Uncategorized

It’s Time for a Change…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

This blog post will be a bit different. I’m jumping into the political realm again for some reason, and we know that’s probably something pastors shouldn’t do. Maybe it will be okay. Maybe it won’t. Here goes anyway.

I have always been interested in politics. I registered to vote on the day after my 18th birthday. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to vote. I once thought I might have a future in politics. I ran for and was elected to my local school board and served until the Lord decided I needed to go to seminary. I resigned my position and that ended whatever political career I thought I might have. Moving from community to community as a Methodist preacher doesn’t lend itself well to political aspirations in most cases.

I never stopped following politics, though. I was always aware of the candidates, even for little-known offices like Justice of the Peace and Constable (Do you know who your constable is?). It might be because my step-father was the local constable when I was growing up, but I always knew who the local officials were and who was or might run against them. I guess you could say following politics was somewhat of a hobby. Some people hunted and fished. Others played golf. I followed politics.

On the day after my 18th birthday, I went to the Registrar of Voters office and registered as a Republican. It was 1981 and Ronald Reagan was riding high as President of the United States. I loved Ronald Reagan and I wanted to be a Republican. I’ve been a registered Republican ever since. That’s forty-two years, but who’s counting.

I’ve never voted for a Democrat for a national office. Not in 42 years. Actually, I’ve voted for very few Democrats for any office. I did vote for Edwin Edwards for governor of Louisiana once, but that’s because the best candidate Republicans could come up with was David Duke. If you know anything about Edwin Edwards, you know what a sacrifice it was for a died-in-the-wool Republican to vote for him. I have also voted on the local level for Democrats whom I knew personally and knew their values. Ironically, some of those who were Democrats when I voted for them switched to become Republicans later. Go figure!

It’s not like I was raised to be a Republican. My grandparents were Democrats. Even had a grandfather who was elected to the local school board as a Democrat (it was the same seat to which I was elected years later). My step-father was a Democrat and was elected as the local constable as a Democrat. No problem. As a matter of fact, in 1981 when I registered as a Republican, it wasn’t the fashionable thing to do. There were far more Democrats in Louisiana at the time.

I registered as a Republican in 1981 because of Ronald Reagan, and because as I surveyed the party platforms of both the Republican and Democrat parties (yes, I did that as an 18 year-old–I told you politics was a hobby), the Republican Party platform more aligned with what I believed and with my core values of what a government should look like. And for 42 years, that has pretty much been the case.

I’ve probably divulged more than I should have, and probably more than you ever wanted to know (not that you even care), but I’ve offered this more as confession than anything else, and perhaps this blog is a means of repentance, too, because after 42 years I’ve decided that I am no longer a Republican. Oh, don’t worry! I’m not a Democrat either. After 42 years as a Republican, I will henceforth and forever be an Independent.

Why? Two reasons. One, Donald Trump, and two, the recent chaos in the leadership of the Republican Party.

Honestly, I didn’t like Donald Trump is 2016 and I didn’t like him in 2020. I still don’t like him today. In each of those elections, I held my nose and voted for him, much like I did for Edwin Edwards for governor many years ago. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden were not legitimate alternatives for me. As much as I dislike Donald Trump, there was no way I could support the Democratic candidates because many of the policies and positions they held/hold were counter to my core values as one who seeks to follow Jesus Christ. Don’t take that last statement as a condemnation of any “Christian” who voted for Clinton or Biden. It’s not intended to be such. It’s a simple statement that as I seek to follow Jesus, I could not reconcile my values with their positions. If you can, more power to you.

I’m also not certain that the Trump phenomenon is not the reason there has been such chaos in the Republican Party. I certainly believe it is a major part of the reason for the chaos, but I also believe there has been a lot of egotism and narcissism involved as well. I’ve watched with interest over the last month as Republicans in Congress struggled to identify and elect a Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Republicans have been in chaotic disarray until this week when they were able to elect Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) to the speakership. Oh, I’m elated that Congressman Johnson was elected. I believe that his values and mine are not that far apart. He’s my Congressman! He’s the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States! He’s the third in line to the Presidency of the United States. This is a really big deal–for him and his family, for the State of Louisiana and for our District. I pray for his leadership. I prayed for his election to the position. I pray he represents Louisiana and our nation well.

The process of his election, though, exemplifies the broken nature of the Republican Party. At my age, I’m just tired of the politics that played out over the past month. Some wise sage once said (I don’t remember who and Google was no help) that the only difference between the Republican Party and the Democrat Party is the speed at which they want things to change. The “establishment” of the Republican Party and the “establishment” of the Democrat Party want the same things, they just want to get there at a different rate of speed. After watching the Republicans over the past month, I’m not so sure that isn’t true. My prayer is that Speaker Johnson’s leadership will prove me wrong.

Speaker Johnson’s election notwithstanding, it’s time for me to take a step back from party affiliation. Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I just want to be more like Jesus. I suspect Jesus would have plenty to say to both Democrats and Republicans were He present today. Oh, wait! He is! He is present in His body, the Church. The Church should be holding both Democrats and Republicans to account. The Church should be speaking the prophetic Word on His behalf, but that’s kinda’ hard to do if it is too closely aligned to a political party, either on the right or the left.

My loyalty is to Jesus, not to a political party. It’s time for me to be free to speak prophetically whenever the Spirit stirs. I’m just sad it took me 42 years to come to that conclusion. For that, I repent!

Until next time, keep looking up…

A Question Not Easily Answered…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

I have been asked many times over the past two weeks what I think about the situation in the Middle East. My staff, who know I’m a pastor, and customers who come in the shop, upon finding out I’m a pastor, will ask my opinion on the situation. I will always answer, “In what regard?”

I answer that way because it matters in what regard we look at the situation in Israel and Gaza. In one regard, the conflict is nothing new. It’s as old as the Bible itself. There have been wars in the Middle East since there have been people in the Middle East. Go back to chapter 14 of Genesis and you’ll read of a war in which five area kings were at war with four area kings. It is the first recorded war in the Bible, and dates back to 1800 BCE. That war would eventually draw Abraham into it, so conflict in the Middle East is not a new phenomenon.

Of course, everyone really wants to know what it means in regard to the end times. That’s a tougher question to answer because I really don’t know. There were prophets and prognosticators who were certain the end was near when Israel became a nation in 1948. And, they might be right. Scripture seems to indicate that Israel would re-form as a nation. 

The OT prophet Zechariah indicated the Jewish people would turn to God, through the Messiah, only after returning to Israel (Zech.12:10; 13:1). Likewise, the prophet Ezekiel stated God’s promise, “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land” (Ezek. 36:24). The passage continues, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean…. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:25–26). Note that the spiritual regeneration of Israel follows the restoration of the Jewish people to the land. Thus regathered, Israel will, as a nation, turn in faith toward the Messiah.

I think the nation of Israel’s existence is biblical. Is it the end? It could be. It could not be. I could be the beginning of the end, or it could be another conflict in the region that needs to be settled. I won’t speculate either way. I don’t claim to be a prophet. There are plenty of people who do claim to be a prophet and you can read 427 different interpretations of the current situation. You might be equally confused by all of them. I know I certainly am.

Let me share what my thoughts are on the current situation, though. First, Israel is not responsible for what happened two weeks ago. No amount of verbal gymnastics or woke ideology can ever make Israel responsible for the murder of innocent women, children and elderly persons. None! What Hamas did is evil and atrocious and there is no justification for their actions. There is no moral equivalency between Hamas’s actions and Israel’s prior acts or current reactions. To make it so is to reveal one of two things: either your ignorance of history or your hatred of Jews.

Has Israel committed prior bad acts? Certainly. Read the Old Testament. It’s filled with instances of bad choices, terrible decisions and wrong actions. Why would it be different today. We’re all still human and human nature hasn’t changed. Have civilians suffered as a result of Israeli actions? Unfortunately, yes, but civilians have never been targeted as participants of war. To draw a moral equivalency between Hamas and the nation of Israel is, at best, disingenuous.

Second, I believe Israel will ultimately prevail in the current conflict. And, I think the church is right to affirm Israel’s right to self-defense and self-determination, and from a political standpoint, the United States should stand with Israel (yes, I do!). 

I’m not so sure that people don’t hate Jews because they are God’s chosen people. They are the physical representation of God upon the earth. The same thing could be said about the church and is said about the Church. For the same reasons, the Jewish nation and the Church are both hated in the world because they are both the physical representation of God on the earth. We should expect evil to attack the nation of Israel and the Church. Until Christ comes again, unfortunately, it will likely continue. Remember what Jesus told his disciples? John 16: 1-2 says, “I have told you these things so that you won’t fall away. For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service.”

The reaction of many in the West comes as a result, I believe, of the “woke” culture that sees oppression as the great sin of the culture. There are levels of oppression and the more degrees of oppression you are able to claim, the more of a victim you become. It’s a terrible philosophy.

History changes the oppressor and the oppressed. How often throughout history has Israel been oppressed. Let’s see, there’s the Egyptian slavery, the Babylonian captivity, the Assyrian captivity, the Roman occupation, the Holocaust. We could name others. Throughout history, the oppressed have often become the oppressor. I suspect that current “woke” culture, with its stress on oppression is simply history’s latest attempt to have the oppressed become the oppressor.

I say all that to note the irony of many on the left in the West that have called the Jews Nazis. Literally the same people who were exterminated by the Nazis are being called Nazis. Again, that is a reflection of people’s ignorance of history and of their pure hatred for God’s people.

So, what should we do? First, we pray and work for peace. Jesus said in Matthew 5: 9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” The Church should be involved in the peace process from a prayer perspective. No, we won’t be invited to sit at the negotiating table, nor should we, but we should pray that peace would come to the Middle East by whatever means the Lord deems necessary. We should pray for our national leaders as they work to bring peace to the region, and we should stand behind their efforts, whether we agree with them or not. The end goal is peace, not revenge.

We should also be praying for the Palestinians and Hamas. Praying for them will help us not lose sight of their humanity. The civilian populations of both Israel and Palestine are in harm’s way, and that not of their own doing. They are suffering, and the Church is called to enter into the suffering of others (that’s what the word ‘compassion’ means) to suffer with them. Why? Because Jesus died for all men. No matter how evil we believe Hamas or the Palestinians have been, we shouldn’t wish them dead, we should wish them saved!

If you or I are part of the crowd that seeks revenge on Hamas and relishes in waiting for Israel to exact her revenge, then we’re not in the correct crowd. We need to check our discipleship. We might need Jesus as much as those in Hamas. I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words to the Roman Church: 

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12: 19 – 21

I think that would be quite revolutionary in and of itself. I need to remind us that we are called to be disciples by one who, himself, was a revolutionary. 

I remind us that Jesus has a disciple named Simon who was also known as the Zealot. Do you know what a Zealot was in the first century? Zealots were pretty much the terrorists of their day. They were prone to starting fires over here and starting fights over there to get at their Roman oppressors. They were known to attempt assassinations and to kill Roman soldiers. Yes, Jesus called one of those people as a disciple, but it wasn’t for a political revolution. It was for a spiritual one. As confusing as it was then, it seems to be equally confusing today.

Secondly, we should live as if the end is now. Jesus tells a great parable:

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Matthew 25: 1 – 13

We need to live as though Jesus is coming back today or tonight. We live obediently today in light of his imminent return. No one knows when He will come back—not even the Son, Himself (Matthew 24:36). It may be fun to play in the sandbox of end times prophecy, but it is a completely pointless endeavor if it distracts from the ultimate purpose of the Church, and that is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that all men might be saved.     

That’s sort of what I tell staff or customers who ask whether what is happening in the Middle East is fulfilling prophecy in the Bible. I don’t know if it satisfies their curiosity or answers their question, but I know it’s the only answer I can give.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Finding My Way…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Vanessa and I were blessed to have a little time away last week. Our children were gracious enough to gift us a few days in a cabin in the Tennessee mountains. It had been a long time since we spent any time in the mountains, so we were grateful for the opportunity to see the beauty of the Lord’s creation, but also to just get away. It’s always good to get away.

One of our children who gifted us the cabin lives in the Memphis, TN area, so we decided we would leave a day early so we could stop by and visit with her and our son-in-law as we were traveling. Now, here’s the thing. I’ve been to her home numerous times in the time they have lived there. The problem is I can’t ever remember how to get to her house. I always have to rely on Siri!

I realized as we were driving up to Memphis (and subsequently on to Pigeon Forge) that our lives have become totally dependent upon those little devices we hold in our hands. Our lives are on autopilot, just going wherever the culture (or Siri) leads us.

I’m old enough to remember folding maps. I also remember a time when I could go somewhere I’d never been before, and following one of those folding maps or one of those bulky road atlases (remember those?), I could get there. I might struggle the first time. I might get lost (though as a man, I’ve never been lost, right?) or take a wrong turn, but eventually, I’d reach the destination. Here’s the thing: once I got there, I didn’t need a map the second time. I remembered the way if I ever went there again. I had a great sense of direction (“had” being the operative word). I blame Siri for the loss of my great sense of direction (couldn’t be my age, could it?).

Okay, so it’s not Siri specifically, but here’s what I mean. Technology is robbing us of our ability to think. With an old folding road map or road atlas, I actually had to think about where I was going. I had to use my brain. Now, all I have to do is plug in the destination and let my device lead the way. Just listen. Turn where she tells you to turn. Go where she tells you to go. Pay no real attention to landmarks, road signs or road names. Just follow the little voice.

“Proceed to the route.”

“In one mile, turn right.”

“In one-quarter mile, take the exit.”

“The destination is on the left.”

“You have reached your destination.”

It really is a mindless endeavor. I think that’s what technology has done to us. It has made us mindless.

Let’s face it. Technology companies are happy for us to use their technology. That’s because they mine our data so they can predict our behavior based on the places we go, the things we watch and the items we buy. And, they use that data to affect what we eventually see so they can profit off our behavior. They want us mindless. This paragraph is a digression. I should save this thought for another day.

What I am challenged with is the question, “Have I allowed technology to make me spiritually mindless, too?” Another way to frame the question is, “Am I on spiritual autopilot?” In many ways, the answer to the question is “Yes!”

When my faith in Christ becomes a routine matter, I’m on spiritual autopilot. To be complacent as a believer is to be on spiritual autopilot. To be in our spiritual “comfort zone” is to be on spiritual autopilot.

Our Christian faith is not a mindless endeavor. If our faith is not challenging us to grow in obedience, in grace, in love, in action and in holiness, then we are not thinking much about our faith. We are called to grow deeper. We are called to grow closer to Christ and closer to one another. We are called to be more like Christ. We will never fulfill our calling on spiritual autopilot.

Yeah, well tell me how to get off autopilot, then!

How about get out the old road map. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about–the Bible! It is the road map for life. I’m reminded of the words of the Psalmist:

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Personal bible study where we engage the text every day causes us to think about our faith in real and life-changing ways. Group bible study (when done well) can challenge our presuppositions and biases, causing us to re-think our faith. We need both to grow as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. We need both to engage in faithful service and witness to a lost and hurting world. We need a road map to find our way spiritually out of the brokenness of our lives so that we might be used as vessels in a world that is spiritually broken.

The Bible is not the end all and be all of our spiritual existence, but it is that which leads us, forms us and shapes us into faithful people…into a holy nation. We need the Bible. We need Bible study–both personal and group. We need to open it…to read it..to “eat” it like the prophet Ezekiel:

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Ezekiel 3: 1- 3 (NIV)

Or, the Apostle John:

8 The voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again. It said, “Take the opened scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

10 I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it was bitter in my stomach.

Revelation 10: 8 – 10 (NIV)

The Bible will challenge us. The Bible will strengthen us. The Bible will encourage us. The Bible will give us hope. The Bible will correct us. The Bible will give us peace. The Bible will lead us home, and it will do so because it is the road map to living, to dying and to living again. The Bible will cause us to think, and we need to think about our faith if we desire to live fruitful, faithful lives in Jesus Christ.

I leave you with these words from the Apostle Paul:

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable. 9 Practice what you’ve learned and received from me, what you heard and saw me do. Then the God who gives this peace will be with you.

Philippians 4: 8 – 9 (NIV)

Don’t think the irony has escaped me of using technology to encourage you to stop using so much technology in your spiritual life by returning to the old-fashioned Bible. Pick up that old-fashioned Bible. Turn its pages. Ingest its words. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you’ll find your way home to the Savior.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Vacation Time…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Good morning! I’ve been enjoying a little vacation time this week, so that means I’ve not taken the time to sit down and write, so you’re really not getting a blog today. I will say that although the time has been short, it has been reflective (terribly so).

We were able to enjoy the Harvest Festival at Dollywood. If you ever get the opportunity to go to Dollywood in October, I highly recommend it. It is beautiful with all its festive seasonal colors. It was definitely worth the trip. A shout-out to our children and their spouses for making the trip possible.

One thing I’ve pondered on this trip is the need for maps. Yes, the old-fashioned, fold-it-back-up mess of a map. That’s all I’ll say for now, but I’ve been thinking about it since we left home on Wednesday. Maybe you’ll hear more about it next week.

That’s all for now. It’s time to pack up and head home.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Missing Breakfast…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment
A delicous home style breakfast with crispy bacon, eggs, pancakes, toast, coffee, and orange juice.

The congregation I serve as interim pastor has a men’s breakfast once a month. I missed the men’s breakfast for the month of September. No, I wasn’t otherwise occupied. I simply forgot. I’m uncertain as to why I missed it. It’s probably because I’m just getting old and forgetful, after all, I do celebrate a milestone birthday this week and it’s one that ends with a zero and officially puts me in the old man club. Or, it could be that I’ve adopted the attitude of the rest of our culture–men just don’t matter that much. I pray it is the former and not the latter.

Our culture has told men (particularly young men) that masculinity is toxic. It’s as if there is a wholesale attack in our culture on traditional manhood in general. Our culture tells men (especially young men) that they are fundamentally flawed and that their natural impulses are misguided and wrong. One of the guiding principles behind the attack is the belief that the differences between men and women are not biological, but rather a matter of social conditioning.

When men act the rebel, roughhouse or (heaven forbid) assess women based on their looks, they are called out and straightened out. Having lived this many years now, I can honestly say that it seems for almost two generations, young men have been told they are toxic, sexist and probably racist, too. I should probably attach a bunch of links to prove the point, but you have Google, too, so you can do it if you want. I just sense that there is a crisis of manhood in western culture. And, it’s showing up in the church, too. It seems I’m not the only man missing breakfast.

Our culture needs men! Every culture needs men! Every church needs men! Men and women are different, I don’t care what sociologists tell us. Genesis 1: 27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” No amount of wishing, feeling or believing makes it otherwise. To state otherwise is to state a lie, and if there is one thing our culture needs today, it is to stand on those things that are true.

I haven’t shared much about my journey out of the United Methodist Church simply because it was too personal, and I possess a deep love for the UMC. To share my reasons for leaving might cast a dim light on the institution, and I have no desire to do that. It could go its way and I would go mine. I would be grateful for the opportunities it afforded me and the blessings it brought into my life. I suppose officially becoming an old fogey has changed my mind.

I knew my time in the United Methodist Church was drawing to a close in 2019 when a UM seminary hosted a drag queen chapel (not going to link it here, either). That’s not a slap on drag shows. There have been men dressing as women for centuries. I know that. The difference, as I see it, is that now drag is hyper-sexualized and is part and parcel of the broader trend in culture to promote transgender ideology–which promotes the idea that men can be women and women can be men. Neither is true, and the Church (any Church) should not be promoting the lie.

God’s creation is magnificent, wondrous, and powerful, but it is also inviolate. We tamper with God’s natural order (and with truth) at our own peril. To pretend men and women are the same is to defy the natural order and the entirety of human experience. Men and women are different. We need each other in order to be whole. That’s the truth. Anyone who tells you different is lying.

We need to be telling men they are worthy. We need to be telling men that they have meaning, value and purpose. We need to be telling men to pursue that purpose. Get up. Get a life. Go to work (we are created to work). You won’t discover meaning or purpose spending countless hours a day in front of screens. Don’t be lemmings. Challenge the status quo. Play the rebel. Live the truth of your masculinity!

Truth is contagious, but so is lying. Once we discover the truth and proclaim it, the stronger we become. Once we proclaim a lie and believe it as the truth, we become weaker. The world (and the church) needs strong men, men who hold to the truth found in Jesus Christ who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”(John 14:6).

I’m not sure any of this makes sense. I just know there is a burning in my bones. Eh! It’s probably just because I’m old now and don’t care nearly as much what other people think of me.

I do know these are the things we need to be talking about when men gather for breakfast. It’s why I hate I missed breakfast last month. It’s why I’ll try not to miss again. It’s why I’ll encourage other men to join, too.

Until next time, keep looking up…

The Fragile Nature of Our Witness…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

The nature of our Christian witness is a fragile thing, indeed!

I was reminded again several times over the past week as news rolled in of notable figures among the “family values” crowd who were “caught” in situations that were, shall we say, less than affirming of the values the persons generally espoused.

The news broke early this week that Governor Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) has been engaged in a not-so-private affair with a former Donald Trump aide. Shortly thereafter, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) was caught in a “handsy” exchange with an Aspen, CO bar owner. Finally, Timothy Ballard, who is the founder and now former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (a sex trafficking rescue organization) and also the inspiration for the summer hit movie Sound of Freedom, was accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct. Let’s just say it has been a bad news week for the Christian witness.

I’m not going to throw rocks at any of the three with this blog. There are already enough people lined up doing that. I’m also not going to throw rocks because most of these accounts are just “allegations” and not substantiated (except in Boebert’s case where there is actual video). Besides, if anyone were to look too deeply into my closet, they might find plenty of skeletons at which to throw stones, so there is that…

It really does make us (Christians) look like hypocrites though, doesn’t it? Well, yes it does, and that’s because that’s what we are! No, not all of us engage in (or get caught in) sexual sin, but let’s just tick off a list of actions and attitudes we know to be contrary to the will of God and see how many apply to us. Yes, sexual sin certainly seems to top the list of bad actions a Christian can engage in to destroy our witness, but every act of pride, selfishness, egotism, gossip, greed or jealousy (you can continue the list for yourself) that is observed by those both within and without of the faith serves to diminish our witness.

We have all gotten caught in the “do as I say, not as I do” trap before. That is likely what happened to the aforementioned parties. Reminds me of when Jesus was warning the crowds about the scribes and Pharisees. Remember what he said?

2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 

Matthew 23: 2 – 3 (NLT)

Jesus would go on to call the Pharisees and scribes “hypocrites” six times in the 23rd chapter of Matthew. He would also throw in a “blind fools” for good measure. So, not a happy expression of satisfaction for those who were part of the “do as I say, not as I do” band of brothers. I wonder if Jesus doesn’t think the same thing about us when we fail so miserably to “lead a life worth of your calling” (Ephesians 4: 1)? I don’t believe it means he loves us any less, but I do believe it breaks his heart, and honestly, the last thing I want to do is break the Savior’s heart.

All I can say is “Thank God for grace and forgiveness!” I (we) need both. Forgiveness is one of the central traits of our Christian faith. We say so every time we recite the Apostle’s Creed–“I believe in the forgiveness of sins…”

When we say that, it is our acknowledgment that we believe in sin, too! That is both original sin, and sin in our individual lives. The doctrine of original sin simply means that because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humanity is tainted with the stain of sin. Does that mean that I am guilty because of what Adam did? In a way, yes, but more to the point, it means that what Adam did, every one of us would have done had we been standing in the Garden. 

Even in our more noble moments, ulterior motives often affect our desire to do good. This bothers us, but probably not as much as it should. We know there is a line between right and wrong, and we often know when that line has been crossed, but we cross it anyway. Yes, our Christian witness is a fragile thing, indeed!

It would be real easy to launch into a deep explanation of sin from a biblical perspective, but let’s boil it down to its simplest form: sin is whatever is contrary to the will of God. What’s more, the Apostle James says that if we know what we should do and don’t do it, it is sin (James 4:17). So, when we know we should live a holy life, a life worthy of our calling, a life in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ, and we don’t do it, we are sinning. Either way, we need His forgiveness. Do we believe in the forgiveness of sins?

Confessing that we believe in the forgiveness of sins is at one and the same time our confession that we believe we have sinned, but it is also our confession that we believe God has dealt with sin, both in our lives and in His creation.

How? Because God is holy, and completely pure, He must deal with sin in a way that overcomes it once and for all. Sin must be dealt with in one of two ways. God must punish sin, or He must forgive sin. We say that we believe that God chose to forgive our sin.

I see the compassionate heart of Jesus in his encounter with the woman caught in the act of adultery as an excellent example of his practice of forgiving sin (even sexual sin). You remember the encounter, right? You can find it in John 8: 1 – 11. Here’s how the encounter begins:

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

John 8: 1 – 4 (NLT)

This encounter shows, in a compelling way, the forgiveness of God. Jesus granted forgiveness to this woman caught in the act of adultery. According to the law of Moses, she was to be stoned to death. The law was very clear. Yes, the Pharisees were attempting to trap Jesus. No, there was no man dragged before Jesus for condemnation (another point of law). Yes, we would love to know what Jesus wrote in the sand. No, it wouldn’t change the end result. What we really need to capture is the power in the compassion of forgiveness revealed in his conversation with the crowd and with the woman, for in this conversation we see the grace that God has extended to all of us.

The compassionate heart of Jesus looked at this woman, and what he saw was one who needed redemption, not condemnation. Please don’t misunderstand. Forgiveness is not overlooking sin. Jesus could forgive this woman because he knew he came to pay the penalty of sin once and for all. It was with the full view of the cross in front of him that this woman was before him that day. And it was his blood about to be shed that opened the heart of God to grant forgiveness to this woman. 

Forgiveness is not a compromise on God’s part. It is God’s way of dealing with sin. Because Jesus paid the penalty for sin, and satisfied God’s holiness, forgiveness is available. Because Christ took the punishment, bearing our sins on the cross, God can forgive us. Forgiveness means that Christ has taken our place, and extended to us God’s grace.

And this is no cheap grace Jesus offers. Jesus did not simply say to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you,” but added, “Go and sin no more.” With that statement, Jesus brought forgiveness and laid the blessing at her doorstep. It was his challenge to the woman to live a life above the one she was living. With Jesus’ forgiveness came the challenge, “You can live a better life.” You can live a life above this sin. I am freeing you to claim that life.

We’ve all seen the Peanuts comic strips with Lucy holding the football and inviting Charlie Brown to kick. Every time Lucy held the ball for Charlie, he would approach the ball and kick, and Lucy would always pick up the ball and Charlie would go head over heels and land flat on his back.

One particular strip opens with Lucy holding the ball, but Charlie Brown would not kick the ball. Lucy begs him to kick the ball, but Charlie Brown said, “Every time I try to kick the ball you remove it and I fall on my back.”

Finally Lucy breaks down in tears and admits, “Charlie Brown I have been so terrible to you over the years, picking up the football like I have. I have played so many cruel tricks on you, but I’ve seen the error of my ways! I’ve seen the hurt look in your eyes when I’ve deceived you. I’ve been wrong, so wrong. Won’t you give a poor penitent girl another chance?”

Charlie Brown, moved by her display of grief, said, “Of course, I’ll give you another chance.” He stepped back as she held the ball, and he ran. At the last moment, Lucy picked up the ball and Charlie Brown fell flat on his back.

Lucy’s last words were, “Recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things, Charlie Brown!”  

Jesus makes the same challenge to us. Receiving his forgiveness challenges us to look at our lives, to face our sin, and seeing the nastiness of it, to claim the promise and the power to live the full life Jesus offers.

The challenge of Jesus leads us to repentance. Repentance is not simply being sorry, but being sorry and changing our minds about sin. Repentance is the human response to the grace of God in forgiveness.

We, like that woman, are before Jesus condemned for our sin, but Jesus looks upon us with eyes of compassion, and because of his shed blood, says to us, neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.

The gift of forgiveness is not merely for our own benefit, but so that we might extend the same forgiveness to others. When we make our confession that we believe in the forgiveness of sins, we are confessing that we not only receive forgiveness, but we live as forgiving people. 

Someone once said that “forgiveness is the most enjoyed but least employed of all the Christian virtues.” We like to say we’re forgiving in our attitude, but we’re really more like the woman who was bitten by a rabid dog, and it looked like she was going to die from rabies. The doctor told her to put her affairs in order, so the woman took pen and paper, and began writing furiously. She wrote and wrote and wrote. Finally, the doctor said, “That sure is a long will you’re making.”

“Will, nothing!” she snorted. “I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!”

Forgiveness rights the wrong, not because the wrong has been undone, but because the one wronged surrenders the right for revenge. That is what Jesus Christ did on the cross. He surrendered his will to the Father. That is what he calls us to do. Archibald Hart says it this way: “Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt you for hurting me.”  

Jesus also confronted the crowd and forced them to face their own sinfulness. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone…” That was Jesus’ way of saying, “You’re breaking the law now.” You see, the law called for a trial of both the man and the woman, not public humiliation as was the intent here. They thought about it and dropped their stones. Their trap set for Jesus turned back on themselves. That’s what hatred can do. That’s what unforgiveness can do.      

It is so easy for us to throw stones at others for the wrongs they have done, especially the wrongs they have done to us. These people in the crowd stood ready to condemn this woman to death. They were more than ready to exercise their right and their authority.

The stones they held were the stones of condemnation. Condemnation flows out of the human desire to control others rather than out of hearts full of love. But most of the stones we stand ready to hurl at others for hurting us, might be the very stones that others use to throw at us.

Perhaps we have not hurt others in the same way they have hurt us, but at the very least we have hurt the heart of God with our sin, and yet, He has forgiven us. You see, Jesus knew, as that crowd was gathered around him, that it took more strength to drop those rocks than it did to throw them. So he gently (and sometimes not so gently) reminds us of our own sinfulness, so he can also remind us of how much he has forgiven us.

So, as I ponder the news of this week, I’ll opt to forgive these very public figures for their perceived (or not) failures. No, they didn’t do anything to me to have to be forgiven for, but I forgive them for tarnishing their Christian witness, which does affect us all. I’ll forgive them because I believe in the forgiveness of sins–theirs, yours and mine.

I’ll also pursue a life of holiness, one that reflects obedience and faithfulness to the call of Christ upon my life. I’ll pray for strength. I’ll pray for guidance. I’ll pray for peace. I’ll pray for wisdom. I’m sure at some point, I’ll pray again for forgiveness. I always do. I always have to…because of the fragile nature of my own Christian witness. I’ll do it because I believe in the forgiveness of sins.

Until next time, keep looking up…

It’s “Harvest Time”…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

My house is orange! Orange blankets. Orange pictures. Orange pumpkins. Orange candy. Orange candles. Orange pillows. If it comes in orange and it’s made for the home, then Vanessa has one and it is currently decorating our home. That’s not a complaint, mind you. It is simply a statement of reality…a statement of reality that reminds me that it is “harvest time,” and I can’t help but recall the passage of scripture from Matthew 9:

37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Matthew 9: 37 – 38 (NLT)

I think the harvest is a great as it has ever been…especially in the United States of America. I was reading a Pew Research document that says if current trends continue, Christians will be a minority by 2070, with “nones” or “non-affiliated” persons becoming the majority. I think it is a damning testimony on the church, but I also believe it is a great challenge for the Church to reclaim one of its primary functions–evangelism.

Evangelism! Big scary word. Real simple meaning. Evangelism is the spreading of the Christian gospel by preaching and personal witness. Whew! I just let you off the hook because you’re not a “preacher,” right? Wrong! We’re all called to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is interesting to note that immediately after Jesus said what he said in Matthew 9, he commissioned his disciples in Matthew 10 to get busy in the harvest and gave them a long list of instructions (read the passage here)–announce the Kingdom of Heaven, heal the sick, raise the dead, among many others.

Jesus commissioned the disciples with a message to preach. The message Jesus gave the disciples was a simple one: preach the Kingdom of Heaven. We, too, are commissioned to preach the Kingdom of Heaven.

Instruction about ministry is especially important today because of the misconceptions that exist about ministry. The greatest misconception is that the ministry is something that the preacher does, that ministry is for the ordained personnel of the church. When we use the word “minister” we usually mean the professional. While it is true that God has called some to the ministry as a profession, He has called all of us to be ministers. So, yes, as a disciple, we’re all called to preach! Didn’t know that, did you?

What exactly do we preach? What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

If you had an “elevator speech” could you tell someone what the Kingdom of Heaven is? You know what an elevator speech is? You’re in an elevator for two minutes with another person. What can you say in two minutes that might change a person’s life? Do you even have one? Defining the Kingdom of Heaven in a two-minute elevator speech would be nearly impossible. Yet, Jesus had one. It comes from the prophet Isaiah, and he used it when he began his earthly ministry. We find it recorded in Luke’s Gospel: 

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f]

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”     

Luke 4: 16 – 20 (NIV)

Talk about good, short sermons, Jesus proclaimed to his hearers (good Jewish folks, remember) that this idea of God’s reign was now among them. The simple message is that God’s salvation has come. Here’s the good news we proclaim: God has come in Jesus Christ to redeem that which sin has destroyed. That’s the message Christ committed to his disciples. It’s the message he’s committed to us. And so, WE proclaim.

I hear you saying, “But, I’m no preacher, Preacher!” Ah! But, you are! As Jesus commissioned the disciples he says that proclamation was two-fold—words and deeds. We’re all to proclaim the Kingdom, and it is as imperative to use words as it is to take action. When we act in love and charity without proclamation of the Gospel we leave the gospel half told. When we proclaim the Gospel without acts of mercy, we leave the gospel half told. That’s the reason we all need an “elevator speech,” but that speech need be nothing more than to share what Christ has done for each of us.

That raises another question: How has your encounter with Christ changed your life? That is the beginning of your elevator speech. Proclamation means sharing in word what Christ has done to save us. It also means sharing in deed. There’s no transformation in one without the other. Words are imperative. Action is imperative. What we do, we do in Jesus’ name. What we do, we do with a desire to see something different in our lives and in the lives of those we are in relationship with.

We can say, “I love you,” but what do we do to show a person that love? Words are great. Words are necessary, but the acts that back up the love solidify the proposition. A person needs to hear they are loved. Dr. Les Parrot says a relationship cannot survive without verbal expressions of love. A relationship also cannot survive without visible signs of that love.

Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a book in 1995 entitled The Five Love Languages. His premise is that every one of us has a primary and a secondary love language…ways we feel the emotion of love. They are: 1) physical touch, 2) words of affirmation, 3) gift giving, 4) acts of service and 5) quality time.

I have perceived, after nearly 42 years of marriage, that my wife has three love languages: quality time, acts of service and gift giving. Which one is primary depends on what time of the year it is! I can say “I love you,” all day long, but she doesn’t feel loved until I show her in one of those three ways. It’s the same for me. My love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation. She can say “I love you,” but to feel loved takes physical touch and words of affirmation. My point is we need both words and action. 

So, it is in the world when we show and share the love of Christ. We can say, “God loves you and I love you,” and it’s true, but until we put feet to that faith, lives lack transformation. We can say to a hungry person, “God loves you,” but unless we give the hungry man a piece of bread, the words are hollow.

That’s exactly what the Apostle John, who was sitting at the feet of Jesus on the day he sent the apostles out, said in 1 John 3: 17 – 18: “17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

John Wesley believed that, too. Wesley went into the coal mines and industrial towns of England and “preached” the good news…was often pelted with fruit…was jeered and derided, by those both inside and outside the church. But, Wesley also took actions that sought to change the lives of the poor and destitute of England. Wesley saw three stages of giving: charity which relieves immediate pain (give the man a fish); philanthropy which seeks to cure the diseases of society (teach the man to fish); and social justice, which recognizes that all people have rights to the good things of God’s earth without being made objects of either charity or philanthropy (give the man access to a pond).

That only leaves the “how,” doesn’t it? That has a simple answer, too—through his power and authority. Suffice it to say that as Jesus told his disciples to “take nothing for the journey,” that it was a call to trust fully in his ability to provide for their needs. Jesus was saying, “All you need is me! I’ll be with you.” All we need to fulfill the mission is faith in Jesus. If we depend on our own strength, we’ll fail. Heck, most of us won’t even try. When we “go” into the world with trust in Christ, we’ll discover doors open we never saw before. We’ll see the Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven…and that’s the mission, right? Don’t we believe that it’s possible?

It is “harvest time!” I am grateful to my wife for the reminder.

Until next time, keep looking up…

A Lot of “One Another-ing”…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Studying for a recent message, I was led to reflect on the number of times the New Testament talks about our relationship with “one another.” I was prompted by the Apostle Paul’s admonition to the church at Ephesus…

4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…

Ephesians 4: 1-2 (NASB)

So, here is what I found in my reflection:

Love one another.

Serve one another.

Accept one another.

Strengthen one another.

Help one another.

Encourage one another.

Care for one another.

Forgive one another.

Submit to one another.

Commit to one another.

Trust with one another.  

Be devoted to one another.

Be patient with one another.

Be interested in one another.

Be accountable to one another.

Confess to one another.

Live in harmony with one another.

Do not pass judgment on one another.

Do not slander one another.

Instruct one another.

Greet one another.

Admonish one another.

Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Meet with one another.

Agree with one another.

Be concerned for one another.

Be humbled to one another in love.

Be compassionate to one another.  

Do not anger one another.

Do not lie to one another.

Do not grumble to one another.

Give preference to one another.

Be at peace with one another.

Be of the same mind with one another.

Comfort one another.

Be kind to one another.

Live in peace with one another.

Carry one another’s burdens.

By my count, that’s 38 “one anothers” in the New Testament. There are probably more and if I took more time, I’d probably find them, but time is a precious commodity and the deadlines are pressing, so I invite you to add to my list if I missed any. I promise that you won’t offend me if you correct me. Please correct me. It’s called accountability, which is one of the “one anothers.”

My point is simply this: that’s a lot of “one another-ing!” One another-ing only happens in the context of the Body of Christ. It is what we’re called to as the church.

My reflection also raises the question: How are we doing with our one another-ing?

We’re (I’m) not doing it perfectly, but that’s okay. I’m not perfect. And, the church isn’t perfect. That’s why we (I) need grace. The church isn’t perfect because it is made up of imperfect people. How does the saying go? If you ever find a perfect church, don’t go! You’re sure to mess it up.

I do think, though, that all this one another-ing is not simply about going to church. It is about belonging to the church. The Church! You know? The Communion of Saints! Yes, that holy, catholic body that exists across time and space, and in all places where the name of Jesus Christ is exalted. Yes, that Church that is, at one and the same time, both global and local. This Church is meant to make a difference in the world, but it will only do so as we grow in our capacity to “one another” properly. We grow by the grace of God in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirt.

So, how’s your “one anothering” coming along?

Until next time, keep looking up…

It’s Who You Know…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1: 8 (NIV)

I’ve been in ministry for over 32 years, and one of the questions most asked of me in those years is “How can I do what I know God wants me to do?” The question has taken many forms, but that is the essence of what people want to know. I think that is because the Christian experience is common among us. We try to do our best but find ourselves often coming up short. We try and we fail, and we live with guilt at our failings until finally frustration sets in and we wonder, “Why can’t I live the way God wants me too?”

Knowing the Holy Spirit

My answer to those who ask that question is always the same: “We (and by ‘we’ I mean ‘me, too) don’t use the power.” What we believe about the Holy Spirit matters, and I’m not so sure we really know what we believe.

Our confession that we believe in the Holy Spirit says we confess He is the third person of the Godhead, on a level equal with our confession that we believe in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, the Son. We confess that the Spirit is something more than an abstract, impersonal force.

Some have ventured to make him just that as they have reduced him to some logic of history, or to some category of being existing unto itself. Theologians have called him God’s energy while others have made him the element of some political practice, but each one of those attempts denies the personal nature of the Holy Spirit.

How do we know he is a person? The Bible, of course. Throughout scripture, the Holy Spirit is seen acting as a person acts. He guides, he convicts, he intercedes, he calls, and he commissions. The Spirit, like a person, is resisted (Acts 7:51), avoided, or answered (Acts 10: 19-21). The Bible says the Spirit can be grieved ((Ep. 4:30), and in one compelling event in Acts 5: 3-9, we see the consequences when someone lies to the Holy Spirit. There, Aninias and his wife Saphirra sold land and brought the proceeds to the church at Jerusalem. They lied about the amount, and both dropped dead before the Apostles. The charge was that Aninias and Saphirra lied to the Holy Spirit. We can’t lie to an impersonal force, or an energy, or a political practice. We can only lie to a person.

The work and the character of the Holy Spirit are, in essence, one with the Father. Don’t ask me to explain it beyond that, for theologians much greater than I have attempted to do just that, and have failed. We say that the Father is God over us, the Son is God beside us, and the Spirit is God within us.

God Within Us

God within us. There, perhaps, lies the answer to the question of living the kind of life God desires for us. When we understand the purpose and work of the Holy Spirit, then we can begin to understand how we can live the kind of life God desires for us.

We don’t spend much time talking about, or thinking about, the Holy Spirit. There may be many reasons for that. Perhaps we simply don’t understand the Spirit so we shy away from discussions concerning him, or rather we don’t want to be connected with or confused for what some have labeled fanatics who speak in tongues, dance in aisles, and attempt acts of healing, and all in the name of the Holy Spirit. But our misunderstanding, or our reluctance to be labeled fanatics does not diminish the fact that the Holy Spirit is real and can make a difference in our lives. 

God’s Power

The Holy Spirit is the power of the Godhead. His task is to bring into being the commandment of the Father and the performance of the Son. Before we can understand the task of the Holy Spirit, we need to understand the task of the Father and the task of the Son.

Let me try to explain. God the Father is the One who gives the command. He has always said, “Let there be…” God the Son performs the command of the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the power that produces the action. An illustration might be helpful here. 

Suppose I said “John, go turn on the light.” 

I have given the command, but I have not performed anything. John goes to the switch, pushes it, and the light comes on. John performed the act, but John is not the reason the light came on. Why did the light come on? Because there was power.

The Holy Spirit is the power of God. The Holy Spirit brings into action the performance of the Son. The Son has died on the cross and has overcome sin, hell, death, and the grave. The power of the Spirit, made real in Jesus Christ to be obedient to the Father, is made available to us in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Power is the key. Jesus told the disciples they would receive power. Power for living. Are we living with the Spirit’s power? We live long on form and style, and dogma, but we live short on power. And we wonder why we fail to live holy lives—lives worthy of God’s calling.

What kind of power does the Spirit give us? Most importantly, he gives us power to overcome sin, and that is the first step to living like God desires for us to live. Paul explains to the Christians at Rome–Romans 8:2: For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.

Jesus tells his disciples in John 16:8 that the Holy Spirit brings our sins to mind, not to condemn us, but so we can confront them and conquer them. Yes, I said conquer them. How do we conquer them? By grace and repentance, and it is the power of the Holy Spirit at work bringing us to maturity as believers. The Holy Spirit takes the hunger for sinful pleasure and replaces it with a hunger for intimacy with God. Paul continues:

Romans 8:12-14

So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

So, not only does Paul say we have the power to overcome sin, but the Holy Spirit can actually lead, or give direction to our lives.

We see that in the life of Jesus and the early church. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordon River, Matthew records the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus’ life:

Matthew 4:1

Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil.

Jesus also told his disciples there would come a day when they, too, would be persecuted for their faith, and that they would be brought before authorities, but not to worry, for the Holy Spirit would give direction to their words even as they stood before those authorities (Luke 12:11-12).

Paul and Silas were prevented from going places in ministry: Acts 16:6

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time.

The greatest place the Holy Spirit can lead us, and this is where we find victorious Christian living, is into peace, joy, and hope: 

Romans 15:13

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

How can this power be ours? I believe in the Holy Spirit, but that doesn’t seem to make any difference. Don’t I have the Holy Spirit just by believing in Jesus? Yes, you do. 

Ephesians 1:13-14

And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. [14] The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.

The moment we receive Jesus Christ as Savior we have the Holy Spirit with us. We might say our hearts become his home, and the Spirit’s task, upon taking residency in our hearts, is to shine the light on Christ.

He brings us power to overcome sin, to be led into a deeper life, and to have great joy and hope, but all those are the results of Jesus being glorified in us and through us. That’s why Jesus said,

 8But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

It’s all about Jesus. Having the Holy Spirit within us does not necessarily mean he controls us, though. He is much too much the gentleman for that. The Holy Spirit waits for our surrender. He waits for us to ask for him to take control. Jesus said: 

Luke 11:12-13

Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! [13] If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Stay Connected

Have we asked him? The power is there. It has been there all the time. The difference is being connected.

In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.”

He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life. For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.

J.B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians l:19-20,

“How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God.” When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us.

Here’s he truth I live with: When I fail to live a Christ-like life, it is because I have become disconnected from the power. I’ve been un-plugged, as it were. We have to stay connected to the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit.

How? It’s real simple, folks–the spiritual disciplines. Thing like prayer, bible study, fasting, solitude, simplicity, service, Christian fellowship, confession, worship and might I add, as a good Wesleyan, Holy communion.

There are more and I could take a lot of time unpacking each one, but it’s late and I have to go to church–where I’ll be receiving Holy communion. After all, I need to stay plugged-in!

Until next time, keep looking up…

Thanks, Bob…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

As a child I basically had three heroes. First was my Papaw (Willie Roberts). He was my mother’s dad. As long as I can remember he struggled with rheumatoid arthritis and was bed-ridden at the end of his life. He had an indomitable spirit, though. He never gave up. He persevered. He never complained about the pain. He just kept going, no matter what. 

My Papaw also showed me what grace is like. I think that’s because he had such a deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. It was his faith in Jesus Christ that made his a generous soul. He didn’t have much when he died. That’s because he had pretty much given it all away–either to his children, to the church or to Jimmy Swaggart! I like to believe I inherited any generosity I may have from my Papaw. He was one of my heroes growing up.

The second of my heroes as a child was my Paw (Bill Malone). He was my father’s dad. He was a merchant all his life. He first owned a general store back in the days when a general store was a thing. His was a Walmart long before there was a Walmart, and when he died he still owned a hardware store in my hometown. 

Many of my days not spent in school were spent at either Malone’s Grocery and later Malone’s Hardware. He gave me my first “paying” job sweeping floors, stocking shelves and toting feed bags for customers. 

Any business sense I have (ain’t saying I have a lot) I learned from him. Working for him I learned about inventory and inventory control. I learned about accounts receivable and accounts payable. I learned how to negotiate with vendors.

Customer service? He had it down to an art form. He bent over backwards to take care of his customers. You better believe there wasn’t a customer who asked for an item he didn’t have more than once. If he didn’t have it when they asked for it, he made sure it was ordered and he would have it on their next visit. It was easy to walk around Malone’s Hardware and see unique items on the shelves and you’d think “Why would he ever have that in here?” Well, it was because some customer sometime had inquired about the item. He’d never be out of it again! He might not ever sell it, but by God, it was now in stock!

I like to think I inherited my work ethic from him, too. He was operating that old hardware store the very day he had the heart attack that would eventually take his life. He worked hard…every day…seven days a week. Yes, even Sunday found him at the grocery store (gotta’ check the coolers) or the hardware store (getting the order ready for Monday morning) working. Retirement wasn’t in his vocabulary. I’m not sure it is in mine either, but after all, retirement isn’t a biblical concept, so…

My third childhood hero? Bob Barker! Saturday, which was an otherwise good day I spent working turned bittersweet when I arrived home, sat down (to cool off!), checked Facebook and discovered that Bob Barker died. I’m not gonna’ lie. My childhood mornings, if not spent in school or at the store, would be spent watching The Price is Right.

I wanted to be Bob Barker when I grew up. Bob just seemed so friendly. He acted like he loved everybody. He was happy to celebrate when a contestant won a prize. And, the contestants absolutely loved him. Oh, and he was a snappy dresser, too. I was mesmerized by Bob Barker. I wanted to be the host giving away all those prizes. I wanted to be that snappy dresser. I wanted the adoration of those contestants. I wanted to be on that stage, under those lights, telling contestants to spin that wheel. Weird, I know, but it’s true, so…

It was so bad that I even asked for The Price is Right board game for a birthday present. I got it, too! I would get my cousins (Kevin and Angie) and I would force them to play so I could pretend I was Bob Barker, and I usually put on my “radio” voice when we would play the game. I’m sure they thought I was crazy, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be like my hero.

Bob (I call him Bob because I felt as though I knew him) started his career in radio, so I thought that’s what I should do, too. At age 15, as soon as I could drive, I boldly drove to Jonesboro, LA, went into the local radio station (KTOC-AM & FM) and asked Ted Colvin for a job. He gave it to me! I started working nights and weekends as a DJ spinning country vinyl on the AM side, and at sundown (when the AM “went dark”), I would spin Southern Gospel vinyl on the FM until 10:00 p.m., when the station signed off. Spinning all those Southern Gospel records is probably where I got my love for quartet music.

I eventually graduated to the “big city” station in Ruston, LA (KXKZ-FM), where I worked weekends on-air. The pay sucked, but I loved every minute of it. In those days, we teenagers worked 8-hour shifts on both Saturday and Sunday. Surely, if I stuck it out, I’d be on my way to filling Bob’s shoes.

As a companion part of the plan, I convinced my high school principal (Mr. Black) to allow me to enroll in vo-tech in Ouachita Parish because they had a curriculum entitled Television Studio Technology. My junior and senior years of high school, I’d leave Chatham High School at 11:30 a.m., make the half-hour drive to West Monroe so I could be in class by 12:30 p.m., when the afternoon session of TV Studio Technology commenced. Surely, I was on my way to becoming the next Bob Barker.

Did you ever hear this old saying? “Want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans!” The Lord must have been laughing at me all the time because He sure had other plans. I met a girl! A girl I really liked, I liked her so much that I quit my job at the radio station because I didn’t have time to date her. I decided I would much rather be with her than spinning all those records on Saturday and Sunday. Oh, yes! She was worth it…and she still is! Yes, the girl I met was Vanessa. She’s the girl I married and am still married to, and I wouldn’t trade the life we’ve made together for any other plan I ever made.

God’s plan was for me to spend my life in ministry. I’ll have to tell you the story I’ve come to call “The Case of Divine Evaporation” sometime, but as I look back upon my life during this morning of reflection, I see God’s hand guiding all the way, and I know the Lord used those childhood heroes to grow me into the pastor and person I am.

Without my Papaw, I wouldn’t know grace, faith and perseverance. Without my Paw, I wouldn’t have known budgets, entrepreneurism and customer service (which all served me well as a pastor and now as a business owner). And, I have no doubt that my desire to emulate Bob Barker made me a better preacher, not in terms of theology or preparation, but in terms of presentation.

So, there! God gave me three great childhood heroes. He used them all to put me into His plan. I’m grateful for and love all of them. Now, I have to get ready for church. Bill Malone taught me to work seven days a week.

Until next time, keep looking up…