If God said, “Go”

            then would you stay?

            Would you say,

                        “Who? Me?”

If God said, “Go”

            then would you pray?

            Would you say,

                        “When?”

            Would you say,

                        “In my time?”

If God said, “Go”

            Would you say,

                        “When I can afford it?”

            Would you say,

                        “When I can schedule it?”

            Would you say,

                        “When I can arrange it?”

If God said, “Go”

            how long would you sit

            and wait

            and wait

                        like a flower picked

                                    from it’s roots.

If God said, “Go”

            Would you?

            Really?

This ain’t no beach vacation

            No luxury resort

            No safe haven

            No calm harbor

Shipwrecked

Beaten

Persecuted

In Chains

In Pains

If God said, “Go”

            would you delay?

            Run away?

Hide

        In a cave

                       And cry?

“My burden is easy”

            the Master says

“My load is light”

            the Master cries

“Fields are white”

“Who will harvest”

If not you

    Then who?

You would let them

       die?

You would leave them

        with No Savior?

Because your phone

            won’t work?

            No signal

                        No WiFi

If God said, “Go”

            then would you

                        cry

            BEG

                    PLEAD

If God said, “Go”

            would you say,

                        “HEREAMI?”

The church in which we serve sponsors a 9th/10th Grade and an 11th/12th Grade Boys
Basketball team. Tonight was a playoff game for our 9th/10th Graders.

I learned upon arrival that we were only going to have five boys in uniform tonight. In
case you know nothing about basketball, five is the minimum you can have on a team and
is the maximum you can have on the floor at any given time.

In the first-half, our boys hung tough against a team that seemed at times to forget it was
church-league ball.

And then, late in the first half, the fear that all of us Asbury fans had hanging in the back
of our minds came into being: One of our five fouled out.

For the remainder of the first-half and the entire sixteen minutes of the second-half, we
played four boys against their five.

Before you try and predict the outcome of the game (and you’re right), let me say this:
These four boys played as hard in the last minute of the game as they played in the first
minute.

It brought to mind 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (MSG):

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one
wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for the gold medal that
tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.

I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving
it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top
condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it
and then missing out myself.

Paul doesn’t tell the Corinthian church – and by extension all of us – that they had to win,
rather he tells them to run like they want to win.

Stay alert!

Train hard!

Run hard!

Press on!

Play to win even against insurmountable odds!

These boys tonight played to win. The odds were pretty big against them before we went
down a man, yet they kept pressing on. As the other team pushed on like a golden ring
and a trip to DisneyWorld was on the line, these young men from Asbury kept on playing
to win.

They played out the words of Paul.

As I sat in the stands as one of small cloud of witnesses, I thought about that great cloud
of witnesses in the Hebrews (12:1-3). How they cheer and push us on.

They tell us, “Keep playing!”

They tell us, “Keep running!”

They tell us, “Don’t slack off!”

And we persevere on.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus.

Knowing that He has run the race.

He has finished the race.

He has won the prize.

Yet, we run on. Not to win. Rather to point others to Him.

Asbury men, you did a great job tonight in showing us all how to keep on running.

Several months ago, I learned that a common event with people affiliated with the 24-7 Prayer movement was to set their alarms for Noon in whatever timezone they were in.  When that alarm sounds, they stop whatever they are doing to pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray.  What an awesome idea. 

In Sunday School on Sunday, I challenged our youth to do the same.  Take two minutes at Noon to re-center the day by praying the Lord’s Prayer. 

I also taught a bit on the Lord’s Prayer.

Luke 11:1-4 (HCSB):

He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say:

Father,

Your name be honored as holy.

Your kingdom come.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us.

And do not bring us into temptation.”

He was praying in a certain place

I love this image.  The disciples understood that when Jesus went into this “certain place” it was to pray.  Prayer matters.  Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount that we should pray in a quiet, private place.  He does what He teaches.

Teach us to pray

Elsewhere in the Gospels (Mark 9), we get the story of Jesus, Peter, James, and John going up the Mount of Transfiguration.  While they were on the mountain, the remaining disciples were asked to heal a boy.  They tried all that they knew to try.  No success.  Jesus comes back down the mountain and takes care of the problem.

Afterwards, the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t do what He did.  Jesus replies, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:29, NIV)

The disciples grasped the importance of prayer.  They understood that prayer was the source of the power that Jesus had.  Prayer matters.

They don’t ask Jesus to teach them to preach.

They don’t ask Jesus to teach them to heal the sick.

They don’t ask Jesus to teach them to walk on water.

They don’t ask Jesus to teach them to raise the dead.

They don’t ask Jesus to teach them how to build a big church.

They don’t ask Jesus to teach them how to raise lots of money.

They ask Jesus to teach them to pray. 

That’s all.

Teach us to pray.

So, Jesus does.

Father

Beautiful imagery here.

I think we often get lost in this as being Big, Awe-full, Reverent God (and it is), yet, I like this image of Father as in Abba – Daddy.

We see later in this passage that Jesus talks about being a father and what that means.  He says in verse 11-13 (HCSB):

“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Father – Abba – Daddy. 

Your name be honored as holy.

Here we get the reverence.

Holy! Holy! Holy!

Revelation tells us of masses of angels, cherubims, seraphims, and saints gathered around the Throne of God non-stop singing Holy, Holy, Holy! 

God.  Is.  Big.

God is to be revered. 

God is to be worshipped.

God is to be looked upon with great awe.

Your kingdom come.

In Matthew’s account of the Lord’s Prayer this phrase is rendered: “Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, HCSB)

Your kingdom come.

Not mine.

Not my plan.

Not my ambition.

Not my goal.

Yours.

Hard prayer.

It’s not about us.  It’s not about our plans, ambitions, goals, schemes, desires, wants, or needs.  It’s about God’s.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Not our weekly bread.

Not our monthly bread.

Not our Sunday morning to Sunday morning bread.

Daily bread.

Remember the story of the Israelites in the wilderness?

They’re hungry.  God provides in the form of Manna and Quail.  Yet, God gives them specific instructions.  Only gather enough for today. 

Today’s bread.

Daily bread.

Jesus talked about this in the Sermon on the Mount as well.  At the end of Matthew 6 (vs. 25-34, MSG), he tells us:

“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion.  There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.  Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.  And you count far more to him than birds.

“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?  All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference?  Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into fields and look at the wildflowers.  They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?  The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

“If God gives such attention to the appearance wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?  What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.  People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.  Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  Don’t worry about missing out.  You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

“Give your attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

In short, God will take care of you.  Daily. 

Daily bread.

And forgive us out sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us.

Uh. Oh.

This is the tough part.

Forgive us, as we forgive others.

Sometimes, we think “Do unto others” gives us the liberty to really stick it to folks.  After all, they hurt us, so they must want to be hurt right?

Yet….

Jesus comes and messes it all up.

Forgive us as we have forgiven others.

Back in the Sermon on the Mount, He tells us that if we hold even as much as a grudge against someone, then we should fix it before coming to the altar. 

Praise the Lord for mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

And do not bring us into temptation

It seems to me that we often think of temptation in the wrong sense.  Often when we pray this, we think: Remove us from the temptation to …

… rob a bank

… smack our neighbor

… steal a twix bar

… take a pen from the office

Yet, there’s more here.

Think of the context.

I think temptation here is deeper than the superficial stuff we usually attach to it.

Remove us from the temptation to …

… not allow God to be our Father

… worship something other than God

… force our kingdom into being

… seek out – on our own – our weekly bread

… hold that grudge as long as possible

Do not bring us into temptation.

So, I challenge each of you, set that alarm for Noon.  When it buzzes, beeps, dings, or rings, stop what you’re doing and join me for two minutes as we pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.  Forever.  Amen.

Immanuel – God is With Us

Our text for this session comes from Matthew 1:18-23 (ESV):

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.  When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

 God with us.

Joseph is – to me – one of the most fascinating characters in the story of the nativity.  He’s recognized by Matthew as “being a just man”.  Joseph chooses the hard path, and allows himself to become a part of the Messiah-story.  God chooses Joseph to be the father-figure for Jesus.  While that alone is a remarkable testament to Joseph, he also holds a significant element in the story.

The lineage of Joseph goes back to David. 

Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy.  Why?

The passage which Matthew quotes “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” is from Isaiah 7:14.  This passage is contained within a prophecy given through Isaiah to the King Ahaz.  Some Jewish (and otherwise) scholars believe that this passage was NOT Messianic, but rather related to a physical king of Israel.  As an almost purposely contradictory stance to this belief, Matthew takes a moment to show that if the Kingdom of Israel had been intact both Joseph, and ultimately Jesus, would have been in line to be that physical king. 

Yet, as we all know, there is more to this Baby born in a manager than just being an heir to an earthly throne. 

Immanuel.

While Advent is a period spent in anticipation of the coming Messiah, for the believer – the Christ-follower – this passage shows another element to Advent. 

Immanuel – God with us.

As the Christ-follower navigates through the days leading up to the celebration of Messiah’s birth, we also know that because Messiah has come God is with us.  Immanuel. 

Whether in the birth of a child or death of a saint, we know Immanuel. 

Whether in skies that are clear or heavy wind and rain, we know Immanuel.

Whether in snow-capped mountains or expansive brown plains, we know Immanuel.

God is with us.

Throughout this advent season there have been events that have made it again evident to me that God is with us.

On the beginning day of Advent, my nephew was born – evidence of Immanuel.  Even though he was born five weeks early, he was born healthy.  His mom was healthy. 

God is with us.

Throughout this Advent season, we have watched as the family of my sister-in-law has been on a path of saying a long goodbye to their mother and wife.  Yet, throughout that journey, as I have read the postings from her dad, Immanuel has been evident. 

God is with us.

Throughout Advent, my work had me each week in Colorado Springs.  As one travels along I-25, takes time to walk through the Garden of the Gods, or merely looks out an office window, the mountains rising to the sky, Immanuel is evident.

God is with us.

As we have journeyed through this Advent season, my meditations have been on Immanuel.  I have made a conscious effort to look for those moments that occur throughout each and every day that provide evidence that God is indeed with us. 

God is indeed with us.

Immanuel has indeed come.

In Advent’s eager anticipation of Messiah, we are able to see that Immanuel has come as a sunrise breaking into our personal drama making us a part of God’s own story.

I had the distinct privilege of meeting Hammer on Sunday of this week.  As a fulfillment of the work to which we believe God has led us, sksimants and I have begun volunteering at Stone Soup.

Stone Soup is a ministry of the Quapaw UMC in Little Rock.  On Sunday afternoons, Quapaw opens their fellowship hall and feeds the hungry.  Many of those who come are homeless.

At Stone Soup, I met Hammer.

GS found Hammer at the corner of the street waiting for the doors to open.  He invited Hammer in and found out he was a musician.  GS pointed that out to me, and thought that maybe we could make a connection.

I sat down next to Hammer and began to talk.

I introduced myself, shook his hand, and he said, “They call me Hammer, because I’m a carpenter by trade.”

He told me that he used to play drums and guitar.  How he writes music.  How he had came to know Jesus/God.  How as a homeless man in Baton Rouge he worked with a ministry helping other homeless folks.  How everywhere he hung his tarp, he built an altar.  “It’s pretty simple, really”, he told me, “all I need is two stones and a log.  I sit and pray and write songs and read my old Bible as much as I can.”

Hammer told me something else.

He told me that no matter what happened, God always took care of him.  God always made sure he had food to eat and water to drink.  Made sure that he had friends to be around.  Made sure that he always had a song in his heart.

As sad as I thought and felt that Hammer’s story was, he kept coming back to “God always takes care of Hammer.”

As they began to serve lunch, I asked if I could pray with him.  He said he would like that.  We prayed, and he got in line to eat.

As we walked over to the line, he said, “Don’t forget to pray for me when you think about me.  My name is easy to remember.  Hammer.  Because, like Jesus, I’m just a homeless carpenter.”

As the past couple of days have gone by, I keep coming back to that statement.  “I’m just a homeless carpenter.”

I remembered the Rich Mullins song, “You Did Not Have a Home”:

Oh, You did not have a home
There were places You visited frequently
You took off Your shoes and scratched Your feet
‘Cause you knew that the whole world belongs to the meek
But You did not have a home
No, You did not have a home

And You did not take a wife
There were pretty maids all in a row
Who lined up to touch the hem of Your robe
But You had no place to take them, so
You did not take a wife
No, You did not take a wife

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
No, You did not have a home

Well You had no stones to throw
You came without an ax to grind
You did not tow the party line
No wonder sight came to the blind
You had no stones to throw
You had no stones to throw

And You rode and ass’ foal
They spread their coats and cut down palms
For You and Your donkey to walk upon
But the world won’t find what it thinks it wants
On the back of an ass’ foal
So I guess You had to get sold
‘Cause the world can’t stand what it can’t own
And it can’t own You
‘Cause You did not have a home

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
No, You did not have a

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
And the world can’t stand what it can’t own
And it can’t own You
‘Cause You did not have a home

I’ve thought about Hammer often over the past couple of days.  I’ve thought about his story.

Most of all, I’ve thought about two statements:

“God will always take care of Hammer.”

“Like Jesus, I’m just a homeless carpenter.”

I’m pretty certain that God and Hammer spend a lot of time together.  I believe that God has a special place in His heart for Hammer.  Hammer reminds Him of His Son.

I wonder how much more we would feel God taking care of us, if we would be a little more “Like Jesus, just a homeless carpenter.”

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

One disclaimer: I do not intend to compare our experience at SOS with the experience of the missionaries who live in other countries for months/years at a time.

When I was a kid growing up in the Baptist church, we had a lot of missionaries who would come through the church and preach on Sunday evenings.  I don’t remember much about their various countries, stories, sermons, or even names.  One thing, though, that always stood out to me was the discussions about their re-entry to America and the American way of life.

While we were not serving for a long period of time in a remote third-world country, re-entry for me has been somewhat of a challenge.

Not from a physical perspective.  We still speak English, still drive our cars, etc.

From a spiritual perspective it has been tough.

During the week at SOS, we prayed alot.  (Standing on a roof, trying to hang the piece of lap-board that has now been cut for the third time and still doesn’t fit evokes a prayer response.)

We worshiped alot.

We spent time in the Word.

We grew our faith.

Coming home, we didn’t have that constant state of being in God’s presence.

Re-entry, from that perspective, has been a challenge.

As a people of God, we are called to continually dwell in the presence of God.  Yet, we don’t always succeed (or in some cases even know how to) in doing that.

Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians that we must put on the full armor of God and “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV).

Paul gives us some further instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5 to aid us in living continually in God’s presence:

1. Be joyful always
2. Pray continually (cf. Ephesians 6:18)
3. Give thanks in all circumstances
4. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire
5. Do not treat prophecies with contempt
6. Test everything and hold to the good
7. Avoid every kind of evil

Throughout Paul’s writings, he expounds upon each of these points.

In 1 Corinthians (chapter 13), after a long discourse on the works of the Spirit and how the Spirit uses us and the types of work the Spirit urges us to do, Paul says this:

And now I will show you the most excellent way.  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.

We’ve all read that passage.  Most of us can quote versus 4-8.  What many fail to see is the true context of the passage.  It falls in the middle of a discourse on the Holy Spirit, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and proper usage of those Gifts (Chapters 12-14).  What Paul tells us is that at the center of living continually with the presence of God is love.

Love is the most excellent way.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

Friday.

Last workday at SOS.

Last devotion day at SOS.

Last evening chapel at SOS.

Workday

We wrapped up the main work on Ms. Hanh’s house.  It was emotional from the standpoint that we were done with our week, and that SOS was done with their eight weeks.  Ms. Hanh was emotional all day.  We were to.  God had moved in our lives through the example of Ms. Hanh.

We learned how to work like it wasn’t about us.

Devos

In Friday’s devotions we talked about doing the work of God at all costs.  We explored the example of Brother Yun.  He’s a believer in China who has on multiple occasions been arrested only to have God miraculously open the door of the prison.  He walked out.

We also talked about Jim Elliot.  Jim Elliot once wrote in his journal: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.”  We talked about giving our all.  Total surrender of our lives to the work of God.  It’s not about us.

Philippians 3:7-10 (NIV) states: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.“

It’s not about us.

It’s about relationship with God.

Chapel

In Chapel, Kyle Storey talked to us about our response to God’s promises.  How do we respond to a relational God?

Kyle presented us with two responses.

First, “The Nation’s Mandate”.  Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV): “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.“

Second, “The Social Mandate”.  Isaiah 58:6-8 (NIV): “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter–when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of YHWH will be your rear guard.“

It’s not about you.

It’s not about me.

It’s about making the name of YHWH known in the world, so that a generation yet to be created might praise the name of YHWH.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

How much stuff do you have?

Think about it.

iPod, Blackberries, iPhones, Bose Headsets, Nintendo, Clothes, Laptop, Cameras, Shoes, CDs, Movies, Furniture….

If you’re reading this blog, then you have more than lots of people have.  You have a computer, electricity, an education.  Or, maybe, you’re reading it on a Blackberry.  Or, maybe, you’re reading this on a Blackberry while sitting in a Starbucks.

Remember: $2.50.

Excess.

If you honestly look at all you have, you will easily see excess in your life.

I once heard someone say, “show me your checkbook and I’ll show you where your heart is.”

The week in Memphis was convicting to me.

It hit me, that I have too much excess in my life.  I want too much.  I “need” too much.

Paul told us to be content with whatever state we were in.  Be content.

As you know, I travel quite a bit for my job.  Contentment isn’t something that I can say that I possess in my travels.  If things aren’t just right, then I become very discontent.  Exit row, aisle seat, car with Sirius, King bed, nice meals, etc.  It’s ridiculous.  And I’m guilty.

The other night in my quiet time, I read Proverbs 30:7-9.  This passage (TNIV) states: “Two things I ask of you, YHWH; do not refuse me before I die: keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is YHWH?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Those with too much run the risk of not listening to God.  There is, additionally, the risk of debt.  If you owe someone, then it becomes difficult for God to use you.  You are enslaved to the one you owe, and do not have free resources to do for God.

Having a shortness of resources runs the risk of looking for ways other than God to have your needs met.

God is willing to give us bread for today.  Consider the Israelites in the wilderness.  God gave them manna and quail day-over-day.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to worry not about tomorrow.  He tells us that God will provide for today.  Tomorrow will take care of itself — tomorrow.  God wants us focused on today so that we will serve Him today.

Faith teaches us that God is always “on-time”.  By focusing on God’s work, we can be confident — through faith — that God will provide exactly what is needed — TODAY.

Oh, that we could learn to say give me neither poverty nor riches.  Rather give me only what I need to make it through today.

Is your relationship with God more or less important than your stuff?

Stuff.  It consumes us.  It gets in the way of our relationship with God.

Look at the examples of the early Christians.  Acts 2:44-45: “All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

Binghampton showed us in a real way that we had too much.  Ms. Hanh was content with what she had.  800 square feet.  Four walls.  A roof.  Food.

Are you content with what you have?

Oh, that God would make us content with neither riches nor poverty.

Where’s your heart?  Look at your checkbook.  Or put another way, what god have you put before God?

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

I love airplanes.

Wednesday was “Half-Day” at SOS.  You work in the morning, have lunch and devos, and then you are out on your own until 10p to explore Memphis.

We were going to Graceland.

At Graceland, not only can you see the house, the Jungle Room, Platinum Records and Elvis’ various cars, but you can also see his airplanes.

I love airplanes.

EB takes care of securing tickets and we head to the house.

During the tour, the lights go out.

It’s dark.

No power.

First time that anyone could remember this ever happening.

They decide to get everyone back across the street to the visitor’s center (where the airplanes are parked), and begin to have conversations on refunds.

If you’ve never been to Graceland, then something you should know is that it’s not cheap.

I was now bummed.  I wasn’t going to be able to see the airplanes.

EB works with the group sales folks on the ticket refunds.  However, computers are still down.  They tell us to tour the rest of whatever we want to see, and then come back and they would process the refund.

We saw the airplanes.  We got our refund.

We found God at Graceland.

The lesson here is that God takes care of those who take care of God’s work.

Way too often, God moves, and we write it off to good fortune or luck, and we miss God.  In doing so, we miss God’s blessing in our life.  If we could see that blessing for what it is, then our faith could be strengthened.

God cares about the little things.  God cares about us having a good time.  God cares about taking care of details that we fret about.

Consider Matthew 6:25-34 (CEV): I tell you not to worry about your life.  Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear.  Isn’t life more than food or clothing?  Look at the birds in the sky!  They don’t plant or harvest.  They don’t even store grain in barns.  Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them.  Aren’t you worth more than birds?  Can worry make you live longer?  Why worry about clothes?  Look how the wild flowers grow.  They don’t work hard to make their clothes.  But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them.  God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow.  He will surely do even more for you!  Why do you have such little faith?  Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat?  Will we have anything to drink?  Will we have any clothes to wear?”  Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things.  Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these.  But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants.  Then the other things will be yours as well.  Don’t worry about tomorrow.  It will take care of itself.  You have enough to worry about today.

God’s got it taken care of.  We simply have to worry not about tomorrow, but be about the work of God today.

We found God at Graceland.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

• Poverty in the US (based on 2007 US Census Bureau data)
  • Over 39 million people live in poverty
  • Over 13 million children live in poverty
  • Over 15 million people live below half the poverty line ($10k/yr for 1 person and $22k/yr for a family of 4)
  • ~3.5 million people (1.35 million children) will experience homelessness each year
  • 24% of African-American, 21% of Hispanic, and 8% of Caucasian people live in poverty
• Poverty in the world (from http://www.urbanministry.org)
  • 50% of the worlds population live on $2.50/day
  • ~30k children die every day due to poverty
  • ~1 billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names
  • 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation
  • 121 million children have no access to education
  • The poorest 40% of the world’s population accounts for 5% of the global income.  The richest 20% of the world’s population accounts for 75% of the global income.

STAGGERING.

Mind-numbing.

Remarkable.

Those are three words that come to my mind when I read those statistics.

That was our devotion on Tuesday.

God wants to see people set free from poverty.

One of the key things learned in this devotional is that I didn’t have a real clear picture of what poverty is, how it impacts Americans, or the rest of the world.  Put simply, I (and likely the rest of the team) had no frame of reference.

We have been (by God’s grace) protected from this image.  Yet, in the scriptures it is made abundantly clear that God demands us to react to poverty.  Some of the passages that we discussed in this devotion were:

• Leviticus 19:9-10
• Proverbs 14:31
• Isaiah 58:6-7
• Jeremiah 22:16
• Matthew 6:3
• James 1:27
• 1 John 3:17-18

Poverty.

I simply can’t imagine it.

I travel the United States week-in and week-out.  I’ve seen homeless people begging on the sides of highways in El Paso, TX.  I’ve seen racism on the MARTA in Atlanta, GA.  I’ve seen children sitting in cardboard boxes in order to stay warm in Denver, CO.  Yet, I can’t say that I’ve ever had my eyes opened in a way to make poverty make sense to me.  In other words, I had never looked through the eyes of God.

Yet, being in the Binghampton neighborhood in Memphis, and seeing how people struggle to meet basic human needs, seeing how people like Ms. Hanh work to make ends meet and still fall short even though faith abounds, I have a better picture of poverty.  I still have VERY FAR to go to truly “get it”.

In our devotional book for Tuesday, we read: “Unfortunately, because of sin, people take too much and are not willing to share their resources with others.  But we, as Christians, are called to share God’s concern for the poor and to help set them free from the horrible effects of poverty in the world.”

Set free.  Set free to proclaim the name of YHWH.

Re-read the statistics.

We talked in our devotions about Haiti.  We discussed how Haiti was set on the course to poverty.  It was due largely to an innate (nationalistic) desire to be free.  They PAID for their freedom.  People gave their entire savings to help the country buy freedom from France.  The country gave all they had.  So much so that they could no longer meet basic human infrastructure needs (sewer, water, structurally-sound architecture, education).  All to say that they were free.

Is your freedom worth that?

Scriptures tell us time and time again that the heart of YHWH is with the poor.

If we truly desire to live in the image of God (as we were created), then we MUST help the poor.  I don’t mean that we simply give a few dollars a month to help.  I mean we do ALL THAT WE CAN to help the poor.  Both in the United States and abroad.  In other words, we give up our excess in order to help.

$2.50 a day.  That’s the amount that 50% of the world’s population live on.  $2.50 per day.  Less than the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  Think about that.  It’s simply….

….STAGGERING.