Chris Little

Have you noticed how funny a word “love” is? I mean, what does “love” really mean? I love burritos, sports, traveling, my family, and God. Surely, the way I love my family and burritos is not the same…is it? Do you remember doing the ‘ol flower deal? You know, taking the a flower and saying, “She loves me, she loves me not” and making sure that the flower petals work out to where “she loves me” in the last one. Ah, the good old days before eharmony.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4 we see Paul describe “love”. The word has a sacrificial tone. If you were to look up the word love in a dictionary and a picture was next to it to depict what love is it would be of Jesus on the cross. Self sacrifice to the extreme.
When I think about sacrificial love several things come to mind. However, I am drawn back to the movie The March of the Penguins and what sacrifices the mother and father penguin made for their egg. They traveled 70 miles in -80 degree weather, do a dance, and then the dad stays behind and protects the egg from the extreme cold and wind. By the time the new egg is hatched, several dads have died in their quest to protect their young and all of them have gone about 2 months without food. Sacrifice! Love!
Love is a verb…love is a sacrifice…love is…

“Marriage is easy” is a statement that sounds like a bunch of junk. It is not true. Marriage is not easy, but it can be fun & rewarding. A quick glance of Song of Solomon 7:1-8:4 shows us what I am talking about.
Marriage is easy if we choose to serve one another (v. 1). King Solomon is on his knees before his bride serving her. He is doing the job of the house servants by removing her sandals. I imagine he also included a little foot massage as he asked her about her day.
Marriage is easy when we say good things about each other immediately. We (especially us guys) are filled with good intentions that never become good actions. We think good thoughts about our loved ones, but do not immediately take action…so, we forget & it never happens.
In Song of Songs 7:2-4, Solomon told his wife how beautiful she was and in 7:5 he discusses her character (which is the best part of her or us because beauty fades). Tell your spouse how beautiful she is – often! She is hearing the opposite message from everywhere else.
Marriage is easy if you tell your spouse how much she means to you and how much you desire her. A woman needs to know she is desirable to you – no matter how long married.
Marriage is easy because she will respond. Listen to this, ” I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me.” she responds that she feels safe & secure in her relationship with her man. She knows that his desire is for her alone. “Desire” literally means to be attacked by a wild animal. How cool is that? She wants her man to pounce!
Marriage is easy when we are intentional & purposeful. She sets a date with her man (v.11).
Marriage is easy when you are creative. You can be creative then you are intentional. Creativity happens via planning. We need to develop the habit of saying “yes” to the best things so you can say ”no” to the not-best.
Marriage is easy when you are affectionate. In Solomons’ day it was prohibited for a man to touch a woman unless he was the father or brother of the girl. She wants to be able to show him off. That she loves him (Song of Songs 8:1-4).
Well, as you can see – marriage is easy – NOT! It’s hard work…but, it can be well worth it!

We are living in some difficult days. They are not the worst days we have seen as a nation, but they are not the easiest either. People are reaching for all kinds of answers and solutions. Many are wanting to alleviate any ‘pain’ associated with their struggles. While others are always on the lookout for ways to get wealthy…quick.
In Ephesians, Paul describes for us the riches we receive through a relationship with Christ. They are not earned by us. They are given to us. We did not earn these riches, we inherit them because of our family ties.
Here is a brief glance at our inheritance. First, we are holy & blameless in the eyes of God. We are holy in that we have been separated for serving God. We are blameless because of Christ’s unblemished sacrifice & now we can serve wholeheartedly as a sacrifice as well (Rom. 12:1).
Second, we have been adopted. In the old days to be adopted was to carry on a father’s name & heritage. If a father did not have a male heir he would pursue a family that had two or more sons. The adoptive father would then agree to an adoption price. The father who has giving away his son would symbolically sell and buy back his son twice. The third time he sold him the adoptive father would pay the agreed upon price. The adoptive father would then plead his case for adoption before a judge – pleading the value/worth of his name & his inheritance. Once cleared to adopt, the son would take on the name and all the obligations & responsibilities of his new father. He was no longer obligated to his old debts, his old name. He was freed from that family. We too have been adopted. We have a new name. The old debts are gone. (Rom. 8:12-17a)
Third, we have been redeemed. We have been bought out of the marketplace from slavery. When bought, we were not bought for the purpose to be re-enslaved. We were bought and given a ‘certificate’ of freedom. We have been forgiven. (Gal. 3:13)
Fourth, we have been granted the opportunity to understand the mystery of God. The mystery is that of salvation. It was only available to the Jews, but has now been opened to all. The mystery is that Christ is the Messiah for those who chose to believe (Rom. 3:21-26)
Finally, we have received the Holy Spirit. We were marked by his seal. To be ‘marked by the seal’ was to be marked as one who has the authority of the king. A letter sealed with the kings seal were seen as directly from him. We have been sealed with the seal of the king of kings. We live in obedience to him and have been sent by him (Matt. 28:18-20) to accomplish his work. We also are told that the spirit we have is only a deposit of what is to come. We will receive the ‘full payment’ of our inheritance when we get home, into the presence of the Father.
Imagine if we began to live as those who, through the Holy Spirit, have been adopted into a new family, who have been redeemed and forgiven from the stuff that enslaved us, and as people who were set aside for extraordinary living? Hello! Our mind-sets would be turned upside down. Our vision would be 20-20. We would see God, the world, and ourselves clearly and correctly. So, when life has you down a little…remember how ‘rich’ you truly are.

Have you ever made a promise? Have you ever made a promise and not kept it? Have you ever been the one who had someone break a promise they made to you?
Promises are words that we hear from someone we care deeply about and trust they mean what they say. However, sometimes, people (even those that care deeply about us) disappoint us and break their promises. Broken promises break hearts and shatter dreams. Broken promises can devastate and destroy. To those we love, our words have a great meaning.
I admit, I have spoken words of promise before that I have not followed through on. Most of the time, I have every intention of keeping those promises. When I stood at the altar with my bride to be and repeated those vows of “to love, honor, and cherish…”, I meant them. Guess what? There are days that I fail miserably at loving, honoring, and cherishing. (Usually in the morning before coffee.) When we have discussions (because she does not see things my way…) there have been times where I failed in keeping my promise – I got selfish. (Might even happen again some day. Maybe?) I also confess that I have seen the disappointment in my kids’ face when I was unable to fulfill a promise that I had made to them.
In both situations, with my wife and kids, they are people that I love deeply…and still failed to keep my promises. As I look back, many times I broke the promise because of my own selfishness or that a fuller realization of what I actually promised was more than I thought I was committing to giving. The promise did not pass my measure of personal convenience. It was going to be too hard to fulfill the promise.
Okay, Okay. I admit it…I am a promise breaker. I have been and will continue to be in the future. I do not like it. Actually, I hate that about myself, but, I am. I am working on it, but I still mess up. How about you? Are you a promise breaker? Come on…maybe at least once?
Here is the good news. I know of one person who has kept every single promise he has ever made (even when it hurt). GOD. Yep, he is a Promise Keeper. It started with Adam and Eve and has continued throughout history. Actually, because he has kept every promise he has ever made, I have hope. Hope that he will fulfill his greatest promise ever – life forever with Him.
I hope that as you contemplate the cross of Christ this weekend and celebrate his Resurrection that you will rejoice that we worship the great promise keeper. Life may be crazy for you right now, but the great promise keeper promises peace that passes understanding. Money may be in short supply, but the great promise keeper promises treasures that do not run out or rot or fluctuate according to a stock market. It may seem like you cannot take another step because the burdens are too much, but the great promise keeper tells us to run with perseverance because their is all those who have gone before us who are cheering us on to finish the race well.
Promises…God makes them and keeps them. He made a promise, and he gave everything he had to keep it. Thank you for the sacrifice of the great Promise Keeper.

I was a projectionist my senior year of high school. I loved that job. What high school kid wouldn’t? Getting paid to watch movies… I learned several things about movies while I worked there. One of my favorite parts about the job was watching people respond to the background music of the movie. You know what I mean? The scary movies have scary music to warn you that something scary is about to happen. The heroic movies have heroic music to let you know when to celebrate the hero. The love movies have love music to let the lead guy know when he should be in love. (This would be nice in real life ,huh guys?… Then we would know when it is a ‘gushy’ girl love moment. Or better yet, we would get a loud warning, “Don’t say that!!!”)

Wouldn’t it be nice if we had background music in real life?

Guess what? We do. The problem is, we do what I did as a projectionist some times: we turn the music down or completely off. I would get annoyed with the music or tired of hearing the same song over and over (if I have to hear Whitney Houston sing, “I-I-I-I will always love you-uuu” again, I will get sick!). In life, we have a tendency to do the same. We get tired of what tune God is playing – over and over again – because we are too dense to hear Him. So, instead of listening and acting upon it, we turn down the music. Or worse yet, we turn it off.

The music that God plays is to bring us joy and life. It is not to make life lame and boring. Many times the song He is playing is to motivate and encourage us to keep on moving. (I love working out to fast paced music. It keeps me going; motivated). However, there are times when He plays music of warning or even correction. (Sorry to you classical fans, but that is the music I think of when I think of ‘correction music’. For some of you, it may be country or rap music.) In these times, we don’t like the tune He’s playing. We would rather hear something else.

Are you listening to the music He is playing? If not, check your tuner and tune in. He loves and cares enough about you to play just the tune you need to hear, exactly when you need it.

“Hey Dad!” Is one of my favorite phrases to hear…usually. When I hear it, it means my two kids want me to be involved in what they got going on, need my help, or maybe just show me what they are up to. However, there are time when they say, “Hey Dad!” and on the inside (my heart) just is not into answering the call. It may because I am tired, busy, or some other lame excuse. I respond, but in my response it is clear where my heart is; or better yet, isn’t.

Interestingly enough, many times my kids do not really pay attention to my tone and keep asking, “Hey Dad!” until I fully respond to their request. I love being a dad, but sometimes…I am lame!

I am so glad that God the Father does not respond like I do to my kids’ requests. God is always ready to be involved in what I got going on. He is actively waiting for me to ask. Actually, he gets disappointed when I don’t ask. I don’t ask him to be involved – enough! He wants more Daddy time than I give him.

One of the things that impacts the response I have to my kids’ request of “Hey Dad!” is the posture they take in asking. If they are sweet and gentle with their request or crawl up in my lap to talk to me they are more likely to get a positive response. However, if they yell across the house or if I sense frustration or a negative attitude in their request, I am less likely to respond favorably. Yes, I can be influenced by my kids – sometimes.

I am so glad that God the Father does not respond like I do to my kids’ requests. He does not listen or respond based on my attitude. He always listens and always responds. He may not respond the way I want him to, but he listens and responds. That is really what I want. That is really what my kids want to. Yeah, they may want their way. However, they trust that me. They know I love them and care for them and that when I say no or respond differently than they want – eventually it will be okay.

This week, why don’t you call on God: “Hey Dad!” and revel in his attention and response.

When I hear the phrase “Momma always said…” I think back to the re-runs of The Brady Bunch and the scene where they are throwing a ball in the house and they break a vase (or something like that) and one of the kids’ response was “Momma always said don’t play ball in the house!” A great line. We all have some those “Momma always said…” lines though. Here are a few:
* Momma always said, “Don’t make that face, it’ll freeze like that!”
* Momma always said, “Wash your hands before you eat, you don’t worms in your tummy.”
* Momma always said, “Eat those veggies if you want to grow up to be tall and strong.”
* Momma always said, “Always wear clean underwear.”

Some of Momma’s thoughts made sense, others did not. I mean, I eat veggies all the time and I am not as tall as I would like to be. I wear clean underwear, always, and no one has ever asked me to check and see if it is clean or not; plus, that would be quite weird!

However, Momma said those things to us because she had a point, a reason, a purpose. Her point in saying those things was to develop within us, as her kids, the character and personality that she wanted us to have and portray. Momma said those things because she loved us.

I was thinking about Ephesians 4:1-3 and I saw the Apostle Paul telling his readers that as part of the family of God, they needed to live like it. In light of Mother’s Day, I thought back to all those “Momma always said…” phrases and saw some similarities.

First, Momma and Paul were concerned about our character. Paul begs us to live today as if we are trying to balance out the scales against what God has given us – new life in Christ. Now, Paul knows we cannot balance out the scales against God, but he says to live like you can. If we live life trying to balance out the scales against God’s gift – then we will end up living and giving as God did. Momma always said make today a great day! How can you make today a great day – live it sacrificially. Giving to others more than you expect in return.

Second, Momma and Paul were concerned about the family name. Names were and are important. When someone says your name, immediately a picture of who you are comes to their mind. That picture that comes to mind has been established through their relationship and impression of you – you created it. Paul says that we should be establishing, growing, and displaying the family characteristics – humble, gentle, patient, and loving.
To be humble is to have a proper view of yourself. To have a proper view, you have to be standing in the right spot. I remember the scene from Dead Poet’s Society where Robin Williams as the teacher had his students stand on top of the desk to change their view/perspective. We too need a change of view sometimes. Simply put – God is God, and I am not.
To be gentle is not being timid or lacking courage. Actually, it is like a wild animal that had been tamed. The passion and wildness are now focused and have purpose. It is to have the proper self-control. Remember Jesus in the Temple and when he became angry and turned over the tables and had a little speech for those present? That is self-control. Huh? Yeah, the ability to be angry about the right things at the right time.
Everyone’s favorite is patience. Everyone wants it, few can or will undergo the lessons to acquire it. I encourage people to not ask for patience. Why? It’s because suffering is the main tool that God uses to develop patience in us. I’ve experienced a little suffering in my life and would not want anyone else to have to do the same.
All we need is Love! Is a great song, however love is such a misunderstood word in our culture. Love is not selfish. However, we have a tendency to love others for our gain. Love is not “I’ll do this for you if…” But, it has a remarkable way of becoming that – even in our marriage and parenting relationships. Love, in its purest form is “giving of yourself for someone else, no matter their response”. So, if they call you names or laugh at you – love them. If they don’t recognize your gift(s) and expressions for them – love them anyway. God is the greatest example of this type of love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son”. (John 3:16) God’s return on his love investment in his creation is questionable, at best. It seems that more mock, don’t believe, or just don’t care that God loves as much as he does. But, God keeps on loving.

Finally, Momma and Paul were concerned with bickering and fighting among the kids. We have this thing that we want called “my way”. I mean, Burger King didn’t coin the phrase, they are just using our selfishness to make a buck. Most arguments are due to selfishness. I want my way and I want it now. Momma wants peace in the house. Peace is not the absence of yelling and fighting, it is the presence of humbleness, gentleness, patience, and love being worked out in our lives. When we are pursuing those family traits, we are less likely to be fighting.

So, listen to your momma, she loves you and wants the best for you. She wants to develop the characteristics of God in you. When Momma speaks; listen.

We are living in an increasingly global society. It is easier to connect to people from around the world today, than ever before. I have Facebook “friends” from around the world. What impact does that have for me & all my “friends”? It means that more than ever my thoughts, my life, and my faith are on display. So, whether I like it or not, I became a global missionary the second that I signed up for Facebook or MySpace, or Twitter, or . . . you get the idea. (By the way you can be my “friend” at http://www.facebook.com/chrismlittle or follow me http://twitter.com/cmlittle).
I believe we are living in a time that allows us to make a global impact without ever having to get a passport and fly anywhere. Through the internet, we are already making an impact. The question for me and you is what is that impact – good, indifferent, or bad? What does your internet presence say about your faith?
As Christ-followers we are 24/7 worshipers. Everything you do, say, and think is an act of worship. When you eat, that’s worship. When you go to school, that’s worship. When you are with your family, that’s worship. When you kiss your spouse, yep, that’s worship too! So, when you are on the internet, you are worshiping. If we begin to become more aware of our choices in worship it will impact what we say, do, think, our reactions, etc.
So, now that you know all this, guess what? You are a global missionary! People are watching you to see what God looks like. What image are you leaving them with? The last thing Jesus told his disciples was, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).” If you are on the internet, you are a missionary to the ends of the earth! Fulfill your commision, worship well, and share the love of Christ with a world that is craving what you got . . . JESUS!
P.S. This also means you are a missionary at home, work, school, grocery store, and all the other places here in Jerusalem (a.k.a. Lakewood).

I have a history of heart disease in my family. I am aware of it and I am trying to balance out that knowledge with living a healthy lifestyle – for the most part. (I admit that I have a fondness for Krispy Kreme® and steaks.) I understand that I need to be keep that disease information in front of me.

If you think about it, everyone has some history of heart disease in their family. (Dr. House said so the other night; which obviously makes it a viable statistic). He was talking about the heart disease that invades your actual physical heart. A heart not properly taken care of can experience death. It is not really good when your heart dies, because you do too. I am not a doctor, but take my word for it.

Anyway, there is the disease of the heart called arthrosclerosis. It is also more commonly known as the “hardening of arteries”. This hardening of the arteries happens when fat deposits begin to build up in the inner walls of the artery. This allows fibrous tissue and calcium to build up and slow the flow of blood to and from the heart and other organs. As the plaque continues to grow, it can eventually stop blood flow to the point of causing death to the organ or tissue.

Spiritually speaking, we can have a ‘heart attack’ too. How? Paul says in Ephesians 4:17-19 that it is due to empty, stinky thinking, ignorance of truth, and a life separated from God. First, empty, stinky thinking is thinking that does not produce God-type results. We make plans, but unless God is at the center of them – they are fruitless and empty. Next, ignorant living is to ignore the truth that God exists despite all the evidence. People pursue truth and knowledge with a great passion these days. However, to pursue truth with knowing the TRUTH (in the person of Jesus), is pointless. Finally, a life separated from God is the result of this empty, ignorant thinking and living.

This spiritual heart condition is due to one thing; SIN. Tough word, but it is the truth. Have you heard the phrase, “There is no such thing as a ‘minor surgery’?” Surgery is surgery. It is painful and there will be ramifications due to this invasion. Sin is sin. It is painful and there will be ramifications. To not due surgery on sin may seem easier at the moment. However, to not do the ‘minor surgery’ means that you might have to do a ‘major surgery’ later on done the road. To not deal with sin early leads to heart trouble.

Sin literally petrifies our hearts. It leads us to have a heart as hard as marble. Here is the process of a heart becoming hardened – I think you will recognize it – once you see it pointed out. Ready? 1) A blister due to sensitivity to sin. You messed and you know it. You can feel it, it hurts, and even causes you discomfort. 2) You choose to see if this sin will cause the same reaction as last time. Guess what? It doesn’t. It doesn’t hurt as bad, you’re not as uncomfortable. That means it must not be that bad. 3) So, you go again when the ‘need’ arises. Now you got a callous and there is some notice that it is sin, but you’re used to it. You can handle it. You’re not like everyone else. 4) So, since you are not like everyone else, it will not impact you at all – you don’t feel anything anyway. Now, that blister and callous is hard. No feeling at all. However, you don’t notice that it has impacted your mobility. You’re walking with a limp. 5) One day you wake and realize that that blister is now led you to paralysis. The blister became infected underneath and has led to immobility and paralysis. Now, you have to have major surgery. Just think how much easier it would have been to deal with the blister. Was the blister painful? Yes. But, it will not be as painful as what it will be like to do all the clean up necessary to bring about movement from paralysis.

At Bear Valley, we are hospital for heart patients. We have either had heart surgery or need it. We are always looking for more heart patients too. This summer, we are going through some changes in the hospital here. It will be inconvenient at times. The inconvenience will only be temporary though. Why are we making changes to the hospital? We want, no, we need more heart patients.

If you have had a heart transplant, this new facility will allow us to keep you fit, growing and going in the right healthy direction. If you know someone who needs a heart transplant, we hope to make the place feel safer and friendlier. Children’s Hospital just relocated. Why? So they could take better care of their patients. We are doing the same, just not relocating.

So, my fellow heart patients, join with me as we wait patiently for the hospital to be done. Don’t wait till the hospital is complete to invite your friends and family in need of heart surgery though. The building doesn’t do heart surgery – the Great Physician does. Thankfully, he is not limited by our facilities. CONNECT heart patients, MATURE heart patients, and UNLEASH heart patients…we’ve got a new lease on life!

Mimes are interesting people. (I must confess that I have done some mime work in the past – so, I understand the whole ‘mime’ thing.) To be a mime is to get in touch with your physical body. You have to work at mastering body movements to mimic movements. It takes great attention to detail and is very strenuous physically. Now, we also have people who mimic others who would not classify themselves as ‘mimes’. We have a whole genre of television that makes their money doing this – specifically Saturday Night Live.

To copy, mimic, or emulate someone is the greatest sign of complement right? We are a culture obsessed with our cultural icons. Who didn’t want to be like Michael Jordan? I remember the transformation to baggy shorts, cooler, more expensive tennis shoes, tongues wagging, and people re-enacting Jordan’s dunks on 8ft goals. There are shows now about the personal, private lives of stars. We want to not only emulate their on-stage persona, but we need to know what they wear, eat, and say when they are not ‘on camera’. Much of this craziness is because of our sickness as a person and culture – we don’t know who we are so we attempt to live like others who seem to have it together – because they have fleeting fame, money, and time.

We mimic people, sometimes it a conscious attempt and many times it is subconscious. We mimic those we spend the most time around and watching. Guess who that is most of the time? Yep, your momma and daddy. That is why we have this great ability for being like parents – even the stuff we don’t want – we got. (Your parents wished they hadn’t passed it on either.)

In Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul tells his readers to mimic God. How can we do that? I’m not eternal, self-sufficient, all-knowing, all-powerful, or everywhere at all times. I like to act like I am similar to God at times. However, it always gets me in trouble. Thankfully, Paul is not asking me to emulate those impossible traits. He wants us to do something easy – love like God does. Yeah, that’s easy…

Okay, I’m kidding. Not really that easy. Actually, I may me better at pretending that I am all-knowing rather than loving like God. God’s love is sacrificial and is seeking to give, even without return. That’s right, to love without expecting anything in return. I usually like a return on my investments. You might even get more from me if I know that I getting something in return. God’s love is forgiving. He forgives before we even ask for forgiveness. He is just waiting for us to recognize that we need forgiveness. God’s love is giving. He gives sacrificially. God’s love is practical. He meets the needs of people where they are at. We are to have a love with those characteristics too; forgiving, giving, and practical. That is how we mimic God.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says it this way, “4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.”

Read this verse and replace ‘love’ with your name. Does this verse describe you?

Put your mime suit on my friends and become conscious of all the details of loving well.