Can I Say That?

In October 1979, three talented and beautiful teenagers from my hometown's high school had their lives suddenly snuffed out by evil in the form of a man charged with drunk driving. Then, just as it was this week with the evil that transpired at a Texas elementary school, there was deep sorrow for the loss of innocent lives, many prayers for family and friends, much anger, lots of questions, and widespread cries that something must be done to prevent this from ever happening again. On that last point, ever since October 1979, good people have worked hard to improve state laws concerning driving while under the influence. Even so, evil on the highways, in every state, continues. Evil always seems to find another way. It was true following the Holocaust, and 9/11, and Oklahoma City, and Columbine, and so many more.

And the whole world asks, “Where is the hope? Where?!”

To be honest, when unspeakable horrors happen over and over, when innocent people die, my own natural, human reaction, even as a Believer, is to wonder, “O God, where are You in all of this?” My intellect and a faith deep down inside knows He hasn’t gone anywhere, that it has nothing to do with God’s inability, that it all has to do with God’s Love for us being our choice to accept or reject, and that the worst choice ever by man and woman was in the Garden of Eden by eating from the tree of good and evil. And that the world has paid the price ever since, and that the Word says that evil will grow exponentially in the last days, and that God is holding back the end of all things so that all have opportunity to be saved, and when that day finally happens, all this evil will end. Hallelujah.

I know all that. And I truly believe-help-my-unbelief all that. And I know God still has the whole world in His hands. And I know He understands the pain and senselessness of evil because He was there at Calvary when His Son was murdered. But in times like this, my human heart (and I don’t think I’m alone) can’t help but ask...

“Why, God? When does this madness all end? I don’t get it.”

Can I say that? I just did.

Because while there may be practical things (like stiffer laws) that can be done to hinder evil, there is no one earthly fix. Evil’s web is crazy and seems to have an endless, trickle-down thread. There is nowhere to go but Up. And yet in the midst of all that questioning and mystery, I also know that now is no time for Christ-ones to hide their Light and live in a “rather not deal with it” bubble. How, then, shall we Believers live? 

“But brother, you shouldn’t talk like that. Don’t question, just trust.” Well, brother, you apparently have not met these men…

“O Lord, how long will You forget me? Forever? How long will You look the other way?”

—King David, Psalm 13:1

“My God, my God, why have You abandoned Me?”

—Jesus Christ, son of God, Matthew 27:46

Trite Christianese answers or escapism help no one, and the Bible has our back. The Bible’s characters are raw and real. And yet even in the midst of honest questions, the Bible time and again also holds the only real rope of hope. Sometimes you know that from personal experience, and sometimes, like now, you need to remind yourself once more that it is so. Which is why in all faith and against all logic (what some would call foolishness), and amidst honest questions from another horrific moment of evil, that I am still choosing to swim upstream to the One who created all good and truly hates evil, sees all evil, understands it all, sorrows through it all, and has a master plan to end it all in His perfect timing. His promise-keeping is perfect and trustworthy, I know it full well...and He even “gets” my questions and doesn’t laugh.

Many are saying, though,“enough with those ‘thoughts and prayers’—do something.” Good point. Christ-ones should be among the first to be on board for doing all we can, as was the case following my hometown tragedy of October 1979, to better protect innocent lives from future senseless acts of evil. But by all means, God calls us—calls me—to also continue to stand in the gap for the helpless and the deeply grieving, to “weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) I don't know about the "thoughts," but the prayers must continue. How many stories have you and I heard, or personally experienced, about someone really having no words to say to someone in the midst of tragedy but praying God’s peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) — and it happens!? Up close or from a distance, our prayers have healing and comforting power beyond our comprehension.

When I step back and exhale in times like this, I know that I know that while improvements and fixes may indeed be worth the effort here below, there is ultimately only one, only One, who can and will one day overcome evil once and for all—for all who dare Believe, that glorious day when Jesus Christ returns to make a new heaven and a new earth, with a trumpet fanfare that seems to shout “Enough!” A day that is coming sooner than we can imagine…

“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, 'Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.'”—Revelation 21:1-4, NLT

Hold onto that, O my soul. And until that day, on Christ the solid Rock I will stand (again), and pray, and will seek to carry Him with me, to one person at a time…even and especially during those times when “I don’t get it.” Yes, you can say that.

Praying with Fire

(Photo: Religion News Service)

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”—Matthew 6:10

After “now I lay me down to sleep…” Jesus' model for everyday praying (the Lord’s Prayer) was the one I knew all my friends and family knew. Long before I realized who Jesus really was, I remember hearing everyone on Sunday morning in our old New England church saying this prayer together—old people, little guys like me who had just exchanged a couple of teeth for a couple of dimes found under my pillow when I woke up, important and scary-looking people with bad breath, and the sweetest Sunday school teacher a kid could imagine.

Maybe everyone was being reverent, but I still remember that the room sounded like a hive of bored, monotone honeybees when we prayed that prayer. Still, even as a kid, it seemed pretty cool that I knew a prayer that everyone else knew as well, and there was something strangely powerful about all of us saying it together.

But not as cool as when there was a special all-school assembly in the gym, when everyone from grade school to the senior class gathered for Memorial Day remembrance, and everyone was asked to join in on the Lord’s Prayer. (Yes, “back in the day,” that sort of thing happened.) I remember that even with everyone’s eyes supposedly closed in prayer, I peeked to see if the really cool guys on the basketball team were saying it (and they were!). Some of my buddies next to me used different words, like “debts” instead of “trespasses,” which was a bit puzzling, but not as puzzling as wondering what on earth “trespasses” meant anyway. Sure, we all sounded like a lot of  monotone honey bees in that gym, but once again there was something strangely powerful about all of us saying it together.

Little did I know then that to “say” the Lord’s Prayer just to say it, or because it’s on the program, or in the church bulletin, or because it’s just what we do, was playing with one of God’s biggest-ever sticks of dynamite. Because when the lightbulb in your soul finally goes off, and you experience on that day of a lifetime when Jesus becomes far more than a rote recitation to the tune of monotone honeybees but Life to the full itself, everything about that prayer explodes.

“Does not My Word burn like fire? Does it not shatter rock like a strong hammer?” —Jeremiah 23:29, The Voice

Somehow, you realize that when you bust out of the little kid monotone voice and kick in to the pulsating rhythm of a child-to-Father relationship, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done!” is praying with Fire. It’s probably getting to the heart of what Jesus intended when He taught that model prayer to His first followers… 

Pray down the supernatural perfections and goodness of God's Word Every single day,

Into every situation,

Every decision,

Every friend and loved one,

Even and especially when you're wondering...

"I don't even know how to pray for this.”

Not weird. Not demanding. Not even yelling. Just standing firm on the Word. Just following Jesus' lead, trusting the One who never fails or miscalculates, and for whom absolutely nothing is impossible.

“We live in the bold confidence that God hears our voices when we ask for things that fit His plan. And if we have no doubt that He hears our voices, we can be assured that He moves in response to our call.”—1 John 5:14-15, The Voice

[ADAPTED FROM APRIL 2016]

That Name

 

(Photo: Priscilla du Preez @unsplash.com)

There is Fred Flintstone, and Fred Rogers. And around these parts, there’s this funny fellow named Fred Marple. But as a little kid, I knew that there was only one Fred who really mattered—the one who I could run to, who could pick me up, who alone could help in my time of need. Fred was my dad’s name and I knew there was no other Fred like him. There was something about that name.

Throughout history, and even today, like many people named Fred, many men have also been named Jesus. The apostle Paul commends one for his friendship and loyalty as “Jesus, who is called Justus.” (Colossians 4:1). In Spanish-speaking countries, Jesus is a popular name to be given baby boys and pronounced “hey-ZOOS.” And in contemporary culture, the Greek root name for Jesus—Joshua—is one of the most popular of all guy names.

But there is no power in just having the name Jesus. The power is in who He alone is. Not just another person named Jesus but Jesus the Christ—the Messiah, the Savior of the world, God’s one and only deliverer of salvation. Like my dad, there is none other like this Jesus. None. In fact, when the name Jesus of Nazareth was spoken during His time on earth, or when this particular Jesus was identified, as Peter confessed, “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” the whole world shook in awe and fear and wonder and love, and even…“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth…” (Philippians 2:10)

You wonder why you wince or feel something righteously angry entwined with an unexplainable rush of Love whenever someone around you uses that Name in vain? It is not human backlash. It is the Holy Spirit bearing witness within us that this Jesus of whom they are swearing is not just any Jesus but our Savior’s Holy name and there is no Jesus like Him. "You have no idea what you're saying!" There’s just something about that Name!

…On the night Jesus Christ was betrayed, when fear, uncertainty and sorrow gripped the disciples, when they heard their closest Friend in such prayerful agony that He sweat drops of blood, it must have felt like their whole world was spinning out of control. But then a shocking moment as the religious leaders’ soldiers, led by Judas the betrayer, approached and said they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth:

“When Jesus said ‘I AM he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:6).

Even when it all seemed bleakest in Gethsemane, all authority still belonged to that Name above all names, because as He had already declared: “My life cannot be taken away by anybody else; I AM giving it of My own free will. My authority allows Me to give My life and to take it again. All this has been commanded by My Father.” (John 10:18) No other man named Jesus had every claimed that and never will...

Why does any of that matter today?

...Because no matter how many times someone uses Jesus’ name in vain, or no matter how crazy life looks around us at any given moment, nothing ever has or ever will have authority over that Name above all names, Jesus Christ. And that means no matter what, we can always trust in, declare, sing and confidently pray that Name, believing that every time we do so, we will be strengthened within knowing that all authority still belongs to Jesus the Christ alone, just as it did in that darkest of nights in the garden of Gethsemane. No other Jesus or Joshua or Fred can ever say or do that.

There’s something about that Name!…and He’s still got the whole world in His hands.

Dial Down Day

 

Downtown on an early Saturday morning.

“And you, beloved, are the light of the world. … Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.”—Matthew 5:14-16, Voice

Some say that December is the busiest month of the year. I say May is a very close second—gardening, yard work, project catch-up, endless post-winter wooings to go hiking, kayaking or camping, graduations, end-of-school activities, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baseball games, cookouts, Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, and let’s not forget about National Mother Goose Day and National Lemonade Day. Whew! 

Which is why it’s always good to take a Dial Down Day (any day will work), and especially in May, because—he said to himself—it will be fuel for all the rest…

So today...

Worship well.

Sing loud. Pray “Thy kingdom come.”

Absorb the Word. Take notes.

Take it to heart.

Then take it all with you.

Because remember, wherever you go, there He is.

You carry the Light.

And there is no place or moment that’s too insignificant.

There is no such thing as being from a too-small church.

Or from a too-small living room.

And no town, no neighborhood, no street is too small.

Or beyond the reach of God’s Love.

So whatever it may look like on you,

Be the Light...

Pray, love, listen, laugh, serve...

Be amazed and live out loud Jacob’s familiar words

But with renewed emphasis:

“Surely, the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it.” 

“Most incredible are the times we know Christ is with us in the midst of our daily, routine lives. In the middle of cleaning the house or driving somewhere in the pick-up, He stops us in our tracks and makes His presence known. Often, it's in the middle of the most mundane task that He lets us know He is there with us. We realize, then, that there can be no ‘ordinary’ moments for people who live their lives with Jesus.”—Michael Card

[Updated from 2019]

Finding Our Lane

(Photo: Philip Strong @unsplash.com)

The longer we walk this Walk, the clearer it becomes that Jesus is not only “Way-maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, Light in the darkness,” He is also the smartest Man who ever walked our planet. Everything He did and said was perfect, He never said, “um…”, His timing was impeccable, and He always knew His audience and how to get through to them.

One of those amazing perfections was His way of telling just the right stories to help people like us visualize important matters for life—for living well here on earth and for living with an Eternal perspective. Some stories were crazy-outrageous, some amusing, and some were just about everyday tasks. Jesus knew that the simplest things often preached the loudest. They still do…

One day, while driving home from work, an approaching car started to drift out of its lane over the center line before straightening out. (Whew!) As I looked through the windshield, this driver was trying to do it all, including using her tablet on her steering wheel while going 50 MPH.

Another time, a well-known worship musician who already had a pleasing quality to his baritone voice decided that wasn’t enough and tried to be something he wasn’t. (See link below!) When he went out of his lane, it was hilarious (because we’ve all been there, even if not singing):

 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=585815072223259

Yesterday, while running the track at the high school, all was going well until I began to look at something interesting going on off to the side that then began to get my mind thinking of all that needed to be done on a Saturday, and in what order. Before I know it, I had drifted out of my lane and lost my rhythm and balance.

And as it was 2,000 years ago, the simplest things can still sometimes preach the loudest…That there is nothing like feeling satisfyingly exhausted after doing a ton of stuff in a hard day’s work. That there is nothing like expanding your comfort zone and succeeding at something new. That there are few things better than the feeling of “git ‘er done.” But there is also this:

"It is impossible to do everything people want you to do. You have just enough time to do God’s will. If you can’t get it all done, it means you’re trying to do more than God intended you to do…”

—Rick Warren

Stay in your lane… Four of the most challenging words ever preached.

But the smartest Man who ever walked the planet knows best and says it’s still the right way to go:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you, too. So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today.”

—Matthew 6:33-34, The Voice

And one of the smartest followers to have ever followed the smartest Man who ever walked the planet passes the baton to us:

“A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough … go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage — do good, be rich in helping others, be extravagantly generous… build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.”

—1 Timothy 6: 6-8, 17-19, The Message