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Dog-Gone! But Prayer Is Powerful!

Dog-Gone! But Prayer Is Powerful!

The bad news was brought to me by one of my sons.  I was working in my home office when he walked in and said, “Ah, Dad.  Sorry to bother you, but Sisko isn’t in the yard anymore.” 

My heart dropped.  Sisko is the name of the dog we were keeping for some friends and fellow church members while they were visiting family.  He had just arrived the day before for a week-long stay, and now he was gone.

The only escape point in the yard was a gate twice his height.  We’ve had dogs for years … all of them at least a foot taller than Sisko.  Some of them learned to flip up the gate latch, but none of them had leaped the gate.  Sisko cleared it within 24 hours of his arrival.

My wife and I spotted him briefly at the corner of our front yard.  We called his name, only to watch him disappear.  The family immediately mobilized and dispersed in a desperate search – some on foot, some in vehicles.  We looked for him for hours, crisscrossing our neighborhood and calling his name, but never saw him again.  We were all heart-sick.

Finally, I had no choice but to inform Sisko’s owners and request a picture of him to post physically and online.  They were traveling, and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin the first day of their vacation.  But they needed to know.

Then I put in motion an extensive prayer army.  I texted my immediate family, and I emailed our congregation, explaining the situation.  (We routinely send out prayer requests to our people.)  I asked that everyone pray for Sisko’s safety, and for his safe return.

Settling back at my desk to share Sisko’s picture with our neighborhood online group, I heard some commotion down by our street.  I hurried outside, hoping to get word on our missing dog.  And sure enough, I did! 

It turns out Sisko had been hunkered down in some tall vegetation in a yard a few houses away the entire time.  I had walked right by him on the sidewalk, calling his name, but he had stayed hunkered.  A kind neighbor lady had seen him, was concerned about him, and tried to give him some water.  When she got too close, Sisko bolted. 

That set in motion a chain of events that would be hard to believe if I hadn’t witnessed it myself.

Two young men noticed the dog running and had stopped to ask the neighbor lady about him.  That’s when I arrived.  I explained that we were watching the dog for friends, but he jumped our gate. 

Meanwhile a man driving by saw all the commotion and asked if we were missing a dog.  “Yes!” I replied.  He described the dog he had just seen.  “That’s him!” I confirmed. 

“I just saw him two blocks North of here,” we were told.  (Not good; that’s busy 48th Street!)

At that moment another man walked around the nearest block corner and asked if we were searching for a dog.  “Yes!”  He gave us Sisko’s latest coordinates.  He had reversed course and was now a block due East of us but moving to the South.  The two young men hurried after him in their car, located him and faithfully followed him at a distance for the rest of the way.

I quickly recruited my two sons to go after Sisko on foot while I jumped in my truck to attempt to head him off.  Now our runaway was running West.  We spotted him as he crossed our street a block away, the young men carefully tailing him in their vehicle.  But that meant Sisko was heading for the heavily trafficked M Street!  Please, Lord, keep him safe!  I sped down a street paralleling his path and reached M Street just in time to see Sisko dash across, a black and white blur a block over, vehicles speeding past him in both lanes.

I swung left unto M Street and then a block down I turned right.  Several blocks ahead of me was Sisko, trotting down the sidewalk, and the two young men trailing him from behind.  I sped down the street, weaving past a car backing out of their driveway, and fell in behind the young men’s car.  They pulled over to let me pass.  

I drew as close as I could to the panting dog, parked and scrambled out of the truck, but Sisko didn’t slow down, even as I called his name and offered treats.  That’s when yet another vehicle got involved.  A woman driving toward us recognized what was going on and offered to assist.  (My sons had been running the whole way and still hadn’t gotten close enough to help.)  So now there were three vehicles on the street, serving to corral Sisko to some degree on the left, houses on the right, and me on the sidewalk behind him. 

But still the dog jogged on, disregarding my frantic calls.  And then the Lord brought the final essential piece into play.  In the yard directly in front of Sisko appeared a large dog, barking vociferously.  And just like that, Sisko did a 180 and trotted back to me.  I made no quick motions; I simply let him circle me a few times before he came close to me and I curled my fingers around his collar.  “Thank you, dear Lord,” I whispered. 

My sons arrived shortly, and clipped his leash onto his collar for the walk back to our yard, where a piece of plywood had already been installed over the gate to keep our high jumping guest on the ground inside the yard.  Meanwhile, I thanked the woman who had appeared so fortuitously, and the young men who had assisted so selflessly.  I told them that they were God-sends … and they were!

Within an hour of putting out the requests for prayers on Sisko’s behalf, he was back in our yard, eagerly lapping up bowls of cool water.  Not only was he back, against all odds, but he was safe, perhaps against greater odds.  (We heard that he nearly got hit a number of times, and I witnessed myself his close calls dashing across M Street.  I am convinced that Sisko had an angel riding on his back that afternoon.)

Of course, we had been praying ever since we noticed our visiting pooch was missing.  But it is no coincidence that everything fell into place after numerous prayers on Sisko’s behalf began arriving at the Lord’s throne. 

I don’t mean to imply in a superstitious sense that once we got enough prayers going, God finally gave in.  Rather, I believe the Lord was using this situation to impress upon many people the effectiveness of prayer.  45 minutes after the prayer requests were made, a “prayer answered!” notice went out.  Remarkable!

Which emphasizes in rather dramatic fashion the power of prayer.

Jesus summarized the blessings of prayer with his famous words from the Sermon on the Mount.  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

Those are some wonderful promises from our Savior!  I always loved this even more expansive promise from the Lord regarding his people: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

All of which goes to show how eager God is to answer our prayers.  So, God’s people, pray!  Pray for other nations and people in crisis.  Pray for our nation.  Pray for our government leaders.  Pray for our service men and women.  Pray for our churches.  Pray for our pastors and teachers.  Pray for our doctors and nurses and first responders.  Pray for healing for the hurting.  Pray for help for the desperate.  Pray for hope for the despondent.  Pray for lost dogs. 

Pray your requests, and then pray words of thanks when the Lord answers those requests.  (We certainly did!)

There are so many people to pray for and things to pray about; the focuses of our prayers are literally limitless and God’s answers always perfect … even if he happens in love and wisdom to answer “No.”  Our Lord knows what is best for us, and always responds accordingly.  (How incredibly comforting this is!)

So remember and rejoice – as demonstrated with Sisko and in so many other situations – prayer is a powerful thing!

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Putting Loss in Perspective

Putting Loss in Perspective

Most people are frustrated by loss.  To clarify, what I mean is that most of us really dislike losing something of value.

For example, if you are like me, you have often tucked something that you knew was important into a “safe place,” only to discover that it was such a safe place you couldn’t find it again when you needed it!  Frustrating, right?

Recently a number of people from our congregation attended a Tacoma Rainiers game (the Seattle Mariners Triple-A baseball team) at lovely Cheney Stadium.  We do this every summer on a Friday fireworks evening, and have a lovely time.  We grill up some food at a tailgate gathering, eat and chat, watch the game and enjoy the fireworks display afterwards.

I was “The Griller” this year.  (Brats, cheddar-filled smoked sausages, and hotdogs, generally grilled to perfection!  Or at least I thought so.)  Realizing I would need to slice open packages of meat, I slipped my favorite jackknife into my pocket beforehand. 

Later that evening, my knife was no longer there.  Either I missed my pocket after using it, or I dropped it when we were instructed to hold the metal objects from our pockets above our heads while going through security.  Either way, my (former) pocket-knife is now either lying somewhere on the Cheney Stadium parking lot or is resting on someone else’s dresser after they found it there.

Losing a nice little knife would always be somewhat upsetting.  But this one was special to me.  I found it while metal-detecting.  Finding pocketknives with a detector is actually quite common, but finding one this nice is rare.  Usually they show the effects of being buried in the ground – frequently so rusted they can’t even be opened.  But this knife was almost brand new – handsome in appearance, easily opened and sharp.  I really liked that knife, and I used it often.

Frustrating!

Yet, as I reflect on the situation, I have to acknowledge that someone else was frustrated before me when he originally lost that blade.  (In fact, as a metal detectorist, the reality is that I specialize in locating items that other frustrated people have lost.)  Now that lovely little knife that was lost once was lost (and perhaps found?) a second time.

Upon even more reflection, this loss is a minor one.  Actually, a very minor one.  There are much more impactful losses that people endure in life; losses of valuable, precious, unique things that sometimes can’t be replaced.

Losing one’s job, their life’s savings, their house, or a family heirloom would qualify.  As would the loss of reputation, a relationship, or a dear pet.  Even more significant examples might be the loss of a loved one, or the loss of one’s health or life.

When these kinds of losses occur, the emotion experienced isn’t frustration; it’s devastation!

Yet as devastating as these losses would be, there is another loss even more devastating.  And sadly it’s a loss that is rarely considered by many … including even Christians.

What is this frequently disregarded yet most devastating loss of all?  It’s the loss of one’s soul.  More specifically, it’s the loss of faith in the Savior in one’s soul. 

Why is this so devastating?  Because when one loses faith in Jesus, they lose God’s forgiveness and they lose salvation.  There are no other losses that can come close to comparing!

The Apostle Paul understood this.  He certainly understood that this is a world of losses.  Living in this world means living with losses.  But it’s a matter of perspective.  What is truly valuable?  What is really precious?  The treasures of the world are actually trash, spiritually speaking, and those things most people regard as worthless (God’s Word, Jesus, souls and faith) are actually priceless. 

Paul summarizes this truth with these words: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith” (Philippians 3:7-9).

Paul himself lost essentially everything, including his very life, due to his devotion to Jesus.  Yet he considered himself the richest of men.  And indeed he was!  As are we who also own the treasure of faith in Jesus our Savior!

I lost a knife I found.  I hope someone else finds the knife I lost, and that it serves them as well as it served me.  But thanks be to God that I haven’t lost my faith, my soul, my Savior or my salvation, because those would truly be losses worth grieving.

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Always Soaring, Always Seeing

Always Soaring, Always Seeing

I saw my first wild bald eagle many years ago when we lived in the north end of Tacoma.  One day I was in our backyard when it glided over me.  The sight was thrilling then, and I still remember it clearly.  Since then I’ve seen many eagles, sometimes quite close.  A few times I’ve actually witnessed them plucking trout out of a lake with their strong talons.  (Once ironically while I was fishing and catching nothing!)

They are majestic birds; so inspiring that they were named the national bird of the United States of America. 

Yet it wasn’t that long ago that bald eagles were at risk of disappearing altogether from the contiguous states.  Just 30 years ago, bald eagles were on the US government’s list of endangered species.  However, with special protection, the birds have made a wonderful recovery.  In 1995, they were transferred from the US endangered species list to the threatened species list.  By 2007 their numbers were strong enough that they graduated even from the “threatened” designation.

The bald eagle derives its name from the white feathered heads of the mature adults.  The bodies of adult birds in the lower states are typically 2 ½ to 3 ½ feet, their wingspans usually from 6 to 7 ½ feet, and their weight from 6 ½ to almost 14 pounds.  Alaskan bald eagles of both genders are even larger!  In an interesting twist in the animal world, the females are typically 25 percent larger than the males. 

Eagles can fly as high as 15,000 feet above the earth, and as fast as 65 miles per hour.  Though their preference is to soar lazily on rising thermals, if diving for food, they can reach the astonishing speed of 200 miles per hour!

Bald eagles’ diet consists primarily of fish, therefore they reside near large bodies of water with abundant food supplies and large, tall trees nearby.  Eagles are the apex predators in the avian world.  As birds of prey, they have strong, muscular legs and powerful talons to snatch their meals, and large, heavy, hooked beaks ideally equipped for ripping the flesh off their meals. 

Normally the birds will swoop down and pluck their prey on the fly.  (A necessary thing since most of their prey resides in water!)  They will occasionally take larger animals down, but then will either feed on it at the location or take pieces back to its nest.  However, they can fly bearing a greater weight than their own.  For example, one bald eagle was documented as flying with a 15 pound mule deer fawn!

Bald eagles are also known for their huge nests, or eyries.  They are usually 5-6 feet wide and 3-4 feet deep, but their homes can be as much as 8 feet wide and 13 feet deep and weigh up to a ton.  It usually takes several months to build an eyrie, and the nests are often reused (or continually used) and built larger over time.

All of which I find fascinating.  Yet the aspect of eagles (and hawks, for that matter) which astounds me the most is their incredible vision.  Perfect vision for humans is 20/20.  An eagle’s vision is 20/4 … or five times sharper than ours.  Translated, that means that what we can see clearly at 20 feet can be seen by an eagle with the same clarity at 100 feet.  (A hawk’s vision is actually 8 times sharper than ours!)  An eagle’s eyesight allows them to spot prey from over a mile away!

Besides that, eagles are also able to see ultraviolet light, which means that even the urine of small mammals can be spotted in the ultraviolet range from extreme distances!  This, of course, is a significant advantage for the birds of prey, and an extreme disadvantage for the prey itself.

There are a number of reasons for the eagle’s exceptional vision.  An eagle’s eyes are packed with visual cells in the rods and cones of its retina.  In fact, an eye of an eagle is quite large, weighing even more than the eagle’s brain.  In addition, the positioning of the eyes on an eagle provides it with a 340-degree field of vision, (as compared to a human’s 180-degree range). 

All of which, of course, points to the wisdom and workings of the Creator.

That same Creator – the Almighty Lord who gifted eagles with incredible vision – possesses a far greater vision than any of his creations.  The Bible states that the Lord “views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24).  Furthermore, “his eyes are on the ways of mortals; he sees their every step” (Job 34:21). 

But more significantly, “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

This is incredibly important for us to recognize, and incredibly comforting when we do.  Especially as we consider all the applications of this truth.  Here are just a few:

No human can foresee the difficulties and challenges that tomorrow may bring, but the Lord does.  And he also sees the solutions!

No one can be prepared for the many uncertainties of life.  Except the Lord, that is.  There are no uncertainties for him because he sees and knows all, so he is always completely prepared.

Feeling all alone?  God has his eyes on you and is with you constantly.

Emotionally exhausted?  The Lord knows your thoughts and your needs, and will minister to you in the most loving way.

Caught up in hardships and don’t understand why?  God sees your struggles, and also understands why you need to endure them.  (Which is why he allowed them in the first place.)  And, as already pointed out, he also always sees the answers.

God’s people are often moved by love to serve God in various ways, as well as do little acts of kindness to others.  Those never go unnoticed by the Lord, and they bring him joy. Meanwhile the wicked live for themselves.  God sees that too.

No matter how devious or deceptive individuals or organizations may be in their efforts to bring hardship to God’s people or undermine God’s church, the Lord sees their plans.  Nothing will happen with their schemes unless the Lord allows it for his own good purposes.

Concerned about the many sins on your record?  Your Savior has your every single mistake identified and has paid for every single sin in full.  He hasn’t missed a one.

Like an eagle, our God is always souring over us and always seeing everything that impacts us, and he’s constantly intervening in the most loving fashion.

The psalmist beautifully summarizes God’s all-encompassing vision, and what that means to each of us.  “From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth …  But the eyes of the LORD are [especially!] on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them … [Therefore] we wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name” (Psalm 33:13-14, 18-21).

With our “vision” being limited in so many ways, it certainly is wonderful to know that our God’s sight is unlimited!

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Some Thoughts on “Field of Dreams”

Some Thoughts on “Field of Dreams”

One of my favorite movies is “Field of Dreams.”  Perhaps you are familiar with it?  If you are a baseball fan, you almost certainly are.  Even if baseball isn’t your thing, chances are you know of the film. 

The movie was released in the spring of 1989 and ended up with three academy award nominations.  Tom Hanks, who was originally approached about playing the lead role of Ray Kinsella but turned it down, felt strongly enough about the film that he predicted the movie could be “this generation’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’”  He may be right.  Just a few years ago, the Library of Congress selected the movie to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Wikipedia describes the movie as an “American sports fantasy film,” which is as apt a description as any.  The film is a little of a lot of things.  It’s a love story.  It’s a bit comical.  It’s mystical.  (Definitely lacking in the theological department; Iowa is NOT heaven, though it’s nice enough.)  It’s a pursuing-of-outlandish-dreams story.  It’s a ghost story.  (Many “ghosts” actually!)  Certainly, it’s a baseball story.

But most of all, “Field of Dreams” is a story about lost opportunities with loved ones, and a deep yearning to have a second chance to reconnect.  Ray, the new farmer, has a hole in his heart because of the way he dealt with his father, John, when Ray was a young man.  His father was a huge baseball fan and a former player.  Through the baseball field he constructs in his corn field (at the urging of a strange voice he heard in the corn), Ray is finally able to “have a catch” with his father again, who has been dead for many years.  It’s a scene that often brings tears to the eyes of even the most stoic viewers.

And this scene and this concept is what has turned this film into a grand slam.

I had no idea that the original field where the movie was filmed was preserved, or that every year visitors flock to the field … ironically as the movie claimed would happen.  My oldest son informed me of its existence and that it was close enough to his home that we could road-trip there from his place.  Some of my family did that this Summer.  What a neat experience!  And, of course, I played catch on the field with my oldest and youngest sons (and my wife) … as did fathers and sons of all different ages all around us.

Annual visitors to the field were approaching 100,000 a year, but when Major League Baseball announced it was going to play an actual MLB game there on an adjacent field with professional dimensions and lighting, the numbers of visitors skyrocketed to an estimated twice that many people this Summer. 

That game, the “Field of Dreams Game,” was played this past Thursday by the Yankees and White Sox.  Perhaps you saw news coverage of the event, or even watched part of the game itself.  (The backdrop of cornfields beyond the fences was striking, and a significantly different look than what is seen at a typical MLB game!)  According to Fox who broadcast the game, it was the most watched regular season baseball game in 16 years with over 6 million viewers!

That’s the impact the movie had … and is still having.  Why?  Because human beings continue to struggle with their relationships, even those relationships with the people closest to them.  Sometimes especially with those people closest to them.  And so many people long to reconnect.

Perhaps at the very root of the yearning to reconnect with loved ones … especially parents and children … is the recognition in many that they are not connected with their Heavenly Father?  The hole in their heart is even deeper and more profound than any earthly relationship can fill.  There’s an intuitive realization that there is Someone so much bigger and more significant than even their parents, and that “Someone” is missing in their lives.

And ultimately, we all could be closer to our Heavenly Father than we are, couldn’t we?

Even Christians can sometimes feel distant from God.  The Lord is everything; we are definitely not.  He is almighty; we are weak.  He lives forever; we perish.  He is the Creator; we the created.  He is perfect; we are flawed.  He is holy; we are permeated with sin.  He is the Forgiver; we the forgiven.  The differences between us and the Lord are glaring, so even if we recognize God’s love, grace, forgiveness and kindness to us, we are well aware of our inadequacies.

But here’s the key to our relationship with God.  That relationship is not predicated on our own point of view, but on the Lord’s!

In the movie, it becomes clear that Ray’s relationship struggles with his father, John, were a result of how Ray was looking at things when he was younger; not the way his father, John, did.  The father deeply loved the son and longed to be closer to him.  However, the child was confused and resistant.

In the same way, the path to reconnecting … or connecting more closely … with our Heavenly Father must be traveled through our Heavenly Father’s perspective, and not our own.  We must listen to what he says instead of to the yammering of the world, and even especially of our own sinful natures.

What does our Heavenly Father state about our relationship with him?  Quite a lot, it turns out!

Our Father created this world we live in (Gen. 1:1), and he created us too (Malachi 2:10).  And even though we have turned against him repeatedly, he loved us so much he sent his holy Son, Jesus, to save us (Jn. 3:16-17).  And make no mistake about it, our Heavenly Father still loves us (Jn. 16:27).  He has blessed us with an abundance of “good and perfect” gifts, including spiritual birth through his Word (James 1:17-18), and he continues to “graciously give us all things” (Rom. 8:32).

When reflecting on our Heavenly Father, Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit to write these words, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you …” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

What a Father!  He’s a Father who blesses us here on earth, but who has even greater blessings waiting for us in heaven!

He’s a Father who dearly loves us and is totally invested in having a relationship with us.  He is always near us (Acts 17:27), always watching over us (Ps. 139:1-8), always guiding us (Ps. 139:9-10).  He longs for us to hear his soothing voice in his Word, which helps us recognize his closeness to us and rejoice in our relationship with him.  Because when we listen to him, then the holes in our hearts begin to be filled.  Then our Father can draw us closer to him and better embrace us, support us and uplift us.  And then he can also begin to bless and reconnect our relationships with other people as well.

Avoid regret; jump confidently and whole-heartedly into the arms of your Heavenly Father.  His arms are safe and secure, and are eager to wrap us close to himself – to the One who is always present, always faithful, always loving and always kind.

We happen to have a wonderful Father.  And by God’s grace we happen to be his children.  Not just kind of or a little bit his children, but totally!  As John exclaims, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

The Lord’s Field of Dreams really is where dreams come true.  And not just for a moment, but for eternity!

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Always a Hop Ahead

Always a Hop Ahead

Granted, there are a lot of rabbits in the Midwest.  But we saw one almost everywhere we went on our recent vacation!

I didn’t think much about it at the time because … well, there are a lot of rabbits in the Midwest.  However, as I think about it now, I see a subtle, simple message from the Lord.  Perhaps I’m making too much of this, but I find a comforting truth wrapped up in it nonetheless.

Wherever we went there were cottontails … just as wherever we went there was God. 

At my father and mother-in-law’s place – a cottontail.  At my parents’ place – a cottontail.  At my son and daughter-in-law’s place – a cottontail.  While with my other son – a cottontail.  Here a cottontail, there a cottontail, everywhere a cottontail!

And, yes, as stated earlier, there are a lot of rabbits in the Midwest.  But even so, this seemed a bit over the top.  The bunnies kept appearing, and sometimes in the most unlikely places!

I don’t know if this was a special message from the Lord.  Perhaps that’s a stretch.  But I do know that the concept is true; wherever we were and wherever we were going, God was there.  Just like the rabbits, God was always a hop ahead of us.

When planning the vacation, the Lord provided extremely reasonable plane tickets for us, and even a rental vehicle for the three-week trip, which were/are in extremely high demand.

When the entire vacation was questionable due to my wife’s and my unfortunate injuries prior to the trip, the Lord made a way for us to go, and sustained us both throughout our travels. 

When I nearly didn’t make it to our gate at SeaTac because of my weak legs, the Lord supported me down the final stretch.  And then he graciously provided a wheelchair when we arrived in huge O’Hare Airport in Chicago.

When my sister and her family had to suddenly find a new home just before we arrived, and our son and his family had to do the same, (both situations putting our time together at risk), the Lord guided both families to new homes in a remarkable and timely fashion.

When other sisters were traveling great distances to be with us, at fairly significant inconvenience to themselves and their families, the Lord blessed their travels and made it happen.

When a day for both sets of great-grandparents to travel to see their great-grandchildren was set, the Lord blessed us with lovely weather.  The next day wasn’t nearly as pleasant.

When the semi driver didn’t see us and pulled his rig over, threatening to side-swipe us, the Lord was there, keeping us from a serious accident.  (As he was with all the other near incidents during our many miles of driving.) 

When I aggravated an injury to the point of being questionable to preach the next morning, the Lord was there with miraculous healing.  (Truly, it was a miracle!)

When a nasty bug swept through some of the family while we were all together, the Lord sustained us and brought everyone through it in a few days. 

When we had limited time to visit friends on our last Saturday away, the Lord positioned my former associate pastor’s home and my former Seminary roommate’s home literally blocks away in the same town, making our day extremely efficient and convenient.  (We had no idea this was the case when we made arrangements to visit them.)

When we hadn’t seen some family members for many years, the Lord streamlined the details to enable us to see both sets of parents, all of our siblings and many of their spouses, a number of our nephews and nieces, and even some cousins!  Furthermore, the Lord enabled us to have all of our immediate family together, including our three grandsons, for a number of days.  What a blessing!

This list could go on and on.  The point is, almost everywhere we went we saw another bunny, and we witnessed God’s loving protection and provision.  Remarkable!  The Lord was always a hop or two ahead of us.  As he always is!

In Isaiah, the Lord promised his captive people that he would deliver them and go before them. “… The LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12).  What a blessed assurance this promise must have been to the believing Jews in light of all the uncertainty before them.

David was inspired to write about this same concept with these beautiful words about the Lord: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10).

God is always with us.  That doesn’t mean that everything will go smoothly or as we desire, but it does mean that we will never have to go through anything alone.  What a wonderfully comforting truth!

So the next time you see a rabbit, I hope it reminds you (and comforts you!) that the Lord is always a hop ahead of you!

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The Terrifying Door to Peace

The Terrifying Door to Peace

It was a small room that mirrored a cavern of hell itself.  The walls dark and bleak; the lighting a muted gray; the air heavy with a tint of sulfur – cloying in the nostrils and congesting the lungs.

The only visible light spilled in from the doorway on the far wall.  It was a doorway to … clouds, and seemingly a long and terrifying fall.  The room was situated at an extreme height, and the door was the only entrance and egress.  Edging closer to the opening provided a stunning view of slowly shifting clouds, below and above.  The sense of the depth outside the doorway was palpable.

Hope avoided moving too close to the door.  The distance down was dizzying.  Approaching it caused her breath to catch and her stomach to churn.

But staying away from the opening wasn’t necessarily easy either.  Inside that horrid room lived some of the most vile creatures.  Niggling worries crawled out of the cracks in the floor and onto Hope incessantly, like tiny spiders.  Doubts skittered around the room on four legs, whipping their long, leathery tails, squeaking their disdain and biting when able.  Concerns slithered about, and took every opportunity to wrap themselves around Hope in a cold-blooded embrace, squeezing all pleasure from her.  Anxieties flapped around the room on bare black wings, swooping close repeatedly.

Relaxation didn’t exist; rest was never experienced.  Peace was impossible and having hope unimaginable in that anxious room.

Except for the door.  The terrifying, but bright and inviting door.

The fascinating door.  The door of intrigue.

The door bordered on all four sides with messages.  In softly glowing letters over the door were the words, “Let go and let God.” 

On the left could be seen, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and he will make your paths straight. (God, your Father)” 

On the right, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Learn from me, and you will find rest for your souls. (Jesus, your Brother)” 

And on the wall immediately below the door (the opening was raised off the floor) was written, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (God, your Holy Spirit)”

Hope was mesmerized by the messages.  They were everything Hope so desperately desired; everything she so desperately needed!  And they were everything that was non-existent in that room of gloom, that place full of fear. 

Hope contemplated the words repeatedly.  They filled her thoughts as she fought off the niggling worries, the skittering doubts, the slithering concerns, and the flapping anxieties so abundant in that dark place.  Clearly the messages were tied to the door – the glorious door that provided the light, and the terrifying door that emptied into the heights.

She could arrive at no other conclusion then that the promises offered in the words around the door could only be obtained by walking through the door.  But to do so was not only illogical, it seemed to be madness and self-destruction!

But then why were those words there?  And who had put them there?  Were they written by the horrible creatures in that room of anxiousness?  But that didn’t make sense either.  If she went through the door and plunged to her death, they couldn’t reach her anymore.  It seemed clear that they wanted continued access to her to torment her to the fullest.

Hope’s suffering in that room of anxiousness continued unrelentingly.  So it would be accurate to say that her despair caused her to consider crossing through the opening more and more seriously. 

But the greater factor was the assurance that the messages offered.  The words gave her hope, there was no other way to state it.  They lifted her heart and brightened her eyes whenever she thought of them.  Hope already flickered within her, fostered by the encouraging words, but she wanted to experience it to a much greater degree.

Finally the day came when a large concern managed to wrap itself around Hope’s neck and began contracting its grip, making it difficult for her to breath.  As Hope writhed on the floor, doubts attacked her, biting her incessantly and worries crawled all over her body.  This was the worst attack yet.

“I must have peace!” she thought desperately.  She took her hands off the snake encircling her throat, pushed herself to her feet and dashed toward the light.  Hope covered the distance in seconds and dove through the terrifying door, trusting the messages around it.

She cartwheeled through the air, her legs swinging over her head … and instead of plummeting downward, she floated!  She had landed on her back in the clouds, her perch firm yet comfortable.  It made no sense, yet the results were undeniable!  The tormenting anxiousness of the dark room were gone!  Joy and peace surrounded her!

God the Holy Spirit was upholding Hope with his righteous right hand.  Jesus, God the Son, was supplying rest to her soul and her mind.  And God the Father was giving her understanding and settling her on a better, much more pleasant path … a path in the clouds, no less!

No worries crawled over her.  No doubts skittered around her.  No concerns slithered about.  No anxieties flapped nearby. 

Hope had found hope!  In faith, she had cast her cares into the care of God.  She had learned to trust in the Lord, and trust in the Lord had provided her with peace. 

How wonderful it is to float on the promises and provision of God!

——————————-

This allegory is oversimplified, of course.  However, I found it … and am still finding it … extremely beneficial to me.  (As worries have beset me in recent days, I have been picturing myself diving through the terrifying door.  This has actually proved to be quite comforting!)  I pray that you might also benefit from the picture.

Regarding the messages around the door, the “Let go and let God” is not a quote from the Bible, though the concept is certainly found throughout the Scriptures.  The other words are indeed Bible passages (Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 11:28-29, and Isaiah 41:10).

Another fitting passage for this topic would be 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on [the Lord] because he cares for you.”

Sadly, some never cross through the terrifying door; they choose instead to suffer in the dark and anxious room.  May God make us wiser and move us in trust to dive through the door into his loving care!

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The Most Underutilized Spiritual Weapons: Weapon # 3

The Most Underutilized Spiritual Weapons: Weapon # 3

Our gracious Lord has given us incredible spiritual weapons to use in our spiritual battles.  Unfortunately, these weapons are typically underutilized.

In the past few posts, I indicated that, in my opinion, the most neglected spiritual weapon is God’s Word, and the second most neglected one is formal worship.  Today we explore the third weapon that is often left in the spiritual war cabinet.  I maintain that this weapon is prayer.

And perhaps you would argue that you use this weapon all the time!  Before meals.  After meals.  Before going to bed at night.  And even now and then during the day when something crosses your mind. 

To which I reply, “Good for you!”  But you and I could pray a whole lot more frequently than that! 

In fact, the Lord urges us to “pray continually” (1 Thes. 5:17).  He expects us to keep a running conversation with him.  We thank him.  We praise him.  We share our concerns with him.  We express our frustrations with him.  We ask him to help us.  We entreat him to bring good fortune to others.  We beg him to bless our congregation and church body, and to expand the Kingdom of God in general.  There is no end to the matters you and I can take to the Lord in prayer, so we keep our spiritual Bluetooth connection with the Lord open.

Jesus himself was quite specific regarding prayer:  He said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). 

Jesus’ message was, “Do this and watch your God act!”  Yet we so often don’t. 

Sad to say, the Lord is often our last resort in difficulties.  First, we see what we can do, or whom we know, or what we can buy, or whom we can hire, or what we can arrange, to handle our challenges.  And when all else fails, we finally go to God.  This isn’t always our approach, of course, but it is often enough.

In the same way, as we coast through those times of life rife with blessings, we are often too busy enjoying the good times to talk to God, even to thank him.

Our sinful nature doesn’t want anything to do with conversing with God.  Nor does Satan.  And the world keeps us duly distracted, inhibiting our spiritual conversations as well.  There is a reason for this; the spiritual enemies of God well recognize the power of prayer.

And what an astounding spiritual weapon prayer is!  The Lord has given us direct and continual access to his almighty, all-knowing, and ever-blessing self, and he has promised to answer our every single prayer in love!

We are in continual warfare in the spiritual realm.  Why would we keep the powerful spiritual weapon of prayer locked away?  Rather, it is an incredible and effective weapon, one that should be present and utilized constantly.  Because through prayer we tap into the always victorious God, and this brings spiritual victories to us.

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The Most Underutilized Spiritual Weapons: Weapon # 2

The Most Underutilized Spiritual Weapons: Weapon # 2

Last week I shared what I thought to be the most underutilized spiritual weapon of all – God’s Word.  This week I’ll share my opinion on the second most underutilized weapon.  Admittedly, it could be argued whether weapon two (worship) or weapon three (prayer) is the more crucial or more underutilized.

I’m open to that debate.  However, I will contend that both worship and prayer are crucial spiritual weapons, and both are clearly underutilized. 

I chose worship as the second most neglected weapon … well, because I think it is!  While it’s likely that even the more complacent Christians will still lift up a prayer or two now and then, it is less likely that they will physically bring themselves to a worship service.

To clarify, I understand that worship can happen in many different ways.  Reading the Bible is worship; praying is worship; obeying God is worship; sharing the Gospel with others is worship; living our lives for God is worship too.  Worship, defined broadly, happens in many different manners.  However, for the context of this discussion on spiritual weapons, I am defining worship narrowly, as in gathering together with other believers in God’s house to hear God’s Word.

And based on that definition, perhaps you recognize why worship is such an important spiritual weapon.  If God’s Word is the single most important spiritual weapon, then hearing God’s Word in worship naturally becomes a significant spiritual weapon as well.  Sprinkle in the Sacraments at worship, and the impact increases even more!

Of course, the Lord emphasizes this in the Ten Commandments when he commands, “Remember the Sabbath Day.” In other words, make time for the worship of the Lord in your busy lives!  He also provides us with the well-known passage in Hebrews to underscore the importance of formal worship:

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:22-25).

In short, God reminds us that in worship around God’s Word, we are drawn closer to God, our faith is assured, our hearts are cleansed, and our hope is upheld.  Furthermore, (and this is significant!), we encourage one another.  We are an encouragement to others who are present, even as their presence is an encouragement to us.  Hearing God’s Word and being together, in turn, fosters love and activity for God and one another. 

And why is this so important?  Because “the Day” is approaching.  Either Jesus will return to earth to put an end to this current world on the Last Day, or Jesus will bring us to our personal last day, calling us out of this world.  Whichever scenario we find ourselves in, we want to be ready!

Worship in God’s house with God’s people around God’s Word helps us grow and be prepared for those significant events.  Which is why formal worship is such an important spiritual weapon, and why the evil three (the devil, the world and our sinful natures) strive so adamantly to keep us away from church.

All of which underscores the vital importance of our attending worship.  My encouragement to each and every one of us is to stop underutilizing this incredibly important spiritual weapon!  God’s given it to us to bless us and bring spiritual victories to us.  The more we utilize the weapon of worship, the better we will fare in the spiritual realm.

And when it comes to spiritual battles, we definitely want to win, through Christ our Savior!

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The Most Underutilized Spiritual Weapons: Weapon # 1

The Most Underutilized Spiritual Weapons: Weapon # 1

When serving as a pastor for over thirty years and working daily with spiritual matters, one can’t help but notice some things.  One of the most obvious observations when dealing with the spiritual realm is that there IS a spiritual realm!  Now most would reply to this statement, “Well, obviously!”  But most, I contend, (even perhaps most Christians), live for the physical realm and give little thought or notice to the spiritual one.

One of these weeks I’ll dedicate a whole post to spiritual warfare in general.  But for this week and the next two after, I thought I would concentrate on some specifics.  Namely, the three most underutilized spiritual weapons by believers, at least from my perspective.

I suspect that if polled, this first neglected weapon would probably be recognized by the majority of Christians.  And they would almost certainly acknowledge that it is the most significant spiritual weapon of all.  Yet, many of them would probably have to admit that they are guilty of the neglect themselves!

What is this most important, and most underutilized spiritual weapon of all?  It is the sword of God’s Word. 

The Lord tells us in the Bible book of Hebrews, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

The reason God’s Word is “alive and active,” and “penetrates … soul and spirit” is because it is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16).  In other words, the Scriptures are given directly by God.  Consequently, they are the very words of God (1 Thes. 2:13), and they are absolute and complete truth (John 17:17).  In addition, God’s words are also powerful, creating and strengthening faith (Romans 10:17), and bringing salvation (Romans 1:16) because they show us our Savior (John 20:31).

Which is why the Lord urges us to faithfully spend time in his Word, as individuals and as families!  (Deut. 11:18-19)

With all these powerful factors wrapped up in the Word of God, and the incredible importance of it, as well as God’s insistence we read and hear it, why is God’s Word so easily and often neglected by people who know better?

The answer takes us back into the spiritual realm.  It is because the enemies of the Lord in the spiritual realm recognize the spiritual impact of the sword of the Word and work furiously to ensure that it is underutilized! 

Who are those enemies?  The devil and demons, this world with its trappings, and our own sinful natures.  None of them have any inclination toward God’s living truth; all of them actively oppose it.

Our flesh is always with us and stands opposed to anything of God.  The world is always around us and impacting us with its anti-God perspectives, priorities and attitudes.  The devil and demons are unseen and largely disregarded, (which is a huge advantage to them), and are aggressively though often subtly – yet frequently effectively – fighting against the saving Gospel.

The result?  The most crucial spiritual weapon of God often becomes the most underutilized one.

My encouragement to you (and to me!) is … recognize these truths about the Truth, and ensure that the number one most important weapon of God is weaponized in our lives and the lives of those around you.  Because when God’s Word is properly utilized, incredible spiritual blessings are unleashed!

That’s why God gave us the powerful weapon of his Word, to enable us to win battles in the spiritual realm.  Those battles are constantly raging, whether we recognize them or not.  Therefore we need all of God’s spiritual weapons!  And especially the most effective one!

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The Ultimate Vacation

The Ultimate Vacation

Sooner or later, everyone needs a vacation.

God didn’t create us toil continually. In fact, he mandated a day of rest every week for the Old Testament believers (the Sabbath Day). The Lord can go nonstop; we cannot.

Which is why most of us eagerly anticipate vacation time.

Vacation typically means a break from the usual responsibilities and annoyances, a time for relaxation and refreshment, and precious moments with family and loved ones. The word “vacation” is usually synonymous with happiness. Some of our most treasured memories occur while on vacation, whether an extended one, or a one-day break.

We plan for vacations. We block out time on our calendars and ask off from work. We budget and make the appropriate reservations for them. And we typically want to stay on vacation for as long as we possibly can … not because we are lazy, but because of all the blessings and benefits of the time away.

We look forward to our vacation the entire year. Sometimes it is what allows us to keep plugging away when we are exhausted and discouraged. “If I can just make it to vacation,” we tell ourselves.

As I reflect on these things a few days before we leave on our own vacation, I can’t help but see the similarities between vacation on earth and vacation from earth (i.e. heaven).

Think about it. When we go on our eternal vacation, the following will be true:

We will be on eternal break from our earthly responsibilities.

We will leave behind all difficulties forever.

We will experience the ultimate rest, relaxation and refreshment.

We will spend the most precious moments of all with family and loved ones who have gone to heaven before us, and we’ll never have to say goodbye again.

Our happiness will be complete; we’ll be forever with the Lord.

Our most treasured moments will be occurring … continually!

We will be able to stay on this vacation eternally; it doesn’t end.

And our heavenly home is often what allows us to keep on keeping on in this difficult world. It is the eternal light at the end of our life tunnel which encourages us to stay the course.

All of which demonstrates why entering our heavenly home is going on the ultimate vacation. There is no vacation that could be better.

The Apostle John describes that eternal break in this way:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:3-5).

Yup, I’m looking forward to our vacation next week. But not as much as I’m looking forward to my ultimate vacation one day!

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