Tag: Angels

Today’s Word Is HOSPITALITY

Wed-Apr-15-2020

“The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.” – N. D. Kalu (former NFL defensive lineman)

Several years ago, we bought a new home that suited our desires better. One thing we wanted to do was to entertain guests more often. Previously we had an open space on the main floor where a few people could hang out. Then there was a finished basement downstairs with another den. Now we have a one-level space with a larger gathering area.

The sale of the old and purchase of the new has a God-story in it. We understand that this is not “our” house … it belongs to God, as do all our possessions, along with ourselves. Thus, we are now able to  use our home for larger family gatherings and for entertaining more friends. A playroom next to the great room was part of the design to bless our grandkids, as well as the children of our visitors.

All of this is because we believe that the principle of hospitality is central to our Christian faith. We have hosted several people who have stayed with us a night or two or more in our new home. One had an apartment emergency and needed a place to stay temporarily. Another came as a guest after being incarcerated, and upon release needed temporary housing.

And we didn’t just start this recently. In many of our homes we have housed our parents, family members, and others for extended stays. But, of course, you should do hospitality your way. It doesn’t have to be large groups or extended stays. Maybe it is another couple for dinner, or a few friends occasionally, or even a weekly Bible study. All of this “social distancing” because of the Corona Virus has made us miss having guests. My wife and I can’t wait to get back to hosting friends and family.

If you are like us, then at some point along the way you will have to face your adversity to being inconvenienced, and finally submit to God’s little tests to see if you are willing to drop your selfishness, pride, and affinity to comfort in exchange for the chance to make a difference in someone else’s life. You will eventually forget most of your dislike for being inconvenienced and think more about the joy of serving others.

This is what it takes to have an attitude of hospitality. And leaving a legacy of hospitality will inspire others to do the same.

“Be sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2 CEV)

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is ANGELS

Mon-Feb-10-2020

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:1-4)

When I was going to seminary at Emory University in Atlanta, I had a scary moment that I will never forget. I was traveling on Piedmont Avenue near downtown after midnight, returning home from an event. There were no other cars around at that moment, and I was leery of being in this area at such an hour.

Then, a terrible thing happened. My car’s lights went out, the engine shut down, and I coasted to a stop. The car would not restart. I got out and looked around, having no idea what to do next. There were no cell phones at that time, no nearby phone booth. I raised the hood but saw nothing unusual, based on my limited mechanical ability. I was helpless. Immediately, in the distance an old pickup truck appeared, heading in my direction. I didn’t know whether to be afraid or thankful. Should I wave for help, or get back in the car?

No matter, the truck pulled up behind me and an older fellow in what looked like mechanic’s work clothes got out and approached. “Need some help?” he asked. “Well yes, my car just quit. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

He went to the front of the car, looked under the hood, loosened the battery holder, lifted the battery and showed me a broken wire. (That was fast, I thought.) He said, “These Chevy Camaros have a problem where the tiny ground wire gets under the battery and it wears in two!” Lifting up the two frazzled ends of the wire, he said, “Look here!” He pulled out pliers, spliced and taped it back together, and said, “Now start her up!”

Once back in the car, I put the key in the ignition, and it fired right up! I looked out my window to see the old pickup already heading down the street. I didn’t even get the chance to say thank you.

Now, what’s your opinion? Was that a coincidence … that a truck with a mechanic in it, who knew about the particular and unusual problem of this car,  who had the tool and tape in his pocket to fix it, who drove away before I realized he was leaving, and all this after midnight? There is no doubt in my mind that he was an angel God sent to help me.

I know we call kind people an “angel” sometimes, and that is OK, but I hope you understand that humans are not angels. They are two different beings. Having read sometime before this incident a book by Billy Graham called Angels: God’s Secret Agents, the experience I had was very similar to the many stories in that book. So, when this event comes to my mind, even now, I remember that God sent me one of his angels. It is a reminder of the reality of God and his watch care over me. It renews my spirit and my conviction that God is always with me. Whenever I have doubts or difficult moments, remembering this event wipes the doubts away.

Psalm 91 will tell you how God cares for you. When I think about that night in Atlanta, these verses stand out to me …

Psalm 91:3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler.

Psalm 91:5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Psalm 91:11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

There is a condition stated back in verse 1 … that you “dwell” in him. Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Your dwelling is your home. God wants us to know that our home is in him. Make God your home and abide in His shadow. He’s got you “covered.”

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … JOY

Wed-Dec-18-2019

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, celebrity Brad Pitt reflected on his lead role in the movie Fight Club, which is about a man who has the American dream and yet remains unsatisfied:

Pitt: Man, I know all these things are supposed to seem important to us—the car, the condo, our version of success—but if that’s the case, why is the general feeling out there reflecting more isolation and desperation and loneliness? If you ask me, I say toss all this—we gotta find something else. Because all I know is that, at this point in time, we are heading for a dead end, a numbing of the soul, a complete atrophy of the spiritual being. And I don’t want that.

Rolling Stone: So, if we’re heading toward this kind of existential dead end in society, what do you think should happen?

Pitt: Hey, man, I don’t have those answers yet. The emphasis now is on success and personal gain. [smiles] I’m sitting in it, and I’m telling you, that’s not it. I’m the guy who’s got everything. I know. But I’m telling you, once you’ve got everything, then you’re just left with yourself. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it doesn’t help you sleep any better, and you don’t wake up any better because of it.

Citation: Rolling Stone Magazine (10-28-1999)

The life of a follower of Jesus is supposed to be filled with joy. I must admit, however, that it hasn’t always been for me. It’s taking me a very long time to understand and receive all the gifts of Jesus. I wish I could say that every church does a great job of teaching us how to be joyful, but alas … not so.

If you are one of God’s slow learners, like I am, I would like to help you speed things up. To understand the meaning of joy, let’s discuss the difference between joy and fun.

Jesus said, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

We always say to people, “Have fun!” And fun is good. The joyful life of a Christian includes lots of fun!

Fun and joy are different in these ways:

Fun is temporary … Joy is permanent. Fun is sought … Joy is received. (The Scripture above says it came from Jesus.) Fun does not guarantee that we will also have peace and joy. Joy on the other hand is released within us by the hope and peace that characterize who we are.

Fun by the world’s standards can sometimes involve destructive behavior. People may get hurt feelings or may destroy friendships. The well-being of others is not necessarily a consideration. The point is to make oneself feel better. And when the activity is over and the fun goes away, sometimes they are left with an emptiness. Eventually they become desperate for another “fix” because there is no inherent joy that keeps residence in their spirit. This is the condition Brad Pitt spoke of in his interview.

Fun for the Christian is designed to bless everyone involved, not just oneself.

I invite you, if you are not already doing so, to let the joy loose in your life. When you receive good news, rejoice! The shepherds who were watching over their flocks must have had the promises of God built into them. The Israelites were trained to memorize Scripture. Only the elite class could read. The common people would do their best to store God’s Word in their hearts. So, when the angels spoke and sang of the birth of the Savior, they knew exactly what that meant. Their eyes lit up; their hearts leapt. They didn’t wait until tomorrow to check it out.

When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.” (Luke 2:15)

Someone tried to teach us about joy when we were kids. Sadly, many adults have forgotten how to sing it and still mean it. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart … down in my heart to stay!”

Christmas Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … PEACE

Tue-Dec-17-2019

This week I am giving you four key words for Christmas … hope, peace, joy, and love.

Yesterday’s word was hope. Today consider that the message to the shepherds in Luke 2:13-14 was about peace:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

Jesus came so that you might have peace. Hope and peace work together. You hope that good things will happen, but while you are waiting, the peace of God can reign in you, because you can trust God that everything will be okay.

Sometimes the issue of control can interfere with our peace. The ability to exercise control is an important human characteristic, but there is an unhealthy extreme at which others begin to think of us as controlling. When things don’t go as we desire, there is a delicate balance by which we must decide whether to try harder or to trust God for outcomes beyond our reach. If trying harder results in a loss of peace, then we must surrender control and our dependence on it and instead exercise trust.

The famous author, Catherine Marshall, told a story about her friend Marge, who was “aboard a plane bound for Cleveland, waiting for takeoff. As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange phenomenon. On one side of the airplane a sunset suffused the entire sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her, all Marge could see was a sky dark and threatening, with no sign of the sunset.

“As the plane’s engines began to roar, a gentle Voice spoke within her. ‘You have noticed the windows,’ God whispered beneath the roar and thrust of the takeoff. ‘Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows. Here’s a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to abide in Me with continual peace and joy. You see, it doesn’t matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland. So it is in your life. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, ominous situations to Me. I alone can handle them anyway.’”

In the words of Jesus, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

God’s gift of his son at Christmas reminds us that he wasn’t going to try to convince us from afar that when we arrive at the end, we will finally find peace.

He came as the baby Jesus, born in a manger. He didn’t send us a map, he sent us a trail guide!

He came to accompany us home, so that we might have peace now, and every moment along the way!

Merry Christmas!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … MEANING

Christmas 2019
Wed-Dec-4-2019

Getting ready for Christmas for many people in our society usually means putting up decorations and launching into gift purchasing. When my now-middle-aged children were kindergarten age, in order to add more meaning to this wonderful time of year, we decided (this means I decided) to put up a manger scene that would serve a purpose.

We put the stable in Bethlehem, which was on the buffet in the dining room. The rest of the cast was spread out over the house. Shepherds were out in the field with their sheep, close by in the living room.  Nazareth, the beginning point of Joseph and Mary’s journey, was at the far end of the house, and the wise men began from the East far away, meaning upstairs in the back bedroom. I suppose the angels could have started out on the roof, but I thought better of that.

These characters made their way to Bethlehem and the manger by being moved along an appropriate distance every few days. As we did this, we would talk about how they were feeling … excited? tired? … Did they encourage each other when they were weary? I did most of the talking, of course, while they rolled their eyes. Singing an appropriate Christmas carol helped. Their occasional comments, some funny, some profound, some absurd, and their child-like singing were precious moments.

Mary and Joseph arrived at the manger first and settled in. The shepherds stayed put in their field until the last moment, when the angels showed up with a notification, and all headed to Bethlehem on Christmas day to see the baby Jesus. The wise men arrived last, and a good time was had by all!

Have you thought about devising a way to stay focused on what your journey to Bethlehem really means this Christmas? It is, of course, far more than gifts and decorations. And considering the difficulties of late … hurricanes, floods, wildfires, droughts, not to mention personal difficulties and tragedies … we are surely thinking about how precious life is, and how unpredictable.

Make this Christmas season memorable for yourself and your family as we remember that God came into our world for a purpose. We didn’t make up the idea of Christmas gift-giving ourselves. God did that … and gave the first and best Christmas gift. The wise men followed suit and the tradition continues. A memorable Christmas is one upon which we may reflect long afterward, and sense our eyes getting moist or a smile breaking out, as we think about the amazing work that love does in our own heart and in our family.

Let the season of joy fill our homes!

Chaplain Mark