The Father's Direction

A player piano sits in the lobby of a local hospital. A fine, Yamaha, baby grand. With a blinking, electronic box affixed under the high notes.  It makes a nice space feel classy.  More importantly it fills it with music.

Sometimes hymns. Sometimes classical. Sometimes jazz.  Sometimes easy listening.

It's nice.  But.

It is a player piano.  With a blinky box.

It is not the same as heart & soul, fingers & feet.

There I sat.  Near the piano.  Enjoying its sound. Lamenting it's lack of soul.  When two men arrived.

One in his sixties.  Distinguished.  Business-like, even in casual dress.

One in his thirties.  Challenged.  Struggling to walk, body wracked in debilitating disease.

Father & son.

We exchanged smiles & made small talk while they waited.  They waited until a third man came.  Quickly. With a key.  To turn off the blinky box.  In order that the young man might sit & play.

Real life.  Heart & soul, fingers & feet.  Tumbled hard onto the bench.

And he waited.  The son at the keys waited.  For his father's direction.  The name of a song.

Softly.  Almost unheard.  The father would whisper.

Slowly.  Processing direction.  The son would respond.

More than a dozen songs as I observed.

Son waiting.  Hands in lap.  Head titled slightly back & right.  Sitting in silence.  The father would whisper. The son would cock his head forward.  Place his hands over the keys.  Pause.  A few breathes.  Then play.

Sometimes hymns. Sometimes classical. Sometimes jazz.  Sometimes easy listening.

Heart & soul, fingers & feet.  The young man who struggled walking, soared playing.

So beautiful his music.

So much more beautiful his response to the direction of his loving father.

Can you hear God our Father's voice?  How do you respond to His direction?

Play your part.  Play with heart & soul, fingers & feet.  Play as our Father directs.  Play with all you have got.

The Christ Following Citizen

The celebration of Independence Day weekend, the Fourth of July, has us tuned to what it means to be an American.  The Bible, as with all things, gives us guidance.

In Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus & Peter are challenged to pay the Jewish Temple tax.  This raises questions. Shouldn't Jesus, as a rabbi, be exempt?  More so shouldn't Jesus, as God's Son, be exempt?  Wouldn't his followers be exempt as well?  Yet Jesus leads Peter to the conclusion that Christ & his followers should obey earthly authorities with willingness & care not to offend.

The immorality or corruption of the governmental authority does not matter.

The obedience & service of the Christ follower as a citizen does matter.

Further Scriptures provide thorough guidelines for the attitude, understanding, & obedience of Christ followers desirous of being God honoring citizens.

As Christ following citizens:

1. We recognize our primary citizenship (1 Perter 2:9).  This is not only our new belonging as citizens in God's Eternal Kingdom, but our new being in Christ, & provides foundation for all that follows.
2. We are recipients of God's mercy (1 Peter 2:10).  We are Kingdom citizens because of God's mercy.  The living out of His mercy should be a hallmark of the Christ following life.
3. We live for the sake of others (1 Peter 2:11-12).  As citizens first of an eternal Kingdom, we must live such exemplary lives that others easily recognize the difference & glorify God because of us.
4. We obey authorities for the sake of Jesus (1 Peter 2:13-14).  More importantly than for others is that our submission to authorities is for our Lord's sake.
5. We must not offend authorities (Matthew 17:27).  As Heavenly citizens first, we obey not only the letter of the law of earthly authorities, but with a joyful attitude as well.
6. We pay taxes to the authority due (Matthew 22:21).  As beneficiaries of all our earthly governments provide, we must also participate in their support.
7. We submit to authorities (Romans 13:1-2).  God Himself has ordained the governing authorities of this earth, & we must not rebel lest we bring His judgment upon ourselves.
8. We obey authorities willingly (Romans 13:5).  Our good conscience as citizens of God's Kingdom, not the possibility of punishment here, should motivate us to obedience.
9. We pay taxes as God requires (Romans 13:6-7).  Since God has established earthly authorities as His servants, we must support them in their work.

Christ followers should be exemplary citizens.  That's our bottom line.  That is how Scripture guides.

May God bless us as citizens of His Eternal Kingdom.

May God bless the earthly nation of our citizenship.

Empty

We normally don't celebrate empty. Empty is not so good.  Empty tummy. Empty head.  Empty wallet.  Empty tank.

Empty is a void.  Nothing where there should be something.  But there is not.

Easter, however, is a celebration of emptiness.  A celebration of what is not.

What is not tells us what is.

Think about the first disciple's Easter Sunday morning surprise.  One of the best things in life is a good surprise, right?  Note: a good surprise; bad surprises tend to bring grief & worry instead of joy.  A good surprise is a surprise because you don't expect it.

The disciples did not expect an empty tomb.  They weren't looking for the living. They were looking for a body.  A dead body.  They were without hope.  Expecting death.  Yet.  Surprise!  "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!  Remember how he told you..." Luke 24:5-6.

Jesus is no longer dead.  He lives today.

He lives to give life to you.

We celebrate an empty tomb.

Mourning into celebration.  Darkness into light.  Sadness into joy.  Despair into hope.  Defeat into hope.  This is what Easter is about.

Do you need a change?  Give Jesus your life.  You'll be transformed: Empty into full.

We celebrate new life.

Coffee Mug

A mug like this belongs to a friend.  A mug to use at work.  A mug to be a witness to others.  A mug that it is manly.  A mug with a message.

What he did not know was that the person who needed that message most.  Would be him.  His work is not what it was.  He may be forced to leave.  He may choose to leave.  He may relocate his family.

His heart aches for fulfillment at work.  His mind tosses with uncertainty for his family.  His spirit wrestles with faith for his soul.

He does not know what future God has planned.  He does not know how God will provide.  He does not know when his prayers will be answered.

But.

He knows God has a plan.  He knows he can trust God to provide.  He knows God hears him when he prays.

He has a coffee mug.  A mug with a message.

What message does your mug need?  Post a comment.

O Come

Don’t you just love Christmas Carols?  Aren't you thankful we can sing these meaningful songs every year?  What a way to celebrate the birthday of the King!

In the next weeks, let's look a little carols to remind us why we sing.  As we celebrate this Advent, we'll begin with O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel was first sung during Christmas Eve worship services by the medieval church in the 12th Century.  Each stanza offers a unique greeting to the Babe Messiah based on titles given him within Scripture.  Each stanza offers hope to Christ followers throughout the ages based on those same prophetic names.

O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear.

Emmanuel we know from Matthew 1:23 literally means, "God with us."  Isaiah 7:14 prophecies the coming of a Savior Messiah, God in flesh, among us.

And why did he come?  To set us free.  To pay the sin debt that no amount of our human goodness could ever repay.  The name Emmanuel teaches that God is with us.  No matter the challenge. 

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer, Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

The Dayspring, or Dawn, as the photo above depicts, is a title applied to the Lord in Job 38:12 and remembered in Luke 1:78.

What would cause you call someone the Dayspring?  Our Lord Jesus bears that title to remind us that he is our Dawn.  No matter the night.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, And order all things far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.

Wisdom with a capital W comes from 1 Corinthians 1:24 & 30.  Jesus is both "The power & the wisdom of God."  And as verse 30 says, he "has become for us wisdom from God -  that is our righteousness, holiness & redemption."

I don't know about you, but life leaves me with lots of questions.  Maybe I am not supposed to answer them all, but one thing I can know: Jesus is Wisdom.  No matter the question.

O come, Desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind;

Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease, Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.

The fourth verse refers to Jesus as the Desire of nations.  God spoke this prophecy in reference to rebuilding His Temple in Haggai 2:7.  "I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, & I will fill this house with glory," God said.

Life is challenging.  We tend to have lots of wants.  But sometimes we can't even meet our needs.  This title for Jesus tells us that he can meet our Desire.  No matter the need.

No matter your challenge.

No matter your night.

No matter your question.

No matter your need.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee.