What Was I Thinking

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Ted W Harris

Back in my youth pastor days, I was appointed as the Pointman for the Alliance Youth in northern Indiana. I was responsible for coordinating and collaborating with 12 Alliance churches to bring our youth groups together 3-4 times a year. We did summer camp with 100+ students. A New Year’s Eve Bash. Fun events where you could bring friends and share the gospel. Have you ever done something big and then looked back on it and thought what was I thinking?
One summer I partnered with another Alliance youth pastor in the area and we decided to do a senior high trip to Cedar Point – “the Roller Coast.” Between the two of us we had about 30 senior high students. We would have a lock in the night before with games and food and then get up the next morning and drive the 4 hours to Sandusky, OH, enjoy the roller coasters and drive home that night. As we began to put the plans together, we decided we could invite some of the other churches to join us. We figured a couple churches would take us up on it and the more the merrier. Right?
What were we thinking?
Apparently, everyone thought it was a genius idea and we had over 150 students, plus adults and suddenly our simple trip to Cedar Point seemed out of control. More Food. Bigger Games. Where are 150 kids going to sleep in the church – guys in the sanctuary – girls in the fellowship hall – drivers in the offices. Breakfast – oh yeah – we have to provide breakfast. Transportation?
Well, we did it. We had 25 vans in the caravan, everyone had a great time and we didn’t lose anybody.

But, What were we thinking?

We have been looking at Nehemiah on Sunday mornings and the task to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was daunting. By travailing in prayer, Nehemiah began to see the size of the task through the eyes of God and what seemed daunting to him, through the lens of prayer, seemed completely in the realm of possibility with God. (Nehemiah 1—2) I love the fact that even with the enormity of the task, because God was in it, it was completely doable. The end of chapter 2 and all of 3 is my favorite part. A big God can and wants to accomplish big things through ordinary people like you and me and Nehemiah. And once the people heard Nehemiah tell of God’s vision and provision, “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon my and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.”

What ARE you thinking?
Lives of people all around us resemble the condition of Jerusalem as Nehemiah found it. Our current reality of renewing a nation is intimidating. People are in distress. People are broken down. People are burned. People are angry. The task of evangelizing our little corner of the world is daunting. There are literally millions of people headed toward a Christless eternity and we walk, work, play, shop beside them every day. God has given us this task, or ministry, of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21) Introducing people to Jesus. What was God thinking – leaving that job to us? There are days I am distressed, broken and burned… and angry!

But Nehemiah learned the incredible lesson that nothing is daunting to God. God can do it and still chooses to do it through each one of us. Remember Nehemiah had everyone work right in front of their house. That was his strategy. Renewal begins right where you live and breathe! For Nehemiah it started with prayer, was carried out through prayer, and resulted in prayer. Let me encourage you, nothing is impossible for God – and through prayer nothing is impossible for God and you. What daunting task is God calling you into? Where is God working and inviting you to join him? What part of the wall will you take responsibility for?

“The God of heaven will give us success.” Nehemiah 2:20

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Preparations

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Ted W Harris

“Preparations”

It’s here! As I sit down to write this, we are less than 24 hours from the big event. My oldest daughter is getting married Friday evening. It all kind of hit me during today’s rehearsal as we stood in the little room and practiced walking down the aisle. A year ago the man of her dreams popped the question on the side of a mountain in Colorado and preparations began. I remember telling people that they were getting married next September. It seemed such a long way off then. Now, less than 24 hours. We have been going over the last minute check lists these last couple of days. More preparations. We have been moving things from her old apartment to their new apartment. More preparations. Family and friends are gathering at the Air BnB we reserved months ago. More preparations. The dresses are hung, flowers are laid out, decorations ready to be hung. More preparations.

Friday night at 6pm (9 pm Indiana time for those following along) – No more preparations. No more last minute changes. The music will start. Her brother will walk her mom down the aisle. Her sister will be escorted by the groom’s best friend. And then she and I will take that little stroll that every little girl and dad dream about. No more preparations. Vows will be said. Kisses will be shared. Tears will undoubtedly be shed. No more preparation. Now it’s time to celebrate. The Wedding banquet is ready!

The Bible speaks of another wedding banquet. Preparations are right now being made. This will be the banquet that follows Jesus’ return when he, the bridegroom, gathers his bride, the Church for the kickoff banquet of heaven. We don’t know the day nor the hour of this grand event. More preparations. In Matthew 24-25, Jesus teaches his disciples what that day will be like and the preparations being made for it. We are told that we too must be preparing ourselves for that day.  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Matthew 24:42″ Then no more preparations. After telling us to be alert and watchful, he tells a parable of 10 bridesmaids heading to the wedding. 5 spent their time preparing, getting ready to meet the groom. 5 did not plan ahead and when the time came were found not ready and missed the banquet.  

For each of us the return of Christ is somewhere in the future, maybe next September and it may feel like we have a lot of time to prepare for when the groom comes and the wedding happens. But if we knew that in less than 24 hours the skies would split and Jesus would come riding on the clouds, what would we do? How prepared are we? All of heaven is readying itself for when God says, “Dearly beloved…” (I don’t know what he is actually going to say) and…no more preparations! In the bigger picture of history and eternity, we have these present days to make preparations for the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb. To, by faith, dress ourselves in the clothes of righteousness, the righteousness of Christ. To extend the invitation to family and friends, even knowing that not everyone invited will come. Be diligent in our preparations. 
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7

“Are you ready?”

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Let the Games Begin

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Ted W Harris

As I am sitting at my dining room table we are about 2 minutes from the start of another NFL Season. Chiefs v. Lions. I don’t know why, buy I am really looking forward to this season. Opening week of the season means everyone is tied for first! Everyone seems to have an equal chance of winning it all! Everybody’s future is bright! Every fan base is optimistic, even the Lions! There is just something about a new season, a new day, that brings with it a new hope. Last year is in the rearview mirror, a distant memory soon to be forgotten. The Colts have a lot of new this year. New head coach, new quarterback, new back field, renewed optimism for the future. In many respects the Colts are a new team. And I am ready to cheer them on for the next 17 games. Win or lose I am on their team!

The start of the NFL season is not a whole lot different in my mind than what Paul told the Corinthians about what it is like to follow Jesus. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:18) Did you catch that? Placing your faith, your life, your future in Christ, acknowledging him as your savior, becoming a true follower is like having a whole new season in front of you! Last season, all of the sin from your past, all of the mess-ups, all of the rebelliousness of the past, is in the rear view mirror. Jesus takes it all and makes us a new creature, a new teammate on a new team. A team with hope for the future because now we have a new coach in Jesus Christ. He begins to call the plays. We have new team mates who are lining up beside us. Some are veterans and have been following Christ for a long time. We need to listen to them, learn from them. The writer of Hebrews says that we are surrounded by a grandstand of witnesses, who are cheering us. These are saints that have played the game before us and have left us lives of faithful witness, again for us to learn from. 

We are also aware of the fact that with all of the newness that comes with following Jesus that we may not win every game. There will be times when we fail. The chances of the Colts going undefeated and winning the Super Bowl is pretty slim this year. They are going to make mistakes, fumble the ball, miss a tackle, allow the enemy to score. When we give in to temptation and follow the old way of life, John tells us that “if we confess our sins, He (Jesus, the coach) is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This just simply means that even when we are trying to follow Jesus and play the game right, there will be times when we fail. We will undoubtedly at times sin again BUT if we confess, come clean with Jesus, he will forgive us just like he did before and restore us with his righteousness. Every day is a new day with Jesus! Basically, we will be like preseason with a new hope, new start. Making confession a regular rhythm of our life means every day is filled with hope!  And like every player this weekend, we can’t go out and fumble on purpose, or run the wrong route on purpose, what kind of teammate is that? But it might happen for whatever reason. So we bring it to God through confession and receive his renewing forgiveness. Daily confess and daily our sins are forgiven and we start fresh.

And if one of our teammates fumbles, if another follower of Christ is running the wrong route, what do we do? We extend them the same grace and forgiveness that Jesus extends us. And Jesus told Peter it didn’t matter how many times they fumbled, even 490 times, which would be a new NFL record (Matthew 18:22). This is what makes a team strong. It is what makes good teammates. We are all just trying to follow Jesus. And none of his will go undefeated! This year we may need to extend some grace to our beloved Colts but more importantly we need to extend grace to our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ! So let’s cheer each other on, pick each other up if someone should fumble.  Our goal Paul tells us is to live in such a way as to win the Super Bowl (or something to that effect) Win or lose, I am on your team!

“Colts Strong!  Jesus Stronger!!”

 

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YARD WARS!

Posted on September 7, 2023 by Ted W Harris

Every time I mow the yard, there they are staring at me. Watching me. I can only assume with a smirk. I can feel it as I pass over them. Weeds!  I hate weeds. I long for that lawn of luscious green grass. When we bought our house and moved in last summer we were already way behind in the ‘get the weeds under control’ war. As Sari and I took walks through the neighborhood, we would look at the lawns we passed and after seeing a few that looked great we noticed what lawn care company truck pulled up and treated the yard.  We made a call and after a few applications we could notice a difference, fewer weeds, thicker, greener grass. And then it happened. After those late summer rains, they began to come out of hiding. Popping their big leafy heads up above the grass. Just a few encampments of some unknown but unwanted foliage in the midst of the grass. And then the untreated weeds in the neighbor’s yard formed an army and were mounting an attack on the western front. We were losing the battle and now as I mowed, they stared, watching me, mocking my efforts. Calls to the specialist for back up went unanswered. I fear the worse in the days ahead!
 
Okay, I get it, it’s just weeds in a yard. But I could just as easily be metaphorically describing our spiritual lives. As unbelievers, we live our lives with no recognition of Christ, no real acknowledgement or even care of the weeds, sins, that our life is producing. At some point, we come to the realization of our sinfulness, accept Christ as our Savior and the Holy Spirit moves in and we begin to notice weeds, sins. Sins that were always there but until now unnoticed or we just didn’t care. We begin treating those sins with confession and repentance and we receive forgiveness. Our life starts to transform, become a beautiful thing. Weeds, sins are replaced with luscious grass, the loving grace of a Savior and the desire to live for him.
 
But then out of nowhere, the weeds, sins, we thought had been eradicated begin to pop up in our life again. Where did that thought come from? Temptations, bad ideas, false teaching that blows in from neighboring podcasts and social media posts. We feel the spiritual growth we had been seeing, the deeper understanding and relationship with Jesus, has taken a hit.  Jesus warns us that this can happen. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a parable, those stories of everyday happenings that illustrate a point. The Parable of the Sower. This sower went and was spreading seed that he might grow a crop and the seed fell on 4 different kinds of soil: packed, rocky, weedy, and good. And while this parable speaks about a person first hearing the gospel, it is a great illustration of the life of a growing believer.
 
Let’s be honest all of those soils still exist in our life and if we aren’t diligent in the cultivating the soil that makes up our heart and mind, fostering a biblical worldview that allows growth, it is easy for old ways, wrong teaching, bad ideas to blow in and begin to take root, grow and pop up in our lives. And we are all susceptible to weeds, sin popping up. But the diligent disciple, the one who is alert to his heart and mind and what is sown in them, will be intentional in breaking up the packed ground, mindful of the rocks and weeds, cultivating, preparing the soil of our mind to receive the truth of God. Taking those old, hardened parts of our life to God in prayer, keeping them before the Savior is how we break them up. How we cultivate good soil out of packed, rocky, weedy stuff.
 
Do you know where the ideas that are growing in your mind are coming from? What are you doing to break up the hard places? What rocks still exist and need to be confessed, dug up and thrown away?  How do you discern the good seed from the weeds? Someone once told me that the best way to eliminate weeds is to have strong healthy grass. Strong healthy grass chokes out weeds. A steady, healthy application of the gospel, on soil that is cultivated and prepared to receive the truth of God, “this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” Take some time this week and ask God to show you the packed, rocky, weedy areas of your life. To fertilize that soil with grace and truth through his Spirit and the Word. And see what begins to grow!

“The battle is real”

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The Religious Sampler

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Ted W Harris

Thursdays are staff meetings at the church. After staff meeting, we pick a place to go to lunch and whoever can make it loads up and heads to the restaurant du jour. This week it was Zionsville Pizzeria and their all you can eat buffet! I love buffets. Not only will I be assured of getting my money’s worth but I love a variety. I can eat from four or five different pizzas. Try new ones with little risk. And a salad bar. Don’t get me started!  Sometimes when we go to dinner and I can’t nail down the one thing I want to eat I go for the Appetizer Sampler Platter. Variety. Options. Wings and Mozzarella Sticks and Fried Pickles!

The Sampler mentality works well in a lot of areas of life; music (Contemporary Christian and Classic Rock, because the 80’s had the best music); movies (Barbie and Oppenheimer – Barbenheimer); books (classics, biographies, sci-fi). The Sampler offers different options for how a person is feeling at the time. And while it works well in some areas – religion is not one of them. But many live their lives sampling various religions and taking something from Hindu, a little from Buddha, a pinch of secular humanism and mix it in with a healthy shot of Christianity. Whatever makes them feel good. We call it pluralism and it doesn’t work. It basically states that all world religions are true and equally valid in their understanding of truth, God and the world. A neighbor to pluralism is relativism. Where everyone gets to choose their own version of truth and no one can tell them they are wrong. But this doesn’t work. Two people can’t believe opposite things and both be right. That isn’t reality!

As we continue our discussion on consecration, we are reminded that the definition is to set apart or to devote a person or thing. We understand that to mean devotion to God and God alone. Consecration doesn’t offer a sampler patter. Yet many times reality finds us treating consecration with a sort of relativism. We allow things and activities to crowd out God as number one in our life. We allow misinformation or just bad teaching to shape our understanding of God. God is all loving, therefore, Hell doesn’t exist? God and science don’t mix? God will answer my prayer if I am good? God loves everyone, so it doesn’t matter how you live your life? We push God to the margins and live as practical or temporary atheists.

What does Scripture say about this Religious Sampler?

1 Corinthians 8:6, “But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.”

Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

The question then has to be asked, What part of the world’s thinking have we allowed to shape our faith in God? or Where have we conformed to the pattern (whether thinking or behavior) to this world? or What area of our life reflects more of the world than it reflects the image and character of God?

The answer points to the area that is yet to be consecrated. That part of our life that we need to confess and bring under the lordship of Christ.

Sampler’s are good to eat but a lousy way to build our faith!

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a person fully consecrated to him. Will you be that person?”

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BIGGS!

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Ted W Harris

Meet Biggs. The Big Snort! The Lovable Doofus!  He goes by many names but seldom comes no matter what you call him. He is a bundle of hairy fun and has quite the personality. He is our 5 year old English Golden Retriever.  He loves to be outside. Outside laying down, surveying the vast kingdom of our backyard. Occasionally we have intruders. Little brown creatures with long furry ears and a cottontail. They are everywhere. Now Biggs is not the most stealth creature and has never come close to catching a rabbit but he tries. Well until one time, we aren’t really sure when, he planted his 120 pound body and made a quick turn tearing the ACL in his back knee. In fact we learned that at some point he had torn the ACL in both back knees. He was in bad shape. Fast forward through x-rays, two weeks of hobbling around, losing 25 pounds, taking daily meds and he is back at his post guarding the back yard. There are still bunnies to be chased and while his head says go, those back legs have lessened his already minuscule chance of catching that rascally rabbit. But he still tries.

Biggs’ situation reminded me of a verse that Jesus shared with his disciples the night he was arrested. He was in deep sorrow of his soul knowing the cross was just hours away. He went into a garden to pray and asked his disciples to be praying as well. At one point he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. “He asked Peter, ‘So couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matthew 26:41, NASB)

We are entering a season of consecration at Eagle Church. Consecration is a practice throughout the Bible where people were called on to consecrate or set apart for God, items used for worship or service. At times they were to consecrate themselves. Say one big Yes to God which leads them to say a thousand no’s to the world. Last Sunday we learned that Consecration is the opposite of Compromise. Consecration is a choice we make. A daily choice to devote ourselves, our stuff, our life to the things of God, the person and purpose of God.

And while the concept is easy to understand. And I would guess, by the 100+ who came forward at the end of the service, it is something we want to do. But a lot of times the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. That word weak in the Greek is used several times in the New Testament but almost every other time it is translated ‘sick.’ That is the hard part of consecrating ourselves. We want to in our spirit but our bodies are sick. Sin is the great opponent to consecration. This is why it must be a daily choice. A moment by moment decision to chase after God and not the things of the world.

If you make the decision, take heed to Jesus’ words: Stay awake and pray! Stay awake or stay alert. Consecration is a declaration of war on the enemy. And he will not go away quietly. The call to consecration is a call to prayer. 
Pray for yourselves – that you will be aware of the devils schemes, so that you won’t enter into temptation.
Pray for one another – that we might see what God can do with a church fully consecrated to him.
Pray for your church staff and leaders – that they would be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading as we navigate these days of unprecedented compromise.

Biggs has to daily take his anti-inflammatory meds and his glucosamine supplements or any progress he has made will be lost. You and I need to daily present our lives, consecrated to the Lord. We need to daily be praying as we chase after the person and purpose of God by the power of God.

“The world is yet to see what God can do with a person fully consecrated to him. Will you be that person?”

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THE EAGLE

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Ted W Harris

I love going to the zoo. I love to see animals. I could sit in front of an orangutan enclosure for hours (not kidding, ask my family)! Even more, I love to see wild animals in their natural surroundings. I don’t mean the backyard bunnies and chipmunks or even occasional blue bird. I mean the only-on-vacation animals; moose, antelope, mountain goats, bears, alligators, etc. I had never seen a bald eagle in the wild until a few years ago kayaking down the White River near our house. So imagine the thrill of learning there was an eagle’s nest at Eagle Creek Reservoir just a few miles from our new house. Or even more excitement to pull into the church parking lot and see one sitting on the bank of the church’s retention pond. Or when Sari was on her walk and texted me that title picture as one is perched on a neighbor’s house overlooking a pond. Or the next day when a friend sent me a picture of the same one on the same house! I have yet to see it but you better believe my eyes are scanning the roof tops when going through our neighborhood.

There is something majestic about an eagle. It doesn’t matter if it is perched on a roof top or soaring high in the sky or just above the water of the White River (that was a awesome kayaking day!).  I think that is why God uses the image of an eagle to describe his followers.“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah penned those words at the end of his description of God’s sending Israel into exile in Babylon but promising that God would one day deliver them. These are words of hope no matter what hardship we are facing or suffering we are currently experiencing. Israel was facing judgment and exile. You have a marriage that is struggling. You have a job that is less than fulfilling or demanding too much of your time and energy. You have a fear-filled doctor visit coming up. No matter what scary thing is before us. Even if we are sending our 5-6 year old into the world of kindergarten, or our 17-18 year old college freshman out into the world to fly on their own!

God offers hope. God is HOPE! Verses 28-30, says God is everlasting, doesn’t grow tired, giver of strength, giver of power, keeps us from stumbling and falling as we go through the pressure packed circumstances of everyday life. With God, life can be one of overcoming. A life of victory. We are more than conquerors. We will persevere and prevail. “We will be able to stand our ground. And after you have done everything, to remain standing.” (Ephesians 6:13, the armor of God) These are descriptors of champions, fighters, winners, even more than conquerors = those who have put their hope in the Lord.

Where is your hope in the midst of what ever you are facing?

“Walk, Run, Soar!”

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The Myth

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Ted W Harris

I recently picked up off our book shelf the biography of Martin Luther written by Eric Metaxas. I love biographies and especially those that tell the life of spiritual leaders and US presidents. Outside of his 95 thesis nailed to the church doors, I really don’t know much about him. And apparently neither do a lot of other people. The first chapter deals with correcting many myths and legends about him that have been handed down through the centuries. The first thing we don’t know is the year he was born. Best guesses have landed on 1483. Some of the myths that Metaxas sets out to debunk is that he “was born into a family of peasants and poor minors.” The truth is Luther’s father, Johannes, was a “successful entrepreneur in the mining business.” His mother, Margerethe, came from an “established, prominent, and quite well-to-do” family. Mayor, Doctor, Electoral Councillor, teachers of medicine were all cousins on his mother’s side. Archeology has uncovered much in the last couple of decades. Digs in the city of Mansfeld and the very house which Luther lived most of his growing up years, show a family who lived well with a steady diet of pork, beef, goose, and various other meats. Not too bad for a bunch of ‘poor peasants.’ They found many household utensils, toys, buttons and other items that would belong only to those with considerable means in that day.

Why do I tell you this? It is fascinating how myths and legends get started. How easy it is to lose facts and truth when the myth seems to fit the narrative we would like to believe. It is easier to picture Martin Luther, the poor peasant turned monk, taking on the big Church that had been taking advantage of the poor for years. 

We are living in a culture where facts are readily discarded or twisted if they don’t fit the narrative we want to believe. We have become very loose with the truth. Truth has become ‘relative.’ I have mine and you have yours. But if we want to live in reality that never works. Jesus, at one point, asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” There answers pointed to myths and legends that people had been sharing – John the Baptist raised from the dead, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Myths and legends that many believed but were not true. Jesus then asked “But you, who do you say that I am? Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Matthew 16:13-20.

Today, there are many ideas, myths, legends stating who Jesus is or isn’t. Many would believe the Bible to be a book of myths. Who is Jesus? If we do not have the right answer to that basic question, we will have an eternity, separated from Jesus, to realize just how wrong we were. The Bible is very clear on who Jesus is, what he has done and how we are to respond to him. How well do you know Jesus? From where did you get your idea of who Jesus is?  Are there myths and legends about him that you hold onto because it fits what you want him to be? 
Matthew gives us a warning in Chapter 7, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophecy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name? Then I (Jesus) will announce to them, “I never knew you! Depart from me, you lawbreakers!” (HCSB)
 Those people were following the wrong Jesus. They bought into the myths and legends of their day. How about you?

“Who do you say that Jesus is?”

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Where is God?

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Ted W Harris

It turned out to be one of those weeks. Not atypical as far as ministry goes. Ministry is a lot of highs and lows as you enter the lives of other people and have the opportunity to walk beside them. The week started out on a high. Sunday I was able to officiate the wedding of a good friend who was a part of my previous church and I happened to be his youth pastor once upon a time. I know the family well and there were others from that ‘once upon a time’ era that were there as well. Weddings are times of celebrating the present and looking into the future with hopes and dreams. There was a lot of catching up, telling stories, laughing. We filled in a lot of life’s gaps sitting around that table at the reception. As the sun began to set, there were still stories to relive, but we said our “good-byes” and our “see you laters” and made our way home. The bride and groom, literally, heading off into the sunset looking forward to their future together. Dreaming!

Turn the page.

On Saturday, I assisted with the memorial service of another friend who leaves behind a husband and two teenage daughters. Cancer. An almost 10 year battle. Fought hard. Fought well. But cancer doesn’t fight fair. I know, I lost my mom to colon cancer a little over 17 years ago. This is a family that is from the same previous church and the friends are about the same age. But the atmosphere was very different. Yes, there were stories told and folks who had seen each other in a while did some catching up and I even saw a few smiles and laughs as we all remembered better days. An overall sense of hope undergirded each conversation, knowing that our friend placed faith in Jesus and God welcomed her into his presence and we will see her again someday. But overall, there was sadness, loss, tears were shed. And at the end of the day we said our “good-byes” and “our see you laters.”  Most headed home with a heavy heart, and into a future with a piece missing and for a husband (did I mention she passed away the morning of their 23rd wedding anniversary) and his two daughters a huge piece will just be gone. Hurting!

Stop and consider.

Where was God this week? I can tell you with confidence that on Sunday he was right there in the middle of that wedding party uniting two hearts that were experiencing a grace-filled second chance at love! And on Saturday he was right there in the middle of that memorial service healing hearts that are hurting! I am confident that was in both places because that is who God is and that is what he does. The psalmist writes in Psalm 139, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” While the psalmist is alluding to a person trying to hide from God, this Psalm is encouraging to those wanting to find God in the everyday circumstances. The Mountains and the Valleys of life. For that person, it’s a description of God’s deep longing to have a relationship with every one of us. We can’t hide from God and God won’t hide from us. The idea that no matter where we are, what we are facing, high or low, God can be and wants to be found in that place. Read all of Psalm 139 and see how much God loves you! 
He knows you! (verse 1)
He sees you! (verse 2)
He understands you! (verse 2)


“I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too – your reassuring presence, coming and going”
Psalm 139:5, The Message

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Serving an Eviction Notice

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Ted W Harris

“Serving an Eviction Notice”

I looked out my kitchen window and there he was sitting on my hammock in the backyard as if he owned the place. I went to get shoes on and by the time I returned he was gone. I told Sari we needed to keep an eye out for him in case he returned. And wouldn’t you know, less than an hour later he was back and he had a lady friend with him this time. Obviously homeless and just looking for a place to live, Sari looked at me and said, “We need to get a bluebird house in the backyard!”  We love bluebirds and spotting one is a rare treat especially in a housing addition. They are pretty particular about where they live and they like wide open spaces with little competition from other birds. My Dad always had a blue bird house, or two, when we lived out in the country and was excited when a husband and wife moved in. Bluebird houses come with a pretty specific building design to suit there needs. Small hole without a perch. Interior climbing wall for young ones to climb to the opening. Must face east. At least 50 feet from the nearest tree. They really don’t like neighbors!
That is our problem and why they are so rare in the city. Those building specs are hard to come by. But we bought a bluebird house (my Dad always built his own) and tried our best to find the right location that would be attractive to this young couple. We got it fixed to a fence post in the corner of our yard and waited. The next day we saw activity! It appeared that a nest was being built. Upon further inspection our bluebird house was being inhabited by a chickadee. I immediately went out and served an eviction notice, opening the door and removing the beginnings of a chickadee nest. The only way to attract a bluebird is to continually let all of the other birds know this house is not for them.  It is now an ongoing struggle to evict the unwanted chickadee in order for the bluebirds to thrive.

A topic of the elders this time of year is the process of appointing new elders in the leadership of the church. 1 Timothy 3 is a section of Paul’s letter to the young pastor outlining what characteristics he is to look for in leaders, elders specifically. 1 Timothy 3:4,5, “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.” That means a leader must be able to manage his family, his house well. And while this is a requirement for elders, I think it is a worthy idea for any person. Spiritually run your home well. Live your life well, in a manner that is worthy of respect. And I thought for a healthy bluebird home, the chickadees have to be evicted. What have I allowed to live in my home that maybe needs to be served an eviction notice. Is there a ‘bad habit’ chickadee? Is there a ‘cultural compromise’ chickadee? Have I adopted aspects of the chickadee way of thinking into my bluebird world?

As believers, compromise with the world is not an option. If I want bluebirds, I can’t compromise with the chickadees! God has given us through his word a design for holy living. Dependence on the Holy Spirit to help us keep the chickadees away. We are called to a different way of life. A holiness that resembles the life of Jesus. Our house should look different. Should follow biblical worldview specs. The world of the chickadee needs to be evicted.

Christian, we are living in a world where compromise and fitting in seems to be the norm when actually it is abnormal, subnormal to the life Jesus lays out for us. Take some time and really look into your spiritual backyard. What things are calling you to compromise the life Jesus has for you? What are you allowing to live in your spiritual house that may need to go?  What is your attitude about blending in with all of the other birds versus standing out and maybe appearing a little different?  This is not an easy exercise and like any worthwhile change may take some time. Chickadees don’t give up easily! Sin and compromise will not go away with out vigilance and spiritual discipline?

Set out today to begin evicting the ways of the world from your way of living!

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