Times Square Lepers

On Saturday, February 1, 2003, 8:00 AM, space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over north Texas during re-entry on its landing approach to Kennedy Space Center. All seven astronauts on board were killed.

Later that same morning I met a group of Master's Commission students for a Saturday class. The first question they asked about the Columbia disaster was, "Why did God let this happen?"

I asked, "How many times has the shuttle taken off and landed safely?" Nobody knew the exact number but agreed it was substantial. My second question was, "Has the nation ever thanked God -- even once -- for a safe shuttle mission?"

Their answer was a prolonged silence as my point began to register.

By now you all know of the failed bombing attempt in Times Square last Saturday (May 1, 2010). The would-be bomber, Faisal Shahzad, was quickly apprehended. Well-deserved praise was heaped on the FBI, NYPD, and other law enforcement agencies responsible for the timely arrest.

I am wondering how many people paused to give thanks to God? Not for the arrest, but for a "bomb malfunction" that saved the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people.

Of course, there's no way to answer that question, and I am sure that many individuals remembered to be grateful. But it is safe to say that Times Square -- and the nation -- quickly returned to business as usual without much thought or mention of God.

I am also wondering about the response had the bomb detonated? It's my guess that amidst the carnage and loss of human life one of the prominent questions would have been, "Why did God let this happen?"

When Jesus healed the ten lepers (Luke 17:11ff), only a Samaritan returned to glorify God "with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him."

Jesus asked,

Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine -- where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?

According to Paul, one of the characteristics of a decadent society is its failure to acknowledge God.

They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him (Romans 1:21; TEV).

I am reminded of my own tendency to take God for granted. Am I as quick to give thanks as to question and complain? Do I recognize His hand in the "coincidences" (when God chooses to remain anonymous)? Do I ask, "Why?" more than I say, "Thank you"?

Perhaps not all the lepers are in Times Square.

Celebrating Christmas

The Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol is a classic -- one that continues to be retold, most recently in 3-D. The central character is a less-than-loveable old man named Scrooge whose most famous line is “Bah, humbug.”

In my lifetime I have met a few people like Scrooge -- those dear folks who delight in raining on the Christmas parade. They are the kind of people who think that being godly means we must shun all signs of joy and steer clear of celebration. They seem to live in constant fear that somebody somewhere may be having a good time.

Okay, we can agree that not all celebration is good. It is true that some will celebrate the season with too much booze and too little sense. Others will go on wild spending sprees and still others will embarrass themselves at wild parties (and not know it until the morning after).

The problem is not with celebration -- rather with how we celebrate. God is a celebratory God. When the universe was created the morning stars sang for joy together and the sons of God shouted for joy. The conversion of one sinner is celebrated by angels in heaven. Jesus joined the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. The prodigal’s return is celebrated with all day singing and dinner on the ground.

The point is -- we must learn wholesome ways to celebrate and the best place to learn that is from the Bible. I know that will surprise some people, but even more surprising is the fact that Biblical directives for celebrating are found in the book of Deuteronomy -- right smack, dab in the middle of the Old Testament law.

Most everyone knows the Law said, “Thou shalt not kill.” Not everyone knows that it also says, “Thou shalt feast!” In Dt. 16, Israel is commanded (that’s right, commanded) to celebrate:

• Feast of Passover (v. 1)


• Feast of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks; vv. 9-10)


• Feast of Tabernacles (v. 13)

In Israel’s celebrations two ideas were prominent:

1. Sacrifice


2. Feasting

Sacrifice points to relationship -- it was the means by which the people came into relationship with God. The meal was a celebration of that relationship in feasting (keep in mind that to the Hebrews the table was a place of intimacy, friendship, and trust).

God has provided a sacrifice for our sins (the reason Jesus was born) -- we dare not suppose there is any reason for celebration unless that relationship has been established. But on the grounds of our relationship with God through Christ, the Bible invites us to celebrate in a spirit of liberty and joy.

Biblical celebration includes four main elements:

Remembrance: “that you may remember” (v. 3). Passover was a reminder of their deliverance from Egypt. At Pentecost they remembered to be thankful for the harvest. The Feast of Tabernacles was a remembrance of their sojourn in the wilderness. All of this was focused on perpetuating their faith to future generations.

Rejoicing: “you shall rejoice before the Lord” (v. 11). Let your worship and thanksgiving be joined with gladness and joyful praise.

Feasting: “you shall rejoice in your feasts” (v. 14). Feasting is not a license for gluttony but a celebration of relationship -- first with God, then with family.

Giving: “every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you” (v. 17). They gave, not only to God and family, but to the orphans, foreigners, and servants.

Christmas is a time to remember God’s indescribable gift and teach our children … to rejoice “and be exceedingly glad for born to us is a Savior which is Christ the Lord” … to feast (what a wonderful command!) … to give (most of the things bought at Christmas are given away).

So, don't be Scrooge (or a Grinch). Go ahead ... celebrate Christmas.

No Cash for My Clunker

In the mid 70’s my clunker crashed and I needed to buy a new car. For me, “new” was a late model Oldsmobile Cultlass (the hottest car in America in those days) with low mileage and clean from bumper to bumper. Having studied Kelley’s Bluebook, I knew the price the private seller offered was $600 below the dealer’s best price.

After a mechanic’s inspection, I gave the seller a $100.00 deposit to hold the perfect car until my down payment arrived. There was no cash from the government back then but I was expecting some money that was owed to me -- the proverbial check that was arriving in the mail on Wednesday. Thursday, I would go to the bank, make the loan, and complete the purchase.

You will not be surprised when I tell you the check was NOT in the mail on Wednesday. No panic -- the government-run post office was working at its usual level of proficiency, but it will certainly arrive on Thursday.

You’re ahead of me -- I know -- no check on Thursday either.

At that point it seemed obvious that God was unaware of my dilemma so I explained things to Him at a level He could understand. In my whiniest voice I said: “Lord, the bank is closed on Saturday. If the check doesn’t arrive tomorrow I will lose my $100.00 deposit, somebody else will buy my perfect car, and I will be walking. And Lord, since You know I need this car to serve You, I’m sure You will come through and make certain the check arrives on time.”

Friday I went to the mailbox and stared into a black hole -- no check. First I pouted. Then I got mad and let God know, in no uncertain terms, how unhappy I was with the lousy job He had done. As I stewed and steamed beside my empty mailbox, the owner of the Cutlass pulled up in my drive.

My attempt to explain the non-arrival of the promised check was cut short as he returned my deposit check. “I can’t sell the car to you,” he said. “State investigators have impounded the vehicle -- it was stolen.” Seeing the confusion on my face, he explained, “I’m out the money I paid for it and out of a car. If you had bought it you’d be where I am.”

As he drove away, I slowly and sheepishly looked up to heaven and said, “Oh.”

I did all the right things a responsible buyer should do. I determined the value of the car. I had it inspected. I arranged a good, affordable loan. I did all my homework. But there was something about this deal that I didn’t know -- that I could not have known.

But God knew.

He also knew that from my youthful inexperience I wouldn’t understand at first … and from my immaturity I would behave like a spoiled child. That didn’t prevent His love from protecting me.

I learned some valuable “life lessons” that day. I learned that ...

• God is really smart.


• He always knows what He is doing (even when I think He doesn’t).


• His grace cannot be conquered by my moods.


• He will always do what is best for His children.


• He will never harm me.


• He is a really good Father .

One more thing: it isn’t always a bad thing when the check isn’t in the mail.

Others May; You Cannot

An essay by G.D. Watson

If God has called you to be really like Christ, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you such demands of obedience, that He will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others can brag on themselves, and their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all you good works.

The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can be produced only in the shade.

God will let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a great work for Him and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when He comes.

The Holy Spirit will put strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do what He pleases with His own, and He will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealing with you.

Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that others are not dealt with.

Now, when you are so possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this particular personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.

Follow this link to learn more about G.D. Watson http://www.wellofoath.com/home.asp?pg=Bios&toc=G.+D.+Watson

From the Mouth of Babes

When my daughter Carmen was about 3 years old, we lived in Sacramento, California. We did not put up our figurines and "whatnots" – we taught her not to touch them.

For the most part she was obedient and never bothered them. But one day she was overwhelmed with temptation ... the need to touch the untouchable was just too much for her. When weakness met opportunity, she transgressed.

She was alone in the den, still wearing her pink PJ jump suit. She picked up the forbidden "fruit" and began to fondle it. About that time I entered from the other side of the room and caught her red-handed.

As I started towards her with one of those stern "you're in trouble" looks, she quickly put down the figurine. A look of sheer panic flashed across her face. As I got closer, my 3 year old daughter dropped both hands to her side, looked straight into heaven, and with a voice of utter desperation cried, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

(Do you really have to ask? Well, of course not … how do you spank a child who is appealing for Divine intervention?).

I was astonished that she had learned this lesson so soon.

I have remembered that moment many, many times – not just because it was cute, sweet, and precious – but because there have been many times when I've needed to follow her example.

Sometimes I had been caught red-handed by the Holy Spirit ... when I had picked up what I should have left alone ... when I knew I had disobeyed my Father ... when I was dismayed by my obvious transgression.

But more often it has been in those moments of life when I was simply overwhelmed by circumstances beyond my control and situations I could not change or manage ... when I was without strength ... or words ... and all that was left was a tattered faith and a stumbling determination.

More than once I have done what I learned from my child ... put my hands to my side, looked straight into heaven and said His name, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

No, it's not a magical formula ... not mumbo jumbo.

But if it has the same effect in heaven as it did in my living room ... if it touched the heavenly Father's heart the way it touched mine ... it may be the most eloquent and powerful prayer I have ever prayed.

In the night seasons I have sometimes wondered if I would make it. I'm still here. Bruised ... bearing the scars of battle ... limping a bit ... but still standing and still moving forward ... perhaps slower than in times past, but still moving.

“Because I the Lord do not change, therefore you are not consumed,” God said through Malachi. “If the Lord had not been on my side the enemy would have swallowed me alive,” the singer sang.

In my darkest hour I know that someway, somehow, there is a way of deliverance ... an answer ... help in the time of trouble. With hands at my side and my face lifted to heaven, my prayer is the one I learned so long ago from a little blonde beauty in pink pajamas …

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”

Does perfect love cast out all fear?

The simple answer is “no.”

That’s not bad because some fear is good. I am afraid of a rattlesnake. I am afraid to cross in front of a moving train. I am afraid to drink poison. I am afraid to climb over the safety rail on top of the mountain. You get the idea.

But doesn't the Bible say, “Perfect love casts out all fear”?

No, it doesn't.

It is true that some contemporary versions of the Bible include the word “all” (Today’s English Version; New Living Translation). But these versions are often more like paraphrases rather than translations, and in this instance they have added the word “all” which is not in the Greek text, and is rightly excluded in the best translations of 1 John 4:18:

“... perfect love casts out fear” (NKJV, NASB, NRSV)
“... perfect love drives out fear” (NIV)
“... perfect love casteth out fear” (ASV)

Not only is this text frequently misquoted, it is usually removed from its context (always a bad idea since context is the most important factor to determine meaning). In the text a particular kind of fear is pinpointed:

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment … there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love (1 John 4:17-18; emphasis added).

The fear that is removed by perfect love is the fear of punishment ... the dread of judgment. Albert Barnes puts it this way: “The idea is, that he who has true love to God will have nothing to fear in the day of judgment, and may even approach the awful tribunal without alarm.”

“The one who fears is not perfected in love” -- lingering apprehension of future wrath, shows that love has not accomplished its full work. To the contrary, the perfection of God’s love within us gives us “confidence in the day of judgment.”

It is not our perfect love for God that removes the fear of punishment, but His perfect love for us.

It is important to note from the context that perfect love is an expression of our personal faith in Christ:

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:15-17).

True confession of Christ brings us into an abiding, mutual relationship with God described as “perfected love” which removes all sense of dread.

In this relationship we need not fear a God who loves us perfectly.

Cherokee Legend

Here is a powerful story from the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage.

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it.

He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a man. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from all harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting beside us. Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there.

I will never leave you or forsake you.