Thirsty, anyone?

“No attribute of God is more dreadful to sinners than His holiness.” — Matthew Henry

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St Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th century monk warned of the danger of becoming channels rather than reservoirs—which, at first seems like a contradiction of God’s purposes for us; however, let us take a second look at this proposition.

Douglas Steere upon reflection makes this observation concerning St. Bernard’s admonition and writes,

We have all too few such reservoirs in the Church at present, though we have channels in plenty. ... Those that desire to pour out when they themselves are not yet filled; they are readier to speak than to listen, eager to teach that which they do not know, and most anxious to exercise authority on others, although they have not learnt to rule themselves. ... Let the reservoir take pattern from the spring; for the spring does not form a stream or spread into a lake until it is brimful.

I like how one modern version broaches the subject in a slightly different way,  

A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? (James 3:10-12 MSG)

The point being in both instances is that you cannot give something that you do not have. We, His disciples, are not conduits but rather resources. Not mirrors but lights. Expressions of God’s love. Examples in the truest sense of the word. Any talking head can expound of the virtues of love all day but only the likes of a Mother Teresa or a Mark Buntain can show us that love.

Let’s not let theology get in the way of this great truth either. Theology is a conduit. Dead, dry. The letter of the Law. None of which can or will feed one hungry child, or cleanse the sores of a single leper. Those dying on the streets of Calcutta, where I worked for so many years—both in and out of the hospital—never asked for a single moment what my or anyone else’s theology was. Love never asks those questions, nor does it insist on conveying it.

God’s love knows no boundaries, nor can you channel it. It simply flows, fills and saturates all that surrounds it. And, once the weary taste it they are refreshed, nourished and eager for more.

Shall we then strive to dig a little deeper, work a little harder, pray a little longer, so that we can become even greater reservoirs of God’s abundant, overflowing love.

There’s a thirsty world out there that longs for just a taste form the reservoir of that living water. One sip, that’s all. 

I am yours for the journey,

Jim R/~ 

P.S. You are a vital part of this ministry and in all honestly we could not—nor would we want to continue—without you. Please continue to pray for and support our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

Spiritual smugness

Spiritual smugness is a nuisance.

Sometimes, when I am around some “Holier-Than-Thou” Christian I think of the anecdote about the old Quaker’s wife who asked him who was going to make it to Heaven and he responded with:

“Well, me thinkest that shall be thee and me, and sometimes me wonders about thee.”

Aren’t you thankful that your salvation does not depend on someone else’s opinion?

Jesus prayed, “Father, sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth.” [John 17:17] So, very clearly, opinion unless it is based on God’s word is absolutely baseless because a foundation built on opinion with what Paul calls wood, hay, and straw will not stand the test of time or the fiery judgment of God. [1 Cor. 3:12-13]

Consequently, it really does not matter one iota what some super enlighten spiritual umpire says, unless our lives have been established in the truth of God’s word we toil in vain. Let us not forget, therefore, that someone else’s opinion is just that unless it is established in the truth of God’s word.

So, why do we labor so furiously to please and try to live up to another man’s standard?

However, before you answer that consider how The Message translates 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Here’s what it says,

“. . . Don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good.”

And what is the test of whether or not something is good and therefore truthful? Over and over again both Jesus and the Scriptures tell us that God’s word is truth. So, holiness or true spirituality must be verified or attested to by God’s word.

Thus, we can say without hesitation or fear of contradiction that unless God has said it then we are not obligated to practice it. True, some say, but what about those gray areas of Scripture, those that really don’t make it clear whether we should do this or do that?

I will answer that with a quote from St. Augustine, who once said,

“The greatest heresy is the lack of charity.”

So, once again as Paul reminds us let us,

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that we do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16: 13-14)

With that in mind, we do well to recall an old refrain repeated by Negro slaves during the Civil War that says,

Sticks and stones will break my bones

But words will never harm me.[i]

Just keep in mind, it really doesn’t matter what someone else thinks of you as long as whatever you do is in love because in the final analysis God is the judge not they.

I am yours for the journey,

Jim R/~

P.S. Please continue to pray for and support our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia.

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[i] Christian Recorder of March 1862, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Holiness: what is it?

It has been said that we should, “Never ask a saintly man whether or not he is holy and get an honest answer.”

I’ll take it a step further and say that if we should ask the average church goer to define holiness and chances are 9 out of 10 you’ll get a blank stare, or at best some canned response like don’t wear this, or paint yourself of like some Jezebel or watch porno flicks. Never—or should I say, very seldom, do you hear anything positive like sanctify yourself.

Sanctify? What in the name of common sense has that got to do with holiness anyway? Well, the answer is everything. Yet, I dare say that the average parishioner has never heard a sermon on good old fashioned sanctification. Amazingly, however, Christ prayed for our sanctification—that is, our holiness.

"My prayer,” he said, “is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. “(John: 17: 15-21)

What then is sanctification, we may ask?

The simply answer, just happens to be the correct answer and can best be illustrated by saying that a pen is "sanctified" when used to write. Eyeglasses are "sanctified" when used to improve sight. So, in a Biblical sense, things are sanctified—that is set aside for an exclusive purpose—when they are used for the purpose God intends. A basin in the Temple to hold water, tongs to arrange hot coals on altar, and so-forth. A human being is sanctified, therefore, when he or she serves the purposes of God's intentions. Romans: 8:28-29 makes that very clear:

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” 

So, we are truly holy when we are doing precisely what God intended for us to do. Firstly, we obey Him by becoming like Him. That means primarily that we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him—yes, and when necessary, even to our cross. This will most certainly kill us; but then, that was His intention for us in the first place. No one ever truly become a servant—which is part of the journey—unless they are willing to die to self and live for others.

Impossible, you say. No, not really, for Scripture tells us that,

[It] is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” [Philippians 2:13]

“It’s all about me,” may work as a slogan in a dog eat dog world of high finance, or entrepreneurship but in the Kingdom of God it is a sure path to failure. This great truth should serve as a reminder once again that as the old camp meeting songs says that,

“This world is not my home I'm just a passing through.

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door.

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you.

If heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door.

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.”

And, the rest of the verses for those of us who are strangers here on earth, it goes:

“I have a loving mother just over in Glory land.

And I don't expect to stop until I shake her hand.

She's waiting now for me in heaven's open door.

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.”

Now, to realize that dream, we must walk softly in our Master’s footprints along the path of our earthly journey.

Contemplating the Cross: His and ours

We Pentecostals have a strong tendency—shall I say, an almost exclusive tendency?—to hear God in the shout but fail to recognize His voice in the whisper. Further, we most often fail to recognize that feelings are not necessarily the facts. As a result contemplation is frowned upon, even—believe it or not—associated with the cults or Buddhism; or God forbid, New Ageism.

A friend of mine, an Assemblies of God psychologist, recently confided in me to that he was still reeling from the shock of the comments of some of his pastor friends when he suggested that it would help all of us to find a retreat and just meditate—no preaching, or systemize Bible study, or fancy spiritual motivation speaker—just meditate, contemplate that is, on God and our relationship with Him.

Their response was, “No, Brother, that’s the problem—all that intellectual stuff. What we really need is a good old fashioned Pentecostal, Holy Ghost, tongue speaking revival!”

Their answer to the subtle drift away from our spirituality was just more of the same. Shouting, apparently, would do it. Tongues would certainly help. The Gifts of the Spirit would certainly do the trick.

Now, I don’t want to say more than they said; but you get the point.

The truth is however that feelings are not always the facts! We can feel like we have really been to church when the drummer has invigorated things up emotionally, as we keep repeating some theologically questionable ditty of a chorus over and over again, accompanied by a lot of upraised hands and with an appropriate amount of swaying back and forth that make us feel good but the facts are that many of us are left with an emptiness when the shout wears off. Unfortunately, we associate the adrenaline rush of fleshly worship with an honest to goodness move of the Spirit.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not demeaning meaningful, heartfelt worship. All I am saying is that we must engage the head as well as the heart; because whether we like it or not the heart sometimes gets in the way of giving Him our reasonable worship. (Romans 12:1) 

May I ask you, when is the last time you meditated, really contemplated the meaning of the cross? After all Jesus did say that “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it” (Luke 9:23)

So, may I ask you, as I often have asked myself, “What is that cross? In what ways have I denied myself and embraced that cross? Or am I always looking for a way out by believing that God can only be identified with the good things I enjoy?”

St. John Eudes once remarked that,

"The crosses with which our path through life is strewn associate us with Jesus in the  mystery of His crucifixion." (St. John Eudes)

And, you know, he’s right.

Now, take some time this week, today, whenever, and think about it—think about His Cross and ours.

The God who listens . . .

Dear friends and faithful prayer partners,

Psalms 88 and the Book of Esther have always fascinated me.

The Book of Esther as you know does not mention the name God once, so you are left with only an assumption that He is there behind the scene pulling on the strings of history.

Psalm 88, however, leaves you with frustration that He’s not pulling the strings at all. You are just left there alone to dangle.

Below are a few verses of that psalm that captures the essence of this one sided dialogue. (Yes, I know that that is an oxymoron; how can a dialogue be a dialogue and be one sided? Well, after you read these verses I will suggest why it is.) 

Here are the verses:

1 Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.3 I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.8 . . . I am confined and cannot escape;9     my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you.13 . . . I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.14 Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend.

Some pretty straightforward talk here. The psalmist is not only bearing his soul but he is letting God have it with both barrels. Read it, he blames God for not showing up when he needed Him and furthermore he accuses God of getting him in the mess he is in. 

Now, if you come from the religious tradition I was raised in that is one of the things that you just do not do—that is talk back to God and blame Him for your troubles. You might think it but you sure wouldn’t publish it. However, talking back to God is precisely what this psalmist did. 

And, what does God do? Nothing. God just listens. 

Now, let’s fast forward to today. What’s your beef? An incurable disease? Or is it financial problems? Maybe a cheating husband or wife? It could be a child that has gone bad. Whatever it is, Psalms 88 is a good example of a listening God, and The Book of Esther let’s us know that He is working behind the scenes to work out His purposes in our life. 

That is not to say that we don’t suffer a whole lot just because we are creatures living in a hostile environment. The world is fallen. Evil. Under the almost overwhelming influence of the old Devil himself. He does walk around like a roaring lion in places like Afghanistan and the streets of Chicago, and in the very city where you live. He’s there. We cannot deny that. 

But, I can assure you God is listening and working to fulfill His purposes. How can I be so sure. Well, that’s easy—it’s all because of Calvary. 

Calvary assures me that God was listening, and the Resurrection assures me that He is working, as it were, behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes in my life. 

The Pietà by Michelangelo I feel captures the essence of Calvary. So at the risk of you thinking that I have suddenly become Catholic I am suggesting that you click onto the image above and watch the short video about this marvelous sculptor. Listen to the commentary. It is moving. 

So, yes, I can say, without hesitation that Calvary tells me that God is listening and that He cares enough to identify with us in our suffering. He is there and He is not silent. 

So, let’s make it a habit to listen to Him also.  

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,
 


Jim M. Roane
P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia.

What We're Doing

Teaching in Sri Lanka and Russia
What We Need
We must pay for all travel expenses, room and board in route.
This amounts to:

Sri Lanka—$3,449 for travel and other incidental expenses
Russia—$1,900 in travel expenses while in the former Soviet Union
Total $5,349 covers the primary costs.

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Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith.
We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

Also, remember to enter:
Code: 09 for Personal Expenses
or Code 40 for Work Expenses
 Thanks!

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"I love you more!"

Right now, in my private devotions, I am reading through the Gospel of John, the disciple "whom Jesus loved." (John 5:23)

Now, I must admit that verse (and others like it) have often puzzled me. My question has always been, "Why did he love John any more than the other disciples?" However, I think I have the answer.

John is writing from a personal perspective. He was completely devoted to Jesus. He was one of only two disciples to follow Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard on the night of his trial. The other, Peter, denied that he knew Christ; however, John remained loyal. And, I believe that one of the major reasons that Jesus asked John to take care of his mother after he was crucified was because he knew he could depend on him to take good care of her because of John's loyalty to him. (John 19:25)

I don't believe, however that he loved John more than the other disciples. John thought so, though.

Let me throw some light on the story by telling you of an incident that happen at my own mother's funeral. When our eldest daughter gave her eulogy she mentioned (halfway teasing, yet somewhat seriously) that "Grandma love me more than her other grandchildren. I was her favorite," she said.

Well that set off a chain reaction with each of the succeeding grandchildren saying the same. Naturally, they could not all be right. But in a sense they were. She loved them equally and that made them think they were the favorite.

Looking back on my childhood, I must admit that I always knew that I was her favorite. Yet, that was not true. That fact was brought home to me in particular when I over heard her tell a friend one day that she loved my older half-brother just as much as any of her children. As far as she was concerned, he was as much hers as me or my other brother and sisters were. So, although, she had not given birth to him he was just as special to her as were we.

Reflecting on that, I, too, must at times remind myself that Jesus died for the whole world. Not just for me. Not just for the Christians, or the morally good. No, he died for all. Why? Because he loved them, John says,

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. (John 13:1 NLV) Paul puts it this way,

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.(Rom. 5:6-8 TLB)

Now, the beautiful lesson we learn from all of this is simply that God loves us all equally, including the skid row drunk, or the wild-eyed jihadist. Some of us disappoint him; but his arms are always open to embrace those that sense and cultivate that love.

The sad facts are, however, that much of the world, including our own part, do not really know how much Jesus loves them. You and I have the privilege, and, yes, an obligation to show them that love. Missions is a vital part of that process, too. So, whatever you do, pray for and support missions! It's God's way of sharing His great love to the world.