At the Savior's Feet

It has been said that life is a kitchen full of preparations that has a tendency to distract the "Martha" in all of us. It is my prayer that we come out of the kitchen for just a few minutes to sit at the Savior's feet.

Life always finds a way to keep us busy. Busy with good "things," even busy with necessary "things," but yet busy with "things" that keep us from the Savior. We become like Martha moving from task to task, meeting needs here and there, helping in any way possible. All the while hearing the words, "...you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."

Jesus says something extraordinary about what Mary did; it would become a permanent part of her life; it would count for eternity. Quite a promise! "Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her."

That's why she understood what the disciples were slow to grasp. That's why when they were arguing over their greatness in the Kingdom, she was again at the Savior's feet. That's why she anointed Him with costly perfume. That's why she said with her tears...I love You and good-bye.

May we find ourselves at the Savior's feet. May each intimate moment spent with Him give us clear vision of who He is, and may we love Him a little more deeply than we did before we sat down.

I recently read of an event that happened a few years ago involving the Enterprise, a 90,000 ton nuclear powered aircraft carrier. It seems the carrier got stuck in the mud on its way into port in San Francisco Bay. The majestic 1,123 foot vessel with a crew of over 5,000 ran aground just over a thousand yards from shore.

Thousands of relatives and friends watched in disbelief as the great ship lurched to a complete halt and then refused to budge. Only a thousand yards from the carrier, people watched eagerly and helplessly as the tugboats were called in to drag the Enterprise from the sand bar. The tugs pushed and pulled in all directions. There was shouting of orders and much scurrying about. More tugboats were brought in to "gang up" on the huge ship. They tried everything. After five grueling hours, the ship was still stuck.

The crowd of relatives and friends on the dock looked on this spectacle with increasing frustration and anger. How could such a thing happen? Why couldn't they free the ship? Tension was mounting both on the ship and on the shore. Then, when everybody was at the end of their rope; when everything humanly possible had been done, help came from another source... the tide!

As the high tide began to gradually roll in, it lifted the huge ship right out of the mud where it had been stuck for hours, resisting all human effort to free it. The silent and powerful lift of the tide- with no help from man- solved the problem.

How many times do we find ourselves stuck in the mud and muck of life? We push and pull, we strain and struggle, we wrack our brains. Yet, despite all our mighty efforts, we are still stuck.

However, when God's spiritual tide comes in, we are powerfully and effortlessly lifted free to sail on again. There are times when we need to recall the words of Moses, "... stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord..." (Exodus 14:13). Maybe we need to remember the words penned by Zechariah, "... not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lords of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).

Lord, help me to quit struggling. Help me to learn to trust in Your tide.

Need a towel?

The Master Teacher once taught a lesson twenty-four feet long. His disciples had been jockeying for position and nursing their egos, and Jesus had devoted teaching time to this issue. Yet, even in the Upper Room on the eve of the cross, the little band was out of sorts. Quietly rising from the table, Jesus brought the murmurings to a halt by removing His outer garments- and began washing their feet; all twenty-four of them. This was a customary act of hospitality in biblical times, when transportation was by sandal clad feet along dusty roadways. Servants usually performed the task, but to the embarrassment of the Twelve, Jesus took that role upon Himself.

When He came to Peter, He met resistance. Was it shame, defiance, or pride? Only Peter and Jesus know for sure. But Jesus responded firmly, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” With typical rashness, Peter said, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus replied, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet to be completely clean” (John 13:8-10). Having finished the twenty-four feet, Jesus rose, replaced His robe, and resumed His seat at the head of the table.

The author Robert J. Morgan writes, “His words to Peter indicate there was more to His actions than met the foot. In one twenty-minute lesson, Jesus encapsulated His entire mission. This foot washing was a miniaturized version of His Passion. Just as a drop of water contains all the life of a pond, this one act of our Lord was a microcosm of His whole ministry.”

What a mission it was! The Almighty Son, arrayed in splendor, rose from His heavenly place, laid aside His garments of glory, took the form of a servant, descended to Earth, and humbly cleansed His squabbling, sinful children. He washes us from soul-destroying sin (head, hands, and heart) as well as from the daily “dust on our feet” that can strain our fellowship with God. Then He arose, replaced His regalia, and resumed His place of honor on heaven’s throne.
The Teacher’s lesson- our daily acts of humility, washing one another’s feet- not only reflect His loving heart; they emulate His redemptive mission. “I have given you an example,” He said, “that you should do as I have done to you” (John 8:15).

Need a towel?

A Personal gospel.

The ball game was great! The home team won. The sermon was relevant and many in the crowd responded. The concert was on target and loud. We left early, it had been a long day.

On the way home we stopped by McDonald's for a small, late evening, before bedtime snack. I had opened my wallet to pay for the Mighty Kids meals and two grilled chicken wraps, I'm sure you know which one was mine.

There he was. He was dirty and unshaven. His clothes were ragged, torn, and a few sizes to big. And he smelled. He was the epitome of life on the streets. I stared for a moment into the empty eyes that seemed to have lost any glimmer of hope. After returning my gaze he lowered his head as if he were ashamed.

My mind rewound to just an hour before. I found myself in a beautiful stadium of lights. There was beautiful green grass and all the glitz and glamour that goes with the game. I was surrounded by children, teenagers, and adults all dressed in nice clothes and sipping soda from bottomless cups. I heard the Gospel presented and watched as many responded. Trucks, cars, SUVs, church buses and vans, all air conditioned, headed for the nearest eatery for a late evening snack. It had been a great day!

Now, I'm at McDonald's. As a preacher of the Gospel I'm confronted with my personal gospel. I picked up my change and my order and made my way to our table. I've got a wonderful wife. As soon as I sat down she said, "I wonder if he's hungry." I responded, "I'll find out."

Excuse me sir, are you hungry? Yes sir I am. What do you want? A double cheeseburger and two apple pies. Give me a double cheeseburger meal and two apple pies. You want anything else? No sir. Can I ask you a personal question? Yes sir. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Yes sir, I sure do. What you have been given has been given to you in His name. Yes sir. The lady behind the counter said, "Thank you so much!"

It's going to happen. Somewhere, sometime, somehow. You're going to be confronted with your personal gospel. No words, no theology lesson. Only your actions. I pray you'll live it out! It's great!

I'll Do It Tomorrow

I went to the doctor today. During the check-up everything went great! Blood pressure was normal, sugar levels were in check, and cholesterol was down. I sat on the end of the exam table beaming and swinging my feet like a five year old.

Then the bombshell, "your sugar levels are down and you're not putting on weight, which is good, but..." Can we pause right there? I really don't like it when someone begins a new subject in a conversation with a compliment. It usually means you're not going to like what's coming. Let's continue, " ...I would like for you to lose twenty pounds."

I thought, "twenty pounds!!" Do you know how many miles it takes to make twenty pounds? About how many salads make twenty pounds? How many hamburgers are left behind in the name of twenty pounds?

I replied with a defensive grin and a profound statement of a chunky french fry-less individual, "you're right, and my plan is to lose the weight when I get back from vacation. That will be a better time to start." Doc simply crossed her arms and replied, "There is no better time."

You all understand my dilemma. We all know it well. It is the terrible urge to put off until tomorrow the difficult things we know we ought to be doing today. It is always convenient and comforting to think that there is a better time coming in the future.

How often have we all tried pushing today's tough decisions into uncertain tomorrows? "I am going to lose weight right after my vacation." "I am going to quit smoking right after I finish this pack." "I am going to quit drinking right after New Years." "I am going to become regular in church starting next month." "I will be back in church this coming week." "One of these days I am going to become a Christian." Et cetera. Et cetera. Out there somewhere, someday, somehow I am going to do what I know God wants me to do right now.

The truth is nobody ever actually started a diet, quit smoking, or turned over a new leaf tomorrow. Think about it! Today is always the only possible "day of decision."

The Bible affirms it: "Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

Our relationship with God must be in the "todays," not the "tomorrows." There is no better time!

Problem With Rationalizations

Have you ever tried to rationalize sin? If you have, take heart, you are in good company.

Take for example, Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel. He was the one chosen by God to be the speaker for the stutterer, Moses. He was not only the spokesman, but was also “second in command” in Moses’ absence.

Moses went to the Mount to get the Ten Commandments from God. While he was on this sacred and prolonged mission there was funny business going on in the Israelite camp. Where, by the way, Aaron was now in charge. The people were getting restless, not only because Moses had been gone a while, they were getting a “hankering” for a false god and all the sensuousness that went along with it.

Aaron, who apparently got caught up in the same spirit, went along with this pagan urge and even became the man in charge of it. He organized and motivated the people to gather up their golden earrings and other gold ornaments. They gathered together a huge haul of gold and the man in charge orchestrated a huge bonfire to melt the gold. The man in charge then took the gold and fashioned it into an enormous golden calf.

The people, who were already clamoring for such a god, were told by Aaron, the man in charge, that this golden calf was their new god. He called for a time of worship and revelry to the new god.

About this time, Moses came back from the Mount and saw what was going on. He immediately hurled the engraved tablets to the ground. Hot with anger, Moses yelled at Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you brought so great a sin upon them” (Exodus 32:21, NKJV).

Okay, here comes the rationalization, and try to keep a straight face as you hear his answer. “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know these people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, make us gods that shall go before us; as for Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what become of him. And I said to them, whoever has any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out” (Exodus 32:22-24, NKJV).

So you see, rationalizing sin is nothing new and remains ‘til this day: “I committed adultery because my spouse did not meet my needs.” “I divorced my husband because he was too controlling.” “I have to cheat in my business because if you don’t cheat, you don’t stay in business.” “I rob banks because my parents didn’t discipline me.” And on and on go the rationalizations. Rationalizing sin is a sure fire recipe for spiritual defeat. It is an absolute block to spiritual victory.

The prodigal son, one of my favorite Bible characters, had a real recovery because he had a real confession. He said to his father, “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21, NKJV).

In our heart of hearts we know that rationalizing sin is phony and a put-on. A phony self can never experience a real blessing.

Don't Get Burned

The other day, while at the doctor's office, I came across this ad in a magazine. There was this picture of a Roman gladiator in big trouble. Somehow, he had dropped his sword. The enraged lion, seeing it's opportunity, is in mid-lunge with jaws wide open. The crowd in the Colosseum is on it's feet, watching in horror as the panic-stricken gladiator tries to flee. The caption reads: Sometimes you can afford to come in second, sometimes you can't.

I thought about the Psalmist, David, when he wrote the words, "lead us not into temptation..." I'm confident that David knew something the gladiator didn't. Our most important strategy for defeating the roaring lion is to stay out of the arena.

Sometimes we play so close to the fires of temptation we can't help but get burned. Our greatest defense against sin is to stay out of the arena. Do not place ourselves in situations where our weaknesses will be allowed to come to the forefront. For if we do we will be devoured by the lion.

Pastor Mike

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My Shepherd

Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman was traveling through the Highlands of Scotland when he met a young boy tending sheep. Always ready to witness for the Lord, Dr. Chapman asked the boy, "Do you know how to recite the Twenty-third Psalm?" The timid little boy admitted that he did not, so Chapman taught him the first five words of the Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd." To help the little boy remember these wonderful words, Chapman had the boy hold up his hand, and he assigned one word to each finger, beginning with the thumb: "The-Lord-is-my-shepherd."

Months later, Dr. Chapman was in the same area of the Highlands again, so he decided to stop by and visit the shepherd boy. Not finding him out in the hills with the sheep, Dr. Chapman inquired at a nearby hut, where he found the boy's mother. She had tragic news. While out tending the sheep, the boy had been caught in a terrible blizzard and lost his life. Tearfully, the mother told Chapman about the way the young boy had treasured the five words of the Twenty-third Psalm, especially the way he had held his fourth finger and repeated the word, "my." He would often say these words of comfort, and holding onto his fourth finger, he would emphasize, "My shepherd, My shepherd." She continued, "When they found his body in the deep snow, his two hands were sticking out. He was clasping his fourth finger! We knew what that meant."

In a world of blizzards, we must have a personal relationship with our Shepherd-Lord. Christ is indeed the Good Shepherd, but unless He is "my" shepherd, it does me no good whatsoever. I cannot face the blizzards of life unless He is my shepherd. I need a personal shepherd for my personal blizzards. I must be able to say "I know whom I have believed" (2 Timothy 1:12).

"The Lord is my shepherd" (Psalm 23:1).

One Shoe

It was one of those July afternoons in Mobile. It felt as if the parking lot was sticking to the soles of my shoes. My main objective was the cool air just the other side of the sliding glass doors.

Just ahead I noticed a child's sandal lying on the sun-baked asphalt. My first reaction was to simply step over the shoe and continue my quest for the coolness just around the corner. Instead, I stopped, picked up the little shoe, and hurried on. Once inside I turned my discovery over to the lady at the desk and began my hospital visits.

As I walked the halls my mind started to wonder. The style was definitely a girl's. Who is she? Is she a blonde or brunette, or maybe a redhead? Is she thin or chubby? What is the color of her eyes. How old is she? What kind of parents does she have? Where is she now? How did she happen to lose her sandal?

I did not have an answer to any of these questions. All I could do was wonder. All I had was one lonely sandal in a scorching Mobile parking lot. But as I walked and wondered I was reminded of how Jesus talked about a child when He told us how we must enter the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus says, "I assure you, unless you are converted and become and like children you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3; HCSB)

The "weakness" of a child is somehow very powerful. A child demonstrates the power to wonder, the power to forgive and forget, the power to show genuine and refreshing innocence. A child is full of trust. Jesus says to gain entrance into heaven demands the same spirit as that of a trusting child. You see, no one enters the Kingdom of heaven walking tall. No, one must enter in trusting humility on their knees. We must each become as a little child.

As I exited the elevator I observed a smiling loving mother putting a small sandal on her daughter. My heart laughed and my soul smiled. Oh yeah! She was a redhead.