Justice

Greetings,

Yesterday the church "talked" with some missionaries we support who are working in northern Thailand. Our friends were standing on a bridge in the jungle at midnight talking to us as we comfortably sat in our padded church chairs in our air conditioned sanctuary here in Grand Junction. Technology is amazing and yesterday it proved very convicting to me and hopefully to our church body. Our friends are saving Burmese refugee children from starvation, death, disease..... Many of the children are orphans and need a safe place to live and to be loved. In Isaiah, God tells his people through the prophet that He is tired of our meaningless offerings. In 1:14, God tells us that "They (offerings) have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them." It is interesting that often the very things we "bring" to God to offer Him are things that he bears as a heavy load instead of things that bless and please Him.

Later in that same chapter the prophet tells me what does please God. "Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." I am not sure I know of any passage that has such a severe impact on me. I have to ask if I am learning to do right, especially when it comes to seeking justice and defending the orphan and pleading the case of the widow. As I wrestle with this, I know I can do one thing right this week--support my friends in Thailand with a financial gift. They are an extension of the American church as they serve the fatherless and the widows fleeing the Burmese govermnment troops.

I can easily become paralized by all the needs. The phone call yesterday shocked me out of my paralysis and moved me to some action... Look at our world through the eyes of Jesus and do something for the cause of justice in the world.

Blessings and joy,

Rob

The burdens we carry.

Greetings,
I am finishing my study of the book of Galatians. After reminding me to walk according to the Holy Spirit, Paul immediately tells me that this Spirit is not given to simply make me feel secure in my relationship with God or to simply give me some sort of superiority complex. The Spirit is given so that I might live out my life in a way that honors Jesus. Paul tells the church to "carry each other's burdens."

I tend to bristle a bit at this. I think, I don't have the capacity to carry any person's burdens--I have enough of a load.... I am so self-serving. Or I think that, as a church "leader," that I know so many burdens I can allow myself to be overwhelmed and not do anything. I do not think Jesus would have much patience with my attitude.

How do I love my neighbor? How do I serve my brother and sister? I must help them with their burdens, and we all have burdens--right? The one thing I know is that I must have relationships with people so that I find out about their burdens and can in turn share my burdens. We are not an island to ourselves. We need each other. We need to live a life of love and service. That is the law of Jesus.

So, my challenge to all of us is: do you have someone to help carry your burden? Someone who loves you and will have compassion? Someone who will not only pray for you, but take action in helping with the load you carry? Find someone.

Blessings and joy,

Rob

I am a wimp

I have been physically sick the past two weeks. You know the story: no energy; headaches; aches and pains not associated with old age; a throat that surprises you when you open your mouth--never sure what will come out!! My bride cares for me "in sickness and in health," but I have a good idea that she thinks I'm a wimp! (I am when it come to not feeling well.)

I have been overwhelmed with the concern from my family and my friends. They have served me well. I think of these kind serving hearts as I read Paul's statement that the entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Now when the Apostle Paul writes all inclusive statements like that, I sit up and take notice.

God reminds me through Paul's letter to the Galatian church that I show and PROVE my love for God when I love my neighbor. You see, that is how Paul can drop the first half of the Great Commandment (Love the Lord your God with all your heart...) and summarize the entire 10 Commandments from Exodus 20 in a five word command!

Who is my neighbor and am I loving them? Paul warns the church to get back to doing what the church is suppose to do--love the world for Christ's sake. Remember who we are--adopted children of the King and the our Father expects us to demonstrate our adoptive status by loving those around us with the love Christ had for us. I may be a wimp when I'm not feeling well, but I do not want to be a wimp when it comes to loving those God has placed around me as neighbors.

Who is your neighbor? Show love for them through service this week.

Rob

My last triathalon

Lyn and I "enjoy" completing (I did not say "competing!") sprint triathalons. It was my bride's idea a couple of years ago to register in a local sprint triathalon where the athletes (used very loosely in my case) swim 500 yards, bike 16 miles and then finish with a 5K run. We did two of these in 2006. The second of these about did me in! I kept arguing with the lady counting my swimming laps that she must have missed a couple. I about DIED halfway through my swim--remember that this is the first of the three events!! Twelve of us started our swimming heat. One of us was left alone in the pool for the last 100 yards--guess who!! I would have been embarrassed if I had been thinking straight--all the oxygen had left my body around the 250 yard mark and my brain had shut down around 300 yards. I now know why they have those big hook things on the side of the pool--I really, really wished someone had used on on me, but noooo... I drug myself out of the pool after swimming what seemed like a 16 mile swim to meet my wife wondering if she needed to dial 911!! I never really recovered until hours after the run.

Last night Lyn and I went to our local outdoor pool. The first time I had swum since that dreadful September 2006 day. Memories of the absolute dead body returned. Memories that made me doubt my sanity of getting back in the pool. Memories of being at the end of myself.

I relate all of this as I read J.I. Packer's book, "Knowing God." Packer writes the purpose of God's grace working in our lives is "to restore our relationship with God." Now what in the world does this have to do with my triathalon experience??? Grace is God drawing us sinners closer and closer to Himself. Packer tells us that God does this not by shielding us from assault by the world or flesh or Satan. Not by protecting us from burdensome and frustrating circumstances. Not by shielding us from our own flaws in character and temperment. God works his grace in our lives by exposing us to all of these things so that we are overwhelmed with a sense of our own inadequacy and "to drive us to cling to him more closeley." There are times in my life when I feel like I did in that pool. I think, " I am not going to make it." I cry out, "someone grab me with that hooky thing on the wall and get me out of here!"

Packer concludes that God's desire to drive us to cling more closely to Him "is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another; it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold him fast." I need to remember that I am weak, both morally and mentally and cannot trust myself to find the right path and the right road--I must cling more closely to the Rock, for God is a firm refuge and help for the weak. GRACE!!! God is not only my Redeemer, he is my Restorer when I remember His grace. I remember His grace most often when I find myself at the end of myself. Cling to the Rock this day.

Blessings and joy,

Rob

Identity crisis

More on the Black Cat!

It is interesting how the more I drive around town on the Black Cat scooter, the more conflicted I seem to get on my identity. When I'm riding the scooter (technically a "motorized bicycle") I don't fit the true bicycle identity (I'm not pedaling or sweating) and I sure don't fit the motorcycle identity (the real motorcycle riders seem to disdain scooter riders.) Scooter riders aren't sure if we are to ride on the road or on the bike paths. Because the traffic lights don't "see" us, we often have to go press the pedestrian crossing button when other cars aren't on the street. A bicycle can ride through a city park on the walking/bike paths; a motorcycle cannot; what about a scooter? Lyn asked a police officer this question and he replied, "well, I wouldn't stop you"--great confidence.

This week we studied Galatians 3:26-4:7. Paul writes to these churches in verse 26, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." No identity crisis here for Paul. Paul is writing to a church who have forgotten who they are in Christ. Paul tells them very simply that they are ALL sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes I forget who I am as a Christ-follower. I forget that God loves me because of Jesus Christ--not because of anything I have done. I forget that Jesus is not ashamed to call me brother. My identity in God's eyes is set--no crisis here. Paul goes on to say that because I am His son, I can call out "Abba, Father." This is a confirmation of my identity--I, as a child, can cry out the intimate name for God--Abba, Father and be assured that He is listening.

Cry out.

Rob

The Black Cat

Greetings,

Lyn and I bought a scooter--a Black Cat scooter. We love this thing because it gets 90 mpg.... I loved this thing until we got a flat tire last week--a nail! Like most of my projects, I told Lyn I'd be about 15 minutes getting the tire off and to the shop to fix the flat. Like most of my projects, two hours and a lot of "mumbling" later, I had the tire off this stupid possessed scooter. I found out I had to take off the whole fender and exhaust system to access the back tire. I wonder if the engineers who design these things ever ride them, let alone need to fix a flat tire. Somthing simple was grossly complicated.

I reflected on my frustration of tackling something that should have been so simple and finding out it was so complicated. As I study the book of Galatians, I find Paul bringing the church back to the purity and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not complicated. But like the Black Cat designers, we often take something so simple--the gift of salvation, and make it very difficult. We add some sort of human achievement to the mix and there is a mess. Paul preaches Christ crucified--nothing more and nothing less. Our saving faith is based on Christ crucified--nothing more and nothing less.

The gospel is simple. The gospel is God's gift to men and women and children. Let's not complicate it by trying to add human achievement. God sees us as his sons and daughters through the blood of Jesus Christ--nothing more and nothing less.

Our response? Thankfulness and joy and service to the King. Serve Him this day.

Blessings and joy,

Rob

I want to be like Paul

I've been studying the book of Galatians lately. I am amazed at the Apostle Paul's uncompromising stand on the simplicity and purity of the gospel message. He confronts Peter--the Rock--and points out the hypocrisy that has afflicted Peter's view of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Can I, like Paul, take a stand for the saving grace of God over and above trying to impress man with my human achievements? Can I, like Paul, grow in my dependence on the truth of the gospel over and above my dependence on the approval of man?

In Galatians 2:20, Paul concludes his confrontation with Peter with the following statement:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul states this truth while standing in front of Peter and those who would add human achievment to the saving grace of God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

God challenges me with the question: what do I add to God's grace that I think makes me more acceptable to God?