Tag Archives: Isaiah 58:10

The Untold Story

We just watched an old movie, The Ghost of Dickens Past: The untold story of a simple act of charity. It starred Christopher Heyerdahl, who in this presentation bears a striking resemblance to our good friend Pastor Willy Neudahl. True or fictional, the story relays the inspiration behind Dickens’ famous novel A Christmas Carol. Perplexed by the inability to write and yet the driving need to write in order to make money, Dickens is led by a mysterious young girl who helps him see the unintended consequences of his self-driven choices. Arriving back in his present environment he is moved to give generously to a needy family. Upon doing so he realizes at once that his worry and despair were immediately replaced by the joy of turning his thoughts from his own wants and needs to the real needs of others. It was to him, as it is to each of us, the key to a life liberated from the enslaving pursuit of more. It reminds me of the revelation that came after a conversation between a mother and her son:

It’s time to do your studies, said the mom, But why do I need to study asked the boy? Because then you will get good grades. But why do I need good grades? Because then you will be able to graduate. But why do I need to graduate? So then you can go to college. But why do I need to go to college? Because then you can get a good job. But why do I need a good job? So you can marry and have children and support your family. But what comes after that? Well, after that you eventually die. And how will all my accomplishments benefit me then mother?

The procession of questions and answers led them both to ponder in silence, what is actually the true meaning of life. What fuels the purpose of our earthly being? Is it just a procession of tasks and accomplishments to advance our own dreams and feed our own joys? Has it occurred to you lately to consider where your path of endless tasks and accomplishments is leading you – and for what great purpose? A better job for a better house and more things to put in it? More savings for comfortable retirement so I can relax in leisure and satisfy all my desires? I can say for sure, it’s been on my mind. I suppose it is natural that, the less of life you have to live, the more you realize its value. Better yet, that we remember this lesson from the days of our youth and pursue its wisdom with great haste and diligence.

“What is the purpose of my life? What will be the lasting result of all my efforts?”

Jesus summed it up with two commands that should always lead my daily pursuits and energies: To love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. Love God – Love others.

All throughout God’s redemptive story is the constant theme of his consistent, persistent, and relentless pursuit of the very people who ignored him and rebelled against him, people who had no way of paying him back for his endless love and amazing grace, people like you and me. And his story models the pattern for our own lives. The best and most fulfilling lives are those spent in behalf of the hungry and satisfying the needs of the oppressed. For sure, our well-earned gains bring us such temporary pleasures. But the greatest reward is always – always – found in ministering to those Jesus himself called, “the least of these.” In fact, the only way we could possibly serve him and know him is to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, care for the sick, visit those in prison. (Matthew 25:34-40)

God’s Word makes it clear that such good works do not get us into heaven. That gift is provided only by his grace. But it is by those very selfless works to which our lives are devoted that bring us into the presence of our Lord and that reveal who he is and who we are meant to be in his sight.

Our life purpose is achieved by the untold story of our daily choices. May yours bring you greatest joy!

Do you believe you can?

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Like most kids my age, I grew up on “The Little Engine That Could” who, in face of a tough challenge, kept repeating, “I think I can, I think I can,” until he could finally proclaim, “I thought I could, I thought I could.” Disney taught us, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you.”

As I grew older, I was influenced by the positive thinking mantra of Norman Vincent Peale. Meredith Wilson brought us the delightful musical, The Music Man, which had con man Harold Hill telling his students, “you don’t have to bother with the notes.” Instead he taught them his “Think System,” which stated all you had to do was think it and it would happen. In recent years the mantra of many motivational speakers has been, “If you believe it you can achieve it.” Over and over we’re taught that road blocks don’t have to stop you. Find a way to get over them, around them, or through them. Be positive and it will all work out.

Actually, there’s something to be said for the power of positive thinking. At least it sure beats the failure of negative thinking. But will a “think system” help you accomplish all your dreams? If you simply believe you can, will you be able to accomplish the impossible?

With God all things are possible. Going to the source of that quote we find Jesus answering a rich man’s question about how to get to heaven. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) That is, if it’s God’s will that something be done he can and will do it. Do you believe it?

Maybe you’re saying, “Yes, I have a faith that is real and strong and true, but I don’t see the power. My prayers are still unanswered.” Maybe you ask, “How do I get a bigger faith?” I’ve asked that question. But a bigger faith isn’t necessarily the answer. Jesus taught us if we have the faith of a tiny mustard seed, we could move mountains. (Matthew 17:20) Move an actual mountain? Do you think of yourself as the doubting, “ye of little faith” or as one with faith the size of a mustard seed, that can move the mountains in your life? In other words, do you believe what you think and say you believe or do you know that without a doubt your faith is real and powerful? That’s what Jesus said. Do you really believe it to be true in your life?

The truth is our faith can move mountains, IF moving mountains is what God wants to do. But this mountain moving faith is not in ourselves. Scrunching up our face and straining our muscles will not move the mountain anymore than the branches of a grape vine “work out” to produce grapes. Our faith produces fruit when we abide in the vine (John 15) and our faith is placed in what God desires.

And still, James tells us that faith doesn’t sit idle. It works. All throughout scripture we’re told that real faith:

Faith feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, visits the sick and those in prison, clothes the naked, gives to others when a brother is in need, has mercy on the poor, gives drink to the thirsty, bears each others’ burdens. (Matthew 25:25-40, Isaiah 58:10, Luke 2:14-18, Luke 3:11, 1 John 3:17-18, Proverbs 31:20, 4:31, Romans 12:20, Galatians 6:2) Real faith works. Do you believe it?

In each person’s life there comes a moment of truth when we determinedly decide to act on what we believe or hide in the shadows of denial; when we choose the will to face our fears and anxieties with action, or we cower in unbelief.

With God all things are possible.

But what happens when God moves in his mysterious ways and your pain and troubles continue unresolved? When the cancer isn’t healed? When your friend’s grief will not be abated? When your pain finds no peace? It is then that he will see you through the struggle.

It takes courage to believe and more so to act on it. Don’t hold on to your mustard seed. Plant it, nourish it, and let it grow. Keep on believing. Your journey’s not done yet. And neither is the entire plan of God for you yet completed.

Whatever mountains you face, keep on believing. Don’t worry if your faith is small. Let it be real by acting on it.

The time of your life

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Life is better together. It was the hallmark of the very first churches; people reaching out to live life together. It’s still our call for living today.

Last Sunday, eight churches in our community bonded together in an effort called “Reach Out.” Some 1000 volunteers spent 3+ hours throughout the community cleaning gutters, picking up trash, hauling away junk, painting, trimming, visiting and praying…and more. It was a good time of the church BEING the church. Sadly, not everyone knows that the church is not a building. It’s not a set of doctrine. The church is the “body” of believers who are called to live their faith as expressions of love. (Galatians 5:6) Oh that we would express this not just with one great reach out event but daily throughout our lives.

Pastor Cory shared the analogy of winning a daily prize. Imagine if you won a prize that awarded you with $86,400 every single day. You could do a LOT with that kind of blessing, right? But there’s a catch. The prize comes with three rules:
1. You have to spend it all every day. What isn’t spent is lost.
2. You can’t transfer it to another account in hopes of hoarding it.
3. The prize might end any day without notice.

How would you spend your daily allotment of $86,400 every single day? You could buy a bunch of cars, extra properties, and all the latest doodad technologies. You could eat the finest foods and travel to the most expensive places. Or you could feed a lot of people, pay for the tuition for endless students eager to learn if they just had the opportunity. You could provide homes for the homeless and jobs for the jobless. With $86,400 a day, you could have “the time of your life!”

The truth is we are all winners of that very prize, except instead of dollars, our prize is time. Each day we are given 86,400 seconds to spend however we choose. We can indulge ourselves or “spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry” (Isaiah 58:10). The time is ours and granted everyday. We can’t save it and we aren’t guaranteed that we’ll have it renewed tomorrow. We just have today to invest as we choose.

Pastor Cory shared that there are two Greek words for time: “kronos” which signifies the time we measure with a ticking clock, and “kairos” which is a period of opportunity. This “kairos” time is what is mentioned in Colossians 4:5-6:

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Elizabeth Kubler Ross said that it’s only when we truly understand that we have limited time that we will live fully. Make the most of every opportunity. Live fully. Don’t waste your life. That’s the “kairos” moment you and I have today, and each day…while there is still time remaining. How do you get started?

You could put a sticky note up with the number 86,400 written on it to remind you on the limited time opportunity you have today; the gift you’ve been given to “live wisely.” You could set up a recurring appointment in your calendar to remind you to give daily thanks for the time you have and the wisdom to use it wisely. You could set up an appointment every week or every month to intentionally encourage someone with a note, a phone call, or a gift of service. Go help a neighbor who is sick. Mow their lawn. Bring them a meal or a milk shake. If someone has a big project, offer to help. Send an anonymous gift to someone who is struggling financially. Share the love of God without judging others. There are lots of ways to seize the opportunity and use the time you have for the most impact.

For Christians we have this one call to tell people about the love of Jesus and to live lives that demonstrate that love in practical ways. . . to build the kingdom of God starting right where we are, with the time that is given us.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J.R.R. Tolkien

It’s the time of your life. Live it wisely, my friend.

Are you living a divided life?

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Part of our human condition is that we live conflicted lives. We believe one thing but do another. We know the good we should do but we don’t do it. We know the wrong we shouldn’t do but we keep returning to it. We have faith that lives with doubt. We know the truth but we believe the lie. It’s a case of “On the one hand…but on the other hand…”

Jesus was once accused of preaching good while using the powers of evil to drive out demons. But his response in Luke 11 spoke truth: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and a house divided against itself will fall.” Good and evil cannot love in harmony with each other.

It was a truth echoed in the Civil War, proclaiming that a nation divided against itself cannot stand. And it’s a current red and blue struggle to stand together as one nation under God today. It’s a truth that resonates within our individual hearts today when we ponder how to live our lives. We cannot have a bit of God and also be filled with his presence and power. We can’t live a life of fretful worry and at the same time experience the peace that surpasses all understanding. We can’t run with the world and stand with God, worshipping him one hour a week and worshipping our own lives the rest. We can’t hate our enemies and love God nor withhold forgiveness from others and ask God to forgive us. If our house is divided, our days will be constantly marked by cleaning up the debris from its falling. There is no victory in living in a divided house, only woe.

Jesus actually speaks six “woes” to people that considered themselves “religious.” And those woes fall upon us today if we live divided lives:

Woe to me if I think there is satisfaction in giving a tenth of my income (or less!) to God while neglecting justice and the love of God with regard to those who live in great need and suffering. (V 42) God owns it all and blesses us so we can bless others. Buy JOY to each who lives generously, who spends themselves on behalf of the hungry. (Isaiah 58:10)

Woe to me if I think so highly of myself that I “deserve” to be treated better than others. (43) but JOY to each who lives humbly before their great God. It’s when we’re humbled that we are drawn close to God and lifted up. A humble heart loves the God a proud heart cannot see.

Woe to me if I live mindlessly without purpose, like an “unmarked grave” that will not be remembered. (V44) But JOY to each who turn to God each day and ask, “What is your purposed agenda for my life today?” The entire purpose of our blessings – and our lives – is to advance the good news of the gospel of Jesus by speaking hope to the lost in practical expressions of love.

Woe to me if I demand that others live according to ritualistic and legalistic rules instead of actually helping them. (V46) But JOY to each who lives in the freedom of his grace and extends that same grace to others in his name.

Woe to me if I build monuments to God and men but don’t live according to his Word. (Vs 47-51) But JOY to each who live in obedience to the call to be set apart from the ways of the world.

Woe to me if I take away the key to truth from those around me, not even living according to it myself. (V 52) But JOY to each who share the truth and grace of Jesus, who let their faith express itself through his love.

Living a life that is divided against itself brings certain woe. But for every woe there is a joy ready to take its place. We have only ONE life to live. Live it well, with JOY.

Living the life we were meant to live

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Summer at the acreage is a colorful event. Wildflowers and other perennials bloom to celebrate the beauty and creativity of God’s creation. Of course, the blooms don’t last forever. Some last only for a day, others for weeks, and gradually replaced by other blooms.

Such is an illustration of our life. We too are like wildflowers. We bloom for a while and then the richness of our beauty dies away. Imagine, if you knew the end of your life was near how you might live differently between now and then. What priorities might change and how might you live each day to better reflect your life goals? Wouldn’t you expect to find greater appreciation for the time you have?

We have this choice each day: to wander through it rather mindlessly, consumed with the planning of some future season of our life or to live THIS day fully and with purpose and passion. Choose to live resolutely and faithfully, becoming as we were intended – the first fruits of God’s creation (James 1:18). Reject ‘worthless religion’ (that which has no effect on our lives) and embrace that which is beneficial to us and others and is pleasing to God. What does this look like? “…to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

We were designed to help others and to keep pure. “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10) If we really want to be the light of the world as Jesus challenged us, we have to go where there is darkness, to become involved where there is hurt and pain.

But where does such selfless desire come from? And how is this done? It’s impossible if we are polluted by the things of the world. If we let the smog of distraction and public opinion impede our light and the sludge soil our living water, what use will we be? God warns us, “keep from being polluted by the world.” In what ways has pollution entered your life?

Let your light shine today, where you are and across the world. The intent of Go Light Our World, is to encourage each of us to be light bearers through this daily blog; but also to support missions around the world ‘on behalf of the hungry and to satisfy the needs of the oppressed.’ YOU can help shine the light: check out the Ministries Link on our website www.GoLightOurWorld.org, Pray for those who bring light and those who receive it. Become a partner with any size financial gift, knowing that all your gift goes to directly support ministry efforts. BE a light that shines. Bloom while there is time.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

Two Views

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Have you ever noticed how some people appear to be so blessed with good health, wealth, close friendships, good jobs, homes and more? (It is indeed a dangerous and slippery line of thinking so we won’t stay here long.) But really, do you ever think that and ask, “Why don’t I have MORE?” (As if more of the world would really make us happier.)

And have you ever had God suddenly flip the switch of your thinking to consider, “Why is it that MOST the world has so very little? And so very much pain, barely eking out a meager existence at best with no evident opportunity to escape the bonds of poverty and despair? And why do I have SO MUCH?” I am free to live in relative comfort even with Leukemia, receive good medical treatment and access to safe and affordable food and water and shelter, worshipping in freedom, while other Christians are persecuted and tortured, even to death. It certainly gives us pause for consideration about our complaining and a prompt to give thanks for our blessings – every single day!

But is it good enough to settle with, “There but the grace of God go I?” Are the words of Isaiah meaningful to us today? “And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10) And in chapter 61 (excerpts): the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor, to bestow upon them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, a garment of praise instead of despair. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness for the prisoners. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.”

Doesn’t that last image convey the message of a legacy based life? Whether we are focusing on the financially and physically poor of the world, or those around us who are bound up in their broken-heartedness, the image of our role in strengthening and encouraging others is a powerful one of real transformation. It speaks of our role in aligning with God to help others become oaks of righteousness, a planting for the display of God’s splendor!

What legacy do you want to leave? It is built in our day by day living and how we consider those around us and those around the world. Even if we think we have little, we have really so much to share and to pour into the legacy we leave. Live well today, friends.