Road to Damascus

When I was in college, I wrote a weekly column for the student newspaper entitled, "Road to Damascus." I wrote about everything from campus issues to international politics, but I chose that title because it was along the road between Jerusalem and Damascus that Saul encountered the Living Lord and was completely transformed in mind and spirit (Acts 9:1-19). It was a moment of revelation, conversion, surrender and rebirth.

We don't all have Damascus road experiences like Saul had. I have never seen the glory light of heaven or heard the voice of Jesus. But we are all confronted, from time to time, with the unmistakable presence God and His life-changing word. It may happen while reading scripture or during a time of worship. It may come while you are actively seeking God's presence and intentionally listening for His voice. Or you may encounter God in unexpected, startling ways.

God knows how to speak to you. He created you and knows you inside and out. When He is ready to get your attention and speak His truth into your heart, He will. The issue for us is whether we will listen, believe and obey.

Soul

CS Lewis had a way of saying extraordinary things in ordinary language, like this simple line from Mere Christianity that reveals volumes about theology and the Biblical view of what it means to be a human: "You don't have a soul; you are a soul. You have a body." Let that truth rest in your mind for a while.

The truest, most real, and eternal part of who you are is your spiritual nature that is housed, somewhat uncomfortably, inside your mortal body. Many people live as though their soul did not exist. Even people who claim spiritual enlightenment often live as though the body and its limitations were the extent of human experience.

The Biblical truth is, God created us to be immortal, to live forever, but not to be bound for eternity in the frail, broken, sin-drawn bodies we now inhabit. He created us to know and love Him from a part of our being that can reach deeper and soar higher than our minds and muscles. The Psalms are filled with soul-language. We read there the groanings and longings of the deep places. We hear of our spiritual drive to be with God even as the body is failing or suffering or fleeing.

Listen to these lines from Psalm 42:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. (v. 1)
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls. (v. 7)
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed with me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. (vv. 5, 11)

You hear in these words the voice of the soul crying out. This spiritual part of our lives is not separate or other than our bodies and minds, but fully integrated and yet able to transcend. When our bodies suffer, our souls long for relief. When our minds worry, our souls seek comfort.

As we follow Jesus, one of our souls' most vital tasks is to listen to God's voice and discern His leading. We can't always understand what God is doing or why, but our souls can recognize His voice and find refuge in His presence. Whether we face moments of happiness or sorrow or anxiety or success, our souls anchor us to God and give us evident assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Shine

How well do you know your neighbors? In some communities, everyone knows their neighbors. They borrow tools and eggs; they help each other fix things; they watch one another’s kids or dogs. But in other neighborhoods, people don’t seem to know each other. Everyone is private, keeping their doors and windows shut.

Which ever type of community you live in, do the people around you know who you are? Do they know more than your name, but really know your heart? Jesus said His followers are to be known in public, that people should be able to tell that you know Jesus. He said, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light” (Luke 8:16, NIV).

Letting your light shine doesn’t mean being a show-off, it doesn’t mean calling attention to yourself. But it does mean not covering over your faith, not being shy about who you truly are, not being ashamed of your relationship with Jesus. He is our light, our source of life and goodness. It is our joy to let our light of faith shine brightly.

The Last Days

People often ask me my opinion of how Jesus will return and how the world will end and, in particular, about my interpretation of the book of Revelation. One of the privileges of being a pastor is the right to express my opinion on matters that truly matter. Some people in the church worry about the end of the world as though if they believe the wrong thing, they may somehow miss out on Jesus' return. Others boldly (and sometimes foolishly) predict how the end will come and even point to evidence that it is near at hand.

For me, Revelation is exciting, joyful and comforting. It is the only book in the Bible written specifically to us, to followers of Jesus who live in this in-between time, waiting for Jesus' second coming. Revelation is a guide post for the church, a beacon of hope in the midst of turmoil. Jesus appeared to John in glorious form and instructed him to write "what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later" (Rev. 1:19). That's the outline of Revelation: a dramatically symbolic telling of things that took place during Jesus' time on earth, of things that are taking place now in the church, and of things that will come to pass at the very end of this age.

We live in the "what is now" time which much of Revelation describes. By "we," I mean every follower of Jesus since John until now and on and on through the generations until the final events of this age and the creation of the new heaven and new earth. We are living Revelation, just as the church has for 2,000 years. We see anti-christs come and go; we endure persecution and tribulation; we suffer under the weight of political and economic oppression. And most importantly, we overcome all these trials through Jesus.

Our world is a scary place. Jesus said we will hear of wars and revolutions. He said hardships would come. He promised persecution and trouble for His followers. And yet, more powerful than anything that stands against us, Jesus also promised that because He overcame the world, so will all who follow Him as Lord. "To him who overcomes," Jesus said, "I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne" (Rev. 3:21). This is our hope, and nothing in the world can take it away.

Finding Refuge

I think every kid believes that she is safe in bed if the covers are pulled tightly under her chin or, better yet, over her head. Do you remember hiding under the covers at night? Do you remember that feeling of being safe and warm?

As you grow up, you realize the covers don’t really protect you, but you also realize there isn’t really a monster in the closet! No matter your age, we all need a place of safety and warmth, we long for a refuge in times of trouble.

In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.
(Psalm 31:1-5, NIV)

God is our refuge, our place of shelter. He never promised that we wouldn’t face storms in life, but He did promise to be with us through the storms. We hide ourselves in the Lord, trusting that He will watch over us, protect us and hold us close.

Ends Do Not Justify Means

Tragic irony. Our nation's most notorious abortion provider was murdered by a pro-life extremist as he passed out bulletins before worship at his church in Wichita, KS. Dr. George Tiller was a bad man. At his "health" clinic, he routinely killed healthy babies in a procedure known as late-term abortion. His profession is abhorrent to those who value the lives of unborn children. And yet to murder the doctor is also abhorrent.

Those of us who oppose abortion and also oppose violence as a means to stop abortion, are left to shake our heads in dismay. Nothing good comes from Tiller's murder. Evil cannot defeat evil. Violence only spawns more violence.

Scripture tells us to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). Jesus commanded that we love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Followers of Jesus are to be known for our love, not our hate or violence or bigotry. May God grant us wisdom for the facing of this day.