Max Lucado writes, “It begins as a drop of water…Someone gets your parking place, pulls in front of you on the freeway, a waitress is slow and you’re in a hurry, the toast burns…Get enough of these seemingly innocent drops of anger and you’ve got a bucket full of rage…We trust no one…bare our teeth at anyone who gets near… become walking time bombs that, given the right amount of tension and fear, could explode… We can’t deny…anger exists. How do we harness it? Jesus said about the mob that killed him, ‘Father, forgive them…they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34)…He saw this bloodthirsty, death-hungry crowd not as murderers, but as victims…He saw in their faces not hatred, but confusion…He regarded them not as a militant mob but ‘like sheep without a shepherd’ (Mark 6:34 NIV). ‘They don’t know what they are doing’…think about it…they hadn’t the faintest idea…They were a stir-crazy mob, mad at something they couldn’t see so they took it out on, of all people, God. They didn’t know what they were doing, and for the most part neither do we. Much as we hate to admit it, we’re shepherd-less sheep….born out of one eternity and frighteningly close to another…We can’t answer our own questions about love and hurt…can’t solve the riddle of aging…don’t know how to heal our own bodies or get along with our mates…My point is: uncontrolled anger won’t better our world…sympathetic understanding will. Once we begin to operate not from a posture of anger but of compassion…we realize the lights are out…a lot of people are stumbling in the darkness…So we light candles.”
Anger
“They do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 NIV
May 17, 2017 • Bob Gass
Peace Comes by Trusting in Christ
May 31, 2017 • Bob Gass
Charles Stanley tells of asking his waitress, “If you could ask God for anything, what would that be?” Instantly she answered, “I want to feel at peace.” Through tears, she spoke of painful losses that had turned her life into intense emotional turmoil. Many people, like this young woman, want inner peace without a relationship with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. They seek it in ways that don’t work—physical fitness, improving their appearance, financial security, fame, social status, or human relationships. Some seek it in alcohol and drugs. But none of these things can provide peace of heart and mind; only a relationship with Jesus can do that. Before we meet Jesus, we are slaves to sin, living in opposition to God (Romans 6:16 NIV). And our sins separate us from God, so we live with guilt, stress, and shame. But He has provided a remedy. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV), removing our sin, guilt, and shame, and ending our separation from God. When we trust in Christ as our Saviour, He promises, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 NIV). If you have placed your trust in Christ, read this: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (Philippians 4:6-7 TLB).
Shalom
May 30, 2017 • Bob Gass
The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. And apart from God, it will always remain a pipe dream, a philosophical fantasy, or a tantalizing fish that is just beyond your bait and hook. Marriages go awry and fall apart because we look to an imperfect mate to give us the perfect peace we’re searching for and we discover they can’t. The story is told of a woman at a cocktail party who was trying her best to look happy. Noticing the gargantuan sparkling rock on her finger, a guest exclaimed, “Wow! What a beautiful stone!” She replied, “Thank you. It’s the Callahan diamond.” The onlooker said, “I wish I had one!” The woman replied, “No, you don’t.” “Why not?” he asked. “Because it comes with the Callahan curse,” she replied. “The Callahan curse—what’s that?” asked the questioner. She sighed and said, “Mr. Callahan!” Perfect peace can only come from a perfect peace-giver, and the only one who meets that qualification is God. Peace isn’t the absence of problems; it’s the presence of God in the midst of your problems. What’s more, nobody ever finds peace by looking for it. Peace isn’t something you find; it finds you when you surrender your life to the One who said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Note the words “My Presence.” Only God’s presence can bring peace. The assurance of God’s love, God’s help, and God’s presence is what takes the stress out of living. Are you longing for peace today? When you surrender your life to Christ, you’ll “experience…peace…far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (Philippians 4:7 TLB).
Have You Prayed About It?
May 29, 2017 • Bob Gass
Can you imagine walking into a restaurant and asking if your order is ready? “When did you call it in?” the server asks. “Oh, I didn’t,” you reply. “I just thought perhaps you might have something with my name on it.” That’s as ridiculous as expecting God to answer prayer requests you haven’t made—or haven’t made in faith. The Bible says, “The reason you don’t have what you want is…you don’t ask God” (James 4:2 TLB). Will God give you everything you ask for? No. “Even when you do ask you don’t get it because…you want only what will give you pleasure” (v. 3 TLB). Your request must be in harmony with God’s will. “If we ask anything…according to His will…He…hears” (1 John 5:14 AMPC). Jeremiah said, “The Lord is good to those who wait…expectantly for Him” (Lamentations 3:25 AMPC). Expectant prayer demonstrates confidence in God’s goodness. So instead of fretting or talking about it to everybody but God or taking matters into your own hands, say, “Lord, I’m going to trust You with this regardless of the outcome,” and He will honour your faith. Paul writes, “Pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.” Do you need a job? Help overcoming a problem? The salvation of a loved one? A deeper spiritual walk? Physical or emotional healing? Guidance? Jesus said, “It gives your Father great happiness to give you the [benefits of His] Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT). God wants to be good to you, so tell Him the “desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NKJV). Then thank Him and believe the answer will come—in His time!