Happy Independence Day

[Judy Harder]

Consumed by Lust

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. - Titus 3:4-5

Radio personality Paul Harvey once told of how an Eskimo kills a wolf.  The Eskimo coats his knife with animal blood and lets it freeze.  Another layer of blood is added, then another, until the blade is completely concealed.  The hunter then fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up.  A wolf follows the scent, finds the source, and begins licking.  Aroused by the taste, it licks the blood-covered blade progressively faster and harder.

Amidst the wolf's frenzy, it doesn't notice the eventual sting of the exposed blade on its own tongue, nor that it's now consuming its own warm blood.  The wolf simply craves more–until it falls dead in the snow.

It's a grisly story, but a poignant illustration of how we too stand in danger of being consumed by our own lusts.

"My will was perverse and lust had grown from it; and when I gave in to lust, habit was born; and when I did not resist the habit it became a necessity.  These were the links which together formed what I have called my chain, and it held me fast in the duress of servitude." -St. Augustine (354-430)

[Judy Harder]

Trust

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. - Psalm 62:8

Some people say there are times when we need to forgive God. This implies that God does wrong, which is never true. However, we may find it hard to place faith in God if we're convinced that He's let us down.

God is trustworthy, but we don't always know His mind, His reasons, or His ultimate intentions. We're prone to misinterpreting His actions in our lives.

Friends, our problem with trusting God doesn't stem from His untrustworthiness.  It stems from our willful, misplaced determination to stand as judges over God Himself—determining right from wrong, good from bad, and better from best.

Yet one thing remains certain: You can trust God infinitely more than you trust yourself. So surrender to His wisdom, love, and mercy, and stop demanding that He act as we see fit.

"It is impossible to go through life without trust; that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself." -Graham Greene (1904-1991)

[Judy Harder]

God's Grace

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' - Matthew 15:18

A retired pastor, was returning home around midnight when he came upon a motorist covered in oil and red-faced with anger. Upon stopping his car, the pastor asked how he could help.  The man asked for a ride and immediately let loose with a barrage of profanity.  When he finished he asked the pastor what he was doing out so late.  When he told him he was a pastor returning home from some evangelistic meetings, the embarrassed man asked the pastor why he didn't stop him.  The pastor replied, "Your problem isn't your mouth.  It's your heart." And he proceeded to share with the man who Jesus was and what it means to be one of his followers.

Sometime later, when the pastor told this story, he asked, "How else should we have expected him to speak?" adding, "Would it be better for a man to sing hymns all the way to hell?"

Remember, what comes out of your mouth is a reflection of the condition of your heart.

The heart of a good man is the sanctuary of God in this world. -Madame Necker (1766-1841)

[Judy Harder]

Healthy Grieving

But it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. - 2 Timothy 1:10

The flight was headed for Los Angeles, and everything was going smoothly.  Then, all of the sudden, a woman jumped to her feet, let out a pained and terrified shriek, and collapsed to her death in the aisle of the aircraft.

Death is always unsettling.  But even more so when it's unexpected, and happens in a situation where others feel rather vulnerable themselves—like at 30,000 feet!  The emotional intensity in that aircraft was unsettling, to say the least.

Sensing an opportunity to help, a pastor onboard stopped a flight attendant on her way down the aisle.  He offered his services to anyone wanting to talk about the tragedy that just transpired. The attendant replied, "Sir, that won't be necessary. We'll be serving free drinks to all passengers."

Are you settling for a drink when Jesus who offers the only water to quench your thirst is available to you?  In the quiet of where you are right now, you can ask Him to help you, to come into your heart and life as Lord and Savior.  Or he's available to you through your connection with others who are His followers. Don't settle for anything less.

"In the night of death hope sees a star and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing." -Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)

[Judy Harder]

Living with Limitations

"If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." - Mark 9:23

It is almost as presumptuous to think you can do nothing as to think you can do everything. In other words, be honest about your limitations, but don't exaggerate them, or use them as an excuse to keep from being a productive person.

Joni Erikson Tada embodies this truth well. Paralyzed below the neck as a result of a diving accident, she has ministered to millions through her speaking, singing, and painting (she holds a paintbrush in her mouth!) What an inspiration she is!

Helen Keller who also embodied this truth expressed such an attitude in this beautiful statement: "I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

Be hopeful of a man whose limitations are not yet known; maybe he won't reach them - Unknown

[Judy Harder]

Scary Truth vs. Deadly Denial

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:32

Truth is a scary thing. Sometimes it frightens us into a "see no evil" way of life.  Why?  Well, for some of you life's been incredibly difficult.  You've survived what you hope is the worst and have no interest in further suffering.  Denial may be the only coping mechanism you know, and you'd rather endure miserable circumstances than the painful discomfort of change that acknowledging the truth will require.

Ending denial brings with it the threat of loss. And people sometimes resist seeing the truth and accepting reality because of it. Accepting the consequences of truth may cause the loss of income, possessions, family, friends, or prestige.

What people seldom recognize, however, is that denial has even worse consequences, like the loss of life–emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes, even physically.  Friends, truth is scary.  But its alternative–denial–is worse than scary, it's deadly.

Remember, Christ told us that once we hold to His teaching, the truth will set us free!

Truth–is as old as God–
His Twin identity
And will endure as long as He
A Co-Eternity. -Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

[Judy Harder]

Small Slits Sink Ships

He must become greater; I must become less. - John 3:30

Did you know scientists now believe a series of slits, not a giant gash, sank the Titanic? The supposedly invincible cruise liner went down in 1912 on its first voyage. Fifteen hundred people perished, making it the worst maritime disaster of its time.

Until recently, the most widely held theory was that the ship hit an iceberg, opening a huge gash in the vessel's side. But an international team of divers and scientists has used sound waves to probe the wreckage, buried in the mud under two-and-a-half miles of water. The damage was surprisingly small. Instead of a huge gash, they found only six, relatively narrow, slits across the watertight holds.

Small slits can sink great ships. What are the small slits in your life that might have serious consequences? Is some shoring up in order? If you don't know what exactly needs shoring up, or you do know but don't know how—seek some help—from a friend, your pastor, or a professional counselor.

"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." -Unknown

[Judy Harder]

The More the Better

Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. - Proverbs 25:28

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "excess" as "Action that goes beyond a reasonable limit. An amount greater than is necessary."  If you live in the United States, this concept isn't very difficult to grasp.  Our new American motto seems to be "the more, the better"—no matter what it's more of.  Listen to these statistics:

-          Obesity, time spent watching television, and consumer credit debt are at all-time highs.
-          About one in five Americans has a sexually transmitted disease.
-          Addictions now affect over 30 percent of American families.
-          There were over 1.5 million personal bankruptcies filed last year.
-          The average American household wields more than16 credit cards, and carries credit-card balances of almost $9,000 per household.
-          There are now more registered cars on our roads than there are licensed drivers.

Jesus said he came that we might have an abundant life, not an excessive life. There is a difference!

"Where there is too much, something is missing." - Jewish saying

[Judy Harder]

The Strangeness of God

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

Disruptive peace; majestic meekness; unsettling comfort – these phrases don't seem to make sense.  But anyone who's had a personal encounter with God understands that these apparent paradoxes come together in Him.

The Dean of the Chapel of Calvin College, wrote, "The faithful evangelical preacher of God ought to say not only that God is great and God is good, but also that God is elusive and God is strange...because spiritual health depends upon it."

It's dangerous to think we know God's mind, God's will, or God's intentions. In fact, to fear God is, in part, to recognize that His ways are not our ways.  For certain, He's revealed Himself to us in Jesus, and He revealed Himself in how He moved and worked through the lives and stories recorded in the Bible.  But He hasn't revealed Himself exhaustively.  He hasn't ceased to work in mysterious ways.  And that's why we surrender to Him.  He's greater than we can think or imagine and will work in strange ways—ways we can't even think of or imagine.

"I have felt His hand upon me in great trials and submitted to His guidance, and I trust that as He shall further open the way, I will be ready to walk therein, relying on His help and trusting in His goodness and wisdom. " - Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)