Advent Agenda and Attitude Adjustment

People in this season seem to be in a perpetual state of motion as they frantically move from one holiday event or plan to another. The schedule becomes so complex that there is little flexibility in people’s plans for anything to be added or even adjusted because the “holiday schedule juggernaut” must plow through to fulfill our agenda. One dare not get sick for one needs to be in top form and have their full faculties to get through “the holidays.” A friend or family member knows better than to share a burden right now sensing that individuals’ listening ears are more attuned to bargain sale opportunities than to broken hearts or bewildered minds. The National Weather Service dare not issue a winter storm warning because one has no time for cancellations or delays. Heaven forbid a person loses their shopping list that has been masterfully crafted to deliver a significant gift at minimal cost and marginal investment. Peace on earth and good will toward men will have to wait. Such a thought may be entertained after the Christmas season has past. Maybe in January it can be penciled in to the calendar. 

            In this season it would be well for us to realize that God does not run the world by our agendas. Joseph, the virgin Mary’s soon-to-be husband, illustrates this reality. Matthew’s gospel records that he was a man who had a personal agenda laid out before him. Mary was “pledged to be married” to him. In all likelihood this meant that betrothal arrangements had been completed, promises had been made, and the anticipation of a peaceful life with Mary was firmly lodged and perhaps idealized in his mind. Mary likely became the passion of his life. He looked forward to a wedding celebration and feast that culminated in his marriage to Mary. Perhaps God would bless them in the future with a baby – maybe even a boy to join in his carpentry business. God then alters Joseph’s agenda in a supernatural, unexplainable, and incomprehensible way. How does he adjust to the agenda-altering intervention of God?  

            At first Joseph did what we all tend to do when our agendas are interrupted. He tries to fix things and make the best of a bad situation. His inclination was not to approach God for direction or understanding. He assumes that if his dream cannot be realized, he needs to dispose of the perceived nightmare he currently faces and embrace a new dream. He wanted do the best he could in these difficult circumstances and chose the option of not exposing Mary “to public disgrace” but “to divorce her quietly.”

            God again steps into his life with another agenda – His agenda. God does not fully explain all of the details of the unimaginable and the inexplicable. He just assures Joseph that what was happening was not a product of unrighteousness but an act of a holy God. God reveals that he had an agenda that was far greater and significantly larger than what Joseph had or could ever imagine. God discloses that the pregnancy of Mary was a result of a divine act that had a divine plan attached to it. God’s agenda was to involve a virgin who would deliver to planet earth, Immanuel – meaning “God with us.” This One that Mary would bring into the world “will save his people from their sins.”

            How one responds to God’s alteration of their agenda says a lot about them. Joseph’s response was to adjust his agenda and to allow God’s agenda to dominate his attitude and actions. Matthew records Joseph “took Mary to be his wife.” The completeness of his obedience to God’s agenda was reflected in the words, “He had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” In summary, God’s agenda became Joseph’s. Joseph responded with faith and not frustration when his agenda was altered.

            Faith propels us to accept God’s agenda without conditions or demands. Oswald Sanders writes, “Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see…Trust yourself in God's hands…Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him…Faith is the heroic effort of your life, [flinging] yourself in reckless confidence on God. God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him.”

            In this hectic season let God adjust your agenda. See it not as an inconvenience but a “reckless confidence” that “God is aiming at something you cannot see.” Make room for God to use you as a listening ear, a comforting presence, a caring person, and becoming a person who is available for the Lord to use to manifest His presence in this world. Then you can sing in all honesty, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”                   

Thanksliving

           Even before Thanksgiving arrives our mail boxes begin to fill with, not only Christmas catalogs, but also a smattering of appeal letters from various organizations. The letters seek to solicit donations from people who hopefully are developing a generous spirit as the holiday season arrives. Many organizations rely upon these yearly appeals to support a major portion of their budgets for the year. Numerous studies report that 33% of all yearly online donations for non-profits take place during the month of December. This year in particular people’s needs are in high profile. The unemployed are highlighted as struggling to meet basic needs, let alone having any hope of sharing a gift with anyone else. The spotlight is upon military families with a parent overseas who find this season especially difficult emotionally and financially. On the minds of many people are the individuals in the northeast corridor of the nation struggling physically, emotionally, and financially to recover from the devastating impacts of hurricane Sandy – the monster storm that relentlessly delivered lingering hardship upon millions of people in the region. Taking a more global view of the world, we observe nations of the world struggling with war, famine, disease, and economic poverty. These glimpses touch our hearts with even micro glimpses sparingly released by the national media. All of this stirs the hearts of many in the nation, and they respond by making either an electronic or physical donation. They hope their action might in some way assuage a measure of pain and provide some semblance of comfort to a person facing a world of hurt.

            It is indeed wonderful to see how many people in our community and nation respond to the needs they see around them in the world. On the other hand there are those who convince themselves that their own plight is too great to be able to respond. Somehow they transform their abundance into meagerness and see generosity as an impossibility. How can one conjure up such a mindset when the World Bank indicates that 3 billion people are living on less than $3.00 per day? There is a great difference between having to forgo a luxury and being unable to acquire a necessity. Granted one individual’s donation will hardly make a dent on the massive need within the world. Yet, joining with others who choose to respond generously to the needs they see, does make a difference.     

            What we do with our funds and possessions is noticed by God. During the earthly ministry of Jesus he observed people making donations to the Temple (Mark 12:41-44), a portion of which may have been used to care for those in need. In doing so he observed “one poor widow” making a donation that would amount to 1/64^th of a day’s wage – all told, a meager amount. He also saw a wealthy person making a substantial gift. Jesus’ assessment was, “This poor widow has put in more than all who have given to the treasury.” What was Jesus seeing? John Calvin suggests it was her heart, saying, “Whatever men offer to God ought to be estimated not by its apparent value, but only by the feeling of the heart.” Jesus noticed that the wealthy gave out of their abundance, but “she out of her poverty put in all she had.” Such giving reflected her heart.

            Shortly before Thanksgiving in 1992, I was in Ukraine visiting and working with our sister church. The nation was in financial collapse. Food shortages abounded. People sold or bartered their earthly possessions on the street hoping to acquire food to eat. Our church had been shipping aid to the church and they were dispensing it to the people of the church and community. We were there to assess the situation and plan further action. After the few days with them we were scheduled to take a night train to Kiev to connect another train for Moscow – 24 hours of travel by train. From Moscow we would catch a flight home arriving a few days before Thanksgiving. We began our journey being escorted to the train by hundreds from the congregation. Farewells and tears flowed as we boarded the train. A widow handed me a small brown paper package as I stepped on the train as it began to move.

            After securing our luggage, my eyes spotted the small package I had been given at the last moment. Sitting on the sleeper bed I untied the well-used string. Upon seeing the contents, tears began to whelm up in my eyes. There on my lap sat a small loaf of dark Ukrainian bread, and a can stamped, “USDA Humanitarian Aid – Meat – Not for sale.” She hadn’t sold it. This widow in love gave out of her poverty all that she had. In that act, on a snowy train platform in Zaporozhe, Ukraine, I got a glimpse of the proper spirit of giving. She wanted to give so that her brother in Christ would not go hungry on his journey.

            During this Thanksgiving, give thanks that you can give, and then give. You can determine before God where your donation should go. Don’t worry about the size. Just make sure it reflects a heart that loves God and loves “your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:34-40).         

A Deadly Disease

As a college student I attended a fall homecoming celebration when the unthinkable occurred – an outbreak of shigellosis swept through the student body causing a gastrointestinal nightmare on the campus. The bacteria associated with this intestinal infection are extremely contagious. It is easily transmitted from an infected person and quickly contaminates water, food, or other people. Its effects are obvious, but those who are infected are not. Thus, the Board of Health had to come to the college campus and test each student to determine if they were unwitting carriers of the bacteria. How it came to the campus was unknown, but its presence was obvious. It took weeks for the campus to get back to normal, and a number of students ended up becoming very ill. All of this havoc occurred because of an unseen bacterial nemesis.

There is another unseen nemesis that has infected our world. This is not a physical bacteria; it is a spiritual disease called sin. Sin may be unseen in a life, but the worldwide consequences are both obvious and devastating. They impact every person on earth. The Bible reveals, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The source of this contamination is known and described by the Apostle Paul as Adam. He concludes, “Through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners” (5:19). The damage of his sin is devastating, as Paul adds, “For if by the transgression of the one the many died” and “judgment arose from the one transgression resulting in condemnation” (5:15-16). Talk about mega contamination with major devastation!

All this is pretty bleak unless one looks at the love and mercy of God. He not only reveals the diagnosis of human condition, he intervenes to provide the divine solution for this spiritual disease. God provides a free gift of the spiritual antidote through the gracious gift of Christ who provided the means by which sin could be both removed and forgiven (5:15-16). So often people are like Shakespeare’s Macbeth when it comes to dealing with their sin. Remember after Macbeth murders Duncan he keeps trying to deal with his sinful deed by physically and compulsively washing his hands. It was an act of futility. His good intentions of trying to deal with his sinful act were pointless. Sin results in more than a physical manifestation. It leaves spiritual, mental, and emotional stains deep in our lives. Only God can provide the means to deal with such stains.

Reformer Martin Luther observed, “If ungodliness and worldly lusts were painted on the wall of the house, you might run out of it; or if they were knit to a coat, you might take it off; if they grew in your hair, you might shave your head. But since they stick in your heart and possess you through and through, where will you run without taking yourself along?” Likewise, we are not capable of concocting the necessary antidote to deal with this spiritual disease, sin. However, God in his mercy has provided an antidote as a free gift. This provision deals with more than the symptoms of sin. It deals with the source of our sin.

As one person put it, “Running from an epidemic does little good if you are in fact the carrier of the disease. You must stand and deal with the problem.” That’s what God wants to enable you to do. While the wages of sin is death, we also discover that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Pointing to Jesus the ultimate one to deal with the disease of sin, one individual notes, “With the Sin Doctor on your case, the prognosis is always bright.”

Watch Out for the Lion

The recent advertisement for the History Channel’s “Mountain Men” described Yaak, Montana, as “The place where men are not the top of the food chain.” Obviously, at least in my thinking, this was another example of media hype attempting to sensationalize a situation with the goal of attracting viewers. The series gained popularity this summer highlighting three areas of the USA that were rugged, rural, and where supposedly only a strong mountain man could survive. Thus the producers took you to the wilderness of Alaska, to a rural spot in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina, and to the “big sky” mountainous region of northwestern Montana.

The region of Yaak is surrounded by multiple hundreds of square miles of mostly uninhabited National Forest. Planted there in the middle of towering pines and rugged mountains was the small community of Yaak. It is composed of the Mercantile which is a general store including a gas pump, bar, and “restaurant.” Several other establishments dot the town. These include: “The Dirty Shame Saloon,” which was closed for several years awaiting a buyer who likes seclusion and the prospect of a slow-paced business; a fire station that services the town and assists the National Forest should a forest fire flare-up; a one room school house; and a community building built out of massive logs in the 1950’s. It was this building that brought us to “the Yaak” as people generally referred to the region. It was actually the small group of people who meet in that building for church services each Sunday that attracted my wife and me. We were to serve there during the month of July assisting the church by conducting a Vacation Bible School for the children of some of the families widely scattered throughout the area, preach each Sunday, and aid the leaders of the church who were hoping to find a bi-vocational pastor to come to live in and serve the community.

The region is made up of natural beauty that clearly reveals the handiwork of God. The place just didn’t seem as foreboding as the History Channel was hyping it to be. In fact, it was a wonderful area to breathe in the clean pine scented air and marvel at the vistas surrounding us. It did not seem as scary as promoted. One morning while preparing to drive to the closest “big” town, our host went to close the barn door which was about 20-25 yards from the guest cabin where we were staying. Meanwhile, my wife went to the cabin to pick up a sweater. As the door to the barn closed, a mountain lion leaped out of the barn and ran towards the cabin where my wife was just about to step off the porch. She did not see the cat as he bounded in her direction nor hear our panicked shouts to get back in the cabin. My first instinct led me to start running toward her just about the time the lion saw her. Abruptly the mountain lion turned from her and with several leaps sprang into the pine forest behind the cabin. After our blood pressures dropped and the dust literally settled, we discovered that the lion had evidently devoured three of the five kittens in the barn. Perhaps there was a measure of truth to the hype of the History Channel after all!

Since that event, a description in the Bible of how the Devil “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8) has taken on new meaning. First, our surroundings do not guarantee safety from Satan’s presence. That mountain lion was in a barn designed for protection. Our safe “places” are not a guarantee that we are safe from the attacks of Satan. He is on the prowl. He wants to destroy people and he does not care where he has to go to do it. He will come into our homes, relationships, and churches seeking to unleash his havoc.

Second, Satan like the lion operates with stealth. He does not announce his coming to unleash his mischief. He slinks in unawares. Often we look at what appears serene, unaware that Satan is either about to attack or the attack is underway. He often attacks when we least expect it.

Third, Satan runs when resisted. That is why Peter says, “But resist him” (1 Peter 5:9). James explains that when we, “Resist the devil… he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Seeking advice from one of the “mountain men” of Yaak, I asked what to do if we encountered another mountain lion. He suggested we stand our ground, make lots of noise, face him, “look big,” and if close enough, hit him in the nose. “After all,” he said, “He is a back attacker and really just a big cat!” Standing against Satan is a bit different. We stand “strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). We put on the “full armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (6:11). In battling with Satan, we have the full armor of God available so we may “stand firm” against the foe who seeks to devour us (6:13-18).

During the remaining time in Yaak we were more cautious when we went for a walk. We looked up into trees and high rock ledges, the favorite haunts of mountain lions. We realized in this environment we needed to be alert for it could be dangerous. I need to be just as alert in the spiritual realm. Not filled with paranoia, but with confidence that when we resist the devil he is the one who is on the run!

Dealing with Evil

            Several weeks ago I enjoyed a campfire in the fragrant pine scented woods of the Adirondacks with my wife, son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. It was a “grandfather menu” of hot dogs, chips, s’mores, and other entrées not found on the approved “parental eating list.” Cut me a break. I am building memories!  

            In the process of building the campfire I must have done battle with a sliver of wood and lost. I was so engaged in the fun, laughter, and pine cone battles, that I never noticed the splinter. However, the next day the site of the wound became infected. I asked my daughter-in-law, Kristine, for a needle and was about to perform surgery on the site to eradicate the source of the infection. Just as I was about to launch into the process, Kristine interrupted, “What are you doing?” I thought it was obvious and gave her a father-in-law look of, “What does it look like?” She proceeded to inform me that the unsterilized needle was going to make matters worse. I hated to admit it but she was correct. So I altered my planned “surgery,” held the needle over a lighted match, and then poured peroxide she provided over my improvised scalpel and site of the wound. Her intervention likely avoided future aggravation from infection caused by an impetuous intention. Using a defiled instrument to remove a source of infection is a poor plan. In removing one ill, a person is likely to introduce the germs of another.

            In a similar way we are sometimes foolish in dealing with evil in our world by resorting to evil.  In seeing injustices, violence, hatred, and a myriad of other sins in our world, we can become so agitated and distressed in our spirits that we lash out with responses that are more evil than righteous. Words of disrespect, hatred, and distain may flow from us, rather than words of Christ-like grace, mercy, and encouraging correction. Perhaps we unleash attitudes of hatred, bitterness, and revenge in our lives, instead of godly qualities of love. As described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-6, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Our actions sometimes reflect that we have reduced evil infected people to the status of enemies responding with deeds intended to damage, destroy, or defame the perpetrators. 

            The Bible portrays a better way to deal with evil. Paul admonishes people who are true followers of Christ, having given their lives to be controlled by Him (Romans 12:1-2), to “not repay anyone evil for evil” (12:17), to “not take revenge” (12:19), and to “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (12:21). You might respond, “But that is not natural!” You would be completely correct. Such a reaction is supernatural and requires God to work in and through lives to produce and display such a response.

            Think how many problems in our world would be dramatically altered if we did not resort to the defiled instruments of evil we too often deploy to counter evil in our world. How many marriages would be restored if a partner who was treated in an evil way responded with Christ-like love? How many editorials in newspapers and internet blogs would be written differently if a response to evil practices in our world was responded to not with evil speech, but with “speech that was seasoned with grace” (Colossians 4:5-6)? How many neighborhood disputes would be settled, not before a District Magistrate, but by the Ultimate Judge who has already issued directives, provided guidance,  and revealed principles in the Word of God to guide life lived in an evil world (Proverbs 3:5-6). The point is, too often it appears that those who have the best intention of dealing with evil are employing instruments of evil to do so.

            The alternative approach of dealing with evil with evil is to “overcome evil with good.” Many years ago evangelist D. L. Moody while involved in a Sunday School ministry to children in Chicago was threatened bodily harm by three men. Moody addressed this evil with good and said, “Look here, give a fellow a chance to say his prayers, won’t you?” They allowed him to do so. Moody prayed for these men so earnestly that they exited the room and left Mood unscathed. He was simply putting into practice the admonition of Jesus, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27).

            Evil in our world needs to be addressed. Let us not do so with evil, but with God-motivated and God-enabled good. To do less will most likely make evil situations worse. Jesus illustrated how to deal with evil, didn’t he? At the cross when he was insulted, he did not retaliate with threats (1 Peter 2:23). When crucified on the cross he prayed for those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). What a model of how to deal with evil! Overcome evil with good! There will be plenty of opportunities to do so in this world infected with evil. Will we?

The Agony of Defeat

How would you like to be constantly reminded of failure? Ask Vinko Bogataj and he can tell you. You may never have heard of the Slovakian, but during much of 1970s through the 1990s, you could have seen his failure broadcast every Saturday on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The program was introduced each week with the rather dramatic narration, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is ABC's Wide World of Sports! ” Accompanying the narration was a collection of sport clips that concluded with a snippet of Vinko’s infamous skiing accident of March 21, 1970, that coincided with the phrase, “And the agony of defeat.” Before millions of TV viewers week after week Vinko is seen careening off a ski jump, wildly bouncing and flipping down the slope, until he crashes through a protective barrier and coming to a halt before a gasping crowd of spectators. He was highlighted as the “poster boy” for the “agony of defeat.”


The nation saw Vinko’s fall so many times on prime time that he gained notoriety for his failure. As a result he was invited to the 20th anniversary of Wide World of Sports in 1981, where he was overwhelmed by those present who wanted his autograph, including famous athletes like Muhammad Ali. He was not only reminded of failure, he became famous for it!


Some of us feel that our defeats and failures are like Vinko’s, always in our face. Perhaps this is due to others constantly reminding us of our catastrophes. Most often it relates to an “internal prosecutor” that habitually drags before the judicial courtroom of our minds a variety of shortcomings, weaknesses, and sins. Whatever the source, the emotional burden this creates weighs us down and leaves us in a constant state of defeat. Even positive experiences are tainted with the failures of the past sucking the joy out of events that should otherwise encourage us.


King David was a man who became famous in the Bible for his failure. He sinned and his sin left an agonizing mark in his life as reflected in his testimony, “I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). These words were spoken by a man who had been involved in the sins of adultery, murder, cover-up, and hypocrisy. A caldron of defeat roiled in his heart marked by internal defeat and misery. He expressed the oppressive consequence of his sin saying, “When I kept silent [about his sinful failure], my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer” (32:3-4). The burden of unrepentant sin lay heavy upon his life.


However, David is also known for his famous repentance. He called out to God, “Have mercy on me… according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). God in his grace answered his prayer to, “Restore to me the joy of my salvation” (51:12). Confidently he says, “You forgave the guilt of my sin” (32:5). This results in his joy-filled testimony, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven” (32:1). He faced his sin. He confessed it as sin. He then joyfully celebrated God’s forgiveness by testifying how God can change a life that is willing to repent of sin and again follow God’s will.


What caused such celebration? Why did the inevitable reminder of his failure from others not crush him? How is it that his conscience did not continue to haunt him? The answer lies in His understanding of the character of God and how he deals with the sin of a repentant sinner. David writes, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love… he does not treat us as our sins deserve… as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (103:8, 10, 12). God’s servants have constantly reflected upon how gracious God is in dealing with repentant sinners. Jeremiah reveals that once God deals with sin he will “remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 43:31). Micah adds that God “pardons sin and forgives the transgression… and hurls all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18, 20). One Bible teacher humorously added, “Then he posts a sign and says, ‘No fishing!’”


As a boy I had been in a neighborhood fight in which a boy was hurt. I was forced to face the boy and his mother about what I had done. I pleaded for forgiveness and all the mother did was hold up bloody rags before my face screaming, “Look what you have done!” I was unforgiven, condemned, and crushed. For years I avoided even walking past the boy’s house due to the guilt I carried. Much later I came to realize that I had sinned against God too. I confessed my sin and God in his grace forgave me. A huge weight was removed from my life. I suppose in that mother’s eyes I could never undo my action, so how could I be forgiven. However, I knew that at least now I had been forgiven by a gracious God, who acknowledged my confession of guilt and was the one I will ultimately answer to for my life.


Are you feeling condemned for your sin? Perhaps a person will not forgive you for your failure or your offenses against them. Maybe your conscience condemns you for a sin. Has this caused you to be constantly confronted with the agony of defeat? Coming to the God of mercy, confessing sin, making restitution where possible, and relying upon God’s forgiveness, can alter your life’s perspective. The “agony of defeat” does not need to be the trademark of your life. A forgiven life can lead to an abundant life!

Changing Grace

Politics is always interesting, but especially so in the year of a presidential election. It appears that a candidate’s staff descends on as many records they can find on their opponent to see if they can uncover any “dirt” on the opposing candidate. If they are able to uncover a juicy flaw from the past, the matter enters the campaign’s arsenal of sound bites. Or the matter is leaked to the media, who expose the issue that was uncovered. In a past election a presidential candidate’s college era was examined and he had to publicly confess, “When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn't like it. I didn't inhale and never tried it again.” One presidential candidate’s alcohol consumption in middle-age came under scrutiny, and he and was forced to acknowledge, “I was drinking too much.” Then he revealed, “I quit drinking in 1986 and haven't had a drop since then.” Another candidate’s current church and pastor came under the scrutiny, and he was forced to release a statement about his pastor and his sermons confessing, “Our relations… have been strained by the divisive statements… which sharply conflict with our own views.”

Most recently political mud-rakers have felt the need to go back and explore a candidate’s high school conduct. They uncovered an incident in that person’s teenage years that the media concluded revealed an ethical flaw disqualifying them as a person to serve the nation. Now I know I will never make it as a candidate for the presidency of the USA! My high school years are nothing of which to be proud. Maybe that is why I have never chosen to go back to a high school reunion!

I do not know what the Apostle Paul’s high school record was like; but I do know that his adult record was less than sterling! In fact, by his own admission, he was a “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Consider just a few testimonies about him to that reality: he was an accomplice to murder (Acts 7:58; 8:1); and he was a bully persecuting the church (Acts 8:3). He openly admitted before his fellow citizens that he “persecuted this Way (speaking of followers of Jesus) to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women” (Acts 22:4-5). Later he would stand before King Agrippa and confess the same conduct hiding nothing of his misdeeds (Acts 26:9-11). Paul was indeed a “chief of sinners.”

He was also a chief recipient of the love and grace of God. It is with interest that Paul, when speaking of his sinfulness, always broke into praise of God’s mercy and grace in dealing with him. God invaded his life on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), exposed his rebellion, and gloriously revealed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. His response to that revelation was transformational. A man who detested and cared little for people who were followers of Christ became a man obsessed with their well-being. The persecutor became passionately connected to Christians saying, “There is daily pressure upon me of concern for the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28). What a radical metamorphosis occurred in a man that transformed his attitude and character.

Paul indicated that such a change is possible in any person. He stated it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” This is indeed good news. The author of what has often been called the nation’s hymn, “Amazing Grace,” knew all about the change an encounter with Jesus Christ could make. John Newton wrote, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found; was blind but now I see.” The change in his life was dramatic. He left the occupation as a slave trader to become a preacher of Christ declaring good news that could set captives of sin free. He joined forces with William Wilberforce, a member of the British Parliament, to lead a campaign to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire. His was changed and became an agent of change. This is what Christ can do in a life.

I thank God that He has changed my life too. My past is past; it is a matter of record in the lives I have impacted in less than positive ways. Now I am a new creation with a goal to live a new life for the glory of God. It will likely not be perfect. However, it will be much better than what I was without Christ in my life. Now I do not make excuses for my flawed character and sinful failures; I ask forgiveness. That’s a change! So maybe I would be disqualified to be a president. That is OK. I am qualified to be a child of God! What a change.

Satisfying Your Thirst

Have you ever noticed how many people walk around carrying a water bottle? People engaged in normal activities like walking through their neighborhood, wandering through a mall, or sitting behind a desk at their office or school have drinking water close at hand. Evidently life can make you thirsty!

With water so readily available in the USA it is hard to imagine that we are at the “Dawn of a thirsty century” as the BBC News declared. Even though two-thirds of the surface of the earth is covered by water, most of it is too salty to drink. Only about 2.5% of the world’s water is not salty and of that amount two-thirds is found in the icecaps and glaciers. When other factors are taken into consideration, only .08% of all the earth’s water is available for human consumption. What is even more disconcerting are estimates that water usage is expected to increase by 40% in the next two decades. At the same time pollution and contamination reduces potable water to alarming levels. The World Health Organization indicates that contaminated waters contribute to 80% of all sickness and disease in the world. Agriculture consumes 70% of the water we have to produce our food. These and a number of other factors have led USAID to project that one-third of all humans will face chronic water shortages by the year 2025. Even in the USA water has become a critical issue. Various states are battling in court to preserve their water supplies. The Natural Resource Council reports that more than one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states will be facing a serious water shortage by 2050.

While the shortage of physical water may occupy our thoughts, there is another “water” shortage that demands our attention. Jesus addresses this shortage in John 4 as he talks to a woman at a well. She is concerned about her thirsty body, while he wants her to focus upon her thirsty soul. Jesus sees her spiritual need as something she was ignoring and needed to address. He offers her a way to have her greatest need met by him as he offered her living water (4:10). Her greatest need was not even on her radar screen so she continues to focus upon physical water. Speaking first of the physical water, Jesus then redirects her attention saying, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water I give them shall never thirst again; but the water I shall give them shall be I them a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (4:13-14).

Now that he has her attention he begins to address the thirst of her soul. He first has her reflect on how needy she really is. He does this by having her look at the sinfulness of her life by exposing her immoral life (4:16-19). Evidently she was trying to assuage her thirsty soul by engaging in diversions revolving around a variety of relationships and sexual encounters. Those escapades left her soul parched as she moved from one episode to another. Having her condition exposed was not comfortable and she tries to avoid the issue by engaging in a theological debate (4:20). When people are confronted with an uncomfortable truth, often they try to deflect the focus from themselves toward a debatable topic. Jesus does not ignore her question (4:21-24), but he does not become distracted from addressing her greatest need – her soul’s thirst. He ends the discussion with her by saying he was the Messiah, the one who could give the truth (see John 14: 6 “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me”) that released the living water. Only Christ could give the living water that could meet the needs of those parched by sin and engaged in a futile search to assuage the thirst of their soul.

The Samaritan woman had come to the well thirsty both physically and spiritually. Her encounter with Jesus had refreshed her soul. She left the well not focused upon the physical but the spiritual. This was evident as she left the water pot and ran to tell people that there was a man who knew all about her sin yet offered her parched soul living water (4:28-29). The message of Jesus’ grace overwhelmed her and caused her to see Jesus as the Savior and to declare him to other thirsty souls around her (4:30, 39-42). The most natural thing for a person whose soul has been refreshed is to tell others how they too can have their great thirst met. As a result many accepted Jesus as the Messiah, “the Savior of the world” (4:42).

People with a spiritual thirst must go to the right source to have their needs met. There are many substitutes offered by the world in which we live that try to provide joy and peace that can only come from a relationship to God through Jesus Christ. At best these diversions only offer a fleeting relief from the pain of a parched existence. It is far better to come to one who offers “living water.”

Samuel Coleridge wrote in the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” of a sailor trapped in the middle of an ocean where there was “water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” He was surrounded by an environment that looked like it could satisfy, but in reality it could not. In fact the water that surrounded the sailor could only make him thirstier. He needed drinkable water that could truly satisfy his thirsty body. In a similar way we are surrounded by a world that seems to say, “We can satisfy your soul.” The truth is it cannot. Only Christ can offer the living water that quenches the thirst of a parched soul. To use the words of the Psalmist, “Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who trusts in him” (34:8). Are you thirsty? Come to the One who offers living water.

A Catalyst of Transformation

The results of transformation are often obvious while the catalyst for that transformation is often mysterious. For example, we may observe a person who has been addicted to a habit, like smoking cigarettes or over-eating, suddenly set aside their obsession. Less obvious may be the catalyst for such a change. Perhaps a doctor had privately announced that if they did not abandon their behavior, they would be dead in the span of a few months. In this case, the prospect of dying overwhelms the craving for nicotine that diminishes lung capacity or the dainty morsel that keeps adding girth to the waistline. We may observe the change but perhaps not the reason.

Often when a transformation occurs people try to explain what may have ignited the obvious change. In the March 2012 issue of the National Geographic there is a feature article entitled “The Journey of the Apostles.” In the article a Benedictine monk and historian, Columba Stewart, says this about the early church leadership. There was no great organizational structure behind their movement but a “tiny, vulnerable, poor, often persecuted group of people who were on fire with something… blasting out of Jerusalem and scattering across the known world.” They were intent on spreading the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross where he died for the sins of the world. This was the same group for the most part that had abandoned Jesus. They fled their rabbi, Jesus, when he was arrested by the Romans in the Garden of Gethsemane. The key spokesperson for their band, Peter, was the same one that on three separate occasions denied that he even knew Jesus. After Jesus was buried and even after reports had come to them indicating that Jesus was raised from the dead, this same group hid behind locked doors fearing what the religious establishment and the Roman government might do to them.

A transformation took place and their timidity was replaced with a bold message that Jesus was their risen Savior and Lord, and this was good news the whole world needed to hear. The religious community that tried to silence the apostles took notice of the transformation of Jesus’ followers. Seeing the boldness of the apostles they “realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men” and “they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). In other words they saw a transformation whereas once ordinary men were now living extraordinary lives. They were astonished because the catalyst for such a change was seemingly mysterious to these religious leaders.

I suggest the catalyst for such a change was a dynamic encounter with the risen Christ and a direct commission from the risen Lord as to what they were supposed to do. The encounter came when they had lost hope. Two disciples on the road to Emmaus said, “We had hoped he (Jesus) was the one to redeem Israel” (Like 24:21). Those words reflect defeat and despair born from the events of recent days when they saw Jesus die on a cross and then placed in a tomb. Their hope was buried with Jesus’ body. Now on this desolate road they encountered a risen Jesus and he ignited their cold, hopeless hearts so they became burning hearts of passionate hope (24:32). Later that same risen Jesus would speak to a gathering of the apostles and give them a commission “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations” (24:47). I suppose you could say that the risen Christ Jesus was the catalyst to ignite their lives and then tell them where to burn.

In this Easter season we see worldwide that the transformation begun centuries ago continues. People who encountered by faith the risen Christ are boldly testifying of their faith in places like India, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Nigeria, China, Afghanistan, and even our own country – regardless of the cost. They realize that the Gospel, the good news, is for all nations. Those who are transformed by a dynamic encounter with the risen Savior are so changed by what Christ has done for them that they do not worry what others think or how others treat them for their faith. Paul describes those so transformed as being “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Those who are part of that new creation just naturally love to share with others how this transformation has occurred. The catalyst for this transformation should not remain a mystery. He is the risen Jesus Christ and he should be the focal point of a transforming message.

In this season when there is at least a discussion of Jesus’ resurrection, may those who have been transformed by Jesus Christ “give a reason for the hope that lies within them” (1 Peter 3:15). For those who are curious about these who profess such claims, consider and investigate the claims for yourselves.

Coupling Attitude with Activities

The advertisers have gone full throttle in declaring that February is the “love month.” Red hearts, cupids, candy, romantic cards, and other Valentine paraphernalia abound as merchandisers hope to capitalize upon the notion that this is the month to express love. Does love have a shelf life? Is love not appropriate at other times of the year?

Tragically the “love” being merchandized is more sentimental than real. Real love couples emotions and attitudes with investments and actions. Many people talk about love without actually loving. Amy Carmichael captured how genuine love needs to behave when she wrote, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”

Attitude plays a very important part in how you and I live. An attitude of love gives our work value. Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 that even the most astounding works and amazing sacrifices, when devoid of the attitude of love, have diminished impact and “it profits me nothing.” Too often one’s attitude minimizes the impact of his efforts. To God, our attitude means as much as our activities.

During the earthly ministry of Christ, certain religious leaders stressed activity much more than attitude. They fulfilled religious activities, rituals, and obligations in compliance with the Law. However, they acted without an attitude of love for God or the people to whom God had them minister. Thus their activities became showcases of self-centeredness and self-promotion. They produced charitable deeds to be noticed by men (Matthew 6:1-4). They prayed so that people would observe them (Matthew 6:5-6). They engaged in religious exercises, like fasting, to be recognized (Matthew 6:16-18). They gave their funds so that they would be acknowledged (Luke 21:1-2). Christ called them hypocrites and their deeds hypocritical (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16). It appears, as one person put it, “God much prefers acts of love to acts of duty.”

Actions must be coupled with our attitudes too. Our lives cannot be filled with sterile emotion that does not give birth to meaningful action. Jesus consistently reminded his disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (John 14:15, 23, 24). There is a notion among some Christians that our emotion trumps our actions, suggesting that as long as I express love for God in some strong, emotional way, then how I live is of little consequence.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The beloved apostle, John, reminds Christ’s followers, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). John wants love to move beyond emotion-induced words to deeds that show our relationship with God. John concludes, “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence” (3:19 NIV).

Coupling an attitude of love with actions of love displays Christ-like character. Jesus demonstrated His love for us by laying down His life for us (1 John 3:16). If we are His followers, then we ought to express our attitude of love with Christ-like actions. John fleshed out the principle when he commanded, “We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (3:16-17).

May we connect our faith and feelings to the functions we describe as “Christian living.” Let us move beyond mere sentiment and sympathetic words to practical expressions of faith. Our world needs to see faith and love in action. They also need to see actions that are focused upon glorifying Christ rather than self-centeredness and self-promotion. As Chris Tiegreen wrote, “The kingdom of God is not primarily about fulfilling responsibilities. It is more about expressing gratitude and about being passionate for His glory.” The world around us will recognize Christians by their practical, personal expressions of love (John 13:35).

This month make it your goal to fuse attitudes and actions that reflect love that is genuine and reflects the love of God. Paul had this in mind when he reminded husbands that they were to love their wives like Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). He makes it clear that that meant more than a box of chocolates and a flowery card. It meant loving so much that a willing sacrifice was the norm not the exception. In this season promoted as the ‘month of love,” lets really love in both word and deed.