Month: September 2018

Lots of people have visions. In the Bible, the prophet Daniel had visions of the coming Messiah, whom he described as the Son of Man. In the 1800’s, children had visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads on Christmas Eve (while nestled all snug in their beds). Over the centuries, Christians have had visions of founding ministries that have healed the sick, housed the poor and orphaned, comforted the grieving, and spread the Gospel around the world. Even I have had visions: one of me standing on the platform at the Olympics, hearing the national anthem play while they hang a gold medal around my neck – unfortunately, I haven’t figured out yet which sport to compete in. The other vision, of me standing in a pulpit and preaching God’s Word to crowds of people, has fortunately been realized.

It’s easy to have a vision – if by vision we mean something that we see in our mind’s eye. But even as we recognize that we have seen something in our mind that does not yet exist, we have to ask two absolutely essential questions: 1. What is the source of the vision? and 2. What do I do about it?

“What is the source of the vision?

First we must ask, “What is the source of the vision?” Is it something I have conjured up from my own desires and ambitions? Maybe my friends or family have expressed an interest in something, and I imagine a way to make their wish come true. Maybe I see a neighbor’s new car, and visualize myself driving around in something faster and cooler (I’m not coveting my neighbor’s car if I want something better than he has! . . . I think . . .). Maybe I hear of some need in the community, and form a vision of meeting that need through a new organization. Maybe I just want to do something important so I can feel my life counts. Maybe, my vision comes from a combination of motives, some more altruistic than others. For example, my Olympic vision (or fantasy) is a combination of patriotism (winning a medal for the USA) and ego (me being on the stand and hearing the applause).

This isn’t to say that self-created visions are necessarily bad. My winning a gold medal would be a good thing! Likewise, many of the good products and services that enrich and enhance our lives came about because someone had a vision of something that could be done better. The technology we take for granted these days began as ideas – even visions – in people’s minds. “What if we could talk to people far away?” and “What if we could talk to those people with a device we can carry in our pocket?” and “What if we could see what’s going on in a sick person with some kind of machine?” and “What if we could fly?” and so on.

But self-devised visions can also be evil.

But self-devised visions can also be evil. Psalm 73:7 says, “From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.” and Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” As I wrote in last week’s blog, there is nothing that man has not corrupted by his sin, and that includes our ability to imagine, create, and devise things; in short, our self-inspired visions may harm ourselves or others. A ruler who has visions of wealth and glory sends armies to conquer, kill, and destroy. Or a CEO has a vision of market dominance, and therefore destroys smaller competitors. A televangelist has a vision of leading a megachurch with his own mansion, jet plane, and yacht (for getting away to pray?). A man or woman has visions of how wonderful life would be if they could only be with their neighbor’s spouse. You get the idea: visions which come from our own minds and hearts can bring good and/or evil if they are fulfilled.

There is of course, another, very different source of visions, and that is the almighty God. He who gave Daniel the messianic vision (Daniel 7), who gave Jacob the vision of a ladder joining heaven and earth (Genesis 28), who gave Peter a vision that led to the acceptance of gentiles into the Church (Acts 10), and who gave John of heaven and of things to come (Revelation), can still give visions to his people. He does so to inform, inspire, and guide believers to do good works which he has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). He can warn us in a vision, as he warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s soldiers (Matthew 2). He can rebuke us to stop what we were going to do (Numbers 22). He can show us the future. He can reveal the spiritual realities around us (2 Kings 6). As Joel prophesied would happen, and as Peter confirmed was now taking place: “your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” These visions and dreams would come through the power of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon us (Acts 2:17). God does give visions, but unlike our man-made visions, the ones from God are always good and holy.

So, you might (and should) ask, “How do I know a vision is from God and not from my own imaginings?” Good question; I’m glad you asked. There isn’t always a clear answer to this, but the following are indications your vision is likely from God:

1. You have prayed about the vision and asked God whether it is from him.
2. The vision is consistent with Scripture. God may inspire you to start a homeless shelter program to help the poor; but is not going to inspire you to start a drug cartel.
3. Fulfilling the vision would bring good to people, not harm. And in doing so, God will be honored and glorified. Jesus said to let our light so shine before others, that they see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
4. While you may benefit in this life from following the Lord’s will, your desire is to please and serve God, not yourself. Seeking financial and prideful rewards for your actions are clues your vision may have earthly (or even demonic) origins.
5. The vision is about doing something that is out of your comfort zone, and is not something you have always secretly wanted to do. Maybe you have a vision of serving in the mission field, but the thought of living in another country terrifies you; that vision is likely from God. When I received my immediate call to ministry, being a pastor was not even in my mind as an option. The thought terrified me.
6. Your vision is confirmed by other people, especially other believers. They may come to you and say they think you should consider a certain action or ministry, or they may convey that the Lord wants you to do that thing. The fact that others are confirming your vision is evidence it’s not just in your own mind.
7. The vision won’t let you go. It sticks with you, keeps coming up, and won’t let you push it aside. You may even be miserable trying to avoid doing what you are being called to do. My former senior pastor said that his advice to young men considering the ministry was to do anything else but pastoral ministry – if they could. Only if the Lord wouldn’t let them have peace in every other pursuit they tried, should they seek the ministry.

If these points consistently support your vision, then it is probably from God.

“What do I do about the vision?”

The second question we must ask is, “What do I do about the vision?” Of course, if the vision is from ourselves, we can decide whether or not to pursue it based on our preferences, resources, and abilities. We still should pray to make sure our vision is at least consistent with biblical teachings, and we should conduct ourselves with honesty and integrity as we pursue our dream. We should also pray to make sure our vision will not interfere with something else God has for us to do. For example, one of the men featured in the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, was a fast runner for his day (and he won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics!). But though he had success as an athlete, God had a greater call on his life. Eric used his fame as a platform for preaching the Gospel, and followed God’s vision for him to serve as a missionary to China -where he gave his life for the Lord. We can’t let the good thing we want to do prevent us doing something even more important that God has for us to do.

But if, on the other hand, we are sure the vision is from God, then it must take our priority. There may be a timing factor which delays our response until God has put things in place for fulfilling the vision, but if we keep putting off our response until everything is “ready,” we may end up missing out entirely. If we trust only in our knowledge, abilities, contacts, and material resources, we’re not trusting God to provide what is needed to do what he has called us to do. When God calls, he provides, even if we can’t see how it could happen. In fact, I believe God holds back our knowledge at times to force us to depend on him. He wants our faith and not just our works.

He wants our faith and not just our works.

Therefore, if God has given you a vision, go for it! It may seem beyond your reach, abilities, and resources. It may upset your carefully manicured life. It may threaten you health, wealth, and pride. But that’s okay, because when God gives you a vision, it’s for something much better than sugar plums!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 28, Daniel 7, 2 Kings 6, and Joel 2:28

 

In last week’s blog, I lamented the fact that everything we do gets corrupted by sin. I posited the following truism: There is no good thing devised by man that cannot be corrupted by sin. And I suggested an accompanying corollary to that: There is no good thing devised by man that has not been corrupted by sin. I also gave examples of how mankind even corrupts those things he has not made in the natural world around us. Let me add one more example: there are an estimated 170 million pieces of man-made debris – in orbit around the earth. This debris is composed of dead satellites, spent rocket boosters, and alien motherships (no, wait, that was a movie). This includes 18,000 pieces large enough to be tracked by our space defense command. I guess the earth wasn’t big enough to hold all our junk! Interestingly, check out John 21:25 – “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” If we’re going to fill up earth and space, it might as well be with books about Jesus!

I referred to this problem of corruption by the terms, “makin’, breakin’, and achin’,” meaning we invent and create things (makin’), our sin corrupts the use of them (breakin’), which leads to evil results and suffering (achin’). There is where I left you, in the “slough of despond” (to quote John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress) into which the Christian sinks under the weight of his own sins and despairs of any hope.

There is where I left you, in the “slough of despond.”

But there is hope. God knows our condition – in fact, knew it before we sank into it – and prepared a remedy for our brokenness and pain. Before he even created us, Christ was the Lamb of God who would be slain to cover the guilt of our sins. Revelation 13:8 claims that Jesus was “slain from the foundation of the world” (KJV), and Ephesians 1:4 promises that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” I like that: holy and blameless before God, even though we have messed up everything he has given us in this world.

But there is hope.

He tells us to therefore have courage as we face the struggles, dangers, and aches of this world: “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). Hebrews 13:5 repeats God’s promise: “For I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So, I guess we can add “but not forsakin'” to the chain of makin’, breakin’, and achin’. Though we have sinned and corrupted everything, God sent his un-corrupted Son to save us, the Son who likewise promised us, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

This is a remarkable promise, because God made it to sinful creatures even in light of our ongoing rebellion against him. We have brought our woes upon ourselves, either directly by our own actions, or indirectly through the actions of others. Yet, Scripture tells us that, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And Romans 5:10 continues by proclaiming the effect that Christ’s death and resurrection had on us sinners: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

One important term the Bible uses to describe the transforming effect of Christ’s sacrifice on sinners is “redemption.” To be redeemed is to be freed from lawful bondage by payment of a ransom. We use it today to refer to what takes place at pawn shops. A person takes an item of value into the shop, and leaves it with the pawn broker in exchange for cash. The person then has a set period of time to return to the shop with money and a pawn ticket to buy back, or redeem, the item left there. If not redeemed, the item is forfeit to the pawn broker, who may sell it to reclaim the cash paid out. In biblical teaching, we are in bondage to sin, unable to redeem ourselves, so Christ came and paid the redemption price – his own life – to set us free. We are his, valuable enough to him that he paid the price for our freedom.

We are his, valuable enough to him that he paid the price for our freedom.

This redemption has a three-fold effect:

1. On our standing with God as forgiven, righteous children.  Romans 3:24-25 says that we “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” When we believe in Jesus Christ we receive right now complete forgiveness of all our sins, including the sins we have yet to commit! After all, Christ died for us before we committed any sins. This means all our breakin’ is forgiven; though the consequences of our actions may continue to bear bitter fruit in our life or in the lives of those around us, the guilt and prescribed eternal punishment for those sins are taken away. Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Psalm 103:12 proclaims, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” And  John 1:12 promises, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” You get the picture: the redemption of Christ frees us from the guilt of our sins.
   
2. On our lives now and on the culture we create. We are told not to conform to the world, but rather to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). When Christ redeems us, he puts his Spirit into us and we begin the process of being transformed into Christ’s likeness and away from the sinful nature which enslaved us (Romans 8:29). We call that process “sanctification,” which means we are being made to be holy in our thoughts and actions, even as we were declared to be holy by God’s loving grace and forgiveness. Then, as our actions and attitudes change, the effect we have on the world around us changes too, and we see changes in the culture. Though at times we need to just walk away from certain cultural traditions when they are opposed to God, at other times we can transform the culture to be more God-honoring and pleasing. I thought about this while attending our city’s recent Multicultural Festival. While there I saw a wide variety of costumes, saw (but did not eat!) various ethnic foods, and listened to music from different nations – my favorite being the Japanese Taiko drummers, though most of the drummers were Caucasian (cultural appropriation or cultural appreciation? I think the latter, since I certainly appreciated what they were doing). While most cultures have desirable attributes, history shows that every culture also reflects mankind’s fallen nature. Every culture is “brokin'” to some extent in various ways. We see beautiful artwork – but some is devoted to idols and false gods; we hear drums beating, but their skills were developed to guide troops in battle; we enjoy varieties of food, even as man-made famines starve innocent people from the “wrong” tribes. And the culture that developed algebra and the numerals we use today instituted the thousand-year long slave trade which continues even today. And then there’s our own nation’s participation in said trade. Our cultures all need to be redeemed, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in believers of every nation, tribe, and language to mend the breakin’ and stop the achin’ to the extent we can.
3. On our futures. Ultimately, we can only change so much in this world and in this life. Sin will continue until the Lord returns to judge the living and the dead. Therefore, our hope is in the Lord and his promises of eternal life in bodies that will also one day be fully redeemed and restored to their pristine condition, free from sin and all its effects. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 22:3 continues the promise, “No longer will there be anything accursed.” As Paul puts it in Romans 8:23, “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Because God is not forsakin’ us, we can look forward to complete healin’ of our achin’ and no more breakin’ of what we are makin’. God’s love for us overcomes all that we have done to ourselves, each other, this wonderful world, and yes, even space. For that, we can be eternally grateful!

God’s love for us overcomes all that we have done.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Hebrews 8, Revelation 22

 

 

 

This week I heard a news report on the radio about a new bill just passed by our state legislature and signed by the governor into law. To be honest, I often cringe when I hear about new legislation, wondering what negative impact the new law will have on us and our society. But this time, I agreed that the new bill was probably necessary, and recognized that it helped confirm something I have sadly noted about life in this world.

What is the new law? It forbids and criminalizes the flying of drones over prisons, jails, and juvenile correctional facilities. Why? Because people have been using drones to carry drugs, mobile phones, weapons and other contraband into California’s prisons. This new law outlaws such flights, which certainly makes sense. . . after all, only Amazon should be allowed to make such deliveries!

So what does this new law confirm about the world around us? What truth does it illustrate? Simply this: There is no good thing devised by man that cannot be corrupted by sin. And the corollary is: There is no good thing devised by man that has not been corrupted by sin.

There is no good thing devised by man that cannot be corrupted by sin.

We could call this the makin’, breakin, and achin’ cycle: in other words, people create wonderful things, which are corrupted to sinful uses, which in turn cause misery and loss in the world. Let’s consider each of these briefly.

Makin’: Mankind has devised, invented, and made so many amazing things I hardly know where to begin describing them. Just think of all the tools and technology we have created over the ages: agriculture, hybridization of animals and crops, plows, tractors, combines, crop dusters (and the stuff to be dusted on our fields); wagons, cars, trucks, trains, boats, airplanes, and spacecraft; knives, hatchets, axes, hammers, screws and screw drivers, wrenches, nuts and bolts, lawn mowers, edgers, vacuum cleaners; oil lamps, flashlights, bulbs, LED lights, fluorescent tubes; furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, solar panels; computers, lasers, printers, 3-D printers, cell phones and tablets; and medical tools and techniques from medicines, x-ray machines and ct scanners to robotic surgeries and heart transplants. The ability to imagine, design, invent, manufacture, and use so many technologies is proof of mankind’s intelligence and of the fact that we were made in the image of God – the original Creator. We have invented so many good things that have healed, fed, protected, and brought comfort to the whole world, that life should be wonderful for everyone. And today we stand on the threshold of unbelievable advances in genetics and physics that promise cures to cancer and other deadly diseases. For example, did you know that researchers have printed functional rat kidneys on a 3-D printer, and reawakened dying organs by injecting a person’s own mitochondria into the organs? Who knows what advances lie just over the horizon? We are indeed very good at makin’ wonderful things!

Breakin’: And yet, no sooner do we invent or produce anything, than it gets twisted and used for sinful purposes to harm others. Atomic energy is used to produce energy, fight tumors, and power ships, but is also packed on top of thousands of missiles aimed at population centers around the world. The internet provides instant communication, access to practically all the world’s knowledge immediately and cheaply, entertainment, and the ability to find and purchase goods and services that help us; but this great tool has been corrupted with computer viruses, ransomware, phishing scams and verbal abuse – not to mention pornography and illegal drug sales. Boats have provided mankind with the ability to travel the world and ship vast quantities of trade goods – or to invade, smuggle, poach endangered animals, and commit acts of piracy. In the example I mentioned at the start of this blog, drones can provide visual recon of archaeological sites, farm fields, and cattle herds spread over vast pasture lands, and they can deliver packages to remote locations cheaply and safely – or, they can be used by peeping-toms to spy on neighbors, or to deliver contraband to prisons. And how many things have been invented but not made available to help people due to suppression by greed or political expediency? It seems that once a new thing becomes available, someone is thinking about how that thing can be used for some evil purpose. We’re as good at breakin’ things as we are to makin’ them.

Unfortunately, this corruption extends to things mankind did not invent or devise: the natural world. This corruption extends first of all in a general way to all creation because of the curse which our sin caused. On the day our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned, God pronounced his curse upon us and all creation (Genesis 3). Therefore, all creation was subjected to death (Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”) and futility (Romans 8:20). All creation groans under the pain of sin and death (Romans 8:21-22) – all caused by our rebellion against God and fall into sin.

Besides the general condition which our sins have brought upon the world, there are also the specific acts by which we misuse, waste, or destroy the natural blessings which God has placed around us. Examples include the polluting of our air, water, and soil; the training of animals to attack each other for sport, or to attack people to cause harm; and the long-term destruction of plant and animal life for short-term, temporary gain. Chief in this misuse of God’s creation is the abuse of other people, for we, too, are God’s precious creatures. And because God made us in his image, whenever we strike against another human being, we are striking against God himself (Genesis 9:5-6).

Because we ourselves are corrupted by sin, everything we touch is affected by it, too.

Because we ourselves are corrupted by sin, everything we touch is affected by it, too; even our best efforts to treat the world rightly often have unintended, negative consequences. We have imported plants and animals to regions to help combat some problem, only to have the imported species become a far greater pest than it supplanted. The American South is covered by an invasive vine known as kudzu, first planted as a forage crop; and cane toads (Rhinella marina) have overrun Australia, replacing and eating all kinds of native species (including birds) and not just the beetles they were introduced to control.  Check out one of these monsters:

Achin’:  The result of all this breakin’ is pain and suffering – the achin’ which we feel from the broken promises which our inventions first gave us. We hurt each other, emotionally, physically, financially, and mentally. We oppress, abuse, and steal – breaking all the commandments which God gave us to help us love him and each other – and the result is tragic. We even use things which can be beneficial, to kill each other. So much good could have been done – yet what was meant for good is turned to produce evil. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” and Romans 3:10 warns us that “None is righteous, no not one” so we shouldn’t be surprised when people use good things for evil purposes – though we often are, and are hurt when it happens.

we shouldn’t be surprised when people use good things for evil purposes

So, what do we do? Is all lost? Is there no hope at all? Are we doomed to be eaten by giant toads? Are we doomed to the unending cycle of makin’, breakin’, and achin’ from the consequences of our sins? Fortunately, the story doesn’t end here; there is hope. There is a solution, because though we’re achin’ from the breakin’ of all we’re makin’, the One who made us is not forsakin’ us. We’ll look at that some more next time . . . See you then!

Fortunately, the story doesn’t end here; there is hope.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Romans 5 and 8

You’re probably familiar with the term, “birthday suit.” Since it refers to the “suit” we’re born in, which is no clothes at all, when you hear someone say it, you may get images of (in)famous examples of nudity, such as Lady Godiva, the 11th century countess who is said to have ridden through the streets of Mercia, England, bareback (in all meanings of the term). Or maybe Hans Christian Andersen’s  story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” comes to mind, you know, where an emperor is hoodwinked into buying clothes that are said by the weavers to be invisible to people who are stupid and unfit for their position – which of course the emperor and most of his court are afraid to admit, even though they can’t see the non-existent “clothes.” Finally, a little child calls the buff, I mean, bluff, shouting, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!” Or, maybe you’ve heard about the Laguna del Sol “clothing optional” resort located (appropriately) on Rawhide Lane in nearby Wilton, CA.

Well, since I titled this blog “My Birthday Suit,” I want to set your mind at ease and free you from any scary images that my words may conjure by explaining what I mean: “My birthday suit” means it’s “my birthday,” and I decided to write about what “suits” me. Hah hah.

This weekend I turned 67 years old, and now that I’m approaching becoming a senior member of society, I thought it would be a public service if I could share with you some of the things that I have learned by living these three score plus seven years. In other words, things that have suited me to learn and practice in my life. So, if you don’t mind me “baring” my soul, here goes:

1. Let’s start right off with the most important thing I’ve learned: God is real. And not some kind of “higher power” or “force,” but specifically the personal, living God of the Bible – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. With that goes the necessary co-belief that the Bible is true in what it teaches about God, about us, about what God expects from us, and about what God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ. That God is real: a personal, loving, and powerful God who is interested in, aware of, and actively involved in our lives. When I say that this is the most important thing I’ve learned, I’m certainly affirming that God ranks highest in worthiness to be known, but I am also asserting that knowledge of God affects everything else I might know. Belief in God and trust in him informs and permeates everything else; everything else I might know has its basis in God, for he is the Creator and Sustainer of everything there is. As Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,” and as Proverbs 9:10 adds, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” How can I truly know anything if I don’t know the God who created it all and explained the significance of life and death in his written Word? So then, you might ask, how do I know that God is real? Ultimately, as Luther’s Small Catechism teaches, I can only believe because the Holy Spirit has given me faith through the Gospel; it is not my doing, through reason and intelligence, that I have somehow figured out that God is and who God is. But I believe that God has shown me his existence in three ways. First, and definitively, through the Scriptures, in which God reveals himself and tells me all I need to know about him. If that’s all I had, it would be enough. But second, God has confirmed his presence by means of gracious interventions in my life (and the lives of others I know). He has guided, rebuked, protected, and healed me at different times according to his will, showing me that he is both a loving and righteous God who is concerned with the lives of his children. And third, the Spirit has worked through my emotions and reason to show that he is real. I have found the knowledge of God to be both emotionally and rationally fulfilling. Everything I know about the world just fits into the biblical explanation of reality and makes more sense than any other “theory” that men have invented to explain why thing are the way they are. This knowledge has inspired me, comforted me, and helped me make sense of life, both the good and the bad. It’s not that emotion and reason have brought me to God, but once I received faith from God, my emotions and reason have served my living out that faith.
2. It matters where we put our faith. So much in the world clamors for our attention and says, “Trust me!” “Put your faith in this product! It will solve your problems and make you happy!” “You deserve the good things we can sell you!” “Do I have a deal for you!” and so on. Some are just unable to provide what they offer, even though they have good intentions; others are outright crooks trying to scam you into following them or giving them your money. Hardly a week goes by that someone doesn’t try to scam us by phone or email, claiming to be a computer tech service or the IRS (at least, I hope the IRS calls were scams, since I hung up on them after they said the “local police” were on their way to arrest me!). We have to trust others much of the time: when we eat at a restaurant, we trust the cooks have safely prepared the food; when we fly, we trust the pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers to transport us safely to our destinations; when the doctors prescribe a medicine, we have to trust them and the pharmacy and the drug companies to provide a beneficial product. And so on. Likewise, when it comes to our religious beliefs, it matters where we put our faith. Certainly, we trust Jesus Christ and what God’s Word says about him, but we also must make sure that those who interpret that Word to us are worthy of our trust. Over the centuries, many false prophets have gone out and twisted the Bible to deny the true Gospel. It was a problem already in the earliest churches, because the Apostles had to warn against such false teachers that were misleading the believers (2 Peter 2:1, Galatians 1:6). That’s why creeds and confessions are so important, because they state the true faith and help guard against false doctrine. That’s also why the choice of church one attends is so important – are the preachers and teachers faithful to the Scriptures, or are they seeking the approval of people to benefit themselves (Galatians 1:10)?  Where I put my faith is always important; when it comes to matters of eternal life, it’s essential!
3. The amount of faith we have is not important. What?!? How can I say that? It sounds like heresy! But I think people get hung up on how much faith they think they need, and are afraid they aren’t good Christians if they don’t feel like their faith is strong. But Jesus said, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). Since the mustard seed is described as the smallest seed, Jesus is saying that even a small amount of faith can accomplish much. Do some people have more faith than others? Sure; some people have a special gift of faith. But faith is just believing in Christ and what he has done for us. It’s not something we can build up by our own will to make God accept us; it’s a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our call is just to believe, and let God apportion to us what he wants us to have. I like how one saying puts it: “It’s not that we have great faith in God, but that we have faith in a great God.” So if you believe, then take comfort and be at peace, read the Bible, receive communion, and you will likely find your faith increasing!
4. Treat everyone with respect. As the late Aretha Franklin put it, “R-e-s-p-e-c-t. . .” Some respect is earned, such as when someone proves trustworthy or capable in their work. But there’s also a level of respect due to everyone regardless of their appearance, attitudes, trustworthiness, or likeability. That respect is due to those with other religions or none. It is due to all races and ethnic groups, sexes, and “genders,” whether we agree with the designations or not. It is due because that person was made in God’s image, just as we were, so to disrespect him or her is to disrespect God. As Jesus said about our respect for our parents, if we cannot love the father we see, how can we love our Father in heaven whom we do not see? I think the same can be said for our love for all people made in God’s image. Sure, we are also all fallen sinners, so people do things and say things we don’t have to agree with, but we still owe them respect. Jesus taught us the Golden Rule – to do unto others as we would want them to do unto us; not surprisingly, when we respect others, we find they will likely respect us back. This is something I have tried to follow toward everyone, though I know I have sometimes failed to do so.
5. Keep a sense of humor. This is so important. It helps us get through discouraging times, it often puts things in perspective, and it keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously. It helps break down walls between people when we can laugh together. We are flawed creatures, and we make mistakes. Sometimes, those mistakes are frustrating or even harmful, but sometimes, they are just funny. We find ourselves in situations that make us laugh. And as long as we’re not laughing at someone, laughter can benefit everyone involved. (As I tell my wife, “I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you.” But I don’t think she always believes me.) One recent example of seeing humor in a situation took place when I called my sister. She was taken into the hospital for one night due to an episode with her heart. It took some doing, but after a few calls I tracked her to her room. When she answered the phone, I said the common expression, “You can run, but you can’t hide!” To which my sister, who this spring had her second leg amputated, replied, “I can’t run; I have no legs.” Fortunately, she saw the humor in it, and we both chuckled over my faux pas.* Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” May you have a cheerful heart, even in the face of adversity!

Over the many years I have learned many more things as well, but I decided giving you the “bare” bones would be enough for this blog. Maybe I’ll give you some more in the future – when I’m even older and wiser – and when it “suits” me. In the meantime:

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 9:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-10 

*Used with her permission.