God's Word in Real Life

I never cease to be amazed at how God chooses to reveal His Word to us. As I have studied for my sermon this week (on the first three beatitudes in Matthew 5; "blessed are the poor in spirit... blessed are thos who mourn... blessed are the gentle") God has chosen to show how His words spoken two millenia ago are still relevant today.

About once a week I make a trip to a little coffee shop in Victoria, Virginia (Uptown Coffee for my fellow caffeine addicts) to enjoy a sandwich and a great cup of coffee. This week as I sipped my coffee and put some final touches on my website a couple of guys came in. They were dressed in the spandex outfits of byciclists and looked like they hadn't shaved in weeks. A quick glimpse outside revealed two Schwinn 10-speeds loaded down with the modern-day equivalents of saddlebags. I asked the two travellers where they were from. "San Antonio," was the reply that started a pleasant conversation between them, the waiter and myself. They had decided to spend their entire summer biking up the eastern seaboard hopefully as far north as Boston, which, to a Texan, is a foreign country. Eventually our waiter asked what they did for a living to help fund this trip. Their answer was both humorous and thought-provoking. "We're professionally poor," was the quip by these two college students.

My mind, consumed with all the theological nuances of the beatitudes lit up with an epiphany of sorts. As I watched these carefree trekkers who were spending nearly every last dime they had on this trip, I realized they were happy. "Blessed are the poor in Spirit."

Today I made two visitations. The first was to an elderly lady in a nursing home. The facility has been her residence for the past 9 months, and she does not like it. She has no surviving family to visit her, and thus she depends on caring people from her congregation to keep her updated on the events of the world. I could tell by looking at her that she was afraid. Afraid of ending up unable to sit up straight or to communicate the simplest of thoughts. Afraid of dying alone. She was mourning the loss of her freedom and individuality. As I held her hand and prayed with her, all I could think of was, "Blessed are those who mourn."

My second call was to the home of an older couple that are very active in the church. The wife was recently diagnosed with cancer, and the prognosis is not good. As I watched her husband feed her and care for her I was struck by his gentle demeanor. Here is a man who has worked his own farm for nearly 50 years. In fact, when I visited a couple of weeks ago, he had just gotten in from making hay on over 100 acres of land. Yet here he was, as gentle as could be, helping his wife by feeding her one spoonful at atime. He never complained, in fact he seemed more than content to do it. "Blessed are the gentle."

Now we look at the beatitudes, and we often list them as qualities we should embrace (but how does one embrace mourning?). But as I looked at these very different people in very different circumstances, I was struck by the fact that Jesus was using these qualities to illustrate that the kingdom of God was available to all people. Whether you feel like "the professional pauper" or are mourning the loss of something/someone dear to you, or are a practitioner of gentility in the face of death itself, the Kingdom is for you. This was my epiphany in the coffee shop: if we look at the beatitudes as merely a list to conform ourselves to, then we commit the sin of the Pharisees and begin a whole new practice of legalism; but if we look at the beatitudes as the extent that God's blessing can reach, we can be assured of being a "blessed" people, no matter our circumstance. No longer are the poor to be considerd poor, for God can bless them despite their poverty. No longer should the mournful be pitied, for God's comforting hand can reach them, even from beyond the grave. The meek in heart are no longer to be considered weak, for God's blessing is giving them the strength to be gentle.

Truly God can bless any person in any circumstance.

This was Jesus's message in the beatitudes.

This should be our message to the world.

The Kingdom of the Now, part II

If God's Kingdom is as near as the air we breathe, why is it that we have such difficulty recognizing it? Let's face it, humans tend to believe in what they can see, taste, touch and smell. But Jesus has come on the scene proclaiming a Kingdom that surrounds us as the atmosphere does, but is so large that our galxy fits in one small corner of it. Before we can live according to the rules of this kingdom (which is what we will examine next week), we must first believe that it is what Jesus says it is.

If the Kingdom is all around us then we must first consent to one very important fact; we live in a spiritual world. Despite all that science has taught us, our post-modern culture is starting to awaken to the fact that if we look only at the physical, the BIG questions of life go unanswered.

"Why am I here?"
"What is my purpose?"
"Will I be truly loved?"
"What can I do to make a real difference?"

Look all you want for answers in your science books and nature journals, but no satisfactory answers will emerge. If all we are is a cosmic accident of chemical reactions, then life is random and purposeless.

Something deep within us refuses to accept that we are random. We want meaning. We desire purpose. We long for love and we all desire to leave our impact on the world. These desires are much deeper than carnal instinct, and to satisfy them we must turn to the spiritual realm. Only then will answers start to emerge.

Yet we must be careful, for the spiritual realms are unfamiliar to our physically minded souls. Satan lays in wait behind many a false teacher or vain philosophy. Many, longing for answers, have turned to spiritists, wicca, and othe new age practices to find answers. But these are not of the Kingdom Jesus speaks of. While His kingdom is spiritual, it seeks to help us thrive in the physical world, not retreat from it.

This leads to the second fact we must accept: God's kingdom exists in the physical world. Jesus' words are not the ramblings of a far-east mystic telling us to ostracize the physical world. On the contrary, He is teaching us how to make a real difference. Just read Matthew 4:23-24 and you will see why there was a crowd on the mountain. It was because Jesus was meeting physical needs. He was healing physical bodies. His kingdom, while spiritual in nature, was concerned with the physical welfare of others.

Go through the New Testament and see how often the Church (the physical representation of the Kingdom of the Heavens) is challenged to meet the needs of the poor, the orphaned, the widow, and the hungry. For the world to take our spiritual message seriously, we must take their physical needs seriously. Too often the church emphasizes one over the other. Bread is handed to the hungry with no connection to the Bread of Life. Or, sadder still, the poor are prayed for with nothing being done to clothe them.

Jesus' kingdom is both spiritual and physical. It is too big to be regulated to only one realm. Therefore we, as her citizens, must be concerned with both the physical and spiritual needs amongst our fellow humans. The Kingdom exists in the now, and we must serve others in the moment of their need.

I pray the world sees the immediacy of the Kingdom of the Now. "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"

The Kingdom of the Now, part I

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" Matthew 4:17

This week I started a sermon series on the greatest sermon ever preached, The Sermon on the Mount. As I introduced the sermon I referenced Matthew 4:17 to indicate the content of Jesus' message. His was the proclamation of an entire kingdom, and not any earthly kingdom, but the kingdom of Heaven itself! For everyone who has longed for a word directly from the Spiritual realm, open your mind and read Matthew chapters 5-7.

But first, before you dive into the message of Heaven, you have to make sure you have a proper understanding of Jesus' statement, "the Kingdom of Heaven." The phrase is unique to Matthew's gospel. The rest of the New Testament writers are content to use the phrase "kingdom of God," but not Matthew. He wants to wake up his Jewish readers. Matthew's purpose in writing his gospel was to prove that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Law and Prophets. Therefore his use of the phrase, "kingdom of heaven" is significant. To a people expecting a political Messiah to establish an earthly reign, Jesus fell short of their lofty expectations. They failed to understand the Kingdom.

Heaven? What do you think of when you hear the word. Pearly gates? Crystal seas? Golden streets and harp music? That's not what the Jews thought. Their understanding of heaven was much simpler. They actually had three "heavens" that they could refer to at any time. The first heaven was the atmosphere of our planet. Literally the air we breathe. The second heaven is what we like to term, "outer space." This heaven is the home of the planets, moon, sun and stars. The third heaven was the spiritual home of God. The throneroom in Isaiah 6 describes this third heaven as understood by the first century Jews.

Now for the mind-blowing part. Jesus doesn't merely say "the kingdom of heaven." No, a literal translation of Matthew's gospel would read "the kingdom of the heavens." What does Jesus mean by "heavens"? What He means is that His kingdom is not confined to any one realm, but all three. The Kingdom is as near to us as the air we breathe, yet expansive enough to envelop the entirety of the universe. His Kingdom exists in this physical world, but is entirely spiritual in nature. In other words, it is in the world, but not of it, just as its citizens are.

But not only that, this Kingsom is "at hand." When I paint, I like to keep a rag at hand in order to clean anyspills or smudges that may occur. When my wife cooks, she likes to keep a pot-holder at hand in order to move a hot pan when the time calls for it. "At hand" means readily accessible. Jesus, in one phrase, is proclaiming that His kingdom is both nearby and readily accessible. The citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom can enjoy the benefits of citizenship now! We too often feel that eteranl life is a future asset. While in some ways it is, it's benefits of joy, power and peace are accessible now! We can start living like we are living forever now. We can enjoy God's presence now. We can be amazed at forgiveness now. That's what makes Jesus' proclamation so life-changing and breathtaking. He is here now, just as he has always been.

New Discoveries

Wow, it has been nearly two months since I've written! (you may now commence with all the slacker jokes) But what a two months it has been. In eight short weeks I had to do all the things associated with leaving one place of work and going to another. On one end farewells had to be said, social obligations met, loose ends tied up, and boxes were packed while on the other end I was greeting new people, re-adjusting to my surroundings, unpacking the afore-mentioned boxes, getting used to living in a very rural setting (which I love) and discovering my job responsibilities. All this coupled with trying to figure out the best way to get internet connections to the tobacco fields of southern VA has seriously hampered my blogging abilities.

Amidst all this chaos, I have discovered a few things. One is that my children are incredible. In the month since we have arrived they have adapted far better than I had hoped for. They have already made friends, they love the outdoors and not having television for four straight weeks has forced them to find other avenues of entertainment ranging from reading library books in the morning to catching fireflies at night.

Another discovery is that television is overated. Five days ago we had the satellite installed and for the first time in four weeks we had live television. What's amazing is that I doubt we have turned it on for much more than an hour a day since. Without it, we talked more as a family, played more games, read more books and got more work done. While it's nice to watch a ball game and keep up with current events and even enjoy a favorite TV show now and then, I've decided that perhaps a little less TV is exactly what I need.

The final discovery is actually more like a reminder. God has taught me not only over the past several weeks, but over the past four years, that He knows best. I have been reminded constantly of God's promise to Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you..." Several times over the last few years I doubted that promise, but what I saw as being stuck and stagnant God saw as a time for growth. He was seasoning and preparing me for His plans and not my own. I pray that my eyes and heart continue to stay open to His will.

Until next time,
Dave

Silent Nights

I'm a night-owl. I can't help it. Ever since childhood, I can remember never being tired when I was supposed to be. Sure, I had bedtimes, but that didn't keep me from laying awake in my bed. Even now, as an adult who routinely wakes up before 7am every morning, I still can't fall asleep until at least midnight.

But there are benefits. It's quiet at night. Life with four kids is... well... it's noisy. There are arguments, conversations, squeals of laughter, screams of delight, sobs of disappointment and that's just breakfast. So when night falls, and children are fast asleep, I enjoy my peace. I can read, relax, watch TV and, most importantly, talk with God.

I keep a journal by my bed. I don't write in it everyday, but I write often. I write down my fears (can I really do this God?) My successes (I can't believe You did this God!) My failures (I can't believe what I did God.) And my hopes (Will you really do this God?) Every once in a while, I leaf through my past writings and reflect.

"Boy, I was immature."
"Man, I can't believe how great God is."
"Wow, I really lacked some faith there."

Then these reflections grow into conversations as God reveals Himself to me through out my life's journey. He tells me how He seasoned me and prepared me. He reminds me of how He provides for me. He encourages me to have even more faith to trust His way instead of my own.

Without my quiet night time there would be no conversations. No reflections. No perspective. No relationship with God. So my question is: what's the noise in your life? Is it kids? Finances? Job? Relationship troubles? Health Issues? Addictions? Whatever is making noise, you need to find a way to put it to bed. God speaks loudest in the silent moments. Remember Elijah and the "small voice"? That came in the midst of chaotic noise. When you want to hear God loud and clear, you need silence. Turn off the cell phone. Unplug the TV. Log off your computer and, as the Psalmist prescribes, "be still and know that [He is] God."

Get Sharp!

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." A familiar proverb to me, and one that has proven true this week. I sit in my best friend's living room, a room I haven't sat in for nearly three years. It has been way too long since I've been in Kentucky. I have missed my friends, but more than that, I have missed our "sharpening sessions."
In the mornings, when we walk the dogs, we talk.
"What books are your reading?"
"What's God doing in your life now?"
"What are you struggling with?"
"Where is God leading you?"
These are wighty questions, but for iron to sharpen, it must face something equally as hard as it is. The sharpening process involves two things. (1) The blade must be "uncurled" or straightened. Whne you see a chef use a sharpening rod, this is what he is doing. A blade will actually "roll" over time. It's nearly microscopic, but that rolled edge means a dull blade. (2) Friction is used to hone the blade to the sharpest possible point. That is when a whetstone comes into play. The blade is dragged across the stone to remove any nicks and imperfections.
When my friend and I ask these questions we are uncurling ourselves, exposing our hearts, passions, dreams and fears to one another. We are opening ourselves to God's whetstone so that we can be honed as instruments for His glory. The questions aren't always easy to ask, and sometimes they are even more difficult to answer. But I want to be sharp. I want to be useful.
So as I sit in this familiar room I realize, I need to visit more often. My blade was dulled. My effectiveness slowed. I needed a good sharpening. After all, that's what friends are for.

When Integrity Hurts

20 seconds on the clock. A whistle blows as the ball gets tied up by two opposing players. The score is tied, tensions are high and, oh yeah, I'm the ref. Because of the flu, our regular ref had to cancel, and since we don't play in a conference and are therefore not bound by referee qualification rules, or have a conference to appoint a substitute referee, the only resolution was for the person in the school who knew the most about basketball to ref. That would be me. The head coach. Talk about a conflict of interests. I ran it by the other team's coaches and they were okay with it (another benefit of playing Christian schools). So now I find myself in a tight game praying that the teams play clean and keep it out of my hands.

That's when it happened. I turned from checking the scoreboard for the possession arrow only to find our star player pushing an opponent and slamming the basketball to the ground. Any level, any time, a basketball slammed to the floor is an automatic technical foul. Add to that the pushing of the opposing player and now I have a dilemma on my hands. Do I call the foul which not only gives the other team two foul shots, but also possession of the ball, or do I turn my head and let the call go? Do I risk our team's first win of the season or do I give them the ball... and the chance to win the game?

Integrity. It's not always easy. I had a decision to make in a split second. There was no time to call a trusted friend and ask for advice. There was no opportunity for me to spend a "quiet moment" with God. In one of those moments when a million thoughts are rushing through your brain faster than you can comprehend them I blow the whistle and put my hands in that familiar "T" for Technical. The deciding factor? I realized if any other team had committed those actions I would make the call, and so in that instance I could not make an exception. I was not a coach. I was the referee. My players were upset. My assistant coach just lowered his head and the other team was relieved to have the foul called.

The outcome: another loss. This time by a mere two points. My star player was heart-broken. My team was angry, and I was hating myself. But then God intervened. He often works through people without them knowing it. Our starting center, a kid who has a lot of promise, but also has a tendency to foul came up to me. He was well acquainted with referees and bad calls. He has a tendency to complain about bad-calls and non-calls, and to be honest, when I saw his gangly form approach I had that sinking, "oh no, not more criticism" feeling. Instead, he extended his hand and complimented me on a well-reffed game.

I don't know if I reffed the game that well, or if he was simply trying to cheer me up, but I took it as God saying, "You did the right thing and your team has learned a more valuable lesson than winning would have ever taught them." I hope they did, I know I did.