Christmas in July...er...September!

I enjoy this time of year…the temperature is slowly dropping; the leaves begin to change their color; I can open the windows for fresh air in the house; and I start to look toward the Advent season. There is something about the anticipation of the Savior that quickens the mind and renews our hope. It’s not that we ever lose hope, but lets face it, with the economic news of lately, the propaganda of the election year, gasoline prices, the ongoing wars, and add to those any personal tragedies we are forced to endure, we are at the very least distracted from the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Even the most devout fight these distractions! For that reason I welcome Advent, in fact, this may have been a good year to celebrate “Christmas in July” (wish I had thought of it)! As believers in Christ Jesus, we have a hope that can endure any situation…and we need to remember that! Regardless of the turmoil we face, as an individual or as a member of the human race, God still sits on the throne and not once has he uttered the words, “How did that happen?”

Obligation & Opportunity

I have struggled recently with trying to find that fine line between holding someone accountable and extending grace to them. Let’s face it; there are times when we draw the line only to find out we should not have. Holding someone accountable in love is not always easy, especially when they are under-churched or a non-believer. It is often difficult for them to understand the concept of grace as they’ve never truly experienced it. Most will say grace is a blank check to do as they will, or at least that’s what they want it to be. It’s quite the opposite! While the Law will tell us we must do something we do not want to do (obligation), grace will cause us to want to do that very same thing with joy and purpose (opportunity)! Grace causes us to live our lives not how we want, but how God wants. Grace causes us to turn the other cheek when we’ve been slapped, and to feed the hungry even though our cupboards are nearly bare. Grace is also a mandate to accountability…for all. Oh, and by the way, God is faithful and my prayers have been answered; my struggle responded positively when I felt it was time to hold them accountable. Pray for them, that they might come to truly experience the saving grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Solution!

I’m back! Most of you know this has been a hectic week for me with Jill in Texas until Saturday, leaving me in charge of the girls…so to speak. We have done well thanks to the efforts of several people who, I suppose, are afraid I will scar the girls for life! Whatever their motivation, I am grateful and hope to catch up on a couple of things that was cast to the wayside for a day or so. So, what do you think of the financial mess our world is in? Yea, it’s more than something we must deal with here in the U.S., although we may have initiated the chaos. Stock markets and economies all around the world are feeling the pain and panic we are feeling. I am not a politician, and I do not offer political advice…BUT, I do agree with John McCain, that the candidates need to stop their campaigning until this crisis is resolved, otherwise they may not have a country to lead! I have no doubts that some of his motives are geared toward political gain, but this leads me to my point. This problem we face is greater than any one man or plan. It is greater than 700 billion dollars, or any dollar amount we can throw at it. This is a problem that needs an Almighty solution, and until we seriously strive to follow our Lord, we will repeatedly face these problems. We have seen them before: crimes against humanity, financial crisis, war. So what’s the answer? “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8.

Rich Mullins

It’s funny; the things that spark our memories. Someone had asked me to get the lyrics to a song by Rich Mullins for them. At the request, my mind immediately went to his untimely death in an automobile accident in the fall of 1997 in northern Illinois on I-39 just north of Peoria; he was on his way to perform at a concert in Wichita, KS. That particular morning I was working the early shift at WJLY when a newscast shared the tragic news. You may not recognize the name Rich Mullins, and had he lived, he would have wanted it that way, but you know his music. Probably best know for the worship song “Awesome God” (Our God is an awesome God…) he also wrote and performed many, many other songs in his short career of 12 or so years, and several have become standards in the realm of contemporary Christian music. Rich was a gifted pianist and song writer and had chosen to teach music to Navajo children in New Mexico. He received the average salary for a worker in the United States each year and donated the rest of his earnings to Compassion International and Compassion USA. He was truly a gift to the world from God, and as I continue to listen to his timeless words, I imagine he now leads the heavenly choir with new arrangements praising his King.

Running Scared

If you listen to much talk radio (or television I suppose) you’ve noticed this past week or so that some people are running scared. The economic crisis our country faces is much like the crisis some face when they suffer a heart attack or hears the dreaded c-word: cancer (or when their wife leaves them with the children for a week!). There are those who panic and immediately start grasping at any promise of relief…now they intend to make amends and change their lifestyle, even though it may very well be too late. Then there are others who, when faced with any crisis, turn to God for comfort, direction, and strength. Scripture tells us of God’s love for us and that nothing is able to separate us from that love. Paul tells us that God works for the good of everyone who loves him, so why is it so many people do not run to God? I realize there are about as many reasons why as there are persons, but what I really want to know is what are you doing about it? It seems to me in the days and months ahead there will be more and more people running scared and we, as the Body of Christ, must reach out to them with the truth and love of God, showing them our trust in God and sharing the fact that they too can have a God who can be trusted.

God of Wonder!

I have had a rather chaotic week…not as much hard as hectic. It is weeks like this that cause me wonder of the character of our God. Everything I see in the creation stories, in all of Scripture, and in all of nature indicates to me that we serve a God of order: a God who methodically and logically works in and thru his creation to accomplish great things. I believe that, but is that our total picture of God? If so, what about the God who works out of chaos? What about the God who doesn’t want us to become complacent? What about the God of surprises? Fact is, whatever your picture of God is, it’s incomplete. Our view of God is just a fraction of the total picture. Psalm 47 proclaims, “How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!” Do you really think we are able to comprehend all that God is? (If we did completely understand God, do you think we would worry or fuss about anything?) I do not and I will confess I struggle with folks who do. It’s not that they disagree (or for that matter agree) with my beliefs; it’s that they think they have God all figured out! I believe our God is much more majestic, multifaceted, and powerful than any human can ever comprehend.

My God is a Great Big God!

We gather routinely to worship God, and even attempt to live lives of worship, but exactly what is worship? Singing? Praise? Adoration? Prayer? King David defined worship in Psalm 34:3, “Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Worship is the act of magnifying God. Drawing near to God and enlarging our vision of him. It is like first viewing the Lincoln Memorial from a mile away and then viewing it from the base of the monument. Lincoln’s statue seems much, much larger to us when we are close to it. Of course God’s size doesn’t change (nor does the monument) but our perception of him does. As we draw nearer, God seems larger, and isn’t that exactly what we need? A big view of God? Don’t we have big problems, big questions, and big worries? Don’t they seem larger than life? Of course they do, and we desperately need a big view of God to conquer them. Worship offers us that. How can we sing, “Praise You in the Storm” or “How Great Thou Art” and not have our vision expanded?

Thank You, Lord

Saying goodbye is never easy...for anyone. Estil Forth, who attended the Valier church, passed away last Monday morning and tomorrow we will offer our last goodbyes to a good friend as we celebrate his life. I spent yesterday in my car driving around the State of Illinois visiting people, attending a meeting, and reflecting. Sometimes we struggle with understanding why things happen as they do. Oh, I know Estil was 87 years old and had lived a full life, but he had so much more to offer to so many people. He was a man of wisdom and grace; a true friend to many. Yet, for whatever reason, he now enjoys his reward. There’s our hope, did you catch it? Estil was a believer who loved the Lord, professed his Savior to many, and has received his reward: he now stands in the presence of his Savior. I think Paul could have easily been speaking of Estil when he spoke of himself to Timothy. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). I pray that one day someone might think the same things about me; I can think of no greater honor. Estil was a friend, and as we say goodbye, I praise God for allowing his path to cross mine.

Deja vu?

It was 1970 when the Temptations recorded a hit single titled, “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today).” Remember it? If you’ve never heard one of the greatest songs/groups to come out of Motown, or if you’ve forgotten it, follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy_aahkIdEI . It is one of those songs that seem much too prophetic. A favorite of mine, it reminds me of our world…not just my world, though some morning it would be an accurate depiction…but of our world lately: deadly hurricanes, banks failing, gas prices on the rise, war, falling stock markets, presidential candidate rhetoric, and OJ is on trial again! If I didn’t know better, I would say we have been here before. What I do know is that God still sits on the throne. Regardless of what is playing out on the world stage, or in the Quick household for that matter we can confidently shout with the multitudes of heaven; "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" In fact, in this time of financial uncertainty, you can bank on it!

What Would You Do?

You’re driving down the highway and you come upon a single-car accident. There is a young man who has been thrown from the vehicle. He’s alive, but hurt. Quick…what do you do? Do you drive on, hoping no one saw you, or do you stop and offer assistance? Silly question isn’t it? Even if you have no medical knowledge and the sight of blood makes you squeamish, you will stop, assess the situation, and call for help if you cannot provide it. Our morals demand that we help. But let me ask you this; you see the same young man staggering out of a tavern, what do you do? Ignore him? Why is it our moral fiber does not grip us as it did when he was in an accident? I would argue he is in as much danger as he was in the previous circumstance. What if you saw him on a Sunday morning washing his car in his driveway as you were on your way to church? What do you do? Drive by calling him a heathen under your breath, or would you stop and invite him to church? Okay, your running late and he is not really dressed for church (excuses, excuses)…would you make it a point to see him on Monday or Tuesday and invite him then? Some of you will say that is crossing a line. When you’ve surrendered your life to Jesus, He crosses every line, and there is no single moment of your life he does not want to penetrate. My prayer for you is that the Spirit would infiltrate your life with a holy boldness...then what would you do?

The Body of Christ!

Could I offer a personal observation about the Crusade the Ministerial Alliance is currently holding in Sesser? I had someone ask me if it was yielding any fruit and I immediately responded positively. Oh, I am not sure it’s the fruit they may have expected; we’ve yet to come to the point where people want to stay and worship all night long; people have not yet flooded the altars and refused to leave. Still, I think God has been busy. Since the annual Crusade began four years ago, a solidarity is forming among the Body of Christ that, I do not believe existed before. Oh, you may have known some of them for a lifetime, but we have been introduced to other believers and preachers, and we have found out firsthand that they are not odd people; they may not believe exactly what we believe, but they are just like us! They too struggle with being faithful to the calling God has placed on them. They too interpret Scripture as best they can with the limited knowledge they possess, and they too use those teachings to guide their lives. I pray all might come to more fully realize the Body of Christ is made up of many different parts and that each part is essential to the larger body if it is to function effectively. Yeah, I think God is at work.

Revival Fires?

The Ministerial Alliance here in Sesser and Valier is holding revival services this week at the Opera House in Sesser. It’s our annual Harvest Time Crusade, and while the music, fellowship, and even preaching have been enjoyable, I wonder if it’s truly revival. What we are doing certainly fits an intellectual definition of revival: “Renewed attention to or interest in something, often a highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings.” However, there is something more to this definition that goes unsaid, but implied. The renewed attention is not limited to the time of and duration of the meetings; it spills over into our daily lives and continues to interest us, hopefully for the remainder of our days. I believe revival is a movement of the hand of God, but you know me, I also believe that we continue to fan the revival fires if our interest is to continue. If left neglected, fires go out (thus the need for revival). The pastors are meeting here at the church before the meetings for prayer. We are asking that God would give us this community; I believe that is according to His will. I ask that you would be of one mind with us, pray that a renewed interest in the things of God would sweep these communities…not just this week, but for the remainder of our days.

Our Most Precious Commodity!

What is it that constitutes community? Is it geographic proximity or like-mindedness? Is it a common goal or a shared experience? How do we engage busy people in such a way that they want to be a part of what we do? It amazes me how many organizations struggle with those very questions. I just came from a Chamber of Commerce meeting and they, like the Church, constantly struggle with defining community. Like the church, the Chamber can have an abundance of members (and doesn’t that look good on the roles?) who never engage; only a fraction are active members. Only a small percentage of members (in many organizations) will give their time to the cause. Several might be willing to donate money or merchandise…but not their time. For all of us, time is a precious commodity. We have the potential of earning an undefined amount of money on any given day, but there are only 1440 minutes in anyone’s day...regardless of who they are. And as with any limited commodity, we hope to invest our time rather than simply spend it. That is, for some, the greatest commonality the local Church has with many businesses in their community. Ironically, the difference between the Church and any business is also time…the Church deals with eternity.

Living for Jesus

We are so good at whining…not just you and I, but all of us. One might say we are experiencing the curse of prosperity. We complain when we don’t get our way. We grumble when we don’t get what we want. Come to think of it, we even whine when we do get our way and what we want! What’s our problem? Is it just that we’re self-centered and focused on “me?” Is this just human nature or what? Seems to me there’s a fundamental problem here. It’s more than needing to be reminded there are less fortunate people than us in the world; people who are struggling for their very existence. Jesus taught us many things, and laced throughout his teachings is the need we have to serve others. You remember his words, “Whatever you do for the least of these…” “The first shall be last and the last shall be first…” The benefit of serving others is much more than the obvious…not only do others benefit from our service, but we benefit too. Service changes us, strengthens us, causes us to turn outward and remove the focus from "us." It is exercise for the soul if you will. What we’ve got to realize is that Christianity more than just a teaching to marvel at; it’s a lifestyle to subscribe to.

Change IS Good!

Okay, so it’s been a week since 8 month-old McKayla arrived at our home and life as we knew it is over. The morning routines have changed for all of us…but remember change is good. The work to get a baby ready for the day increases the overall effort exponentially! Anna and Bella must take time to pat, kiss, hug, and play with her in the mornings and this takes precedence over routine acts like getting dressed and breakfast. Then there’s the evening. We struggle through homework and preparing supper, all the while checking Jill’s status: “Just when will mom and that baby be home?” That question is asked at least fifty times each evening. Then as the car door slams, one can literally hear an announcer call out, “Let the circus begin!” We then move slowly, in a frenzied, yet orchestrated effort, toward bath and bedtime. But know this; in the midst of all the commotion, I cry out, “God is good!” One of my parishioners recently said to me (in love I hope), “You’re crazy!” My first thought was that it took them over four years to figure that out? Yeah, probably so, but if Jesus calls us to serve anyone, he calls us to serve children. And I believe the God who knit McKayla together in her mother’s womb also provides for her care. It is nothing short of pure joy for Jill and me to exercise our free will and respond to her needs. So keep this family in your prayers, because while under my breath I am chanting “Change is good! Change is good!” Jill’s mantra is “There’s always room for one more!”

So Many Choices!

So how does the doctrine of free-will affect me? It’s really simple and very basic: it holds us accountable. Does God seem distant? Why so? Remember now, as you examine the reasons for your isolation, that God will not break thru into any element of your life without you being a part of that breakthrough…that’s free will. Not only does God await our invitation, but we also must make the right choices to facilitate God’s arrival. For most of us, it is not so much making the right choices as it is not making the wrong choices. It’s been said we serve a jealous God, and it’s true; God longs to be the focus of our existence, but we must knowingly cause that to happen. When we choose a time of fellowship with God over watching a television program, when we choose serving God over serving self, when we choose intimacy with God over idle conversation at the coffee shop, all of these are choices we must intentionally make. These are choices that will not hinder God’s activity in and around us. Hear me clearly: I am not saying television, serving self, or the coffee shop are evil things, but they can be if we mindlessly choose them over God. We cannot force God (and God will not force us), but we can be continuously aware of and open to the Spirit’s presence and direction…it’s our choice.

The Absence of God

So all this talk of predestination and fore-ordination…it truly affects every aspect of our world. If God has chosen to limit himself by his love for us…if we really do have a free will (and I believe both of these to be true)…then we soon find explanations for many other questions we have concerning God, creation, and our existence. How about the big one? How can a good God allow evil in the world? Great question! First, lets define evil…just what is it? How bad must bad be to call it evil? That is a little more difficult to answer as there is no scale of evil to measure bad experiences by. Classically defined, evil is the absence of good. Just as what we call darkness is actually the absence of light, and what we call cold is really the absence of heat, what we know as evil is actually the absence of God. Check it out; you will find that to be the case every time! Since we know from Arminianism that God has limited God’s self because of his love for us, would God force us to turn to him (thus eliminating evil)? No, that is our choice, therefore, one can deduce there is evil in our world today because humanity (at least some of us) has chosen to turn away from God, and evil acts are the result. Did God allow it? Not unless we are just puppets and God is pulling our strings! Now, what would our world look like without evil? I think it would be the answer to prayer: the Kingdom has come to earth!

Love Limits Power!

As you may have deduced, since the arrival of McKayla, my morning routine has been altered somewhat. I will continue to post a blog daily, but it will now generally be mid-morning.

Jacob Arminius was the pastor of the largest Reformed Church in Amsterdam when he began a series of sermons on Romans 9 to refute a layman who questioned Calvinism. Romans Chapter 9 is the scriptural stronghold of Calvinist theology. However, his studies soon convinced him that early church fathers never taught Calvin’s views of predestination. Arminianism greatly influenced Wesley’s thought. Arminius and Wesley both believed in God’s omnipotence, but insisted that “foreknowledge does not equal fore-ordination.” In other words, God can know that I am about to make a decision that will be destructively sinful, but that does not mean I am a robot, pre-programmed by God to make that choice. Arminius and Wesley’s main disconnect with Calvin is that love limits power. The ultimate expression of love is liberty: If I love you, I must give you the freedom not to love me reciprocally. Love is vulnerable; it could be rejected as easily as accepted and for Wesley, his core conviction was that the ruling attribute of God was an uncompromising love for all. Wesley insisted that God continues to pursue us out of love, and while we may resist over and over again, God becomes the “hound of heaven” as defined by the Catholic poet Francis Thompson.