Fear and Faith at 20,000 Feet

  Blog »    Fear and Faith at 20,000 Feet  

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

                       “ The Chief Priest tried again, this time asking, "Are you the Messiah, the
                   Son of the Blessed?"
                   Jesus said, "Yes, I am, and you'll see it yourself: 
                                The Son of Man seated At the right hand of the Mighty One,
                                 Arriving on the clouds of heaven."
                   The Chief Priest lost his temper. Ripping his clothes, he yelled, "Did you
                   hear that? After that do we need witnesses? You heard the blasphemy.
                   Are you going to stand for it?"   hey condemned him, one and all.
                  The sentence: death."        Mark 14:61-64 (MSG) 

 

I asked Marty Sarkissian for permission to share with you his very personal reflection on Trusting the Master.   The Gospel of Mark contains Jesus’ very clear assertion that He is indeed God.   Marty reflects on what believing this means.  Jeff          

Breaking through the clouds this morning near 20,000 feet en route to Alabama for a nephew's wedding, my heart melted as we moved out of the darkness below, and into the light above.  As we ascended it struck me that this journey was special in part because this nephew just two years ago was on a crash course in life with substance addictions (of which he is now clean for a year and a half), and in part because my bride of nearly 21 years sat beside me.

"What was that?", I thought as I tightened my belt. A hard jolt hit us as we moved into new streams of air flow still climbing, and reminded me that in the journey of life in marriage and family, there will be some smooth journeys, and some more turbulent - all part of the experience.

As expected, eventually the air smoothed out, and as it did I was glad that the person God so perfectly chose for me in this life, was right beside me on this trip to weather the bumpy ride.    "Stay calm, trust the pilot (have faith), enjoy the smooth parts of the ride, tighten your seat belt (be still), and hold the hand of your companion next to you  in both dark and sunny times," I reflected, "and eventually you will arrive - TOGETHER."

That's tough to do in a culture where 1 in every 2 marriages choose "one way tickets" to different destinations once the first leg of the trip is not as smooth as expected.  "Marriage and family" I thought, "are all about having realistic expectations about the ride to come before we take off".  In our culture , where Newlyweds are bombarded with pictures of nothing but smiles, good times, and abundant living in magazines, movies, and social media, it's easy to see how the reality of relational  turbulence, tensions, and temptations creates a pressure that is sure to fracture the smooth glass of distorted original expectations when they come.

The same can be said too for parental expectations.  Indeed, before my kids were conceived, I had already bought into the perfection offered by the images of sheer joy advertised in the 6 night-7 day  trip to the "happiest place on Earth".  But real turbulence came when I had to come to grips with the fact that my initial dreams of a typical or exceptional child would be eclipsed by the realities of the struggles of parenting a child with special needs.  In fact , I (emphasis on my own accountability here) had set myself up for disappointment - not because he has  "special needs" (and surely challenges come even with "typical" children), but because I had shaped an unrealistic vision of what "should be" in my own mind

Descending into Pensacola, Mark Schultz reminded me that perfection was only known on this rock "when love was born".  Jesus . . . . Son of God . . . . who died for all humanity. How beautifully outrageous!  Tomorrow I will sing the lyrics in Taylor and Mallory's wedding:

Oh Christ, be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives

We lift our eyes to heaven
We wrap our lives around your life
We lift our eyes to heaven - to you.

And with that, I am conscious that in life , in marriage, in parenting . . . . turbulence WILL come.  Come let it may - Trusting the pilot, we will survive eternally.  
Amen. 

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Shame, Secrets and Healing

Blog »    Shame, Secrets and Healing  

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
Romans 8:1

                             “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then,
                         and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
                                                           Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

I read the following excerpt from Jonathan Merritt’s (pictured above) new book, Jesus is Better than You Imagined.   In this excerpt he tells of childhood abuse, an unplanned “coming out”, and how he experienced the Grace of God.   I hope you take the time to read it so that you can feel just as inspired during this Holy Week as I was when I read it.  Jeff  

A Thread Called Grace
How I came to stop hiding and face the biggest secret of my early life  

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/april/jonathan-merritt-thread-called-
grace.html?utm_source=connection-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_
term=6849239&utm_content=261753055&utm_campaign=2013&paging=off  

 

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Your Taxes are Due tomorrow

Blog »    Your Taxes are Due Tomorrow  

Monday, April 14, 2014 

I am hoping that the following terrific and timely article (less than 48 hours to pay your taxes!) will help you think through how handling your money is an important spiritual exercise.   God bless, Jeff  

“Feeling anxious about your tax liability and government’s ever-increasing share of your income?  The Bible has many references to taxes that will sound strangely relevant at this time of year . . . . beginning with the story of David and Goliath,” observed Crown CEO Chuck Bentley in an op-ed piece titled “Even Jesus Had a Tax Man” at USA Today in advance of the April 15^th IRS deadline for federal taxes.

“Many remember a teenage boy offended by insults thrown by a giant foe against his nation and God himself, who volunteers to go into battle with a slingshot. But did you know that a tax incentive was part of his prize? Visiting the battlefield, David learns: “The king will give great wealth to the man who kills (Goliath) . . . . and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” That’s a prize many in the military would enjoy. 

Throughout the scripture, tax discussions mark many passages, as ancient men and women also worried about how they would pay. Bentley observed that while Jesus himself noted that while sometimes the authority to tax can be abused, paying taxes is part of life.

For people of faith, a healthy respect for reasonable taxes is part of faith-based culture. Writing in Romans 13, the Apostle Paul urged respect for government, because of the vital role leaders play in society, an admonition that goes beyond mere money.

“Such a standard requires civil interaction and mutual respect, important reminders for today’s toxic political culture,” noted Bentley. “And every IRS agent can take comfort in the fact that Jesus himself had a taxman (Matthew) as a disciple.”

Still, the growth in tax rates is cause for concern. While a 10% tithe to the church has been the standard for personal giving, today’s current tax bite can be about 50%, when taking into account Federal, social security, state, local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes. Remember, Pharaoh only took 20% of the grain in Egypt as a form of taxation during their good years.

“It’s worth debating whether the state should take such a large bite out of families’ resources,” observed Bentley.

And for those fortunate enough to get a tax refund, Bentley says put the money to good use following these 7 tips making the most of your opportunity:

1. Be charitable: Remember those in need. Yes, you’re getting ready with a tax deduction for next year, but people today could use your help.        
2. Give yourself some credit. Pay down debt and raise your credit rating!
   
3. Build an emergency savings fund. Get ready for your next car emergency, health scare or home repair by preparing now.
   
4. Go 50-50. If you can’t bring yourself to save it all, put half away and feel less guilty enjoying the rest. 
   
5. Consider the kids. If you haven’t started a fund for their college education, today is a good day.
   
6. Think Retirement. The average return of $3,183 is more than half the maximum yearly contribution of a Roth IRA ($6,000 if age 50 and over.)
   
7. Treat yourself:  Do something fun . . . . with a clear conscience because you know that whatever good choice you made for your future, you made a good plan for your entertainment today.

 #####

Crown, a non-profit, empowers people with biblical financial understanding that changes lives, businesses and the world. Theirs is a strong, international grassroots organization with offices in the U.S. and overseas. It is well known for its cutting edge materials first developed by its founder, the late Larry Burkett.   For more information contact Crown Associate, Ed Samuel at  esamuel@samnovainc.com  or call him on his cell at 484-340-0211 For further information, go to www.crown.org.

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Life on the Rock

    Blog »    Life on the Rock  

Friday, April 11, 2014

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like
a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and
the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put
them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell
with a great crash."  

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Matthew 7:24-29 (NIV)

Is your life built on the Rock?  Or is it built on sand?  

Jesus finished his great sermon very dramatically.   He is essentially telling us that we are either “in” or “out”.   Without using the words heaven and hell, he was ultimately referring to just that.   Put even better Jesus was explaining the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven as Matthew puts it,  The Kingdom of God, as Luke puts it, and Eternal Life as John puts it.   They are all descriptions of the same reality, the reality of life with God.   Life without God is, well, being “out”.     

Furthermore and incredibly Jesus speaks of “these words of mine”.    Can you imagine how the religious leaders, or for that matter anyone else, would have heard that?  What arrogance!    This upstart carpenter placing himself above God and Torah?!!  Unless . . . . . unless Jesus actually was God  Himself having come to earth.  

Now the hard part.    Jesus is explicit that the eternal Kingdom of God, Life on the  Rock, has its foundation on hearing and doing what he said.  This parable has to be one of the severest in the entire Bible.  Hearing leads to doing or the hearing is entirely useless.   So we discover that the Sermon on the Mount is the Old Testament law on steroids.    It takes the old commandments and penetrates past outward observance to inner adherence from the heart.   

Here’s the bottom line.   Hearing and doing are the life of salvation.   Entrance into that life means entering into God’s forgiveness through Jesus death on the cross.   The future hope and present power to live in the Kingdom of God both now and forever are found by participating in the resurrection life of God which means dependent connection to Jesus.   In the end the question is, “Am I a follower of Jesus?”  with the follow up question being “Do I bear witness to my claim to follow Jesus is by the way I live”  

“Lord, thank you for teaching me how to live the Life of God.    I’m terrible at it now but I want, really want to be better at living out all you’ve taught me.   You once summarized your sermon with the words, 'Love God and love others'.   As I seek to do so, remind me over and over again how every word of your Sermon on The Mount elaborates on those two powerful directives for living.   You’re amazing.  Amen”

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Why the Sinners Prayer May Not Be Enough

Blog »    Why the Sinners Prayer May Not Be Enough  

Thursday, April 10, 2014

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that
leads to destruction, and many enter through it . . . . . . Every tree that does not
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.  

 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me
on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name
drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I
never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
Matthew 7:13-23 (NIV)

The Sinner’s Prayer is not enough?  

It is if it changes us, if it is lived out.   It isn’t if it doesn’t.    The sinner’s prayer is when I thank God for what He did for me on the cross, choose to believe, and tell God that I have made him the leader of my life.    My personal fear (based on what I see and reading the results of tons of studies) is that there are multitudes of people who’ve prayed the prayer, self identify as Christian, yet have not entered the narrow gate. 

Yes, a true believer can be identified by the spiritual fruit in her life, but Jesus goes on to say that even fruit can be faked.   There will be many who lived what looks from the outside to be a great Christian Life but are in big trouble with God.   Conversely I am certain that there are many more whose lives look like a mess from the outside yet will find themselves in God’s Kingdom, indeed are within it now.    

CS Lewis puts it this way in Mere Christianity  

“When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good: a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right. This is common sense, really. You understand sleep when you are awake, not while you are sleeping. You can see mistakes in arithmetic when your mind is working properly: while you are making them you cannot see them. You can understand the nature of drunkenness when you are sober, not when you are drunk. Good people know about both good and evil: bad people do not know about either.” — from Mere Christianity

 
The man who is good by nature, good by upbringing and generous by disposition may be farther from God than the man who is bad and selfish by upbringing, but has begun the journey beyond himself to God and others even though he by convention standards looks like a bad person.   What’s inside him may not be visible to others, just as pride within the cultured man might not visible to others.   It is the second man who will walk through the narrow gate.  

“Lord, give me the Grace to take these words of Jesus neither as a means for me to judge others, nor as a tool of self condemnation for my shortfall before you.  Rather help me to realize your never ending patience and love for me for others in spite of our sin.  In that and in you, Lord,  I know that I am safe forever.  Amen”

 

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First Ask, Then Believe

   Blog »    First Ask, Then Believe  

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;
and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
 
 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish,
will give him a  snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to  others what you would have them do to you, for this
sums up the Law and the Prophets”     
Matthew 7:7-12 (NIV)

It’s not about persistence as if God is asleep at the wheel and needs to be awakened.     It’s not about telling God what you need as if God doesn’t already know.    It’s not about getting God to change his mind as if your will is superior to His.   It is about asking frequently enough so that over time we learn to match our asks to God’s will for us.   Yet it isn’t simply that.  

We do know that the Psalms would have been Jesus’ prayer book.   In them Jesus would have read requests, complaints, fear, trust, praise, doubt and hope.   He would have read the full scope of the human condition brought openly and frankly before God.    In the Psalms Jesus learned that prayer is bringing the full range of one’s own life directly to God, because where else is one to go?     It takes vulnerability, confession, the swallowing of pride and the admission of weakness to come God in the kind of prayer that actually changes things.    

Prayer is in its essence simply a relationship of trust between oneself and God.   It’s a child coming to her father and asking, thanking, praising and, yes, complaining, yet doing so because she knows that her Dad loves her and that Dad is good.    Even a bad dad will do what’s best for his son or daughter.  How much more God!  

God is better than we are and God is altogether good.   It’s pretty hard to pray without believing this.   Unanswered prayer?   I have lots of answers for that but none that will satisfy the skeptic.   God is good, that’s all.   And the longer I live the more I know that and the more I can trust.    I can grow out of the adolescence that still thinks “I know better”.   

At bottom, prayer is a relationship.  When my child, at whatever age, comes to me, what can I do?  I offer him or her my best.     So too with your Father in Heaven.  

One other thing.   Do not fall for believing that prayer only changes you.   Incredible and inexplicable as its, the Bible teaches us that trusting prayer actually changes the world, yes, even your world.

“Lord, how much I must have missed in my life by simply avoiding coming to You.   How much could have been gained by simply asking.    How much of you and your love and trustworthiness I could have experienced had I interacted with you and trusted instead of plowing through life on my own.   No more of that.   Here I am Father, I have much to ask and much more of your trustworthiness to discover.  Amen”

 

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Don't Judge

Blog »    Don't  Judge 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will
be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
  
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention
the plank  in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the
speck out of your eye,'when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your  own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye” 
 Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)

It looks like Jesus is using the humor of a ridiculous image to make a huge point.   

When I really think about what’s wrong with me and how God deals with that,  it’s really quite incredible isn’t it, that I have the gall to be critical of, condescending toward, unforgiving of, condemning toward anyone else?    God sees what’s wrong with me takes its consequences (to me and those I’ve hurt) fully into and onto Himself and simply let’s me off the hook.   He forgives me.   He even goes so far as to say,  “Lord, Jeff doesn’t know what he’s doing” (Luke 23:34).  He does this while hanging on a cross!!!!!!  

Given this,  it is just beyond incredible that I can find it within myself to complain about another's driving when mine is just as bad or worse, to criticize another for being so critical when that’s exactly what I’m doing,  to be judgmental about another’s extravagant lifestyle when I am equally extravagant in my own way.   How can I call another a hypocrite when I’m no different?  

Wait, you say.   Shouldn’t we call out sin and hypocrisy?  That’s a dilemma isn’t it?   The answer must be yes, and we should all feel anger toward injustice, but our starting point for naming sin must always be ourselves.    It is in the humility that results from full disclosure self examination before a Holy God that allows us to “see clearly to remove the speck from our brother’s eye”.    Why name the speck from the eye of another and remove it?  Not first and foremost for my sake but for his and for the sake of those whom that speck harms.   

“Lord, do whatever you need to do in me to kill that critical, ungrateful, condemning-of-others nature that keeps trying to rear its ugly head.  Help me not just to be non critical of others, help me instead to love them, to delight in them, to be the encourager that others need me to be for them.    Amen”  

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