MORE THAN A CHILDRENS STORY

The inspiration for this picture is found in the Old Testament. The Prophet Jonah and his experience with the fish is a favorite children’s bible story. When was the last time you read the story? Though it may often be referred to, as a children’s bible story there is a timely message for adults.

Jonah has become angry with God and begins to question justice. Nineveh represents the seat of government for Assyria, which had often invaded and harassed the land of Israel. The desire of the Prophet was to see the annihilation of Assyria but as God shows mercy and extends grace Jonah becomes angry. “ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.” (Jon. 4:1)

Anger is an emotion shown toward a person or event. It is stimulated by fear, personal threat or a sense of injustice. The prophet’s memory will not allow him to forgive yesterdays injustice and his personal patriotism can not fathom grace being shown to such an undeserving group of people.

The event recorded in the Book of Jonah happened around 650 B.C. Now fast forward if you will to March 15, 2004 to a place called Mosul, which is in northern Iraq very near ancient Nineveh. David and Carrie McDonnall were in Mosul serving as missionaries in this war torn country.

Where Jonah held contempt for this area the McDonnall’s were filled with love and compassion for a people who though very religious did not know Christ.

While waiting in traffic, militant insurgents approached the vehicle and emptied their Ak47s killing three of the five missionaries instantly and seriously wounding the McDonnalls.

This story is well documented in Carrie McDonnall’s book, “Facing Terror”. Carrie was hit Twenty-Two times by bullets and shrapnel and survived the attack. However, her husband David died the same afternoon as a result of his injuries.

Rather than blame God for the injustice in her life Carrie McDonnall moves ahead in love and ministry. She had spent time in Israel living with and ministering to Israeli Arabs and she still has a heart for these people. We read in First Corinthians chapter thirteen love, “does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, and thinks no evil.”

The prophet of the Old Testament ran from God then reluctantly went to Nineveh. He became angry when grace was offered to people who he believed to be undesirable. The McDonnall’s ran to God and gave themselves in service to the ancestors of these undesirables.


Carrie McDonnall is an example to those of us who justify anger, resentment and bitterness. Amazing that eyes of the world are one again turned to this same piece of real estate. Reading the McDonnall’s story has challenged my thinking about what is an appropriate end to the Iraqi conflict and showed me another reflection of grace.

A MIRROR OF GRACE

This post is a follow up to last weeks GRACE AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. You will recall our suggesting the Epistle of James holds the believer responsible in the area of spiritual development.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; For he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
(James 1:22-25)

These are appropriate words for a post modern culture which has looked away from God and stands before a mirror obsessed with self. Consider the plastic surgery industry for example. According to the American Society Of Plastic Surgeons over ten million procedures were preformed last year representing a 38% increase sense the year 2000. The global industry will soon post revenues of 30 billion dollars annually.

This is a multi billion dollar a year industry driven by people who live in a world where physical appearance is championed. This being the case many people today find it hard to walk away from the mirror and forget. Plastic surgery may offer a cosmetic means to alter a physical appearance but it can do nothing to change the heart.

However, looking to the perfect law of liberty reflects the heart of the Lord and offers the person a glimpse of completeness. The Apostle Paul said,
“ By the grace of God I am what I am.” Here is the testimony of a man who was well versed in the law of God and experienced a moment of grace, which changed his heart forever.

If you desire to grow and develop spiritually you must look to the reflection of His character, which is found in His word, and be honest with yourself. There are no cosmetic short cuts. It requires engaging God with an honest heart. The following list offers a look at a few who dared to be honest.


Abraham (Gen. 15:3 )

Abraham has been promised a son but years have passed and disappointment comes as he patiently waits. Phillip Yancey says Abraham will emerge as the first person thoroughly disappointed with God. In this text Abraham is honest and brings his disappointment to God. He walks away with a promise confirmed and enters into a covenant.


Moses (Num. 11:11-14)

Moses has become weary with a burden leadership. Notice his questions.
“ Why have you afflicted your servant? … Did I conceive these people…Where am I to Get meat to give to all these people.’ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.” Being honest with himself Moses brings his Inability as an offering to God. He walks away having received favor, which is another word for grace.


David (Psalm 51)

David has committed personal sin and brought judgment upon his house and the household of God. In Psalm 51 he prays, “ Have mercy upon me O God…” He confesses, “For I acknowledge my transgressions…” David comes before God with an honest heart and brings a confession. He walks away having received forgiveness and restoration.

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Job (Job 2:22 )

Everything Job believed about God had been seriously challenged. There is no way to explain the loss and now It seems as if heaven is silent. He looks through the confusion and clings to the goodness of God. In the end he walks away with a renewed sense of the presence of God.

There are more but this list will suffice as an example of those who would dare to be honest with God and self. God is not offended when we enter into his presence with questions. He enjoys dialog with an open and honest heart. This too is a reflection of grace.

GRACE AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

(J.R.R.Tolkien)

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It was on July 29 1954 when J.R.R. Tolkien published The Fellowship Of The Ring. While the spell check on my operating system fails to recognize names such as Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn Pop culture continues to embrace this classic.

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In the trilogy Tolkien draws us into his imagination using Elves, Dwarfs, Orcs and Hobbits. The beauty of the story is found in what seems to be oxymoronic. A hobbit takes the personal responsibility of saving middle-earth. Frodo will face his fear and, along with the fellowship, journey to the land of Mordor casting the ring into the fire from which it was initially forged and in so doing he will destroy the ring and defeat Sauron.

This trilogy has been translated into Thirty-Eight languages and numerous printings not to mention the blockbuster movie. It is considered one of the great literary works produced in the Twentieth century.

The scriptures place high priority on the subject of personal responsibility. The Epistle of James is a letter written to believers in the early church and speaks volumes concerning the subject of personal responsibility. Notice the following references with regard to the responsibility of believers.

Wisdom
“If any one of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

Temptation
"Let no one say when he is tempted,"I am tempted by God.' for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." (James 1:13&14)

Personal Development
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; For he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
(James 1:22-25)

Self Control
“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:8-10)

Before God we are held to a high standard in the area of personal responsibility and the good news is we are not alone. God offers grace for the process and the church for support.

J.R.R. Tolkien and James the Brother of the Lord each speaking of personal responsibility and showing the world a reflection of grace.

GRACE AND THE REDEMPTIVE PROCESS

(Henry Longfellow )
In his poem The Builders Henry Longfellow said, “ Our todays and yesterdays are the blocks with which we build.” Some may call this poetic reference to the human condition a product of his genius while others would believe him to have simply been inspired.

In one line Longfellow speaks to each personality and every inter-personal relationship living. Our yesterday has a tremendous effect on the person we are today and the person we are today will influence the person we desire to be tomorrow.


How are you in this process? Does your memory of yesterday hold precious keepsakes, which beckon you now and then, or is it a chamber of horror you desperately try to forget?

The Apostle Paul speaks of process in his first letter to the Corinthian Church. “ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I.Cor.1: 18)

The key to understanding this verse is two fold. First the verb tense is crucial and secondly the cross is central. He does not reference those who have perished or shall perish but those who are in the process of perishing.

Like wise the latter part of verse eighteen speaks to those in the process of being saved. The gift of life is instantaneous in Christ but Christ likeness is a process. During the process we often feel we have failed and wonder if it is possible for God to still love us. If this describes your emotions it is crucial that you to realize the process is not yet complete. There is hope because in the Cross God redeems the process of reconciliation.


When the poet of the Nineteenth Century and The Apostle Paul both look to the human condition and find a process it speaks to my soul and shows me a reflection of grace.

GRACE AND THINGS THAT REMAIN.

First Corinthians chapter Thirteen is called the great love chapter and contains some of the most poetic verse in all of scripture. The Apostle Paul will contrast the use of spiritual gifts and the condition of a person’s heart. He will go on to say that with out love our gifts are worthless. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angles but have not love I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” (I Cor. 13:1)In verse thirteen I find confidence and encouragement in the things that remain. “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (I Cor. 13:13)As I have turned the page of the calendar and find I am already past the half way mark of the first month these words are an anchor to my soul. Faith, hope and love will overcome trials and frustration.

Faith

Faith is not a shallow self-serving desire. It is a God given ability to respond to His call and promise. This is the kind of belief in which Abraham walked. His belief went beyond selfish ambition and good intention. It held as its object the promise of God. “ Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen…” (Heb.11: 1)

Hope

Hope moves beyond wishful thinking and opportunistic outlook. Hope is an extension of my faith. In I Thessalonians 1:3 Paul refers to the things that remain again. “ Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ….” He is writing to a group of people who looked with expectation for the coming of Christ. Biblical hope is an extension of faith.


Jack Hayford says, “ Hope is never inferior to faith, but is an extension of faith. Faith is the present possession of grace; hope is the confidence in grace’s accomplishment.”

Jesus offered hope when he said, “ You believe in God, believe also in me. In my fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you….” (Jn.14: 1)

God told the prophet Jeremiah to purchases a plot of land as the Babylonians were ready to take the city. Why would anyone buy land when the enemy would soon divide the spoils? It was an indication that grace would follow judgment and God would bring His people back. It was a purchase that would offer hope to an oppressed people.

Love

The bible says, “ … For God is love.” (I Jn.4:8) Love is an intrinsic property of God. The sun cannot cease to be hot and water cannot cease to be wet. Like wise The God of heaven and earth can never cease to love because love describes the essence of his nature. God is Holy, God is Just and God is love.

If hope is an extension of faith then love is the ultimate expression. God loves and expressed that love in Christ on Calvary. Paul exhorts the church to not only desire spiritual gifts but also to follow after love. “Love never fails….”

As I look to this year I am confident and encouraged in the things that remain and these are a reflection grace

BLESSED BE YOUR NAME

(Matt Redman)

During our church service at Birch Ridge last Sunday we sang Blessed Be Your Name. This is a contemporary worship song written by Matt Redman. It is a beautiful expression of personal faith. Matt is a minister of worship, songwriter and mentor. He was the worship pastor at the Soul Survivor Church in Watford UK where Mike Pilavachi serves as senior pastor.

I was watching an interview with Matt Redman and pastor Mike when this song came up. Mike shared his appreciation for the song was that the lyrics were real. Life is beautiful and at times can be very difficult. The story of Job illustrates this truth and shows the reader a reflection of grace.

There was a time when Job walked through town and held the respect of everyone as being a man of personal integrity who enjoyed great favor with God. Now with an imperfect understanding of his situation Job walks through the painful process of mourning the loss of children.

While he cannot fathom reason for such loss Job makes a declaration, which has been echoed across the community of Christendom during heartfelt loss, “ The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the lord.”(Job 1:21) Little does he realize that yes it was the Lord who gave but the enemy of his soul was responsible for the loss. His response looks through the confusion and clings to the goodness of God. Only grace can do that for a person.

I have placed a flash player on the blog, which you will see, in the right column under Worship Music. Click on the play button and you will hear the song, Blessed Be Your Name. Listen and be blessed.

GRACE AND A FIRESIDE CHAT.

There is something about a campfire that stimulates conversation. When you put a group of men around a campfire chat becomes a natural phenomenon. some of the most important decisions made during the founding days of this country were made around campfires.

Recorded in the Gospel of Matthew is a conversation that occurred between Jesus and His disciples. They were travailing through the area of Caesarea Philippi as the day began to fade and preparations were made for the evening. Something in my imagination places this event around a campfire. Sitting by the fire and resting for the evening Jesus asked a question, “ Who do men say that I, the son of Man, am?”

Interesting question and so were the answers. One shared that some people believed Jesus was actually John the Baptist resurrected. Another shared that some people believed he was one of the prophets such as Elijah or Jeremiah who had come back to life. I can hear the chuckles and see the humorous expressions on faces of men, as they look to each other and discuses the nature of his identity.

The ignorance of the world does not surprise Him and the humor of the fireside chat does not offend Him. However, it is an occasion for the community to become intimate and so Jesus asks a second question. “ But who do you say I am?”

This question muffles their laughter leaving only a popping and cracking of the embers to penetrate this uncomfortable silence, which permeates the band of brothers. There is a reluctance to answer as each man feels the radiance from the fire on his face. Simon the choleric is moved as He opens his mouth and speaks more than he understands.“ You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

A grace moment has occurred as The Holy Spirit reveals the deeper things of God to those who are willing to believe. Jesus confirms the prophetic voice and reciprocates blessing to his friend. “Simon son of Jonah flesh and blood has not revealed this to you …you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church…”

When I read about a fireside chat where a man opened his heart to the presence of God and spoke more than he could possibly understand I see a reflection of grace.

(Matt.16:13-19)