Tag: Joy

Today’s Word Is BURDENS

Wed-Jul-15-2020

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

Another version says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…”

The heaviest burden many people carry is the load of expectations placed on them by others. Trying to live up to an image of who others think we should be can become a weight too great to sustain.

One of the reasons people flocked to hear Jesus was because he talked more about a God who cared, than one whose heavy hand wanted to control them and punish them for not being good enough or for breaking too many rules. I wonder if a single rabbi (teacher) had ever in their lives invited them to come follow so they could rest!

But Jesus was doing just that, which essentially was an invitation to live a life of trust in the goodness of God. Those who felt hopeless, oppressed, and tired of trying and failing were intrigued by these words … “Come to me, and I will give you rest.”

Now, this was not an invitation to stop trying, nor to escape responsibility, but to receive an internal shift from dependence on the approval of others to dependence on the grace of God. Worldly living says, “I will love you if” … and then there comes the expectation.

Kingdom living (God’s Kingdom, that is), says that you are loved by your Creator and your Savior for who you are, not for what you accomplish. The first step of Kingdom living is to get rid of the baggage, the load of expectations, the fear that you might not prove to be worthy, … and in exchange receive the following reality … You are accepted because God made you and loved unconditionally because that’s who God is and what he does.

After that, there are lots of things we do to accomplish Kingdom purposes, but they are not done to prove we are acceptable, they are done out of thanks that we were “declared” to be acceptable as God’s primary gift. (We call this salvation or conversion.) We are no longer laboring and heavy laden under a load of disapproval, but rather there is rest from it.

Welcome to the Jesus life. Now, I need to complete the picture. In the beginning, I only gave you one of three verses to describe the Jesus invitation. Here’s the “rest of the story”:

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

You may notice that after Jesus offered rest, he told us to take his yoke upon us, which is the equipment placed on the shoulders of oxen and other work animals, for the purpose of carrying or pulling loads. How about that! … Invited to rest and put to work! But that’s it! Rest, work, rest, work. Not work, work, work, work.

In the Pharisees’ world, the “working” at proving ourselves to be religious and obedient was primary. In Jesus’ world, the “resting” is primary. The Sabbath is the holy day when God rested. For God, six days was “enough” to complete creation. Get it? This faith we practice has works of righteousness involved, but not to prove our worth and not to the extent that they become a burden we can’t carry. The most important day of the week is Sabbath, meaning the most important aspect of the Kingdom life is rest.

Is this making sense? Jesus invited us to turn around, to stop thinking of religious performance as the basis of life, but rather to let rest and assurance be the focus of life, with an attitude towards works of faith that sees it as a joy, not a burden, and certainly not the way to prove anything to God.

The result is rest for our souls, because the yoke (workload) is easy, and it burdens us only lightly, because it was given to us by a Savior who is both gentle and humble.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

By the way … this has been my favorite passage of Scripture for 40+ years. When I was a young pastor, I had read this passage many times, but the first time I used it as a sermon text, I began preparing and spontaneously became overwhelmed with tears at Jesus’ invitation to come to him and get rid of my burdens in exchange for his rest and a yoke that was much easier than the burdens I had been carrying for such a long time.

I say this because when we are first saved, we understand our salvation as we experienced it at that point. But later on, more revelations of the nature and glory of this new life in Christ will touch us in deeper and richer ways. This passage became my best symbolism for the illustration of salvation … to give him what I have, and in return get what he has. That’s the best bargain anyone in the world will ever get!

Today’s Word Is AGREE

Wed-Jul-8-2020

I once had this conversation with a co-worker …

ME:        You’re very smart.

THEM:   No. Not really.

ME:        I’m smart. I made straight A’s mostly.

THEM:   Yeah, so did I.

ME:        Then you’re pretty smart.

THEM:   Well … hmmmm … Okay.

It’s okay to say you’re smart or talented in some way, or whatever your characteristics are, in an honest and humble way. It’s part of having a good, healthy, and accurate view of yourself. Many of us were taught not to compliment ourselves because it sounds like “bragging.” Often our solution is to belittle ourselves as a way of ensuring that we don’t think too highly of ourselves. It took me 40-plus years to stop this bad habit.

The Bible talks about how you should view yourself.

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” – The Apostle Paul (Romans 12:3)

A “sober judgment” means a correct evaluation. This means you should not think “too highly” nor “too lowly” of yourself. Now who do you think has the most “sober” or accurate evaluation and opinion of you? Well … It’s God, of course.

You should agree with God and his opinion of you. He knows your value, your potential, your strengths, your weaknesses. For some of us, it is a great discovery to learn that “God thinks of me more highly than I thought He did!” God is for us, not against us. (See Romans 8 below.) So, if someone has told you that God thinks poorly of you … that’s a lie. If you think you should deny your strengths as a way of being humble, consider that this is a form of false humility, and not at all biblical. Instead, affirm who you are and the gifts you have been given, and then delight in using them for God’s purposes.

In addition, don’t bemoan your weaknesses. Everyone has them. Accept them. Improve on them when you can. This is all part of agreeing with God about who you are and who you are to become. And if you can agree with God about the total you, there will be greater peace, and probably more smiles.

If you still are going to have a hard time with this God-centered view of yourself, then let me add this. Once you are saved, there is no condemnation against you. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) Only those who are denying God or refusing Christ should fear condemnation.

Once you are born again, there is no issue that will cause God to reject you. You are his adopted child, an heir to the Kingdom. Every objection you have to your new position of worth in Christ, every struggle to accept your high value in his eyes can be answered by this … God our Father loves you, Jesus loves you, Holy Spirit loves you. You are loved, loved, loved. However much you think God loves you, it is more than that! Receive it. Return it. Stop any practice of self-condemnation and reject any tendency to expect punishment. God may discipline, but he does not punish those who are his. Smile and relax when you consider the amazing and wonderful love God has for you.

Agreeing with God about who you are is a good thing. Thinking that God is against you is not. No one can take your God-given value away from you. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Please don’t take as long as I did to internalize that and live with joy and freedom. If you truly do this, it will not create arrogance but humility and peace.

Have a blessed day,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is SWIM

Mon-Jun-15-2020

The prophet Ezekiel lived in Jerusalem in 590 BC, as one of the Jews who had not been taken into captivity and carted off to Babylon. And he had a prophetic vision (Chapter 47) of a stream flowing out from the Temple, which was a message of hope for those being held in exile. The river in his vision flowed eastward for about 1,500 feet and was ankle-deep. As the Lord took him further, the water became knee-deep for another 1,500 feet, and then waist-deep for another 1,500 feet. (That’s a little over a mile so far. Then …

He [the Lord] measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through. He said, “Son of man, have you had a good look?” (Ezekiel 47:5-6)

Have you ever been in “over your head”? That’s where the Lord was taking Ezekiel. This is the Christian life of faith. This is when we truly begin to trust in the Lord with all we have, in a state of total dependence.

Here are some things we learn from this. First, the Lord is gracious – He starts us out in ankle-deep water. If not, we might chicken out! And it keeps us going, because there is more. I do think, however, that some of us are still in that ankle-deep water. Some of us kept getting deeper and deeper into faith, until our feet didn’t touch. Some of us have succumbed to fear and stopped moving forward in order to stay where our feet can touch the bottom.

It is interesting that while we are in the shallower water, it is easier to see what’s under there! Sometimes, that’s why we don’t go deeper. Fears can arise when we are unsure of what might happen next or how we would handle difficult moments. However, we should know that God knows everything that is under there, and he will not let us sink — or be eaten alive — or suffer mortal wounds. Being unsure of ourselves might just be a sign that we are also unsure of God’s faithfulness. Trusting in God creates courage and confidence.

This vision teaches us that God wants us in those deep waters – he wants us to swim! After all, that is where we really learn to trust! And the waters of God are fresh water. They are healing waters. The Lord told Ezekiel, “Where the river flows everything will live.” (v. 9)

If you are nervous reading this because you are someone who fears swimming, remember that this passage is about your spirit swimming in and with the Holy Spirit. It is a life of adventure and trust. In a sense, we are out of control, because the current of a river is too strong for us to go wherever we want to. God wants us to go with the flow – not to swim upstream trying to get back to some false feeling of safety. Going with the flow means following the Spirit. We don’t necessarily go where other people are going, or even where they think we should go – we go where God goes!

Have you ever been whitewater canoeing? I did a lot of that in my younger years. There are three types of experience that stand out to me. First, there are “floats.” The river moves quietly and steadily along. You can paddle and make good time, or if you like you can rest and let God carry you. Then there are “pools.” These are places where the water is deeper and calmer. You can get out of the boat and not get carried away by a strong current. It is a time to stop and play! You can empty the boat of any water you took on. And while you have the boat flipped over, you can swim underneath as you laugh and play. You can also sit on the shore and relax.

But the other experience is when those “rapids” come. There are dangers, hard work, crashes, and disasters. You may get stuck or fall out. But to a canoeist, this is the best part of the trip. Who wants to go canoeing if there are no rapids!? The hard part is also the most fulfilling part of the adventure.

Regarding the river of your life … do you spend your time trying to avoid the rapids? Do you decline the difficult things? People need us, and it isn’t easy going. And furthermore, do you fail to stop and play when God provides the opportunity? Stop struggling in the river and relax. Be ready for the rapids when they come, don’t fight them, use them.

Are you ready to head for deeper water… meaning a deeper life? Are your feet still touching the bottom? Are you all in for Jesus enough that you will go where the Holy Spirit takes you and enjoy the great adventure that he has for you?

A final thought … the Israelites in captivity were surely wondering if God had abandoned them. They were no longer in their homeland. They were enslaved with little hope of being free. And the Temple that housed the presence of the Holy Spirit of God was far away. But Ezekiel’s vision was a clear message that God leaves the Temple to come to his people. Babylon was east of Jerusalem, and the waters in the vision flowed east out of the Temple. God was reaching out to his people, heading their direction, bringing his river of love to engulf them, support them, and carry them.

You are not alone or abandoned. You are not without help. God is with you and he wants you to swim in the waters of the Spirit that he brings to you. Trust him. Enjoy him. Enjoy the adventure. Go with God’s flow. Play in the pools. Battle the rapids. Together we will make it. The river of life is a great place to be.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is SHARED

It’s Humor Day!
Fri-May-15-2020

First some pastoral humor …

A pastor visits an elderly woman from his congregation. As he sits on the couch, he notices a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. “Mind if I have a few?” he asks.

“No, not at all!” the woman replies.

They chat for an hour and as the preacher stands to leave, he realizes that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he emptied most of the bowl. “I’m terribly sorry for eating all your peanuts, I really just meant to eat a few.”

“Oh, that’s all right,” the woman says. “I can’t eat peanuts anyway. Ever since I lost my teeth all I can do is suck the chocolate off of them.”

Oops.

And now for my word … SHARED …

The Apostle Paul said: Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)

The word “shared” makes all the difference. It increases our joy and reduces our sorrow.

I spent too many years keeping my difficulties and sorrows to myself. There are others around us that don’t mind sharing our load a little bit. And there are certain friends and family who not only don’t mind being supportive – they really want to share our load, because they care.

Jesus said: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5: 4)

Do you resist letting others share in your sorrows? I’ve had church members in the past who didn’t want anyone to know when they went into the hospital or had difficult burdens, such as wayward children, lost jobs, or financial struggles. Something in our culture and in human nature resists telling others the difficulties we face. But God is not pleased in our secretiveness. If we desire for the love of God to come in and bless us, then we must change our approach – listen to others’ burdens that we may lighten their load – and share our burdens that others may lighten ours.

As for shared joys, I find it interesting that when people in church are asked to share their prayer concerns, joys, and sorrows, it is likely that there will be ten concerns shared, and then a silence. Everyone is having a hard time thinking of some good news to share – anything that would make us smile or shout for joy. I wish I had a catchy phrase to explain how to overcome this. I think our culture in general, and our churches in particular, have a hard time experiencing true joy.

The 23rd Chapter of Leviticus is entitled, “Feasts of the Lord.” And God says, “These are My feasts” – Sabbath, Passover, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles – seven in all. The routines of the working world were set aside for many days, and celebration took place. There were serious days, yes, but then there was dancing, singing, storytelling, and thankfulness for the goodness of God.

 It is sad that the church over the centuries has lost much of the celebratory spirit of the faith. God wants us to know how to have a good party – where joy and laughter abound, where God is at the center while his people enjoy the life he has given.

Sharing our joys and sorrows as Christians means acknowledging that God is right there in the middle of it all – he is the giver of good gifts that bring joy, and he is our comfort in times of sorrow. Sharing it with one another multiplies the blessings and divides the sorrows.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is PARADE

Fri-Apr-3-2020

I am not observing “Friday Humor Day” today or next Friday in deference to the Easter season. The next two Sundays, Palm Sunday and Easter, are the most significant of the year for us as Christians.

Now you may not be used to observing Palm Sunday or putting it up there at the top along with Easter. As Christians, we celebrate the birth of the King on Christmas. On Palm Sunday he declared it. On Easter, he proved it.

Just in case you don’t remember the details of Palm Sunday, I have placed it at the bottom, from Luke 19: 29-44. You scroll down and read it now if you need to.

After three years of Jesus’ ministry, filled with teachings and miracles, the Pharisees and other leaders were in the process of planning how to kill him. They were offended by his teachings in which he was clearly claiming to be the Messiah, the Chosen One of God. And they were losing their hold on the masses of people who followed him, common folks who found hope in him and were amazed at his miracles.

Jesus knew that the Pharisees’ opposition was a signal that the time had come to fulfill his purpose, the sacrifice of his life for the sins of the people. The approaching week was the annual celebration of the passover, a somber festival to remember their escape from bondage in Egypt. The Israelites had suffered as slaves in Egypt for 400 years, but God sent Moses to lead them out. God instructed them to sacrifice a lamb and place the blood on their doorposts, so that when the angel of death came he would “pass over” their houses and they would avoid the 10th and final plague of the killing of the firstborn. Passover was a remembrance of this.

So, as Jesus prepared to enter Jerusalem for this festival, he knew this would be the year of the ultimate Passover, with a capital P, in which the Lamb, with a capital L, would be sacrificed as an all-sufficient, one-time atonement for the past, present, and future sins of all humanity.

Before we proceed with the parade into town, take note that there are two kingdoms throughout history – the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. A Messianic Jewish teacher, whose lessons I am reading, calls them the kingdom of Empire and the kingdom of Shalom (Hebrew for peace). Empire operates by power, wealth, and control. God’s Kingdom of Shalom operates by hospitality, humility, sacrifice, love, faith, and forgiveness.

In ancient history, a conquering warrior-king, who returned to his city after victory in battle, rode on a white stallion, a symbol of power. Jesus rode into Jerusalem that Sunday on a donkey, a symbol of humility. He was teaching us: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6) As he rode along, crowds lined the roads, shouting his name as King, declaring the wonders of his miracles, and waving palm branches as a message of honor and peace and hope.

The world’s Empire power approach will never defeat the Kingdom of God. And Jesus, as the leader of the parade into Jerusalem, was proclaiming this truth. The Jewish power machine had tried to silence him. Now they were going to kill him. And he was going to allow them to do it.

The crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus, coming up in the following week, would be the proof that it is God’s Kingdom that is forever. For us, there is a choice – Shalom or Empire – God’s way or the world’s way. If you choose God’s way, you can practice humility and sacrifice and never be defeated. The world’s attempt to kill Jesus was not counting on a resurrection. And that is what we count on.

We can recall the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem when we need assurance. The people are shouting “king,” but his garment is not a royal robe; it is homespun and simple. He is not on a “warhorse,” but a beast of burden. His “court” is made up of fishermen and hated tax collectors. His “parade” is an array of common people.

Yet no pageant that ever passed through the streets of any city has so set its mark on time as this one. The triumphal entries of the Romans and all other empires have long since been forgotten or become irrelevant. But this one, with Jesus on a donkey, is known and retold in every detail, year after year, century after century.

Blessing you with peace as you follow God’s parade,

Chaplain Mark

NOTE: The Jewish teaching I referred to is called the Bema Podcast, by Marty Solomon, and is worth listening to on your favorite Podcast App.

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, which we call Palm Sunday, from Luke 19: 29-44

As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.'” Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Today’s Word Is HOPE

Tue-Mar-31-2020

We sang a song in church when I was young called “Whispering Hope.” One phrase in it said, “hope is an anchor to keep us, holding both steadfast and sure.” I always liked that analogy … hope is an anchor.

Hope looks to the future with confidence and waits patiently. The Apostle Paul said, “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” – (Romans 8:24b-25)

Some hopes are directed at short term needs, and others will take a lifetime to fulfill. Some hopes are directed toward material things, which we know can only bring limited satisfaction and sometimes even create dissatisfaction. How so? Sometimes we discover that “this” was not as fulfilling as we thought it would be, and now we need something more to make us happy.

This cycle is somewhat like the hamster in the wheel, it is never-ending. None of us will ever get enough “stuff” if we only listen to our worldly desires. Now … I am not belittling our desires for material things, I have a few myself. But I am mindful that the marketing we are bombarded with is constantly pushing us to want, want, want. If we become consumed by this, it could diminish our trust in God and our life of faith. Let us hope in the higher things.

The Apostle Paul says: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1st Timothy 6:17)

Look at it this way … Would you rather have a gallon of milk … or be friends with the person who owns the cow? After all, milk spoils. Milk here would symbolize material things which diminish with time. As friends of God, our needs are supplied day by day, including both physical needs and the inner blessings of joy, fulfillment, love, and peace from the Perfect Father. God tends to give out the milk (physical needs) by the glass, by the sip, by the gallon, whatever he chooses for you, so as to build your confidence in his provision. Thus, the material things, as we mature, become secondary. Our hope has refocused on higher things. It makes you shake your head that you ever worried so much about the material things.

If you’re just getting provision by the sip right now,  fear not, God owns it all … everything. So, our hope is rightly directed toward Him. And it is amazing what holding onto hope can do to hold you steady during the storms of life. And no matter how many of our hopes become fulfilled, one at a time, there is always something more to hope for, the greatest and final of these being the hope of heaven.

Remember this … Genuine hope and true joy increase together. On Jesus’ last evening with the disciples in the upper room, he explained as well as he could about his imminent sacrifice and the work of the Holy Spirit to follow, linking them to the joy that is ahead. He didn’t want them to be alarmed or destroyed by the terrible ordeal of his death, because it was all for a reason. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) He was planting a new hope within them, one which would bring joy.

You will know the measure of your trust in God, and you will experience his peace when your unfulfilled hopes do not prevent your joy from being complete. Unfulfilled hopes do not bring us down, they build us up by creating anticipation of God’s good future for us.

Don’t let go of hope and don’t lose your joy,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is AGING

It’s Humor Day!
Fri-Mar-20-2020

OK … I know most of you are not as old as I am, so here is a taste of what’s coming. These are hymn titles for the aging …

Top 10 Hymns For Senior Citizens …

#10 – Precious Lord, Take my Hand, And Help Me Up

#9 – It is Well with My Soul, But My Knees Hurt

#8 – Nobody Knows the Trouble I have Seeing

#7 – Amazing Grace, Considering My Age

#6 – Just a Slower Walk With Thee

#5 – Count Your Many Birthdays, Name Them One by One

#4 – Go Tell It on the Mountain, And Speak Up

#3 – Give Me that Old Timers Religion

#2 – Blessed Insurance

#1 – Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, I’ve Forgotten Where I Parked My Car

Does anyone else identify? Or maybe you know someone who does … your mom, dad, grandparents? Whatever your age, growing older is not for wimps! Do you have the heart and wisdom to age gracefully?

As a pastor, I have seen my share of bitter senior citizens. They can tell you their long list of everything that ever went wrong, and all about their present level of dissatisfaction. But their joy has been stolen!

Thankfully there are many, many older folks who have a better outlook. We can learn a lot from those who have this spirit of love, encouragement, joy, and wisdom.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2nd Corinthians 4:16)

Throughout the ups and downs of life, I have found something positive about every stage and every age. I do my best to enjoy where and who I am now; and I look forward to the next age. I think that’s how God wants it to be. If we can laugh at ourselves at any age while still taking life seriously, we will find the joy God intended.

Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (Deuteronomy 34:7)

Have a blessed, restful, and joyful weekend,

Chaplain Mark

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. (Ecclesiastes 7:10)

Today’s Word Is RIGHTEOUSNESS

The Steps of Christian Maturity
Beatitude #4
Hungry for More
Thu-Feb-20-2020

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – Jesus (Matthew 5:6) (Beatitude #4)

I am sorry that “church” over the last 100 years has misled people in some things, has been too judgmental, and has in some ways caused average people to think that the practice of faith is boring and intended to suppress your enjoyment of life. Nothing could be further from the truth!

I dislike the word “religious” as it gives a connotation that by acting a certain way, we can earn our way into heaven or into favor with God. No one can live a “good enough” life that would impress God into granting heaven or any other special privilege. God does not want us to “practice religion,” he wants us to live in “relationship” with him, and through this we receive righteousness as a gift.

You see, the church has also failed to adequately explain “righteousness” in the Christian life, by inaccurately implying that it is about doing good, being good, acting good … or about being holier than thou, better than others, whatever … for the purpose of proving our worthiness. Nope … doesn’t work. Righteousness in the New Covenant made by the death and resurrection of Jesus is a gift, not something earned or achieved.

If you recall the first 3 steps (Beatitudes) I have discussed …

>> Blessed are the poor in spirit … humility, asking God to take over

>> Blessed are those who mourn … releasing things not good for us

>> Blessed are the meek … embracing the genuine self that God made us to be

… Then having experienced these things, we discover that in this process, things at the “big picture” level begin to “go right” in life. Really, they do. There will still be disappointments and tragedies, but we look at them differently now. They are not fatal. We learn from them and overcome them. Everything that is delightful as well as everything that is difficult all seems to fit together, and it is good.

All of us have said at one time or another … Things are not going right!!!! Well, as you walk the steps of maturing as Jesus describes them in the Beatitudes, relinquishing to God the job of being in charge of yourself, and by accepting yourself, liking yourself, experiencing the love of God, life is now “going right” … not perfect, but blessed … to the point that you are hungry and thirsty for MORE things to go right! You want things in your life to continue falling into place, believing in God’s plans for you, as he opens new doors of adventure.

Righteousness is not about rules or perfection. It is a gift bestowed on those who believe in Jesus. We don’t have righteousness of our own, so he gives us his! It is about living life oriented to the Kingdom of God instead of the kingdom of this world.

As you live this Kingdom way of life, you want things to go God’s way, to open up the flow of love in and around you, to experience peace that leads to joy and laughter, and an understanding of how “all things work together for good.” This is not a shallow, giddy, “head-in-the-sand” existence that ignores the tough parts of life. Rather it boldly and bravely faces every low moment, enjoys every high experience, and proceeds with confidence into whatever adventure is next. It makes you think, “This is the best life there is!”

And the reward for pursuing this new “genuine” life is that your hunger and thirst for its blessings are fulfilled!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – Jesus (Matthew 5:6) (Beatitude #4)

Be blessed!

Chaplain Mark

NOTE: Scripture Reference: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

NOTE: If you have not read the previous articles about each Beatitude, you should go back and catch up. We are discussing the faith journey toward Christian maturity as described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

The Beatitudes … Matthew 5:2-10 (NRSV)

2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Today’s Word Is BALANCE

Tue-Feb-4-2020

In the book Work, Play, and Worship in a Leisure-Oriented Society by Gordon Dahl, he proposes a theory that life is made up of these three aspects; and we are supposed to work at our work, play at our play, and worship at our worship. He then proposes that much of American life is out of balance … and we get into a pattern of … Worshipping our work … Working at our play, and … Playing at our worship.

Starting with work … It should be fulfilling in some degree, accomplish something useful, provide for our needs, and bless others. But the word “workaholic” was created by a Canadian newspaper writer in 1947 to describe the growing concern for people who value work inappropriately and thus hurt their families, destroy their own health, and define life by the wrong measures. In other words, they worship their work.

Then there is our play. Another name is recreation … it is supposed to “re-create” us, meaning relieve stress, evoke laughter, be filled with enjoyment, and refresh us. However, I have seen folks throw golf clubs, walk out of card games, throw a tantrum over losing, get livid at the Little League umpire for a bad call, and in general become miserable trying to “play.”

When my children were preschoolers, I bought them a “bolo paddle,” a wooden paddle attached to a long rubber band with a small rubber ball on the end. You hit the ball over and over as it stretches out on the rubber band and comes back. When I got home from work the next day, I got upset because they had taken it apart!

My son was using the paddle part as a hammer with some of his building blocks. He loved it! My daughter was out back with the ball and rubber band part, slinging it around the double stranded clothesline, which made it wrap round and round and round until it was tight. Then it would reverse and unwind around and around until it was back out straight. She loved it! They were having great fun with the toy I bought, but by my standards they were not doing it “correctly.” Thankfully, I resisted the urge to spoil their play and turn it into work. It struck me that they were truly playing and enjoying it.

Now for worship. This is a time, both private and corporate, to praise and thank our Creator. But very many Americans breeze through the worship time (which for some must be completed in a defined time period, such as one hour) and do not get impacted by the awesome idea and experience of communing with the Holy God of the universe.

Many people are too embarrassed to express openly their love for God, afraid others will think less of them if they laugh, cry, shout, kneel, hold their hands out or up to God, get lost in a moment of quietness and reflection, or get so consumed by the presence of God that they are unaware of their surroundings and unashamed to express openly their love for God. It is possible, you know, to worship without singing or to sing without worshipping!

There is much more that could be said, but you get the picture. Now you can reflect about whether you are in or out of balance. We can find a sense of greater peace when our work, play, and worship become what they are supposed to be … not idolizing our work, being refreshed by our play, and being fully engaged while focusing on God in our worship.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Verse:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (1st Corinthians 10:31)

Today’s Word Is CHILD-LIKE

It’s Humor Day!
Fri-Jan-31-2020

The children’s Sunday School teacher was telling her youngsters about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In particular she wanted to emphasize the difference in attitude of the older and younger brothers. As you know, the younger son had returned after squandering a lot of the family money on foolish living, and the father was delighted for him to humbly come home. He called for a robe to be put on his son, a ring on his finger; then we’ll kill the fatted calf and have a great feast! My son who was lost has been found!

The wide-eyed Sunday School children kept listening as the teacher explained how angry this made the older son, who felt unappreciated and cheated.

Then the teacher asked, “Now boys and girls, who do you think was unhappy about this big banquet getting ready to take place?”

Eight-year old Olivia raised her hand and said, “I know! The fatted calf!”

Good point, Olivia! Children have a unique and simple way of looking at things. Maybe that is why Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

There is of course a difference between child-like and child-ish. Jesus promoted child-like. Paul warned against child-ish by saying, “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. (1st Corinthians 13:11) This was stated after he had expounded on the nature of love in this, the Love Chapter of the Bible. A lifestyle of self-giving, unconditional love takes a very mature person, who must decide to be persistently sacrificial and forgiving.

Child-like … good … Child-ish … not so good.

The child-like attitude that Jesus was describing, when he said that we must receive the kingdom like a child, is that of trust. Small children are instilled with the idea that their parents can do anything. (That would assume those parents haven’t harmed the child and destroyed their trust.) A child cared for with love and compassion typically thinks mom can see anything, as if she had “eyes in the back of her head,” and that dad is strong enough to perform the greatest feat.

That is how we receive the kingdom, by believing that God is capable of all things, and by desiring and receiving his love and protection. Furthermore, a child-like attitude is what allows us to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God, to laugh, to play, to sing and dance, and to celebrate without restraint. It is this child-like approach that enables us to worship without being inhibited.

It is my prayer that you keep your child-like spirit, or if it has died away to any degree, that you claim it back. Find occasions to enjoy the moment like a child, laughing, playing, singing and dancing, and letting go of the unhealthy adult habits that keep you stifled and steal your joy!

Have a blessed weekend,

Chaplain Mark