As we anticipate starting a revival this week here at the Catch, I urge all of you who care about this to listen to last night’s BlogTalkRadio interview with my brother, Pastor, Author and Bible School founder, Dr. David Fischer. And if you don’t care, I encourage you to hear the half-hour interview anyway, because after hearing it, you just might.
You’ve heard of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Well, this is about fear and trembling (in your town).
I’m going to start today where we left off yesterday: “Either you are dead to the grace of God (it’s all still about you) or you are alive (vulnerable, stumbling, weak, but full of faith). There is nothing in the middle.”
It’s not about you. Never was, never is, never will be. And isn’t that good news?
Even though you were a Christian and you went to church, you were ineffective. Because for the longest time you still thought it was about you. Once you were saved, it was about what you were going to do and be for God. You read books, went to seminars, and heard countless sermons about what you could do for God. God was counting on you. All the things you used to do for yourself, you were now going to do for God. It was a noble cause. But it was still all about you.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone … Hebrews 12:14
This is a very broad blanket statement. There are no qualifications and no exceptions. “Live in peace with everyone” is all inclusive. It includes enemies, strangers, atheists, people of all races and religions, immigrants, and that neighbor of yours who loves to pick a fight on just about anything! At a time when there is so much enmity, we need to focus on peace.
For here we do not have an enduring city … Hebrews 13:14
Here’s where the Christian subculture went off the rails some time ago. Of course by the Christian subculture I’m speaking of that part of the global church that has gained cultural significance as a moral and political force in society — with an issue-oriented message that has overshadowed the gospel message that once rallied Jesus Freaks around Christ. It’s a subculture that is preoccupied with creating its own safe place in the world, and leads with fear and not faith.
“Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens…” so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. Hebrews 12:26-28
Is anybody feeling a little shaky these days? Like things are a little unstable? We’re talking about what creates instability, nervousness, and dread. In America, the democracy we always thought was so stable is suddenly looking very shaky. Our economy? Shaky. Getting over the pandemic? Shaky. Conservatives and liberals getting along together? Shaky. Politics? Shaky. Elections? Shaky. Job security? Shaky. News sources we can trust? Shaky. Churches, pastors, denominations? Shaky. The future of a healthy planet earth? Shaky. Social stability? Shaky. Racial harmony? Very shaky. Nuclear disarmament? Shaky.
So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! Hebrews 12:12-13 MSG
Lest you think this is our own manipulation of the word of God in order to wake everyone up, it’s not. It’s from Eugene Peterson’s translation of the Bible known as The Message, and what he is trying to capture here, in modern vernacular, is not his own interpretation, but the essence of what is in the original manuscripts. These verses harken back to the opening statement of this chapter which urges us to jettison any excess baggage and run with perseverance the race that is before us. (That would be the race of our lives.)
We cleared our desk today to examine how best we might acknowledge our gratitude for the generous contributions to the Catch Ministry. If we worked with paper, the floor would be littered with sheets that had crumpled beginnings such as …
There is simply no way we can thank you for your heartfelt support — except, maybe to say we are humbled by your graciousness.
We stayed with the word “humbled,” trying to express what humble means — and then we remembered:
Of all the gifts to the Ministry, one gift stands out. It was given anonymously in honor of two Veterans who are no longer with us.
Please, dear Catch community, allow us to introduce to you the late First Lieutenant Charles Gilman Kelley and the late Officer Doris Arlene Stephens who both served in the World War II effort.
First Lieutenant Charles Gilman Kelley left his family in silent service as he piloted the A-26 Douglas “Invader” medium bomber in the WWII European Theater of Operations in 1944. He flew 49 missions behind German lines, targeting communication systems such as bridges, railroad lines and yards — and singled out weapons including German V1 buzz bomb launch sites and V2 missile launch sites. Similar to playing a game of pool, getting “behind the 8 ball” bombardier nose generally meant the enemy was in a tough situation and unlikely to escape. Take a look:
An American poet, Maya Angelou spoke often in support of our Veterans with enthusiasm and is quoted as saying: “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”
Stop for a moment and join us as we recognize Officer Doris Arlene Stephens and celebrate her service in the World War II effort as a Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or “WAVES” who performed her duties in support of the US Navy’s stateside war effort in the Pacific. In memory of Officer Stephens:
Let it be known that our flag does not fly because the wind moves it, it flies from the breath of each serviceman and woman who protects it.
So this evening as you read this brief “Catch,” we encourage you, as we are trying to learn ourselves that when attempting to put into words our expression of gratitude to you and for the Veterans, I bet Lieutenant Kelley and Officer Stephens would look down at us with appreciation if we not only try to find the words but if we lived by them … as they did.
Special thanks for your anonymous gracious contribution.
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God. Hebrews 12:15
How can you fall short of the grace of God? I can understand falling short of the law of God, since we all do that, but God’s grace is a free gift. It can’t be earned. So how can you fall short of it?
I have a couple thoughts about this. The first is, you fall short of the grace of God by going back to the law. Indeed, Paul wrote about this in Galatians 5:4. “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” Trying to erect a system of works in order to be justified before God is to take you away from God’s grace. To make yourself right by any means other than the grace of God is to fall short of that grace. You disqualify yourself from grace by making it unnecessary.
We’re having a revival. Why? Because it’s revival time? No. Because in your “Your Participation Matters” comments, enough of you asked for it in as many words that we figured we’d better pay attention. “Revival.” “Fresh move of the Spirit.” “An awakening.” Those were some of the words you used. There was a sense of disengagement, sleepiness, partial involvement going on. “I’ll raise my hand but please don’t call on me.” Kind of half in, half out — the lukewarm spiritual fervor that Jesus said would make Him throw up. As if grace had gone dormant.
John Fischer The Catch 