"A Bad Tooth Wears On You."

"A Bad Tooth Wears On You."

By:  Rev. Jack Schneider

“To Adam He said, ‘Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you…until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken.’”  [Gen.3:17,18, NIV]

A bad tooth wears on you. It’s not my practice to place blame, but in this case it’s small consolation that I know Adam is the reason I had such a painful week. There’s no fun in nursing an abcessed tooth and waiting to get in for a root canal so, by the time my dental appointment rolled around, I was ready to walk up to Adam at the Last Day and tell him “Thanks a lot for the misery of toothaches!” Three days after the repair I still resemble a chuffy-cheeked chipmunk and impatiently await the night I can sleep through without discomfort.

Yes, there’s a lot wrong in this world that can be laid at the feet of our fallen first parents, Adam and Eve. Scripture tells us that childbirth would be painful, cultivating crops and food would be sweaty, and that even death would rest upon us. Worse, the broken relationships are countless -- including family and marital struggles, the failure of simple courtesies between tribes and nations and, above all, the failure of relationship between Creator and created. And, while I can’t say I contemplated all this during my recent days of tooth misery, I can tell you the last thing I felt was the desire to be cordial and pastoral. That’s the result of sin from our ancestors, and it’s a carryover to every corner of our lives today.

“Who will deliver me from this wretched body of sin?”  Paul asked and answered this by the Holy Spirit in his letter to the Roman Christians. “Thanks be to God Who has given us the victory” in Christ Jesus. Yes, Adam and Eve certainly messed things up but it was also to them and through them that God delivered the promise of a Savior -- even the simple assurance that discovery and modern medicine could one day help ease the sufferings of this world.

Make no mistake, there’s only one cure for sin and separation from God; His name is Jesus, and it took great pain and suffering on His part at the Cross to bring us this peace. Yet we have every reason to praise God for what He accomplishes in our world through the compassionate hands of doctors and nurses, as well as researchers who tirelessly devote themselves to developing medicines and treatments that bring relief and hope to the ill. My prayer is that their efforts always keep in mind Who is the Creator, and who is the created. Without that distinction, it’s hard to know the difference between life and death.

“I will praise You, O Lord, as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.” [Ps.63:4]

- Jack

"Without It, We're Cat Food."

"Without It, We're Cat Food." 

By:  Pastor Jack Schneider

“Be sober, keeping your head straight…and alert, on your guard. Your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for someone to gulp down.  Stand against him, firm in the faith!”  [1 Pet.5:8-9,PJV]

Someone dropped off a child’s box with the Armor of God here in the pastors’ office, probably for Sam Whaley. I get a kick out of looking over at these kid-sized items and can imagine him running around with helmet, shield, sword -- hey, he’s all boy! Even better, I know he already understands the meaning of these things because his mom and dad are teaching him God’s Word of Truth.  It’s the best defense parents have in preparing children for the world.

The thing is, too many of us leave home without our armor each day, and that’s one big, mean cat running around out there, just waiting for us. It’s so easy to be caught napping -- after all, this is Plano, Texas, home of never-ending distractions and, besides, summer is only days away. Sweat, vacations, kids out of school and underfoot, over-heated traffic…  Oh, yeah. And these are just the local, minor-league distractions satan will throw into your relationship with your Savior.

It could be much worse. In an old file yesterday I ran across an article predicting the arrival of an “anti-Christian chapter” to our modern Western culture. Startling in his accuracy, the writer spoke of the rise in levels of intolerance toward Christianity, and that public policy would become hostile, seeing this faith as the opponent of the common good.  He even said Christian schools, ministries and media would be reduced, if not eliminated, and people will desert the faith from fear. Yes, it’s happening now, for God’s Word is under attack daily.

But remember, please: satan has been doing his worst ever since Easter Monday, and he still has not won. No matter how much our culture changes or the tide of popular opinion wavers toward the Church and God Himself, the grace and mission of God will reach the ends of the earth. His Word will accomplish the purpose for which He sends it out [Is.55:10-11] as we, the Church, are trustful and obedient to His commission -- making disciples in the name and through the person of Jesus Christ.

Don’t leave your armor at home. Don’t leave it in the box. Don’t leave it unnoticed between the pages of a family Bible gathering dust on a coffee table or book shelf. Get back into that Word and put on the Armor of God [Eph.6:13-18]. Be faithful in worship and the Sacraments, for the truth is, this grace of God is our greatest defense, just as He intended in your daily struggle with satan.

Without it, we’re cat food.

- Jack

"God is in Charge."

"God is in Charge."

“You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong and firm.  He is in control forever! Amen!”  [1 Pet.5:10-11,CEV]

Wish I could claim credit for the following, but I can’t. The origin is unknown; I adapted it long ago as “observations on the nature of suffering,” and it seems appropriate to share in light of recent events. Just remember what Peter says above: God is in charge.

1] Suffering is painful. It’s never easy. No matter what we know and how hard we apply Godly principles, it’s going to hurt.

2] Suffering makes us scratch our heads. It’s mystifying. Why now? Why me? What’s God doing? All we know is, it’s designed to build our trust in God.

3] Suffering is purposeful. In spite of 2], it’s not without meaning. The main purpose is to make us Christ-like in character.

4] Suffering proves/tests us. It’s what challenges our character/integrity and the object/quality of our faith.

5] Suffering is a process. It takes time, and the results God seeks require time and endurance.

6] Suffering acts as a purifier. It will raise the dross - our impurities - to the surface, for we won’t be perfect in this life.

7] Suffering provides opportunity. …For God’s glory, our growth, transformation, witness, ministry -- though not of our choosing.

8] Suffering requires our cooperation [to achieve God’s purpose]. We all want the product, character…but we don’t want the process, suffering. We can’t have one without the other.

9] Suffering is appointed. The Word says it will come; it’s no surprise the children of God are struggling as much or more than the children of the world.

10] Suffering is inevitable. It’s not a matter of “if” we’re going to have trials in life but how we will respond to them.

11] Suffering is a struggle.  It’s going to be a battle all the way. That’s why they’re called trials and testings.

Even when we understand the purposes/principles of suffering and know God’s promises in the Word, dealing with “life” is never easy because suffering hurts. Trials simply give us the opportunity to practice what the Spirit gives us the capacity to do: joyfully trust in God’s grace each day -- something we could not do in and of ourselves.

- Jack

"What PHAT Stands For."

"What PHAT Stands For."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“You are the people of God; He loved you and chose you for His own.  Therefore, you must put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Be helpful to one another, and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. Forgive each other in the same way the Lord has forgiven you. And to all these add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity. The peace that Christ gives is to be the judge in your hearts.”  [Col.3:12-15, TEV]

It was Mothers’ Day Tea at St. Paul School, and I wanted to let these moms and grandmas know how special it is to have their children in our care. So I grabbed one of our Youth chocolate chip “Cookie Kits” and used it for the object lesson. All these ingredients, they were told, are like your children when brought to us, and we are privileged to add the knowledge of numbers, colors, letters, etc. But more importantly, we add the knowledge of God’s Word in His Son, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the children learn to sing the Truth of life in Christ and take it home to share with their families!

Each “cookie kit” assembled by our Youth needs only the addition of butter, an egg, and a dash of vanilla to end up with a delicious batch of “PHAT” -- pretty, hot, and tempting -- mouth-watering goodies [and thanks to Pastor Andy for giving us that unforgettable acronym]. How awesome it is that our school children are PHAT witnesses for the Savior, Jesus Christ, in homes that, in numerous cases, are not Christian!

Now, how about us -- you and me? We already have the ingredients by virtue of our baptism into Christ Jesus. He has named us His own [1 Peter 2:9-10]. By His Spirit we have been poured, mixed and stirred. So where’s the aroma of fresh-baked cookies?  Is it present? The key to your answer is v.14 in the Colossians text above: “add love” which binds it all together. Like a recipe missing one key ingredient, a Christian missing this one component will find his/her life lacking the PHAT-ness of fresh chocolate chip cookies, and it’s unmistakable.

So here’s what I’d like us to do… Bake some cookies, soon.  I’m serious. Of course, I’d prefer you grab one of the Youth “Cookie Kits” from under the table in the church foyer because they illustrate my point exactly, but I’ll settle for your favorite recipe from grandma. Then take that batch of cookies while still warm and give it to someone [well, maybe except for one or two…] and tell them what PHAT stands for -- and Who it stands for. Let them know you love them as a person, and you’ll be praying for them this week, no strings attached.

It’s amazing what God can do with a little time, temp…and love.

- Jack

"So Toxic... Nothing Can Survive."

"So Toxic... Nothing Can Survive."

By:  Pastor Jack Schneider

“Don’t stifle God’s Spirit or ignore prophecies. Put everything to the test, holding on to what is good while having nothing to do with anything that is evil [contrary to the Word].”  [1 Thess.5:19-22, PJV]

A recent “Digging Deeper” class was talking about the Aral Sea.  As recently as 1980, this 4^th largest inland saline body of water in the world covered over 42,000 square miles, employed over 60,000 people in the fishing industry and provided countless others income through tourism. Then the USSR decided to make the area the world’s major cotton exporter by tapping the sea’s two major feeder rivers, in much the same way as has happened here in the U.S. with the Colorado and Rio Grande. Flow into the Aral Sea stopped and, without the influx of fresh water, the sea literally died.  It became too salty even for the sea fish, eventually losing over 90% of its volume until now the seabed is a desert littered with rusting hulks of shipwrecks. All that remain are two small portions, hundreds of miles apart and far from any previous shoreline populations.

Our “DD” class applied this lesson to what happens when God’s people stifle His Spirit, ignore prophecies and, in general, shut down the fresh, challenging conversations of people He places in our lives each and every day.  We’re quick to dismiss unbelievers or those who do not share our opinions and beliefs [perhaps our values and politics?] when, in truth, they may be exactly what we need to keep us from becoming so toxic that nothing can survive around us. Even our own family members and friends at church will be avoided if, God forbid!, they disagree with our lock-step mentality.

I know, I know.  Much can be said about maintaining doctrinal/Biblical purity, which is why the Thess. passage above talks about testing everything and holding on to the good. But there’s a lot of good extra-Biblical stuff out there, and Jesus was not afraid to go looking for it and people welcomed Him into their homes as a result. We’re talking about keeping an open mind, a fresh outlook in order that we do not become dead seas, so to speak -- people who wither and die because of a lack of renewing, revitalizing conversations and relationships with our families, friends, churches and communities.

And you’re right, there is another Dead Sea: the original from Scripture. Same problem: nothing of the Jordan River reaches this infamous body of water and it, too, is vanishing; nothing in, nothing out. On the other hand, we have been blessed to BE a blessing, even as our Lord Jesus has said [John 7:38], 

“Whoever believes in Me, streams of living water will flow from within him.” We take rest in God’s Word, rejoicing in His people, prospering His communities wherever He has planted us.

The alternative is to dry up and blow away.

- Jack