Dark Night at the Dark Knight

The flag stood half-mast at our church this morning. I wondered if it was that way since the Colorado Springs fires, or if it was hung this weekend out of sorrow for the theater victims.  My heart sank when I learned of the shootings in Aurora, CO Friday morning.  12 dead, including a six-year-old girl, and 58 injured.  My tears flowed from a heart weary of ruin.  Just four weeks ago, hundreds in our community lost their homes from a wildfire.  The gorgeous mountainside is now a blackened reminder of the victimization of God’s creation and people’s homes.

Perhaps my reaction to Friday’s shooting spree during the Dark Knight premiere was a result of the accumulation of sorrow upon sorrow that so many Coloradans are feeling now.  When does it end for our state? I wondered.  What do you have for Colorado, Lord? We had at least nine wildfires this summer, and now this?

As I was getting ready for work the morning of the massacre, while watching the news reports, I began to pray for the victims. I was surprised to find myself also praying for the killer. What would make a young man (whom I later learned was until recently a doctoral student) put on a gas mask, arm himself to the hilt, and open fire on innocent people?  People he didn’t know.  Children!  I was reminded that God’s love for that young man is as pure as His love for an honorable man or woman, because His love for us is not based on our behavior.  His pleasure or displeasure is, but not His love. I prayed James Holmes would find his hope in Jesus.  For only a man without hope could do what he did that dark night!

Senseless tragedies like this violent act often bring crises of faith.  People wonder: Where was God? Why didn’t He stop it? Doesn’t He care? Is He powerless?  A friend suggested that Randy Alcorn’s book, “God is Good,” might shed light on God’s purposes in the midst of the unthinkable; so I downloaded the book to my Kindle. This quote from page 34 seems appropriate for those seeking answers to those questions:

“Joni Eareckson Tada (a quadriplegic and follower of Jesus) writes, ‘God permits what he hates to accomplish that which he loves.’ Evil is never good, yet God can use any evil to accomplish good and sovereign purposes. Through the redemptive suffering of Christ – in which he took all human evils on himself (on the cross) – and through his triumph over evil and death, God has done everything necessary to defeat evil. One day he will carry out his final redemptive work: ‘He will swallow up death forever. The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.’" Isaiah 25:8. (parentheses are mine)

I have been praying for revival since the fires began­–revival in our city, state, and nation.  So many seem to have forgotten God; or worse, deny His existence, love, and power.  Often tragedies are the catalyst God uses to turn our thoughts toward Him and bring personal and corporate revival.  I, for one, am seeking a closer relationship with Him as a result of the devastations of the past month.  As I pray for revival, I ask God to begin with my own heart, as expressed in Isaiah 57:15:

“For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

What is your response to His Word?  Will you let this dark night at Dark Knight bring doubt about the goodness of God, or will you turn to the One who can bring revival to your own heart?

END

What's That Smell?

Have you noticed how bold people are getting in their unabashed criticism and disdain for Christians in our nation? There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is that our leaders, courts, and judges have not defended what our Founding Fathers had intended when establishing a Christian nation.  Yet, there are other reasons for this judgment.  Reasons that we have disastrously brought on ourselves. 

I have been meditating on this passage from which the Apostle Paul gives interesting metaphors for how some view Christ-followers:

2 Corinthians 2:14-16: “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task?”

Here are two extreme examples of those who either exude the smell of death or the fragrance of life: the first is the congregation of Westboro Baptist Church (consisting mainly of members of one family) which travels the country carrying hate signs and picketing military funerals. Some signs proclaim, “God Hates Fags,” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.” These hatemongers who claim to be Christians emanate the smell of death mentioned in the above scripture and actually openly believe that by hating, they are fulfilling God’s plan.   

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The second example is Mother Teresa, whose entire life was spent loving and helping the poor on the streets of India in the name of Jesus. She exemplified the fragrance of Christ to those who were being saved and to those who were perishing.   

Those who claim to be believers, yet promote hate in the name of God are enemies of the cross of Christ. They lack grace, and invoke the stench of death on the Church. The world often looks at these radicals and lumps all Christians into the same category—“religious bigots.” As I pondered this dilemma, I went back and read Jesus’ words to His followers in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  

Likewise, in John 15:16 Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit … This is my command: Love each other.”

The mark of a follower of Christ is that we love others.  Jesus prayed to His Father (John 15) to give us the same love shared among the Trinity.  The same love. How powerful is that? We could change the whole world if we truly loved everyone that way. I, for one, fail miserably in that arena. Love for the unlovely produces a fragrance that is pleasing and desirable to skeptics because it is the “fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”

“To the one, we are the smell of death.” Like rotten fish or rancid meat, we can stink to unbelievers. If we are loving, then what they are smelling is their end … death for their unbelief. The smell of death frightens “those who are perishing” because, if what we believe about Jesus is true, they are in deep trouble. This results in radical reactions of fear, antagonism, and disdain for our confident faith. Thousands of followers of Jesus Christ in other countries have been tortured and killed for simply owning a Bible.  

In John 5:18, Jesus said to His followers, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you … If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. They will treat you this way because of my name … He who hates me hates my Father as well.”  

“…to the other, the fragrance of life” - Those who are open to truth and to admitting their need for God, can smell the fragrance of life, which is the fragrance of Christ. Seekers are attracted to the love we express because Jesus loves them through us. That gives them hope. Caring about them and their needs promotes a desire in them to have what we have, not the rhetoric of lies by radical fringe churchgoers, but instead the giving of grace. We give grace because we understand we are all sinners. Everyone is broken. All are in need of a Savior.  Loving others because we love Jesus emits the fragrance of Christ to the person who would be saved.

Finally, at the end of that passage is the question:  “And who is equal to such a task?”  It’s difficult to love those who hate and misunderstand us; however, it is not impossible. Remember what Peter said, in 1 Peter 4:14, “If  you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” This is not saying we are blessed if we are insulted for being unloving, arrogant or judgmental. But we are blessed if we are allowing Jesus to reign in our hearts; if the “Spirit of glory and of God rests” on us, which will enable us to bring the lost into the beautiful garden of the fragrance of Christ.

“What’s that smell?” they ask. I would hope and pray the response would be, “Why, that’s the fragrance of the Lord Jesus in His followers!”

Read

Re-read the above passages. Do a word search at biblegateway.com or a Bible dictionary of the words aroma, fragrance, love others, light and salt.

Reflect

·         Ask God to show you ways in which you have not been the fragrance of life to others.

·         Memorize a verse that will help you focus on spiritually smelling better.

·         What act of kindness in the name of Jesus can you do for an unbelieving neighbor or friend?

·         Grow or buy roses. Display one every day this week as a reminder to remain fragrant for Christ.

Respond

Father God, I want to love others no matter how wrong I think they are. Forgive me for the times I’ve been the smell of death through my arrogance and judgmental attitude about others.  Draw me so near to yourself that I can only express a pleasing fragrance to everyone I come in contact with. May they sense my love for them and want to know my Savior.  Amen.

© Copyright 2012. Sandra Dowling Housley. All rights reserved.

Ordinary Gold

I was early for church, so I sat at an empty table in the atrium with a cup of coffee. A young father, whom I’d never met, sat down next to me, along with his son who was enjoying a donut. After just a few minutes of conversation, I learned that this godly man was hurting. His wife was rejecting him and his faith. She was planning to leave him and take a job in China. He told me that he is praying and trusting in the Lord. He knows that no matter what happens in his marriage, he will rely on his God to get him through. His goal is to bring glory to God through this trial. As tears filled his eyes, my heart broke for him. I remembered well the heartache of being married to an unbeliever who didn’t want to be with me anymore, and my desperate need for God to carry me.

I gave David my business card and told him that if his wife ever wanted to talk to someone, I’d be happy to meet with her. That day I began praying for his spiritual strength, marriage and family. A few weeks went by without receiving a phone call, so I assumed the business card ended up in the trash. Until last week, when I received a call from his mother-in-law, Liz, who lives with them. (David later told me he had given her the card and said to her, “This is gold! If you don’t call her, give the card back to me.”) Gold! Wow, no pressure!

Liz asked to meet with me. I reserved one of our conference rooms at the office where we met and talked for about an hour. After pouring out her heart, I just kept thinking that she needed the peace only Jesus can give. She was distraught because her daughter was treating her with contempt; she needed a better job and a place to live; and was single and lonely. Liz admitted she had no control of her life, and was at the end of her rope. As we prayed together, she put her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord. I was happy to see her at church on Easter ­– she was beaming. Though her problems have not been resolved, she said she is happy and at peace. “I just needed to let go,” she remarked.

Just before that Easter service started, David arrived. He looked happy, and shared with me that something amazing was taking place in his wife’s heart. “Something I never thought possible,’ he said. ‘She is changing. She decided not to leave me! We even had a date last night.” She told him there is hope for their marriage. We wept for joy together as we acknowledged that the Holy Spirit is working in his family. Although his wife has not submitted to Jesus yet, we are confident that God will finish the work he has begun in her heart.

What excites me about this story is how our glorious Father is in the details. For instance, I rarely sit and initiate conversations with strangers at church. God sat me down at that particular table. God placed David there too. In that casual meeting, David, a 6’2”, fit, handsome man, allowed himself to be transparent with me, a stranger. The result was that he felt our encounter was “gold.” Then Liz called me, not knowing what she wanted, just that she was frustrated with her life. This resulted in her giving her heart and life to Jesus. David’s wife, who told him that she just wants to “be happy,” relented without an awareness that she was responding to the prompting of God. Now she has taken a first unselfish step toward fulfilling her marriage vows and, hopefully, will come to Christ, too.

Why are we so surprised when we see God working in answer to our prayers? I don’t know anything more exciting than a life changed because someone prayed।


In this holy season, be encouraged to never give up praying for those you love who are living outside the will of God. Our Lord orchestrates his plan in such unexpected ways sometimes! Our part is to watch where he is working and respond to his Spirit. Nothing is too hard for him. He is able to do abundantly above all we ask or imagine. And he uses ordinary people like you and me because to him, we are all “gold.”

Read
Psalm 51:17
Psalm 73:26
Matthew 21:22
John 14:13-14
James 5:13-17

Reflect
· In what ways has God answered your prayers? Make a list.
· Has your prayer time been mostly desperate requests, or have you acknowledged God’s blessings with praise?
· Does your faith feel weak? What must you do to strengthen your faith?
· Have you given up praying for someone?
· Make a list of scripture passages that have meant something to you in the past. Remember what God was telling you through those words.
· Begin afresh with God in your prayer times by acknowledging his sovereignty and your belief in his power

Respond
Holy and righteous Father, at times I think it’s all up to me to change people, when in truth, it’s all up to you. I love how you move in our lives and families in response to our prayers. You are faithful. You are holy. You are Lord. You love us all so deeply, and want a relationship with us. Won’t you put me in the right place at the right time to do your will? Make me sensitive to your Spirit so that I can respond in ways that will please you. Show me how you are working so that I can join you in it and experience the joy of lives changed, even mine!

Becoming Irrelevant?

I joined my first biblically based church at age 30. By then I had been a follower of Jesus for four years and was the mother of two. In my 15 years there, the pastor would occasionally emphasize that no matter one’s age, retirement from serving God was not an option. He would encourage the 50+ crowd to mentor younger believers, get involved in leadership, and share the experiences and wisdom of their age.

I enjoyed those messages because, first all, I felt we younger ones needed more “white-hairs” involved in sharing the load with us. I also appreciated his message because I planned to become one of those older people who stayed involved in ministry my entire life.

As the years passed, and the challenges of life intensified, I have cherished the many opportunities to serve Jesus while growing in my relationship with him through His Word, and especially by the encouragement of mentors and teachers. Through His grace, my heart for evangelism, discipleship, and teaching has not diminished with the passage of time. I still want to be effective for the Kingdom, even as a “white-hair” (under all the hair dye).

So, what’s my point?

Recently, I read a comment from a 20-something girl who wrote that she wished her Bible study leaders were not all “old ladies.” Ouch!! To her, anyone over 40 is old, I get that. Still, her comment gave me pause.

Am I irrelevant in today’s Church?

Has our culture’s focus on youth, beauty and notoriety made me exiguous? Has my age, not-so-hip viewpoints, and dogged emphasis on the value of prayer and Bible study causing others to dismiss what I may have to offer?

I can remember when President Kennedy was assassinated. I suppose that puts me out of touch with those who were in elementary school during 911.

I can Twitter, Facebook and text with the best of them; I have created websites and use a Mac -- does that give me relevancy? Probably Not.

But this I know. No matter how ancient I become ...
… I will continue to share with anyone who will listen, the joy of knowing Jesus my Lord.

… I will purpose to be open to God’s Spirit to help someone see their value, potential, and relevancy in a world that mocks our Savior ... and us ... because of Him.

… I will endeavor to give glory to my Savior for all He has done for me.

… I will not, as long as God wills, allow others who think I’m irrelevant, to put duct tape over my mouth or dry up my pen to keep me from expressing what I believe God has called me to do; that is, to exhort by the Word of God, encourage with grace and compassion, and teach truth to anyone who is willing to listen.

Remember these folks?

• Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was chosen by God at age 90 to give birth to Isaac, who would become the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. She was relevant to the lineage of Christ.
• Moses was hand picked by God to free his people from slavery at age 80. His relevancy was in his obedience.
• Joshua was 60 and Caleb 80 when they led God’s people into the promised land. They were relevant in establishing a homeland into which our Savior would be born.

Relevancy has no age limit.

I heard somewhere: “As long as you have breath you have purpose.” I like that. It has encouraged me to focus more on Christ in me, than on the flesh that covers my bones.

Psalm 92:14-15 reads, The righteous will … flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’

The righteous (those who are followers of God) can count on being like a fresh, young green plant in old age, still being fruitful for the kingdom; still proclaiming the praises of their Lord in His Church. I’m so grateful that God doesn’t pull up our roots and toss us out after age 50.

If your wrinkles are showing and you’re feeling useless, ask God to give you a plan to share the wisdom you’ve gained from your life with younger folks. Most of them long for someone who would encourage them on the rough road of life in pursuit of their own relevance.