Thank you, God, for meeting ALL our needs

And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  --Philippians 4:19

God has impressed me with one simple prayer, one that I have prayed multiple times a day for the last six weeks.  The simple prayer is this:  "Thank you, God, for meeting all our needs."  This one simple statement has made me more aware of His blessings every day.  Not only has it increased my thankfulness as I am more aware of what He does for me every minute of every day, but repeating this simple truth has, I believe, increased the blessings in my life.

It is my confession of Him.

Repeating this statement multiple times each day has made me more aware of God's goodness.  Isaiah 40:28 says, "Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable."  He wants us to be taken care of.  His desire is that we look to Him for everything.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6).  God specifically told His people, the children of Israel, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11).

You may be thinking, "There is too much tragedy in my life right now, too much debt.  I don't feel very prosperous or hopeful."  If you are a Christian, I would humbly suggest that you are focusing too much on events, or people, or circumstances.  Instead of looking at our problems, we should be looking to Jesus.  Remember Simon Peter, who was in a boat in the middle of a storm when he saw Jesus walking on the water.  He called out to Jesus, and ignored the wind and the waves.  Jesus told him to get out of the boat, and for a few brief moments Peter walked on the water, just like Jesus did.  However, when he took his eyes off Jesus, and saw the winds and the waves, he began to sink.  At that point he called to the Savior, and Jesus reached out and helped him into the boat.  After that, the storm was calmed.  The winds died down, the waves became less fearful and foreboding, when Jesus got into the boat with them.

An Old Testament example is from the book of Job.  In a series of freak accidents, Job lost his wealth, he lost his family, and he lost his health.  Messengers watched him after bringing the bad news to him, to see his reaction.  Job fell on the ground and literally worshipped God.  "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21).  God is God, whether I am prosperous and happy or not.  Realizing this truth allows us to have joy in living, even when tragedy strikes.

It is my submission to Him.

Praying this simple statement every day has made me more aware of God's soveriegnty.  St. Augustine said, "You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless til they find their rest in You."  God gave us rules to follow, not because He is mean, and not so we can be legalistic and have a "holier-than-thou" attitude of prideful boasting.  Rather, He gave us rules to remind us that He is sufficient for us.

Look at the Ten Commandments.  We are commanded to have no other gods because He is able to meet all our needs--He doesn't need any help from any other god.  He told us not to make any graven image or idol because the icon or idol will take our attention away from Him, the sole provider of all we need.  He told us not to take His name in vain so that we would not trivialize Him, or make His Name common--His Name is not just another word in our vocabulary; it is a source of power and provision.  We are commanded to keep the Sabbath in order to keep Him uppermost in our minds.  He told us to honor our parents, because He gave them to us as an example of Himself, for our provision and protection.

He told us not to murder another person because He alone is worthy.  Killing another person is taking upon ourselves the rights and position of God.  Are we seeking vengeance?  "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord."  Do we kill to obtain another's possessions?  Then we do not trust God to provide.  Whatever motive there is for murder, it is a denial of God's ability or willingness to give us what we need.  Think about it.

We are forbidden to participate in adultery (and this would include fornication--sex before marriage--as well as pornography) because He is faithful.  Proverbs 5:15 says, "Drink water from your own cistern, and fresh water from your own well."  A cistern collects rain water; a well taps an underground source.  God provides them both.  In the same way, God has blessed you (if you are married) with one spouse.  Treasure her (or him) as a blessing from heaven (like rain).  Shun all other water sources, as they may be brackish, or salty, or full of disease.  If you feel like the "rainwater" is stale, go deeper in your relationship and discover your spouse's Source of their blessing.

We are commanded not to steal, because taking someone else's things makes us reliant upon ourselves and not upon God for His provision.  We are told not to bear false witness against our neighbor, because lying is again putting our trust in ourselves rather than in the truth of God.  We are told not to covet our neighbor's possessions or spouse, because in so doing we are not trusting God for our own provision.

It is my identification with Him.

If I am a Christian, then I identify myself with Christ.  Jesus prayed early and often during His ministry here on earth.  The disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, and He gave them the Model Prayer.  We identify with Jesus by calling God our Father.  We follow His example when we hallow the Name of the Lord.

When we say, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," we are putting our faith into words.  We are citizens of His kingdom, and He is our King.  We serve Him alone, because we know that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow." (James 1:17).  He is faithful.

When we say, "Give us this day our daily bread," we are admitting that He alone can meet all of our needs.  There is no other interpretation of this verse.  He is our source, and we should come to Him daily to ask for our portion.  We should come to Him more often than that, even.

This is why I have been praying, "Thank you, God, for meeting our needs," multiple times a day for the last few weeks.  It has worked so well, I think that I will continue the practice.

Blessings.

I'm Your Huckleberry

My wife and I enjoyed watching the 1993 film Tombstone over the weekend.  The great thing about watching it on network television is that all of the coarse language is edited out (although I cannot say the same thing about the violence--but that's another sermon.)  The bad thing about watching it on network television is that with the added commercials, it is an investment in time.  Three and a half hours--we were committed.

For those of you who don't know (or don't remember, since it's been so long since the movie hit theaters), Tombstone is the re-telling of the fabled gunfight at the OK Corral.  Famed lawman Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and their gunslinger friend Doc Holliday ride west to Arizona during a silver boom in the town of Tombstone.  Wyatt and his brothers want to retire from their jobs as peace-keepers and go into business to strike it rich, while Doc went along in hopes that the dry desert air would help with his tuberculosis symptoms.  They are all drawn back into the service of maintaining law and order when they see how the lawless Cowboy gang have infiltrated society.  

I was enamored by the iconic line attributed to Doc Holliday (played by Val Kilmer), "I'm your huckleberry."  However, in researching the meaning of the phrase, my wife and I are on opposite sides.  I believe it means that Doc Holliday took up the challenge thrown down by Johnny Ringo, one of the bad guys.  Doc steps up and engages in battle, despite the danger.  He doesn't back down.  "I'm your huckleberry," is tantamount to saying I am not afraid of you, I will fight you to the death if necessary.

A secondary meaning is that the term "huckle" refers to the handle on a casket.  By offering to be his "huckle bearer" (mispronounced as huckleberry in common usage), my wife believes that Doc is being even more forthright.  In her view, he was threatening to bury his opponent.  He was offering to be his pall-bearer, because he would soon be in need of a funeral.

As I am wont to do, I have thought about spiritual applications for iconic movie themes.  I am reminded of Luke 23:2-4

And the cheif priests and scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death; for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve.  And Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them.

I have heard mis-guided Bible teachers hypothesize that Judas may have been a Zealot, that is one of the Jews who was looking to overthrow the Roman overlords and re-establish the Davidic line on the throne in Jerusalem.  He saw Jesus as an earthly king, they say, and wanted to push Him into a battle with the Jewish leaders so that He could claim the throne and go to war with Ceasar.  I've never believed that theory.  The Bible clearly says that Satan entered Judas, and that he went to the Jewish leaders to plot His death.

Satan was saying, "I'm your huckle bearer."  He wanted to bury Jesus, and dance on His grave.  Little did he know that Jesus was willing to give His life freely.  John 10:17-18 says, "The Father loves Me because I give My life.  I give My life so that I can get it back again.  No person takes My life away from Me.  I give My own life freely. I have the right to give My life, and I have the right to get it back again. This is what the Father told Me."  

In this sense, Jesus was looking at the Pharisees, and at Judas, and at Satan himself, and was saying, "I'm your huckleberry."  I will fight you to the death.  But it's not a fair fight, because I have authority over death.  I will live again.  You just wait and see.

Hebrews 2;14-15 says, "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives."  Jesus overcame flesh by becoming flesh; He overcame death by dying; He overcame fear by freeing us from the slavery of sin and death by His resurrection.  Hallelujah!

In the movie, the character Doc Holliday was dying of tuberculosis.  Therefore he took chances that maybe others would not take.  He stood up to evil men because he had nothing to lose.  Luckily, he was a good enough gunslinger to come out of those encounters alive.  In the end, however, he died.  The disease that made him fearless ultimately killed him.

In the Bible, we see Jesus able to overcome sin and death.  He stood up to evil men because He Himself was good.  He was humble enough to take their insults, their abuse, and their death upon Himself.  He was good enough to die for us.  In the end, however, He walked out of the tomb alive.  The death He died ultimately freed us of fear and disease.

There is another part of the movie that interested me.  In one scene, Doc Holliday and Johny Ringo have a conversation in Latin.  Ringo is insulted by Doc, feels threatened, and stands there menacingly.  Doc answers, "In vino veritas." (In wine, there is truth.)  When Jesus took the Passover, He blessed the cup and gave it to His disciples, saying, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  As often as we take communion, we drink it in remembrance of Him.

Ringo challenges Doc by using the phrase, "Age quod agis." (Do what you do).  In this scene, it has layers of meaning: drink, because you are a drunkard; watch what you are doing; do what you do best (gunfighting).  In the Bible, when Jesus took the Passover with His disciples, He looked a Judas square in the eye, and said, "What you are about to do, do quickly."

Doc brushes aside the challenge thrown down by Ringo.  "Credat Judaeus Apella, non ego."  This is a figure of speech that roughly means, "Tell it to someone else (who will believe it), not to me."  It literally means, "Let the Jew Apella believe it; not I."  The phrase originates from unbelieving Romans who heard Jewish converts tell of the resurrection of Jesus.  Sadly, they did not believe in Him.

Ringo doubles down on the threat: he taps his pistol, and says, "Iuventis stultorum magister."  (Youth is the teacher of fools.)  Ringo is warning Doc to tread lightly, because it may lead to unpleasant results.  In the Bible Jesus is led to stand before Pontius Pilate.  "Then Pilate said to Him, 'So you are a king?'  Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king.  For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'  Pilate answered, 'What is truth?' "(John 18:37).  Pilate could not see the wisdom in Jesus' words, and thus admitted to being a fool.  "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Doc returns the threat to Ringo. "In pace requiescat."  (Rest in peace.)  This ends their conversation.  Jesus gave His disciples the final word on peace.  "Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid." (John 14:27).  Jesus tells us that our ultimate peace is not in death, but in living through Him.

God Shed His Grace on Thee

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.  --Psalm 33:12

When iconic soul music singer and composer Ray Charles recorded America the Beautiful in 1972, he borrowed from his roots in jazz and gospel music.  By the time Charles gets to the refrain, he begins adding words.  "America," he sang, "America, God done shed His grace on Thee."

Now, if you are a wordsmith, or a traditionalist, or a grammar nazi, you might notice that the tense is changed by his slipping the word "done" into the text.  "Done" is past tense, as in already accomplished.  More on this later.

When Wellesley College English professor Katharine Lee Bates penned the lyrics to this great national hymn in the late 1890's, the tense she used is an implied future tense.  "God shed His grace on thee," was meant to be a blessing--may God bestow His abundant grace on you, now and in the future.  For centuries English-speakers have evoked this blessing whenever they parted ways.  "Good-bye" is a shorthand phrase for "God be with ye".  Implicit in this sentence is the hope that God will bestow His grace and mercy upon you until we meet again.

Now back to the jazz-gospel version that Ray Charles sang.  His addition of the past participle of the verb "to do" acts as a statement of fact and of faith that many people forget.  God has already blessed us.  "His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to His glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3).  It's a done deal.  Through the death and resurrection of His only Son (John 3:16), God has already shed His grace on us, all that we need.  We need no more than that.  Yes, Ray, God done already shed His grace on us.  Hallelujah!

Yet He keeps on giving.  "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19).  Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."  Yesterday is past.  Tomorrow, "this day" becomes a new need that only He can fill.  This is our future hope.

Ray Charles, who I am sure was never thought of as a theologian, taps into this future blessing when he sang the phrase, "And crown thy good with brotherhood."  Charles interjected the phrase "He told me He would" into this line before the words "with brotherhood".  Grammatically, "would" is the past-tense form of "will", but in this case it is used in the future tense.  If you are writing about past events, you can use it to indicate something that was in the future at that point in time.  In other words, you use "would" to preserve the future aspect when talking about the past.

God promised a future blessing, a glorious grace-giving, to all who believe in Him, who are called according to His name.  This promise gives us a hope and a future.  The Bible begins in Genesis with God surveying all of His creation and calling it good.  Jesus declared the act of redemption complete when He uttered the phrase "It is finished" from the cross.  We did not come into existence until after the fact, after all the groundwork had been laid for our blessing, both now and in the future.  We have had, we have, and we will have all the blessings that we will ever need in Him.  "He told me He would" indeed!

We need His grace now more than ever.  May the good that we accomplish as "one nation under God" result in a righteous brotherhood of believers through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.  All else is wood, hay and stubble, and will be burned up in the end.

International evangelist, speaker, and Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias (who is considered a theologian), shared this hymn from 1719 by Isaac Watts, with a fourth stanza written by Ravi Zacharias.

Our God, our Help in ages past,
Our Hope for years to come,
Our Shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal Home!

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

We need thee now as ne’er before,
We mourn the wisdom gone;
Transform our land forevermore—
Redemption through your Son.

Read Ravi's full reflection on his blog: http://rzim.org/global-blog/the-soul-of-america ‪#‎IndependenceDay‬