A Lamp To Our Feet

The 119th Psalm is full of references to the Word of God and expresses the Psalmist's reliance on God's truth.  Here are 5 verses from that Psalm:
101I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.102I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me.103How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!104Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.105Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

And, of course, that 105th verse is quite familiar to us, as we think about the way that our lives can be illuminated by the presence of the Word of God.  But, in order to know the way to walk, in order to see the path God has placed before us, we have to have a working knowledge of that truth.  That requires more than just a casual approach to incorporating the Bible into our lives - there is a level of dedication that is necessary in order for us to walk in a manner consistent with the truth of the Scriptures.  We experience light - and life, abundant life - as we follow God's Word and personalize it for our lives.

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Hebrews 4:12 provides a strong reminder about the authority and active nature of the Word of God:
12For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This week, as we celebrate the day of and season of Thanksgiving, I want to reflect on different areas for which we can be thankful.  We do recognize that we can adore the Lord for who He is and what He's done, we can praise Him for bringing salvation to us through Christ, and we can thank Him for His Word, which gives us the guidance we need for our lives.

Today has been designated the International Day of the Bible.  Perhaps you heard the piece over the weekend on The World and Everything In It on Faith Radio.  According to a report on the ChristianHeadlines.com website, the day is being sponsored by the National Bible Association along with support from the American Bible Society and the YouVersion Bible app, and Bible ministry groups across the country had asked people to read or promote scripture publicly or online at noon today to commemorate the day.

The articles quotes Richard Glickstein, president of the National Bible Association, who told The Christian Post, "This is a very simple act of faithfulness and honor to God about His word...God's word is meant to encourage us and bring us personal hope, but it is also meant to bring us together to realize that this is such a great gift ... and trust that He can change our world through it. The words of God changed my life and continues to. It's not our event, we hope it's an event for the body of Christ and those who love God, come together and thank Him."

Organizers encouraged people to use the hashtag #BibleCelebration for posting online comments, videos, photos and creative expressions.   Glickstein added, "Honoring God's Word and asking Him to bless our nations and bring peace to the world is particularly apt in this period of great turmoil."

According to the website, NewsOK.com, one public celebration was scheduled for the Oklahoma State Capitol, where the developer of the YouVersion Bible app, Bobby Gruenewald of LifeChurch.tv, was scheduled to be on hand, along with Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby, and Jason Malec, national ministry director of the American Bible Society.

The website address for the celebration is www.internationaldayofthebible.org.

So, today, we can be challenged to appropriate some time to think about the significance of the Bible and thank the Lord for providing us wisdom, direction, and inspiration for our lives through His Word.  Some thoughts very briefly about God's Word:

We can know that His Word is the absolute authority for the life of a Christian.  While God's Word, the Bible can be inspiring for many, we can regard His truth as more than mere suggestions by which we can live. We are not called to choose certain passages to hold in high esteem or even obey and omit other passages - if we regard His Word as infallible and totally reliable, then we can seek to integrate the principles of the Bible into every area of our lives.

Also, we recognize that the Word of God is alive.  His truth, according to Hebrews 4, is living and active, and will penetrate our hearts to convict and to change our thinking and ultimately to conform our behavior to the standards that we find in the pages of the Scriptures.  His Spirit brings this truth to light and provides the power to keep His commands.

Finally, we can be challenged to find ways to bring the truth of God to our remembrance. Reading the Bible, studying the Word on a consistent basis, and memorizing Scripture are some practical ways that we make God's truth a vital part of our lives. And, through listening to the teaching of the Word in our local churches and other venues, such as Faith Radio, God can speak to us and show us how we can be more faithful to Him.

Thanksgiving and More Thanksgiving

In 1st Chronicles chapter 16, we see the words of David as he expressed his thankfulness to God as the Ark of the Covenant had been brought into the tabernacle, resulting in multiple praises to the Lord:

8Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!9Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!10Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!11Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
David was certainly excited about what God had done in the midst of His people, and he couldn't keep it to Himself.  And, it has occurred to me that as we give God the praise for what He has done in our lives, and we do that verbally and even publicly, then others will see the work of God, and perhaps they, too will be drawn in to give God the praise for who He is and what He's done. 

I would also dare say that one way we can demonstrate thanksgiving is to testify to God's greatness by allowing Him to minister to someone else through us.  In our desire to see God glorified, He will use us to demonstrate His presence.  Our acts of thanksgiving will yield more thanksgiving and praise to Him.
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In the 4th chapter of the book of 2nd Corinthians, Paul addresses the topic of thanksgiving, spreading as the result of God's work in our lives:
15For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.16Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

It's not the type of ad you would commonly see on a Facebook page, and if you begin to read it, it doesn't turn out the way you might think.  It was posted on the page of a television station in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.  It begins like this:  "Wanted," then, "A family to share thanksgiving with."

It then reads:

Large 54 y.o. Christian, homeless male is looking for a person, family, or couple to share Thanksgiving day with.  

In the course of the ad, he says, "I am very grateful to God for everything he has blessed me with.  I love to sing praises to God.  I was very alone last Thanksgiving and really would not like to go through that this Thanksgiving..."

TV station Fox43 and its apparent sister station, NewsChannel 3, have been monitoring this story. A Fox 43 reporter visited with the man, Neal Shytles, at the Union Rescue Mission in Norfolk.  The article states:

What he lacks in possessions, Neal makes up for with heart.

“You know I’m grateful for even being here,” he says.

It’s a heart that is hurting. He’s surrounded by hundreds of people every day, but still Neal feels alone.

“I am lonely like 365 days a year but Christmas and Thanksgiving are two of the worst days, and I really miss having some kind of family atmosphere around me,” Neal says.

Neal used to be a taxi driver.  But after 15 years, he lost his job and the bills piled up.

He said, “Everything that I’d saved up I started dishing out to people that were taking me in and everything was gone...When I was dropped off at the front door here, I was one of these people that never thought I would be here.”

Well, as you might expect, the calls and e-mails came in from across the country.

Fox43 reports that a military couple in Newport News reached out to Neal first, through the rescue mission. They plan to drive down to Norfolk Thanksgiving morning, pick Neal up and take him back to their home.

Neal says, “They want to feed me lunch and Thanksgiving dinner so I’m getting a double blessing I guess you should say.” The lady says that, “Because we`ve been military and I identify with having to be away from your family and not having family around for the holidays so it kind of struck a chord with me.”


Linda Jones, a spokesperson for the shelter, said, “This is helping people across the country to open up their hearts to help those in need,” adding, “I think Neal has put a real face on who the homeless are...It`s not what a lot of people think. They are human beings just like you and I.”

This is a great story for the day before Thanksgiving, and it is a reminder to us that one of the ways that we can show thanks to all God has done for us is to reach out to people in need.  And, you know, you really don't have to look that far.   We can trust the Holy Spirit to give us opportunity and sensitivity to find ways to minister to people.

And, I think while many of us are enjoying time with family and experiencing the celebration of this season, we can also be mindful that there are others that experience sadness at Thanksgiving and Christmas.   As Neal Shytles said, those two days are "the worst."  Christmas can be a sad time for many, especially if you've experienced loss during the previous year.  So, if we have been blessed, we can be challenged to find ways to bless others, especially those who are hurting this time of year.

Finally, if you're among the hurting this time of year, I would encourage you to seek the Lord and allow Him to restore hope and minister healing in your heart.  Even though it may seem that He is far away or you've become despondent, He is near to you - He loves you very, very much and I believe that as you look to Him, as you.seek His face, He will make Himself known to you.  He is full of love toward you, a love that will never let you down, that will bear you up even in the most desperate of situations.  Call on Jesus and begin to thank Him for what He has done for you.

Knowing We Belong

Today, take the time to thank God that you belong to Him, if you have accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life.  Jesus died so that you could experience salvation and come to know our Heavenly Father.  You belong!   Here are the words of Galatians 4:
4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

It is a marvelous thing to be called a child of God.  We are no longer strangers to Him - no longer estranged from God; no longer separated from Him by our sin.  By His blood, Jesus has forgiven our sins and by His resurrection, we have been raised to new life.  In our insufficiency in and of ourselves, incapable of saving ourselves, He has brought us sufficient grace and the assurance that He lives in our hearts.   Knowing we are loved by God can bring tremendous satisfaction to our hearts and lives.

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God has provided a way through His Son, Jesus Christ, to come to know Him and to be part of His spiritual family.  We can have the sense of belonging that only He can bring.  Romans 8 gives us these words of encouragement:
15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

November is National Adoption Month, and a couple from West Virginia has attracted some attention in association with this month because they have adopted 29 abandoned and special needs children. A story on the ChristianNews.net website tells the adoption story of Paul and Jeane Briggs, who also have five biological children.  They have been adopting children from around the world since 1985. Their oldest child is 35 and their youngest is 4, and their family nearly circles the globe, hailing from Mexico, Gana, Russia, the Ukraine and Bulgaria.

According to the article, Jeane Briggs told the New York Daily News, “It’s not for everybody, but it’s what my husband and I feel called to do by our faith.”

The majority of the children that the Briggs have adopted are special needs children, and have dealt with medical problems such as polio, cancer, heart problems, autism and other issues.

But the couple says that they are allowing God to determine the size of their family and won’t put a limit on how many that they adopt.  They're currently seeking to adopt two additional children from Ghana, including a baby boy who was born without hands and legs, and was abandoned by his parents. They are also considering adopting a little girl from Kazakhstan, and a boy in Pennsylvania who has Down Syndrome.  She says, “We’ll just see what God gives us."

She told reporters that all of her children are taught about Jesus Christ. She says, "I hope that never ends, that compelling love for others.”

“Children are special gifts, blessings. No child should learn or feel that nobody wants them,” she added. “It’s such a joy. Honestly, I’ve never had a bad day.”

This story reminds me of a conversation I had at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis with Sue Badeau - she and her husband Hector have adopted 20 children, in addition to having 2 biological children.  The Badeaus have written a book called, "Are We There Yet?"   This is another family that has proven that dedication, driven by Christian love and compassion for children can have a valuable impact.

So, what's the story for us?  Well, you do have to admire stories such as these, of families that are responding in faith to children who are in need and providing a safe, nurturing, Christ-centered home. We can all be inspired by their devotion.

And, I do want to think for a moment and thank the Lord because He has seen us in our need for a Redeemer, destined for an eternity apart from Him, and took the necessary steps to bring us into His family.  We have the spirit of adoption in our hearts, and Jesus can fill that yearning for belonging. Spiritually speaking, we were separated from God, essentially abandoned and without hope because of our sin, but He reached out and made a way for us to know Him.  In our humanity, we are full of need, desperate for salvation, and Jesus is full of love and grace.

So, in this time of Thanksgiving, take some time to think about your life and what Jesus has done for you, adopting you into God's family and providing the way of salvation.  We can give Him praise for the change the He has brought into our lives.
 

The Importance of Staying Connected

God wants us to know and experience His power - He is calling us to rely on the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit.  In Colossians 1, Paul expresses God's will for the people:
9For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

His power is described as "glorious," which implies abundance and sufficiency.  Whatever we might be facing today, if we are feeling weak or inadequate, that can become an opportunity for God to display His strength.  We recognize that in and of ourselves, we cannot conjure up the power that we need in order to live the abundant life - but by humbling ourselves before the hand of Almighty God, we can release the resources of heaven to operate in and through us.  He will fill us, He will increase in our lives, as we come before Him empty, yearning to be filled with more of Him.

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I really, really like the apostle Paul's proclamation to those gathered in Athens in Acts 17.  Here are verses 24-28a:
24God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.25Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.26And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,27so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;28for in Him we live and move and have our being...

The findings of the Philae lander from the Rosetta orbiter released by the European Space Agency continue to emerge, even though the data transmission has stopped due to lack of power.  Philae was the first probe to land on the surface of a comet, according to Fox News, which stated that the comet is 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which is about 2.5 miles wide and travels at speeds up to 84,000 miles per hour, is 317 million miles from earth.  The pricetag on the mission is $1.62 billion.

Certainly I would think there would be difficulties during a ten-year journey to a comet, but the possibilities of discoveries.   Here are a few things that we know about the mission:

The landing was not exactly smooth.  It bounced twice on the comet's surface before landing in the shadow of a cliff.  This partially shielded the solar panels, so that the lander could not receive adequate power to charge its battery.

And, indeed, the lander is not communicating - it has reportedly fallen into "idle mode."  Fox News says that scientists are optimistic that Philae’s solar panels will eventually receive enough sunlight to power the probe. Before its battery ran out on Nov.15, the agency tilted the lander’s largest solar panel toward the sun in an attempt to generate future power.

There have been some photos that have been sent back.  A Fox story reports that last Thursday, the Agency released the first picture taken by the probe after determining that the craft had stabilized following its tension-filled landing. The agency subsequently released the first panoramic picture taken from the lander. The three feet of Philae's landing gear can be seen in some of the frames.

The Philae probe has detected organic molecules in the atmosphere of the comet, according to initial data. One of the two gas analyzers on board of the lander, was able to “sniff” the comet’s atmosphere and detect organic molecules after landing.

It is unclear whether or not a soil sample has been extracted.

What's also unclear is whether or not these solar panels will actually recharge, leading to further communication.  And, at this point, it's also unclear whether or not what is gathered from the comet will fit into that scientific template that the universe somehow came into being on its own.   

When we deal with issues of space, we do gain a sense of the vastness of the universe, which should lead us into the consideration of the greatness of our God.   The evidence of design is all around us and when we consider that we serve a Creator who has spoken the entirety of space into being, we can marvel at the incredible wisdom and might that He has.    An excellent piece by Michael Guillen on the U.S. News and World Report website states, regarding the euphoria over the landing of the probe:

The self-intoxication made me wonder at how readily we give ourselves credit for a spectacular achievement. We’re positively awesome because the Rosetta mission couldn’t have possibly created itself, right? But bring up the subject of the universe and many of Rosetta’s hyper-enthusiastic scientists would ridicule the idea of crediting God or any form of higher intelligence for its existence. To them, the universe surely created itself.

We also can think about the importance of staying connected.  The Philae probe is currently silent, disconnected from its makers because of a lack of power.  In our spiritual walk, we have to continue to stay plugged in to the source of power, the Holy Spirit resident within our hearts, in order to live a productive and fulfilling life.  If we lose our power and sense of abiding in Christ, then we experience spiritual drift, our prayer life diminishes and we can fall silent.  The probe bridged the miles to deliver its messages, it brought a sense of closeness to that which was far away.  We must not allow God to seem far away from us - He is so near and wants to draw us even closer in our relationship with Him.

Finally, Guillen also writes that the mission teaches us that...

Absolute truth exists. [emphasis mine] Philae never could’ve accomplished its mission were it not for Newton’s Law of Universal Gravity. The operative word is universal.

There’s not one law of gravity for you and another one for me. We all exist under the attractive sway of a single, objective gravitational law.

Likewise, I believe, we all exist under the authority of a single, loving God. The one described in the Bible, whose majestic creation impels us to look upward. Who calls to us from across unimaginable distances and whispers to our hearts and minds: You’re not alone. I’m here … and you belong with me.

Immigrants Among Us

Micah 6:8 is a Bible verse that can shape our attitudes toward loving God and His principles, as well as developing a compassionate heart for other people:
8He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

The grace of God has been extended to each of us - none of us are deserving of His love.  While His justice would mandate that we spend eternity in a place of punishment for our sins, He has shown mercy toward us, to the extent that God sent His only Son to die in our place so that in Him, we might experience His forgiveness.   When we mess up, we can experience the grace of God, and when we see others who are in need of God's forgiveness, we can rely on Him to give us compassion in order to minister effectively.

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I believe that a passage in Zechariah chapter 7 reflects the heart of God and can be helpful to us as we attempt to develop a Biblically-informed position on the topic of...immigration:
9"Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.'

Tonight, the President will be addressing the nation and is expected to announce changes to immigration law, presumably resulting in a sizable number of illegal immigrants being allowed to stay in this country.  It has become a hot political topic, because Congress is deeply divided on how to reform the immigration system. There are a number of issues at play, including effective enforcement of the current law, which some would say is not being done.  There are those that would enhance border security first as a prerequisite to providing the opportunity for immigrants to become U.S. citizens.  It is also impractical to send the millions of people who are here illegally back to their home countries.   The heartbreaking situation of the scores of children who have crossed into the U.S. at the southern border has only intensified calls for the U.S. government to do something, and border states are facing enormous pressure.

And, survey data shows there is concern.  A recent Gallup survey indicates that while 20% of those surveyed believe that the economy in general is the most important U.S. problem, followed closely by dissatisfaction with government, immigration is considered the most important problem by 13% of respondents.

Christianity Today reports on a LifeWay Research survey of 1,000 pastors that shows that nation’s Protestant senior pastors want the U.S. government to mix justice with mercy when it comes to immigration reform.

Most say it's the government’s job to stop people from entering the country illegally. They also support reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country. And they believe Christians should help immigrants, no matter what their legal status. Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research, said pastors don’t approve of illegal immigration. But they want to help illegal immigrants make things right.  He said, “This is one of many cases in which Christians can look at those around them and say, ‘I don’t agree with what got you to this place in life, but I will love you while you are here."

87% of those surveyed said that it is the government's responsibility to stop illegal immigration and 79% believe that Christians have a responsibility to assist immigrants, even if they are in the country illegally.

And this is a telling result: Nearly 6 in 10 of Protestant senior pastors - 58 percent - agree with the statement: “I am in favor of immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for those who are currently in the country illegally.”  That includes 80% of African-American and 59% of white pastors who agree.  About two-thirds of mainline pastors and just over half of evangelical pastors also favor a path to citizenship.

At the 2011 national convention in Phoenix, the Southern Baptist Convention approved a resolution that, according to Baptist Press, urged Southern Baptist churches to proclaim Christ and minister in His spirit to everyone, regardless of their "immigration status." It said "any form of nativism, mistreatment, or exploitation is inconsistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

The measure called for the government to make a priority of border security and holding businesses accountable in their hiring. It also requested public officials "to implement, with the borders secured, a just and compassionate path to legal status, with appropriate restitutionary measures, for those undocumented immigrants already living in our country."

This is one indication of how the church is speaking out on the issue of immigration.   A number of Christian and denominational leaders are part of the Evangelical Immigration Table (www.evangelicalimmigrationtable.com), which has a statement of principles that includes these words:

As evangelical Christian leaders, we call for a bipartisan solution on immigration that:

• Respects the God-given dignity of every person
• Protects the unity of the immediate family
• Respects the rule of law
• Guarantees secure national borders
• Ensures fairness to taxpayers
• Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents

Another group called, Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration (www.evangelicalsforbiblicalimmigration.com) take a different approach.  In a letter they have distributed to members of Congress, they say:

God loves us all, and America should remain a land of opportunity. Yet, accelerated immigration in the context of a growing welfare state, such as ours, is unsustainable, unjust to citizens and unbiblical. It does not yield hospitality but hostility. What would help is a firm border, tens of millions of jobs, justice for citizens who’ve paid into social safety nets, the deportation of gangs and criminals, and the safe return home of children and others in this current Progressive open border import of people.

So, despite what the President may or may not do tonight, and what Congress will deliberate on the issue, there are several principles by which the church and individual Christians can recognize:

One is that I believe that we can apply a Christian worldview perspective to the issues of the day. You may not agree with all or most of these tenets that I have mentioned, but I do think we can develop positions based on the Scripture and coated in prayer.  That can apply to immigration, the economy, who we vote for, and how we become involved in speaking out on cultural issues.

There will be issues over which we disagree, but if we are dedicated to being centered on the Scriptures, civil in our interaction, and compassionate in our approach, we can help to shape the debate on the immigration issue.   Compassion does not necessarily extend to amnesty, but we also have to recognize that the immigrants among us, legal or illegal, need to experience the compassion of Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel.

The Path of the Spiritual Migrant

God has provided for us the resources we need in order to live a life that pleases Him.  Peter writes in 2nd Peter chapter 1:
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In our spiritual journey, as we walk along the path that God has ordained for us, we recognize that He has given us the capacity to experience the abundant, fulfilling life, but He has also extended to us the responsibility to appropriate what He has provided.  We have the potential and the promises, but we have to make the choice to integrate those into our lives.  We have to choose to submit to Him, to humble ourselves under His mighty hand, so that we can experience His might and the presence of His Spirit with us.

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In John 16, we find that Jesus is teaching His disciples that He would be leaving the earth and sending the Holy Spirit to them - and to us:

7Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.8And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment...
In verses 12 and 13, he says:12I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

Coming soon to a location near you, perhaps the chance to see a group of young, endangered whooping cranes making their way from Wisconsin to Florida.  Currently, they are grounded in Tennessee, due to weather concerns, but soon they will be back in the air and continuing their route straight through the heart of Alabama, with stops in locales including Chilton and Pike counties.

In a press release, Alabama Power, one of the partners for the effort, in association with Operation Migration, said that for the 14th year, a new group of the birds are being led by ultralight aircraft on a 1,200-mile journey.

The cranes are guided by a trained team from Operation Migration, which is a nonprofit group whose pilots act as “surrogate parents” and teach the cranes the route so they can return north on their own next spring.

The release says that since 2001, Operation Migration has played a key role in the reintroduction of endangered whooping cranes into eastern North America. Because of conservation efforts, approximately 500 whooping cranes exist today, up from only 15 birds in the 1940s.

Here you have an annual occasion that has been undertaken by dedicated people for the purpose of saving a species - and the numbers show their work has been successful in restoring this bird population.  Think with me about the similarities of the whooping crane journey with our own spiritual journey with the Lord.

Consider that there is a predetermined route and there is an appointed guide - an ultralight plane.   I do believe that the Lord has a path for each of us and He has given us the resources in order to walk in His will for our lives.  Now, periodically we will stray from that will and we need to make a course correction, but we recognize that He desires to order our steps so that we follow the plan that He has ordained for us. 

And, we know that He has provided an appointed guide - the Holy Spirit.   Jesus said that the Spirit - described as our Helper, will guide us into all truth.  Attention to His direction and reliance on His power to stay on course are components of living a fulfilling and productive Christian life.

Now, what's really interesting is that the birds are accompanied on the way to Florida, but not on the way back.  They are shown the path, then they are expected to make their way back to Wisconsin.  To soar in the spiritual realm, God expects us to apply what He has taught us in life. While God never leaves us without the necessary provisions in order to complete the route, there is an element of responsibility in our spiritual walk. Sure, we are given free will, and we can choose to not follow the way that He has set out for us.  He has provided all we need for life and godliness, but those resources are only activated as we take the initiative and choose to appropriate what He has provided. Dependence is a choice, and while the Lord does not expect us to "go it alone," through our surrender, we place self-reliance aside and develop a greater reliance on the Word that we have been taught. 

Showing Faith Before the Show

The Lord desires for us to develop an attitude of confidence in Him through our prayer life.  In 1st John chapter 5, we can read:
14Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Prayer is a practice in which God calls each of us to engage.  And, there are enormous benefits for the believer who will develop a committed prayer life.  We gain a sense of walking with the Father as we communicate with Him, and allow Him to speak to our hearts.  We grow in our faith as we participate in prayers and see His anwers.  We can see God do incredible things through our lives and in the lives of other people as we call upon Him.  Our confidence in the Lord grows as we dare to pray consistently and fervently.
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In 1st Thessalonians 5, we read several brief words of encouragement that can inspire us in our devotion to Christ:
16Rejoice always,17pray without ceasing,18in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The stage was set in College Station, Texas over the weekend - the A&M Aggies, fresh off an upset victory of the Auburn Tigers were set to square off against those pesky Missouri Tigers, who will win the SEC East if they defeat my beloved Tennessee Volunteers and Arkansas to finish the season.

Mizzou was victorious, but there's an emerging story, I would say an emerging photo that has received quite a bit of attention.  It apparently was taken by a photographer for a publication called Aggieland Illustrated.   I don't know where it went next, but it was picked up by Christian musical artist Tanner Clark, who posted it on Facebook, and it has received well over 100,000 shares and a host of comments.  Independent Journalism Review did a story on it.

Have you seen it?

(from Tanner Clark's Facebook page)

Yes, there are the 4 hosts of the SEC Nation program on the SEC Network, Joe Tessitore, Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears, and Paul Finebaum - with bowed heads and joined hands.  And, of course, you know who is credited with leading the prayer.   Tanner wrote:

Tim Tebow leading prayer on set at the SEC channel yesterday. Let us all always remember to Be The Light! Photo courtesy of Rob Havens, Aggieland Illustrated.

I really, really like this picture.  Now, I don't know what the faith perspective is of the other team members.  But, you have to hand it to Tim, he was not reluctant to ask the Lord's blessing on their work that day.   I do wonder what the producers at the SEC Network might say about such a blatant expression of faith, but that is a conversation for another day.  The IJR writer said, "Judging by the amount of support this single image has received, it appears as though people are thrilled that Tebow is unafraid and unapologetic for sharing his faith at every opportunity – on or off camera."

So, what can we take away from this image (and I do encourage you to check it out through The Meeting House social media)?  First of all, Tebow's just being Tebow - I don't believe it's a show for him.  And, I think it we can rely on the Lord to empower us to act in a manner that is consistent with our faith. Day in and day out, we can strive to be known for who we are and Whose we are.

And, a word now about what I would call, "on-the-spot praying."  How often are we asked to pray for someone, and we say that we'll do it, and perhaps we do and perhaps we don't.  I wrote that piece for Journey a while back, in which I quoted a piece from Converge magazine, which said:

...We use journals, spending hours writing and rewriting prayers. We use Post-it notes until our desks are covered. We create prayer lists, prayer chains, and still, there’s a 99 percent chance we’ll forget to actually pray.

I would say, don't put it off - if there's a prayer need that is staring you in the face, why not pray in that moment?

Finally, the Faith Radio team prays together each weekday, and we do cherish the opportunity to pray for our listeners.  But, if I didn't work for a Christian radio network, I have to wonder if I would take the time to join together with my co-workers in prayer, or spend any time interceding for their needs. Would I exhibit such boldness?   I think we can all be challenged to think how we can stand in prayer in our workplaces.   And, please contact us with your prayer needs - go to www.faithradio.org and click on the "Contact Us" tab and send us your request.

Taste and See...

In Psalm 34, we see that the writer takes two of our physical senses and applies them to our experience of God's presence:
8Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!9Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

So, how do we "taste and see?"  I think the implication here is that we are called into an experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit that is unique and fulfilling.  He wants us to explore a deep walk with Him, so that His desires are our own and that we long to be with Him, to know more of and about Him, to gain a sense of truly walking with Him.  We can display His character, and we can identify ways in which we see Him work in, through, and around our lives.  In our hunger and thirst for God, we can look for Him and find Him - in so doing, we have cause for rejoicing!

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God has placed His Spirit in our hearts, and His desire is that we allow His nature to be displayed through our lives.  In 2nd Corinthians 2, Paul uses the analogy of our spreading the fragrance of God's goodness:
14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life...

We are still a few days out from Thanksgiving, but already sights are set on the Christmas season. And, even though Brandon Heath, a guest on today's Meeting House program, decries the early celebration of the Christmas season - for good reason - we still are building anticipation of this special time of the year.

So, fall isn't exactly in the rear-view mirror, but soon, the red cups at the neighborhood store marked by the "lady in green," as Steven Curtis Chapman puts it, will have completely overtaken the residual presence of what has become a marketing phenomenon - the pumpkin spice latte, or PSL for short, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.

As of last year, according to Forbes, Starbucks had sold more than 200 million units of the drink. Writer Michelle Maynard writes that the sauce consists of pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and the spices: cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.

Of course, there are all sorts of pumpkin-inspired items that have been available this time of year. Acording to Maynard, pumpkin is featured in at least five different variations at Dunkin Donuts, including new pumpkin flavored coffee K-packs. There are pumpkin M&M's, as well as pumpkin spice lotion, shampoo and candles.   I even came across a trail mix that has pumpkin and sunflower seeds nestled in its components.

She says it's the perfect cross-cultural flavor.  She writes:

I come from New England roots, and grew up thinking it was just fine to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast. You’ll find cinnamon used in a wide variety of cuisines, ginger in Asian food, nutmeg in Middle Eastern dishes, and cloves in a variety of Mediterranean and African foods.

We might not all pick up the idea of fall from pumpkin spice, but we might find something from our own background when we taste it.

CNBC.com reports that restaurants' pumpkin-inspired limited-time offers were up 234 percent from 2008 to 2012, while overall limited-time menu offers have grown 143 percent over the same period, according to Datassential Menu Trends.   

So, it seems to me that marketers have caused us to cultivate a taste for something on a seasonal basis that we don't ordinarily consume throughout the rest of the year.   It's trendy and it helps us to identify with a particular season and an experience.

What can fascination with the pumpkin teach us about our own spiritual life?   Well, my first thought is of a word of caution.  As humans, we can become rather experiential, but in our Christian walk, we have to be careful that we are not seeking the experience rather than the One who wants to draw us in to experience Him on a consistent basis.

The pumpkin craze connects with people on several sensory levels, including the taste and the smell. And, if you're like me, someone who enjoys fall colors, especially orange, there could be a sight component, as well.  God has created our physical senses to enjoy the world that He has created for us and in which He has placed us.   And, He has given us the capacity to develop our spiritual senses to detect and experience His presence.   

But, remember: it's best not to come before the Lord sporadically or seasonally - He wants us to abide in Him and not just enter into worship on special occasions.

He also wants us to show others the expression of His presence.  The Bible speaks of our being the "fragrance" of Christ.  So, we can even look at our lives and determine whether or not we would pass the "smell" test regarding how well we are radiating His presence and causing others to desire the irresistible flavor of the God's Spirit.

Tiny Houses and Greater Barns

In 2nd Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul talks about the display of generosity and the thanksgiving that results from our obedience to the Lord:
10Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,11while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.12For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God...

We are about to enter a season of the year in which we can observe unprecedented generosity in our culture.  And, it provides us the opportunity to consider the condition of hearts regarding our possessions.  If we are prone to accumulation, at the expense of our devotion to God and the willingness to help meet the needs of others, perhaps a re-evaluation would be in order.  We are called to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us.

Jesus spoke a convicting parable in Luke chapter 12 about our stewardship of our resources:

16Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.17And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'18So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.19And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." '20But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'21So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
The average home square footage in the U.S. continues to climb — 1,525 square feet in 1973 to 2,598 last year, according to a piece on the USA Today website.  

Could you imagine living in a home that is 100 square feet?  That piece profiled a gentleman named Sean Spain from Iowa, who works in construction and built a tiny home. 

The report says that:

Most people's master baths are bigger than Spain's cottage. It sits on an old trailer and is made of reclaimed materials and features a living room, kitchen and sleeping loft all in one room and a tiny toilet closet.

In fact, there apparently is a trend toward "micro" living.  Iowa was apparently at the forefront, but the trend has taken off in other areas.  The article adds:

The small homes hit at a philosophy, which often sounds good on paper but more difficult in reality: Let's get rid of all this stuff and live simply. The young want them for affordability, the empty nesters because they are tired of tending to large homes filled with rooms they never go in. Others want them because the Earth is warming and the environment matters to them.

The Small House Society was launched in Iowa City. Jay Shafer, a former university art professor, built a 130-square foot home in Iowa City and word got around. By 2002, he joined Greg Johnson and others to form the society (www.smallhousesociety.net) that fosters the development of smaller, sustainable living spaces.

Johnson lived in what was essentially a sleeping cabin, 10 feet by 7 feet, from 2003 to 2009. "I'd wake up in the morning and go to the gym to take a shower."

He said people are waking up to the low cost of ownership and upkeep on a tiny house. He's also talked to plenty of folks who tried to sell a 4,000-square-foot house that sat on the market for two years while smaller homes sold in days.

From another USA Today piece, I found out about an organization in Austin, Texas, called Mobile Loaves and Fishes.  A MyFoxAustin.com piece reported on the groundbreaking of Community First! Village, a 27-acre affordable-housing community for the chronically homeless.

Mobile Loaves and Fishes has been working for 10 years to build Community First! Village for Austin's chronically homeless population. The project includes 235 homes with rent ranging from $110-400 a month. There is also a chicken operation where homeowners can gather eggs for meals and a community garden for fresh grown fruits and vegetables. Mobile Loaves and Fishes Communication Director Nate Schlueter says, "Most importantly it provides them a neighborhood to live in. It's a first-class master-planned gated community where our friends are safe and they're able to be settled." 

I think there are some concepts for us to consider about the use of our resources.  I remember that our Sunday School teacher may years ago challenged our class to think about how big our barns are.  In Luke 12, Jesus spoke about the accumulation of "many goods," or what we could call, "stuff," and warned about not being rich toward God. If we are so overwhelmed by our things that we possess to the extent that they become idols to us, replacing God as the foremost pursuit of our lives, then perhaps we need to re-examine our priorities.  I think it is instructive to think about what possessions that are appropriate to have and examine what we really need.  

Also, you have to consider how God can use us in the context of our culture to meet the needs of others.  As we love God, I believe He will direct us to consider that perhaps He has blessed us material for the purpose of sharing.  We have to examine whether or not we are driven to accumulate to the extent that we are not sensitive to our cultural calling to be used of the Lord to address needs around us.   God may not be calling you to downsize to a tiny house, but He may be directing you to consider what you have and think about what you have to give.

Heaven, Hell, and Absolute Truth

The Bible teaches clearly that there is no one that can stand before God and declare his or her righteousness - there is no one considered to be good, and we need a Savior to make things right. Romans 3 says this:
21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...
How does a person stand righteous before God?  The Bible is clear - it's not based on our personal worth or our personal works.  Making sure your good works outweigh your bad doesn't make you right before God.  We are sinful people!  Jesus came to eradicate the sin that stood in the way of a right relationship, a right position, with our Heavenly Father.  And, if we make the decision to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of our lives, then we have the promise of eternal life with Him - His presence with us to walk with us through this earth, and to bring us into our home in heaven with Himself.
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In Matthew 13, Jesus drew the distinction between those who would spend eternity with Him and those who would not...

47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,48which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
So what do Americans believe about heaven and hell, and other theological truths?   Ligonier Ministries commissioned LifeWay Research recently to, as Stephen Nichols, chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries, put it, “take the temperature of America’s theological health.”

The LifeWay Research website has the report.  It quotes Ligonier founder and chairman, R.C. Sproul, as saying, “What comes screaming through this survey is the pervasive influence of humanism.”

Researchers asked 43 questions about faith, covering topics from sin and salvation to the Bible and the afterlife. They wanted to know how people in the pews—and people on the street—understand theology.

Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, said, “People like to believe in a generic Christian-ish god with cafeteria doctrines," adding, "However, when we asked about harder beliefs—things that the church has and still considers orthodoxy—the numbers shift.”

Two thirds - 67 percent - of Americans believe heaven is a real place. But as far as who goes there, well, just under half of Americans (45 percent) say there are many ways to heaven—which, as the LifeWay report points out, conflicts with traditional views about salvation being linked to faith in Jesus.  That includes about 1-in-5 evangelicals.

About half of Americans (53 percent) say salvation is in Christ alone.  About four in 10 say people who have never heard of Jesus can still get into heaven. And 3 in 10 say people will have a chance to follow God after they die.

You have a slightly smaller percentage of survey respondents who believe in the reality of hell than a real heaven. About 6 in 10 Americans (61 percent) say hell is a real place.

Overall, Americans don’t seem too worried about sin or being sent to hell. Two-thirds (67 percent) say most people are basically good, even though everyone sins a little bit, which the report points out is an optimistic view of human nature at odds with traditional teaching about human sin.

Fewer than 1 in 5 Americans (18 percent) say even small sins should lead to damnation, while about half (55 percent) say God has a wrathful side.

A large percentage - 82 percent - say their local church has no authority to “declare that I am not a Christian.” 56 percent of respondents believe their pastor’s sermons have no authority in their life, while slightly less than half (45 percent) say the Bible was written for each person to interpret as they choose.

Nichols, from Ligonier Ministries, is quoted as saying, "This study demonstrates the stunning gap in theological awareness throughout our nation, in our neighborhoods, and even in the seat next to us at church."

Cafeteria doctrines - that's the phrase Ed Stetzer uses.  As a culture, it appears we have become accustomed to not speaking in terms of absolutes with regard to faith matters.   In our lack of knowledge of God's Word and perhaps our desire to be tolerant in this age, people consider that there might be other ways to heaven than through faith in Jesus Christ.

But, this is clearly contradictory to what Jesus said - that He is the way, the truth, and the life.  And, as it has been pointed out, who are we to say something other than what the Bible teaches?  That does seem to be the rub - there are those who, when they encounter inconvenient teaching or something in the Bible that they do not personally believe, they customize the Scriptures to line up with their own suppositions, rather than allow God's Word to shape their belief system.

We have to be careful to not omit passages of Scripture with which we do not agree.  We are called to incorporate and follow the whole counsel of God.   For instance, even though Romans 3 tells us that there is none righteous, two-thirds of people surveyed believe humans are basically good.  But, the truth, is we're not, and we need a Savior in order to make us right with God.  The teachings of the Bible, including what Jesus taught, are sometimes hard and challenging, but following His truth is essential for living the abundant and satisfying life that God intends for us. And, our decisions based on the Word of God can determine and help us be confident about our eternal destiny.

What is Your Response?

In Psalm 18, we can read a reminder of how we can respond when we are facing trouble in our lives, recognizing that prayer provides a powerful opportunity for us to communicate with God about our needs:
1b I will love You, O Lord, my strength.2The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.4The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.5The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.6In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

When we are in distress or when we experience conflict in our lives or we observe it in the lives of others, it's important that we remember the presence of the Lord to help and heal.  He is an incredible source of strength, and as we call upon Him in faith, we can believe that He will get involved and His Spirit will work to bring a resolution.  In our own lives, when we feel desperate, we can be reminded of His presence.  And, on a larger scale, the body of Christ can be an important voice when we see desperate situations unfold.

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The front page of a website from a movement organized by a group of ministers from the Ferguson, Missouri, area, displays this verse of Scripture from Psalm 118:5:
In my distress I called upon the Lord, the Lord answered me and set me in a spacious place.

The New King James translation reads:
5I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.6The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Weeks ago, I talked about the significance of a tent strategically placed in a community that could be used as a tool through which God could work.  Well, during October, a large tent was erected in Ferguson, Missouri as part of what is known as the Ferguson Response.

From its website, here is the backstory:

In late August 2014, a small group of ministerial leaders began to seek the Lord about what He would require of them in regards to the growing crisis in Ferguson. Through prayer, the Lord instructed them to call a corporate fast and erect a tent in Ferguson for extended worship and community outreach daily.From October 4th-25th, 2014, Christian churches, ministries, and individuals around the nation joined with believers in the Greater St.Louis region to exalt Jesus above the ethnic divisions, political injustices, and socio-cultural crises of our times.

The front page of the site says this:

A great spiritual awakening is emerging in the middle of America. In the midst of great pain and turmoil, many are finding hope and healing through the love of Jesus Christ as he is exalted above the escalating crises surrounding the confrontation between officer Darren Wilson and Michael Brown. Since October 4th, thousands of Christians from across the nation have united with believers from across the St. Louis metro area and the city of Ferguson through corporate fasting, extended praise, worship, and radical expressions of Biblical love. Together, we are entreating the Lord for mercy, to restrain lawlessness and establish his righteousness and justice in our nation.

The tent was erected on Florissant Ave., where people were engaged in worship and ministry from 8-12 hours each day - over 170 hours of praise and worship occurred in the tent during that 3-week period.  There were a variety of expressions of God's love and power, including a reported 50 people saved.  The tent expression ended on October 25th with a free community feast, with a variety of activities, including a panel discussion with the great granddaughter of Dred Scott and the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ferguson Response Director Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is quoted on the Christian Newswire website as saying, "Both authorities and citizens in St. Louis are bracing for a potential eruption of violence not only here but possibly around the nation. Not everyone is prone to violence but various ideological groups have converged on the area and there is international presence. Some see it as a flashpoint for the advancement of anarchist agendas and have made serious threats but we see it as a flashpoint for revival. We have clearly seen the prevailing hand of God and know that He responds to His people when we fervently pray."

Thomas added, "Regardless of the facts and the outcome, every believer has a major role to play in the healing of these wounds and peace in the nations. It's critical that we respond to the Lord now."

So, now as the news outlets have begun their ramping up to the possible grand jury decision on the Michael Brown encounter with officer Darren Wilson, church leaders in Ferguson are continuing to emphasize the importance of prayer, of calling out to God in the midst of this potentially explosive situation.  They had originally released a 21-day prayer guide, which is available on the website, www.thefergusonresponse.com.   Those principles are still relevant today as people from across the nation join in prayer.

A couple of thoughts for you today:

First of all, when we see conflict, we can know that the presence of the Lord is available and that He would want to bring peace to diffuse such situations.  The hearts of people across America, regardless of racial and cultural background, have been troubled by the events that have unfolded in this area.  It is appropriate that the church is present and is desiring to minister in a passionate and effective way to spread God's love.

And, we can consider our own hearts and the situations we face.  When we encounter conflict and relational difficulties, how do we respond?   Prayer can be a powerful force in bringing the peace of the Lord, and I believe if we follow the principles of His Word and approach these instances with a display of humility and a desire to reconcile, we can rely on His resources to bring a solution to bear.