children

Character, Faces and Names

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namesDuring a recent conversation, I was asked if I knew a certain person; I replied, “I know the name, but I can’t put a face with it.”  Names are used to identify, organization, warn, encourage, and to express hope.

The name and character of God was the focus of a Psalm that David wrote after the Ark had been recovered and returned to the Holy of Holies:

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!  Remember His marvelous works which He has done…  ~I Chronicles 16:8-12

When a child calls out Mom or Dad, he is expressing trust and hope in the power and resources of his parents.  The same is true when God’s children “Call upon His name.”

Notice how the name of God is associated with His character:

  • Those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you—Psalm 9:10
  • The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower—Psalm 18:2
  • The LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust—Psalm 91:2
  • The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him—Nahum 1:7

Whenever I discuss the name of God, I remember the words of Paul in Philippians 2:9-11:

God has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I want to encourage you to follow the advice of an old gospel hymn, Take The Name of Jesus With You:

Take the name of Jesus with you,

Child of sorrow and of woe.

It will joy and comfort give you,

Take it then wherever you go.

Precious name, O how sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.

Precious name, O how sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.

The Book of Ralph

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ralphBooks like The Book of Ralph are seldom found on the shelves of libraries.  If you do an online search at book sellers like Amazon or Barnes and Noble, you find very little.

The reason for the scarcity is the rarity of the subject matter and the classification of the book—biography not fiction.  There are too few people who are as genuinely gentle and gracious as Ralph Lilley, the main character of the book.

I have had the privilege of knowing Ralph for over 25 years.  I have been his pastor, and he has willingly served his Lord as an elder, deacon, janitor, painter, teacher, greeter, volunteer, advocate for children, champion of the poor and needy, meals on wheels, and Chairman of Christian Service.

As I reflected on Ralph’s life yesterday, I spoke of seven lessons from The Book of Ralph, and I share them with you now:

#1—Remember your place in the line of life. 

He that will be first shall be last, and he that is last shall be first.

#2—Pick up the burdens of others, so you won’t let them down. 

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

#3—Display your manly meekness.

  Galatians 6:1:  If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of meekness.

#4—Mind your manners.

  Ephesians 4:2:  Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love

#5—Let the Spirit guide your speech.

 Colossians 4:6:  Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

#6—Share the grace of God.

  Ephesians 4:29:  You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear.

#7—Do more than just talk the talk:  walk the walk.

  James 1:26-27: If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Remembering Ralph’s work of faith, his labor of love, and patience of hope in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 

I Thessalonians 1:3

Operation Cross Country

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fbi2Operation Cross Country IX is not a marathon, but it is a rigorous track and field event.  The trackers come from a diverse field of law enforcement agencies, and the event is focused on saving kids.

As an ongoing national effort, Operation Cross Country IX, is a nationwide crackdown on sex trafficking.  The FBI joined forces with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and took the lead in this effort that rescued 149 underage trafficking victims.

Additionally, more than 150 pimps were arrested.  These puss-pockets of humanity are so sleazy they were selling kids as young as 12 years old.

FBI Director James Comey said:  “Our mission is to protect the American people — especially our children — from harm. When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror. We simply must continue to work with our partners to end the scourge of sex trafficking in our country.”

There are several organizations that focus their energy on rescuing those who are trapped in the commercial sex trade.  Shared Hope International is one of them, and you can gain a better understanding of their work by watching a brief 2 minute video.  Simply click here. 

The Lord says: “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”  ~Jeremiah 22:3

Kaden’s Cure: Spinal Muscular Atrophy

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3D DNA colorful“I’m not used to someone seeing Kaden just for who he is and not for his disability.”  These are the words of a mother who is as grateful as she is heartbroken.

Katie Myers is the proud mother of an 18-month-old son named Kaden.   Katie’s joy of motherhood was interrupted when she learned that Kaden was born with  (SMA).

If you are like me, you know very little about SMA.  According to information at Kaden’s website, his disease:

  • is the number 1 genetic killer of children under 2 years of age. More than half of babies diagnosed with SMA won’t see their second birthday.
  • destroys motor neurons controlling voluntary movement and can hinder the ability to walk, crawl, sit, roll over, or exhibit head & neck control.
  • has the statistical probability of afflicting 1 in every 6,000 live births

The gratitude of Katie Meyers and her appreciation for the manner in which another boy interacted with Kaden is easily seen in the note she posted on Facebook:  “To the little boy at the science museum, I don’t know who you are, but thank you for being amazing. You let my son play and engage with you. You helped him pick up balls from the floor when you saw that he could not. You didn’t ask what was wrong with him or why he couldn’t walk, you just saw him. Kaden is a lot like you, he is very curious and wildly smart. He wants to know how everything works. Thank you for helping him turn the lever when you noticed he was too weak to do it himself. You will probably never see this but just by being you, you make this world better.”

I don’t know Katie or Kaden, but I do know that we can learn a lesson from them:  We need to focus on the innate dignity of the people we meet.

We can do something else:  We can pray for them.

Run Baby Run

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cheetah-speed-2According to an African parable, when morning dawns in Africa the gazelle know that it must run faster than a cheetah or be killed.  The cheetah knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it is going to starve.  The moral of this story is that whether you are a gazelle or a cheetah, you had better be ready to run when the sun rises.

In Hebrews 12, Paul used the metaphor of a race, and he said that you should “lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.”

How would your life be different if your life was characterized by the determination exhibited by the gazelle or a cheetah?  Keep your eyes on Jesus, and run the race He has set before you.

Daring and Desperate Determination

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When you read the Old and New Testaments together, you will find some companion verses.  These Scriptures complement each other.  Even though there are hundreds of years between the times of their writing, they state the same timeless truths.

Notice the words of the Psalmist and the Savior:

  • Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
  • Matthew 6:33: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Do you “delight” yourself in the Lord as much as you delight yourself in your children and grandchildren?  Do you seek God’s kingdom and righteousness as much as you pursue your passions in life?

I think of these verses when I read the story of a woman in Matthew 15.   She cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is possessed by a demon. Have mercy, Lord!”

customoko-its-time-to-have-bold-faith-kids-tshirt-featured-imageThis woman was persistent and kept on seeking and asking and knocking until she got the attention of Jesus and His disciples.  This woman was daring, desperate, and determined in her quest to request divine intervention on behalf of her daughter.

Because of her faith, Jesus responded and blessed her with the desires of her heart.  How daring and determined are you in your life of faith?

Aye-Sight: Seeing Eye to Eye with God

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healthy-eyesight-tipsI think you’ll agree that the health of your eyes and good eyesight is of critical importance: Good vision helps you in every aspect of your life.

The same is true when you consider your spiritual life.  Good eyesight is an essential to spiritual health, and poor eyesight can be devastating.  In Psalm 119, there’s a verse that focuses on the object of your vision:

Psalm 119:36-38

Turn my head and my heart to Your decrees

and not to sinful gain.

Keep my eyes from gazing upon worthless things,

and give me true life according to Your plans.

Verify Your word to Your servant,

which will lead me to worship You.

Instead of wasting your time on the worthless, invest it in the precious.  Take a look at these “eyesight” verses:

  • Psalm 19:8: The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
  • Psalm 26:3: For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.
  • Psalm 33:18: Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, and on those who hope in His mercy.
  • Psalm 34:15: The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.

I’ll close with Psalm 119:18, and I encourage you to make it your prayer for today: Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Amber Alert: The Well-Known Unknown

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newsflashAmber Alert!  When you hear a news reporter say these two words, a red light flashes in your brain, and your attention is immediately focused on the plight of a missing child.

The “Amber” in the “Alert” is as well-known as it is unknown.  What you may know is that Amber Hageman is the namesake of this alert.  She was the 9 year old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in 1996.  He murder shocked the small Texas community where she lived, and the town responded by creating an emergency bulletin system that was eventually adopted nationwide as the Amber Alert.

What you may not know is that AMBER is an acronym meaning “America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response.”  The tragic death of Amber gave birth to a system that has helped multiple children over the past 19 years.

There are times that we use words without full knowledge of their meaning.  The same is true with acronyms like the Amber Alert.

This is also the case with GRACE.  While it is an often used and well-known expression within Christianity, do you know all there is to know about it?  Let me define it this way:

  • G-od’s
  • R-iches
  • At
  • C-hrist’s
  • E-xpense

Grace is the act of God by which He gives you something that you do not deserve.  Mercy is when God does not give you what you do deserve.

Here’s a good news bulletin to consider:  Grace, mercy, and peace shall be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love (2 John 1:3).

Be Still and Bear Fruit

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prayerYesterday I walked by a table and, I heard part of a conversation in which one person said:  “It’s a mute point.”

Mute means silent, and I have often made a point of being silent, and I have even pointed silently. I cannot, however remain mute about a key point of that conversation.

Mute and moot cannot be used interchangeably—they are not synonyms.  Moot is used to refer to some item or point of discussion that is debatable, but of no practical value.

While moot points are often hypothetical in nature, making a point to be mute can have real value.  In Psalm 46:10, there is a clear command to be mute:  “Be still and know that I am God.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed the importance of this principle in a letter to some friends:  “Daily, quiet reflection on the Word of God as it applies to me becomes for me a point of crystallization for everything that gives interior and exterior order to my life.”

The words of Bonhoeffer serve as a commentary on God’s instructions to Joshua:  “This set of instructions is not to cease being a part of your conversations. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to carry out everything that’s written in it, for then you’ll prosper and succeed (Joshua 1:8.”

Mother Teresa suggested that silence is an essential of practical Christianity:  “The fruit of Silence is prayer. The fruit of Prayer is faith. The fruit of Faith is love. The fruit of Love is service. The fruit of Service is peace. “

I encourage you to take time out of your schedule for a mute point, so you can “be still” and bear fruit . . .

A Family Resemblance

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IMG_0591At some time in your life you’ve probably met someone, and heard them make the comment: You sure are mirror image of …………your dad or your mother.

Through the years I’ve had some people say that I favor the Lacy side of my family.  More than once, I’ve heard it said:  “You’re a chip off the old block.”  When you look at a photo of either my grandad or his dad, it’s obvious that we share the same DNA.

When John wrote his first letter, he spoke about the importance of a family resemblance: “See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children—and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him.  Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.  And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure (I John 3:1-3).”’

An important question to answer isn’t:  Who do you look like?  It’s:  Who do you act like?

When your life is observed, can people see a family resemblance?  Are your actions, and mannerisms a mirror image of the life of Jesus?