The Beauty of Bookends

In our home library, there are a number of bookends that keep the shelves orderly and appealing.  There is nothing special about the bookends themselves. They are thin metal, black in color, and each set cost about $10 at Staples. But they do make for a beautiful library!  

There are two "bookends," however, that are so beautiful and special to me that I think it important to share with others. Both "bookends" are named Becky, both died from cancer, and both have had a tremendous impact upon my life even though I never met them.

Becky May was the 3 year-old daughter of a childhood friend/classmate, Connie (Rowe) May.  Becky's story will tap deep inside your soul.  My family and many in our church family at the time took this journey with the Mays inasmuch as was possible over a distance of some 300 miles.  Our refrigerator held Becky's pictures, our prayers contained pleas for God's help, and my Bible and journal were stained with tears as we interceded on behalf of this precious little girl, her mom and dad, and everyone who knew and loved her.  On December 16, 2007 at 7:49 pm, Becky received her ultimate healing as she was carried into the arms of Jesus.

Never had I so followed in such detail someone's walk through the valley, never had I wept and prayed as I did in those days, and never had I come to love someone so much who I had never met (besides the Lord Jesus Christ).  The moment-by-moment grace given to Connie, Robert and their family was something to behold.  God used Becky May, and her family's willingness to share their journey with others, in so many ways in my life, but none more than to make me compassionate towards the hurting.

Becky Black was the wife of one of my former seminary professors, David Allen Black.  Becky's story, written in her own words, will stir your spirit.  Miss Becky and "Brother Dave" both invited others to join them on this journey, in which God's faithfulness was put on glorious display with each agonizing pain and answered prayer.  Never had I heard such honesty, seen such transparency, and known such resolve to trust the Lord, no matter how difficult the journey. Her focus was not upon her own body, but upon the body of Christ, especially her spiritual brothers and sisters in Ethiopia, among whom she was raised and had served for many years.  And even as her health deteriorated, she became impassioned for the people of India. Becky's heart burned for the nations, that they might know Jesus in the most personal and powerful way, and nothing, not even cancer, was going to extinguish this flame.  

Becky Black knew she was running to home base, and crossed the finish line on November 2, 2013 at 6:55 am, safe into the arms of her Redeemer and Healer. God used Becky Black, as well as Brother Dave's blog, in so many ways in my life, but none more than to make me committed to helping others follow Jesus.

Becky May was the first "bookend" in my life of truly interceding for others, what I call an ATM (Across The Miles) ministry.  Becky Black is the most recent. There are certain to be more bookends for my library because I absolutely love books, and there are certain to be more bookends for my life because God loves me...and you, and the world.  

Won't you allow the Lord to bring a "bookend" or two into your life?  Sure, you will hurt deeply, cry frequently, and plead fervently , but when all is said and done, if you will trust Him on behalf of the ones for whom you are interceding, you will learn to love people you may never meet this side of heaven, you will grow in Christ-likeness, and you will worship the One who is worthy to be praised.  And you will get to embrace your "Beckys" in glory!

Who knows, perhaps beneath our "trees" this Christmas we just might find some "bookends."  What a precious gift this would be!

 

AN ENCOURAGED AND EMBARRASSED DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST

As I read about and meditate upon the reality that disciples of Jesus Christ have always, at least in some places, paid a high price for following Him, I personally experience two realities:  encouragement (which is a good thing) and embarrassment (not so good).   It is not the acts of persecution themselves, however, that either leave me encouraged or embarrassed, but rather it is the response of Christ's followers.

When I read the price tags in the New Testament:

• They were arrested
• They were threatened
• They were beaten
• They were falsely accused
• They were put to death

...I discover the disciples

• rejoiced greatly
• prayed fervently
• worshiped heartily
• served selflessly
• and witnessed boldly

...even as they

• were pursued mercilessly
• suffered greatly
• and died brutally.

And when I read contemporary accounts of

• Syrian believers who choose to remain in hostile surroundings
• Pakistani Christians who forgive those who ignite bombs at the worship gatherings
• Nigerian disciples who, even at great risk, continue proclaiming "Jesus is Lord!"

...I am greatly encouraged.  What examples of gentleness, kindness, boldness, and forgiveness.

And then there is the American response to suffering for our faith.

It seems as though we think the following are examples of persecution:

• Protesters gathered outside our businesses
• Media campaigns opposing our biblical convictions
• Universities that forbid Christian groups from either gathering or holding to exclusive theological positions
• Removal of nativity scenes from public displays
• Television sitcoms that disparage our faith
• A federal judge's recent ruling that a tax exemption for housing allowances for ministers is unconstitutional

Numerous people are both speaking and writing (ranting really) about the ever increasing threat to our "religious liberty."  THEY CAN'T DO THIS!  WE WON'T TOLERATE THIS!  WE HAVE RIGHTS!!!

Where exactly is that in the Bible?  The only right I find is in John 1:12--"But to all who did receive {Jesus}, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God...."  No right to a pain free faith; no right to government-given perks; no right to proclaim ourselves to be followers of Jesus Christ without actually following His life of sacrifice, service, and suffering.  In the words of those great
"prophets" at ESPN:  "C'mon, man!"

It is this response to "persecution" that leaves me grossly embarrassed.  Scriptures calls us, not to revolt, but to rejoice; not to whine, but to worship; not to pout, but to praise; not to sue, but to serve; not to loathe, but to love.  We can learn much from our brothers and sisters throughout the world who know what real persecution is, but beyond that, know how to live like Jesus in the midst of rejection and reviling.  

I am also slightly embarrassed to even be writing about such a topic.  My own experience of suffering for my faith hardly deserves mention.  I merely believe realities are changing at a breakneck speed.  We become shocked when we hear that the price of a gallon of milk may rise to $7.00 or more per gallon in the near future.  Of course, this is all speculation.  What I can emphatically say is this:  The price of following Jesus WILL sharply rise.  This is based, not on economic projections or political speculation, but on the authority of the Word of God.  When it comes, God will be faithful, as He has always been to His people.  May we be found full of faith, full of hope, full of love.

STICKER SHOCK...NOT!

In Luke 14, Jesus taught His disciples that following Him comes at a price--sometimes it is the price of relationships (14:26), other times it costs horrible suffering (14:27), and yet other times it entails the loss of everything (14:33).  Christ does not promise a life of comfort and convenience; on the contrary, He promises a life much like His own: one of sacrifice, service, and suffering.  

It has always been costly to identify with Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified, buried, and resurrected Son of God.  Though the price has varied from region to region and from generation to generation, examples can be found in Scripture, history, as well as the present.

The Bible is clear that entering into a relationship by faith with Jesus Christ is absolutely free, but continuing in ever-growing fellowship with Him is painfully expensive.  This is due, in part, to the mission He has given to each and every disciple to "make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:20).  This world is still under the sway of God's archenemy, Satan.  He holds a tight grasp on the souls of men and women, boys and girls of every ethnicity, culture, and language.  So, when disciples of Jesus Christ run into the midst of spiritual darkness carrying the glorious light of the gospel, those who are "enemies of he cross of Christ" (Philippians 3:18), reject, resist, and revile Jesus and those representing Him.

Persecution caused many of the early disciples to flee, leaving jobs, homes, and family and friends behind. Some paid with their freedom, others with blood and tears, and yet others with their very lives.  Paul, once one of the church's greatest persecutors, came to be one of its greatest proponents.  Yet this came at a great price--

"... In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.  From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;  in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)

History joins Scripture in offering examples of the cost of following Jesus. It is has been widely reported that the war in Afghanistan, which began in October 2001 and continues to this day, costs 300 million dollars per day!  I'm no mathematician, but that adds up to billions, with flirtation with a trillion dollars on the horizon. As of October 14, 2013, 3,390 Coalition soldiers have died.  Of course, the lives of men and women far outweighs the monetary costs. With no intention of minimizing this price tag, this is just one war, in just one region of the world, in just one generation (a mere 12 years out of 2,000 plus years of church history).  This war on terror, though grossly expensive, does not even begin to compare with the costs in the war for souls. 

In 2011, a research report was published, Christian Number-Crunching, estimating that in this century's first decade,a time roughly equivalent to the Afghan war, there were an average 270 Christians martyred every 24 hours, leading to approximately one million Christian deaths at the hands of others.  That is 996,610 more lives lost on the religious/spiritual battlefield than those lost upon the soil of Afghanistan.  As it should, the death of a single U.S. soldier garners media attention.  Imagine if those numbers reached the thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands.  Yet little is said about disciples of Jesus Christ who lose their lives throughout the world.

Rage against Christians worldwide is swelling.  Recently, Egypt has seen the worst violence against Christians in seven centuries.  In September 2013, 81 people gathered for worship on the Lord's Day were killed In Peshawar, Pakistan. Nigeria has seen hundreds of Christians killed this year alone.  American pastor, Saeed Abedini has been imprisoned in Iran for over a year now.  A 30-something year-old woman named Wehazit Debesai died last week in a Eritrean prison.  These are not nameless, faceless victims, but brothers and sisters who are following Jesus no matter the cost.

I am not suggesting that the answer is more media coverage.  Hardly.  I'm also not pinning my hopes on the actions of political leaders in Washington, D.C.  Crazy, I'm not.  I'm not even looking for public outcry.  I am, however, seeking to do three things:

1. Pray for fellow brothers and sisters who are suffering greatly for Jesus' sake
2. Proclaim Jesus as Lord to the multitudes still in rebellion against His authority
3. Remain on the "victorious, overwhelming side" of the story of persecution, rather than the "fearful, physical side" of the story

Some final thoughts in the next post.

Cha Ching! Pain at the Spiritual Meat Cooler

I was required to take only one semester of economics in college (THANK GOD!).  To be honest, I don't remember much, except for my round-faced, five feet something, pipe-smoking attorney for a professor and something about how costs are driven up in an economy due to a variety of factors.  Just a few months ago, I had an economic flashback, when I paid $7.50 for a pound of bacon.  Between the meat cooler and checkout counter, I was trying to understand how this could be--Was the factor or factors driving this the price of corn?  Transportation costs?  Health care?  Labor disputes?   Could pigs have possibly read H.G. Wells classic book, Animal Farm, and rebelled?  Regardless of what factors were at play, I paid the price, because we were celebrating my oldest daughter's twenty-third birthday, and I considered the occasion more than worth it.

When it comes to the cost of being Jesus' disciples, we ought to consider what factors are involved which can cause the price of following Him to increase.  In Acts 4:2, we learn that the first factor was annoyance. Those who chose not to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah and Savior of the world were "greatly annoyed because {Jesus' followers} were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead."  Like I do when mosquitoes are flying around my ears, these unbelievers did something about it--they arrested, jailed, and threatened the disciples to keep them quiet. Cha ching!  Rising costs!

In Acts 5 we find a second price-increasing factor:  jealousy.  God was doing such an awesome work, adding multitudes of both men and women to the faith, that it was driving the cold and lifeless religious elites mad!  Not liking what they were hearing and seeing, jealousy drove them to once again arrest and jail Jesus' followers.  When the disciples told them they must obey God rather than men, "they were enraged and wanted to kill them" (Acts 5:33).  However, they opted for more threats and added a beating to make their point. Cha ching!  Price increase!

In Acts 6-7 we read of a disciple named Stephen, who learned that the most prominent factor which drives the cost of following Jesus higher and higher to be hatred.  "When {the unbelievers} heard these things {spoken by Stephen} they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him....  They cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.  They cast him out of the city and stoned him {to death}" (Acts 7:54, 57-58a).  Cha ching!  Price through the roof!

This should not surprise God's people.  Jesus had said, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you" (John 15:18).  Make no mistake about it--identifying with, pledging allegiance to, and following after the Lord Jesus Christ will annoy and eventually anger those who reject who He is, what He has said, and what He has done.  And because they cannot take it out on Him, they will certainly vent against those who are called by His name.  Cha ching!  The cost of following Jesus will increase.

Will Jesus' disciples consider the occasion of worshiping and serving the resurrected and ascended Son of God more than worth the cost?

In the next post, I will explore some Scriptural, historical, and contemporary examples of the costs of following Jesus, as well as believers' response to these increases.

Introducing a Blog Series: The Rising Costs of Following Jesus

In this post, I want to introduce some initial thoughts on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and to explore a truly biblical principle of the costliness of following Jesus and the recent trend of ever rising costs in identifying with and faithfully following this One whom the Bible claims to be the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners.

Since our nation's birth in 1776, disciples of Jesus Christ have, for the most part, enjoyed relative acceptance and harmony with the culture at large.  The spiritual heritage of the first colonists, as well as that of many of the Founding Fathers, is well documented.  United States history is replete with accounts of citizens' encounters with God, in both private and public domains.  Even as recently as the late 20th century (1980's-1990's), Christians were generally viewed as people with good morals, family-focused, and active within the life of their respective communities. Politicians who did not identify themselves with the Christian faith were rare, given the fact that the majority of the electorate identified itself as Christian.  Business deals were often made only after a discussion of one's religious beliefs and practices.  Schools opened with prayer; Bibles were routinely carried to both work and school; meals were introduced with blessings and prayers of thanksgiving.  From the northernmost corner of Maine to the southernmost corner of California, and everywhere in between, people found comfort and counsel, hope and healing, peace and purpose from the Bible and God's called out and gathered people, the church.

Fast forward to 2013, and it would be an understatement to say "Times have changed."

To begin this discussion, we can go to no better source than Holy Scripture, whose favorite word for God's people (in the New Testament) is not the expected "Christians" (used only three times), "believers" (15 times), "saints," (63 times) or "church," (110 times), but God's word of choice is "disciples," (over 250 times).  The very word carries within itself a richness of meaning (a learner in relationship with a teacher, an apprentice in relationship with a mentor, and a follower in relationship to a master).  Given that meaning and the encounters those first disciples had with Jesus, as well as the instructions He gave them and had recorded for us, it should come as no surprise that being a disciple of Jesus Christ is pricey.

The next post will identify some of these costs, as recorded in God's Word.

The Proof of our Priorities

I consult a variety of news sources on a near daily basis, for local, national, and international coverage. For national and international news, I typically visit the websites for CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, which provides a wide spectrum of viewpoints.  In today's visits I was struck by the realization that each network's leading story is proof of its priorities, which prompted me to consider how I demonstrate what the priorities are in my own life.

First, CNN headlines with "Teens beat WWII veteran to death."  This is the tragic story of two Spokane, Washington teenagers who allegedly used flashlights to kill an 88-year old man who was sitting in his car. The network comments that this is the second apparent random killing by teenagers in the past week, the other case involving three teenagers who shot and killed an Australian baseball player who was jogging in Oklahoma.  Choosing this for its leading story tells me that CNN wants to prioritize the issue of teenage violence in the U.S.

Second, Fox News opens with the following story: "Sources:  Benghazi Search Unit Pulled."  The backstory for this account derives from the brutal attack in Benghazi, Libya which lead to the deaths of four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.  Suspects were recently charged with their murders and a team was sent to locate and arrest said suspects, but a large segment of this search/arrest team has apparently made a permanent exit out of Libya.  This leading story suggests that the folks at Fox News wants to prioritize our governmen'ts actions, or the lack thereof, in this entire situation.

Lastly, MSNBC leads with "Vegas cop-killing plot reveals shady group."  This is a story about a couple who identify themselves as "Sovereign Citizens" that were planning to kidnap and kill Las Vegas police officers. The priority revealed in the choice of this story demonstrates the editors' belief that those who hold anti-government beliefs are a threat to our nation's security.

These three varied headlining news stories reminds me that both institutions-- and individuals-- inevitably prove what their priorities really are by what they say or do not say, how they say it, and when they say it.  I will leave the analysis of these networks' stories and agendas up to each person who peruses their reports, but I do think it behooves all of us to consider his or her own words and actions and how they demonstrate what is really important in our lives.  Even the topics I choose to write about on this blog are telling about what I consider to be important.  Now that is sobering!

The Bible, in speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, says, "...He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent" (Colossians 1:18).  Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines preeminent as "having paramount rank, dignity, or importance." The question for each of us, then, is this:  "What is preeminent, what takes first place, in my life?"  But rather than saying what are priorities are, how about we ask others to tell us what they are?  For people can read us just as easily as they can any website, perhaps more so. 

Who is perusing my life today?  What is my "headline" story?   What is yours?  May it be Christ Jesus and Him alone.    

Superheroes We All Should Seek to Be

I love a good team of superheroes as much as the next person--The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, The Incredibles.  They fascinate us because of their skills and abilities, because they are cool under fire, because they will fight when no one else is willing or able, and because they do what we wish we could do and are what we wish we could be.  But there is a team of superheroes that is more needed, and I dare say, more admirable, than any character found within comic books or upon the silver screen.  This team of superheroes is known simply as "The Encouragers."

Is this a team of superheroes that grabs my attention, takes my breath, and stirs my heart?  Is this a team that I long to join?  What about you?

"The Encouragers" are there when needed:  in the depths of despair and upon the heights of honor.  They sit with you at noon or night , stand with you from the cradle to the grave, walk with you through the trials and triumphs of life, and run with you as you flee your fears and chase your dreams.  They listen when you shout your successes and whisper your failures; when you speak your mind and share your heart.  "The Encouragers" speak words of comfort and correction, words that help and heal, words that are tactful yet true.

Today in worship, our church's Children's Pastor opened God's Word and gave us a glimpse of a man whose life so qualified him to join this team, that those who knew him best changed his name from Joseph to Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement."  Now that is a transformation Dr. David Banner could envy (something all you Incredible Hulk fans will appreciate)!

So, isn't it about time we looked for integrity in our superheroes more than we look for intelligence?  Good deeds rather than good looks?  Men and women whose words can be trusted and tweeted without reservations, whose actions serve as examples rather than entertainment?

If there are "Encouragers" in your life, please do not give them catchy names, keys to your city, or pedestals from which they will surely fall.  Simply say "Thank you," and let them continue to serve humbly and where they are most comfortable--behind the scenes.

Our world is full of disillusioned and disappointed people.  The need is great.  The time is now.  The team is waiting.  Will you be an "Encourager" today?