Bridges, Not Walls

As I was thinking about my devotion this morning, I realized that most of the beautiful pictures of sunrises and sunsets that I post on my blog have been taken from the same place, crossing Honey Creek Bridge.  I have already expressed my love for this beautiful place and the joy that it brings to my heart each morning as I head into town and each evening as I make my way home.  But what is on my heart this morning is the significance of that 400-yard long expanse of concrete and steel that makes it possible for me to get from my side of the lake to town without getting wet.  A bridge is a device that carries you across a divide, whether it be water or canyon and connects the two sides, making it easy to pass from one to the other.  The tendency of the human heart is to protect itself against being hurt, so rather than building bridges that span the relational chasms between us, we generally build walls to keep others out.  But God didn't create us to live in isolation.  He intended for us to function in concert with others.  Our sin had created a gaping chasm between us and God and between us and others around us, but Jesus came and suffered and died to become the bridge by which we could make our way to God.  Our relationship to Him also leads us to build bridges to those around us so that we can relate properly with them.  A few months ago, I wrote a little poem about this subject so I thought I would share it with you this morning.  I hope that it is a blessing to you and I hope it challenges you to reach out to those around you with the love of Jesus.

Bridges, Not Walls

It seems at times our lives are filled

With conflicts great and small

And so we build around our hearts

A high foreboding wall

We set a watch and keep our hearts

From venturing outside

And chase all others from the gates

With spears of foolish pride.

But such is not the way that God

Created us to live,

He built in us an innate need

To nurture and to give.

It’s hidden and it’s oft denied,

But there down deep inside,

And when its given room to breathe,

Our hearts are satisfied.

The world may scoff and scurry on

In pursuit of their selfish goals

But all who find God’s way of peace

Find treasures half untold

For bitter hearts and selfish ways

Lead to a lonely life,

But open hearts and loving ways

Reflect the face of Christ.

And so instead of building walls

To keep the world at bay,

Let’s build a bridge of Jesus’ love

And show the world His way.

Let's go out and build a bridge to someone today!

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

The air was cold for a late August morning.  The sky was just starting to lose its star-freckled darkness as the light of the sun that was still hidden behind the Ozark foothills began to illuminate the morning.  Thick wisps of mist floated up off the lake giving the scene an eery appearance as we left shore and began our journey to the fishy coves and rock bluffs of Lake of the Ozarks.  The morning stillness, interrupted only by the high-pitched hum of the 250 HP motor, gave the entire scene an ethereal quality. 

This was the way that I started each morning at our Men's Retreat last week, a couple hours of peaceful tranquility with a couple of our men before breakfast and the sessions of the day.  I am not that much of an outdoorsman.  I love to fish and hunt, but just haven't taken the opportunity to do it very much.  This retreat gave me the chance to get out there with a couple of patient young guys who showed me the ropes a little bit and we had a great time of fellowship together. I enjoyed the playful, competitive banter and the stories of their lives, but I think the thing that I enjoyed the most was the quiet peacefulness of the whole thing. 

One of the songs that the praise band sang at the retreat was a rendition of the old Eagles' song, Peaceful, Easy Feelin' that had been merged with Amazing Grace and adapted a little bit on the chorus.  It really is a beautiful song and it expressed the way that I felt each morning out on that lake.  My everyday life is a little bit frantic on occasion.  It seems that I never have quite enough time to get everything done that I am trying to accomplish, so I run to and fro and sometimes get a little frustrated.  But this weekend, the thought came to me.  In the Gospels, I never see Jesus running anywhere and yet the Bible tells us that He fulfilled everything that His Father sent Him to do.  He never seemed rushed or stressed.

I'm sure that Brent and James would tell me that I just ought to go fishing more often, and they might be right, but more likely the Lord is trying to get me to listen to the Apostle Paul in Phillippians 4:4-9.  Rejoice! Don't worry.  Pray.  Be thankful. Let God keep your heart and mind at peace.  Choose your thoughts wisely and follow the example of godly men and women that your Father has placed in your life.  The result will be a peaceful easy feeling that is beyond our human understanding.

It doesn't hurt to close your eyes every once in a while and find yourself skimming across that water, through the mist in the dawn's early light.  Just be sure you make it back for breakfast. :0)

Having a World Vision

Isn't it amazing how small our world is becoming?  Just this morning, while checking my Facebook, I corresponded with friends on three different continents.  These days, I am able to schedule missionaries while they are still on the field and could, should I so desire, even have them speak to the church from the other side of the world through Skype.  With the rapid development of communication technologies, more and more people are immediately accessible, and with the translation software available through Google and others, websites and blogs are available from every nation, tribe, and tongue.  At least two of our missionaries send out weekly emails to their supporting churches, allowing for immediate response to their praises and prayer requests.  Where once, monthly prayer letters arrived in churches weeks after they were sent and cost hundreds of dollars to produce and mail, today, we have the technology for more, better, and more responsive interaction with our missionaries.

But like many of the other opportunities that modern life offers, it seems that we are not taking full advantage of what God has made available to us.  This morning, I want to spur you on just a little bit.  I'd like to challenge you to develop a vision for the world.  One of the elements of our church's mission statement is that we are a church that sees the world as its mission field.  But what about you?  Do you see that mission field as your own?  Do you read the Great Commission and say, "That doesn't apply to me."   What is your thought process when you hear a missionary share his burden for the people of the country to which he is being called?  I hear people all the time saying, "I would love to go to the mission field, but..." Well, let me tell you, there will always be a 'but....'  The natural human tendency is to look at a problem in the big picture and see it as impossible to solve.  "I can't change the world..."  But in reality, no one is asking you to solve the entire problem.  God has commanded us to do our part.  You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the world for one child, one family, one village.  You may not be able to pack up your life and move to the other side of the world to be a missionary, but there are any number of things that you can do to make a difference.  Begin by honestly opening your heart to God and asking Him to give you a broader vision and a deeper burden.  Then begin to investigate ways to get involved right from your home.  Check out http://www.bbfimissions.org/ or http://www.adventuresinmissions.org/ and follow some of the blogs for ideas.  Begin by giving to missions through our church and take a deep hard look at ways that you can redirect some of your resources to be able to give more.  Giving up some of those daily guilty pleasures like a cappacino or a donut or four Dr. Peppers and giving the money you spent to missions can add up quickly.  Going out to eat one less time a week would make a lot of difference.  Just ask God to show you the impact of those little decisions on souls around the world.  Then, ask God to open your eyes to missions opportunities all around you.  The mission field doesn't start on the other side of the ocean, it begins right at your front door, so keep your eyes open.  And more than anything commit yourself to prayer for our missionaries and the people that they are ministering to.

These are just a starting point.  As you open your heart to missions and ask God for a greater world vision, He may begin speaking to you in other ways.  He may call for more direct action.  He may reveal ways that you can have a greater impact.  Just don't hold back.  Let Him show you how to reach your world for Him. The time is short and the task is daunting, but if we obey, we can still see the Great Commission fulfilled in our lifetime.

The Christian Citizen

It is surprising to me how many Christians acknowledge their responsibility to be the hands and feet of Jesus, yet shirk their duty to be His voice.  I am focusing this morning on our duty as citizens of a nation that allows its people to determine its direction through the electoral process.  There is no doubt that the political system of our once-great nation has degenerated over the last 50 years or so into little more than a shouting match, refereed by an increasing biased press and observed by an increasingly skeptical and uninformed electorate.  However, I believe that our nation and our system of government are a gift to us from God, a gift that brings with it a great responsibility.  Let me elaborate.  Our nation was established on biblical principles and served for almost 200 years as a banner to the world of what could happen when a people acknowledged God as their resource and guide.  When the Scriptures say, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," all you had to do was look at the USA to see that it was true.  The liberties that our system of government granted us allowed for unheard of prosperity, but also, open doors for ministry to the lost, the oppressed, and the needy around the world.  It didn't take long for America to outpace Britain as the number one missionary sending nation in the world.  The testimony of our nation was clearly displayed on our currency, In God We Trust!
As we all know, the climate in America has changed drastically in our lifetime.  We are seeing the fulfillment of Isaiah 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"  With the ascendance of relativistic thought, anyone who would dare call anything a sin is characterized as an intolerant bigot.  The result is that many Christians have either been shouted down or discouraged into silence.  And now, with the spectre of Islam on the horizon, our lack of a spiritual backbone has robbed us of any moral high ground from which to defend our way of life, as exemplified by the fact that there is even a debate about allowing a mosque at Ground Zero.
I hear some of my Christian brothers saying, "That is all the world system.  As Christians, why should we even be concerned about it? Why should I lower myself to be involved in an obviously corrupt process?"
Well, let me give you my answer. First, God has called us to be watchmen on the wall.  Throughout the Bible, God's people had to stand up to wicked government officials and try to turn them to the right.  Moses, Nathan, Elijah, and many others in the Old Testament.  John, the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, and Paul, in the New Testament.  All confronted the wickedness of those who governed them in an attempt to turn their nation back to God.  We have been given the unique blessing of having a say in our nation's decisions.  To shirk our responsibility as citizens is to give tacet approval to the direction that we are going and to allow those who deny Christ a greater voice.
As your pastor, I won't step over the bounds and tell you who to vote for, but I will tell you that God will hold you accountable for being His voice in the affairs of your community and nation.  For those of you in Delaware County, you have an opportunity today to make a difference.  As a Christian who loves his God and his country, I would like to encourage you to cast your vote and let God's voice be heard.

Storing Up Treasures

Wow! Where does all of the clutter come from?  This morning, I decided to get into the church early and start on the process of cleaning the old school room upstairs in our Sunday School building.  We are having a big youth event here on September 25th and one of the things that we are going to do is take the kids up there and simulate an underground church service like they have to have in Muslim countries.  But, in order to do that, we have to clean up 40 years of clutter in a room that has become our church's prime location for "out of sight, out of mind."  Old records, remnants of school curriculum, used decorations, and a myriad of things that, for some reason, we have never been able to bring ourselves to throw away. I spent an hour this morning and barely made a dent. 
It reminded me of two conversations that I had this past week. Yesterday, I was discussing with Steve, our focus on material things and he asked if God had not commanded us not to store things up down here.  He was referring to Matt. 6:19,20, where it tells us not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, but to lay them up in heaven.  I have always looked at that verse as a comparison, a statement of priority, rather than a direct command, but there is some validity to Steve's argument.  For most of us, the reason that we store things up is so that we will have it, just in case we are ever in need.  Most of the things in that upstairs room have past their time of usefulness, but you never know, someday we just might find ourselves in need of a 20 year old computer. :0)  Storing up things here on earth often serves to relieve our need for dependence upon God, so it is a response to fear rather than faith.  The other reason that we store things up is a response to our human tendency toward materialism, our desire to have stuff.  Either of these reasons has its roots in a spiritual problem.
The other conversation that I was reminded of was one that I had with Chelsea the other day.  She is knee-deep in the long process of preparing to set out on her journey of faith as she follows the Lord's leading to be a missionary.  While many of us would look at her 11-month adventure as a parenthesis from which she will learn and grow and then return to normal life, Chelsea is looking at is as simply the beginning of a missionary life, a first step in a life-long pursuit.  Last week, she wrote, "One of the lessons God is teaching me is to ask myself, 'In the light of eternity, does it really matter' and the funny thing is: not much makes the cut, save Christ and his cross." When she moved to Amarillo last fall, we rented a 6x8x12 U-haul trailer and packed the Suburban full of her stuff for the move. As we were discussing her move back to Grove this November in preparation for her departure, I asked if we would need a trailer again.  Her answer was, "No, I'm selling everything except a few keep-sakes and everything that I am moving home will fit in four bins." God has been working to simplify her life so that she is able to respond to His leading at a moment's notice.
Most of us have to deal with the clutter that we have accumulated over the years.  This applies to our spirit as much as it does to our closets.  Too often, we have stored away old hurts and habits, lies and liabilities, pride and prejudices, until it is difficult to function without tripping over something in our past.  The secret to getting rid of the clutter boils down to four simple steps: First, we must recognize things for what they are. Clutter is the result of placing an unrealistic importance on things of questionable value.  We need to examine our hearts and the things that we are holding onto and ask Chelsea's question, "In light of eternity, does it really matter?" Second, we must repent.  Much of the clutter in our lives is the result of sin that we just won't let go of.  When we turn from sin to God, the path becomes much clearer.  Third, we must release those things that hold us in chains, those people who have hurt us, and those ties to the past that keep us from going forward.  Forgiveness is freeing a prisoner and then finding out that the prisoner was you.  The final step to uncluttering our spirit is to rejoice in what God is accomplishing in your life.  The grateful heart is much more able to let go of the things that hurt it than a heart that is focused on itself.  Gratitude results in joy and God blesses the grateful heart.
Cleaning the upstairs room, at first glance, is a huge undertaking, so I have decided that I am going to work on it a little at a time, an hour in the cool of the morning every day until I get it done.  Uncluttering our private world is much the same.  If we will simply determine in our hearts to purposely deal with those things that stand in the way of our freedom in Christ, God will bless us along the way.  Can I encourage you to get started today? 

Distributing the Lightning

Mark Twain said, "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right."  Apparently, Twain was convinced that he would do a better job than God at weeding out the idiots among us.  But aren't you glad that God has reserved the task of lightning distribution for Himself and has allowed it to be tempered by His grace, His mercy, and His love rather than determined by His righteousness and justice.  I find that people, in general, and Christians, with great regularity, jump to conclusions about other people and are ready to fire the lightning bolts, often before the whole story has come to light.  Comedian Bill Engvold has made a very good living pointing out people's stupidity, as he sees it, based on statements that they make without thinking them through. He says that he wishes stupid people had to wear a sign so you would know what you were dealing with right up front. He tells about a time when he and his buddy went fishing together.  As they pulled back into the dock with a big stringer of fish, a guy on the dock asked them, "Did ya'll catch all those fish?"  Engvold replied, "Nope, talked 'em into giving up."  "Here's your sign."  The problem with this line of thinking is that we all say stupid things every once in a while.  I was having lunch at the Lazy Parrot the other day with Shelley and Steve and we were talking about the location of the restaurant and the fact that their sign sort of blends into the surroundings, making it hard to see.  I said, "You know, if I didn't know that this restaurant was here, I wouldn't know that it was here."  Now there is an intelligent statement!  If Mark Twain was distributing the lightning, I would have been zapped right there.  But God is merciful and I am thankful for that.  The one area where foolishness becomes the most dangerous is when a person begins to live his life as if there is no God.  The Bible calls that man a fool,(Ps. 14:1; 53:1) and the path that he follows will ultimately lead to his destruction. 
The warning for us in all of this is found in Matthew 5.  Jesus warned against premature judgment and open rebuke of fools, saying that God is the righteous Judge and that we should keep our accounts current with the people around us.  If we would spend a little more time showing the love of Christ to people in need and a little less time comparing them to our standard of intelligence or perfection, we would see why God withholds the lightning.  We serve a God of righteousness, justice, and power, but all of those attributes are ruled by the fact that God is, in very essence, love.  So, I'm pretty sure there's not going to be any lightning today. :0)

To The Summit

I am excited about where the Lord has been leading me over the past few months.  He has been gradually pulling the feathers from my nest, making me uncomfortable with the status quo, encouraging me to greater heights.  I wrote a poem about it a while back and I thought i would share it with you this morning.

To The Summit

Sometimes in the valley, beside the cool streams

With our Shepherd to guard us, our circumstance seems,

Idyllic and pleasant, well nigh sublime,

But the Shepherd, he tells us, It’s time now to climb,

Beyond this green pasture, up paths seldom trod

To a greater and better place, known only to God.

What? Leave all this comfort, where we’re safe and secure,

And venture to climb over footing unsure

Above and beyond this fair meadow we know

To a place where our Shepherd has bid us to go?

What if we stumble or by chance lose our way?

Why should we risk it all just to obey?

But the Shepherd assures us, if we follow His lead,

That the place that He’s taking us will far exceed

This safe little pasture that we’ve come to know

And again, He is bidding us, It’s time to go!

And so we set out on the arduous climb,

Up rocky pathways through difficult times

But assured that the Shepherd is walking ahead

Our faith becomes stronger conq’ring our dread

With each step the summit, now clearly in view,

Escapes from its cloud-covered shroud and breaks through,

With victory in sight, we surge to the peak,

Finding new strength in our legs once so weak.

And as we arrive at the high mountain’s crest.

We understand fully the Shepherd’s request.

For here at the summit, after passing the test,

We see that the Shepherd’s way surely was best.

Summer Is Ended

It is hard to believe that summer is already coming to an end.  The kids are back in school, the lake traffic is starting to be limited to just the weekends, and I heard the weatherman say that we had a .00025 % chance of snow today.  But I'm sure it wouldn't stick.  The end of summer is another one of those milestones on our calendar.  This is a time of great anticipation for what usually is one of the most exciting and productive times of our year.  And this year, we have even more reason to be hopeful, because we have had a great summer.  But whenever I hear someone say, "I can't believe Summer is over!" It reminds me of an ominous and mournful passage of Scripture that has often served as a motivator for me.  Jeremiah 8:20 says, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."  We live in what I believe to be the terminal generation.  I am convinced that we will see Christ coming back for His people in our lifetime.  When He comes, those whom we have not reached with the Gospel will be left behind to face the greatest period of turmoil and devastation that this world has ever known.  Life is uncertain and our time is short. We must choose today to be the witness that God has called us to be, before the opportunity has slipped past us.  I belive that there are people all around us who are echoing the cry heard in Psalms 142:4, "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul."
Can I challenge you this morning, to be a witness for Christ, before the harvest is past.  Just care enough for the souls of those around you to ask them if they know Jesus.  God will do the rest.

Finding My Place in the Picture

My kids love to talk in movie quotes.  I guess it gives them a semi-secret code, a context that only those who have seen the same movie would understand.  Sometimes its funny.  Sometimes, it scares me a little bit until I figure out what they are talking about, and therein lies some of the attraction for them, I'm sure.  Hey let's see if we can shock Ol' Dad.
The foundation of humor is often an observation from real life that is given an absurd twist.  That is the underlying basis for my favorite movie quote that I hear from them from time to time.
"I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."
The conceit and arrogance of this statement, made by an over-the-top news anchor, has always struck me funny.  I'd like to think it is because I am a perceptive observer of the quirks of human nature, but it is more likely because my own nature often seeks affirmation and has a tendency toward braggadocia. Whichever is the case, I believe that it is important for each of us to realize that this life is not about us.  In his outstanding book, Crazy Love, Francis Chan talks about the fact that most people believe that in this grand movie of life, they are the star, when in reality, it is all about God and we are just the extras.
However, God has made us a part of the picture for a reason.  I think the healthiest way to look at our place in this world is to realize that we are like a puzzle piece.  We are not the whole picture, but the picture is incomplete without us.  But it is also true that we will never see the whole picture until we get together with other Christians.  You have heard me say it over and over again.  The Christian life was not designed to be lived in isolation.  It was meant to be lived in community with other believers as a part of a living, breathing, functioning body. 
So, this morning, I would challenge you to find your place in the picture.  Ask God to show you where you fit.  He has designed you to be a part of something much greater than yourself, something that He wants to use to shake the world, His church.  And that, my friends, is kind of a big deal.

New Beginnings

John Pierpont Morgan said, “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”  Monday mornings are always a dilemma for me.  Getting the new week started is always a challenge.  There are always a few loose ends that need to be tidied up from the last week, and a bevy of new tasks waiting to be engaged.  But Monday morning, more than any other day of the week, comes with its own inertia, the tendency to just sit and ponder what has just transpired.  Most weeks, I can look back on the blessings of a wonderful day of ministry and thank God for all that he accomplished.  From time to time, when there have been difficulties or conflict, I sit and wonder what do I do now?  But always, I face the same challenge, "Take the first step!"  No matter how long this week's journey may seem, it will never be mastered until we get started.  I am reminded of an old Indian (India Indian, not Native American) proverb that asks, "How does one eat an elephant?"  The answer is always the same, "One bite at a time."  So this morning, I would challenge you, if the day or week or month ahead looks like a challenge, just take the first step.  Psalm 119:105 tells us that God's Word is a lamp at our feet.  If you hold a lantern down by your feet, it only casts enough light for you to see the next step, and until you take that step, you won't see where the next step will lead.  So on this Monday morning, take the first step and God will show you the next.  And before long, you will be running down the path.  You would be surprised how much energy an elephant sandwich will give you. :0)

Youth and Maturity

Wow! Life passes us by so very quickly.  The picture above was taken 30 years ago, almost to the day.  I had just arrived in Spokane, Washington, and at 20 years of age, I was the Youth Director at Inland Empire Baptist Temple and the Principal and High School Learning Center Supervisor at Baptist Temple Christian School.  Pastor Chester Henry was confident that I could do the job because I had just graduated from BBC and I had taken an entire week of A.C.E. Administrator Training.  I was working 14 hour days, seven days a week for the staggering salary of $250 per week.  I was 2000 miles from anyone that I knew and a million miles from reality.  I survived, not because I was smart or particularly spiritual, but mostly just because I was young.  It was a year of my life that God used to teach me a myriad of tough lessons, many that I still draw on almost daily.  I also acquired some wonderful memories that still bring a smile after all these years.

When I came across this picture, it made me think about the changes that have taken place in my life over these 30 years.  Last November, I turned 50, and I have to admit, it hit me hard.  I began pondering Psalm 37:25, where David says, "I have been young, and now am old...."  I spent the next six months almost killing myself proving that I wasn't old.  I joined a basketball league made up of mostly 20-somethings and held my own for the most part.  I played co-ed volleyball and ran a 5k in Colorado.  Whenever people would ask me if I jogged, I used to say, "I only run if something big and scary is chasing me."  Well, I guess when I looked in the mirror and saw what I considered old age sneaking up behind me, I figured it was time to run. 

But lately, God is teaching me that, while youth is a blessing, He has a purpose for every season of our life.  While I would love to have the body of that 20 year old again; the strength, the vigor, the quick rate of recovery that youth affords, I would never give up the perspective that these last 30 years have given me.  The car in the picture above is a perfect example.  It was the first car that I ever bought from a car dealer.  It was a 1979 Datsun 310.  Very sporty, lots of fun, front wheel drive.  I put almost 200,000 miles on that car.  But when I bought it I made one very short-sighted decision.  The dealership had two almost identical cars, one red and one blue.  The blue one was $600 more than the red one, and the only difference was that the blue one had air conditioning and the red one didn't.  The salesman said, "Hey, your payments will be cheaper, and besides, you only use the A/C two or three weeks out of the year up here."  So I bought the red one.  A year later I moved back home and went through four Texas summers without air conditioning.  I made a few other poor decisions during that season of my life that I look back on now and wonder what might have happened had I been able to see just a little farther down the road.

What has brought all of this to my mind this morning are the wonderful things that God is doing around our church right now.  He is beginning to answer our prayers about bringing more young people to our church family.  What a blessing it was to see Brent and Susie Malone and their two boys, Zane and Creed, join with us this past Sunday morning!  We have four or five other young couples that are visiting regularly and are praying about becoming a part of our family as well.  The vigor and passion for the Lord that we see in these young families is exciting and I can't wait to see what God is going to do in our church this fall.  But the key to growth and long-term success in any church is the balance of youthful zeal and the wisdom of the elders.  We will have to be especially mindful to work together to see God's blessings on our church to continue.

I am hopeful that this will be possible, because we have several of our older members who still have a youthful passion for the things of God, and I believe that I see a measure of spiritual maturity among many of these young Christians as well.

Oh, and I have concluded that if Chuck Nelson, at over 80 years of age, could climb a ten foot step-ladder on top of a 25 foot scaffold and change a light bulb in our gym, that I have a long way to go before I have to consider myself old.

Healing Rain

This morning the sky is gray and rain is falling intermittantly outside of my office window.  Often, this kind of weather would promote dreariness and dissatisfaction, but not today.  The past week has been intolerably hot.  Yesterday, the thermometer reached 105 and everytime that you walked outside the heat would slap you in the face like an oven mitt.  So the clouds and the breeze and the rain are welcome visitors.  The high today is expected to be in the low 90's, a welcome break and an encouraging sign that summer will not last forever. 
The heat has not been the only exhausting element that we have been dealing with.  One of the most faithful families in our church is going through the fire right now.  Chuck and Helen Nelson have served God in our church for almost 40 years in any number of ways, seen and unseen.  Chuck gets to church at 7 am every Sunday and makes sure the heating or cooling is turned on and things are in order.  He reads his Bible, folds the bulletin, and often prays with me that God will move in a special way during our services.  In my six years as Pastor of IBC, we have had hundreds of early Sunday morning conversations about God's blessings, His provision, our direction, and Chuck's grandchildren.  Chuck has had his hand in every square inch of the facility here, using his skills as a mechanical engineer to build and maintain the facilities that we enjoy.  He can tell you how many toilets we have and how many BTU's of heating capacity and cooling equipment we have and how it is powered and when the last time the filters were replaced.  Maybe most importantly, he carries a pocket full of mints and candy and all of the kids flock to him for a taste on Sunday morning.  When I came here as Pastor, Chuck was leading our music.  My first Sunday, he told me, "Now preacher, I'm just the interim music director.  As soon as someone comes along that you think can do a better job, they can have it."  I said, "Chuck, how long have you been the interim music director?"  He said, "Thirty-one years." 
That was Brother Chuck.  He was willing to do whatever God asked him to do and he was faithful to it.
On Monday of this week, while recovering from heart surgery, Chuck's heart went out of rhythm and they had to shock him twice to get it beating again.  Since that time, he has not responded and the doctors have told Helen that if his condition doesn't change by the end of today, that they will have to make the hard decision of whether to continue life support or disconnect the respirator. 
Chuck and Helen have been married for 62 years.  This is a very difficult time, but the Bible promises that God will give us grace during such trials and Helen's attitude and demeanor display that added measure of grace. 
Just like the cool breeze that the storm has kicked up this morning, the Holy Spirit's ministry to those who are hurting is a refreshing thing.  The awareness of God's love and presence during this difficult time is like a healing rain washing over my parched and exhausted soul.  In the short-term, we still don't know the outcome of this difficult trial, but in the long-run we know that Chuck has already made peace with God and that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord.  In fact, our prayers for miraculous healing might just be a little selfish, because they would delay the joys of heaven for a man who has faithfully served his Savior for most of his life.  But when all is said and done, we know that God's Will will be what is best.   The heat of this fiery trial will be swept aside by the refreshing rain of His Spirit's ministry in our hearts.

Built on Sinking Sand

Everything needs a good foundation!  I'm relearning that today in a unique way.  I have been talking with the YMCA and with some of the folks in our church about building a sand volleyball court here on the church property.  It would give us another opportunity for outreach to the young families of our community and would open the door for fellowship with some of the other churches here in town.  Once built, the maintenance and upkeep would be minimal and it would be just one more tool to draw people to our church.
In my mind, it was a simple little task with minimal cost and great potential benefit.  Then I started researching how to build a sand volleyball court.  There is much more to it than meets the eye.  Although sand is a shifty substance to work with, if you are going to do it right, you have to have a pretty deep base.  When all is said and done, the Sand and Gravel Co. figured that we would need 154 tons of sand for one regulation sized court and the surrounding area.  That is not a typo.  30' x 60' x 15" deep for the court, plus a five foot buffer and declining depth all the way around, 154 tons.  Wow!  Seven semi-truck loads!  Now, it is early in this process, so I may find out that I can do things a little different and use a lot less sand, I don't know.  What I am seeing from this is that many times there is a lot more to a project under the surface than appears on top of the ground. 
Jesus warned against building our lives upon an inadequate foundation.  In His illustration, He suggested building upon a rock.  That probably wouldn't be a good idea for a sand volleyball court, but for your life, it is right on. If you are putting up a tent for a night in the woods, you probably aren't going to be too concerned about how many years that tent will be able to stand on that piece of ground. But when we set out to make decisions that will impact our lives for years to come, we had better be sure that we have dug down deep and planted our lives upon the solid Rock of Jesus Christ and God's Holy Word.  Such a foundation demands that we trust God to hold us up through the difficult portions of life and sometimes it requires sacrifice of us, but in the long run, it provieds a stability that we can obtain in no other way.
I am looking for ways to bring the cost down for this project, because money doesn't grow on trees. And I'm looking for people that want to have a part in it, so that it because we don't have it in the church budget.   But if we are going to do it, then we need to do it right.  We need to lay a solid foundation so that it will last for years to come.
When we set out to lay the foundation for our lives, we find ourselves in the same condition, needy, without resources, and dependent on Someone else to supply, but there is no substitute for building upon the Rock.
Pray that God will make it clear if this is something that we should do and that he will supply the resources to do it if it is His will.