Exercised?

Boaz: “Remain this night…” “Lie down until morning.” (Ruth 3:13)
Naomi: ‘Then she said, “Wait, my daughter” (Ruth 3:18)

Oh my dear. How could Ruth possibly wait any longer? It had already been almost two whole months since she met this amazing fellow, Boaz. They had been in close proximity as Ruth gleaned in Boaz’ fields. He extended mercy, kindness and grace to her- letting her glean, even though she was a foreigner; letting her sit with the reapers in the shelter; offering her, from his own hand, roasted grain; she recognized that he had taken notice of her; he was a kinsman-redeemer: a close relative who was to take care of those in the extended family who were in need.

Now, he tells her to wait; exercise self-control. And then Naomi tells her to do the same. What is it about self control: mitigating our appetites and desires, waiting a little longer to make a good decision, undergirding our impulses with a conviction of sustained prayer before God? Why does this trouble us so? Bottom line- we want what we want and will do pretty much anything to get it. As a Christian, there are so many times when I want God to act on my behalf, in the way I would like and do it NOW. Self-control flies out the window when we are selfish, anxious, and afraid- pretty terrible list, but I’ve know all three; even all three in the same moment.

Very recently, I was anxious about my Mom’s ability to handle social interactions and I realized that I was afraid to look foolish. We went to a New Year’s Day Levee. I could sense that some people were thinking she shouldn’t be there; that somehow she is of less value because she is 92 years old and living with dementia. And I saw that I was embarrassed because she didn’t always know how to interact with people. She looked to me for guidance with a sweet, unsophisticated joy, and I realized how selfish I was, looking at me me, me; rather than embracing this precious time with her.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your kindness to me in taking me past these unrelenting thoughts and controlling my heart so that I could see the real picture- Mom and I enjoying an afternoon. Left to my own devices, I may have left the building and stomped home with more anxiety, more fear and more selfishness. But the Spirit of God, who wants to bear fruit in my life, brought self-control to the event and made my heart glad to stay.

You know, Adam and Eve could have used more of this self- control. They couldn’t wait for God to show them more of Himself. No. Instead, they took the devil’s bait, thinking they could be like God, so they wouldn’t die and so they could enjoy the special, forbidden fruit- all lies from Satan. So tragic. Indeed, it was so tragic that we are still reeling with the consequences thousands of years later.

But, back to Ruth- ready to listen, to wait, to submit. How she must have rejoiced, even while she was waiting; knowing that Boaz had said he would redeem her and Naomi, if the closer kinsman did not. How she must have prayed! I can just picture her, on her knees in their humble, tumbled-down neglected home that had seen no one living there for the past ten years.

Remember, Boaz had seen her all sweaty, working in his fields. He knew she was a foreigner, a Moabitess, a childless widow. He knew they had nothing- these widows who had travelled the long, dusty, steep roads from Moab to Bethlehem. And yet He was willing to be the Kinsman-Redeemer.

He, too, had to demonstrate self-control. I wonder if he waited so long, because maybe he wasn’t so sure that Ruth would accept him- he was an older man. Was he waiting for the other Kinsman to act? What on earth passed through his mind there on the threshing floor where a beautiful young woman basically asked him to marry her? What restraint he had, sending her back to Naomi with a promise and almost 40 kilograms of threshed and winnowed grain, rather than taking advantage of her in the middle of the night. Little did he know that the greatest Kinsman-Redeemer of all, Jesus, would be his descendant, and would come to rescue people from their sin. Ruth and Naomi needed rescuing from poverty; we are in need of a greater rescue; one that has been accomplished by Christ on the cross.

For the month of February, Pastor Pernell has challenged us to a fast; a fast from things that consume and waste our time so that we would spend time in prayer, instead. This is where self-control, that glorious fruit of the Spirit, can mature. Even now, I already know what I will be setting aside, and I am praying for this fruit to be borne in me, through me, and spilling over into the lives of those whom I will be in contact with, over the month of February and beyond. Stay tuned…

Controlled by what?

New Year’s Day, 2016.

I have this bittersweet feeling today, as I wrap up nine months of concentrating on the “Fruit of the Spirit.”  And here we are, the first day of a new year, and the last of the fruit Paul mentions is self-control. (Galatians 5:22). How ironic is that, to be found making new year’s resolutions, only to see them drift away from you like the outgoing tide?  I am so tired of that.

So this year, instead of resolutions, I’m going to concentrate on self-control.  Like any fruit, it ripens with time and the right conditions.  We all know that maturity does not happen overnight so why do we conjure up self-control as if it were a genie in a bottle, waiting to be released on January 1^st, every year?     For sure, it does feel good to set a goal, to be determined, to open a new calendar and hope for change. 

But I know I need more than that.  I know I need the Holy Spirit to bring His fruit to fruition, and I know it will take time.  It will most likely take some heartache and sorrow; those situations that God allows in my life to mould and shape me.  I know myself well enough-there is nothing like soul-searching difficulties to shape my life, but I want them to press me into God, not cause me to lose hope, to lose joy and to lose self-control. 

This last-on-the-list fruit of the Spirit appears to create a contradiction.  Should I be self-controlled or Spirit-controlled?  Both are actually true, but if I allow the Spirit to be in control, then self-control will blossom.   And I can’t help but think that Paul placed this fruit at the end, to wrap up this ‘package deal’ with an encouraging reminder – those who are self-controlled will also exhibit the rest of the fruit he has spoken about, and the more we are self-controlled, the more room the rest of the fruit has to grow.  

Can I really be living out “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness,” without self-control?  No, I would be much too self-centred; hence I need the Spirit to move me forward into this new year, expecting a fruitful harvest and not wasting time or circumstances by not allowing self-control to mature in me.

 As I consider the following verse in Proverbs, I recognize that self-control is as much about keeping away from certain things,(i.e. sugar, gossip ,etc), as it is about protecting my heart and keeping the gospel fresh in my mind. If I am to bear good fruit, and nurture my soul, I will need self-control; I don't want the tide to sweep away all the hard work of an entire year, let alone an entire lifetime.

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 25:28

Joy and Loss

 ~ Christmas Eve ~

From Christmas to the cross

Such joy and such loss.

From the cross to the grave

Jesus died; Jesus saves.

From the grave to the skies

Jesus lives- He is alive.

I penned these words earlier today, as I thought about Jesus’ profound sacrifice – leaving heaven’s glory, stooping to become a baby in a virgin’s womb, and giving His life as a ransom for many. I thought about all the important questions surrounding His birth, and how they were all answered centuries before He came.

Who – God with us. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

What- a son. (Isaiah 7:14)

When - "Seventy weeks, (490 years), have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place." (Daniel 9:24)

Where - "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah. From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity." (Micah 5;2)

Why - He shall save His people from their sins. “Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12)

How - By a virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14)

I am ever so thankful that the Christ of Christmas is also the Christ of the cross. That cross may have slain Him but the grave could not hold Him. Perhaps you think it strange that I would believe in Jesus Christ; that I believe he is God. Mythology would have men becoming gods- instigating a glorious, self-indulgent rescue, only to be repeated again and again, cyclical and without hope. Religion would have men grovelling for the favour of a god they cannot know.

But it is not so with Christ. God became man. He humbled Himself and identified with us to the point of death. I, for one, cannot even imagine a more humbling act of love- selfless, powerful, and sufficient for the forgiveness of sin.

At our Christmas Eve church service, Pastor Pernell spoke about the paradox many of us encounter at Christmas time: the joys of celebrating Jesus’ birth and the poignant sorrows of remembering those who have died. I am grateful for his reminder that we have Jesus, the Light of the world; that we celebrate a constant, a certainty in a world full of change and uncertainty. “In Him was life and the life was the light of men,” (John 1:4).

The words of my little poem also came from a heart that knows loss. This Christmas, I have been thinking of so many of us who know Loss on a first-name basis. We can take heart, my friends. The God of heaven understands our grief. His loss, when Jesus died, was deeper than what we will ever know.  I am comforted by the knowledge that He knows the depth of our sorrow and the breadth of our pain. God knows. God cares. He will comfort, if you ask Him. And for those who come to know Him, there is not only “Christ in you the hope of glory,” for the rest of your days here on earth, there is also heaven waiting to welcome you home.

This God whom I know is worth knowing. This Saviour born is a Saviour worth worshiping. Our children sang this evening, to the tune of: ”O come let us adore Him.”

For he alone is worthy

For he alone is worthy

For he alone is worthy

Christ the Lord.

You can have MY room

It all seems so romantic and rustic and rather idyllic.  Images of a cozy stable, a new-born baby and sheep and shepherds all ‘round about the happy couple welcoming their first-born, Jesus.  

I’m more inclined to think of the young lad who was the innkeeper in a play about the Christmas story.  The practices all went very well and he would shout: “No room!” at Mary and Joseph, and then slam the door of his inn.  However, the night of the actual play, it ended rather differently.  For this little innkeeper, the story became so real that he had a change of heart.  After the shouting and slamming, he opened the door again and with tears in his eyes, he said: “Wait!  Please come back.  You can have MY room.” He got it right!  A King was to be born and he wanted the monarch to have the best place he could offer.  I wonder, this Christmas, is there room in your heart for this Saviour?  

One of my favourite Christmas carols: 

From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable

From the squalor of a borrowed stable, by the Spirit and a virgin's faith;

To the anguish and the shame of scandal; came the Saviour of the human race.

But the skies were filled with the praise of heaven, shepherds listen as the angels tell

Of the Gift of God come down to man, at the dawning of Immanuel.

King of heaven now the Friend of sinners, humble servant in the Father's hands,

Filled with power and the Holy Spirit, filled with mercy for the broken man.

Yes, He walked my road and He felt my pain; joys and sorrows that I know so well;

Yet His righteous steps give me hope again - I will follow my Immanuel.

Through the kisses of a friend's betrayal, He was lifted on a cruel cross;

He was punished for a world's transgressions, He was suffering to save the lost.

He fights for breath, He fights for me, loosing sinners from the claims of hell;

And with a shout our souls are free - death defeated by Immanuel.

Now He's standing in the place of honour, crowned with glory on the highest throne,

Interceding for His own beloved, ‘til His Father calls to bring them home!

Then the skies will part as the trumpet sounds; hope of heaven or the fear of hell;

But the Bride will run to her Lover's arms, giving glory to Immanuel!

Stuart TownendCopyright © 1999 Thankyou Music (Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, songs@integritymusic.com

I love David Wesley’s rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYXFU8HugMY

The title is a reminder that God came to earth in a spirit of meekness, gentleness and humility, and yet people are still looking for a great king to rescue them, to pay a ransom for them to be forever free.  Our literature is full of sweeping sagas of great saviours, but do we not know that He has already come, has already paid the greatest ransom of all, by dying on a cross, and then rising again?                                                                                      His name is  Immanuel, “God with us”,(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).    

Merry Christmas!   Joyeux Noël!    Feliz Navidad!

Cupped Hands

Mom.

It’s one thing to get a child’s attention, by cupping their face in your hands.  It’s quite another when they cup your face in their hands and say: “I love you.”  Go ahead and feel your heart melting.  The seniors with whom I work understand.  They crave a gentle touch; these people who are well-fed and yet starving for joy and comfort.  “O tidings of comfort and joy,” is their heart’s cry.  A more wondrous Christmas present could not be given, if one was to offer a gentle touch.

You know, it takes time to be gentle.  It takes a spirit of humility to be gentle.  There is a grace found in a spirit of gentleness that you will not find anywhere else.  We’ve known it, when someone loves us well, and we can rejoice in the qualitative touch of a gentle spirit.  It is a great sadness, when we have left gentleness in the dust of our too-busy lives; anxiously reaching for the next empty apparition of more, more, more.

But we are not left without an example, nor are we left without any help.  If anyone exuded gentleness, it would have been Jesus; filled to overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit. No wonder the people flocked to him; no wonder he carries the titles of Good Shepherd, (John 10:11); Great Shepherd, (Hebrews 13:20); and Chief Shepherd,(1 Peter 5:4).  It does seem a paradox, though, that Jesus was ushered into the world at the proclamation of lowly shepherds.  But isn’t that the way?  I mean, don’t we recognize true strength of character in meekness and gentleness?  I marvel at God’s seemingly “upside-down” way of looking at the world.  

Pastor Pernell’s message about leaving vengeance to God is so fitting, as he spoke about using a spirit of kindness and gentleness to respond to those who have hurt us deeply; to those upon whom we would rather wreak havoc and vengeance.  By responding with gentleness, we may well lead the very perpetrator to repentance and faith. 

Meek is might, if we can take any lessons from Moses, the meekest man in all the earth, and from Jesus Himself, who was “…gentle and riding on a donkey.” (Matthew 21:4).  A gentle answer turns away wrath, says Proverbs 15:1, and this same meek and gentle Jesus answers to the righteous wrath of God, by holding our faces in His nail-scarred hands, and whispering to us in words loud and clear: “I love you.  I died for you.  I rose from the dead for you.  I live for you.  There is nothing too hard for me.”  Jesus' words, in Matthew 11:29:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart;

and you shall find rest for your souls.”

We may get a lot accomplished in this life, on our hurry-scurry treadmills.  We might even get even with someone for hurting us.  But the pile of ashes at our feet, at the end of the day, will be all that is left; unless this fruit of the Spirit, gentleness, has been evident.  This Christmas, may gentleness be my hallmark, bringing tidings of comfort and joy.  I can start by taking my mother’s face into my cupped hands and saying:  “I love you.”  At 92 years of age, there may not be much time left for me to do this.  A daily dose would be a good thing, bringing rest to my soul and to hers.  Today was a good day to start a new tradition.  My Mom’s response: “And I love you.”

Reflected Light

Reflected light, this full and bright moon.

Shining the sun’s rays to me at night.

Arced across the sky, moving east to west.

Watching a faithful and beautiful sight.

Reflective. Shining.  Faithful.

So it is for me, in Christ.  

        Shine on.

"Again therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying: "I am the light of the world; 

he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." 

(John 8:12)

(Jesus said)  "You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

(Matthew 5:14) 

November 20, 2015.

From another mother

As we’ve been studying the book of Ruth together, at our ladies’ small group, I’ve been moved by the faithfulness of a faithful God.  Having lost her husband and her two sons, Naomi left three graves in Moab and returned to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law, Ruth.  Naomi says that she had left full but came back empty.  Not so, Naomi!  God has always been with you, faithful to the end; Ruth, whom you now call ‘daughter,’ has been ever-so-faithful to you.

One might ask: “What does it mean that God is faithful?”  He is faithful in His written word:

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away”.(Matthew 25:34),

and in His Living Word, found in Jesus Christ,

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, 

Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

Your refuge, my refuge, is found in this faithful God who calls believers in Christ to be faithful.  Really, all of us are refugees, looking for a safe haven.  Whether it is a teenager who is pregnant and needing care, comfort and courage to carry her baby to term or a senior who longs for a smile, a helping hand and conversation, there is an innate longing for faithful friends.  And no wonder, since we are made in the image of God.  This triune God is a God of fellowship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  This triune God, in whose image we are made, has created us for fellowship, for intimacy, for joy and as a refuge for others.

Are we so selfish, that we will not allow others from another mother, to come into our country?  Will we really close the airports and the gates and the ports and the borders, so that fleeing refugees will be turned away?  Don’t we realize that Canada has its own version of evil: abortion-on-demand and the legalization of euthanasia?  Haven’t we killed enough of our own blood to staunch the flow of death?  Are we so self-righteous that we claim an excellent human rights tradition while our indigenous communities have no running water and cardboard houses in which to live?

Where is the faithfulness that the fruit of Spirit speaks about, in Galatians 5:22?  Are we so deaf to the cries of the needy that we can say, with alacrity and insouciance: NIMBY- Not In My Backyard?  Oh please, please- let us be a people who love the Lord our God and who love our neighbours, whomsoever they may be. 

Women, children, one-month-old babies are escaping the horrors of a war that has been none of their making.  The politics of generations has gone into these awful developments, and an organization like ISIS has deftly made their way into a vacuum where mercy does not reign, but terror tightens its grip on hearts and minds.  If we are in Christ, why do we feel paralyzed with fear?  Can we not provide a drop of mercy in these oceans of heartache and despair?

The violent takeover of lands and peoples is not new to Islam.  Such was the way of the prophet Mohammed; such is the way of those who follow him to the letter.  They are bent on creating a caliphate where women are objects to be used, where fear prevails and nary a drop of mercy can be found.  Are all Muslims to be painted with the brush of such extremists?  No.  Would some of them make it to Canada?  I wouldn’t doubt it.  But to think this is comparable to the myth of the Trojan horse that was sent into the heart of Troy and filled with the enemies’ soldiers is pretty far-fetched, Donald Trump notwithstanding.

   

Faithfulness to our God, faithfulness to our spouse, to our children, to our world- this fruit of the Spirit can only be played out in the day-to-day decisions that we make; in the places where perhaps no one sees us; in the interactions we have with our neighbours.  Being faithful is only a platitude unless we have a godly attitude- pointing people to our faithful God.  I am grateful for Samaritan’s Purse, who has boots on the ground at the point where these fleeing refugees are at their weakest- getting off rubber dinghies and landing on the shores of an island where they cannot be sure if someone will turn their boat around,sending them back across the lonely, salty waters; back to certain death.

(See here:  https://www.facebook.com/SamaritansPurse/videos/10153016512126809/). May it not be so here in Canada; may it not be said of believers that WE are more important than THEM.  ISIS longs for this; they want these fleeing refugees to think that ISIS is their refuge and as they watch and wait, we might well be playing right into their bloody hands.  Let it not be so, oh faithful God, let it not be so.