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Lost and Found

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Our son, Zachary, was not quite two years old. I had just taken a preaching position at a new church in Austin. One Wednesday night after we had visited with a lot of folks, Donna and I both looked up and Zach had just vanished. The lights were off in every part of the building except the foyer where we were standing. Donna and I looked at each other and at the couple with whom we were visiting and we all had this stricken look of panic!

Where would a little kid go in a dark church building? Nowhere! No little kid would wander off into a dark, creepy, huge, unfamiliar space like that. The other couple took off to look outside the building. We were all panicked and feared that he may have gone out to the parking lot or wandered into the very busy street. Both of these were horribly dangerous options that we couldn't even bear to imagine! They looked outside and Donna and I tore through the building calling, looking, and hoping against hope to find our lost boy.

Then Donna peaked in a classroom with a small window that allowed in a little outside light. There, calm as could be, was Zach. He was singing and playing with toys, totally unruffled by the darkness, separation from his parents, and their panic-stricken expressions. Relief, joy, and celebration all flooded over us. Zach was missing for only a very few minutes, but our fear and panic made it feel like an eternity. We were thrilled and overjoyed to have our little boy back in our arms!

Our story with Zach pales in comparison to the recent news stories of abducted children being reunited with their parents. I cannot begin to imagine the anguish those parents faced as they waited for years, never knowing what happened to their children who were not only lost to them, but also had vanished without a trace. Hearing stories of their reunions has touched my heart and caused tears to run down my face. Yet their stories pale in comparison to the brokenhearted Father of grace who came searching for us -- you and me, his lost children -- by sending Jesus to show us his love.

God's story is a story of searching love as he yearns to find his lost children, so it is no wonder that Jesus used the image of finding a lost sheep so frequently.

Jesus came to find God's lost sheep. (Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24)

The Father doesn't want any to perish, but rejoices at finding each lost sheep. (Matthew 18:10-14)

The shepherd's great joy at finding the lost sheep. (Luke 15:3-7)

Jesus came to seek and to save lost sheep -- like Zacchaeus. (Luke 19:1-10)

Jesus is God's message to let us know how desperately the Father wanted to find us, to reach our hearts, and to bring us home and have a party.

Jesus' most famous apostle, Peter, humbly rejoiced and reminded early followers of Jesus that each of them had once been a lost sheep:

For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:25 TNIV).

Each follower of Jesus -- even you and me -- has been brought home to God, with the angels of heaven rejoicing and the Father of glory wanting to throw a party.

How can we not celebrate with great joy that we have been included?

How can we not seek and reach out to those who have wandered away from God?

How can we not rejoice when God's lost ones come home to the Father of grace and the Great Shepherd of the sheep?

Read Luke 15:1-32 and then use the following questions for your personal reflection and group discussion in your LIFE groups, small groups, Home Gatherings, and house churches. I'd also love to hear from you on my blog about your lost and found experiences: http://thephilfiles.com

What is the most important thing in your life that you've lost, then rejoiced when you found it?

Have you ever lost a child (or a friend) in a crowd and feared something bad had happened to them?

How was this situation resolved?

Were you able to rejoice when the person was found? What did you do to celebrate?

Who are people in your life that you can help shepherd home to God?

Who is one specific person God has put on your heart that needs to come home to God?

What can you do to help others know about the love of God?

Why do you think it is so hard for many of us to celebrate and have a party when God's lost sheep come home?

Have you ever found yourself, or someone else you know, resenting those who have been away from God but who have been brought back home?

How do we help these folks, and ourselves, let go and rejoice like God does with the angels of heaven when his lost children come home?

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: Southern Hills Church of Christ

Which Way Does Your Name Tag Face?

steve@hopeforlife.org (Steve Ridgell) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

I was at a large convention recently where all the participants wore name tags around their neck. This is a really good idea. It lets people know who you are, prompts you when you cannot remember names, and gives you a visual aid when you are meeting people. Name tags identify the company people work for. They let you know who you are talking to. But they only work when they are facing the right way. If they are turned around, they are absolutely useless.

Why would you wear a name tag no one is able to read? Why would you forget to check and be sure it had not twisted the wrong direction? Maybe they do not care if anyone knows their name. Maybe they do not want anyone to know who they are. Maybe they are ashamed of whom they are, or the company they work for.

I have known Christians who want to keep their identity secret. Maybe they are ashamed of things in their life, or they are embarrassed to be seen as a Jesus follower, or perhaps they do not even realize they are hiding their identity.

Jesus did not call us to live as "hidden" believers. The very act of coming to Jesus is not done in secret. It involves confession and baptism. From that point on, Christians serve as light in a dark world pointing to Jesus.

If you believe in Jesus, but are still living as if it were a secret, let me help you turn your name tag around. Visit our blog at www.hopeforlife.org.
Or write me at steve@hopeforlife.org

(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article.

Steve Ridgell serves as the Director of Ministry for Herald of Truth Ministries in Abilene, Texas and writes for Hopeforlife.org. You can reach him by writing to sridgell@heraldoftruth.org.

Website: Hope for Life!

Art, Crime, and Justice

rshelly@rc.edu (Rubel Shelly) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Roman Polanski is variously described as a master film director, creative genius, and passionate artist. After his recent arrest at the Zurich airport, there has been an outcry from some of his fellow-artists who allege to be "dismayed" by the event -- with nearly 100 of them signing a petition to protest it.

One of the signers, movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, went beyond affixing his name to the shared challenge and wrote a newspaper piece insisting that "whatever you think of the so-called crime, Polanski has served his time."

Here are the facts of public record: Polanski was indicted in 1977 for rape, furnishing a controlled substance (Quaaludes and Champagne), committing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child, and sodomy. The predator was 42 at the time of his crime, and the victim was a 13-year-old girl he was paying (with her absent mother's permission!) to pose for him to photograph nude in a hot tub. After a plea bargain to plead guilty to statutory rape and to have various other charges dropped, Polanski fled the country in 1978 and has been a fugitive ever since.

Where is the "so-called" part of this crime? Is being a Hollywood figure a true pass from basic moral accountability? Does being an "artist" or "genius" free one from an obligation to the law? What is there about the passing of time that exempts one from being caught, arrested, and prosecuted for breaking the law?

Anyone who is not offended by the sort of sophistry that wants Polanski set free or turned into a martyr because of his arrest has either lost or has never possessed a moral compass. It is not self-righteousness to say that adult sexual predators must not be allowed to get by with their crimes -- even if they agree to pay half a million dollars to their victims and thereby get their victims to join the plea for their freedom. A wealthy man running from the law and still being hired to work his cinematic craft for millions has hardly "served his time."

For one thing, the very term "artist" is sullied in a culture that calls it art to soak a cross in urine or to scream obscenities into a microphone. For another, the outcry over this arrest reveals just how radically out of touch many in the entertainment world are with the reality ordinary people live.

Then there is the simple hypocrisy of it all. Alison Arngrim, an actress best known for being in TV's "Little House on the Prairie" and who has spoken publicly about her own experience of being sexually molested as a child, makes a good point about this case. "If Roman Polanski were a Catholic priest or a Republican senator," she asks, "would these people feel the same way?"

The issue here isn't even legal-but-immoral fornication, adultery, or homosexual acts. It is the acknowledged criminal act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and illegal flight to avoid prosecution. Current age, artistic ability, and box-office success are not substitutes for justice under the law.

Artists are just like the rest of us -- acclaimed or unnoticed, deep in debt or flush with money, wise or foolish. And, yes, law-abiding or criminal. When the latter, they -- just like the unwashed rabble -- must be held accountable.

Rubel Shelly preached for the Woodmont Hills Churchin Nashville for thirty years. He is the author of more than 20 books. He has accepted the position of President of Rochester College. For more details, click here or here to email.

Website: RubelShelly.com

Good without God?

p.d.odum@gmail.com (Patrick D. Odum) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24 NIV).

Earlier this week, an organization called The Chicago Coalition of Reason put up a billboard at the corner of Grand and LaSalle Avenues in downtown Chicago that's generated some discussion and debate. The CoR is an atheist organization that promotes the idea that "humanists, agnostics and atheists are as normal as anyone else. We're your friends, neighbors and family members. We care about our communities and are true to our values."

Their billboard, which CoR members say is to "break the stereotype that atheists are evil and end the subtle discrimination that unfolds as a result." It reads: "Are you good without God? Millions are."

Well, frankly, I long ago gave up the notion that people who believe in God are necessarily nicer or better or more virtuous or more ethical than people who don't. People are good -- or not -- for a whole slew of reasons that may or may not have to do with faith in God. The question I have about atheists and morality is this: "Who tells us what 'good' is?" Is it enough to be true to our values if our values are mixed up?

Actually, though, that's a good question to ask folks who claim belief in God, too.

Are you good without God?

I think the billboard has a double meaning, and I want to look at both meanings. Are you good without God -- as in, "Are you OK without God? Do you need him to make your choices and live your life?" Christians, of course, would generally make the right noise about needing him. If you pinned a thousand self-identified Christians down, you might get five who'd say, "Actually, I can generally get by just fine without God, yes." We're conditioned to talk about faith and trust and depending on God's grace, and most of us can hit all the right notes.

But sometimes I think we live as though we're actually pretty good -- pretty OK -- without God. When we make our decisions based on what "seems OK" or "feels right," we're living as if God has nothing we need. When we know what's right and still choose to do what's wrong, we conduct ourselves as if our own conscience and value system are the true measures of character, integrity, and virtue. When we lean on our own talents, resources, and schemes to get what we think we want, we deny that there's any area of our lives in which we need his grace, wisdom, and strength. When we make our plans and carry them out without prayer and advice from other believers, we walk as if there's no one to lead us. When we live torn by doubt, worry, and fear, we choose to live as if we don't know the gracious Father in heaven who provides for our needs.

Paul reminds the followers of Jesus in Ephesus of what their lives had been like, so he can remind them of who they claim to be now. Their predicament was darkened understanding, hard hearts, separation from God, and an intensifying desire to do evil inversely proportionate to their declining sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. "Futility" is the word Paul uses to describe their lives.

"You, however, didn't come to know Christ that way," he reminds them. That's a good thing to say to ourselves sometimes, when our lives haven't been reflecting "the truth that is in Jesus." What we've come to faith in isn't a set of laws. We've come to believe in a person: a person who says that there are parts of our lives that have been soiled by sin and need to be taken off like a dirty shirt. A person who makes it possible for us to be renewed and put on a new life that more accurately reflects the righteousness and holiness of our God.

So that billboard provides me with a chance to look in the metaphorical mirror and ask myself if I'm carrying on as if I'm good without God. Or does my life reflect that I need him? Do I try to obey him, even when it's inconvenient? Does the amount of time I spend in prayer and with the Bible and with the church show that I'm living in dependence on him? Does my hope rest on earning potential or net worth or my particular set of talents or my work ethic, or in God and his generous providence?

"There is no one righteous, not even one," the Bible reminds us. So, no, none of us can be good without God. That's true for all of us, atheists and believers alike. The first lie the devil told human beings was, "You'll be like God, knowing good and evil." It is a lie, though, on two fronts. We usually can't see much beyond our own immediate benefit or disadvantage when trying to determine what's right and wrong. And on those rare occasions when we do come up with the right answer, it's at best even money if we'll follow through and actually do what we recognized as right.

And so God, in Christ, stepped in. In being faithful to death, he lived what was right. In his death and resurrection, he brought about redemption and forgiveness from our sins and victory over sin and death. And he poured out his Spirit, God present in us, to give us the wisdom to know right from wrong and the strength to live it.

So, no; I'm not good without God. I'm not in any way OK without him, and I can't be a person of integrity and virtue without his grace, wisdom, and guidance. We can all do some good deeds, make some good choices, be nice or generous or peace-loving, but in the end it will all come down to this: What we need is to be new. What we need is to be renewed, redeemed, reclaimed, rebuilt, refitted. What we need is what only God can give us, and has given us in Jesus.

Good without God? I'm barely tolerable with him.

Maybe I should put that on a billboard.

Patrick Odum lives in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, Laura and son, Joshua. He is one of the ministers at Northwest Church of Christ, and an avid Heartlight fan. He enjoys writing and maintains a website of his work called Faith Web where you can find all of his articles. Email Patrick

Website: Faith Web

Tested and Approved

prasso@mindspring.com (Laura Baker) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

You can go to the grocery store and find everything from cereal to steak that has an official stamp of approval by some vendor or government agency. And it is these endorsements that give us confidence that these foods have been tested and we can purchase them with assurance.

God is the same way. Time and time again, His love for you has been tested, and He has proved Himself faithful. Just as the Psalmist wrote:

Those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:10 NKJV).

Think about the amount of trust we put in these man-based approvals. How much more confident can we be with God's approval? God's Word reminds us:
"It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man" (Psalm 118:8).
If we can trust a governmental agency with our food, how much more can we trust God with our lives?

Think of some time in your past where God has been faithful to you. Perhaps he provided for your bills at just the right time, or gave you just the right words to say to a hurting friend. God is faithful to us in so many ways ... we just need to look around and see them!

Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds (Psalm 36:5 NKJV).

Whether you look at your life or the lives of those around you, you will see God's stamp of approval -- evidence of His faithfulness that allows you to approach Him daily with confidence.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well (Psalm 139:14 NKJV).

When we have this approval God gives us, what does it compel us to do?

Do we thank Him?

Do we share with others what God is doing in our lives?

Does it free us up to do the things God wants us to do with confidence, knowing He is in control?

Surely we will do all three!

Laura Baker grew up on a family farm in Oregon, is married to Buzz, and they are blessed with three children and eight grandchildren. She began Prasso Ministries in 1992 to provide resources to help wounded people.

Website: My Prasso Website

Promises Kept!

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John10:11 ESV).

We have all sorts of little sayings to emphasize that we are telling the truth and we really are going to keep our promises:

"No brag, just fact."

"Just the facts, ma'am."

"Let me be brutally honest"

"Now truthfully ..."

"I want to walk the talk."

"You can take it to the bank."

"Let me be brutally honest!"

And a bunch more if we wanted to list them.

While Jesus had a way to emphasize the importance of something he said, when it comes to promises, the Lord advocated that we simply tell the truth the first time without elaboration or oaths (Matthew 5:34; James 5:12). Our lives really prove the value of our words, and Jesus wanted his life to speak clearly and loudly about his faithfulness: faithfulness to both God and to us.

Jesus claimed to be the Good Shepherd, and The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. This was so important that he said it in slightly different ways five times in one setting (John 10:11-18). However, the ultimate test of a shepherd is whether he lives for himself or for his sheep -- if he truly lays down his life for his sheep in both big and small ways.

Jesus proved himself to be a faithful shepherd by what he did and how he did it!

Jesus gave up the protection and perfection of heaven for the flaws and mortality of human life (Philippians 2:5-11).

Jesus prepared his closest followers for his absence even when wrestling with his impending death. He lovingly spent time with them and prepared them for his absence and promised them his ongoing presence through the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (John 13:1-17:26).

Jesus paid the ultimate price by dying on the Cross and was raised from the dead to release us from the tyranny of sin and death (Mark 10:45; Romans 4:25).

Jesus spoke these words of promise, "I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:15), then proved his word true by laying down his life every step of his journey with them.

But why is this important? Why make such a big deal about it?

Today, two reasons seem very important to me.

First, we can trust the glorious promises of Jesus because he proved himself faithful in the promises he paid the awful cost to fulfill. Since he was willing to give up heaven to come to us and give up his life to save us, why would we ever doubt his promises to bless us and bring us to the Father?

Second, Jesus shows us the heart of real leadership. Leadership "Jesus' style" is not about being served or finding status or exercising power. Leadership "Jesus' style" is about setting an example, living our lives to bless others, and giving up our lives to help others find God, hope, and heaven. Anyone who leads in the footsteps of Jesus should not be surprised that leadership requires us to lay down our lives for those we lead as we follow the Master's example!

Jesus did more than say he loves us: he has proven his love by his actions. And because his love has been proven, we can trust his promises to be with us and to bring us to the Father. No brag ... just fact!

The following questions are for your own reflection and may also be used in small group discussion or house church settings. I would also love to get your feedback on my blog: http://tinyurl.com/hl102909

What are your favorite promises of Jesus?

Why can you trust these promises to be true?

What do they help you look forward to experiencing with God in the future?

How do they help give you reassurance in difficult times?

Why do you think we tend to forget Jesus' promises when we are going through times of trouble?

How does Jesus' proof of his faithfulness to the hard and painful promises give us assurance that he will keep the glorious promises?

What can you do to help some other believer hear and accept the promises of Jesus?

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: Southern Hills Church of Christ

Jesus Holds the Keys

tim@hopeforlife.org (Tim Archer) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Near the end of his life, the apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos, sent there because of his faith in Jesus. While there, John received a vision. That vision contained a message for his fellow Christians who were also facing persecution. That vision is recorded in the book of Revelation.

In the first chapter of the book, John sees Jesus. Not baby Jesus in a manger or half-dead Jesus hanging on a cross. John sees a triumphant Jesus, dressed in shining white robes. This Jesus has something to say to his followers:

Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:17-18).

To these Christians who faced the very real possibility of dying for their faith, Jesus says, "Don't be scared. I've been there. And I'm back." Then he tells them something important: he holds the keys of death and Hades.

Maybe I should explain that Hades in the Greek-speaking world didn't refer to a place of punishment. It was merely the dwelling place of the dead. It was the great unknown, the mysterious place everyone went after leaving this world. Jesus says, "Don't be afraid of death nor what comes after ... I've got the keys to let you out of that place!"

Are you scared of death? You don't have to be. In the book of Hebrews, the author says that Jesus destroyed the power of death by his own death so that he could "free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (Hebrews 2:15). We don't have to live our lives fearing death. Jesus died, but he's alive now. He went into the place of the dead and came out with the keys. We can enter that mysterious realm without fear, knowing that our Jesus holds the key to let us out again.

Jesus promised his disciples that he would build his church "and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). Those gates can't hold us in because Jesus holds the key.

Don't be afraid! Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). He has freed us from the fear of death. If you'd like to know more about how to face death without fear, write to me at tarcher@heraldoftruth.org or leave a comment at http://hopeforlife.org/blog .

(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article. Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org)
© Herald of Truth

Tim works for Herald of Truth and writes for HopeForLife. He is the co-author of Letters From The Lamb. You can reach him by writing to tim@hopeforlife.org.

Website: HopeForLife