Ride

The train to the top.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20

I don’t know why, but when I’m feeling run down and distant from God, I need to ride.  Just get away.  So with that in mind, we just finished putting on over 8,000 miles on my little blue Vibe. Some ride, huh?

On our ride Susie and I went all the way to the top of Pike’s Peak outside of Colorado Springs. 14,115 ft. Ok, we did not push my little blue Vibe to the top, we took a train. Not accustomed to such high attitude, one’s head gets a little light, almost headachy. But from the top of the peak, you can see so much. And God’s creation becomes so much clearer.

In 1893 a college professor by the name of Katharine Lee Bates rode from Massachusetts to Colorado Springs in a train, and one day while on top of Pikes Peak, no doubt feeling a light head and perhaps a dim headache, a poem came to her.  After she returned down to Colorado Springs, she started writing down the words that had come to her. And it read fairly much like this:

The train at the top.

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the enameled plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee,

Till souls wax fair as earth and air

And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought

By pilgrim foot and knee!

The words have changed some through the years, and in 1904 the words were set to the tune of "O Mother Dear, Jerusalem" by Samuel Ward.

Sometimes it takes a ride to see what God has done.  As Paul says, even needing that ride does not leave me with an excuse. For I should be able to “clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature” no matter where I am and what I am doing.  Maybe I need to approach each day as if it is a ride.

Where are you riding to today? And what can you see?

Kind

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."  - Ephesians 4:32

If you know me at all, I have long pondered what it means to ‘act Christian.’ I have been working on this answer for years now. And it’s not just an academic quest; I have genuinely wanted to learn how to act Christian on a most personal level.  I’ve probably grown more into the answer over the past eight years than I had in my previous 26 years as a Christian. I still don’t totally know what ‘acting Christian’ means, but when I do figure it out, I’ll write a book about it.

In the meantime, this simple passage from the apostle Paul gives us a few generous clues on how to act Christian.  He says basically this: be kind, be tenderhearted, and forgive as Christ has forgiven us.

Simple.  Huh.

Well not really, because all of those go against human nature; and especially now that we live in an age where arguing and tearing each other down (frequently via the medium of the internet) has become the norm.  Our human nature has been flaring up with increasing gusto.

Yet.

We are called to go against our nature.  And adopt Christ’s nature. 

It’s not easy.  It’s a tall order. It’s a transformation.  And it takes time.

And it can happen. The same power that resurrected Jesus on Easter is available for us to tap into for transformation.  The question is, as trusters and believers in Christ, are we willing to tap into that power?  And act Christian?

For each of us, time will tell.  It’s a choice.  Be kind, be tenderhearted, and forgive as Christ has forgiven us.  

Or be human.

I know what I choose.  Maybe by His power, I’ll get there.  And write that book.

Paid

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10

I had the opportunity to take a couple of people out to lunch a few weeks ago.  We visited what really is my favorite restaurant, and along with good food had great conversation about evangelism and outreach at our church.  The lunch came to an end, the server brought the bill, and our conversation was nonstop. The conversation continued in the car on the way back to the church.  Great lunch.

As I was winding my afternoon down, a reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.  It puzzled me.  But as I examined it I was struck by what it was.  It was the bill from the restaurant.

That I didn’t pay.

So I packed things up, trogged out to my car, and drove back to the restaurant.   Sheepishly I walked in and up to the cash register (which was in a separate bar area).  Taped to the side of the register was a duplicate of my bill.  I looked around to see if there was also a picture from a surveillance video of me in the cross hairs of a target.  There wasn’t.

I spoke to the woman who walked up to the cash register, and explained and apologized for what I had done.  She gave me sort of an awkward grin and said, “It happens about once a week, and 90% of the people comeback to pay.  That is why we had your bill taped to the register.”   I gratefully paid my fare, found my server and handed to him personally a little larger tip than I normally would have left.  And profusely apologized the whole time.  The restaurant folk handled it with grace.

Which reminds me to some extent of the grace we have in Jesus Christ.  “If we confess our sins…” John writes, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

On a daily basis I know I owe all I have to Jesus. It’s like a debt so large that I could never hope to dig up enough money and run back to the eatery and pay it off.  The news is nothing but good though.  As much as I owe, I am reminded daily that the debt has already been paid.  On the cross.  By Jesus.  The bill was taken to the cross with him and was buried in the tomb.

I owe a debt.  And is has been paid. In full.

So I can have life.  In abundance.

I have been told that I can return to the restaurant; I will be welcomed.  And there is one greater that welcomes me and has already counted the cost.

Tomorrow

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” - Matthew 24:36

I received an interesting letter in the mail last week.  It was from a retired pastor (I discerned after a little internet snooping) from the middle of the state. It was a bit long and convoluted, but seems that this fellow has determined without a shadow of the doubt that Jesus is coming back in 2025.

It was imperative, according to the letter, that I get my congregation ready for this event which of course, would herald in the end times.  Guess I’m grateful to have 11 years notice. 

Matthew 24 is freighting if you really look at it. Admittedly, I don’t understand all Jesus is saying; perhaps it is that I don’t want to understand.  The things about “they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death,” and “when you see the abomination of desolation…let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” and “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another” tend to go against my personal theology, which probably means I need to sharpen my theology according to the Word of God.

Here is what I know.  I doubt Jesus is coming back in 2025, and Scripture certainly backs me up when I say no-one knows.  I am praying he comes back sooner.  So should any believer.  Our goal on earth is to be ready for whenever the time comes, to be secure in Jesus Christ and ultimately not worry about when he is coming back tomorrow.  If you are really one of his, the Word is clear that “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” (visit John 10:27-29)

My main concern at this point and time of my life is making sure of and being secure that I am one of His sheep.  That should be your concern also.  The rest will take care of itself.  It will. 

Come Lord Jesus; and tomorrow is OK. And when tomorrow comes, may we be found in Him.

Defense

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect….” 1 Peter 3:15

I’ve always liked this passage.  It’s about speaking truth, but doing so in love (visit Ephesians 4:15).

But it is a passage that should make all believers take a bit of pause. Clearly, we need to be able to articulate the hope that is in us; and then be able to defend that hope when challenged about it.

           

Christianity is a blind faith…said no one ever.

Instead, trusting and believing in Jesus Christ requires some evidence of truth, thinking through the evidence, and then being able to “make a defense” regarding what we know and trust.

In short, faith in Jesus is like the perfect bridging of head and heart.  It’s not enough to ‘know’ about Jesus. His Spirit does have to reside about 18 inches below our heads.  In the same way nobody is asked to blindly accept Christ in their hearts without pondering the evidence for doing so.  We are encouraged to use that area that rests some eighteen inches above our hearts as well.

In your life, what is the evidence that you know and trust that might be challenged?  Have you pondered how you would articulate the “reason for the hope that is in you” when that challenge arises?

Maybe these early days of Lent might be a good time to stop and take a few minutes and ponder.  What is your faith ultimately in? Why have you placed your faith in that?  What evidence, historically or experientially, do you have for what you believe in?

And be prepared to make the defense.  It’s a biblical imperative.