"Turn on the Light"

“Turn on the Light”

I concluded the previous article (“Don’t Skip Church”) with an appeal to God’s people to encourage one another by joining for worship and fellowship to face the challenges of the days in which we’re living. But Paul beat me to the punch by some 2000 years when he wrote to the Christians in Rome, “…Do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently…(and) clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ….” (Romans 13:11-14, emphasis added). In Be Right Warren Wiersbe summarizes the Apostle’s counsel by saying we’re to wake up, clean up, dress up and grow up. To this I’d add “man up” in view of the conditions around us.

Jesus commands us to “…let your light shine before (all)….” (Matthew 5:16). In Ephesians 5:8 our Lord’s servant states the same truth in this way: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light….” (emphasis added). By His presence in us Jesus has given us the wherewithal to bring Him, “…the light of the world….” (John 8:12), to the world into which He came “…to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10). Friends, we must turn on the lights of our lives in a culture in which “…(people love) darkness instead of light because their deeds (are) evil.” (John 3:19).

When we were in Hawaii in 1994 we visited a facility in which coral jewelry was made. Predictably the only exit at the tour’s end was through the gift shop. Karen noted that the sales people were “dressed to the nines” (an English idiom meaning ‘to the highest degree”) to make the products look good. (It worked—she bought a coral ring.) As God’s people you and I must be “dressed to the nines” by taking the nine “put offs/put ons” seriously to make Jesus look good and lifting Him up in a world desperately needing the hope He brings.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Don't Skip Church"

“Don’t Skip Church”

According to a 2017 Gallup survey, about 38% of American adults attend religious services “almost every week” and the percentage is declining by about .5% annually. We can be somewhat encouraged by the poll’s finding that evangelicals’ frequency is around 58% but it also means that 42% of us, or more than two out of five, seldom or never gather with other believers for worship and fellowship. It appears this trend isn’t new because the writer of Hebrews addressed it in the late ‘60’s of the first century, probably shortly before Jerusalem was razed by the Romans, in this way: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25). The relevance of this statement to our present day is astounding but we shouldn’t be surprised as “…there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

The author urges his readers to stop skipping church and encourage their brothers and sisters by assembling for mutual benefit. This seems pretty straightforward but in case they didn’t get it he goes on to give a reason: the Day was approaching. To what is God’s messenger referring? It could be the Roman threat but (more likely) the early church’s belief that Christ would return during their lifetime, judge His enemies and establish an earthly kingdom. This had led some believers to sit back and wait for His appearing, an error which Paul had dealt with strongly about 15 years previously (see 2 Thessalonians 3).

In the challenging days in which we’re living this word of admonition couldn’t be more timely. Many Christians are being persecuted and even martyred for their faith around the world and we often complain that our “rights” are being curtailed in our own nation. So we need one another more than ever but a significant number of us choose to skip associating regularly with God’s people. Please understand I’m not judging anyone—there’s only one Judge and I’m certainly not Him—but asking that we (myself included) “Give careful thought to (our) ways.” (Haggai 1:5,7) and where changes are needed be willing to make them so we might “carry on God’s business until Jesus returns.” (Luke 19:13, my paraphrase) and “…be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28). When this happens would there be a better place to be found than with His people?

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Moving to the Next Level"

“Moving to the Next Level”

We’re living in a world filled with hatred of those who differ from one another politically, racially, religiously and even in sports rivalries. Rather than seeking to disagree agreeably many resort to misrepresentations, name-calling and violence. News accounts are filled with the outcomes (sometimes tragic) of this lack of civility and respect for differences.

The Apostle Peter lived and ministered in the mid first century, a period of increasing hostility and persecution of Jesus’ followers during Nero’s reign. He wrote his first letter to encourage the early church during these challenging times. In so doing he tells his friends (and us today), “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9). Here we find another “put off/put on” along with the result of our act of obedience.

Our Lord’s friend counsels his readers to avoid pay backs. This is often the human reaction when we’re wronged in some way (or think we’ve been). Paul had written a few years previously, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” (Romans 12:17). Instead, we’re to replace a desire for revenge with blessing. This may be the last thing we want to do when we’re misunderstood and/or mistreated, but again Peter and Paul are in agreement (“Bless those who persecute you {who are cruel in their attitude toward you}; bless and do not curse them.”—Romans 12:14, Amplified Bible). Hard to do? Yes—but remember Paul’s words: “…I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” (Philippians 4:13, NLT, emphasis added). (As I wrote the above I had to pause and ask God’s forgiveness for not practicing this in a situation I’m currently dealing with.) The outcome of our obedience in this (and every other) area of my life is God’s blessing (“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”—John 13:17, emphasis added).

In his helpful analysis of 1 Peter, Be Hopeful, Warren Wiersbe observes, “As Christians, we can live on one of three levels. We can return evil for good, which is the satanic level. We can return good for good and evil for evil, which is the human level. Or we can return good for evil, which is the divine level.” Jesus has set the example (“When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate….”—1 Peter 2:23). So I must choose to live on His or a lower level. May I make the right choice!

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Making God Look Good"

“Making God Look Good”

Years ago a speaker at a political gathering commented that his counterpart in the opposing party had an almost impossible task: making its incumbent candidate look good. Over the four decades since I first heard this I’ve asked myself how much trouble those who know me have had making me look good. But it’s not about me—the real question is what they’d say about how I’ve made God look, which is one of the reasons He’s put me on earth (“Let your light so shine before {people}, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:16, NKJV, emphasis added).

As he walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry Peter had his ups and downs—think of his great confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) and his denying that he knew Him three times the night before His crucifixion. But he was changed through the Holy Spirit’s power and became a key leader in the early church. As he neared the end of his life he counseled his readers (us included) in this way: “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12, emphasis added). The highlighted statements tell us to get rid of ungodly attitudes and actions and adopt a lifestyle which puts God’s ways into practice in our lives before those who may be evaluating Jesus by watching us. D.L. Moody once said, “The Christian’s life is the world’s Bible.” How am I being read? (See my earlier thoughts on this topic in “Living Letters”.)

The reason the Apostle gives for this “put off/put on” is that those we rub shoulders with might see God in us by our integrity borne out through acts of kindness and sacrifice. But the only reason for us to look good before the world is to point others to God. Paul put it like this: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ….” (Galatians 6:14). The final phrase of a great old hymn says, “My glory all the cross”. As we take this purpose seriously the glory won’t stop with us but reflect who God is and glorify Him. So I need to ask with the late New York City Mayor Ed Koch, “How’m I doin’?” in making God look good.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"How to Get a Good Night's Sleep"

“How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep”

When I work a day shift at the hospital I first get a referral list of patients for whom a chaplain visit might be helpful. This has the location, diagnosis, faith tradition and a reason the contact was ordered, the most common one being anxiety. This is understandable because a hospital stay usually means there’s an issue to be addressed and many unknown factors can be involved. My role in such situations is to try to bring comfort and assurance through listening, showing empathy and (in the majority of cases) praying for the patient, family and care team.

As humans we’re prone to worry about out-of-the-ordinary circumstances (and maybe when there’s nothing unusual but we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop). Paul understood this tendency so he dealt with it in his letter to his friends at Philippi: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7). Using the “put off/put on/why” approach, we’re told to stop being anxious. But the Apostle knew this was easier said than done so his counsel is to replace it with prayer. An old youth chorus asks, “Why worry when you can pray?”—but how should we do so?  The great missionary answers this with three different words. The first is prayer, suggesting worship and adoration of God. Based on who He is the next is petition, sharing our needs and problems with heartfelt sincerity and realization that “…all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27). This is to be done with thankfulness that He hears and will respond in His time and in keeping with His purposes. The outcome is that God’s peace will overwhelm us and keep us safe in His care in ways far beyond our comprehension (“…{He} is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine….”—Ephesians 3:20). (To help further Paul gives us a “think list” in Verse 8.)

When does anxiety hit hardest? At night when all’s quiet and we have little to keep our minds from wandering into unhealthy territory. Here’s where the “think list” of Verse 8 can be part of our praying. Then we can say with David, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8).

So let the snoring begin!

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan