Walking in the Way

Ministry takes on different forms in different settings. There is something comforting about ministry in a setting of black and white. You know...the good guys wear white hats and evil wears black hats…something comforting about knowing who your enemies are and being able to spot them as they approach. Recently another pastor and I were talking and it came up how some people act very friendly and agreeable to your face, but in the end, they do what they want rather than what they tell you. This is the struggle many people have with God. Some want God to think they have surrendered and they want his will, while they do as they please. I have likened it to being on the edge of God’s will…having one foot in God’s will (that way we can believe we are saved) and having one foot in the world (enjoying the pleasures this world offers). The problem is Jesus knows these folks all too well, he even spoke of them in Revelation 3:16. They are the ones Jesus finds repulsive and wants to vomit out of his mouth! God is looking for folk who will seek out and walk in the center of his will…some have called it the straight and narrow. It is there we find joy, peace, and grace that will last an eternity. Where is it you walk?

Called to Action

Continuing in yesterday’s thoughts, Brennan Manning writes the following in Reflections for Ragamuffins. “Every time the Gospels mention that Jesus was moved with the deepest emotions or felt sorry for people, it led to his doing something—physical or inner healing, deliverance or exorcism, feeding the hungry crowds or praying for others. The Good Samaritan was commended precisely because he acted. The priest and the Levite, paragons of Jewish virtue, flunked the test because they didn’t do anything. ‘Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the man who fell in with the robbers?’ The answer came, ‘The one who treated him with compassion.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Then go and do the same.’”
Brennan is correct, Christ acted. Oh, I realize he did not heal every person, but for all those who came to him, Jesus acted. He didn’t wait for a more opportune time, he didn’t seek more favorable conditions; he acted meeting the needs of people where they were. If the Spirit of the Living God dwells within us, Christ calls us to action. At times our action is tangible, sometimes it is prayer, at times it is minimal, other times sacrificial…but it is always action.

Compassion

I will confess that I become frustrated with folks who are believers, but lack compassion. I am sure we are all guilty of it from time to time; refusing to help others because we know they will not appreciate our efforts, or they may take advantage of our generosity, or because they could help themselves if they had a mind to. In Mark 6:34-44 Jesus’ apostles act the same way. “Let them go so they can buy something to eat.” These folks apparently had the means, but Jesus had compassion for them: “they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Many of those he healed would never say ‘thank you,’ but he healed them anyway. Most would be more concerned with being healthy than with being holy, but he healed them anyway. Some of those who asked for bread that day would cry for his blood a few months later, but he fed them anyway. Jesus had compassion on them…if we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are being formed into his likeness, shouldn’t we do the same? Seems to me we ought to allow God to judge them as to what they do with generosity, and to judge us for how we respond to the cries of the least, the last, and the lost.

Jesus Does Understand

Max Lucado writes the following in the daily devotional, “Grace for the Moment.” It struck me as something I should share with you today. The scripture reference is Isaiah 53:4, “He took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us.”
“Jesus knows how you feel. You’re under the gun at work? Jesus knows how you feel. You’ve got more to do than is humanly possible? So did he. People take more from you than they give? Jesus understands. Your teenagers won’t listen? You’re students won’t try? Jesus knows how you feel. You are precious to him. So precious that he became like you so that you would become like him. When you struggle, he listens. When you yearn, he responds. When you question, he hears. He has been there.”
I am not in the habit of editing accomplished writers such as Lucado, but I would add; as he wept at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus knows how it feels to lose someone you love to death. Yeah, Jesus does understand all those struggles we face!

Memories

Today is Memorial Day. Originally called Decoration Day, it is a day to commemorate those men and women who have died in service to this great nation. Started in 1866 after the Civil War, it became a ‘national’ holiday largely due to the efforts of General John A Logan. Since 9/11 it has become a day to remember all those who have lost their lives serving us. Most have died to preserve our freedoms, some have just briefly crossed our paths, and others have truly changed us. For the Quick family our memories are dominated by the untimely death of our daughter Emily. It’s not that we don’t remember others, but Emily’s birthday was on May 24th, forever within days of the Memorial Day holiday. Yeah, it’s a tough time, but its something we want to do…something we all want to do: remember loved ones and those who gave their lives serving us. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:11 tells us, “What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.” Know that while we repeatedly are forced to say goodbye to people before we are ready to do so, one day we will have an eternity to spend with them praising our God.

God's Perfect Timing

I have often shared with you that I seem to either run ahead of God or lag behind. I will also tell you that I am not special (though I want to be!)…most people are just like me. We wonder why God waits until the money is gone; why he waits until the sickness has lingered; why prayers for healing are often answered on the other side of the grave. Well, in the midst of all these questions, this I do know: God’s timing is always right. He is never early, and never late. As the McKameys sang several years ago, “He’s right on time!” Here is our hope: though you hear nothing, God is speaking. Though you see nothing, his hand is moving. With God there are no accidents or coincidence, every incident is designed to draw us closer to him. And here’s our challenge: to surrender to our Savior so totally that we not only wait on God, but we work to further the Kingdom using God’s timing, not ours.

Claiming the Promise

Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, wrote, “God has given us a very simple equation if only we have the faith to reach out and experience it: The Holy Spirit’s power is our greatest need. This power and blessing is freely promised to all God’s people. This promise can only be fully received through sincere praying in faith and through waiting on God for his blessing to come. This is what happened in the New Testament, and this is the only thing that will satisfy our souls’ thirst. A decade of gadget and gimmicks will never accomplish what God the Holy Spirit can do in one month as he works in the life of the church.” Cymbala may well be on to something here! The first century church did not have the programs and technology that we seem to rely upon so heavily…and yet the Spirit moved thru the church in mighty ways. Today when we lack the apparent movement of God’s hand, rather than reverting to prayer, we try to force the Spirit with the latest technical widgets and agendas. You know I love technology, but without the Spirit, these gadgets and gimmicks are nothing more than stuff that distracts us from the effective path: prayer.

The Center of God's Will

In my ongoing conversations with several people about seeking God’s will, it would seem many people today are making decisions without a passing thought of seeking God. They think that as long as they do not lie, steal, kill, or commit adultery they are in the will of God. Not necessarily so! Using that logic, they proceed to make other important life decisions based on common sense…or sometimes even less: “I felt it was right.” “My friends are doing it.” “My world calls this success.” When we leave God out of these decisions we are not really walking by faith. At best we are on the edge of God’s will, not in the center. Instead of tapping into God’s great resources of wisdom, we rely on human ideas. Some have told me that God leaves the minor decisions up to us. Isn’t it silly to think that the God who gave his own Son as a sacrifice for us doesn’t also care about the details of our lives? I believe a Spirit-filled believer will pray earnestly until he finds God’s will for the big things in our lives (finding a spouse, changing jobs, dealing with children, moving, buying a home, etc.) as well as the small things (what clothes to wear, what games to play with the kids, what car to buy, what TV programs to watch).

Making A Difference

I cannot stress how important I believe prayer is. And while I work at it…hard…at times I do struggle with prayer. Fact is, most of us could use some help in our prayer life. At times our prayers lack consistency. It seems to be either feast or famine. Sometimes we lack sincerity. Our prayers are a bit hollow, memorized, and rigid. More liturgy than life, and although they are daily, they are also dull. There are times we lack honesty, not wanting what we expect will be required of us. Other times we honestly wonder if prayer will make a difference. If God already knows everything, who am I to tell him anything…and if he already knows why am I even asking? Most of the time our prayers are awkward, our attempts are feeble. Here is our hope: the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not the one who says it. You can rest assured; our prayers do make a difference.

He's a Loser!

I have believed for some time and shared with others that Satan is powerless. I think I John 4:4 clearly tells us that fact. I think we see it in Job 1:12 & 2:6. Satan’s only real power over us is found in deception and he is good at it! He is the Prince of lies, and unfortunately, we are extremely gullible. Max Lucado says that Revelation 2:10 shows us that Satan has no power except that which God gives him. “To the first-century church in Smyrna, Christ said, ‘Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life.’” Lucado asks us to analyze Jesus’ word for a moment. Christ informs the church of the pending persecution; the duration of the persecution (ten days); the reason for the persecution (to test you); and the outcome of the persecution (a crown of life). In other words, Jesus uses Satan to fortify his church…even when he (Satan) appears to win, he loses.

Clay or Wax?

Several of us at Bible study recently wrestled with the text from Exodus 4:21, and others verses, where God hardens Pharaoh’s heart. It seems to read that God did not want Pharaoh to cooperate and free the Hebrew children until God could either reveal his power to all, or punish the Egyptians. That just doesn’t fit very well with the portrait of God that Scripture paints for me…after all, aren’t the Egyptians children of God too? I recently read a commentary that offers another interpretation of the event that makes more sense to me. If you were to put a brick of clay and a brick of wax in direct sunlight on a hot summer day, what happens? Under the exact same conditions the clay will harden and the wax will soften. The difference is not the sunlight or the heat, but the response of the clay and wax. Perhaps these verses are God’s prophetic word rather than God’s will. Could it be that God knew Pharaoh’s character and that he would never cooperate with Moses? Maybe God was even saddened over Pharaoh’s decisions. That sounds more like the God who “desires everyone to be saved and to come into the knowledge of truth” (I Timothy 2:4). Isn’t that why we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, rather than writing them off, blaming God for their rejection?

Can You Hear Me Now?

Someone I consider to be a friend, a born-again believer, recently shared with me that they struggle to recognize God’s will from time to time. They want to make sure it is God’s will and not their own desires they seek. I was thrilled to know of their struggles…too many people do not. Oswald Chambers said: “If you want to know whether a thought is from God or not, you simply test the fruit of it.” Will it result in a loving act? Will it cause you to have a greater sense of peace? Will it glorify God? Scripture tells us Jesus’ first concern was love; even in the midst of conflict…don’t you suppose that is still God’s concern today? Here’s another thought that might help: I’ve been married to Jill for 30 years now. I can pick her voice out in a crowded room. I think the same happens with God. As we spend time with God we get to know his personality, his character, his heart, and we begin to regularly recognize God’s presence and direction. A familiarity develops in our relationship with God. Eventually one can recognize God’s voice in this noisy, crowded, busy world in which we live.

Are We Yet Alive?

Over the years, I have been repeatedly convicted by John Wesley’s words, "I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out." I must say reading Wesley’s words causes a tinge of fear within my being. I know many Spirit-filled Methodists who remain true to Wesley’s vision…however, as a denomination we seem to be fulfilling Wesley’s prophetic fears. I know we live in a complicated world with complicated issues that require more than pat answers, but I also know that without doctrine, discipline, & spirit (not to mention the Holy Spirit) we are only fooling ourselves, or perhaps worse yet, we are doing harm rather than good. It is frustrating, despite all our efforts, to experience membership loss and a sense of helplessness in our denomination. I liken it to a sinking ship…how long does one stand around wondering what to do before you spring into action, and when is it too late for action and wiser to jump ship? Don’t misunderstand me, I am not advocating we jump ship…but I think we’ve just stood around far too long.

A Vicious Circle

The devotion I used during last evening’s prayer service focused on…you guessed it...prayer. In it, Anthony de Mello quotes Mahatma Gandhi who said, “I am telling you my own experience and that of my colleagues: we could go for days on end without food; we could not live a single minute without prayer.” Oh that we might live that type of prayer life! In a world that hoards food every time there is the slightest threat of a shortage, I guess it might be expected that we could easily ignore prayer. The problem is that it becomes a vicious circle. Not only can we become dependent on something, to the point we become addicted, we can also become dependent upon the absence of something in our lives. It would seem some become so confident in their own abilities that they do not need prayer or the leading of the Spirit to guide them, and once you start down that path, it is hard to turn back. De Mello goes on to make this assessment. “The less we pray the less likely we are to live the risky, challenging life that the Gospels urge us to live; the less of a challenge there is in our life, the less likely we are to pray.”

Grace for the Moment

A few days ago I came across a person who was nearly distraught over a “small” problem (if there is such a thing while you experience it). After talking with them for a few moments it became clear that this problem was not the problem. Rather, they had experienced a series of small problems and the accumulative effect of all those small problems presented itself as a HUGE problem. This person had become tired from the worry; fear and frustration had set in; they had concluded that no one really loved them, not even God. Please don’t misunderstand me, but I love it when people decide they cannot go on…often times it is only then that we will allow God to take over, surrendering to his will. It is then we find ourselves immersed in grace. As we talked, this person was able to set aside the Adversary’s thoughts of fear and defeat, while reasoning (for themselves) that God does love them and it is in God’s strength we move forward. I am happy to report that when I spoke with them yesterday, God had resolved some of their problems and many others could now be seen for what they really are, just small problems.

Power of the Spirit

Sunday is Pentecost. It is the birthday of the church and the long awaited release of God’s power to the believer. Trouble is, too many believers don’t understand the power they have access to. The Bible is filled with stories of people who knew they could not lead, witness, or perform the task God called them to…they didn’t understand. Yet they accomplished the very things they could not do. We all know it was God (isn’t hindsight wonderful?), but what we forget is that God still wants to work in the lives of believers today. You have access to that same Spirit today even if you do not fully understand the extent of that Spirit’s power! What is it you feel God calling you to accomplish…that one thing you know you are not capable of doing on your own? Just as Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Peter, Paul (the list goes on and on) were not alone, you are not alone. God longs to use you and the Holy Spirit is here to help you. The only real difference I see is that they followed God’s leading (though some were hesitant) and many today remain unmoved, wanting a guarantee from God, which is something tradition tells us is not likely to happen.

Saved or Servant?

During a recent conversation with another pastor, my suspicions were affirmed. It seems many folks, even “church” folks, want just enough God to feel good, but not enough God to change their lives. It is sad, but many people realize their need for God and they seek a relationship with Christ. These folks are saved, but they are just that. First let me say there is nothing wrong with being saved…my goal is to see more people in relationship with the Savior! However, having said that, Christ has much more in store for us. We are called repeatedly in Scripture to “surrender” to Christ; to “follow” the leading of the Spirit; to “give our lives” for Christ. Those are not the actions of a person who is merely saved. Those are the actions of a person sold-out to Jesus Christ; a person who knows that all the wealth and power one might ever accumulate is worthless in comparison to the joy of serving the Savior. Jesus Christ calls us to follow him and then promises to provide the power to do it. So what about you? Are you saved, or are you a servant?

Finally Made It!

I am not much of a trend setter, I’ll admit it. I will go so far to say that I often swim against the current, resisting trends, so no one will be surprised to know that yesterday I finally made it to the Custard Stand for the first time this year. Yeah, I know it took me five full days to make the pilgrimage that some look so forward to, but I finally made it and now I am good for a few months. My own attitude causes me to wonder how the church might get people so excited about God that folks actually looked forward to Sundays…I also wonder how to connect with those folks who, like me, resist. Believing as Wesley did, that we encounter God through Scripture, tradition, experience, & reason (remember the Quadrilateral?); it would seem to me that for the unchurched, experience carries a lot of weight. I cannot imagine that Scripture or tradition will influence the unchurched. Reason, I would think, means little without an experience. I know God can and will work in ways I cannot fathom, but someone’s first experience with God, with God’s children, and with the church is going to influence them tremendously. Forget the protocol on Sunday mornings; what does a guest at our church experience? Their first encounter could make an eternal difference. Are they treated like an outsider at a private gathering, or do they have an encounter with our loving, gracious God?

You Changed Yet?

It has finally happened…the price of gasoline has caused the Quick household to change its routine. Specifically, Jill has commandeered my vehicle for her use because it gets better mileage than hers does. I knew it was just a matter of time before we changed and it makes sense as she drives much more than I do on an average day. It also caused me to realize gasoline is kind of like God…stay with me, I have a point. We need gasoline; in fact we cannot function without it. So there comes a time when gasoline comes at such high a price that we rethink our lifestyle in order to make use of it. We need God too, actually much, much worse than gasoline, although not everyone realizes that. And once we taste God we want more and more. We will eventually come to the point that we are willing to rethink our lifestyle in order to please God. My question for you is have you made that lifestyle change? Do you need God so much that you are willing to let go of lesser things that are of no real value? Patsy Clairmont said in one of her books (sorry, I do not recall which one), “What difference does it make to believe, if what you believe doesn’t make a difference?” Has God made a difference in your life? Have you changed yet?

Blessed With Abundance!

I was once again frustrated by a news report this morning telling how the cost of food had risen since last year: some selected foods as much as 35%. That is a mind-boggling fact, but what frustrated me is that in this report, not a word was said about our blessings of abundance. I didn’t really expect them to praise God, but we should not forget that we HAVE food. In our home alone, the cabinets are stocked, the refrigerator and freezer both stay filled or nearly full. I suppose the Quick family could go several weeks without purchasing more food if we had to…but praise God we never have to! Perhaps some people don’t realize there are people in our world, for that matter in our country and community, who do not know where tomorrow’s meal will come from…if they pray “give us this day our daily bread,” they mean it! And while I sometimes feel my home is crowded when all seven of us are there, I have visited places like the Haitian community in Nassau where 12 to 20 people live in a two or three room shack! I know we are in the midst of “hard times” but let’s never forget our blessings, and to verbalize them.

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer, a time when American Christians intentionally seek God’s involvement in our country and our communities. Did you realize the National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage? The first call to prayer occurred in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation. President Lincoln proclaimed a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress was signed by President Truman, declaring an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday of every May. This year we have even more to pray for…a national election in 6 months. In fact many people are calling for Americans to pray EVERY Thursday between today and November 4th specifically for the coming election. So please, take a moment today and pray. Pray for our national leaders, state leaders, local leaders, judges, schools, and the election. Join an organized meeting if you’re able, if not pray alone. Then remember to say a prayer for the election each Thursday. If there has ever been a time we needed God’s intervention, it is today.