Happy Independence Day

[Judy Harder]

He Is Risen

When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. - John 2:22

I recently stumbled upon a great Easter story told by Dr. George Sweeting regarding an incident in the early 1920s.  Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev to address an anti-God rally.  For an hour he abused and ridiculed the Christian faith until it seemed as if the whole structure of belief was in ruins.

Then questions were invited.  An Eastern Orthodox priest rose and asked to speak.  He turned, faced the people, and gave the Easter greeting, "He is risen!" Instantly the assembly rose to its feet and the reply came back loud and clear, "He is risen indeed!" 

Aren't those just the best words you could ever hear?  News, movies, books, and people of influence may attempt to discredit Christianity, but they'll never thwart the truth, He is risen indeed!
What does Christ's resurrection mean for you?

"I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when not feeling it.
I believe in God even when He is silent."
- Anonymous

[Judy Harder]

Easter in Narnia

He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.  - Isaiah 25:8

In C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the lion, Aslan, offers himself as a sacrifice for a little boy—a traitor named Edmund.  When the lion rises from the dead he says:

". . . [the Witch's] knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time.  But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation.  She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward."

Does that story sound familiar? It should; it's the story of Easter.  Jesus Christ gave his life for traitors whom he loved, was raised from the dead, and therefore broke the curse of death. 

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection,
not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime." - Martin Luther (1483-1546)

[Judy Harder]

The Big One

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. - Deuteronomy 4:29

When I was three years old, I went on an Easter egg hunt. Being so young, my mom let me watch the organizers hide the eggs. Before long, I'd spotted the man with the Big One—a jumbo sized, cream-filled chocolate egg wrapped in golden foil. 

The moment I heard ,"Go!" I raced to the shallow hole where I'd seen him hide the egg. But my hand found nothing. I tried my other hand. Still nothing. I started digging and pulling grass. Then a loud scream broke my concentration. My prized egg had been moved to the oak tree and discovered by Lesely Waters.  What had begun as a calculated victory ended in bitter defeat. Yet, I did learn a valuable lesson: What promises to bring happiness and fulfillment often leaves us empty.

Do you find yourself searching for the Big One? If the Big One is Christ, you're on the right path and need to look no further. If it's anything other than Jesus, you'll not be satisfied until you find Him.   

"There will come a time when you believe everything   is finished. That will be the beginning." - Louis L'Amour (1908-1988)

[Judy Harder]

Act Your Size!

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. - Colossians 3:12

Years ago, I read about some kids who built a clubhouse in the branches of a tree.  Wise far beyond their years, these boys and girls came up with a few simple rules for how to behave in this lofty little shelter.  These three rules were scrawled out in childish handwriting and posted outside the door:

1) NOBODY ACT BIG.
2) NOBODY ACT SMALL.
3) EVERYBODY ACT MEDIUM.

That's pretty solid counsel for us adults.  We're neither angels nor worms.  We're all made in the image of God yet we're all deeply flawed.  We're all entitled to dignity and respect, yet we're all in need of mercy, patience, and understanding.

So start your day (or continue it) remembering not to act big, or small, but act medium.

"Humility is like underwear, essential, but indecent if it shows." - Helen Nielsen (1918-2002)

[Judy Harder]

Finishing Well

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,  let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. - Hebrews 12:1

Our culture has become enamored with instant results and quick fixes.  E-mail, on-line banking, fast food, instant mashed potatoes, hair implants, liposuction, and countless options like them have eroded our capacity for patience and perseverance.  So when it comes to spiritual growth, we tend to expect instant transformation rather than viewing our growth in Christ as a long-term—and potentially costly—endeavor. 
Yet I've learned an important truth that's been verified time and again by the testimony of Scripture: It's not how you start that's important; it's how you finish.

Finishing well in the Christian life requires purposeful planning and a clear view of reality on your part.  It won't happen by accident.  On the other hand, expecting instant results and quick fixes will result in disappointment, and ultimately, discouragement. 

"The world is moving so fast these days that a man    who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it." - Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

[Judy Harder]

Satisfied Singleness

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. - 1 Corinthians 7:1-2

According to the latest U.S. Census, there are 95.7 million single adults in America.  This constitutes a large—and growing—portion of our society, yet a portion that's often overlooked in the area of spiritual care.  So if you're a single adult or know one, I'd like to speak to you.

You may be single by choice or as a result of unfortunate circumstances.  You may have future plans to marry, or you may sense God calling you to a life of singleness.  No matter what your situation, God's will for you right now is to be satisfied in Him, and to trust His plan for you at this time in your life. 

You get to choose how you respond to your singleness.  Learn from it. Grow in it. Singleness does not have to equal loneliness.  You can survive the temptations unique to your situation in our world today.  Start by going to God and connecting with others.   

"I think I've discovered the secret of life—you just hang around long enough to get used to it." - Charles M. Schultz (1922-2000)

[Judy Harder]

Good News About Bad News

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.  -  2 Corinthians 4:1-2

No one's a stranger, or a welcome recipient of bad news. Yet listen to Bill Gates' wise take on bad news in his book Business @ the Speed of Thought:

"You have to be constantly receptive to bad news, and then you have to act on it.  Sometimes I think my most important job as CEO is to listen to bad news.  [But] if you don't act on it, your people will eventually stop bringing bad news to your attention.  And that's the beginning of the end.  The willingness to hear hard truth is vital not only for the CEOs of big corporations but also for anyone who loves the truth.  Sometimes the truth sounds like bad news, but it is just what we need." 

I've learned that bad news usually contains a redemptive element - It's important that we don't respond to it with avoidance and denial but work through it. 

"Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age." - Colin Powell (1937-     )

[Judy Harder]

Man vs. Lawnmower

"In your anger do not sin."
Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. - Ephesians 4:26-27

Cliff was a kind and mild-mannered man—until one fateful summer day. 

He set the controls of his year-old lawn mower on "START," and pulled the cord.  Nothing.  He pulled several more times.  Still nothing.  Finally, after countless attempts, the mower roared to life.  Frustrated but relieved, Cliff adjusted the throttle and prepared to cut.  But before he could take a step, the mower died again.  After several more futile attempts, Cliff straightened up, turned, and walked into the house.

Moments later Cliff calmly returned to the mower, slid several shells into his rifle, took aim, and proceeded to riddle the machine with bullets.

His wife Janice—who'd witnessed the entire affair from the kitchen window—stood amazed and frightened at the rage lurking beneath Cliff's quiet, confident exterior.

Perhaps you can relate to Cliff's anger.  But I hope you don't relate to how he dealt with it.  It's o.k. to have anger and even express it.  It's the how and the when we have to work on.

"Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame." - Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

[Judy Harder]

Strangers In A Strange Land

Set your minds on things above not on earthly things. - Colossians 3:2

An American traveler went to Poland to visit a famous rabbi.  Upon arrival, the traveler was taken aback by the rabbi's room, which contained only a table, a chair, and some books.  Perplexed, the traveler asked, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?"

The rabbi replied, "My furniture?  Where is your furniture, my friend?" The tourist explained he was only a tourist passing through.  The rabbi's response?  "So am I."

Life in our affluent, materially-oriented society draws us away from what God wants our focus to be.  We are regularly tempted to invest our time and energy in ways that focus on making  ourselves comfortable residents here.  Be careful.  Succumbing to this temptation will blunt your ability to hear and hope in God.  Set your mind on things above, and your heart will surely follow.  Live intentionally and effectively for the glory of God.

"The love of heaven makes one heavenly." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

[Judy Harder]

Serving

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24

At the heart of the Civil War was a large portion of free people who concluded that slavery shouldn't be.  Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain was one of those men.  In the movie Gettysburg he says, "This is a different kind of army.  If you look back through history, you'll see men fighting for pay, for women, for some other kind of loot.  They fight for land, power, because a king leads them, or just because they like killing.  But we are here for something new.  This has not happened much in the history of the world.  We are an army out to set other men free."

Throughout history, God has been calling men and women to give of themselves so others can be free.  Are you willing to make sacrifices for others? 

"For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice — no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service." - John Burroughs (1837-1921)