It’s a great day!

It is a great day.

 

This last week Theo started saying the most beautiful and wise thing he had ever uttered, and for me, it will be something that sticks with me for a very long time. He started saying, “Today is a great day!” and I would respond, “Why do you think that?” His answer both surprised and delighted me, and he said in a matter-of-fact tone, “Because God made it.” Well, you could imagine my heart almost exploded. Now I know he is probably just combining things that he knows he has heard. We sing that portion of Psalm 118 almost weekly, but it made me extremely glad for him to verbalize it.

There is so much wisdom in Psalm 118; it was a hymn to be sung as the Jewish people walk into Jerusalem for any one of their festivals. As these religious pilgrims made their way into that great city, they would sing and recite this psalm and recount the goodness of God, regardless of present circumstances. Here it is in its entirety.

Psalms 118

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the LORD say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD;

the LORD answered me and set me free.

6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

7 The LORD is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in princes.

10 All nations surrounded me;

in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

12 They surrounded me like bees;

they went out like a fire among thorns;

in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

but the LORD helped me.

14 The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

15 Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,

16 the right hand of the LORD exalts,

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

17 I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the LORD.

18 The LORD has disciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.

20 This is the gate of the LORD;

the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

23 This is the LORD’s doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we pray, O LORD!

O LORD, we pray, give us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

We bless you from the house of the LORD.

27 The LORD is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar!

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

 

 

This beautiful psalm begins by stating we can depend on God. That no matter what may be happening in our lives, we serve a good God that maintains an enduring love for His people. We cannot undervalue this statement; it opens and closes the song and acts as a thesis statement for the poem. This song mentions that it does not matter which dangers or threats arise; God will be there with them, provide salvation and deliverance from these attacks. The climax and the reason for our reflection on this psalm are verses 22- 24. The first singers of this psalm would reflect upon this statement, knowing that what the world rejects, God will make foundational. The world may think of something as foolish and unfit, but God will raise that object to be of utmost importance. They would have acknowledged that although Israel is not the strongest, most significant, or most prestigious, God still chose them to be His people. We look at this and reflect that we now know this was a prophecy pointing to our savior Jesus.  

For this reason, we can look at each day with confidence, comfort, and contentment. It is not that the day itself will be significant because of what we put into it or what we are doing. The day is great because of who God is. And whether a day is “good” or “bad,” we can rejoice in each day because of who God is and what He has done. Think about the plagues that decided the fate of the Israelites in Egypt. Those days would probably not be recounted as pleasurable or “good.” Still, when you think about what those days accomplished for Israel, they were good because God worked it out for their benefit. Suppose we start each day by thanking God and knowing that the day will be good not because of its contents but because of the contentment of knowing the Creator. If we do this, our lives will be much better every day after that.

The day is good because God is good and faithful, and He is the one that made the day.

 

-Today is a great day!

Why?

-Because God made it!

 



The Truth Is Better

The Truth is Better

In the ongoing saga that is the acquisition and delivery of our household goods, I have come to the earth-shattering realization that I don’t enjoy someone lying to me. Throughout this process, the moving company has told us just another 5-7 days, and we continue to wait. Still, deep down, we have accepted our fate. Here is the typical conversation:

Me: Good morning. How are you doing this morning?

Customer Service: I’m great, thank you for asking. What can I do for you?

Me: I am calling to check on the status of my household goods shipment.

Customer Service: Okay, let me look at your file… Okay, I see what is happening. Let me call dispatch and find out if the company has loaded your items.

*placed on hold*

Customer Service: Dispatch did not answer, but I will call you back as soon as they let us know what is happening.

 

Here is the issue, they never call back. The first time the brokers said it, it sounded genuine. However, after a month and a half, it sounds fake and dismissive. We’ve tried other tactics, as well, such as mentioning that they never call back, asking if I can talk to dispatch or a manager/owner. However, the more aggressive I become, the harsher their replies. If I am kind and patient, they dismiss my concern, and I realize they are pacifying me to get me off the phone. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have the truth; even if it were negative, it would be better for me in the long run to have the truth.

In his conversation with some Pharisees and other Jews, Jesus is having this conversation about truth. In John chapter eight, he tries to relate the truth about who he is; he comments that he bears witness to himself. The legal-minded Pharisees know that a person cannot be their own witness; you must have someone else testify on your behalf. In this hardheaded crowd, Jesus discusses truth, freedom, and testimony as he tries to show them who he is. Jesus entirely agrees and says that his Father also testifies about who he is, “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me” (John 8:17-18 ESV). The group questions who Jesus’ father is, and they do not like his answer, and Jesus asserts that this is because they don’t want the truth. After all, their father is the adversary and the father of lies. “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:42-44 ESV).  

What follows is my take-home application. Sometimes lies are easier to hear because they placate or soothe us. When someone tells me a lie, it is probably easier for me to accept. Here are the Jews, they say they have never been slaves, but they have; most of their existence has been slavery and foreign occupation and exile. Jesus is trying to tell them that they are slaves to their traditions, heritage, and sin; however, this is hard to hear. Jesus wants them to know that by following him, he can remove all of these lies. If Jesus wanted to gain a following, he would have lied and appeased the crowd. On the other hand, Jesus only wants to distribute the truth, and the truth is what we need.

Even if the truth is hard to hear, make sure your heart can accept it and go seek it out.



Let Them Be Hospitable

Let Them Be Hospitable

Moving to a new place presents a lot of opportunities. God finds ways to shape us into the people that He wants us to be. He constantly shapes us to be more and more Christlike in our words and deeds if we only let Him. One area of my Christian walk that I have struggled with is hospitality, primarily receiving hospitable actions. I try my hardest to be generous to a fault (my wife will verify), and I will do just about anything for anyone. Still, I am more hesitant to accept the hospitality of others. I believe I can do everything on my own, and I don’t need help from anyone. This can create tensions in our spiritual lives. I will call this phenomenon the reciprocity of hospitality; when we constantly give but don’t accept the giving of others, we lose sight of the bigger picture. I believe this stems from the Western concept of “pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps”, the idea of being so self-sufficient that we don’t accept help from anyone. Whether we know it or not, we create a stigma for anyone that needs help, and they are afraid to ask. Lately, I have been reminded of this verse:

1 Peter 4:8–9 

 “Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another.” 

I now realize more fully that I have robbed others of this opportunity to show me their hospitality. Moving to a new community has allowed me to work on this aspect of my life. I feel like I am being smacked in the face with it; I am forced to accept hospitality in so many forms. Because Amanda and I don’t have all of our stuff, we have relied on the church here in Richland more than we would have had to otherwise. And it has been such a blessing! You all have poured into our lives food, furniture, and even your homes! We have been truly blessed. It has caused me to stop and realize how fantastic hospitality truly is and how we should be reciprocal. I love those words from 1 Peter 4:9 that we should practice our hospitality to one another ungrudgingly; this is that idea of mutual hospitality. One another means amongst each other; it is a defining characteristic of the early church. They shared all in common with each other (Acts 2:44), giving and receiving continually in the community.  

When Jesus sends out the twelve apostles, he includes one particularly relevant instruction. I love how it is rendered in the New Living Translation- (Matthew 10:10) “Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality… there is a caveat of working to attain this amenity, but if someone is willing to give us something unbegrudgingly out of the goodness of their heart, let them give it freely.

As I live in a new community, I will soften my own heart and allow others to show hospitality to my family and me. I will recognize it is not a sign of weakness but a sign of love. And the next time someone tries to show you hospitality, let them.  



Wonder and Praise

Richland Blog 3

Wonder and Praise

This past Saturday, the boys and I were out exploring the Tri-city area. We made it to the northern portion of Richland, where we discovered Leslie Groves Park. I must say, you all have some great parks. It is great watching my sons explore these new environments. Recently they have picked up a new fascination with rocks; they will pick up any and every rock if I let them—everything from small pebbles to fist-sized river rock. To me and my adult muffled point of view, these rocks are nothing special; they are typically gray and not particularly smooth… they are just rocks. We walk across them and never pay attention to them, but they are a treasure to my sons. If I let them, they would have filled up a stroller full of rocks. An older man with his dog passed us by and remarked, “I wish I still saw the world as they did.” This made me think, why don’t I look at the world like this anymore?  

I suppose it’s because we have lived long enough that these everyday occurrences become commonplace. We have seen these very similar rocks a thousand times before. We have looked at the world around us and have allowed it to become uninteresting in our eyes. Sadly, we become so used to the “day-to-day” events in our lives that we don’t act accordingly when something truly spectacular happens. I have two passages for us to reflect on this week; the first comes from Luke 19:40. Jesus is entering Jerusalem for the final time in what we call the “Triumphal Entry,” people have crowded the roadside and are praising and cheering for him. The Pharisees find this to be rude and disrespectful and want Jesus to put an end to it; here is Jesus’ reply:

Luke 19:40 ESV
“[Jesus] answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The Pharisees get a bad rap, they really are trying to uphold the Law and a mere man shouldn’t be accepting praise that is intended for God alone. However, what the Pharisees missed because of their dulled point of view is that God was doing something incredible right in front of them. Because they had closed their mind to Jesus being the Anointed One, they missed out on rejoicing in one of the greatest moments in the history of the World. Consider how great it would have been to be a part of this moment, cheering for Jesus as he makes his entrance into Jerusalem to redeem humanity. Jesus’ reply confronts the Pharisees in their muted point of view; and he lets them know that there are moments that even if we don’t recognize them, creation itself will cry out on behalf of these spectacular moments.  

My first challenge is: Don’t be so caught up in such a desensitized point of view that you miss what God is doing in your life, passing it off as mundane or ordinary.

And yet, even on top of that understanding, we should count the mundane and ordinary parts as life as spectacular. Not because a rock is more than rock, but because a rock was made by God. When we view God as sovereign, our world should come to life.

Psalm 115:1, 15-18
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! … 15 May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth! 16 The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. 17 The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!”

When we correctly view that everything belongs to God and that God has imparted it to mankind for our purposes, it should give new life and meaning to the world around us. The little rock is no longer just a rock. I recognize first that God created it, it was found by my boys to marvel at, and it allows me to give praise back to God. I praise God because of how He created the world and how He created humans to be able to marvel at the world around us. I should be in this cycle of marvel, wonder, and praise as long as I am alive. I love that the psalmist rights that this is for the living to do forevermore.

My second challenge is: While you are still living, use each moment to recognize the world around you and turn that praise back to God.

Whether the moments are big or small, recognize what God is doing or has done and give Him the praise that He is due.

 



Are You Ready?

Are you ready?

As the moving saga continues, we are heading into our third week of waiting for our household goods to arrive. My first note is a gigantic “THANK YOU” to everyone willing to give us enough items so that my wife and kids could join us. This was a tremendous blessing and really took a lot of the pressure off of us. Being together is best for everyone, so thank you again to everyone who made it happen. Secondly, we are thankful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers;. However, we wish circumstances were different; we really have all that we need and are content. Amanda remarked that we almost don’t need our stuff anymore; we have all we need right now.

When thinking of the God-centered life, for a person trying to live as God desires, asking the right question helps give us the best starting point. Most Christians are okay with the basic questions such as, who, how, and why.

Who– God- He is the creator of all things (1 Peter 1:20)

How– He is God, and therefore His ways are about our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Why– Because He loves us enough to send His Son for our sake (John 3:16)

I think our most significant inquiries come when we discuss the question of “When.” We all want to follow God, and we know why we should follow Him. We want to know: how long the commitment will be if there is a way to speed it up or shorten the duration? As we travel throughout the Old Testament, this element of patience and waiting is consistently portrayed. Noah builds an ark for 100 years, wandering in the desert for 40 years, 70 years of exile… following God requires patience. When Isaiah is commissioned, he asks the Lord how long he will be proclaiming his message (Isaiah 6:11). During Jesus’ time, people were looking for a sign to know “when” something would happen, either the coming of the Messiah or the end of time. It is human nature to know how long something will last; I see it in my oldest son; he continually asks when the next thing will happen- be it the next meal or going to the park. We want to know the “when” of it all.

This is where the teachings of Jesus are revolutionary. Jesus doesn’t focus on the various questions; he simply states, be ready. “For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” (Matthew 24:44) This statement changes everything. It takes the responsibility of waiting and wondering when something will happen and places the ownership on the individual to ensure that they are ready. This transforms the way we think; instead of sitting back and doing nothing, it begs the question, “Is there something I can be doing in the meantime?” And so, I ask you all the same question, “Is there something you can be doing to be ready?” 



The Waiting Game

The Waiting Game…

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company… a church…. a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so, it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.”

  

― Charles Swindoll

 

We are entering into week number two of waiting for our household goods to arrive from parts unknown. My wife and I have talked numerous times about when or if our stuff will come. We are more than confident that it will show up someday; however, it is the waiting that is the hard part. This is where the quote from Charles Swindoll comes in; it is a demonstration of one of my favorite sayings to the teenagers I used to work with, “The only thing you can control is… yourself.” This concept may be one of the hardest lessons that we ever have to learn; it takes a lifetime of work and reflection to realize this point. This attitude is where I have personally reached for our household good situation; I can’t make a truck show up any faster whether I worry or not… it will get here when it gets here. This is life. Life happens precisely at the same speed it is going to happen; there is little I can do to change it. So, what I can control is my attitude. I can manage my actions. I can adjust for the future but, I can’t make it manifest the way I want it to, so we wait. It reminds me of the beginning of Israel wandering in the desert; we read, “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him”” (Exodus 32:1). Here are the people who have just witnessed the power of God, and yet they grow impatient that things are not happening on their timeline. What is their timeline? We have no idea… they had just grown impatient with Moses and with God. They want a god that will lead them when they want to be led. We should take note that God is the One who is in control… when we being to impose our timeline into God’s, we are in essence saying, “We don’t trust you; we will create our own god to lead us.” So we adjust our attitudes, we control our reactions, and we trust God. Things will all work out the way God wants them to, and I am just fine with that. 

 

Tom 

 



Moving to the Tri-Cities

Moving to the Tri-Cities-

Let’s talk about moving… it is not fun. Exciting? Sure. Intimidating? I’ll agree to that. Exhausting? Absolutely!

There is just so much that has to be done in order to replicate the world that we once knew. Maybe that is the problem. We prefer to have things to be like they once were. We love these little pieces of our lives that give us comfort because it makes us feel as if we are in control. We do this in little ways, moving from New Mexico, perhaps I will try to find a “piece of home” here in Washington; maybe it is a restaurant or a particular view, perhaps it is just a picture I look at fondly and remember what used to be.

Back to the problem. Things that once were can never be what will be. That is the condition of moving. No matter how much we try, we can’t replicate it, so instead, we should embrace the new. We should embrace the new experiences and see what is right before us; living in the past is comfortable, but it is still the past.

In this regard, I think of Lot and his wife. In Genesis 12, Abram takes his nephew Lot to a new place… this is Abram’s first failure, “The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1). Abram wanted to keep a little bit of his former life with him; God explicitly instructed him to leave his father’s household behind… yet Abram takes Lot. This problem multiplies in Lot and Abram’s life. Lot moves to be among the cities in Genesis 13; this would have been familiar to Lot, the land of Ur would have been more accommodating for city life… and Lot missed it.

In the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot is given a test to see if he has learned his lesson of wishing things would stay the same… in other words… would he trust God? “As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away! ” (Genesis 19:17). Don’t look back, and don’t stop. We see how this plays out in the tragic tale of Lot’s wife.  This passage is not a condemnation on reflecting or thinking about the past; however, it is a cautionary passage on trusting and relying on God.

As I settle into my new place here in the Tri-cities, I should reflect on this and realize that God has brought me here. And although returning back to the comfort of the known would be easier and safer, it is not where God has placed me… so I should pause and trust that God is in control.

 

Tom

 



Sunday Service 10/11/2020