Monthly Archives: May 2015

RUN TO JESUS!… Psalm 32

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When it comes to sin, we can either run away from  or run to Jesus… and have it covered by forgiveness.  I’ve tried both.   I prefer having them covered by the blood of Jesus Christ!   A cover-up apart from the Lord does not work.  He can’t be fooled. There is no running away from God.  Period.  Why try?  Futility is such a colossal waste of time and energy.

Why not come to the One, the only One,  who can take care of our sins.  Cover them. Covered,  never to be heard of again.  At least not in His eyes, being the only ones that count in the end.  Psalm 32–‘Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered'(verse 1).   The psalmist goes on to describe how when he kept silent about his many sins, when he ran away from ‘facing the music’ with his Lord,  that his ‘bones wasted away…all day long'(verse 3).

Treating our own sins through a variety of means–excessive alcohol, drugs, money-grubbing, sexual adventures, whatever it may be–leads down a dead-end path.  Run for cover to the Son of God.  Not away from our responsibility but to the One with the ability to wash away our sins.  When my wife and I go to an Oregon Christian Conference Center in the summer, one of the events scheduled is the sandcastle competition.  Many families come up with creative sand designs based on a theme from the Bible teaching of the week.  Some are small and simple designs, others large and elaborate.  What’s true for all the dozens of sandcastles, big or small, is that when the tide comes in all of them are completely covered by the salt water and washed away by the movement of the tide and waves.

All our sins when covered by the blood of Jesus,  from  ‘little white lies’ to heinous, unthinkable shameful evil,  all of them,  placed sincerely and sorrowfully at the feet of Jesus, are washed away once and for all.  Can you imagine?  Can any of us do that on our own?

Run to Jesus.  Run for your life.  Run for eternal life.  Then you can say:  ‘Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart'(Psalm 32: 11).  Me?  You?  Upright…righteous?  Yes, by the blood of Jesus, who covers us completely, fully and forever.  Wow!

Prayer:  Lord, how can we ever thank you for all the love you’ve shown to us.  All the forgiveness, all the kindness.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

COLLABORATION!… Acts 17: 10-12

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There’s a new ‘buzz’ word.   We’ve heard it used recently by our four year old granddaughter.   Collaboration!   Not a new word as it’s derived from the Latin for ‘working together’.  The Berean Jews receive Paul and Silas with a genuine desire to give them a fair hearing.  Reports have been circulating, conflicting and confusing.  These noble Bereans receive Paul’s message with great eagerness.  But they also take everything Paul says with a ‘grain of salt’, checking it out, examining the Scriptures to ‘see if what Paul said was true’ (Acts 17: 11).  These people are not going to fall for any line that some new-guy coming to town would spin.  No,  they discuss, dispute and debate among themselves.    Kick around the ideas presented to them.  All the while turning to the Bible, the Old Testament,  for confirmation of what is true and what isn’t.

Where do we turn to for the truth?  On our own, we’re helpless.  Aimless and never quite sure.  We need the collaboration of the Lord,  with what He has given us in the Word of God.  I remember an old professor at the Moody Bible Institute, who taught in the pastoral studies department.  He was a part-time instructor and a retired pastor. Couldn’t be all bad if he was a retired pastor!!   He recommended to us what I never did in my ministry or life.   Nevertheless,  his idea was a good one!  Read your morning newspaper standing up.  What?  Yes, while standing on your two feet.   Who wants to do that?  Not me.  His thought was that we needed to spend less time in this world’s news so we that we had more time to spend in God’s Good News– like the Bereans did.

He was so right.  How can we collaborate with God?  Co-labor with Him?  Spend as much time as you can looking into the Bible so we can interact with all the messages, good and bad, that the world floods us with.  That’s collaboration.  Not an empty buzz word.    Checking out everything.  Check it out!

 

Prayer:  Lord, for your Word, which we trust and stand upon as on solid ground, we thank you.  It’s your gift to us….a rudder in stormy seas.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

HOW DO WE HONOR THEM? … Proverbs 23: 22-26

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Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are fast approaching the horizon of our calendars.  The only one of the Ten Commandments that contains a promise is the one about honoring father and mother.  But how do we honor them?  How we would like our children to honor us?

I’ve never been one for ‘blind obedience’ from our children.  Of course, rebellion is not what I have in mind, either!  But not the finger-pointing,  power-hungry,  ‘do what I say or else’ kind of parent or grandparent.  To cower in fear in my presence never is my idea of being honored.

Honor should be earned as well as given.  There are parents who have forfeited their right to be honored because they have violated their godly parental roles.  Overstepped bounds that should never have been crossed.  Respect and honor–given and earned.   You know what I mean.

Here’s a question?  How do we honor our parents that are long gone?  Like mine.  I think of them often.  How to honor them?  Or would the commandment only apply to living parents?  Holidays raise lots of questions.   In the church I last served, I was always conscious that these parenting holidays are fraught with emotional pitfalls.   Some of our members never had children.  Others had children they were alienated from with all the hurt you could imagine.  Others faced the terrible burden of outliving their children.  A few, too many really, had parents that were in name only. What I would do in worship on Mother’s and Father’s Day was ask for those who wanted to share uplifting blessings about their children, or tell about other’s children that they felt close to like they were their own, or about their parents who were so good to them.  I also wanted to leave silent space for those too pained to speak.  I wanted to honor them as well.

As these holidays come,  be sensitive to fellow believers who have much hurt in their hearts.   Maybe a hug, without a spoken word, would be the best gift.  As far as honoring our parents, the best honor my children could ever give me would be for them to know, love and serve the Lord.  That’s how I feel.  Can you think of a better way to honor your parents, alive or not, than to live for Him?

So, my children, their spouses, and my grandchildren, live for Jesus!  Know Him.  Accept Him into your life.  Study Him from the only source of truth, the Bible.  From that, and from Him, you’ll know all about respect, love and honor.  That’s it.  That’s all.  Enough said from Dad, Father-in-Law, Step-Dad and Silly Papa!

Prayer:  God our Father, thank you for sending your only Son Jesus to die for us who believe in You.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

CLOUDY DAYS…Exodus 13: 17-22

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We had an amazing winter and spring in the Pacific Northwest.  Warmer than usual with a lot less rain.  Now that we have moved 50 miles away from a marine climate, we notice more dryness in the air as well.  Not much fog either.

It was in the spring when we started to get real serious about the move we’ve talked about for years.  We thought we’d want to be somewhere in-between where all our family lived.  Twenty one years in one house.  It’s time to move on!  But what a job.  Deciding what to take.  Packing up what we want,  disposing of what we don’t.

Do we want a townhouse or a condo?  How about a retirement community?  Nothing seemed to fit us.  This was wrong.  That was not right.  We knew that we both had to agree–husband and wife, each with veto power.  But, now was the right time.  We both had retired from our full-time jobs way back in 2002,  and then retired from the part-time church position in our home town.  Better get ‘off the dime’.   We both knew what a big task this would be.  All the work before the move.

Let’s get to the Scripture for today.  Why would I choose verses about God’s leading the Israelites out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the outskirts of the promised land under Moses’ leadership?  Why?  Well, it has to do with clouds by day and fire by night.  Throughout the process of moving, we asked for the Lord’s guidance.  To close doors that needed closing, and open ones that we could go through.  We depended upon Him.  Without a faltering step in our faith?  Yeah, right!  Maybe in my dreams!  Kept coming back to Jesus for His help.  HELP!

He always welcomes us with open arms, even with our puny mustard seed faith.  For us, we experienced the cloud of the Lord moving before us, shading us, directing us, giving us the moisture we needed in the deserts we were travelling through.  The cloud covered God’s people from the scorching heat of the sun.  The fire at night gave light and warmth in that rapidly-cooling desert.  Never seeing His face, always clouded over, but when looking up,  sensing His presence throughout.

Cloudy days and fiery nights!  You too may be in a bit of a desert.  Look up.  The clouds are there to remind you of the One who is always above.  Even when we don’t see Him.  Especially on cloudy days.  Ask for His help.  As He promised…’behold, I am with you always,  to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20 ESV).  When Jesus makes a promise,  He keeps it.  I’m so glad!

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for being there with us even when we can’t see you except through eyes of faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

THE CRUX OF THE MATTER…..READ Acts 5: 17-42

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This is one of the most moving passages in all the Bible…to me.  You may not have the same reaction at all.  But for me, both in my ministry and life, this story is the crux of the matter.  Let me tell you more.  Always have admired pastors who have faithfully served their congregations for years and years.  I’ve known some.  Some are reading this blog today.  Happy for them and their church families.  So good to have a long pastorate,  well-served and well-appreciated.  That has not been my story, however.  The Lord has been most patient with me.  He has had to take His shepherd’s crook and pull me out of many ditches and wrong turns in my life.  Guess I’m a ‘different cat’ after all.  If you’ve been reading this ‘Reflectionsoutoftime’ blog for awhile, you already know that!  It was years after leaving full-time preaching, that I was asked to fill in for a fellow pastor of my old denomination in a nearby town.  I hadn’t preached in any of that denomination’s churches for over 10 years.  But, it was time, I thought…but still I wondered.   Not quite sure.   Anyway, I was asked to fill in one Sunday helping a brother pastor in need.  Why not?  Indeed!   But being a faithful member(sort of!) of the higher judicatory of that old denomination, I thought I had better check in with one of their innumerable committees–you know, a courtesy communication.  However, when a hard decision had to be made, they formed a committee!  And there was no lack of them.  Not my cup of tea or kettle of fish!  Not then…not now!   Nevertheless, I met with those pastors and elders… who didn’t even know me.  I said my peace.  Thought they would roll out the ‘red carpet’!  They said they’ld get back to me.  Now remember, by this time I was a rather successful financial planner with a large U.S. brokerage firm.  I didn’t need(or really want) a full-time job in a church.  Or part-time, for that matter.  I had a good job that the Lord provided for me.  Being a financial planner was personally a very good fit.  I only wanted to let those church ‘high mucky-mucks’  know that, if needed( let me emphasize the word ‘if’),  I could fill  in and preach.  ‘If’ needed…and ‘if’ wanted.  Too much to ask?  Didn’t think so then, and don’t think so now.   Well, I heard from them…and it wasn’t a nice letter.  Not at all.  Rather pointed…don’t call us and we won’t ever call on the likes of you.  I was in shock.  Hurt.  Angry.  Betrayed.  Rejected.  A ‘dear John’ church letter!  Went to my usual Tuesday morning pastor’s Bible study(where I had always been most welcome as a fellow clergyman),  and brought that ‘red-hot’ letter with me.  What could these pastors say?  Not much really… but one did.  An old pastor, who had limited education.  Maybe high school,  possibly a little Bible school training.  He pastored a very small church on the outskirts of our out-of-the-way town.  He heard my moaning and groaning.  Boldly, he cut me off.  ‘Fischer, did God call you to preach?’  I said unequivocally ‘yes’… as He surely had.  ‘God called you to preach?  Then why do you listen to those people?  If  God called you to preach,  you preach.’  It was as if the Holy Spirit was speaking directly to me through this rough-and-tough,  grizzled, old pastor.  That moment,  the shackles fell off.   I got up.   Was freed up almost instantly–  to serve the Lord who had called me into His service…many, many years before!  Soon after I was asked to assist a local pastor in a wonderful church(not of my old denomination!).  Hosted a weekly evangelistic TV show in two counties for 5 years.  Pastored, in that same hometown, the best little church anywhere for 14 years where many people,  both young and old,  came to know the Lord and then to grow in Him.  Now, I’m honored to be their pastor emeritus!  Wow!  Can you see why those verses mean so much to me?  “Peter and the other apostles replied:  ‘We must obey God rather than men!’…Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go…Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ'”(Acts 5: 29, 40, 42).  I know what it’s like to be muzzled.   I also know that it takes the Holy Spirit’s courage to make us bold.  I don’t deny His necessity at all.  I’ve seen Him work,  faithfully opening  doors that no one else could close.  Enough about me, already.  How about you?   Need to follow the Lord and not man? To stand up and be counted for Jesus, when and where it hurts and may cost you something?  Be bold!  Be open to His leading; even when, in your past,  you’ve gone down dark alleys and taken wrong turns.  He’ll be there for you… as He was (and is) for me.  Just ask for His help…and watch out!  Those doors will open wide!  Praise His name!  Welcome into His service!  Surprise…surprise!

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for never giving up on us.  Others have and will, but never you.  Your love is so precious.  Thank you from the bottom our hearts and souls.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.