“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

As I rolled toward my nightstand, slapped the alarm off, grabbed my phone, and squinted my eyes open, this was the verse-of-the-day staring back at me.   A few minutes later I sat down with a latte, opened my bible, and read my devotions for the day, where the theme continued,

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night…”

“For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!”

Psalm 92:1-2, Psalm 92:4-5

The subject of rejoicing and thankfulness continued as I read through Spurgeon’s morning devotional. God was clearly driving home his will for my day. I was off to a great start. It was going to be a really good day…

Reality

Then the day began… I looked at my email, prioritized my task list, and got to work, expecting a joy-filled day of serving the Lord with all my might… But by 10 am, I had made little progress. I was still working on my first task. New problems were coming in and my task list was expanding. The pressure was on… I needed to pick up the pace. After all, people were depending on me. Then around noon I received an email informing me someone was stepping down from ministry. They were leaving the church. I didn’t know how to fix this problem either. By 3 pm I was back to spinning my wheels on a task that should have been done by noon.

That’s when an unsuspecting brother approached me for some technical help. He was caught completely unaware of my inner turmoil. He could hardly get the words out before I lashed out at him for not being able to handle his problem without my help. A few minutes later, after he apologized, I discovered his dilemma was a result of my own work from a previous day. I had made his simple task of putting files on the church server literally impossible to do. Ah… Another problem to fix. A few hours later, as I rushed to close all the windows at church so I could get to a counseling appointment, I slammed my fingers in a window and explicitly mouthed out a profanity… I don’t think it was out loud. I hoped not. There were people outside below the window. After all, I’m a Christian, right?

Reflection

What happened? How can someone start the day so well… and end it in such a mess? Have you ever had that happen to you? Have you ever asked the question, “How did this happen?” at the end of a bad day? It is at the end of days like these that my mind recalls Jesus’ words,

“The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Matthew 26:41

The Apostle Paul aptly puts it this way,

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing…”

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

Romans 7:18-19, 24

Have you ever echoed these words of Paul, loathing your own wretchedness? Sometimes we come to find that no matter the grandeur of spiritual influence we receive, our flesh remains just as wicked and wretched as it ever has been and ever could be. Even if we begin the day ‘in the Spirit’, we cannot expect any forthcoming good under the power and confidence of our flesh… no matter how good our intentions might be…Only God is good. We are not… We never will be… We never can be… at least in our flesh. Our only good is in crucifying our flesh and surrendering to God’s Spirit. Life has a way of showing us that… sooner or later… and often many times over.

“For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh…”

Philippians 3:3

Again I Say Rejoice

Where do we go spiritually at the end of a day like this? Do we raise the white flag in defeat, slink into our bed, cover our face in self-pity, and enter into a state of non-existence? Perhaps… Maybe that’s the best recourse. To count it all as refuse, right? We may end our days in discouragement and defeat. We may feel we have forfeited the race… or even been disqualified. But the next morning we roll over, slap at the alarm, wipe the sleep from our eyes, and start another day…

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

We then sit down in our favorite chair, take a sip of coffee, crack open our bibles to read,

“For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage…”

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”

Psalm 94:14, Psalm 95:1-2

It’s hard to believe. For some strange reason of grace, God has given us a do-over. God has granted us yet another day… that we might learn what it means to rejoice and be glad in it. Though we had failed God, God has not failed us. Maybe this day we will find an even greater reason to rejoice, than the day before… Perhaps this time around we will have more appreciation, for the source of our joy. Maybe today we will be a bit wiser, in surrendering to the Spirit… and a bit more wary, of placing any confidence in our flesh. We have an opportunity to rejoice… again.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Philippians 4:4

Just the way it is…

                You’re human, right? Good. Then you’ve probably experienced some of what I am about to write. In this world, things don’t always go as planned. A loved one dies. A pregnancy happens unplanned. A job comes to an end. A relationship turns sour. A terminal illness is discovered. A daughter becomes a victim of abuse. The money runs out. A house burns down. A friend becomes an enemy. Parents file for divorce. A son is found addicted to drugs. A spouse reveals an affair. A friend is exposed as a long-time liar.

                Most of us started out our lives with somewhat of a positive outlook and high expectations, but somewhere along the way, things ticked up a notch. This kind of stuff is the underbelly of life. Stating an obvious reality for himself, an older cousin of mine casually said, “I seem to find myself at more funerals than anything else lately.” With age comes difficulty. It’s entropy, by the strictest definition. Life is like a loaded freight train rolling downhill. It’s gaining speed and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

The unwanted guest

                There are times when we are deeply hurt by situations or other people. For Christians, our feelings can get stirred up and pointed at the people around us (whether they were involved or not), and sometimes even at God. In the midst of these issues (what are typical of the human experience in a fallen world), it is not uncommon for our hearts and minds to become clouded with all forms of trouble. Anger, envy, and bitterness all tempt us to welcome them into our lives with open arms. Unwittingly, we make space for this evil roommate which only exacerbates our situation. It is almost as bad as becoming roommates with Satan, himself. Why would we so quickly make a bed for these spirit-sucking freeloaders? Well, sadly, we do it because we believe we have justification for feeling the hurt we feel when life goes downward. In fact, we believe we’re being victimized and that we deserve better. Jesus said, in Matthew 5:44, “you have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Indeed, we have! Where have we heard that? From our own voices.

                Have you ever felt a bitterness so deep that you’re hard-pressed to remember what it was like to not feel that way? When we experience hurt, especially in situations which are out of our control or in things that are deeply personal, we naturally push back, emotionally. When emotions take the wheel, they open up what we perceive to be a righteous defense, when in fact it creates vulnerability, instead. At that moment, we allow provision for sin to make his home in us. When that roommate moves in, he tends to keep us from moving on. He rents movies that feature a distorted version of what happened. He hangs framed photos of those who we blame. He tells us that we don’t deserve to be treated like that. And the more we listen to him, the worse it gets.

                I read a story online recently about a woman who said she had been bitter toward her mother for years. The most revealing note about her story was that even years after her mother’s death, the bitterness remained as strong as it was before.

“Bitterness is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.”
– John Ortberg Jr.

“Uncontrolled temper is soon dissipated on others. Resentment, bitterness, and self-pity build up inside our hearts and eat away at our spiritual lives like a slowly spreading cancer.”
– Jerry Bridges

Facing the Truth

                Is it too extreme to say that there is absolutely nothing righteous about bitterness? Not according to Jesus. In fact, in Matthew 5:43-48, He says (in opposition to our own voices), “BUT I SAY TO YOU, Love your enemies… pray for those who persecute you… so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.” And this instruction comes on the back end of “turn the other cheek” and “go the extra mile” rather than using justifiable retaliation. Jesus calls us up from self-defense and personal wound-licking to (vs 48), “…be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” I know… that is a steep order.

                How is this even possible? Jesus modeled this directive when He was bleeding to death on the cross. At one point, in the middle of the pain that He was being subjected to, it became clear to Him that all of those who spat upon Him, punched Him, mocked Him, wrongfully accused Him, and tortured Him would face the reality that what they were doing was evil. At that moment, Jesus turned to the Father and said, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” Didn’t those who were hurting Jesus actually know what they were doing? Yes, it was an intentional execution. Likewise, Paul was facing an uncertain difficulty which he wrote about in 2 Timothy chapter 4. In the middle of a trial, after a careful survey of the crowd, Paul realized his advocates had turned their backs on him. No one rose to his defense. He told Timothy, “At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me…”

Evidence that demands action

                Do you find yourself stewing about the same situation over and over? Do you hold imaginary conversations with someone in your mind? Do you replay a conversation over and over in your mind? Do you feel anger when you think of a particular person or hear their name? –it’s likely that you have allowed the unwanted roommate to live with you. Believe me, I’d love to tell you that your particular bitterness is permissible… perhaps you are completely innocent, yet hurt. I have my own grievances, friend. But no level of bitterness is considered righteous. So, maybe you have already told yourself (like a thousand times) that you just need to suck it up, get over it, and do what you are supposed to do. That method might get him out of your house for a little while but those freeloaders always come back, and when they do, it’s with a vengeance.

“If you’re a follower of Jesus but you feel distant from Him during this era of your life, if you’re having difficulty resting easy in His forgiveness, could it be because you’re blatantly refusing to let go of your animosity toward another person.”
– Lee Strobel

“Acrid bitterness inevitably seeps into the lives of people who harbor grudges and suppress anger, and bitterness is always a poison. It keeps your pain alive instead of letting you deal with it and get beyond it. Bitterness sentences you to relive the hurt over and over.”
– Lee Strobel

Dumping the freeloader

               To make progress in evicting this nasty roommate, you aren’t going to succeed through brute-strength, but surrender. Begin by talking to God. Jesus did, on the cross, “Father… forgive…” Paul, again in 2Tim 4, also found the Lord standing by him for strength. So, turn to the Lord and confess your sin. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you overcome and forgive. Then, as Matthew 5:44 tells us, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” I’m not telling you that this is easy. Far from it, but thank God that it’s this simple. Confess, forgive, bless.

“Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it.”
– Harry Emerson Fosdick

Entering the Mind

Maybe a person has to get to a certain age before such words become part of his or her vocabulary. Maybe one has to be closer to the end than to the beginning before such becomes an issue. But somewhere along the way the phrase “finishing well” began to matter.

I wonder when the issue of “finishing” began to roll around in Paul the apostle’s head. Did he see the end? Or did he just finally come to know his own heart? We know when he uttered those now famous words in his 2^nd letter to Timothy he was chained up in a prison in Rome no doubt aware of the imminent end of his ministry life:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:6–8

It seemed that through all that occurred in his life, Paul had already considered the matter. Maybe, just maybe, he had already put the matter to bed all the way back on that Damascus road. And maybe, like some of us, he thought about it every day of his ministry.

Throw in the Towel

Sadly, such thoughts do not come naturally in all of us. For just a couple of verses later, Paul remarked “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” – 2 Timothy 4:10. Demas was a fellow minister…dubbed a “fellow worker” in Philemon 24, who had served alongside Paul, and had apparently “thrown in the towel.”

And while we do not know what eventually happened to Demas, we do know that we never heard from him again. We also know that Demas was surrounded by some real credible people who, like Paul, went on to leave a legacy of ministry. By all measures, Demas had everything he needed to make good on what he started; a good teacher, godly committed friends, and sold-out fellow ministers. But despite things being stacked in his favor, Demas still apparently went down in flames.

We know very little else about Demas. But if he was like the rest of us, he no doubt had other plans as to how his life would play out. We all start this Jesus thing with more than the “best-of-intentions.” We all intend to not only “finish well,” we aim to do it all up in style. With a ribbon and everything. Nobody gets into this with plans to fail. Nobody wants to take a dive. 

“Always Faithful”

I am regularly reminded of the motto of the United States Marine Corps, a phrase we all have heard, the idiom Semper Fi. It is a Latin phrase that means “always faithful” or “always loyal”. I have read of countless stories and accounts of marines risking their own lives for other marines, even to bring home their body if lost in combat. Not to mention that these guys are serious fighters. I mean, what’s a man to think when he hears “excuse me, but there’s a bunch of marines outside…”  Let’s face it, these guys (and ladies) have some serious street cred.

Now my question, at least to me, just has to be asked: Where are the Christians? Don’t get me wrong, I’m soooo glad those marines are out there, and I think when they come home from combat they should get anything they need, and a lot of what they want. And I happen to think America is worth fighting for, not to mention a lot of other righteous battles around the world. But come on, we are fighting for GOD…and the whole of humanity¸ and is that not worth at least the same level of commitment and loyalty?

Now we cannot deny we as Christians have a formidable enemy. He is crafty and powerful, and means to do us great harm. But should that not call us even more so to the loyalty and commitment that is demanded of us? There is more than freedom at stake for us. EVERYTHING is at stake. And it takes so very little to distract us, and get us to run.

In the 2008 book, In a Time of War, involving 600 interviews with soldiers and their families, there is a story about one lieutenant who took over his first platoon just hours before he had to lead them in the invasion of Iraq. He said the following:

 “I don’t know what awaits us on the other side of that berm,” 22-year-old Joe DaSilva told his troops. “But I’ll tell you this. If I have to give my life for any of you I will do it in a heartbeat.”

Like-minded

I have spent my life seeking that kind of loyalty and commitment from fellow “troops.” Those who love their cause and their fellow servicemen with that kind of pledge. It’s not an impossible dream, for the pages of history are full of such “soldiers.” I want to be one, and I want to serve beside others.

One could try to explain it all, or make sense of what makes such a person “tick.” But one thing is for sure. There is nothing more important. Nothing higher. Nothing more imperative. It’s the same thing that takes a couple to their 50^th anniversary, takes doctors to the craziest corners of the earth, and causes people to sail oceans alone and climb mount Everest. I guess you could call it passion. I call it love. And nothing drives a person like real and undying love.

Paul, it seems, loved His Lord. Further, he loved his fellowman. He even once said he would give his life…he would be willing to “be accursed,” if he thought it would redeem his brethren. But Demas did not. And he threw in the towel when things got rough.

I’m thankful for guys like Paul. He “finished well.” And for those of you who are willing to “go over that berm” into the unknown with me, well, semper fi…

Growing Up

No natural child likes discipline. Growing up, I wasn’t a very good boy. Often I drove my mother to the brink of insanity… I’m hoping it was just the brink! When she couldn’t handle me anymore, she would say, “Wait till your dad gets home…” Those words usually worked. As the hour drew near to my dad’s arrival, I would slowly make my way to my room in the farthest corner of the house, where I would try to remain silent and invisible. My hope was that my mom would either forget me or see that my actions showed an acceptance of my guilt. In either case, I hoped she wouldn’t tell my dad. I hoped to perhaps escape what I feared most…

My dad wasn’t abusive in any way. I don’t ever remember having bruises or marks. I don’t even remember him yelling at me. But I do remember him bending me over his knee, exposing my bare butt if needed, and giving me a few wallops that stung like a bee and cracked like the sound of firecrackers. And it worked… at least until the next time…

Recognizing Discipline

It doesn’t take long before we realize as children of God that we have another father, a heavenly Father, who also disciplines us. “For what son is there whom his father does not discipline” (Heb. 12:7). Though our heavenly Father’s methods may differ from our earthly fathers, they are none-the-less effective. One of the primary methods God uses to discipline his children is revealed by King David in the Psalms…

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Psalm 119:67, 71, 75

Like our earthly fathers, our heavenly father often uses affliction to discipline us. Affliction can be pretty ambiguous by definition. It could be physical pain. It could be loneliness. It could be a person. It could be a medical condition. It could be not having a job. It could be within our job. It could be a part of our very calling. Remember, Jesus obediently suffer unto death (Heb. 12:3-4). Whatever it is, it is critical we do not write off affliction as being strictly bad. As though it is not part of God’s will or God’s plan for us. Our affliction could be a carefully crafted tool, specifically designed by God, for us.

Responding to Discipline

How do we respond to discipline? It certainly isn’t pleasant. Do we run from it? Do we self-medicate to forget it? Do we pursue ungodly relationships to escape it? Do we switch jobs to avoid it? Do we abdicate our calling for the sake of our own peace and comfort? Henry Holloman in his book “The Forgotten Blessing” puts it this way,

Our first response to disciplinary trials is usually to ask God for relief by changing the circumstances or by removing us from the circumstances. Yet God often does neither. Instead, He uses the circumstances to change us. He is more interested in changing our Christian character than in changing our circumstances.

Henry Holloman, “The Forgotten Blessing”, pp. 22

Have we found these words to be true in our life? Do we see that God is often more interested in changing us… than our circumstances? If so, how should we respond to affliction? What are we to do the midst of it? The author of Hebrews gives us some direction,

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.

It is for discipline that you have to endure.

Hebrews 12:5, 7

We are not to regard the Lords’ discipline lightly… In other words, it’s not by chance that we are in a difficult situation. It’s not circumstantial. It’s not an accident. It’s not a mistake of God’s sovereignty. Furthermore, it is for this very reason that we have to endure (Heb. 12:7). When we are afflicted, the last thing on our mind is enduring one more minute, or day, or month, or year. Yet enduring is exactly what God is asking us to do. That we might be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy (Col. 1:11). This endurance builds character (Rom. 5:3-5). And God is more interested in changing our character… than in changing our circumstances.

The Loving Father

I remember as a teenager when my Dad found some letters in my room that I was exchanging with a girl from a nearby town. He read my correspondence while I was away with her and a couple of friends at a roller skating rink. He didn’t like what he found in the letters. He didn’t like the company I was keeping. He didn’t like the path he saw me heading down.

When I got home, he sat me down in my room and expressed his disappointment and concern for me. He then told me in a stern but sullen voice that my relationship with her was over, that I was not to see her anymore, and that I was not to communicate with her anymore. I knew it was done. I thought the punishment at the time was cruel and unusual. I thought he was acting like a monster, though I knew for a fact he wasn’t. And now years later, looking back with a tear in my eye, I see nothing but a father’s uncompromising love for his son.

When will we get it? When will we realize that which is metered out by the hand of our heavenly Father comes from nothing less than perfect love (Heb. 12:6)? When will we stop bucking against affliction, and instead endure what he has appointed to us (Heb. 12:7)? When will we recognize the reason we suffer, is so that we might live (Heb. 12:9)? When will see our difficult circumstances as for our good, that we might share in his holiness (Heb. 12:10)? When will we see our trials as God’s tools for training us, that we might yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:11)?

For me, perhaps it will take a lifetime… I expect so… But I do look forward to that day when I finally get it… When I finally see the father’s love, even in the most difficult situations. May we all anticipate that day when we can look back, perhaps with tears in our eyes, and see how much the Father loved us… even in our afflictions.

On Television

Well over a year ago, JFB began an ambitious project that involved broadcasting our services on the CW network out of both Eau Claire and LaCrosse Wisconsin at 10:00 am each Sunday morning. When we made that decision, we did so with a missional albeit realistic heart of knowing, or at least understanding, that the likelihood of increasing our attendance was a longshot at best. But for us, that was never the point. We wanted to increase the kingdom attendance. So we stepped out into the crazy world of TV and multiple volunteers have worked diligently each week to make this project a reality. On a fairly regular basis we have heard from those who are out there watching which is wonderful and certainly reinforcing, and then…

Suddenly we started hearing from the dark. Perhaps you are unaware of this unique place we live, one aspect of which is the multiple state correctional facilities within a couple of hours drive time from Menomonie. This caveat may have no specific bearing upon your life, but apparently, it did upon our Tv broadcast. For we have already heard from inmates in 6 of those prisons, and they are watching…take the example below:

One of several recent letters

2 / 21 / 19 – Dear Pastor Tim,

My name is ……………. and I am currently incarcerated at New Lisbon Correctional Institution in New Lisbon, Wisconsin. I’m actually from Menomonie, though. In 2008, I actually visited Jesus Fellowship of Believers a couple times. I had just come home after serving 4 years in the Army and had lived on 9th next to Our Savior’s. I’d call myself a Christian for years, but was clinging tightly to my secret sins. I was very convicted by your preaching, but I wasn’t ready to give up myself for the truth. I found a church that delivered a feel-good message and I continued to live my life trying to be a Christian and chase after strange flesh and indulge in an addiction to pornography. Your words on the days I visited JFB stuck with me for years. You said, “Going to church makes you as much a Christian as going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.” I was really good at going to church, but I was a terrible Christian, if one at all.

So, why am I writing you? I’ve been in prison for 3½ years and will continue to be until 2031, and will have to serve part of that in Minnesota prison. I finally gave my whole heart to Christ and made Him Lord of my life in 2015 with my knees hard-pressed on a cold concrete floor in a jail cell. I’d hit rock bottom after I turned myself in. I lost my wife, my kids, my home, and my career because I believed the lies of the enemy and molested my step daughter. I’ve spent the past 3½ years growing closer to God and studying Scripture. I even enrolled in Bible college through correspondence courses. We are blessed here with a chaplain who is on fire for prison ministry but, I still often find myself needing to be fed spiritually. I’ve moved past the milk and desire more meat. Understandably, the message preached at the services here are usually along the lines of a “milk” message.

Recently, our institute upgraded our TV antennae and I found your service on the CW on Sunday morning. I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing you preach again, be “fed” by the JFB service, and get a little taste of home. I just wanted to give you my brief testimony and thank you for making the service available on TV. It’s a joy to be a part of the JFB congregation, even if it’s just through the TV. If Menomonie winds up being my home again after my release, I intend to make JFB my permanent church home. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy the service on TV; at least for the next 3 years while I’m still in Wisconsin. Thanks again and God bless!

For His Glory, 2 Timothy 2:21

Correctional Ministry

Now we might be wonderfully pleased by the letters we are receiving, but since when has “wonderfully pleased” been enough for us? So with 25 years of correctional ministry under our belts, we have lit upon a unique and, we hope, a creative pursuit to answer what we see as a golden opportunity. We are currently praying and moving forward on expanding our TV ministry into the very next 30 minute slot after our current Sunday service. In that ½ hour we are looking to develop a ministry TV broadcast engineered to specifically meet the needs of the believer that is incarcerated in those state facilities. This broadcast would have some footage from our regular Sunday services, and then application commentary from others, mostly our chaplain Ryan O’Gara, and lastly other media material directed toward discipleship and maturation of those who have turned to Christ despite being incarcerated. As far as we know, no one as attempted such an outreach endeavor in this manner. One reason of course, is few have the plethora of “captive” audience that we have within our reach via broadcast TV and at a cost that is affordable. The potential is unlimited, but of course so are the unknowable battles we may come up against. Please pray for this endeavor and wisdom on the part of your community leaders. And of course, if you feel so inclined, more volunteers for this ministry would be welcomed! Thank you for being a part of it…financially, prayerfully, and in unity!

PASTOR TIM