"Of God, what should we now learn?  With sure faith, we ought first to hold He is wisdom infinite; is righteousness, goodness, mercy, truth, power, and life.  For utterly no other wisdom there is; no other righteousness and goodness, no other mercy and truth, power and life.  Wherever seen, all these come from Him alone.  Second, we must learn that for His glory have all things in heaven and on earth been made.  Right requires we serve Him for His nature's sake alone; keep His rule; accept His majesty; in obedience own Him Lord and King."   ----  John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

Somewhere in the past 200 years, the basic approach to life and religious devotion changed significantly.  In academic circles, the change was relegated to the demise of theology and the rise of philosophy and psychology......particularly existentialism.  For those not initiated into those ethereal realms, that means that people have found the "center of their existence" to be their experience of life rather than some higher or divine authority.  In short, humankind has despaired of any genuine, concerned God outside human life, and, therefore, they have tried to find their ultimate meaning right here in the middle of their own lives.

What we've accomplished, in spite of all our scientific achievements and advances in the arenas of living, is nothing short of a sterile life of depression and defeat!  We can put a man on the moon, but we cannot seem to curb our own appetites for violence, murder, and destruction.  The more energy and money we expend upon human self-discovery and self-help, the more deluded we are and in need of help we become!

These tendencies have not escaped us in the religious community.  Those of us who call ourselves "Christians" seem to have a never ending penchant for centering our walk of faith in ourselves.  We enthrone ourselves and our views of the world!  The original sin of "becoming as God" reproduces itself in our lives daily, I'm afraid.

This week, focus instead upon God and His qualities of holiness.  Feed on His Word and truly own Him as Lord and King.  Serve Him because He deserves it, He demands it, and His love and grace draws it from us.  It is when we serve our God because His nature makes anything else ludicrous to us that we can be what Paul calls "instant in season and out of season."

May He be glorified in this dark world through us this week through our words, deeds, and the secrets of our hearts!
------
2001

"For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him?  His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"   ---- Isaiah 14:27

"A ship, like a human being, moves best when it is slightly athwart the wind, when it has to keep its sails tight and attend to its course.  Ships, like men, do poorly when the wind is directly behind, pushing them sloppily on their way so that no care is required in steering or in the management of sails; the wind seems favorable, for it blows in the direction one is heading, but actually it is destructive, because it induces a relaxation in tension and skill.  What is needed is a wind slightly opposed to the ship, for then tension can be maintained, and juices can flow and ideas can germinate; for ships, like men, respond to challenge."   ---James Michener, Chesapeake



If you've been paying attention lately, virtually every form of media is telling us that conditions in the world are not good.  North Korea has restarted their nuclear program even as much of their population is starving.  Iraq and their Presidential Thug are playing fast and loose with the United Nations and the mandates for disarmament.  Numerous other "wannabe" rogues are waiting in the wings to ply their trade of armed blackmail and international thievery.  For any person of faith to believe in a Sovereign and loving God honestly seems  ludicrous!

There's a certain desperation in the air these days; a desperation born of declining economics, the racial balkanization of America, and the sense on the part of young adults that their futures may not likely be better than their parents.  This negativism affects our politics, our interpersonal relationships, and our business and industry.  Sadly, too, it affects our faith communities.

The stress of the times, though, has the effect of revealing to us exactly what kind of God we believe we have!  Just in the past few weeks, hardly a day has gone by that I have not received at least one email message imploring me to help distribute a "prayer wheel."  This is a bit like the Christian version of a rabbit's foot --- a good luck charm calculated to manipulate God into performing our bidding.  You'd think we were whirling prayer wheels to get our way.  The hand-wringing and desperation reveal to us that some people have a weak, pitiful God Whose actions are largely only an impotent response to developments in the world.

Dire conditions and difficulties, though, CAN have a far more significant role to play for us.  They CAN show us that our vision is out of focus and our faith is misplaced!  They CAN force us back to our spiritual "bottom line" in devotion and doctrine.

First, the difficulties, threats of war, and less than ideal conditions around us force us to consider that GOD'S focus is to fulfill HIS eternal purposes in the world!  God's decrees --- His eternal purposes --- ARE being worked out in the world and WILL be accomplished.  His purposes are spiritual in nature and they are realized in Jesus Christ.  "According to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Ephesians 3:11)

So, for us Christians, there is NO room for despair, NO place for worry, and NO excuse for anything other than strong, unalterable faith!  God has already written the history of the world --- He wins, His ends are accomplished, and His people are victors!  We MUST live by faith --- in faith --- and through faith.  It is NOT faith in conditions, NOT faith in ourselves, and NOT faith in what we want or what seems to be good to us.  It IS faith in our Sovereign God and His Sovereign power.  The Apostle Paul said it this way, "For I am convinced that [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 8:38-39)

Second, the difficulties, threats of war, and less than ideal conditions around us force us to understand the role that immediate difficulties play in our lives.  As the quote above shows, the real effect of consistently favorable conditions is that ships and people BOTH become sloppy and inaccurate.  Opposing winds and winds that seek to blow us off course require much out of a ship's crew --- constant vigilance to the skills and duties inherent in good sailing, and consistent attention to the destination intended.  In fair winds, anyone can be a sailor.  Foul winds turn recreational sailors into true seamen!

SO --- this week keep your attention on the "map of life" found in God's Word.  Focus on the destination decreed by God's eternal purposes and sail for them.  Keep your equipment in good order and your rigging tight.  Stand tall --- you serve a Sovereign God.  Live with strong and unwavering faith.  Remember --- all things will come out just as He decrees.  May He give us the kind of faith that can say like the Apostle Paul, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.  So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."  (Romans 14:8)

------
2003

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’  ‘Yes, Lord, ‘he said, ‘you know that I love you.’  Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’”   ----John 21:15
 


Perhaps one of the greatest challenges to most Christians is the tendency to quit after they have failed.  Our contemporary culture has not exactly bred resiliency and tenacity into us, so overcoming obstacles and persevering in the face of difficulties prove to be illusive for so many people who claim to have faith.  Our situation in life is not helped by the fact that the Scriptures tell us that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God!”  (Romans 3:23)  The history of Christianity is littered with the stories of people who ran the race of life well and accomplished a great deal only to quit and fall by the wayside after one great failure or another.  Of course, in our own day, who doesn’t know the names of Jim Bakker or Jimmy Swaggert?!

 
Over the years, I’ve had person after person tell me in excruciating detail why they could not serve God or live a Christian life.  I’ve learned of humiliating defeats, moral failures, and awkward attempts that fell short of their goals.  So many of us live our lives for years with the heavy burden of failure imagining that God oppressed us as much as we oppress ourselves!  Literally, we become the victims of our own evaluations ignoring the fact that God forgives.  Much of our lives becomes frozen in time tethered to past failures, sins, and defeats.  The acid voice of the Evil One whispers his crushing messages that magnify our foibles and errors from the past.  He tells us that God cannot or will not use us in His kingdom’s work because we are sinners.  And --- the trouble is that we tend to agree with him!
 

It doesn’t have to be that way, you know.  The Scriptures are filled with the stories of men and women who would be evaluated as “failures” but who were used by Almighty God in marvelous and wonderful ways.  The prostitute Rahab became God’s human intelligence gatherer in Canaan for the Israelite spies, and she is listed in the ancestry of our Lord Jesus Himself!  Moses, who threw away his royal upbringing and failed at bringing revolution to Hebrew slaves, became God’s spokesman to Egypt’s Pharaoh and God’s leader for the Israelites.  Simon Peter, the big fisherman who once claimed that he would die with Christ denied Him three times on the night before His crucifixion.

 
As a consequence of his failure, Peter did exactly what most of us would have done in his place.  Though he left his fishing boat and nets to follow Christ as a “fisher of men,” following his monumental failure in denying Christ he returned to fishing thinking that ministry was over for him.  It was after the resurrection that Jesus found him and asked three times if Peter loved Him.  With each question, Peter was cut to the heart.  He had not changed his allegiance to Christ nor his knowledge of Who Jesus really was.  What had changed was Peter’s grand failure and his disqualification, he thought, from further service.

 
In the passage cited above, Jesus made it clear that Christian living and Christian service are, at their heart, matters of our love for Christ more than our inherent abilities and acquired skills.  We are to “feed His lambs” as an outgrowth of our love for Jesus.  Though bruised and battered, though painfully aware of our failures and inabilities, though not wanting to forgive ourselves, we MUST NOT GIVE UP!  The remedy for our shortcomings is to repent of our sins and continue working in the ways and places God sovereignly allows us!  To continue in service requires courage, and God supplies it when we need it in abundance.

 
Two times in the Scriptures Jesus finds Simon Peter and his fellow fishermen with their boats on shore and nets hung up for repair and drying.  They’ve done their best and have caught nothing.  In both instances, Jesus makes it graphically clear that HE brings the success, not them.  His challenge to them, as well as to each of us, is to “keep on keeping on.”  When we fall down, we get up!  When we stumble, we regain our footing and continue going forward.  When our friends fall down, we pick them up and encourage them to move forward in faith and love.

 
This week, DON’T let the voice of Satan keep you from doing what you should in your faith and service.  You may have lost faith in yourself and others may have lost faith in you, too.  However, don’t lose heart!  for God knows that we are weak and that we are sinners.  His “faith” is in Himself to work through us accomplishing His eternal purposes day by day.  He asks us the same question He asked Peter, “Do you love me?”  Our positive response to that question is also our volunteering to continue serving Him.  He hasn’t given up on us --- for He is in us and can accomplish more than we imagine.

 
Look up, friend, from the hanging head and shrugged shoulders of defeat and despair.  Do you love the Lord Jesus?  Then serve Him this week!  Look for the people He will bring across your path for ministry and witness.  Look for the opportunity to serve a covenant body where you can worship, grow, and learn.  Tomorrow really IS the first day of the rest of your life!  Use each day to His glory…..starting now!  God bless you as you do.
------
2004

"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out."   --- Numbers 32:23

For most of us who've been in the church for awhile, the verse above is not unknown.  We've heard it in sermons, lessons, and more than one stern lecture by a parent.  The central message of the verse, we are reminded repeatedly, is that if we do one evil thing or another, our sins cannot ultimately be hidden. Our unholy actions are sins against the Lord, and He knows what we've done. AND --- everyone else will eventually find out what we've done.  To put it mildly, YOU CAN'T FOOL GOD!

Of course, that IS true --- at least as far as it goes.  Certainly no one could disagree with this basic understanding of sin and its inherent inability to remain "hidden in the shadows."  Haven't we all learned that sooner or later, all those things we thought we had gotten away with seem to "come home to roost?!"  Whether in this life or at the Great Judgment in the future, everything we've done and the intentions behind them will be laid bare before our Sovereign God.  This ultimate disclosure SHOULD serve as a discouragement to living sinfully.

Now, far be it from me to say that this time-tested meaning attached to the verse above is not true.  It certainly IS true.  However, the verse above has an immediate and far-reaching meaning that is found, as most verses are, in its context.  The passage from Numbers is a very interesting passage and one that is critical to understand properly what the author is saying.

Numbers 32 occurs as the Children of Israel have completed their "punishment tour" wandering in the desert for 40 years as a result of their lack of faith and refusal to boldly enter the Promised Land as they had been instructed by God. You remember the story --- the 12 spies were sent to explore the land promised the Israelites by God and returned with their detailed report.  The all agreed on the wonderful blessings of the land and its ability to make the people flourish. They all agreed that there were challenges --- BIG challenges --- the "giants" who lived there and were militarily strong.  Ten of the spies said these "giants" would eat the people up and defeat them ignominiously.  Only two proved to be men of faith --- Joshua and Caleb.  They told the people to move forward in faith and trust the Lord God to empower them to defeat these enemies.  The people listened to the message of "peace at any cost" and the next 40 years were spent in aimless wandering --- geographically and spiritually.  Their sin? Refusing to do what was right when the time was right --- moral cowardice!

If you think that these people of God learned their lesson traipsing around the desert those 40 years, you'd be terrible wrong!  As they now stood ready to march across the Jordan River, two of the tribes of Israel approached Moses with a request.  "We've found a good place for our families and our flocks," they explained.  "Let us just stay here and make THIS our home."  They'd rather make money than war!  Moses, as you might imagine, was dumbfounded.  "You mean," he said, "that you want to let your fellow tribes do all the fighting while you stay here and do nothing?!"  "That's what your forefathers did at Kadesh Barnea when we sent spies!"  I'm amazed, too!  Some people just NEVER learn!

Several thousand years later, we're finding ourselves on the verge of armed conflict to oppose a great moral evil and protect the civilized world from a  megalomaniac with VERY destructive weapons.  Thumbing his nose at the world's citizens and ignoring the welfare of his own people, this leader and his tribal gang threaten the lives and livelihoods of all the nations of the world. Taking the international lead, the President has invoked the wisdom and assistance of Almighty God as he confronts this international evil.  As he repeatedly reveals the evidence gained to show the magnitude of that leader's tyranny, he consistently speaks of his "moral duty to oppose evil."

AND --- that's the issue for all of us this coming week.  When we speak of some "great evil" or we find ourselves face-to-face with something that is morally repugnant, the natural tendency is to run away.  Few of us really enjoy confrontations, and most of us prefer peace to conflict.  So, in times like these a very appropriate question is: "What is our responsibility with regards to evil?"  To be sure, the question has occupied the great philosophers for years.  However, we as Christians are NOT merely left to our own devices to answer the question.  Whether national, local, or personal in scope, the question is addressed by God's Word and speaks clearly to us ---

1) We must clearly identify evil --- we must know it when we see it!  One of the master strokes of the Evil One is to portray his lewd and morally debased intentions as something brighter and more desirable.  When the Apostle Paul warned the Christians in Corinth to distinguish between true and false workers, he told them,  "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (II Corinthians 11:13-14) 
Do you know how the Treasury Department in Washington trains its workers to recognize counterfeit money?  I always thought they would show them examples of false money so the workers would recognize it when they saw it.  WRONG!  What the Treasury Department does is make the trainees repeatedly handle TRUE bills in various denominations.  They practice getting the sight and feel of the good bills so much that it becomes second nature to them.  THEN the instructors introduce some examples of "funny money."  Much of it has been counterfeited extremely well; however, the workers are not fooled.  When you know the sight and feel of the good stuff, the false stuff is largely no problem.  The lesson is obvious --- stick to the "good stuff" and learn it well.  Make it become second nature to you; THEN you'll know what doesn't feel, smell, sound, or taste right when it is presented to you.

2) Be committed to eternal principles more than temporary people!  We live in a world that is dedicated to politics and getting ahead.  Positions and possessions occupy the bulk of our creative energies and efforts far too often. We've been taught that cooperation is the highest value and being a "team player" is the highest compliment.  Of course, these DO have their places in living in society, but if they become the primary motivating forces we will tend to lose our moral compass.  Many people believe we've done that already.  If you look at the history of western civilization alone, you can see consistent examples of "peace at any cost" resulting in concentration camps, the deaths of millions, and the slavery --- literally and figuratively --- of whole populations. How do we avoid that?  Focus on enduring values and principles that transcend the compromises of daily life.  "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable --- if anything is excellent or praise-worthy --- think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

3) In your personal life, ruthlessly confront what is evil and ungodly, and in your public life boldly confront what is evil!  History is filled with examples of people who notice moral wrong yet do nothing more than express to themselves that it is regrettable!  Why don't people do more?  For some, the problem is fear --- fear of damaging personal relationships; fear of losing position, reputation or material wealth; fear that they may not be right.  For others, the problem is cowardice --- this is an informed fear that results in a calculated, deliberate refusal to do what is right.  At the personal level, it's more than passively failing to commit some types of sins.  Our obligation is to actively turn ourselves to God and consciously resist Satan and his wiles. "Submit yourselves, then to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)  Our obligations don't end there.  Publicly and interpersonally, we are to confront people and institutions whose actions clearly violate God's moral law.  We are indebted today to those in America from its very beginning who opposed the moral evil of slavery.  The foundation of their opposition was religious and spiritual in nature --- based upon the Word of God.  Virtually all of the great moral crusades from the past in this country began with Biblical injunction and moral outrage.

SO --- what's all this mean to us this week?  It means that we MUST personally and corporately resist and confront evil --- and be willing to pray the price for doing so!  The enjoyment of true faith is not a part-time proposition nor is it for the half-hearted and cowardly.  True faith and the service of the Kingdom is for those who clearly see what is right, who energetically seek what is right, and who boldly confront what is wrong!  Do that this week in your own life and you'll find God's strength as you do so.
-----
2003

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable --- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --- think about such things." ---Philippians 4:8

Not a week goes by lately that we are not inundated by appeals to think about something.  Of course, for the past few months, the political races at local, state, and national levels have dominated the evening news shows and the newspapers.  The truth has been "sliced, diced, and served up to us" with a great deal of questionable thinking.  Our young people, according to the polls, have become cynical and withdrawn......even the most rosy estimates indicate that little better than 25 percent of them will take the trouble to vote!

The problem is that we have allowed the most elementary faculty in our capacity as human beings to become flabby and weak......our ability to THINK!  Fuzzy thinking seems to have crept into every facet of life.  We excuse evil on the thin basis of "Well, we ALL have our own skeletons in the closet."  The age old propensity to overlook our own sins in favor of highlighting those of others is alive and well in our early 21st century culture.  Even more amazing is our ability to accept questionable, fuzzy thinking on the part of our elected officials as "par for the course."

A friend recently sent me some examples of what is supposed to be actual, sworn testimony in courts of law in this land.  See if the examples below don't show our inability to think clearly........

Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July fifteenth.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: How old is your son, the one living with you?
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: And where was the location of the accident?
A: Approximately milepost 499.
Q: And where is milepost 499?
A: Probably between milepost 498 and 500!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Sir, what is your IQ?
A: Well, I can see pretty well, I think.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Did you blow your horn or anything?
A: After the accident?
Q: Before the accident.
A: Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it.


If fuzzy thinking is the problem, what is the antidote?  Is there a "medicine" that will function as a "cure?"

First, as the verse above says, our mindsets are framed by what we think about.  If you want to be pure, praiseworthy, or possess excellence, then focus your thinking on things that have these qualities.  Reject things that are base and downgrading......focus on things that have eternal significance.  Remember the motto of computer engineers...."Garbage in.....garbage out!"

Second, conform your living to the standards of God by thinking on His standards.  Psalm 119:59 says, "I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes."  There IS a yardstick by which we may measure our lives and conduct: the Word of God!

Third, make the house of God a priority in your life.  God does not have "free agents" in His Kingdom.  His house and His family are His focus!  Psalm 48:9 tell us that "Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love."

Fourth, study the lives of those who have succeeded in the past.  The Scriptures are filled with the lives----successes and failures---of God's people who lived before us.  Their lives are examples of human frailty, God's grace and mercy, God's Providence and provision, and human recovery.  "Consider Him," Hebrews 12:3 invokes, "Who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

This week, aim high in your thinking and doing.  You simply cannot go upward while looking downward!  Seek wisdom by listening to and meditating on what is wise.  Follow God's path----it will lead you to where God wants you to go!

God bless you and grant you His guidance in thinking and living this week.

-----
2000

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."  ----Galatians 6:10

An issue of Parade Magazine noted that Mychal F. Judge, the late NYPD Chaplain, carried this prayer in his pocket, and the NYPD personnel referred to it as Mychal's Prayer.  It is worth repeating:

"Lord, take me wherever You want me to go;
Let me meet who You want me to meet;
Tell me what You want me to say;
And keep me out of Your way."

Most people of faith have heard numerous sermons, homilies, and lessons about doing good and serving others.  Our religious groups, denominations, and churches organized to do this resulting in program after program to make it happen.  We are very proud of ourselves, it seems, that more organizations exist now than ever devoted to service and ministry.  You simply cannot have a natural disaster or significant catastrophe in America without the presence of the Red Cross and scads of other religious relief agencies!

It would seem that God is very, very lucky to have us around to organize all this for Him!  I mean, what on earth did we do for service before 21st Century Americans could conceptualize and organize it?!  After all, if our service and ministry to others isn't programmed and organized, how valuable and effective COULD it be?

Honestly, organized service and programmed ministry really ARE valuable --- in their place.  However, not everyone can participate in these to any significant degree.  For the vast majority of people of genuine faith, the thrust of true spiritual service to others occurs at the daily, personal level.  Ministry in most circumstances flows along the lines of human relationships and contacts.

That's what makes Mychal's Prayer so profound.  He realized, as have most of us who are/have been Chaplains, that ministry with eternal value often is ministry that does not appear to be a "big deal."  A kind word, an encouraging conversation, a pat on the back, or even a listening ear can mean far more than some of our complex, sophisticated programs!  The time spent sharing our lives with others in the "daily grind" is a greater investment, I believe, than a good bit of the flashy, much-heralded activity that passes for "ministry."

What's the difference?  Simply put, genuine, personal ministry is ministry that is directed by our Sovereign God --- and often ministry that has NO indication of just how important it really is!  It is ministry energized and used by God, even when He does not TELL us He is using us.  It is ministry that focuses on the warp-and-woof of the daily lives of real people who are incessantly going and coming.  It's the way the Divine is interjected into the mundane.

Mychal's Prayer is simple, yet profound.  Why don't you pray this prayer at the beginning of the coming week and keep it in focus each day?  I believe you'll be surprised at how many opportunities you'll have to put "feet to your faith" in the lives of others.  Depend on God and follow His lead.  You'll do good to all kinds of people --- you'll do it God's way --- and you'll do it empowered by Him!  May He us all of us this week for His glory!
------
2002

"For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.."----  Hebrews 4:12

It is predictable --- sooner or later in polite conversations the subject will turn to religion.  For many people, blood pressures then rise and tensions grow.  The increasingly diverse nature of our culture and the growing variety of religious expressions all contribute to confusion and agitation.  Just turn the subject in lunchtime talk to spiritual things and religion and watch the tempers flare!

Have we lost the ability for civil discourse?  Have we come so far in our religious differences that we can no longer manage our intellectual exchanges?  Has our headlong run into "political correctness" brought us to the point that religion has been relegated merely to a personal preference (best kept to oneself), like who one voted for in the last election or one's like/dislike for a particular carbonated beverage?  Is this the way our Founding Fathers envisioned future generations to live?

Apparently not!  On October 11, 1798, John Adams wrote to the "Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts."  In this communication, he offered that "...we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.  Avarice, ambition, revenge... would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

So --- our American nation was to be a "moral and religious" culture, according to Adams!  How was this to be achieved?  Where was the essential school of morality and common religion?  What was the foundational textbook for our private and public lives?  Not surprisingly, Adams believed that the Word of God, the Bible, was the foundational document for living in our representative republic.

In a letter to his good friend, Benjamin Rush, Adams wrote on February 2, 1807, "The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy, that ever was conceived upon earth.  It is the most republican book in the world, and therefore I will still revere it.  The curses against fornication and adultery, and the prohibition of every wanton glance or libidinous ogle at a woman, I believe to be the only system that ever did or ever will preserve a republic in the world."

It seems to me that we have two equal and opposite possibilities for living this next week.  One of them is to approach life from an experiential standpoint.  That is, we can live each day searching for a "spiritual experience" or "warm emotion."  This type of living is at it's heart self-centered and ego-driven.  It's long on the subjective and short on the objective.  It leaves each of us with our own "sheet of music" pursued primarily by the emotions.  It's a life in search of an experience --- "how things FEEL to ME."

The other approach to life is the Biblical approach.  It centers on the Bible and requires that we read God's Word and heed it.  It is not as susceptible to changing emotions or subjective experiences.  This is the strength of living that appealed to John Adams so long ago.  Living the Christian lives appropriately in our current culture demands that we place ourselves under the tutelage of Holy Scripture.  It's honest, down-to-earth counsel and requirements insure a more civil society, livable homes, and a spiritual climate that is balanced and dependable.

The Word of God peers deep inside the human personality, honestly and forthrightly points out sin and unrighteousness, and carefully declares the cure for all that morally and spiritually ails us.  Living under the demands and mentoring of God's Word builds good people, good churches, and a truly good society.

Don't let anything rob you of this necessary blessing this week.  Read God's Word --- think about it, meditate on it, memorize it, wrestle with it, share it, and let is change your life from the inside out.  Don't forget the words of the Psalmist --- "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."  (Psalm 119:105)  Live in the light this week!

-------------------
2003

I don't know about your home, but at our house the Christmas season is even more hectic than normal.  There are friends around the world to send remember for Christmas cards, goodies to bake, parties to attend, and a thousand other details that demand attention.  Oh, and purchasing just the right Christmas presents takes some not-so-insignificant energy and creativity, too!

I think it's easier than ever to find ourselves waking up suddenly on Christmas morning and thinking, "Is it Christmas ALREADY?!"  We seem to miss so many of the blessings of this Advent and Christmas season in our quest to meet demands and do the "right" thing.  Of course, ministers and teachers in our churches will be extolling the primary characters of the Christmas story.  There ARE great lessons to be learned from them, even today.  However, some of the "minor" characters also teach great lessons, too --- lessons we ALL need to learn and relearn.


1.  THE INNKEEPER

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."    ---- Luke 2:4-7


 Perhaps this unnamed innkeeper should best be remembered as the Patron Saint of Tyranny of the Urgent --- those who become so busy that they're blind to reality.  Of course, on the outside, nothing physical or obvious indicated to the innkeeper that the poor family standing at his door was a royal family.  No holy aura surrounded them --- they were just an exhausted traveling family like so many others foisted on tiny Bethlehem by a Roman Emperor's need for a census and, of course, new taxes.  Every available living space was already taken, and STILL the families came!

How many times we have vilified this poor businessman!  Was he really hard-hearted, or was he simply tapped out for space?  Was he really some sort of enemy of the Christ-child, or was he merely overwhelmed by the demands of the day?  Most likely, he was exactly like us --- seized by the urgency of the moment and the demands of the obvious.  How many of us lose our spiritual bearings each day in the workaday world JUST LIKE THAT?  Pray this week that God will give you and me a heightened spiritual sensitivity to what's REALLY important.  Don't fall for the error of the innkeeper  --- by satisfying the innocent request for space with what he had left, he permanently lost the opportunity to create a more honorable space for the holy family.  His busyness blinded him to God's great gift right in front of him!



2.  THE SHEPHERDS

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord'.........When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'  So they hurried off...."
                                  ----Luke 2:8-16 


Of all the characters who might be good examples for us, fewer are more unlikely than shepherds.  These were NOT Ph.D. candidates!  Shepherds were unkempt and unseemly characters whose manners were rough at best and whose reputations were uniformly bad.  In fact, Jewish practice was that shepherds' testimony was not to be trusted in court proceedings unless corroborated by other, non-shepherd, testimony!  Yet, there it is in Scripture that of all the groups who could have heard the Heavenly Host announcing the birth of the Messiah, God sovereignly chose the shepherds!

I don't know if this partly indicates that God has a different sense of humor, but I think it DOES show that God's love and grace encompasses ALL types of folks!  The shepherds are examples that we're never so far away from God that His message cannot come through to us.  Also, though the shepherds were aware of their low social status and esteem, they did receive the word from God's messengers and took it seriously.  When told the good news and that "you will find..," they "hurried off" to find Mary and Joseph and the Baby.  Their hurrying, unlike the innkeeper, was to see what was true and eternal.  Our hurrying should be the same!

Oh, and I do notice that verse 17 tells us that "When they had seen him, they spread the word..."  Not a bad result of Christmas!  Wonder how well we "spread the word" the rest of the year?!

    This week, we'll come much closer to that blessed night in Bethlehem once again.  In all the hurrying, in all the preparations for friends and family, in all the demands on our attention and time, make sure that we learn from the shepherds rather than the innkeeper!  Don't miss what is eternal for what is expedient!

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2002

"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:  His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' - which means, 'God with us.'"  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

                                                                        -----Luke 1:18-25


Lately, we've seen a remarkable (and welcomed!) surge in this country of patriotism.  Yes, I know it is fashionable these days to attribute this rebirth to the tragic events of 9-11-01; however, I think it was there all the time in true Americans and our real friends.  It is refreshing to see Old Glory proudly displayed and young people openly supporting the military services.  I feel a genuine rise in emotion when I see fresh-faced, bright-as-a-new-penny young people in the uniform our our nation!

Lest we pop our buttons with these sentiments, let us not forget that currently we are calling on these wonderful young soldiers, sailors, Air Force servicemembers, and Marines to go to far-off places and place themselves in harm's way for the interests of America.  What on earth can compel a young person --- who just weeks ago could not hang up clothes or keep their bedroom above the level of a biological disaster area --- to prepare their gear for a deployment inspection or stand at rigid attention for what seems like forever?!  It's almost miraculous how Drill Sergeants, Basic Training, and Boot Camp can instill a sense of instant obedience to instructions and orders!

This strong sense of obedience and discipline is the underpinning of our soldiers and Marines in dangerous places like Afghanistan and the Philippines.  Our Special Operations military epitomizes "Can Do" and "All the Way" and "Airborne" and "Air Assault!"  When Special Ops is involved, there is NO question of obedience and mission focus!  Even at the cost of their own lives, these sterling Americans pay any price for mission accomplishment.

In the Christmas story, there is another example of this kind of obedience and focus.  I don't know why, but all too often Joseph, the earthly father of our Lord Jesus, is either left out or relegated to a small supporting role in all the happenings.  That's tragic, for his example of obedience to God and commitment to the "mission" at hand are examples for all the ages!

Can you imagine a more difficult and costly circumstance than his?  His beloved fiance is found "with child."  He could have saved his pride by ceremonially and openly divorcing her.  He could have thrown the whole problem onto Mary and found another young women with a good reputation.  What he DID do was plan to "put Mary away" privately and absorb the criticism and hurt.

When he heard the instructions of God via the angel, he obeyed.  He took Mary for his wife --- accepting the whispers and rumors and looks that doubtless came his way.  He sacrificed his husbandly comforts and rights by waiting until after the child's birth for physical love.

Meditate on this brief passage and notice the simple, yet profound obedience evidenced by Joseph.  He received the will of God, shouldered the responsibility to obey, and HE OBEYED!  Why not ask God this week to make that your own purpose?  I can think of no more worthy preparation to celebrate what Christmas really means!

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2002

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

                                                John 3:16


One of the complaints we hear consistently during the Christmas season is the increasing high cost of everything.  In spite of their efforts to undercut their competition, all the merchants and manufacturers seem to find a way to increase the prices they charge for their products.  As the economy ebbs and flows, we Americans dig deep in our pockets (not to mention our "plastic") to pay the high cost of gifts and presents.

Now, as John's Gospel tells us in the well-known verse above, the original Christmas came with a high cost, too!  In fact, it came with the highest cost.  Presents and gifts for us are really more "additions."  That is, they simply add to the vast amount of things we already own.  On the scale of the world, we Americans are wealthy --- therefore, we sacrifice very little to purchase our presents.  We sacrifice very little, and our lifestyles change hardly at all.

The true spirit of Christmas is exemplified, though, in the great sacrifice for the first Christmas present.  God GAVE His "one and only Son."  He gave the gift of highest value --- a true "one of a kind."  Why?  Because He loved us!  Our expressions of love and our gifts to one another are but shadows and reminders of the Divine example two thousand years ago.  God's gracious gift not only enlightens our hearts, but it inspires our emulation, also.

On December 12, 1912, a young Christian worker, Bill Borden, left for missionary service in China among the Muslims.  He planned a period of language study in Egypt.  Young Borden was reared in an upper-class family in Chicago, and he was the heir to a fortune made in real estate and milk production.  As a lad, he volunteered at Chicago's Moody Church under Pastor R.A. Torrey to missions service.

He studied at Yale University and aimed his life and his fortune to missions.  His mother, though, had reservations about his sacrifice.  On the eve of Borden's departure, she fell asleep asking over and over, "Is it, after all, really worthwhile?"  She later recorded that in the morning, a still small voice spoke in her heart, "GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only Son..."

A month after arriving in Egypt, Borden contracted spinal meningitis and died within two weeks.  When they came for his body, a note was found under his pillow --- "No Reserve!  No Retreat!  No Regrets!"

When newspapers carried the story of his sacrifice, the numbers of young people volunteering for missions increased significantly.  His sacrifice WAS worth it!

AND --- that's also true of the first Christmas!  God held nothing back in the gift of Jesus and did not retreat from His gracious offering.  The Scriptures recount NO Divine regrets as He Who was God became flesh.

As you continue your Advent preparations this week, why don't you adopt Borden's testimony for your own motto?  "No Reserve!  No Retreat!  No Regrets!"  What a difference it could make this Christmas for you!

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2003