Dancing in the Rain

Dancing in the Rain

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Someone posted the following on Facebook, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.  It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” 

In the midst of the deepest storms of our lives, often the most comfort and peace arise from the joy that emerges in remembering the good times, the times of building relationships, of filling our arms and our hearts with new life, of recognizing the artistry of our Creator in the sunrise, the gathering clouds, and the changing of the seasons.  The rain of sorrow is lessened in the moments of sunshine that peep through.  In those moments, even though our hearts are breaking, our spirits dance in the rhythm with the joy of our Lord.

He is Lord in the valleys as well as on the mountain tops.  He dances with us in the slow, intimate waltz that comforts and heals.  It is in the “slow dance” that we fall in love.  It is in the “fast dance” that we celebrate that love. 

We are the Bride of Christ.  In our dance with him, the Bridegroom leads and we, the Bride, must learn to follow His every movement.   As we dance, our intimacy grows and our broken hearts find His healing and His joy.  In His joy, we find our strength to continue. (Nehemiah 8:10)

The Bible speaks much about dancing in celebration of our Lord:  Psalm 149:2-3 (NKJV)

“²  Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. ³  Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.”

Psalm 150:4 (NKJV):  “⁴  Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!”

Because of the vicissitudes of life, we experience all the times Solomon beautifully described in Ecclesiastes 3.  When we allow Him to, God brings us through those seasons of life.  While we experience seasons of weeping, we are to experience also seasons of laughter.  When we follow our Lord in the dance, a time of mourning will lead into times of dancing, both the dance of intimacy and the dance of celebration.

From my play Dancing in the Cosmos:

“CHORUS ONE: Truth Seeker took the hand of Eternal Hope and moved with Him to the music of the worshipers.  The sensation in her heart found fulfillment in the dance of her Beloved. She moved with Him across the valleys and above the mountain tops. 

CHORUS TWO:  The music became the music of the galaxies.  The stars sang with them as they danced within the Milky Way, out beyond the evening star, beyond the Pleiades and the might hunter, Orion.

TRUTH SEEKER:    Eternal Hope, are there pathways and journeys beyond this one? Will there be other rivers to cross? Others to whom I will be vessel of Your love?  Will there be other dances?

ETERNAL HOPE:  Yes, My seeker of truth, there will be other journeys and other rivers.  Each one you overcome will bring you higher and deeper into Me.  Your destiny, and the destiny of all others, is to climb higher and higher, to cross over and over, to find greater and greater Joy, to come to know Me even as I know you.

TRUTH SEEKER:    How many journeys?  How many conquests?  For how long?

ETERNAL HOPE:  As many as will fit into eternity.  Are you willing still to journey with Me?”

We receive comfort and healing in the knowledge that as the storm continues, so does the dance. In spite of our tears, we can choose to dance in the rain.

Celebrating Mike

Celebrating Mike

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Psalm 90 
¹  LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
²  Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

⁴  For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.
¹⁰  The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
¹²  So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
¹⁴  Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
¹⁶  Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.
¹⁷  And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Mike died Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 at Community Hospital in Torrington. A memorial scattering of his and his brother’s ashes will take place at a later date. His brother Bob passed away on January 22.  

Mike was born May 30, 1938 in Casper in the back bedroom of his grandparents’ home, the son of James Harvey Sr. and Hollis (Swallow) Crowe. He grew up in Wheatland and Buffalo and graduated Buffalo High School in 1956. He attended and played basketball for Casper College for two years before entering the U.S. Army for two years. After his discharge he returned to Wheatland. He married Lonnie Corn in 1962 in Wheatland. They moved to Casper to live for a time before living in Washington State for a year. They moved to Goshen County where they lived in several places before settling in Torrington. He worked as a realtor for many years.

People in Wheatland often remarked about how the Corns, Crowes and Swallows were all related.

Mike enjoyed fishing, bowling, golf, and playing pool with the good ole’ boys.  They played golf on a snooker table for about 20 years.

Mike is survived by his wife, Lonnie of Torrington; two sons, Doug Crowe of Wray, Colo. and Don Crowe and his wife, Kathy of Torrington; a brother, James Harvey Crowe Jr of Buffalo; an aunt, Winnie Allan of Casper; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Bob Crowe.

Although Mike did not attend church, he loved the Lord and loved to minister.  He supported Lonnie in every phase of her ministries.  He was her executive assistant when she served on the area team for Aglow International.  He answered the phone when she was working.  He prayed for people, counseled and encouraged.  He watched the road reports and kept the team safely on the roads during the winter months.  He was an attentive host when Aglow people stayed in their home.  He adopted Angie, Elaine and Joann as his special daughters.

He was proud of Lonnie’s ordination.  He often referred to her as “Pastor Prime.”

A couple of weeks before his first surgery, he insisted that Lonnie travel to Dallas for a leadership meeting for Generals International.

He was one of the maintenance men for Rhema Fellowship Church.

After Lonnie and Mike returned by ambulance last week from North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, his concern was putting things in order.  He wanted a fly rod to go to Jeremy and blue rock to Troy.  He asked about his great grandson David.  Then he told Lonnie, "we need to get someone to take care of the church."

Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints. 

To Apologize or Not to Apologize

To Apologize or Not to Apologize

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

When it comes to apologies, we live in a confused and often confusing world.  We are puzzled about when to apologize, when not to apologize and how to apologize.  Scripture instructs us on the importance of the reconciliation that can stem from an apology:  Matthew 5:23-24 (NKJV):  “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” 

When it is necessary, we must apologize.  However:

When, after a feverish day of work, it is not necessary for a shop owner to apologize for locking the doors  in order to relax, to rest and to recuperate.  The gesture seems polite, but lacks sincerity.  I love those notices that instead of offering an apology simply say, “Closed.” 

I enjoy my supermarket that offers no apology.  Instead the posted notice says, “We will be closed so that our employees can enjoy the holidays.”

When a local fast-food store apologized for no longer accepting checks, I told the manager, “You don’t have to apologize for having the wisdom to protect your business from check fraud.”

Also, we do not need to apologize for things over which we have no control.  One thing over which we have no control is the behavior of others.  If my child acts out in school, it doesn’t help if I tell the teacher that I am sorry of the child’s behavior.  It is much more helpful to work with the teacher in guiding the child into wiser choices.  One step in that guidance is for the child to understand that he or she is responsible for the behavior and needs to apologize.

Early in my teaching career, during the turbulent times in the 1970’s, students in the high school where I taught held a rather innocuous sit-in during the lunch hour and missed the first class of the afternoon.  The principal administered an appropriate reprimand and punishment.  I don’t know how other parents handled the situation, but one mother understood the importance of apology.  She came with her daughter after school, visited each of the daughter’s teachers and the school administrators, and stood in the back of the room while her daughter apologized to each of us for the disruption and promised not to become involved again. 

Furthermore, I cannot apologize for the intolerable beliefs and behaviors of my ancestors.  I am not responsible for their actions.  My responsibility lies in not embracing those objectionable attitudes and actions.

We do need to apologize when we have behaved unwisely.  But a flippant “I’m sorry” is not an apology.  In addition, we should follow the advice of Benjamin Franklin who said, “Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”  In fact, an apology accompanied by an excuse is not an apology.  It is poor behavior looking for an opportunity to reoccur.  Neither the devil, circumstances nor other people cause our bad behavior.

An apology requires that we take ownership, understand that we have erred and, as much as is possible, make restitution.  

A sincere apology will include repentance.  Repentance requires a change in our thinking.  Romans 12:2 (NKJV): “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

When we realize that our unwise attitudes, words and behaviors are hurtful and offensive, we must shift gears, offer no excuses and make an effort to change.

Romans 12:18 (NKJV):  “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” However, I do not need to give up Christian principles and truth nor apologize for them in order to keep the peace.

Walking in the Kingdom

Walking in the Kingdom

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Luke 17:20-21 (NKJV)
²⁰  Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
²¹  nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

The Kingdom, so often referred to in the teachings of Jesus, is neither the future Millennial Kingdom nor eternity.  It is the ruling presence of God within the heart of every believer.  While the Holy Spirit indwells each believer, we walk in the Kingdom to the extent that we follow the rule of the Holy Spirit Who is our Guide, our Teacher and our Comforter.

While many deny the free will of believers, that free will was established in the beginning.  The Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah admonishing believers in his day, and in our own, to return to those paths the Lord had established.

Jeremiah 6:16a (NKJV): “¹⁶Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.”

Where do we find those ancient paths?  In the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 2:8-9 (NKJV):  “⁸ The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. ⁹ And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

“Knowledge of good and evil” can be translated as “determination or declaration of good and evil.” Eating of that tree is a metaphor for mankind, with our limited knowledge, determining what is good and what is evil.  It is an “if it feels good, do it” philosophy.  It places man above God and eventually sees man as god. It is the foundation of all paganism and worldly philosophies such as humanism and existentialism.

Culturally, the two trees in the Garden are manifested in the Biblical path and the worldly path.The Biblical path is one of blessing and hope. It is the Kingdom of God. The worldly mindset is one of cursing and despair. One wit described worldly philosophy as “life is one damned thing after another, and then you die.”  

That “doomsday” mindset is seen in many Christians.  One day I visited with another pastor who said, “If the Lord doesn’t return soon, it will be too late.” TOO LATE FOR WHAT?

Walking in the Kingdom requires that we believe in the promises of God, rest in His assurances and occupy until He comes.  We are comforted when we know our God is an overcomer.  John 16:33 (NKJV) “³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Martha thought the Lord was too late when He approached the grave of Lazarus, but He was right on time. 

We can either walk in the kingdom by resting in the promises of God or fret ourselves with despair.  Those are the choices represented by the two trees in Eden  Remember Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV): ^“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Paul eloquently outlined the “old paths”, the Kingdom, when he wrote to the church at Thessalonica: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (NKJV) “⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰  and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; ¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” 

In the Kingdom, “He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.” (Charles A. Miles)

Let’s Communicate

Let’s Communicate

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)

            While this is the season for texting shorthand, it is not always the time to use this form of communication.  Certainly, while it is expedient for the dexterous, its use can often thwart communication.  It is especially detrimental when the use of texting shorthand, mostly confined to abbreviations and acronyms, crops up in both our formal written documents and in our speech. 

            God has empowered us with speech, with words that have meaning and force.  The Lord spoke the universe into existence with precise phrasing.  He did not say, “Lgt ASAP.’’.   

We have been called to impact this world.  Mark 16:14-15 (NKJV): “Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”. As ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven, the more people who hear and understand what we have to say, the more impact we will have in this world.

            Psalm 45 eloquently expresses this admonition: Psalm 45:1 (NKJV):  “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” Out of love for our King, we must learn to express our testimonies and teaching clearly and powerfully.

Let’s strive to be communicative. OMG does not have the same impact as “Oh, Lord most high” or “Abba, Father”.  IMHO our words are powerful.  Let’s not dilute them in an effort to be trendy.  You must decide to DIY.  This is not a situation that should cause us to lol.  Instead of “PTL”, all of God’s should say, “Praise the Lord.”

            

Walking in Newness

Walking in Newness

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

While we are always cognizant of the new year, we are not so often aware of our own newness in Jesus Christ.  Our God is the Father of new beginnings:  Passover begins a new spiritual year.  Rosh Hashanah marks the new civil year.  Hanukkah is a time of rededication.

The prophet Jeremiah declared in Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV): “Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

In the Lord, each day, each moment is a chance for a new beginning and an abundant life.  John 10:10 (NKJV) “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  Being reborn by accepting Jesus as both our Savior and our Lord, we have access to life abundantly.  It is never too late to step into that abundant new life.

In our born-again experience, we actually become new creations. Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Each day we can walk in that newness.  Romans 6:3-4 (NKJV) “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Paul gave both the Galatians and the entire Church advice in walking in newness. Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV):  “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

In Romans 8:14-15 we learn that when we walk according to the Holy Spirit, we become sons of God.  ^“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

“Abba” is the Hebrew word for “Papa.”   The word embraces more that a legal relationship.  Abba connotes an emotional and spiritual tie.  A few years ago, I was sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Jerusalem.  A group of orthodox Jewish men were mingling in the lobby as well.  They were dressed in the traditional garb of black suits, white shirts, and black hats.  A small boy of 3 or 4 was dressed similarly. 

Suddenly he broke from the group, ran toward a young man who had just come through the door.  He called “Abba, Abba, Abba” as he threw himself in the arms of his father.  His abba picked him up, held him close and kissed him all over his face while the little one giggled with delight.

That is the Abba relationship.  It is the relationship that God wants with each of us.  That relationship brings newness of life.

Romans 8:16-17 continues:  “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” 

Paul confirms what David wrote:  Psalm 16:5-6 (NKJV): “O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.”

As a new creation, I am a child of God and I have a good inheritance in Him.  That inheritance is manifested in the fruit of the Spirit:  “Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV):  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”  

Love is foundational to all the other gifts and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:37-39 (NKJV):  “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When we digest the truth of our newness, when we abide in an Abba relationship with our God, when we know that we are loved unconditionally by the One Who is Love, no matter the circumstances in our lives, we will have a joyous new year.

Everything God touches becomes new.  Let’s allow Abba to touch our lives even more deeply in this new year.  

May this new year find your heart  filled to overflowing with the Abba love that our God desires to shower upon us. 

May the ashes of the past be changed to beauty.  May your years of mourning be exchanged for the oil of joy.  May your spirit of heaviness be replaced with a garment of praise.  May you be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. 

(Isaiah 61:3) 

Let Your Light Shine: Happy Hanukkah

Let Your Light Shine:  Happy Hanukkah 

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

 Hanukkah is a festival commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is also a festival of lights.    It is a time of rededicating our lives to the Lord and a time to let the light of Jesus shine out into the world.  Jesus celebrated this festival and so should we.  John 10:22-23 (NKJV) “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.”

The eight branches on the Hanukkah menorah represent the miracle of the oil that kept the Temple menorah lighted for eight days after the rededication.  Notice that the eight branches are attached to a taller candle that is called the Servant candle.  The Servant candle is used to light the other candles.  To Christians, the Servant candle represents Jesus Who lights our way through the power of the Holy Spirit Who resides within us.  In Him, we are to be servant candles to light the way in our world.

During these 8 days of Hanukkah, let’s meditate on the following:

1.     Light was the first order of creation.  It is foundational to the rest of creation.  Everything in creation was good because it was created in the light of the Creator.  Since the Fall of Man, Creation itself has been yearning for God’s people to bring the light.  Romans 8:19 (NKJV):  “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

2.      Light dispels darkness.  Darkness is not the opposite of light.  It is the absence of light.  A tiny flicker of light diminishes darkness. Light exposes that which is hidden in darkness. Luke 8:16-17 (NKJV) "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”

4.     Light  lessens the anguish of wintertime seasonal depression.  Just as we await the lengthening of days that comes with the winter solstice, we await the coming of our Lord and the eternal light of the New Jerusalem,  Revelation 21:22-23 (NKJV) “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”

5.     Jesus is the light of the world. John 8:12 (NKJV) “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  In the darkness that surrounds us, He is our Light, our Hope and our Redemption.

6.     He has called us to be light in this world.  Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV) “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

7.     There is light at the end of the tunnel and wise people follow that light.  During the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites followed the light that appeared as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  That light was the Shekinah glory of God that both led them and protected them.  The Magi followed the star, the supernatural light, that led them to the Christ Child in Bethlehem.  Jesus is still the Light and knows the way through the morass of this life.  All we have to do is follow.

8.     Avoid the trap of doubt, fear and unbelief.  Rise up, take your candle and go light your world.