Connecting Points

Monday, May 09, 2011

Today’s Topic:  Saved and Safe!

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 43:2-3  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Someday.

That word defines our perspective most of the time. When we are young life is all about someday as we dream of what we will grow up to be. As adults we have lots of somedays.

• Someday I’ll meet the right person to marry.
• Someday I’ll get rich.
• Someday I’ll own a home.
• Etc. Etc. ad nauseum.

Some of our somedays have to do with the trials and tribulations of life.

• Someday I’ll get better.
• Someday I’ll change him/her.
• Someday I’ll get out of this mess.
• Etc. Etc. ad more nauseum

Don’t get me wrong – dreams are okay. Goals and ambitions are fine. But we tend to live in a wishful world of denial. We are always looking for the better that’s ahead when in reality the very best may be right here right now. In fact, where God is working in our lives right now is the most important place for us to be and to direct all of our attention and energy.

This is especially true in regards to our salvation. Yes, there is a futuristic reality to our salvation when Jesus returns to complete our redemption by completing His work of sanctification in our lives. We will be like Him when we see Him face to face. However, far too many of us are satisfied to live in that Someday when God wants us to see His saving and keeping power in our lives TODAY! We are missing the best this life can offer when we live for the someday instead of realizing that God has given us His best for today.

Constantly looking to Someday makes us self-dependant in the realities of today. When trouble comes, we have to fix it because Someday hasn’t arrived. When the circumstances of life, finances and relationships test us to the limits of our strength and resolve, we have nowhere else to go because we only believe in Someday. That’s not what God intended for us. If we are living that way we are living beneath our privilege.

Read these words of the Lord carefully –  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Do you see the Today in those promises? Not Someday, but Today when you are experiencing the torrents of tribulation or the flames of fear, the Lord you God is your Savior. WOW!!!!!!! The power of Christ’s resurrected life in you is a very present reality and not reserved for Someday.

So go ahead – live for today. That’s where God is doing His greatest work in your life. You can see it, know it, and experience it.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, May 06, 2011

Today’s Topic:  Redeemed!

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 43:1  But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

“I miss my mommy.”

That sentiment came through loud and clear yesterday as one of our grandkids sat on the couch at our house looking out the window. It was almost time for his daddy to pick him up but he wanted his mommy. Once daddy arrived he was fine, but he made a bee-line for the truck to get home as fast as he could. He wanted to be where she would be.

As kids we may not have analyzed the reasons why we loved mom so much, but we sure knew there was something special about her. As I’ve reflected on my mom over the last few days, one aspect of her character stands out to me, and I think it’s probably true of most moms. Moms have an incredible sense of balance. They know how to be tough when it’s called for, but they also know when it’s time to snuggle. They know how to give warnings and then follow them up with warmth. They know just how much fear of consequences to instill and at just the right time they bring the assurance needed to offer safety and security.

In that respect, mom was a great example of God’s heart. In the section of Isaiah we are studying God demonstrates this balance. He gives warnings and warmth. He is strict but He is sensitive.

All of this reminds me of a scene from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The children have arrived at the house of the beaver and they are talking about the winter conditions and when spring will ever come. The beaver informs them of Aslan the Lion. You see, Aslan is not just a lion, but he’s a great Lion. He’s the King of the Beasts, and the real ruler of Narnia. Then Susan asks the beavers, “Is he safe?” Mrs. Beaver says, “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” Lucy asks, “Then he isn’t safe?” And Mr. Beaver says this famous line about Aslan: “’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

There’s an old saying,

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

Aslan is the picture of God. He isn’t safe, but He is good. There’s balance. At the end of Isaiah 42 there is a strict warning about not paying attention to what God is doing. Then, at the height of their fear, God comes as their Comforter and provides them a security blanket. He says, “I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; YOU ARE MINE!” As they shook with fear because He is not safe, they were called by name and gathered into His arms in a heavenly snuggle and reassured of their value and status provided by the Redeemer who died on the cross for their sins.

God is so good at that. At just the right time, when all looks gloomy, He comes with His grace and reminds us that we are His. When worry brings wallowing God comes with wisdom because He knows our every need and cares for us. When we are trembling with fear He reminds us that death has no power over us because we are redeemed.

Whatever winter remains in your life today; whatever wrong continues to break your spirit; look for the Lion. Spring is coming when He returns to the throne of your heart. You are His…FOREVER!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Today’s Topic:  Pay Attention!

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 42:20  “You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.”

“Pay Attention.”

I cannot count how many times those two words rang out from the teacher’s lips while I was in school. It humbles me to admit that most of the time they were directed at me. I was an undiagnosed ADHD child. My eyes were open and I saw many things, but they were always flitting around trying to be a part of everything that was going on near me. My ears were one channel, hearing only what my eyes were focused on, which was usually not the teacher. Later my wife would coin the phrase “selective hearing.” Yet somehow, in the back of my mind, I heard everything she said, got all my work done, and hovered consistently around the top of my class. The brain is a fascinating creation of an infinite God and it amazes me.

As I observe the actions and attitudes of the general public, I am convinced that there is a rampant yet undiagnosed epidemic surging through the world. It is called Spiritual ADHD. It has been present in the world for many millenniums, but is now reaching an infectious rate never before seen in history. People look like they have their eyes open, but all they see is man’s activity. They appear to have their ears open, but all they hear is man’s voice. As I progress through these days I have heard the voice of God speaking clearly saying “Pay attention!” I’m pretty sure that the public is not listening.

In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 16, Jesus is approached by a group of religious leaders who had Spiritual ADHD. Here’s the story:

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.   ²He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’   ³and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

Even back in the days of our Lord’s ministry on earth He was trying to get people to pay attention. There were sufficient signs in the physical, cultural and political events of the day to uncover God’s purpose and plan as revealed in the prophecies of Scripture. The general public should have been able to see them and discern their meaning.

But before we go getting all high and mighty about ourselves and put these guys down, how many of us are spending sufficient time in Scripture to understand what God said about the days in which we live? And if we are, how many of us are paying attention to the signs of the times and adjusting our lives accordingly?

I believe that every event in these last days is an opportunity for us to hear God’s voice calling us to pay attention. He is calling us to become more and more active in the advancement of His kingdom and not the kingdoms of this world. Those who are paying attention are devoting more and more of their time and resources to the work of the Gospel. Priorities need to be adjusted so that our lifestyles reflect our commitment to the cause of Christ. Instead of changing our personal budgets so that God gets less we need to adjust our spending habits so that God gets more than ever. Otherwise we are not paying attention.

Look around. The fruit on the tree is getting ripe, The fields are already white unto harvest. Pray that the Lord will send forth workers into the harvest field, and pray that you will be one of them.

PAY ATTENTION!!!!!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Today’s Topic:  Never Forsaken

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 42:16   I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Thank you all for praying for me during this time of recovery from surgery. Your personal involvement in the ministry of encouragement is a great expression of your love for others which always results from one’s love for God. As the Apostle John puts it – “We cannot say that the love of the Father is in us if we do not love one another.”

Typically during a physical down time in my life I get very contemplative and emotional. For me, activity dulls the sensitivity to emotional need. That’s not a good thing, it’s just the reality I’ve chosen. Not a good choice. So when I am forced into inactivity, I get emotional. I really think it’s the rebound effect from always running on adrenaline. Also not a good thing.

Two things happen during those times: I become easily discouraged to the point of tears, and I become much more able to hear the voice of God. This sets up a huge spiritual battlefield in my mind. Satan gets a foothold in the mire of discouragement, while the Holy Spirit seeks to fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. Most of the time my human nature gravitates towards the muck rather than the magnificence of the Lord. The murkiness of circumstances darkens the majesty of the Master.

It hit me the hardest yesterday at an unexpected time. Following a wonderful grandparent’s after-school time with two of the kids, we stopped at the local Christian book store. Denise needed a card for her mom for Mother’s Day. I opened the door for her and followed her into the store. I made it four steps into the store and the tears started flowing. I don’t need to buy a Mother’s Day card. I walked over to where my wife was and almost told her I needed to leave. I composed myself by walking to the back of the store and avoiding the customers that were in that area. Then I distracted myself by shopping. By the time Denise was ready to go I was doing fine, or so I thought.

When we got in the car it overwhelmed me again. Denise handed me a tissue. I drove with blurred vision caused by watery eyes. Two things had happened with the previous two hours while I was with the grandchildren that had added potency to the Enemy’s arsenal of fiery darts – the first was some discouraging news about the ministry, and the second was a discouraging personal conversation with an individual. Satan used both of them to mount a full attack on my emotional need for affirmation.

You see, my mom was the single most influential person in my life when it came to showing me a living faith and to affirming my life in Christ. She gave me confidence. She showed me where my value came from. She helped me see the difference between being a person who bases their value on their abilities, performance, and preferences and one who finds their worth in Christ alone.  Then, in a single moment of loss coupled with two emotionally debilitating conversations, I felt forsaken. I felt alone. I felt completely unaffirmed.

I do not believe there is anything worse that we can ever experience than the sense of being forsaken. Jesus went through it on the cross when He became our sin for us and the Father turned His back. What a horrible experience it is to have the one who has previously supplied you with all of your worth and value as a person suddenly turn their back on you. It’s just as tragic when the person who was supposed to provide you with affirmation fails to do so. It’s even worse when we realize that we have been looking to someone or something other than God for those affirmations. Then we are completely alone.

Praise God that He never forsakes us! Oh how I needed that truth yesterday…and every day! God is in control of the ministry. God is in control of the selfish and stubborn actions and words of people. God is the one who affirms us. He will never forsake us. He will turn our darkness into light. He will guide us on unfamiliar paths. He will smooth out the rough roads. His majesty is mightier than the muck!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Today’s Topic:  Let the Water Flow

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 42:8   “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another.”

It’s been at least eight years.   A lot of crud can accumulate in that amount of time, and it had. I wouldn’t have thought about it except all of a sudden during a shower a couple of weeks ago the water just quit running. After about ten seconds it kicked back in again and pressure returned. At first I thought one of our house guests – Dudley – was playing a trick on me. Not so. That began the investigation into the cause.

We have a well at our rural home, so I went to the basement where the pressure tank is located. I began to check the pressure switch and discovered that it wasn’t working properly. I started making some adjustments. I would turn the set screws one way and then the other, trying to get them in just the right place so that the water would flow smoothly without interruption. I would get it to work for a few days, and then it would get messed up again.

Finally, after days of fighting with it I realized that the problem might be either a faulty switch or a plugged feed line to the switch. You see, water has to pass through the feed line under pressure to turn the switch on and off. If the feed line is plugged, the switch can’t work and the water won’t flow consistently. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner? Oh well, my need to fix what I have rather than replace it got the best of me.

Yesterday I decided to fix it once and for all, so off to the plumbing supply store I went to buy the parts. I got everything I could potentially need, plus used the opportunity to buy a couple of new tools. WooHoo! When I returned my wife and I filled some buckets with water in case we needed it, and then the fun started.

I shut off the power to the pump, disconnected the water conditioner and softener and moved them out of the way. I wondered how rusted in place the parts would be on the back of the pressure tank. I prayed a quick prayer that they would be easy to remove and replace. The first turn of the wrench on the pressure switch surprised me. Why? Hadn’t I just prayed? It came off easily, and not with a “snap” like sometimes. You men know what I mean.

When I turned the switch over and looked at it the feed pipe was almost totally clogged with gunk – oozing rusty crud. No wonder the switch would take forever to turn on and off – there was no way the switch could register the pressure readings. The pipe and switch both needed to be replaced, and while I was at it I put on a new pressure gauge as well. I had it all done and working in less than an hour. What a blessing. I stopped and thanked the Lord for making the job easy and for giving me the skills to accomplish it. He gets all the glory.

I wonder how many times I have done things and taken the credit for them? Probably a lot. You too I’ll bet. God doesn’t take kindly to that. When we take credit for what have done we have made ourselves into an idol that we worship. That may seem hard to stomach, but it’s the truth. We are our own god much of the time.

The problem with that is that it fills the feed line of our lives with crud – oozing rusty gunk called pride. We make all kinds of external adjustments trying to keep the water flowing smoothly, but every day something interrupts the flow and we get caught in the middle of a mess with no water. So we try to make more external adjustments when what is really needed is a clean feed line.

So let me ask you – How clean is the feed line through which the Living Water is supposed to flow into your life? Are you spending time every day in Scripture and prayer? Do you ask the Father for His direction and wisdom every day? Do you praise the Son for your forgiveness and eternal life every day? Do you depend upon the Holy Spirit to produce the character of Christ in you every day? Is the Water flowing?

One more thing – make sure God gets the glory for everything you do. Don’t be guilty of idol worship.

Pastor John

P.S. Pray for me tomorrow – I have surgery to remove my gall bladder. Thanks

Connecting Points

Friday, April 22, 2011

Today’s Topic:  Suffering Brings Freedom

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 42:6-7   “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

This morning while chatting on facebook with an unsaved friend, I was asked how I was. You know, the typical conversation starter. I said I was fantastic, and then said why – This is the day out of all human history that God chose to solve man’s sin problem.” The friend responded, “I thought this was the day the Easter bunny got his eggs ready for Sunday.”  It opened the door for a time of planting seeds of truth.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. That verse from Psalms directly refers to this day – the day that we traditionally celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. It was much more than a horrifying death at the hands of man: it was a substitutionary death at the hands of a loving God. Hard to comprehend, isn’t it? Love forcing suffering doesn’t make sense to our finite minds. But to those of us who are being saved by the blood of Jesus, it is the splendor of the Gospel. Unfortunately to the unsaved it is foolishness.

The payment of sin’s debt of death to a holy and righteous God is required from each one of us. We will either pay it ourselves or we will accept a payment already made and be debt-free. That payment was Jesus Christ who died on the cross. The payment was accepted and eternally validated when God raised Jesus from the dead and restored Him to His position of exalted honor on the throne of Heaven. That’s where those who accept His life in exchange for our own will meet Him and spend eternity with Him.

The suffering of Jesus brings us freedom. Blind eyes that cannot see God are opened when the light of God’s love is seen in Jesus. Bondage to sinful behaviors is broken when Jesus takes hold of our hand. Jesus became our sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him!

I know it is skipping way ahead in our study of Isaiah, but chapter fifty-three has incredible significance and meaning when understood as a prophecy of Christ’s death on the cross. Read it slowly and carefully, and let the impact of it bless you and send you into a time of rejoicing, for this is the day the Lord planned for us.

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.  Yet it was the LORD’S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.  After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Connecting Points

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Today’s Topic:  True Compassion

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 42:1-4  “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.  A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”

His earthly ministry is almost over. There are just a few more details to teach His disciples about what will be happening in the next few days and beyond. According to the traditional timeline, tonight Jesus will meet with His disciples in the upper room. The things He will tell them will deeply distress them. They will be confused and concerned for their own futures, let only their Lord’s. Each one will respond differently to the things they will hear in an attempt to cover their pain.

Peter will get very vocal and bold, refusing to have his feet washed and claiming that he will endure to the end and suffer death if need be. It was a cover-up for his pain to keep his assumed image intact.

They will all question the sincerity of their hearts and their commitment levels when Jesus announces that one of them will betray Him. They quickly have a meeting and elect John to ask Him who it is so they can hopefully ease their own minds.

When Jesus announces that He is leaving, and that they will join Him someday, Thomas reveals the confusion of all of them when he says that they don’t get it. Where are you going, and how do we get there?

Even after answering them and telling them that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that they could arrive at the Father’s home through Him, Philip asked to see the Father. How embarrassing to ask a question for which you should have already known the answer.

Imagine the pain they must have been experiencing. For three years they have followed Jesus based on some cultural and religious presuppositions. Every step of the way Jesus had gently addressed those assumptions and declared to them nuggets of truth that could have changed their perceptions. They didn’t understand. They still thought that the outcome was going to be the installation of a King on the throne of David and that they were going to get to be in the inner circle of leadership in the new Kingdom. Now it was beginning to dawn on the darkness of their minds that there was a different plan. It hurt to see the brightness of the light that began to shine.

Their hearts were wounded. They were bending severely under the weight of their misunderstanding. The fire of their enthusiasm was reduced to a mere smolder of smoke as they struggled with their own identity and worth.

But Jesus – the servant of God in whom He delights – does not cry out or raise His voice. He does not bend them further until they break. He does not extinguish what remains of their fire. Instead He says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^£ in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 

What comfort that was! What compassion was revealed! Jesus the encourager. Preparing Himself to suffer and die he reached out to help those who were hurting far less than Himself. They could not know the depth of their Lord’s pain, even if they were not so focused on their own. But that did not matter to Jesus. He reached out to them and lifted them out of their gloom and despair and gave them hope.

Take heart, my friend. Whatever it is in your life that is bending you to the breaking point or extinguishing all the fires of enthusiasm in your heart, Jesus will not break you or snuff you out. He will respond to your need with compassion and lift you out of your gloom and give you hope. Let Him adjust your perspective!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Today’s Topic:  Roller Coasters

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 41:28  I look but there is no one—no one among them to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them.

I don’t like the new ones. Some of the old ones that just went up and down were okay, but these new roller coasters scare me – you know – the ones that go upside down and swing you way out around curves hanging helplessly in space twenty stories above the ground. That’s not for me.

Lately life has been like one of those new roller coasters. There are moments of excitement as the buggy I’m in slowly comes up over the top of a huge hill and I see the incredible vision of all that is laid out before me. Then there’s the thrill of taking off down the hill towards it all. But invariably there is a sharp curve at the bottom of every hill that throws me off track and puts fear in my heart. The vision is blurred by the speed of the turn and change of direction. Occasionally things even get turned upside down and it all seems backwards as the buggy speeds away in the opposite direction of the vision I first saw. When do we get to the “coaster” part of this ride?

As I contemplate this analogy, one truth comes to my mind that stabilizes my thoughts – fear is the absence of trust. What I don’t like about roller coasters is that I’m not sure I can trust those little tiny wheels to hang on to that steel rail. I know they are clamped on, but when I’m hanging way out over the edge of a huge curve hurtling at break-neck speeds I’m not thinking about all the testing that went into those wheels and clamps, or the hundreds of times they have safely travelled this route before. My mind chooses to focus on what could go wrong, and I bet yours does too.

That’s the root of seeing life as a roller coaster ride – choosing to focus on the twists and turns rather than the God who designed them all to build our character and accomplish His purpose. God has been this way before. He has tested every aspect of our journey and determined that it is good and that is for our good. He is the one who can be trusted. My fear is the product of not trusting Him.

When life doesn’t make sense, where do you turn to try to figure it out? Like most of us, you probably turn to the counsel of people. The futility of that response is shown in Isaiah 41 where God speaks to the people and says: (read this carefully)

“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.  “Bring in your idols to tell us what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.  But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; he who chooses you is detestable. I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes—one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.  Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you. I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings. I look but there is no one—no one among them to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them. See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.

So when you’re hanging out over a curve, or screaming as the bottom drops out and you head down a steep slope, look up. God designed this roller coaster just for you, and He can be trusted to keep you safe.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, April 15, 2011 

Today’s Topic:  Thirsty?

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 41:17  “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

I remember a scene in an old movie that depicted a soldier struggling on his hands and knees to cross a desert. I don’t remember the movie or the actor, but I remember the incredible make-up job they did on the guy. His lips were swollen and blistered with sunburn, as was his face, except it was drawn in from dehydration. His tongue hung out of his mouth and was chalky dry. He needed water desperately. Even now I find myself licking my lips to see how dry I am.

This is the analogy God gives to Isaiah to demonstrate the depth of our spiritual thirst. I see it every day. I am encouraged to see that so many are looking for the Living Water because they have discovered that it is the only source of true satisfaction.

We live in a day when those of us who are over the age of fifty have the greatest potential for ministry to the younger generation. You see, they are truly thirsty. They have tried what the post-modern philosophy has taught them, and discovered that it doesn’t work. They attempted to accept anybody’s experience as truth for them, and have discovered a conflict deep in their souls that cannot be resolved. They are learning that relativism doesn’t work, and they want to know if there is a truth that endures the test of time. That’s where we old folks come in. We are the models to them of enduring truth, and they are watching us. They are even talking to us.

Our church is filled with young men and women who are turning to Jesus and standing on the truth. They are asking to be put into small groups with people of the older generations because, in one of their own words, “We have so much wisdom to learn from them.” Young families are coming to Jesus because they see grandmas and grandpas that are living joy-filled lives based on a personal relationship with Jesus. They see the heritage of faith being lived out in their children and now their grandchildren. They see the reality of faith and the real love for others that results.

This is our day to shine. The world is being driven to a crossroads, and when they arrive at the cross, they want to know which path to choose. We can show them. Don’t falter in your faith. Don’t withdraw from the public because of your age. Engage them. Encourage them. Enlighten them. You are the clay pitcher in the hands of the Potter and He has filled you with Living Water. Spill it onto those who are thirsty.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Today’s Topic: Who Gets the Credit?

Today’s Text: Isaiah 41:14 Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

If you have ever been to the central part of Wisconsin around the Dells, you have seen the massive rock formations that are there. The Wisconsin River was formed as a result of the Biblical flood and these rock cliffs are incredible, seemingly rising out of nowhere and towering above the landscape.

For a long time now that area has become a Midwestern tourist attraction. I remember as a young man with a family spending every Labor Day weekend with the kids and relatives at a campground near there and enjoying all the waterparks and recreation.

But one thing was missing – nice golf courses. Not anymore. Several fabulous golf courses have been built in recent years, along with massive resorts with indoor water parks for year-round recreation. Yesterday I got to experience one of those courses, and it was fantastic.

The course is beautiful, and how they built it fascinates me. Portions of the course are carved right out of the rock formations. Much of it meanders through grasslands on top of the rocks. Some of it squeezes through huge trees of a century-old forest. The machinery that must have been used to build it had to be huge. Dirt movers, tree haulers, and rock cutters all combining to create a recreational paradise for people like me.

Not only did the designers and builders do an incredible job, but the people who work there were fabulous also – friendly and models of servant hearts. But there’s more. I had made a promise to Dudley Donaldson, my good friend and missionary to Swaziland, that I would take him golfing before he went back to Africa. I said we would get in the car and drive as far south as we must to find a nice course open and ready for play. Well, one of Dudley’s relatives got wind of our plans, and completely paid for our entire day yesterday – unlimited golf with a cart on a fabulous golf course. We were both exhausted when we were done, but it was a great day.

So many people coming together to make this possible for us, but who really gets the credit? Well, I don’t know about anyone else, and I can’t speak on behalf of the people that did all the work and manage it now, but for me, to God be the glory great things He has done!

It is so tempting to take credit for our accomplishments. It is so easy to bask in the pleasure of our possessions and pursuits. It is so satisfying to be praised for what we do. We are so needy when it comes to our emotional health, and we have been deceived by the world and our own pride into believing that we deserve praise and that the praise will somehow heal our hearts.

When Israel was at one of its lowest points in history, and walking in fear because of the terrifying enemies all around, God told them not to be afraid. He told them to have a proper perspective of who they were, and it wasn’t very nice. God said they should see themselves as worms, and little ones at that. That doesn’t fly with today’s self-worth philosophies, does it? But humility to that degree is essential if we want to know God and see His work. Look at what God says:

“Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Every tool they needed to do their work was from God. Every enemy that was conquered was because God gave them strength and weapons. Every accomplishment of their own hands was never the result of their own hands, but the hand of God. In everything that they did they were to rejoice and give glory to God.

May that be true of us always. Glory to God for a day of golf!

Pastor John