WHO’S IN CHARGE?

 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

Proverbs 15:3 (NIV)

                Every year in November communities gather to exercise their right and responsibility as citizens. We call this annual gathering election day. Every four years we come together to elect the President. Every two years we come together to elect Congressmen. In addition, we vote for Governors and State representatives, as well as significant proposals. All of these things combined shape who we are as a nation.

                This time of the year tends to be a time fraught with anxiety and much hand wringing. Those whose party is currently in power worry that they will lose their control. Those whose party is not in power worry that they will not be able to gain control. Both sides of the aisle agonize over proposals that will have long-term consequences for all of us. In recent years, this anxiety has been stoked to a fever pitch. It has fostered anger, aggression, fear, and hopelessness. It has called into question the very system that has assured our freedom for generations. Some have even gone so far as to declare that if this current election doesn’t go their way it will be the end of democracy in America.

                As followers of Christ, we have not been immune to these trends. Many sincere Christians have been captured by a spirit of fear and discouragement. We have given in to the temptation to draw battle lines and stake our faith on the outcome. In all of this I think we have lost sight of who we are and who is really in control.

                The Bible makes it clear that the ebb and flow of our world will continue until Jesus returns. But the ebb and flow of our current society does not change the plans and purposes of God. God is still in control, even when we don’t see it. If we pay attention to the history of the people of Israel, we can see that God has used the ebb and flow of society to accomplish His purposes. As Pastor Larry Osborne has said, we need to remember that God is in control of those who are in control. Yes, even the ones who seemingly stand in opposition to the things of God.

                As a part of my daily devotions, I have been cycling through the book of Proverbs. I am on my third time through that book this year. Like many people, I had the idea that the book of Proverbs is a book of promises, but I have come to realize that it is not. It is a clear statement of the realities of the world we live in. Rather than promising us some blessing, it is stating what we can expect as we navigate this confusing and ever-changing world.

                Throughout Proverbs a common theme continues to emerge; God is in control. During the tumultuous time we find ourselves in, we can find comfort and courage in the assurance that even when things look the darkest, God is still in control. Let these words from Proverbs sink into your mind, your heart, and your soul, and give you comfort and courage to face the future.

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:25-26 (NIV)

For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. Proverbs 5:21 (NIV)

The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. Proverbs 10:29 (NIV)

The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29 (NIV)

The LORD works out everything for his own ends-- even the wicked for a day of disaster. Proverbs 16:4 (NIV)

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Proverbs 16:33 (NIV)

A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? Proverbs 20:24 (NIV)

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. Proverbs 21:1 (NIV)

HEALING OUR WOUNDS

 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

                I was an accident-prone kid when I was growing up. If someone was going to get hurt, it was most likely me. I have the scars to prove it. I have often toyed with writing a book titled “My Life as a Crash-test Dummy.” All of those wounds have long ago healed. But I am also a sensitive person and that has caused me to suffer other wounds that no one can see from the outside. Some of those wounds that were inflicted a long time ago are still tender. Those internal wounds are not obvious, and so much harder to heal than physical wounds that are obvious.

                We all carry around with us our own set of wounds. Some of those are inflicted by others and some are self-inflicted. The scars from those wounds are always with us. If we are fortunate, many of those wounds have healed, but not all of them. There are some wounds that have cut so deep that even years later they still hurt. How can we bring healing to those places?

                The beginning of healing is bringing our hurt to God and accepting His grace and forgiveness. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:7, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. We do not have to carry these burdens alone. By bringing them to Jesus, we allow Him to carry them with us. In fact, Jesus has invited us to share our burdens with Him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

                To fully accept the relief that Jesus offers us, we have to release our hurt to Him and accept the forgiveness He offers. This means that we have to forgive ourselves, before we can forgive others and begin to heal. Although others may have caused the initial wound, we are responsible for what we have done with that wound. Our natural tendency is to pick at the wound and keep it open. We allow it to fester and grow. As we bring our wounds to Jesus, we need to confess that we have allowed them to continue. We need to ask for His forgiveness and for the power to forgive ourselves. I know that not everyone is self-incriminating, but many of us are. We beat ourselves up for things we regret and refuse to truly let go of them. If we are ever going to heal, we need to bury our self-incrimination.

                Once we have brought our hurts to Jesus, and released them to Him, then we need to forgive those who have hurt us. The person who suffers the most from a lack of forgiveness is you. Someone has said that holding on to resentment and anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Forgiving others drains away the poison that damages our soul. If we want to heal our wounds, we need to forgive as Jesus forgave us; unconditionally. This means that there can be no stipulations to our forgiveness. We cannot make our forgiveness contingent upon the other person repenting, or changing, or making up for what they have done. Jesus forgave us with no strings attached. We must forgive others in the same way.

                Forgiving others is not excusing what they have done or letting them off the hook. Forgiveness doesn’t take away the consequences of the other person’s actions. Forgiving others frees us from the burden of carrying those actions ourselves. We no longer have to carry around our resentment, bitterness, and anger. We can move on with life in a more mature and wholesome way. An important part of this process is replacing those negative feelings with positive ones. As Paul wrote in Colossians 3, we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

                Jesus was under no obligation to forgive us, yet He did willingly. Because we have been forgiven by Jesus, we can forgive others. If we will willingly forgive others, we can heal the hurts that plague us. The scars will remain as reminders of what has happened, but they will no longer cause us pain.

 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:37-38 (NIV)

What is Shaping Your Daily Life?

 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

                I have been reading “You Are What You Love” by James Smith. In this book, the author is making the case that we are unconsciously shaped by the influences around us. He calls these influences “liturgies.” In a rather challenging chapter, he exegetes the Mall as a place of worship. He reveals the liturgies that the Mall offers to those who enter in. When viewed through this lens, it reveals just how much our daily lives are shaped by the influences all around us, and how this is happening subtly and is often not even on our radar screen.

                In many “Free Churches” we are leery of liturgy. We see liturgy as dead ritual; a going through the motions without any true heart response. Although liturgy can become this, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, as Mr. Smith points out, most of the learning that we do in life is formed through repetition. We learn how to read and write through repetition. We learn to play an instrument through repetition. We learn to play a sport through repetition. We learn a new language through repetition. So why shouldn’t we use repetition to learn and reenforce what we believe about God?

                Paul understood the importance of training our minds and hearts to live daily for Christ. In his letter to the Philippians, he challenged them to practice living out their faith. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 (NIV) It was not enough for the Philippians to know what Paul taught, they had to actually apply it to their lives.

                We have placed much emphasis on gaining the correct spiritual information. We pride ourselves on knowing the right answers, but those answers don’t always translate into actions. If what we learn is going to shape our lives, we need to work that information into the daily liturgy of our life.

                Dallas Willard has written a book called “The Spirit of the Disciplines”. It is a powerful book that challenges us to develop a spiritual exercise routine that will actually shape the way we live our lives. This is done through learning to put into practice the ancient, traditional, spiritual disciplines of the church. These include worship, study, prayer, sacrifice, solitude, silence, community, hospitality and others. These disciplines, when used correctly, are not a list of rules to be kept, but a set of tools to be used to develop us into mature followers of Jesus Christ.

                Every athlete embraces a routine that allows them to become a better athlete. Every musician embraces a routine that allows them to become a better musician. As followers of Jesus, we need to embrace a routine that will allow us to become better followers. It cannot be hit and miss; it must be consistent and intentional. Just as an exercise program will benefit you only if you follow it faithfully, so a spiritual exercise program requires the same determination. As we incorporate these routines into our daily lives, they will become second nature to us. There will come a time when we don’t struggle to “get them done”, but when we naturally enter into them as the routine of our life.

                We are being shaped daily by the subtle liturgies of our world. We need to be honest with ourselves about that. We need to begin to recognize those influences for what they are. As followers of Christ, we have been called to consciously choose a better way.

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:16 (NIV)

THE FINGERPRINTS OF GOD

 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)

                I recently finished reading Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for a Creator.” Lee did a deep dive into the questions surrounding the origin and workings of our world. He shows how, as we dig deeper into the mysteries of our world, the evidence points to intelligent design and ultimately to God.  

                The most common explanation of the origin of our world is known as the Big Bang Theory. It was first proposed in 1927 by Belgian Catholic priest, theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and professor of physics George Lamaitrie. His theory has become the prominent concept of how our world began.

                In many ways, the Big Bang theory correlates with what is written, in poetic form, in Genesis. What baffles and amazes those who study these things is the precise fine tuning of our universe. It is so precise that it is statistically impossible for it to have happened by random chance. The vast universe in which we live declares that there is meaning and purpose in our world. Rather than an accident of undirected chance, it is a masterfully put together, finely tuning environment suited for the creation and sustaining of life. Those who have committed their lives to the study of our universe are more and more embracing the uniqueness of the earth and its place in the universe.

                If we zero in more closely on the earth itself, we begin to see that God has left his fingerprints all over it. There is a period in geological history known as the Cambrian period. During this time there was something called the Cambrian explosion, where vastly diverse species of animals appeared on the earth, seemingly all at once. This explosion created a world full of diversity. This world could have been a mono-chromatic world, but instead, it is a world immersed in color. This world could have been populated with relatively few creatures, but instead, we live in a world filled with a vast array of very different creatures. The diversity of our world points to the creativity of God.

                If we look in the mirror, we can see the fingerprints of God as well. The Bible tells us that we were created uniquely in the image of God. There are many aspects of what it means to be human that reflect this concept. But one of them that stands out from the rest is that we are self-conscious beings. We are not only aware of our surrounding, but we understand that we are separate from them. We have a consciousness that cannot be explained completely by our biology. We do not just act instinctually, but react in a variety of ways with our environment. We can think about the past, present and future. We can think about the consequences and the benefits of our actions and choose the course we desire to take. Of all the creatures on the face of the earth, we humans have the ability to change and transform our environment like none other.

                We know that the fingerprints of every human being are unique. But our fingerprints are not obvious at first sight. They must be revealed. God’s fingerprints are unique. They are not obvious at first, but when we take the time to look closely, we can see them all over our world. There are many in our world today, who for various reasons, are trying to convince us that our world is just the outcome of random chance, and has no ultimate meaning and purpose. But if we look at the world around us and within us, the evidence points in a vary different direction. We have been intentionally created to know God and to be known by Him. God has placed his fingerprints on our world and on our heart.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)