Sin Flu

Ever since I heard about the swine flu outbreak, and saw the many pictures of people walking around Mexico City with surgical masks on, I have wondered at the extreme measures that people are willing to take to avoid a potentially deadly sickness. Within days of hearing that a new epidemic was underway, thousands of Americans cancelled trips to Mexico. Government officials discussed closing the borders to keep the disease out of our country. Closer to home, even though there were no documented cases of the disease within 500 miles of Coeur d'Alene, a friend noticed that the local Wal-mart had already sold out of painter's masks. Such is the natural inclination for human preservation in the face of a threat to life and limb.

But what about the soul? Where is the concern that it might "contract a disease"? It is a remarkable irony that even though the body is temporal and the soul is eternal, far more energy seems to be spent on insuring the health of the body than on insuring the health of the soul. Unfortunately, there seems to be no natural instinct for preservation of the soul. But in the absence of an instinct, God has graciously given us a "Guidebook for Soul Health" that has much to teach us.

Perhaps the most insidious enemy of our soul is one that we hardly recognize as an enemy: our own sinful choices. We tend to see them merely as little slip ups that we need to try harder to control. But the word of God says that the self-serving compromises that we indulge in (for whatever reason) actually war against our souls. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11)  What a shocking discovery—to find that the sins that we turn to for "comfort" or to "have a little break" are in reality fighting to destroy our souls! No amount of rationalizing sin will change this reality. As the scripture teaches elsewhere "he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption" (Galatians 6:8) and "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15)

If sin is really a disease that is working against the health of our souls, we need to treat it like we would a disease. What steps do we take when we are concerned about physical diseases? These steps can also help us when addressing spiritual health issues.

1. Avoid opportunities to "contract" it.

What steps are you taking to avoid exposure in your areas of weakness? Isn't this what God meant when He said "make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14) We need to begin our vigilance a few steps back from the point of decision to sin.

2. Begin "treatment" immediately

How do you respond when God shows you sin in your life and heart? God's gracious remedy once we have contracted "sin flu" is repentance; immediate and earnest repentance. Do we wait around to treat a disease, once we discover that it is present? Neither should we hesitate to confess and renounce sin in our lives. Remember, it wars against the soul!

3. Take aggressive steps to prevent "relapse"

How drastically do you act to prevent a "relapse"(falling into the same sin again)? Jesus said that if your hand offends you, cut it off. He was not encouraging self mutilation, but highlighting the seriousness of sin, and the kind of action that often must be taken to avoid it (swift, aggressive, and usually painful) If we feel a little embarrassed taking extreme steps to avoid sin, it is only because we minimize the damaging effects of sin to the health of our souls.

4. Turn to God. He ultimately is the only Healer. 

But what if certain sins seem to have a grip on you? What if the "disease" has spread and there doesn't seem to even be the strength to fight it? If you find yourself in this situation, please listen carefully. You are not alone. This is truly where every honest Christian finds themselves. The steps that are outlined above are not sufficient in themselves to win the battle against sin. This fight is one that ultimately cannot be won by our own grit. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" expresses the cry of our hearts. But the next phrase in this Bible text points us to the answer, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:23-24)

The beautiful truth is that God knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. He never minimizes or excuses our sin, but He understands our weakness and knows that only through faith in Christ can we be delivered from sin's grip.

And how does that work? Let me quote the great 19th century preacher, Charles Spurgeon:

We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law (our own effort) for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" To give an illustration-you want to overcome an angry temper, how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way? It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, "Lord, I trust thee to deliver me from it." This is the only way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell him, "Lord, I have trusted thee, and thy name is Jesus, for thou dost save thy people from their sins; Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!" Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification (putting our sins to death). Your prayers, and your repentences, and your tears-the whole of them put together-are worth nothing apart from him.

When we are overwhelmed with the impossibility of holiness, let the cry of our diseased souls be only to Jesus. "Heal me, O Lord and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved" (Jeremiah 17:14)

Staying on the Path

This week it finally happened. After months of waiting for an extended warming trend, the ice on our driveway melted enough for us to use the correct driveway path for the first time all winter. To understand this strange statement, you need to know that our driveway is about 300 feet long and has a pretty healthy bend in the middle of it. Without even knowing it, we spent the better part of the winter missing the bend and driving over a portion of ground that doesn't even have gravel underneath it. How would that happen? Why would we find ourselves making ruts in the snow over an area that is not even part of our proper driveway? Simple. The plow that came through after the first big snowstorm in December missed. And since the snow just kept on coming, we never recognized the mistake until the ground started to thaw in earnest these past few weeks and a few huge mudholes threatened to swallow our car.

While many Christians would admit that they have their share of struggles, few believe that they are really vulnerable to getting "off track" or "losing their way". But when Jesus instructed his disciples about the last days, he repeatedly mentioned deception as being a primary danger (4 times in 20 verses of Matthew 24). And He seemed to focus his warning on one particular danger: false Christs (v. 24).

Is it possible that in raising such a concern, Jesus was quietly warning us that the end times will be characterized by teachers who present a "Jesus" who doesn't clearly match the one revealed in the Scriptures? What if the Biblical Jesus here was warning about the teachers of our day who subtly give us a "Jesus" who winks at sin, and acts as if compromise is just part of what it means to walk in "grace" (and not of the true Jesus who speaks of grace as something that leads us to confront and overcome sin, not excuse it - Titus 2:11-12). What if He was asking that we beware of today's Christian books which present a "Jesus" who might enjoy sitting down and "dialoguing" about the morality of cohabitation, or casual drug and alcohol use (saying nothing of the Biblical Jesus who, while He didn't condemn the woman caught in adultery, He did lovingly and firmly instruct her to "Go and sin no more")? What if He was wanting us to watch out for teaching about a "Christ" who just asks for us to obey a certain set of religious rules and then allows us to continue to indulge in a few "heart" sins (Never really telling us of the true Christ who earnestly desires that we enter into a love relationship with Him that involves ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength)? Or what if the real Jesus in Matthew 24 was warning of the very insidious tendency of his followers to create a personal "Christ" which suits their own fancies — one that excuses pride, selfishness, or resentment; a "Christ" that accepts a small and insignificant place in their day-to-day life and minimizes their particular patterns of sin as being "not all that bad"?

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus clearly taught that the gate that leads to life is very narrow. The well trampled paths, even within orthodox Christianity, may have been blazed by someone who missed the truth! If there is not a hunger in our souls to know the true Jesus, whatever this knowledge costs us, perhaps we don't have Him at all. And this is a sinkhole that we cannot afford to fall into.

So how can we avoid being deceived in such confusing times? Our only hope is to cling to the True Shepherd who promises to lead "in paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (Psalm 23:3) and cling to His word which promises to be "a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." ( Psalm 119:105)

Lessons from the Snow

I woke up this morning to an inch or two of new snow. It's decorating the evergreens around our house and blanketing over the old grey stuff that had been slowly melting since December. But beyond the surprise of another layer of winter, the new snow reminded me of some of the most precious thoughts that the Scriptures give to Christians walking through a fallen world.

The problem with walking through a fallen world is that the dirt and grime of it tends to rub off on us. No matter how much we seek to insulate ourselves, we all are generally affected by the attitudes and values of ungodly people and influences around us. Add to that picture the challenge of keeping our own corrupt hearts in line (hearts which Scripture says are "deceitfully wicked") and it is no surprise that Christians struggle with a certain level of "soul pollution", something that can build up over time. There is a "whole body" cleaning that goes on when a person trusts Christ as his Savior, but Jesus told his disciples that even those whose bodies have been cleaned must wash their feet (John 13:10). By this, I believe that Jesus meant that the sins which fasten themselves to us as we walk through this filthy world, must be confessed and renounced. They are not to be ignored or minimized, but brought to God for fresh cleansing.(1 John 1:8-9)

And this is where the illustration of snow comes in. Snow is used at least 2 times in scripture to picture the grace of God in cleansing sin.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.(Ps 51:7)

But what is it about snow that makes it such an apt picture of forgiveness? Well, here are a few thoughts to consider:

1. Snow covers up junk
After our area received over 80 inches of snow in December, there was absolutely no evidence that I had a scrap wood pile behind my shed. And the wheelbarrow that had been out by the driveway was no longer even visible. So it is when God's grace cleans our souls. God's forgiveness never denies the truth that we have sinned, it simply treats us as if we did not —all because of Jesus. (2 Cor 5:21) Isn't it amazing that God offers this kindness to ones as unworthy as ourselves. Amazing Grace indeed!

2. Snow is beautiful.
Fresh snow covering every stump and weed (and wheelbarrow) not only hides their ugliness, but clothes them with beauty. There are few scenes as stunningly beautiful as forest meadow immediately after a heavy snowfall. The ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the mundane becomes magnificent. Such is the grace of God in granting forgiveness of our sin. Even Jesus' disciples marveled at the heartfelt expression of worship that the sinful woman performed on Jesus when she washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Jesus commended her and explained that the beauty of her devotion was the direct outcome of God's forgiveness of her many sins. Grace does that.

3. Snow brings peace.
Just as there are few things as beautiful as the landscape after a snowstorm, there are few things that are more peaceful than a quiet place after heavy snow. Even as a child, I remember plopping down to make a snow angel then just laying there enjoying the quietness and peace that the new snow brought to my little world. Road noise was muffled, everything was still. Taking a walk in the woods after a snow is even more striking as all the hubbub of life seems to settle down and melt into the fluffy powder that surrounds me. Similarly, the grace of God in forgiving sin brings peace. The condemning cries of Satan and gentle appeals of conscience are both stilled in the atmosphere of tenderness and reassurance from God. All is forgiven, all is well. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:1)

So if the grace of God in forgiving sin is so wonderful, why do we so often carry around the deadening baggage of unconfessed sin? There are probably many factors, but part of it is that Christians today have somehow adopted a very casual attitude toward sin. We call it a mistake, or poor judgment or maybe a character flaw or a personal weakness, but hesitate to call it what it really is--a transgression of God's holy law. The truth is that sin is offensive to God. It is rebellion against the One who created us and it sent His Son to an agonizing death on the cross. Sometimes the problem is not that we are minimizing our sin, but that we haven't even stopped long enough to consider our ways. Have I failed God in any way? Are there any "pet sins" that I'm trying to hide or justify? Have I neglected Him or His word? Have my attitudes been right? Is my heart soft toward God and others? When we are finished examining ourselves, the prayer that David prayed can often bring even more light -- light that we desperately need, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

I think that when we quietly cover our sin or try to live as if it's ok with God, we not only disappoint our heavenly Father whose name is Holy, we also show that we have forgotten the tremendous blessings that He gives when we unload the burden at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging our failure and asking for forgiveness and the power to change. Our resistance to the Spirit's nudges ultimately only hurts ourselves. God's precious promise that if we will return to the Lord, "he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7) Those who ignore this call not only consign themselves to burdened-down lives, but miss out on the most blessed kind of snowstorm.

Substitutions: Why Revival Tarries

Growing up with a mother who is an excellent cook is a blessing. But in spite of her culinary prowess, there was one menu item my mom failed to consistently master over the years . . . biscuits. Somehow, she regularly committed the same faux pas in preparing them. By all outward appearances, the biscuits looked just as they should. However, some unfortunate family member would inevitably be the first to take a bite of a steaming buttered biscuit only to discover that once again my mother had substituted baking soda for baking powder... Now there are some substitutions in cooking that work beautifully, but just ask any of my siblings who decades later still have the flavor of baking soda biscuits indelibly printed on their taste buds---there are some substitutions in cooking that can ruin a good recipe. When it comes to biscuits, the long term effect of bad substitutions is insignificant, but when it comes to the kingdom of God, the results can be disastrous.

As the Christian community has walked through the past 10 months, there has been a growing concern about our country. With a significant presidential election, the unstable prices of fuel and food, and the cataclysmic economic rumblings, Christians are wrestling to find a place to put our feet. Inevitably as we have heard these numerous concerns expressed, most of us have probably heard the well known verse quoted again: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14)

Is it my imagination, or is this verse not quoted with quite the same confidence and bravado today as it was quoted in years past? How many times have we as Christians claimed the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our country only to be disappointed with the lack of visible results? Certainly the Word and promises of God stand true. Even if our faith falters, the character and power of God has not changed. Just over 150 years ago, in the midst of similar financial and cultural turmoil, regular people began to pray and God answered by bringing over one million people (out of the 30 million total US population at that time) into the kingdom of God in one year (read more here). Less than 50 years ago, God sent a similar revival that swept Canada and rippled throughout the world (watch a wonderful testimony here). Why isn't God doing similar things today?

At the heart of the problem is a substitution so subtle and yet so significant that it has hindered the hand of God from doing all that He longs to do. In our concern for our country, we have clung to the promise found in this verse, viewing it as a checklist of what we must do in order to save our land. However, God never intended the Scriptures to be a formula for success. They were meant to reveal the heart and character of God and His provision of a Savior for our sins--so that we could know and love Him. All too often we look to God only for the gifts He will give us, not for the loving relationship He desires to have with us. Can we really grasp how He loves us and longs for us to love Him in return?

William Mason put it so beautifully in his devotional entitled "Christ is All":

"We were once stout-hearted rebels against His crown and government! But, O the love of His royal heart! Instead of executing fierce vengeance upon us, for our sins—lo, He came from heaven to earth, with a flame of love in His heart, and matchless grace on His lips—on purpose . . .
-to die for us,
-to wash us from our sins in His own blood,
-to conquer the rebellion of our hearts against Him,
-and to win our affections to Him."(more here)

All too often we live our days in quiet unbelief and rebellion against our Savior, pursuing sin or seeking fulfillment in things that were meant to add joy to our lives but never satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. When we live this way, the Living God, the Creator of the Universe is relegated to a smaller and smaller place, until we are fully on the throne of our hearts. How subtly this happens. We seldom intend to make this substitution, but in the busy daily choices of life we inevitably let the love of family, pleasure, and self crowd out our beloved Savior. And when His love and blessings fail to woo us, His only remaining option is to slowly allow difficult circumstances to catch us off guard enough so that we can hear His still small voice calling us to return to Him. All too often when things get uncomfortable, instead of seeing our own desperate need, we take a verse that is calling us to return to a love relationship with Him and turn it into a checklist of things to do. . . .all the while keeping our heart cool toward Him and holding on to our favorite sins.

William Mason clarifies the real thrust of 2 Chronicle 7:14:

"O for a single eye to look unto Jesus, a humble heart to sit at His feet, and a simple soul to hear and believe every word from His gracious lips, that we may know the love of Christ—constantly know it by a heartfelt sense of it. This, this is the one thing needful—to make poor sinners rich, and miserable sinners happy in time, and joyful to all eternity!

Remember your chief employment. It is not merely to make a profession, and to keep up a form of godliness; but to maintain and keep up a warm, lively, comfortable sense of the love of Christ in your hearts, from day to day, yes, from hour to hour!" (more here)

When we return to God with our whole heart, He can heal our land because He can finally heal us. He can heal our land because the very instruments that He chooses to use to bring salvation and wholeness to a lost and dying world are finally "fit for the Master's use". Unbelievers will then begin to sense their need for a Savior, not because of the persuasiveness of our words, but because of the contrast in our lives. And there is no substitute for that.

Some have called for a day of prayer and fasting on Monday, November 3. We urge you to prayerfully consider setting aside this day, especially in light of the elections on Tuesday.

Finishing Well

It seemed like a routine trip to the doctor's office. Tim's mom had taken a couple of unexpected spills and the doctor was concerned that she had suffered a very mild stroke. "99% chance, that's what it is," he had said. But now, as she sat with her husband of 30+ years, the doctor's voice lowered to deliver a very different message. "You have malignant inoperable brain tumors." In the quietness that followed those shocking words, she gathered her thoughts, turned to her husband and bravely said, "I guess I'm going to get to go to heaven before you do." Dad just put his head in his hands and sobbed. Her words offered little comfort at the moment, but during the difficult period of treatments and even the fulfillment of her statement six months later, Dad came to more fully appreciate these as words of faith, spoken by a woman who wanted to finish well.

Many people begin their lives well because their families start them on the right track. However, the responsibility of living to please God and finishing well rests squarely on the shoulders of each individual. How many have begun well only to shipwreck on life's unexpected temptations, sidetracks, or trials? The effects of such a tragedy ripple throughout an already weakened church and a watching secular community. In contrast, the life of a faithful, godly Christian who finishes well can encourage others to faith for generations. Who can measure the lasting impact of courageous faith and godly lives in people like Martin Luther, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, George Mueller or Charles Finney? Or even looking at the lives of dear Christians we have personally known over the years, how many lives have been eternally blessed because of their faithfulness? Our own children still reap the benefits of the faith and prayers of Tim's godly grandmother even though she died before they were born.

Finishing well often has less to do with the external choices that we make than why and how we make them. Why do we watch the things we do? Why do we read the books or listen to the music we do? Do we limit our choices because the kids are around or because we genuinely desire that God would be glorified in our lives? Does the concern for what others will think pilot our decisions more than we would care to admit? Where is our love for God? Far too often it is buried beneath a pile of sinful heart attitudes and selfish motivations. The Bible is clear, sin takes away our heart for God. (Hos. 4:11) And yet loving God, from the heart and through our actions, is the primary goal every Christian should have. Do we honestly want to finish well? If we are going to do so, we must seek the grace to lay aside every area of sin (even sinful motivations), believing that He can enable us as we look to Him.

The challenge of finishing well becomes even more difficult when one is living in the time which the Scriptures call "the last days". Today many Christians believe that things are winding down and that the end times are upon us. But why does that make it more difficult to live for God? Romans 13:11-14 mentions one of the biggest hindrances to glorifying God during this time: a tendency of Christians to be asleep to the dangers at hand, forgetting the importance of finishing well. Instead of Christians walking with God in holiness, the Bible tells us there will be a complacency as never before, coupled with an increasing amount of sin in the church. (Matthew 24:12, 2 Thess. 2:3) What are we to do in such a time as this? The Bible has much to say about this, but we will highlight the most important one. Romans 13:14 tells us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. Along the same lines Rev. 3:20 highlights the same concept. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me." Often used to call non-Chrisitans to Christ, this precious promise is actually addressing Christians. In spite of the evilness of the times and the dangerous condition of the church, Christ offers to each believer the promise that if we will truly open our hearts and lives to Him, He will fellowship with us throughout our daily lives. This is not a mystical experience promised here, but the living reality of His presence and strengthening in our day to day lives. May God give us grace to truly open our hearts to Him in these difficult days, that we might finish well, by His power and for His glory.

Keep yourselves in the Love of God

Flashing lights greeted the kids and me as we headed towards the intersection of Highways of 95 and 53 last Monday. The familiar road was not even properly blocked off yet, but emergency vehicles were arriving from every direction. We immediately knew that someone had just experienced a tremendous shock, and perhaps was facing a tragedy. We began to pray for safety for the victims and asked God to work in their hearts even through this terrible circumstance. Heavy hearted and a little shaken, we drove on home only to receive an email asking for prayer for the local Christian mother who had just been in a car crash. The next day, when I realized that the family mentioned was one that we had met through homeschool soccer, I just put my head in my hands and wept. Another Christian family in our community facing a major crisis, the fourth in a string of tragedies over the last weeks left me stunned and grieving.

It was a little over three years ago that we faced a similar series of crises within our own extended family. After about 6 months of "mysterious" symptoms, Tim's 45 year old brother was diagnosed with liver and colon cancer. As the aggressive cancer quickly spread throughout his body it was clear that unless God intervened, he would only have a few months to live. We traveled east to be with him and his family, spending three precious weeks with them before we had to return home. While still reeling from this tragic situation, we received word that my mother had a spot on her lungs that the doctors believed might be cancer. Further tests would reveal that it was. Six short weeks later we headed back to Illinois for the funeral of Tim's brother. Surprised by the suddenness of the situations; we moved through those days struggling to show love and support our families in spite of our own shock and grief.

However, amidst the sorrow and unanswered questions, God provided comfort for us through the ministry of a godly Presbyterian pastor at the church we were attending at that time. Sunday after Sunday as he faithfully proclaimed the love and providence of God, our hearts were refreshed and revived. His messages seemed to echo the words Corrie ten Boom, "There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." How desperately we needed to be reminded of the amazing vastness of God's love and power. It would have been so easy to allow emotional fatigue and the heartbreaking circumstances to determine our outlook. However, we recognized that God was calling to us to keep ourselves in His love. "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 21)

On the surface, this seems like a strange command for God to make. How can we help but be in the love of God? The Bible tells us that at His very essence, God is love. If God is love and God is omnipresent, how can we be anywhere but in the love of God? And yet, Scripture in other passages explains that it is possible for us to harden our hearts and pull away from the wellsprings of His love. It is a temptation that we all face. Unexplainable suffering or difficulties often cause us to resist the love of God and this can lead us to a place of fear or unbelief— a place where we cannot help but feel "away from" or "outside of" the love of God. An honest appraisal reveals that at the core of turning away from the love of God is always our own sin.

So what are we to do if in the midst of the greatest trials of our lives we find ourselves faltering? We must go to the One knows all about our struggles with doubt and believe He loves us anyway. But we have to go honestly . . . . broken, weary, weeping. We need to turn to Him and ask him to do in us what we cannot do in our own strength …to teach us to abide in Him. Perhaps that is why many early Puritan pioneers often answered each other's enquiries as to how they were doing with the simple phrase . . . "Being kept."

• "Being kept" in the love of God, to know His peace and even joy in the middle of life's painful twists and turns.
• "Being kept" from doubts, fears or unbelief.
• "Being kept" from sinful responses to our painful circumstances whether it be anger, jealousy, or pettiness.
• "Being kept" from relentless pleasure seeking in an effort to numb the pain of life
• "Being kept" from gossip and slander, when we want to lash out in frustration at our circumstances.
• "Being kept" from sin, so that we might experience the fellowship and comfort of God.

And in the end, when we stand facing God and eternity, we will look back at our feeble attempts to "keep ourselves in the love of God", knowing that it was God, Himself, the Author and Finisher of our faith who ultimately did the keeping.

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 1:24

Nothing Too Precious

Sometimes, one little sentence can hold a world of challenge and inspiration, especially if that sentence distills the essence of the man who spoke it. We know very little about F.S. Parker. It is difficult to even piece together the life of an obscure man in the late 1800s and yet the short statement he made to a small group of Christians in 1888 has become a treasure to me as a Christian and as a father.

F.S. Parker had a little mission hall in Pittsfield, Massachusetts where he ministered alongside his wife and his daughter, Susie. Susie was an only child, but did not seem to be spoiled by it. She grew up hearing the stories of Jesus but was also constantly reminded, by involvement with the mission hall, that Jesus calls us to love others in His name. Over the years, she became convinced of both the tremendous price that Jesus paid to purchase our souls and the heart Jesus had for those who were not yet saved. There was a genuineness about her faith that showed up when it was time to help around the house or prepare something for an outreach service at the mission hall. So it was not surprising that when the opportunity came to hear renowned missionary Hudson Taylor speak about the spiritual needs of China, she eagerly went.

It was Hudson Taylor's first trip to the United States, and the very beginning of what would become the North American arm of the China Inland Mission. Taylor's words stirred 26 year old Susie's heart and, along with several others, she offered herself to the Lord as a missionary on behalf of China. Preparations were made, training was done, and soon this first group of North Americans to join Hudson Taylor's mission had gathered for a "send off" service.

To quote from a biography of Hudson Taylor,

"The father of a dear girl in the party, Miss Susie Parker, had come over from Pittsfield, Mass., and was sitting near the platform. Seeing a wonderful light on his face, Mr. Taylor invited him to say a few words...He told us with a father's feelings, what his daughter had been in the home, to him and to her mother; what she had been in the mission-hall in which he worked, and something of what it meant to part with her now.

`But I could only feel,' he said, 'that I have nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus. He has asked for my very best ; and I give, with all my heart, my very best to Him.'"

"Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus" The words have stirred me often and form an irrefutable answer to every objection that my flesh raises when a new cost is asked of me regarding my commitment to Christ.

"But I'm not sure I can live without that little pet sin!" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

"But I don't feel ready to take on this ministry responsibility that's being asked of me!" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

"But I'm already so busy. How can I really be expected to spend significant time in prayer for the lost and for the world?" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

"But I'm scared to share the gospel with people – what if I'm rejected?" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

Mr. Taylor shares further,

"That sentence was the richest thing I got in America, and has been an untold blessing to me ever since. Sometimes when pressed with correspondence the hour has come for united prayer, and the thought has arisen, ought I not to go on with this or that matter? Then it has come back to me-' Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.' The correspondence has been left to be cared for afterwards, and one has had the joy of fellowship unhindered. Sometimes waking in the morning, very weary, the hour has come for hallowed communion with the Lord alone ; and there is no time like the early morning for getting the harp in tune for the music of the day. Then it has come again'Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus,' and one has risen to find that there is no being tired with Him. That thought also has been a real help to me when leaving my loved ones in England. Indeed, I could never tell how many hundreds of times God has given me a blessing through those words."

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." -Matthew 13:44

____________________________________________________________________
The quotes above are taken from the book Hudson Taylor & The China Inland Mission: The Growth of A Work Of God. Many other encouraging books are also available to read online here.

Authentic Worship

Six young adults from 3 different countries, a middle-aged American woman and a young missionary sprawled across couches, chairs and beds in a dimly lit hotel room. The furnishings were old, the floor covered with ratty carpet and the windows scantily dressed with cheaply made drapes. There was no TV, no internet and hardly any heat. But how our hearts were warmed as we gathered and spoke earnest words to God and quietly sang to Him our simple songs of worship. There was nothing about the surroundings or atmosphere that would commend this spot to be a place of worship. There was no worship band or even any accompanying instruments, and yet each of us could testify that we were engaged in deeply authentic worship of God.

1992 seems like a lifetime ago now, and that little mission team traveling through northwest China together has long since dispersed. But my heart is still stirred when I think of those worship times and my soul is instructed again about the elements of that rarest of Christian experiences — authentic corporate worship.

Jesus sought to instruct a pagan woman about authentic worship one day as they conversed by the well. Sensing that Jesus was a deeply religious man, the woman asked about the mechanics of worship. "Which mountain should we worship on?", she inquired. Instead of getting sidetracked discussing externals, Jesus answered the deeper question that burns in every earnest seeker's soul, "How shall I worship God?" His simple answer is one that needs to be pondered far and wide in this day of fuzzy thinking about worship, "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)

Jesus' profound instruction on worship said nothing about music style, and nothing about atmosphere. He didn't say whether we should raise our hands or clap them and he gave no particular pointers for the "worship leader". He spoke only of the elements of worship that matter most to God —"in spirit and in truth." But what does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth?

In Spirit
At His essence, God is Spirit. But at our core, so are we. So Jesus' first instruction is that God desires only worship that comes from the deepest part of us. The all-seeing eye of God will not receive worship that is half hearted (even if it looks sincere to others). And neither will he receive worship from those who come with hidden and unconfessed sin. It is a broken spirit and a contrite heart that He will not despise. (Psalm 51:17) Anything less is to mock God by worshipping Him on our own terms, instead of His.

Worship in spirit also means that we must be careful that we are worshipping God and not inadvertently worshipping ourselves. Many Christians seek out a certain style of music or insist on a flow of increasingly uplifting worship songs so that they can have a certain worship experience. Such experiences are real, and they are very soulish, but they are not necessarily spiritual. Many times, we are fooled into thinking that we are worshipping God in spirit, when the truth is that we are worshipping Him only with our soul —especially our emotions. Because there is something very enjoyable about being swept along by stirring music, such experiences (mistaken for worship) can be highly sought after. If you doubt this, just ask the crowds of unbelievers who paid $50 a seat to attend the secular music concert the night before. But if our focus on the "experience" of worship overrides a sincere focus on the Object of worship, then we are really worshipping ourselves and not God. Scriptures rightly warn us of a time when men will be "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God". (1 Timothy 3:4)

In Truth
At it's most simple and basic, worshipping God in truth means that:

1. We are truly approaching Him.
If there is one thing that we learn from a study of the life of Christ, it is that God hates pretending. Notorious sinners Jesus could tolerate, but pretenders brought out in Him a righteous fury. How easy it is to sing that we love God, but betray our cold hearts by ungodly actions and attitudes a few hours later. Jesus did not say that if we love him we will sing that we do, but that if we love Him we will keep his commandments. In one of his most stinging rebukes of the pretenders of his day, Jesus told them that they drew near unto God with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him. He followed these comments with the following analysis, "But in vain do they worship Me..."(Matthew 1:9) Worship in which our lips don't match our hearts is not received by God. It might be an enjoyable diversion for a time, but it's not worship.

2. We are moved to worship by consideration of His revealed Truth.
We are not to worship God as a mystical response to some outward things like candles, statues or incense, but with our minds fully engaged and our hearts aroused by the Truths of His Word. Paul says, "I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Corinthians 14:15) Polished music and the carefully crafted atmosphere of a worship service can make it feel like we are getting close to God in the midst of a worship set, but if we are not responding to a Biblical truth, we are not worshipping in Truth. Here's a test: If I'm responding primarily to the message of a song, then the words will have a similar impact on me regardless of whether I am reading them or singing them.

3. We are focused on the True God of Scripture
God does not want us to sing things to Him just because they make a nice word picture or sound nice or rhyme, but because they are true. It is the responsibility of every Christian to analyze whether the lyrics of our worship songs are Biblically accurate and doctrinally sound. .The measure must be: Do the lines of this song line up with what God has revealed about Himself and what it means to follow Him which are recorded in the Bible? Anything less, and we are elevating a man-made image of God, and not the True and Living God.

That little missionary team which was traveling across China together 16 years ago had something in common. We were each seriously considering a lifetime of ministry on behalf of the lost millions of China. As we rubbed shoulders with these people day by day we were all counting the cost of what a life poured out to save them would mean and we were seeking to place our fleshly desires and worldly dreams on the altar. Our worship times in those grungy hostel rooms were a far cry from the fully orchestrated "worship experiences" that many seem to be looking for today. But they were real encounters with the real God of Scripture, Whom we each loved enough to offer our lives to. There was a sweetness and a joy in it. In spite of our weaknesses and imperfections, we were somehow able to worship God in spirit and in truth.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. John 4:23

Wrong Turns

In the early years of our marriage. Tim and I were agonizing over a decision to relocate. Moving would mean advancing toward our goal of going overseas as missionaries; remaining where we were meant putting our dreams on hold. We prayed, read Scripture and even put out a fleece. Finally, Tim made the decision that we should indeed relocate. In spite of several hesitations, we followed the light that we seemed to have and went ahead in faith. For the next three years things seemed to fall into place for us, at least outwardly. Within a few months of our move we had an income, a church and circle of godly Christian friends. In a short time, Tim was serving on the elder board and was even asked to consider coming on staff of our church, one of the largest, growing churches in the area. However, in spite of outward appearances, it became increasingly apparent that our decision to move had been a wrong turn. For all of our efforts to try to push the door open, it seemed that we simply could not move ahead toward the mission field.

In the months and even years that followed we have wrestled with the question as to where we went wrong. We were seeking God's will. We were reading the Scriptures. What happened? Why were we so misguided?

When Christians are faced with such circumstances, it is easy to just wallow in unbelief, to point the blame at everyone else including God, rather than look at ourselves. We come by it honestly--even a cursory look at Adam and Eve in the garden reminds us of that. However, if we are to move beyond our impulse to blame God for our own mistakes in decision making, we must take His Word in one hand and a mirror and the other and begin to look at both. As we have struggled personally with our own confusing experiences, we have come to some conclusions that are helpful in evaluating the past and navigating the future.

1. Anyone can be deceived, even me.
This might be the most humbling step in the whole process--actually admitting that we were mistaken about God's will-- but it is also perhaps the most important. As long as we are denying our part in the mess, we cannot correct our thinking and learn from the experience. The same Scripture passage that tells us that our hearts are wicked also tells us that they are "deceitful above all things" Jeremiah 17:9

2. Mixed motives muddy the waters regarding God's will.
We learned the hard way that it is possible to think that you want God's will while still putting limits on what you will or won't do. In our case, God was asking us to lay aside our desire to serve Him overseas. A career in missions sounds so spiritual and worthwhile but even such a desire can hide all kinds of selfish motives. For both of us, our pure motives were so entangled with selfish motives that it was difficult to discern the" less than godly" ones. We have since learned to ask God to purify our hearts -- to bring us to the place where we have no personal will in the matter. We need hearts that are open to whatever God has for us and desire His glory above any personal benefit . Anything less, and we are opening ourselves up to self-deception.

3. Pride fogs our thinking.
In Obediah 1:3 God told the people of Edom that the pride of their heart had deceived them. Pride is like an iceberg. Far more lurks below the surface than we can imagine. Dislodging it is a slow, painful process. It requires that we repent every time God exposes another facet of our self-centeredness and that we ask Him again to change us. In spite of the difficulty of this fight, it is one of our most significant battles as God warns us in James 4:6-10 that He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we have a proud heart, we don't seek Him or his help the way we should and often find ourselves wandering off.

4. Knowing God and His Word are a tremendous safeguard.
It is possible to think that you are doing the right thing but be mistaken because you lack the knowledge of God and His Word that you need. The Scripture has numerous examples of this. One of the most striking occurred when Uzzah was struck down by God for trying to steady the ark with his hand (1 Chronicles 13:7-10). This priest was trying to do a seemingly spiritual thing but died in the process. What went wrong? The truth was that Uzzah and Ahio were handling the ark in the wrong manner. If they had been carrying the ark using poles as God had instructed, the disaster would never have happened. Perhaps these men thought that God would wink at their methods because their objectives were noble. God's punishment may seem severe to us, but we need to consider who they were.These men were priests. They were the ones who were to bring the Word of God to the people. They should have known and valued God's instructions on how to transport one of the most holy things that God had entrusted to the nation of Israel. - How well do you know what the Word of God has to say about the issues of your life? Are you concerned that you might be ignorant of commands or not really understand God and the things that are on His heart?The Holy Spirit promises to teach us all things but He cannot do it in a vacuum.

5. Oftentimes, the way back is the way forward.
God is a God of second chances, but He is also a God who calls us to deal with past failures honestly and thoroughly. The word "repent" always preceded the word "believe" when Jesus was preaching about the kingdom of God. In order to move forward after a misstep, God would have us go back, acknowledge our failures with all the humility and honesty that we can muster, and then "get back on where we got off". Sweeping such things under the rug (our strong tendency) only sets us up to repeat the mistakes instead of learning from them.

It is reassuring to remember that even with the worst of mistakes, we need not despair. God still is able to work all things together for good and use even our foibles to bring blessing. Whether our wandering is from willfulness or ignorance (or some combination of the two), God's ultimate desire is that the bumps and bruises that we experience along the way will lead us to a closer relationship to Him. He wants us to learn through our mistakes that the safest place to be is as close to Him as we can get.

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8

– Kristen and Tim Martin

A Striking Contrast

Every once in a while, a home schooled young person finds their way into the national media spotlight. Generally, it is being recognized for winning the National Spelling Bee, or a prominent Science Fair. These I only notice with passing interest. But when two previously home schooled young men appeared in national news stories within a few hours of each other, it really got my attention. But it was the further digging into each story that has really made me think a little longer and harder about parenting.

By the time 2007 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow had finished his acceptance speech in New York, 24 year old Matthew Murray was a few hours away from a murderous rampage in Colorado that would leave 5 dead, including himself. What did they share in common, aside from the date of their headlines? They were both from Christian families, and they were both home schooled, K-12.

Such a dramatic contrast begs for closer examination. Tim Tebow grew up as the youngest of 5 to missionary/evangelist Bob Tebow. He credits his dad for teaching him godliness and his mom for teaching him to memorize Scripture. He says that his four brothers and sisters made a path by which he was able to "just follow in their footsteps." Tim had an incredible year on the football field, becoming the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy, but his ongoing Christian witness at postgame interviews are becoming a trademark. During the recent Capital One Bowl Game, we heard a secular sports announcer's voice soften as she told about Tim's deep character that was motivating him to spend his upcoming spring break in the Phillippines helping out at the orphanage that his parents run, while most of his peers will be partying on the beaches.

We know much less about the home life of Matthew Murray, but he also was raised memorizing Scripture and was home schooled using one of the most conservative Christian curriculums (ATI). His father was a respected neurologist, so he obviously was raised with a significant financial advantage and his family was described as extremely religious. However, Matthew's online postings on a number of websites reveal that he rejected Christianity in his early adult years and became enamored with the occult.

The unsettling fact is that the children of Christian parents are going astray in droves. In the past 30 years, Christians have tried to address this problem by developing glitzy youth programs, establishing countless Christian schools, and more recently choosing to homeschool their children. In spite of all these efforts, youth experts like Josh McDowell in his book "The Lost Generation" tells us, "The Nehemiah Institute has offered a valuable service in providing testing to over 20,000 students from one thousand schools. Christian parents have even tested their young people who attend public school. You would probably not be surprised to learn that eighty-five percent (85%) of youth from Christian homes that attend public schools do not embrace a biblical worldview. But what of students in Christian schools? While these students scored slightly higher than their counterparts attending public schools, only six percent (6%) of students embraced a Biblical Theism Worldview. It is clear we have all but lost our young people to a godless culture." Sadly we personally know of numerous homeschooled young adults that have also rejected Biblical Christianity. But what about Proverb 22:6 which promises," Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"? If we are honest there are only two options. Either this promise is not a true statement or something has gone desperately wrong with the training of Christian children today. It is tempting to try to explain away what this verse means, but in Romans 3:4 and other verses God challenges us to believe His word and mistrust our own ideas,"Let God be true, but every man a liar." So if we are forced to accept that Christians today are significantly failing to bring up their children in the way that they should go, we must ask, "What is the way our children should go?" Unfortunately, the context in Proverbs 22 does not provide a clear cut explanation of what it means by "the way he should go". Instead we must look at the rest of the Bible to clarify this for us.

In Mark 12:29, Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment. Instead of listing one of the ten, he summarized them all in a powerful way. "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment." Can we really grasp what Jesus is saying? At the heart of the Christian faith IS our heart. The core factor in the way we should go is not a formula but a question . . . "Do you love me more than these?" More than these children? More than these pleasures? More than these goals or dreams? More than your favorite "comfort" diversion? Do you love me more than these? The life of a true Christian should be one of a passionate pursuit of this one goal. . . loving God more than anything or anyone else including ourselves. All of life should be seen as an opportunity for God to bring about this pure love for Him. Those trials that plow us under, the blessings that we selfishly cling to, the fears we can't push through, and the the sins that we keep succumbing to, all reveal other loves. If we choose to lay these down as they are revealed to us, our love for God will grow. However, so often we aren't willing to do this. Instead, we focus on lesser goals. Training up children to be responsible adults, even ones who go to church and don't do drugs or who get a decent job and provide for a family, or have interesting skills and hobbies all seem like goals that are worthwhile, but these truly are lesser goals than what Scripture calls us to. The reason why it is so tempting to focus on these kinds of goals is because it requires less from us. . . far less than what God is calling us to. God is calling us to love Him with all our hearts and then to give ourselves to reaching the lost and equipping believers. While winning the lost and equipping Christians must begin at home, it should not end there. Tim Tebow's parents understand that well. They were willing to raise their children along side hundreds of orphans. We may have a romantic picture of this . . . but consider for a moment the kinds of language, stories, diseases and behavior some of street-wise orphans might have. Tim's parents took a big risk --- that these harmful influences might overcome their five children --- but when God led them to do it, they obeyed. Tim says that his parents took his education and spiritual training very seriously, while still living a life poured out for others.

It is easy to slide into an assumption that something as external as home schooling is a silver bullet that will somehow keep our kids from going bad. Or that if we just provide them with enough positive activities or raise them in a strict conservative manner withdrawn from the world, we can escape the heartache of a child who wanders from their faith. Many tragic stories like the one that played out in Colorado a few weeks ago ought to remind us that training of children has no silver bullets. Training children is a costly, costly affair that has everything to do with heart issues in both parent and child.

And yet, if we are willing to step up and ask God to change our hearts so that we will love Him as we should and are willing to aim our children toward nothing less than what God calls all of his disciples to, then we can and should expect to raise earnest and bold Christians who walk on in the way they should go. They will not depart from that training but instead will bring glory to God by loving Him and pouring out their lives on behalf of His kingdom, even if they don't ever win the Heisman.

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

The Hidden Half

We were taking one last hike before the snowfall when one of the kids noticed an odd site. A large chunk of tree had washed up on the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille. I say "a chunk of tree" because it wasn't a log, and it wasn't a branch. It was probably 15 feet of trunk, with a large tangle of branches on top--or at least they looked kind of like branches... But a closer inspection led us to conclude that the tangle of branches were really a tangle of roots. A lengthy soak in swashing lake water had removed every clod of dirt, exposing the elaborate root system of a "once mighty" pine tree.



I walked along pondering what an unusual sight we had just seen. This tree's substantial (but normally invisible) undergirding was exposed to us for careful examination, raising questions about why it fell, and how it washed up on this lonely beach. I also began to consider what a picture this chunk of tree painted of fallen creatures like ourselves.

I believe that in every life, it is the hidden portion that really determines its health. The half of ourselves that is visible to others might receive most of our attention, but it is in the creases of our soul that true health is either cultivated or diminished. As Soloman once wrote, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23) But how are we to keep our heart? And how is it that our roots can develop into a source of strength, nourishment and stability?

Strong Soil
Jesus once explained that one who heard his words and obeyed them was like a man building his house upon a rock. (Matthew 7:24-27) The durability of the house had less to do with the materials used to build the house, but more to do the stability of its foundation. So we must ask ourselves, "How do I cope when the storms of life arrive and strength is demanded? Where does my heart turn in moments of weakness? What do I do when my best solutions seem woefully inadequate?" More than 30 times God in Scripture called himself a Rock--a source of strength and refuge. More specifically, Jesus is called the spiritual Rock (1 Cor. 10:4) and described as One upon whom we can build. (1 Cor. 3:11) Roots that are grown deep into the Lord Jesus Christ will add stability that we desperately need in these days.

Nourishing Soil
Roots have a way of seeking nutrients from whatever soil they are planted in. They can even be very strong roots, but if the ground is void of nourishment, the tree is hindered from growing. People sometimes form deep roots into nutritionally barren soil. Oh, how deeply we dig our hearts into activities, projects and relationships with hopes of finding some food for the hunger of our souls only to find that in spite of all the effort and energy invested, we are hungry still. Jesus said, " I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) A heart that quietly looks to Jesus for nourishment will find itself strengthened and satisfied.

In a sense, when we first come to believe on Christ, a root of life is established in our souls. (2 Cor. 5:17) But if that root is not firmly and intentionally attached to Jesus, we can find ourselves weak, unstable and barren. Sometimes an honest recognition of soul barrenness, and the urgent pangs of soul hunger are really a call from God to repent of our foolish outward focus and to draw near to Christ in earnest faith with that hidden half of us. God will do the rest.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Who will pray?

This morning I received an email from an elderly pastor friend who has been mightily used by God over the last 40 years...he has been diagnosed with bone cancer. Ever since we met a few years ago, I have often felt humbled when I would listen to his messages. It seemed that every other sentence was a direct quote from scripture without even looking at his Bible and everything he says reflects an intimacy with God. I got a glimpse of the hidden reasons for his powerful ministry one day when he casually mentioned his daily practice of reading more than 14 chapters of scripture and of rising at 4 am to spend hours praying through an extensive list of prayer needs.

Bone cancer? I thought. "Please spare him a little longer, Father", I prayed. A number of dedicated Christian leaders have gone on to glory this year, but can we bear to lose this spiritual giant? Who will believe God for sweeping movements of His Spirit? Who will pray?

The loss of such a man only seems frightening because of the spiritual condition of most Christians today. If the Lord is to visit us again in power (something that many Christians agree that we need), it must be in answer to the earnest, insistent, believing prayers of His people. But who will pick up the mantle?

This mantle cannot be picked up by any of us until we begin to address the things that hinder our praying. And there is probably nothing more hindering to prayer than losing heart because of unanswered prayer.

I believe that if most Christians were brutally honest, they would admit that many times prayer has been a disappointing experience. Often we pray and pray and nothing seems to happen. Sometimes after praying for awhile without any answers, we essentially lay prayer aside in view of trying to fix things ourselves. God apparently is not listening.

And this is precisely where a heart to persist in believing prayer dies on the vine and any encouragement to persevere in prayer just sounds like empty words. It has been my observation (and my experience) that the moment we begin to quietly blame God for unanswered prayer, all motivation to really pray goes out the window. At this pivotal juncture when we find ourselves questioning God's love, goodness or power, we must step back and take a radically different approach if we are going to be able to continue to pray or begin to see God answer our prayers.

And what approach is that? Instead of questioning God's motives, or agreeing in our hearts with the lie that prayer is essentially a waste of time, we need to ask Him a few questions. "What is it about MY life or MY praying that is keeping you from being able to answer?" or "What is wrong with ME, that I can't prevail with You in prayer, O God?" or to use the words of David, "Search ME, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in ME, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Such a request will invariably lead us to a number of Biblical conditions that we must meet if we are to prevail in prayer. Let me mention just 2 verses that contain a number of such conditions:

1Ti 2:8 "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

James 5:16b "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

These lead us to stop asking God why He isn't listening and begin to ask ourselves a few questions:

• Am I really saved? Do I really belong to God?
• Are my hands holy? Have I confessed any known sin and forsaken all "pet" sins?
• Am I resentful and unforgiving? Am I nursing some wounds instead of releasing them to God?
• Am I believing God's promises when I pray, or believing my experience? Am I praying in faith?
• Am I earnest and insistent in my prayers? Am I really pouring out my heart to God or just saying my prayers?
• Am I righteous--even though I'm not perfect? Am I standing in God's forgiveness in Christ and seeking to live a life pleasing to Him?
• Am I willing to believe God is hearing me and trust Him regarding His timing? Will I let God be God?

Honest answers to these kinds of questions can allow us to stop blaming God for unanswered prayers and start pleading with Him to make us the kind of people whose prayers He can respond to.

I'm beginning to realize that power in prayer is very similar to the matter of becoming a Christian. It is not complicated, but it is costly. Unanswered prayers are less a sign of God's unwillingness to answer than a sign of our unwillingness to let Him change us. We must be willing to respond like a little child to the matters God exposes to us, knowing that He loves us and only wants to make us holy. Then unanswered prayer will cease to be a hindrance to prayer because we will begin to see God doing special things in response to our simple but believing requests.

Our generation desperately needs some giants in the prayer closet. Let's take up the challenge and trust God to grow our feet big enough to fill those empty shoes that some of our elderly brethren are leaving behind.

Lord Jesus, teach us to pray.

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." 2 Chronicles 16:

No Part Dark

I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I offered to do any of the dirty work involved in fixing my 5 year old boiler. Our furnace guy is a friend who had offered to come over and help troubleshoot the faltering system, but since it was all volunteer, I wanted to spare him the grunt work. So following his instructions, I carefully removed the front panel and discovered heating tubes all clogged up with soot. "There's your problem," he said, and handed me a painter's mask, a long handled pipe brush and the shop vac. "I think this is going to get a little bit messy," I thought, as I started brushing and vacuuming. 30 minutes later I emerged from the furnace area with my eyes burning and every inch of exposed skin now colored in varying shades of black. I glanced at a mirror near the front door and was shocked to see a man who could easily be mistaken for a 19th century coal miner looking back at me.

With the dirty work over, the worst was still to come--the cleanup effort. A few shop rags and some hand cleaner made a good start and did a reasonable job on my hands, but they couldn't even begin to help with all the nooks and crannies of my face. So I did something I've never done before. I took a mirror with me into the shower. With some meticulous scrubbing and alot of water streaming over me for a long time, I finally got out and recognized myself again. I thought that was the end of it, but the next morning a closer examination revealed that a black sooty residue had still managed to cling to the inside of my ears...and the next day a wrinkle in my neck...

And so it is with all of God's children who embark on this lifelong "clean up effort" called the Christian Life. The mess that we are in when we come to God is a pretty evident reality. Take the raw materials of an inborn self-centeredness and put it into the environment of a fallen world and we find ourselves blackened from head to foot with the soot of sin. Our immediate impulse is to try to clean ourselves up in order to come to God. But then we discover that God has provided a Savior who does not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. When we finally admit the tremendous need of forgiveness that our souls have, and look to Jesus, then a tremendous miracle of cleansing occurs and we are never dirty in the same way again.

But what about the ongoing sin that dirties our faces and feet as we walk on as children of God? Many Christians find themselves falling into the subtle trap that captured the Galatian Christians, "having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:3) With tremendous effort, they seek to make themselves clean by trying harder, looking better and serving more. However, this response to sin doesn't bring the internal cleanness that God alone can bring. Instead, it generally brings a spirit of pride and self importance before others while the private sins and sins of the heart remain undealt with. The implied answer to Paul's question to the Galatian Christians is that our own efforts cannot bring about the level of perfecting that is needed. Just as the initial cleansing work must be done by Jesus, so the ongoing cleansing work belongs to Christ as well.

Others who experience disappointment and failure in trying to perfect themselves simply abandon their efforts by lowering the bar. How many Christians live with pockets of bondage and sin that they simply hide, bury or try to ignore---all the while claiming that nobody's perfect and that their posture is really just one of "living in Grace"? It is very easy to excuse little areas of compromise in our own lives and hearts when it seems that Christians around us do the same sorts of things. Isn't God a gracious and loving God who is willing to bear with a little fleshliness here and there?

To this, the Scriptures resoundingly respond that Jesus' intention is to "present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:27) And to the individual, Jesus says "If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light." (Luke 11:36) It is not by allowing for a little dirt to remain that we live in Grace, but by surrendering ourselves completely to the only One who can truly sanctify us.

And even in this, becoming clean is not the end that God calls us to. God calls us to Himself--to walk moment-by-moment with the One who made us and loves us. But because He is absolutely righteous, walking with Him brings about more and more righteousness in us. The surrender to His workings in our soul as we walk with Him necessarily results in a deeper holiness, but it is an outcome our walk with Him, rather than an aim on our part.

This sort of quiet surrender to the internal work of Jesus in our hearts is as simple as confessing sin as soon as we become aware of it. It is responding with willingness to be changed when God shows us an area that needs improvement, and it is believing in the enabling of God when he asks us to do something that seems beyond us. Walking in Grace is never abandoning the idea of a spotless life before God, but it is also never presuming that anyone but Christ can bring it about. In time, this sort of dependence on Jesus not only brings a holiness to our lives, but a humility as well.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)

Reaching Back

It was a weird feeling, fumbling through a big box of art supplies that I hadn't even looked at for probably 15 years. But there it all was just as I remembered it. A dusty little box of pastels, a mechanical drawing pencil, some color chips from color theory class 26 years ago, and even the object of my search--a medicine bottle full of pen nibs. I pulled out the nib holder, grabbed the nibs and an old bottle of india ink and made my way back to my graphic design office. It was kind of fun to look through all those old familiar tools but the real reason for the trip down memory lane was to create a pen and ink drawing for a newspaper advertisement. Computers have replaced almost all the need that I have for those art supplies, but there are some things that I can't do on the computer--and drawing cartoons is one of them. So after a few minutes of experimenting with the dipping, drawing and dipping again, it was all coming back to me and within a short time I had the cartoon completed. I was reminded again that sometimes the only way forward is to reach back.

Are there times in the life of the modern day Christian when God would have us reach back and return to some of the simple truths that we have all but forgotten? As years turn into decades, sometimes simple, yet powerful thoughts from earlier times get lost in the shuffle. Slowly but surely, we are molded into the shape of the current evangelical culture (weak as it is). Everything seems to look ok on the outside (especially in comparison to some Christians around us), but inside there are raging issues that most of the latest books from the Christian bookstore seem powerless to address. What about the Christian who privately struggles seething anger? Or one who finds it difficult to develop a real and earnest relationship with God? How is it that God helps a person deal with skeletons of their past? Or enables them to get close to others? How does he empower a Christian to overcome a secret habit?

Sometimes the only way forward is to reach back. When the church at Ephesus was found to have lost their way (Rev. 2:1-5), Jesus identified that their real problem was that they had lost their first love. Although outwardly they seemed to be doing all the right things, their hearts had grown cold toward their Savior. The Lord's instruction for them was to Remember, Repent and Return. That is, Remember how it used to be when they were close to Jesus and how far away from Him they had moved, Repent for allowing their hearts to grow cold towards Him, and Return to the manner of life they had left behind. Jesus didn't point them forward to a new approach to their problems or a new set of hoops to jump through in order to overcome, he pointed them backward to acknowledge their failure to love Him. And to embrace Him again, doing anew the things they had done back when they were close to Him.

The process of turning back to Jesus is not complicated, it is very simple really. It is laying down the self-sufficiency and self reliance and looking to a Person to make us whole and strong again. It is walking by his side through our days, with our Bible in one hand and heartfelt prayers about all that life brings in the other. It is choosing to make loving Him the goal instead of serving Him or even imitating Him. It is remembering again how selflessly and sacrificially He has loved us and responding with a lifestyle of gratitude and wonder.

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 21

Storm Damage

My digital alarm clock didn't wake me on that strange morning a few weeks ago and the analog clock hadn't moved since 11:30 the night before. "Ok, so we don't have power", I thought. Pretty soon we were stoking up the woodstove and going through our standard power outage routines--fill as many containers with water as possible before the water runs out, assemble candles and flashlights to a place we can find them in the dark, call and listen to the recording on the power company voicemail. Sometime in the midst of all of this, one of the kids looked out the window and noticed that the woodshed roof was laying in a heap about 15 feet from it's proper location on top of the woodshed. This realization caused me to take a few moments to survey the property for any other signs of storm damage. Thankfully, we didn't have any trees down, but a trip to a friend's house to get some more water revealed that we weren't the only ones affected by this storm. Power lines all along the way had trees leaning on them, an enclosed trailer was crushed on one side of the road, an outbuilding blown over on the other. And lest I think that the effects were felt just in the rural area that I live, this week I noticed a 150' pine tree laying on the ground within 40 feet of a $2 million riverfront home in town.

How often are eternal issues thrown up on the canvas of the physical experiences of our lives. As the winds whipped through the area causing damage and destruction regardless of race or class or status, so the storms of life and the effects of sin wreak havoc on us all. As Jesus said, "in the world, ye shall have tribulation." None are immune from the inherent dangers of living in a fallen world. For some, it is the tragedy of abusive parents or relatives, for others, the it is the sad result of foolish youthful choices. There are a thousand sources that might bring the storms, but the results are always the same--broken hearts and damaged souls.

But this is not the complete picture painted for us by this area storm. The rest of the picture is found in examining the cleanup effort. It is easy to see the short-sightedness of a man in a mansion who is still tripping over the huge tree in his front yard several weeks the storm. But what about the man who is still tripping over emotional damage from an alcoholic father 25 years after the offenses occurred? or the woman who keeps stumbling on the memory of a self-serving choice to end a pregnancy 30 years ago? Much of the tragedy of the ongoing presence of "storm damage" in our lives is not that it happened in the first place, but that it has never been cleaned up.

The rest of the verse quoted above gives hope for damaged people. "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Jesus never promised that we would not have storms, he promised the opposite actually. But along with the storms that will surely come, he promised the possibility of overcoming. Contrary to popular opinion, the Bible never teaches that we must be forever defined by our past traumas or failures. Instead, it offers healing, forgiveness and deliverance to those who will humble themselves and seek for it earnestly in Christ himself. As Jesus said in another place, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."(Jn. 8:36)

Our hesitation in bringing our broken selves to Jesus is not generally that we don't believe that he can help, but the price that he asks us to pay. The cost of this overcoming is the primarily the price of a bowed knee and a bent neck. You see, it was only the proud and self-sufficient who never experienced a healing touch from Jesus. But his loving heart was quickly drawn to the side of ones who laid their need out openly before him, his healing power quietly meeting their need. The empty hands that they brought to Jesus were filled with the gracious and sufficient answer to their need.

The reassuring word for all who recognize themselves in the picture of this recent storm is this: Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

Giving up too soon

Hot dogs and grill were packed in the minivan, along with the hope that we could find a scenic spot somewhere in the mountains for a hike and a picnic. Just as we got to the area where the pavement ends, we ran into a few friends who had been up through that area numerous times before. "You take the first road to the left and just stay on it. After a while it opens up to some gorgeous spots that overlook Lake Pend Oreille", they informed us. "Sounds great," we said, and started up the mountain. Once we found what seemed to be the first road to the left, (mountain roads are not exactly well marked, you know...) we headed down through the woods, bumping and rattling on a road not particularly built for minivans. There were a number of times that we had to straddle deep ruts or make detours to avoid large rocks in order to keep going. Each time this happened I would hear groans from one corner of the van or another of, "Dad, are you suuure this is the right road?" or "Pleeeease can we go back? Can you find a place to turn around?" or "Dad, do you think the van is going to be ok?" These comments only added to my own sense of ambivalence about the cost vs. benefits of taking this route. But the thought of a family picnic overlooking the lake kept pushing me to at least to go around the next bend, then the next one.... After we scraped the undercarriage on pile of rocks, I decided that maybe we should find the next turnaround spot and head back. "Surely we missed the right road", I thought. So I took the next little turn off by some high voltage power lines and we all got out for a little hike to try to salvage something from our little mountain excursion. When we got to the top of the little ridge, we looked across toward where the main "road" was heading and saw a faint glimmer of brightness through the trees way in the distance. "Let's go a little further," I announced. "I think that might be the lake over there through those trees." Needless to say, everybody's attitudes improved once we got to the scenic overlook and found views of the lake that exceeded our expectations. All of a sudden, the twists and bumps in the road seemed pretty insignificant and we settled in for some nice family time.


Recently I began to realize what a vivid picture this story paints of the journey that many of us take as we try to grow as Christians. We start out our Christian life with hearts full of hopes and dreams. We hope for the fullness that Jesus promised to all those who truly believe. After all, Jesus had told us in His Word, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." And we dream of bearing 30, 60, or 100-fold fruit to the praise of this wonderful Savior. Didn't He say, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit?" Surely these promises meant that we should expect to know Jesus' presence and power in our lives in the here and now, we thought. Heaven will surely be the final reward, but there will be fellowship with God and the blessing of seeing his kingdom advance until then. Ah, but then the twists and bumps of life begin coming, and the rocks along the way began scraping us... The rosy faith-filled thoughts of the early days begin to lose their sparkle and we experience subtle doubts about God's goodness and the blessedness of walking with Him. The strange jumble of internal doubts and disappointing experiences seems to beg us to stop climbing, stop pressing on, and especially to stop believing in the promises of God.

It is here that many Christians find themselves today--not ever abandoning a perfunctory belief that God is there, but not pressing on to really know Him in victory and power either. Because it is so common, this tepid Christianity begins to be understood as the best that a Christian can expect or hope for in this life. Many a Christian can be found picnicking beside the "beauty" of telephone poles and powerlines simply because they stopped too soon.

Could it be, that you are one who is settling for less than what God has promised for those who believe? Are you finding yourself satisfied with a religious profession, but not really growing deeper in a love relationship with Jesus Christ himself? According to scripture, only those who keep on seeking will find. Only those who keep hungering and thirsting after righteousness shall be filled. Perhaps our greatest need is to repent for giving up too soon, and stir up the hunger for God that was there at the start--back when we were just believing the simple words of Scripture.

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jer. 29:13

Mirror Moments

It was one of those "mirror moments". One of my children had just done something that made me grimace. Why did this little stunt cause such a response in me? It wasn't that the behavior was so offensive, but that I knew that he had learned that particular behavior from me. Sadly, the apple wasn't falling far from the tree...

"Mirror moments" are one of the bittersweet parts of parenting because they come in two different forms. It is truly a sweet experience when we catch one of our children imitating one of the good qualities or habits that have managed to develop in our lives over the years. Who can help but smile when we see our child bow in prayer when they can't find their favorite book, or display kindness toward a new kid at soccer. But then there are those painful times when we instead find them imitating our faults. "Oh no," we think. "This bad behavior that I've struggled so much with in my life is being picked up by my child!" Many parents see this pattern, feel overwhelmed and then just ignore the whole situation. In spite of how we FEEL at such a time, I'm convinced that these little events are one of the hidden treasures of parenting. God has blessed us with children partly because of the purifying effect of such moments, both for ourselves and for our children.

Now in order to benefit from our "mirror moments" we need to recognize what God is trying to do in them. What is the purpose of a mirror? It is to show us what we look like. When I find a piece of food on my collar on my way out the door, I can ignore the mirror and refuse to look at it any more, or I can be grateful that the mirror has helped me identify a problem that needs to be taken care of. God allows these moments of self-discovery with our children because He dearly wants to make us holy like He is. To do any less than gaze honestly into the mirror is to miss the blessing that God has in such encounters.

But to change, ah, that is is the difficulty. It is one thing to honestly look, but how does "looking" translate into "changing"? This is where another function of a mirror comes into play. What if instead of noticing a piece of food on my collar I notice a cancerous growth on my forehead? In this case, the mirror functions to show not only what I look like, but also whether the problem I discover is something that I can take care of on my own or not. In the case of a spot of melanoma, I desperately need the help of something or someone outside of myself. I have discovered something about myself for which I have no power to adequately address! Isn't this a picture of the sin patterns of our lives? Bold resolutions and creative strategies for change only end up highlighting what an honest look in the mirror should have told us. We are out of our league and desperately need help.

Uncomfortable as it is, this is exactly where our loving Heavenly Father wants us. It is not until we recognize our helplessness that we will look to the only One who can really do what is needed. When we finally turn the mirror away from ourselves and point it toward Christ, we will begin to notice change taking place in our areas of struggle. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18 As by the Spirit of the Lord?! Could it be that there is a Divine Physician who can rescue me from the patterns of sin that plague me and my children? Yes! And as we believe this wonderful truth and persevere in believing (trustingly obey), He quietly brings the healing and freedom that we long for.

But how does this all benefit my children who have picked up my bad habits? It is only this. Children don't need instructors as badly as they need examples. As I look to Jesus and allow His Spirit to deliver me from my sin, I will do far more for my child than I would by just confronting them about an area of sin in their life (although this is very important).I will be showing them how to overcome. And thus God allows the "mirror moments" to become a precious treasure to us both.