Luther

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”  Romans 1:16,17

Today is an important day.  And it has nothing to do with the aberration we call Halloween.  No, almost 500 years ago an Augustinian monk by the name of Martin Luther almost inadvertently started a movement in Germany that just could not be stopped. He didn’t mean to; he simply wanted some reform to happen within the Roman church at the time; reform that would bring it back, in his estimation, within the boundaries of what Scripture teaches.

What instead happened was the offshoot of what came to be known as Lutheran churches, and later Reformed churches and various movements that sprang from them.  All attempting to be Jesus’ church in a more biblical manner.  We can argue back and forth about how successful the reform movement was; and if indeed any of the churches and denominations that exist now because of the Reformation are really what Luther was aiming at.  We need to be reminded that Luther did not wish to create a splinter church at all; he was attempting to reform the existing part of the Body of Christ.

But for a moment, I want to point the single most important thing Martin Luther did for, not just those of us that have been irrationally labeled “Protestant,” but for all people in the church, including trusters and believers that are in the Roman Catholic church today.

He gave us back the freedom of the gospel.  He took what was becoming an increasingly convoluted path to salvation and reminded us all that salvation in Christ is simply ‘the power of God…to everyone who believes.’  That ultimately God’s righteous live simply by faith.

I think it is human nature to make things more complicated than they need to be.  Too many branches of the Christian Church continue to sprinkle human tradition and unnecessary formality to what is a most unpretentious concept.   That salvation lie in the power of God; that to receive it you simply live by faith in Jesus.

This is true for a Presbyterian like me.  It is also true for my Baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist, independent, Holiness and Roman Catholics friends.

And let us not be ashamed of the gospel, for it truly lies simply in the power of God to save.  On this day, let us enjoy the freedom.  And give thanks for those in the past who have reminded us of how doggone simple it is.

Cold

"…Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

It’s really a cold and drizzly afternoon as I write this; about 43 degrees and ever gloomy.  I’d much rather have it snow than this.  Maybe tonight they say. We’ll see. I’m fighting off a cold myself; wondering if the chills I feel are just sympathetic reactions to the weather, or something more.  And life seems to be one meeting after another these days – this is ministry? The short answer is, yes, it is part of it.

I’m thinking about how I really need to get my plans for Advent and Christmas 100% shored up; consider what to be preaching in the time between Christmas and Lent; maybe even give some thought to Lent into Easter…And what about all I really need to get done in the next month so I can really be ready for Advent….  I’m thinking in circles.

And then a deeper concern.  My part-time ministry associate is having a potentially serious procedure done on Friday – this seems to have come up in a hurry; hopefully it accomplishes what it is supposed to – in a hurry, for his sake.

And then I’m reminded, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Thank you.  I know that.  Just when I get all wrapped up in myself, I place this truth to the back burner.  But God wants this truth on the front burner.  And keep it there.  For I know he is with me; that my dismay I may be feeling has been brought up on my own accord, that my God will strengthen and help me.  He will be holding me in his righteous right hand.  He has so many times before.  There is no reason to think He will fail now.  No reason. No cold will dampen his warmth.

It’s still frigid outside; I’m starting to cough a little bit. If you remember, please say a prayer for Dave Stewart tomorrow.  But I know that God will be with him also.

God is good, all the time. Even when the times are cold.

Suffering

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope….”  Romans 5:3-4

I don’t like suffering. Who does.

Scripture, however is very clear…and honest…that suffering is a part of life.  I suppose, compared to many, I haven’t suffered much.  But I do know that all of us suffer in our own way.  There are things in all of our lives that we would like to have changed; the reality is that most of them are up to God’s perfect will as to whether they will change or not.  Some of these things produce irritation; some produce downright anguish.

Some may see Paul’s words in the reading above as putting a positive ‘spin’ on suffering.  That's not it at all. God, working through these words, puts a God blessing on suffering.  So we are taught that suffering leads to endurance, character and hope.

I have known some tremendous people that are filled with endurance, character and hope.  And none of them have been strangers to suffering.  And it’s not that God brings on the suffering, the world we live in is inherently filled with opportunities for suffering. But we are reminded scripture tells us that “ we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (visit Romans 8:28)

In the good times and the bad.  In the rejoicing and in the suffering.  God is good.

Children

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."  - 1 John 2:1

I’ve reached an age where I don’t like being called a child.  Truth be told, I probably reached that age 45 years ago, but still.  I don’t like it.  So when I read the beginning of the sentence penned by the apostle John, I start to bristle.  “My little children….”  Who is he talking to?

The answer is: me.  And you.

I am reminded that Jesus once said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (visit Matthew 18:3)  Yikes!

John in the passage above is just addressing Jesus’ trusters and followers as they; err, we should be addressed.  And he is giving his children a simple child-like truth.  Learn not to sin; but if you do, we have one who get the sin forgiven – Jesus.  The adult in me doesn’t like to admit that I sin.  The child in me not only admits that I sin, but rejoices in the fact that my sin is forgiven.

The adult in me gets very prideful.  The child in me gets wide eyed with wonder.  May the child in me win over the adult in me.    

Children…rejoice!

Thirst

God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

I’ve lived there. In a dry and weary land.

I also just completed a week of service in such a place.  The Navajo Indian reservation is a dry and weary land if there ever was one.  At times, the hunt for water there is anxious. King David knew all about such lands, as Israel was such a realm. David compared where our heads and hearts should be to the feeling of being desperate for the slightest bit of moisture and the tiniest morsel of bread.

On our own, we are dry.  On our own, we are faint.  We thirst and hunger for something more. Sometimes we look in the right direction, sometimes we look in erroneous directions.  Sometimes we just forget to look, and live resigned to thirst and hunger.  It’s easy to get complacent and used to the conditions of the desert.

Then I’m reminded.  Even the desert has its moments.  In northeast Arizona its called monsoon season.  This year, the early part of September saw some flooding; there was evidence of an ample supply of rain water in recent weeks.  Although experience tells me that it will soon revert back to the dry and weary land it really is.

But seeking God has its monsoon moments.  When all is watered and the thirst and hunger go away.

Enjoy those moments. Remember from whom they come. But.  Stay thirsty and hungry for the source.