Is It A Fooler?

We are told that the Department of the Interior once banded a lot of crows, and set them loose. They wanted to identify them with metal tags. So rather than putting the entire long name, they abbreviated it to "Wash." (for Washington) "Biol." (for Biological) and "Serv." (for Service). Somewhat later, they received a letter which said, "I caught one of your tame crows. I followed your directions. I washed it. I boiled it, and served it, and it tasted awful. Why don't you quit trying to fool people?"

When Jesus came into the world, the Scribes and Pharisees knew that this quiet, unassuming Man of Galilee was not their King, not their Messiah. He didn't look the part at all. The Messiah would be a ruler over Israel. He would wear a crown, and have a throne, and he would rule over the whole world. And so, it was not strange, that the religious leaders of Jerusalem did not accept this rabble throng, and this lowly person.

So significant was the coming of Jesus, however, that the early Christians thought of it as "an event in Eternity"...something as broad in scope as creation itself. "Everything is new!" they affirmed. One of the early versions of the New Testament began it with the title, "The Book of the Genesis"...the Gospel according to St. Matthew (the LXX...Septuagint)

Christians are not deceived into believing that the One to Whom they sing Alleluias is like any earthly king. They know that the Palm Sunday King, moved on in only a few days to hang upon a common cross, with his blood poured out as he died on a black Friday. But Christians do not concede that this was the end of their King. Indeed, Paul concludes that not only is He the "1st born of all creation," but that he is also the "first‑born from the dead." Yes, this risen Christ is now a factor in today's world. We're not foolin' anybody! He is here and with us now. Edwin Booth once gave this crisp bit of advice to a group of young actors: "The king sits in every audience; play to the king." And so He does, and so we must do. Sometimes the abbreviated directions of the Scriptures have confused us. We have read strange provisions into the great words of Scripture, and divided the Church sadly.

But the King is with us. Will we "play to the king?" Will we faithfully live as his followers?

Cross Reminders

Again and again, we are reminded of the cross. In Handel's famous oratorio, "The Messiah", there are to be found these questioning words: "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me."

Day after day, we pass by the doors of the church, and the uplifted cross, and hardly notice it. Person after person wears a silver or gold cross about their necks and think of it only as a piece of jewelry. Upon the steeples, and upon the altars of our churches are to be found crosses high and lifted up. Does it mean anything to us? "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?"

The mystery of that cross quite overwhelms us. How could something so ugly, so much a symbol of oppression and hatred and bloodshed become so sacred an emblem to us as Christians?

It is not because of the cross, but because of One who hung upon that cross that we treasure it. Jesus represented the little people, the powerless people, the oppressed people. And there upon that cross, he destroyed the power of his enemies by forgiving them...yes, even loving them! There is great power represented by the might of ancient Rome, and the power of modern armies and warfare. But there is another kind of power represented by the Man of Galilee as he died for us upon the cross.

Let us as Christians never forget which side we are on, in that eternal battle between good and evil. And "God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."

How To Deal With Failure

Everyone who reads this article is probably a failure...in one way or another. At one time or another, we were ready to call it quits. We "lost our cool." Many people have become fed up with life, and they are ready to call it quits. They are so discouraged, they don't want to go on. Failure has always plagued us. We all have our troubles.

We have failed to live and let live. We have failed to live and help live. The insanity of our wars, and of our hostilities causes us to wonder whether mankind will ever learn. H. G. Wells one time said, "What would a world of human beings gone sane, be like?" And then he went on to comment that over 3/4 of the world's income goes to paying for past and future wars. What a failure, civilization has been.

And so here we are. Society seems to be pointing the finger at us and saying, "That person is a failure!" And we are left out, we are put out, we are counted out, and we become down, and out! Of course, there is another side to the coin. Without failure, we would hardly know the joy of success. Our Christian faith keeps reminding us: "you can't have the crown without going through the cross!"

The Christian Church started with failure, with people who had sinned, with people who knew that they were not good enough. Just look at the Bible. Here is a record of one failure after another. The failure of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The failure of Abraham in Egypt, who talked glibly out of both sides of his mouth, regarding whether the woman he was with was his sister or his wife. Then there was Moses' failure to get the Children of Israel out of Egypt, trying first one thing and then another. Then their failure to become an obedient people, and Moses slams the Ten Commandments to the ground. We see the failure of King David, the man who could do no evil, and yet who did evil, with another man's wife. We see the failure of Israel to trust in God rather than in pagan idolatries.

Is not the Bible the record of how God deals with our failures? Even the life of Jesus Christ became a "failure". He failed to win the world, to convince them, to change them. He who was the Messiah was crucified upon a common, ordinary cross. His friends deserted him. The treasurer of his own organization betrayed him. They all left.

And what did God do with this great "X" mark upon a hill? He did not cancel Christ, He canceled sin. The cross became the central symbol of the Christian Church.

And so your neighbors may forget you; your boss may never re‑instate you, the friends you thought you had, may never associate with you, but God will not forsake you. If you have sinned, he will cleanse you. If you have broken your promise, He will not break His.

At the foot of the cross, we are all failures in a way. We have all sinned and come short of the mark. But God takes failure and redeems it. God takes death and resurrects it. That's a "hallelujah" in my book.

At Cross-Purposes

The cross was a terrible reality for the disciples to remember. But as time went by, they came to see that in it, was the activity of God Himself. In some real way, here at the cross, was the juncture of all that was vertical, with all that was horizontal.

When mankind is out of relationship with God and deals only on the horizontal level, we say he is lost...he is a sinner. Daniel Boone was asked once whether he had ever been lost. He replied he had never gotten lost, but was mightily puzzled once for about three days!

And we live in that puzzling world of secularism. Sometimes it seems the world has us trapped. We are like the alcoholic who wants his drink, and yet knows that it will destroy him, and yet he cannot seem to avoid it. He appears to be powerless to conquer it.

"Why doesn't God do something," we say. How can He bear all this mess that the world is in? And of course the answer is that God has done something. He could not bear it longer. He did enter into the fellowship of our suffering and misery. By becoming like us, and in His own body taking the brunt of all the sins and the hate and the malice that the world could offer, He did do something. And the cross is that revelation of God's suffering love. He was able to penetrate the horizontal and to lift mankind into a new relationship with the Father.

Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto myself." (Jn. 12:32) This is what the cross means.

H. G. Wells, in one of his books makes a listing of the contributions of various countries. To Egypt, we are indebted for the idea of a bed, as well as the basis of much of our mathematics. "As I dress", he said, "I am reminded that my suit was tailored with a needle which came out of the earliest civilizations of Egypt." But when H.G. Wells came to another country close by, he affirmed, "Nothing important happened in Palestine."

"Is that so?" Christians answer. Something did happen in Palestine that has changed the course of the world. A power was released there from a cross. It was a quiet kind of power that ever since, sent men and women scurrying here and there to proclaim the unsearchable riches of God. There was enough power here to stop a Saul dead in his tracks, and make him different. There was enough power there to change an Augustine from a dissolute man, filled with passion and sin, to a saint. Enough power here, to fill up homes all over the world, with the glow of Christ, so that people go out and lead different lives. Here are people who think differently, work differently, and forgive differently. Isn't this the real test of the cross...not that it comes down upon the world, with some earth‑shaking force to destroy evil, but that it comes up through the world with changed and redeemed lives.

One man confessed, "My life is still full of sound and fury, but since Calvary, I know it signifies something." Not, "at cross‑purposes" now, but with a purpose because of the cross. Life has meaning now. I am not always sure exactly how it happened, but I believe it is because of that cross.

Why Did Jesus Die?

For years, we have tried to come up with all kinds of theological, and symbolical explanations for why Jesus had to die.

There is the "Ransom Theory" which suggests that mankind had been taken captive by the devil, and God gave His Son as a ransom to save us.

Or again, there is the "Sacrificial theory". In the Old Testament, it was believed that a lamb slain upon the altar would remove the worshiper's sins. When Jesus Christ came, He was the "Lamb of God" slain to cleanse us all from our sins. His blood "cleansed" us.

On and on, the theories have been added: The "Satisfaction Theory", the "Moral Influence" theory, the "Governmental theory", etc.

But when all is said and done, Jesus died, because some people are cowards...some people are greedy...some have been on an emotional binge, and are not accountable...and some have gotten a twisted understanding of right and wrong...and others just don't care to get involved.

The reasons go running in and out of our newspapers every day. The sins of Bible days, are the sins of our day. They are the sins of the Church, and the sins of the laity and the clergy.

Then, it was the sin of an apathetic, fun‑seeking crowd, and the sins of fanatic zealots, and the sins of cowardly friends and disciples, and the sins of twisted Judases.

And Jesus died to expose those sins...which are also my sins. And that's why I don't like to look at the cross, because when I do so, I see my own guilt. I discover that I helped in the crucifixion. I had something to do with driving in the nails. I helped to build the system that could not accept His way of life.

And when the chance came for me to proclaim Him Lord and King, there was so much selfishness and pride, that I too said, "His way won't work...its not practical...it is more expedient to let him die."

I've seen myself at the cross. Perhaps you are there too, with all the rest of us. I suppose we all helped to crucify our Lord. The least of all I can do now, is confess my sin, and love Him, and seek to be faithful.

Join The Way Of The Cross

In the city of Jerusalem, there is a street called, "The Via Dolorosa". It is the site of that long, painful journey, where Jesus was condemned to death, and made to carry his cross on the road to Calvary.

Each Friday afternoon at three o'clock, a procession is led by the Franciscan Fathers along this same road. As they go, they carry with them a large cross, symbol of this event. The street is sometimes called, "The Street of the Red Pain", or the "street of blood".

Each year, Christians also seek to walk the "Via Dolorosa", or "The Way of the Cross", as they return in memory to the last days of Christ before his crucifixion.

Lent is a time to remember. It is a time to put away the sins of our lives, and to take on some special discipline of growth. The shadow of the cross falls upon us as we move through these 40 days.

Some of us might think it easier to take on an actual cross, and clump it up and down the stairs, rather than to grow spiritually or deepen our personal faith. Let us not wish too much for that option, because the day may indeed come when we will have to suffer true persecution for what we believe. But until that time comes, we must join the "way of the cross" and look to Jesus...become like him...and learn to walk in his footsteps.

You and I may never carry an actual cross. But we do well to prepare our inner resources for such a contingency. Yet still, that final day of judgment does come for all of us, and if we have done well, then the "way of the cross leads home."

The Devil Made Me Do It!

In I John 4:4, the text reads: "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." As Christians approach the season of Lent, there are so many times that they examine their failures and weaknesses and get discouraged because they have failed so often.

Flip Wilson on T.V. had a familiar phrase, "The devil made me do it!" We have all said that, or something similar to it, I suppose. We have felt that we were not in control, or that we were not ourselves...not at our best...and the power of evil zaps us between the eyes and we sin.

The 40 days of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, are like the period of testing that Jesus spent in the wilderness. He too, struggled for supremacy over evil, and he won!

Although we can never be sinless like Jesus, yet if he is in our hearts, then we have a power stronger within us, than all the combined forces of evil on the outside. For that we should rejoice!

San Dee Tillee is a poet who often puts her lyrics to country music. In her own life, she must have gone through experiences like that of the Prodigal Son. When she was baptized, she wrote these words:

Lord, I've been in hell so long.
Thank you for helping me out.
You've given me a brand new song;
You mapped the whole road out.
Yes, I believe I'm on the right road,
But, I've still got the tracks on my arms
To remind me of that hellish load,
With the devil's many charms.

If you feel the need for power on the inside to work against the evil on the outside, then invite the Savior to walk the journey of Lent with you.

The Shadow Of The Cross

In the period before Lent, carnival frolics are held in many places of Europe and Latin America. Here in the United States, the Mardi Gras, a 10 day festival period in New Orleans draws thousands of people to herald the preparation season known as Lent. A lot of food is consumed and especially unusual and rich foods...hence the name "Fat Tuesday" in Europe and "Butter Week" in Russia and "Fat Days" in Poland. But when Lent itself begins, then people go into periods of fasting, giving up rich foods, and special delicacies.

In some ways, all of this seems rather ridiculous. Of course there is value in fasting, and going without rich foods. But it seems rather trivial, if for 10 days in advance, a person gorges himself upon rich foods and special delicacies to make up for it!

A more significant awareness of Lent is shared by those who think of this six and one‑half week period as a time to remember our Lord. Of course we may find value in giving up a meal now and then, or some delicacy. But the little sacrifice we make can never match the sacrifice of our Lord. Therefore a spiritual preparation period demands that we shall live continually under the "shadow" of his cross, letting all of life be touched by a remembrance of Him, not just our appetites and our taste buds.

The hymn‑writer has said,

"I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of his
face;
Content to let the world go by, to know no
gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my
glory all the cross."

During Lent, may I suggest that you seek the "sunshine of his face" and let your "glory be the cross". Spend extra time in prayer. Seek out the Gospel records and read and re‑read the life of our Lord. Let the resources of the Church offer you worship and Bible study. This is a true observance of Lent. If you allow the "shadow of the cross" to rest upon you, you will most certainly find the sunshine of the Easter resurrection to be your personal victory later.

What Is Lent?

What does it mean, this season of the year we call Lent? It was begun in the very early days of the Church as a period of fasting and prayer. It was to be a time of penitence and sorrow for the sins of the world which had placed the Christ upon the cross. Today, it is to be a time of confession for our sins, the ones that still bring sorrow to our Lord, and which still crucify Him in our daily life. It is a period of approximately 40 days (not counting Sundays), that remind us of the 40 days our Lord spent in the wilderness temptation, as well as the 40 years of wandering in the desert by the children of Israel. Some people think of it as a time of self‑denial (like giving up candy, etc.) Others say, "yes, it is a time to give up unnecessary things in our lives, but also a time to take on more important things, like more prayer, more Bible study, regular church attendance, some new acts of mercy, some additional deeds of kindness."

Perhaps Lent should also be a time to take a new look at the world. All people see the same world, but not all people see the world in the same way! It is easy to be pessimistic about our world. The prophet of doom is often popular. But to be pessimistic, is like a betrayal of our faith, when Easter is just around the corner, and the message of Hope is everywhere in the Gospel.

The Christian sees the world just as vividly as anyone else; but the Christian sees it through different eyes. He or she recognizes the terribleness of sin, for daily they have had to confess their own. As a child of God, we have new eyes! Those eyes now penetrate the mind and the heart of Jesus, who saw worth in every living soul; who found a heart of gold in a sinful Magdala; and a living rock in a wishy‑washy Peter. It was Jesus who found faith in a blind man, and goodness in the heart of a robber on a cross.

The salvation of the world began with Jesus; but it is continued through human eyes. It is for people like you and me to see life from this same lofty peak as Jesus saw it, and to see goodness in even the worst among us, and to see a child of Heaven in every child of earth.

Sin, Sand, And Salvation

Do you remember the story in John's gospel of the Pharisees dragging a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, and telling him to judge her. According to the law of Moses, she should be stoned!

You can see the gleam in their eyes. They thought they had trapped Jesus. He had no way out. He had to condemn the woman. It was the law. But Jesus simply said, "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone", (John 8:3‑11) and then he knelt down and wrote in the sand. Under fire from their own consciences, one by one, the men left.

"Is no one left to condemn you?" Jesus asked the woman. "No, Lord." she responded. "Then neither do I condemn you, but go and sin no more."

In today's world, people don't like to talk about sin. And yet, it is life's most universal factor. "All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God." One little girl said, "I'm not always good, but when I'm not good, I'm miserable!"

Sin makes us miserable. It requires special handling. Normally, we can deal with ourselves fairly well. We do it with logic, with reasoning. We can pull ourselves up with our own boot straps. We think we should be able to get ourselves out of the mess we're in. But we cannot do it by ourselves. It takes "special handling" and that is the work of the Savior. Someone...some wonderful Someone has redeemed us, and set us free from the bondage of sin.

I don't know about you...but that really "makes my day!"

What Is Your Life?

The writer of James has some simple, practical wisdom. He writes: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that.’ As it is you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:14-16)

This morning, the air was heavy with fog…it was hard to see the highway and other cars. Suddenly a car would loom out of the fog, and then just as suddenly it would move on. Life is like that in many ways. Each of us must live a kind of solitary existence. We move through the fog, briefly encountering other lives. Our two lives cross and we influence each other briefly…but then on we go into the fog again.

Several of my neighbors have moved recently to distant communities. I realize how briefly our pathways have crossed. For others, there is the agony of sickness and death. For some, there is the joy of birth and new life. But how brief and ephemeral is our existence. Our life is like a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

But out of the fog, and through the mists, comes the light of the Savior. The warmth of His Presence dissolves the confusion and the fear and then we are able to see clearly. We are so tiny in this great universe! We have little reason for boasting. Much of the blessings and mercies of God, we have turned into confusion…but thank God for Jesus, the light of the world. He takes away our fear of tomorrow, and of dying, and he gives us courage for living. He helps us to make sense of a seemingly meaningless existence. Following Him, we can know what is right to do, and through Him, we have the strength to do it. May He give you strength to live this day at your very best.

"Couching" At The Door

When Cain got very angry at his brother Abel in the Genesis account (4:6,7), we are told that God said to him: "Why are you angry...If you do well, shall it not be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door. It's desire is for you, but you must rule over it."

Cain didn't take God seriously, and ended up killing his brother...and took the consequences of his sin.

I have often wondered about that "couching" at the door business. And yet I think I get the point. Just when I believe all is well, suddenly I am confronted by decisions, and by situations that test my ability to know right from wrong.

That rather indefinable thing called moral choice, sin, wrong‑doing is always there. It seems to haunt my life. I'd like to believe I am above doing evil...that I would never do those terrible things other people do...but that's not so. I do them, and I must forever do battle with the power of evil in my life.

Whether I call it the devil, or sin, or Satan, I have to be accountable for my choices, and for my life. If good is there, so also is the flip‑side of evil. God gave me those choices, and I cannot expect to coast down hill making the right ones all the time.

The only way I know how to deal with that something that "couches" at my door, is to purposefully put on the vestments of righteousness and faith, before I go out that door. I must determine to be God's child, rather than the child of evil. You can argue doctrine until you are blue in the face, but there is little doubt about it...you and I have a daily struggle. We must try to win it, God being our helper. Sin is "couching at the door"...but we don't have to let him in!

Tank And Tummy

Have you ever had someone explain something to you and after they were finished, you were just as confused as you had been before? Sound familiar? Ever listened to speakers who were so eloquent, you wondered whether their professional time was spent browsing through a dictionary? Sometimes has morning worship been punctured by preachers who knew it all so well, and told it all in such big sounding words, that you were left clutching at a remote straw?

Christian theology has its roots in deep centuries of struggle and controversy. To the student, every word must be honed and spelled out carefully, lest it lead people astray.

And yet, must we always deal with "redemption" and "salvation", and being "born again" and "washed in the blood", and seek for the "propitiation of our sins"? Are terms like "remission" and "contrition" and "sanctification" and "expiation" and "regeneration" so significant that we must confuse the simple of heart?

And do we not sometimes "cast our pearls before the swine", (as suggested in the Scriptures), by taking something so sacred, and making it a thing to be scoffed at by those who have no acquaintance with the terms?

Don't get me wrong! Every word just suggested has a history of meaning and significance in the world of Christian theology. These words have been a light in the darkness for many searching souls.

But wouldn't it be wonderful if we could proclaim the wonderful Gospel we hold in such simple terms, that even a child might understand?

Last year, while traveling in the South, I saw a road‑sign reading, "TANK AND TUMMY" along the expressway. Then came the directions: 2 miles ahead, turn left.

To the weary traveler, that sign left no question. Gas for the car and food for the body. And this is really the simple message of the Christian faith as well...there is spiritual fuel and nourishment for all who turn to the Lord.

Maybe it is time to leave the legal wrangling to the Seminaries and the court rooms, and listen to the silent plea of the millions about us who are saying: "give us the bread of life, because our hearts are hungry and thirsty for the love of God."

The Road Of Last Opportunities

A group of men were amusing themselves by telling stories of robbers. One of these men was Voltaire. After listening to many such stories, he said he could tell a story to top them all. And so he began: "Once upon a time...there was a tax‑collector." And then he stopped! At first there was silence, and then they all joined in laughter. Yes, surely this was the biggest robber‑story of all.

In the days of Zacchaeus, people would surely have agreed. Jesus came along one day, and Zacchaeus heard the commotion. How lonely can you be when you are the richest man in town. He was curious and he went out to watch. But he was short, and could not see. He climbed a sycamore tree...and they all laughed at him and jeered.

But Jesus saw him, and said, "Zacchaeus, come down." And he even went to dine with him, while the critics watched and condemned.

How do you deal with evil people? There is an old fable about the sun and the wind. Each claimed to be stronger than the other. They saw a man walking along, with a heavy cloak. The challenge was made to see who could get him to take off his cloak. The wind blew and stormed and raged, but the man only wrapped his coat about himself more tightly. And then the sun shone kindly and warmly upon the man, until he voluntarily removed the cloak.

The hymn‑writer has said it well:

Down in the human heart,
Crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart,
Wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Zacchaeus found joy that day. And whatever else we may miss in life, let us not miss this highest and purest of all joys, the joy of knowing the Savior.

The Sycamore Tree Pulpit preaches many truths, but one especially reminds us that we must not wait for a later time. "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down." He could have waited until he had more information. He could have reasoned that he ought to wait until Jesus came through Jericho on his next rounds. But this would never have happened, because he was on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified!

On a trip up a mountain‑side, a traveler was confronted with a cold, fresh stream of water, gushing forth from the rock. And next to it was a sign, "Last water, before reaching the top!"

We are always on that road of last opportunities. Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. Would you like to see him? Would you like to express your love for Him? Would you like to make sure your life is hid with God in Christ? Would you like to have the joy that Zacchaeus found on that special day when tax‑collector and robber that he was, he decided to let Jesus into his home and his heart forever?

I Don't Like To Suffer

One day Jesus and his disciples saw a man who had been blind from his birth, and being in a thoughtful mood, they asked,"Why is this man blind?" "Is it because of his sin...or did his parents sin?"

Suffering...a big subject isn't it? We all wonder about that...Why? Why do these things come upon us? What kind of a God do we have?

If God is omnipotent (which means that He can do anything)...then He apparently is not a good God...because He permits evil things to happen.

On the other hand, if God is truly good, and wants to prevent evil, then apparently He is not omnipotent! He seems to be helpless in keeping these things from happening.

How do we deal with this? Well, we insist that God is good, and omnipotent, but that He is also omniscient (all‑wise). And because God is all wise, He has made a world that works with a cause and effect relationship. God seems to limit Himself by allowing the good laws He has already made to sometimes have negative or harmful effects.

An example: He made ice to be slippery...and as a result, a lot of people take bad tumbles. But if ice was not to be slippery, Olympic skaters could not skate with such beauty and grace.

But still you insist, that if God can do anything, why doesn't God reach down, and change the nature of ice to stop those people from falling? But we see the problem here also. If God suddenly made ice not to be slippery, ice skaters all over the world would be falling and getting skull fractures from their sudden stops.

Or, if God stopped every single fall (just because He is such a good God, and like we wish He would do), then sooner or later, we'd take advantage of His loving concern and start going around corners at 100 miles an hour, in the assurance that He would not allow us any injury.

And skiers on the Colorado and Switzerland slopes, jumping from those great ski slides, would complain that God wasn't letting them really jump, because God was setting them down nice and easy. But they wanted to jump hard, and far, and take their chances on a broken leg. So...God would be in trouble for that.

God made the laws of cause and effect, and sometimes we suffer because of it. But that's because we live in a world, where God has given us the freedom to be ourselves, and to do our thing, and to get the benefits or the breaks from whatever we do. We are not puppets, nor machines, working with no mind or will of our own.

God is good, and God is omnipotent. God's will for us is good, but because He has made our world in wisdom to work in obedience to law and order, sometimes the innocent suffer along with the guilty. His omnipotence is frightening, we cannot break His laws. We get broken by them.

Here is a man blind from his birth. Something about the genes or chromosomes went wrong. Who knows? Who sinned? Maybe nobody! We don't believe that suffering necessarily comes upon us as punishment from God. Oh yes, there is punishment for sins. There are irrevocable consequences of some things for which we are punished. But like Job, we wonder about it. Why? Why do these things happen?

But because God made us as a great family, sometimes I suffer for the family. Sometimes I suffer because I am a part of society. Sometimes I suffer because of what you did. You drink and drive, and I'm in the way. You are careless about your sickness, and I get exposed to it. I sometimes suffer because of others' sins, but I also get the benefit of their presence, their talents, and their gifts and graces.

I don't like to suffer for somebody else's failures. But if I want to enjoy the benefits of the rest of society, then sometimes I will suffer because of the evils of people around me. Confusing, isn't it? But I'll take my share, because I have a God in whom I can trust.

Begone Satan

Have you ever met the devil? No? Oh, yes you have! Not only have we met the devil, but he has "taken us in". We don't come away victorious very often like Jesus did. We are suckers for the devil's wiles.

It is easy for us to dismiss evil in our world as not being real. We would like to pretend that there is no such thing...no Satan, or the Ruler of Darkness. We put the red devil, with horns and tail in the category of imagination...of folk‑lore...of legend!

But just as "up" has a "down", and "in" has an"out", and just as "light" has its "darkness", so "good" has its "evil".

Jesus, in his parable of the weeds that got sown in with the wheat, said, "an enemy has done this." (Matthew 13:39)

There is an "enemy" out there, and we must deal with it. This is not to say that there is a kind of "evil" god working on us. "There is only one God!" And this God is to be loved and trusted. He is merciful and forgiving. And I am so glad, because I've got "weeds"...lots of them!

But "there is an enemy out there", and we must deal with it. Sometimes we are the enemy. And sometimes it simply means that choices and decisions made in this complex world of ours are way "off target".

Jesus, after his baptism, went into the wilderness and was confronted by the devil. It often happens, after a moment of high exhilaration, that we are most in danger.

And although Jesus was really human enough to be tempted, he told the devil to "go fly a kite!" Jesus said in the first place that material things must not have priority ("Man does not live by bread alone, but we live by the words that proceed from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

In the second place, Jesus told the devil "Don't expect magical interference from God for this physical body, but do expect the mystery of God's comforting presence, sustaining us in times of need. ("He will give his angels charge of you."Matthew 4:6)

And then Jesus gave the "last word" to the old Tempter, when evil tried to get him to become a political hero, and rule the whole world. And he said, "Begone Satan...you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve." (Matthew 4:10)

I've never been absolutely certain that I have talked with the devil, but I do know that I've been tempted to do wrong, and have had to lean on the Lord again and again. I hope I will always have the courage to say, "Begone Satan". Jesus did it, and I'd like to follow his example.

When Jesus Comes, Inner Storms Disappear

We have heard the story again and again of how Jesus and his disciples, riding upon the Sea of Galilee, encountered a terrible storm. Jesus was sleeping and the disciples, fearful for their lives, awakened him. His wonderful words to the winds, "Peace be still" have echoed throughout history. (Mark 4:39)

"Jesus, don't you care if we perish?" they cried. And of course, Jesus cared. It was a foolish question, but again and again today, we ask God the same question. We frantically try to communicate to God our panic and our fears. "What a terrible world we live in!"

We think God ought to be more concerned than He is. But instead of rushing to communicate our fears to Him, we ought to allow Him to communicate His calm to us!

Mark tells us, "And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." What a beautiful miracle on the Sea of Galilee, and how descriptive of what does take place when God enters our distraught lives. In Noel Coward's play "Design for Living", he tells the story of sordid and trivial lives, and one character has a lucid moment when he complains that with all the inventions and advances of our present age, nothing had been invented to"create quiet and calm."

And with pills and drugs, and alcohol, there are many who try to simulate that kind of invention, but with distressing results.

There are resources available. When Christ is in your ship, great peace can come. Paul said, "I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want." (Phil. 4:12)

Why are we afraid? The knowledge that the world is in the hands of God, and that my life is lived with the Almighty, whose will for it is totally good, is the most liberating thought I can have.

Today's world is filled with plenty of storms and tragic moments, but there is a "Peace be still" that flows through my world, like a beautiful anthem. I'm going to try to listen for it. How about you?

Getting Rid Of The Demons Within

The story of Jesus and his disciples meeting a demented man along the shore of the Gerasenes (Mark 5)gives the haunting picture of a person who is out of control. "No one could bind him any more, even with chains," Mark says. It is a picture of illness not known about in those days, and even today is something of a mystery.

But Jesus reached down into the very center of this man's deranged mind and spirit, with the power to expel the evil spirits lodged within. Here was a man who was lost to society, because he was in need of wholeness, togetherness. He was like a wheel without a hub. He had no center!

Even today, Jesus has much to do with chaotic lives. Persons who are torn with conflicting desires, and confused minds, can never have the fullness of peace which God can give.

And the world is filled with people who are like the famed character of legend who jumped upon his horse and rode off in all directions at once! We have no purpose, because we have no one consuming goal.

One woman, after hearing William James lecture on pragmatism repeated lovingly, "Ah, fragmentism, what a beautiful word!" But fragmentism is not a beautiful word! And yet, into fragmented lives, Jesus can come to give the command, "Come out of this person, you unclean spirit."

How this strange pathetic man of the Gerasenes resembles me. "What is your name?" Jesus asked. And the reply was,, "My name is Legion, for we are many." Ah yes, there seem to be hundreds of persons within us, pulling in opposite directions; thousands of clamoring voices in the town meeting of our minds. And there is no one strong chairperson to sound the gavel and bring a cluttered mind into order.

The reality of Christian conversion comes when that oneness of life takes place, and the end of the civil war is reached. When Jesus comes, the storm disappears, and I can find my wholeness in Him.

Creator, Or Redeemer?

We think of God as being primarily the Creator. And yet, long before creation, the dream of neighborhood was in His heart. And so He molded the earth in the palm of His hand. And he set it spinning in space, not just to see if He could, but rather to create a theater in which fellowship could take place between His children.

We have no way of knowing whether He might have set up other theaters, but at least we know about this one.

And so, creation is really secondary to redemption. For, from the beginning, God determined to mix us up, enmesh us in each other's lives. Why?...in order to make us fight and snarl and snap at each other? No, that is the animal level. He made us to be higher than that. God had planned from the beginning of time for mankind to be redeemed from his animal‑like characteristics. And to learn what it means to live together in peace.

There is a story about a man in New York city who said he would bring that wicked city to her knees, and he would teach the lion and the lamb to lay down together in peace. And he did it! And in one of the city stores, he got people to come and see it being done. Week after week people came, and there in a window cage, the lion and the lambs were indeed lying down together.

Finally, one person asked him how he had accomplished this amazing miracle...a lion and lambs, lying down together? "What does it take to accomplish this?" he was asked. "Well", the man sighed, "it takes an almost inexhaustible supply of lambs!"

We think about the starving millions, and the war‑torn multitudes around the world, and we see that there have been an almost inexhaustible supply of lambs, led to the slaughter. Is there no answer here?

A Rabbi once said, "I can give you the essence of the entire Old Testament in one verse." "What is it?" he was asked. "Job 1:21...The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away...blessed be the name of the Lord." "The answer," he said, "is obedience!"

A Christian minister said, "Well I can match you. The New Testament can be contained in one verse, namely this: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane saying, 'Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me....but if not, then Thy will be done.' Submission is the key," the minister replied.

Sometimes I do not want to obey. But finally, I must submit. The key to life is submission. I cannot avoid it. I must give in to it. I may not like it, but I am my brother's keeper. I am entangled in this human relationship. I can fight it and be utterly miserable, or I can submit to it, and find the glory of it. God marvels in His creation, but His dream was for a redeeming fellowship, where indeed lions and lambs could live in peace.

Entangled, For God's Sake!

Dr. Harrel Beck, professor of Old Test. at Boston U. School of Theology was asked the question, "If God were to apply for one of the teaching positions open at Boston U.,which would it be?...Religion, History?" "No," he replied, "I think it would be Political Science. Because politics is what it takes to keep life human. God would be involved in politics, because He is concerned about keeping life human!"

Unlike cogs in a gear, people often clash. There is conflict. Even Christians sometimes disagree as to what is Christian. We are forever entangled in each other's lives.

It is our privilege to be tangled together, and yet, at times it becomes profoundly tragic, and we can be badly hurt by one another. Because we are involved together, we can be dragged down, or sucked in, or lifted up, or wrapped around. It is tragic and yet it is triumphant. There is joy, and there is sorrow. This is the arena of our world, and what we do with it is both political and religious.

A cartoon showed a great mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion shaped like a vast crucifix, and a voice coming out of the cloud saying, "Father, forgive them not, for they know what they are doing!"

It's frightening, isn't it? Because, we do know what we are doing! We know that we live in a world of relationships and we know that if we hate our brothers and sisters, it's going to bring about war...but we do it anyway!

Someone once said about Erasmus, the great philosopher, that he looked like he had descended from a long line of maiden aunts. And sometimes the Church looks that way too. We are sometimes anemic and devoid of the red blood of compassion, because we have not really been involved in mankind. We have tried to separate ourselves from the mess, and our job is not to leave the world, but to love the world. Our job is to turn the loving Word into the living Deed.

Jesus was not crucified in Jerusalem because he was organizing a Wed. evening prayer meeting. Nobody gets crucified for that! But rather because he entangled himself redemptively,for God's sake.

Dr. Beck added, that Christ bids us to accept the gift of in-completion. God made the world, and he said,"That's good." He made man and woman and he said, "That's good." Then God could have done the finishing act, and made the perfect world, but He didn't do that. He handed it to the man and the woman and he said, "Here it is, now you finish it!"

Are you and I willing to get entangled, for God's sake?

Watching The Passing Show

The Psalmist has said, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." (Psalm 8:1) All of us have reserved seats somewhere in life's universe to watch the passing show. But sadly enough, we are not all watching the same thing.

For some, the emphasis is on what man is doing. For others, it is with awe that they look upon that which God is doing!

Small wonder, however, when we are engrossed in a 110 hour wakeful week with things of the world, and a possible two or more hours with worship of God, that the secular interests should become 100% more real to us than the things of the Spirit. And thus it is that when we do come to worship, we fail to "see the Lord, sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up", (Is.6:1) as did the prophet Isaiah so many years ago.

We have been looking at the Box Office score on Mankind, and we have missed the splendor of the Eternal. True worship is designed to sharpen spiritual vision and insights. In the Psalms, the emphasis is not "look at me, and on my problems," but rather,"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth."(Ps. 8:1) and "When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?" (Ps. 8:3ff) Or again, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?"(Ps. 27:1)

In the Bible, God steals the show! In our worship, the same thing should happen. Isaiah had the experience of God in the temple. (Is. 8) Zechariah, father of John the Baptist went into the synagogue and on the right side of the altar of incense, he saw an angel of the Lord. (Luke 1:11)

The Bible and the Psalmist did well to direct our gaze upon the Lord. Mankind will disappoint and betray us, but God will never forsake us. The glory of man is like a flickering candle, but the splendor of God is like the sun.

And so as we enter our churches, the center aisle becomes symbol of the road of life upon which the person of earth gets access to the Lord of Heaven. On one side stands the lectern from which the Word of God is read, and on the other side is the pulpit from which the Way of life is interpreted and explained. It is not to be a book review, or a lecture. It is not to be comedy or entertainment. But again and again, we are to be told, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Ps.46:1) "Come, behold the works of the Lord."(Ps.46:8) "See his wonders in the deep!"(Ps. 107:24)

God is here...in this holy place of worship. His splendor fills this place. He is above us, around us, yea, within us.

Unfortunately, many are only casual observers of the Eternal and His mighty works. They take eternal things for granted and turn to watch the antics of mankind. Perhaps it is time to switch channels! The big show is what is going on between God and His world. And when you really become an avid fan of Eternal splendors and see what God is doing, you too will say, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Will We Lose God In Outer Space?

Back in the year 1963, a space craft named "Faith 7" was sent out from the earth. A man named Gordon Cooper orbited the earth 22 times. In the book of Hebrews, we read "By faith, Abraham went out, not knowing where he was to go."(11:8) So also, Cooper went out, not knowing exactly what might happen, or entirely where he was going. But these early astronauts believed that God was there.

I know not why that capsule was called "Faith 7", but it was certainly appropriate. It was a venture in faith in spite of years of research and 18,000 persons to work the equipment. To sleep in that tiny capsule of steel with all of its intricate mechanisms while going over 17,000 m.p.h. took faith.

At about that same time, the Russian cosmonauts were asking, "Where is your God? We've never seen Him out there in space. We circled the globe again and again, and He wasn't out there!"

Thousands of years ago, the Psalmist said that you could not lose God. He wrote, "If I take the wings of the morning, and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Ps. 139:9,10) And he went on to say, "If I ascend to the heavens thou art there. If I make Sheol my bed, thou art there also." (Ps. 139:8)

Christianity has survived many unsettling philosophies in the past, but what bothers us so, is how quickly we limit God. When the Copernican theory was proposed, it was drowned in a barrage of criticism. "What do you mean that God did not make the earth the center of everything?" They not only laughed Copernicus to scorn, but they pronounced anathema upon anyone who believed him.

So also when Darwin's theories began to split the church, there were those who said, "What do you mean, saying that man has evolved?" And so today, there are people who can only conceive of God working in one way...their way! And they forget that God has all the options of the universe at His disposal, far beyond our ability to think or comprehend.

Is it possible that there is life on other planets in other solar systems? If so, what kind of life would it be? We don't know. But if God is our God, wouldn't He be their God too? Some people seem to have lost track of God on this Earth, but God is most certainly here, and in outer space too. It is possible that we have yet to see some of His marvelous miracles revealed elsewhere in His Universe too.

Brass Tacks Religion

If you say, "don't let the man die on third", that's baseball terminology. If you say, "batten the hatches", that's terminology of the sailor. If you say, "corn that's knee‑high by the 4th of July", that's farm terminology of about 40 years ago. If you say, "we are sinners, washed in the blood of the Lamb", that's Church terminology.

Now it really doesn't matter much if you learn sailor terminology unless you want to become a sailor. And a spectator can enjoy baseball without knowing all of the terms. A farmer does not depend on teaching all of us the language of the farm. But the Church is concerned about making people...all kinds of people...Christians.

The Christian gospel exists only as it communicates...as it wins others...as it helps others understand the love of God in Jesus Christ. The language of the Church is rich in great words of the faith: "salvation", "redemption", "justification", and a host of others. These have been a means of grace to millions of Christians. But we have made the mistake of failing to explain our faith in simple, unmistakable terms that even the simplest person can understand.

In life there is a way that works and a way that does not work. And it is up to us to find the way that works. There are physical laws and spiritual ones. There is a physical law that is called "impenetrability". It means that two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. And if two cars try to do it, the result is tragedy. They have not broken the law of "impenetrability", but they have been broken by it.

So also, in God's wonderful world of human relationships, there are laws. They may not seem as obvious as the "law of gravity", or the "law of impenetrability", but their results are just as obvious. The Old Testament prophets called for "justice","mercy","fairness" and "righteousness". And then Jesus came and said there were two supreme laws: love for God and love for our neighbors. And he said, "I am the way" that works. Nothing else does. Just like other laws, spiritual laws cannot be broken either.

If there were two roads, and one had a bridge out, and you said "Don't take that road". I would say, "Thank you. You have saved me...perhaps my very life...as well as a lot of agony." And so in life there are two roads. One is good and one is bad. One is a dead end, with a bridge out. It leads to disillusionment, unhappiness, and death to your soul. Many go that way. But Jesus said, "Few there be who find the road that leadeth unto life." "I am the way", he said, "follow me."

Jesus said that we must love one another. This is not a suggestion...it is a law, a spiritual law. I can try to break this law by hating my neighbor, but I have broken nothing except myself. Love is a law. It just makes sense to love my neighbors. Jesus told me that, and I violate it only at my own risk.

We would do well to consider that the way of evil bears bitter fruit...but following the way of Jesus, brings me to Eternal Life. Isn't this a simple kind of" brass tacks religion"?

New Every Morning

The book of Lamentations in the Old Testament is a series of poems and elegies, written after the capture of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.. Written, assumably by Jeremiah, it is a series of heartbroken cries. Listen to his opening words:

"How lonely sits the city
that was full of people
How like a widow has she become.
she that was great among the nations...
She weeps bitterly in the night
tears on her cheeks." (Lamentations 1:1,2)

Why is such a book written anyway? Who wants to read it? Such a sad book..."Lamentations" from the word "lament" meaning to be sad.

Perhaps it is written because it is important sometimes to read sad stories. It is so easy to be careless and blithe in the presence of human misery. We need reminders of the fact that there is much in human life that is sorrowful and sad.

In the lovely Good Friday cantata, "The Seven Last Words", the composer sees the three crosses and those standing by watching, and pulls a passage from Lamentations 1:12 which says: "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow".

And the down‑side of that is my own realization that in many ways, I am like that. I have not cared enough. I have turned away and walked by on the other side. I have seen human misery, and not really cared. Perhaps there is therapy in looking pain and problems right in the eye. It is not wise to wear rose‑colored glasses and pretend that everything is lovely when most assuredly it is not. And so Jeremiah had personally experienced some of this. He says he had seen affliction. "God has walled me about, so that I cannot escape" he said. "He has put heavy chains on me." (Lam. 3:7,8) But still the prophet could affirm,

"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope!
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
his mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning.
Great is thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, says my soul.
Therefore I have hope in him." (Lam. 3:21‑24)

What a beautiful word..."hope". The Old Testament says: "God is a rock...a shelter in the time of storm. "He is a strong foundation. He is a fortress. He will not let you down." The Old Testament is a record of hope...of looking forward...of believing that something better was ahead. A Savior was coming. The Jews had a history of tribulation, of waiting. What kept them going? It was hope. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases," they said. "His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness."

Nobody Puts Down A Child Of God!

There is a kind of judgment upon evil that is built into the very heart of the universe. Does a criminal ever do evil and get away with it? At times it would seem so. Does a person ever cheat, and go away scot free? We would be inclined to believe so. Can we violate any of the commandments and not suffer the consequences? I suppose the newspapers could chalk up a huge tally sheet of those who have done so, and end up pretty well.

But there is another tally sheet that must be reckoned with, and that is the scroll of St. Peter. Sin does have its consequences! And somewhere, we believe, it is being tallied! And the built‑in consequences, begin to take effect right now. You see, nobody hurts a child of God and gets away with it! Nobody, but nobody puts down any of God's loved ones and escapes...at least not forever!

Sin has two real side effects: (1) It separates a person from God, and (2) It produces effects in the world, which can never be changed and taken back. It is like the nail holes in a piece of wood. I can pull out the nail, but I cannot pull out the hole. Sin has its consequences, and I cannot reverse them.

It would be foolish to light a match near gasoline. I might be sorry that I did it, and I could apologize to everyone concerned, but I cannot take back the consequences of what I have done. While going at 80 miles an hour, someone could dare me to take my hands off the wheel for 5 minutes. I could take the dare and count off the seconds, but I cannot prevent the consequences of what I am doing. And my life may well come to an end because of it.

Why then, can we not realize that if we call people names...or if we expose children to violence and bloodshed, or if we pollute our streams, or if we allow drugs to confuse young minds, that there are terrible consequences? Why is it so hard to realize that moral and spiritual laws have consequences just as real as the physical ones. In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus is talking about good and bad people. The bad ones don't see how they are hurting one another, and themselves. On the other hand, the good folks see the hungry, and give them food. They see the thirsty and give them drink. They notice the strangers, and welcome them, observe the naked and clothe them, see the sick, and visit them. They do not reject the prisoners, but go to them. And to these good folks he said, "inherit the Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world." (vs. 34)

Here is something foundational! Hatred and evil in our world must eventually fail, because it is not built into the foundation. Love, on the other hand, will stand.

Sometimes it is easy to believe that all is lost. People do wrong, and never get caught. Evil seems to have its way, and the good get poorer and the righteous seem to get weaker. But just remember: nobody...but nobody puts down a child of God and gets away with it. There is judgment built into the very heart of the universe against sin. But there is a kind of grace built into the very heart of God. And thank God, we can be the beneficiaries of it.