NEW TESTAMENT LOVE

What does New Testament love do? Does it simply accept people where they are? Does it refuse to make any judgments regarding behavior/conduct/attitude? Is it always kind in the sense that it will never challenge thinking? Does it get angry? It is one of the most misunderstood doctrines in Scripture, yet it is at the root and core of all our hope. "God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son..." God's love poured out its anger on His Son so that we could be made acceptable. He didn't just accept us where we were, unholy enemies going our own way. He transformed us into what His Son is, holy and righteous, doing always the will of His Father. His love is never satisfied in leaving us where He found us. Rather, He, in no unmistakable terms, declares what His love wills for us: "This is the will of God for you, even your sanctification", which is an ideal toward which He is constantly moving us. So love isn't some soft, wimpy, emotional feeling God has for us. It is that which drives Him to continually be transforming us. So let's think about losing the warm fuzzies when it comes to Christian, New Testament, God-like love.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

That is not just a well known country song, it often seems to be the will of God for our lives. There was one season of life in which we moved to different houses five times in seven years. Note: those moves were all in one locality for the good of the ministry we were involved in. Each time we've moved we've known where we would be going and what we would be doing. This time it's different; we have no idea where we will land. I'm reminded of Abram who left Ur not knowing where he was headed. The other day I asked Elaine, "What do I do? How am I going to find a place of ministry? I've done all I know to do..." Then I answered my own question: "God will have to open the next door!" That answer brought great peace and excitement. What better place to be than "on the road again" headed only God knows where???? PS: Thanks to all our kids for giving a place to land until God does what God is going to do!!!!

THE WORD IS OUT

It has now been officially communicated that we will be leaving our present place of ministry as of the last day of March. Our Pastor expressed his sentiment in two deeply theological terms: "It stinks!" We agree...!!! The surface reason given for the need to transition to some other place of ministry is the economy. However, God has given us another perspective; the rest of the story. In Acts 1:8 a prophecy is made: the early church will be scattered throughout the then known world to communicate the Gospel. Acts 8:1 reveals that prophecy being fulfilled: the early Church, because of persecution, was scattered in a day without even a chance to say good bye to each other. The Apostles alone remained. The lesson for us is that our loving and sovereign God sometimes uses external influences to expand Gospel influence. We believe that is what God is doing and are finding our anticipated move to who knows where to be bittersweet. Bitter, in the sense that we have to say good bye to people we've been doing ministry with. Sweet, in the sense that we believe God is using the economy to move us to places we would not otherwise go to advance Gospel influence. On the other side, we are sure we'll be glad we let God be God and accomplish His sovereign purposes. Now you know, the rest of the story.

TOTIN'-A-TUDE

Some years ago I did an extensive study of the people of God in the Old Testament. One of the things I discovered was that their attitudes had a great deal to do with their destiny. When they were happy, thankful, loving and trusting, God opened opportunities and doors that were full of unexpected influence and victory. When they were complaining, unhappy, unthankful and fearful, doors were closed and, truth be told, lives were wasted. Sooooo, the big deal for me at this stage in my walk with Christ is, don't go "totin'-a-tude"!!!! I want to be what my Pastor has been teaching about these last few weeks in his series on "The End": a valuable leader and judge in the coming Kingdom. I don't just want to enter the kingdom; I want to inherit it. Soooo, it is critical that I keep my attitude in check all day every day. "Lord, the most difficult attitude for me to deal with is my own! Crush every ungrateful and complaining thought. Give me a long view, understanding that the attitude I allow now will have direct impact on the level of influence I can have when it really counts; in the Coming Kingdom! Come Lord Jesus! I'm not totin'-a-tude today! Knowing me, tomorrow may be different!"

SERVING, NOT SERVED:

Five years ago this year I awakened my bride at 2:00 AM and suggested she pack her cosmetic bag. Of course, the first question was, "Why?" And the second, "Where are we going?" I told her, "It's on a need to know basis!" Not many wives would have that kind of trust, but mine is so very special. Had I lost my mind expecting her to trust me like that? Not really. You see, she had raised three children, serving them 24/7. She had spent 35 years with me, putting up with all the ups and downs, never once failing to serve me. Her entire adult life was spent serving others. I determined to spend one week going where she could be served. Sooo, I planned a cruise. They served us 24/7. They cooked every meal and even washed the dishes. They made the bed every morning and turned the bed down every evening; even putting a chocolate mint on our pillows. They fashioned the towels into cute animal figures and often stood outside our door just to ask, "Is there anything we can get for you?" I think the thing we both learned was, that isn't real life. We have never been served like that anywhere else! It seems to me that, at some point, the mindset of serving rather than being served has been lost in Christian circles. It is as though many believe that the Christ-like-life is like boarding a cruise ship to be served, rather than boarding a battle ship to serve a cause greater than myself. If Jesus "came not to be served, but to serve", it seems to me that we who claim to follow Jesus should be looking for ways to serve until "that day" when we will be served by our Master.

MONOPOLY: Growing up, I periodically played a game that I never really enjoyed, probably because it took too long. The game? Monopoly. The goal was to buy-up all the rental properties, hotels, railroad crossings, etc. so that you could monopolize and control all the other players. Our Father, from above, delights in monopolizing every need that we have. I recently reminded about fifty people at my brother-in-laws funeral that God has a monopoly on a couple of things that we all need: mercy and comfort. Paul wrote (I Corinthians 1:3) that God is "the source of EVERY mercy and the God of ALL comfort". However the mercy or comfort appears in our lives, its true source is God. Family, finances, freedom, faith, and every other mercy, no matter how they appear to have been given to us, actually have their roots in heaven. The New Testament author expressed it this way, "Every good and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights." I usually quit the monopoly game before the game actually ended, however, God never wearies at being the monopolizer of what we need. He certainly gave us mercy and comfort as we walked through the pain of the death of one we loved so much. He'll never grow weary using His limitless resources to extend "every mercy and all comfort" that we will need tomorrow and tomorrow and all the tomorrows until the ultimate mercy and comfort (Heaven) becomes a reality.

APPLES TO APPLES: One of our new friends at Grace Bible Church introduced us to the table game, "Apples to Apples" at our Home Group last evening. In the game there is a fully empowered judge whose decision is absolute and final. Players are permitted to try to persuade the judge's decision. After several less than veiled inferences to Illinois politics, we played the game and we soon learned that it did little good to appeal to the judge's mercy. In fact, the one at the table who never even once appealed to the judge at all was the one who finally won the game. I am joyfully adoring God this morning because He is a far different Judge. He is full of mercy and grace. "There are two things of which God is said to have the monopoly: He is 'the God of all grace' and He is 'the God of all comfort.' All grace comes from Him, all lasting comfort comes from Him." When the game really counts (the game of life), I have every hope of pleading my cause and winning my appeal. Like David said, "His mercies are new every morning." Well, in case you wondered, I didn't win 'Apples to Apples'. Maybe next time I'll learn just to keep quiet and hope for the judge's mercy. Not!! I never intend to keep quiet, but daily plead my cause to The Judge that really counts.