Entries for July 2015

ABLE TO DELIVER!

"Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us."II Co. 1:9-10

The apostle's desperate situation reduced them to a state of helplessness. They had already gone through a lot and knew how to pray, but the seasoned servants of God had to admit they could not cope on their own. There was no previous pattern or formula that applied to their present circumstances.

When Paul surveyed his situation and asked himself what the end would be, he had to sentence himself to death. It was futile to trust in himself. There was no available human aid. It was all over for him. What a difficult admission for the apostle to make!

Would he blame God and give up? Would persecution drive him to discover a new depth of trust in God? Would the probability of death produce faith for possible resurrection life?

Many Christians face today what Paul and his companions faced in the first century. Persecution continues. The beheadings of people loyal to Jesus, who would rather die than deny their love for Him, takes place today. Forced out of their homes and churches, many run for their lives, Christian communities break apart, but they hold fast to their faith. They are the Diaspora of the 21st century.

DESPERATE TIMES DEVELOP UNUSUAL FAITH. Christians face unexpected challenges to their beliefs everyday. Usual methods of resistance don't always work. When we can't work things out as usual, there is a better chance we will allow God to work things out His way. At that crucial point it is possible to discover a new confidence in God, available only when we no longer think we can handle everything on our own. Unusual times can produce unusual faith.

PRAYER: Lord, when I face things that I can't handle, help me to be honest enough to admit it. May I not be too clever, too proud to totally trust you, even if I should die. At the crucial point , keep me faithful. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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THE DAY AFTER THE FOURTH...

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 13:34

Give serious thought to what the 4th of July really means to Americans. Recent decisions in our courts can adversely effect American's religious freedom in the future. Current events, the history we make today, should concern all of us.

I remember how concerned my parents were when the stock market crashed in the 1920's. I was seven years old. My father, still weak and struggling to breathe, poisoned by chlorine gas in the trenches of France during WW1, felt the futility of it all. He had fought to make the world safe for democracy. At that time, it looked like the bastion of democracy would suffer total economic collapse.

My parent's concern was not because they might lose everything when the banks closed, or they had any business with those who jumped out of the windows of the financial towers in New York's Wall Street. Their concern was because they looked at me and wondered what America would be like for me when I grew up.

They didn't have much hope, but I recall later, when we became Christians and attended church, how they found faith to pray for our country. They claimed God's promises as they tithed, even in the hard times of the Great Depression.

All the 4th of Julys after that were milestones of renewed faith. Each year we prayed for God to bless America. And He has.

Sadly, it appears the sanctifying passion called patriotism; a felt debt of gratitude to God, pumps less in the hearts of our citizens today. Our national sense of God-given purpose is diminished. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems patriotism gives way to self-fulfillment, ravenous and self-destructive.

"WHY DO WE CELEBRATE THE 4TH OF JULY?" a child may ask someday. A lost sense of God-given destiny and a lost respect for those who framed our constitution could leave us with no answer. Will our children only hear firecrackers bang and burn or just fizzle out? Hopefully, as in my childhood, may they hear parent's prevailing prayers of faith for their country.

A PRAYER FOR OUR CHILDREN: "Lord, thank you for Christian foundations. May we instill gratitude in our children for the Founders of our nation who framed The Constitution. Pour into our children a sense of purpose and courage. Help us train them to know right from wrong and to be faithful to You. In Jesus Name, Amen

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