Are You Still Going Down?

When we lived on the east coast I once read about a serious coal mining accident that occurred in the Allegheny mountains many years ago. Although most of the miners escaped, three remained trapped somewhere deep in the earth. No one knew whether they were alive or dead. As the hours passed, intense heat and noxious gases filled the subterranean passageways. Two days elapsed before a search expedition was finally allowed to enter the mine. Members of the local news media interviewed the three-man rescue team as they prepared to enter what could become their grave. A reporter asked one of the men if he was aware of the deadly fumes and the extreme danger of their expedition. The man said, "yes." The reporter then followed up. "Are you still going down?" The man replied, "YES, OF COURSE!" Then without another word of explanation, he put on his gas mask, climbed into the elevator and descended into the mine.

As I read that story I couldn't help but wonder if a similar discussion took place in heaven before the first Christmas, when our Lord was still in His exalted position with the Father. Perhaps there was an angel who may have asked Him, "Are You still going down? Knowing that You will be despised, rejected and will finally die the most cruel of deaths, skewered on a Roman cross with nails in Your hands and feet, and with a Centurion's sword thrust into your side, are you still going down?"

And His answer? "YES, OF COURSE!" And what took place on that star-spangled night some twenty centuries ago, on into the wee hours when the sun would rise on a Bethlehem morn, is now history - and has literally changed the course of humanity. "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light," the prophet Isaiah wrote (Isaiah 9:2). "For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given" (Isaiah 9:6). And the Apostle John adds, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). He came down! Then and there, in time and space, Almighty God invaded and penetrated our world in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, a tiny babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid to rest in a feeding trough in an innkeeper's stable. He came down!

Incredible as it may seem, He came down! The Apostle Paul describes the miracle of the incarnation and the spectacle of God's humiliation with these words, "Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8). He came down! He came down to save us from our sin. To lift us from the pit, as it were, and to set our feet on solid ground. He came down to give to us eternal life.

"Are You still going down?" That question may or may not have provoked a good deal of discussion in heavenly hallways. But Christ's answer was certainly direct and clear: "YES, OF COURSE!"

He came down. And now, some 2000 years later, the most important question that remains is this one: Are YOU going up? In other words, have you received from God the gift of eternal life that is offered to you through faith in Jesus Christ His Son? I hope you can say, without a question and without any hesitation, "YES, OF COURSE!"

Win and I hope that you will have a wonderful holiday as you CELEBRATE the "coming down" of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the good news of God’s free grace in Jesus shine through every part of your Christmas celebration this year. And, from our hearts and home to yours, may the Lord bless you and yours with the light of His love and grace in 2009. We pray for God's richest blessing on you and yours as we ANTICIPATE a new year of knowing, loving and serving the Lord here on earth - if He doesn't call us up first! Maranatha! Even so, quickly come, Lord Jesus!

It's Just What the Doctor Ordered!

A few years ago I read an article in our local paper that had the following headline: "Bad thoughts bring bad health." The piece was all about a study conducted by Daniel Mark of Duke University. Dr. Mark concluded that OPTIMISM can be a powerful predictor of who will live and who will die after the diagnosis of heart disease. He based his findings on a follow-up study of some 1,719 men and women who had undergone heart catheterization. "The mind is a tremendous tool or weapon," Mark said, "depending on your point of view."

When I read that quote I could not help but think about the emphasis that the Word of God places on the mind. For example, the Apostle Paul tells us to "set (our) minds on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2). In Philippians 2:5 he said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” And in Philippians 4:8 we read, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report - if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things."

What sort of things? Well, in Ephesians 1:3 the Apostle Paul exclaims that God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." So, just what are those "spiritual blessings" upon which I should be thinking / meditating as I set my mind on things above?

Some time ago - as I recall it was one of those typically soaking-wet Oregon days - when I felt about as “gray” as the sky, I thought I would take just a few moments to pick up my paper and pen, and, in the words of the old gospel song, "Count your many blessings, name them one by one."

Here is my list of just some of those many blessings upon which I knew I needed to be thinking . . .

1. I have been saved by His grace from the death penalty of sin. (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9).

2. I have "around-the-clock" access to my Heavenly Father. (Ephesians 2:18, Hebrews 4:16).

3. I am NEVER alone because He is ALWAYS with me. (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5).

4. Through His Word and by His Spirit He has provided me with EVERYTHING I need for life and godliness. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:3-4).

5. My Heavenly Father is constantly watching over me and always thinking about me. (Psalm 121, Psalm 139).

6. My Lord, who is both loving and strong, and whose ways are always just and right, will work in every circumstance of my life to bring about that which will result in my greatest good and His greatest glory. (Psalm 25:10, Psalm 62:11-12, Romans 8:28).

7. I have the promise and prospect that someday I will be just like Him and will live forever with Him (John 14:1-3, 1 John 3:1-2).

Now, like the little bunny powered by the Energizer battery, I could have kept going and going. But suddenly I realized that I wasn't feeling so down any more. In fact, I was starting to feel pretty good!

That Associated Press article went on to state that OUTLOOK is a "crucial factor in survival." Which reminded me of something that Dr. Warren Wiersbe once said: "Outlook determines outcome. Therefore, when your OUTLOOK is the UPLOOK, then the outcome will be all right!"

So, the next time you're feeling down physically, go to your doctor, by all means. But, don't forget to take at least two of the above! You may feel better in the morning! Remember, one of the wisest men who ever lived said, "A merry heart does good, LIKE MEDICINE!" (Proverbs 17:22).

And the next time you're feeling down emotionally or spiritually, then I would prescribe a double dose of all of the above! (That is just what The Doctor - The Great Physician - has ordered!). And you will discover, in the words of Isaiah, that "those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31); and in the words of Nehemiah, that "the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

Inasmuch as in just a few days (on August 5) I will be observing the fourth "anniversary" of my "massive and extensive" heart attack(my cardiologist's own words), I have decided by God's grace, today and every day I am keeping my OUTLOOK the UPLOOK!

Have a BLESSED day!

Grace and Grit

I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw the ad. I found it in a past issue of U.S. News & World Report. GRACE AND GRIT. What really surprised me was that this slick, two-page spread was NOT an ad, as one might assume, for some beautiful but durable, designer-label outer-wear on sale at one of those "pricey" stores on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Rather, those were the words used by the marketing gurus at GOODYEAR to describe the Wrangler GS-A "Triple Traction" Tire: GRACE AND GRIT. There, at the top of the page, in big, black, bold print, were the words (A tire with GRACE? They've got to be kidding!).

But, you know, as I read them, I couldn't also help but think that those words apply to the Christian life as well: GRACE AND GRIT. It’s all about His amazing GRACE (His favor) enjoyed, and my true GRIT (spiritual fortitude) displayed.

For example, it says in the Bible, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). That's GRACE. And that was what I enjoyed some 50 years ago this past autumn when I first believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. But the Bible also says, in Philippians 2:12, that, as a Christian, I am supposed to continue to "work out (my) own salvation." And that calls for GRIT to be displayed!

It also says, in Proverbs 18:22, that "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD." That is also GRACE. And that was what I enjoyed exactly 29 years ago next month (June 23, 1979) when I married Win. But now, as her partner, I am told in God's Word, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). And that, too, calls for GRIT to be displayed.

Next, in Psalm 127:3 it says that "sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him." That's GRACE, too. And that was what I enjoyed on February 10, 1984 and, once again, on September 7, 1986 when my sons Jim and T.J. were born. But, in Ephesians 6:4, we fathers are admonished, "Do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." And that, too, calls for GRIT to be displayed.

Finally, I agree with the Apostle Paul when he said, in Ephesians 3:7, "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me." To be chosen by the Lord to be a steward of His Word - why, that's also GRACE. And that is what I enjoyed 27 years ago this June when I was ordained to the gospel ministry. But, then I am also reminded by God that the Apostle Paul admonished his young disciple and pastoral protégé, Timothy, "train yourself to be godly" (1 Timothy 4:7). And, yes, that also calls for GRIT to be displayed.

GRACE AND GRIT. It may sound funny to use those words to describe a Goodyear tire. But I must admit, the slogan seems so apropos for the Christian. He saved me by His GRACE (Ephesians 2:8-9). Now I serve Him with true GRIT (Ephesians 2:10) - as a person, partner, parent, pastor. I guess you could say that when it comes to living the Christian life, "that's where the rubber meets the road!"

Today I am enjoying His GRACE and displaying true GRIT!

My Claim to Fame

Because my last name is "LOMBARDI," when people are introduced to me for the first time, they sometimes ask, "Are you any relation to Vince?" (As in Vince Lombardi, the legendary football coach). Now, as far as I know, I'm NOT related to him. But, not too long ago somebody asked me once again, "Are you related to Vince?" When I answered, "No, I'm not," he then made a remark that no one has ever made to me before. He said, "Well, then, I guess you'll need to make your own claim to fame."

Now I know that there is a sense in which he was just "kidding," - but that remark prompted me to do some really serious, heavy-duty thinking. Vince Lombardi's claim to fame was football. So, what will Joe Lombardi's claim to fame be?

Well, after spending the past few days mulling that question in my mind, I've come to the conclusion that I don't necessarily need or even want my own "claim to fame." The main reason why is that I realize now that my personal identity and my eventual destiny are both inextricably linked to the fact that I belong to Jesus Christ. In the words to my favorite Andrae Crouch song: "All that I am and ever hope to be - I owe it all to Thee. TO GOD BE THE GLORY."

The Psalmist expressed it like this, "Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to YOUR NAME be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness" (Psalm 115:1).

Similarly, the Apostle Paul exclaimed, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).

So, in the words to the title of an old gospel song, I am really "only a sinner, saved by grace." I am justified. That is what I am. Some day I will be glorified. That is what I hope to be. And I certainly cannot take any credit for either one! My Lord God alone is worthy to receive glory for that (Revelation 4:11).

Therefore, I have come to realize that the primary purpose of my life is to advance and enhance HIS reputation in this world. And my passion and my mission as a Christian is to promote HIS "claim to fame."

So, "whether (I) eat or drink or whatever (I) do, (I am to) to it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). For you see, I am, first and foremost, a CHRISTian. I have the incredible privilege and awesome responsibility of bearing HIS name. Therefore, my desire, as I serve Him in the pastorate, is that I will "live a life worthy of the Lord" (Colossians 1:10) and "worthy of the calling (I) have received" (Ephesians 4:1). And my prayer is that I will never do anything that will bring shame to HIS Name, but that, like Phinehas of old, I, too, will be "zealous for the honor of His name" (Numbers 25:13).

And, by the way, when the people in our city here in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley learn that I wear and bear the name of CHRIST ("Christian"), I trust that they won't even have to ask, "Oh, are you related to HIM?" Rather, I hope that they will be able to take one look at me and say, "Sure, he must be related to Him because (in the words to the title to an Amy Grant song) he's got 'his Father's eyes!'" Now, that would be some claim to fame! (No kidding!).

So, I remain devoted to the cause of Jesus Christ, and to advancing and enhancing HIS reputation in this world!

Follow the Leader!

The martyrdom of American missionaries Jim Elliott, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint and Roger Youderian, fifty-two years ago (January 8, 1956) by the Waodani people deep in the jungles of Ecuador along the Amazon River basin has inspired thousands (if not millions) of Christians during the past half-century, and has been used by God to bring countless others to saving faith in Jesus. That story, narrated by Nate Saint’s son, Steve, was powerfully portrayed in the docudrama “End of the Spear,” which opened in 1,163 theaters across the U.S. on January 20, 2006. As Win and I watched the movie with some special friends the week it opened, I was reminded that one of the most moving books I have ever read is "Shadow of the Almighty." It is the story of missionary Jim Elliot, based on his personal diary, written by his widow, Elizabeth, shortly after his horrifying martyrdom on that day fifty-two years ago, at the age of 29.

Jim Elliot was born in 1927 in Portland, Oregon. He was educated at Wheaton College (my alma mater) and the Summer Institute of Linguistics of Wycliffe Bible Translators. He went to Ecuador with his wife, Elizabeth, in 1952, deeply burdened to reach the savage, stone-age Indians of that country with the Gospel.

In a letter to his parents dated August 8, 1950, he describes the compelling force of his call to leave home and to follow the Lord with the words, "Impelled.... I dare not stay home!"

Jim Elliot epitomizes for me, in both his life and his death, what it really means to "follow the Leader." Indeed, he fleshed out the somewhat rigorous terms of followership articulated by our Lord with these words in Mark 8:34, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

The demands of discipleship are basically three: deny, take and follow.

First of all, the command to "deny" ourselves literally means that we should forget or disown ourselves - our selfishness and self-centeredness. We need to stop thinking "I, I, I" and stop focusing on "me, me, me."

To be sure, we are living in a day when the very idea of self-denial rubs against the grain of current psychological theory. We are far more comfortable with words like "self-actualization" and "self-realization." But, in reality, those who deny themselves are the ones who experience fulfillment in the best sense of that word.

Next of all, to "take" up one's cross means to be willing not only to deny self but also to "die" to self. (You see, a man carrying a cross was a man going out to die!) Jesus is NOT talking about tolerating life's inconveniences and petty annoyances. I believe it was Chuck Swindoll who reminded us in one of his books that Jesus is NOT referring to those nagging, chronic problems, like suffering from asthma or enduring a migraine headache. Such things may indeed be "thorns in the flesh," but they are not "crosses to bear" in the way that Jesus meant it. To "take up one's cross" is to be willing to say with the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ." And so in his book titled "My Utmost for His Highest," Oswald Chambers admonishes us, "Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence."

Last of all, we are to follow Him - continuously, habitually. Moment by moment. Step by step. Again, Oswald Chambers comments, "When the call of God comes, begin to go, and never stop going!"

Jim Elliot understood the cost of true followership. He wrote in his diary, "Father, let me be weak that I might lose my clutch on everything temporal. My life, my reputation, my possessions. Lord, let me loose the tension of the grasping hand.... Rather, open my hand to receive the nail of Calvary, as Christ's was opened -that I, releasing all, might be released, unleashed from all that binds me now." That's the kind of language that gives the Devil a fit. In fact, when they hear it, all his demons gasp!

You see, Jim Elliot really had no regard for self, or success or status. The only thing that was important to him was that he "follow the Leader!" He was ready and willing to deny himself, take up his cross and follow Christ. Thus, when it came to his call to missionary service, he could only reply, "Impelled, I dare not stay home."

It was in 1949, while a student at Wheaton College that Jim Elliot penned these now immortalized words, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose." Seven years later, on a hot Sunday afternoon, his body and the bodies of his four comrades were discovered on the bank of the Curaray River, savagely murdered by those they had sought to reach for Jesus Christ. Jim Elliot followed the Leader, bearing his cross.... But in heaven he will be wearing a crown!

May God be pleased to find me, along with many other fellow members of the Body of Christ, who are ready and willing to "follow the Leader" with a commitment so great that it will make all hell gasp!

Following our Resurrected and Exalted Leader in 2008 . . .

Jesus, the Pioneer

Trailblazer (n) One that blazes a trail. A pioneer.

Since moving from Michigan to Oregon a little more than three years ago with my wife, Win, and our second son, T.J., I have been interested in trying to discover a little bit more about some of the early pioneers who initially made the trip from the Midwest to the Northwest more than 150 years ago.

For example, I recently learned that the first emigrants to go to Oregon in a covered wagon were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, who made the 2000-plus mile cross-country journey in 1836. A big wave of western migration followed seven years later, in 1843, when 1,000 pioneers kicked off a massive move west on the Oregon Trail. During the next 25 years more than a half million people went west on the trail, many of them traveling all the way to the rich, fertile farmland of Oregon’s Willamette Valley (where we now reside). Their covered wagon boxes measured only four feet by ten feet – each of them loaded with up to one ton of cargo including food, furniture and farming implements. (I haven’t seen them yet, but I understand that actual wagon ruts from the Oregon Trail still exist today in many parts of the American west.) In fact, because some of the wagons were so grossly overloaded, many pioneers were unable to ride inside, and were forced to make most of the 2000-mile trip on foot. In order to lighten the wagons, several families had to begin throwing some of their heavier belongings away as early in the trip as Independence, Missouri. The trail became so littered with this debris that scavengers from various towns along the way were able to collect full wagon loads of flour, bacon – and even cast iron stoves!

As I read about these pioneers, I could not help but think of these familiar verses from the New Testament Book of Hebrews,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NET).

I love that phrase “Jesus, the pioneer.” One lexicon says that the Greek word that is translated “pioneer” in Hebrews 12:2 is used of a “prince” or leader. But it also carries nuances of “trailblazer,” of one who “breaks through to new ground for those who follow him” and “one who takes the lead in anything and thus affords an example.” Jesus is indeed the “trailblazer” – not only for those whose names are catalogued in faith’s “Hall of Fame” in the preceding chapter (Hebrews 11) - but He is our “pioneer” as well!

For that reason it just seems so apropos for me to think about being a "trailblazer" in this personal blog I've titled "Joe's Journey." With each post I hope to bring words of challenge and encouragement to my fellow “pioneers” in the Body of Christ at large. I trust that some of the entries might even serve as a “compass” to help a brother or sister in Christ maintain the right direction. Others will be more like “trail markers” to help keep each of us travelers on the right path. But I want all of them to help us keep our focus on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter” of the faith.

Win and I sometimes reminisce about our "journey" together in life, and especially about that 3000-mile cross-country trek all the way from Michigan in the Midwest to Oregon in the Northwest. To be sure, our “covered wagon” was an old, 22-foot class C motorhome (sorry, I don’t recall the “horsepower” right now). And we didn’t exactly travel the Oregon Trail to get here. However, we DID go through St. Louis, Missouri, where the trail begins, but from there decided to take the “southern route.” I guess we really can’t say that we “blazed” any new trails, inasmuch as we were on interstate highways most of the way. But, as many of you know, we had more than our share of adventure as we traveled through wind, rain, snow and ice – not to mention a near disaster in the desert of Arizona. In fact, by the time we arrived at our new home three years ago last November, the words of the second stanza of John Newton’s hymn took on a greater significance for us, “Through many dangers, toils and snares, [we] have already come. ‘Tis grace hath brought [us] safe thus far, and grace will lead [us] home.”

And every day we are more eager than ever to discover where, by His grace, our “Trailblazer” (the Lord Jesus Christ) will lead us in our work for Him and worship of Him. So, we remain focused on Him and following His lead until that time, when, by His grace He leads us home!

Life is difficult - but He is adequate!

Life is difficult....

It is with those three words that a popular psychiatrist began his book, which was first published in 1978. It became a national best-seller for the next four years after that.

Life IS difficult, isn't it? Of course it is. We ALL know that! But what we oftentimes don't know, and sometimes desperately need to know is, "How can we get a handle on it?" How can we cope with those difficult situations (and relations) of life?

In the book to which I just referred, the author suggests that what people really need to is "reach a HIGHER level of SELF-understanding."

I disagree. Respectfully, I would like to suggest that what people REALLY need, in order to get a handle on life - especially when it seems so hard and it hurts so much - is to reach a DEEPER level of GOD-understanding. In the words to the title of one of "MK" Steve Green's songs, "People Need the Lord!" I need the Lord. YOU need the Lord!

You see, the truth of the matter is that life IS difficult. And because it is, I believe that the best "therapy" for each difficulty is, first and foremost, to take a good, long look at the Lord God, as He is revealed to us in and through the "Word" of God - both "incarnate" (Jesus) and "inscripturated" (the Bible).

Concerning the former, the "incarnate" Word of God, the Bible says, "The Word became flesh and lived for awhile among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14)."

And when He came, it was His cousin, John, who said, "BEHOLD the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). In other words, take a good, long LOOK at Him! He is THE Son of God, THE Savior of Man, and He is THE ONLY sin-bearer and THE BEST care-giver this world will ever know! So, take a good, long LOOK at Him!

That is why we also sing,

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a LOOK at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
LOOK full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Or, in the words to yet another gospel song, "LOOK and LIVE! LOOK to Jesus now and live!" For Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!" (John 10:10).

So, LOOK to Him with the eyes of faith. Sure, life is DIFFICULT! (And who knows what this New Year will bring?). But when you LOOK to Him, what you will see is One who is more than ADEQUATE for all those times when life seems so DIFFICULT! Remember, He has promised that He would always be PRESENT with us, and that His grace would always be SUFFICIENT for us! (Read Psalm 46:1).

By the way, the next time life seems so hard and hurts so much, please don't forget that there is ALSO coming a day when our "faith shall be sight," and we shall BEHOLD Him in all of His glory! And what we will then SEE is what we will then BE forevermore - just like Him! (Read 1 John 3:1-2).

Yes, life IS difficult. But, don't forget (in the words to the refrain of one of my all-time favorite songs):

It WILL be worth it all,
When we SEE Jesus.
Life's trials will seem so small,
When we SEE Christ.
One glimpse of His dear face,
All sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race,
'Til we SEE Christ!

And what we will see then is what we will get. And what we will get is One who is not just ADEQUATE, but One who is INFINITE! The KING of Kings and LORD of Lords!

That is why we also say, "Maranatha! Even so, quickly come, Lord Jesus!" (Perhaps He WILL return this New Year!). And if He does come back for His "Bride" in 2008, then please also remember (it's also another favorite gospel song),

When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all SEE Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory!

Looking UNTO Jesus - and FOR that "blessed hope!"

Oh, yeah . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!