Devotions | The Journey

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James and Paul’s Conversation

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?” Excerpt from James 2:14-26

Often parts of the Bible seem to contradict one another. A Seminary professor suggested we think of them as being in conversation. Tonight I want to mention that the short book of James is always having a conversation with the letters of Paul.

Paul emphasized the importance of faith. He reassured us that we do not have to earn our own salvation by our own good works. We can receive God’s grace as an undeserved, unearned gift.

James shoots back in the conversation with a warning. Don’t use your faith as a “get out of jail free” card. You still have to do good things in the world, and faith alone won’t do it.

Which one of these guys is right? I think they both are, and together they make for a rich conversation.

Paul is right to remind us that we don’t have to earn God’s love. We really can quit trying to be perfect. Jesus came for the imperfect people. He can save us, even after we have done terrible things. Everybody gets to grow and change.

And James is right to remind us that how we behave really matters to God. We can’t just pray for the homeless to enjoy life in heaven. We also need to think about their shelter and food in the here and now. What kind of faith would ignore people’s suffering?

Paul gets more airtime in the Bible, with all his many letters. So today, let’s give James the last word and let his challenge fill our prayer.

Dear God, you are the giver of faith. So when my belief is unsteady, lead me to concrete work I can do on your behalf. I want my faith to be alive, so rather than fixating on that faith, let me do the practical work and service that will draw me closer to you, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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The Gold Edged Bible

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”Acts 2:41

Eight men sat in a small dimly lit room in a rural Chinese village home. Seven were preachers and their eyes were glued to the Bible held by the eighth man. It was a leather-bound zippered Bible with gold-edged trim on the pages.

The western visitor suddenly became aware that the seven men were staring intently at his Bible. One of them generated enough courage to say, “What a beautiful Bible. May I look at it for a moment?”

“Of course,” he replied. The Bible was gently handed from person to person as though it was made of eggshells. They asked how much it cost. And their faces fell when they learned it was the equivalent of twenty dollars.

Then the visitor received an inspiration. He decided to make this a personal ministry project. The qualification for receiving one of these Chinese Bibles should be so high that these leaders would be inspired to greater achievement. Yet, at the same time ensure that he would not need to provide a great number.

He told them, “If a person is mightily used by God, then I will bring him one of these Bibles.”

“What do you mean mightily used of God?” the preachers queried eagerly.

Thinking fast he replied, “Those who have led at least 10,000 people to the Lord and discipled another 10,000.”

To his astonishment the preachers burst out laughing. They said, “Oh, this is too easy. There are five of us here who can now qualify for your zippered gold-edged Bible, and we know ten more.”

After his trip the visitor chuckled, “I’m bankrupt.” But more seriously he added, “I’ve been working in China with house church leaders for many years. But one thing never changes…I am literally taken by surprise during each visit at how fast the church is growing.”

Perhaps we need to take more seriously our responsibility in sharing the Good News. Can you imagine that being true of our church in America? Why not? If we will actually get serious and expect God to empower us to be that kind of leaders… nothing is impossible with God.

Thank you Lord that Your church is continuing to grow quickly in China. May that be a reality in my country as well, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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The Royal Baby

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

As I begin this devotion today, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, has arrived at the hospital, St. Mary’s, and is in labor. Soon there will be the event many people have been waiting for, the birth of the royal baby… the one who will be third in line to the throne of England. At this point we know not whether this baby will be Prince Noah or Princess Abby. But we do know that everyone is excited about this very special event.

You know what gets me is that this child has done nothing. It is just being born into a family, and that family happens to be royal. And that royalty makes this child special.

George W. Bush and I agreed with some things and disagreed with others. But, being the good Methodist he is, he cared about the children with his program called “No Child Left Behind.” Even though it didn’t work and was never funded, the concept was right on target. Every child should be special. No child should be left out or left behind.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the news reporters lined up outside the hospital when your child was born? When every child was born? Saying to every child “You Are Special! You Are Royalty! You Are A Child of The King!” And what if we treated each child as a child that would one day inherite the throne? Can you imagine how the world could be changed if we would treat each child as a prince and princess, and do all that we could to make sure that they were given all the advantages of being raised as a child of the King.

Guess what? Each child already is a child of the King of kings, and therefore each one should be treated as royalty.

Grace and Peace

Steve

Filed under: Children, Church, Devotions, Faith, Families, Friends | 1 Comment »

Good At Grieving

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“They shall call the farmers to mourning, and those skilled in lamentation to wailing…” – Amos 5:16

“I’m getting good at this,” a parishioner said. “I don’t want to be good at this.” Someone shared with me that over the past year, two close family members and a friend had died unexpectedly, and we were planning yet another funeral. Funerals are not the kind of thing that most people, with the possible exception of morticians and ministers, want to get good at.

We may not have professional mourners for hire as they did in Amos’ day, but there are people who’ve been through so much grief that their amateur status is definitely in question. What I notice more often than not, at least in the church, is that the saints who have become skilled at lamentation also tend to have become skilled at other things: gentleness, generosity, commiseration, comforting. They’re the ones who have that special look in their eyes where they let you know they feel bad for you without pitying you. They’re the ones who can hug you without creeping you out, even if you normally dislike hugs from strangers. They’re the ones who can say things that would sound like platitudes coming from anybody else.

It’s not the kind of thing anybody wants to be good at, but thank God for the people who are.

Dear God who grieves every death and who mourns the fall of every sparrow, you knew this pain before any of us felt it. Don’t give us the opportunity to become TOO good at lamentation, but grant that every grief we bear might show us how to help others bear theirs, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

PS: We had a scheduled time with TWC for tomorrow morning to fix the DVR box. Guess what???? They came by a day early!!!!!!!!!!!

Filed under: Church, Devotions, Faith, Families, Friends | Tagged: grief | 1 Comment »

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, ‘Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.’ But she said to her, ‘Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?’ Rachel said, ‘Then he may lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.'” Excerpt from Genesis 29:31—30:24

Have you ever noticed that what people really want is respect? The mandrake of respect. They can put up with poverty, but can’t live without respect. They can put up with not being recognized for their labor, but not live a minute without respect. When Rachel and Leah squabble about adultery, they are saying something more than they no longer like each other. One is saying to the other. Enough. “R E S P E C T, find out what it means to me,” as only Aretha Franklin can sing it.

Everybody has a breaking point. Your spouse can leave the towel on the floor 99 times and the 100th time you declare the most intimate of catastrophes. Your child can throw 15 tantrums on Wednesday only to be screamed at for the first one on Thursday. Everybody has a mandrake. The shrinks like to call these things triggers. Don’t you love gun metaphors?

War will stop if we learn how to give respect. Street crime will decrease if young men find someone who understands that they don’t really like school and that they need a little respect. And as St. Francis fully understood, you need to notice to be noticed, love to be loved – and respect to be respected. Respect is the avant-garde of issues, the early soldier on the field. It is not the rear guard of matters. Take my husband, but for God’s sake at least leave me a mandrake.

(mandrake: a Mediterranean plant of the nightshade family, with white or purple flowers and large yellow berries. It has a forked fleshy root that supposedly resembles the human form and was formerly widely used in medicine and magic, allegedly shrieking when pulled from the ground.)

Dear Lord, whatever happens between us and our friends and family, let it issue in respect, first given, and then received. We know you will take it from there, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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We Need the Freshness of God’s Breath

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“After forty days, Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made.” – Genesis 8:6

I can only imagine how exhilarating that moment must have been. Noah has been cooped up in a big boat with a lot of smelly animals (and people) for a very long time. It’s raining cats and dogs outside, while the camels and geese and mongooses et al. are assaulting Noah’s five senses in ways that only a pig farmer from the down east could appreciate.

Suddenly the rain stops and Noah bolts through the pens and roped-up animals, avoiding bites and scratches as best he can, and finds his way to a small portal (the first vehicle’s sun roof) where he sticks his head out, basks in the sunlight, eyes closed, chin raised, breathing deeply the fresh air. This is a moment that erases the boundaries between the physical and spiritual. God’s ruach, God’s breath, is present with Noah like never before.

As I write this I remember when Steve Tucker installed new windows in our Greensboro home. The old windows were either falling apart (in the attic) or stuck due to occasional paint jobs through the years. With my allergies, I am not one who loves to throw open the windows and breathe that fresh air. I use to be before I got all weird. Shirley loves to open those windows and let in all that yellow stuff, along with the fresh air. I like to breathe air that has already been “conditioned” by a large machine that resides in the back yard and is connected to the house by the large pipes called ducts.

Now, I would love to take that deep, deep breath of God if I were on or in a running mountain stream in early Spring or Fall, and reclaim my status as a child of nature and as a child of God. In that climate I would experience the freshness of God.

I am afraid that there are too many people like me in this world – people who allow the allergies of our lives keep the windows closed tightly on God’s freshness. I read the newspaper, listen to the never-ending new and opinion programs. In all of them the story is told of how stale the air in our world has grown. Look at how we see each other, treat each other, and push forward only our own agenda, whether it has anything to do with God or not.

It is time for all of us to open our windows today, both of home and soul. Take a long, deep breath. Look through the SON roof and see the Dry land is on your horizon. God can and will change this world through us if we breathe in God’s freshness and then share it with others we breathe out to the world around us.

Dear God of rain and dry land, may your wind lead us home, may your breath fill our lungs with pleasant odors, and may your spirit offer us a new and hopeful future, may your love make us know we are one, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Hope Flew Out The Window

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

Today on CNN Trayvon Martin’s father said that “this jury did not consider this case from his son’s perspective”. He is right. However, what he did not say was that they really could not do that. They could only understand it from their life’s understanding and perspective of the facts presented to them. Let me use some of Ron Hall’s book “What Difference Do It Make?” to help us in this explanation.

Ron’s book is about a man named Denver Moore, a black friend, who tells the story of his life. Some of these moments are very revealing about the separation between all of us. Denver says: “I was born in Red River Parish, Louisiana, in 1937, a time when whites was whites and blacks was colored. Officially, there wadn’t no slavery, but that didn’t mean there wadn’t no slaves.

We was sharecroppin on a plantation down near Coushatta. When you is croppin, here is how it works. The man that own the plantation give you everything you need to make a cotton crop, ‘cept he give it to you on credit. Then you plant and plow and chop cotton till pickin time. When you bring in that cotton, you s’posed to split that crop down the middle, or maybe 60/40, and the man take his share and you take yours. ‘Cept somehow it never did work out that way ’cause by the time you pay the man back for all he done loaned you on credit, ain’t nothin left outta your share a’ the crop. In fact, most a’ the time, you in the hole, so you got to work another season on the plantation to pay back what you owe.

I worked like that all the way till the 1960’s, all without no paycheck. Then one day when I was grown, I realized I wadn’t never gon’ get ahead. I wad’t never gon be able to pay the man back what I owed. “

This is the first part I want to share with you tonight. Can you imagine that you will have to work very hard all your life and never break even, never get ahead. No one is going to listen, really listen, nor give you a chance. He said, “No body is going to give you a job that paid enough for you to get a place to stay when you done told them you use to be a slave on a plantation. They would throw you a dollar every now and then, and say “Here’s a dollar. Good luck and God bless.” What he is saying is summed up in his next words: “Hope flew out the window. For most of us there came a time when nobody was willin to take us in. Nobody was willin to help in no kinda way. All the doors was slammed in our faces, and the next thing you know, we just sittin on the curb with every-body passing us by, won’t even look at us. And once that happens, people rather come up and pet a stray dog than even say hello.

Even when you see those homeless folks on the street that look real cheerful and happy, that’s just a mask. Underneath is a swamp of misery, but they put on that mask so they can get through the day”.

I read some of Denver’s story and I began to realize that what was missing was hope of things ever changing or people ever caring. Tonight let me leave you with this thought: spend time pondering how you think your life would be if you were in Denver’s shoes: No job, no hope of ever getting a job. Nobody willing to help you out of the pit you are in. Imagine how your life would be right now if you were Denver. It is easy to see that we don’t understand.

Grace and Peace

Steve

Send your responses and let’s see how it affects us.

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Walk A Mile in My Shoes

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

I have fought in a war, spent four years in the Marine Corps, forty years in the ministry in the United Methodist Church, dealt with all sorts of people in all sorts of dire circumstances and situations. I was raised in the church by parents who were called by God to be in ministry and who believed I was called to ministry, as well. I have watched my parents and Shirley’s parents both die and took part in their memorial celebrations. I had two nephews drown in a farm pond when they were seven and nine.

My parents being in ministry we moved many times to all sorts of places. My dad had to leave the ministry because my mother was sick and he could not pay the bills. It even got so bad at one time the Salvation Army brought my brother and me Christmas presents (one each). In moving so much we had many friends but very few close friends. I spent twelve years in college, seminary and graduate school.

I am married with one son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. I love my wife and am faithful to her. We keep our grandkids almost every weekday.

I am a recently retired United Methodist Minister. I love the Lord and believe we all should grow in the likeness of Christ, love everyone as we would a brother or sister, and treat each other as we would want to be treated.

I have mentioned this long litany of my life’s circumstances and relationships because all of this has gone into making me the person I am today. If one or more of these had been different I could be speaking from a different perspective.

With all my life’s experiences I still cannot truly walk in someone else’s shoes… I cannot experience their life. I can read about them, talk with them, see documentaries about their life and cultural situations, but I cannot really understand them fully until I live their life.

Eric Holder, the United States Attorney General, explained this in his recent speech to the NAACP, when he said that as a young black college student in Georgetown he was running because he was late for the start of a movie when he was stopped by a young police officer. I probably would not have been stopped… none of us white persons would have been stopped. All black people, however, understand why Eric was stopped, they might have been stopped, and they know why.

Tonight, please take the time to consider what made you who you are today. But more than that, let us get ready for a little more discussion tomorrow night about how some/many black people experience life in the U.S.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Where Are You Dad?

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. … Hosea 8:7a

Hosea’s words about reaping the whirlwind have found a new application in the 21st century of North America. That calls for an explanation — an explanation which begins with a quiz. And, lest you’re wondering, it most certainly is not a trivia quiz. Just fill in the blank:

* According to the U.S. Department of Health, 63 percent of youth suicides come from _______ homes.

* According to the Center for Disease Control, 85 percent of all children with mental or behavioral disorders come from __________ homes.

* According to the National Principals Association 71 percent of high school dropouts come from ______________ homes.

* According to The Christian Post, girls are 711 percent more likely to have children as a teen, 53 percent less likely to marry as a teen, and 92 percent more likely to get divorced if they are from a ____________ home.

Well, did you figure out the answer?

To get 100 percent on the quiz you can put the word “fatherless” into each of the blanks above.

In spite of those frightening figures, in my lifetime I have seen society “sow the wind,” as fathers have gone from knowing best to knowing nothing at all. The king has deserted his castle and is now confined to his man cave. No longer revered and respected, dads are discounted and disregarded.

And where does the whirlwind come in? In this: even as the percentage of women who respect marriage is rising dramatically, the percentage of men who value marriage is dropping — like a stone. And who will pay the price for this shift in society? It will be the children, of course. You need not be a rocket scientist or brain surgeon to see the downward spiral this situation creates.

Now you may wonder what does all this have to do with a Devotion. Simply this: the homes of Christian men and women are to be different. We have a different standard, a different goal, a different direction. Most certainly, in Jesus, we have a different model to follow.

Paul showed us that model when he wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).

That is a concept the world has never understood. The best, the most noble idea it can come up with is “Marriage is a 50-50 proposition.” That is not what the Bible says. In Scripture fathers are told to emulate Jesus; they are told to give as Jesus gave.

That means giving when it’s not wanted, giving when it’s not appreciated, giving when it is not applauded. It means putting the welfare of others above that of yourself. It means giving until it hurts, giving even to the point where you are ready to sacrifice yourself.

We are to give because that is what Jesus has done for us. From start to finish, from beginning to end, Jesus’ life was dedicated to us. And we fathers with our families can honor our Lord and impact the future by doing as He did. Fathers are you listening?

Dear Lord, may our homes be blessed by Jesus’ presence. May our lives be lived trying to follow His example, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

Filed under: Church, Devotions, Faith, Families, Fathers | Tagged: Marriage | Leave a comment »

Martin & Zimmerman

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

I haven’t followed the Martin/Zimmerman case very closely. I will catch an opinion every now and then. I remember at the very beginning of this thing when this armed militia showed up in Florida vowing to get even for this racial injustice. I remember feeling then that this is not a good thing when people’s feelings get all hot and out of control. Even Martin’s lawyer was playing the race card in the beginning.

Someone stepped in and brought some calm to the situation and diffused what could have been a very, very bad situation.

The more I listened the more I realized that no one really wanted to hear the facts or listen to the story, or even follow the law. What people wanted was their own agenda to prevail. Whatever we believed in the beginning, from our own bias and perspective, is what we kept. And so we just fed ourselves on more and more and more of the stuff that agreed with our opinion and refused to give any consideration to other points of view or facts.

Sounds to me that this is what we do in this country, what we do as human beings… it is the basis of our sinfulness… wanting our own will over that of any other – even God. Now we have demonstrations in many cities protesting the outcome of a trial, where facts were presented, witnesses questioned, instructions given, and the case was presented, according to the law, before a panel of one’s peers. And because it didn’t come out like we wanted it to… we now think the “system” is corrupt.

Since Zimmerman was not found guilty, we now want the Justice Department of the United States to charge him with a hate crime. Martin was black. Zimmerman is bi-racial who is known for helping black children. People who know him say he is not a racist.

I think what is needed now is the very same thing that was needed the night that this 17-year-old young man was killed; we all need to step back, consider where we are and what the situation really is… and approach this matter with an open, sensitive mind and heart.

I don’t know the answer. I do know that there is racial discrimination in every part of the world and in every situation and system. We do not look through another’s eyes very well. I do know that it is NOT 24 hours a day of talking heads trying to force their opinion on you – from either side. Perhaps the answer is turning to God for insight, forgiveness, and a way to learn from this, grow from this and make this a better world.

Dear Lord, I know we have a lot to learn on how to get along with each other and treat each other as brothers and sisters. Forgive us for failing to see and not seeking to understand the plight of all around us. Open our hearts and eyes that we may see and feel the beat of your love deep inside our being. Amen

Grace and Peace

Steve