Grace and Peace

In the Jacksonville Daily News of August 26, 2007, I found an intriguing article by Seth Borenstein (an Associated Press science writer) in the Visions section.  The title of the article was Artificial Life.  The lead-in for the article proclaimed, "Scientists around world in race to create artificial life; success likely in 3 to 10 years."  Forgive me, but I had to laugh.  The article reminded me of a joke I heard several years ago, but want to share with you today.

A certain bunch of scientists came to God one day.  They said, “Well, God, we’ve finally done it. We truly have no use for you anymore, because we have figured out how to make man out of the dirt, just like you did.”

God said, “Really? What do you say we have a man-making contest?”

The scientists said, “You’re on, let's do this thing.”

So one of the scientists bent over to grab some of the dirt, and God says, “Whoa, wait just a minute. You go make your own dirt.”

God is in a class of His own!

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 English Standard Version)

The movie, Antwone Fisher, is the true story of a young man abandoned at birth by his mother and raised in abusive foster homes, orphanages, and reform schools. After his 18th birthday, Antwone attempts to escape the horror of his past by joining the navy.  It is there his bitterness and anger surfaces and he becomes embroiled in a series of scuffles.  After several fights, he is considered a disciplinary problem and is ordered to undergo counseling.

Psychologist Jerome Davenport probes Fisher's past to find the root of his present difficulties.  After hearing Antwone's story, he encourages him to find his family in an attempt to promote healing.  After several phone calls, Fisher reaches one aunt and uncle in Cleveland.  He arranges a visit with them and they escort him to a dilapidated apartment complex where his mother lives.

Fisher's knock at her door is answered by a suspicious and aloof woman.  As she realizes that Antwone is the child she gave up at birth, she retreats to another room, sits down on a soiled and worn couch, and begins silently crying.  Antwone asks for an explanation as to why she gave him up and never sought him out.  She cannot answer. She simply stares ahead, not daring to look at him, while tears roll down her expressionless face.

He gently kisses her on the cheek as if to say, "I forgive you" and walks away devastated; feeling helpless and alone. His mother remains on the couch and stares at nothing; making no effort to reach out to him as he leaves.  A despondent son leaves the apartment with his questions unanswered and rides back to his aunt’s house with his uncle.

As he exits the car, his slow gait betrays the loneliness of a man with no hope of a meaningful connection to anyone. As Antwone enters the front door, however, his world changes.  He is met with a chorus of cheers from 50 plus relatives, all waiting to meet Fisher for the first time.  There are cousins, uncles, and family friends all greeting him with hugs, slaps on the back, and beaming smiles.  The hallway stairs are filled with kids holding up signs with his name scribbled next to crayola-sketched smiley faces and rainbows.  One cousin tells him his name is Edward and adds, "I’m named after your dad."  An older aunt squeezes his face in her hands, while Antwone, overwhelmed, tries to take it all in.

He is then led into the next room where a grand feast is spread across a long table.  The table is overflowing with chicken, mashed potatoes, pancakes, fruit salad, and many other dishes.  The room is prepared for a party in his honor.  For the first time in his life, Antwone is the center of attention and the focus of every one's affection.  You can see it in his face, as it slowly dawns on him, that for the first time he belongs...he is family.

Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12-13 ESV)

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery.

“Your Majesty,” said Prior Richard, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”

“I understand,” said Henry. “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.”

“Then I will tell you what to do,” said Prior Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.”

When King Henry died, the statement was written: “The King learned to rule by being obedient.”

When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a good marine or sailor or teacher or mother or father. Christ expects us to be faithful where he puts us.

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10b ESV)

I haven't given a book recommendation for a while, so I wanted to pass on this title by David Jeremiah, A Bend in the Road: Experiencing God When Your World Caves In.  It will encourage you with enduring comfort from the Psalms; articulated in such a way as to make the ancient words come alive for the 21 century.  I recommend this for you and as a gift for anyone you love that is going through a difficult season in their life.

A Jewish tradition, at the close of the Passover meal, has all the participants raise their cup and say, “Next year in Jerusalem!”  This is done because the hope of every devout Jew is to celebrate the Passover at least once in David’s city.

For Christians, the cup in the Lord’s Supper serves to remind us of two events (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).  First, we are called to look back to the cross where Jesus shed His blood for our sin.  Second, we are joyfully instructed to look forward to the Lord’s second coming.

As Christians, we live between those two world changing events.  While we remain here, we continue the practice of worshipping at the Lord's table.  But one day, there will be a final sharing of the bread and the cup on this side of eternity and then we will be in presence of Jesus.

Maybe when we next meet with brothers and sister in Christ at the Lord's table we should raise our cups in anticipation and say, “Next time with Christ!”

EVEN SO COME LORD JESUS

I read this at OneNewsNow.com:

Pentagon Generals in Hot Water for Helping Promote Christian Ministry

A Pentagon advisor and national defense analyst thinks it's hypocritical for the Pentagon to consider disciplinary action against four generals and three other officers for helping a Christian group in the production of a fundraising video. Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (U.S. Army - Ret.) says he knows Christian Embassy very well, having attended the group's Wednesday morning prayer sessions.

According to CNN, the Pentagon's inspector general has found that the seven officers engaged in misconduct three years ago when they appeared in a promotional video for an evangelical group called Christian Embassy, which was founded by Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ. Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (U.S. Army - Ret.) says he knows Christian Embassy very well, having attended the group's Wednesday morning prayer sessions.

Maginnis believes this investigation is a witch hunt pushed by a group that calls itself the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. "This is an ACLU-type hit on the Pentagon insisting that the inspector general conduct an investigation to get to the bottom of whether or not generals improperly used their influence with regard to a particular ministry," he says.

The retired Army officer senses a hypocritical nature in the Pentagon's reaction to the situation.

"There have been others in very senior positions, both in and out of uniform, who have gone to some of these Islamic centers and have bent over backwards to accommodate Islamists," he states, noting one such appearance by Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, who in early June joined in the dedication of a new Islamic prayer center at the Quantico Marine Corps Base.

"[A]s far as I'm concerned, [he was] giving tacit endorsement of Islam just by his presence and making a formal visit," says Maginnis. "And if he can't tolerate a few generals and admirals stating, because they're Christians, they think it's a good idea that you promote Bible studies and Christian speakers into the Pentagon, I find that hypocritical and certainly an unfortunate circumstance."

Maginnis says those same Pentagon officials would run away from any appearance at a church or Christian function.

I just thought you might want to hear something positive about this story.  In most news venues, things are slanted to give the worst possible view of Christians.  By the way, you may want to bookmark OneNewsNow.com as a source for information such as this. 

Personally, I like the idea of our military leaders praying and studying God's Word, besides Campus Crusade is a solid organization with an impeccable reputation.  Their military ministry section is being greatly used by God across the US and around the world.  Many young recruits coming from Parris Island have a new found faith in Christ due in part to Campus Crusade's commitment to take the Gospel to them.  Instead of reprimanding the generals and admirals, they should commend them.

I know that is an old line from Jackie Gleason, but it is also a great description of how good it was to be together with the church family today.  Each conversation, each song, and each time of prayer seemed especially meaningful to me today.  I don't think I am getting overly sentimental, but I love the people here.  I can't even imagine my life without them.  Yet, what God's people have together is not to be horded, but shared with the world around us.  That is real sweetness.  Taking the love of Jesus out of the sanctuary into the workplace  (school, home, etc.) and seeing it's transforming power add another brother or sister to the Kingdom.  The responsibility to go is ours.

Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours

Yours are the eyes through which he looks
compassion on this world

Yours are the feet with which
He walks to do good

Yours are the hands with which
He blesses all the world

Yours are the hands
Yours are the feet
Yours are the eyes
You are His body

Therese of Lisieux

I always loved the old Art Linkletter broadcast segment called, “Kids Say the Darnedest Things.”  Children will surprise you with their observations.  The following story from Cramerton Baptist Church is a case in point.

As they were getting ready to go to “big church,” the Sunday school teacher decided to prepare her class for the upcoming worship service.  So she asked one of her brightest students, four year old Holly, "Why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

Holly looked up and replied in complete sincerity, "Because people are sleeping."

Some occurrences may seem insignificant at the time, but have a profound influence on the rest of our life.  Architect Frank Lloyd Wright tells of one such incident that occurred the winter he was nine years old.

One blustery day, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no-nonsense uncle.  As the two reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him and turned him around to consider their tracks in the snow.  The uncle pointed out how his tracks were straight and true as an arrow’s flight and how Frank’s tracks meandered all over the field.

“Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again,” his uncle said.  “And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal.  There is an important lesson in that, boy.”

Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience had greatly contributed to his philosophy in life.  “After that day with my uncle, I determined right then not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had.”

In our “hurry-up” world that loves to take the most direct route and get there fast with no time wasted, we often miss some of the blessings of the journey.  Consider the life of Jesus, what if He hadn’t stopped by that well in Samaria , or looked up in the sycamore tree?  Two of the great stories of the Gospels would never have been written and two precious souls would have died in their sins.  What have you missed today?

And he had to pass through Samaria . So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink." (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria ?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)  Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." (John 4:4-10 ESV)