Category: love

Believe it or not, a person can be very close to the Cross and miss out on everything. “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’”

In the first part of his letter to the Romans, Paul gives the sobering truth about the condition of man. He quoted part of this passage from Psalm 36. “An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.”

“I will put the fear of me in their hearts so they will not turn away from me.” Another translation of this verse from Jeremiah reads: “I will inspire them to fear me, so they will never turn away from me.” How does God do this? In the early days of the Church a husband and wife dropped dead after lying about their degree of generosity. Here was the predictable result: “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” While God may not strike down the dishonest of a congregation today, he still pierces hearts.

I was in Mexico once and went into a little Catholic church to pray, but I’m afraid I did more judging than praying. Since God not only hears our prayers, but reads our hearts, he knew my need. That night, while reading the first few chapters of Romans, his sword cut deep: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on the truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?”

We can learn much from the thief on the cross who was humble and honest. “I know I’m guilty. I deserve any punishment I receive. But, Lord, will you have mercy on me? Will you remember me when you enter your kingdom?” The suffering Savior’s answer reveals the great desire of God. “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” As the brazen criminal taunted Jesus, he was only moments away from the fear of the Lord. At death, every atheist, pagan, and unbeliever instantly fears God. “‘As surely as I live’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’” But God longs for something else; his desire is fellowship.

Read I John this week. The apostle proclaims Jesus so there can be fellowship… with God and with one another. Walk in the light. Walk in truth. Walk in love. Walk in joy. “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” And Jesus walked in fellowship with his Father. Another section of Psalm 36 declares his praise:

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.” Psalm 36:5-10

A small group of Jewish rabbis reading the Scripture we call the New Testament came to the conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah the prophets of old had predicted would come. Studying the teachings of the Rabbi from Nazareth through scholarly Jewish eyes, they noticed truths that sometimes may escape us. For example, the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price were given interpretations quite different from what we usually consider. These rabbis explained it something like this: “God has called His people, Israel, His treasure. ‘For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.’ (Psalm 135:4) Also, a pearl does not hold the value to the traditional Jew that it holds for the Gentile. The pearl comes from a creature Moses declared unclean in the Old Testament. (Leviticus 11:9-12) So this is what Jesus meant in these parables: Jehovah God saw a treasure so valuable that He gave what was most precious to Him to purchase His chosen people, Israel. And God saw another treasure, not highly valued by many Jews, so lovely that He gave up everything He had to possess it. The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price speak of God’s incredible love for Jews and Gentiles. He loved us all so much He gave His only Son to purchase souls of enormous value.”

Paul often prayed that believers would know God better. He reasoned that if a person could know how wide and deep and high and long His love, he would be changed. Does a King really love me so much that He gave His own life to purchase my pardon? Paul believed that if anyone grasped this reality he would be truly converted from selfish pursuits to a life of offering self as a living sacrifice to the One who deserves all glory.

Our usual interpretations of the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl of great price become valid as we see Jesus as He really is. He really is the King. He really is a Mighty Warrior. He really is Master and Teacher. He really is the Savior who gave Himself for me. And He calls me friend. He tells me that He chose me long before I chose Him. Why would I ever pursue anything less valuable than Christ when He is the Treasure above all else? I should be willing to give up everything for this One.

A young lady from India shared with our seniors this week about her conversion from a traditional Muslim background to Christianity. Her talk was no lecture about world religions. She shared about the Savior who spoke to her heart when she was in the tenth grade, saying, “Put your faith in Me.” Though it was several years later that she said ‘yes,’ she knew that Jesus had revealed Himself to her as the true Christ. Though she could be killed in her village today for leaving the religion of her family, she longs to worship and follow her Savior wherever He leads. “If someone offered me millions of dollars in exchange for my Lord, I would refuse. I will never give up what is most precious to me.”

In the days of Paul, if someone said, “I have become a Christian. I have turned from my sin and put my faith in Christ, but I’m not sure I would call Jesus my most valued Treasure,” the apostle might have answered: “I’m going to pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened. I’m going to pray that you see what you’ve been given. I’m going to pray the deceit of this world’s mixed up values are exposed so you can see Jesus clearly. I’m going to pray that you’ll understand why I’ve given up everything to follow my Lord and that we will all experience His full joy.”

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:17-19

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Mathew 13:44-45

I’m usually not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I sure am aware of needs for change. Changes brought about by my will-power are usually short-lived, but changes brought about by God’s grace are a different matter. Being his servant, I want to ask God to help me see differently and think differently. I am not the President of the United States or the Governor of my state. I am not a congressman or a senator. If I were such a leader in society, it would be my job to propose solutions to difficult social and global dilemmas. Holding no such office, my job is to pray for those who do. I can ask our Heavenly Father to give wisdom and strength to leaders and I can pray God’s will be done. I desire the “mind of Christ,” but as I listen to political observers, global experts, and talk show hosts, my mind gets clouded. Some of these voices claim to be Christian; all voices claim to be right; but I know there is only one voice that really matters… and his Kingdom is not of this world. Jesus turns everything upside down, but I want to follow him. I want to think like him. I want to love like him.

Here’s an example: When I see a person of Hispanic descent, I don’t want my thinking to shift to the huge immigration debate going on in our country. If I hear on my radio that an illegal alien committed a crime in my county, I don’t want encroaching judgment to poison the way I look at the person driving the car next to me. I can pray that government leaders make wise and fair decisions, but I want to see each human being from Jesus’ viewpoint: “I gave my life so that person could be forgiven and know my Father and live with me in Heaven forever and ever.” Now many people will say, “But what about…?” I know there are a million questions that can be asked, but I only want to deal with one: How does God see that person? Are there not two broad answers? He either recognizes one of his children, a member of his blood-bought family… or He sees a lost soul. A child of God is my brother or sister. A lost soul needs to meet Jesus. Should this simple thinking be troubling?

Here’s another example: Harm and Dagmar Tees, good friends and long-time missionaries in Jerusalem, reach out mainly to Arabs in the region. Harm, a native of Holland, is the general secretary of the United Christian Council in Israel. Recently this coalition of Christian groups celebrated fifty years of existence in Israel. A friend of Harm’s, also a native of Holland, came to speak at their gathering. Some of you have read GOD’S SMUGGLER, the story of Brother Andrew, a bold believer who has smuggled Bibles into the most dangerous places in the world. When Brother Andrew spoke to this council in Jerusalem, he gave a challenge that reflects the heart of God. At seventy-eight years of age, this radical disciple is now sharing the gospel with fundamentalist Muslims. By God’s design, Brother Andrew was recently invited to speak in a huge Islamic school in a Muslim country. Predictably, he used this platform to preach the gospel. After his message, a Muslim leader came to him and asked if he could hold the book from which he spoke – the Bible. Brother Andrew was invited to return and when he did many Bibles were given to the Islamic students. As Harm shared this message, a quote struck me: “Brother Andrew said it was not the fundamentalists’ fault that they had never seen a Bible or heard the gospel. He challenged us to reach out as well.”

As I write this, I see my need for repentance. My thoughts about Sunnis and Shiites are not God’s thoughts. My compassion is shallow. When an elderly Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of Voice of the Martyrs who was tortured for Christ and imprisoned fourteen years in Communist Romania, was asked what Christians should do about the growing problem of religious fanatics persecuting the church, he gave a profound answer (gained by walking a lifetime with Jesus): “Love them.” My love is weak. I don’t want to conform to the thinking of this world; I want to be transformed. “Lord, renew my mind.”

“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

One of the joys of our trip to visit Taylor was meeting some of the friends he has made over the past three months. One of the greatest blessings of a child of God is fellowship in the Body of Christ. From the end of September to the week before Christmas in Kona, two hundred fifty people prepared to go into all the world to share Christ through word and deed. Brothers and sisters from Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and South Korea are now Taylor’s dear friends. Living and working together can be a challenge for members of the same community, but when people come together from different states and different nations new struggles emerge. If we resist our natural tendencies to judge and criticize we’ll find God can bring unity. A couple of days ago in Cambodia, Taylor was very sick from food poisoning. I’ll spare the details he shared in an e-mail, but our son credits a teenager from New Zealand with helping him through a difficult time. When he first met Andy in September, Taylor thought he was the strangest kid. Now they are great friends.

Besides missionaries, Taylor also met many who lived on the big island of Hawaii. In the evenings he often walked half a mile to the sand volleyball court to play with the locals. He found some outstanding beach volleyball players and several of them became good friends. During our visit, it seemed everywhere we went someone would yell out Taylor’s name or come over to shake hands. Several had him into their homes and demonstrated great hospitality. Most of these guys are not Christians and some even shared that they often witnessed people claiming to be Christians who lived no differently than they did. I told Taylor he couldn’t control the example others had been, but such comments prove that people do watch the lives of those who claim to follow Jesus. Perhaps the way we live speaks much louder than the things we say.

This year I just want to be like Jesus. He lived without pretense. He treated people with kindness. He told the truth with the right motives. And He taught us how to live. I think Rich Mullins lived a lot like Jesus. He died in a car wreck a few years ago at the young age of forty-one, but his songs still encourage thousands today. Here’s the chorus to “Brother’s Keeper”: “I will be my brother’s keeper… not the one who judges him. I won’t despise him for his weakness… I won’t regard him for his strength. I won’t take away his freedom… I will help him learn to stand. I will be my brother’s keeper.”

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2

In Mark 9 there is a story about a father who brought his son to be healed. He ended up in the middle of a huge argument because the disciples could not drive out the evil spirit that tormented the boy. Jesus came and put things in order, but I have been thinking about this father. I am sure he did not want to be the center of controversy. Who wants everyone arguing because your case is so difficult? I also doubt he wanted his lack of faith announced to all those present. When he pled with Jesus, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us,” Jesus said, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” In his weakness, the father immediately exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Exposed, humbled, embarrassed… why would a father put himself in such a vulnerable spot? He did it for his son. He wanted his child whole and free. A good father loves his child so much he will risk everything on his behalf.

At this time of the year, we celebrate the ultimate example of a Father’s love. The longing of the Father was to bring His children to Him… whole and free. No matter what any critic would think; no matter how painful it would be; no matter how great the sacrifice; God sent Jesus for us. The Father risked everything on our behalf. The most familiar verse in the Bible brings true joy to all who believe. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Lord willing, we’re going to visit Taylor in Hawaii over the holidays. We had enough Delta SkyMiles for three tickets and Susan found a good price on a flight that left Tuesday. She arrived safely and is as happy as a mother can be. Taylor leaves for Cambodia on the 23rd, so we hope to spend a few days with him before he departs. (As you can tell, we’ve not been dreaming of a white Christmas 🙂 )

Regarding my health, this chemo makes my blood counts crash and I’ve not been able to finish the last two rounds. Every time my counts go low, I seem to pick up some type of cold or infection. I’ve learned this is pretty much par for the course, so I just try to get through it. We are to arrive home the day after Christmas and I’ll start another round. The great news is that my protein count is dropping. The nurse called yesterday to report that just a trace of protein was detected in the last blood sample taken. This is an answer to many prayers and we thank you for interceding on our behalf. Most of all, we give thanks to the Father who loves us so. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!” Romans 11:36

Merry Christmas! (and aloha… 🙂 )