SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #119 ---- 4/24/00
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight
(A letter of Encouragement to People in
Vocational and Lay Ministry)
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #119 ---- 4/24/00
TITLE: "When The Compressor Goes Bad"
My Dear "Resurrection Proclaimer":
That IS a good description of what you and I do, isn't it! Sometimes,
when the way gets long and rough, it's good to be reminded.
If you were in the Ukraine, someone would greet you, "Khristos Voskress!"
(Christ has Risen) three times, to which you would respond, "Voyistina
Voskress!" (Indeed He has Risen).
NEW ADDRESS:
Because so many on my "Shoulders" list also correspond by regular mail,
I'm taking this means of letting you know that, while we have NOT moved,
our address has changed in order to expedite easy location of emergency
needs in the county. Perhaps you've already gone through that ---- but
we're a little slow here in the Ozark Mountain region.
Our new address is 6630 SE951 Rd., Collins, MO 64738. Please make the
change, effective immediately.
HE WAS ENCOURAGED:
God continues blessing me by confirming the timeliness of some of my
letters. Last week was no exception. Who would have anticipated that
when Jeff Floyd wrote his article last December which I used last week,
it would have been just in time for people ---- for example, a brother
named "John".
"Wow, just when I needed it.
"My guess is that you're going to get heavy response from this 'issue' of
the newsletter. I came home from work today extremely DIS-couraged and
not really wanting to be EN-couraged. In fact, I almost deleted the
e-mail without reading it. Was I glad that I didn't!
"My wife, [name], and I have been working to raise support to go
full-time into [identified] ministry cross-culturally. We've been
discouraged with the amount of time we're able to spend raising funds due
to working full-time and still trying to do ministry on top of it.
"I'm not sure that I'm so much EN-couraged now, having read the
newsletter, as I am convicted. If it's true that discouragement comes
from expecting things from God that He hasn't promised ... well, then, it
seems that I've been
putting my hope in the wrong place.
"Pray for us that we would seek God's timing, and persevere.
"Thanks for the ministry."
THE CHANNEL OF ENCOURAGEMENT:
I'm really writing from the spontaneity of my heart, right now, so really
don't know where this will end. However, it seems so fascinating to me
to realize that, with many of us, some of our deepest times of
discouragement and frustration come during the same season in which we
celebrate Easter.
Interesting, don't you think?
This brings me to one of two fundamental questions:
1. "What One Basic Thing Encourages Me More than Anything Else?"
Well, friend, I don't know about you, but (coming in the back door to the
question), I think I feel the greatest Discouragement during times when I
feel the situation is most hopeless. Therefore, in my personal
experience, . . . .
The one thing that consistently encourages me most, across the board, is
. . . .
Hope!
Much of my adolescent and adult life I have been prone to mild and
sometimes moderate mood swings ---- I can be up and excited one day, and
then dull and discouraged the next. In the ministry I found it to be
particularly true as it related to the more visible and measurable
aspects of my ministry work ---- i.e., Sunday activities, attendance, how
well choir rehearsal went, how people responded to my sermon, etc.
Those measurable and visible things seemed to be the primary factors that
triggered many of my emotional roller coasters.
Why?
For me, it was because when my assessment of the "measurement" was
positive, I felt there was hope. If it was, on the other hand, negative,
I found myself thinking, "What's the use?" That's just another
sophisticated way of saying, "It's hopeless."
My point? ---- Encouragement is fed by Hope; Discouragement is nurtured
by a sense of there being little or no hope in the situation. Nothing
fosters discouragement more than a sense of hopelessness. I think that
is illustrated in the comments of the brother above.
I can remember many occasions when I'd be doing great ---- until
something happened that kicked the props out. Here's a case in point
---- a recent one.
Last week we had about 20 university students sleep over in our home as
part of our training for the upcoming trip to Sarajevo next month. It
got hot in the room with so many bodies crammed in, so I turned on the
air conditioner. An hour or so later, I noted that it was not only no
cooler, but it actually felt warmer. In investigating things, I
discovered the breaker switch had tripped. When I turned it back on, it
immediately clicked off again.
I knew there was a problem but, that was not the time to address it.
I was not able to work on the problem until the following Monday.
However, with my total ignorance of electrical and cooling matters, I
knew nothing other than it wouldn't work. Had I known then what I know
now, the training retreat could have been a disaster.
Throughout the episode I maintained confident expectancy that the problem
was solvable and not too costly.
That's what hope is, the kind of hope that gets you through, ---- that
is, confident expectancy.
Well, finally, after several days of interruptions and trying to make
contact with the heating and cooling guy, he checked things out this past
Friday.
It was not good news. (Isn't that interesting! Friday ---- Before
Easter.)
You're right ---- he actually said it ---- "I have good news and bad
news."
The bad news was up to $1600 to repair the compressor that had shorted
out and was forever dead.
The good news was ---- "I think it may still be under warranty, but we'll
have to prove it."
The bad news was ---- "We don't have any papers on any of the mechanical
units in the house. The owner never gave us any when we bought the
place."
The good news was ---- "Well, according to the serial number, it looks
like it was manufactured just outside the warranty period, which means it
was probably installed within the period."
The bad news was ---- "But, we'll have to prove that to the manufacturer,
which will be hard to do since you don't have any documents."
I agreed that I would contact the owner/builder and see what I could find
out. I got the answering machine!
Saturday morning I was frankly surprised when the builder's wife called.
I explained the situation. She said she was sure that somewhere in all
the stored boxes (they've built and moved several times since this house)
there would be the papers. However, she indicated she'd contact the
place where they bought the unit because she knew he was responsible to
send in all that information to the manufacturer, and that would be
easier than trying to back through all those boxes of business memories.
Just moments ago (It's Saturday morning as I'm currently writing) she
called, informing me that the dealer indeed has the papers, and will fax
them to me so I can know for sure, and so we can prove to the
manufacturer that it is still under warranty.
So ---- Hope has just sprung! Is it eternal yet? Not quite sure, but I
think so.
Throughout this process thus far, my discouragement has been doused, and
my encouragement has intensified.
Why?
Because of Hope!
Do you see my point, friend?
Encouragement is fed by hope, while discouragement grows when there is a
sense of hopelessness and/or futility.
Therefore, if that is true, then that brings me to a second fundamental
question:
2. What One Basic Thing Brings Hope to Full Fruition?
What is it that certifies hope ---- that makes it change from wishful
thinking to confident expectancy?
Hope turns to certainty when the legal papers are presented. Since I
first wrote about the papers, we've discovered that the company the
builder's wife thought had installed the air conditioner did not do so.
So ---- I've left another message on her answering machine, still hoping
in hope.
In the meantime, I've calmed down quite a bit, knowing that God is my
source, regardless of the channel that is used to correct the air
conditioning problem (and our financial limits).
You see, when I get those papers, I'll hopefully find beyond any doubt
that the warranty still is good, and I'm not going to be out some $1600.
While I still have to pay labor charges, I'm going to get a new
compressor, assuming everything is in order with the paper work.
So ---- even though the work is not finished, I have hope. The papers
are on the way.
And, because I have a hope fed by assurance of the legal papers, I am no
longer discouraged, but am now again encouraged.
MY POINT:
(Man, I'm getting excited!)
If you haven't caught the drift of where this is going, you will soon.
My friend ---- That's What Easter is all about!!!
(As my missionary friend, Tonette, in Kenya would say, "God, You're way
too cool!" I'll just say, "Hallelujah, Lord!")
Easter served the legal paper work for our lives of hopelessness, often
fraught with subsequent discouragement!
Look at the disciples ---- Hope died that day on the Cross. It was
buried and lost in the grave. There was no visible evidence to bring
encouragement; it showed on the faces of the disciples, and it was felt
with excruciating pain in their hearts.
But, Jesus knew the manufacturer's guarantee ---- and He displayed the
warranty to all the world ---- and to the Devil! ---- that Sunday
morning!
Then one day in August, 1944, the Holy Spirit faxed those papers to me,
and I knew I had a new "compressor"!
WOW! (Bigger and Louder than "Wow!"!)
What does Paul declare to us in I Corinthians 15:1-20? Let's rehearse it
here:
Vs 1 ---- "Now I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached
to you, which also you received, and which also you stand . . .
Vs 2 ---- "By which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I
preached to you, unless you believed in vain . . .
Vs 3 ---- "For I delivered to you as of First Importance what I also
received, that Christ died for our sins according tot he Scriptures . . .
Vs 4 ---- "And that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures, . . .
Vs 5 ---- "And that He appeared . . . .
Vs 12 ---- "Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the
dead, how do some among you an that there is nor resurrection of the
dead?
Vs 13 ---- "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ
has been raised;
Vs 14 ---- "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is
vain, your faith also is vain. . . .
Vs 15 ---- "Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God,
because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not
raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. . . .
vs 16 ---- "For if the dead are Not raised, not even Christ has been
raised; . . .
Vs 17 ---- "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless;
you are still in your sins.
Vs 18 ---- "Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. . . .
Vs 19 ---- "If we have hoped in Christ in This life only, we are of all
men most to be pitied. . . .
Vs 20 ---- "But ---- now Christ Has been raised from the dead, . . . ."
WITHOUT THE RESURRECTION:
Where there is no Resurrection ---- no serving of the "Warranty Papers",
----
1. We have a message without a subject. " . . . then our preaching is
vain . . ." The message of the Christian is an empty noise and worthless
commentary if Christ is not risen. Even worse, we, as were the early
Christians, are guilty of lying about God.
Did you ever hear someone talk who had nothing to say? Without the
Resurrection, that's what we'd all sound like. If Christ is not risen
from the Grave, there is no message to share. It's just a warmed over
version of all religions offering a future ---- IF you work at it hard
enough long enough.
2. We have a faith without an object. " . . . your faith is vain also .
. . " A dead Christ is worthless as an object of faith. Our faith is
only as valuable as the object in which it is placed. If the object is
dead, our faith is useless. Why? Because none of His claims have
validity, and none of His teachings can be trusted. A dead Christ is
powerless to help us.
If you were to sit down in a chair that you believed would hold you up,
but it collapsed and left you in a heap on the floor, would you conclude
that you just didn't have enough faith, or would you decide you put your
faith in the wrong chair?
You see, your faith was not the problem ----- it was the object you put
your faith in. Putting faith in a dead Christ is an effort in futility.
3. We have a salvation without assurance. " . . . you are still in your
sins . . . " For us to have assurance of salvation, we must have
assurance that our sins were adequately dealt with. If Christ did not
raise from the dead, then captivity is still capturing, and forgiveness
for our sins still depends on unreliable and unpredictable "Us". There's
absolutely no assurance in that!
Since Christ failed to conquer death, there is no assurance of
deliverance from sins. Therefore it depends again our being good ----
good enough. But how good is that? How good do we have to be in order
to be absolutely assured that our sins are forgiven and we are no longer
under their condemnation? Salvation without assurance is not salvation
---- it is torment and torture surrounded by a vast cloud of fear.
4. We have a hope without a basis. " . . . those who have fallen
asleep in Christ have perished . . . " Our "confident expectancy"
deteriorates into nothing more than anxious wishing built on comparisons
we search for in human life and endeavor alone.
Instead of their building our hope, those comparisons always fall short,
and our dreams and hopes are dashed, leading ever downward in a spiral of
hopelessness and despair. Even our efforts to prop hopeless up with
attempts of happiness, eventually collapse.
If Christ had not raised from the dead, the best we could get would be
anxious wishing ---- but never confident expectation. Christ's
Resurrection is what gives a foundation upon which our confidence rests.
5. We've made a commitment without meaning. " . . . we are of all men
to be most pitied . . . " Our commitment to Jesus Christ and to serving
Him makes sense only in light of the ultimate hope we have in Him. This
hope is built on His victory over death. If He did not rise, then we
have been duped, and we are fools to follow Him. We can just "go
fishing" and be done with it all.
Commitment without a purpose or meaning is nothing but hypnotic monotony
and wearisome drudgery. If Christ had not raised from the dead, can you
imagine the agony and boredom our service to Him would be?
Incomprehensible!
THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION:
But, He DID rise, Praise His Name!, and we DO have hope!
And ---- we CAN and SHOULD be encouraged when we are discouraged.
Our message Does have a subject ---- Jesus!
Our faith Does have an object ---- Jesus!
Our salvation does have assurance ---- in Jesus!
Our hope Does have a basis ---- The Living Jesus!
Our commitment Does make sense ---- Serving A Risen Savior!
FINALLY:
So, good friend ---- just in case your "air conditioner" went out, go
back to the Installer and let Him show you the copy of the Warranty Deed
again! The price has been paid, and the repairs will be made! Stay
cool!
After all ---- you aren't destined for the Heat any longer!
Have a wonderful Resurrection Week ---- every week!
In His Bond of Mercy and Grace,
Bob
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright April, 2000. All rights reserved.
We would love to hear from you ---- prayer requests, insights, etc. Feel
free to drop us a note at <[email protected]>.
If this letter has blessed you and you know of someone else who needs to
be encouraged, feel free to forward it in its entirety to all such people
you know.
If you would like a list of past issues which you could receive upon
request, just let us know. Write <[email protected]>.
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Hang in there! I'm with you!
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