Strangers and Pilgrims

For some reason, over the past several days, my mind has been on a foreign country where I have ministered in the past. I have found myself, several times over the last week, or so, stopping to pray for the missionaries that I know there and the church that has been established there. I've got Asia on my mind and that's where my thoughts are flowing from today.

Taiwan, and Asia at large, is a unique place with a rich culture. The people are different, the language couldn't be further from English and the customs have a character and flavor to them that are unique to that region of the world. One of my favorite memories from my first trip to Taiwan was sitting down with Bro Richardson and a Taiwanese gentleman and learning the ritual and culture involved in the brewing of tea. Just the sharing of a casual, common drink was a ceremony of sorts that had significance and meaning wrapped up in each step of the process.

Over the years I've been privileged to make several trips to Taiwan and minister there. Early on, even before the first trip, I began to study the language and the culture in an effort to acclimate myself to what I knew would be a totally different kind of place. Being a consummate reader, I read everything I could that dealt with China and Asia at large. I hired an Air Force translator to teach me Chinese and later I enrolled in a college level Chinese course where I learned not only to speak Mandarin but to read and write some of it as well.

When I was there I did my best to fully embrace the experience, making every effort to adopt the customs and practices that were native to the land. However, no matter how hard I tried, it was always going to be painfully obvious that I was a stranger. I could speak enough Mandarin to get around on the streets, but not without a pronounced western accent. I could honor the customs and attempt to say and do all of the right things but never would I get it perfectly right because, the simple truth is, that I never fully grasped the significance of each thing. As hard as I tried to blend in there was no way to conceal the fact that I was still a foreigner. I felt comfortable and at home in Asia but the simple truth is that I was a stranger, and that is all I will ever be in a foreign culture.

In the second chapter of his first letter to the church, Peter felt led to remind us that we are strangers and pilgrims in this world. "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims," he said. (1 Peter 2:11) The next two chapters contain real world advice on how we should live our lives based upon the understanding that we are strangers. As strangers in this world, we are reminded that we will never quite fit in. As strangers in this world, there will always be something different about us. It will show up in the way we talk. It will show up in the way we dress. It will show up in our manners and customs.

I simply want to remind you today that we are strangers and pilgrims. This world is not our home. We were never meant to blend in. If and when the church becomes just like the world, it ceases to be the church. The reason for this is that our citizenship is not of this world. We serve another king. We are subjects of another kingdom. We answer to a different, higher law. Our lives are governed by a greater authority than the system of this world. We would do well to remind ourselves of that truth often.

Peter recognized the fact that it is in our nature to want to blend in. It is in our nature to want to fit in. Nobody likes to stick out like a sore thumb. For the same reason that I endeavored to learn as much as I could about the culture of China and assimilate it into my life, we feel compelled by our flesh to fit in with those around us. If we aren't careful we will begin to measure ourselves by the standard of this world. If we aren't vigilant we will begin to adopt the thinking and viewpoint of carnal flesh. So Peter warns us, in the same verse, to "abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."

The passions and desires of our flesh war against our soul and strive to compel us to conform to this world. Our own human nature will endeavor to mold us into a form that is acceptable to this world. But Paul warned us in Romans 12:2 to "be not conformed to this world." Instead he urged us to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." What a great piece of instruction. Our flesh wants to conform to this present world and so it wars against our soul. But we must understand the simple premise that we may be in this world, but we don't belong to this world. As a result of that understanding, it falls to each of us to insure that, each day, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Each day, we must get into the presence of God and renew our minds. Each day we must find the time to go before the throne of God and be reminded of our true citizenship. It is absolutely critical to our soul and our salvation that we maintain the distinction and separation that identifies us, both to the world and to ourselves, as strangers and pilgrims in this world. Because, one fine day, He's gonna split the eastern sky and call us home to be with him and on that day I'm going to be glad that I never made my home down here.

I want to encourage you today. Heaven is our home. We are the children of the King. We belong to Him and we were never meant to "belong" in this old world. The old songwriter got it right, "This world is not my home I'm just passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue…"

If Grace costs me anything...

Disclaimer: I haven't posted all week because I've been at church camp with my boys. I thought I'd go ahead and jump start this week with a piece that I wrote about a year ago. I hope you are blessed by it.

The words shocked me. “If grace costs me anything, then I don't want it.” Brent is just a good old boy. He owns a drive-thru coffee shop and, to hear him tell it, his call in life is to share the gospel with his customers. He learned, a long time ago, that I was a Pentecostal preacher and, from my perspective, it seems as if his call in life is to argue doctrine with me every time I pull through his shop.

Not long ago I pulled into his shop and it was obvious from the first hello that he had been prepping himself for my next visit. He launched into a dissertation on how it was unscriptural to consider baptism as a step in the process of salvation. We bantered back and forth a bit as he prepared my drink. I quoted a few scriptures about baptism and I made an argument based upon the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. However, as the discussion progressed, we moved to the subject of grace and ended up discussing the premise, presented in Romans, that faith and obedience are inseparably linked. After a little while, my drink was finished, a car was waiting and we broke off another engaging conversation.

It happened as I was pulling away, and I must admit that I was totally unprepared for it. As a matter of fact I was a little taken aback when he leaned out of the drive-thru window and hollered after me, “If grace costs me anything, then I don’t want it.” I hit my brakes and paused for a moment and, emboldened, he continued, “If grace costs me anything, then it is not grace anymore.” The car behind me pulled up and I pulled out of the parking lot shaking my head in utter disbelief.

I knew such thinking existed, but I had never heard it put so bluntly. The concept is mind boggling. To believe that the grace of God is acceptable only if it requires nothing in exchange is an incredibly self-centered approach to God. What about the disciples? They walked away from everything to follow Jesus. What about Paul? It caused a total change in his life, even his identity was altered. I shook my head in shock because I’ve always believed that the grace that cost so much at Calvary required something of me in return.

This afternoon, I read the first chapter of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Disciplehip.” According to Bonhoeffer, those that would seek to justify sin rather than the sinner have hijacked the message of grace. His premise is solid and his reasoning is sound. I can clearly see where so many took a wrong turn many years ago and perverted the message of grace. As I read, my mind went back to that encounter. It, truly, breaks my heart to hear a sincere young man make such a flawed statement. He really believes that the only way he wants grace is if he doesn’t have to change a thing to get it. The question arises, if God intended to leave his followers just like he found them, then why would he endure the pain and the agony of the cross?

As much as it hurts me to say it, I’ve been witness to this same kind of thinking as it has crept into my generation of Apostolic Pentecostals. It seems that the mentality of the hour revolves around the question of just how little can I do and still be saved. There are those that would say that if you can’t tell me this will send me to Hell then I’m going to do it. Period. The fundamental spirit behind this kind of an approach to serving God is no different than the young man who made the brash statement, "If grace costs me anything then I don’t want it." The end result is the same. It revolves around a mindset that would rather justify lifestyles and fashion choices than to justify the inner man.

Can I humbly say, this afternoon, that no matter what grace costs me, I want it. No matter what I have to leave behind, I’m hungry for it. There is no price too high to pay, no sacrifice too big to make. The old songwriter cut to the chase when he penned the words, “Above all else, I must be saved.”

I firmly believe that God loves you just like you are, but I also believe that He will never leave you that way. I join my voice with that of the early church that proclaimed, I’ve been bought with a price and my life is not my own. Understand this, my consecration and dedication, as manifested by a separated life, are not about earning God’s grace but rather they are about manifesting God’s grace. He made a change in my life and I firmly believe that, if I continue walking with him, that change will be manifest in my life!

We must put an end to the mentality that shuns sacrifice and dedication. It's time to stop the spiritual decay that manifests itself in a desire to please the flesh and appease spirits of this world. We are the children of God. We are called out of darkness and into His marvelous light. It's high time we embraced the costliness of our salvation. Take up your cross, echos the cry of those that gave all they had, and follow Jesus.

This generation my choose a cheap form of grace to the detriment of their own spirituality... But as for me, give me grace -- no matter the cost!

We Started This Race To Finish It

The race had been completed over an hour before. Most of the spectators had already moved on to other things. However, as the darkness of evening settled over the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, a striking figure entered the far end of the stadium. The winner of the race had already been declared. But, to every one's surprise, this lone runner pressed on towards the finished line. As he hobbled into view it became apparent why he was lagging so far behind the rest of the field. One leg was bloodied and bandaged, and his body was racked with pain. In spite of it all, however, John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania pressed through the cold darkness towards the finish line.

This struggle of endurance in the face of a seemingly insurmountable obstacle brought the remaining crowd to their feet. As the injured runner finally crossed the finish line the crowd roared in appreciation of the remarkable moment they had just witnessed. It would go down in history as one of the most memorable Olympic moments ever. A reporter, recognizing the significance of the moment quickly went to the lone, persistent runner and asked him why he didn't quit the race after he realized that there was no chance at all that he could win it. Akhwari famously replied, “My country did not send me 7000 miles to start the race. They sent me 7000 miles to finish it."

Several times, in the New Testament, this life that we live is likened to a race. Today, I am reminded that we are all running a race. We are all striving to win this race. In athletic events, Paul tells us, all run but only one receives the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24) However, the wonderful truth of the race that we are in is that we can all obtain the prize. We all run to obtain the same prize and, unlike most races, we can all obtain the thing we are running for.

The reason for this is that the prize for this race does not go to the swiftest. This is a race where the prize goes to the one that endures until the end. Jesus said in Matthew 24:13, "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Everyone that crosses the finish line of this race will be rewarded with the prize that we all strain for. I want to remind you this morning that the focus isn't on running the race, the focus is on crossing the finish line. The prize lies in finishing the race. And we can all obtain that prize, simply by running with endurance until we finally cross the finish line.

When I was younger I really liked to run. I ran a couple of miles every evening. However, in the fall of the year, after the time changed, it would get dark too early for me to run. (At the time we lived on a busy highway with no sidewalks, and running in the dark could prove to be dangerous.) Each spring, when the time changed again, I would have to start all over again building myself back up to where I could run 2 miles. I discovered that the easiest way to do this was to run until I didn't feel like I could go any further. At that point I would then pick a target, a goal, somewhere ahead of me and encourage myself to push until I reached that goal, where I would slack off and complete the two miles at a walk. The next day I would push myself to that same point then challenge myself to go a little further. Using this method, I could quickly extend my range each day until, before too long, I was running the full two miles. The thing that compelled me was the finish line that was constantly set before me.

Today, I believe that we would all benefit by lifting our eyes from the present circumstances of this race and extending our vision to catch a glimpse of the finish line. I want to remind you that God didn't start you on this journey just so you could run in the race of life. He started you in this race to finish it. He didn't put you in your current situation just so you could throw your hands up in frustration and quit. He put you here, and determined this course for your life, with one goal in mind, that you would finish the race. I want to encourage you this morning, not to abort the process. Don't stop short of the finish line. It really doesn't matter how fast you run, or how well you run, or with how much style and grace you run, it only matters, today, that you keep running. Our single goal, in this life, is to cross the finish line that God has set before us.

Perhaps this is why the writer of Hebrews instructs us to run the race with endurance. (Hebrews 12:1) He acknowledges that there are going to be trials and difficulties along the way. He acknowledges that there are going to be times when you stumble and fall. He doesn't preclude the idea that you may very well find yourself running this race while bloodied and bandaged from the hardships along the way. As a matter of fact, he goes so far as to tell us that these tests and trials are for our benefit and that they must be met with perseverance.

It was verse 12, however, that caught my attention this morning. There the author encourages us to "lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees." We are all running this race, and we all find ourselves in places, from time to time, where our hands are drooping and our knees are weak. But I want to join my voice with that of scripture and encourage you to lift up your eyes and take a long look at the finish line. This is what we are striving for. This is the reason we press on. This is the strength that fuels our endurance. We aren't living for this present life anyway. We aren't running for a corruptible crown. We are striving for the prize of eternal life. We are running for the greatest treasure of all and nothing in this world is worth abandoning the pursuit of the finish line. We started this race to finish it.

I want to encourage you this morning to keep running. Run, that you might obtain the prize. Run that you might cross the finish line. There is no prize for starting. There is no prize, even for running in the race. The prize resides in finishing the race. So keep running...

The Powerful Attraction of an Urgent Harvest

In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus left Judea to go to Galilee. The events that are conveyed in the first 42 verses of that chapter are the direct result of the fact that when Jesus set out on this journey he chose to walk the road less traveled. It seems that devout Jews refused to take the direct rout from Judea to Galilee because it passed through Samaria.

The Samaritans were of a mixed ethnicity. They were part Jewish and part Gentile. As a result they were despised by both Jews and Non-Jews, alike. According to 2 Kings 17:24-31, the king of Assyria brought foreign people in to settle in Samaria in 722 BC. Over time this band of interlopers intermarried and intermingled with some Jews (remnants of the Old Testament's Northern Kingdom) who remained in the area. These Samaritans were not only of a mixed race, but it seems that they also mingled their faiths together into a brand of religion that was all their own.

The Jewish influence from those that were descendants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel assimilated into the Samaritan culture. History tells us that they had their own version of the Pentateuch, their own temple on Mount Gerizim, and their own rendering of Israelite history. As a result, tensions often ran high between Jews and Samaritans. There was even a point in their history, according to the historian Josephus, that fighting between them got so intense that Roman Soldiers were called in to break it up.

Because of all of this, strict Jews, in order to avoid defilement, would normally bypass Samaria by opting for a longer route that involved crossing the Jordan and traveling on the east side. This was the more common, and safer route of travel. This is the way that you would expect a religious leader and his band of devout disciples to travel from Judea to Galilee. However, the scripture says that Jesus "had to pass through Samaria." (John 4:4 ESV)

Jesus "had to" go through Samaria. Not because it was the shortest route of travel. Not because it was the only way to get where he was going. Not because it was the preferred road to travel on. Jesus had to pass through Samaria because of the powerful attraction of an urgent harvest. Jesus was compelled by his purpose, which was to seek and save the lost. That purpose compelled him to pass through Samaria because he knew, as only he could know, that a desperately hungry woman was going to be making a journey to Jacob's well that day. Jesus had to go through Samaria because the harvest was ready and the opportunity was at hand. I believe this morning, that Jesus was compelled to journey through Samaria because, as the Messiah, he was attracted to a hungry heart.

I won't spend a lot of time this morning retelling the familiar story of what transpired at Jacob's well, instead I would like to jump to the end of the story if I could. After Jesus met the lady and ministered to her at the point of her need, his disciples returned. We know, from scripture, that they wondered what Jesus was doing talking with this woman at the well. Perhaps they were wondering, as well, what they were doing in Samaria. I believe that this was the case because when the disciples started discussing food with Jesus, he quickly turned the conversation to the subject of the Harvest.

I believe that Jesus was answering the lingering questions about why he had chosen this route and why he had stopped at this well when he said, "Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest." (John 4:35 ESV) I believe that the thing that compelled Jesus to travel through Samaria was the powerful attraction of an urgent harvest. It was the understanding that the time was right, that a precise moment had arrived and an opportunity was going to pass if it wasn't seized upon that compelled him to journey through Samaria.

I have lived in farm country all of my life. One of the primary crops around here is cotton. Cotton, like other crops, has a very distinct window for harvest. There is a limited amount of time that a farmer has to reap the harvest from the time that it reaches the state of being ready until the point that it is degraded beyond usefulness. There is a precise, particular window of time that is finite and will eventually close. I believe that Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, saw this dear lady in Samaria and recognized that the window for harvest had arrived, that the time was now. He was compelled to go to Samaria because of the urgency of the situation.

In his statement to his follower, and to us by extension, he stressed the fact that the harvest was an urgent, timely thing. He said, you look around and say, "In four months the harvest will be ready." When, in fact, there are those around us every day that are ready right now. Look again, he said, the "fields are white for harvest" now. Paul told the church in Corinth that "now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV)

My friend, there are those around us that are desperate, hungry and ready for this gospel message now. Today. If we could ever see that we would realize that the harvest holds an attraction that is based in the urgency of the situation. If we wait four months to try to reach them we will lose them. If we wait for a more expedient time, this opportunity is going to pass. For some of those around you, now is the time!

The Psalmist tells us that "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." (Psalm 37:23) I can't help but believe, today, that God is leading you and I into a harvest that is ready now. I believe that, as God orders the direction and events of our lives he compels us into encounters that have been divinely orchestrated because a hungry heart is present. My prayer today is that you and I won't get lulled into the mindset that looks around at our world and is content to say that harvest is coming "one of these days." Rather, I pray that we will be gripped by the urgency of the harvest and seize upon the moments and chances that God orchestrates in our lives so that we may snatch some "out of the fire" before it becomes too late. (Jude 1:23 ESV)

I am reminded of the words from an old song that says, "Lead me Lord and I will follow." Today I want to do more than just follow the route that the Lord has chosen for my life, I want to capitalize on the opportunities that he places in my path!

The Million Dollar Matress

Last week I heard an interesting story. It seems that on last Tuesday a lady in Hiriya, Israel, had a bright idea and went out and bought her mother a new mattress. Her mother had been using the same mattress for many years and this thoughtful daughter felt it would be a good thing to replace the old, lumpy mattress with a brand new one. Apparently her mother wasn't there when she made the substitution, removing the old and replacing it with the new. After accomplishing her good deed for the day, she grabbed the old, lumpy, mattress and drug it out to curbside for garbage pickup.

This is where the story gets interesting. At some point in the day she realized that she had made a dreadful mistake. In all likelihood, her mother finally came home and recognized immediately what had been done. You see, that lumpy old mattress was stuffed with a million dollars in cash! It seems that the mother didn't trust banks and figured that her mattress was the safest place to hide her life savings. For years she tucked away the excess of her earnings amassing a sum that is considered to be a fortune in any country. But then along came the daughter and started tossing out the things she didn't understand. It made no sense to her to keep that dusty old mattress around.

Once she realized what she had lost she ran frantically to the curb to get it back, only it was gone! The trash collectors had already run and the mattress, presumably, was on its way to the landfill. She quickly notified the landfill that she had lost a mattress with the whopping sum of a million dollars stuffed inside it. What followed would have been comical if it wasn't for the seriousness of the loss. The spent days, with heavy machinery, scouring the landfill in Hiriya, to no avail. The mattress was lost and isn't likely to be found again. The family has now surmised that its possible that some homeless person saw the old mattress on the side of the road and took it for their own. It's entirely possible that tonight, in the city of Hiriya, a poor destitute homeless person is sleeping on a million dollars.

The thing that strikes me about this incident today is the fact that the young lady so casually discarded such a valuable thing simply because she didn't understand the importance of the thing. That old mattress had been there for years, its significance was shrouded by the fact that it was outdated, used up, tired and worn out. So she discarded it. She didn't bother to ask her Mother if there was a reason for keeping it around. She didn't bother to try to discover the significance of it. She just assumed that her limited knowledge of the matter was enough and she tossed the old mattress, along with its fortune, out to the curb.

I am concerned today because, there seems to exist, in my generation, a contempt for landmarks and foundations that have been previously established. The mantra of the revisionists hinges on the idea that anything that is not explicitly stated in scripture is up for grabs. I am sorely afraid that, in the rush to relevance, the essence of who and what we are as a movement will be sacrificed by some on the alter of convenience. I am not one to run around and scream that the sky is falling, however, the more I hear voices among us that question what have long been established positions of the church, the more troubled my spirit becomes. I don't intend any disrespect by comparing our standards and heritage to an old mattress, however, I'm afraid that, in keeping with the story above, some are determined to throw the old mattress out to the curb without ever truly grasping the significance of it.

The stances, standards, and positions we have inherited are not perfect but they have come at a great cost and have been preserved by great sacrifice. It is my desire that a voice of caution would be heard, loud and long, before we tear down in a few moments what was built over the span of generations, before we toss to the curb the riches of a heritage that some of us don't understand. I truly believe that when Esau sold his birthright he thought he was doing what was most expedient for the moment and most beneficial to him. I don't believe he realized the true value of what he lost in that exchange until years down the road. However, the writer of Hebrews tells us that "afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears." (Hebrews 12:17 ESV)

I am afraid that it is possible to barter away something precious today, the value of which will only be realized somewhere on down the road, after it is much too late to repent and turn back. I'm afraid that somewhere along the way, some in my generation are going to begin the frantic search for an old mattress that has been permanently lost to them. The poor lady in Israel employed every resource available but never found the mattress. Esau sought it with tears, but couldn't reclaim what he had lost. I, for one, don't want to walk down that desolate road of regret. I further don't want to see my generation relegated to that path.

I have, long since, determined that I will not casually set aside those things that have defined us for years simply because it may seem to be the expedient or convenient thing to do. Somehow, today, I doubt that the nice, new, firm mattress sleeps half as well as the old worn out lumpy one did. As for me and my house, we're gonna keep the mattress...

The Escape Fire

It happened on August 5, 1949. A crew of 18 smoke jumpers jumped on a fire in Mann Gulch, Montana. On the ground they linked up with a park ranger making their total strength 19 men. As they attempted to advance to a safe location near the Missouri River the fire jumped the gulch and cut them off. The crew Foreman, Dutch, a 33 year old veteran firefighter, had gone ahead to scout and discovered the main fire less than 300 yards from them and advancing. He described the fire at that point as being 200 feet deep and over a mile wide burning 15 feet high.

Recognizing the danger and the fact that he and his crew were caught in what he later called a "Death Trap" he surveyed his options. Forest Service doctrine for fighting fires at that time consisted of four options for a crew in his situation. 1) Find safe harbor in water, however the fire was now between them and the river. 2) Back burn to create a fire stop, however the fire was too close for the back burn to have time to create an area big enough to stop the fire. 3) Work your way through the main fire to get to the relative safety behind it, once again, this option was made impossible by the size and mass of the fire. No one could work through 200 feet of solid flames and survive. 4) The final option and the one that Dutch chose for his crew was to head for high ground. Fires have a way of breaking up and weakening at the top of a ridge line where the ground is rocky and there isn't much fuel.

Dutch returned to his crew and ordered them to reverse course, post haste. About 500 yards later he gave his second order, drop all heavy packs and equipment. As Dutch worked his way to the front of the line conveying this message to each man they began to realize the seriousness of their situation. It was only moments later that they began to feel the intense heat of the main fire breathing down their necks. It dawned on each man that he was running a race he might not win. They began to run for their lives. Some were faster than others and what had been a tight little formation became a long ragged line.

Each man had one thought on his mind, to reach the safety of the ridge top. It became their singular fixation blocking out everything else, they were in immanent danger and there was apparent safety at the top of the ridge. There was only one problem, they were still in the timber and they couldn't yet see the top of the ridge. They didn't know how far away it was or even if they had enough time to make it there. Still they ran, uphill, because that had to lead to safety.

Dutch was the first to break from the tree line several yards ahead of his crew. When he stepped out into the dry grass on the hillside, the top appeared to be 200 yards ahead. Dutch realized, in that moment, what no one else knew, there was no way they were all going to make it to the safety of the ridge top. It was then, in an apparent flash of genius, that Dutch had a moment of intuition. Kneeling in the grass he began to light his own fire, ahead of the main fire.

Three of his crew came upon hem, kneeling in the grass lighting a fire. It shouldn't be hard to imagine what they must have thought when they looked across the open hillside and saw their boss playing with matches in the dry grass. One survivor later said, "We thought he must have gone nuts."

Turning to the men Dutch began to try to explain his reasoning. "Come into my fire" he said. But before he could say much more someone said, "I'm going to the top!" And the three men resumed their race to the top. The next 30 seconds was a dramatic scene as Dutch waded out into the flames of his own fire and pleaded with each man that ran by, "Come into my fire." Like the first three, each man was so fixated with reaching the top that they paid him no mind. Finally, time ran out and the main fire hit them with all of its might. Dutch ran into his own fire and flung himself down in its hot ashes as a 200 foot deep burning inferno broke around him. It took 12 minutes for the fire to pass him by. In that time it consumed all of the crew, save two who made it to the ridge top.

Although the Mann Gulch fire occurred early in the history of the Smoke Jumpers, it is still their special tragedy, the one in which their crew suffered almost a total loss and the only one in which their loss came from the fire itself. It is also the only fire any member of the Forest Service had ever seen or heard of in which the foreman got out ahead of his crew only to light a fire in advance of the fire he and his crew were trying to escape. There is now a name for Dutch's fire and it even has it's own place in Forest Service Firefighting doctrine. They call it the Escape Fire. The two survivors later told a review board that if they had understood what Dutch was doing they probably would have joined him in the safety of his fire.

Can I tell you this morning that this world is destined to be consumed by the fire of judgment. You can't outrun it. You are in a race you can't win. We are surrounded, on a day by day basis with people that are going to lose their bid to outrun the fire of Hell. The real tragedy of the situation is the fact that there is a way of escape, but many of those same people have ignored it.

There is a way to escape from the grip of sin. There is an Escape Fire! On the day of Pentecost God poured out a fire of another kind and it is the only means of escape from the fire of judgment that will one day consume this world. I have made up my mind, on this Tuesday morning, that I'm going to do everything I can to ignite an Escape Fire in my city and invite as may people as I can into it. I realize that, just like in the original story, many will ignore my pleas and pass me by in their failed attempt to outrun the wages of sin. But that won't stop me from calling to a world as it runs by, "Come into my fire!" Somewhere, somehow, somebody will hear my cry and escape the thing that is pursuing them. My job is to keep the Escape Fire burning.

Pardon me while I go build a fire...

Unattractive Glory

In Exodus God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle. This house of worship would become the dwelling place for the glory of God. It was an exquisite building, with a framework of wood overlaid with pure gold. It was concealed behind colorful, costly materials. The tabernacle was adorned with beautiful draperies that, according to scripture, were skillfully embroidered. Its construction was attractive in every way possible.

Only the very best was used to create this tent of meeting where God would commune with man. Moses employed the most skilled of craftsmen. Following the instructions of God, they wrapped the tabernacle in the finest of linens and the purest of gold. They clothed it in royal colors like blue and scarlet and purple. However, the wonder of it all, is that the beauty of what was inside made the coverings pale in comparison.

Within the exquisite finery that covered the tent were riches beyond the wildest imagination. The holy vessels contained therein were composed of pure gold. Beaten into shape by skilled hands, not poured into a mold. They were original pieces. Nowhere on the face of this planet was there any other like them. There were the finest of jewels and the most precious of metals. Everything about the place was exquisite beyond comparison.

But the finest of it all was still concealed beyond the veil. In that holiest of places where the ark of the covenant resided, where the mercy seat was established, beyond the veil was the most precious treasure of them all. God’s glory resided in that segregated area called the Holy of Holies. IT was there that God came down into that place and filled the tent with his own glory. The greatest treasure of the Hebrews wasn’t the gold and jewels that made that place sparkle and shine. It wasn’t the skilled artistry or fine linens. The greatest treasure that they possessed was the glory that resided beyond the veil.

In Exodus 26:14 God commanded Moses to cover all of these unprecedented riches with the basest of materials. He was instructed to cover it all with ram’s skins dyed red and to cover that with badger skins. Badger skins! This was the same leather that was, and still is to this day, used to make sandals for the feet. All of the beauty of the tabernacle was concealed from the eye by a covering of a base, common, valueless material. This remarkable tent was disguised in the unremarkable covering of badger skins. This unique tabernacle that was unlike anything this world had ever seen was completely obscured by the worthlessly common material of choice for sandal makers!

It is unlikely that anyone who looked upon the rough badger skin exterior of the tabernacle could possibly have imagined the riches housed within. Were it not for the cloud by day and the fire by night, no one would have singled out that coarse, unattractive tent as the dwelling place of God. However, housed within the unattractive exterior of that tent was the hope of Israel and the glory of God. It is this striking contradiction that appeals to me today. Beauty concealed in the common. Riches concealed in the ordinary. The glory of the almighty was housed within the confines of the unattractive. God, by design, placed his glory in an unattractive package!

I want you to know, this evening that the Glory of God is often contained in what, to the casual observer, appears to be an unattractive package. On the outside it is base, common and unattractive but when you press beyond the outward facade you will discover that housed within the unattractive is the riches of God’s glory in all of its splendor. There is a lesson to be learned there. Somewhere in the unattractive circumstances of your life, God may be trying to reveal to you His glory.

Consider this. Many years later God invested his glory into a different tabernacle. John 1:1 tells us that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:14 tells us that “the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” That word translated as “dwelt” means to fix a tent or a habitation upon. It has alternatively been translated as a verb form of the word tabernacle, meaning God tabernacled among us. The idea conveyed is that, in Christ, the glory of God dwelt. It was as a tent spread over him. John said (in the same verse), “we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” In Jesus Christ, God invested his glory into a tabernacle of human flesh.

This is important to me, today, because Isaiah chapter 53 describes this same Jesus. Starting from verse 2, Isaiah described him this way: “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” The same glory that was manifest in the tabernacle was invested into the flesh and blood of the person of Jesus Christ. And, once again, the package was unattractive!

Jesus led a life of persecution and opposition. He was well acquainted with struggles and rejection. He was a man of sorrows and pain, who was no stranger to grief and human frailty. When God robed himself in flesh he surrounded himself with ruin and misery. He lived in the chaos that sin had made of the world. He spent long days doing good, with little thanks for his trouble, and long nights watching in prayer. The hard life that he lived took its toll upon his flesh until the prophet looking through window of time would say that there was no beauty about him that we might even desire him.

Such was the nature of God’s glory in this unattractive package that he accomplished his greatest work by the avenue of a violent, shameful death. When wicked men were through beating him, mocking him, and spitting on him, they nailed him to a cross. Satan laughed gleefully as his body was raised on that old tree. The demons of hell rejoiced as the body containing the glory of the Almighty was marred and disfigured beyond comprehension. The men who saw him hanging there that day would rather hide their faces from him than to behold the brutal horror of his appearance. However, just like with the tabernacle of old, one would never guess that the rough badger skin exterior of the one that hung on that cross was but a covering that housed the Glory of God. God reconciled man to himself and let his glory shine in salvation but obscured it all in the most treacherous and ugly event in the history of the world. Concealed within the pain and agony of the cross was the hope of the whole world! God’s glory was, once again, invested in an unattractive package.

I want to share with you a simple truth about the glory of God. There is a certain quality of God’s glory that is at its best in the midst of the unattractive. There is a certain quality about the glory of God that shines its brightest in adverse circumstances. God does his best work when his glory is wrapped up in the unattractive packages of life. Just ask Daniel, who learned this truth in a lion’s den. Or go ask the three Hebrew children who found this out in the midst of a fiery furnace. God’s grace is most obvious and god’s glory shines the brightest in the crucible of difficult times and troubling situations. Paul and Silas discovered this in a Phillippian jail.

Be careful how you judge the circumstances of your life, God has a way of wrapping his greatest miracles in the fabric of trial and trouble. God has a way of concealing his glory in the base, common, unattractive parts of our lives. When things aren’t going our way, when it seems like the deck is stacked against you, when trial and trouble are your constant companions, get ready because that’s the place where God’s glory really shines in your life. I want you to know, tonight, that God’s glory is no stranger to sickness and suffering, its no stranger to trouble and turmoil. As a matter of fact, it is at its best in the most trying of times!

Paul was afflicted with a thorn in his flesh. You will remember the story, contained in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Paul prayed three times for the Lord to remove this messenger of Satan that continually harassed him. However, God’s only answer was to say, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul was learning an important lesson about the grace of God. Often times when we encounter hardships and trial we seek a means of escape from them. We pray, like Paul did, asking God to take them away. We want God to deliver us by substitution. We want him to substitute health for sickness. We say give me deliverance instead of pain and weakness. But the simple fact of the matter is that sometimes God’s glory comes to us wrapped up in unattractive packages and if he substituted something more attractive to us, we would miss the tru blessing of his glory in our lives.

Sometimes our blessings come through transformation, not substitution. Sometimes this is the only way for God to demonstrate his glory to us. Rather than removing the affliction or problem in our lives, he gives us his grace so that the affliction works for us and not against us. His grace transforms us in the midst of the trial. He doesn't change the problem, instead he changes us. It is in those times that we discover the riches of God’s glory in the most adverse of circumstances. Once Paul grasped this concept he respond to the trial by saying, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” This is where it gets interesting.

The verb “rest” is the same word used by John in John 1:14 and conveys the same image and connection to the tabernacle. As a matter of fact in the Amplified Bible the verse is translated this way: "Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!" Paul was saying, it is in this unattractive circumstance, in this trying time, in this terrible thing that I find that the glory of God has pitched a tent over my life. From the outside it may be unattractive. From the carnal point of view it’s a tragedy. But once I push beyond the veil and get to the heart of the matter I discover the incredible glory of God at work in my life.

Once I got past complaining, once I quit praying for God to take it from me, I discovered that, in my weakness, God was exhibiting his glory. I found the riches of the presence of God, I found that joy unspeakable and peace beyond measure once I pressed through the veil of my suffering and encountered the presence of God. It seemed as if God has cast a tent of badger skins over my life and placed within that unattractive package the immeasurable glory of God! All of a sudden, Paul said, I am “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (12:10 ESV)

I want to encourage you today that God has a plan and a purpose for your life. Even when you find yourself in hardship and trial, even when you find yourself in unattractive places, lift up your eyes and behold the glory of God. Its in those unattractive circumstances that God pitches his tent over your life and overshadows you with his unfathomable glory! When trouble comes, get ready. When sickness overtakes you, get ready. When your enemy rises up against you, get ready. God is just about to demonstrate his incredible grace in your life. You’re going to come out of the other side of the valley with a fresh experience of God’s glory in your life!

I found a good thing!

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord," said Solomon in Proverbs 18:22. Today's post is purely personal because sixteen years ago, today, I began to discover what it means to find a good thing and obtain favor from the Lord. God has graciously blessed me with a wonderful wife that is a princess among women and I must say, today, that I am very thankful for the blessing that she has been to my life.

I am sure that, from the time that it was first recorded, Proverbs chapter 31 has been the standard by which wives are measured. In that biblical portrait of a godly wife we find a woman that is far more precious than jewels and is trusted by her husband. "She does him good," Solomon says. (Proverbs 31:12 ESV) I have to say, today that my wife is indeed far more precious than any material thing. Of all the good things I have found in this life, none even begins to compare to my precious wife. I have learned over the years that I can trust her completly, in all things, because she always does right by me.

The portrait of a wife, in Proverbs 31, is not the stereotypical portriat of a housewife. Solomon doesn't portray a woman that is overly overly occupied with dirty dishes and laundry, a woman whose daily life is defined by the demands of her job, her house and her family. Rather, he portrays a strong, dignified, multi-talented, caring woman who is an individual in her own right. She is her husband’s partner, in everything he undertakes. She is the biblical fulfillment of a helpmate. She is what God created Eve to be, the extension -- the completion -- of her husband who is her partner in this life. This is, in every way possible, the kind of wife that God has blessed me with.

Just like the woman that Solomon described, my precious wife has a good head for business as well as the heartfelt sensitivity and compassion to care for and fulfill the needs of other people, often putting their needs, wants and desires ahead of her own. With grace and composure she approaches the challenges each day brings. Her children will ise up, one day, and call her blessed, but, today, I want to say that I love and respect her for her kind, generous and caring nature.

However, with all that she does and all that she is involved in, this precious wife of mine places here walk with God above all else. Her primary concern is God’s will in her life. I have watched her, on many occasions, sacrifice and do without so she could contribute to the work of God. She is a woman after God’s own heart. "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain," Solomon said, "but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." (Proverbs 31:30) This is the kind of wife that I have. She is a godly woman that demonstrates a love for God and a desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him. This, above all else, is the trademark of the woman that Solomon was describing. This is the trait that I cherish above all others.

I have discovered in my life that God has indeed blessed me, beyond my wildest expectations, with a good thing. I cherish the mornings that I get up and discover her open bible on the kitchen table. When I see that open bible, I know that some time during the night she has been up and spent time in prayer for her family. That knowledge, in the whirlwind of this life, is a treasure far greater than any other. To know that my wife is my partner in all that I do and that she stands beside me in prayer.

There is much more that I could say about my precious wife, I have learned that there is wisdom in her words and there have been many occasions that I wished, after the fact, that I had listened more closely to her advice. I am afraid that, in the hustle and bustle of this bsuy life we lead, I may have neglected, on many occasions, to tell her just how precious she is to me. So, today, in front of God and whoever happens to read this post, I want to say that from the bottom of my heart I am thankful for the wonderful lady that God has allowed me to share my life with. She is a woman of virtue, a wonderful mother, a loving wife and the crown jewel of my life.

Sixteen years ago I thought it would be impossible to love my wife any more than I already did. However, from that time to this I have discovered that I knew precious little about what it really meant to love someone. Over the years, through the hardships and victories, I have learned to love my wife in a way I didn't even know was possible. As we celebrate our 16th year together I look to the future with expectation because I know that, with her, I have discovered a love that gets sweeter as the days go by! I look forward to growing old with her by my side.

If I may depart for a momen from scripture I would like to conclude with a nice quote that I read today by none other than the illustrious Dr. Suess. He said, “You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” I want to say to my wife, today, that with you by my side reality is far better than all my dreams! I love you! Happy Anniversiary.

Look Up!

Several years ago a survivor of the Holocaust named Ernie Marx spoke in southern Indiana to some high school students. He spoke of one of the things that stood out in his memory. "The Germans," he said, "wouldn’t let us look up at the sky. Because if you looked up, that gave you hope. We were not supposed to have hope. I saw many children bloodied beyond belief. Their only crime was that they looked up."

I first read that statement several yeas ago and it stirred my heart. Ernie Marx's tormentors understood that the only way they could break the will of their subjects was to rob them of hope. They also correctly surmised that hope would be derived from "looking up." So they constrained them from ever casing their glance heavenward.

I believe, today, that Hell understands this principle. The enemy of your soul knows that if he can relegate you to the confines of your life and cut you off from heaven, then he can rob you of your hope. When you don't take the time to look heavenward your problems seem bigger. When you get bogged down with everything that is going on down here, the situations in your life seem unmanageable. Your enemy understands that if he can get you so tied up and tangled up in the affairs of day-to-day living that you fail to connect with God then he can rob you of your hope.

Perhaps this is why the Psalmist David said, in Psalm 121, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." I will lift up my eyes, David said, because when I take the time to look up I realize that "my help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." David understood that when he took his eyes off of his current circumstance and took the time to look to heaven he discovered new hope that he wasn't alone in the struggle. As he looked to heaven he came to the conclusion that the one who watches over him neither sleeps nor slumbers. God is aware of my circumstance, David said, and he will preserve my soul.

What an incredible encouragement David found in the simple exercise of lifting up his eyes! This morning I want to challenge you to take the time to look up. For just a few moments you should stop in the midst of your busy schedule and look up. Why don't you take the time to look towards heaven and catch a glimpse of your God? If you do, as you spend a moment in prayer in his presence, you will discover that He is watching over you. As you lift your eyes from your current dilemma and gaze towards heaven you will discover that He is the only source of help that you need.

Those German soldiers had it right. Your true source of hope and encouragement is found by taking the time to look up. Looking to heaven may not change your problems but it will change your outlook. The dark valley will still be there and the storms may not dissipate but your outlook will change. As you look towards the one that watches over you, the one that neither sleeps nor slumbers, you will find hope rising up within you because He's the one that will preserve your soul. When you take the time to look up you come face to face with the One from which you hope comes.

Today, I have a simple word of encouragement. Stop. Take the time to look up this morning. That's where your help is going to come from...

The Crier's Well

Judges chapter 15 contains the incredible story of Samson's victory that was won with the Jawbone of a donkey. Many of us remember the story from Sunday School of the fight that ends with "heaps upon heaps", a thousand men slain by the jawbone of a donkey. The story itself is a great testimony of the blessing and deliverance of God in the face of, seemingly, insurmountable obstacles.

However, it is the events that immediately follow this story that have caught my attention today. After the battle was over and his weapon had been discarded, Samson was weak, weary and "sore athirst." (Judges 15:18) He was so weak and weary that he felt sure that his great victory was about to be turned into an even greater defeat. He believed that he was about to " die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised."

In many ways I can identify more with the Samson of verse 18 than the Samson that sung his victory song a few verses earlier. I have experienced my great victories and I have stood upon the "hill of the jawbone" (Ramath-lehi means the hill of the jawbone) where God wrought wonderful deliverance out of the ordinary substance of life. Seemingly ordinary things, like jawbones, have resulted in great battles won and victories declared.

However, I often discover myself in the place where Samson found himself after his great victory, weak, weary and thirsty. How quickly the glow of victory fades and the harsh reality of life sets in. How quickly the Sunday Night shout is transformed into a Monday morning struggle. I have been there many times. More often than I could ever tell, distress comes on the heels of victory. Trial sometimes seems to follow triumph. Perhaps that's where you are this morning. If so, I believe I have a word from the Lord that will comfort you.

When Samson found himself thirsty, in verse 18, he called upon the Lord. What happened next was even more incredible than the victory that was wrought with the jawbone of a donkey. The next verse says that "God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw." Apparently you can interpret that in several different ways. The King James Version seems to lend itself to the idea that God clave a place in the jawbone that Samson had discarded, other translations lean more towards the idea that God clave a place in some prominent feature of the land where Samson was. To argue the point will only serve to distract from the real truth of the matter. The truth is that God made a way, by miraculous means, in an unlikely place to produce a lasting spring of water to satisfy Samson's thirst and revive his spirit.

When Samson felt like he was dying of thirst. When he felt like he was going to be overcome by his enemies. When his circumstances seemed to be about to overwhelm him. Samson cried out to the Lord and the Lord heard his cry and answered with springs of life-giving water. "And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived." (Judges 15:19 ESV) Samson then named the place En-hakkore which means the Crier's Well. The name is, in and of itself, a testimony. Its Samson's way of saying, "I cried out to the Lord and he heard my cry and answered with springs of water."

It is the next phrase of verse 19 that got me excited this morning. There is a place of refreshing called "The Crier's Well" that according to Judges 15:19 exists "in Lehi unto this day." Lehi is the place where the Philistines assembled to capture Samson. Lehi is located in the lowlands of southwestern Judah. It was the valley that was supposed to be the end of Samson. It was the valley that was supposed to destroy him. It was the valley where the enemy intended to bind him and rob him of his victory. Lehi was intended to be a place of defeat.

The literal meaning of Lehi is somewhat uncertain. According to Harper’s Bible Dictionary, some translators read "in a troop" for Lehi. Kind of sounds like the place where David was when he said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." (Psalm 23:5) Samson was in Lehi, in the midst of a troop, in a place intended to be his undoing. Yet, it was in that place that God provided springs of refreshing. And, to me, the most wonderful truth of the scripture is that the spring is still there today!

When you find yourself weak and weary, when you find yourself dying of thirst, there exists a spring in Lehi. When you are surrounded by a troop, when you are in a valley of defeat, there is a spring of refreshing in Lehi. It is called "The Crier's Well", and it's still available to you if you will but cry out to the Lord. There’s still a well that will revive the spirit that is revealed to you when you cry out to God from the midst of your dilemma. It is the crier's well. And it’s still there, to this very day.

I want to encourage you this morning to find the rest that exists in the middle of the battle. I want to encourage you this morning to drink from the well that exists in the lowlands of your life. I want to remind you that there is a crier's well. When you cry out to God your cry releases the flow of heaven's life giving, living water that revives you in the midst of the valley. I hope you find it this morning and drink deeply from the criers well...

Losing Sight of the Reason

Today's post concerns something that happened last summer. I was diligently working away at my latest “project”, an old boat that I was “fixing up” for my boys and me to use last summer. I picked it up in a very "used" condition and promised my wife, “This will be a GREAT summer project for me and the boys (they were 7 and 9 years old at the time) to work on this summer.”

I enthusiastically launched into the project, enumerating the many things that needed to be done and working out a plan of attack. Over the next few days I worked diligently, utilizing every moment of daylight afforded to me each evening. I repaired the winch, installed a trailer jack, added new brake lights, performed various other minor repairs/replacements and rewired the whole thing. Finally, I got tags for the boat and trailer and decals to put the registration number in the appropriate place on the side of the boat.

I was pretty pleased with myself that evening as I surveyed my handiwork. While the project was not yet complete, the first phase would be complete as soon as the registration number was applied. My boys and I would then be able to take her out for the first of many fishing excursions that coming Saturday. I settled into the task, working diligently to insure that each number and letter was lined up perfectly.

That’s when it happened. My precious wife stopped by to check on my progress. “It looks great.” She said, and I beamed in pride. But she didn’t stop there. What she said next took the wind from my sails, “I thought this was a project that you AND the boys were going to be working on, together.”

As she walked away I sat for a moment and pondered the thought that, in my desire to make sure everything was done in precisely the right manner I had overlooked the entire “reason” for the project. This was supposed to be about spending some quality time with my boys. This was supposed to be about teaching them life skills that would be valuable to them as they grow into young men. Yet somehow, in the desire to do my best, I left behind the most important part…

About that time my seven year old walked up and asked to help. My first thought was, oh no! These need to be neat and straight. Everyone will see them. There are a million reasons why I shouldn’t let my 7 year old put them on… However, I was surprised to hear myself saying, “Sure son, you can help. Go ahead and put the next number on.”

For the next few moments my son and I spent some valuable time together which, in reality, was the impetus for taking on this project in the first place. We laughed and worked together as he endeavored to prove to me that he could, indeed, put the numbers on straight.

I learned a valuable lesson, again, that day. The time I spend with my children is precious and priceless. If you see my boys and me in our boat you might notice that some of the numbers are a little crooked or wrinkled but strangely, I’m OK with that. You see, we did this project together. And that matters more to me than the wrinkled and crooked letters. Furthermore, in the coming weeks we need to paint the old boat, install some seats, and finish a few other odds and ends things. I’m going to warn you ahead of time that the paint job isn’t going to be perfect because I plan on letting my boys do as much of the painting as they want to. After all, this is OUR project!

I also learned another lesson in all of this. Sometimes it’s so easy to get so caught up in the details of what we are doing that we lose sight of the purpose. Even in our ministry, if we aren’t careful, we can get so bogged down with the business of the church that we lose sight of what the church is all about. There is, after all, a compelling reason that motivated each of us to embrace the ministry. This morning I want to challenge you to take a few moments and reacquaint yourself with "why" you are doing what you do. Sometimes, in our desire to do our best, if we aren’t careful, we can leave out the most important part…