Where Was God When I Needed Him?

This is good stuff.

We had a guest speaker at church on Wednesday, a man I highly respect. He told a true story of taking a missionary team to Kenya, and how everyone they touched in a prayer service was healed of their sickness. When they came back to America, the same team of believers didn't have the same results. Very few if any were being healed. He said to me, "Pastor Tim, I don't have a theology for that."

I do. Right or wrong, this is what I believe: Those people in Kenya just don't know any better. They don't know that you can only believe what you see. They don't know that you have to pray "just right." They don't know that you have to end your prayers with, "In Jesus Name" or they just disappear on their way to heaven. They don't know that you have to wear the right clothes, belong to the right denomination, graduate from catechism classes or tithe regularly to be blessed of God. How silly of them.

Now. I'll remove the tongue from my cheek and say this... we've been spoiled in America by our own freedoms and selfishness. As Christians we don't mean to treat God as a cosmic slot machine or his Son as a Genie in a Bottle, but in many ways that's what your prayers and mine have boiled down to. In Kenya, they understand honor. They understand faith. Stay with me, here. Read these incredible verses from Luke chapter 8 and you'll see what I mean.

Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.”

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

Two very different people, two very different circumstances, with one thing in common: their faith. Neither one of them had to come to the altar crying, be slain in the spirit, pray at the top of their lungs, dance, scream, or shout. All of those things can happen, and all have their place. But I'll go as far as to say this: Jesus didn't heal them.

Their faith in Jesus healed them. They believed Him. They honored Him.

And so many people in our United States, wearing the label of Christian, dishonor God by shacking up together outside the confines of marriage, approving of the homosexual lifestyle that God calls "abominable," abusing their bodies with tobacco, drugs, alcohol and yes - even food. With mouths like sewers, they curse their neighbor and then ask God for his blessings. They post "F" this on Facebook, then write a request for prayers when things aren't going so well. Where's the honor? Where's the respect for our Creator? Our Savior?

The Bible says the prayers of the righteous avail much. The people in Kenya and other third world countries where revival is happening get it. They understand it. God is moving among those people in an exciting, miraculous way.

We look at the situation in Africa and shake our heads sadly. But I ask you America, which of the people are the truly blessed?

911

I have a new addition to my bucket list. When the new World Trade Center opens, I'm taking an elevator to the very top floor, and I'm going to shout at the top of my lungs, "Hey Al-Qaeda... Na na na na naa naaaaaaaaa!"

One Resolution Fulfilled

I've managed to surpass one of my New Year's Resolutions, thanks to my new "Nook." I am by no means convinced that my new e-reader will replace my love of holding a new book in my hands, but it's convenient for downloading free classics that I can read at my leisure, without the worry of overdue book fines from the library. Come to think of it, it's been about 10 years since I've checked a book out of a library.

But I digress. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to read four classics. I burned through the first three right away, reading "Of Mice and Men," "Farenheit 451" and "The Grapes of Wrath" by February. It was "A Tale of Two Cities" that got me stuck. I don't think I reached the halfway point before I gave up. I just... don't... get it. Anyway, "Pride and Prejudice" and Bram Stroker's "Dracula" came free with the Nook. So, I read 'em both, and downloaded "The Time Machine" for kicks. I just finished that one this afternoon. Six classics in 8 months... not bad at all.

I'm sure (especially with the formal prose of P&P) that the authors exaggerated the language and mannerisms of the day, but I couldn't help but to be taken with the sense of manners, common courtesy and maturity of the characters. Even in the bloodthirsty "Dracula," the author assumed that the reader was well acquainted with scriptures, borrowing heavily from Bible passages to drive home a point.

In many ways, I'm glad we're not that formal and stuffy anymore. But I sure wish the values of courtesy and good manners would return. It's nice to be able to escape to that forgotten world, if only for an hour or so at a time.

Now. What are those "Little Women" up to?

Unity Sand

I saw something at a wedding today I had not seen before. Apparently the "new thing" is unity sand. Instead of lighting a unity candle, the bride and groom each pour their own vial of individually colored sand into a bowl, and the two become one... symbolizing the unity of the man and woman. It's a great idea.

At our wedding almost 24 years ago, my wife and I lit our unity candle together. But within a few moments it caught a breeze and burned out. My much older brother had a lighter in his pocket, so he re-lit the candle. I guess it didn't matter much, because the marriage has lasted.

Unlike most Ministers I've spoken with, I would much rather perform a wedding than a funeral. I get a kick out of them. It's a pleasure to help the bride and groom through their day, acting as a sort of mediator, calming their nerves, and having the best view in the whole church as they repeat their vows. There's still this awesome feeling I have at weddings and baptisms that seems to fairly scream, "Who am I to be standing here doing this? What right do I have to baptize like John the Baptist did? What right do I have to pronounce anybody man and wife?"

I hope I never lose that feeling. I pray that every time I act as God's messenger; the hands and feet of Jesus, that I stand in awe of what a privilege it really is to serve Him. It's not always easy. Ours is not a profession that has the respect it once did. Criticism and ridicule are the order of the day and our reward for standing up for the truth in a post-modern generation. So it's days like this that make it all worthwhile. The smiles, the tears, the relief the couples feel when I pronounce them husband and wife... yeah. That's the payoff.

Thank you God, for letting me be a part of your divine plans. You ARE awesome!

Sadness of the Last Days

I was not really surprised to read today that Miley Cyrus is the latest celebrity to buy into the "gay marriage" deception, twisting scripture ten different ways to Sunday to support something that God repeatedly said in His word is "destestable," and leads to destruction. God's word won't fail. The Bible forewarned us that these days of sin and deception were coming at the end. So let's remind ourselves of the truth today from HIS unfailing word, from II Peter Chapter 3 (emphasis added) :

"...what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

A Long Week Ahead

A team of about a five spent nearly three hours today putting together the stage for our Vacation Bible School that starts Monday. Hopefully we didn't go too "over the top." I don't think so. In fact, I wish we could have done more.

Kids are a lot more difficult to impress these days. I used to love coming through the door at the little Methodist Church down the street during VBS to find a colorful banner and a few balloons in the sanctuary. I was thinking about a song we used to sing nearly every year. It was handwritten in black marker on a white poster board, with red "X's" where we were supposed to clap.

Sing and shout out X Hallelujah
Lift your voice and X praise the Lord
Give Him ear now X all ye people
Listen to His X Holy Word

God's salvation free from tribulation
Unto every nation be His love proclaimed
We are brothers, let us tell to others
Of the wonderful power of Jesus' name XX

I would trade one of my most valuable antiques just to have that poster board. That's how clear the picture is in my mind, and how warm and wonderful the memory of Vacation Bible School is to me. I can see Mrs. Breakie sitting at the piano, Marge (Mrs. T.) leading the children in the prayer of salvation, and the wonderful lady whose name I can't recall, who poured the Kool-Aid every year.

So this week, here's hoping and praying we can create the same kind of memories for our children. It's kicked up a few notches from all those years ago. I doubt they'll remember the Kool-Aid lady, but I hope they'll remember at least a little something they learn, and that the decisions they make in the week ahead for Jesus will last a lifetime.

Break Out the Skinny Jeans

Motivation

1. giving of reason to act: the act of giving somebody a reason or incentive to do something

2. enthusiasm: a feeling of enthusiasm, interest, or commitment that makes somebody want to do something, or something that causes such a feeling

3. reason: a reason for doing something or behaving in a particular way

I finally got motivated to do something about my #1 New Year's Resolution, just in time for August. Over the past two months, I've managed to finally drop ten pounds. It's been nine years since I started my weight loss journey, and dropped 125 pounds in 23 months. After a tummy tuck took off another ten pounds, I had lost a total of 135. I kept it off for a long time, but slowly put about 36 pounds back on.

Turns out, that was my motivation. I watched the scales slowly creep back up, but couldn't seem to get myself back on track. But 36, as it turns out, was the magic number. That meant that I was only 99 pounds lower than my highest weight. There's something about being able to say, "I lost a hundred pounds" that just makes jaws drop. 99 doesn't seem like such a big deal.

And so I have 26 pounds to go. At 5 pounds a month, I could easily be back at my target weight by the New Year. We'll see. If anything, I've learned that this journey is one that I can only take a day at a time.

Now. Where are the rice cakes?