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In need of restoration

4/25/2017

Oh, the fervor of first love. That feeling of adoration for the one who loves you. The anticipation of spending time with them. The intensity of emotion and the rapture of just being in their presence. You swear that nothing will ever change your feelings and devotion for them. And then time sets in. The worries and frustrations of life pile up. The day to day minutiae seems to bury you under a weight that you cannot shake off. Job, school, children, finances. They all take a toll and that passionate first love fizzles to barely a spark.
I think we have all been there. No one goes into a relationship with the thought that it will become apathetic, let alone with the thought that it will fail. But life does seem to get in the way. Tiny stresses become large fractures. Lack of communication becomes a silent black hole. That love that would endure forever has gone by the wayside and we are flummoxed as to how to return to it. Keeping a relationship whole and healthy, vibrant and rich takes time and effort and commitment.
Our relationship with the Lord is no different. We enter into this beautiful time of first love with Him when we receive salvation. We feel this adoration for Him because He loves us so much. We don't have to schedule time with Him, we just can't wait to talk to Him, to pray, to give Him praise and worship. We feel so intensely a depth of love and gratitude that to just sit in His presence is enough. We believe we will always feel this way, nothing can ever change our deep love for Him. And then time sets in. The worries and frustrations of life pile up. The day to day minutiae seems to bury you under a weight that you cannot shake off. Job, school, children, finances. They all take a toll and that passionate first love fizzles to barely a spark.
I have mentioned before the book we are studying, "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. He talks about God's overwhelming love for us. This crazy love that defies explanation. This God who created the universe in all of its diversity; planets, stars, oceans, mountains, towering redwoods, flowers, lady bugs, and slugs. He created all of that, and He created it for us to enjoy. And He created us so that we could enjoy Him and He could enjoy fellowship with us. This great and mighty God, wanting relationship with us.
For those of us who have children, we remember when they were first born. Oh how we celebrate and delight in that new child. We cradle that child lovingly, calming them when they are distressed and whispering to them tenderly. We sing them soft lullabies and and progress to more lively tunes like that good ol' Barney theme song, "I love you, you love me." Now picture our amazing God feeling all of that towards us. "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing," Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV). This is the love that He has towards us. And this is the love, that when we received salvation we zealously promised ourselves we would always return to Him.
When did it get so hard to keep that promise. When did our first love wane. When did the troubles of life, when did all the trivialities in our existence cause our devotion and ardor to dim? Personally, there is no 'aha' moment. It is a lifetime of detritus that has built up that seems to have diminished my earnestness for His presence. It can be compared to the scale deposits from hard water that build up over time. You cannot see into the pipes, you only realize the problem after your pipes have clogged up and the water no longer flows through freely. What a picture of how our Christian life can become. How do we get rid of the blockage, how do we return to that free flow of His life, His Spirit.
I kept hearing a scripture over and over in my mind this week. "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation," Psalm 51:12. That is what we need to return to. When you read that verse in context, it is because David has realized his sins against God and earnestly seeks restoration with His maker and a return to right relationship with Him. What we have to realize though is that it is not just the sins of adultery and murder such as David committed that can separate us from God. As mentioned above stress, worry, busyness, over-commitment, living life can get in the way of our relationship, our love for Him. In Revelation 2:4-5a it says, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first." (ESV) It is not being said here that they turned their backs on God, they just got too busy doing rather than being. They were going through the motions of Christianity rather than living for and loving Christ. It became religion rather than relationship. Sounds familiar. Going to church Sunday and living how we want the rest of the week. Giving God a pittance of our time rather than dwelling in His presence. Allotting 5 minutes for requests rather than living in an attitude of prayer and worship. We slog through the bible rather than reading with anticipation those living words. Our relationship has become apathetic and dull. How do we get back to our first love? We must follow the words of our Lord and remember, repent and do.
We must first go back and remember that time of first love. That joy we had in the knowledge of our salvation and the gratitude and peace we walked in. I remember when my husband Jim and I separated after almost 10 years of marriage. Talk about apathy. Instead of those zealous young lovers we were now barely roommates, tolerating each other rather than celebrating our love for each other. When the scales were removed from my eyes and I could see where our relationship had fallen to, I got down on my knees and asked God to forgive me and to give me a new love for my husband. Then in a move that I know was all God, I gathered together all of the love notes we had sent each other. All of the pictures, all of the little mementos of our time together and put them all in a box, wrapped it up and gave it to him for Christmas. I told him to look back and remember. To remember our love, our history, the laughter and the joy. To remember where we had been, and to look at how far we had fallen.
The next step is to repent. We have to be sincere and candid about our indifference, our lethargy in our relationship with God. When did it become so ho-hum. Seriously, we are talking about the God who created all that we see. The God who parted the Red Sea. The God who allowed Sarah to conceive in her old age. The God who turned water into wine. The God who healed the leper. The God who gave His Son to die on the cross for us. Apathetic, unmoved, lukewarm. What an indictment against us. That brings fear and conviction to my heart. I don't want to live that way. I want to be like a child, constantly in wonder at all that He has given me. I want to be astonished at the sunrise, amazed by the cloud formations, awed by a child's laugh. Lord, forgive me for being casual in my love for you. Forgive me for being lackadaisical in my regard for you. Forgive me for when I have been remote and withdrawn. And Lord, as David said in Psalm 51:12, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit," (KJV). That word 'free' in the Greek means inclined, willing, noble, generous. You have already so willingly given me life and love, and generously given me salvation through Jesus, now with Your Spirit give me the wisdom, the wherewithal, the strength to live a life of passion for You. It is all by Him, from Him and through Him. And it should be our privilege, our desire and our good pleasure to give it all back to Him.
Remember, repent and do. Do what? Do those first works. It takes time, effort and commitment, but He is so worth it. Time spent in studying His word, time spent reflecting on all He has done. Time in worship and prayer. Time spent with others and being free with our resources to help others. In other words, returning unto Him all that He has given us. But most importantly, giving Him back that love, that desire for kinship, returning to that covenant relationship. Returning to that first love, that first joy, that first passion.
David's prayer in Psalm 51 is for restoration, for renovation. It is a prayer for renewal and rehabilitation. It is the prayer of a broken heart. It is the prayer of a broken spirit. And it is the prayer that God hears and answers. Because He loves us so much. And today it is the prayer of my heart, my soul, my spirit. God restore unto me the joy I had when I received your gift of salvation and hold me firm with the strength of Your Holy Spirit.
Amen and amen

Image of definition of restoration from Merriam-Websters Learner's Dictionary

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Soiled rags

4/18/2017

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I watched Ben Hur on Sunday. I have seen it before, and even watched the remake this past year, but the version made with Charlton Heston always strikes a chord. It is rare and refreshing to find a movie that truly adheres to the Word. In fact the author Lew Wallace revealed writing the account of Christ's life in Ben-Hur to explore his own faith, after hearing famed agnostic Robert Ingersoll question God's existence. Formerly having "no convictions about God or Christ," Wallace wrote Ben-Hur "reverentially, and frequently with awe". It follows the life of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who through no fault of his own is sentenced basically to death, being sent to be a galley slave by his estranged adopted brother Messala who is a Roman. There he overcomes his circumstances and manages to save the ship's Commander, later becoming his adopted son and a Roman citizen. He returns to Jerusalem a hard man, still seeking revenge on Messala. He is motivated by anger and hatred, but seemingly chance encounters with Jesus affect his life. After being told his mother and sister have died, he finds out the truth, they live in a leper colony. He is told by Esther, whom he had engaged himself to before becoming a slave that it is better if he stays away from his mother and sister; to remember them as they were and to allow them that comfort.
He has already once gone to the colony to see them, but hides at the last minute. He makes the decision to once again go.   He has heard from Esther of this Rabbi who teaches of love and she believes that this Rabbi can heal them if only they can get to him. He follows Esther to the leper colony and as she goes in to get his mother, they are told that his sister is dying. He sees no other way but to take them to this Rabbi, hoping He can heal their leprosy.
Leprosy was a horrible disease. Those who had leprosy were considered unclean. It was believed that they were cursed; they were cast out of society and had to live in isolation, subsisting on food that loved ones would bring them. They were sick and alone and ostracized. They could not be touched, let alone held and comforted. Even until the Middle Ages, they were often required to wear special clothing or to ring a bell to announce when they came near people. Can you even imagine? Already feeling like the dregs of society, dirty and forsaken and ashamed; only to have to ring a bell and say look at me, the one who can't be loved. It was horrible and lonely and frightening. So in the movie when Judah goes to his mother and touches her against her admonition, I was deeply moved. He did not care that he might become diseased himself. He did not factor in the danger to himself. He only knew that she was alone and afraid and that she would die without him. He then goes into the cave and seeks out his sister, who is distraught that he is there. She would rather die in her diseased state, alone and cursed than to see him harmed.
Alone, diseased and cursed. Sounds so very familiar to me. A people without hope, cursed by sin and seeing no recourse. A Saviour who with no thought to His own welfare reaches out and touches us. Touches us in our sin and our filth. Though we are dressed in stinking rags that are impregnated with the stench of hell, He wraps His arms around us and welcomes us into the family. That the God of the universe, the only Holy One would deign to come down and accept us. Not only accept us, but love us. Not only love us, but take our place. That He would remove the very cloth of holiness and righteousness that He was garbed in and take our putrid, reeking rags upon Himself. Picture that if you can. Holy, righteous, lovely. Shedding that voluntarily on our behalf and then putting on the most foul and offensive attire, drenched in transgression, steeped in damnation. Oh, what love that was. Once, for all, to take our sins upon Himself and carry them to the cross. To die a horrendous sinner's death, the most innocent of all. To shed His deity and take on our humanity in all it's grossness and deformity. God become man, man become wretched transgressor. 1 Peter 2:24, "He personally carried our sins in His body on the [a]cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness," (Amplified). He gave us righteousness for our rags. Life instead of death. Blessing instead of cursing.
What truly amazes me is that God set no other conditions on us. He made that trade, as unfair as it was to Him. Seriously, the life of a holy God for centuries of sin and evil, hatred and wrong-doing. All wrapped up in that package of Jesus, ours for the taking. Here, here is a gift for you. Just open it up and receive it. Don't you love getting gifts? Really, who doesn't like a present wrapped up in pretty paper with a bow tied around it. My birthday is coming up and I can't wait to see what my loved ones have specially picked just for me. Thought and effort and cost go into a gift. You carefully open the package, unless your three and just tear into it! What is in it? And all that is required is that you accept it, you open it and then you give that person thanks.
Have you accepted that beautiful gift that God, through Jesus has given you? Have you opened it up and seen all that is in it? Love and peace, joy and forgiveness. Hope and grace, life and mercy. "Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights," (James 1:17, GNT). He has given us everything, holding nothing back, not even His Son. I don't know about you, but when someone gives me a gift, I tend to want to reciprocate. Not because I have to, but because they have been kind to me, they have taken the time to think of me and to bless me. I want to somehow show them blessing in return. What is it that we can do for our Father? To be truthful there is nothing that can repay what He has done for us. And that is why it is called grace. But we can read and follow His word. We can do what Jesus says are the two greatest commandments. Matthew 22:37-39, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’" (Amplified). And this can further be broken down in Micah 6:8, "But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love. And don’t take yourself too seriously-- take God seriously, " (MSG). Unwrap that gift from the Father. Unwrap it and use it. Don't let it sit on a shelf and collect dust. Don't toss it in a drawer and forget about it. Don't save it for a rainy day. The gift of forgiveness and salvation and life is to be appropriated every day. It is to be spread abroad to all we come in contact with. It isn't to be hoarded, it is to be shared. That free gift becomes like the loaves and fishes, the more who need it, the more there is to be given. It is like the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17. There is a famine and he asks a widow to bring him a piece of bread. She says that there is enough for one meal for herself and her son and then they will die. Elijah promises that if she provides him that meal, that the flour and oil will not run out. It did not and they were provided for. God's gifts, God's provisions never run out. There is never a famine of love or grace or mercy. The only shortage comes when we withhold all that we are given from others. Truly, God's love, the gift that keeps on giving.
Back to Jesus' substitution for us. I am sure as a parent or even a grandparent you have had to change a few dirty diapers. In fact there have been times that that child has so soiled themselves, that all that is left to do is throw away the whole nasty, smelly outfit. No getting that clean. Out into the garbage it goes. You wash and clean that baby and then dress them in fresh, clean clothes. You wouldn't later go back into the garbage, pull out that disgusting mess and place it again on that child. No, that soiled mess stays where it belongs. On the trash pile, in the dung heap. No trading cleansed spotless clothes for tainted unclean rags. No going back to what we were before; unclean, forsaken and unloved.
We will live as written in Psalm 51:7-15,
Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
    set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
    give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
    or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
    put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
    so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
    I’ll let loose with your praise. (MSG)

Information on Lew Wallace found on http://www.christianpost.com/news/10-essential-facts-about-the-history-of-ben-hur-168183/

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Tepid, tasteless tea

4/10/2017

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There is nothing more refreshing than a frosty glass of ice tea on a hot day, with extra lemon please. Or nothing as soothing as a strong hot cup of tea with honey when you are feeling the effects of a cold. But take a drink of tea that is supposed to be glacial and find it's only tepid and that is not at all satisfying. Or expect a steaming sip of hot tea and it's weak and lukewarm and you will want to spit it out. I remember my husband's grandmother Connie, she used to use her tea bags two or three times to try to make a box last longer. That third cup of tea was almost clear and tasteless. Hot or cold, but lukewarm, well no, that just won't do. The bible has something to say about that..."I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other. So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth, " Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV).
That seems awfully harsh, doesn't it? Gee, after all it was a loving God that gave us that free gift of salvation. It says free...right? So what in the world does He expect? Hmmm, let's see. He gave His Son. A Son that died a horrendous death on the cross. A death that took the sins of all mankind and once and for all time forgave them. His life freely given for ours. It says in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (KJV). That word gift in the Greek is doron, meaning a gift or a present, something given without repayment in mind. I don't know about you, but when someone gives me a gift, it's not so much that I want to repay them, but I certainly think kindly of them and would go out of my way to do something in return for them to show my appreciation. That is how we are to live our lives in response to that great gift of salvation. Live our lives in a way that expresses our love and gratitude for something so beyond our reach that was given to us without thought of recompense.
We have been studying a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It is about loving God with the same radical, unconditional love that He loves us with. Pastor Chan has a chapter on being lukewarm. One of the scriptures he mentions is the one in Luke 14:34-35, "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Pastor Chan is talking about those who are not willing to give everything for Jesus, those who won't follow Him all the way. He explains that in that scripture it is saying that that kind of 'salt' is not even fit for the manure pile. He goes on to say, "Wow. How would you like to hear the Son of God say, 'You would ruin manure'."
We all want to think that we love God with our whole hearts. That He is the center and focus of our love and our thoughts all day every day. That no time spent with Him is too much time. That He is our all and all. To be honest, I remember being like that. When I first got saved. That newness, that gratitude and excitement to know more about Him - to know Him. And then again after having walked away from Him, after being backslidden, returning with a new love and zeal. The Lord showed me something about being backslidden. I always thought that that state of backsliding was something like being on a hill when it is wet and raining, muddy and a mess. You are trying to trudge as hard as you can up that mountain but you just can't make it up. One step upward, two sliding steps back down. No, that is not what it is. Being backslidden is like that donkey that the master is trying to pull forward by it's reins. It digs it's feet in and will not move forward. The more it is coaxed, the more it digs in, the more obstinate it becomes. That is what being backslidden means. And I truly believe that it is not a long walk from being lukewarm to being backslidden.
Oh to love the Lord with that crazy love. To feel joy at just being His. To have that childlike zeal to share Him with others. I hate that I have become like that seed thrown into the thorns, that becomes choked out by the cares of the world. That I have lost my first love and that unrelenting drive that causes me to want more of Him.
I don't know if you know the ministry of Teen Challenge. It is a ministry that is not just aimed at young people, but people of all ages that are caught in that trap of addiction. We have been going to fundraising dinners for this ministry for years and have been paying for tables at the dinners for quite a few of those years to bring in funds to benefit them. Dinner is served and they share testimonies and they have members who are going through the program sing in the choir. I hate to say it, but that old adage, 'familiarity breeds contempt' came into play here. We have gone so many years. It was a Friday night. I was worn out after a hard week and just wanted to go home after work and relax. But no, we had committed to a table so we had to go. Oh how I dreaded sitting there for almost 3 hours. And how bad I felt for feeling that way. And I felt much worse about it by the end of the evening. All these men and women, one of them a close friend who we had taken down to go through the program; all of them so happy, so joyful. The smiles on their faces. The thankfulness they had for the change that Jesus had brought into their lives. The freedom from the addictions that had ruined their lives and the lives of those they loved. It was palpable. It was so clearly evident, they had a new joy in life and living. Whereas here I was feeling worn out from sitting behind a desk all week. Feeling too tired to rejoice in the Lord and all He has done. Feeling like a tepid, tasteless glass of tea.
I went home that night asking the Lord to forgive me. How easy it is to get caught up in the crud of life and forget that He is the Life. How effortlessly we fall into the trap of ingratitude and coveting what others have rather than feeling blessed by all that God has gifted us with. How readily we forget all that God has brought us out of; for me it was drugs and alcohol and promiscuity. How quickly we blame God for all the trials in our life, forgetting that He is with us in all we go through and will never leave us nor forsake us. How conveniently we forget the great sacrifice He made for us. Oh Lord, I don't want to be salt that ruins even the manure.
So how do we get out of that place of lukewarmness. I fear it is a bit like asking God for patience...be careful what you pray for. I know that when I am living a life where the Lord is first and foremost it is both a bit scary and totally exhilarating. I don't like roller coasters, but I can somewhat equate it to that. You have signed on for this ride, and you can see the first few yards of the ride. Some ups and downs, some hills and valleys. But I don't think you are ever prepared for what is to come. Just look at some of those candid shots they get of people on a roller coaster. Not for me. I don't know if that ride is safe. I don't know if it has been properly maintained. I don't know if the owner is a reputable person or a shyster. But I do know that God loves me, yes with a crazy love. I do know that He knew me before the foundations of the world. I know that He has plans for my good and not my harm. I know that in Him I am safe, no matter what I encounter in this life.
And in this life more than anything, I want to love and honor Him. I want to not only love Him, but love those He puts in my path. I want to live this life with passion and gusto rather than with apathy and indifference. I want to be ready in season and out. I want to be more than I am, more than I even think I can be and do it all for the glory of the One who made me. I want to walk in faith and not fear. I want to believe for enormous things through Christ and see them come to pass. I want to walk boldly into the enemy's camp and take back all he has stolen. I want to see the kingdom of God here on this earth and when my time is done I want to enter into the gates of heaven and hear, "Well done good and faithful servant."
I want to be that refreshing, healing cup of hot tea when sickness is rampant. But to make a proper cup of tea there are steps to follow...
Start with fresh, cold water. ...
Place a tea bag in your favorite cup or mug.
Bring water to a rolling boil and immediately pour over your tea bag.
Steep for a good 3 to 5 minutes. ...
Remove the tea bag, relax and enjoy!

So Lord, bring me up to a boil and do your work in me!

Excerpt from Crazy Love, Revised and Updated edition by Francis Chan, page 82
How to make tea, www.tetleyusa.com/about-tea/tea-tips
For more information on Teen Challenge or to donate go to www.teenchallengeusa.com

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The Ridge

4/4/2017

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I watched the movie Hacksaw Ridge the other day. After watching reviews I knew it was not a movie that I would watch in the theater; I knew that I would cry and really didn't want to embarrass myself. Sure enough, I pretty much cried throughout the whole movie. It was moving, thought provoking and very violent It is not for the faint of heart, but this Christian life isn't either. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it all. This gentle man going into a fierce battle, after having won a battle of his own early in life. Seeing the damage that humans do to each other and seeking to bring healing and life to all he came in contact with.
Hacksaw Ridge was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of WWII. It was a sheer 350 foot cliff that the American soldiers had to scale only to be met at the top by an enemy hidden in bunkers, machine gunners in foxholes and booby traps all around. In doing some research, of course movie making involves some embellishment and exaggeration. Surprisingly, most of the facts that were changed were minor. His flashback in the movie about taking a gun away from his father...it was not a fight with his mother, but a fight with his uncle. After taking that gun away, he never wanted to touch another. His date of marriage to his wife, he was actually married before he was deployed. What is amazing to me are the facts that were left out. He was actually not only hit by a grenade; but he was alone for five hours waiting for help to take him off that hill. Then as he was being carried on a stretcher he saw another wounded man, rolled off the stretcher to help care for that man and let them take that injured soldier on the stretcher to safety. During that time of waiting for another stretcher he was hit by a sniper's bullet and his arm was shattered. This man was a true hero, and in reading about him all he wanted to do was to honor God. That picture of the Ten Commandments had an affect on him and he always wondered how a brother could kill another brother.
His one prayer as he was on that hill was Lord, just one more man. We know they say he saved 75 men. Records read that he says modestly it was 50, his commander said according to the men it was closer to 100, so they decided to split the difference. It was a 12 hour period that he was on that hellish hill saving men; that equates to one man approximately every 10 minutes. Can you even imagine? Here was this 145 lb. man saving 75 men by himself. But wait, he wasn't by himself was he? He had a mighty God that he served and a mighty God to help him. The words he spoke as he looked upon that battlefield resonate with me, "God what is it you want from me?" Then after a bit, still torn by all the violence and bloodshed he says, "I can't hear you". And then he hears another soldier crying for help. "Alright". He knew what he had to do. He knew what God had called him for and he goes back in.
We live this Christian life often wondering, God what is it you want from me, and if we are honest we often feel that we don't hear from the Lord. I believe we often overthink this. What is the greatest commandment? Jesus said in Mark 12:30-31, "and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’ 31 This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] [a]love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these" (Amplified). All that we are to do rests on this. Love God first. If we love God we will not only want to do His will, we will be compelled to do it. And if we love God, then with His love dwelling in us, we will love others. Our neighbors...who are they? According to Jesus, they are not just those living in proximity to us, but they are all our fellow man. And we know that Jesus told us to not only love those who love us, but to love our enemies. He spoke of that in telling us the story of the good Samaritan. He also told us in Matthew 5:43-48, "There is a saying, 'Love your friends and hate your enemies.' But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (TLB)
If we love God, we will not only do His will, but we will desire to do His will. That means that we will love others, all others. In the movie, Desmond is portrayed as helping a Japanese soldier, the enemy. He is in danger of being killed by approaching soldiers and he chooses to give aid to one who is his adversary, a sworn foe. In truth, he tried to give aid to a Japanese soldier but was threatened by American soldiers, that if he gave aid that they would kill him for doing so. He truly lived the words of Jesus. Giving aid to all his 'neighbors'.
We read the Word, love your neighbor. Jesus says our neighbor is every man. Christian and non-Christian alike. But so often we bunker down behind our church walls, our denominational walls and kill not only the enemy but our own. What the world calls 'friendly fire'. We say we love our fellow Christians, but that gets to be a sticky situation when their beliefs and their theologies don't line up with ours. I watched that movie, cringing at the horrendous wartime violence and gore represented. I wanted so badly to shut my eyes. To not see what was happening. But then I thought, those men lived through that. They saw that long after they left Okinawa and probably until their dying day. And more than that, I thought, that is the violence we do to each other. In the name of Christ. We brutalize each other. They speak in tongues, or they don't. They believe in prophecy, or that is not a dispensation for today. They believe in baptism at birth, they believe in full immersion, or they only 'sprinkle'. From the safety of our pews we take sniper shots at those who also profess Christ, but not quite like we do. We lob grenades at those who look different from us. When I became saved, it was in a Charismatic church. I hate to say it, but we are often the most judgemental of all. You had better speak in tongues and prophecy and make a lot of noise during praise and worship. Let me tell you something. My beautiful mother came to the Lord late in life. She attended Lutheran church. She came to church with us often when she visited. She was this quiet woman, she would barely sing out loud. And clap her hands?? No way. But this woman loved the Lord with her whole heart. Hers was a quiet deep faith. She read the word more faithfully than I have ever done. She never spoke in tongues, she probably never heard a prophetic word, but she loved the Lord. And at this moment, she is in heaven still loving the Lord in her own beautiful way.
If we profess Christ, if we truly follow after Him then we have to see each other the way that He does. He says we are all one body. One body, with Him being the head. "The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 1 Corinthians 12:21 NIV). We cannot pick and choose the body parts that we want to keep, or want to be associated with just because we don't think we need them or because we don't like them. There are plenty of parts on my body that I don't like all that well, but I do like living, so I think I will keep them, thank you very much. I don't necessarily like my armpits, but we all know that sweating regulates body temperature, so yeah I'll hang onto those. I do think I have nice toes; my daughter disagrees, but that's another story! In essence it comes down to this; we need each other. Just as we need the different parts of our body to do different things so that we can function to the best of our ability, we need every part of Christ's body. We need those quiet believers. We need those that like to swing from the chandeliers. We need those who sprinkle and those who immerse. We need those who want just the piano playing and those who want a full band. We need them, because Jesus says we are all part of Him. And together we can get the work done that He has called us to do. Preach the gospel to everyone. We all play a different role. I am not the missionary type, to go into foreign lands and minister. I am not the bold evangelist who stands on the street corner sharing with all who come by. I am not the praise and worship leader who ushers us into the presence of God with music. I am someone who sits in my living room typing on my computer; hopefully doing the will of God and reaching others where I can. Doing my part, all while loving the rest of the body.
And not just loving the body, but loving my neighbor. Often we are taught as Christians that we are not to associate with unbelievers. Don't get too close, you don't want the stench of the world on you. You can preach at them and thump them over the head with your big bible, but don't get too near to them. I am sorry. Jesus did not live that way. He said he was hated because He associated with the harlots, and the publicans and the tax collectors. He said the doctor does not go to those who are healthy. He not only went to them, He loved them. That does not mean that He ignored their sins. The words He spoke often seemed harsh and confrontational, but all of what He did was motivated by love for them and the desire to have fellowship with them. He formed relationships with people. He chose those that the religious of the day scorned. I think most of us remember the story of Zacchaeus from Sunday school. Here was this little man, a tax collector, hated because although he was a Jew, he was in collaboration with the despised Romans and even stole from his own people. This man, small of stature wanted to see Jesus. We could ask why, but how often have we been compelled by something we later recognize as the Spirit of God? So he knows he has no way to see over the heads of all those in the crowd, so he runs ahead and climbs a tree so that he can get a glimpse of Jesus. The story does not tell of his even believing that Jesus will see him or even deign to acknowledge him if he does, but he knows he must see Jesus. So he climbs that sycamore tree. And beyond all reason, he not only sees Jesus, but Jesus sees him. And we know that Jesus truly saw him. Saw all that he was, all that he had done, but still chose to say to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Not I'd like to drop by for a minute, or I'll walk with you there, but I must stay there. Jesus by His own love was compelled to stay at his home, even though He knew who he was and how he was hated. And we know as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story. Zacchaeus so overwhelmed by the love of God repented, gave half of his wealth to the poor and re-payed those he stole from four times over. And not only that, but we hear Jesus tell all those that would hear, “Today salvation has come to this house." Salvation came because someone reached out. Salvation came because love was shown. Salvation came because compassion always wins. All of that still holds true today. We are to reach out the hand of Jesus to those who are lost, we are to live the command of our Lord to preach the gospel to every creature, we are to form relationships with those who don't know Jesus and not just speak of who He is, but live who He is. We may not see the end result, just as Desmond in the movie did not see if that Japanese soldier lived because of his ministrations. But we are to do it anyway. We don't know if we are to just plant the seed, and another will water. But we do know that if we do nothing, this world stays lost and broken and we have failed to do the will of our Father.
Desmond Doss was the first 'conscientious objector' to win the Medal of Honor. But he chose to say he was a conscientious cooperator. He believed the war was justified, but that killing was still wrong. He wanted to serve God and his country and he believed he could do that by being a medic but refusing to carry a weapon. He was mocked and ridiculed but held true to his beliefs. He admitted that the greatest temptation of his life was when he was in a foxhole with a buddy and they heard the Japanese approaching. He thought I could pick up a grenade and take care of all of them. Then he remembered that 'God said "Thou shalt not kill", God gave life and I didn't want to take it'. He held true to his convictions, even in the midst of gunfire, explosions, killing and death. In the heat of the battle he stayed firm. It is sad to say but we often waver, and not even just when times are tough. In the midst of life's troubles we often doubt. We often compromise. We often seek the easy way out. I want to be like Desmond. I want to trust in the Lord so much that no matter what comes my way I will stand. If I have to I will crawl. I want to put the needs of others before mine and the will of God before all. In the face of all hardship I want to say what Desmond said, "I had these men up there and I shouldn't leave 'em. They were my buddies, some of the men had families, and they trust me. I didn't feel like I should value my life above my buddy's, so I decided to stay with them and take care of as many of them as I could. I didn't know how I was gonna do it." But God knew, and made a way for him.
I want to be that conscientious cooperator...cooperating with God and fulfilling His will for my life. I want do as we have talked about in our bible study, walk that ridge. That ridge that is our Christian faith, narrow and often dangerous, but oh the stories we can tell. Of God's goodness and His grace. Of His provision and His strength. Of His faithfulness and of His glory. And to not only hear the words from our heavenly Father, "Well done, good and faithful servant"; but to also hear from those who have scorned us, mocked us and doubted us, the same words said to Desmond, "I didn't know who you were". More truthfully, I didn't know Whose you were.

Information on Desmond Doss from these websites:
oneplace.com, The courage of conviction in Hacksaw Ridge
historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/hacksaw-ridge
bibleinfo.com, who was Desmond Doss of Hacksaw Ridge

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