Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent women; for the grape harvest fails, the fruit harvest will not come. Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and tie sackcloth around your waist. ​Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, ​for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers, yes, for all the joyous houses in the exultant city. For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks; Isa 32:9-14.

            The women of God’s people would not face facts.  They were going to be destroyed.  “Complacent” Isaiah calls them.  “Careless” the King James Version says.  That word means bold and confident.  Despite the facts, despite the preaching of God’s prophet, they did not believe they would be destroyed.  What I call it is “denial,” the haven of fear for some of us, and I have seen it often in my sisters.

            When they do not want to believe that a loved one will soon die, they blame everything on the doctors.  “They” are wrong, they don’t know what they are doing, they listen to the insurance companies too much, they are simply cogs in the big business of modern medicine and don’t care about patients anyway.

            When they don’t want to believe there is a financial problem, they place their confidence in how things have always been.  It never crosses their minds that times might have changed and they might need to cut down their costs of living, actually sacrificing a few things.  They believe that it will only last a few days and then things will be back to normal.

            When a family member or friend, especially when a child has gotten themselves into trouble, the accusers are lying, the teacher just doesn’t like my baby, the police have made trumped charges.  It cannot possibly be that someone I love actually broke a rule or committed a crime.

            Women used to be the strong ones.  When I think back to those hearty pioneers who traveled west, who left most things behind and lived on beans, bacon and flour for months at a time, who built fires for every bit of housekeeping from cooking to cleaning, who carried water several times a day, who worked dawn to dusk, then sat by a dim lamp to darn socks and mend shirts until they could no longer stay awake, I wonder what they would think of the spoiled women of luxury we have become—even those of us who don’t live in mansions and wear designer clothes.  I hear too many say, “I could never do that,” to think we are as strong as they were.  Too many seem unable to face facts, recognizing what needs to be done and doing it without a second thought, no matter how difficult it may be.

            What has happened to us?  At one of the places I spoke several years ago, I mentioned something that had befallen my family, something I had to do that I had never done before and wasn’t sure I could even do.  It was supposed to be an application of Prov 31:25: “Strength and dignity are her clothing.”  One of the women actually spoke up and said, “That’s where I draw the line.  No one could make me do that.”  What?  And so something that needed to be done and no one else was there to do it, would not get done?  And everything would be all right? 

Denial, false confidence, indifference, complacency, carelessly assuming things would go on just fine.  That’s what those women in Isaiah were doing.  Sometimes you have to be strong.  Sometimes you have to face the facts, no matter how awful they are.  Sometimes you are the one who has to act.  Don’t be the weakling who wrings her hands in despair or sits there confident that nothing is wrong when everything is.  Don’t let this oracle be meant for you.  
 
​The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. ​One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless, Prov 14:15-16
 
Dene Ward

Today’s post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

I’ve become concerned lately about the strident political expressions of some of my brothers.  I do not often, if ever, agree with the present administration either, but some (many?) of my brothers have moved from respectful disagreement (what in other countries is termed “loyal opposition”) to openly voiced disdain, contempt, and scorn.  At least one brother has spoken of joining in armed revolt.  When I mentioned in a comment that we are commanded in Romans 13 to be in subjection to the powers that be because they “are ordained of God” (vs1) and they are “ministers of God’s service” (vs 6, see also 4) I was answered that it was impossible that God was behind this president because he was guilty of breaking God’s law in several different ways.  Specific instances were mentioned and passages cited. And I agree that President Obama is guilty of sin in the instances mentioned.  So, the question that must be answered is can God be behind a national leader who is not leading his nation in a godly manner? Can God have ordained that leader?

Look first in Gen. 15:13-14.  God tells Abraham that his descendants will be servants in a foreign nation and will be mistreated by that nation.  Sure enough, in Exodus 1, a new Pharaoh comes to power who did not know Joseph and who leads Egypt in a horrible persecution of the Israelites.  This continues through several generations of Pharaohs before Moses leads the people out of bondage and God’s promised judgment comes upon the Egyptians.  The prophecy lends strong support to the idea that God was behind those Pharaohs, but, even better, we have God’s own statement in Ex. 9:16 that He had put those Pharaohs into power.  That verse is also quoted by Paul in Romans 9:17.  Those wicked Pharaohs were in power specifically because God wanted them to be in power.

Jump ahead 700 years or so to Isaiah.  In chapter 10 we see God (speaking through Isaiah) saying that He was using Assyria as His instrument of wrath.  The Assyrians weren’t aware of this; they were destroying nations and persecuting peoples for their own evil reasons.  God used them to accomplish His will. Those nations who needed to be punished (including the northern kingdom of Israel) were punished, and then God punished the Assyrians for their wickedness.  The evil Assyrian kings were only in power, and successful as an empire, because God had set them up for His own reasons: to be ministers of His service and accomplish His will.

Skip ahead another century and read Habakkuk.  God used the wicked Chaldeans for a time to punish the Kingdom of Judah.  Then He judged them for their wickedness.

Finally, let’s look at who was in power when Paul wrote Romans.  Romans was most likely written at the beginning of Nero’s reign.  So when Paul wrote “Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God” he was writing about a man who was not only an idolater, but who came to power by the assassination of his uncle and adopted father, killed his own mother to consolidate his power, and who would go on to begin the first Roman persecution of Christianity!  The inspired Apostle wrote that this man was “ordained of God” and a “minister of God” (vs4), and that Christians were to “be in subjection” to him.  In fact, the Apostle John prophesied in his Revelation that a whole line of evil Roman emperors were going to be set up by God specifically so they could persecute the early Church and help it grow.  Then God would punish those wicked leaders for their sins.  Meanwhile, both Paul and Peter instructed all Christians to be in subjection to those same evil emperors.

According to Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13, it is sinful for Christians to denigrate government leaders. That goes double for joining armed revolts against them.  It may be my right as an American citizen to say whatever I want about the current President, but sometimes I need to forget about my rights as an American and focus on my duties as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The Word of God always trumps the Constitution.

Rom 13:1-7 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God's service, attending continually upon this very thing. Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

1Pe 2:13-17 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
 
Lucas Ward

I started taking piano lessons when I was about seven years old.  It was not “formal” training in a studio, but just a few lessons from a friend of my mother’s to see if I was interested.  I still remember the first lesson, the first book I had, and the first tune in it.  “C-D-E made a boat; round and round the pond he’d float.”
 
           A few months later this friend told my parents I needed a “real” teacher.  Frankly, I think she was just fine as a teacher.  I learned the keys, the notes, and how to count in a few short weeks, but she insisted so off we went. 

            My next teacher had recitals.  I still remember that first recital too, and I can still play my first recital piece:  “Arab Horsemen” by Hazel Cobb.  Those horsemen were a long way from the guy named “CDE” and his boat.  Instead of one hand playing three notes, I had both hands running over six octaves on the piano, and a whole page played with my arms crossed!

            As I sat in the student row waiting my turn to play I saw other students wringing their hands or wiping sweat off their palms onto their skirts or pants.  What was the problem, I wondered?  It never dawned on me that they were nervous about playing in front of people.  I wasn’t nervous.  I knew my piece and could play it flawlessly.  What was the big deal?

            A few years later we had moved and the new teacher entered me in a talent competition in the County Fair.  Once again I was mystified by the nervous entrants around me.  I had a great piece and knew it inside and out.  I had spent three hours one particular day analyzing every note, every nuance of phrase, and every dynamic marking.  I got up and played it, and won a blue ribbon. 

            The next year I entered another competition.  This time the piece was more difficult.  It was written only a year or two before by Aaron Copland, a contemporary American composer.  It did not make much sense to my classically oriented ear.  Going from this note to the next seemed totally at random to me and I had a difficult time memorizing it.  But the rules for that category said I had to play it.  

            For the first time in my life I was not comfortable waiting my turn.  Then when I got up to play, it happened--I went totally blank.  I could not even start the piece.  The judges were kind.  They let me look at the first line.  Then I walked back to the piano and my daily practice automatically kicked in.  I played it perfectly, and aced the Beethoven rondo that followed.  In fact, Beethoven felt like an old friend at that point.

            Ever since that day I have experienced what everyone else does—performance anxiety.  I played a solo professional recital once and was sick to my stomach about five minutes before I walked on.  That one time when I forgot what to play has never left me.  From then on I knew I was as mortal as anyone and I always wondered when it would happen again.  Actually it did happen once in the middle of my senior recital, a requirement for a degree in music education.  I was playing a sonata and made up about four bars on the second page of the first movement before Haydn’s music found its way back into my hands.  Good thing you get points for covering up a slip when you perform.  I still got my A.

            Can you imagine how those apostles felt when Jesus, the one they had always counted on to have the right answer at the right time suddenly left them?  He knew what would happen and gave them this promise:  And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what you are to say but say whatever is given you to say, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit, Mark 13:11.  Can you imagine a more comforting promise?  I suppose that is why I have always had difficulties with those who claim that Paul misspoke in Acts 23:3, and that he had to apologize.  Don’t they believe that God kept His promise to these brave men?  Try reading what Paul said with the same tone Elijah must surely have had when he spoke to the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.  It wouldn’t be the first time that God used sarcasm through the voice of a man.  Either that or He broke His promise to Paul; you can’t have it both ways.

            Wouldn’t it be great to have that promise today?  But wait a minute--in a way we do.  Those men did not have the written word.  Paul himself promised that one day the gifts that allowed one to prophesy a part and another to prophesy another part would be done away because the entire revelation would be “perfect,” complete in all details (1 Cor 13:8-12.  That is what we have—the whole shebang.

            So why do we experience performance anxiety when someone asks a question, or when it comes time to speak up in the face of false teaching?  Is it because we are just a little anxious about choosing exactly the right way to say it, or is it because we didn’t prepare ourselves with daily practice, analyzing and memorizing?  One is understandable, the other is inexcusable.  We may not have all the answers on the tips of our tongues as they did, but we have the source of those answers if we will just take the time to look.  “I don’t know, but I can find out,” may be a better testimony than acting like we do know it all.  It tells our friends, if an ordinary guy like him can find it, so can I.

            Those 13 men never knew when they would be called upon to speak up for God.  We don’t either.  Start practicing what to say; start considering all the possibilities. God has given you what you need, but it’s up to you to make use of it.
 
I will hope continually and praise you yet more and more.  My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day for their number is past my knowledge.  With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.  Psalm 71:14-16.
 
Dene Ward
           
 

One Sunday, a newly married young woman named Jessie Pounds did not feel well, so her husband went on to church without her. When he returned. she had written the words to this hymn.

Somewhere the sun is shining,
Somewhere the songbirds dwell;
Hush, then, thy sad repining,
God lives, and all is well.

Refrain:
Somewhere, somewhere,
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere!
Land of the true, where we live anew,
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere!

Somewhere the day is longer,
Somewhere the task is done;
Somewhere the heart is stronger,
Somewhere the guerdon won.

(Refrain)

Somewhere the load is lifted,
Close by an open door;
Somewhere the clouds are rifted,
Somewhere the angels sing.

(Refrain)

            Because it is well over a hundred years old, the song contains a couple of words that might be unfamiliar to us.  Do you know what it means to “repine?”  The song gives us a clue with the modifier “sad.”  I doubt I am doing anything joyful if I am repining.  No, the word means dejection or discontent. 
And how about “guerdon?”  The song says we “win” it, whatever it is.  And if you look it up you will find the terse definition “reward.”

Obviously young Mrs. Pounds was allowing her illness to depress her, and the act of writing this song, reminding herself of the hope she had as a Christian, cheered her up.  She wanted to share that hope with us. 

I can already hear some of my brothers talking about how “unscriptural” this song is.  Where does it say there will be songbirds in Heaven?  And certainly Revelation says there is no need for sun because God is the light.  May I just say this?  Those literalists are missing the whole point.  John’s Revelation uses figurative language to describe Heaven.  If you think there will be pearly gates and streets of gold, you are just as mistaken as Mrs. Pounds.  But somehow, I think she knew that; I think she was motivating herself with her own special view of what Heaven must be like.

The descriptions in Revelation are about motivators.  Those first century Christians lived a day to day existence.  They prayed for their “daily bread” because they had no idea if they would have enough that day, let alone tomorrow.  The farmers among them existed at the mercy of the weather and natural disasters.  The shopkeepers and artisans lived at the mercy of the economy.  No one was going to “bail them out.”

            To those people, a place so wealthy that gold and precious jewels were used as construction material, meant security.  It meant rest from working long hours day after day to simply survive.

            Those people lived under the rule of a foreign king.  Doubtless they had all seen wars and battles.  They knew, in fact, that the Barbarian Hordes could still come over the mountains and wipe them out.  Did 9/11 cause you some concern?  Has it made you worry more about the possibility of terrorists under every bush?  Those first century Christians lived with that sort of uncertainty every day of their lives.  In fact, they probably had more safety as a conquered people than ever before.  But the picture of a huge city with huge walls meant safety and peace forever.  Security—that is what those pictures of Heaven were all about, not materialism.  I have no doubt that if John were writing to us, he would use other motivators.

Frankly, I feel we should give ourselves motivators that mean something to us personally, and we should do the same for our children.  “Getting to worship God forever and ever,” translates to a child as having to go to church, listen to sermons, and sit still forever.  If you think that will motivate them to want to serve God all their lives, you didn’t have any business becoming a parent in the first place. 

And that is what Mrs. Pounds has tried to share with us.  On a day of illness that drug her down, she went to the best place to pull herself out of it—thoughts of Heaven, the reward, the “guerdon.”  Perhaps if we sang more songs about the reward, we would do a better job of gaining it.
 
…we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven…Col 1:4-5.
 
Dene Ward

When I was a child I would often hang my head off the edge of the bed and look at the room upside down.  Suddenly the ceiling was the floor and the floor was the ceiling.  I imagined what it would be like to walk on that new “floor,” high-stepping through doorways and making my way around light fixtures.  The windows would come nearly to the new “floor” instead of being three feet above it.  And it certainly would be easier to clean the cobwebs out of the corners.  I would lie like that for nearly half an hour as my mind suddenly saw things from a new perspective.

            As I have grown older, dealt with people who had many different problems, and had far too many “exciting” experiences myself, my perspective on life has shifted as well.  In fact, if a person finds himself with no new insights on life, especially after the age of forty, he has probably not grown a spiritual inch.  And as you grow, your thoughts should begin to shift.  Things that look plain and simple when you have never experienced them have facets you never saw before.  Suddenly you notice the light fixtures, the exhaust fans, and the part of the doorway that hangs nearly a foot from the ceiling.  They were always there but because you never hung your head upside down you never saw them.

            As a Christian my perspective must be spiritual, not carnal.  It must be with a view toward Eternal Life, not life here on earth, something that could easily be described as looking at things upside down.  As Paul tells us in Romans 8, we must have the mind of the spirit, not the mind of the flesh. 

            The correct perspective is a powerful tool in defeating Satan.  In Hebrews 10:32-34, those Christians looked ahead toward a “better” and “abiding” possession.  With that thought firmly locked in their minds, and from that perspective, they could endure imprisonment, ridicule and scorn, loss of their earthly possessions, and physical persecution.  With the same perspective Christians could face hungry lions while singing hymns and praying.

            On the other hand, a person whose perspective is only on earthly things will not be tough enough to give up the praise of men.  He will not be strong enough to apologize.  He will be intimidated by the thought of losing acceptance in his community.  Living “the good life” will have a stranglehold on him and any trial of life will defeat him.  A wrong perspective can turn us into weaklings.

            Perspective affects every part of one’s life.  Think about Jesus’ perspective on wealth  (Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth...but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust corrupt…), insults (who when he was reviled, reviled not again), status (he counted not being on equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself), his own desires (And Christ pleased not himself but [others]), and death (the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many). 

            No one understood Him because from their perspective he looked strange.  He was walking on the ceiling upside down.  We must be striving to get up there with Him, and when we finally make it, things that look so difficult from down on the floor will suddenly be much easier.

            A correct perspective may be one of the most important things a Christian can have because it changes everything—every opinion, every moral, every purpose in life.  It will determine the state of one’s heart, and therefore, the state of one’s soul. 
           
…They dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the rulers of the city and cried, These who have turned the world upside down have come here also, Acts 17:6.
 
Dene Ward
 

​​​​​​​The LORD says, ​​​​​​“The women of Zion are proud. ​​​​​​They walk with their heads high ​​​​​​and flirt with their eyes. ​​​​​​They skip along ​​​​​​and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. ​​​​​​​So the sovereign master will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women with skin diseases, ​​​​​​the LORD will make the front of their heads bald.” At that time the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, earrings, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, amulets, rings, nose rings, festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. ​​​​​​​A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, ​​​​​​a rope will replace a belt, ​​​​​​baldness will replace braided locks of hair, ​​​​​​a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe, ​​​​​​and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty. ​​​​​​​Your men will fall by the sword, ​​​​​​your strong men will die in battle. ​​​​​​​Her gates will mourn and lament; ​​​​​​deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground.  ​​​​​​​Seven women will grab hold of ​​​​​​one man at that time. ​​​​​​They will say, “We will provide our own food, ​​​​​​we will provide our own clothes; ​​​​​​but let us belong to you – ​​​​​​take away our shame!”  Isa 3:16-4:1.
 
           God’s people had simply become too wealthy and they were proud of it.  They felt they had earned it.  The women’s obsession with expensive clothing and jewelry, with the self-centered cultivation of their beauty, showed in their facial expressions, in their strutting and flirtatious walks and looks, and were products of an upper class that had never known hard times and hard work.  Somehow, they simply “deserved” it all.

God promised them punishment suitable to their attitude—diseases that would rob their good looks, the indignity of baldness and stink, and horror of horrors!—not a thing to wear!  Their craving to be noticed would not be satisfied, even if they begged men to take them in, promising to see to their own needs instead of expecting support from him.  Do you see what really mattered to them?  The attention of man instead of God; the carnal pleasures of life rather than the spiritual blessings of being a child of God. High maintenance women indeed—a man could work himself to death and not satisfy a one of them.

            You see them in the church all the time—high maintenance members—and, in my experience, most of them are women.         

            Every need is an urgent need to this drama queen.  She demands more visits, more phone calls, more cards, more mention from the pulpit, in the announcements, in the bulletin, on the webmail, than any ten other people combined.  And what she gets seldom satisfies her.  Instead of telling you how many have visited or called, she will greet you with a list of all who have not.  In fact, she will always call attention to herself when others are mentioned, even if their need is obviously and by far more than hers.

            She is never content, and will carry a list of wrongs against her that goes as far back as her childhood, and mention them whenever the opportunity arises.  Forgive and forget, or simply letting something go, as in “love covers a multitude of sins,” is not in her repertoire. 

            She is especially conscious of status—all of “those people” have it and she doesn’t.  And because “they” look down on her, everyone is against her or “has an agenda.” 

            She resents authority, particularly when it tries to correct her, and is highly critical of others.  She will judge your motives as surely as if she dwelt inside your heart, and dare you to question her conclusions about them.  She will even tell you what you would have done in any given situation—whether you know what you would have done or not.

            If you want her to remain a Christian you have to hold her hand in every situation, comfort, console, pray for, talk to, and serve her every minute or she simply won’t make it—and it will be all your fault!  And by the way, don’t you ever expect any of the same help from her.  It isn’t her “talent.”

            No, you don’t have to be a luxury lover to be high maintenance.  All you have to be is self-centered and shallow, with all the wrong priorities and a sense of entitlement.

            These people, men and women, think they are unique and that only God can really understand them.  They think one of these days He will come and show everyone else who is really in the right.  He didn’t do it for those proud women of long ago.  Why should He start now?

            What these high maintenance people really need is a good dose of Philippians 2:  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

            Be careful, ladies. It is far too easy to fall into this bad habit, especially as wealthy and luxury-conscious as we have become in this culture.  And we are oh, so good at it.
           
Dene Ward

When I was a child, my piano teacher was a member of an organization, the benefits of which allowed her students to participate in several events, competitions, and joint recitals.  Fast forward twenty years and, as a piano and voice teacher myself, I rediscovered that organization and joined for the sake of my own students—and they ate it up.
 
           The stated purpose of the organization is “furthering music education and fostering a musical environment in our communities through the sponsorship of musical events and by providing performing opportunities for our talented and deserving young people.”  In other words, it is a service organization in the area of music.  It’s all about the cultural welfare of the community and the patronage of young artists.

            But as wonderful as that sounds, not every member “got it.”  As I became more and more involved at higher (district) and higher (state) levels, politics and self-aggrandizement reared their ugly heads.  Let me give you an example. 

            In their goal to spread music in the communities, local groups were encouraged to present programs open to the public in several areas, opera, dance, American composers, women composers among them.  And as motivation a plaque was awarded to the group who had done the best in each category based upon written reports sent to State Chairmen, complete with printed programs, photographs, and news items.

            One year I was one of those chairmen.  I received a dozen reports of outstanding programs all across the state in the opera category.  Truly every group deserved recognition for their efforts.  In fact, I could have easily made a case for the smallest group, and a rural one at that, because for their lack of resources both monetary and talent, their creativity in making opera palatable to a less cultured area of the state had been astounding.  But of course, it was not quite up to the big city group who had staged a full opera nor the other urban organization who had managed to coax nationally acclaimed Met stars to appear.

            At the weekend of the awards I could not make the trip five hours south.  My husband had been shot in the line of duty and besides caring for him, I was also fending off the media and arranging appointments with doctors and lawyers and counselors.  So I sent my choice of winner and a letter of explanation for my absence.

            At nearly ten o’clock that evening I received a phone call from a member of one of the big city groups.  At first I thought, “How sweet.  Yes, it’s late, but she has just heard about our ordeal and is calling to check on us.”  But no, that was the last thing on her mind, if it was at all.  These were the first words out of her mouth:

            “I called to ask why we didn’t win the plaque this year.”

            Clearly this woman did not share the same goals as this organization.  To her it was about acclaim, about winning prizes, about being number one among her brothers and sisters.  And just as clearly, other people’s problems, no matter how dire, did not matter to her one bit.

            I hope that little story makes you shake your head in disgust, and after you have done that, ask yourself these questions:

            Why am I a Christian?

            Do I serve others?

            Do I do things for the church I assemble with, serving in whatever
capacity is needed?

            And more to the point:

Have I ever been miffed because MY name wasn’t mentioned?

            Have I ever stopped speaking to someone who did not thank me as I thought I deserved?

            Have I ever stopped visiting or calling or helping someone who didn’t return the favor?

            Maybe we all need to remember the example the Lord set, not just that one night in the upper room washing even Judas’s feet, or even those hours on the cross, but every morning he opened his eyes on this earth among people who hated him, ridiculed him, assaulted him, tried to kill him, and eventually did.  And we need to remember why he did it.  It certainly wasn’t for a plaque!

            This organization he set up, the one he called “mine” (Matt 16:18) has a purpose that has nothing to do with my glory.  It is the greatest purpose of any group anywhere—the salvation of mankind, no matter what it takes from me in terms of service or sacrifice. 

            Yes, if we are faithful we will receive a prize.  But if the prize is the only reason we are doing it, then the prize is the very thing we will not receive.
 
So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory. 2Tim 2:10
 
Dene Ward

 
And He said to them, let us go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for to this end came I forth, Mark 1:38.
           
            Jesus was a worker.  He got up early (Mark 1:35), and sometimes even missed a meal because He was so busy working, (John 4:31-34.)  He was always ready to move on to the next place, the next group of people.  His philosophy seemed to be, “There’s not much time so let’s keep working.”  Why?  Because He understood His mission:  this is why I came.
 
           That is not today’s philosophy.  Instead I hear, “There’s plenty of time to work, so let’s go play,” or “Life is short, so have fun.”  Maybe we don’t work like we ought to because we don’t know our mission like He did. 

            In our culture everything is about me--whether I am happy, whether I get to do the things I want to do, whether I feel fulfilled--and the things that we find fulfilling are usually money, fame, and pleasure. 

            We are simply too rich.  Ask a Christian in a third world country what his mission in life is and you are far more likely to get the right answer.  He scarcely has a roof over his head, much less one over a couple of thousand square feet of luxury home, and his leaks!  His existence is day to day, hand to mouth, and he works longer hours for a miniscule fraction of your pay—if indeed he has a job—than you think is humane.  Yet all his spare time is used studying his Bible, attending Bible classes, and speaking to his neighbors.  We can hardly find the time to simply sit in the pews, even though we probably work more than a dozen hours less a week than that man.

            We seem to be teaching our children the same mindless egocentrism.  They “deserve” to have fun.  They are so busy with earthly pursuits every minute of the day that they don’t even spend thirty minutes a week filling out a Bible lesson—and their parents are too busy to check to see if they did, or sigh with regret and say, “But they needed a little down time.”  Can’t their down time involve something spiritual?  Can’t we teach them how satisfying it is to take meals to the poor, to visit the elderly and the sick, to do their yard work and run errands for them?  If they are not learning it now, when will they?  If they are not learning it from you, then who will teach them?

            Four times the Hebrew writer says Jesus “sat down,” 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2.  Jesus did not sit down because He was tired and needed to rest, or because he needed some time to Himself.  He sat down because He had accomplished His task.  He told His disciples, We must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day; the night comes when no man can work, John 9:4.

            My mission is not about me.  My mission is about Jesus and His family—serving Him by serving them; serving Him by serving my friends and neighbors.  When you know what your mission is, you are more likely to keep working at it, and less likely to worry about whether you are having enough fun.  Those things become your “fun;” they become your fulfilling moments; they become your treasure stored in Heaven.          

            Accomplishing those things will finally give you the opportunity to sit down and rest.
 
He who overcomes, I will give to Him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father in His throne, Rev 3:21.
 
Dene Ward

I live in the country, and while I may be one of the only people in the state to actually use her cell phone for emergencies only, when I need to use it, I really need to use it.  Then it becomes more than a little aggravating to get only one or two bars or worse, the big red X—no service.  Wherever that tower is, it is to the southwest, and I have spent a lot of time wandering around in my southern field trying to turn that red X into at least three bars so I will get more than static and less likely be dropped. 
Once I was meandering with such rapt attention on that tiny little screen that when I finally got my three bars and stood stock still so I wouldn’t lose them, I found myself jumping around a moment later, covered in fire ants.  The only place I could get reception was in an ant bed!
            But cell towers do not matter when you need the Lord.  Whenever His children need Him, he is just a word or a thought away.  You don’t even have to dial, and you certainly don’t have to wander around outside in the heat or cold or rain trying to get a signal.  “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” James tells us (4:8).  Indeed when I looked up the word in a concordance I discovered that the only reason God is ever “far” from us is because we have gone far from Him (Isa 29:13; 33:13;  46:12; etc.).
            The next time you pull out that little monstrosity, remind yourself how blessed you really are.  You have a Father in Heaven who will answer your call no matter how many bars your spirit has left within you.  He will hear you, even if you only have strength left to whisper.
 
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need, Heb 4:16.
 
Dene Ward

Work heartily, as unto the Lord, Col 3:23.  Paul assumed that the Colossian brethren were giving their best efforts to the Lord and that he needed to remind them that, for the Lord’s sake, they should give the same effort to their employers here on earth. 
            After a minute or two of consideration I suddenly wondered what would happen if we all worked for our bosses the way we work for the Lord.  I think Paul might need to change his admonition a bit for our culture in our time.  Why?  Because I have seen elders and deacons need to flatter, cajole, and coerce Christians into doing things as simple and comfortable as getting into an air-conditioned car to ride to an air-conditioned building and sit on a padded pew for a couple of hours.  I have seen them beg people to help with the teaching program.  I have seen them squirm uncomfortably when they need to remind people over and over of the things they promised to do a week ago, a month ago, even a year ago. 
            If we all worked for our bosses the same way we do the Lord’s work, would we ever receive a promotion?  Would we ever get a raise?  Or would we be fired for cause?  It looks like we care far more about a monetary paycheck than we do about eternal life.  I see too many people giving as little effort as possible, refusing to go the extra mile in terms of study and service, and working only when they are forced into it instead of actively looking for things that need doing, whether they are asked to do them or not, to believe otherwise.
            If the sick and needy are left uncared for, if the classes seem boring, if the church is shrinking and the next generation is falling by the wayside, we are not working heartily for the Lord.  That passage was written to us all, not preachers and elders.  What makes us think we will receive any sort of reward if an earthly boss would fire us for the same quality of work?
 
But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak; for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which you showed toward his name, in that you ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.  And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, that you be not sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises, Heb 6: 9-12.
 
Dene Ward