Showing Mercy

A few days ago I was leaving WalMart and I was surprised by someone asking for money to buy food for their family to get them by until morning when they could go sign up for some "assistance program. It was late and I was in a hurry to get back to the comfort of home and spend a few minutes with Marla before retiring for the evening. Now just that morning I had read Luke 6:35-36--"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." As this person was "spinning their story of need" there were a couple of things going on inside. A battle if you will. On the one hand I was certain this was a scam and I was trying to rationalize why I should not help. On the other hand, I recognized the scam but was being prompted to offer to take the person inside and buy whatever essentials were needed to get them and their family by until morning. I chose to listen to my rationalizations, told the person I would not give them money and I walked away. Since then the words of Luke 6 have resounded in my mind--"for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." I have confessed my sin of insensitivity, of lack of mercy. I don't think we are to through our brains out the window, to ignore the fact that there are people scamming us, and just "willy nilly" start dolling out cash to everyone. I do think that in my own life and in the life of many in the church we have desensitized ourselves to Jesus' words in Luke 6. The Lord was kind to evil and ungrateful men and most of the time I am not. I think where possible we should give to meet a specific need rather than just give cash. But ultimately, God calls upon us to be merciful and what the people do with our mercy is between them and God and what I do is between me and God. If I could have a "do over" of that night I would like to think that I would have asked the person if they would like to go inside with me and I would buy them some staple foods (milk, eggs, beans, bread, fruit) to get them by until morning. If that person would have been agreeable to those conditions I would have delayed my arrival home by 15 minutes and would have been merciful as my Father is merciful. Had that person refused my overture and demanded cash I probably would have declined w/o pangs of conscience.

Perspective in Difficulty

Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Genesis 45. They had sold him into slavery, he had spent two years in prison for something he didn't do, and then by God's gracious work he became second in command in Egypt. As his brothers came to him for food during the famine they didn't know who he was. When he finally revealed himself it seems amazing to me that he was so gracious. His perspective is very instructive for each of us who have been mistreated, suffered injustice, had things turn out differently than we could ever imagine. In the middle of our confusion and disillusionment it is helpful to look at Joseph's conclusions. "...for God sent me before you to preserve life...God sent me before you to preserve forgo a remnant in the earth and to keep you alive by a great deliverance...Now it was not you who sent me here but God..." (Gen.45:5-8). Lord, help me keep your sovereign plan and mercy in mind at all times. When I can't see your hand and I don't understand help me to trust your heart.

Crisis of Conscience

I was recently made aware of an article by Al Mohler in which he quotes an abortion rights advocate who concedes that an abortion really does take a human life. Here is the link to the article. This is an important article for anyone who cares about the right to life, individual liberty and the Biblical call for believers to defend the helpless. http://www.albertmohler.com/2013/02/01/so-what-if-abortion-ends-a-life-rare-candor-from-the-culture-of-death/ With the "pro-choice" (a.k.a. pro-abortion) lobby recognizing that abortion does indeed take a life the focus of the discussion should then immediately turn to the question of morality, ethics, propriety--"Is it right to kill a baby in the womb?" If you read the article you will hear at least a partial rationalization justifying the grizzly practice of terminating life in the womb. For a Christian the logic and morality of such an argument does not hold up. For a citizen of the U.S. both the declaration of independence (All men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among them are LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) and the 14th Amendment come into play. If abortion takes a human life and as a Christian I realize that murder is the most grievous sin against God and that I am responsible for defending the innocent/helpless then there is nobody more helpless than an unborn child. Couple that with the Constitutional compulsion to preserve life and this brings me to a Crisis of Conscience. The new health care law (I cannot bring myself to refer to it as the "Affordable Health Care Act" because it is absolutely NOT affordable) through mandates from the secretary of HHS requires employers to provide health insurance coverage for all of their employees that includes contraception and abortion inducing drugs. This means that employers (many religiously based--Catholic Charities, Christian Universities, Hobby Lobby) will be forced to pay for services that are NOT essential to a person's medical condition and which ARE in violation of their conscience. I do realize that there are certain medical reasons for prescribing contraceptives and these usages are generally covered by insurance currently. This is an affront to their religious liberties and an egregious overstep on the part of the U.S. government. That is bad enough, but what most people seem to be unaware of is that every self-employed person or person for whom their employer does not provide company health insurance will be paying for health insurance that also includes contraception and abortion inducing drugs. If I provide my own insurance or go into one of the state "insurance exchanges" I (along with everyone else) will be paying for abortions through premiums and/or taxes. I tire of the semantics which try to disguise the fact that our tax dollars already go to provide for abortions (technically tax dollars cannot go directly for abortion, but practically they do). What is already happening will now increase--my premiums and tax dollars funding the murder of innocent life. This is NOT acceptable. This form of tyranny which forces me to violate my own conscience in order to obey the law is unacceptable and I'm simply grappling in my heart with what exactly to do about it. It is a dilemma that every Christian in America is now in--Obey the Law of the Land and You Violate your conscience which is committed to follow God's Commands. At this point I don't know what to do. I'm praying that somehow our religious liberties will be preserved but I'm also praying and seeking counsel as to how to proceed from here if things do not change. Steve

HATE EVIL

Paul admonished, "Abhor what is evil and cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9). I don't seem to have trouble identifying and becoming rather abhorrent with regard to evil I see in others, but I DON'T think that is the force of Paul's words. Do I abhor the evil resident in my own life...evil thoughts, evil words, evil schemes, blame-shifting, criticizing, manipulating? Do I recoil from evil in what I watch, listen to, and discuss? But the point is not merely to abhor and thus eliminate evil, but to counter that with something positive--"Cling to what is good." When I was being pulled down a gravel road on a sled behind a pickup as a boy I was clinging to my Flexible Flyer for dear life. I am asking myself if I cling to what is good with equal or greater resolve.

Starving our Ego

I was reminded this morning of how insatiable the human ego is. In Mark 10:32-34 Jesus told His disciples of the terrible injustice, mistreatment, and death that awaited Him. Without missing a beat James and John two of His closest disciples are found asking for the privilege of sitting in the most honored places with Jesus in Glory. What nerve! What insensitivity! What ego! Jesus quickly brought perspective by calling them and us to live differently than the world. We naturally want to be in the limelight and Jesus reveals that the way to win out over our ego is to starve it to death. "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all" (10:43-44). It is a challenge to find ways to be a servant, to do so in ways that are unnoticed but this is important in starving the self-serving ego within. It still amazes me that when opportunities for secret service present themselves I find my ego tempting me to pass them up. But there is one sure way to starve the pride and that is to pursue service. Read Mk.10:45. This is the example Jesus set for us.

A mind set on God's Interests

Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ was one of his "finest moments" yet it was followed by one of his worst. Jesus began to share how he would be delivered over to the authorities and killed and then rise again and Peter would have none of that talk. Jesus soundly rebuked Peter and among other things said, "...you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but on man's" (Mk.8:33). This made me stop and think how often it is that I am prone to set my mind on man's interests and not God's. When things don't go my way, life is difficult, hardships come, disappointment, economic woes, people disappoint, work is discouraging, people let me down, encouragement is scarce, and I don't perform as I want. Jesus went on to give us a hint as to just what He was talking about by mind set on God's interests in the next few verses. A life of sacrifice in service for Him. "If anyone wishes to come after me, let Him deny Himself, take up His cross and follow me"(Mk.8:34). A call to deny ourselves, to die to self and to follow Christ, to make Him Lord of all. To lose our lives--to sacrifice what we look to as a source of satisfaction--for Him will mean that we gain life. Lord, help me keep my mind focused on your interests today.

No Condemnation

Paul declared in Romans 8:1-2, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death." What a blessed privilege to be FREE from the power and penalty of sin. Not perfect mind you; Not free to live however I want; but free from sin's control, and free to chose to do what is right, not because of who I am, but because of what He's done, not because of what I've done, but because of who He is. Grateful to be pardoned through Christ's great sacrifice and wanting others to know that pardon, peace, and purpose as well. Later Paul reminds everyone who is trusting Christ as Savior that "If God is for us, then who can be against us" (Ro.8:31)--the verse Ray Lewis quoted last night after the Ravens won the super bowl. Paul went on to remind us that nothing will separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (8:38-39). Comforting words in a world where it is increasingly difficult to live our faith.

Who is this?

Ever been on a lake when the wind was blowing and the waves were choppy? The disciples--many seasoned fishermen--were freaked out by a severe storm (Mk.4). Jesus "rebuked the wind...and the wind died down and it became perfectly calm." That's amazing--"perfectly calm". The disciples response? "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him" (Mk.4:41). Jesus' exercise of divine authority is a comfort to me as I see a world in turmoil; wrong promoted as right and right vilified as wrong; the wicked seemingly prospering and the righteous suffering; so many chasing satisfaction in fame, fortune, and fancy stuff; class envy, greed, people proud of and rewarded for violating the law; politicians promoting their own selfish agenda under the guise of "concern for others"; and unrest throughout the world. I look to the one who is in charge, trust Him to lead the way forward, and pray that many others will turn to Him as well.