Walking Away

 Heart to Heart with the Housewrights

On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs. This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains. Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him. Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones. When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him. And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!” For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!” “What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region. There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it described what had happened to the demon-possessed man and also to the pigs. And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region. (Mark 5:1-17 NLT)

A rather lengthy portion of scripture this morning. But, it is the last verse that may be the most unsettling verse in the New Testament. “And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.” Ouch.

Imagine it - someone shows up to where you live and takes care of the impossible. Shows supernatural power and authority. Delivers a dear friend from years of torment, humiliation, ridicule and pain. Even sends the problem away so it will never be a problem again. And, then, you ask the person who did this miracle to leave. You actually beg them: “Go away! Leave!”

What a terrible moment in the Bible. What a terrible moment for the coastal region of the Gadarenes. One cannot help but imagine that this would not be the only miracle he desired to perform in the area. Surely, there were others that needed a touch of the “Master’s hand.”

But, no. After healing the greatest of human maladies - demonic possession - they begged him to depart. To walk away. To leave.

The question is why?

Simple - the very means of their existence, their way of life - had just been threatened. That which had afforded them a decent lifestyle - one that surely had been in their families and community for a great while - had just been crushed and done away with.

There are people today who react as the Gadarenes did. Jesus interrupts their lives. He does a great work in their midst. BUT…they refuse to place their faith in Christ, they refuse to surrender their lives to him. All because Jesus always demands that we leave the old life and embrace the new.

God works grace into their lives but that grace is costly - it demands that we “deny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him.”

People do not like to be told that what they are doing is wrong. We do not like to be pulled to the side and warned that we are headed for destruction. “There is a way which seems right to a person but the end thereof is death.”

People are often against Christ and Christianity - because it is against them. “I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother.” Christianity is, perhaps, the hardest “thing to do” in all the world. Why? It calls us to put ourselves to death. Our wants, our needs, our desires, everything about us is to be laid down as we rise to go and follow Jesus.

Old Blue Eyes said it best for those who walk away from Christ: “ I did it my way.”

Likewise, when Jesus approaches us - and then we must do something: deny him and walk away or deny ourselves and follow.

And with the region of the Gadarenes, when they told him to leave…he did. Jesus will not stay where he is not welcomed. And, sadly, the ones who are possessed, sick, crippled, hurting, lonely, lost, bitter, hateful…they all stay in their present state with no hope of deliverance. They pass away and die in their sins. “I did it my way.” Yeah, you did…

But, let us ask you this: have you walked away from Jesus? Have you asked him to walk away from you? Repent. Now.

The word repent, μετανοέω in Greek, simply means to change one's mind or purpose. It’s used with the following ideas: I repent, change my mind, change the inner person (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God). Can you imagine what would have happened if the people of Gadarene had welcomed Jesus and the changes he brought? Then imagine what he can do for you.

Don’t ask Jesus to walk away from you. Don’t walk away from him. Turn and walk to him. You’ll be surprised to find out that he has been walking toward you all the time.

Advent 2022 - A Season of Hope

November 22, 2022

The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.

But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.

He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.

Psalm 33:13-22

Gary Thomas, wrote an article in Christianity Today many years ago. In it he described an apparently true story that involved a world famous atheist.

Former Vice President George Bush was sent to Russia as the diplomatic representative of the United States Government for the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. While there, it seems that Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev's widow.

When it was near the end of the service, she stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage and hope; a profound gesture in the midst of everyone there - she reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband's chest.

There, in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, where God was nowhere to be found, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life. She hoped Jesus was truly the Son of God and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband. (Gary Thomas, in Christianity Today, October 3, 1994, p. 26.)

She hoped.

Hope - it’s defined this way by the American Heritage Dictionary: a.) To wish for a particular event that one considers possible; b.) to have confidence or trust; c.) to desire and consider possible.

The great G.K. Chesterson put it this way: “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all...As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.”

If there was ever a time of the year we desperately need hope, it is betweenThanksgiving and Christmas. With all of the colors, lights, food, festive gatherings, traditional movies to watch, and carols to sing - we find out that it is also the time of the year when depression, loneliness and sorrow strengthen their grip on humanity. It is a time of utter hopelessness for many. Maybe even you.

And, it is true, tears often accompany hopelessness.

One of our favorite contemplative authors Eugene Peterson says this: “History is lubricated by tears. Prayer may be most prayer when it is accompanied by tears. All these tears are gathered up and absorbed in the tears of Jesus.”

Or as the Psalmist writes: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT - Psalms 56:8).

So, let the carols be raised. Let the lights twinkle. Let the kids get giddy. Let the coffee be stirred with a peppermint stick (the kind that melts in your mouth). Let the stockings be hung.

And, know this, it’s ok to cry. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed. It’s ok to miss your loved one. It’s ok to wish it was all done and over with and January 2, 2023 was tomorrow.

How do we know this?

Jesus wept.

And, that our friends should give us all hope. The One who will “wipe every tear from our eyes” himself wept. He knew loss. He knew pain. He knew abandonment. 

How comforting that is to those of us who struggle at times emotionally and mentally.

The Advent season is marked by “waiting; expectancy; hoping.” Jesus has indeed come. He is coming again. And the next time, he will not leave us to ourselves but will bring us with him and we will cry no more forever. That is a reason for hope.

And Advent is a not–so-gentle reminder that this is a season of hope. We wish you all a hope-filled holiday season.

Missy and Steve

Lost and Found: You are His Treasure

 

November 15, 2022

“Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate,” Luke 15:23-24

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day," John 6:39

As some of you may know, Missy and I have opened our own online store on Ebay. It’s called Wildcat Wares and Wonders. You can check it out here: Wildcat Wares and Wonders | eBay Stores. (Missy and Ryan did a stellar job creating it!)

The way we are building our business is by finding “treasures” that others have thrown away or have been lost to time. One person’s junk is certainly another’s treasure!

It can be fascinating what you find.

But, it can also be a little depressing and sad when you realize that someone has discarded or cast aside an item that truly meant something to someone at some time.

This past weekend Missy purchased a beautiful vintage pitcher. Gorgeous colors, no chips, and a part of history.

It made its way to our house and I began to wash and clean it up. I took the top off only to find someone’s red and white graduation tassel from 1982 inside the pitcher - and an Honor Society Golden Cord.

Someone’s history had been hidden away and forgotten. (And no, there is no way for us to retrace the steps to find the original owner). Like I said, sad.

Cast aside. Neglected. Hidden away. Forgotten.

Thank God he does not do that to us. To his creation. To his beloved.

In the scriptures above we see that sometimes we do get lost.
    Lost in life.
        Lost in our decisions.
            Lost in life’s often harsh moments.
                Lost on our way.

Yet, we are never truly, completely lost.

We all have a “heavenly Father” who is ever ready to run to us as he does to every wayward child who longs for home.

We all have a “Son of the heavenly Father” who will never lose his grip on us. Even in death - we are not lost. He will remember us. He will lift us up once again.

It is reassuring to know someone remembers you. Remembers what we are going through. Remembers we are only human. Remembers we often get lost - and need someone to come and find us, bring us home, clean us up and feed us.

Perhaps that is why Jesus spends time in Luke 15 talking about:
    The lost sheep. 

        The lost coin. 

            The lost son.

It’s unfortunate but true we mostly focus on what is already found. But, oh the joy we receive when we go out and find that which was lost and bring it home! It’s why in Luke 15 the purpose is not to point out that which was lost, but rather bring to our attention that each thing which was lost (even the son) was eventually found - and the celebrations which followed each return!

And, better than a beautiful multi-colored pitcher, is the fact that we can go and find the people (created in the image of God) who are lost, bring them home and rejoice that “That which was lost has been found! It’s time to celebrate!”

And, one last word: You are his greatest treasure…

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God, Romans 5:8-11

Hope in a Hurricane

 

“When He thunders, the waters in the heavens are in turmoil, and He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and brings the wind from His storehouses” - Jeremiah 10:13

 "...who covers the sky with clouds, prepares rain for the earth and causes grass to grow on the hills…lightning and hail, snow and cloud, stormy wind that executes His command” 

- Psalm 147:8; 148:8

“He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth...“He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour...' The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters his lightning through them. At His direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them. He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water His earth and show His love” - Job 37:3, 6, 10-13

What do wooly worms, rings around the moon, clouds, cows, pecans, birds, persimmon seeds and aching joints have in common? These are all ways we have tried to predict the weather.

Weather is one of humanity’s greatest conversational topics. This week, however, the weather is more than a mere discussion to overcome awkward silence.

In Florida, and other parts of the East Coast (where we reside), the past few days have been wall to wall coverage of Hurricane Ian - which is just a hair below a Category 5 hurricane.

That’s bad.

Which brings to mind a very important question: does God control the weather? And, if he does, why allow something like a hurricane to develop, devastate and destroy the lives of countless people - who are created in the image of God?

Good questions.

This week is also a reminder that the weather is something people cannot control. Sure, we can “predict” it, but more or less, all we really can do is prepare and respond.

A great analysis of weather from a Christian worldview comes rom apologist, author and theologian Jerry Bridges. In his book “Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts” Bridges writes:

“But God has not walked away from the day-to-day control of His creation. Certainly He has established physical laws by which He governs the forces of nature, but those laws continuously operate according to His sovereign will. A Christian TV meteorologist has determined that there are over 1,400 references to weather terminology in the Bible. Many of these references attribute the outworking of weather directly to the hand of God.”

Even so, perhaps the proper starting point should be NOT “Why does God allow hurricanes” but rather “Why does God NOT leave us during hurricanes?”

Every other god developed via the imagination of humanity demands something from humankind and will only act when appropriately offered various items of sacred worth. Unfortunately, even Christians often act this way: “Here, let me give some extra funds to the church this week and God will help me out of this situation I am in.”

Buying God’s favor? That isn’t biblical. And, it doesn’t work.

The Good News is this: God has placed his people in every area where disasters occur so that he himself is there - his Presence is ever with us (just as Jesus promised when he stated, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age…). God does not leave us during hurricanes.

“Wherever two or more are gathered together in my Name, I will be there in the midst.”

So, why would a loving God allow such terrible things like hurricanes to happen? It is a relevant question. After all, these events cause massive destruction and even death.

Well, the answer is not so simple nor is it completely understandable by our limited human thinking. First off, we must remember that God doesn’t promise us a life free of problems. Some things just happen. There is no rhyme or reason. Perhaps they are a direct consequence of sin. Maybe not. Either way, life happens.

Secondly, we must remember that our Savior promises he’ll never leave us if we put our trust in him. After all, it was he who stated: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” - John 16:33.

Thirdly, it’s imperative that - when faced with traumatic moments in life - you hold tightly to the promise of eternal life with Him in heaven, where no suffering of any kind will be allowed to affect you. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

God’s design for humankind isn’t for you or your loved ones to suffer. Rather he loves you and wants to be there for you through the worst parts of life. Yes, there can be hope in a hurricane.

“Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow - blessings all mine, with 10,000 beside..”

Jesus Without Judgment

June 14, 2022

“‘’Write this letter to the angel (messenger) of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.’” - Revelation 3:1-6 (NLT)

As much as people have issues with deciphering and discerning the Revelation of Jesus Christ at the end of the New Testament there is a great deal that is spoken in plain language. You don’t need a linguist, preacher or biblical expert to understand it. When Jesus speaks to the seven churches in Asia it’s very easy to understand the point he is making.

Take the church at Sardis, for instance. Jesus states simply - “You think you’re alive but you are really dead.” It doesn't get much plainer than that.

And that, if you ask us, would more than likely be the message to the church in North America today. It thinks it is alive. It feels it is doing what is right. It believes it is doing what God wants.

Yet, all the while, the church is asleep. It is sound asleep. It has forgotten what God has said and what God requires. It is a church in name only.

Oh sure, there are some who are loud, braggadocious, and outlandish. We saw recently where a well-known religious personality from Tennessee stated, “You can’t be a Christian and vote Democrat.” Well, that’s helpful…

Another person, this one from Texas, stated from the pulpit in his sermon entitled, Why We Won’t Shut Up, that all gay men were predatory pedophiles who have either committed sex crimes against a child or just haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet. He added, “We need to put these people to death through the proper channels of the government…” and that queer people “should be lined up against the wall and shot in the back of the head.” Okay…

And, if that were not enough - and by golly, it ought to be - now we have the Southern Baptist church embroiled in a denominational wide sexual misconduct scandal that inlcudes a “minister” raping other minister’s wife. Let’s not forget the “United” Methodist who have managed to destroy an entire denomination and crush the spirits of thousands of congregants.

Needless to say, the church doesn’t need enemies - we are “enemy” enough for ourselves. The Devil isn’t killing off the church. The church is fine at killing itself.

Now, before you get depressed (any more than many of us are presently) and are wondering aloud, “Why are they writing about these things?! This is not encouraging! I need encouragement!” Well, so do we…

It’s at this point we ought to remind ourselves that Jesus said, “On this rock (our faith) I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Now those are words to live by… and that’s permanent encouragement.

In a very real sense, this was what Jesus was trying to do with the sordid lot he had at Sardis. He is trying to get their attention, get them to repent, get them restored, and get them to a living faith once again. Jesus is encouraging the people of Sardis. He tells them - if you want to live, repent and turn back to God.

Thankfully, there were some in Sardis who were living as commanded and they were an example to the rest. Bright bulbs in the darkness…

And this is where we come in.

God is calling - always calling - his people to repent. Acts 17:30 has Paul preaching, “God calls all people everywhere to repent.”

God also has his people strategically placed all over creation as examples. Again, Paul - this time in his letter to the Philippians writes: “So that no one can criticize you, live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people." (2:15).

We (followers of Christ Jesus) need to be the example/the model the world follows. Rather than judging without Jesus, we need to offer Jesus without judgment. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.

You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello

April 19, 2022

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.  

- Acts 8:34-40

This past week we skipped doing a newsletter. We were out of town and visiting our son’s college of choice. Down in the deep south, on the Gulf of Mexico - yes , the weather was wonderful!

During one of the very few silent moments to reflect we caught ourselves thinking about how we were beginning the process of setting our last child out to sail into the unknown waters of life - that’s an appropriate analogy as he will be majoring in Marine Biology. As parents - and I think we could all agree - one of our primary tasks is to prepare our children to leave us.

It’s also something that SHOULD be happening in the body of Christ, in his church.

What do we mean by this? One of the major problems which has prohibited church growth is that we have forgotten we were commanded to “Go.” Even ministers and preachers…we have gotten it wrong. So much energy and time is consumed on creating “congregations” - a word that is the opposite of “Go.” To congregate means to gather…and that seems to be where we are most happy. Together. Assembled. You know, congregating.

And yet, from the Tower of Babel until now, the command is to “Go.” “Go into all the world and preach the gospel,” Mark 16:15.

But, leaving causes pain. Saying, “Goodbye” or even, “See you later,” brings a twinge of hurt.

Look, there is nothing wrong with getting together. It is one of the most important aspects of our lives as humans - community. In the church, however, we are to gather together so we may better learn how to “Go.” Then, we come back to celebrate what God has done while we were apart. It’s what occurred in Luke 10 when the 72 had gone out and then returned: “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” So, He told them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven," Luke 10:17&18.

Missy and I can speak honestly about how painful it can be when you have poured yourself into someone or some family and then God calls them to leave. To move. Or, when God calls us to leave one ministry and move to another where he is calling us. Both are painful. Both cause stress. Both create hurt. That said, to “Go” should be as natural as breathing for the “follower” of Jesus. You saw that, right? “Follower.” Sort of implies that we are to follow - to go after.

As we realize our son is “going” and “following” his path it is a not so gentle reminder that we are all part of a transitory existence. Our lives are brief. “Everything is dust in the wind.”

In James’ letter we read: ‘Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that,”’ James 4.

In Psalm 144 David writes: “A human is like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow.”

This should all point us toward being more grateful for our time together.

Take time with your family and friends today. Play games. Take a walk. Send a handwritten note. Make that phone call. Get in the car and pop in for a visit. Purchase that gift and hand deliver it if possible. Bake some oatmeal cookies and drop them off at our house…chocolate chip for Missy.

Life IS fleeting. We are all going to say, “Goodbye.” But, followers of Jesus know full well that saying “Goodbye” also means at some point in the future we will once again say, “Hello.”

So, in July, when we have to head back down to Alabama for our son’s orientation at South Alabama, we do so knowing we are continuing down a path where separation is unavoidable. But, hey, how else could we get to experience God’s promises and beauty if we did not trust him to take care of us and those we love?

A final word: some of you reading this have had to say “Goodbye” to loved ones - or maybe you are in the midst of that difficult time. Just remember, that “Goodbye” is not final. After all, isn’t that what the resurrection is all about?

I Corinthians 15:50 - 57: “Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: 

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable.”

In the immortal words of Jeremiah Rankin: “God be with you (till we meet again.)”

Who Are You Looking To?

03-29-2022

For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live! Seek the LORD and live…He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth—the LORD is His name—He flashes destruction on the strong, so that fury comes upon the stronghold.

For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate. Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil.

Seek good, not evil, so that you may live. And the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed. Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” (Selected verses from Amos 5, BSB Edition)

Advertisers, sales, social media platforms, neon signs, product placement, shiny new cars lining the road frontage, filters on Instagram - everything around us is purposefully driven to get our attention. 

Just this week we have seen more and more political ads through various media outlets; faces of people on signs in yards; and media commercials denigrating one person while uplifting another.

And not only is the world out to get your attention…your money and your vote…one might say it is also out to divide and conquer. Split the people. Divide families. Segregate communities. Isolate individuals. Destroy unity.

We believe this is why the Holy Spirit called Peter to write the following admonition and warning:

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are,” I Peter 5:6-9 (NLT).

Perhaps the problem begins when we do not consider where our attention is placed…where our eyes are focused. It was the wise Solomon who urged his son: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take,” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT).

In our text from earlier, the LORD Yahweh, speaking through Amos, a herdsman from the village of Tekoa, and a dresser of sycamore trees, spoke to his children: “Seek good and not evil - so that you may live.”

Yet, what does it mean to “seek?” The Hebrew term is דָּרַשׁ, darash. It means to read repeatedly, search out carefully, investigate, and study. In other words, to seek out something/someone is to literally - pay attention.

Where is your attention right now? (Other than spending a couple of minutes perusing this week’s intrusion - newsletter - into your life?)

We dare say that most of us are struggling with the events occurring all around us. Severe weather, inflation, war, famine, genocide, pandemic, empty store shelves, sky-rocketing fuel costs, loss of loved ones…all of these - plus our daily problems - can often worm their way into our conscious and consume our thought life. It’s no wonder a great many are struggling emotionally and mentally - and spiritually.

Look, it’s one thing to pay attention to “what’s going on” (shout out to 4 Non-Blondes for those of you who know) and address what needs to be addressed. It is a whole other to pay attention while keeping your eyes focused on God. The former ends in hopelessness - the latter offers promise:

“...the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be with you…”

Bob Keeshan, better known to all of us as “Captain Kangaroo”, put it this way: “Attention is like a daily bouquet of love.” In other words, whatever you pay attention to is what will receive your love.

2,000 years ago, a wandering and homeless teacher of a bunch of miscreants and ne'er-do-wells put it simply as this: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

So, this week - well, every day actually - spend time focusing on the One who created you in his image; the One “from whom all blessings flow”; the One who understands; the One who “will never leave you or forsake you.” Pay attention (look and seek) to God: whose grace is sufficient; whose peace is impenetrable; whose love is unceasing.

What a beautiful bouquet you will present to the One who reigns on high…

Steve and Missy

"Is It Really the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?"

12-08-2021

    And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
    Suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people on whom His favor rests!”
    When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
    So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.   (Luke 2:8-20 New Living Translation)

Advent season is such a wonderful time of the year. For most of my (Steve) life I never really heard about Advent. There were no Advent candles, no Advent devotions, no Advent moments - that was for “high Church” folk and we were just good old down-home church people. I am certainly glad that God led me to Kentucky - Asbury Theological Seminary and “the prettiest little thing I had ever seen” (her name is Missy by the way…). And she led me to Camargo United Methodist Church - which has celebrated Advent for over two centuries. Thus, my introduction to Advent.

In a nutshell, Advent is simply the people of Jesus anticipating his appointed arrival to the earth. Strictly speaking, Jesus has already arrived, so we replay the nativity each year individually, as families and as a community of faith as a reminder of how amazing and supernatural Advent truly is.

It is a time of waiting. A time of anticipation. Just as when we were kids and couldn’t wait to unwrap our presents (or, like Missy, try and find them before they were wrapped so you could already know what you were getting) so it is that as adults we look back at the anticipation of Joseph and Mary as they, along with all of Israel, waited for the coming Messiah.

As a kid, we would hear the Christmas story and about how Mary was “expecting.” In the celebration of Advent we also hear people talk about living in “expectant waiting” and how all of this is seen as the “season of anticipation.

And what are we expecting? Anticipating? Hoping for?

The answer, of course, depends on who you ask. Our children and grandchildren are expecting something to tear into on Christmas Day. Some employees are expecting a day off. Retailers are expecting profits. Credit card companies are expecting interest. Us? We are expecting to gain a couple of pounds and play a lot of games.

Which brings me to a moment we had this week. Driving home from a doctor’s appointment we noticed an ambulance, police car and what looked like a social worker standing on the side of the road trying desperately to talk with a man who was obviously hurting mentally. He became quite demonstrative, yelled into the air - walking away from them and refused their help.

Cue the next day and there he was again. This time sitting down, yelling at cars as they drove by and drawing unrecognizable images on his large pad of paper. Aside from the obvious “What is going on with this person?” concern there is the nagging question of “What is this person expecting? What are they hoping for?”

The answer is, more than likely, something negative. For those who are homeless, unemployed, uninsured, struggling with a lack of food or clean water - Christmas is not something to have any positive expectations about. For people who have lost loved ones recently, who are experiencing relationship conflicts, who are looking at their empty bank account, who are amid a lengthy illness…their expectations are probably a whole lot different than most.

The question therefore is really this - is your hope, is your expectation positive or negative? Are you hoping or hopeless? Faithful or faithless? Joyful or joyless? Anticipating or apprehensive?

Everyone and everything is breathing with hope and anticipation. That’s what makes Advent so remarkable. Above all other times of the year - this is the time for positive hope and joyful anticipation.

We hope you are having a good day. We believe this holiday season will be filled with joy. We anticipate hearing good news from you when we next see you. We expect God to see you through.

Now, if we could just figure out how to clearly explain to elementary kids what Mary was “expecting.” Anybody have one of those old flannelgraph felt boards?

Missy and Steve

Broken Hearts and Suffering: Evidence for God

11-03-2021

I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time...the LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. 

Psalm 34:1-3;17-19; 22 (New Living Translation)

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirit is crushed...

This week I (Steve) am going to do something I rarely, if ever, do. I am going to rehash a previous work. Actually, it comes from a funeral I was honored to be a part of this morning. Due to time constraints I felt it was necessary to cut quite a bit out of the message I shared with those gathered and I wanted to take what was there and expand on it a bit. Why? Missy and I feel it is a very important message/reminder to those of us who are not doing so well right now - mentally and emotionally.

Ann Voskamp, in her profound and brutally honest book The Broken Way describes what it was like to endure enormous personal pain and loss...only to have her feelings and suffering trivialized from the pulpit and by other people in the church. “I wanted to stand up and howl,” she writes: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...I wanted to stand up and beg: ‘When the church isn’t for the suffering and broken, then the church isn’t for Christ. Because Jesus, with His pierced side, is always on the side of the broken.'”

We don’t elaborate enough on particular points of scripture. This is often by design (we don’t want to discuss the issue) or by default (nobody wants to hear about it). One of those oft neglected truths of the New Testament is the fact that the authors fundamentally believed that Jesus purposefully moved into the lives of those who were affected with grief. Look at Mary and Martha and how he went to them during the loss of their beloved brother Lazarus.

Not only that but one can easily see that the Jesus of the Bible always went to where the suffering was. He never shied away from seeking out those who were crushed by life and rejected by society. Indeed, the wound in His side, the imprint of thorns on his brow, the piercings in his hands all prove that Jesus is always on the side of the suffering, the wounded, the broken.

If you are struggling today let me assure you that Jesus is on your side.

So many people today are encountering moments - even seasons - of mental anguish, physical struggle and emotional turmoil. Sure, some of it is a direct consequence of personal behavior and bad decision-making. Yet, even that should not be an excuse to ridicule or belittle someone who is fighting to stay afloat.

Most of the time, however, those who are agonizing over even simple daily tasks, are not to blame for their current situation. Life happens. Things happen. People happen. It isn’t always pretty, clean or easy to deal with.

Although we do not know exactly what is happening in your life right now, one thing Missy and I agree upon is this: we cannot begin to fathom the pain, the loss, the grief you are encountering right now. Nor you, ours. We can only be there for one another...

Yet, there is something to be said about embracing the pain, the loss and the grief of our lives. It is a sad truth that we mostly spend our time attempting to run away from difficult situations. We try to smooth over the rough, ugly and painful moments of our lives. We even try to hide what we are going through - lying to the world and ourselves, “I’m doing great!”

It can be especially bitter for those who are followers of Jesus who have been told all their lives - by other “Christians” no less - to “Keep a stiff upper lip;” “Don’t let others see you cry;” “Real men don’t cry,” or even, “If you just had more faith you would be able to handle all of this.” Lies. All lies. And, remember, God hates lies.

A secret most Christians do not want you to know is that suffering is an integral part of all our lives. We speak of the joy of Jesus so much (and rightfully so!) we neglect - to our own demise - the comfort of the only One Who truly understands what we are going through. Remember, “Jesus wept.”

And Jesus is weeping with you today. He is weeping for you; what you are going through; what you have lost; what you must deal with.

Not only that, Jesus is in your very midst through the gift of His Holy Spirit. Simultaneously, he is at the right hand of the Father - even now- interceding on your behalf...asking the Father to comfort His children...right where you are.

Euegene Peterson, writing in the foreword of Alan Nelson’s reassuring book, Embracing Brokenness: How God Refines Us Through Life’s Disappointments, confirms a powerful truth I wish to share with you today: “Suffering is not evidence of God’s absence, but of God’s presence, and it is in our experience of being broken that God does his surest and most characteristic salvation work. There is a way to accept, embrace, and deal with suffering that results in a better life, not a worse one, and more of the experience of God, not less. God is working out his salvation in our lives the way he has always worked it out—at the place of brokenness, at the cross of Jesus, and at the very place where we take up our cross.”

You may be broken and suffering, but that is the exact place you can meet Jesus. It is the very place where God’s love and comfort, hope and healing, will reveal themselves to be true and dependable.

How do we know this to be true? It was at the cross of Jesus that the love of all loves, the hope of all hope was given without remorse or regret. To a lost and dying world, to a planet filled with pain and suffering, the God of all creation sent His one and only Son to show He alone can empathize and carry us through. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirit is crushed.”

Our hope and prayer is that Jesus would comfort, console and encompass you this day and everyday. May God grant you His strength to endure, His grace to overcome, His peace to continue living. May our heavenly Father fill each of us with His Spirit that we may walk as children of peace, as a people of faith, proclaiming to all who will listen, “...let all who are helpless take heart...the LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.”

Rewording Bill Withers’ classic song, “Lean on God when you’re not strong…”

Prayer: The Key to Unlocking our Prisons

10-27-2021

“But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” - Acts 12:5-11

That first verse is critical in the history of the church. This singular event put the fellowship of Jesus into motion - Peter was placed in prison and the church began to pray. Peter was taken away from his family and friends. His family and friends rallied on his behalf.

In a stunning turn, however, over the centuries it seems that when one of our own (within the confines of the body of Christ) gets into trouble, makes a mistake, crosses a line, or even like Peter is wrongfully judged, we either run away from their presence or make pat statements like “We will be praying for you.” But, do we really?

It goes without saying that prayer is important. As someone has said, “Prayer is the key that unlocks Divinity.” We are not sure if that’s biblically correct, but nonetheless, we should be turning to our Creator a whole lot more than we do.

Praying for one another should - for followers of Jesus - come as easy as your next breath. And not just in bad times - although especially when there is literally nothing else we can do - but rather ALL THE TIME.

Not many people have a prayer list anymore. I (Steve) regrettably admit I do not have a personal one. I use the church one and add to it as necessary but I have failed to generate my own personal list. That needs to be rectified quickly. Why? There are a lot of “Simon Peters” who are “imprisoned” by life.

I think we can assume that if we were to individually create our own personal prayer lists that we would readily recognize some correlating information with one another's lists:

Those who are sick and hurting
Some who are inundated by a multitude of problems
The future of those we love
God filling us with His Spirit
People suffering the consequences of their sin
Our own sin
A hope for a healthy and joyous holiday season
A need for the saving power of Jesus in the lives of the people we know
A clearer understanding of what the Bible really says about the issues of today
Answers to questions and worries we keep to ourselves

In his book, All Things Are Possible Through Prayer, Charles L. Allen wrote of a man he knew who went through a nightly ritual of inserting his keys into one of his shoes before going to bed. When he arose the next morning to face another day, the last item he routinely reached for after getting dressed was the shoe containing those keys. Taking them out of his shoe, he would hold them in his hand while offering this simple, heartfelt prayer:

“Lord, this day I will come to certain doors that are locked but I shall use these keys to open those doors. And may I remember this day that there is a key to every situation, a solution to every problem. May I never surrender to one of life’s locked doors. Instead, may I use the keys on the key ring of prayer until I find the right key and the door will be opened.”

We hope you paid attention to the situation found in Acts 12 from above. Just a couple of things to remember: One, Peter apparently only saw one end to his predicament - his death. “Peter finally came to his senses. ‘It’s really true!’ he said. ‘The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!’” Peter was not ignorant of his situation nor was he in denial. He figured it was the end.

Secondly, the followers of Jesus (who loved Peter) saw another end to his predicament - God intervening. “The church prayed very earnestly for him.” This was not a quick, ejaculatory prayer. This was a time of prayer. This was a people who gave their time and effort to prayer. All for someone who saw only his undeniable demise.

Can you think of someone in that same type of situation today? Someone you love and are concerned for - a person who is caught in a prison from which they see no hope and no escape. When we speak of prisons we trust you understand we are speaking metaphorically and literally. Most of us will never be behind iron bars but we all have been imprisoned in life by our decisions, lack of decisions, behavior, attitude, resentment, anger, and unforgiveness...not to mention health, relationships or finances.

During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened,” (Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10). What prisons do you need to pray about today - in your life and the life of someone else?

Indeed, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death." Sometimes - maybe even now - some of us see death as the only escape from the prison we have found ourselves in. 

But may we remind you that there is a group of people who are believing life for you? People who truly love you. 

And, we are praying for you. We are praying for God to move in your life and in your circumstances: your today; your tomorrow. And who knows, perhaps today will be the day that, like Peter, you will walk out of your prison and exclaim, “It’s really true! The Lord has saved me from the world and what life had planned to do to me!”


Here’s to you and your soon release…


Steve and Missy