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It hit a little too close, news that friends in China have been arrested under the guise of stealing secrets from the Chinese government. Ridiculous! Our friends aren’t interested in Chinese government secrets but they did have a mission there and they were doing it successfully – helping to build the kingdom of heaven. Last week they were taken into custody and no one knows what will happen next. The government has been cracking down on religious activity. It hit us close because we know what it is like to live and work in that kind of restrictive environment, to be watched closely and to wonder who is watching you. We have more friends in other countries doing the same kind of work, sharing Jesus with anyone who will listen. I know pastors who run the risk of going to prison for holding a prayer meeting in their home. Here’s the thing that people in the West sometimes forget – serving Jesus is serious, dangerous business. We often make it sound like becoming a follower of Jesus is the easiest thing going. The bar is often set very low, what Bonhoeffer called ‘cheap grace’. Many people have simply added Jesus to the list of things they include in their life but he has no preeminence, there is no surrender. Salvation a free gift but it was purchased at a high cost. There is no promise that following Jesus is safe. The news channels this week are full of reminders that following the Christ of the cross can be costly. In many parts of the world the persecution of believers has intensified. It’s always been there but we are hearing more about it. Ancient Christian communities in the Middle East are facing genocide, dynamic groups in South Sudan are fighting for life and freedom, and small groups of evangelical believers in Asia are simply trying to stay below the government radar. Many people will die this year for no other reason than they carry the name of Christ. Jesus said there would be days like this. He told his disciples upfront; “they hated me and they will hate you. They persecuted me and they will persecute you. A servant is not greater than his master.” (John 15) The world is not our friend and we should not be surprised when our rights are denied or our lives are in danger. Yet, God is at work. He continues to bring his plans and purposes to fulfillment. We are called to be intercessors and to remember that serving Jesus is serious business.

Have you ever noticed how often food is mentioned in the Bible? It starts with a healthy dose of fruit in the Garden of Eden. Then there’s Esau who sells his birthright for a pot of stew. Before the Exodus from Egypt the Jews ate lamb and unleavened bread. They were headed to the land of milk and honey. Scripture talks about herbs and spices; figs seemed to be a popular treat. Some of the disciples were fishermen and there’s a story about Jesus and his followers having a fish breakfast on the beach. And it all ends up in heaven with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, a full course meal and time of celebration. Food is an important part of life. Some people live to eat; they enjoy the taste and texture of every bite. They plan holiday times around finding good restaurants and sourcing out new taste experiences. Other people, like me, eat to live. That is, I only eat because I need the nutrition. The other day around eight in the evening I felt hungry and it occurred to me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, which was a bowl of yogurt. If it wasn’t for hunger pains I could easily forget about eating. Either way, we all need a regular intake of healthy food options. Jesus used a food metaphor to describe himself, “I am the bread of life.” What’s more he promised “whoever comes to me, shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)  Bread was the staple of life for people in Jesus day. It was essential for daily living. We often use this passage of Scripture in the context of salvation. People need to come to Jesus so they will no longer be spiritually hungry. That’s true. But often we forget that as believers we still need that bread of life. Accepting Jesus into our life is just the beginning. We need to keep coming back to him each and every day. We need the spiritual food that only he can provide. When we wander from him, or forget to spend time with him, we find ourselves spiritually hungry and thirsty again. It’s all about Jesus. When my spiritual life gets complicated or I’m dry and discouraged, I go back to Jesus. As his followers that’s where our focus needs to be. Just like we need food each and every day, we need Jesus each and every day.

God loves all people equally but not all people love him back in the same way. The Bible is filled with stories about individuals who sought to go it alone without God’s guidance. We might sometimes wonder why sinful people and their behavior is included in Scripture. But I think their stories are told to warn us about our own sinfulness and to remind us that God is in the business of redemption. Here are five people characters who serve as warnings to us to guard our spirits. Cain – Cain killed his brother Abel but the real problem was a matter of his heart. God didn’t accept his offering and Cain was offended by God’s high standards. He wanted to worship God any way he saw fit. He sulked for a while and then took his revenge on Abel. At times it is hard to understand God’s holiness but we should be careful to not take offense, God wants to help us but it requires that we yield to his ways. Absalom – As the son of the greatest Israelite King ever, Absalom had a privileged position. But he wasn’t happy with that. He wanted the top spot and he wanted it now. Absalom lead a rebellion against his father David that ended with Absalom on the run and hanging from a tree. Impatience and self-centeredness are dangerous qualities. Whenever we seek to put God on our schedule we run the risk of moving on without him. Michal – King David had a heart after God but not everyone in his family felt the same way. When he brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem David was so overjoyed that he danced before God and all the people. His wife, Michal, watched from a distance and was appalled at this ‘unkingly’ like behavior. She judged the worship of someone else who was right to express before God his passion and joy. Her narrow and judgmental spirit left no room for her to know and experience the presence of God for herself. Simon – He was a well-known man of tricks in Samaria and when we saw the ministry of the apostles he wanted in on the action. Although he heard the message of Jesus and believed, he was overtaken by a need for self-promotion and greed. He wanted to buy the ability to baptize people in the Holy Spirit, totally misunderstanding how God works. He loved a good show and the supernatural but only sought it for his own advantage and not for the benefits of others. The Smith Brothers – Okay so these guys aren’t actually brothers but they shared a common spirit. Alexander the Coppersmith (2 Tim. 4:14) and Demetrius the Silversmith (Acts 19) both lead opposition to the gospel and the work of Jesus. There are people that just seem to like to stir up trouble for no other reason than watching it happen. Paul tells us in Galatians that strife is a work of the flesh and there is no place for it in Christian fellowship. We are to bring peace and reconciliation, not division.   Jealousy, impatience, a judgmental spirit, self-promotion and strife – we see it all in the Bible and we see it all today. We sometimes even see it in churches and among believers. We shouldn’t be surprised when Christians demonstrate these sinful behaviors but it should prompt us to examine our own spirits and ensure that we are producing good fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23  

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”   I love summertime in Canada but hate those little mosquitos. I can’t remember how many nights I have gotten up, turned on a light and searched for that single mosquito that was making my sleep miserable. Although small they are powerful and have the ability to make people move. It’s a simple principle but an important one we shouldn’t forget. We aren’t too small to make a difference in the world around us. Small acts of kindness and support can make a big difference. Likewise small acts of cruelty and harsh words of discouragement can easily put people down. Our actions matter and affect other people whether we always think about it or not. We shouldn’t discount our ability to encourage or discourage others with our words and deeds. Perhaps many of us would like to be remembered for making a big difference in the world. We look for the right opportunity and the right position from which we can do big things in order to impress people and God. Let’s not forget that while we are looking for those ‘big’ opportunities in life we have hundreds of ‘small’ opportunities to impact and change the lives of other people, especially the people we care about. You can make a difference in this world. You have the chance each and every day when you interact with people around you. Make the most of it.  “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians  5:11  

Even for those who aren’t fans of the World Cup it is hard to escape today’s headlines about last night’s game between Germany and Brazil. In a sport that usually sees low scores a 7-1 outcome means it was painful and embarrassing for one of the teams. The silence we hear is the nation of Brazil trying to absorb the shock.   Once the shock wears off there is bound to be a flurry of explanations and accusations as to what went wrong. My guess is that the players will be harder on themselves than others will be. In such a high level sport your personal performance can come to equal your personal value. Does failure on the pitch mean failure as a person? How will these players work through this loss? If they are like most people they might feel self-pity at some point. Self-pity is seldom an attractive virtue. After a bad day or a particular set back we feel sorry for ourselves, we feel unloved, and we feel forgotten. “Woe is me” becomes our motto. Our feelings are important but they shouldn’t control our beliefs or color truth. We need to take seriously what God says about who we are and our value to him. A few years ago someone gave me a little prayer book for all occasions. I came across this prayer for overcoming self-pity and thought it was worth passing on. It was written many years ago and so the language isn’t up to date but the prayer is right on. From time to time we all need to pray this way: Lord, I know that I am easily hurt and feel myself slighted and passed by as I meet associates at church and at the many social gathering in the community. It seems as though no one cares for me. Therefore I feel sorry for myself and think that I am mistreated and ignored. Lord, help me to conquer this morbid outlook on life, and create in me a deeper interest in my fellow beings, looking away from myself and seeking to be useful to others. Grant me the grace to be less self-centered and self-conscious. Forgive me my murmurings, and make me cheerful and friendly. I know I am precious in Thy sight, for Thou hast given Thy Son as a sin offering for me. Thou, O Lord, art thinking of me and of my eternal welfare. Grant that this truth will help me to conquer my self-pity. Let me not continue to bemoan my lot in life. Open my eyes to see that where I am I can serve Thee and be of real service to mankind. Thou hast called me by name. I am Thine own. May I rejoice daily to know that my name is written in the Book of Life. Let me count my blessings as an heir of salvation. Give me the satisfaction of sharing with others the saving truths of the Cross and telling them of Jesus, the Savior, who sacrificed His life that they, too, might be Thine through all eternity. Amen.  (My Prayer Book. Concordia Publishing House. 1957)

Was Jesus ever frustrated with people? He was. He was frustrated by the attitude of many in his day who couldn’t or wouldn’t hear the truth no matter how it was presented. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day felt they had everything figured out about God. They weren’t going to listen to anyone who didn’t fit their mold; they didn’t want to have to change their understanding or their lives. John the Baptist arrived on the scene and called people to repentance of sins. But his odd lifestyle, living alone in the desert and wearing animal skins, put people off. He had an Old Testament ‘fire and brimstone’ kind of preaching and folks thought he had a demon. When Jesus began his ministry it was kind of the opposite from John. Jesus lived and moved among ordinary and sinful people. His preaching was kind and gentle calling people back to a loving God. But the critics didn’t like that either. They accused Jesus of being a glutton and drunkard because he hung around with the wrong crowd. There is no pleasing some people: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” (Matthew 11:16) Jesus was frustrated because no matter how the truth was presented to them – they refused to listen. If the messenger wasn’t to their liking they didn’t want to hear what was being said. I have my own personal preferences, the way I like things to be. I ‘hear’ people better in certain situations than in others. What I need to watch out for is limiting my sources, only listening to people that I like. The kingdom of God is made up of people and we are all different. We relate and interact with each other and with God in different ways. We need to make room for that. We need to remember that we can learn from people who are different from us. God uses a variety of different people and different methods to get his truth across. Some days I need to hear from John the Baptist; I need to be confronted about my sin and how I’m living my life. If I refuse to listen I do so at my own peril. Other days, I need to hear from Jesus. I need to be reminded that I have worth, that he loves me and will help and strengthen me. If I only listen to the good stuff I can easily become lead astray. If I only listen to the hard stuff I can become judgmental and hardened.   We may not always like the messenger who brings us the truth we need to hear. But if we close our ears to God’s servants then we are in danger of developing an unhealthy spirituality. “Lord, help me to listen with open ears and discernment so I that won’t miss anything you have for me.”

Last week a young man broke into a house in Minnesota. He stole cash, credit cards and the man’s watch. Then, seeing that the computer was on, he logged into his Facebook account and forgot to log off. That’s how they caught him. His next status update will have to be from prison. I once knew of a guy who had been taught by his mother to always take his shoes off when entering a house. He did that while committing a ‘break and enter’; heard the owners coming back and took off without his shoes. That’s how they caught him. If you are interested in knowing more about the world’s dumbest criminals there are many websites dedicated to the topic. It’s hard not to feel somewhat superior when reading about the foolish exploits of some people. I tend to think, “I would never do something that stupid.” We all like to think of ourselves as wise and not foolish. Foolishness isn’t a virtue in any culture. But are we truly as wise as we think? Most of us train and educate ourselves so that we will be considered smart and intelligent. We want to be among the strong and powerful members of our society. Paul gives us a different perspective when he writes in 1 Corinthians: Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1:26-30) The truth is we aren’t as smart as we think we are. God’s wisdom is far above our worldly wisdom. It wasn’t because we were smart and gifted that we find ourselves among God’s people. God prefers to use those who are weak and lowly so that he gets all the credit. As believers we can’t boast in our own cleverness, it’s simply all because of Jesus. Every so often I need that reminder and it keeps me humble – I’m just foolish enough for God to use.

John Rockefeller once explained the secret of success – ‘Get up early, work late – and strike oil.’ I’m sure we’d all like to be able to follow that advice. There’s a story about a widow who lived in the days before there was any social assistance or welfare but she struck oil in a different way. She was destitute and facing the prospect of her two sons being sold into slavery. Her husband had been a good man but when he died there was nothing left for the family. Not knowing what to do she called out to a prophet of God. Being a kind and helpful man he went to visit her and saw her tough state. She had nothing in the house to eat and no money to pay her debts. So the prophet asked her, “What do you have in the house?” The only thing she had was a jar of oil. “Ok,” said the prophet, “have your boys go around the neighborhood and collect as many jars as possible. Then when they get home start pouring oil into the jars.” The woman never doubted or questioned the prophet but did just as he asked. The boys collected as many jars as they could and once ready she started pouring oil. From that one jar she filled another and then another until all were filled. She called for one more jar but they didn’t have it and at that point the oil stopped flowing. Then the prophet told her to go and sell the oil, pay off the debts and live on the rest of the money. You can find the story about the widow and Elisha in 2 Kings 4:1-7. It’s just one such story of the miracles that God worked on behalf of his people in the midst of everyday circumstances. Its New Testament counterpart is found when Jesus fed the 5000 with five loaves and two fishes. I believe that God still works in miraculous ways. What’s amazing is how God takes what we have and uses it to demonstrate that he can supply our every need. In our world of material abundance we aren’t always in need of food and clothing but we often run dry spiritually and feel emotionally bankrupt. We are living on credit and can’t seem to keep our head above water. The widow called out for help. We should learn from her, God wants to hear us ask for his strength and assistance. She had faith to believe that God would hear and help her. She prepared for abundance, the boys just kept bringing jars and her faith was rewarded as the oil kept flowing. Sometimes when we look around our house all we see is emptiness and we feel hopeless. But God’s word tells us that’s when there is opportunity for a miracle. 

When Narvaez, the Spanish explorer, lay dying, his father-confessor asked him whether he had forgiven all his enemies. Narvaez looked astonished and said, “Father, I have no enemies, I have shot them all.” Well that’s one way to deal with your problems – but not one that’s recommended. It seems we don’t go too many days without hearing about another violent incident inflicted by people who are angry or bear a grudge against someone. Much of it is personal and plays out in homes or small communities. The people affected are forever changed. In other cases the violence is more wide spread and has universal implications, like the bombing in the Pakistani airport this week. Beyond praying for the soon return of Christ I sometimes wonder what can be done to help this world. Rather than thinking on a global scale we need to consider our own relationships and what we allow to dwell in our spirits. Paul gives us good advice in Colossians 3 when he says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (3:13) Here’s the solution for having more peaceful relationships in our world. It starts with you and me. Rather than holding onto our grievances and building up a bank of complaints against others, we have to learn to forgive. Sure, this isn’t always easy. Some issues are big and need to be handled with the help of others. Our goal should be that we learn to release others from our debt. This is only possible when we reflect on the forgiveness we have received from Christ. I’m shaken some days at the violent world we live in. However, I have to own my feelings and frustrations, learning to forgive others as Christ forgave me.

So here’s a challenging verse: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.” (Philippians 2:14) My first reaction is to qualify Paul’s words “do everything” so that I can have some wiggle room here to grumble and complain about the things I don’t like. Paul doesn’t really mean ‘do everything’ without grumbling does he? Unfortunately he does. Paul goes on to explain why we need to practice this behavior, “so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (2:15) The default mode of the world around us is to grumble and argue about everything. Reality television wouldn’t exist if the producers couldn’t find a steady stream of people willing to complain and fight with each other. I’m sure that at your place of work you can quickly identify the individuals who are known for their constant complaining.  There is probably no shortage of folks who just seem happy to argue about any trivial matter. If we are going to live out our Christian faith in a way that makes a difference then we’ll need to be noticed. When we refuse to enter into the contest of grumbling and arguing it sets us apart from some pretty typical behavior. We can use our words to bless and build up rather than tear down and bring strife. The world has enough people who see the negative in everything out there. There is a great need for people who bring life giving words and offer reconciliation rather than snappy comebacks. As followers of Christ we need to stand out in a crooked generation. It’s not easy, but we could start with praying, like the Psalmist, that God would put a guard over our mouths.