InTheShadow

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June 8

Thursday, June 8th, 2023

We will often use or hear used a saying: “I really have to walk a fine line.” We use that phrase when we are trying to describe the “fineness” between choices. Some might use it to describe the slim difference between right and wrong. Or we might use it when describing whether to say or not, whether to do or not do something.

One of the struggles the church faces-and it has always been this way-is the battle between truth and love. Someone has put it this way: “All truth without love is legalism (and I might add harshness); all love with no truth is mere sentimentality.” It is a fine line between being repulsive to the world because of our stand, and yet be attractive to the world because of our love and care.

See the point? There are those who are hard-liners…no bending whatsoever. “You must stand your ground even if it offends” and I agree we should not compromise. But that ground should be stood with love in our hearts not belligerence.  That is the fine line. How much “stand” vs how much love?

There is a battle going on between isolation and assimilation. Do we withdraw or do we just drift with the cultural? You have probably heard this quote in some form: “The boat is to be in the water, but its bad news if the water gets in the boat.” That is the constant struggle. And while we are debating the rights and wrongs of things, the world has wormed its way into the church. For example, while we have debated the rightness and wrongness of say, same sex attraction (and for the record I do believe God is very clear that He created us male and female), the church has become inundated and has allowed false teachers who tell people God owes them special blessings because they are people of God to infiltrate our defenses. Seems like the classic example of misdirection by the enemy. Get them to focus on this and I’ll slip in under the radar with this.

We do walk a fine line between acceptance and love. Love and truth always go together. It’s a fine line but one we need to thread and navigate carefully.

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June 7

Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

Warning signals are designed for a purpose-a warning that something big is coming.

Our community has tornado sirens. When heeded they save lives or at least lets us know something is coming. When the tornado made its way through our neck of the woods a couple of months ago-and landed in some areas- the only casualties were those who failed to hear or heed the warning.

When the tsunami hit Indonesia in 2010 (has it been that long ago?) over 400 people lost their lives. It didn’t have to be.  They had a warning system of buoys that had become detached and drifted away. My question would be whether it happened because of the tsunami or from neglect or forgetfulness to check them. In any case, it was a tragedy which could have been avoided.

We have fire and smoke detectors in our houses. If heeded they save lives. What good would it do if we heard them go off and say, “Oh, that’s just the fire alarm. I’m going back to sleep”?  said no wise person ever.

We have a warning system “built in” to each one of us. It is called the conscience. For the most part, that is enough. We have been given the ability to discern right from wrong.

For some-and I am referring to Christ followers-our system has another mainspring: the Holy Spirit. We all know our consciences can be hardened-seared it is called-where what is right and what is wrong is skewed. Oftentimes it is unreadable. The Holy Spirit (who is Christ in you) helps us to know right and wrong.

If you are a follower of Christ, stay sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Stay open to those nudges, those gentle tugs on your spirit, that say yes or no.  I’ve noticed those tugs are good warning signs when they need to be, and good lights to light my path.

But you must listen!

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June 6

Tuesday, June 6th, 2023

Do you remember a game called “Word Association?” Well…in case that was before your time…the game is played with someone saying a word and the other person(s) saying the first word that comes to mind. Charades is sort of this on steroids.

So…I’m going to give you a word and you write down in your mind or on paper the first word that comes to mind. Ready?

IDOL.

What word came to your mind? Statue? Religion? Carving? Ritual? Special place? Or maybe you thought of a specific one.

I’m guessing most of us would think statue or carving.  And we would think of some religion or tribe somewhere that would have a stone or wood statue. Or we may think of someone who has a place set up on a home.

But let me push you beyond that. The Bible explicitly states, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Ex.20:3) It continues by saying, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” and “You shall not bow down to worship them.” (Ex.20:4-5). Can’t get much plainer than that.

We wipe our hand across our forehead and say, “Whew! I dodged that bullet!”

NOT SO FAST.

An idol does not have to be a physical statue that we give homage to. An idol can be anything-ANYTHING-that garners our attention and affection. I have a 2-wheeled beast (a bicycle not the motorized kind) that has garnered a lot of miles and a lot of my attention over the years. Too much sometimes.  No, I didn’t bow down and kiss it. But I can guarantee I have put off some things and allowed it to have way too much of my thoughts and way TOO much importance in my heart at times. You might be thinking, “Well, Bill, how could you direct so much of your attention to an inanimate object?” I rest my case on what an idol is.

You see…God will not stand for 2nd (or 3rd or 4th or…) place in my life. Or yours. He wants to be #1. He wants to be the boss. He wants to be the object of our adoration and worship. An idol is anything that seeks to usurp God’s rightful place of importance in my life…and yours.

What about you? What or WHO is #1?

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June 5

Monday, June 5th, 2023

I’m no expert that’s for sure. I constantly tell the folks at the church I pastor that I am not a professional counselor. What I am is a pastor who has a heart for His (and my) people. Since the first of May (excluding Mother’s Day), I have been preaching a series called Faith Over Fear. It has been a real test for me in preparing it and I have done a ton of reading to do that. With the exception of Father’s Day, I have two Sundays left in the series.

During my prep I have been using a 31-day devotional called Anxiety…Knowing God’s Peace by Paul Tautges. I highly recommend it. My thoughts today come from that book-Day 28. The devotion today are my thoughts with credit given when I use his. 

First, please read Psalm 27. Read it slowly. Digest it. Now, go back and reread verses 1, 4-6, and 13-14.

Anxiety comes from all angles. Some of it is external. David talks about evildoers, adversaries, enemies, people who say lies about him, and armies at war. (vv.2,3,6,12)

But notice where he goes for help! Not his inner Self. Not his guru. Not his self-help books. Not his weapons of war. No, take a moment to read verses 1,4,6,11, and 13-14.

What can we learn from David in Psalm 27 (and here is where I copy from Mr. Tautges’ book):

  • Faith cripples the power of fear by reminding us of the right-now presence of the Lord. (v.1)
  • Faith cripples the power of our fear when our focus and affection become singular in the Lord. (v.4)

Mr. Tautges is correct in those statements. I’m not so naive to think that it as is as easy as “acknowledge and stop worrying.” But it is a place to start! The chorus from an old song comes to mind: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Setting our sights on Jesus recalibrates us; refocuses our heart where it belongs and in turn, alleviates our fears.

What or WHO will you focus on today?

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June 1

Thursday, June 1st, 2023

“Worldview matters.” So says John Stonestreet in his introduction to Faithfully Different by Natasha Crain. He goes on to say, “A worldview makes a big difference in how we think, how we make decisions, and how we relate with others.” (p.9)

My thoughts were turned to his quotes for two reasons: 1) I’m reading her book; and 2) I read 2 passages of Scripture today that spurred my  thinking.

The first is the whole chapter of Psalm 1. (Please take a moment to read its 6 verses). It is a chapter of opposites, of comparisons. It compares the godly person to the wicked (ungodly). {Note: the psalmist uses the word “wicked” but that has such a sharp connotation in today’s language so I use the word ungodly instead. Same species. Different fish} Verses 1-3 describe the one who walks with God, while verses 4-6 describe the one who doesn’t.

The second Scripture is Proverbs 1:7- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (ESV). The goal of the righteous person is to seek the knowledge of God (His Word, His way, etc.), but it begins with a healthy fear (awe) of God. Wisdom is despised by the fool.

I think the word that comes into play here is the word “discernment.” Going back to the quote at the beginning about worldview, we are constantly being bombarded with and by a secular worldview-a worldview described in Psalm 1:4-6.

One can either have a biblical worldview or a secular worldview. Like it sounds, a biblical worldview is based on God’s Word to man. A secular worldview is based on man’s word to man. They are diametrically opposed to each other.

The world needs to conform to God’s Word (biblical worldview) rather than trying to conform God’s Word to the culture (secular worldview). For that to happen the follower of Christ must become discerning. That comes from putting Psalm 1:1-3 into play.

Choose your worldview but choose wisely. It matters.

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May 31

Wednesday, May 31st, 2023

There is a saying you may have heard or will hear from time to time: “You can take that to the bank.” When a person uses that phrase it means “what I have said to you is a sure thing.”

The Bible is filled with “take-it-to-the-bank” moments:

  • “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:10
  • “We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Romans 3:23

Can anyone really argue with the logic-and the TRUTH-of those two statements? I think not. There is not a person on this planet who think someone is perfect and has never sinned or done anything wrong.

There are many other statements you can take to the bank. Let’s give another scenario: You are feeling overwhelmed. You are feeling alone. You are feeling like you are drowning. You are anxious. You feel abandoned, like you are in a boat in the middle of an ocean without a paddle. You are being tossed around by a storm and YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT. But God’s take-it-to-the-bank words come to you in the nick of time to reassure you: “You are not alone. We are in this together. I promised you I would never leave your or forsake you. You belong to me. Trust me. You are safe.”  I’ve just given you a different take on the passage that says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He says, “I am with you, even to the end of time.”

Those words-trusting those words-turn panic into peace; bad news into good news; fear into faith; confusion into calm. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you in my righteous right hand.” (ESV)

And…You can take that to the bank.

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May 30

Tuesday, May 30th, 2023

With yesterday being Memorial Day, we should have stopped to remember and be thankful for the men and women who served our country to preserve our freedoms. I hope you did.

I recently read a story that is all about remembering. I’ve been reading No Reason to Hide by Erwin Lutzer and he tells the following story:

Millions of mothers can be called heroes. One such is Sonya, who entered into an abusive marriage at 13, and later separated from her husband. She never did learn to read, but she was passionate that her children learn to do so.

She had two son, Curtis and Benjamin. Ben was 8, his brother, Curtis, was 10 when their parents divorced. Sonya worked 2-3 jobs at a time, leaving their small apartment at 5:00 a.m. to go to work, and not coming home until midnight.

When the brothers came home with poor grades, she instituted a strict change. She limited her sons’ TV time and they couldn’t go outside until their schoolwork was done.

Sonya could not have predicted her son Ben would become a famous pediatric surgeon. He performed the first reported separation of twins who were joined at the back of the head. He was an esteemed professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Ben Carson always paid tribute to his mother and credits her fervent dedication to him and his brother for their success.{Pages 230-231- Edited for space}

I wonder what Sonya Carson would think of today’s philosophy of allowing the schools to determine what a child is taught. The battle raging today over who should have the say over children-school or parents-is not one Sonya would have tolerated. I firmly believe it is the parent’s responsibility to teach our children, not the schools. The ungodly philosophy taught in our schools, and hiding it from the parents, or even in direct opposition to them, makes my blood boil. Okay…down from the soapbox.

I leave you with this today: we may never know the influence we have now, or down the road. But let’s make sure it is a good one.

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May 29

Monday, May 29th, 2023

Unless you were born yesterday or under a rock, it is hard not to know that today is Memorial Day. May your celebration be one of gratitude for God’s gracious gift of His Son. May your celebration also include gratitude to and for the men and women who served our country to make us and keep us a free nation.  Things may not be as hunky-dory or as peachy-keen as we would like them to be, but I am still convinced that the United States of America is still the best place to live.

We could ask Britteny Griner who spent almost two years in a Russian prison cell where she couldn’t even stand up to her full height if she now appreciates what she has. According to reports, she is now standing for the National Anthem. I hope it lasts.

We could even ask all the ingrates who desecrated our landmarks, raised havoc in the streets, burned down buildings, killed innocent people, wanted to Defund the Police, and took over AND RUINED cities and states how they like the freedom to riot and protest as they have. A right they would not have if they lived in Russian or China or North Korea…places that have a socialist philosophy they want to emulate and incorporate on our soil.

I want to tell all the actors, actresses, and all the other so-called important people who are full of themselves and who promised to leave if certain people were elected or a certain party came into power two simple words: Bye-bye.

Try lying and slandering the leadership of China, or Russia, or North Korea, or Cuba and Uganda and see where that gets you.

I tip my hat and my honor to the men and women who served this country from 1776 to the present-to win our freedom and to preserve that same freedom.  GOD BLESS AMERICA! 

But also AMERICA BLESS GOD. The latter will be the key to turning this whole rodeo around.

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May 25

Thursday, May 25th, 2023

Have you ever heard of compartmentalization? I think many people, especially Christ-followers, are experts at it.

So, what is it? Compartmentalization is the art of “sectioning off” our lives. This goes here. That goes there. It is good if you are purging your house or office, but I see it way too often in church people. Sunday is…well…Sunday.  That’s the day you go to church and do “church things.” I can remember once asking my grandfather to play cards when I was visiting with he and my grandmother one Sunday. His response was like this: “Bill, my dad and mom were not very religious in any way, shape, or form, but I asked him one Sunday to play cards with me and I was told Sunday was not the day to play cards or any game.” He went on to say, “We never did play cards on Sunday. Every other day, but not Sunday.” Sunday, even to a non-believer, was a sacred day.

It’s easy to get trapped into a religious vs. non-religious mindset. It is easy to say, “I listen only to Christian music or a Christian station. Never anything…wait for it…secular.”

Do you see what I just did? I compartmentalized religious music vs “secular” music. How easy it is to do that and to justify it.

But let’s look at it a different way. Years ago I memorized  a Bible verse and used it whenever I signed anything. It was Colossians 3:17;“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  That verse tells me that no matter what I am doing-singing praise, cleaning a toilet, cutting grass, reading my Bible, helping my neighbor, riding my bike or working out, WHATEVER-I am to do it FOR and IN THE NAME of Jesus. No religious vs secular. No matter what I do, it is to be done for Him and for His glory. A Christ-follower singing a rock song (within reason, of course) and doing it for His glory, is following the same path as a Christian singer singing, “To God be the Glory.”

Let’s see all we do as an opportunity to honor God.After all, what good is our faith if it does not affect every area of our lives? Let’s stop compartmentalizing.

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May 24

Wednesday, May 24th, 2023

There is no question we all do things that are “off the wall.” Some might call them stupid. We are surprised, not just by our own actions, but also by those of others. We roll our eyes at what some people do or say, or we can’t believe what we do or say!

I recently read about a lady who went to see a doctor with two severely burnt ears. The doctor said, “In all of my years of practice, I have never seen anything quite like this. How did you burn your ears?”

“Well,” she said, “I was ironing and watching TV. Suddenly, the phone rang. I answered the iron instead of the phone and burned my ear.”

“That’s horrible!” the doctor said. “But how did you burn your other ear?”

“Can you believe it?” she said. “The idiot called back!”

Okay…so other than the groan that just escaped our lips and the chuckle that maybe became more than just a chuckle, what did you think?

Roll your eyes?  Shake your heard in disbelief? Did you groan and chuckle some more? Did you comment about the sheer stupidity of some people? Or maybe all the above?

I’d say the woman was a little flaky. Okay, more than just a little. But even more, I’d say she was a bit preoccupied. I mean, how do you? Never mind.

Preoccupation is dangerous. Preoccupied driving, for example, is really dangerous. How often do we hear about not texting and driving? Trying to have a serious conversation with a preoccupied person is a lost cause. It’s like talking to a brick wall. Preoccupied people have skewed priorities. We lose sight of what is in the moment, what is right in front of us.

Jesus once said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” The “these things” refers to the daily necessities of life.

He has promised; He will deliver…and you can’t burn your ears worrying (being preoccupied) about it.

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