The Simplicity of Faith

Mark 10:13-16

Hello from Camp Joy again! We have had another wonderful day with breakfast, horse riding, good fun fellowship and a great lunch of pizza and salad. Camille (pictured with special friend, Alyssa) sends her greetings to all of her church family. She did want Dr. Sam to know that she only petted the horses; she didn’t ride one.

Our Bible story today is from Mark 10:13-16. Many people brought their children to see Jesus. They wanted them to see the man whom they had heard so much about. But, Jesus’ disciples thought it was better if the children left Jesus alone. They rebuked the people who brought the children. I wander why the disciples would do such a thing. Maybe they thought Jesus needed to rest, maybe they thought he needed time to think and teach, maybe they thought Jesus’ time would best be used if he taught the religious leaders and showed them their error. I’m sure that any number of reasons could be given as to why they wanted to shield Jesus from the children. But, Jesus didn’t care. 

He wanted the children to come to him. He wanted to visit with them. He wanted to see them. He wanted to love them. He wanted to care for them. Isn’t that a beautiful picture of the compassion and heart of God? Jesus wanted to hang out with children. I think it is a wonderful connection with Camp Joy. Jesus wants to hang out with these precious campers. He wants to interact with them. He wants to love on them. He wants to share himself with them. He wants to sit and talk with them. I have told our counselors that not only does Jesus want to do all these things, he wants us to as well. What a humbling challenge! 

But, Jesus also has something else in mind when he accepts the children. He wants to illustrate the type of faith it requires to receive and enter the kingdom of God. We must come with a simple and blind faith, the kind of faith a child exhibits in those who take care of him, those who love him, those on whom he depends. That is one of the most heart-warming things about Camp Joy to me. These “special” men and women embody the kind of faith that Jesus requires us to have. Their faith is simple, but their faith is strong! I am afraid that I have a tendency to complicate things. I want answers, I want to know the details, I want to be in control of things; but true faith says, “Chill out! God’s in control.” That’s exactly what these wonderful folks do. They just live life worry free and trusting the Lord. 

Let me tell you a story that illustrates this. This morning in Bible class, Mrs. Kathryn was teaching the passage from Mark 10:13-16. Camp Joy camper Shane Davis (who is pictured and has decided that he and I are long lost cousins because we have the same last name) got emotional because, as he put it, “Jesus loves the little children and us so much.” As he got more and more emotional, Mrs. Kathryn (the teacher) got emotional, then other campers got emotional until eventually all the campers in the class were crying, except one, Matthew, who was laughing and clapping (He’s a hoot!). In the middle of all this emotion, Stacy, another camper, decided that the mood was set for her to sing a tear-jerker from Mercy Me about the love and grace of God. So she broke out in song. By the end of her song, needless to say, Bible class was over. Such simple minds exercise great faith and demonstrate great emotion about the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! The faith of a child receives and enters the Kingdom of Heaven. May God give you and me this kind of faith. Let us pray to that end.

Helpful Passages:

Mark 10:13-16

Psalm 42

Psalm 27

CHD

Special Friends and Special Days

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Romans 15:7

Friends, I write to you this afternoon from Camp Joy Session 1. Camille Lynn and I are having a great time and anxiously, especially Camille, awaiting Patti’s arrival Tuesday afternoon. For those of you who don’t know, Camp Joy is a camp sponsored by our denomination for mentally and physically handicapped men and women. The ages of the campers this week extends from the early 20s all the way to 73. Each camper, or “special friend” as we call them, is given a counselor with whom they have the privilege of building a most wonderful relationship founded upon sacrificial and unconditional love. 

Our day consists of, among other fun and exciting things, bible class, crafts, a variety of recreation activities, the much needed nap, and worship. This morning in recreation class our campers, after stretching, played the name game. They threw a large soccer ball (similar to a beach ball) to each other. When one caught the ball he/she told his/her name. The game went on until everyone had a chance to tell his/her name. They loved it. In crafts, they made a a trinket that tied into the bible story which they learned in bible class and then acted out in drama. The bible story for today is that of Zacchaeus and Jesus. Zacchaeus experienced the grace and love of God even though he had some limitations. He was accepted by Christ Jesus. What a wonderful story for Camp Joy, and all of us for that matter!   

I believe that this is Camp Joy’s 32nd year. And, I am delighted to be back. For six years, from the time I was 15 until I was 21, I averaged working at least two sessions per summer. It was at Camp Joy that I first met Camille. Little did I know that one day I would have the pleasure of being her pastor. My role this week is camp minister. It is my primary responsibility to lead worship with the whole camp and devotion time with our counselors and staff. Last night we talked about how immeasurable the love of God is. It is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 103); it extends to the heavens (Psalm 108); and, it overflows our cups (Psalm 23). We can’t measure it; we can only experience it. For the rest of the week (4 more worship services) we will look at four people who experienced the love of Christ, Zacchaeus (Luke 19), the little children (Mark 10), the woman at the well (John 4), and the sinful woman who anointed Jesus (Luke 7). Through our relationships with Christ and our service of him, we have the blessed privilege of experiencing Christ’s loving grace in the same way these four individuals did. 

Our theme verse for the week is Romans 15:7, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” In the preceding verses of chapter 15, Paul tells the Romans that the role of the strong is to assist the weak, to please them, and to build them up as Christ Jesus does that for all of us. For we are all weak when compared to him. One of the most ironic and enlightening things about Camp Joy is that “normal” young men and women come to assist those who have limitations, those the world would refer to as weak. But, by the end of the week, those “normal” young men and women through God’s grace come to realize that they are really weaker than they ever dreamed and that those with limitations, those who are weak, are actually much stronger than the normal young men and women ever thought. 

Our challenge to the staff and counselors last night was to think about one way in which they could please or build up their “special friend” today and to pray about it. Also, we asked them to think about one way in which they had experienced the sacrificial love of Christ thus far at Camp Joy with their “special friend,” and then pray a prayer of thanksgiving for it. 

Let me encourage you to do the same in your life. Think about one way that you can build up a neighbor or please someone who is currently struggling with life today. Also, think about one way in which you have experienced the sacrificial and unconditional love of Christ today. Pray specifically for the strength and the courage to do what you thought of so as to build up another, and pray specifically with thanksgiving for the blessing of experiencing Christ Jesus’ love. May God be with you until next time. 

Helpful passages: 

Romans 15:1-7

Philippians 2:1-11

Psalm 23

CHD

Reading the Bible

I thought I would take a moment this week to share with you the way that I attempt to read the Bible. I hope that it can help you. 

When I first started reading the Bible, I had no particular plan. I would sit down and, literally, open the Bible to some passage and begin reading. I would read maybe a few verses, maybe a chapter, or maybe even a book, depending on where I happened to land when I opened the Bible. I soon realized that this was not a good way to read the Bible. I was often discouraged and even disillusioned by my reading, because I was so confused. I had no clear understanding of the Bible’s flow of thought. I never really got the picture of God’s story of redeeming grace. I needed some type of guidance and reading plan. Maybe you do too. 

The first thing I turned to was a series of devotionals geared to assist me in getting through the bulk of the Bible in one year. You may have heard of, seen, or even used some of these in your reading of the Bible. I found John Stott’s book, Through the Bible in a Year, especially helpful, and would recommend it to anyone trying to get started on a reading plan. Stott took me on a journey from one end of the Bible to the other, while at the same time offering timeless and helpful commentary on various passages of the Bible. This was good for me as I needed some help understanding what I read. (Reading comprehension never has been one of my strengths.) I graduated, if you will, from Stott to a more defined reading plan that focused exclusively on reading the Bible. I think the plan called for me to read five chapters a day and three on Sunday. It began in Genesis and ended in Revelation. Surprisingly, I lasted about 1 month on that plan. (I say surprisingly because I never thought I would make it a week, much less a month.) Those kinds of systematic plans just do not work for me. I am not that disciplined. So, I floundered for a while. I would randomly pick a book and study it. But, that still didn’t help me with reading the whole counsel of God’s word. I found myself only studying the books that I liked or were familiar with. Books like Song of Solomon, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Amos and others often made their way to the cutting room floor. I needed some type of systematic guidance or plan when reading the Bible. 

Then I decided (and this was fairly recently) to take the Bible and divide it along its natural divisions. The Old Testament can be divided into 5 parts -- Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy), History (Joshua-Esther), Wisdom/Poetry (Psalms-Song of Solomon), Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel), and Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi) The distinction between major and minor is based solely on length. And the New Testament is divided into three parts -- History (Gospels and Acts), Epistles (Romans-Jude), and Prophecy (Revelation). Once I did that, I decided that I would read a portion from at least three of these sections at least five times a week, and that I would pray for the Holy Spirit’s help. So, my current personal reading time looks something like this: Prayer asking for God’s illumination; Read 2 chapters from Old Testament Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy); Read 2 chapters from Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel); Read 2 chapters from New Testament Epistles (Romans-Jude); Make a few notes in a journal; Prayer for proper understanding and application of what I read. This morning I read: Numbers 15-16, Ezekiel 5-6 and Philippians 1-2. That’s six chapters a day and thirty chapters a week. I have found that doesn’t necessarily get me through the Bible in one year, but it gets me in the Word of God regularly and helps me to understand the overall big picture of God’s story of redemption, and thus draws me closer to him. 

Let me offer you some bits of encouragement as you seek to find a system that works for you.

1.Find a systematic plan that works for you. Use a year devotional. Use a year reading plan like that from Crossway which we have in the church office. Use my plan. You will need to find something to help you get through the whole counsel of God. If you don’t have a plan, you won’t read the whole Bible nor stay disciplined. 

2. Don’t put undo pressure on yourself. You will not succeed 100 percent. I don’t. But, don’t get overly discouraged or beat yourself up about it. If you miss a day, it doesn’t make you a carnal Christian. Trust in God’s grace. If you can’t do as much as me or someone else, then it is ok. You have to find what works for you. That is only something you and the Lord can work out. The most important thing is that you are learning and growing in grace and getting closer to Christ Jesus.

3. Make sure you pray before and after you read God’s word. Ask God through the Holy Spirit to illumine your mind, make his word real to you, and help you apply it rightly in your life. The effectiveness of his word to transform your life is undeniably and unmistakably connected to the work and ministry of his Holy Spirit. 

4. Tell another Christian how you are going about reading God’s word and what you are learning form your time in it. Find someone to help you remain disciplined and with whom you can share the exciting things of God. I have two groups of friends along with Patti that I share the joys of God’s word with and they with me. What a blessing this great fellowship is to me! We need that. 

May God bless you as you learn to read his word. May he transform us as we learn to read it together. I pray this helps. Have a great day! 

CHD

What Comes After the However?

Take a moment to read Numbers 13-14. What stands out to you? Most likely it is that Caleb and Joshua give a minority report when the spies returned to the Israelites after previewing the promised land of Canaan. Notice the difference between the reports of the majority of spies and that of Joshua and Caleb.

The majority report was, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large… The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height…we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” These spies focused on the challenges ahead of them. The minority report, however, was, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it… If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey… Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us, do not fear them.”

The difference in the two reports is obviously the object of their faith. The majority had faith in themselves and was afraid of their apparent military failure. And, they rightfully should have been. Their end result was total failure and destruction as the end of chapter 14 tells us. We could say that they argued, “Though the Lord has promised us this land, it is far to dangerous and presents far more challenges than we can handle. Therefore, we must not go into the land right now.” The minority, however, had faith in the Lord and possessed great confidence in their victory in him. Their focus was on the promise of God not the challenges of their world. For Joshua and Caleb said it this way, “The challenges are great, the people are big, the land is fortified; however, God has promised us the land and those in it cannot stand against him. Therefore, let’s go take the land.”

The turning point in each report is the word “however”. The majority of spies put the challenges of the world after the however, while the minority (Joshua and Caleb) put the promise of God after it. What do you put after the “however” in your life? Do you focus on the promises of God or the challenges of your life? What comes after “however” with you? Are you a Joshua or Caleb or are you in the majority camp? Do you focus on the promise and power of God or do you focus on your strengths and weaknesses? Ask God to reveal to you the areas of your life where you tend to put your challenges after the however instead of God’s promises.

CHD

Helpful Passages:

Numbers 13-14

Joshua 14

Psalm 121

Luke 2

A Response to Osama bin Laden

Dear Friends,

I want to write this afternoon in response to the death of Osama bin Laden. I have heard much discussion and have been asked several questions about the proper way for a Christian to respond to such news. I must admit that when I awoke on Monday morning and heard for the first time that bin Laden, America’s number one enemy, had been killed my initial emotion was one of joy and satisfaction. But, as the day wore on, my emotions of joy were replaced by ones of sadness and even sorrow at the death of another human being. Immediately, I questioned, “Should I be joyful at the death of another human being, albeit an evil one?”The more I have thought about it, I have realized that the root of the question extends much deeper than my emotions. It is a moral question that leads to a conflict of emotions. And, my answer to the question is both yes and no.   

In one sense, bin Laden’s death is tragic and produces sorrow. But this sorrow is not solely from the loss of human life; it goes much deeper than that. The Bible teaches us that the final resting place of unrepentant sinners -- those who persist in rejecting the Savior, spurning the righteousness of God, the taking of innocent life, “the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, idolators, and liars” (Rev. 21:8) -- is Hell. Hell is a place of destruction and wrath. Jesus mourned and wept over sin, lost men and the impending judgement, and so should we. The fiery place of Hell reserved for unrepentant sinners should be no cause for joy in the lives of Christ’s followers. Therefore, given that we have no reason to believe that Mr. bin Laden was a repentant sinner, his death is tragic and drives us to sorrow. 

On the other hand, his death is the triumph of righteousness and should bring joy to our hearts. The removal of evil is the vindication of God’s righteousness, and such a vindication brings hope to and encourages the saints of Christ Jesus, particularly those in the midst of persecution. And there were many brothers and sisters in Christ who were persecuted at the hands of Mr. bin Laden. God’s justice in part has been carried out by human means as he has ordained it (Rom. 13:1-7). Righteousness has prevailed and God is vindicated, and that brings pleasure to God. Therefore, heart of the follower of Christ is joyful.  

So, I think it is certainly appropriate for us to feel both sorrow and joy at the news of the death of bin Laden. In fact, this tension is actually a good thing. It is a glimpse into the emotions of God. God doesn’t delight in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23), but he pleasures in the triumph of his righteousness (Deut. 28:63). Such a tension means that you are, in the words of John Piper, “God-like.” To have one emotion without the other is to be unbiblical, but to wrestle with them both is to be fully human and, therefore, biblically Christian.  

May God grant you grace as you wrestle with the emotions of life. Remember always that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will not be mocked nor stand for unrighteousness all the while desiring all men, women and children to be saved (1 Tim. 2). Let us, then, pray and live to that end. 

CHD

What Does Rebellion Look Like?

Since yesterday morning, several folks have said to me, “Clint, you talked so fast in the sermon, I couldn’t get those five points you gave about the way we isolate ourselves from God.” So, I thought I would pass them on to you this morning. 

Remember that we have a tendency, like God’s people of old, to forsake God. To forsake means “to abandon, to cast aside, to turn away from.” This is the greatest form of rebellion against God, especially since  the greatest form of righteousness is to stick fast to God, to cling to God (Deut. 10:12, 20). As we withdraw from God, or isolate ourselves from Him, essentially we cling to ourselves and instead of Him. To isolate ourselves from God means that we undertake a subtle effort to hide or deny the truth while playing our wonderfully deceptive fellowship games with God. We do this by guarding and protecting the areas in or lives in which we are most vulnerable. 

There are five reasons for our isolation. 

1. We are by nature private people. -- Some of us find it extremely difficult and unnatural to open up to God about our inmost secrets, struggles, challenges and sin. We have to learn little by little to let God have all aspects and areas in our lives. 

1. We are hurting or betrayed people. -- We have a tendency to take the effects of our relationships with each other and project them onto God. Because of this tendency, we tend to interact with God in the same way that we interact with people here in this world. If someone has hurt us or betrayed us, we shut down. We think that God will betray or hurt us in the same way and therefore shut down with him. We protect our feelings and thoughts from him just as we do from each other.

1. We are rejected people. -- Often we are rejected by other people as we make our complete selves, warts and all, known to other people. We are thus afraid that God is going to reject us as well. But, he is not! He always welcomes his children and loves us unconditionally. We must learn to trust this promise by being open and vulnerable with Him. 

1. We don’t want to put the effort into it. -- It takes a lot of work to know how God is going to respond to us and to develop a trust in him. Our natural, sinful default response to sin in our lives is to withdraw from God in order to protect ourselves. It takes time and energy to build a trusting relationship with God. We have to know and train ourselves through the intense study of His Word to automatically run to Him. Instead of abandonment and withdraw being our default we must make adherence to God and approach our default response to the realization of sin in our lives. 

1. We are deceived people. -- Many of us have lived in sin and in the lie of sin so long that we have come to believe the lie as true. Sin has become ingrained in our lives. We are afraid of the change encounter with God, or, more sadly, we don’t want a change encounter with God. We don’t want to change. We are comfortable with our current lives. We are comfortable with our sin. We don’t want to admit our sinfulness, and we don’t want to admit our failure. We don’t want to say I am sorry. 

I pray you have a great day that God draws you closer to him this day. May your growth in Christ be evidence of your relationship with Him and your repentant hearts. God bless you all. 

CHD

Helpful Scripture Passages:

Psalm 51

Romans 5:1-11

Romans 8:1-11

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 

Transformed or Conformed

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...

Romans 12:2a

I must confess that I am often convicted by the piercing question, “Am I transformed by Christ or conformed to the world?” To be conformed means “to be compliant with rules, standards or laws,” while to be transformed is “to be thoroughly or dramatically changed in the form, appearance or character of.” Compliance requires nothing more than the for us to accept a certain set of standards and the desire to act in accordance with those standards. It requires no real change. Transformation, however, requires a complete change of our heart, will, mind and character. 

Think about it in terms of basic chemistry. We can understand compliance (conformed) in terms of a physical change. When water freezes and becomes ice there is no change in chemical composition. It is still water; its just frozen. It is in a different state. It has physically changed to comply with different physical conditions. Transformation, on the other hand, is to be understood in terms of a chemical change. Chemical change is defined by a complete change in chemical composition. For example, if Sodium metal (Na) is combined with Chlorine gas (Cl) an explosive reaction takes place (particularly when a drop of water is added as a catalyst). The result of this reaction is the common chemical compound NaCl, or common table salt. The materials are completely transformed into something else. 

So it is with us. When the Lord Jesus enters our lives we become new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). We have a new standard. We have a new life. We have been redeemed and transformed by God’s grace to live for Christ by living for others, all done by the power of His Spirit. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Therefore, our calling from God is not be simply molded and “conformed” to the standards of this world, but rather to be transformed in our minds as we are in our hearts -- to be completely and dramatically changed in our thoughts, wills and character. 

I ask myself and encourage you to do the same, “Am I conformed to this world or am I transformed by the renewing of my mind?” Are there areas of my life where I struggle with the realization of my status as a new creation in Christ Jesus? Do I reflect that new identity? Do I find my identity in Jesus Christ? Pray that God will show you those places where are satisfied with and even glory in your compliance with the world. Ask him to help you be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 

CHD

Helpful Scripture: 

Romans 12

2 Corinthians 4:7-6:13

Isaiah 43

Isaiah 65