Happy Independence Day

[Judy Harder]

Learning Through Suffering

Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. - Romans 8:17

Like many other Christians, my parents thought that if they honored God and dedicated their children to the Lord, they'd somehow be shielded from pain, suffering, and life's difficult realities. Learning that their son—my brother Jerry—was dying of AIDS helped them to see that this belief was false.

My parents wrestled not only with losing Jerry but also with their own feelings of guilt. They wondered what they could've done differently to keep their son from a homosexual lifestyle. Sorrow and regret consumed them.

Yet God used that terrible incident to mold and deepen my parents' faith. Suffering brought them face-to-face with change they'd never anticipated. It was in that dark and painful crucible that my parents learned about compassion, courage, forgiveness, and repentance. Their hearts were truly broken, but they were also truly changed.

You, too, can and should learn from suffering. Don't be angered by it. Don't come out the other side a bitter person.  Look at your suffering as an intimacy with Christ—a time to sense his love and compassion, and to grow to trust Him and grow closer to Him.

"Complete success alienates a man from his fellows, but suffering makes kinsmen of us all. " - Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

[Judy Harder]

Living a Positive Legacy

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. - 2 Timothy 2:2

Did you know the Nobel Peace Prize is named after Alfred Nobel, the Swedish industrialist who invented dynamite?  How did this come to be?

When Alfred's brother died, a newspaper mistook him for Alfred. It printed his obituary with the headline, "The Merchant of Death Is Dead," describing Alfred as a man who made his fortune helping people kill one another.

He was cut to the heart and vowed to change his legacy. When Alfred really died eight years later, he left $9 million to fund awards for people whose work benefited humanity—thus, the birth of Nobel Peace Prizes.

Alfred Nobel was given a rare gift: the opportunity to read his own obituary, and make changes before it was too late.  What might you do if given the same opportunity?

"If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. - Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)

[Judy Harder]

Lonely Souls

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 12:11-12

In his lifetime Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting. Today he's known for his passion and artistic genius. And he's remembered as a lonely soul. In a letter to his beloved brother, Theo, Vincent wrote:

"Our inward thoughts, do they ever show outwardly? There may be a great fire in our soul, and no one ever comes to warm himself at it; the passers-by see only a little bit of smoke coming through the chimney, and pass on their way.  Now, look you, what must be done? Must one tend that inward fire, have salt in oneself, wait patiently yet with how much impatience for the hour when somebody will come and sit down near it—to stay there maybe?"

What great fire has God impressed upon your soul? Do passers-by see more than just a little bit of smoke?  Are you tending the fire?

Van Gogh expressed his passion in his art. Look for the best expression of your passion that will honor and glorify God.

"The passions are the winds that fill the ship's sails. Sometimes they submerge the ship, but without them the ship could not sail." - Voltaire (1694-1778)

[Judy Harder]

On the Defense

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

When my friend was in college he walked right-of-way property for a gas pipeline company one summer. In many ways, it was a great job. Lots of sunshine and exercise, walking through the countryside over a large buried pipeline. There were, however, the inevitable bulls, bees. . . and a few ornery farmers.

One day his journey took him through the field of a farmer who didn't like anyone on his land, right-of-way or no right-of-way. After testing an electrical fence to make sure it was disarmed, my friend prepared to step over the barrier. While he was straddling the wire, he saw out of the corner of his eye the farmer running for the barn. The farmer was running for the power switch!

Are you sometimes like the farmer?  Quick to turn up the power and heat when someone's in a vulnerable position?  It's not what Jesus did—remember the woman caught in adultery? Jesus extended grace. You should, too.

"Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything." - Billy Graham (1918-    )

[Judy Harder]

Size Doesn't Matter

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. - Ephesians 5:1

We live in a culture that values things that are large, extravagant, and impossible to miss.  For this reason, we're tempted to look at the struggles in our rather ordinary lives, and consider our victories insignificant if they're not acknowledged or recognized by others.

But that's just not true.  Victor Hugo, the great French playwright who penned Les Miserables, rightly said our "greatest actions are performed in minor struggles.  Life, misfortune, isolation, abandonment and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes–obscure heroes who are at times greater than illustrious heroes."

It's not the size of the audience, or the amount of applause, that determines the value of your achievements.  Live your life before the one true God.  And live it with faith, hope, and love even though you're not getting accolades for it.  Remember, your true character is what you do when no one is looking.

"Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip." - Will Rogers (1879-1935)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
Isaiah 46:9-10

Today's Preaching Insight...

The View of the Church from Starbucks

Rick Richardson, professor and writer, tells about a pastor named Dan, who realized he was getting stale. So with the approval of his pastoral team, he took a part-time job at a Starbucks coffee shop.

To his surprise, "All 21 people he worked with believed in God. Not one was an atheist ... They were all very positive toward God and spirituality."

Richardson goes on to report:

A second surprise was that all were interested in spiritual things, but not in Christians, Christianity, or the church. No one wanted to hear Dan's proofs for God or invitations to come to church or ideas about salvation. Almost everyone thought they knew what Christianity was about and had decided they didn't want it. They were post Christian. At some point along the way, each of them had experienced a breach in trust related to Christianity. Maybe a Christian friend had been hypocritical or pushy. Maybe when they were young they had attended church and found it boring and irrelevant. Maybe they had watched TV preachers and been turned off. Or maybe they had experienced a tragedy—death or sexual abuse or some other trauma—and felt that God had been distant and uncaring.

Richardson said, "Dan wasn't starting at ground zero, but rather at minus-three or four. ... The biggest thing Dan learned is that people in this generation have a prior question of trust that must be addressed before we can have meaningful spiritual conversations with them."

Pastor Dan had discovered the outside understanding of how the church was viewed by some people.

(To read the entire article, "What Starbucks, Harry and You All Have in Common" by John A. Huffman Jr. at Preaching.com, click here)

Today's Extra...

Conviction

Anne Rice made her name writing very popular books about vampires and other occult themes. Some of them were made into movies. Recently some of her fans were shocked that she had returned to the Catholic faith of her childhood. This has prompted Anne to write books about the life of Jesus.

On Rice's Web site she says, "After years of pondering and searching, the great gift of Faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ as Our Savior came back to me on a December afternoon; and I went home to the church of my childhood, becoming a member and supporter of it with my whole soul." She also reports that while sitting in church she became convicted she needed to use her talent as a storyteller for Jesus. As a result of studying the Bible for these books she said, "I am a believer in every word of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John."

[Judy Harder]

Youth

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. - Mark10:14

When June Cleaver said, "Ward, I'm worried about the Beaver," her primary concern was probably that he'd turn out to be as obnoxious as Eddie Haskell. Boy, have times changed!

Kids today face a harder world, and are seriously threatened with a premature loss of innocence.

For instance, within the next 30 minutes at least:

29 kids will attempt suicide.
57 adolescents will run away from home.
14 teenager girls will give birth out of wedlock.
22 girls will get abortions.
686 kids will use one of many illegal drugs.
And 188 will abuse alcohol.

This picture of the struggles America's kids now face is a long way from the struggles within the Cleaver household. The beginning of change is to acknowledge the problem. Pray for the kids of today and for their parents. The changes we need must come from the inside out if they're to be real and lasting.

"How paramount the future is to the present when one is surrounded by children." - Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

[Judy Harder]

Tribute to Jackie Robinson

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. - Ephesians 4:22-24

In 1948 Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play Major League Baseball.  He faced stiff opposition.  Pitchers threw at him.  Base runners dug their spikes into his shins.  Fans mocked him and some even wrote death threats.

To endure this mistreatment, you'd have to be a scrapper.  Robinson was certainly no exception.

He was proud and competitive. But he also knew the right way to fight—and that's what set him apart.  Before being allowed to play, Jackie was asked what he'd do if another player hit him on the cheek.  He answered, "Sir, I have two cheeks." Robinson knew that real strength—the kind necessary to accomplish truly great things—is demonstrated in meekness and forbearance. With that strength, he changed the face of America's favorite pastime, and in the process, helped change the face of America.

We can learn from his example—an inner strength in adversity; not striking back when we're wronged; keeping focus on the task before us.  He had a rather Christ-like attitude and example, wouldn't you say?   

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. - Martha Washington (1732 - 1802)

[Judy Harder]

Delay and Distract

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. - Matthew 26:41

Have you ever noticed that no matter how strong the struggles with our appetites may be, most of them only last a few minutes? It's true. And so I want to talk with you about a tactic that'll help you make good choices in these times: distraction and delay.

When facing temptation, try to delay your decision to act upon the desire you're experiencing for fifteen to thirty minutes. What you'll find is that you've gained a great deal of perspective and resolve in that relatively short but very important interval.

But while you're delaying, make sure to use some kind of distraction or diversion—one that will allow you to think clearly about the choice you must make, while at the same time allowing you to distance yourself a bit from the temptations that cloud your decision. If you don't join distraction or diversion with your delay, you'll probably find yourself just watching the clock and thinking about how much longer you have before you get to indulge.

Get involved with something else. If your desire has passed, then great—you've successfully avoided something you didn't really want and probably didn't need!  But if thirty minutes passes and you still want whatever it is you're desiring—and that something isn't destructive—then go ahead and enjoy it, in moderation!

"A delay is better than a disaster." - Unknown

[Judy Harder]

Fellowship with God

Come nearer to God and he will come near to you. - James 4:8

When you have an appetite that asks to be fed, you have a choice as to how you're going to feed it.  At almost every point of decision, you'll be tempted to satisfy your appetites in a way that does little more than nourishes your sinful desires and strengthens your resistance to God.  However, you have another choice: you can choose to feed your soul and strengthen yourself from the inside out.

There are many skills and strategies that can help you fight temptation and control your appetites—and you would be wise to learn them all well.  But none are more important, more effective, or more rewarding than fellowship with God!

As we spend time with our heavenly Father, we gain wisdom and understanding.  We grow stronger spiritually.  As a result, we become more able to utilize the resources He makes available to us. Through this growth, we become better equipped and better prepared to fight the good fight of faith by standing firm against the temptations that assail us.

It's through fellowship with God that we open ourselves to the fulfillment we were designed for—a fulfillment that satisfies our cravings and our desires better and longer than any other alternative.

As you fellowship with God—through time spent in His Word, through relationships with other believers, and through loving service to others; you gain the accountability, the structure, and the support you need to control and redirect your appetites for redemptive ends.

"Man's love of God is identical with his knowledge of Him." - Moses Maimonides (1135-1204)