"Held by Your love, I sing alleluia"

Let me begin with a quote; I’ve used it before, but it’s profound, specifically when you consider the source.  In an episode of the 90’s animated cartoon of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood wall crawler says, “Life is a like a thunderstorm; it’s unpredictable, uncontrollable, sometimes even dangerous.  We like to think we have a handle of life, that we’re in charge.  Then, without warning, we find out how wrong we really are.”

 
Maybe you don’t love superheroes like I do, and you just tolerate when I compose blogs like I presented recently, the one where I gush over a 20-year old movie.  But, even still, can you relate to the above quote?  The world is filled with heartache, suffering, and trouble.  “Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7).  Many of us know the truth of those words; we’ve experienced the anguish firsthand.  I know for myself it’s been rather difficult to relay the episodes of loss I’ve articulated here; because I re-live them, and I feel the pain and grief all over again.

James MacDonald in his marvelous book “Gripped by the greatness of God” writes, “As you go through a painful circumstance, you either get closer to the Lord or further away.  Trials will always push you.  Either they wedge between you and God, pushing you from Him, or the weight of those same burdens drives you closer to Him…you have a choice.  You can harden your heart and refuse the sovereign purposes of God…or you can run to Him.”

Earlier this month, I shared that Rebecca St. James is one of my heroes.  The fact is, Rebecca also knows suffering.  I appreciate the raw, authentic worship in the title track of her new project “Dawn”.  But it adds even more emotional depth to hear her explain the story behind the song.  She states that it is “tied to a season of winter” when she and her husband endured not just one, but two miscarriages, as well as other challenges. 

(Information can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tQhIxwL90I

With that in mind, here’s a sampling of the song “Dawn”: “Water the garden of my life with every sorrow, every tear that I’ve cried.  Redeem this winter for Your good.  Lord, show Your power as only You could.  Help me hold on; cling to You ‘til I see the sun.  [Chorus] Held by Your love, I sing alleluia; You’re lifting my heart as I lift my hands.  Safe in Your love, I sing alleluia; You’re healing my heart as I lift my hands." [The bridge of this song might be my favorite part] “Even in the darkness, even when it’s hardest, You are faithful and You bring the dawn.  On every mountain, I’ll sing it even louder, You are faithful and You bring the dawn.”

Let me conclude with this.  Recently I was so blessed by a Crosswalk.com devotional – written by Aaron Berry – on Jesus’ words in John 16:33 (“In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart; I have overcome the world”) that I decided to include a paragraph of encouragement from it with you.  

(By the way, I’d love to could quote more, but the full devotional link can be found here – https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/jesus-promise-in-this-word-you-will-have-trouble-john-1633.html

“In this verse, we see two realities: 1) The followers of Jesus will suffer distress, and 2) Jesus has already won the victory…Following Christ is difficult and there will be opposition.  Yet, the reality of Christ’s victory over sin and death via his own death and resurrection provides peace and courage in the midst of that opposition.”  A little later on Berry writes: “Anyone who claims that believing in Jesus brings financial prosperity, physical health, and perfect relationships hasn’t read his Bible.  Life is tough and the Christian life is tougher…instead of promising to eliminate trouble from our lives, Jesus instead promises to give peace and comfort in the midst of trouble.”

Kevin

"It's the best news ever"

After what I said last time about putting one’s faith and trust in Jesus, it occurred to me that I needed to give a separate blog on why this is so incredibly vital.  The website got questions.org has an excellent article that I want to begin with (which can be found in its entirety here https://www.gotquestions.org/get-right-with-God.html)  

“In order to get “right” with God, we must first understand what is “wrong.”  The answer is sin.  “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3).  We have rebelled against God’s commands; we “like sheep, have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6).  The bad news is that the penalty for sin is death.  “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:4).  The good news is that a loving God has pursued us in order to bring us salvation.  Jesus declared His purpose was “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10), and He pronounced His purposed accomplished when He died on the cross with the words, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Having a right relationship with God begins with acknowledging your sin.  Next comes a humble confession of your sin to God (Isaiah 57:15).  “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:10).  This repentance must be accompanied by faith – specifically, faith that Jesus’ sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection qualify Him to be your Savior.  “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).”

The first time I heard the phrase “quid pro quo” it was on the CW TV show “The Flash” (a show that I haven’t spoken of for a while, but it is still good, even in its 8th season).  The phrase was on the lips of the Reverse-Flash – A.K.A. Eobard Thawne (The Flash’s arch-enemy).  He explained that “quid pro quo” is a Latin phrase that basically means ‘if you do this for me, I will do this for you.’  Thawne was about to propose a deal with someone else, because he wanted something in return from them.  I believe many people have the notion of “quid pro quo” with God. 

They think God is saying to them, “If you give money to the church, perform good works, live a moral life, jump through this religious hoop and that one, then I will forgive you and accept you.”  That’s not the gospel!  The gospel says, Jesus already did all the work; therefore, based on faith and trust in Him, and what He did for us on the cross, forgiveness and reconciliation with God is given as a free gift.

In 2017, Mercy Me released a song called “Best news ever”.  I want to quote the whole song, but instead, check this one line out: “Some say, ‘He’s keeping score; so try hard, then try a little more.’  But hold up: if this were to true, explain to me what the cross is for!  What if I were the one to tell you, that the fight’s already been won…the work’s already been done?  It’s not good news; it’s the best news ever.” 

Someone wants to say, “Yes, this is all good, but I’ve already put my faith in Christ.”  Amen!  I say the same thing for myself.  But I’ve learned that I need the gospel every day.  Jesus paid the price for all my sins, including the sin I commit after becoming His child.  It’s so important to keep short accounts with Him; I need to ask for forgiveness on a daily basis.  You see, my heart is “prone to wander” as the old hymn puts it.  I need to return to the safe confines of Jesus’ love, forgiveness, and protection.  And when I do that, a Heavenly joy fills my heart and soul.

Kevin

"Remembered forever"

Psalm 112 speaks of a righteous man.  It speaks of an honorable, exemplary, godly, influential man, the kind of man I want to be.  Verse 4, for instance, says, “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”  I could go on and on with this chapter, but for today, consider verse 6 with me: “Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.”  Amen to that!

20 years ago, Pastor Rick Ferguson made his home-going to Heaven.  My parents, younger brother, and I were members of his church, and so when he passed, it was one of my first tastes of losing someone special to death.  But this man made such an amazing impact on me, and countless other lives (a fact that is apparent when you realize how often I talk about him just in this blog).  “A righteous man,” says Psalm 112:6, “will be remembered forever.”  I remember Rick’s kindness to me.  I was basically a teenager at the time, yet he knew my name, and he was eager to talk to both my brother and me.

7 years ago, my father, Jerry entered his Heavenly reward.  What more can I say that I haven’t already?  I miss Dad’s humor (sometimes at work when a piece of technology is deciding if it will work, I will say, “as my dad used to say, ‘you have to hold your mouth just right.’”).  I miss Dad’s strong faith in the Lord (he always prayed “Thy will be done”; he knew God’s way was superior).  I miss Dad’s devotion to his wife – my mom – and my brother and me.  But in a sense, my dad will always be with me.  Because his virtue, character, and example will continue on, and be remembered.  After all, “a righteous man will be remembered forever,” as it says in Psalm 112:6. 

I think of other men that I look forward to seeing in Heaven one day.  Men like Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy; Billy Graham, the man who was the human instrument that introduced me to Jesus; the Christian singer known simply as Carman, a man who influenced so many for the Lord.  But it’s important to remember this fact: all of these men were all sinners who realized one day that they needed a Savior named Jesus.  My dad, Rick Ferguson, Billy Graham, and so on, they all were reflecting Jesus’ light and righteousness.  A got questions.org article puts it this way:

“A mirror serves no other purpose than to reflect something else.  A mirror is useless when covered in mud; likewise, when we are covered in sin and turned away from God, we are not living out the purpose for which we were created.  But when we respond to God’s offer of salvation and allow His Holy Spirit to clean us up, we turn toward our Creator, and His glory is reflected in our lives.  It is not our light or beauty the world needs to see, but His (John 8:12; 9:5). (From https://www.gotquestions.org/why-did-God-create-me.html).

To conclude, the Bible says for the person that has a right relationship with God, through Jesus, they can be confident they are going to Heaven.  That’s why I can speak with assurance that I will see these men I’ve brought up in Heaven, because I have done what they did: I put my faith and trust in Jesus alone to save me.  By the way, lest I’m misunderstood, I submit this too: faith in Jesus is not just about going to Heaven one day and then living whatever way you want on Earth.  As another personal hero of mine, Rebecca St. James once said in a radio interview, “The Christian life is about being transformed by God.  It's about every day, putting His way above our own…not living a life for ourselves.”  After all, as Rick Ferguson put it from the pulpit a hundred times: “It’s not about us; it’s all about Him.”

Kevin

My life seven years later

Recently, the Lord in His providence, worked it so I would run into someone that I haven’t seen since 2015.  I say ‘in His providence’ because of how incredibly minute the odds are of running to this person, at that very moment in time.  It was a relatively brief conversation, but it was a very uplifting and encouraging one.  It got to me to thinking about my life, both back in 2015, and now.

First of all, it was in 2015 when I heard a pastor give a wonderful sermon.  He stated how important it was to resolve to “go where God calls you to go”.  “You want to be where God wants you,” he continued.  “If He calls you to go, go.  And if He calls you to stay, stay.”  I was so inspired by his words that day, and they continue to inspire me even as I relay them to you now.  Where has God wanted me to be in 2022?  Let me focus on three items in particular.

#1: God has called me to remain single, at least for now.  I have to begin here because I can’t overemphasize how often I feel like a fish out of water because I remain unmarried, at age 41.  Why am I still single?  I’m sure some are wondering the answer to that question.  It’s actually not complicated.  In fact, the answer is quite simple: God has not called me to get married just yet.  I know He could lead me to a special girl, and my marital status would change.  But it has happened yet.  So I remain committed to being where God wants me to be, single and sexually pure, until married life.

#2: God has called me to serve.  In the course of my chat with this person I hadn’t seen since 2015, my employment at Chick-fil-A came up.  I have been with Chick-fil-A for many years now.  Working in food service is an adventure; to try to communicate with people who are low and hungry (I guess the new word is “hangry”) can be a challenge.  Furthermore, I’m learning more and more that there are some folks who just lack basic restraint, kindness, and self-control.  Yet, God has called me to serve them, forgive them as God has forgiven me, and love them with the love of Christ. 

But, not only am I called to serve my coworkers and customers at work, God has called me to serve my family and friends as well.  It’s a joy to continue to look after my widowed mother (and, rest assured, she certainly looks after me, too).  But to choose to take my eyes off of myself; to serve my family, friends, and all those in my sphere of influence is so important. 

#3: God has called me to trust in Him, even in the midst of suffering.  2015 is the year my dad unexpectedly passed away.  And yet while I miss him every day, there have certainly been other episodes of suffering that have popped up.  I could cite several recent examples of this, but the point is, I’ve learned over and over again that life on Earth is not a playground; it’s a battlefield. 

A few weeks before he passed away in a car accident at age 46, Pastor Rick Ferguson presented a talk entitled “When we don’t understand God”.  He brought up the Biblical character of Job.  I was blessed by Pastor Rick’s words once again, and I hope you will be too.  He states:

“Even when I don’t understand Him, He has done enough in my life to prove that He and He alone has the words of eternal life.  Maybe Job understood this as well and that is why he could not follow his wife’s worldly logic.  He had to hang in there with God, even when he did not understand God, because he had no place else to go.  As you know, God eventually disclosed Himself to Job, and He blessed Job for hanging in there” [he quotes Job 42:10-13]      

“So what do we do, even when we don’t understand God?  We keep trusting Him.  We keep worshipping Him.  We keep serving Him.  We keep looking to Him…Let’s encourage each other to hang in there and “keep the faith” even when it is difficult.  Let’s commit to going the distance with Him – no matter what.  Let’s say it and live it, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” [Job 13:15].

Kevin

"Thank You [Jesus] for loving me"

As was mentioned when I presented my teaser for upcoming July blogs, I have been watching some Christmas is July programming.  Recently, I decided to view a Christmas film solely on the description this particular network gave it.  They stated that a college student took on a job of walking a dog and in the process “learns the real reason of Christmas.”  So I was hooked to discover what they were going to present as “the real reason of Christmas”

What ensued was a young woman who took on the job of dog-walking.  While the two were on their initial walk (which basically consisted of the dog walking her), she literally ran into a young man at a dog park.  The man and woman got to talking; soon, he informed her that the dog park was in danger of being shut down and demolished, and he really didn’t want that to happen.  By film’s end, the dog park was saved, and the young man and woman had fallen in love.  It wasn’t a bad movie, but it had little to do with the real reason for Christmas.

The truth of the matter is Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ.  He had a miraculous entrance into the world; through a virgin’s womb, without a male seed at conception.  How is this possible?  Because, as the angel told Mary, with God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).  Jesus grew up and lived the most remarkable life. 

Jesus said things that normal people don’t say.  For example, at one point, He not only heals a paralytic man but He also declares to him, “your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).  And this drew the ire of the religious in the crowd.  “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone? (verse 7).  They apparently never stopped to even consider that Jesus was/is God in human flesh.  And Jesus declared His identity as God to them by flat-out stating He has the power to forgive sins (verse 10).

Ultimately, Jesus was condemned to die a criminal’s death, even though He did nothing wrong.  Why did this happen?  Because humanity has a sin problem.  We don’t measure up to God’s holy standard.  But because God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us, Jesus – God in human flesh – died on a cross to pay the penalty for my sin, and yours.  One worship song puts it this way: “Crucified, laid behind the stone, You lived to die rejected and alone.  Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall.”  In the end, this same Jesus arose from His own grave, victorious over even death!

Let me end with where I began: the movie about a woman who took on a job walking a dog.  The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that they were asserting that love is the real reason for Christmas.  In her case, love for an animal, love for family and friends, and romantic love with a promising new relationship.  These are all good things.  Please don’t think I’m saying otherwise.  But I submit that the film didn’t go far enough; Jesus’ love for humanity is the real reason for Christmas.  Songwriter Tommy Walker had it right in his song “Thank You for loving me”:

“Greater love this world had never seen when He died on that tree; O why would He do such a thing for dirty sinners like you and me?  O God, Thank You for loving me, when on the cross You made history.  Lord, You died for me, forever my praise will go to Thee.”

Kevin

An incredible superhero film turns 20

20 years ago, a great movie – “Spider-Man” – was released.  I want to lay out why this film is so special.  I’ve decided to present this in 4 “C’s”.  Let me begin with what I’m going to call…   

The context

For many years, this has been a golden age for superhero films.  But this was not the case in 2002.  The Superman franchise had been dead since 1987’s “The Quest for Peace”; a film that was so bad, even as a boy, I could see how implausible and ridiculous it was.  The now iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t exist.  The Batman movies series was reeling, thanks to the awful 1997 film “Batman and Robin”.  The movie that turned Bane into a mindless henchman who just uttered one word sentences, and thought Mr. Freeze’s hundreds of ice puns were a good idea. In that context came “Spider-Man”.  A film that hit a home run its first trip to the plate.

The cast

I could go on and on about the talented cast.  J.K. Simmons, for instance, was so good he has returned as J. Jonah Jameson again in the Tom Holland Spider-Man franchise.  But it would be negligent of me if I didn’t stop and say a word about Willem Defoe.  His performance is something you can’t take your eyes off of.  Defoe is menacing, gripping, and at times, downright chilling.  The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde portrayal is another intriguing layer.  As for the star of the film, Tobey Maguire, his work is off the charts.  I didn’t take the time to find it again, but I read somewhere recently that Tobey’s performance was praised by critics and fans alike – including Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland.     

The content

“Spider-Man” has a spectacular story or content (I needed another “C” word).  It has great action sequences, and compelling good versus evil plots, but one thing that stands out is the genuine moments of heart.  I think, for example, of Peter’s pining for Mary Jane.  In one scene, he gives these beautiful, heartfelt words to Mary Jane – all on the flimsy pretense that he was relaying to her what he had supposedly told Spider-Man about her:

“The great about M.J. is when you look in her eyes, and she’s looking back in yours, everything feels not quite normal.  Because you feel stronger, and weaker, at the same time.  You feel excited, and at the same time, terrified.  The truth is, you don’t know what you feel, except you know what kind of man you want to be.”  Years later, on “The Big Bang Theory” Sheldon Cooper quoted these very words to Amy Farrah Fowler.  She was moved, and he confessed, “That’s from the first Spider-Man movie.”

The conclusion

There’s so much I want to write regarding the ending scenes of “Spider-Man”.  I wish I could delve deeply into what Green Goblin calls a “sadistic choice”; he asks Spider-Man who he will save from certain death on the bridge – M.J. or a group of kids in a cable car.  And how Spidey disregarded Goblin’s game and ultimately saved everyone.  What a scene!  I would love to delve into the very last scene, where Peter decided to protect Mary Jane by choosing not to be with her romantically, as she wanted.  This not only left M.J. in tears, but it broke Peter’s own heart as well.

Instead of digging into any of that, let me just submit to you that Peter/Spider-Man’s example in this movie left me inspired.  To use Peter’s words, I knew what kind of man I wanted to be.  I was encouraged to be noble, courageous, honorable, and selfless, just like him.  20 years later, Maguire’s Spider-Man continues to spur me on to consider and serve others.  Really, what more can you ask for from a superhero film?

Kevin   

 

Coming soon in July

I’ve just concluded a work week where nearly every day I arrived at 6:15 AM!  Stating this in written form shows me afresh how God is my helper.  Trust me, by nature, I’m not an early riser, but God has miraculously empowered me to do this.  I begin in this way so that you understand why I’m about to write this next statement: I have several blogs in my head that I want to write, but I don’t have the energy.  So I thought I would compose this installment today where I just submit to you what I plan to write in the coming days.

First off, unbelievably, it was 20 years ago when the first Spider-Man movie – known simply as “Spider-Man” – with Tobey Maguire was released.  In celebration of this, I want to present a blog (maybe even 2 blogs) about why I love this film.  Growing up, I had a mild interest in the wall crawler, but watching “Spider-Man” turned my appreciation up a few notches.  So much so I can state that Spidey is probably my favorite superhero today.  This would not be the case if it weren’t for Tobey Maguire’s magnificent portrayal in “Spider-Man”.

Secondly, I’ve been viewing “Christmas in July” programming the last few days.  I’ve heard about this concept for many years, but I confess I’m having trouble understanding why this is a thing.  Maybe there’s a lull and people just want to celebrate something.  In Colorado, we celebrated the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup, and then we celebrated Independence Day.  So we’re exhausted from all the celebrating!  But regardless, I plan to compose a Christmas blog – in July. This is something I’ve never done before, so I’m excited about the notion.

Third, as I’ve alluded to a few times already, this month marks 20 years since a wonderful pastor named Rick Ferguson went to his home-going in Heaven.  I’ve been preparing for this blog for a while now.  I’ve been listening to his sermons again, reading what he wrote, and contemplating his legacy.  I’m not entirely sure what shape that blog will take as yet, but his influence and example is still will me, even to this very day.  It’s not about me; but I would be exceptionally pleased if people are still considering my life and example 20 years after my death.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t write a blog in July about my father.  Since it was in July of 2015 when he unexpectedly passed away.  While I will give some personal reflections; for example, I probably will mention things like his humor, a sense of humor that no one could ever duplicate no matter how hard they tried.  But also I will comment on how, somehow, it’s already been 7 years.  Time marches on!

To be continued!

Kevin