My Own Personal Guardian Angel

During college I worked in a mental health facility with children-teenagers really. During my tenure there I encountered many kids, each with a unique problem. Some merely suffered from some type of depression, others had tried to kill themselves, and sometimes one would come along with a more serious problem, such as schizophrenia.

I distinctly remember one night in particular: the night I met Mary-Jane. It was quiet, the patients were pretty well behaved, and overall they were a likable bunch. Then I heard from the head nurse that we were getting a new patient. I didn't think much of it because it wasn't anything all that unusual. What did get my attention, though, was when the nurse told me this patient was suffering from her first psychotic break. That might not mean anything to you, so allow me to explain. Undoubtedly you've seen a movie with a mental patient babbling on about nothing, maybe even incomprehensibly. This is a real condition, and people suffering from it are generally referred to as psychotic.

The shift was winding down, and the patients were in bed, when out in the hall I heard a bit of commotion. I walked out of the nurses' station and there was this small teenage girl with golden blonde hair. This was Mary-Jane, and she was informing my coworker, John, that he ought not to be doing something (although he was doing nothing). She introduced herself to me and informed John and I that she wanted to tell us a story. We coaxed her back to her room and I began listening to what she had to say.

Mary-Jane was convinced she was an angel. Not the cute, "daddy's-little-girl" type angel, but a REAL angel. She started talking about how God was in everything, didn't we know, and that she had been sent here to help people. Then she looked right at me, and in a moment I doubt I'll soon forget, said "You look sad. Don't be sad, I'm here to help you. I'm your guardian angel! Everything will be all right."
As I drove home after work that night, I got to thinking. Mary-Jane (who did recover) may have been psychotic, but she had made a good point. God is involved with everything. Not in the sense that God IS everything, as some people believe, but more that He is always watching over us, no matter where we are or what we are going. I was reminded of Ps. 91:11-12 where God tells us that He will give His angels charge over us to keep us from harm. This is such a profound thing that Satan himself tried to tempt Jesus into sinning by distorting this very verse.

To me this shows again the great love of God. He has an entire universe to run, with countless other beings in it, all needing His help and wisdom in some way. Even so, He watches over each and every one of us, and He sends angels to protect us from danger, some we can see, some we can't. How great is THAT? The Master of the Universe loves we screwed up little humans so much that He sends angels to protect us. Truly He is a God of love.

ENCOUNTER: How have you experienced God's love today?

Look for the Helpers

Last Friday started out as a day like any other.  People woke up, showered, ate breakfast, packed their kids' lunches and sent them off to school.  Sadly, for one school, what was otherwise a normal day turned into a nightmare.

By now, we are all aware of the horrors of that day.  The fear, the helplessness, the utter shock.  Many people wondered, both publicly and privately, where God was that day.  How could a God of love let something this monstrous happen?

I admit, at first I was just kind of in stunned awe, just numb, at hearing the news.  I had some of those same questions for God, too.  In those moments, I read the ancient words of Jeremiah, written during similarly awful circumstances.  In this personal paraphrase of some portions of Lamentations 2 & 3, I found an answer.

Rise during the night and cry out.
    Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord.

My tears flow endlessly;
    they will not stop
until the LORD looks down
    from heaven and sees.

I called on your name, LORD,
    from deep within the pit.
You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!
    Hear my cry for help!”
Yes, you came when I called;
    you told me, “Do not fear.”

The LORD is good to those who depend on him,
    to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
    for salvation from the LORD.

For no one is abandoned
    by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
    because of the greatness of his unfailing love.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.

As I read the words, I could acutely feel the grief Jeremiah spoke of, but I could see no compassion.  But God showed me that if I would just wait quietly, He wasn’t done yet.

One by one, stories emerged.  The NFL star, Victor Cruz, heard that 6-year-old Jack Pinto idolized him and had been so happy to see Cruz and the Giants win the Super Bowl this last February.  That Sunday Cruz wore cleats with a hand-written note “Jack Pinto, My Hero” on them.  And then, just this Tuesday, Victor, his girlfriend, and their daughter drove to Connecticut and spent time with Jack’s family.  They talked, they cried, and just….spent time together.  Jack never got to meet his hero, but his hero has been touched in an indescribable way by his short life.

Then there is the story of little Daniel Barden, age 7.  All he wanted to be when he grew up was a fireman, just like his uncle and his cousin.  As his little casket was driven to the church, hundreds of firemen from all across, lined the street in full dress uniforms, all for a little boy most had never met.

There are stories of the teachers and principal at the school who sacrificed everything to protect the children.  The outpouring of love and compassion from total strangers, from the President to the person on the street, is just staggering.  And in these stories and others, the hand of Divine Providence is clearly seen.

Fred Rogers, talking to children about the bad things that happen in life, said this:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

Mr. Rogers was right.  So many caring people are embracing Newtown, CT right now.  God has sent helpers to help those who need it.  Even you and I, who may not be able to physically be in Connecticut, can be helpers by lifting that community up in prayer.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.

Encounter: How can you be God’s helper today?

Finish Your Strawberry Shake…Now! by Dick Duerksen

"There now, that's it. Just a little more and you'll have finished your strawberry shake!"

The words came from a CCU room where the instructions shouted, "Nothing by Mouth." A nurse stood beside the bed, adjusting an IV bottle filled with a strawberry-colored liquid.

As the nurse emerged, smiling, I asked how his day was going.

"Just great," his smile broadened. "I'm just doing a little 'good nurse-marine sergeant' routine with Mrs. Smith this morning."

Good Nurse: All of those kind and sweet and nice words that help the patient and her family feel secure, appreciated and loved.

Good Nurse: The soft smoothing of the bed, re-arranging the bedside stand and looking in the door "just checking on you."

Marine Sergeant: The crispness of voice as you explain that the medicine must be taken "NOW."

Marine Sergeant: "Get out of bed and walk around the room.

Yes, it'll hurt now, but it'll keep the adhesions from developing!"

Marine Sergeant: "Yes, you'll have to use the bedpan. I'm afraid you might faint on the way to the bathroom. Sorry!"

Marine Sergeant: "Take a deep breath now. That's right, breathe all the way in. Of course it hurts! That's part of getting well!"

Good Nurse: Caring enough to command.

It is possible that some patients will progress best while being tended by "Good Nurses." It is also possible that some patients need a stronger dosage of "Marine Sergeant." Only caregivers know for certain, caregivers whose goal is the total health of their patients.

I'm glad God is a wise caregiver. He knows when to give me the soft caresses of grace and when to add a little thunder into my life. He knows when I need His DIRECTION!! And when I need a strawberry shake.

He knows, because His goal is my total, complete, personal, forever, spiritual health.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love," He says. "I have drawn you with loving-kindness... I will discipline you, but only with justice." --Jeremiah 30:11 and 31:3

ENCOUNTER:

1. How is God serving as "Marine Sergeant" in your life?

2. How is He serving as "Good Nurse"?

3. What directions do you feel God is giving you at this time of your life? How are you responding?

4. How are you being a "Good Nurse" or "Marine Sergeant" for those closest to you?

Your Personal Protector by Dick Duerksen

WORD: The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you. -- 2 Thessalonians 3:3
THOUGHT: Being a cop can be a frightening and dangerous job. Just the mention of "Policeman," brings up grainy images of HILL STREET BLUES, Turnpike Rage, CHIPS, Steven Segal and New York terrorism.

However, those images may not provide a fair picture of the roles Police play in our world. Often their assigned beats are places of boring inactivity as they provide the visible "presence" of The Law. Just by BEING THERE and CARING they increase our safety.

Roy Northrup is a policeman in Vancouver, British Columbia where his job is often one of "Being There" presence. He stands on a street corner watching traffic, guiding tourists and keeping the peace.

While calmly doing his job one afternoon, he felt a tug on the right leg of his uniform. He expected to see a small child asking him to "help find Mommy." No child. Instead, he was greeted by the quacking urgency of a Mallard duck. She quacked and tugged at his uniform and then quacked some more.

Roy pushed her away, urging her to waddle toward the lake. No go. Just more tugging and louder quacking.

So Roy crouched down and asked her what she wanted. She turned and urgently quacked her way over to a large storm drain where she sent up a fearful bedlam of quacks and squeaks.

Roy looked into the drain with her, and then placed a call to his supervisor. Minutes later a City of Vancouver maintenance truck roared up to Roy's corner station. Tools in hand, the crew clattered out and began removing the grate from the storm drain. All the while, Mamma Mallard quacked encouragement from her place of safety beside Officer Northrup.

Deep in the storm drain, 8 tiny fluffs of feathers cowered in fear. Here was the cause of Mama Mallard's pain! Her ducklings had fallen through the grate to certain death!

But, Officer Northrup came to the rescue! Roy and the other workers lifted each duckling to safety - and then watched as Mama and brood quacked off to the lake.

Maybe (quite possibly) God is like Officer Northrup, ready and eager to hear our deepest pain, eager to understand our needs, strong enough to provide full protection.

encounter: Where in your life do you need God's protection? How have you experienced God's protection in your life?

Finisher by Haskell Williams

WORD: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2, NKJV.

THOUGHT: God. . . I’ve had this idea for a while now—this invention I’d like to make. I first thought about it when my friends had all that trouble with their washing machine. Concerned about their dilemma, and the potential problem of my own, I’ve come up with a scheme to fix it all—or so I think.

You see, Lord, it’s a flaw in the whole washing machine system that makes them vulnerable for mishaps; and I am sure my design will correct it. I’ve done research on the project; I’ve found the necessary components; I’ve even inquired about the process of obtaining a patent and a “sponsor”—You know, someone who will put up the investment and make it happen.

But, as You already know, I’ve been so busy with other commitments, my idea is “resting” right now-sketched on several sheets of paper, and... nagging in the back of my brain-waiting to come to reality. That’s what I like about You, God. Whatever is good and right, You’re able to get off the drawing board and into action. You’re not limited by resources or time.

You saw the inherent and repeated flaws in me, and You came up with a plan of how to fix my fatal defects. You even risked the whole wealth of Heaven to put up the capital Yourself. You are “the author and finisher” of our faith. You are the One who conceived the idea and the One who can pull it off—bring it to completion.

I want to believe Your plan will work. I have confidence in You, just not in myself. I have confidence in Your ability to make it happen, a lot more confidence than in my ability to get this little invention into reality. My idea may never see the light of day, but the salvation You have made for me is certain, and for everyone who trusts You.

Thank You for promising that You are able to generate AND nurture my faith to fulfillment. Help me not look to “my faith,” but in Your surety. Grow my faith in You, even as I trust You with this feeble mustard seed of faith. Help me to remember that You gave me even that! I choose to trust You, Lord—even when I can’t figure out how You’ll work it all out—in the big things, and the little ones.

ENCOUNTER: What was God’s idea as He was making you? What is God trying to complete in you?

Be Present: Omnipresence

"The question is not whether the things that happen to you are chance things or God's things because, of course, they are both at once. There is no chance thing through which God cannot speak—even the walk from the house to the garage that you have walked ten thousand times before, even the moments when you cannot believe there is a God who speaks at all. . . He speaks, I believe, and the words he speaks are incarnate in the flesh and blood of our selves and our own footsore and sacred journeys. We cannot live our lives constantly looking back, listening back, lest we be turned to pillars of longing and regret, but to live without listening at all is to live deaf to the fullness of the music.” —Frederick Buechner, The Sacred Journey

Recently a good friend and mentor shared this Buechner quote with me, and its profound insight has haunted me over these past several months.  It reminds me of the peculiar nature of GOD’s omnipresence, being in all places and spaces of life.  My heart likes to think of GOD being infinite and universal, present in the spinning of galaxies while caring for starving third world countries.

I rarely think of GOD being present with me as I yawn through a committee meeting or as I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

I love to think of GOD dramatically present in protecting our service men and women, present in healing terminally-ill children, present in rescuing disaster survivors.  I rarely think of Him cringingly present when I laugh at an off-color joke or helpfully there when I forgot the keys to the house.  I envision GOD’s presence in the miraculous, and often don’t notice Him in the mundane.

In Matthew 6:26 [NKJV], Jesus shares, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

I am valuable to GOD.  It astounds me that GOD loves so deeply as to be present for the little details of my life.  My journey need not be spectacular or exceptional for Him to take note—everything about me matters to Him.

But there is also a dark side to becoming aware of such holy omnipresence.  Recognizing that GOD is present in all my life, including my sordid past, can leave room for shame and regret to erode my soul.  My history is filled with lessons learned “the hard way” and missed opportunities—it’s easy enough to look back at my life and become a “pillar of longing and regret.”

Not giving in to the dark side of my past, the reality of GOD’s omnipresence has its best frame based less on my history and more on HIS story.  There is a balanced benefit in remembering the past, only to the degree we are reminded of GOD’s greatness and gracefulness.  The journey affords us stories of GOD’s pursuit, GOD’s guidance, and His rescue.  The landmarks of our past need only be a reminder of how awesome it is to arrive at home with GOD.

Birds find nooks and crannies in your house, 

   sparrows and swallows make nests there. 

They lay their eggs and raise their young, 

   singing their songs in the place where we worship. 

God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God! 

   How blessed they are to live and sing there!   

–Psalm 84:3-4 [Message]

As we remember our journey, may we see GOD’s watchcare in the midst of the miraculous and mundane.  May His presence in every step of life build our confidence in His steadfast love, so that all that is remembered of the past milestones is GOD’s faithfulness to carry us through. 

"Sometimes we avoid listening for fear of what we may hear, sometimes for fear that we may hear nothing at all but the empty rattle of our own feet on the pavement. But be not affeard, says Caliban, nor is he the only one to say it. "Be not afraid," says another, "for lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." He says he is with us on our journeys. He says he has been with us since each of our journeys began. Listen for him. Listen to the sweet and bitter airs of your present and your past for the sound of him." —Frederick Buechner, The Sacred Journey

Encounter the Word:

"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries." --Luke 12:6-7 [Message]

Encounter:

• With GOD is there such a thing as "coincidence?"  Explain.
• In what ordinary aspects of today would it be helpful to be aware of GOD's presence?  How will you increase your awareness of GOD in the midst of today's mundane details?
• Where in your past do you see GOD's presence?

Pure Hope in the Midst of a Sewer by James Johnson

As Captain John Miller lay dying on the bridge, a Nazi bullet lodged in his chest, Private James Ryan knelt at the side of the man who had risked his entire unit to find and rescue him. Before his eyes finally glazed over, Miller whispered to Ryan, “Earn this...earn it!”

Fifty years later, as the elderly James Ryan stands above John Miller’s grave, he says, “Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I’ve tried to live my life the best I could. I hope that was enough...I hope I earned what you did for me.” Following this scene, Ryan asked his wife, “Have I been a good man?” For fifty years he was tormented by the realization that he could never do enough to earn what Miller and his men did for him.

Many readers will recognize the scenes from one of the most powerful films in recent history, Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan.” Contrast this story with Jesus, who gave His life so that we could live. His dying words were not “Earn this,” but “It is finished!” Had He said, “Earn this,” you would have quickly come to realize that there’s no way to earn what it cost Jesus to give his life for yours.

In Acts 3:14-16, Peter identifies Jesus as “the Holy and Just One,” and the “author of life.” Consider the context of Peter’s speech. He and John had just used the life-giving power of Jesus to heal a crippled beggar at the temple gate in Jerusalem. This man had been crippled from birth and was a common sight at the temple. For obvious reasons, the man’s healing attracted a lot of attention. But had they not seen this before? Had not Jesus previously performed many healings in their sight?

Through his sermon, Peter sought to use the now-healed beggar as a living parable to the incredible healing, life-giving power of Jesus. He appealed to their sense of history: “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus” (Acts 3:13). This lent credibility to Jesus in the eyes of some. He continued by appealing to recent history: “You disowned the Holy and Just One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead...” Without a doubt, Peter was equating Jesus with God Himself. The description “Holy and Just One” was a common reference to God at the time. Who else could have so completely healed the sick and crippled of heart and body? Only the power of God could have done this, and clearly Peter ascribed this power to Jesus as well. It was this power alone that could restore life and health to mankind, life that was forfeited long before when Adam and Eve sinned. It is clearly this power of the pristine Jesus that qualified Him for the title, “Holy and Just One” and “author of life.”

We can do nothing to earn the renewed life Jesus offers us. Our lives contain nothing redeeming enough to qualify us for such healing. The world is a sewer of filth, and each of us has been affected in some way. Yet the purifying Jesus lives today. The fact that He can offer such a gift, because of His death and resurrection, is why He is still the “the Holy and Just One,” and is what sets Him apart from every other savior mankind has ever invented and will ever devise in the future. The challenge placed before us is unchanging from generation to generation: do not reject “the Holy and Just One.” Receive the Author of Life, and He will give you a new, clean life.

ENCOUNTER: In your life, how have you tried to “earn it”?

Together by Bill Ashlock

Walking alone, especially on a soft beach against the wind, is tiring. On clear days, especially warm ones with easy breezes, the journey can be light and easy - as if our souls are looking for a break. A skate through New York’s Battery Park in the late spring can be a restoring tonic. Wandering through the dominating Redwoods of California on a warm summer day is taking our inner-self to a luxurious spa. However, tramping down Wall street in the winter sleet that is driving right to your core early in the morning is miserable, even if you want to be there.
Something about doing it alone, especially when things are wretched creates a burden that few souls can sustain. It is not just the fact that we are alone, because being alone can be nurturing in the right circumstances. It is the fact that we are by ourselves, fighting against the elements, where, in the moment, it seems that we alone are at war. Even when we know with our heads that others are in the battle, we still feel like we are in a trench with dead comrades facing an overwhelming enemy that is relentless.
Paul seems to transcend this problem and at the end of his letter to the Rome church, it becomes clear. “I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.” (Romans 16.22)
Paul journeyed with friends who understood the journey and the destination. This makes all the difference. Think about big projects - with and without friends who are helpful! I am not talking about those who sit around watching with a drink in their hand. I am thinking back to times when the efforts came from the magical results of teamwork. When two or more people worked together and the results were far greater than the sum of the parts. It was and is almost like there was another working with us!
God promises to be with us when two or more are gathered. When we work together, He is present.
ENCOUNTER: Who are you journeying with? Why?

Respect for Authority

You've probably seen a lot of....we'll say "spirited" talk about the President lately...it is election season, after all.  Every time I open a newspaper, turn on the TV, even log in to Facebook, I seem to be bombarded with hateful statements about the President and the government. I think what startles me the most about all this is that the most hateful things are coming from people who lead prayer and worship in church!

Believe it or not, the same thing was happening in ancient Rome. The Apostle Paul noticed the detrimental effect it had on the people he was teaching, so we addressed it in his letter to the Romans:

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.

In Romans 13, Paul gives some great advice for us today, too. It's easy to get wrapped up in it all and foster rebellious and disrespectful sentiment towards the government. God calls us to be better than that, and even goes so far as to saying that being rebellious and disrespectful to the government is the EXACT SAME as being rebellious and disrespectful to Him!

Paul points out that the authorities are only there because God Himself put them there for a purpose, His purpose. God asks us to trust that HE IS IN CONTROL and work with the authorities, just as we would with Him.

Does that mean we always have to agree with them? No! We should be engaged, and God doesn't say we should be unplugged from everything. On the contrary, God calls us to work with them, because like us, they are His servants too.

In today's seemingly out of control world, with all the hateful speech going on, isn't it great to know we have an all powerful God who's in control?

Encounter: As Christians, will we enter into the fray and speak/post hateful things about our leaders, or "For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the [President] as head of state,or the officials he has appointed" as Peter says followers of Jesus should?

Does Jesus Love Those Who Aren't Lost?

There is a lot of discussion out there about how to "reach people" for Jesus.  Groups like the Passion Network, Purpose Driven, It Is Written, the One Project, GODencounters...each spending countless hours trying to figure out the next "big thing" that will really draw people back to Jesus.  The plan events with titles like "youth rally," "Christian concerts," even that old stalwart "evangelism," and so on, hoping to be the catalyst to finally open someone's eyes to a God who loves them so much He died to be with them.  When someone turns to Jesus, it's a time to celebrate!

In Luke 15 Jesus tells us a parable about the these lost people, and how God looks out for each of them.  The first part of the parable is about the lost sheep who is a happy member of the flock, then goes off for the grass just over there and suddenly realizes he isn't with the flock any more.  The sheep bleats and cries out, hoping for a response from the flock to guide him back, but to no avail.  However, the shepherd realizes he is a sheep short and goes out in search of that sheep until he finds it, and then the shepherd brings the sheep safely back to the fold.

The next piece of the story is about a lost coin, and not just any coin, but a dowry coin.  It rolled off away from the rest of the coins, but being a coin it has no idea it's lost at all.  When the woman comes home and counts up the coins, she sees one is missing and turns on every light and sweeps under every piece of furniture until she finds it, and then she and her friends rejoice because all of the coins have been reunited.

The final (and probably most famous) part of the story deals with a rich man and his two sons.  The youngest gets filled with wanderlust and in an extreme insult to his father, asks for his inheritance so he can go do what he wants.  The father, lovingly, grants his request and the young man wanders off to live the high life.  And live it up he does!  Penthouse parties that go non-stop with more friends than he can count....until the money runs out that is.  Then the young man realizes he is all alone, too, but is to ashamed to go back home.  So he gets a job as a pig farmer, and is so hungry he shares the pig slop with the pigs.  He finally swallows his pride and works out a speech where he will work as a servant for his father, but as he gets near home he finds his father waiting for him.  The father is so excited that his lost son has returned that he throws a great party!  

The older son is upset, though, to the point where he avoids the party altogether.  When the father inquires why, he says it's because he did what he was supposed to do all these years, and yet the runaway brat gets the huge party.  The father doesn't reprimand him, though.  He tells his son that everything he has is this son's, and at no point does he ever condone the younger son's actions.  He is merely happy that his lost son returned, and wants everyone to share in the joy.

Jesus is pointing out a couple of things.  Obviously when someone who is lost from him, either by accident, without even knowing, or willfully, and that person returns, God is thrilled.  When someone is lost by accident or doesn't even know they are lost, God actively seeks after that person, and when someone willfully turns their back on Him, even though it hurts, God lets them go and doesn't chase them....but He waits every day for them to come back.  How great is it when we, as a church, can put on a program that turns out to be a catalyst for bringing a lost person back to God?

But that's not the only part of the story.  It is about more than just the three lost things.  There are ninety-nine other sheep who stayed in the fold, nine other coins who stayed in their place on top of the dresser, and there is another son who did what he was supposed to do all along.  These are the things that the church doesn't like to talk about.

Jesus does.  Jesus cares as much about the ninety-nine sheep, the nine coins, and the older brother as he does about those that were lost.  He even goes out of the way to address those who have remained faithful in His story, reassuring them that they are blessed with everything God has to offer because they were faithful.  Yet you don't hear about that promise very much, because the focus is on the lost, at all costs.

While I appreciate all the effort being put into reaching those who may be lost, I see this other alarming trend emerging.  So much time, focus, and effort is given to being the next "thing" to make ourselves attractive to outsiders that those who have already found their way in the door are neglected....even run out of the church.  If the ninety-nine sheep can't see the importance of being "hip" or "cool" so we can get the one lost sheep back, then those sheep should just go some place else, there's no place in the fold for them.  It's as if the father is telling the older son that if he doesn't like the party, he can just leave.  There is nothing more demoralizing and destructive to person than being shut out because they care about those who aren't lost as much as those who are.  For most, they would leave and NEVER come back, so we create ninety-nine lost trying to save one.  But hey, we got one, and that's what REALLY matters!

Not to Jesus, we ALL matter to Jesus.  We matter so much that just before He died (for us!) He prayed for us!

"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost..." - John 17:9-12

Jesus does not want even one of us to be lost!  How awesome is our God!

Encounter: Will you focus on the one and be willing to sacrifice the ninety-nine, or will you work to create that loving community of believers that will be there with open arms to welcome everyone into the fold?

Behold the Power of a Smile

The day started out like any other Thursday that semester. Two classes in the morning, lunch, then my biology lab. It wasn’t what you would call the most pleasant day outside, either. After a week of sunshine had graced the campus, I woke up to the sound of rain dribbling outside my window. Outside it was gray, overcast, and downright gloomy. I’m not one of those people who hits instant depression upon losing sight of the sun, but I wasn’t deliriously happy, either. I was having what you could call a "blah" day, where I didn’t care one way or the other how my classes went, I was just going.

During lunch I was reading in the school paper some of the comments the director of campus security had regarding some of his department’s actions toward the students, and they were quite condescending toward us, I felt. Well, what started out as a "blah" day became a disgruntled day. I’d had a couple of run-ins myself with that gentleman and so had a couple friends of mine, so I already wasn’t what you would call supportive of he or his security people. His remarks just made my blood simmer a little bit, and the outside gloominess didn’t really go very far in melting my irritation.

I left my room and began the trek across campus toward the science building for my biology lab, still thinking about the security director’s comments. I looked up just before I passed the administration building and walking the other direction was a cute blonde girl named Emily. Her name was about the extent of my knowledge about her, but she did know my roommate, and I had met her once at the beginning of the year. However, not having any classes with her I don’t think I said a thing to her after August, and it was now March.

Any way, I happened to look up and see her walking, and as I usually do when someone walks by me I was going to smile (although I really wasn’t in the mood at that point in time). Before I could move my lips in the right direction, she smiled at me, and it blew my mind. I did manage to smile back, but when she smiled at me first it had the same effect as if the sun had just melted all the clouds away and birds were singing in the trees. I was walking on air the rest of the way to the science building, and it was because of one smile.

I’m not going to say that we eventually started dating, got married, or struck up some profound friendship. Actually, things just continued the way they’d been since August. But the feeling of happiness I got from that one smile stayed with me the rest of the day. I got to thinking at how great I felt at something so simple as a smile. It cost no money, little [if any] time, and it took no great effort, yet Emily’s one little smile brightened my whole day. The rest of my day I tried to return the favor to people I saw walking by me, and I noticed that it made me feel good, too.

That tiny, insignificant little gift of a smile got me to thinking about something that Jesus said. In Luke 6:38, Jesus said, "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back"

What that means to me is that God isn’t sitting around waiting for us to have what one of my professors calls "a Damascus road experience." It’s through the little, seemingly insignificant things that He looks at. Remember the widow and her mites? She gave what she had, and Jesus said that in heaven her reward would be great. I’m not saying that you should walk around with a joker type grin on your face, then people really would think you were crazy! Just take a half second and smile at a passerby because who knows, maybe they were having a really bad day, and your smile made it a little brighter. Not only might it make them feel a little better, but it will make you feel better, too. Don’t look to convert multitudes of people, take it one little thing at a time, for your example can often times be the greatest testimony to God that there is.

encounter: What is the gift you are going to give today?

Church of the Broken

Have you ever noticed that there is something wrong with church?  Church is full of happy, well-dressed people.  The atmosphere created is perfect so that people have a perfect time, have the perfect amount of God, and can leave church having been through a perfect service to live their lives perfectly.  Inside church, there are no people with problems, and if a problem does come up they pray and it magically goes away, out of sight out of mind.

Welcome to the Sin Free Zone!  Inside church, you’ll not ever find a sinner (beyond the obligatory acknowledgement that everyone sins)!  Church is truly the most perfect, happiest place in all the world!

Is it any wonder most people don’t want to go there?  Would it surprise you that Jesus doesn’t either?

When Jesus was here, He pointed out that everyone one of us, no matter how broken, is beautiful to God.  Jesus came to show us that everyone can enter God’s Kingdom, not matter what they’ve done or how bad off they are.

In Jesus’ church, everyone is blessed: the drop-outs and burned-out.  Both the broke and the broken, the druggies and the divorced.  The HIV-positive and the STD-ridden.  The brain-damaged, the handicapped, and the terminally ill.  The barren woman and the pregnant teenager.  The person with three jobs, the part-timer barely making ends meet, the unemployed, and the unemployable.  The homosexual and the homophobic.  The cheated, the displaced, the replaced.  The parents with children living on the street, the children with parents not dying in the “rest” home.  The lonely, the incompetent, and the stupid.  Those craving any kind of emotional connection and those who are completely dead inside.  THIS IS THE CHURCH OF GOD.

The Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal!  THAT is what the Kingdom is all about!  And the best part?  You don’t have to wait until you die to get there!  Jesus offers to ALL people such as these the blessings of the Kingdom in their life NOW—regardless of their circumstances.

Jesus had a friend named Matthew.  Now Matthew was a pretty universally despised person because he was a tax man.  Not like the IRS, but someone who collected taxes AND intentionally raised them beyond what Rome wanted so he could skim the extra off the top.  A Jew cheating Jews on behalf of the Gentiles…and willfully profiting from it.  Yeah, not a popular guy in town.  So what does Jesus do?  Does he condemn Matthew like everyone else, including all the “church people” did?  Nope!  Jesus asks Matthew to be one of His disciples…and then He goes and eats at Matthew’s house with all his tax collector friends!

Needless to say, the religious establishment was not pleased.  They pulled a couple of Jesus’ other disciples aside to inquire how Jesus could stomach eating with those people…you know….SINNERS.  Ick!  Ew!  Gross!  And you know what Jesus said to them?  He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”  Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Matt. 9:12-13)

You know what else?  Later on when Jesus was going through Jericho, He had dinner with another tax collector, and not just a tax collector, but the director for the WHOLE REGION!  This guy skimmed off of all the guys skimming off of their fellow Jews!  But Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house and called him blessed!  (Luke 19:9-10)

Which brings us back to church.  If Jesus spent His time talking to “bad people” like tax collectors, adulterers, lepers, and the like, why aren’t we?  Why is it that SIN is something that is not allowed in church any more?  Why aren’t we encouraging people and helping them through their struggles?  Where did the notion of “you must be perfect in church” even come from?  One of the most prolific New Testament authors, Paul, freely admits that he sinned all the time even though he tried not to (Rom. 7:14-25) and found salvation in Jesus!  Why aren’t we sharing that with people?

James gives a piece of advice that should be at the root of all churches who claim to follow Jesus: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)  So let’s stop hiding our sins from each other in order to appear “good” and admit that we’re not and pray with each other!  Let’s tell the world that they can be blessed no matter who they are, what they look like, or what they’ve done. 

The Kingdom of Heaven is ALL of ours!  Why not start living it?

Encounter: Are you willing to share the good news about Jesus with those around you, even if it means being vulnerable and admitting your faults and mistakes?

Why Can't Church Be Like a Bar?

Have you ever spent any time at your local sports bar or pub? At the very least, do you remember the show Cheers? There is a certain allure to the bar, and contrary to what most “good Christian folk” think, it’s generally not the alcohol.

The best thing about the bar is that you can come together and hang out with your friends. You talk about love, life, sports…sometimes even politics. You share experiences, catch up on each other’s lives, help each other through difficult times, celebrate the good times. To me, those were some of the closest, deepest friendship connections in my life. It was community in its purest sense. And I miss it.

In a seminal 1986 study, Sense of Community, McMillan and Chavis identified four elements of "sense of community": 1) membership, 2) influence, 3) integration and fulfillment of needs, and 4) shared emotional connection

In biological terms, a community is a group of interacting organisms sharing an environment. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness. In sociology, the concept of community has caused infinite debate, and sociologists are yet to reach agreement on a definition of the term. Indeed, one can find 94 discrete definitions of the term even as early as mid-1950s. Traditionally a "community" has been defined as a group of interacting people living in a common location. The word is often used to refer to a group that is organized around common values and social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household. Wider meanings of the word can refer to the national community or global community. Communis comes from a combination of the Latin prefix com- (which means "together") and the word munis probably originally derived from the Etruscan word munis- (meaning "to have the charge of").

The community that happens in the local bar over a pint of Coors or Coke is like nothing else in this world. I know in my life I crave those types of connections, the total involvement in each other’s lives. Sharing opinions, thoughts, ideas. Views on religion, why the Cubs haven’t won the Series in over 100 years, how your dating (or married) relationship is going. You are yourself, honest, and even if you embellish a story just a tad bit, your friends still love and care about you. It all comes back to that single concept: community.

As I said before, I miss that. Now that my “taste of the Rockies” comes in a green can that says Mt. Dew on the side, I’ve lost my community. I almost feel bad saying that. I go to church every week, sure, but... What frightens me the most is that the more involved at church I got, the more I tried to find that sense of community like I found atthe bar, the more lonely I've become.  Why?  Because I realize that it’s just not there.

You can’t be honest at church, everyone expects you to be one way or another. You can’t really share at church because people don’t really want to hear it because hey, they’d be late for lunch. You don’t talk about sports, politics, relationships, things you’re struggling with at church. Really, you can't talk about anything deep (like God) because no one wants to talk about that.  Just "be cool" and "be different" but for heaven's sake don't talk about stuff!  So you go to church and pretend to be happy because everyone else looks happy, and if someone doesn’t look happy people are looking around nervously wondering who will get stuck talking to that person. I realize that’s a broad characterization in some respects, but I think we’ve all had some portion of that church experience.

So here’s my question for you. How can we make church more like a bar? I’m not suggesting we swap out the Welch’s for Merlot at Communion or put a keg next to the sound booth, but as far as the community aspect goes, how do we do that? 

Encounter: What kind of community does your heart want? How can we get there?

Going Old School: To Your Health!

While Leviticus might just seem like a big, loooooooong book of “do’s and don’ts” as we dig deeper into it, we see that God does have a point to all this.  Leviticus 12-15 deals with disease, boils, mold, and other gross bodily discharges.  If it seems to you that we’re flying through four chapters, we kind of are, but how detailed do you want to get about afterbirth, puss, and mold infestation?
In Leviticus 12, God gives instruction about the time surrounding childbirth.  Why would a woman be considered “ceremonially unclean” after the miracle (both of creating a child and surviving the birth) of bearing a child?  As we mentioned previously, these next few chapters involve bodily discharges (among other things) and a woman does have some bodily emissions and secretions during and after having a baby.  Plus, back then, a woman’s temporary status of “unclean” would free her from some of her normal duties and allow her to spend more time with her new child and to recover, which no doubt made the early days with the new baby much easier!
Leviticus 13-14 deal with leprosy, rashes, and other skin diseases that the people my contract.  If you’re in the medical field at all and read through these chapters, you will likely be impressed by the level of detail God gives the people on how to identify and treat skin abnormalities and how to tell which ones were temporary and which ones were symptomatic of something much more serious.  Quarantine was a major piece of disease treatment, and if the lesion or rash did not heal or go away, the person would be exiled from camp.  This is not because God had cursed them or did not love them, but it was to protect the other members of the community from a contagion.  For example, if someone goes to an ED today and is suspected of having swine flu, they are given a mask to wear until they are treated to help prevent them from infecting the other patients.  It is in Leviticus 13 that the tradition of calling out “unclean!” comes from.  Leviticus 14:1-30 goes into detail about what a person must do to be pronounced “clean” (or healed) by the priest and be able to rejoin the community.  This included bathing and shaving all the hair from one’s head (and face, for men) as well as other sacrifices and ritual cleansing.  Jesus held the lepers He healed to this same ritual cleansing so that the community would accept them, even though He knew they were healed (Luke 17:11-19).
For those of us who live in a tropical environment we are used to combating mold.  You’ve doubtless heard of people being forced to move out of their homes while mold is professionally cleaned out by men in gas masks because the mold is so toxic.  The Israelites also had to deal with this kind of mold infestation, although they didn’t have all the fancy chemicals and mold killers and deterrents we’re blessed with today.  In Leviticus 14:33-57 God gives the people instructions on how to identify a mold/mildew problem and how to deal with it.  Mildew spreads quickly and can take over everything in a matter of days (if you live in Florida, you always have that bottle of spray bleach handy).  If the mold gets so bad that in modern times it would require fumigation, God calls for the entire house to be destroyed and all the materials in the house be taken far out of town.  Why?  Because mold/mildew can be toxic, and people living in it will become ill and die.  God is pointing out that it is better to have to rebuild your house than to die to keep the old one.
Leviticus 15 takes us from mold and fungus back to bodily discharges, this time from the men.  If someone had a skin lesion and it oozed pus or liquid of any kind, the people weren’t to touch them or anything they had touched.  The priests quarantined the effected person until the boil/lesion either healed or it didn’t.  If it healed, the man would wait seven days and then ritually purify himself.  This was to make sure no trace of the disease remained.
God also addresses cleanliness and sex (Lev. 15:19-24), covering intercourse itself, the discharge of semen, and a woman’s menstrual cycle.  These verses do NOT say that sex is dirty or disgusting or unclean.  After all, God created sex for

1. The enjoyment of married couples
2. Procreation (Gen. 1:27-28 does tell us to “Be fruitful and multiply”)
3. The preservation of the marriage covenant

We have to remember that sex is not separate from God and spirituality.  God gave us sex as something to enjoy, but He also does not want us to worship one over the other.  For example, many people (including in the Israelites day with fertility goddesses) worship sex and the gratification of self without turning an eye to the Creator.  Conversely, other people worship God and view sex (His creation!) as something that is evil and that should be done for procreation only.  While our natural inclination might be to separate the two, God is the Lord over our WHOLE selves, our public and private selves.  I’ll stop there for now because we’ll revisit this topic in a later chapter.
Before we close, I wanted to draw your attention to Leviticus 15:25-30.  The reason is not to gross you out, but to draw a parallel.  If a woman’s menstrual bleeding did not stop, she was considered ceremonially unclean (just like a leper).  She couldn’t become clean again until the bleeding stopped for seven days and then on the eighth day she offered a sacrifice at the temple.  Anything she touched became unclean, and anyone who touched her or anything she had touched also became unclean.
Let’s take a look at just such a woman when she had an encounter with Jesus:

²⁵ A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. ²⁷ She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. ²⁸ For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” ²⁹ Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
³⁰ Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
³¹ His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
³² But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. ³³ Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”  Mark 5:25-34 (also Matt. 9:20-22 & Luke 8:43-18)

Now go back and read Leviticus 15:25-30 again.  Looking at the Gospel story, do you now begin to really understand how desperate this woman was?  She had such faith that if she could just touch Jesus' robe (even at the risk of making Him unclean!) that she would be healed.  And her faith was answered!  I’m sure she joyfully took her sacrifice to the priests eight days later, priests who hadn’t wanted to go anywhere near her for YEARS!  To be able to worship with her friends, spend time with her relatives, and be healed!
THAT is what God is showing us in Leviticus!  He gives us ways that we can protect ourselves, but through everything the focus is to be on Him!  Life won’t always be easy, and we’ll have our share of illnesses and bad things that happen to us, but we are NOT alone.  If we just focus on God, we will be spiritually (and sometimes physically) healed!  Look at the faith of the woman who came to Jesus!  While we might have modern medicines and explanations and ways to keep ourselves clean that don’t involve keeping all the rules in Leviticus, that doesn’t mean we should be any less dependent on God or any less focused on Him in everything that we do!
Encounter: Do you trust God to take care of you, even in the hardest times?

Going Old School: When Was Your Last REAL Offering?

All right, show of hands, how many people have read through the book of Leviticus…on purpose? Anyone? Don’t worry, I never really gave it much thought except when Dr. Michael Hasel made us do it for an Old Testament studies class…and then I admit to skimming and glossing over it. But believe it or not, there is some really good stuff in there about living our lives! So, with that in mind, let’s dive into the book of Leviticus!

The first seven chapters of Leviticus talk about five specific offerings the Israelites were to make to God, and the reasons why they were supposed to do that. Offerings (often referred to as sacrifices in the text) were meant to restore a relationship with God. A gift was offered to God by sacrificing on the altar (which, by the way, was in the center of the camp and visible by everyone). Sacrifices were meant to teach people a few things:

1. By requiring perfect animals and holy priests, they taught reverence to a holy God.
2. By demanding exact obedience, they taught total submission to God’s laws.
3. By requiring an animal of great value, they showed the high cost of sin and demonstrated the sincerity of the people’s commitment to God.
4. Because of what they were, sacrifices required the use of all senses in worship, which encourages a whole-person response to God!
5. The sacrificial system not only taught the people about God’s laws, it presented real opportunity for genuine voluntary response to God.

Chapter 1: Burnt Offering

The Burnt Offering was a voluntary offering to make atonement for sins in general. The purpose was to demonstrate a person’s devotion to God. Jesus, of course, was the perfect offering. (1:1-17, 6:18-30)

Do you show devotion to God by confessing your sins and asking to be made right with Him?

Chapter 2: Grain Offering

The Grain Offering was to show honor and respect to God in worship. This voluntary offering was to acknowledge that all we have belongs to God. Jesus was the perfect offering, who gave all of Himself to God and us. (2:1-14, 6:14-18)

Can you even remember the last time you turned off the TV/cell/computer and showed love and respect to God in worship?

Chapter 3: Peace Offering

The Peace Offering was an expression of gratitude and thanks to God. It symbolized the peace that fellowship with God brings. Jesus is the only way that we can have true fellowship with God. (3:1-17, 7:11-21)

Have you thanked God for the blessings in your life? For helping calm your inner storms and for always being there with you, through good and bad?

Chapter 4: Sin Offering

The Sin Offering was required of the people to make payment for unintentional sins such as uncleanness, neglect, or thoughtlessness towards others that they had committed going about their daily lives. By giving a Sin Offering, the sinner was restored to fellowship with God, and it helps to show us just how harmful sin is. By His death on the cross, Jesus restored our fellowship with God. (4:1-35, 5:1-13, 6:1-7, 24-30)

Have you made a mistake today, even accidentally? Did you talk with God about it and ask to have your relationship with Him restored?

Chapter 5: Guilt Offering

The Guilt Offering was required as payment for sins against God and others. The sacrifice was made to God, and before it could be accepted, the person you hurt had to be asked for forgiveness and was repaid for the wrong done. This encourages us to make things right not just with God, but also with each other. By His death, Jesus makes things right between God and us.
When you do something that hurts someone else, do you try and make things right, or do you hope things will “just work out?” God instructs us not to wait, but to make things right with the person as soon as we can. When we make things right with others, we can also make things right with God. (5:14-19, 7:1-9)

Chapter 6: Ordination Offering

The Ordination Offering was made when a priest was ordained to the ministry. (6:19-23)

Today we lay hands on a new pastor, elder, or deacon to ordain them to ministry.(ex. Acts 13:2-3)

The people were also instructed to give a portion of their offerings to support the priests (7:28-38).

The entire sacrificial system that is described in these first seven chapters of Leviticus were useless to help a sinner unless he (or she) brought an offering with an attitude of repentance and a willingness to confess sins. This confession was done publically because the priests had to perform the sacrifice and put it on the altar before the Lord (and the altar was at the center of everything).

I think that is something sorely lacking in our churches today. We keep everything bottled up, private. We don’t help each other with our struggles and just hope everything will “just work out.” People in church today are so TERRIFIED of being judged for making a mistake, that church has become the loneliest place on earth. A place where lonely people surround themselves with other lonely people, and no one talks about anything “serious.”

God doesn’t want it to be that way! When God was establishing a society for His followers, He was intentional about us sharing each other’s burdens. About confessing our sins to one another and asking Him and those we wronged for forgiveness. Even though Jesus’ death makes animal sacrifices unnecessary today, that doesn’t mean we can stop making things right with God and each other! Jesus’ death is meaningless if we don’t bring our burdens to Him and confess our struggles to one another! God is not going to judge you for asking forgiveness for a sin; to regain that intimate fellowship with Him! He wants that so much He DIED to get it!

It might be easy to dismiss the instructions for maintaining a happy and productive spiritual life that builds strong, meaningful relationships with God and people simply because Leviticus is a long, boring (and sometimes gross) book in the Old Testament. There aren’t “good stories” in it, and we don’t have to do all that stuff any more, so why bother to read it at all? It’s hard! But the apostle James tells us the exact same thing that God told us in Leviticus:

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16)

If praying together and helping each other overcome sin was so important that God spent seven chapters going into excruciating detail about it, maybe there’s something to it. What would church be like if it worked like God meant for it too, as outlined in Leviticus and summed up by James?

ENCOUNTER: Would this be a church you’d want to belong too? How do we make it happen?

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Some references borrowed from the Life Application Study Bible (NLT) 2nd Edition published by Tyndale House Publishers.