:: To Worship Him ::

 

   In the hurrying and the scurrying of our lifestyles, what a wonderful blessing to have a few moments to ourselves!  And, we mustn’t forget to have those moments with the Lord. Those times with Him are so very precious.  This email was sent to me from Riverbend Church.   It really warms my soul.

 

   ‘They walked to the chapel in groups of two, three, four, some alone.  Those in groups were chatting, laughing, enjoying the almost cool morning.  The closer they got to the chapel, the quieter they became.  Once inside, the greeter let each person know that this was to be silent communion.

 

   They were given a meditation card with a quote and scripture and walked silently into the main sanctuary.  The room was cool, the scent of melted wax from the burning candles permeated the air.  The pianist walked to the piano and began playing beautiful music.

 

   The pastor stood after several moments of silent prayer and walked to the table.  Taking the tray, he knelt before each row and served communion in silence.  Once everyone had been served, they took the host, in silence.

 

   Silence.  “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’”  Luke 22:19)

 

   He then went to the table, took the tray with the wine, and again knelt before each row and served the wine, silently.  Again, once everyone had been served, the group drank the wine, in silence.

 

   Silence.  “In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you’”  (Luke 22:20)

 

   After a few moments, the group began to rise and left, individually.

 

   This was an amazing testament to spending time with God, in fellowship with others, in silence.  His presence in that place was palpable.  In our world so filled with noise and business, it’s so important to take a few moments to be with Him in silent communion.  Don’t forget what He gave for us, with the only rule to love Him and one another.’

 

 

   Martin Luther once wrote: The question is asked: how can justification take place without the works of the law, even though James says: “Faith without works is dead”?  In answer, the apostle distinguishes between the law and faith, the letter and grace.  The ‘works of the law’ are works done without faith and grace, by the law, which forces them to be done through fear or the enticing promise of temporal advantages.  But ‘works of faith’ are those done in the spirit of liberty, purely out of love to God.  And they can be done only by those who are justified by faith.  An ape can cleverly imitate the actions of humans.  But he is not therefore a human.  If he became a human, it would undoubtedly be not by virtue of the works by which he imitated man but by virtue of something else; namely, by an act of God.  Then, having been made a human, he would perform the works of humans in proper fashion.  Paul does not say that faith is without its characteristic works, but that it justifies without the works of the law.  Therefore justification does not require the works of the law, but it does require a living faith, which performs its works.

 

   “We live by faith, not by sight.”  2 Corinthians 5:7

 

   This issue of faith and works has certainly been hashed over and discussed endlessly.  Martin Luther’s article says that ‘works of faith’ are those that are done out of freedom and out of love for God.  Too often we separate our work and our faith.  Work seems to be what we do between Sundays.  Faith is what we do on Sunday.  Somehow we loose the fact that our life is sacred to God everyday.  If our ‘faith’ does not enter into the equation of our life on Monday, then we are operating under the ‘works of the law.’  When we choose, whatever the day, to live dependant upon our abilities to bring about the outcome, that is not faith. Period!  And I might add, the outcome will be enormously small, compared to a life of faith, trusting our God for everything.  God’s type of faith moves those mountains, and parts the seas.  God’s faith is a ‘faith’ that trusts God for every step taken, every breath, every minute in the day,one moment at a time.

  

 

   ‘Believing things on authority only means believing them because you have been told them by someone you think trustworthy.  Ninety-nine percent of the things you believe are believed on authority.  I believe there is such a place, etc.  I could not prove by abstract reasoning that there is such a place.  I believe it because reliable people have told me so.  The ordinary person believes in atoms, functioning of our bodies, nature and its systems, and in the solar system because someone has told us so.  Every historical statement is believed on authority.  We can’t go back and prove it.  None of us has seen the Norman Conquest, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, or the Civil War, yet we believe because we have read it in our history books.  We believe them simply because people who did see them have left writings that tell us about them; in fact, on authority.  A person who balked at authority in others things, as some people do in religion, would have to be content to know nothing all his life.’  So wrote C.S. Lewis.

 

   Jesus said in John 14:30-31; “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming.  He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”   Jesus was speaking with authority saying; He has no hold on me.  These words of Jesus not only amaze us but they challenge and inspire us.  Can we with confidence say the the evil one has no hold on us?  Some days we live celebrating victory only to have a tomorrow when we haven’t scored quite as well.  How do we know that it is possible to live above the influence of the enemy?  Because we believe the authority of Jesus’ words.  We pray one day to be able to say with complete confidence as Jesus said; “He has no hold on me.”  As we grow in our Christian life, our longing to be able to confess victory will become a reality.  In the meantime we strive to live more days in victory than days in defeat.  Based upon the authority of Jesus’ words, we can and will be able to one day say: He has no hold on me!

 

   As a young man, film director Robert Flaherty spent many months in the far north looking for iron ore and cod.  He found neither, but he did shoot 70,000 feet of film in his travels.  Someone encouraged him to edit the film and make a documentary, which Flaherty spent weeks doing.  But just as he finished, a match from his cigarette dropped among the celluloid, consuming the entire film and burning Flaherty badly.  His response to the disaster was a determination to return to the far north and make a film of Eskimo life that people will remember and never forget.  He did just that, and the result was the classic 1922 documentary, Nanook of the North.

 

   It’s all about how we treat those times of despair, isn’t it?  On the news we are seeing the devastation of miles and miles of land in California due to fire.  Apparently it was deliberately set which is a double tragedy.  There have been fatalities to firemen and loss of homes for others.  How awful!  What do you do when in a matter of moments so much can go up in smoke?    I read recently in a newspaper that mental health experts are looking more closely to ones who have come through great tragedy.  They are saying that some people emerge from severe life crises feeling energized rather than defeated.  They say that there are spiritual growths, stronger relationships, enhanced personal strength, deeper appreciation for each day of life, and a clearer direction with measured priorities for many who survive great trauma and tragedy.   This seems contrary to what I had originally thought. 

 

   God made us wonderfully.  He programmed us to be resilient and to be survival minded.  Each tragedy has the potential of wiping us out, but we have a God who has instilled in us the capacity to overcome.  If we lack strength, He is there with whatever we need.  With His grace, our tragedies can become stepping stones.  It is up to us!

 

 

 

   In the Antarctic summer of 1908-9, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from their winter quarters.  They set off with four ponies to help carry the load.  Weeks later, their ponies dead, rations all but exhausted, they turned back toward their base, their goal not accomplished.  Altogether, they trekked 127 days.  On the return journey, as Shackleton records in The heart of the Antarctic, the time was spent talking about food, elaborate feasts, gourmet delights, sumptuous menus.  As they staggered along, suffering from dysentery, not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of eating.  Jesus, who also knew the ravages of food deprivation, said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”  We can understand Shackleton’s obsession with food, which offers a glimpse of the passion Jesus intends for our quests for righteousness.  Desire pushes our quest for the things that matter most to us. 

 

   Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:19,20)  We will always lay up our treasures based upon our desires of what is important to us.  When we lay up treasures of the earth we will eventually see that they will first of all (1) Decay.  Either rust will get them or they will be eaten by moths or termites.  Either way, treasures of the earth are only temporary.  We will also see (2) Our treasures of the earth will have to be guarded for fear others may want them.  If they are so special to us, surely others would value them as well.  We either have to put them in vaults and pay security to guard them, or guard them personally ourselves around the clock.  What a hassle!

 

   Treasures in our bank accounts in heaven are not subject to the same things as treasures upon the earth.  They are not eroded by the world or stolen, but are safe and secure, drawing interest.  Paul said that “we must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”  (1 Timothy 4:7,8)  We are not capable of serving the world and heaven at the same time.  The Lord teaches us to choose every day whom we will serve.  The way of peace is the way of heaven.  The way of godliness is the way of heaven.  That’s were I plan to do my banking!