FACING LIFE’S STORMS

"We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living." (Romans 14:7-9 NRSV)

The question came from a fellow soldier after our combat unit had moved into a field in the hedgerow section of Normandy, France, during World War II. "How come you are a Christian?" he asked me.  I answered him the best way I knew at the time.  I said, "A person would have to be really dumb not to be a Christian, for you live better and you die better."

I don't remember if my answer satisfied him or not.  But now, after having lived about 85 years, I can reaffirm that same simple answer.  I am convinced that people of faith do live and die better, for they are able to face life's storms with greater peace than those who walk without faith that God is walking beside them.  As we live and as we die, people of faith have assurance of God's presence with them.

-- Jack G. Ammon in the “The Upper Room Daily Devotional” -- E-mail Edition, April 25, 2007, (c) 2007 by The Upper Room.

#6177

A LOVING FATHER

“I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: ‘Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making His home with men and women! They’re His people, He’s their God.’” (Revelation 21:3 MSG) The narrator makes the same point four times in four consecutive phrases:

          “God has moved into the neighborhood”
          “making His home with men and women!”
          “They’re His people,”
          “He’s their God.”

The announcement comes with the energy of a six-year-old declaring the arrival of his father from a long trip. “Daddy’s home! He’s here! Mom, he’s back!” One statement won’t suffice. This is big news worthy of repetition. We shall finally see God face-to-face. “They will see His face” (Revelation 22:4).

Let this sink in. You will see the face of God. You will look into the eyes of the One who has always seen; you will behold the mouth that commands history. And if there is anything more amazing than the moment you see His face, it’s the moment He touches yours. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4).

God will touch your tears. Not flex His muscles or show off His power. Lesser kings would strut their stallions or give a victory speech. Not God. He prefers to rub a thumb across your cheek as if to say, “There, there, my child, no more tears.”

Isn’t that what a loving father does? 

-- Max Lucado in “God’s Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours” 

#6169

A NEW IDENTITY IN CHRIST

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

Jesus invited Peter and his brother, Andrew, to forsake their business in order to string along with Him, and “immediately they left their nets and followed Him“ (Matthew 4:18-20). Soon Jesus called two other brothers to follow Him. “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:22). The Gospel writers reveal a sense of immediacy accompanying Jesus’ call. They recognize a sense of timing. Jesus’ call in our lives is both immediate and timely.

Not only does Jesus call us to join ranks with Him; He also names us. In recruiting Peter, Jesus said to him, “You are Simon… you are to be called… Peter” (John 1:42). Gospel vignettes remind us that we must name Jesus for ourselves. Nathaniel named Jesus “the Son of God… the King of Israel” (John 1:49). In the early chapter of the Gospels, so many people are naming and being named. We too might allow Jesus to name us, to tell us who we really are. Naming someone defines the person, allows the person to take on an entirely new identity. When Jesus lays claim upon our lives, we are given a new name…

When John’s disciples broke ranks to follow after Jesus, He asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They responded, “Where do you live?” Jesus asked who, they responded where. Their spirituality was uninformed. They looked for grace in “things and places.” Jesus offered them grace in a living, loving relationship. Jesus still asks the “who” questions – not merely “what.” “What are you doing?” is a doing question with a doing reply: I am a teacher, a machinist, a physician, and so forth. But “who” you are invites a being response. “Who” inquires into the soul of us. Who are you? What name has Jesus given you? What name have you given Jesus? 

-- Norman Shawchuck in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#6088

THE RISEN CHRIST IS WITH US – Part 1 of 2

“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”  (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)

At this very moment when I write and at the very moment when you read these words, you and I are in the presence of the living Christ. To remember this truth is to be shaped constantly by the presence of God in Christ in our lives. We often forget this central truth of the Christian faith, and when we do [forget], we are easily overcome by the troubles of the world.

For me, what I write will pass before the eyes of the One about whom I write. As I write, I hope that my ordinary capacity will be energized, directed, and used by the One who gives me life and has called me to this ministry. If I allow myself to think that this ministry… is all up to me, I risk feelings from despair to arrogance. However, if I remember that I am not alone, but think, work, and live in the presence of the living Christ, I remain hopeful that even the most simple and ordinary task carried out in that presence and with the assistance of Jesus Christ is sacred, meaningful, and useful.

For you, what you read comes not from the word processor of someone full of years and short of energy or imagination. For these words are now read and heard in the presence of Jesus Christ who is able to use the most simple and ordinary words and events to enlighten, comfort, heal, and direct the seeking heart. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#5832

ABIDING IN CHRIST’S LOVE

Accept this invitation of Jesus: “Abide in My love.”  (John 15:9 NASB)

When you abide somewhere, you live there. You don’t pull in the driveway and ask, “Where is the garage?” You don’t consult a blueprint to find the kitchen. To abide is to be at home.

To abide in Christ’s love is to make His love your home. Not a roadside park or hotel you occasionally visit, but your preferred dwelling. You rest in Him. Eat in Him. When thunder claps, you step beneath His roof. His walls secure you from the winds. His fireplace warms you from the winters of life. As John urged, “We take up permanent residence in a life of love.” (1 John 4:16 MSG)  You abandon the old house of false love and move into His home of real love. 

-- Max Lucado in “Come Thirsty: No Heart Too Dry for His Touch”

#5676

RACING AGAINST THE DARKNESS

[Former NFL great] Deion Sanders grew up across the street from a huge cemetery. He often played at the school or a park until dark, and then had the unfortunate need to walk home past the graveyard in the dark. He had a plan. He would stand at the edge of the graveyard and wait until a car approached heading toward his house. He would run as fast as he could alongside the car, trying to keep up with the lights until he got to his front porch. Deion says, "That's how I got my speed. Racing against the darkness." That's a good image for Christian living: racing against the darkness. The Scriptures tell us that's our main competition. We contend not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers of darkness. We race against the darkness of poverty when we feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. We race against the darkness of spiritual death when we witness [to the light of Jesus Christ].

-- Rev. Clark Williams in “Challenge to Evangelism Today” Newsletter

#5444

CHRIST LIVING IN US

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:19b-20 NRSV)

The great difference between present-day Christianity and that of which we read in these letters (New Testament Epistles) is that to us it is primarily a performance; to them, it is a real experience. We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code or, at best, a rule of heart and life. To these men it is quite plainly the invasion of their lives by a new quality of life altogether. They do not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them. 

-- J.B Phillips in his introduction to “Letters to Young Churches”

#5372

LIVING IN CHRIST

“I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not ‘mine,’ but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.”  (Galatians 2:20 The Message”)

All growth in the spiritual life is connected with the clearer insight into what Jesus is to us. The more I realize that Christ must be all to me and in me, that all in Christ is indeed for me, the more I learn to live the real life of faith, which, dying to self, lives wholly in Christ. The Christian life is no longer the vain struggle to live right, but resting in Christ and finding strength in Him as our life, to fight the fight and gain victory of faith. 

-- Andrew Murray in “With Christ in the School of Prayer”

#5361

THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2 NLT)

The goal of the Christian life is not knowledge, comprehending a bunch of theology, or memorizing large chunks of the Bible. Following Christ is also not about activity, signing up to serve ceaselessly at church, or tackling a daily “to do” list for God. Christ’s ultimate desire for each of us is to make us like Himself. Once we become God’s children by faith in Christ (John 1:12-13) -- once we receive a brand-new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) -- He wants to utterly transform, from the inside out, the way we think and talk and act. He does this primarily by the truth in His Word, by the power of the Spirit, and with the encouragement of His people. Life is His laboratory for remaking us into the people He originally envisioned, before sin plunged the world into darkness and ruin. Take heart, Christian, Christ is being formed in you! 

-- from “Life Lessons with Max Lucado - Book of Galatians: Free in Christ”

#4855

THE SECRET TO LASTING JOY - Part 1

Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you.”  (John 15:4a NKJV)

The verb “abide” in Greek… means “to take up permanent residence, to settle in, rest.” To abide in Christ means to stop trying to earn His acceptance or to work to justify our right to be His person. We are to relax and receive His grace. That becomes very practical in dealing with our problems. Each day’s problems become opportunities to trust Him and receive renewed grace. We do not need to be strong, clever, or resourceful to abide. Instead, we are to abandon ourselves to Christ, trusting Him with our problems, and accept His assurance that He will assume responsibility for us and our problems.

I like the way J. C. Ryle [in his “Expository Thoughts on the Bible”] interpreted the meaning of Jesus’ command to abide in Him: “Abide in Me. Cling to Me. Stick fast to Me. Live the life of close and immediate communion with Me. Get nearer and nearer to Me. Roll every burden on Me. Cast your whole weight on Me. Never let go your hold on Me for a moment. Be as it were rooted and planted in Me. Do this, and I will never fail you.”

-- Lloyd J. Ogilvie in “If God Cares, Why Do I Still Have Problems”


#4680

AFFECTING EVERYDAY DECISIONS

“Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  (Colossians 3:17 NLT)

Spirituality encompasses all of life. It is not something that belongs in a special compartment, separated from the rest of life -- work, school, family, and so on. Instead, one's beliefs, values, and actions should compose a single fabric. Spirituality has to do with one's basic sense of what life is all about. If life is more than just a futile exercise that leads to death and decay in the grave, then faith in God must affect everyday decisions and, most important, relationships.

-- Craig Kennet Miller in “Encounters with Jesus”


#4647

KEEPING OUR MIND STAYED ON JESUS

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  (Isaiah 26:3 ESV)

There is no ongoing peace apart from keeping our mind stayed on Jesus.

…There are times when we feel an absence of peace. A subtle franticness sets in and we become uneasy, uncertain, unproductive. We lose our sense of centeredness; sometimes a cloud of depression will hover over us. Sometimes this gloom and absence of peace is short-lived. Sometimes it’s for a day, a week, [a season.]

The time is determined by how long it takes us to realize we have taken our eyes off Jesus. Our minds are not stayed on Christ. When we discover what priority has replaced Christ as the priority in our lives, then through prayer and commitment, we recover peace.

This is the way to cultivate the certainty of God’s presence, and thus receive the byproduct of peace -- keeping our minds stayed on Jesus.

-- Maxie Dunnam and Kimberly Dunnam Reisman in “The Workbook on Virtues & the Fruit of the Spirit”

#4355

NO HIGHER CALLING

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20 NLT)

“I have come to see clearly that life is more than self. It is more than doing what I want, striving for what will benefit me, dreaming of all I can be. Life is all about my relationship with God. There is no higher calling, no loftier dream, and no greater goal than to live, breathe, and be poured out for Jesus Christ." (Jamie in Brother Andrew's "The Calling”)

-- Brother Andrew in “The Narrow Road: Stories of Those Who Walk This Road Together”

#4347

THE THOUSAND-PIECE PUZZLE

Why am I a thousand-piece puzzle when everyone else is already put together?… Who am I now? Who am I, now that my loved one has died? …

All I seem to see are the scattered pieces of my life cast before me on the card table, waiting for me to pick them up and make the picture. But what picture do all these pieces form? I used to think I knew. I used to know who I was and where I was going and how I was going to get there. But now… I can't even remember where the puzzle begins and I end….

Am I still a mother if there is no child to tuck in at night? Am I still a dad if there is no one to loan the car keys to? Am I still a wife if there is no one to snuggle up to in my bed? Am I still a husband if there is no one waiting at home for me at the end of the day? Am I still a sister or brother if there is no one to tease? Am I still a child if my parent has died? Am I still a human being, capable of loving and being loved, if the one person I loved more than anything has become frozen in time? Who am I now that my loved one has died?…

Keep turning the puzzle pieces over. But don't keep trying to put them back into the same picture. That picture is gone. There is a new picture to be made of those scattered pieces. Search for that scene. Search for the new you... search for the new person you are becoming…

There is joy in living… if we allow time… to reassemble the thousand-piece puzzle.

-- Darcie D. Sims in TCF Salt Lake City January/February 2001 Newsletter


#4254

MISSING THE MARK

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,...” (Romans 3:23 NIV)

Bob Harbick once noted that “Sin… blinds and deafens the human heart from ever enjoying the incredible goodness of Jesus Christ… Sin is defined as missing the mark of Jesus Christ. It is the process of taking careful aim with our lives, releasing our arrow of life and having it fall woefully short of the target that Jesus has established for you and me to live. Sin is broken fellowship with the King of kings and Lord of lords. It separates us from enjoying all that He had intended for our lives.”

What is happening in the world today is that instead of acknowledging our sin -- that we are missing the mark -- and turning to Christ our Savior, we are lowering the target to where our arrow falls and exclaiming “Bullseye!”

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson


#4216

GOD IS AT WORK IN YOU

"For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

God is at work in you is an explosive, earth-shaking, and life-changing truth. … At this very moment, whoever and wherever you are, something beyond our full comprehension is taking place within your life and mine. The infinite God of love has chosen to become resident within you and to work within you for pure good. Since God is pure goodness and has no ulterior motives, we can trust, embrace, and cooperate with the divine work going on within us and every child of God. Once we accept this truth and fully embrace this Divine Presence within us, many other things become clear and possible. We can listen to and follow the guidance of the One who made us, loves us, and is able to lead us in the way of God. We can hear and respond to the Divine call to communion and community with the present and living God. We can hear and respond to the call to faithfulness and service because we are no longer on our own, but the power and the presence of the God at work within us is ready, available, and capable to form, transform and shape us into the beautiful, faithful, and good persons we were created to become. We can now walk through each day without fear because we remember that we do not walk alone but always with the companionship and help of the One who is now at work within us. Let’s remember and remind each other often of this radical and revolutionary truth.

-- Reuben P. Job in When You Pray

#3974

LIVING AND DYING

"While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord." (Hebrews 14:8 NLT)

The more I look at death's ugly face, and the more I confront my own mortality, the more I will know how to help others who are in pain because of death.  And the more I will know how to live…

Jesus offers us hope, peace, comfort and grace as we face our own death.  We can also offer these gifts as we walk through death with others.  God has told us that yes, we need to grieve, but not like those who are without hope.  In Scripture He has given us models of those who have lost their children, and of elderly people who have died with dignity because of God in their lives. And finally He has shown that, when Christ is the center of our lives, it really doesn't make a lot of difference whether we live or die. It does make a difference that we glorify God in either.

-- Phyllis J. Le Peau in Caring for People in Grief

#3947

A LIVING HOUSE

"I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me."  (Galatians 2:20)

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you know that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of -- throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself!

-- C.S. Lewis in Counting the Cost

#3873

A NEW WAY OF LIVING

“But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”” (Galatians 4:4-6 NLT)

The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life, but a new way of living it.

-- Frederick Buechner

#3791

COMMUNION WITH CHRIST

"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!"  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

The primitive Christians were accustomed to speak, in a language which was older than Christianity, of being "in the Spirit" -- as though Spirit were an ethereal atmosphere surrounding the soul, and breathed in as the body breathes in the air.  Paul, too, used this expression, but he placed alongside it a parallel form of words, "in Christ" or "in Christ Jesus".  Where we find these words used we are being reminded of the intimate union with Christ which makes the Christian life an eternal life lived in the midst of time.  The deeper shade of meaning would often be conveyed to our minds if we translated the phrase "in communion with Christ". But, Paul's Christ mysticism is saved from the introverted individualism of many forms of mysticism by his insistence that communion with Christ is also communion with all who are Christ's.


-- C. Harold Dodd in The Meaning of Paul for Today

#3776