True Worshippers

The Apostle John records the event of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus asks her to draw water for him. This begins a dialogue about water, living water, the Messiah and what correct worship consists of. The woman asks about the place and the manner of worship. Jesus answers her not about the place and manner but about the heart of worship.

… true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24 NLT)

The idea that there are those who worship in ‘spirit and in truth’ exposes the reality that there are those who worship but not in ‘sprit and in truth.’ The ‘Father is looking for those who would worship Him in that way’ because there are those who would NOT worship in that way.

Thousands of years ago, King David declared: "How great You are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You. We have never even heard of another God like You! (2 Samuel 7:22 NLT)

That is worship in ‘spirit and truth.’ That is the kind of worship that the Father is looking for. Worship in ‘spirit and truth’ is worship that recognizes, affirms, proclaims and surrenders to the bigness of God. Worship in ‘spirit and truth’ is worship that recognizes, affirms, proclaims and lives in the reality of the smallness of man.

Bible teacher Louie Giglio puts worship in ‘spirit and truth’ in perspective with this statement:
God is looking for men and women who are willing to be small because they know how big he is---and understand who they are not!

Harry Fosdick writes: God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things done.

God is not a ‘cosmic bellboy.’ There is no one like Him. There is no one so awesome, so immense, so potent, so imaginative, so magnificent and so all encompassing. There is no one so caring, so involved, so loving and so sacrificing as the One who came to this earth to free mankind from the plague of sin, shame and death.

Father, teach us to worship in ‘spirit and truth.’ Amen

Spiritual Cholesterol

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)

We have been constantly reminded over the last decade about cholesterol. There are warnings about cholesterol numbers and getting cholesterol checked at physical time. We've heard about diet; the foods that raise cholesterol and foods that lower it. We have heard volumes about how exercise can lower the numbers.

When too much 'bad' cholesterol is circulating in the blood stream, it can clog the arteries and lead to significant impact, and ultimately lead to heart disease. There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, only symptoms caused by the damage it is doing to the body.

There are common emotional reactions that, if left unchecked, will act spiritually just like cholesterol and damage a person's spiritual circulatory system. Fear, sorrow, anger, hurt, worry are some of the common emotions that each of us experience. Theses emotions have beneficial uses. Life could be difficult and at times confusing without them.

When there is too much of these emotions, there can be clogging of the spiritual arteries. Too much of each of these can actually bring about emotional paralysis.

Solomon's advice to 'guard your heart above all else' was not about cholesterol. His admonition was about spiritual cholesterol. It was about guarding against emotions run amuck. His warning was about fear that becomes chronic, sorrow that becomes depression, unchecked anger that becomes rage, hurts that without forgiveness become bitterness, and worry that can become paranoia.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is 'high cholesterol' medicine. The Holy Spirit wants to grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control in us. These fruits combat high 'spiritual cholesterol.'

Holy Spirit, grow your fruit in us. Combat the high spiritual cholesterol in us that clogs our spiritual circulatory system. Amen.

Guard the constructive. Guard against the destructive.

People often think of the past as a less complicated, simpler way of life. Schedules were much less complicated, if they even existed at all. Economy was built on needs and bartering, not wants. Transportation was so simple, and yet difficult, at the same time. Moving around was so difficult that people for the most part simply didn’t travel. Technology as we know it - radio, TV, Internet and iEverything - just didn’t exist.

Almost 3000 years ago King Solomon wrote: Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 GW) Guard your heart from what? Not TV. Not the News. Not movies, Internet or iThings. None of that existed. So what was a person to guard from ‘more than anything else?’

Solomon was coaching his son to guard his heart from things that are much more rudimentary. He was coaching his son to guard his attitudes and thoughts. Attitudes and thoughts become driving forces in a person’s life. Attitudes and thoughts, over time either become constructive or destructive. They either build a person or they destroy a person. They either build relationships or they destroy relationships.

He was coaching people to guard against greed, lust, bitterness, anger, jealousy, cynicism and criticism. These attitudes become the driving force in life. He was also coaching people to guard integrity, honesty, humility, kindness, forgiveness, and gratefulness. Guard the constructive. Guard against the destructive.

Paul talked about attitudes in what is called ‘The Love Chapter.’ Here are the attitudes he writes about - Love is: kind, patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude, isn't selfish, quick tempered, doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do, love rejoices in the truth, is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. (1 Cor.13:4ff)

What constructive attitude do you need to guard today? What destructive attitude do you need to guard against today?

Guard Your Heart

More is known about the human heart today than during any other time period in history. There may be more that has been discovered about the heart in the last 50 years than was known in all of the other centuries combined!

Doctors and researchers know how the heart functions, what clogs the heart up, what medicines can be used to help a heart that is beating irregularly, how to hook up a pacemaker that keeps the heart beating at the correct rate, how to install an internal defibrillator to restart the heart instantly when something goes wrong, how to do by-pass surgery and heart transplants. Is there anything that medical science can’t do for the human heart? Yes!

All of the procedures mentioned above have complications and side effects. Most of the procedures require constant monitoring, tweaking and follow-up. They are not permanent solutions. Transplant recipients are relegated to a life on immunosuppressive drugs to keep their body from rejecting the transplant.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a person’s spiritual, emotional and psychological heart could be fixed in the same way? Life would be so different if we could take a pill, have a bypass or have a transplant. If solving ‘heart problems’ happened that simply, we would never have to ‘guard our hearts.’

Solomon wrote: Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)
The Message Bible says it this way: Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.

How many times have we heard that we need to watch what we eat, watch our salt intake, exercise, etc? All of these have a direct impact on the heart. Medical Science would say: Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life!

Guard your heart above all else! Guard what your heart thinks about, the assumptions it makes, what is allowed access, what your heart feels, judgments that are made, worries, perceptions, etc. The list could literally go on and on. Guard your heart above all else – your life depends on it!

Wise People Put Into Practice Jesus' Words

If people were asked: Do you want to be wise? Most people would say something like: Of course! Who doesn't want to be wise?

Almost no one would choose to be a fool or live foolishly. Foolishness is not a desired quality. Jesus taught about wise and foolish people. He said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, 25 NIV)

Everyone who hears these words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. Wise in this situation is not just hearing the words – you must ‘put them into practice.'

Everyone who hears His words and doesn't 'put them into practice' is like 'the foolish man who built his house on sand.'

The wisdom isn't in the hearing or knowing, the wisdom is in the 'putting into practice.' The problem is, as people, we are pretty good about hearing but we are not so good about 'putting into practice.'

Right from the very beginning of the human race Adam and Eve heard BUT they couldn't 'put into practice.' People have been following the path just like the foolish man.

Jesus, teach us to be people who hear AND who 'put into practice.' Amen

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

I was recently reading an interview of the author of the Message Bible, Eugene Peterson. In the interview he was asked questions about living the Christian life. One of his answers was very profound.

He described the Christian life as “a long obedience.” He has also described following Jesus as “a long obedience in the same direction.” That is a great explanation and description of what it means to follow Jesus.

‘A long obedience in the same direction.’ Following Jesus is not a one time commitment. It is not raising my hand and responding to a prayer at a church service, concert or Christian event. Following Jesus is a way of life. It is an obedient way of life. It is a minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month and year by year obedience in the same direction.

Three hundred years ago Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, wrote about giving care to the minutes of life and not just the years of life. He wrote: “I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.” Minute by minute obedience in the same direction.

A few years ago Mother Teresa wrote similar words regarding giving care to the small things in life. She said:
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” Faithfulness in the small things of life in the same direction.

It is easier to say and to talk about than to live! As we each seek to navigate living as followers of Jesus in a very conflicted and complicated world, it is difficult to continue to keep these ideas in mind and to practice.

In the middle of the confusion and frustration that seems to be part of the package of life, some throw up their arms and conclude that how life is lived really doesn’t matter. The conclusion is that sincerity is what really matters in life. Sincerity takes care of everything else in life. You just have to be sincere.

Sincerity plays a part but it is only a part. Following Jesus is ‘a long obedience in the same direction’ and ‘taking care of minutes’ and ‘faithfulness in the small things.’

Reinforce Your Marriage

I don’t have to explain to any of you the pressures that people are under in our world today. There is pressure from the stateside circumstances that we are all living under, and the entire world is feeling pressure from the economic and political climate of the countries of the world. Some of the pressure comes from conflict in the Middle East and North Africa or the economic pressures from what is happening in Greece, England and other corners of the European continent. Some of the pressure comes from the economy, inflation, unemployment, the decrease in housing values, the roller coaster of the stock market, and the political landscape pressures of what is happening in our country, state, county and tip of the Island.

Physical pressure bearing down on an object, over time, reveals the areas of weakness in that object. In the same way physical, emotional, psychological, economic, and mental pressures that a person is under will, over time, reveal weaknesses in a person’s life and relationships.

When people are under the pressure they find themselves in today, ‘something has to give.’ Unfortunately the area that begins to fracture and, even worse, explode or implode is the relationship of married people. The pressure will take its toll in the area that is weak and the areas that need to be reinforced, but have been neglected.

People in our church, in our community and around the Island are experiencing the fracturing in their lives.

The Elders of SWAG have been praying and planning for a few months about these pressures and the fracturing that is occurring. We have a strategy to address some of the areas that need to be ‘reinforced’ in people’s personal lives and relationships.

Here is the basic information of two free training and reinforcement events that will be happening on the SWAG campus. Complimentary meals and childcare will be provided. The times will be fun, challenging, stretching, and will reinforce needed areas in each of our marriages. I hope to see you here.

Securing Your Marriage: Friday, Sept. 30th, 6:30–9:00 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 1st, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m..

Storm-Proofing Your Marriage: Sunday Evenings, Oct. 9, 16, 23 & 30. 5:00–7:00 p.m..

You will find more information online at www.swag-online.org. Registration is required and can be done online or by calling South Whidbey Assembly at 360-221-1656.

National Conscience

Woven throughout Scripture is the theme of CONSCIENCE. The Bible talks about David’s conscience being bothered. It also talks about having a clear conscience, a good conscience, an evil conscience, a seared conscience, a corrupt conscience, a weak conscience and someone being conscience stricken.

What is the conscience? Conscience has been defined as: The sense of right and wrong that governs a person's thoughts and actions. The English word conscience comes finds its roots in the idea of being conscious of what will happen or conscious of guilt. Conscience is derived from: ‘con’ = with + ‘science’ = knowledge or with knowledge.

The conscience, when it is working correctly, is like the screeching of car wheels when the brakes are worn out or the indicator light that comes on to tell you better get gas, the buzzer that tells you your seat belt is not connected, the chirp of the smoke detector that beeps to tell you that the battery needs changed or the warning pop-up that says you are about to open a virus infected email or website.

People have a conscience. They can bury it, change it, sear it or disable it but it is still there. One aspect of a follower of Jesus is the reactivation and continual recalibrating of the conscience that happens.

Benjamin Franklin said: “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”

Not only do people have a conscience but groups and nations have a conscience. That conscience can be continually renewed and re-calibrated or it can be calloused over and ultimately seared.

Our first President George Washington said: “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.” In recent times we have not done that. As a people we have not labored to keep alive the spark of celestial fire.

Social and political commentator Will Rogers said: “People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide.”

What will it take to renew our national conscience? What will it take to recalibrate what has been confused and lost?

Bob the Bull

We bought another bull! This is our third bull! I said to someone that we were starting a herd. They responded that we can’t start a herd with bulls and you can’t start a herd when the bulls are turned into hamburger.

If you are new or if it slipped by you let me help you understand. In the last year we have had the opportunity as a church family to purchase a couple of bulls and have them butchered. The meat was given to the Good Cheer Food Bank. The food bank has gotten about 2500 lbs of hamburger so far. This is a huge help to them in this season in our community when they are serving close to 1000 families a month.

A couple of weeks ago we received a call about another bull that was for sale. This bull is by far the biggest of the three. His name is Bob and he weighs in at 3000 lbs. The food bank will receive another 2000 lbs of hamburger and soup bones. This will feed families in a significant way.

You have done this: You who have given to SWAG, you who worked at last year at the fair and you who worked at this year at the fair. You have done what Jesus said: “Whenever you give to the least of these you have given to me and whenever you have fed the hungry you have given to me!”

One of the key verses that have guided decisions for us over the years is found in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. The word of the Lord given to Jeremiah was: Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7 NLT)

We are part of this community called to work for the peace and the prosperity of Whidbey Island. We are to pray for this community. The welfare of this community will determine our welfare.

Thanks for working and giving so that God can work in this community!

Early Christians were called Atheists

Something I have found interesting over the years is the way that words change in usage. The list might include: hot, bad, rad, cool, far-out, wicked … the list is almost endless.

A word that has changed is ‘awful.’ Historically and etymologically, ‘awful,’ meant ‘full of awe.’ When someone said something was awful, they meant that it was full of awe; it was wonderful, delightful, and amazing. Over time the word has evolved to mean exactly the opposite. Isn’t that awful?

It is interesting that early Christians were referred to as atheist. In the Roman world of the early church years the emperor was believed to be ‘a god’ and there were literally hundreds of ‘gods.’ The early Christians rejected, and didn’t believe in, the emperor as god and they rejected the pantheon of gods. They were, therefore, referred to as atheist. A pagan Roman citizen might have referred to a disciple of Jesus by saying: He’s an atheist.

This, of course, is totally different than how the word is used today. An ‘atheist’ is someone who believes or is convinced there is no such thing as God or gods or anything outside the material realm. An atheist and a Christian are on opposite ends when it comes to anything that might smack of a belief in a god or a higher power.

The early Christians didn’t just reject the emperor god or the pantheon of gods. They rejected anything that had got in the way of, or was opposed to, a life that honored God through living for the resurrected Jesus. If it meant a loss of livelihood, shelter, food, acceptance and even life – they were not going to capitulate and were proud to be called ‘atheist.’ They were proud to reject anything that hindered them in the service of Jesus.

I have to ask myself: Is there anything that I am allowing to hinder me in my service of Jesus?
What about you?