Charisa Stories

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  • Who (or What) Are You Serving?

    Who (or What) Are You Serving?

    Recent news headlines and Old Testament daily readings generated today’s musing. I read the story of the Israelite people turning again and again from the God who had faithfully provided for and protected them. They decided to take control and follow man-made gods and worthless idols. I immediately flexed my judgement muscle and wondered how they could be so foolish? Then a quite voice in my head said “not so fast my child”.

    Followers of Jesus in this country have been blessed with freedom of worship and expression for decades with very little push back. That is changing and I fear we are reacting a lot like the Israelite people did in the desert. We want to take control. We are prone to take our eyes off of God and put our hope in other places. Nothing that is happening is a surprise to our Sovereign God. His plan for mankind will be accomplished and He is our only reliable hope for the future. Hear me out. I am not saying we shouldn’t be active and concerned citizens who love the land God has given us. I am saying we must do those things through the lens of God’s Word. We must respond while heeding His commands for how His children should behave when we represent Him.

    I thought about some seriously head and heart messing stuff I have been reading from Tim Keller. Keller wrote a thought provoking definition of idolatry and how we can substitute even good things for God.

    “Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry.” (Tim Keller, “Talking About Idolatry in a Postmodern Age,” www.thegospelcoalition.org)

    That is disturbing for a guy who was taught from childhood that sin is simply a list to check off to validate my righteousness. That list contained but was not limited to movies, liquor, cigarettes, dancing, shacking up, long hair and rock and roll. I thought I was doing pretty well on the idolatry commandment.

    Tim Keller’s definition of sin takes all of the fun out of self-righteous comparison and judging. Idolatry is building your life on anything more that God. I once built my own political idols. I am embarrassed to confess that for a season of my life it consumed my heart and thoughts more than God. It doesn’t matter if the idol was an elephant or a donkey. The sin was placing my hope in the ideology of a political system and not on the foundational truth of God. It is no surprise that it was a time of frustration, anxiousness, and anger. It is also not a surprise that God seemed distant.

    My grace epiphany changed me. I realized I could not place my faith or hope in fallible people. History shows us that the politics of man change constantly. Only God is unchanging, loving, and faithful. From that day on I decided I would not forget where my hope is found. I determined to pray that no matter how much I might be anxious about something my God can use events for His plan. And that means praying for those who I disagree with and not making them my enemies. God is in control. How could you have seen how God would use the evil actions of Joseph’s brothers when they sold him into slavery? His brothers were convinced that Joseph would exact revenge. His response of grace and understanding of God’s sovereignty is a blueprint for all of us.

    “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. (Genesis 50:19-20, NLT)

    Where I place my hope will define my actions and reactions. I wrote this in Waking Up Slowly. My worth is not in always being right or being the smartest guy in the room. My worth is defined by being a child of God and a friend of Jesus. When I keep my eyes on Jesus, I maintain a better perspective on every area of my life. It is a hard truth to admit that we often worship the things of this world because they really can be good things. God in His loving grace does not desire for us to be deprived of good and pleasurable things. He simply wants us to place them in proper order and to understand they are sources of happiness and not the source of joy. Later in the passage Paul gives one key to avoiding idolatry and where our identity should be found.

    Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us. (Colossians 3:10-11, NLT)

    Your assignment is to take a moment to read verses 12-17 to see what the results of this action might look like. There will not be a quiz.

    Another key is to remember a campfire song from the Jesus movement that was, to borrow the approach of Law and Order, “ripped” from the Gospel of Matthew. (Matthew 6:33)

    Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
    and all these things shall be added unto you.
    Allelu, alleluia

    Everybody is going to serve somebody or something. Who (or what) are you centering your life on today? There is no other hope that I can trust like hope in Jesus.

  • Ready for the Spiritual Battle? You can be.

    Ready for the Spiritual Battle? You can be.

    This week I taught a lesson from Ephesians about spiritual battles. You likely know the passage about putting on the armor of God.

    A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

    Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
    (Ephesians 6:10-18, NLT)

    The idea of a cosmic heavenly battle is daunting and a more than a little scary. The good news is that God, as usual, has prepared a plan for us. The plan involves consciously and consistently putting on the armor of God representing the list below.

    • Truth.
    • The righteousness of Christ.
    • The peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel.
    • Faith.
    • Salvation.
    • And the powerful Word of God.

    When we put on those things we are armed for battle. A couple of things really stood out as I studied this familiar passage.

    I have always focused on the battle part and for me that meant a scene from Bravehart. You put on the armor and then you charge bravely to defeat the enemy. That is not what God says to do. What Paul tells us to do is counterintuitive. He tells us to stand.

    Ephesians 6:11…stand firm.

    Ephesians 6:13…Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

    Ephesians 6:14…Stand your ground.

    That really hit me. Satan spends so much time telling us we are not doing enough or not doing it well enough. We have been taught or we believe we have been taught that spiritual maturity is measured by activity. Sometimes we are told to follow. Sometimes to pursue. Sometimes to flee. Again, activity and works are critical to the functioning of the body of Christ but this time there is a new strategy. Paul is saying the battle is already won and we just need to stand. Don’t go all Bravehart and charge. Stand your ground against the enemy.

    Stand.

    You don’t have to charge into a conflict that has been decided. We are conquerors because of Christ. Jesus has already done what we don’t have the strength to do and we don’t have to charge forward with a spiritual suicide mission. Jesus has already won the victory.

    Paul knew a lot about the strategy and techniques of Roman soldiers. He might well have been chained to one as he wrote this. Roman military historian Vegetius writes that the smallest Roman security force was a unit made up of 16 men spaced evenly over 36 square yards. Each soldier had about 6 square feet to defend. The soldiers focused only on that six foot square and not allowing a single enemy soldier to enter their territory.

    I love this image. This principle was so helpful for me when I look at the spiritual battles in the world. It is so overwhelming to look at all of the unrest, disunity, and lies in the world. I don’t have to do be responsible for all of that. I have to defend my six square feet of spiritual influence. Stand my ground. Don’t worry about the entire battlefield. Focus on my assignment. I am responsible for my six square feet of family, friends, workmates, social media interactions, and treatment of others.

    It is not me against the forces of evil. That is God’s battle. He has equipped me to stand firm and defend my space with confidence and boldness. I am confident and secure in His plan.

  • The Incredible Blessing of an Advocate

    The Incredible Blessing of an Advocate

    Over the years I have been blessed with many people who made a difference in my life. Recently one of those persons came to mind.

    Almost forty years ago I was hired as the new television director for the Texas Rangers. Don’t ask me how. Based on my experience it was the equivalent of calling up a player from the lowest level rookie league to start in the major leagues. To say I was scared and lacking confidence would not begin to express my feelings. I had no credibility in the baseball world and just a smidgen more in the television world.

    I had no idea how fortunate I would be to work with announcers Steve Busby and Merle Harmon. Steve Busby became and remains a dear friend. He patiently taught me baseball at a much higher level through the eyes of a major league star. But it took me longer to fully comprehend what Merle Harmon did for me.

    Merle had a storied broadcast career and he was an amazing announcing talent.

    But the most memorable thing about Merle was his kindness toward others. When he found out this “kid” was directing his broadcasts he didn’t condescendingly tell me what to do. He may have sensed my inner fear but I suspect he was just being himself when he took me under his wing. Merle became my advocate around the league. He walked beside me into clubhouses and press boxes all over the country. Merle would introduce me and tell each person that I was his partner and I had his blessing. His credibility was gifted to me and it made a difference both in how I was received and my confidence to do the job.

    I will be forever grateful to Merle Harmon for making the effort to make me feel comfortable and telling others about his confidence in me.

    Merle’s impact in my life came to mind as I read a Scripture verse about another Advocate that we have as Christians. Paul writes about a fear that most of us have likely felt as followers of Jesus. I know that I have. The voices in my head say things like this.

    You are falling short.
    You are not doing enough.
    How can God still love a mess like you?

    In those moments of doubt I try to remember that I have an Advocate that not only paid the price for my sin but also constantly defends me.

    Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. (Romans 8:34, NLT)

    The phrasing in The Message is really fun.

    The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! (The Message)

    Jesus is sticking up for you and me. When the Enemy accuses us he often has a strong case. But our Advocate says it doesn’t matter. That child is mine and you can’t have them.

    Your grace challenge for this week. Be an advocate for someone who needs encouragement, support, and love. And when you are feeling like you are not enough try to focus that you have the greatest Advocate you could ever imagine.

    Jesus.

    My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. (1 John 2:1, NLT)

    Another amazing gift of grace and a great thing to remember in this upside down world.

  • Critical Lessons from the Temptations of Jesus

    Critical Lessons from the Temptations of Jesus

    We just celebrated the miracle of the incarnation. Paul explained what an incredible sacrifice Jesus made when He left the glory of Heaven.

    Instead, he gave up his divine privilege;
        he took the humble position of a slave
        and was born as a human being. (Philippians 2:7, NLT)

    That transaction allowed Jesus to fully experience the frailties of being human. Because Jesus was human He no doubt faced temptations throughout His life. Jesus had siblings and didn’t sin! That is a largely overlooked miracle.

    When the time arrived for Jesus to begin His public ministry Satan knew he needed to derail the redemptive work of Jesus. His strategy was to throw everything he could muster at Jesus in the form of three temptations. Satan knows the weakness of the flesh so these temptations were the best and most effective in his arsenal. The temptations and the order are so important for us to understand.

    Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Matthew 4:1-3, NLT)

    Strategy Number 1: Attack a physical, emotional, or spiritual need when there is weakness.

    Jesus was hungry. Starving. He had to be utterly exhausted. The devil always attacks weakness. When you are tired and lonely you are a prime target for temptation. The tempter speaks to our weakness and the lies begin. “You are alone. No one will see what you are doing. Why don’t you go to this online site? It will take your mind off of your loneliness.”

    Whatever weakness you have will be exploited by the devil. Jesus could not have been in a more vulnerable position. I can’t imagine the condition Jesus must have been in yet He responded with authority of God’s Word.

    But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
    (Matthew 4:4, NLT)

    No doubt the devil was disappointed but undaunted. His two best strategies were yet to come.

    Strategy Number 2: Get you to take your eyes off of God and make it about you and your abilities

    Then the devil him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you.
    And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” (Matthew 4:5-6, NLT)

    I can imagine that the flesh of Jesus wanted to show the accuser exactly how powerful His Father was. What a way to launch His public ministry with a heavenly display of power played out in front of multiple witnesses below. Satan thought he had a chance with this temptation because he had used God’s own words to set the trap. Jesus responded in kind.

    Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” (Matthew 7, NLT)

    Anytime you are focused on your ability more than God’s ability you are subject to this temptation. Satan was 0 for 2 but he had saved his biggest temptation for the grand finale.

    Strategy Number 3: Offer a shortcut to power, prestige, and fame

    Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9, NLT)

    Satan knew Scripture. He knew that Jesus must be a suffering servant before He would be king. The Prince of this world was offering a shortcut to an earthly kingdom. It shows that the devil doesn’t care about power over this physical world. From the moment of rebellion that got him tossed from God’s presence he wanted wanted one thing. To be like God and to be worshiped.

    “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” (Matthew 4:10, NLT)

    One of the most encouraging words in Scripture is what happens when you attack the enemy with God’s truth.

    Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

    It seems like the third temptation has been a recent challenge for many leaders in the church and followers of Jesus. Satan’s message is modified for the times but unchanged in essence.

    “I will give you access to power and social media influence. I will give it all to you if you overlook the truth of God’s Word and cozy up to the idols of culture.”

    Jesus was offered unlimited fame, power, and possessions.

    He said no.

    I can’t read the hearts and motives of others although it appears that is the superpower of many Twitter users. But all of us need to examine our hearts through the lens of grace and truth. And if we sense any doubt about our motives it would behoove us to emulate Jesus in His response to the devil. I love the way The Message translates verse ten.

    Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

    Maybe that can be a mantra for the New Year.

    Beat it Satan!

    And remind the enemy that our hope is in Jesus and our trust is in Him alone.

  • Childlike Faith and a Postcard from God

    Childlike Faith and a Postcard from God

    A few of you noticed that last week’s Monday Musing became a Tuesday Take. The reason was a little detour to the local Emergency Room. I felt a little off on Sunday but didn’t think much about it. I planned on calling the doctor on Monday but my body had other ideas. I began to develop a fever and shakes like I have rarely experienced and you already know the word that popped into my head.

    Covid.

    Joni loaded me up and headed to the ER. She said I was a little disoriented but I would submit it is hard to tell when I am oriented. At any rate, I checked in and got the Covid brain tickler along with a several hundred other tests. The quick Covid test came back negative. The diagnosis was a bladder infection and they began massive antibiotics. Just to be sure and to heighten my enjoyment I got the more sensitive Covid swab brain tickler. It also was negative.

    It is so 2020 when you celebrate that you have a bladder infection instead of Covid.

    I got home thinking I would soon be good to go. Fast forward a couple of days. The ER calls and says they found bacteria in my blood and I needed to get in as soon as I could.

    The doctor’s were concerned about sepsis which can be a bad thing. I alerted the family and friends. My phone lit up that people were praying. Six hours in I got the results from several hundred more tests that I did not need to be hospitalized and that the antibiotics were working.

    I texted the info to family and friends.

    The next day I got a Facetime call from my grandson Ethan. He shared that he had prayed for me while I was in the ER and wanted to see how I was doing. But the Postcard from God was this exchange with him.

    “Right after I prayed for you Mommy’s phone dinged with the news you were going to be okay.”

    I thought about the beauty of God’s sovereign timing. A lot of people prayed for me. The process at the hospital was long and arduous. But I believe God used that moment to show my precious grandson that prayer matters and that He listens.

    One of the remarkable and overlooked counter cultural ministries of Jesus was His view of children. Children were devalued. They were to be seen and not heard and often not even seen. Jesus turned that view upside down like so many other cultural norms with His teachings.

    About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

    We don’t get what a big deal this was. Jesus was not only giving children value He was using them as a spiritual example! Imagine how that settled with the puffed up Pharisees.

    I know this journey can be difficult. I know we wrestle with difficult theology. But sometimes I wonder if we make being a Christian harder that Jesus desires. Maybe if we concentrate on these simple precepts of Jesus we will find 2021 a much more fruitful journey.

    • “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17
    • “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said…” Matthew 9:9
    • Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

    Seems like a solid blueprint for this year. I hope to remember these simple lessons. Jesus never said He is only impressed with theologians. He never said to chart you own course. He never said to work 24/7 or feel guilty. He said these simple things.

    Pray and have Childlike faith.
    Follow Him.
    Rest in Him.
    Repeat.

    This journey is not about me. It is about Jesus and what He has already done. That is more than enough for us to get through anything together.

  • Don’t Pack Away the Hope of Christmas This Week

    Don’t Pack Away the Hope of Christmas This Week

    This week we will finish one of my least favorite tasks of the year. Taking down the Christmas decorations always makes me melancholy. I love Christmas and the message of hope it brings. That God entered human form and gave us hope in a Savior who understands our struggle.

    We will pack up a treasured Nativity creche that has been a part of our family tradition for decades. That miracle in Bethlehem is where I place my joy as I head into a very unstable New Year. I find my joy in the Messiah, the Lord – who was born in the city of David. It is so easy to remember the reason for hope during Christmas. But now that we are past this wonderful season it is also easy to pack my hope away in the attic and unpack lots of worry. The twenty-four news cycle feeds on negativity. Hearing the message of gloom and doom over and over has it’s effect on even the most steadfast believers. The news reporters peddle fear and I choose not to be paralyzed by it. The angel of the Lord told the shepherds not to be afraid. Jesus talked a lot about fear.

    “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. (Matthew 10 – NLT)

    And these words from Jesus could have been in response to the news reporting hysteria we hear every day.

    “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?…Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”  (Luke 12, NLT)

    So I have made some decisions. I don’t make vows because I know I will fall short at some point. Choosing a direction allows me to stumble off course but then get right back on track.

    I have decided to direct my time a little differently this year. I want to spend less time watching and reading the news and more time reading and meditating on God’s Word. I want to Bipartisan pray for our leaders in Washington but I am going to trust God to provide my hope. I want to live joyfully in each precious moment that God gives me and not live in paralyzing fear of the future. I agree with C.S. Lewis when he wrote these words. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.“

    We will soon have packed away the decorations for this year but I want to unpack the hope that Christ gives me for every single day in 2021. You can do that too. May you have a joyful New Year in spite of your circumstances. Our hope is in Christ. And that hope is certain.

  • A Christmas Miracle

    A Christmas Miracle

    One of my favorite Christmas stories happened during the horrors of war. The Christmas carol “Silent Night” was actually responsible for a wartime Christmas truce.

    The year was 1914 and soldiers were having to spend Christmas Eve night on the World War I battlefields of Belgium. After only four months of fighting, more than a million men had already perished in the bloody conflict. The bodies of dead soldiers were scattered between the trenches. Enemy troops were dug-in so close that they could easily exchange shouts.

    On December 24, 1914, in the middle of a freezing battlefield in France, a miracle happened. The British troops watched in amazement as candle-lit Christmas trees began to appear above the German trenches. The glowing trees soon appeared along the length of the German front.

    Henry Williamson, a young soldier with the London Regiment wrote in his diary: “From the German parapet, a rich baritone voice had begun to sing a song I remembered my German nurse singing to me…. The grave and tender voice rose out of the frozen mist. It was all so strange… like being in another world — to which one had come through a nightmare.”

    Silent Night
    Holy Night
    All is calm
    All is quiet

    “They finished their carol and we thought that we ought to retaliate,” another British soldier wrote, “So we sang “The First Noël” and when we finished, they all began clapping. And they struck up “O Tannebaum” and on it went… until we started up “O Come All Ye Faithful” [and] the Germans immediately joined in …. this was really a most extraordinary thing — two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.”

    Christmas truce

    It is recorded that enemy soldiers greeted each other in the no man’s land that was a killing zone the day before. The soldiers wished each other Merry Christmas and agreed not to fire their rifles on Christmas Day. The spontaneous cease-fire eventually embraced much of a 500-mile stretch of the Western Front. According to the reports of soldiers at the scene, hundreds of thousands of soldiers celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace among the bodies of their dead.

    Christmas truce

    Other soldiers told of how the “enemies” exchanged badges and buttons from their uniforms. Others shared photos of wives and children and some even exchanged addresses and promised to write after the war ended.

    But the miracle of peace was temporary. Slowly, under threats from their officers, the troops returned to the trenches and the recoils of rifles split the temporary “Silent Night.” Some soldiers admitted aiming so their bullets flew well above the heads of the “enemy.”

    Perhaps those of us who celebrate the birth of the Savior could learn a lesson from this Christmas miracle as we engage those who do not share our beliefs and faith in Jesus. Those on the other side of the cultural trenches are not unlike us. The message delivered in Bethlehem was peace and goodwill toward all men. When we fight the cultural war we need to remember that the whole purpose of Jesus invading our space and time was to love and ultimately die for those on both sides of the battle. During the recent Army/Navy football game I was deeply moved by this observation.

    “This is only game where everyone on the field is willing to die for everyone watching them play”

    Jesus was willing and did die for everyone on both sides of our cultural trenches and ugly personal warfare. Perhaps the biggest miracle of that Silent Night was how the power of a unified focus on Jesus can unite even bitter enemies. My heart aches as I see Christians splitting ranks over things that don’t amount to a hill of beans on an eternal scale. I picture Jesus weeping over the churches of America like He wept over Jerusalem. I picture Him weeping over how Christians in this country divide over non-essentials and fail to communicate the joy and life-changing power of the good news of the gospel. Jesus gave this final command to His followers…

    “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
    John 13:34-35 – NLT

    Pretty straight forward. Nothing in there about personal gain, power, or prestige. The power of what happened on that Silent Night united enemies centuries later on a French battlefield.  My Christmas prayer is that the miracle of God becoming man will unite you and me, His followers, to seek what actually matters. To really make it about Christ and not about us. While we still have the chance.