A Paper Snake (November 1, 2020)

 Snakes.

They provoke a variety of emotions and thoughts.  

Negatively, people respond to snakes with fear.  Some tremble at the mere mentioning of their name.  “Snake.”  “Help!  Ewwww!!!!”  They are viewed as evil and as a representation of the devil (think Genesis and the conversation held between the snake and Eve).  For some, snakes should be banished from this world.  How dare I even mention them in this devotional?  I should be ashamed of myself.   

Positively, people respond to snakes with love.  There are people that love snakes, have them as pets, and view them as an animal to be admired and cherished.  After all, weren’t they created by God?  Didn’t God turn the staff of Moses into a snake in Pharaoh’s presence?  (Hint:  The answer is yes.)

Me?  I guess I err more towards the fear/dislike.  I still remember the time when I was but a wee lad in the basement of our home, bending over to pick up what looked to be a piece of a carpet coming up…and it was a snake.  Bad memory.  Still, overall I’m really pretty indifferent.  We have snakes around our house.  Big, long black snakes.  They leave me alone.  I leave them alone.  They help take care of some of the other critters that I don’t wish to be in our house, and I’m happy to let them take care of that responsibility.  It’s a decent relationship.  You stay away from me.  I’ll stay away from you.  I have absolutely zero desire to ever have one as a pet, but I’m not setting off to eradicate the world of them either.

So, why talk about them now?  Why even bring them up?

Great questions.  I’m glad you asked!

A few days ago we had a hankering for some Chinese food.  After some conversation, we decided to order from our usual spot in Delmont, and I went into the restaurant to pick up our food.  The restaurant has gone to great lengths to ensure safety and provide a barrier between the customers and the staff.  So, where there used to be an open counter, there is now a wall of plexiglass.  They even developed a system to pass the food through the wall in a completely contactless manner!  It’s a pretty neat set-up…even if it points to the unwelcome reality of our times.  Anyway, hanging on the wall of plexiglass was a small, hand-written sign.  “Paper Snakes for Sale.  50¢”  Next to the sign there was an example.  A springy, homemade, paper snake was hanging there, complete with a tongue sticking out and a little tail.  I immediately went to the car and retrieved $1.  All of the sudden, I needed two paper snakes.

“Why?” You ask.

Again, great question.  I’m glad you asked!

I didn’t want the paper snakes.  I have no affinity towards snakes.  I had no need of paper snakes.  I have no idea what I’m going to do with the paper snakes, but still.  I needed to buy them.

You see, we’ve frequented this Chinese restaurant for years.  For years, I’ve seen the Mom run the register and help some in the kitchen.  For years, I’ve witnessed the Dad work the wok and prepare the meals.  For years, I’ve seen who I believe to be the grandfather assist as necessary.  For years, I’ve seen two little boys as they have grown up in the Chinese restaurant.  Sometimes they’d be coloring.  Sometimes they’d be playing on an iPad.  Sometimes they’d be doing homework.  Sometimes, they would be watching TV.  Sometimes, they wouldn’t be there (but most of the time they are).  Sometimes, the mom and I would have small conversations about Silas and how big he’s getting.  Sometimes, I’d ask how school was going for the boys.  Sometimes, it would be busy, and we didn’t talk much.  Sometimes, it would be slower, and we’d a little bit more.  For years, I’ve gone into this Chinese restaurant, and I’ve seen this family.  The mom and dad working.  The boys playing, or doing schoolwork, or sometimes even helping to run the restaurant.  

Sadly, I don’t know their whole story.  Shamefully, I have yet to learn their names.  Still, I hope to continue to be in conversation with this family, and I hope that I’ve been faithful to the Lord in my dealings at the restaurant.  Regardless, when I saw the snakes, I knew.  I knew I needed to buy them to bless the little boy that made them.

So, I went into the car and came back with a dollar.  Then, I told the mom, “I’d like two paper snakes please.”

“Really?  You really want to buy a snake?”
“Absolutely!  I’d like two.”

“Ok.”  

At this point, she turned and yelled something in Chinese and the boy came running from the back.

“You’d like to buy a snake?”

“Yes, please.  Two.”
“Which ones would you like?”

He then pulled out a giant box of paper snakes and proceeded to show me all of the color options.  I chose one that was blue and green and another that had some pink.  He pushed the two snakes through the little plexiglass window, and I pushed the coins through the opposite direction.  He took the $ and left with a smile.  I must have been the first one to buy (I sure hope more have at this point).  The family seemed to be in shock.  The younger boy was excited.  The mom was surprised, and the older brother looked a little bit irritated that his younger brother actually sold some snakes.  The dad kept cooking.  Still, it was awesome!  The paper snake transaction was complete.  I am now the owner of two, different-colored, handmade paper snakes, and it only cost me $1. 

Obviously, the transaction wasn’t about the snakes or the money.  Instead, it was just a very, very, very small way for me to be kind, and I hope, to share a bit of the love of Jesus.  My hope is that this small gesture would just be a little bit of light, a little bit of love, a little bit of a witness to this family.  My hope is that in some small way, I might continue to carry the light of Jesus into each and every relationship…even my relationship with the folks at the Chinese joint in Delmont.

Have I been perfect in my relationship there?  Nope.  I’m sure I haven’t.  I’m sure there have been plenty of occasions when I could have done or said something else, something more.  At minimum, I should make the effort to learn their names.  

Still, my hope is that Jesus would work through me, even in small ways, even in small interactions to make an impact for His Kingdom in that place.  I’ve seen/known that family in part.  I’ve seen their hard work.  I’ve tasted their yummy curry and crab rangoons.  I’ve heard the way the mom says, “Thank you.  Bye-Bye.”  I’ve witnessed the way the boys are there constantly.  I haven’t seen them complain.  I’m sure they have.  I know them, in part.  I know them from years of buying their food.  Jesus knows them completely.  He knows their hurts.  He knows their struggles.  He knows their triumphs.  He knows their joys.  

He also knows how to use me in their lives…if I’m willing and if I’m faithful.

Luke 16:10 says this:  “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

Now, in the context of the rest of the surrounding Scripture, the immediate reference is to money.  If you can be trusted with a little bit of money, then you can be trusted with more, etc.  However, though the immediate context points to money, I believe there is merit in extending the truth of this verse into other contexts as well.

If you can be trusted to have seemingly “small” conversations and interactions well and faithfully, then it follows that you should be trustworthy in “larger” conversations and interactions as well.  If you cannot be trusted in the smaller conversations, if you’re rude and mean and unfriendly and judgmental with the lady at the Chinese restaurant as you buy your green curry, how will you be able to be trusted with conversations about faith and Jesus? 

My hope is that I would be trustworthy in every conversation.  

It’s a goal that I’m still pressing forward to achieve.

How about you?  Are you faithful in the small things?  Are you trustworthy in the small, day-to-day exchanges?  Do you point to Jesus in the stuff that seems “little”?

Sometimes, those little things lead to something bigger.  Sometimes those little decisions open bigger doors.  Even if they don’t, they still matter.  It is still important to be faithful in the little stuff, to be trustworthy in the small matters, to be like Jesus in our trips to the Chinese restaurant (or when the pizza delivery guy comes, or as the girl loads our online order into the trunk at the grocery store…you get the idea).  What we do in the “little” makes an impact…often an impact that is beyond what we know or ever see.

I made a little decision to buy two, small, paper snakes.  If nothing else, it brightened up the eyes of a young boy who had worked hard to make them, and it made his mom smile.  My hope?  That I was faithful.  That this small decision would be one of many that would lead to bigger things.  That future conversations would continue to point to Jesus.  That this family would be blessed by the Lord through me.

~ Pastor Chris

For the Birds (October 25, 2020)

One of the blessings of living in the country is the vast amount of wildlife in our area.  Bobcat?  I’ve seen them.  Coyote?  Yep…just the other day.  Fox?  Check.  Bear?  You betcha (but I’ve only seen a bear one time here).  Deer?  Constantly…except during hunting season.  Groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks, field mice, a plethora of bugs, etc., etc., etc.  

We also have birds. 

Lots of birds.  

Black birds.  Blue birds.  Red birds.  Yellow birds.  Brown birds.  White birds.  Birds that whistle.  Birds that sing.  Birds that squawk.  Birds that do what birds do in a variety of places.  Birds, birds, birds, and more birds.

Don’t get me wrong, the birds are a blessing too.  I’m glad they are around.  I like seeing them and hearing them (most of the time…some flocks of blackbirds can be rather loud and annoying).  I just don’t go through the hassle of having feeders or fountains or houses for them.  I figure the natural habitat does its job of providing for the birds, and I get the benefit of seeing them.  Sure, I could encourage even more to come with feeders and what not, but…let’s be honest.  I have other things to do to keep me busy right now.  I’m glad they are around.  I hope they don’t leave, but for the foreseeable future, I’m not going to be doing much to encourage any more to come.

Birds.  They are around, and I’m glad for it…mostly.

On occasion a bird shows up that I would rather not have here.  One that came from a bad egg I guess.  A bird will come around and it will start trouble.  Puff out its chest like it owns the place.  Get all bossy and demanding.  Do its business where it has no business doing business…if you know what I mean…and not just a little bit.  Repeatedly.  Incessantly.  Over and over and over and over right on the side of our car.  Right underneath the side view mirror.  Said unwelcome bird will make quite the mess!  Not something I like to see!

Here’s what happens as I understand it (I’ve looked this up, so don’t think that I’m entirely off my rocker…I’ve just added a bit!): 

 

Mr. Bird will be flying around, presumably minding his own business.  

As he passes by the car, he gets tired.  

He decides to see if the car is a good place to perch for a wee bit of rest.

As he perches, Mr. Bird sees something.  Something offensive.  Something that needs dealt with immediately.

What is it?  

Another, identical bird.  Mr. Byrd.  He even has a weird spelling of his name.  How offensive!

Mr. Byrd has also been flying nearby. 

He has also been examining the car.

He has has also gotten tired and needed a place to perch for a wee bit of rest.

Mr. Byrd has also seen Mr. Bird who he now believes is impeding upon HIS territory.

Two birds.  One perch.  Only one can remain.

What are these two birds to do?

Fight to see who is boss.  Fight to see who gets the area.  Fight to see who gets the nappy time on my car and who has to leave.

Squawking ensues.  Pecking ensues.  The fight of a century takes place with words that are not fit to translate from bird into English.  It gets heated.  It gets passionate.  It gets intense.  It’s an amazing battle of wits and wings, the likes of which are rarely seen in these parts.

The problem?

THERE’S ONLY ONE BIRD!!!

Mr. Bird has seen a reflection.  Mr. Byrd does not exist.  

Mr. Bird has been deceived and has subsequently spent an immeasurable amount of time fighting his own reflection in the mirror whilst dropping his business on the side of my car.

For obvious reasons, Mr. Bird and his reflection-fighting self is not welcome in these parts.

Granted, it’s not his fault.  The bird doesn’t know that he’s really just pecking at a mirror, that it’s not another bird there, that he’s being deceived, that he’s ruining my car for no good reason.  What looks like Mr. Byrd challenging male dominance is really just a reflection.  It’s just Mr. Bird seeing himself in a mirror that’s used as a tool for me to keep from smashing into other cars.  

The bird has been deceived.  It is reacting to something that’s not there…at least not there in the way he thinks.  

I wonder…how often do I do the same? 

How often do I find myself puffing up my chest and fighting against an imaginary foe?  How often am I just fighting the thoughts in my head when the other party doesn’t exist or even know I have an issue?

How often have I been deceived?

It’s probably a lot.  I may never know how often it has occurred.  That’s part of the problem with deception.  The bird left, never truly knowing it was fighting a reflection.  It got tired or discouraged or defeated, but it never fully understood the mirror.

I likely do the same.  I get deceived into thinking someone has wronged me, has offended me, has stepped into my territory and I must do something about it.  Typically, this "something about it" just occurs within my head.  I imagine conversations and confrontations about how I have been wronged.  But really, I’m just fighting myself over an issue that may not have been as I had perceived it.  I might leave the situation without ever knowing of the deception.

And just so we don’t leave it at fighting and issues of dominance in bird-brained people, what about deception in other areas?  After all, deception happens on other levels too.  Ever seen or heard a bird smack into a window? 

Talk about deception!  

Mr. and Mrs. Bird can be flying along, minding their own business when they see a lovely field with a beautiful tree to build a home.  It has a nice, vacant branch, views of the countryside, a perfect place to raise a family and at an affordable price!  “Let’s check it out!”  they exclaim.  They head towards the tree & WHAM!!!!  Stopped suddenly, mid-flight. 

The birds have been deceived.  The tree with the vacancy?  A reflection in a window pane.  Most of the time, they will eventually get up and fly away, but do they really know what happened?  Do they ever recognize the deceit (even though it is unintentional in these cases)?  Do they ever fully understand what occurred?  Likewise, do we?  

I imagine that I’ve smacked into an occasional “window pane”, have gotten up and moved on, never really knowing what happened.  I “saw” some desirable goal…more money, more control, more safety, more power, more friends, more security, more fame, a nicer TV, a bigger car, a newer this, a better that, and I’ve flown after it.  Then, smack!  Things don’t work out.  The plans to get the $$$ didn’t come through.  The desire for the promotion went unanswered.  The invitations to the party all came back “no” if they came back at all.  The thing that I had been chasing didn’t work out, I was stopped mid-flight, but did I really know that what I had been chasing was just an illusion?  Did I really learn from that abrupt disruption?  Had I known I had been deceived, or did I continue in the same direction, just on a slightly different path?  

Deception comes in many forms, at many times, on many levels.

Sometimes, I’ve been deceived into thinking that there was a need for a conflict, but there had never been such need.  There have also been plenty of times in my life when I have sought after things that could never satisfy, when I’ve chased after dreams that would never fulfill, that I have flown after the reflection of the field full of flowers in the window pane.  I have been deceived.  Unfortunately, I can leave both situations without fully realizing the deception.  I’ve fought imaginary foes or chased after an illusion that looks like happiness and success without ever realizing that they had been imaginary or illusions all along.  I imagine that we’ve all done the same.

So, where does this leave us?  Hopeless?  Like a bird, destined to smack into a window unaware or pick fights with ourselves in a mirror?

Thankfully, no.  We are not hopeless, but we do need to recognize a few things.

First, let’s recognize where truth originates.  God is truth.  There is no falseness, no deception found within God.  The Bible conveys this in a number of ways.  

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” ~ Jesus (John 14:6)

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”  (1 John 1:5)

Second, let’s recognize where deception originates.  The devil.  Jesus said this of him:

When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  (John 8:44)

Third, let’s recognize that we do not need to face deception on our own.  God has given us His Holy Spirit.  This is how Jesus described the Holy Spirit and one of the Spirit’s roles in the Gospel of John:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…”  (John 16:13)

Fourth, let’s recognize what we have been given in Christ:

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:32)

Friends, we do not need to be “bird-brains”, destined to be deceived time and time again.  In fact, deception is “for the birds.” (Just as an aside, that phrase is said to have come from the time when children asked about the horse droppings left behind the horse-drawn wagons.  “They’re for the birds” was the response.  It became a phrase to mean “worthless.”)  Instead, we need the Way, the Truth, The Life.  We need God.  As we fly about our daily routine, let’s spend time with God, seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and trusting that we can know Jesus, the truth, and that the truth will set us free, even free from deception.

~ Pastor Chris

A Time to Celebrate (October 18, 2020)

I’ve heard it in a couple of places, at a couple of different times.  It’s given as advice to leaders and to leaders within the church, and I believe the advice has merit.  Here it is:  “Celebrate the Wins.”

Celebrate the Wins.  Rejoice over the “W”.  Recognize the victories.  Mark the occasions where good has triumphed, where “success” has been obtained.  Take a moment and pause to look at what has been accomplished before trudging ahead to the next challenge.

You get the idea.  Celebrate the Wins.  It’s important when things have gone well to take some time and recognize that fact.  

With that in mind, it’s time to celebrate!

Last week, I shared with you all how I have a tendency to respond to people asking for help with a “knee-jerk no.”  I confessed how I’m ever ready to say “nope” to requests for money or assistance, often with good reason.  As I shared, I admitted that this response is not always good, nor godly.  Instead, I proposed that an alternative response might be a general willingness to help.  This is not necessarily saying “yes” or “no” to any request, but instead having a willingness to help, to respond to the situation as God prompts, to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in how I might be used in a given context.  

In the midst of my confession, I shared an opportunity that we had/have to help.  Orphan Voice, a ministry that seeks to help those who are hurting and share the love of Jesus Christ, was in the middle of raising funds to fight against human trafficking in Vietnam through a campaign they called “Enduring Voices”.  Within this campaign, one gentleman was running for 114 miles (a ridiculous amount), and they were having people participate by doing their own runs/walks as they felt led.  I shared how Christa was participating in this campaign by walking a half marathon to raise funds.  Then, we extended an invitation for help.  Help in this cause through prayer.  If you were/are so led, help through giving.  The idea was for us, here, in these communities to take a stand, no matter how small it might seem, against the wickedness that would seek to oppress the weak, the hurting, the vulnerable.  

In sharing and in putting forth the request for help, we had hoped that we would have a nice time walking, that we would raise some awareness, that people would pray, and that we might raise about $500 to give to Orphan Voice.  We had hoped that a handful of people would join with us in this fight.  Boy did we underestimate!

For the walk, we had 3 ladies complete 13.4 miles in around 4 hours (a little over a half marathon…trust me, they felt those extra .3!).  We also had 5 additional people who joined in the walk for a little over two miles.  Not only that, but at the time of this writing, we’ve had over 30 different families/individuals help by giving a financial contribution!  Together we’ve raised $2000!!!!!!!   $2000 that will go directly into programs that teach young children that they are valuable.  $2000 that will go directly into seminars that shed light onto the tricks and manipulative practices that are used in luring young people away from their families and into a life of slavery.  $2000 that will be used to help council, comfort, and offer healing to those who have been rescued out of slavery.  $2000 that will be used for light in the midst of darkness.  $2000 that has been laid at the lap of Jesus as an offering and a prayer.

This is a victory!  This is a cause to celebrate!  This is a win!  This is the Body of Christ coming together and accomplishing something larger than we could have done individually.  This is a time to look back at what we have accomplished together and say, “Well done!”

Well done!  Celebrate the Win!  Rejoice in a victory!

Thank you for partnering with us!  Thank you for allowing us to take a stand in a larger way than we could have by ourselves!  Thank you for caring!  Thank you for giving!  Even more, thank you for praying!  Thank you for joining with us to see light overcome darkness, to see hope prevail where there is hopelessness, to participate in the work that God continues to do in our midst.  Thank you!

Not only do we want to thank you, but we also want to thank God!

In the Bible, when people were victorious, a large part of the celebration involved giving thanks and praise to God.  After the Israelites crossed through the sea and the Egyptians were defeated, Miriam led them in giving thanks and praise (Exodus 15:20-21).  When David was rescued from the hand of Saul, he gave thanks and praise (2 Samuel 22:1-51).  The leper who returned to give thanks and praise to Jesus was given as a positive example in contrast to the 9 who were healed and did not respond in that manner (Luke 17:11-19).  

With that in mind, let’s give our thanks and praise to the Lord as well!

Praise the Lord!  Thank you, Jesus!  You, God, are worthy of our praise and thanks!  You, God, deserve the glory!   

After all, God is worthy of it.  Not only that, but if we’re honest with ourselves, any real work that will be accomplished can only be accomplished in the hands of the Lord.  

In the Gospel of John, there is a story about a small boy and his lunch.  

A great crowd has gathered to hear Jesus speak, and they begin to get hungry.  Unfortunately, this was an unplanned event, so the food trucks did not know to come.  The Meatball Madness truck missed the event.  Papa’s Pierogies wasn’t there either.  The Gyro Genius?  Nowhere to be seen.  You couldn’t even find the “Sorry…All We Serve is Sausages” cart.  No funnel cakes.  No lemonade.  Nothing.

Jesus’ friends were worried.  “The food trucks aren’t here, and we didn’t order the party pizzas!  What are we going to do?  All these people are hungry!”

Fortunately, in the crowd, there was a boy.  His mommy had thought ahead and packed him lunch.  He was willing to share what he had.  5 small, barley loaves.  2 little fish.

But what could that do?  Even the most efficient, mobile Chick-Fil-A unit couldn’t have processed a crowd so large.

Jesus.

He wasn’t worried.

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).  Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.  (John 6:10)

When they were done eating, guess what happened?  Everyone was hungry?  Nope!  Everyone was full!  Not only that, but there were leftovers!  There was enough left over that people could take home extra bread to feed their chickens!  There was an abundance, an overflow, an outpouring, more than enough!

(So this was my loose paraphrase, check out John 6:1-15 for the actual account.)

There are a couple things that I want to point out for today.  

First, the boy was willing to give, was willing to help.  Obviously a couple of loaves of bread and some fish were not enough to feed the large crowd.  They weren’t even enough to feed a large family.  Still, the boy was willing to help.

Maybe “all" you are able to give to a particular cause is a prayer (giving time in prayer is no small thing, by the way).  Maybe all you could give on a particular occasion is a couple of pennies.  Maybe all you could give to help was $20.  It turns out, size, in the kingdom of God, isn’t always important.  Instead, the thing that matters more is heart.  That young boy could have given a half of fish and a slice of bread in the same manner.  The results would have been the same.  (See also the widow’s offering, Mark 12:41-44)  Willingness to give to the Lord is the important thing.

Just so we’re clear, I’m not really talking about willingness to give to a particular cause, or willingness to give financially, either.  I’m thankful that we gave to Orphan Voice!  I’m celebrating the victory!  Rejoicing in the win!  But do you want to know what I hope for even more than that?  I hope that we are giving our all to God.  I hope that we are giving Jesus our entire lives, not just throwing some money at something.  I hope that we are laying our lives down on his altar as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), that we are willing to give our hearts.

$2000 to fight against human trafficking is small compared to the large problem.  It’s like 5 loaves and 2 fish with a huge crowd.  Not near enough.  Not even close.

$2000 given in faith to Jesus?  That’s a different story.

Second, Jesus is the true provider.  The boy in the story played an important role.  He had to be willing to give.  He was used of God.  Jesus took that offering and multiplied it.  Jesus used it to feed more.  Jesus provided so much more that there were leftovers.  The boy had a role, an important one at that, but it would have been insufficient without Jesus.  Jesus is the one who gets the true credit, the true honor and glory.

We have taken an offering.  We have provided a gift to the Lord.  We have acted in faith.  It’s pennies in a bucket.  It’s like fighting a blazing gasoline inferno with a couple drops of water.  Not going to work.  $2000 is relatively nothing compared to the enormous wickedness that is human trafficking.  I know it.  You know it.  We all know it.

But, given in faith, placed into the hands of Jesus?  There are no boundaries.  There are no limits.  God is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Jesus is able to take that gift and multiply it, spread it, use it in ways that we are unable to imagine.

So, friends, it is time to celebrate the win!  Celebrate the good that was done!  Give thanks to each other.  Give thanks to God!  Continue to trust God to use what was given for God’s glory, for God’s purposes!  Continue to lay our lives down at the feet of Jesus and know that He will use our offering given in faith, no matter how small, in ways that we cannot imagine. 

As we do, let’s keep our eyes on Christ.  Let’s continue to trust for him to provide.  Let’s pray that he continues to work, to move, to act.  Let’s plead with God to bring freedom to those who are in bondage.  Let’s ask for God to take our offering and multiply it.  Let’s worship God for he is worthy of our praise.

~ Pastor Chris

A Time to Help (October 11, 2020)

I get them often.  Requests of some form or another for help…usually, financial help.  Some of them are sincere requests from reputable sources.  Others?  Well, I’m not so sure.

• Help!  I’m an African prince that has been cut off from my inheritance.  I’ll give you half of my $5,000,000,000,000,000 estate if you’d loan me $500.  Just send your credit card information to this email address:  imascam@gotcha.com  (To be clear:  PLEASE DO NOT SEND CREDIT CARD INFORMATION TO THAT ADDRESS!!!)
• Help!  We have an over-abundance of puppies!  Please adopt one!  We’ll even give it to you for free when you qualify!  (Note:  qualification procedures, adoption fees, shots & vet bills may reach in excess of $5000.  Puppies are free.  Paperwork and shots will cost you.)
• Help!  A movement of God is needed in our country.  For four easy payments of $19.95 plus $14.95 shipping and handling you can receive a mini-flag replica that has been anointed by special, purified water.  This prayed-over flag replica will do wonders in bringing a work of God over our land.  Your help is needed!  

We hear them a lot, don’t we?  Cries for help.  People who are seeking money from us, wanting for us to give financially.  Unfortunately, as most of us know, many of these pleas are no more than a scam…someone who is trying to rip us off for a profit with no intentions of using our hard-earned cash for anything worth while.

Whether we hear the pleas through our emails, or through the Postal Service, or on the television set, or in person, the affects can be the same…raise up the defenses!  Get the “no” ready.  Change the channel, throw the junk away, delete the unwanted email.  “There’s no way that they’re going to take advantage of me!  They aren’t getting my cash!  No way!  No how!  Help?  How’s about help yourself!”

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt this way, but I certainly have many times.  It seems like I’m inundated with vast amounts of nefarious requests for help, and they cause me to be defensive about them.  This happens so much that sometimes my knee-jerk response to pleas for help in general is “no” without even listening or considering what is being asked of me.  

This condition of the “knee-jerk no” is only increased and compounded by the vast amount of legitimate requests for help.  Someone might point to a legitimate need, a community that is struggling to find water in Africa, a church camping program that is low on funds, the local YMCA that is not meeting it’s budget and shutting down parts of its operations due to COVID restrictions, churches that are underfunded, people that are hungry, hospital bills that cannot be paid, cancer research that needs done, a university’s scholarship program that is running low, at-risk teens needing an outlet after school, young kids wanting to earn enough to go on a retreat, on and on and on and on and on and on and on. 

 

So many requests for help.  Some legitimate, some illegitimate, some uncertain.  (How do I know if the guy holding the sign as I exit the shopping plaza is in need or if he is trying to score for his next high?)  So, so, so many all of the time, that I’ve conditioned myself to be ready to say no.  

Nope.  Can’t do that right now.  Don’t have the funds.  Don’t have the time.  Don’t have the passion (sure, I feel bad for the whales that beached themselves, but if I’m honest, I don’t feel bad enough to hop on a plane, head to the beach, and push them back into the ocean).  No.  No thank you.  I’d really like to, but…

I have the “no” on stand-by, ever ready to dish it out to most cries for “help” that come my way.

It’s not that I’m a bad guy (OK…I’m not speaking theologically here…just the common phrasing of being a bad guy.).  It’s not that I don’t care, I actually do care about many of these things.  It’s not that I have absolutely no abilities or resources.  God has blessed me with more than I need.

So, what’s the problem?  Jadedness?  Callousness?  Laziness?  Unwilling to be made a fool by someone who took advantage of me?

Probably all of these and more, but like my father-in-law says… “Excuses are like arm pits.  We all have them, and they all stink!”

Sometimes, I’m just ready to say no, and I don’t really have any good reason to say no.  It’s just “no.”  That’s it.

Recently, I noticed myself giving one of these, “knee-jerk no” responses.  An organization that we support, Orphan Voice, reached out about doing a special, “Enduring Voices” campaign against sex trafficking in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.  Once a year a gentleman, who happens to be in ridiculous running shape, runs 114 miles (this year he is doing that non-stop) to raise awareness and funds to fight against an inherently evil, completely repulsive practice of luring and capturing young women and men and selling them as sex slaves.  Orphan Voice asked, “Will you be a part of helping?”

My immediate response, “Nope.”  After all, we already support them.  We even went and worked alongside them in Vietnam for a few months.  We can’t run 114 miles.  This guy is doing a great job of raising funds already.  How could we possibly help?  

I almost followed the knee-jerk no with the next step, throwing the letter in the trash, but for some reason I decided to show it to Christa.  

Her response?  “Absolutely.  Let’s help!”  She immediately went about planning her own, half-marathon walk, partnered with a couple of other ladies to join her, and proceeded to fundraise.  To this date, the walk is scheduled, some of you have donated (thank you very much!), and we are working towards giving a nice donation to Orphan Voice that will help this cause.

Fortunately, her immediate willingness to help was all that I needed.  I was on board the second she brought it up and have been working alongside her to offer more help to this cause, but I admit, I did need that prompting.  I needed her “yes” to get me out of my immediate “no.”  I needed her willingness to help to bump me into a willingness of my own, and I am very grateful that she did.  I’m grateful for her response, for her initiative, for her “yes”, and for the ways that we are able to give more as she extended the offer to others to partner with her in this endeavor.  I’m grateful that my knee-jerk no was overturned by her caring yes.

It does make me wonder…according to the Lord, is my “knee-jerk no” a good response?

A plethora of Scriptures flood to mind, but I want to mention a couple.

Jonah…and the whale.  

Let’s summarize.  God tells Jonah, “Go to Nineveh.  Tell the people that I am going to destroy them.  Help.”  

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. (Jonah 1:3)

Jonah had an immediate response of “no” to God asking for help.  The remainder of the story sees a big storm, Jonah being pitched off of a boat, being swallowed by a big fish, headed to Nineveh anyway, and the people receiving the help that God desired.  “No” to the request for help in this situation was not the right response.

The Good Samaritan

Let’s summarize.  An Israelite was beaten up and robbed by some bad dudes who left him for dead.  Two people who should have helped (A priest & a Levite) walked by and left him there on the road.  The Samaritan?  The one who was supposed to be against Israel, the one who was considered wicked just because of his nationality?

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

~Matthew 10:34-35

As I think about it, and pray about it, I wonder if more of us are prone to giving a “knee-jerk no”.  I’m wondering if for those of us who are prone to this type of response if we should instead be more open to “yes.”  Perhaps, we should even pray about erring towards a “knee-jerk yes.”  

“Can you help?”  “Sure.  Let me see how I can best assist you.”  “Can you help?”  “Absolutely.  Let’s get at it.” 

Maybe the word that should be on the tip of my tongue, and those who struggle with a constant “no” should be “yes”.  It’s a possibility.

But what about being duped?  What about being tricked?  What about the fact that you can’t help everyone?

Well, I thought about that too.  After all, Jesus says this to his disciples:

“Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

God does want us to exercise wisdom.  The Lord does not wish for us to give our life savings to that “African Prince.”  Additionally, we are people with limited time and resources.  Saying “yes” to every opportunity that presents itself might result in burn-out, overworking, and in saying “no” to something of even greater importance (think about the person that says “yes” to every cry for help at work but never has any time for family, friends or church).

Here’s where I am landing for today.

As I read through Scriptures, I see a God who helps.  I see a God who helps the lost, the broken, the hurt, the oppressed, the widow, the orphan, the downtrodden, the disadvantaged, the sinner, etc., etc., etc.

As I read through Scriptures, I see people who follow after God and help as God helps.  The Good Samaritan, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, etc., etc., etc.

As I read through Scriptures, I see occasions where Jesus and his followers help people in ways that aren’t asked.  A beggar asks for money, he receives the ability to walk.  (Acts 3).  People ask for bread, they receive the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

Overall, I see a God who helps and who calls His people to do the same.  This should be our knee-jerk reaction.  “How can I help?  How can I display the love of Christ in this situation?”

Sometimes, “help” doesn’t mean doing exactly what is being asked.  Helping the African Prince does not take place by giving money or even by responding to the email, but what if we took a couple of seconds as we threw away the junk to say, “Lord reach the person who is doing this.  Work in their life.  Change their heart.  Help them find treasure in you.”  Wouldn’t that be helping?  

Friends, we are called to help.  Not just an automatic “no” or “yes” to every ask, but a call to help.  My hope is that we are sensitive to the Spirit of God, and that we would be used to help others, to love others as God has loved us.

~ Pastor Chris