Category: faith

Posted in faith, Food

There’s so much more to come

Posted on by William Douthwaite
  • “Food distributors announce recalls. Do you have any of these products in your pantry? Details right after this.” You keep watching through two minutes of commercials, hooked by the announcer’s teaser.
  • The first thing you see at the restaurant is the appetizer menu. Looking down the list, you’re suddenly a lot hungrier than you were when parking the car.
  • As you browse the new fiction at the library, the paragraphs on the inside cover flap catch your attention. You want to find out more about a mysterious character in an intriguing situation.
  • A glimpse of a mom or dad gives you a clue what a young woman or man will look like in twenty years. For better or worse, that’s the DNA they’ve got to work with.

All of the above comes to mind when the apostle Paul describes the Holy Spirit as “the deposit (down payment) of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it” (Ephesians 1:13,14). The faith-working Holy Spirit in us is a reminder that there is much more to come. The world around us seems to unravel more each day. People let us down. Nothing seems to last very long. We too quickly lose the ones we love.

On the other hand, God holds the universe together. He’s faithful and eternal. Nothing can separate us from his steadfast love that never ceases. His new morning mercies make us stay tuned for more details, create a craving in us for more, lead us to read the book, and imagine what we’ll be like one day.

Posted in faith

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18,19).

I’m intrigued by Paul’s prayer that God would enlighten the eyes of their hearts. Hearts don’t see very well. Hearts don’t have eyes.

So I wonder, what can you see with your heart?

  • When my eyes see someone who looks a little rough around the edges, my heart can see with compassion. That person has a story that I haven’t yet heard.
  • When my eyes see someone sitting alone, my heart might see someone who needs a friend. Or at least acknowledgement that someone notices them.
  • When my eyes see death, my heart sees the living family and friends who will miss them.
  • When my eyes can’t see those who live far away, my mind remembers their faces and voices, and in my heart they seem so close.

Paul’s metaphor refers to those things that are real even if you can’t see them with your eyes. Things like hope, a future, and divine power. So much happens in this world that is completely out of our control. Yet, we have hope, because we know God has a handle on it. The future is so uncertain. Yet, we know God guarantees us a future. We might feel helpless, yet his divine power gives us strength.

Our faith vision — that is, the eyes of our hearts — is 20/20. Christ’s resurrection is a pair of glasses that helps us see a meaningful past, a wonderful future, and a hopeful today.

“Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord”

Posted in faith

Time’s up: you’re no longer a noob

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I’ve been walking past this car with a “Please Be Patient: New Driver” magnet sticker for longer than a year. It’s been there so long that the “New Driver” words have completely faded.

How long can someone claim to be a “new driver?” Certainly not a year. Maybe a month at most.

What driving behavior would require my patience? Driving much slower than the speed limit? Cutting corners and hitting curbs while turning right? Lingering at an intersection after the light turns green? Slowing to a crawl on the interstate entrance ramp? Lol. Those are normal driving habits. Experienced drivers do these things all the time.

How long can someone claim to be a rookie? A noob? I meet folks who claim that status after being Christians and church members for over five years. How long can you avoid ministry by stating, “I’m new at this”?

From my experience, the longer I follow Christ, the more questions I have. I feel less qualified and more dependent on grace. I have to trust him more than my own experience or expertise. I no longer say, “I’ve got this,” but rather, “He’s got me.”

It’s more like, “Please be patient: I’ve been doing this a long time.” That’s the perspective of a mature faith.

Posted in encouragement, faith

Preaching to a busy intersection

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s a little hard to see from these pictures, but I believe this guy was preaching at a busy intersection in my community. I believe the book balanced on the pedals of his bike is a bible, that he had just been holding in the air.

This is an intersection with a McDonalds, gas station, supermarket, and bank on the four corners. It’s busy and noisy, and the preacher didn’t have a P.A., so I doubt that anyone could hear him other than that one person stopped there with the window open. Since we all have AC, few windows are open. There are no signs about repentance or contributions, so it’s just him, his voice, and the word competing with busy afternoon traffic.

I’ve heard street corner preachers before. They had a microphone and a portable amp, lots of signs about repentance, and of course, a container for contributions. Many stopped to watch the spectacle, but I seriously doubt that anyone was converted.

I think the best evangelism happens when we get to know someone, care about someone, and make them curious about your life and faith. Once they start asking questions, you’ve got a wonderful opportunity to talk about the Lord.

Posted in faith

Relationships instead of pamphlets

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Out of the corner of my eye I see what looks like a stack of Benjamins. That can’t be legit. Not out in the middle of my driveway.

Sure enough, it’s a marketing trick. Small books with hundred dollar bill covers are in every driveway on our street. And it’s not just a wrapped stack of hundreds. It’s a $1,000,000 bill. Pretty clever. Gets your attention for sure.

The book? A King James Version of the Gospel of John. It’s an evangelistic effort by a group who wanted to get God’s word into every driveway in town. I can’t help but wonder: Is this what Jesus wanted his followers and his church to do?

A small shopping newspaper hits my driveway each weekend. I doubt that anyone reads them. They sit in driveways, week after week, simply disintegrating in the sun, rain, and traffic. Ironically, a cleaning company advertises their services by littering yards with zip lock bags of small stones and business cards. Few are opened, most end up in the trash.

So, lets add another small bag of trash to the landscape. Someone will open it, read it, and their life will be changed. If that happens, the verdict will be, “It was worth it.”

Really? Is that the best the church can do? Rather than engaging people in conversation, getting to know them, and talking about faith, we’ll trash up the neighborhood and hope that it makes a difference.

That’s not what the apostles did. They talked to people, helped them, and personally shared their faith with those who didn’t know about Jesus. They put themselves out there, like Jesus did, to disseminate good news.

I will never discount the power of God’s Word. But if you aren’t willing to get to know someone, care about them, and show them what love looks like, throwing a bunch of bibles at the world won’t do much good. The word of God became flesh for a reason. We need relationships much more than we need another book on the shelf or pamphlet on the street.

By the way, that weekly shopping newspaper finally went out of business. Thirty years ago, it was the place to learn about garage sales and contractors. In the last few years, it shrunk in size to just a few pages. Last week’s edition came with the announcement of it’s final printing. From now on, you could read it digitally. It also came with an envelope just in case you wanted to send money to the now unemployed delivery people.

Posted in bible, faith

The lights aren’t on, but someone is home

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash

When my friend Bedan from Kenya entered the Zoom last week, his box was black, as if he didn’t have his camera turned on. As he greeted the other guys in the group he explained that he had no power and therefore, no lights. His cell service was okay, so he used his phone as his camera and joined us for bible study. A few minutes later he turned on a flashlight. Now he could see his study notes and we could see him.

Our Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) group meets at noon my time, but that means it’s 7:00 pm in Kenya. Bedan really wanted to be there that day. In fact, I don’t think he’s ever missed a meeting. I’m grateful for his commitment and faithfulness to our group. He’s also our oldest member, so he brings a lifetime of wisdom and faith to our discussions.

Some BSF groups are local and meet in person. Virtual groups bring together people from all over the United States and other countries. The mixture of cultures and experiences is a reminder of the size and diversity of the church.

Posted in bible, faith

All-you-can-eat all-the-time?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jill Sauve on Unsplash

Is it possible to do too much bible study? At first, it seems the answer would be, “Of course not!” How could anyone get too much of God’s Word?

I’ve discovered that you can overdo it. More is not always better.

A few weeks ago, I feel I overdid. First, I attended a Sunday morning bible class before worship. On Tuesday, I prepared for and participated in a Bible Study Fellowship zoom group discussion. That same Tuesday night, my wife and I gathered with our small group, which included bible study. On Wednesday night, I attended a men’s bible class at our church. In addition, I read scripture devotionally every morning. My wife does all of that too, prompting us to say, “It feels like too much.”

The thing is, I really enjoyed all of those moments. I look forward to my morning reading, journaling, and prayer. We’ve made great friends in our small group. The fellowship and support of the men on Wednesday night has been a blessing. Sunday mornings are great, worshiping with a larger group of believers.

But is it too much? Can a person taste and see that the Lord is good and get carried away, putting on a few too many spiritual pounds?

A colleague told me of a time when he invited a neighbor to come to church. His neighbor did, but didn’t return the next Sunday. He didn’t come the week after that, either. When he asked his neighbor, “Why haven’t you come back,” he replied, “I’m still working on all the great stuff I heard in the sermon three weeks ago!”

Perhaps we need time to process, ponder, and practice what we learn before we jump into the next chapter, study, or topic. Let it marinate overnight. Let the dough rise. Set it aside and then take a fresh look at whatever you read or listened to. Without that, you’re skimming across the surface of the water without ever considering what’s below. Don’t we need time to consider the “so what” of a passage?

Imagine reading a stack of owner’s manuals without ever driving the car or using the appliance. Imagine reading through a cookbook without ever preparing one of the recipes? That would get old real quick.

In 2011, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger wrote Simple Church, encouraging Christians to pare down church involvement to one worship gathering, one bible study group, and one mission/service involvement per week. Doing too much church can detract from actually being the church. Good food for thought.

In the Old Testament, unless you were a rabbi or a scribe, you would hear God’s Word once a week in synagogue on the Sabbath. Recited daily prayers were taken from scripture. That was plenty for them. Maybe it’s enough for us, too.

I’m sure that someone can argue that most believers spend far too little time in God’s Word. You’ve got a point. But should we approach it as an all-you-can-eat buffet? That’s doesn’t sound healthy either.

Like many other things in life, it’s all about balance. What about the Goldilocks philosophy? Not too hard and not too soft. Not too hot and not too cold. Not too much and not too little. Just right.

Posted in faith

Does anyone really worry about the end times anymore?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I seem to remember past decades when the idea of the end times and the second coming of Christ was a big deal. In the 1980s, it seems like everyone was reading The Late Great Planet Earth and Left Behind. The creative blend of current events and biblical prophecy made you feel like judgment day was just around the corner. At the very least the world would come to an end before the Y2K turn of the century.

That was then. Thirty years ago. Is anyone worried about the end of the world anymore?

It occasionally comes up in Christian conversation. But I hear more talk about AI, climate change, immigration, gender identity, social media, and the next iPhone. Our big concerns are homeowners insurance, the price of gasoline, electric vehicles, identity theft, recalled bacteria-contaminated food, and the upcoming elections. In other words, we know Jesus is coming again, but we’ve got all this other stuff on the front burner.

So if your approach to witnessing is warning someone about eternal damnation, your words will most likely fall on deaf ears. It’s hard to get exited (or terrified) about eternity when some stranger is using your credit card, your insurance company has cancelled your homeowner’s policy, a roofing nail means you have another flat tire to fix, and one of the kids is sick (again).

Maybe your best witness is to just be there. Be there today. Be there now. Send the message that we’re not alone and we’ve got help for today, not just post-mortem. A little personal mercy, kindness, and grace goes a long way towards showing people that this Jesus-stuff is real. And if it’s real today, if it’s real now, it’ll be real later on, too, like when Jesus returns.

Posted in faith

A deeper trust in God

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Bobbi Wu on Unsplash

A few weeks ago at a men’s bible study, the guys around my table were sharing prayer requests. One of the guys at my table, I’ll call him Tom, said, “I just want to be in deeper communion with Christ.” He had been paying attention to Sunday morning preaching, in which the pastor had encouraged everyone, no matter where we were in our walk with Christ, to take a step deeper. Tom has been a believer for a long time, teaches our men’s group, and has a daily devotional discipline.

So I asked, “What do you mean by that?” (BTW, that’s always a good first response. Get them to tell more of the story.)

Tom replied, “I want a deeper connection. I want a conscious connection with the Lord all day long. I read and pray in the morning, and then I get to work, not really thinking much about him. I want to do better.”

That’s a noble goal. But is it possible? Is it possible to consciously have God on the front burner of your heart, mind and soul twenty-four seven? Isn’t what monks attempted to do? Didn’t they removed themselves from all worldly distractions so that they could pray throughout their waking hours?

Well, I’ll tell you right now, I can’t do it. And neither can you. And that’s okay. Really it is. Let me explain why.

Let’s use the model of sheep and a shepherd. The sheep know the voice of the shepherd and follow him. They follow him to pasture, to water, and back to the sheep pen before evening. In the meantime, they eat. They bleat. They wander around the pasture. They make lambs. And through it all, I’ll bet they don’t think much about the shepherd.

But the shepherd thinks about them. The shepherd leads them, watches them, and protects them. He’s the shepherd. That’s his job. And if he’s doing his job, then the sheep can be…sheep.

Get it? If God is on duty twenty-four seven, if God never slumbers nor sleeps, if the Lord is our shepherd, then we can be his sheep. We can trust him so deeply that we can eat, drink, and enjoy our work without a care in the world. (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

You know what? That’s deep.