The Best Answer

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, ‘Of all the commandments which is the most important?” 'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is....'"—Mark 12:28

Sometimes, God can let a familiar passage from the Gospels in one setting come through the back door and grab us at our point of need in another setting. Who knew, for example, that the teacher of the law is a much-needed voice from the Nativity scene, along with the angels, shepherds, and cow moos? Because amidst all the growing noise from the to-do-to-buy-to-go lists running around in our heads every single holiday season, this guy’s voice needs to cut through the fog so loudly, that all the to-dos freeze in their tracks:

“OK, so what really matters?”

The teacher of the law had about 613 add-ons (of his own making) to 10 simple truths for living that God Himself had already laid out perfectly.  All these extras may have seemed really important, but reading between the lines, you wonder if maybe, just maybe, the teacher was desperately looking to get his bearings straight once more.

And to all of our 613 or so add-ons (many not of our own making) to the simplicity of the Nativity that seem unavoidable every holiday season, comes the Lord’s timely take on the same reply He gave to the teacher of the law. Lovingly, patiently, piercingly clear:

“I am in the midst of all your to-do lists...or, at least I want to be.

Because remember, I, not the add-ons, am the Main Thing.

You know this, but I know, life can get nuts.

So listen up once more, it’s pretty simple:

First, remember that even when things seem crazy and out of control

I AM Lord. Always was Lord, always will be Lord.

The in-control-of-it-all One.

In church, and out of church.

Especially out.

And in the midst of it all,

Come unto Me, all who are weary,

And I will get your bearings straight once more.

This is the way, walk in it:

Love Me with all you’ve got

Even if it doesn’t feel like much at the moment;

With all that makes you, well, you:

The way you think, respond, work, play, and talk

Because that’s how I built you

And remember, like Me,

Not just in church, but out of church.

Even at ________.

Take Me with you in all of that.

All of it.

Enjoy it. Yes. I said, have a blast.

Sure, life can be hard, but life in Me is always good and abundant.

And the best gift you can give Me

Is the gift of love you give to someone in need

Even if it is just a small gift of listening

Or moving some furniture.

Because you never know what might open the door

For Me to walk into their lives.

During the holidays, for sure.

But in the other 364 days, too.

And that, My friend, is not just a good answer,

It's the best answer of all."

(Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a 2015 of 'best answers')

Rethinking Life on Overload

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.—1 Thessalonians 4:1

And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

—1 Thessalonians 4:10

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”—1 Thessalonians 5:11

In the upside down Kingdom, it's good to know that “just one more thing” is not intended to add to anyone’s stack of daily responsibilities but to lighten it by getting our energies refocused. Instead, when life goes on overload, it’s good to fight through the mental "to-do" list traffic patterns to pause at the intersection of Chaos and Crazy, and remember that what really matters is pursuing simplicity even in the midst of it all:

• A daily life of God-honoring speech, thought, and deed

• Loving one another

• Encouraging one another

More than any earthly achievement, no matter how noble, these are the "to-do"s that can change lives (ours and others around us) and bring light to dark places.

Oh yeah, just one more thing: Don't forget to hand over the keys…

“May the God of peace himself make you entirely pure and devoted to God; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept strong and blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again. God, who called you to become his child, will do all this for you, just as he promised." —1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Hope in a Hard Place

“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you…because I have many people in this city.”—Acts 18:9-10

From one hard place to another—Athens, and then Corinth—no one would blame the Apostle Paul for wanting an easier, more receptive assignment. And though he doesn’t say so in so many words, we can only guess that “get me out of here!” was on his mind by this “do not quit” exhortation from the Lord Himself.

Sometimes, like Paul, we may think, “why on earth did God put me here in this corner of the world?” When it’s a hard place, and everything you believe and live for seems to stand no chance against the wave of prevailing opinion, the temptation is strong to escape to someplace sunny and warm—or worse, to just keep quiet.

But this little passage is encouragement to stay graciously faithful in both word and deed wherever we are, because as Paul found out in two of the most difficult places any of us will ever encounter, “hopeless” and “what’s the point?” are never part of God’s equation. To wit, "Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized."

Even in the hardest soil, hope grows. It's good to know that He hasn't given up on anyplace, that He always, always has "many people in this city" who will be curious about what makes us tick, and receptive to our reason for living...and perhaps more importantly, there will be those in every hard place in the world who have been desperately waiting and literally dying for someone, anyone to bring them some Good News.

The words of Mordecai to Esther still ring true:

“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

A Steady Advance

  

“My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”—Psalm 108:1

It's true that God continually cheers us on to go higher and deeper in knowing Him, but it's also good to know that He never holds the bar too high to jump over. And on "those" days (and weeks) when we feel that being steadfast is all we can muster—when we're too fried or distracted to be "feelin' it"—maybe that is what He's looking for anyway.

Because to be unwavering in the storm, firm, settled in Trust, to quietly lean on the One who is “constant in the trial and the change,” and who remains worthy of praise from the inside out, probably takes us higher and deeper in our Walk than any sunny, cruise-control kind of day ever could.

Being There

"Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."—1 Thessalonians 5:11

The guys and their friend on the stretcher (Luke 5:17-26) were commended by Jesus for their faith. Not just the one guy, nor any old definition of faith, but the one-another kind Francis Chan describes as “holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity.” Against all odds and obstructions, it believes, it perseveres, it never gives up.

Perhaps in this scene Jesus was already beginning to reveal the blueprint for His Church — one that would make no sense to most people on the outside looking in, and one He knew would surely be filled with imperfection (because, hey, we just walked in the door), but despite all of that, the gates of hell would never have the final say against it.

It's a blueprint not dependent on programs, meetings, org charts, and committees, helpful as those may be. Instead, the One who liked sending disciples out in twos, who surrounded Himself with multiples, who coined the phrase "and where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them," laid out an unexplainable, mysterious, wonderful, supernaturally powerful plan never to be  found in any club or civic organization.

Because at one time or another, we are all the guy on the mat — at the end of our rope and feeling paralyzed to do anything about it. At other times, we are to be the friend(s) who comes alongside and won't let another give up. And when that happens, and when the Hope of eternity is our pursuit, as this story reveals, who knows what miraculous thing might result, and the witness it might fuel before a desperate world, to the glory of God...

"And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Lord, thank You for the people in our lives who have been there on those days when we've been on that stretcher. And even today, help us to put down our cell phones for one second and be that kind of Church to someone else.

Assurance in the Midst

“The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.”—Deuteronomy 33:27

On most days, the testing of our faith seems to show up in the form of little pop quizzes concerning an issue-of-the-moment—a conversation choice, a motive, a temptation to do/think/say [whatever]. But then there are those unannounced exams that broadside you, and “Hey, You didn’t tell me this was coming!,” when it seems the Teacher has left the room to let you figure it out on your own. They’re unwanted, un-fun, and what Spurgeon has called “depths of affliction where waves of trouble follow each other in quick succession.” 

But it is uniquely here where you begin to understand what blessed assurance looks like, even if you can't define it: 

The reality of the storm may rage on the surface, but something wonderful happens each time we choose to say with the demon-possessed boy's dad, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.” Deep down, far below those waves of trouble, comes a quiet assurance so still, so strong, it almost smiles. You can’t put your finger on it, put it in writing, or explain why or how, but you know that you know that, even if little makes sense at the moment, God’s still got you firmly and lovingly in the grip of His everlasting arms. Just like He promised.

Good to know, since unlike those daily muscle-toning pop quizzes, God seems to lovingly use the "unwanted, un-fun" exams of our lives to push our roots deeper through rock and rubble into the good soil that strengthens faithfulness, and hope, and love, and perseverance—in the end, the only things that will really matter anyway.

 

 

Fill In the Blank

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…”—James 1:1

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James…”—Jude 1:1

These brothers, like Jesus, were borne by Mary.  They all grew up under the same roof and smelled the same wood shavings from Joseph’s shop. If it had been us, wouldn’t we have been dying to make that point in our writings so we could win friends and influence people?

And yet somewhere along the way, through the sibling rivalries, animated dinner conversations, and the years of finding it hard to believe that their brother really was this guy who the prophets of old wrote about—even if He did love going to church—something powerful must have happened that changed everything and sparked these introductory words.  Quite possibly, it was this:

They watched how He lived, and found His actions matched the words on His resume. If this was what life to the full was about, they wanted in.

Sometimes, in skimming over the greetings and introductions of the Gospels and the various letters to the churches so we can get to the “good part” of what the Bible says about us, we miss the good part.

Lord, help us to remember that it is one thing to be known as someone who says all the right Jesus words and is a good church-goer, but that the only resume that really shines through is what flows through our hands and feet in the daily grind—and especially, our attitude toward life and others. Imperfect? No doubt. But since it's Your light doing the shining, and You say 'Go!," we say once more, '________, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.'"

In Everything?

“Thank GOD in everything, no matter what the circumstances may be; be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus—the Revealer and Mediator of that will.”—1 Thessalonians 5:18, Amplified

On some days, the idea of being thankful to God in the midst of everything that happens in our lives—especially in our world today—sounds like the power of wishful thinking, or worse, wearing a plastic smiley-face and denying reality. But life in Jesus’ day was also filled with strange diseases, horrific executions, governments gone astray, and most of all, sheep without a shepherd.  The timeless good news is that we have a rock-solid foundation for authentic, thankful living—and it’s this:

“the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth…” (Acts 17:24)

Being purposely and regularly thankful to God for every answered prayer big and small—or even for simply never leaving or forsaking us while in the midst of a situation that has no obvious good solutions at the moment—sends things like selfishness, doubts, and grumpiness running in the Light of the most trustworthy declaration that’s ever been made in the history of mankind.

Living in thankfulness never sugar-coats what is painful or worrisome, or shuts off the newscast and wishes it all away. Rather it declares in our witness of words, attitudes, and demeanor:

When darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

Christ alone, the Cornerstone!

"This hope, this confident assurance, we have as an anchor of the soul—it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it—is a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells..."—Hebrews 6:19, Amplified

Hymn for New England

"It makes no difference who you are or where you're from--if you want God and are ready to do as He says, the door is open. The message sent to the children of Israel--that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again--well, He's doing it everywhere, among everyone."--Acts 10:34-36, Message

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing:

This is my Father’s world…

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas

His hand the wonders wrought

I sing the mighty power of God

That made the mountains rise

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art! 

I sing the mighty power of God

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze...

He speaks to me everywhere

O worship the King!

And gratefully sing His wonderful Love

Love Divine, all loves excelling

Joy of Heaven to earth come down

Jesus, Thou art all compassion,

Pure, unbounded Love Thou art

Visit us with Thy salvation

Enter every trembling heart

Revive us again

Fill each heart with Thy Love

May each soul be rekindled

With Fire from above

O God, our help in ages past

Our hope for years to come

Our shelter in the stormy blast

And our Eternal home.

Revive us again.

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.....

A vital resolution

“I want to suggest that you finish what you started to do a year ago…having started the ball rolling so enthusiastically, you should carry this project through to completion just as gladly…let your enthusiastic idea at the start be equaled by your realistic action now.”—2 Corinthians 8:10-11, Living Bible

In the midst of a passage on a lifestyle of giving comes this hurts-so-good-exhortation for follow-through on all of our unfinished projects and good intentions, for resolve in our vows and commitments, for integrity…for putting actions to words.

And in our day, for the people in our lives, nowhere is this more needed than at the many times we say these words…

“I’ll be praying for you.”

Desert Declaration

“But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me."--Psalm 13:5-6

Life is full of Philippians 3:1 moments: "It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you." Here's one now:

Some days, it takes everything within you to unseal your lips and lift up the arms that droop. But when we do, something unspeakable and unexplainable happens. Problems and trials may not instantly disappear, but as we choose to fight through the stuff that’s yelling bad and scary things in our brain and choose instead to speak, to sing, to remind our souls of what and Who alone is True, the unfailing love of God begins to move within...

Hope is stirred.

Faith arises once more.

A spring of refreshing emerges in the midst of the desert.

Peace begins to enthrone itself again on our hearts (maybe just a flicker of a flame at first, but at least no longer a wick).

This isn’t hypocrisy or manipulation. We’ve got the psalmists as our defense on this one. Their determination to fix their eyes heavenward in praise was often not due to happy-happy-joy-joy circumstances but while surrounded by tons of chaos and life pressing in on all sides. Against all odds, they trusted.

And down through the ages, they remind us: "Resolute praise wins. Every time. Because God's Truth wins. Every time."

“Dost thou not know that thy God loves thee in the midst of all this? Thou shalt yet, amidst the splendors of eternity, forget the trials of time, or only remember them to bless the God who led thee through them, and wrought thy last good by them. Come, sing in the midst of tribulation. Rejoice even while passing through the furnace. Make the wilderness to blossom like the rose! Cause the desert to ring with thine exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over and then 'forever with the Lord,' thy bliss shall never wane.” –Charles Spurgeon

Prayer for the Open Door

"Jesus answered, 'If a person really loves Me, he will keep My word, obey My teaching; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home—abode, special dwelling place—with him.'"—John 14:23 Amplified

Lord, this has got to be one of Your best, most jaw-dropping promises ever.
I mean, conditional promises.
Not really sure what this would all look like,
All I know is something burns inside when I read this
And I want in.
For starters, help me to begin each day by wanting what You want
To be honest, it's not usually the first thing that comes to mind
Oh, You knew that?  
And then help me remember that though I may have a lot on my plate
And wind up accomplishing much of it (thanks to You),
The only stuff that really needs to get done on any given day
Is living out what You say.
So maybe the heart-burn is this:
Realizing that there's no better, more joy-filled, more satisfying sound in this life
Than the sound of Your heart-knock...
And then to be able to say
"Come on in, the door is open."

'Ites', Yikes!

“After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord…”—2 Chronicles 20:1-3

With Jehoshaphat as our standard bearer, it’s good to know that the worry cookie on either side of the stuffing that is “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:31-34) is not about whether a Christ-one should get alarmed or stressed out over whatever “ites” are in our life at the moment. Because, being human, we probably will to some extent. Rather, it's about not staying there when they do invade, to be resolved to look Up first before plotting and scheming....and then to remember that for our own good, “today” is God’s favorite day of the week to work.

This is straight out of the Book of Der: a no-brainer that’s so no-brainery, it’s mind-boggling that we keep forgetting it.  Such is the lifelong journey of ever-increasing Trust. Even so, no matter how many more times in the future we have to hit that reset button when the "ites" invade, we know we can stand with Jehoshaphat in awe of the One whose love endures forever: “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

And be at rest that it's exactly where He wants us.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
 O for grace to trust Him more.