“Hezekiah set to work resolutely and built up the entire wall that was broken down, and raised towers on it, and outside it he built another wall, he also strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.” 2 Chronicles 32:5

2 Chronicles 32 captures the story of Hezekiah, the war time King, preparing for the onslaught of an invading army that could easily destroy his kingdom.  Hezekiah had led the nation in implementing spiritual reform and leading the nation in a revival, “he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.” Yet now he is facing another threat, instead of a spiritual crisis, a physical crisis. “After these things and these acts of faithfulness, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.” (32:1)

Hezekiah does all the necessary and proper preparations for war; outside the wall he built another wall, reinforced the inner city, made weapons and shields in abundance and appointed commanders. As the vast army of King Sennacherib moved into place, Hezekiah rallied the nation.

Hezekiah understood the importance of making all the standard military preparations, but he knew, more importantly, that prayer was an essential and critical part of preparing for battle. Standing before the people he encouraged them saying, “Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

Crisis leadership brings out the best and the worst in leaders. Franklin D. Roosevelt reassured a nation with his famous fireside chats throughout the years of the Great Depression and ultimately World War II. England’s opposition leader, Hugh Dalton, said of Winston Churchill that he was “the only man we have for this hour.” Churchill led his nation through the difficult years of the war with determination, focus and energy until victory was achieved. Yet in the years following, he failed as a peace-time leader.

Hezekiah did well in crisis; for he trusted fully in the LORD. Yet in prosperity and peace, Hezekiah didn’t do well as “many brought gifts to the LORD in Jerusalem and precious things to King Hezekiah of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.” In the years of peace and prosperity, Hezekiah failed to keep his eyes on God and focused more on the adoration and praise given him by others.

How easy to forget God when life is easy, when the storehouse is full. We can never stray from staying in alignment with God. Our pride will be our downfall – personally, or as a nation. “Sin is not what is wrong with our minds; it is the catastrophic disorder in which we find ourselves at odds with God.” (Eugene Peterson)

“Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” Thankfully God welcomes repentance as Hezekiah awakened to the reality of his pride and arrogance. “A soldier asked Abba Minus if God accepted repentance. After the old man had taught him many things he said, “Tell me, my dear, if your cloak is torn, do you throw it away” He replied, “No, I mend it and use it again.” The old man said to him, “If you are so careful about your cloak, will not God be equally careful about his creature?”

History is filled with leaders who did well in crisis yet failed miserably in peace. Living in the darkness of crisis leaves us with only two options: turning to God or living in hopelessness. Yet living in the light of peace also leaves us with only two options: staying focused on God or living for self. Eugene Peterson says it well “When we pray, we immerse ourselves in the living presence of God. When we pray the Psalms we pray through all the parts of our lives and our history and cover the ground of our intricate implication in sin.”

Lord, as You give us our daily bread, let us receive it with thankfulness. If You give us peace, let us live with our eyes on You. If You give us a crisis, let us never forget, “with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

 

“And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:23-27

Among some of our children’s favorite books was The Berenstain Bears and The Spooky Old Tree. Always up for an adventure, the three Berenstain Bear cubs decide to explore The Spooky Old Tree at night. “One with a light. One with a stick. One with a rope,” they bravely enter the old, dark tree until one fright after another fright causes panic and fear until they are scared and running home. The closing pages of the book pictures Mama Bear clutching her little bears safely in her arms and the words “Three little bears running fast. Home again. Safe at last.”  

This same fascination and fear have marked the night hours for generations. We have all experienced those little sounds that go thump, bump and creak during the midnight hours when we are deep in sleep, causing our heart to race a bit faster. For most of mankind’s history, the night has been terrifying and unnerving. The words of an old traditional Scottish prayer express the fears of the night and the unknown.

“From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!”

The words are strange to our ears but the focus on God for protection still pulls us into His arms. It is in the midst of the darkness we experience forced vulnerability and trust. The physical night beckoned people inside to the safety of their homes as a time of quiet rest waiting for the break of a new day. Now as then, the darkness reminds us of our dependence upon God.

Physically we hear the “bumps in the night” but we hear them also spiritually. In the last few decades, with the advent of electricity, the world has been flooded with light and 24-7 noise. We can now banish the physical darkness with artificial light, extending our days. We extend the light in hopes we can reduce the vulnerability that we feel in the dark. However much in the same way that we try to escape the physical darkness, we attempt to remove the spiritual darkness with superficial light. Trish Harrison Warren writes. “Instead of sitting in the discomfort of vulnerability, we run to alcohol, work, social media, movies, entertainment, even political debate.”

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 77 that, “When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help.” Through the course of the night as he prays and seeks God, he does come to the realization, “But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember…” At this point, the Psalmist is able to finally move from the darkness to the light proclaiming, “O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you?”

We will never find in our artificial spiritual light that which gives meaning to our souls. Only in the pure light that radiates from Jesus will we find the light to walk without fear, face the unknown and rest in his presence. “Sleep is a daily, enfleshed reminder that it’s God, not us, who is the maker and mover of all our lives. Practices of prayer, like the practice of sleep, are a way to enter a posture of resting in God in the face of our utter frailty, with no promise of how or when morning will come.” (Warren)

“Compline” is the last prayer for the night within the church traditions that emphasizes the various times of prayer during the day. The prayer from The Book of Common Prayer reminds us of our dependence upon God as we prepare for the night:

“Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.”

“Yes, there will come a day when the darkness is finally gone, the gates of the city are kept open and no evil will be in the city. No longer will we face the dark waiting for morning. So, for now, we rest in the calm assurance that, “The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.” (Psalm 121:5)

God is great

Pastor Lynn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me… Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:1,5-7

“Jesus didn’t say that any particular ethic, doctrine, or religion was the way, the truth, and the life. He said that He was. He didn’t say that it was by believing or doing anything in particular that you would “come to the Father.” He said that it was only by Him—by living, participating in, being caught up by the way of life that He embodied, that was His way.” (Frederick Buechner)

Seth Polk, outgoing chairman of the International Mission Board trustees, in his final address at the May trustee meeting, shared a quote by Dr. Paul Chitwood, President of the IMB. “As Dr. Chitwood regularly states, 154,937 people die without Christ every day around the world. This is unacceptable and our purpose as the redeemed is to make Jesus known, so the lost will be saved and the saved will be discipled.” Dr. Chitwood is passionate about getting the gospel message to the ends of the earth.

I fully agree with Dr. Chitwood’s remarks of the tragedy of those who die without Christ. Yet, maybe just as heartbreaking are the billions who must face every living day without Jesus. For many, they live without knowledge of who Jesus is. For many, they live life fully knowing about Jesus but have made the decision to reject Him in their life. Countless others live life having made the decision to follow Jesus yet live their lives as if He doesn’t exist. The modern trend of deconstructing their faith leaves many people living life without the hope of Jesus. Hopefully in their reconstruction of faith they will find Jesus for their life.

Jesus welcomes our questions of faith, responds to our challenges but He always comes back to “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Jesus spent a lot of time teaching about the Kingdom and helping us live a Kingdom focused life. Jesus’ mission was to move people out of darkness into the light. His strategy was simple: “Follow me.” As we follow Jesus we avoid the darkness and can walk on His well-lit pathway. Those walking in darkness are constantly bumping into objects – objects of hatred, violence and philosophical hopelessness.  For those of us who walk in the light of Jesus, we see the path ahead allowing us to avoid many of the pitfalls.

The billions who live in the world daily without Jesus and the billions who live in the world daily with Jesus all live in the same chaotic world. A world where injustice still impacts people, violence causes unrest and lack of peace, physical and spiritual hunger abound all amid a heightened mistrust of others.

Dallas Willard, commenting on John 8:12 wrote, “Another important way of putting this is to say that I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would live my life if he were I. I am not necessarily learning to do everything he did, but I am learning how to do everything I do in the manner that he did all that he did.”

My preference is to always walk in the daylight. I find it rather challenging to see in the dark, maybe age has something to do with the problem. What I do know is that I avoid a lot of sore shins if I walk in the light. This is even more important in my spiritual life. I am confident of Jesus’ promise that if I walk with Him, I “will have the light of life.”  What about you?

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

 

 

“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2

Do you remember your first loan? I signed my name on the loan papers for a used 1968 Dodge Charger when I was in high school! Over the next many months, working after school, doing odd jobs, I made the monthly bank payment for my car. I quickly learned the definition of debt, “Something owed, such as money, goods, or services. An obligation or liability to pay or render something to someone else.” I drove the car, but technically the car belonged to the local bank until the day I made the final payment and my debt was paid in full.

The feeling of being debt free was as amazing then as it is now. The same feeling was experienced yesterday as our church celebrated being Unleashed. It was an amazing day of celebration and praise as we watched the note that had kept us leashed to debt for years, go up in flames. Yesterday marks a new beginning when our church will no longer be leashed to debt.

Paying off a debt places the responsibility on us as an obligation, compared to forgiveness that places the responsibility on another person to extend grace. The lender holds no claim on you since you made the last payment but in a richer life-giving way, the one extending forgiveness holds no claim on you since you have been forgiven. I knew I could pay off the car loan given enough time and payments. Our church knew that we could pay off the building note even if it took years. However, there is one debt we could never pay off without help. Scripture tells us that, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

Jim Denison tells the story of a priest in the Philippines who carried the burden of a secret sin from years before. He repeatedly confessed the sin to God but never found peace until he learned the power of forgiveness. A woman in his parish loved God deeply and claimed to have visions in which she spoke directly with her Lord. The priest was skeptical and said “the next time you speak with Christ, I want you to ask him what sin your priest committed while he was in seminary.” The woman agreed.

“A few days later, the priest asked her, “Did Christ visit you?”

“Yes, he did,” she replied.

“And did you ask him what sin I committed in the seminary?”

“Yes.”

“Well, what did he say?”

“He said, ‘I don’t remember.’”

Forgiveness is freedom. No longer do we carry the burden of debt. No longer do we worry about the next payment. No longer do we allow our past to destroy our future. Astronomer Copernicus asked that this epitaph be on his grave: “O Lord, the faith thou didst give to St. Paul, I cannot ask; the mercy thou didst show to St. Peter, I dare not ask; but Lord, the grace thou didst show unto the dying robber, that, Lord, show to me.”

Matthew records that Jesus confronted the teachers of the law who objected to Jesus’ words to the paralyzed man in chapter 9 that his sins were forgiven. Most likely they would have been OK if Jesus had simply healed the man but not the bold declaration of, “your sins are forgiven.” Yet Jesus would not let the man be held in bondage and responded to their unforgiving legalism by saying, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven, or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” (9:4-6)

We are wonderfully and beautifully reminded that, “as far as the east is from the west…he removed our transgressions from us,” (Ps 103:12) and “whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (Romans 4:8) Forgiveness based on the promise “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” (2 Cor 5:19)

In Jesus, our forgiveness is complete.

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

 

 

 

 

 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

During a 1940s field trip in England, theology students visited various residences of leading historical church figures. The bus stopped at the home of John Wesley, and after touring the home, the students were shown Wesley’s bedroom.  On the floor were two knee imprints where Wesley had prayed for hours on end for God to send a revival to England and the United States.

Once back on the bus, Dr. Orr realized one of the students was missing and went back to look for him. Going into the bedroom, he found the young man kneeling in the same place praying fervently, “Do it again, Lord! Lord, would you do it again?! And would you do it again with me?!” 

The professor touched the young man’s shoulder and told him it was time to go, so young Billy Graham stood and rejoined the other students on the bus. I believe Dr. Graham understood fully what Oswald Chambers had written years before. “Prayer does not equip us for greater works—Prayer is the greater work. “

It was with that same fire and determination that Graham stood on the U.S. Capitol steps on Feb 3, 1952 challenging the political and government leaders to pray for spiritual revival in the United States. On April 17,1952 Congress passed a bill designating a National Day of Prayer which President Harry Truman signed into law.

Thursday, May 6 marks the 70^th anniversary of the “National Day of Prayer.” The question each of us must ponder is this, “Do we really want God to intervene in our nation? Are we really ready to pay the price of fervently praying for God to intervene in our nation?”  A. W. Tozer said, “To desire revival . . . and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.”

We are facing unprecedented times of spiritual darkness, both in our nation and globally. Now is not the time to “neglect prayer and devotion” but to pay the price that John Wesley and others have done over the course of history. We are reminded by Paul in Ephesians, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (6:10-12)

Billy Graham will always be known for his great crusades and his passionate call for everyone to come to faith in Jesus Christ, but equally important was his call on the steps of our nation that cold, February day challenging our nation’s leaders to prayer. I thought it appropriate to end this article with his grandson Will Graham’s prayer on behalf of our nation.

“Heavenly Father, today we confess that we are in great need for you. Lord, our lives are in a mess. We have traded the truth for convenience and temporal pleasures. Forgive us for loving ourselves so much. Forgive us for thinking that we have all the answers. Forgive us for calling good evil and evil good.

We have made a mess of our lives apart from you. But we ask for your forgiveness right now. Lord, cleanse us anew now, we ask. May your glory be seen in us. We ask for the Holy Spirit to guide each of us that we might be better able to discern your will in the days ahead. Give us the wisdom you have promised to those who ask and the strength that you alone can give.

Lord, we need you. Our country needs you more than ever. Therefore, we take this time to confess our total dependence on you. Lord, we pray that the glory of the Lord will shine during this time. May people see your glory in us. As the world is captivated by fear, help us to be captivated by your glory. May the world turn to you and call to you in our time of great need.

Help our eyes to be fixed on you during this storm. And through the storms of life, we ask for your Holy Spirit to unite us, to fill us and intercede for us in our time of need.

In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.”

May it be our time to again pray as Billy Graham did decades ago, “Do it again, Lord! Lord, would you do it again?! And would you do it again with me?!” 

God is great,

Pastor Lynn