The storms that marched across the southeast on Wednesday and Thursday left behind a trail of damage, destruction, and devastation that will take weeks, if not months, to fully assess. In communities from Mississippi to Virginia we have seen images of homes and businesses reduced to rubble, trees snapped in two, and cars and trucks covered with debris and left crumpled in ditches, fields, and even on top of one another.
If the storms had only damaged property, the cost would be significant; but the storms took an even greater toll—the loss of human life. The expanse and the degree of the destruction are making it difficult to know how many people have been killed. With each passing day the death toll continues to rise. Emergency workers are spending their time these first few days going from house, searching for survivors, and leaving their report in spray paint on whatever is left standing.
It will take quite some time to account for all those who are missing. Few are willing to even guess what the costs may be for the property damage. And yet, in the midst of this immense catastrophe there has been a recurring affirmation of faith.
As the news crews have put a microphone in front of survivors, one after another has testified that even though they have lost their home or business; they are thankful that God has brought them through the storm, and they affirm their faith that God will continue to bless them as they work to recover and rebuild.
These testimonies reminded me of a song made popular a few years ago by the contemporary Christian band, Casting Crowns, called “Praise You in this Storm.” Reflect on these words from the chorus: “And I'll praise you in this storm / and I will lift my hands / for You are who You are / no matter where I am / and every tear I've cried / You hold in your hand. / You never left my side / and though my heart is torn / I will praise You in this storm.”
Some people find it difficult to believe they are blessed even when things are going pretty well for them. As you begin to discover the new life you have in Christ, you learn that the reality of being blessed by God is not determined by your circumstances. Even when the thunder rolls, the storm is shaking the foundations of the earth, and the wind is blowing away everything you worked a lifetime to build; the voice of God whispers, “I am with you!”
That may be the moment when you truly understand what it means to be blessed.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Risen Indeed!
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen, indeed!” That is the great good news of Easter. In obedience to God’s plan, Jesus gave his life on the cross as a sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. Now God has raised him from the dead and given him new life. Jesus, who was resurrected from the grave, is now our Savior and our Lord!
That is not where the good news stops, though. Through Christ’s resurrection, God has demonstrated his power to defeat death, and has made it possible for all who put their trust in Jesus to experience new life themselves.
Easter is more than just an occasion for wearing new clothes. Easter is more than an opportunity to share a special meal with your extended family. Easter is more than a day to decorate the church with pretty flowers. Easter is the culmination of the expression of God’s grace for you. Easter is the undeniable evidence that God can transform your life.
We will begin to explore our new life in Christ this Sunday, but there is so much more to it than we can cover in a single message. Paul uses six adjectives to describe elements of this transformed life in his letter to the Ephesians: blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. We will be exploring each of these more thoroughly as we move toward the celebration of Pentecost.
As you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I pray that you may also come to a more complete realization of the life that God has made possible for you. God’s grace is truly amazing!
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!”
That is not where the good news stops, though. Through Christ’s resurrection, God has demonstrated his power to defeat death, and has made it possible for all who put their trust in Jesus to experience new life themselves.
Easter is more than just an occasion for wearing new clothes. Easter is more than an opportunity to share a special meal with your extended family. Easter is more than a day to decorate the church with pretty flowers. Easter is the culmination of the expression of God’s grace for you. Easter is the undeniable evidence that God can transform your life.
We will begin to explore our new life in Christ this Sunday, but there is so much more to it than we can cover in a single message. Paul uses six adjectives to describe elements of this transformed life in his letter to the Ephesians: blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. We will be exploring each of these more thoroughly as we move toward the celebration of Pentecost.
As you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I pray that you may also come to a more complete realization of the life that God has made possible for you. God’s grace is truly amazing!
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!”
Friday, April 15, 2011
Too Easily Confused
You are driving through a town you’ve traveled through many times before; but this time there are signs ahead: “Detour!” Reluctantly you turn off your familiar route. The arrows mark the turns clearly—left, right, left, right. You are seeing parts of the city you’ve never seen before. Fascinated by the new scenery, you become distracted. You miss a turn and in a few moments you realize are totally turned around—disoriented and confused.
Your first reaction may be to curse the Department of Transportation. “Why do they have to work on the road when I want to use it? Why don’t they make the signs bigger? Why don’t they have people out here directing traffic?”
Or perhaps this has happened to you: You show up for work and there is a notice that the company will soon be switching over to a new software application. A workshop to introduce the new program is scheduled for next week. The announcement promises greater ease of use and increased productivity; but you were here the last time management decided change things. You remember how difficult it was to do your work with the “improved” system—all the extra hours you had to put in just to accomplish what you were originally doing. You still remember things about the old system that worked better.
Or, how confusing is this? An annoying health issue has finally led you to make an appointment with the doctor. The doctor orders a battery of tests. All the tests disrupt your life for a couple of weeks. Once all the results are in, the doctor shares the news…and it’s not good.
It’s a confusing world. Just when we think we have everything figured out, something happens to throw it all into question. That is, if you begin to question what kind of God we serve.
As we move through Holy Week and recall the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the evidence of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and grace save us from the despair that is born of confusion. Let us hold fast to the truth Paul shared with the Romans: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8).
Yes, God’s grace is truly amazing!
Your first reaction may be to curse the Department of Transportation. “Why do they have to work on the road when I want to use it? Why don’t they make the signs bigger? Why don’t they have people out here directing traffic?”
Or perhaps this has happened to you: You show up for work and there is a notice that the company will soon be switching over to a new software application. A workshop to introduce the new program is scheduled for next week. The announcement promises greater ease of use and increased productivity; but you were here the last time management decided change things. You remember how difficult it was to do your work with the “improved” system—all the extra hours you had to put in just to accomplish what you were originally doing. You still remember things about the old system that worked better.
Or, how confusing is this? An annoying health issue has finally led you to make an appointment with the doctor. The doctor orders a battery of tests. All the tests disrupt your life for a couple of weeks. Once all the results are in, the doctor shares the news…and it’s not good.
It’s a confusing world. Just when we think we have everything figured out, something happens to throw it all into question. That is, if you begin to question what kind of God we serve.
As we move through Holy Week and recall the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the evidence of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and grace save us from the despair that is born of confusion. Let us hold fast to the truth Paul shared with the Romans: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8).
Yes, God’s grace is truly amazing!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Shelter in the Storm
The world is a dangerous place. Tornados . . . earthquakes . . . tsunamis . . . and that was just last month. Besides all of the “acts of God” (as the insurance companies call them), wildfires and nuclear radiation have pushed warnings about the dangers of global warming from the front page of the national news.
American troops are engaged in armed conflict in three different areas of the world. That’s not good; but as the news of another civil war breaking out in another country seems to become routine, it may certainly cause you to reconsider your plans to travel internationally.
Have you looked at a local crime map recently? If you have, you know there are some places where you better make sure the doors are locked and windows are rolled up when you park your car. Even the short stroll from the car to the front door can feel like a sortie in enemy territory.
It all makes you think you might just be better off if you stayed close to home. The problem with that is over half of auto accidents occur within a five-mile radius of your home. Staying home is not a solution, either. As people spend more time at home, they raise their chances of getting injured in their house.
Danger, trouble, even calamity may cause you to wonder what you are doing wrong. Let me remind you that Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33b). The apostle Paul certainly experienced trouble: opposition, riots, threats, beatings, imprisonment, ship wreck, just to name a few. And yet, Paul tells the Romans, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (8:18).
How can Paul make such a bold claim? It is because he has faith that the God who saved him by grace will be with him to preserve and protect him. Grace does not leave us defenseless. Indeed, God’s grace assures our security—and not just from the threats from natural disaster, environmental destruction, or civil unrest. God’s grace is the reason you can stand confidently when it seems that there is an all-out assault against your soul.
How do you respond to questions and accusations that trouble your conscience? How do you deal with fears and doubts that unsettle your heart? Paul invites us to consider several important questions in Romans 8:31-35 that lead to an unshakable confidence of God’s grace.
It’s truly amazing!
American troops are engaged in armed conflict in three different areas of the world. That’s not good; but as the news of another civil war breaking out in another country seems to become routine, it may certainly cause you to reconsider your plans to travel internationally.
Have you looked at a local crime map recently? If you have, you know there are some places where you better make sure the doors are locked and windows are rolled up when you park your car. Even the short stroll from the car to the front door can feel like a sortie in enemy territory.
It all makes you think you might just be better off if you stayed close to home. The problem with that is over half of auto accidents occur within a five-mile radius of your home. Staying home is not a solution, either. As people spend more time at home, they raise their chances of getting injured in their house.
Danger, trouble, even calamity may cause you to wonder what you are doing wrong. Let me remind you that Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33b). The apostle Paul certainly experienced trouble: opposition, riots, threats, beatings, imprisonment, ship wreck, just to name a few. And yet, Paul tells the Romans, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (8:18).
How can Paul make such a bold claim? It is because he has faith that the God who saved him by grace will be with him to preserve and protect him. Grace does not leave us defenseless. Indeed, God’s grace assures our security—and not just from the threats from natural disaster, environmental destruction, or civil unrest. God’s grace is the reason you can stand confidently when it seems that there is an all-out assault against your soul.
How do you respond to questions and accusations that trouble your conscience? How do you deal with fears and doubts that unsettle your heart? Paul invites us to consider several important questions in Romans 8:31-35 that lead to an unshakable confidence of God’s grace.
It’s truly amazing!
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