Really Now? Containers, Cracked Pots, Cradles & Caskets?

Life’s Given Bookends: First, a Cradle; Finally, the Casket!

Merlin’s Intro: I have been blessed recently not only having ready access to the past years KMC Sunday AM services, but also other significant events, such as recent funerals, indeed, celebrations of these final transitions. I found listening to them Exquisitely Enlightening, Encouraging, Evidentially Elevating my spirit…

At any rate, Eugene Peterson’s book, Run With The Horses, is a favorite of mine and in the updated version since Eugene’s death in 2018, it now includes his son Eric’s Commemorative Preface: A Homily for the Celebration of the Resurrection of Eugene Peterson Nov 3, 2018, in the First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell, MT.  Eric’s words below were a highlight for me having only found them the Thursday before Good Friday. Eric’s words resonate deeply within me! Enjoy! No doubt our friend Eugene invested well!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

I’ve been thinking a lot about containers these days.

It brought to mind an ancient proverb that tells the story of a young girl whose morning chore it was to walk to the river and fetch water for her household. Suspended from a pole across her shoulders were two water pots that supplied her family’s daily needs. One of the pots was perfect, but the other one was cracked, and by the time they made the return trip home each day, the second pot was only half full.

After some time, the little cracked pot, ashamed that she wasn’t able to function at full capacity, expressed her embarrassment and sense of failure to the girl.

“Why do you keep using me when all I do is leak?” she asked. “Why don’t you replace me with a new pot?”

Smiling, the girl gently responded, “Have you seen the beautiful flowers that grow along the path between the house and the river? And have you noticed that they only grow on your side of the path as we walk home together? That’s because every spring I plant seeds on only your side, knowing that you will water them as we walk home together. I’ve been picking those flowers for years and filling our home with fragrance and beauty. I couldn’t do it without you. What you thought was a flaw is actually a gift to us all.”

In ways that continue to astound me, God consistently chooses to accomplish divine purposes through the agency of human imperfection. Through the weaknesses and shortcomings of the clay pots—which are our lives—uncommonly beautiful things emerge.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

The message of God’s love, this magnificent story of creation, salvation, and liberation, has been entrusted to the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives (II Cor. 4). In other words, the container of good news is the broken body of Christ. We’re a bunch of crack pots. We leak. This is by design. So that the blessings might flow.

One of the most important things Eugene taught us is that everything about the life of faith is livable. If you can’t translate an idea into an experience, it’s not gospel. Abstractions are enemies of the Way of Truth and Life (Key, & so true! mle).

Which is why I’m so very grateful to have grown up with a man whose life was so well integrated and congruent, such that the dad who served up mashed potatoes on Saturday night was the very same pastor who served up the word of God on Sunday morning. He was someone who embodied the message he proclaimed. His body was a sacred temple. A habitation for the holy. A container of the Spirit of God.

I know this to be true because the evidence is irrefutable, inasmuch as he manifested the fruits of the Spirit.

He was a container for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

He was a flawed and cracked container of these gifts, never hoarding, always leaking. What a holy vessel he was. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Moreover, I think of his many books as durable containers of the words he wrote for us. Inspired words full of truth and grace. Words that we will treasure for many years.

But for right now I wish to draw your attention to two particular containers that are here. They are common enough as containers go. What is unusual is that they are in the same room at the same time.

A cradle. And a casket.

The one is a container of life. The other is a container of death.

One is open to the world; the other, closed, having finished this world.

The one holds promise and hope and future. Anticipation. The other holds completion: it is finished.

The one represents a glorious beginning; the other, a glorious end.

A cradle and a casket: these are the containers that bookend our lives.

When Eugene delivered this cradle, freshly crafted from his basement workshop in Maryland to New Jersey, where his first grandchild was born, I exclaimed to him how beautiful it was. As we were carrying it into the apartment together he confessed that it had a flaw, and he had to shim it. I knew all about shims because he had taught me, at an early age, about them. “Every carpenter,” he said, “needs to know how to use shims.”

I have scrutinized this cradle over the years, and I still can’t find the flaw. He wasn’t just a master word-worker; he was a master woodworker.

And among the things he left us, in the craft of words and wood, is this exquisite piece of work that our family will treasure for generations. Many of Eugene’s grandchildren and grandnephews and grandnieces were held in this little container, and their names are all inscribed inside.

This all came back to mind as I was building his casket a couple of weeks ago. The miter joints weren’t lining up exactly right, and I had to use some shims to tighten them up. I had never built a casket before, and so I set out doing what many of us have learned to do: I went to YouTube. And in the process, I came across a coffin maker named Marcus Daly, who doesn’t just build wooden boxes but contemplates the human condition. I very much like the way he reflects on his work. Here is what he says:

I think one of the most important aspects of the coffin is that it can be carried. And I think we’re meant to carry each other. And I think carrying someone you love, committing them, is very important for us when we deal with death. We want to know that we have played a part and that we have shouldered our burden. So, if we make it too convenient, then we’re depriving ourselves of a chance to get stronger so that we can carry on.

At various points in their lives, Eugene carried six of his grandchildren, both physically and emotionally. He was a strong, steadying presence in their lives, as he was for so many of us. He carried them up mountains. He carried them through school. He carried them through heartache.

Today those six grandchildren carry him. And at the end of the day they will be stronger for it. Today, the rest of us watch while the heavy lifting is accomplished through their fierce love, as they carry him to his final resting place. But if we’ve been paying attention, we will also know that as Eugene has been wielding the words of his craft over the years, we too have become more fit, strengthened, readied for citizenship in the kingdom of God.

This casket-container is now holding the body-container that was Eugene Peterson. I say was, because by the mystery of the resurrection, to which the baptized are heirs, his body has been exchanged for something much, much more durable. Perishability, as St. Paul once famously said it, has taken on imperishability. Mortality has been swapped for immortality. The temporary traded for the eternal.

Now, it’s the casket and the cradle!

But these are just temporary containers. Pretty much like everything is. There is only one thing that isn’t.

We don’t know much about what heaven is like. The preferred biblical metaphor is that of a city, suggesting that it is inhabitable. It’s populated. But the particularities that St. John describes make it clear that it is unlike any city we’ve known on earth. For starters, it is a city without limits, unconstrained by zip codes or boundary lines, unencumbered by fences, not obstructed by walls. In other words, it’s a container for the hosts of heaven without being confining. It is a place or—perhaps better said—it’s a reality in which the limitations of our present mortality give way to the full expressions of that which we now know only in part—namely, perfect love, unmitigated joy, deep and eternal peace.

It’s quite a design, as city planning goes: there is no temple in this New Jerusalem—no church container of any kind—because it’s no longer necessary, the presence of God being so pervasive, holding everything and everyone together.

There is a river running through the city, suggesting that the blessings flood freely.

And there is a tree, whose leaves, we are told, are for the healing of the nations. And my how this world needs those leaves right now.

All of which is to say that what we sort of know as we look through a glass darkly is that heaven is a glorious container for all the saints.

Where life is free to flow unbounded, unencumbered.

Where blessings—no longer contained—rush like whitewater.

Where there are no more tears, no more pain, no more death. And because the former things have passed away, and because it is a city built by the Master Carpenter, there are also no more shims.

It’s a most perfect, everlasting container, for all the saints.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

First Presbyterian Church, Kalispell, Montana

November 3, 2018

— Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best by Eugene H. Peterson (1932-2018).  A pastor, scholar, author and poet. He wrote more than 30 books, including his widely acclaimed paraphrase of the Bible, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language.

merlin again: You agree too that this is a high impact document? Those 4 words; containers, cracked pots, cradles & caskets, are now etched positively forever in my mind for my good and His Glory. I’m just blessed to have been the facilitator! Thanks for joining us! Got something good you want to share with the audience? Contact me.

And the Question Still Remains: Do “WE” Really Want “Them?”

This the fifth and final consecutive post from Gary Miller’s book Reaching America: God’s message has not changed – but our culture has. I strongly suggest you absorb them in order to fully assimilate their value for understanding Gary’s heart for living and building the Kingdom Today. The prior post of Chapter Four concluded with my hope you’d be prompted to purchase your own copy, and then share it with friends who share your passion for reaching America.  

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It was not supposed to be this way. David had led King Saul’s men to victory in battle and enjoyed the thrill of returning home to the cheers of the admiring crowds. Besides, he knew God had specifically chosen him to be king. David had experienced God working through him in marvelous ways. Yet Saul had now turned against him, and he was in hiding. As David looked around that dim and dirty cave, he must have experienced major doubt. The Bible says he was captain of four hundred men, a puny match for Saul’s military might. But perhaps most discouraging of all, was the men David had attracted. “And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him…” This was hardly what David had visualized when Samuel had anointed him to be king.

            We can imagine some thoughts that might have gone through his mind, “Surely I am meant for better things than this! How does God expect me to usher in a new day in Israel with this motley crew? Where are all the stable, well-adjusted, and contented men – the ones who consistently pay their bills on time and are good managers?”

The answer was simple. They were still back home, faithfully farming their land and minding their stores. Men who are content do not typically risk losing what they have to go search for something better. Maybe there is a lesson here for us today.

            If you and your congregation have been actively attempting to reach out here in America, you already understand that seekers tend to come with difficulties, and they usually disrupt our normal, predictable way of life. They “intrude” into our well-scheduled, well-structured communities and ask awkward questions, bringing up topics we would rather not address. On a Sunday we talk as if we want seekers, but many times when they appear, we find their presence inconvenient. At times, dealing with the consequences of their past infringes upon precious family time (Gary does tell it the way it is! mle).

            Although the following categories are admittedly too simplistic, I am going to divide today’s seekers into three basic types.

Manny Ishues

Let’s call the first seeker type Manny Ishues. He typically comes with a host of problems from his past. It might be financial challenges, marriage issues, or difficulty with interpersonal relationships. In short, Manny has many similarities to the men who sought out David in the cave of Adullam. But as he observes your structured lives, your nice homes, and your cars that always start, he knows he has found just what he has been looking for. To Manny, your church community looks like a well-oiled machine, so unlike the chaos in his past. Although he wonders if could ever be totally accepted or actually belong , something within him craves what he sees.

            Many of the Manny Ishues out there feel like life has dealt them a rough hand. Like the men in David’s cave, Manny comes hoping you will listen to him, walk with him, and help him find a better life. Manny has been subconsciously taught from his youth that others are to blame for his circumstances. He has grown up listening to stories about selfish landlords, lousy bosses, and wealthy people who oppress the common person. While you may have been taught that hard work is how people get ahead, Manny Ishues has learned the only way to rise is to win the lottery, enroll in a good government program, or find a generous person (like you) to attach himself to. Remember, contented people do not usually go seeking, and depending on your zip code, you may find the majority of seekers are people like Manny Ishues. The time may come when you wonder you ever opened the door when Manny first knocked!

Seekun Trooth

The second individual I want to introduce is Seekun Trooth. Seekun comes from a church down the road and is looking for more. He has found Jesus and has a powerful testimony. He is looking doctrinal correctness and less hypocrisy, a church fellowship that is serious about following Jesus. Seekun loves his Bible and spends much time in prayer. He has tried multiple churches and found them wanting. He tends to be organized, serious, and intent on walking closer to God. Seekun Trooth is very different from Manny Ishues. He is on a spiritual quest, and when he found you he was certain he had found what he was looking for: a group practicing the doctrines the others have neglected, and likeminded people on a quest to be closer to God.

But before long Seekun Trooth begins to cause unrest. He spots inconsistencies in your congregation, and since he is serious honesty and assumes you are too, he starts asking difficult questions. “Why are your people so serious about nonresistance but seem to have little interest in Jesus’ teachings regarding the accumulation of wealth?” Or, “I like the fact that your sisters wear the head veiling, and that is partly why I am here, but why the disparaging remarks about churches like the one I came from? Even though they don’t wear a veiling they were the ones who cared enough to reach out to me.”

In quiet moments, Seekun will question why he left his original church. He came hoping for more, but sometimes he is not sure he achieved his goal. While he appreciates the doctrinal correctness, he wonders about the apathy. Seekun Trooth came assuming he was joining a group on a spiritual quest to get closer to God. But sometimes it feels like your fellowship isn’t actually on a journey. He gets the sense that you believe you have already arrived. And some of the questions he asks get really uncomfortable. Though you might not admit it, there are times you wonder why you ever picked up the phone when Seekum Trooth first called.

Indy Cided

The third individual you can’t avoid in our culture is Indy Cided. Indy comes from a growing group of people who loved to discuss all kinds of ideas, but are not quite ready to commit to any of them. Indy belongs to that group of people the sociologists call the Nones. She doesn’t come with a Biblical foundation and may not understand the need for a worldview grounded in anything more than her own inner feelings. Neither does she see a need to reach conclusions during your discussion. But there’s one thing Indy Cided will bring to your life – a host of questions!

Unhindered by a need to defend any one belief, Indy loves to throw out hard questions. She likes to speak of tolerance, of people’s right to their own conclusion, and of the importance of not judging others. There is a good chance she is carrying wounds from a bad experience with a Christ Follower. This person may have frustrated her by condescendingly providing simplistic answers to complex questions, hiding a lack g knowledge behind vague Christian cliches.

Debate will probably do little to persuade Indy, and an unwillingness to listen to her will simply hasten her down the path away from God. Gospel tracts once attempting to convert her into a committed believer in three pages will have little impact and likely will cause additional harm. If Indy Cided is going to take a fresh look at Christianity, she will need to be exposed to disquieting evidence. She will need people with a humble spirit and a genuine interest in her life. She will need a person who is an unapologetic follower of Jesus Christ, someone who will remain a friend even if she chooses to remain unconverted. Indy has probably never met a Christian quite like that, and it will take many hours of listening and caring before she shows much interest in your beliefs. In fact, if your idea of evangelism is telling, selling, and compelling the lost to an immediate commitment to Christ, you will likely only do more damage to Indy Cided! (OUCH indeed! mle)

Do We Really Want Them?

This overview of potential seekers in America today is over-generalized, and as you interact with people, many will not fit exactly into any of these three categories. But if you spent much time dialoguing with seekers, I suspect certain individuals came to mind as you read these summaries. And even though Manny Ishues, Seekun Trooth, and Indy Cided were different in many ways, all three had something in common: They came with baggage from their past (I suggest we all do, even if we visibly appear to fit the mold.. mle).

My goal isn’t to portray seekers in negative light or to discourage you from reaching out. But we must be realistic. Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him” (John 6:44). God is actively calling, convicting, and drawing men to Himself. Our role is to care about the lost, and to individually and collectively demonstrate the character of God. We are to be praying for these people and preparing for the Lord to work.

Everyone Is Needed in the Field

Sometimes we don’t see immediate results. After declaring that the fields are white and ready to harvest to harvest, Jesus said, “One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, ye are entered into their labors” (John 4:37-38). Jesus is saying that these who are planting might not see the harvest, and the harvesters may not have been involved in the planting. But the point is this: Every follower of Jesus Christ should be involved in planting, harvesting, or both. And because there isn’t an immediate harvest does not mean it is time to stop planting. We won’t always see results from our labor. But all of us are called to be working, and everyone is needed in the field.

It’s Never Been Easy

Think back to the people who came to Jesus. It seems a high percentage were the poor, the down and out, and even individuals known to be immoral. There were exceptions, but many seemed to be people like Manny Ishues. Yet they felt safe coming to Jesus for help. Move on to the time of the apostles, and we see a similar pattern. Corinth was a wealthy city, but notice Paul’s description of those who responded to the Gospel: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (I Cor 1:26,27). James seems to go further, insinuating that God is predisposed to the lower levels of society: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5).

This is not to say that the rich and socially elite are excluded. But it does mean that we shouldn’t be surprised if seekers come with problems. While some, like Nicodemus, were in the upper echelons of power, many of Jesus’ most devoted followers were individuals living on the margins and came with deep issues. They came as military officers, greedy tax collectors, and immoral prostitutes. It was not usually the upstanding citizen, yet Jesus took time for them, and their lives were transformed by the Gospel. Today, there are stable, passionate and gifted members in our congregations who originally came too with major issues. Yet someone was willing to invest in their lives and help them find the ultimate source of healing. 

The work is rarely easy. Manny Ishues may threaten to divide your congregation when members have differing opinions on how to respond. Indy Cided will probably ask difficult questions that you never thought of and don’t feel qualified to answer. Others, like Seekun Trooth, will reveal inconsistencies we may never have considered prior. He will make us realize we have more baggage of our own than we had thought. It takes a lot of humility to honestly confront our own hypocrisies and realize we have more to learn. But I encourage you to labor on. It won’t be easy, but rest assured – when you reach out to the lost, you are laboring with God.

merlin now: I believe as it was in Jesus’ day, so it is today, for only the sick who realize their needy condition may actually ever search for the Great Physician. But always remember, we Christ Followers do possess and are to radiate His Hope and Light to attract even the most unsuspecting sinner in their paralyzing darkness, whether momentarily high in their giddy wickedness, or perhaps, so low they are contemplating how to commit suicide.

FYI, Now About Christian Aid Ministries (CAM)

merlin again: I tend to think CAM is the real deal! Yes, they are human. Yes, they too make mistakes. And if they do, they admit so and seek restoration while unswervingly focusing all their adoration, allegiance & assets in such as people, time, energy & money to the Trinity: God our Father, Jesus Christ his only begotten Son, and Holy Spirit whom resides in us empowering us as already resurrected in His kingdom here on planet earth until our mission here is completed.  

CAM was founded in 1981 as a nonprofit, tax exempt 501© (3) organization. Its primary purpose to provide a trustworthy and efficient channel for Amish, Mennonite, and other conservative Anabaptist groups and individuals to minister to physical and spiritual needs around the world. This in response to the command to “… do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

            Each year, CAM supporters provide 15-20 million pounds of food, clothing, medicines, seeds, Bibles, Bible story books, and other Christian literature for needy people. Most of the aid goes to orphans and Christian families. Supporters’ funds also help clean up and rebuild for natural disaster victims, put up Gospel billboards in the U.S., support several church-planting efforts, operate two medical clinics, and provide resources for needy families to make their own living. CAM’s main purposes for providing aid to help and encourage God’s people and bring the Gospel to a lost and dying world.

            CAM has staff, warehouses, and distribution networks in Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Haiti, Nicaragua, Liberia, Israel, and Kenya. Aside from management, supervisory personnel, and bookkeeping operations, volunteers do most of the work at CAM locations. Each year, volunteers do most of the work at CAM locations. Each year, volunteers at our warehouses, field bases, Disaster Response Services projects, and other locations donate over 200,000 hours of work.

            CAM ultimate purpose is to glorify God and help enlarge His kingdom. “… whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31).

            If you wish to communicate with author Gary Miller, email kingdomfinance@camoh.org or write CAM, PO Box 360, Berlin, OH.44610. To order Reaching America ($14.99) and other literature, go to www.tgsinternational.org  

Accept His Love. Share His Love. Live His Joy. Grow His Fruit. Embrace His Peace. Share His Hope. Refute Satan’s Evil!!        merlin

Do They Really Want What We Have?

This is the fourth chapter from Gary Miller’s Reaching America: God’s message has not changed but our culture has. The first three chapters titled Awake, Alive, and Multiplying, What Is Different & Does Anyone really Care were the three prior posts. Warning: this is a heavy chapter. First, we must Behold the depth of God’s love for us, and then, we must Beware of the deceitfulness of our own hearts. merlin

Jesus warned His followers that the Gospel message would not be an easy sell. Describing the path, He warned that “strait is the gate, and narrow the way is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.(Matt 7:14) This is restrictive language, describing a path pursued only by serious seekers. Peter, a few years later, reiterated the narrowness and exclusivity of the Jesus way. “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12) Peter says that Jesus (no exceptions) is the only path to God. Given that the mantra for our age is tolerance, this message does not make our job of reaching out any easier.

The Irony of Tolerance

Our current culture exalts tolerance and despises exclusivity. “What right do you have,” we are told, “to claim that your religious beliefs are superior to anyone else’s?” D. A. Carson, in his book The Intolerance of Tolerance, notes there was a time in America when people had the right to believe what they wanted and even state it openly. Everyone’s belief was truly tolerated. But today, the belief that all beliefs are of equal value is the only belief being tolerated. Carson says it like this: “Intolerance is no longer a refusal to allow contrary opinions to say their piece in public, but must be understood to be any questioning or contradicting the view that all opinions are equal in value, that all worldviews have worth, that all stances are equally valid.”(6) The prevailing push toward “tolerance” is actually more restrictive and intolerant than the worldview it replaces. No longer does anyone have the right to believe that one opinion is superior to another. The only acceptable perspective is that is that all beliefs hold equal value.

“I am the way, truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” There is no wiggle room in these words of Jesus. A “Christian worldview” does not attempt to force everyone to agree, but neither does it believe that all worldviews are of equal value. Therefore, this kind of “exclusive” position is deemed intolerant, and many turn away from the Gospel because it does not accept other religions. But intolerance isn’t the only reason today’s seeker might not be interested in what you have.

The High Cost

Jesus was very clear. Not only did He teach that He is the only way, (John 14:6) but He said the cost of being His disciple is extremely high (Lukem14:33). While that was obviously true in Jesus’ day, it could be argued that the cost is even higher today. In our low-commitment culture, one of the burning questions we are almost fearful to ask seeking families is whether they are divorced. This is not a question we ask in our first encounter, but when we see children of varying ages, we can’t help but wonder.

If it does turn out to be a second marriage, the cost of following becomes very high. Choosing to separate from a spouse you love, knowing the devastating impact on the lives of your children, and questioning if this is actually God’s will is an extremely difficult decision. For many, taking Jesus at His word comes at incredible cost! Most of us have seen individuals come up against this and back away.

Others struggle with the concept of defenseless living. Jim found the Lord early in life and became part of a local Protestant congregation. He married, had children, and came to believe that part of being a faithful Christ Follower was physically protecting his children from harm. In fact, by the time he met someone who believed Jesus expected His teachings on nonresistance to be taken seriously, Jim had storage closets of guns and ammunition. He was simply trying to be a good Christian father and protect his family. Today Jim has embraced defenseless living, but it was not easy.

Jim tells how difficult it was to believe that Jesus would want fathers to live in this violent world without lethal protection. It was unimaginable! Yet he kept going back to the actual words of Jesus, considering them, and eventually he embraced this basic teaching. Jim has been a faithful follower of Jesus now for many years, but he still remembers how difficult it was to accept this truth. “I was convinced God wanted me to protect my family, and choosing to sell my guns and ammo was a huge decision.” I can think of others who have come up against this “hard saying of Jesus” and walked away. This is one of the reasons seekers may not be interested in the Gospel you are presenting.

An Easier Path

Faced with the reality that Jesus’ self-denying Gospel is a hard sell to a self-centered culture, churches have attempted to give Christianity a face-lift. While the old Gospel focused on taking up the cross and dying to selfish desires, the new alternative looks at people’s desires and attempts to satisfy them. Whether it is popularity, wealth, acceptance, or just an entertaining Sunday morning experience, there is a church out there willing to help you achieve your goal. The Gospel of Jesus was designed to transform the seeker to please God, but this new approach seems more focused on adjusting the holiness of God to fit the seekers. If the churches are going to grow, it is argued, we must create an enjoyable experience that leaves the visitor wanting more.

Dr. Gary Gilley in his book This Little Church Went to Market, describes it like this:

“Growing churches are creating an atmosphere, an environment, of fun. So fun has replaced holiness as the church’s goal. Having a good time has become the criterion of an excellent, growing church, since fun and entertainment is what consumers want. Yet Bible references encouraging churches to become havens of fun are, as one may suspect, lacking.”

            Unquestionably, the message that God’s primary goal is for you to be happy makes sharing the authentic Gospel of Jesus difficult. After all, if two paths lead to the same point, why choose the one that is more difficult? Why pick an unpopular counter-culture route if it is not necessary? That defies logic. So we, as Christ Followers, have been given the task of sharing the uncomfortable truth that Jesus did really mean what He said. His message was clear. “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaking not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33). 

So, It’s Just Them?

            We have no control over some of these obstacles to evangelism. We cannot tell people that Jesus is just one of many ways to God, or redo our theology to make it more attractive. We do not have the privilege of making the path easier or softening the cross that God calls us to bear. Neither can we force people to become more interested in the Gospel. So, the thinking goes, if they don’t want what I have, I might as well just focus on my business instead of my neighbor. If he ever gets serious about seeking God, he knows where I live (I Pet 3:15).

            Do you ever find something like this drifting through your mind? There is something a little comforting about this line of thought. If the problem is simply a combination of American affluence, a love of pleasure, fascination with electronic  entertainment, or a godless worldview, then I can’t really do anything about it anyway, and it isn’t my fault. Most of us have been tempted to subconsciously rest in this line of reasoning.

It’s Just Not That Simple!

But reality isn’t quite that simple. Americans are not finding solutions for their inner cravings, and behind all the smiles there is an emptiness and a strong sense that something is missing. In spite of being constantly connected electronically, many are experiencing a sense of alienation and a need for relationship that is not fulfilled. Consider the increase in the use of antidepressants. Between 1999 and 2014 there was a 64 percent increase in people using antidepressants, and in 2017 an estimated 16.5 percent, or one in six, non-Hispanic white Americans were using antidepressants. (8) Doctors prescribe antidepressants for more than one condition, but clearly the search is still on for a solution to anxiety and for lasting fulfillment and peace.

            As Christ Followers, we know where to find ultimate peace. We have experienced it. Not only inner spiritual peace for our hearts, but loving human relationships with others. Many of us have grown up in strong, loving church communities. When facing deep sorrow or disappointment, we have experienced an arm around our shoulders. We know what it is like to see a financial burden lifted, and we don’t worry about being left alone when a family member dies. In short, we have exactly what people around us are searching for. So, what is the problem? Why are we doing so poorly at conveying this reality to the lost?

            Some of our congregations have the same last names as fifty years ago. Yes, taking care of our own families is important, but is that all God has in mind? Remember, every surname in your congregation was new at one time. So why aren’t more people joining our fellowships now?

            The next post, Sunday nite, will be chapter five, “Do We Really Want Them?” My goal in sharing these five chapters is to have wet your appetite by now so that you’ll order your own copy for the 17 remaining chapters. I got my copy at Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) in Berlin. Gary Miller is a prolific writer for CAM. Two other of Gary’s books,  Going Til You’re Gone is a must read for everyone approaching 50 and I use his 79 page mini novel How Can Anyone Say God Is Good as a tract suitable for teens up thru retirement, the latter if you buy a box of 50 are only a dollar each. Spread some Light about the oppressing darkness. How else can you better invest less $ than a coffee to plant a seed that may sprout a seeker of kingdom truth? Blessings   merlin

EndNotes

(8) Lea Winerman, “By the Numbers: Antidepressant Use on the Rise.” American Psychological Association, Nov 2017, Vol. 48, No. 10.

Does Anyone really Care?

This is the third chapter from Gary Miller’s Reaching America: God’s message has not changed but our culture has. The first two chapters titled Awake, Alive, and Multiplying, and What Is Different were the two prior posts.

In a 2018 study, 35 percent of Americans surveyed identified themselves as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular, up from 30% five years earlier. When only youth are polled, this percentage grows even higher. In the past few years this group, known as the “Nones,” has caught the attention of many.

A poll released in March 2023 conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and funded by the Wall Street Journal, confirmed the importance of religion dropped during the past 25 years from 62 percent to 39 percent, now calling it important. Likewise, while 59 percent said having children was important 25 years ago, now just 30 percent do. For the first time in our nation’s history, over 65 percent of children from the ages of 7 to 17 have never been to a church, synagogue, or mosque.

What is causing this sudden surge of indifference toward religion? While many factors influence this, there is one piece of the puzzle we should not ignore: These were not individuals who were indoctrinated with a godless worldview as children and are now living out what they were taught. A majority, 78 percent, grew up in religious homes but later in life chose to abandon their parent’s beliefs. This is a shocking statistic. How did this occur?

Shifting Worldviews

For many of these, their worldview changed during college. Exposed to teachings that conflicted with their religious upbringing, they abandoned faith, finding answers in science and logic. Truth for them is in what is seen, not in the mystical realms of the invisible. These individuals, known as modernists, say they want facts and verifiable scientific proof. Since the existence of God can’t be proved in the laboratory, they remain skeptical of miracles, supernatural explanations, or any unverifiable religious claims. Of course, many evolutionary claims are unverifiable as well, but the modernist remains convinced that science itself will eventually provide answers for questions of origin that are not yet demonstrable.

In the late 1900s, in reaction to the failures of modernism to produce utopia, another viewpoint arose that has been termed “postmodernism.” For the postmodernist, truth itself is the in question. In the halls of higher education, scholars are encouraged to question everything. They are suspicious of absolutes and ponder whether anyone can be certain of anything. Consequently, statements like “That may be true for you but not for me” are increasingly common. According to the postmodernist, each of us has the privilege of developing and embracing our own truth. As illogical as this worldview may appear, its popularity is increasing, and we are seeing the results on many fronts. Of course, anyone who does not believe in absolutes will have little respect for the Word of God. Proclamations of judgement to come typically have little impact on an individual embracing a postmodern worldview.

Both modernism and postmodernism have had a huge effect on the receptiveness of the American public to the Gospel. Like a powerful vaccine, these worldviews have inoculated our culture, creating an inherent resistance to the Gospel. But this does not mean that people with a modern or a postmodern worldview have lost all interest in spiritual things. They might think that is the case, but God is still working with them. He has placed a desire to worship in every human heart – a longing that is deep and not easily discarded.

Throughout history, people have tried unsuccessfully to satisfy this inner longing for God with other things. Augustine, a fifth-century theologian who had tried pleasure and various other distractions, finally concluded, “Our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” Blaise Pascal, centuries later, said there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man that cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.(3) Americans today have an abundance of things to cram into this inner hole, but they sense thar something is still missing. They know their lives are not complete and are on a passionate pursuit for wholeness.

In 2019, David Zahl coined a new word in the title of his book Seculosity. Zahl argues that Americans, attempting to fill the void left by the abandonment of religion, are turning to all sorts of everyday activities to replace it. Careers, political involvement, technology, saving the environment, or even the perfect diet are pursued with passion and intensity, just as a devoted religious worshiper seeks after his god. “Our religion,” he says, “is that which we reply on not just for meaning or hope but enoughness,”(4) Today we see people who are extremely passionate about the purity and perfection of the food they eat or the national park they hike in, but ignore the One who created it all.

Filling the Hole

The enabler of this cultural wave is affluence. We have the wealth to procure just about anything one could wish for, and possessions are a way for men to seek fulfillment. In fact, America is famous for overindulgence. Though America represents only 4 percent of the world’s population, it consumes over 26 percent of its products!(5). With an educational system promoting skepticism, a society awash in material goods, and a worldview that says present pleasure is all that really matters, it’s no wonder we have a challenge.

Yes, I think there is an even more seductive obstacle facing seekers today: electronic entertainment.

Electronic Pacifiers

One of the primary purposes of entertainment is to distract us from reality. Constant amusement diverts people away from God’s call, even as it shapes their views and values. Pacifiers were never meant to provide nourishment. Rather, they just distract the child, sidetrack his concern, and offer a temporary placebo to divert him from his discomfort. Electronic devices do the same in our culture. When pain, loneliness, or any kind of anxiety rears its head, out comes the electronic pacifier. When serious thoughts about life or death threaten, the mind can be diverted by some funny video, movie, or online shopping, and reality is forgotten. Imagine how this can hinder the work of the Spirit in a person’s life. The Lord begins to convict him of sin, but a few swipes of the electronic pacifier puts the focus somewhere else, away from the uncomfortable call of the Spirit. Few things dull spiritual desire like constant access to mind-numbing entertainment.

Describing the last days, the Apostle Paul predicted that “men shall be lovers of their own selves,” (I Tim 3:2) describing this persistent pursuit after fun as “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” (I Tim 3:4) Written almost 2000 years before the electronic entertainment craze we are observing today, Paul could not have written a more accurate description of our time.

Are There Any Serious Seekers Left?

With a growing number of American checking out of religion and amusing themselves to death, why bother? How are Christ Followers to compete with all this? How are we to interest someone in a quiet two-hour church service that calls the listener to make difficult, self-sacrificing choices? Is evangelism in America today an act of futility?

In 2006, Christian Aid Ministries launched a program called Billboard Evangelism. The goal was to place Gospel billboards along major highways throughout the United States. It was a bold approach. A phone number was provided, and volunteers prepared to answer calls from potential seekers responding to these Gospel messages. But would anyone actually call?

The answer is yes. In spite of all our affluence and our many distractions from our shifted world views, be they from politics, economics, academics, lock-downs, earthquakes, tornadoes, wars, supply chain issues, you name it; spiritual interest is still alive in America. As of 2019, the billboard program has received over 700,000 calls. While many of these callers just wanted to argue or share their displeasure with the sign’s message, an estimated 30 percent are genuine seekers. There is obviously still a tremendous amount of spiritual interest. So, why then, do we see so little Kingdom fruit harvested?

Perhaps the next question begging to be asked is: Do They Really Want What We Have? Read the next post for that answer.

EndNotes

(3) Blaise, Pascal, Blaise Pascal’s Pensees, Penguin Books, NY,1966, Pg 75

(4) David Zahl, Seculosity, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2019, p. xiv.

What Is Different?

This is the second chapter from Gary Miller’s Reaching America: God’s message has not changed but our culture has. The first chapter was titled Awake, Alive, and Multiplying, was the prior post. If you missed the last post, I suggest you read introductory chapter one before this chapter for clarity.

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Those first exciting days of the early church must have been marvelous to behold. The end of the fourth chapter of Acts summarizes those exhilarating days like this:

The whole congregation of believers was united as one— one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need. Acts 4:32-35 The Message Version

So far in Acts, we don’t read of any selfishness or covetousness. Instead, we read of selling, sharing, and serving. What a beautiful sight? We don’t read of problems or disagreements among that first group of believers. No wonder the early church multiplied and grew even in the midst of persecution. This wasn’t just something that happened at a yearly revival – the church increased in numbers daily. This was a movement you would want to join. It was a winning team.

Then, in the very first verse of the fifth chapter, we find these words: ”But a certain man named Ananias,” and from there on we read of believers involved in lying, murmuring against other believers, even disagreeing so sharply they couldn’t travel together. There was conflict over who could be accepted in the group, what was required to be a disciple of Jesus, and whether certain leaders were qualified. In fact, after the book of Acts, the majority of our New Testament is letters to churches dealing with problems and trying to hold things together. Regardless how beautiful its beginning, it seems the Christian church had a very short honeymoon. Looking back from out vantage point today, the history of Christianity is littered with disillusionment and conflict.

So how do we view that initial tantalizing picture we read about in the part of Acts? Was it just a brief experiment that failed? Or something that worked great at firs,t but is not replicable? These are the questions many of us have struggled with. Why doesn’t evangelism work like that where we live? Why don’t our neighbors come knocking on our doors asking what the secret is to our inner joy and happiness? Why are churches closing in America? Why is the fastest growing segment in our Western culture those who don’t profess any religious belief at all?

To answer these questions, it is essential to briefly back away from our American experience. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is intended for the entire world, yet so often we become Western-centric in our thinking and blinded to global reality. God is at work in other countries and cultures as well, and looking over the wall into other settings may help us answer these questions. It may also assist us in reaching out here in America.

My first direct exposure to church life in a restricted country was in 2007. I traveled with another man to encourage underground Chinese church leaders, and the experience was very eye-opening. I had read stories about the spiritual vibrancy of these “house churches.” I had heard of their faithfulness during intense persecution and listened to accounts of strong leaders willing to stand against a godless communist regime. I was prepared to meet spiritual giants. What I found was not what I expected.

Instead of experienced leaders, I found leaders who were overtaxed yet undertaught. Thes men and women were strong on conviction but weak in experience. They were humble people who were well aware of their deficiencies. Tears were always at the surface, and earnest prayer was their constant companion. I remember sitting on my bed early one morning looking over my notes I had prepared on the subject of prayer. I had an outline with bullet points, and thoughts I had gleaned from others in the past. But as I reviewed my note, I kept hearing a group of pastors in the adjoining room. They had been praying for hours, starting before I was awake, and it seemed as if they would never finish. Yet it was not the length of time but their passion that moved me. I couldn’t understand the language, but I could grasp the emotion. These people were praying in a way I never had. Putting my notes back in my briefcase, I realized there was no way I could speak to them about prayer. I was completely unqualified.

Some of them had been believers for only a few years, yet they had been asked to lead churches. One leader was only eighteen years old, yet was the primary overseer of several congregations. The church had grown so fast there simply was no one else in their city with more experience. Over and over, I heard stories of healings, of miracles, of new believers. The expansion was happening faster than their ability to provide Bibles, so some churches had share one Bible among the entire group. What I was seeing in China in 2007 was almost an exact replica of what we read about in the first chapter of Acts. In both scenarios, the church was expanding at an exponential rate, evidenced by miraculous events and purposeful, productive evangelism. How different from my experience in America!

Since that time, I have had the opportunity to see this in other countries as well. I have seen Muslims – even a fervent Imam – come to faith. They had observed the incredible change in new Christians’ lives and had come asking for the power of Jesus for themselves. Some of these were quiet citizens who became a powerful force in sharing the Gospel. Visions and miracles are not uncommon in these restricted countries, and reading their stories is every bit as exciting as the first chapters of Acts. There are so many similarities between the experiences of the early church and what is happening in places like China that there is no question in my mind – the book of Acts is not a record of a one-time event. It is a pattern of what real evangelism looks like. And it is still occurring around the world today. Then I look at America …

Why is our nation so different? Why don’t we commonly see tremendous church growth, dramatic miracles, or radical life transformation stories? It is not for the lack of programs. An incredible amount of money and energy has gone into advertisements, Gospel tracts, and all kinds of media intended to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet many of these efforts seem unfruitful. I know a sincere   man who had a deep burden for the lost in his city. It had a population of over 200,000 people, and he was not sure how he could reach them. After spending time in prayer and talking with a few others, he came up with a plan – they would canvass the whole city.

Enlisting a group of men, they prayerfully went house to house, covering the entire metropolitan area. At the conclusion they shared their results. Some people were friendly but uninterested; others slammed their doors in frustration. Only a few were interested in listening to their message. After all that well-intended effort, not one person committed his life to the Lord.

My goal in sharing this story is not to discourage this type of effort or to insinuate we should not pass out tracts. We should definitely have this kind of burden for the lost. But it does surely illustrate the dilemma we face in reaching out in America. Most of us have found our culture is a difficult place to evangelize. But why? 

Awake, Alive, and Multiplying!

God’s message has not changed – but our culture has.

In the book of Acts we see amazing things happening! The church was vibrant and life changing, with new converts being added daily. It was a force to be reckoned with, and even the local authorities were alarmed.

But that was a long time ago …

And today we see only a few unbelievers coming to faith in Jesus and joining Anabaptist fellowships. What has changed? Do we need more programs? Is it our lack of passion for the lost? Or are we , our neighbors, peers, employees, friends and family, etc., simply distracted by work, family, numerous commitments, hobbies, ease, electronic devices, entertainment? Bottom line — is it their problem, or, is it ours?

In this thought provoking book, Reaching America, Gary Miller takes a closer look at these sobering’ questions. To help us understand the spiritual condition of America and how to respond to people’s questions, he reviews some of the calls received by Christian Aid Ministries’ Billboard Evangelism program from Berlin OH. He also explores ways to reach out to our neighbors, peers, friends and family, emphasizing how we can use our homes to effectively share the love of Jesus in these last days, as witnessed by by Adriel and Orpah in the early days soon after Pentecost. Get a cup of coffee and enjoy your moments of revelation.

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The hot sun had finally penetrated the stone walls of the house, and soon her children would start trickling in for the evening. Leaning against the stone doorway, Orpah brushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes as she watched her children playing in the narrow street outside. Her husband Adriel had been gone from their home in Jerusalem a few days now, and his absence always made time creep by. Adriel’s business frequently took him to cities along the coast. Traveling in a caravan of fellow traders, Adriel took these trips to purchase products for his business.

The children always seemed more disagreeable without the authority of their father, and facing the constant quarrels alone was burdensome by the end of the day. Deciding it was time for a reprieve from housework, Orpah picked up her water jug. Their village well was the source of more than just water. It was where news was obtained and gossip was passed on, a place where their mundane toil could be briefly forgotten. Heading out the door, she almost collided with twelve-year-old Micah.

“Mother,” he gasped wildly, “you can’t guess what happened! That lame man – the one who always sits just outside the temple gate – you know which one. He was healed! He’s walking around out there. Someone even saw him jumping.”

Orpah sat down her water jug. “Now slow down, Micah. You mean the beggar with the crippled foot? Walking? You must be mixed up. He’s been sitting in front of the temple for years.”

“Yes, that’s the one!” Micah continued excitedly.

Slowly Orpah began to fit the pieces of this strange story together. This must be connected to that group of people who claimed the prophet Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the dead. Orpah’s thoughts whirled. Could it be possible that even the resurrection story was true?

Her weariness forgotten, Orpah scurried down the narrow cobblestone street, hoping to learn more. She had heard about this man Jesus and the miracles He had done. But Jesus was now dead – unless you believed the story He arose.

That evening as Orpah’s family had gathered for the evening meal, there was only one topic of conversation. Everyone had heard about the miraculous account, and each child wanted to share the details he or she had gleaned. One thing was certain: the story seemed true. Some had even witnessed the beggar’s exuberant leaping as he praised God!

Orpah listened to the excited prattle of the children. What did all this mean? How could a couple of rough fishermen heal someone? One of the women at the well had said that according to her rabbi this new Jesus sect was attempting to destroy the Jewish religion. Frowning worriedly, Orpah wiped her hands on a towel and wished again that Adriel was home. He was a steady man, good at seeing through controversies and peddlers of erroneous doctrines. She was sure Adriel would be able to explain this latest fraud.

But the next day only bought more confusion. Word on the street was that the great Sanhedrin had gathered to consider the matter, Stepping to the door, Orpah  could see clusters of women chattering excitedly. Obviously the religion leaders saw this movement as a dangerous threat to Judea’s stability. Orpah turned to go back into her house, but not before she caught a glimpse of Deborah hurrying toward her.                               

Living next door, with children about the same ages, the two women saw each other often. Deborah had a reputation in the neighborhood of being cantankerous  and troublesome. She was known as a woman to stay away from. It was common to hear Deborah’s shrill voice echoing down the narrow cobblestone street, and though she was a close neighbor, Orpah didn’t trust her and tried to maintain some distance. Today, however, a very different Deborah knocked on Orpah’s door.

Orpah graciously invited Deborah In, silently bemoaning the mandatory hospitality that made it impossible to do otherwise. But an hour later, Orpah stared at the departing figure of her neighbor, trying to comprehend what had happened. Deborah had come to apologize for her past behavior. She had expressed regret for anger and lying. She had apologized for strife she had caused in the neighborhood. She had even confessed to stealing some flour from Orpah, something Orpah would have never known. And if this wasn’t enough, Deborah had also shared her newfound faith in this Jesus. With a countenance that glowed with peace and joy, she told of coming to believe in the resurrected Jesus and the change this belief had brought to her life.

Orpah sat in silence, trying to wrap her mind around this sudden transformation. Who were these mysterious, Jesus followers anyway?

Adriel returned home that evening, followed by a train of donkeys carrying his recent purchases. Orpah had never before been so glad to see him. Running out with shouts of joy, she and the children told of the tumultuous events that had occurred during his absence. Adriel listened, expressionless, as he and a servant unloaded the donkeys. When the work was finally completed, the family gathered for the evening meal, and the conversation continued to circle around the recent happenings. Two more priests had now joined the Jesus movement, and the whole city was in a stir.

Suddenly Orpah realized that Adriel had not been entering into the conversation. “Adriel, what do you think about all this? Do you think this movement is a threat to our people?”

Adriel paused thoughtfully before responding. “There have been many men who have risen up and created a stir among the people of Israel. But we Jews are a resilient people, and we have survived because our leaders have viewed such new movements with caution. But it’s been a big day; let’s clean things up and go to bed.”

As she prepared for the night, Orpah marveled at Adriel’s noncommittal reply. He was a man of strong convictions. Why this sudden reluctance to enter into the discussion?

After the children were asleep, and they lay in the silent darkness, Adriel suddenly spoke with quiet urgency. “Orpah, there’s something different about this Jesus of Nazareth movement. It’s not just the miracles. Some of these could be rumors and exaggeration, but I heard and saw some incredible things on this trip – things that are even more amazing than a lame beggar walking!”

Orpah waited breathlessly. One of the children stirred and Adriel waited, then continued in a quiet whisper.

“You know the men I travel with. They are good merchants; I have traveled with them for years. Every one of them has consistently pursued wealth and profit with passion. In the evenings we have always sat and discussed two things: How to increase business  profitability and what we plan to do after we have made our fortune. It has always been that way.”

Adriel paused. A donkey brayed in the distance, and Orpah waited.

“But this year something was different. Joses is the wealthiest in our group. He is the one we always have looked to for advice. A couple more trips and Joses won’t have to work another day in his life. Well, at least he wouldn’t have to.

“What do you mean, Adriel?”

“Well, Joses recently became a Jesus follower and last month he gave his land to that group. Imagine that! Year after year he has saved, scrimped, and traded. Now, he suddenly gave it all away.!” Adriel’s voice rose and Orpah hushed him.

“But why? What will the group do with it?”

“That’s what I asked him. And believe me, we had some long talks as we traveled. In the past, wealth was his primary pursuit. Now it’s different. He believes that this Jesus was actually the Messiah who died for us. He said when a man grasps the beauty of Jesus’ kingdom, earthly riches lose their appeal. It’s a little confusing, but he said it’s like a man discovering a pearl of such great value that he’s willing to sell everything he has to buy it.”

A soft breeze fluttered the curtain above them in the profound silence that followed. A dog barked in the distance.

“But that isn’t all, Orpah. There is something else different about Joses. I could see it in the way he dealt with the merchants in Joppa and the concern he showed for each of us. In the past, nothing stood between Joses and potential profit. Now he is more cheerful and helpful. And amazingly, the same wealth he once craved he now views differently. It is almost like he sees wealth as a hindrance!” Again, the silent darkness overtook them as each tried to grasp this mysterious change. Minutes passed. Adriel occasionally shifting, subconsciously hoping a new position would assist his inner wrestling.

“Adriel, you still awake?”

“Yes.”

“Wait ‘til you hear about my conversation today with Deborah!”

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All over Jerusalem, conversations like this were taking place during those first exciting days after Pentecost. People who had always been dogmatic, loyal Jews were suddenly sold-out, baptized followers of Jesus. As men and women believed in the power of the resurrected Christ, they committed their lives to Him and to each other and lived totally different lives. Wealthy men sold their lands and relieved the anxieties of poor widows – and the world looked on in awe! The book of Acts says the church grew … daily! We read of newly baptized converts sharing their resources and eating together with “gladness and singleness of heart.” No wonder those first few chapters of Acts inspire us. The church was alive, awake, and growing rapidly!

This was not just an occasional convert, a misfit struggling to fit into the surrounding culture. This was transformation across social and economic lines. It included both men and women, both rich and poor, and was a beautiful picture of God’s intent for the world. Person to person, house to house, the change was spectacular! In some ways, it was like a highly contagious virus. One person was infected and his life was changed. He then came in contact with another person, and Christianity spread. It was evangelism the way we wished it were today. Even the religious and secular rulers sat up in alarm. Christianity was a powerful and conquering force to be reckoned with – and it was on the move!

The next four posts are all questions we Christ Followers need to grapple with now titled “What’s Different Now?” “Does Anyone Really Care?” “Do They Really Want We Have?” and “Do We Really Want Them?” …. which makes me wonder if we don’t need to add the fifth, “Do We Really Have a Clue What We Got?” These four questions are the titles for chapters 2, 3, 4, & 5 in Gary’s book Reaching America: God’s message has not changed — but our culture has.

No Joke! “This Little Light of Mine!” Given you Coming In, Can Accompany You Going Out. Your Only Eternal Investment. No Bank Runs. No Crashed Currency!

No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar, nor under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, in order that those who enter may see the light. Luke 11:33

In a certain mountain village in Europe several centuries ago, so the story goes, a nobleman wondered what legacy to leave his townspeople. After much soul-searching, he decided to build them a church. Nobody saw the complete plans until the church was finished. When the people gathered, they marveled at its beauty. But one noticed an incompleteness.

Where are the lamps?” he asked. “How will the church be lighted?”

The nobleman smiled. Then he gave each family a lamp. “Each time you are here, the area in which you sit will be lighted. But when you are not here, some part of God’s house will be dark.”

Today we live in a world of rampant darkness, dim paths on which even our secular problem-solvers are visibly stumbling. In spite of AI (artificial intelligence) and its colossal accumulation of our advances in areas of academic, economic, medical, social, psychological, and even in spiritual enlightenment, all around us is evidence of our increasing ignorance, illiteracy, and wicked imaginings. Romans 2:19 tells us that we, as Christ Followers, are “a light to those who are in darkness.”

And humanly speaking, we tend to think the world is so big and our lamps are so small. Yes – bur we can light some small part of each day. Just look to the star struck heavens. How small each star looks in the distance. Yet, put together, those tiny jewels can light the darkest night. Each of us is a star (or a lamp, if you will). We can make this world a brighter place. It all begins with the desired expressed in Michelangelo’s prayer: “God, grant me the desire always to desire to be more than I can ever accomplish.”

Prayer:          Father God, You are my lamp and may I always reflect Your love to the dark world as I journey through. I trust my life will be a radiant light guiding other people to You. I want to keep my lamp full of oil (empowered by Holy Spirit) so my path will be lit by Your glow. Amen

Action:            Light your lamp. Allow God to send you in a new direction today. Meet someone at the crossroads of his or her life and share your light and oil.

Inspired by and adapted from Emilie Barnes Minute Meditations 1999

Really Now? Another Test of Time?

Read Exodus 16:1-36

As always, even in Dalton and NE Ohio, time passes. We presume the electric will come back on again. A blackout from Saturday 12:40 PM until an estimated Wednesday 4 pm is not 40 years! Notice Ex. 15: 22-27 reveals it only took three days to find water that they now enjoyed. But now it’s been more than 40 days! I call that a serious test of time. There they were in the midst of the wilderness with their unrealistic expectations, much like we too often. “We thought we were through those parched days in the wilderness. We were already there three days. Why do we have to go back?“ Many in Wayne Holmes county are saying “Come on, we were just without power nearly a week last summer! Surely not again!”

And guess what? Out rushed the complaints from the freed slaves now in their liberation transition. “The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. (Ex 16:2) Why were they (or are we) grumbling? Again, is it because they (we) were looking back? Listen to their words in verse 4: “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hands in Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (v.3).

Sounds like our response? Perhaps, but we in Dalton are only momentarily inconvenienced. Perhaps it’s time for us all to learn a timeless lesson. If we focus on our past, the good old days, before this global reset, it won’t be long before complaints will start oozing from our lips, “for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:35) ESV

You will remember a long-ago time (perhaps a decade, not a century) when we bathed in the hazy rosy glow of memories, when living was simpler, easier, and more comfortable than it is today. For example, gas was only 29.9 cents for decades! As you with memory of such times compare life then to now, I guarantee you will grumble. If your age is under 50, not so much; and if you’re under 30, you may be clueless; unless you’ve been well parented, or grand-parented!

It hurts to endure life’s trials, and it hurts worse to repeat such episodes. Yet, without these deep hurts, we may have very little capacity to receive godly counsel or make progress forward to maturity. The test of time is perhaps our most rugged test of all.

Seriously now folks, over the perspective of what we need to prepare for this global reset and the imminent next lock-down, I believe God is honoring us through such trivial tests as no electric to awaken us out of our complacency. Stretching us. Breaking us. Crushing us. Reducing us to an absolute, open-armed trust, where we say in essence, “Lord, I have come to an end of my own flesh.  If you wish me to die in this wilderness, here is my life. Take it. I refuse to look back and complain about where I am at this moment.” And then trust Him! How? For starters, Accept His Love. Share His Love. Live His Joy. Grow Your Fruit. Embrace His Peace. Share His Hope. Refute Satan’s Evil.

Moses had learned to wait for 40 years. Now his congregation needed to learn as well. How about us? I strongly urge each of you to search out and read your favorite Scriptural passages, especially I & II Peter, Martyr’s Mirror, Pilgrims Progress, and Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas. ASAP. Praise God for His divine continuing ed program! Learning from the past may be hard, but continuing in ignorance is expensive, time consuming and may jeopardize your eternal life assurance. Better to learn these priceless lessons today than to search for pennies in the scorching wilderness tomorrow.   

Swindol’s devotional this morning really got me thinking. I well remember listening to him on the car radio in early ’81 while waiting for an appointment in Charlottesville. God was pointedly calling me thru Chuck’s words and I merely turned the radio off to avoid the confrontation. Similar event happened earlier with David Jeremiah in summer of ’73 while traveling thru Ft Wayne. Only two of the bigger mistakes of my life. I recall Bill Detweiler too. merlin

Does God Ask Us to See the Future?

Letter to the American Church Eric Metaxas

Here is a 139 page book; perhaps too little, too late, for mere man to enact the change necessary to revert the already sprung “tipping point” for the possible unwinding of western civilization we may be about to witness, but certainly not for God to exert His influence, perhaps even, just in time.

Strangely reminiscent of yesterday’s blog of our situational predicaments, such as Moses at the Red Sea that required 450 years to climax. The Egyptian media hawkers then reported their journey was merely days – being concluded with such a spectacular feat – and such that certainly nobody predicted their 40 year stint in a wilderness! Similarly, the American Church, as was Moses, is in similar straits as was the German Church, 90 years ago. And, again, some in the fray today understand events for centuries, or even BC, created this showdown between evil and righteousness, whereas the media hawkers are clueless that the third and final act of their play written merely decades ago, is nearly concluded. And if we’re lucky, we can all go out to celebrate our amazing accomplishments after the final curtain drops, before every man goes HOME, to his own tent. (Note: Moses led the original tent city assembly)

May I quote the last paragraph from my March 23 blog, “Does False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR) Cause Our Predicaments?” So, God provides us painful predicaments to arouse us from spiritual lethargy. Our predicaments are not punishment, as much as they are wake-up calls from a loving God. Envision pain as God’s fuel to restore His passion in our relationships ( includes the Church) because pain energizes us with an intensity to change that we normally just don’t possess. Lookup CS Lewis pain quote! These are serious times as you are about to learn below. Quoted verbatim.

Chapter Two: Does God Ask Us To See the Future?

As I have said, to understand where we are today in the American Church, we are obliged to see what happened to the Church in Germany in the 1930’s. Because I became closely familiar with that subject in writing my biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I have been troubled and astonished by the growing parallels for some time.

            Most American Christians have some idea of the tragic blindness of the Church in Germany during the rise of Hitler, and likely know it “didn’t do enough” and somehow failed to stand. But exactly what didn’t they do that they might have done? And what did they do that they shouldn’t have done? Of course, our judging the German Church of that implies that we believe we would not have made the mistakes they did – and yet we are making those same mistakes now.

            Perhaps because of the unprecedented size of the tragedies and horrors of that era, it is particularly tempting for us to put them in a separate category from anything that could happen anywhere else. Many of us have unwittingly adopted a tribalist and racist view of the Germans of that era, and attribute to them a unique level of evil, as though it has no bearing on us, nor can it ever have any bearing on us. But if we are Christians who believe in the doctrine of Original Sin, we know that our own intrinsic evil is perfectly equal to whatever we wish to attribute to the souls living in Germany in the 1930s. Therefore, we need to be more honest and ask how it was that they failed so spectacularly, knowing that we too can fail similarly – and are indeed this minute failing precisely as they failed.

            So before we continue, we must dispense with the idea that we are for some reason incapable of allowing things to get to the point that the German Church did. That’s precisely why I am writing this book: Because what I see happening in the American Church today makes me understand that we are are wrong to think we would have acted differently if we were alive then precisely because we are not acting differently now.

As we approach the story of the German Church’s failures, we should do so not only with some humility, but with some humiliation. That’s because they did not have the benefit that we have – of actually seeing what happens when a church fails to stand. They did not have the example of what happened to them because it had not yet happened. But we do have that example and that grimmest of warnings, and so we are without excuse.

So what exactly did the German Church of that time fail to see? In a word: the future.

Christians are expected to see the future, or to listen to those who see it. We know that God is outside time; for Him the past, present, and future are equally easy to see. And we know that He has spoken through prophets who can, and often do, tell us what lies ahead, if we are interested in hearing it. So the real question is never whether we can see the future but whether we heed the warnings of the prophets who do. As we shall see, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a prophet to the German Church in the 1930s, although he wouldn’t have thought of himself in quite that way. But he spoke boldly and powerfully about where things stood in the German Church and about what must be done, and we know that the German Church did not take his warnings seriously and paid the gravest price imaginable.

But what if Bonhoeffer is a prophet for us today? Will the words that fell on deaf ears in his day fall differently on ours? Will we hear what he has to say, or rather, what God has to say through Him? Since we have the dramatic advantage of knowing what happened in Germany, will we take what he said to them more seriously than they did? Will you?

Part of what the German Church failed to see in 1932 or 1933, for example – when there was still time to act – was that their small actions or inactions were setting the course for their future. When God speaks through prophets like Bonhoeffer, He makes clear what lies ahead and gives us a clear choice. If we do X, Y will result, and if we don’t, then Z. But many German church leaders thought Bonhoeffer a bit of a young hothead – a brilliant intellectual to be sure, but one who was overstating what was at stake. And so, as people always do – and always with good intentions – most of the German Church simply ignored what he said and drifted along as it had always done. They didn’t feel the urgency that Bonhoeffer obviously felt and boldly spoke about. When they might have recognized where their actions were leading and changed course, they did not. It takes courage to stand athwart history and shout, “Stop!” It takes courage to understand that you must not do what everyone else is doing. Most of us rarely rise to such courage. But why and exactly how did the German Church ignore Bonhoeffer’s prophetic warnings?

To tell this story we must begin at the end of 1932, two months before Hitler became chancellor, when Bonhoeffer gave a certain sermon in a certain church in Berlin on November 6, 1932 – Reformation Sunday. To be continued in Chapter Three “Unless You Repent,” text from Revelation 2:4-5 “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first….

Accept His Love.   Share His Love.   Live His Joy.   Grow Your Fruit.         Embrace His Peace.   Share His Hope.   Refute Satan’s Evil. merlin

Does False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR) Cause Our Predicaments?

Predicaments are precarious time and energy black holes. Do you believe as I, that our predicaments are often of our own doing? Consider our use of the word accident, which though, also can be caused by our carelessness, we are frequently totally an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time. Predicaments, however, add a stress tier beyond devastating accidents, in that they inject a gnawing awareness that you could have prevented this consuming predicament had you done whatever differently; and usually, there is no shortage of those “I wish I would have…!” And when these black holes drag out long enough, you may well question even, the very roots of your faith.

Is it possible fear (resulting from our stressors) arises from our personally concocted manufactured predicaments where we’ve drifted off course and gotten out of alignment both vertically with our Lord, and then, horizontally too, with our brothers in our community?

You ever think when such occurs, that we too tend to look for someone to blame for this flare-up predicament, just as the children of Israel did. And if it’s not readily apparent who to blame, we’ll provide the narrative to blame someone in the leadership hierarchy. Notice the stinging words told Moses in Exodus 14: 11-12: “Were there no graves in Egypt? Had it not been better for us to serve the Egyptians than we should die in this wilderness?”

Note Moses’ responses to their panic. First, “Fear ye not!” Second, “Stand still.” Third, “Watch.” Fourth, “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” How about that for a prescription for people caught between swords & spears to the rear and drowning going forward? Don’t be afraid, stand still, watch God come through, quit talking. Perhaps, the fourth is the hardest, because we just have to complain or tell somebody what pain we’ve been dealt. But God doesn’t need to be informed. He already knows our predicament. He is simply waiting for us to calm down and shut up, or at least, keep silent!

Notice God’s counsel is just the opposite. Don’t be afraid. Stand still. Watch Him work. Keep quiet. It’s then He does His best work on our behalf, and likely, quite the opposite way we’d done it.

I associate stress as being much like a mirror? Why? Because stress reveals what actually drives our thinking! The way we handle stressful predicaments defines and reveals who we are. Actually, pain is God’s fuel for re-discovering our “first love,” when we “drift” from our earlier “inspired” love, over to a more perfunctory love; acting out of duty, rather than with His passion.

So, God provides us painful predicaments to arouse us from our spiritual lethargy. Our predicaments are not punishment, as much as they are wake-up calls from a loving God. Envision pain as God’s fuel to restore His passion in our relationships because pain energizes us with an intensity to change that we normally just don’t possess.

Bottom Line Here?  Accept His Love. Share Your Love. Live His Joy. Grow Your Fruit.  Embrace His Peace. Share His Hope.  Refute Satan’s EvilMerlin

Inspired by readings from Moses in Exodus, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, Rick Warren & orchestrated by me. Whence ever cometh an original thought these days?