie to get out of a speeding ticket.

As Paul said in Romans 7:15, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

We simply can't get away from sin, because it owns us. 

Except that, it doesn't have to. When Christ died on the cross, and arose three days later, it wasn't a publicity stunt; He had a purpose. That purpose was to accept the payment for our sinful natures, to purchase all of us, the human slaves of iniquity, and to emancipate us. He bought us out of our chains and set us free. 

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:15-18) 

Because Jesus paid the price for us, we have the ability to shrug off the chains of slavery and to take up His yoke, which is no burden at all (Matthew 11:30) Christ's burden is freedom. True freedom from both sin itself and from the wage of sin, which is death. And all we have to do is recognize that we are slaves, and accept the release from our bondage. 

Remember: "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed! (John 8:36)"