Author Archives: revjaf

SET WHAT IN ORDER?… Isaiah 38: 1-8

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Set your house in order.  That’s what Isaiah tells ailing King Hezekiah.  You’re not going to live long, King.  Set your house in order!  Don’t leave a mess for someone else.

Before we got our house ready to sell, we had to ‘set our house in order’.  We had noticed, looking for another home, that some didn’t do anything to make their homes less cluttered.  Things piled up everywhere.   An instant turn-off.

Our realtor had told us to remove all my historic Stangl Pottery dinner-plate collection that adorned our kitchen walls.  What?  All of them?  Yes, every one!  Then I had to plug holes in our walls, paint over them, hoping the five year old paint would match the color on our walls. Faded much?  Not one bit, much to our relief.  But everything looked so bare… and barely lived-in.

But our realtor was right–people didn’t need to admire our beautiful things.  They needed to imagine how their things would look in the house that they wanted to buy.  Our old house sold in one day at a price higher than we had listed it for.  This in an economically-depressed area.  Amazing!  We still marvel at that blessing from the Lord!

How do we get our spiritual house in order?  Some things need to be tossed.   I had some very liberal theological commentaries left-over from my seminary days at Princeton.  Who did I want to have them?  That’s right–the recycle bin!  My decision to bring some order to that part of the ‘house’.  Other items we brought over to our daughter-in-law, who was hosting a garage sale, with monies going to support child care at their Christian home-school program at a local church.   Gave away furniture to Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army.  Then came the need to pack… and move.  Many items we moved ourselves before the big moving van arrived.

How about our spiritual house?  Get rid of things we no longer need.  Sharing what we have with others.  Giving what they can use and enjoy.  Sharing our faith in Jesus.  Giving monies to missions that proclaim the Gospel.  We give every month.

Some things in our lives need to be tenderly cared for.  Packed carefully…moved safely.  Setting your house in order involves sending them… to our future home in heaven, ahead of our arrival.  Like praises to the Lord,  prayers of all kinds,  getting closer and closer to Him, day by day.  We’re not alive for planet earth alone.  No way.  There’s heaven ahead.  Set your house in order!

Prayer:  Our Lord, help us to simplify our lives, whatever our age. Thank you for all your help.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

MAYBE THAT WASN’T SO GOOD AFTER ALL… Psalm 117

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Whenever I read Psalm 117, I can’t help but think back to South Mountain Elementary School, where I attended kindergarten through 6th grade.  From Miss Ford to Mrs. Carnegie!  A lovely school, a few blocks from home.  Nearby, with safe streets we would cross to get there.  Close enough to come home each day for lunch.

As we started the school day, we had the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, said the Lord’s Prayer, and then one of us read a psalm in front of the entire class.  Scary stuff to a shy little boy like me.  Now, this was public school, long before our upper court removed prayer and Bible reading from the classroom.  Each of us got to choose whatever psalm we wanted to read.  As my day approached, I could feel the tightness in my chest, along with nausea in my stomach.  Can you guess which psalm all of us chose every time?  Not Psalm 119 for sure!  Yes, you’re right!  The shortest one–Psalm 117!

What’s interesting to me is how little impact the exercise of prayer and Bible reading had on me in public school.   95% of my classmates were Jewish.  I was the ‘token Christian’, as they like to remind me at class reunions!  But, I wasn’t really a Christian in those days.  I knew next to nothing about God, Jesus or the Bible(except for Psalm 117!).  Hadn’t heard that I needed His gift of salvation.  What was that?  No idea.  In the mainline church which I attended, we never talked about politics, sex… or religion.  Oy Vey!  What I did know was that I wasn’t Jewish.  Pretty pathetic!   All changed when I heard a clear Gospel message on the radio one Sunday evening in my small upstairs bedroom.

Having those ‘traditions’ of public prayer and Bible reading made no difference to me.  Hearing the Gospel claims did.  Repeating words or performing rituals did not ‘cut the mustard’.   Committing our lives to Jesus Christ counts for everything.  Could never be legislated by a secular board of education or political body.  Only the Holy Spirit can transform a life.  Traditions come up short.

I pause today to gaze deeper into this marvelously concise praise to our God found in the Bible.  Psalm 117!  Less than 30 words.  None of them wasted.  All packed… with meaning.  Like bookends that keep all the books on your shelf from collapsing.   ‘Praise the Lord’, begins and ends this tiny masterpiece.  Starting and ending with praise.

Get the hint?  Like starting and ending each of our days…’Praise the Lord’.  Starting and ending a project…’Praise the Lord’.  Whatever.  Whenever.  Simply praise Him.  Father, Son, Holy Spirit…all praises, always!

Prayer:  Lord, we do praise you today, both morning and night.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

BLESS WHO?… Psalm 103

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The old hymn reminds us to count our many blessings, seeing what God has done.  Good advice.  That’s another way of saying that if you think about it for awhile, there’s so much to thank God for!

I remember at our church’s weekly prayer group,  one of the hardest things I would ask them to do (it always frustrated me, and no one ever did it, ever), was to spend the entire hour praising the Lord while asking for nothing…for yourself or anyone else.  Couldn’t get past the first minute or two!  Try it sometime.  On your own.

I’m no different than anyone else.  Praising and thanking God, I’m just waiting to jump in, pestering Him with some new request of mine.  Have you heard the story about St. Francis of Assisi, who was out riding horse with a friend?  The friend was bragging about never being distracted in prayer.  St. Francis challenged him to say the Lord’s Prayer without a distraction.  If he could, St. Francis would give him his horse.  The friend started to pray, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven…’  Then abruptly stopped, looked over at St. Francis, asking him if he could have the saddle, too!

Psalm 103 begins–‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!’  Seven times this psalm has that phrase ‘Bless the Lord…’  Seven times.  That perfect biblical number.  Perfect way to praise Him is to bless His name.  The opposite would be to take His name in vain(one of the 10 Commandments).

I wonder how else we can bless Him?  Certainly, not shaming His holy name as with a damning curse or glibly saying ‘OMG’.  Check out those 10 Commandments.  To obey God will certainly bless Him.  Let me digress for a moment.  Thinking of that commandment to honor your parents,  I realize that ‘blind obedience’ is not what that commandment means at all.  For our children and grandchildren (and generations we’ll never see or know), for each one of them, to follow the Lord and be His sincere and loving disciple, would honor us more than anything else.  What an honor!  Maybe this is not such a digression after all.

We bless God by committing our lives Him.  That impact has no limits.  How else?  That’s a good question.  Most of us seem to want blessings to flow our direction.  Gimme…gimme…gimme.  Spiritual ‘selfies’.  Takers.  But the question today is how we can bless God.  ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!’

How about spending a little time right now thanking and praising Him.  Try it–our Lord will love it!  ‘Bless His holy name!’

Prayer:  Lord, we want to bless you.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

SPENDING TIME TOGETHER… Luke 10: 38-42

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I love our grandchildren.  So precious.  You would expect any grandparent to say much the same.  Don’t grandparents just dote on their grandchildren?   We now live closer to all our grandchildren… but not that close!  I notice that my calendar highlights when they are coming; and then, with a certain sadness, when they are leaving.  What helps is checking when next we’ll be together.

We know what they love to do.  Eating…watching television.  But it’s playing games that grabs them the most.  I think that when they look back on their early years, Silly Papa and Meme will be remembered for spending time with them playing lots of games.

Growing up, I had lots of relatives we would visit.  Grandmothers, lots of aunts and uncles with all those cousins.  Do much together?  Hardly remember playing board games.  Eating?  Lots of that!  I have the extra pounds to prove it!  The adults?– talking, chattering and gossiping about whoever or whatever.  Relatives interested in my life?  Not really.  Not that I remember.

Much talk of love for each other?  Never heard about that!  Plenty of gossipy griping as we drove home or after they all left.  A friendly wave ‘good bye’ followed by dissecting everything that made us jealous!  Can’t do anything about ‘spilt milk’ from the past, but can make it much better for our children and their kids.

Being together, spending time laughing, talking about the stories their  imaginations dream up.  Telling them how much we love them, as often as we can or they’ll allow!    Letting them know that being with them means the world to us.

Like what happened when Jesus and His friends came to stay at Martha’s house.  Lots of work to be done to host all those people.  Food doesn’t drop out of the sky.  Well, not since Old Testament times!  Takes old-fashioned elbow grease.  That 4-letter word:  ‘work’.  Like Maynard G. Krebs, of the old ‘Dobie Gillis’ television show, who screamed ‘w…o…r…k!’

Martha had lots to do.  She lets her frustration fall directly onto Jesus’ head.  ‘Make her help me,  Jesus.  Don’t you care?’   But it’s Mary who’s commended by Jesus.  Mary sits at His feet.  Everything about Jesus she just loves.  Those 5 verses from Luke 10.  What I notice is not so much that Jesus criticizes Martha for all those distractions, but how He protects Mary’s desire to get close to Him.

At Christmas–God wanting to get close to us.   It takes much effort to keep Christ front-and-center at Christmas.  There is no criticism of Martha’s work-ethic in Luke chapter 10.    But she needs a sense of rest in her daily life.

Not just Martha.  Not only once a week.  Resting, waiting on Him, sitting at the feet of Jesus… in prayer, in the Word, and in action.  Time well spent!

Prayer:  Lord, you want to be close to us.  At Christmas and all year long.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

MY SOCIAL MOBILITY TEST RESULTS…Psalm 113

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I hated being out of a job.  Could feel a gnawing in the pit of my stomach.  Worries flooded my mind.  I would cry out to the Lord for His help, which I desperately needed.  Guess what?  He heard me!  Was I totally aware of His help at the time?  Did I deserve it?  I only wish!

Back home in New Jersey to see family and church friends in the two churches I had served, the husband of the secretary at my second church wanted to know what I planned to do next.  Full-time ministry seemed as appealing to me as a root canal!  He drove me to see his divisional manager, where I took a test required of all new applicants for a financial planner position.  Had no idea what this was all about.  Took a test.  How did I do?   Passed their ‘social mobility’ test,  promptly offering me a job.  My head was spinning.  Things were moving way too fast.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the money to move back to New Jersey.  So, I promptly phoned the investment company’s local office in Western Washington.  Yes, they had an opening in my small town.  And they really needed someone!  After taking countless classes, passing state and federal licensing exams,  I started my financial planning career.  I loved it.  The Lord opened a good door for me, right after I had been booted out of a rather nasty and splintery one!

God is so gracious to us as He opens doors… and windows.  No one can shut them!   It was years later that my divisional manager told me that I had been barely hired.  Something about ‘the skin of my teeth’!  What if I had taken the test today?  Wouldn’t have been hired!  What?  I was number one in the division for over a decade, having been the number three top financial planning rookie in the nation my first year with the company.  What’s this all about?  I had scored a 70% on that ‘social mobility’ test.  Not a high score for someone in a sales-type position.  So what?  The results indicated that I was ‘distant and aloof’.  Who, little old me?!  And, to top off this nasty bit of news,  the company currently would hire no one who scored below 75%!  That’s what he meant!

Psalm 113: 7-8:  ‘He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes…’.   Think about it.  With the Lord’s help, the sky knows no limit.  When He opens a door, get front and center.  Head held high, looking straight at Jesus.  Then, move on in!  Test results don’t tell it all.  Not with the Lord at the helm. Tell the Lord you’re available!  Get ready!  Get set!   Go… with Jesus!

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you for being with us.  Use us as you see fit.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

HI HO, HI HO, IT’S OFF TO MONOPOLY I GO!… Isaiah 5: 18-26

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We enjoyed a 4-day Disney cruise from Vancouver, BC to San Diego, California.  We  certainly got into the Disney spirit!  How many times did we hear that ‘Hi Ho, Hi Ho…It’s Off to Work We Go’ song?  Now I can’t get it out of my head!

As I was reading Isaiah 5,  something different came to mind.  It’s at verse 26.  The image is of the Lord whistling.  Yes, whistling.  Which led me to think of my favorite board game,  Monopoly.   I’m trying to get our grandchildren to love the game.   Making only baby-step progress.

Which sends my mind racing back to when I was about twelve years old.  Two older boys across the street were good friends of mine.  We played wiffle ball in their backyard during the summer.   In addition, they loved to play Monopoly!  Always had the game board set up on a card table on their front porch.  I couldn’t wait for them to get home, and for us to play.  I would sit on our front porch, legs dangling over the brick steps, waiting for their signal.  What was it?  They would whistle!   I would jump off our front porch, run across the street looking both ways, open the screen door to play our favorite game.  Their mother provided us with lots of peanuts, pretzels and lemonade.  My ‘Black Racer’ won every time, or so I’d like to think!  When they whistled, I came.

Just like in Isaiah.  But here with a noticeably different tone.  God’s enemies have been taunting Him.  Read beginning at Isaiah 5: 18.  It’s about ungodly people who flagrantly flaunt their sin in God’s face.  Daring Him to act.  Probably not a good thing to do!  For in verse 26, God says that as quickly as He whistles, He’ll call the arrogant to task.  A simple whistle.

Many times, we pray and pray, with seeming little result.  As if God is on holiday.  He isn’t.  Or become deaf to our cries for help?  He hasn’t.  We need to know that He’s only a whistle away.  Good for us, His children.  Not so good for those foolish enough to think contrariwise. Their time will come.

For us, we are to wait on Him.  Never easy, but who said it would be?  Our waiting is a signal to God that we are relying on Him and His timing, sitting expectantly on our front porches.  His whistle calls us to run to Him.   We’re running to His front porch, sitting near Him, enjoying all the blessings He has for us.

We’ll wait.   That’s what His people do.  Are you with me?  It will be worth it all!  God wins… in His time, in His way.  On that, He has the monopoly!

Prayer:  Lord, we wait in trust for you.  Always in Jesus’ name.   Amen.

 

YOU NEED MY HIGH SCHOOL AWARD ALSO!…. Revelation 13:10 and 14:12

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Mr. Cliff Gordon, my favorite English teacher at Millburn High School in New Jersey, gave me an award which I wondered about at the time.  He gave an award to each of his students.  Mine was the ‘Constancy’ Award.  I look upon that as quite a prize indeed.  Being loyal and steady… constant.

Think about it–that is quite the compliment.  I value being loyal and dependable.  Aren’t you glad you know people you can depend upon?  Reliable and honest?   By the way,  I read in the book of Revelation that we all need the ‘Constancy’ Award to make it through to the end.  All of us.  Thought I was the only one to receive it!  No, we all should have that award.

In Revelation, in the midst of blaspheming beasts with horns and multiple heads, waging war on the church, causing chaos to explode all over the world, there is the call ‘for the endurance and faith of the saints'(Revelation 13:10).  Looking up the Greek word for ‘endurance’, I discover that it means constancy!

‘Hupomone’!  Constant, enduring, patient(I didn’t get that award!), persevering.  To survive in this crazy world requires constancy.  Staying faithful to the Lord.  Reading His Word while heeding it.  Trusting and obeying.  Being laughed at and misunderstood, a small price to pay for staying faithful to Jesus.

There’s a second verse for today.  Revelation 14: 12–another call for ‘endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus’.  Remember, these are verses for the end times.  Every day is one day closer.  No one knows when the end will come.  No one, regardless of those false teachers, well-meaning as some may be,  who think they know exactly when.  What we do know is that whenever it will be, our only need is for constancy.  That’s all.  That’s a lot as it turns out.

To be faithful.  To risk loss for Jesus.  To be a ‘fool’ in the world’s eyes for Christ’s sake.  And when we fail Him, and let Him down by being less than we had hoped to be, we turn to Jesus for forgiveness and restoration that He so loves to give His children.

We’re not perfect.  The Lord knows all about us.  Certainly, He knows about me.  We also know that He loves to love us.  Turn back to Him and find out for yourself.  Have you earned your award?  The ‘Constancy Award’?  Then display it proudly…for it comes from God Himself!  And it never, ever runs out-of-style!

Prayer:  Lord, give us your Holy Spirit to help us be constant in our faith and witness for you in the days ahead.  In Jesus’ name.  The faithful witness.  Amen.

COULD THAT BE TOO MUCH TO ASK?…. Psalm 107:22

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Growing up there were 2 magic words we were encouraged to say–‘please’ and ‘thank you’.  ‘Please’ as a kind way of asking for something.  ‘Thank you’ as showing gratitude.  When our granddaughter Helena was staying with us, I noticed that when she wanted something she would say ‘please’, with ‘thank you’ soon following.  Our other grandchildren say the same.  However, these words are rare to hear in this day-and-age, especially from adults.

People seem different now than from the past.  We feel entitled.  Like it’s our right, our due in life.  This ‘selfie’ generation expects to take without much effort at all.  Right now!  I guess it’s too much to ask people to say those magic words,  let alone mean them?   Too much sacrifice involved?  Too ungrateful?  Might have to swallow our pride.  Eat a bit of humble pie.

In Psalm 107, God’s people have been foolish.  Verse 17–  ‘Some became foolish through their rebellious ways…’  Sin and rebellion were their ‘modus operandi’.  They suffered greatly for it.  But, praise the Lord, they came to their senses, realized how utterly foolish they had been, and ‘…they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress'(verse 19).  They didn’t shake their fists at the Lord, but bowed the knee as if to say ‘please, Lord, help us!’.

Isn’t it too bad that so many of us wait until we’re knee-deep in trouble before we turn to the Lord for help?  Like we can handle it ourselves.  It’s taken me a lifetime to realize that my efforts are chicken-feed compared to all that the Lord wants to do for me, and through me.  So, I say ‘please’ much sooner.  Then as quickly as I can, utter those other magical words…’thank you, Lord’.  So easy to be blessed and then go on with our day, willy-nilly, as if we’re the luckiest fellow on the face of the earth.

How quickly we forget…that all our blessings come from Him.  Is it so difficult to say ‘Thank you, Lord’?  Those in this psalm didn’t think so.  ‘Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men.  Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy'(verses 21-22).  Maybe you should stop here for a moment and ‘count your many blessings’, ‘see what God has done’?

From the bottom of your heart…from your lips to His ears, utter those sweet words of thanksgiving.  Make that annual holiday a daily event.  Every day filled with words of ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to our Lord, who loves to hear from us more than we could ever imagine.  ‘Please, Lord!’  ‘Thank you, Lord!’  Happy Thanksgiving!

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for always being with us answering our prayers in your way and in your time.  Thank you again.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

IN SEASON, OUT OF SEASON…2 Timothy 4

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I miss the four seasons.  In Western Washington, we have a dry and warm summer, with lots of rainy weather in spring, fall and winter.  Not always.  Breaks do occur.  2 Timothy 4: 2– ‘preach the word; be ready in season and out of season…’  Rain or shine.  Good times…and all the others!

The Greek word for ‘in season’ means a divinely appointed opportunity.  ‘Out of season’ is the mirror opposite, referring to unwelcome times, sad moments in life, intrusions that turn our worlds upside-down. You know what I mean.

I remember getting a letter from my old denomination telling me that I was not to preach anymore, anywhere.  ‘Out of season’. How ironic that dear friends, who were Jewish, offered me their synagogue, urging me to start my own church.  How kind!  But, no, I wanted some peace.  ‘Out of season’ now seemed a permanent weather pattern for me.

But then a pastor friend, from the next town and my old denomination, asked me to preach for him.  A tiny patch of blue sky.   I did preach for him, and the rafters did not come a-tumblin’ down!  I thought I’d better check with the higher-ups in the denomination, hoping that a thaw was truly in the air. That the seasons were changing and I could be ‘in-season’ once again.  Wrong!

That’s when that letter arrived in my mailbox.  For them I was to be permanently ‘out of season’.  What was I to do?  Took their toxic missive to our local pastor’s Bible study group.  One of them asked me if God had called me to preach.  I said of course He had.  Then he asked me why I listened to these people.  I’ll never forget his next words.  Wisely he said –‘if God calls you to preach, you preach!’   Eight words…that said it all.

Went directly home.  Wrote a brief note, absent recrimination… resigning from their denomination.  Theirs…no longer mine.  Almost immediately, the clouds began to move out.  The sun started to peek through.  And a warm breeze ushered in a new day and a new season for me… from the Lord!  Ever since, the doors have been opening wider and wider!

How about for you?  Holding back because someone has put you on the upper shelf,  saying that you’re ‘out of season’?  A dream that you know has been from the Lord that someone has mocked and belittled, causing you to ‘clam up’?

Knock on doors.  See what opens and walk right on in!  Maybe your daily Bible reading seems ‘out of season’.  Read anyway.  A new season is coming.  Prayer life become stale and rote?  Take a few deep breaths and talk with Him.  Ask Him, knock on some doors, keep on seeking.  Watch what happens.   His new season is just around the corner!

Prayer:  Dear God, thank you for being our Lord.  We love you.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!… Isaiah 19:16-25

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I love the Gospel song ‘What a Day that Will Be’–‘when my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face–the One who saved  me by His grace; When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day, that will be’.  Aren’t  those words amazing?  I think so, too.

How about those verses in Isaiah 19?  They come in the midst of various oracles and pronouncements against certain foreign nations, enemies of God and His people.  Fierce words of judgement that stir fear in our hearts for those who don’t know our Lord.  Then comes good news… for enemies who now wish to be friends of the Lord.  From foe to forgiven.  Rancor to repentance.  None have to stay stuck in sin.

No, like Egypt and Assyria who now speak the language of Israel, Hebrew(v. 18), and promise to worship only Yahweh God.  Only Him!  The Egyptians will build, right in the center of their country, an altar to Yahweh God.  Also, a tall pillar at the border to witness that this country is the Lord’s, from border to border and at its very center.

This is Egypt we’re talking about. Someday.  All their history of false worship turned upside-down, right side-up.  What used-to-be is no longer.  Mercy and healing have come their way from God( v. 22).  Could it get any better?

Yes, it can… and will!  For the Lord says in Isaiah 19 that Assyria will come to know and worship Him.  Those countries will now join together in peace to worship Yahweh God…Israel, Egypt and Assyria.  What a day that will be!  It’s coming!   When?  I have no idea.  No one does.  Don’t listen or buy the books and CD’s of those who know when that day will be.  Forget it.  Only God knows and He’s not telling!  Not yet.

God knows when and that’s all we need to know.  So, relax in Him.  Be ready.   Must end now with some of best words in all the Bible.  When hatred seems to never take a holiday,  and religious warfare creates such horror suffering, listen to Isaiah 19: 24-25–“In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.'”  What a day that will be!   I can hardly wait!

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for better days ahead.  For promises yet to be fulfilled.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.