Desires of The Heart

I just want what I want when I want it.  Is that too much to ask?  Does this sound like anyone you know?  Does it sound like you?  Christians, by the way, are not immune to the kind of thinking promoted by Madison Avenue, which says "You deserve the best, why settle for less?"  "You only go around once in life, grab all the gusto you can."

In the Christian community, especially that part of the community that exists primarily on the airwaves, the manta in this connection is "name it and claim it."  The notion is that we can breathe life into something attaching it to the promises of God and have what our hearts desire.

The idea seems to be that God's plan is for us to be healthy, wealthy and wise.  Anything that falls short of that reality, falls short of God's plan.  This despite Jesus' warning that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God" (Matt 19:24).  And Paul further warned, "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction" (1 Tim 6:9).

Do you really think that God is especially concerned with our being especially prosperous in this life?  Didn't Jesus say something counter to that like, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Mt 6:19-21)?

Does God really promise or even particular want us to have a richly prosperous life?  Does he really promise to provide all our wants?  Paul was very clear in saying, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19).  But does the Bible say that God will give us the desires of our hearts?  Actually it does.  But there is a it of a caveat to God's willingness to meet those desires.

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:3-4).  God is delighted to fulfill our desires when we are delighted in what he desires in our lives.  Notice the first half of the parallel above, "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture" 9Ps 37:3)

When we are trusting in God to provide what is best instead of demanding what ouf feltt needs dictate, when we seek good so that we can share good, when we have the heart of God in what we seek, he is pleased to answer all requests.  

You can expect God to give you the desires of your heart if your desires reflect the glory of the king and further the good of the kingdom.  But if you requests are purely selfish, why would God want to give you that which is harmful and dulling of your spiritual senses?  Would you give your children anything they asked, even if you knew it was harmful to them?  But when you child asks for something that you know is a true benefit, if their requests reflects your desire for them, would you not move heaven and earth to provide it?

God is our Father.  He wants to provide riches to us, but only true riches.  Therefore, to have the desires of your heart, you need to tue your heart to His, understand His will and seek his outcomes.  Jus' Say'n.

Songs of the Night

Some of the words of an old poem, for which neither title nor author can I offer, speak of the rich notes given in dark times: "And many a rapturous minstrel, Among those sons of light, Will say of his sweetest music 'I learned it in the night.'"  Job, out of his struggles insists, "But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night" (35:10).

Many of the great spirituals from the South came out of the dark night of slavery.  "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" was written by Wallis Willis, a Choctaw freedman who was inspired by the Red River, which reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet Elijah's begin taken to heaven by a chariot (2 Kgs 2:11).  Some sources claim that this song and "Steal Away," also written by Willis, had lyrics referring to the Underground Railroad.

It is said that singing the blues comes out of the deep struggle or darkness of life.  As the lyrics of the old  Melvin Endsley classic, recorded Marty Robbins in 1956, "Singing The Blues," moans, "I never felt more like singing the blues, cause I never thought that I'd ever lose your love Babe..."

I have read that the heavenly chorus will be harmonized by the high notes of the angels, who live in endless glory, and the low notes of humans who have lived in the depths of a darkened world.  The low notes, while reflecting a difficult and dark time, bring out a richness of experience and a depth of struggle, which produces bitter sweet notes that resonate deep within our spirit.

Borrowing from a source I have long since forgotten, I have often said that "character is hammered out on the anvil of adversity."  And, I believe, that same hammering can produce beautiful songs of human empathy and notes of hope.

It is, I believe, out of these struggles that come not only the songs of the night, the sweet, sad notes of dark times, but also the songs of victory as we overcome these struggles in Christ.  John writes of the persecuted church, the 144,000 (great multitude) whose struggles on earth included martyrdom, "they sang a new song before the throne....None one could learn the song except the 144,000 redeemed from the earth" (Rev 14:3).

The songs of the night, by the redeeming power of the Spirit, become the songs of the light, the Light, which surrounds the very throne of God.  Jus' Say'n.

Counting

After reading from 1 Chronicles this morning, I sat blankly staring at my IPad screen. I had just end several chapters of names and divisions given the duty to stand guard. The devotional materials I read left me a but dry as well. Nothing seemed to be rising up about which to write. But God, as always, is faithful - he gave me a word: Counting.

As the divisions were being assigned to stand watch over Israel, "Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God’s wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David" (1 Chron 27:24).  It was just one verse out of several chapters, and it seemed to be almost an after thought in the text, but nothing that garners the wrath of God can be called an after thought. Counting, in this case, brought judgment, and therefore, needs to be understood.

It can hardly be the fact of simply counting that incurred this judgment for God himself is responsible for "numbering the very hairs on your head" (Lk 12:7).   But this particular counting was not God approved and instead, God condemned. Why so?

The answer is intimated in the verse just ahead of the one revealing God's wrath: "David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky" (1 Chron 27:23).  By contrast, the Lord reveals David's faithfulness in trusting God's promise of more than enough compared with Joab's desire to ensure God had delivered on that promise.

Joab's desire to count reflected a level of distrust in God's promise and a need to inject himself into God's domain.  Joab wanted to make sure they had enough military resources to meet their defense needs instead of trusting God's promise.  Joab's action decries the godly trust David spoke of in Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

As in so many things, it was not the act but the motivation and intent behind it that brought them under judgment, for "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7).

Joab's did not bring judgment for the act of counting itself, the judgment came when he dismissed God's promise and began counting on himself. Sound familiar?  Do you ever find yourself fretting over how you will deal with an overwhelming problem instead of taking it and leaving it in God's hands?  Let me answer for you: "Yes!"  We all do and we all sin when we do.

Don't stop counting. In fact, I believe God wants us to count the blessings and recount the miracles he brings into our lives to strengthen our faith and encourage others in the Faith. Just stop counting on your own strength and resources, and start counting on God's power to protect, provide and prosper you. Jus ' Say'n.

Faith Cling

Jesus once came upon a fig tree that appeared from a distance to be fruit bearing.  But when he went up to it, there were only leaves.  He then spoke to the tree saying, "May you never bear fruit again" (Matt 21:19) and the tree immediately withered.  His disciples were amazed and asked how it withered so quickly to which Jesus replied that if they had faith and did not doubt they could do the same and even command a mountain to throw itself into the sea.  He went on to say, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (v. 22).

Based on that promise and the Lord's instruction to "always pray and not give up" (Lk 18:1) we may conclude that if we really want something from the Lord, we just need to start praying about it and not stop until we get what we want.  So, how is it that some ask for a promotion faithfully only to see it given to someone else?  How does a ball team lose a game while a faithful coach prays for a win until the final whistle is blown?  Why does a loved one die when fellow believers have been faithfully gathering in prayer until his last breath?

The answer some give is that obviously they did not have enough faith, that if they believed strongly enough, their prayer would have been answered.  Sounds reasonable enough except that Jesus said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt 17:20).  No, having an imperfect faith is not cause to deny a prayer request.  Not trusting God or doubting he could use you in such a way could do that: "...the one who doubts...should not expect to receive anything from the Lord" (Js 1:6-7).  But not being a giant in faith is not reason enough.

I think there is a thing called "faith cling," which I read about this morning.  And contrary to the main point of what I was reading, I believe it is a double-edged sword.  I believe we should cling to our faith in God answering prayer to the bitter end (to the point we know his answer) but I don't believe we should cling to our desire in faith against God's revealed will.

Our clinging to our desire in prayer will not obligate God to say yes to our request.  Rather, it is our clinging to His desire in prayer that insures we receive what we ask for: "...if we ask anything according to his will...we know we will have what we asked of him" (1 Jn 5:14-15).  We need to check our motivation in prayer.  Are we praying for what is best or for what we want the most?  Are you listening for God's answer (yes, no, later, etc.) or are you insistent that the Lord bend to your will?  Remember Jesus in the garden, "yet not my will but yours be done" (Mk 14:36)?

Cling to your faith in God but do not cling to the power of your faith over and against the will of God.  Cling to God's hand, do not cling to your being handed what you desire unless what you desire is the will of God.  Pray for what you want but seek to want what God wills.  Jus' Say'n.

The Color of Money

In the 60s, Martin Luther King had a dream: "I look forward to the day when people will be judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin."  In this 21st Century,   And despite the fact we have an African Americans in every strata of society, including the President of the United States and the Supreme Court, there is still a fair amount of judging based on race and the color of one's skin.  But I don't believe that skin color is the "Gold Standard" for assigning individual value in today's America.

I believe the Gold Standard is gold.  The color that we use to judge value today is green, the color of money.  If Martin were to write his "I Have A Dream" speech today, he might proclaim, "I look forward to the day when people will be judged by the content of their character not the contents of their wallet."  While I don't buy into the redistribution of wealth found in the current "Fairness Doctrine," I do know that there are two worlds in this country today, not black and white, but haves and have nots.

The haves in this country travel around in fuel-sucking private jets telling the rest of us to minimize our carbon footprint by driving miniaturized versions of real cars.  They live in huge mansions, filled with carbon consuming upgrades while insisting we turn off lights we are not using.  They dine and dance in the poshest of places while asking us to pony up more money to feed the poor.

The rich simply live in an America with different standards than the rest of us (I say us because our definition of rich is anyone making more than ourselves).  Individuals rarely own up to being personally rich.  Even the Clintons claimed being broke leaving the White House as they struggled to pay the mortgages on their "homes" (mansions for you and me).  And Bill just recently said he would have to keep accepting the $500K speaking engagements because "I have to pay the bills" despite the fact they are worth about $150,000,000 plus benefits from their foundation.

Back to the point of cash over color in assigning value today.  Against the claims that white privilege gives caucasions a pass in our legal system, I present OJ Simpson who got a pass in our legal system, not because he was white but because he was rich and famous.  He was black but he was one of the haves.  He did not receive judgment based on the content of his character but on the contents of his financial funds.

We even assign worth to ourselves based on the amount of money we earn rather than the amount of respect we have gained.  A successful businessman is one who makes a lot of cash not one who demonstrates a lot of care and concern for his community.  The "Beautiful People" are not white or black, their common denominator is "green."

But sadly for them, their wealth is not winsome to God.  In fact, he warns, "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction" (1 Tim 6:9).  As Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom" (Matt 19:24).  God uses the "Golden Rule" (Matt 7:12) not the rule of gold as a standard of kingdom readiness.  Before Him, it is not the color of our skin or the contents of our wallets, it is the content of our character as Martin dreamed it would be.

By the way.  The rich being those who make more than us thing - that 1% crowd we hear about in the media (more rich folk crying financial foul) - to the rest of the world, many who live on $1 a day, we are the rich, we are the 1% - you and I are competing with camels going through eyes of needles.  Something to think about.  Jus' Say'n.

Deliverance

When we face great difficulties in life, we generally seek deliverance.  If we are facing financial collapse, we pray for a windfall.  If our boss is a bully, constantly pushing and demanding, we ask God to open up a door of opportunity somewhere else.  If we are suffering the ravages of terminal cancer, we beg for healing.  From whatever it is that is stealing our joy, robbing our resources or draining our life - we desire deliverance.

But what if the difficulty was the deliverance?  What if our dependence on money was a barrier to our faith and God allowed our finances to fail in order to give rise to faith?  What if our pride kept us from yielding to God's will and the bully boss was allowed to teach us humility?  What if our hope was rooted in this world instead of the kingdom of God and a terminal condition was exactly what was required to adjust our sails?

What if it were victory in our struggle instead of victory over our struggle we needed in order to insure a greater victory?  Do you recall the Lord's instructions about facing the challenges of providing food, clothing and shelter in Matthew 6?  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" (v. 25).

He tells us not to focus on the struggle but to set our sights on something greater, that real life is so much more than arranging to have all the necessities of existence on planet earth.  He calls us instead to a higher plane of existence, to raise our sights above the horizon of daily life: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (v. 33).

The point, therefore, is instead of seeking deliverance from our struggle is to seek deliverance in our struggle.  Notice the call of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Jesus doesn't promise to take our burden away, he calls us to be yoked with him so that he can help you work through you burden.  The deliverance is not in being free from the struggle, it is in being yoked (pulling with) the Lord.  The focus shifts from the burden we are called to carry to the One who will enable us to carry it.

So, here is the takeaway from this word on deliverance: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33).  Focus on the Christ not the circumstance.  Jus' Say'n.

Remember

When I was young, it was called Decoration Day, today we refer to the last Monday in May as Memorial Day.  This day is set aside by our government to remember all who have fallen in the field of battle, protecting our freedom and defending the rights of others.  It was meant to be a time when we paused to think about the ultimate sacrifice of so many of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

It is a day to remember the cost and the payment for our freedom.  As the words of the 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus song, "All gave some and some gave all."  So many have given up their freedom to live that we might live in freedom.  Someone once said, "Only two defining forces have ever died for you: Jesus the Christ and the American Soldier - Jesus died for your soul and the Soldier for your freedom.

Indeed, freedom isn't free.  In order for us to be free from the curse of sin and tthe grip of Satan, God "has reconciled you by Christt's physical body througgh deatth tto present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation" (Col 1:22).  Likewise, from the American Revolution to current war on terror, the American Soldier lays down his/her life that we might remain a free people.

The irony of the radical Islamist who seek to destroy our country and way of life is that America is one of the few places where a Muslim can experience freedom to practice their faith in the manner they choose.  In Muslim dominated countries, you must adhere to the particular Muslim bent of the majority rule: Sunni or Shia.  And there are radical forms of each, which kill Muslims that do not conform to their bent of Islam.

In America you can be a Sunni or a Shia or a Bhuddist or a Hindu or a Mormon, and for the moment, even a Christian.  We have that freedom because so many have died to protect it.  We need to take time to honor them in remembrance of what they have done and by devoting ourselves to maintaining the freedom they have purchased with their blood.

The godless Islamists are warring against our freedom from without and godless humanism wars against it from within.  There are many forces at work to take away our religious freedom to worship and serve God according to our individual faith.

Christians fleeing the religious tyranny of Europe, founded this country in order that they and all who would come after them might enjoy religious and political freedom, which comes not from a proclamation of the state but the proclamation of the Sovereign God: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (Preamble to our Declaration of Independence).

Don't forget to  remember those who died to defend these God-given rights.  And remember not to forget that God is the Source of our freedom.  Jus' Say'n.

Desperately Seeking...

The 1985 Comedy/Drama entitled "Desperately Seeking Susan," starring Roseanne Arquette and Madonna, was about an unfulfilled housewife who is fascinated with a woman she knows only from reading messages to and from her in a NYC tabloid.  Reading the messages were not enough, she wanted desperately to meet her.

The twist in the movie, which has "Roberta," the housewife, going on an "Alice In Wonderland" kind of adventure, is that the majority of the movie is about Susan seeking after Roberta.  I'm not at all suggesting that the writers or producers had a Messianic message in mind but there certainly is similarity in its plot with the theme of the Bible in which mankind desperately seeks after the God, who desperately seeks after us.

If you're wondering if Dr D has been sipping a little too much communion wine to connect this movie with the biblical narrative, the answer is no, and besides, National Park Church, of which I am a member, uses grape juice.  If you question the similarity, listen first to the desperation of mankind through the words of David, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Ps 42:1-2).

On the other side of the equation is God himself in the person of Jesus Christ declaring his one reason for leaving the glory and majesty of heaven: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Lk 19:10).

The two components of the Hollywood/Heavenly drama are put together in the words of Jesus found in John 4:23, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."  The true worshippers, the ones desperately seeking God finally find and are found by the God who is seeking them just as desperately.

So, how do we find God for whom we desperately seek?  We find him by stopping the frantic search and then listen for his call: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (Jn 10:27).  Therefore, "be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10).  Spend daily quiet time opening your heart to God in prayer and listening for his voice as you read from the Bible, his very words.  And, "you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut 4:29).  Jus' Say'n.

Oh Bother

Although my favorite response when asked how I'm doing is "Fine as frog's hair, split nine ways and lightly sanded," which would be fine indeed, occasionally I will say, "I'm doing pretty good for the mess I'm in."  I'm not 100% sure where I got the latter phrase, but I attribute it to Grandpa Kenser, who was a man that saw a lot of hard times but seemed to take it all in stride.

I often tell my patients that life is made up of three rotations: You're in a mess, coming out of a mess or about to go into a mess.  I then go on  to say, "So, when times are good, don't get too smug because it isn't going to stay that way.  And, when times are hard, don't get too worried because they aren't going to stay that way."  Whatever your situation, however good or bad, it isn't going to stay that way.  It is going to change.

Ever since Adam and Eve threw a monkey wrench into the gearbox of life, trouble has been man's constant companion.  Mankind was relocated from a paradise with no troubles to a fallen world, which gave rise to the Poohism, "Oh bother!"  In case you are not up on Poohisms, let me give you a sample: Piglet: "Oh no!  Tigger's bounced all over the vegetable garden and ruined the carrots!"  Winnie the Pooh: "Oh bother!"

The precise meaning of the word changes with use but carries a variable meaning of something from "O brother!" to "Oh &%$@!"  Simply put, it reflects our angst in the middle of the mess we're in.  Borrowing from the movie title, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" (George Clooney film), we might ask, "Oh Bother Where Art Thou?" and the answer would be, "right here next to you."

The sad truth is that trouble, heart ache and pain are never far away.  Jesus put this truth in very succinct terms, "In this world you will have trouble" (Jn 16:33a).  He did not say possibly or probably but "will."  So if you're wondering when your trouble will come to an end, the answer would have tto be when the world comes to an end.  Oh, you'll have respites from trouble but it won't go far away.

As unwelcome as the above truth is, there is a welcomed glad truth about trouble - it does not have to be the last word for Jesus also said, "But take heart!  I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33b).  That is why he encourages us to "Let not your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God and trust in me" (Jn 14:1).

In fact, our Lord tells us, "Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of it's own" (Matt 6:34).  Instead, he calls us to "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you as well" (Matt 6:33).  In other words, we don't need to worry about life's losses for God will supply our needs.  The world is not always good but God is good all the time and all the time God is good. God is always faithful regardless of how "bothersome" the world my be at times.  Jus' Say'n.

Clarity

My wife, Tandie, and I were at the baggage carousel in the airport the other day, waiting for her second bag.  We kept looking as the same bags kept rolling around but not hers.  We began to wonder if it had been lost.  Finally, grabbed a bag that I had seen twice already and flipped it over, it was hers.  As my mom would have said, "If it had been a snake, it would have bit you."  In other words, it was right there in plain sight but I plainly didn't see it.

I was with an elderly patient and her daughter, a little while ago when she asked, "Have you seen my glasses?"  Her daughter replied, "Yes I have, they are on your nose."  Funny how things can be right there, in plain sight or right under our nose and we don't see them.

The problem, so often, is not that things are hidden but that we lack focus or are looking past them.  We can become so distracted with so many things that we can't see what we're looking for even though it is right before our very eyes, right under our very noses and we are fortunate it wasn't a snake or it would have bit us.

Finding or coming to grips with God's will, so much of the time, is precisely like that.  We look on far distant shores to find a soul to save while the majority of unchurched people say they would go to church with a friend if asked.  We look about for opportunities to feed the hungry while walking past a homeless individual without even glancing his way.  So many are waiting for God to show them their purpose while walking past a need muttering, "Someone should do something about that."

Jesus once chided his disciples, "Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (Jn 4:35).  He words were plain, don't keep waiting for something to do, open your eyes to all the need around you!  Nothing has changed, our heavenly Father is always at work (cf. Jn 5:17) and this work, whether across the sea or across the street, is what he intends for us, "For we are created in Christ to do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph 2:10).

We don't really need a voice from above or a vision in the clouds, what we need is clarity in our path. Daily we encounter needs along the way.  We walk right past someone needing our attention, leaving missed opportunities lying along our path.  Distracted by the cares of our day, we pay no attention to Divine encounters in our daily walk.  We ask, "How are you doing?" not expecting or hear or even listening for an opportunity to actually help.

It is not the failure of God to present opportunities  for service or ministry to us, it is our failure to open our eyes and see the needs around us and to seek a way to meet them.  We're not lacking in opportunities to see, we simply aren't taking the opportunity to look.  What we lack is clarity and mostly because we aren't looking at what is right before our very eyes.  Jus' Say'n.

Second Sight

I do not believe that there is proof of God's existence nor proof of the atheist's nihilistic view of Deity.  Proof of God would demand his visible presentation in all his glory, which is beyond our power to demand and beyond man's capacity to endure, "for no man may see me [God] and live" (Ex 33:20).  Proof of his non-existence or the general view of evolution would require us to be present at the beginning or to reproduce the beginning, neither of which are possible.

We are left with the theory or belief of evolution based on interpretation of evidence or the belief or faith in God based on a different interpretation of the same evidence.  The universe is what it is, how we interpret what we see is where the difference lies.  No one gets to live by primary sight (proof) but all live by second sight (faith) just as the apostle  Paul wrote 2,000 years ago, "we live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7).

This "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see" (Heb 11:1), whether we are talking theology or atheism.  We cannot see what it is that we have confidence in but only evidence that our faith is well founded.  It is a bit like a hunter following the paw prints of a wolf.  He has not seen the wolf and is not able to produce the wolf at that moment, but he is convinced by the evidence a wolf does live in this area.  Someone else might counter saying, "That is not evidence of a wolf but of a dog.  There are no wolves here, only dogs."

What makes the hunter certain it is a wolf, not a dog, without seeing it?  The size of the prints, the pattern or gait of the print, the shape of the print, etc.  The hunter takes all this evidence and knows by second sight, by faith, there is a wolf.  The hunter sees the design or pattern of a wolf and believes.

When I see the design of the universe, I am convinced by that second sight that there is a Designer.  When I notice that there are laws by which the universe operates, I conclude there must be a Law Maker.  When everything in the universe is conducted in an orderly way, I must believe that there is a Conductor.  When I consider the evidence of the universe, I find no room for mindless, directionless, purposeless existence arising out of nothing, going nowhere.  I see God's fingerprints all over it.

Can I prove there exists the God of the universe?  No.  But by faith, by this second sight, I am convinced.  You must also take stock of the evidence of the universe, including intangible things like love and spirituality, and come to a conclusion of faith in God or faith in nothing - everything came from one or the other.  Jus' Say'n.

A Blameless Life

I was struck by a powerful note of incongruity as I read from Psalm 26 this morning.  David boldly proclaims, "Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered" (vs. 1).  A "blameless life?"  David?

Is this the same David who took the wife of Uriah and had him killed to cover his sin of adultery?  Is this the same David who cried out to the Lord, after his encounter with the prophet Nathan, "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight....Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Ps 51:2-5)?  Really?  Really!

How can that be?  How can one lay claim to a blameless life in  one breath and then in another lament the fact of his total immersion in a life of sin?  The word incongruity seems hardly strong enough in the face of these two cries to the Lord.  And yet, there they are.  What are we to do with this dichotomy, this extreme contrast?

First, trust in God's Word to be true.  Second, search for the answer, trusting God to reveal to you the whole truth.  In doing so, we find that the incongruity is not in the Word of God but in the soul of man.  It is not God's misstating of reality but of David's struggle with his humanity.

David knew he had sinned, he had no doubts that he was included in the reality that "all sin and fall short of the Glory of God " (Rom 3:23).  When he reflected on his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, he understood the full weight of his transgression.  However, he also understood the undying love and unyielding forgiveness of the Father, "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand" (Ps 40:1-2).

David's claim to a blameless life was not in denial of his sinful actions but in rebuke of them, standing, not on his own goodness but on God's grace.  He was lifted out of the mud, cleansed and set on the Rock.  This is his blameless life in contrast with his sinful self - God's mercy and forgiveness: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn 1:8-9).

The sinner David could lay claim to a blameless life and so can we.  In Christ, we who are so guilty of sin can rest in the certainty that "the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 Jn 1:7).  Notice the purification is from "all" sin, not some or most.  If then, we are cleansed by His blood from all sin, we are in possession of a blameless life.  Jus' Say'n.

Time

Having stayed up late to watch an intense movie about a young man's personal struggle with cancer and the impact on family dynamics and relationships, this morning I had a personal struggle with the alarm function on my IPhone.  While it was faithful in its charge to wake me, I chose to discharge its warning and roll over for a few more minutes (give or take an hour or two).

I would say that I ran out of time this morning and was unable to complete my blog as per usual.  However, the truth is, one cannot run out of time, time just keeps running at its normal pace regardless of what we choose to do.  As Geoffrey Chaucer once wrote, "Time and tide wait for no man."  We cannot truly run out of time, save time, waste time or even use time.  Time simply marks the forward movement between our birth and death.

Whether we seize the day (carpe diem) serving God or seize a rod and fish for "dem carp," time moves forward unfettered.  We don't run out of time, time runs on with or without our conscious or productive input.

Each day, each week, each month and year measures the same amount of time that it did yesterday, last week, last month or last year.  We can't save time, use time, share time or impact it to any degree.  As Jesus said, "Who of you can add a single hour to your life?" (Lk 12:25).  We simply do not have any power over time.  Time and tide wait for no man, they just keep moving regardless of what we do.

Trying to save time, share time, use time, spend time, etc. are useless pursuits.  We can merely operate within the scope of time.  We can be active or inactive, productive or non-productive, making progress or stuck, but we cannot manipulate time.  What we can do is be good stewards of our talents, abilities and possessions in the time we are given to operate, which is only one of three time blocks of which we have knowledge: Past, Present and Future.  

The only one of those three blocks of time in which we can operate is the present, now, today, diem.   Jesus informs us in John 9:4, "As long as it is day (present), we must do the works of him who sent me.  Night (future) is coming when no one can work."  Do what you can now for there is no guarantee of a tomorrow in which to accomplish what you could have or should have done today.  Jus' Say'n.

A Shield Around Me

As I was reading from the Psalms this morning, I came to this passage: "But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high" (3:3).  What struck me about the passage was not the fact of His shield, but the need for the shield.  One doesn't need a shield unless there is something to be shielded from.  It suggests that the one shielded is moving about in dangerous, enemy territory.

This passage reveals that we are living in dangerous, enemy territory, whether we know it or not.  Some are most certainly aware and keep their Sword (Bible knowledge) sharp and ready to use in battle with the Enemy.  Others go about with little sense or preparation for the fray.  Regardless, the danger exists for the Enemy is "going about like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet 5:7).

Don't misunderstand, a roaring lion does not broadcast that he is coming to warn you to find shelter.  He doesn't roar until he is ready to strike.  He roars to paralyze his prey with fear so that he can attack and devour it.  When you hear the roar (become aware of the danger), it is too late, he is upon you.

The Psalmist was fully aware of the world in which he lived, a world of constant danger.  He knew that the Enemy was near and could strike at any moment.  He didn't necessarily believe that he could be aware of every movement and so defend himself, rather, he believed God was near as well and stood ready to shield him from danger, lifting his head (bring him to victory) in battle.

Yesterday, families marking Baylor University's graduation, were dining at a Twin Peaks restaurant in a crowded mall located along I-35 in Waco, Texas.  Although they were not aware of the danger, a gun battle was about to break out just feet from them among rival biker gangs.  The battle ended with nine dead and eighteen others wounded.  However, none of the innocent patrons enjoying a meal were killed or injured, not one.

The reason?  Waco police, acting on a tip, had been nearby in force, ready for trouble to break out.  Although the restaurant patrons were not aware of the danger or the deadly struggle about to break out, the Waco police were "a shield around them."  Noticed or not, the police were there are the families were protected.

In our spiritual battle "against the powers of this dark world" (Eph 6:12), we may not always be aware of the Enemy's presence or his potential for causing harm, butt God is nearby, ready to shield us and lift up our heads.  When we walk with the Lord, he is ever our shield around us to protect us even when we are unaware of Satan's threat for "the Lord protect the unwary, when I was brought low, he saved me" (Ps 116:6).  Jus' Say'n.

Bending The Knee

Bending the knee is certainly not an American custom. As a people who threw off the yoke of the King of England of of what we considered tyranny, we are prone to bow before no man.

Unfortunately we find ourselves slow to bow before even God himself. Oh, we tend to bow in prayer as a sign of respect but we have lost the sense of true bowing, which springs from bending at the knee with one's head toward the ground - a posture, which left you totally exposed and unguarded before the king. 

When one was bending at the one, there was no defense, the life of the subject was completely in the hands of the King. This posture showed not just respect but a yielding to the will of the King, which was absolute. It was to say, "Have your way with me, Oh Lord."

An acknowledgment of this truth is seen in 2 Samuel 15:25-26, Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him. ”

As you bow before the Lord in prayer,  are you ready to bend at the knee, placing your life fully into his hands? Are you ready to let God have his way with you or are you insistent that God do your bidding above his will?  Jus' Ask'n. 

My Bad

The first time I remember someone using the phrase, "My bad," was in the early 90s. It was a friend of mine admitting a mistake with a smile. He truly knew it was his mistake but he really wasn't that concerned about it. It was more saying, "Yeah, I did it. Get over it."

This phrase seems to be a way of acknowledging something we've done wrong and putting it aside without truly repenting of it or even feeling bad about it. It is an ownership of something without accepting the full responsibility or weight of it. It is to own up to a wrong without really owning it.

My bad doesn't seem to include "I'm sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?"  It seems more of a way of sweeping something under a rug than picking up the pieces to repair the damage. There is truly something inauthentic about the phrase "my bad."

In Psalm 51, we read a true acknowledgement and ownership of wrongdoing: "[3] For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. [4] Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. [5] Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

David, feeling the burden of the sin in which he took Bathseba and killed her husband to cover up his adultery, laid his evil before the Lord admitting he was a terrible sinner. He said that he had always been given to sin and was worthy of condemnation.  David wasn't trying to sweep it under a rug, he was lifting his sin and his guilt to the heavens.

The point is that we do not need to get over our wrongdoing or put away our guilt. We need to be done with our sin and be freed from our guilt by fully confessing it and exposing our brokenness so that we can truly be healed: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" (Js 5:16).  Jus' Say'n.

Cheerful Giving

My Grandma Helton lived on a fixed income for as long as I knew her.  She lived in a tiny rent house on 11th St in Poplar Bluff, Missouri right next to the railroad tracks up until the time she moved into the elderly housing project.  

She didn't own a car and couldn't afford a taxi so she walked or took a city bus except for those times someone came by to pick her up.  She had very little to call her own but she always had something to give to others.

Sunday would always find her in church, where she taught Bible class for children and when the collection plate was passed, it never passed her by before she put in her small amount of money that she had put aside faithfully, divided up for each week's giving.  If there were a special offering for the poor or missions, she found a bit more to share.

Grandma never had much, she somehow managed to live on her tiny monthly Social Security check without asking anyone for help.  And yet, she always had to give because she had a generous heart that danced with cheerful giving.

Her spirit reminded me of what the apostle Paul said about the Corinthian Church, "their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people" (2 Cor 8:2-4).

This generosity of spirit, this cheerful giving found in my Grandmother and in the Corinthian Church is precisely what God is looking for in his children.  He is not, as under the Law of Moses, requiring a temple tax or tithe, but rather desiring a gift determined by the giver from the joyful heart: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7).

Cheerful giving isn't about having an abundant income but rather an abundant let go.  Givers like my Grandmother didn't wait for abundance of material goods to give, they give from an abundant heart, a heart that swells with the opportunity to share.  Cheerful giving is not just a good thing, it is a God Thing.  It is a Grandma thing.  Is it your thing?  Jus' Ask'n.

Pain Management

Hospice care is not giving up on life, it is giving in to the reality of your circumstances, passing on painful curative attempts that are not working and giving over to a level of comfort care designed to relieve your pain and control your symptoms.  It is, in short, a terminal degree of pain management in the terminus of your life.  Hospice care enhances whatever time you have left by managing the pain, discomfort and stress of your incurable condition.

The components of hospice include medical, physical, emotional, situational and the area of my professional expertise, spiritual.  As we attend to each of these areas, providing a level of care not possible when engrossed in the rigors of curative care, the patient is able to find relief from the pain of physical symptoms, emotional stress and spiritual assault.

The bottom line of hospice is pain management and while we provide an array of medications, durable medical equipment, physical care, emotional and spiritual support; the single greatest factor in pain management is the outlook of the patient.  It is where and upon what the patient focuses that will largely determine the comfort level  they experience.

Jesus put it this way, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Mt 6:22-23).  In other words, if we focus on the right things, we will be encouraged and our spirits lifted.  If we focus on he wrong things, we will be discouraged and our spirits dampened.

If the patient focuses on the interruptions to life, the oxygen tanks, the medical bed, the assisted baths, the seeming parade of medical staff that suddenly invades their home, they tend to suffer more and be comforted less.  If, on the other hand, they focus on the amount of care and attention they are receiving, the professional level of the services, the genuine care and concern of the hospice personnel who are attending, the patients feel better.

When you get down to the brass tacks, people who focus on themselves, their wants, their needs, their comfort level, tend to notice pain and discomfort the most.  People who focus on what others are doing, how others serve, how others go about the business at hand, they tend to notice pain and discomfort less.

I remember when my son, William, was being born.  His mother and I had gone through Lamaze training, which taught the principle of finding a focus point outside yourself in order to control the pain of childbirth.  Using no medication, my wife endured the pain of childbirth focusing on a smiley face taped to my hand and the sound of my voice, both outside herself.

When we are attending to others or paying attention to them, we are less aware of ourselves and therefore the level of pain and/or discomfort we would otherwise be experiencing.  Ultimately, when we focus on God in praise, we have the least awareness of self.  Paul and Silas were doing that while locked in stocks awaiting the worst (cf. Acts 16:25).  Jesus prayed to God and for others as he hang from the cross (Lk 23:34).

Paul instructs us to "set our hearts on things above, where Christ is...[so that] the peace of Christ [will] rule in our hearts" (Col 3:1-15).  The ultimate pain management is to focus on God's presence, his promises, his power and his peace.  Jus' Say'n.

Praying For What?

Have I told you about Allen Bryant, who asked God for the time to finish two books he was trying to write and then subsequently fell down the back-door stairs, breaking both legs?  He was laid up for six months and was able to complete both manuscripts.  He later spoke at a church workshop that I attended warning, "Be careful what you pray for!"

That is a very needed warning because, without doubt, "We do not know what we ought to pray for" (Rom 8:26).  Back in the late 70s, when I felt called into ministry, I prayed for the financial blessing to be able to pay off our bills and put away some money over the next year, preparing for preaching school.  Shortly thereafter, my wife began having a very difficult time with her pregnancy and had to give up working, cutting our income in half.

I didn't understand what was happening.  I remember asking God why he would allow such a thing.  Nonetheless, in the course of the following year, by cutting our spending down to the bare essentials, we managed to pay off our debts, have the funds for making the move and we learned how to get by on nearly nothing, which was exactly what we would be doing for the next two years in Harding's preaching program.  God answered our prayer but we did not know what we were praying for.

When you pray for patience, God may send you the most annoying or challenging person you have ever encountered, someone you are forced to get along with and deal with his/her bad or plain stuped behavior.  When you pray for strength, the answer may be a greater burden to test and develop your endurance.  When you ask God to increase your love factor, there is a good chance he will send you a very difficult person to love in order stretch your capacity and open your heart to those you normally felt repulsion.

When an elderly loved one is very sick, should you pray for extended life or a speedy death?  An extended life might mean more suffering and a speedy death might mean leaving before needed preparation is complete.  How do we know?  We don't.

If your boss is driving you crazy, what do you pray for?  Praying to get out from under him/her might mean a trip to the unemployment line.  Praying for a new position might mean exchanging an irritating boss for a mind-numbing job.  Perhaps the needed response to prayer has to do more with changing you and your attitude than changing yur boss or employment.

The real question is not so much, "What do I want?" but "What is right and good?"  Those two things might be the same or world's apart.  So, while the beginning point in prayer is found in your desire or felt need, the capstone of prayer must be the Father's will for he knows precisely what is good and right.  Do you recall the Lord's prayer in the Garden?  "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Lk 22:42).

We need to pray in accordance with God's will but so often our thinking is very far from his, therefore we need help in our prayers, help which the Father gladly sends to those who are willing: "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Rom 8:26).

Don't be afraid to pray.  Pray with abandon and with assurance, but pray seeking the Spirit's direction, ready to embrace the Father's answer.  Instead of asking why this is happening to me, ask "What can I do for your glory with this?  How can I grow from this?  Who can I serve in this?  Ask your heart's desire and embrace the Lord's answer.  Praying for what becomes so much less important when praying to Whom, takes the front seat.  Jus' Say'n.

No Bull

As I was reading from Psalm 50 this morning, I was reminded of a class in which Dr Neil Prior at Harding University read this passage and paused at verse 9, which read, "I have no need of bull from your stalls."  He laid his Bible down, looked out at our class and said something like, "Always remember that God doesn't want any bull coming from you."  His turn of words was both humorous and spot on.

The Psalmist was emphasizing that God, who owned "the world and everything in it" (vs 12), did not need the sacrifices of bulls, which even the unrighteous posers or hypocrites offered up.  And Dr Prior was emphasizing that God still had no use for pretenders in the pulpit or posers in the pews.  God has always been, is now and forever will be interested in any amount sincere, authentic faith far more than any amount of religious ritual or pious activity.

I was raised up going to church every time the doors were opened but I can tell you that my heart wasn't always there and there came a time as a young teen that my heart, mind and soul were always somewhere else.  And, as the attraction of the world grew while the hypocrisy of my actions and of others became so glaringly evident, my body finally went somewhere else.

The problem was that my sitting in a church building had no more bearing on my being a Christian than sitting in a hen house would have caused me to become a chicken.  While it is true that chickens tend to gather in hen houses, it is also true that foxes, weasels and snakes tend to show up as well.  The difference is in authenticity and intent.

I went to church because my parents, Mom especially, insisted I be there.  Some teenage boys showed up because a certain teenage girls attended.  Some grown men find there way to church in search of a sales base for their business.  Some truly despicable individuals even seek out church leadership positions simply to gain power and control.  The church has always been home to both sheep and "wolves in sheep clothing" (Mt 7:15).

God neither needs nor wants our acts of worship or piety.  He is sovereign and completely self-sufficient.  But he desires our authentic faith and devotion, which serve to bless us and bless others in service.  Trusting, obeying and truly honoring God brings warmth to his heart as it would to any parent.  But like a loving parent, inauthentic or manipulative actions of a child brings only heartache and disappointment.

Like our Father in Heaven, parents have no desire for any of our "bull."  In fact, no one really cares for it.  Pretentious actions, while for a time may be accepted as authentic, will eventually be found out and put off those who come to realize the lie within.  Abraham Lincoln once quipped, "You can fool all the people some of he time, some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time."  I would add, "You can't fool God any of the time."

God does not have need of any of our bull and he knows, even before we say or do that which is pretentious, that it is fake and manipulative for "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Heb 4:13).  You can stop pretending, stop trying to hide, stop offering bull - God already knows the truth, he already knows your heart.

Why not come clean with him so that he can cleanse your heart fully?  He will, you know: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn 1:8).  God is waiting for you to be fully real with him.  Jus' Say'n, no bull.

Stormy Weather

The rain began as we were beginning the six hour trek back from seeing grown kids and growing grandkids over Mothers Day weekend in Texas.  It wasn't a gentle shower but rather "gully washer" like the kind an old Texan warned me about when I preached in the Lone Star state back in the 80s: "We get about 14 inches of rain a year here, but look out on the day it comes!"  Yep, it was that day.

It wasn't just raining "cats and dogs," it seemed more like it was coming down in "lions and bears."  Visibility was severely diminished, water overwhelmed the highway's drainage capacity causing pooling just rife for hydroplaning.  It was, to say the least, challenging driving conditions.

This differed greatly from the challenged of the blow-out we had on the way down, where a tire just suddenly gave way and we were stuck on the side of the road, requiring that we call for help to carry us to the closest service.  Funny now, but this after hours tow truck ride got even more interesting as the truck our car was being carried on, broke down in sight of the tire shop just minutes before closing time.  The only real challenge to us was patience and the assault on our bank account.

This challenge required that we face it every mile of I-30 until  we crossed the Texas/Arkansas line in Texarkana.  Texas was ushering us out and Arkansas was welcoming us home.  The ride to that point was indeed challenging to say the least.  It is not the kind of weather one would choose for traveling, but we were not given a choice - our weekend was over, work was calling.

Just because you are facing stormy weather on the highway from Texas or the path of life, it is not a sign you shouldn't proceed.  It doesn't mean you must pull over or turn around.  It does mean that to continue will require an adapting to circumstances and a willingness to persevere in adversity.  It also requires the willingness and ability to trust - trust in the soundness of the roads, the road-worthiness of your car, your own ability to navigate such conditions and ultimately, trusting in God to protect.

James tells us to "consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials" (1:2) because the "testing of your faith produces perseverance...that you may be mature and complete" (vv. 3-4).  A challenge accepted develops your trust factor and increases your faith, which is so paramount in life and absolutely essential for life to come "for without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6).

No one likes traveling in stormy weather but there will be those days ahead.  We may have the choice to hunker down and stay put sometimes, but in others we will have to face it head on.  Will we panic and be derailed or will we persevere and be delivered?  The difference comes down to that trust factor.  Which will you trust in the most: the storm's power to ground or God's power to soar?  Jus' Ask'n.

Mom

One of the warnings my Mom gave us that I never quite believed when I was a child was, "I won't always be around."  She was warning us that one day we would have to make it through life without her close at hand to protect us, feed us, mend us and all the things that mothers do, which we take for granted.  I understood about death, having spent much of my youth in the country and having slept next to my uncle Bob's coffin that was in our living room during his wake, which was what I was all night long - lying awake on the couch.

However, even as I understood the truth that my son who was six at the time shared over the shoebox coffin of his hamster, "It is the way of things.  Everyone must die sometime," I did not internalize the fact that my mother wold actually, factually, in finality - die.  But a quarter of a century ago she did precisely that, my Mom breathed her last.

Despite the level of sainthood we tend to give our mothers when they pass, I know my Mom was not perfect.  I think safeguarding and feeding six kids with my Dad so often sent to remote assignments in the Army, she did the best she could.  As the fifth child down, followed by a baby girl in the princess slot, I often felt unnoticed and even unloved.  I was left at a gas station when I was four, while the rest of the family, including the dog, kept going down the road.  On my fifth birthday, I mentioned it to her and she replied, "Well, I'll be.  It is your birthday."  Then she handed me breakfast and said, "Happy scrambled eggs."  I don't think she meant to overlook me, I think she was just overloaded and running short on emotional energy.

Even though I didn't always feel close, didn't live close (over 2,000 miles away) and didn't keep close tabs (went home every year or two) - she was still my Mom and she was there, just a phone away.  When I received the call that Sunday morning in 1990, I felt a profound loss. She wouldn't be on the other end of the phone or greet me when I walked through the door when visiting home - whatever was or might be, was not and would not be in this life going forward.

I felt a loss that is hard to express and probably not possible to be fully understood by someone who has not yet come to that part of their journey.  I felt the loss of myself as seen in her eyes.  I remember having a "waking dream" of a little blonde-hair, blue-eyed boy sitting alone, crying.  I felt I would never be someone's little boy again.  My time to become fully adult had come.

I know that she is not really gone, that her presence is still real, that she still lives. Her words still echo in my memory: "Count your blessings."  "If you have your health, you have everything."  "Don't bend over like that, bend at the knees."  "A family that prays together, stays together>'

My mother gave me life twice.  She brought me into the world and she introduced me to the Lord Jesus Christ, as her mother did for her.  I would have to say that I can relate to Timothy whose "sincere faith first lived in his grandmother Lois and then in his mother Eunice" (2 Tim 1:5).

Although my Mom was not perfect and sometimes overlooked me or seemed less than enamored with  me, she gave me the one perfect gift without which nothing else would ultimately matter: a foundation for faith in Jesus.  And, I must admit that while I never said it enough, "Thanks Mom, I love you."  Your number five child.

Alignment

"Arrangement or position in a straight line - Alignment."  That was what my rear tires were not.  And as a result, one of them blew out due to excessive wear.  The fact that it was after hours on a Friday evening, half way between our home and our destination in another state simply added insult to the injury, an injury, by the way, that was self-inflicted.

I should note that the tire, which gave way to the excessive wear, was on the driver's side - that being mine. I point that out because it was my car, my tire and my responsibility, which I failed epically.  It would be one thing if I had hit a chuck hole in the road, knocking it out of alignment and blowing out the tire.  But that was not the thing.

The misalignment had been ongoing for some time, long enough for my wife to mention, on at least three occasions, "There's something wrong with this car."  The car, therefore had been telling me for all that time that it was out  of alignment.  And, if I had bothered to pay attention, the wear of the tires had to be screaming, "WE ARE OUT OF ALIGNMENT!"  But I wasn't listening until, on I-30 heading west down in Texas, the warnings stopped as the tire gave out.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Lk 14:35).  Yeah, that should have been me but it wasn't.  I'm listening now and I'm hoping to be more attentive to my wife's attempts to point out what should have been obvious and the road noise my car is chattering to make me aware of its stress.  And, my wife and I agree that new tires with a life-time alignment and road-wear coverage is a really good idea.

As unwelcome, impacting and expensive as a blow-out, after hours and out of state can be, it is only a thing that is endured, hopefully learned from and gotten past with maybe a better plan for the future.  My tires were out of alignment and my brain was out of order, but my wheel line is orthodox (straight) now and my plans going forward seem to be as well.  It was only a thing.

Unfortunately, however, for many who may have their tires in proper alignment, their faith is not, their life is not, their eternal future is not.  And this misalignment, if left to the extreme I let my tires get to has no recovery, no turning back.  If one allows their spiritual alignment with God to remain in an unorthodox state until it gives way, what then?  The Lord warns, "people are destined once to die and then the judgment" (Heb 9:27).

I was foolish to not listen to my wife, the road noise and the tires.  But I can get past this.  My alignment was reset, new tires are on the car and a new plan is set going forward.  How is your alignment?  Not with your car, as important as that can be, but with your Lord for that is not a thing but THE THING.  Don't be as foolish as I was with my car when it comes to your faith.  Check your alignment, check the wear and tear on your soul, listen to the Spirit's warning.  Jus' Say'n

Oh, by the way.  Have your tires looked at now and then too.  Seriously.

The Journey

As we grow older, one of the great truths about life we learn is that nothing stays the same. No matter how good or how bad things may be, they aren't going to stay that way - they will change. Your health will fail, your job will improve, your finances will tighten, your dog will die, you'll make new friends, you'll move to a new house, you'll go through a lot of changes both welcomed and not.

The reason is because life is a journey not a destination. In that sense, we do not find life or make a life, we are experiencing life, passing through this earthly existence. It is so important to realize this truth so that we don't get so comfortable in one season that we cannot adjust to the next. Or that we get so mired down with adversity we cannot see a way through to a better day.

You aren't going to stay young regardless of the trips to the gym or the beauty salon. Your kids aren't going to stay home despite how unlikely they seem to move out or how desperately you want them to stay. Your hair is going to turn gray or turn loose, your skin is going to wrinkle like a cheap suit and gravity is going to win.  Life moves on whether you're stepping out or being dragged, kicking and screaming.

Here's the deal, "people are destined to die once and after that to face the judgment" (Heb 9:27).  Our life here is not status qou, rather it is "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (Js 4:14).  We are not earth dwellers, we are "foreigners and strangers on earth...longing for a better country - a heavenly one" (Heb 11:13-16).  We are just passing through.

So, rather than allow ourselves to get too bogged down or too attached, why not make the most of the opportunities afforded by God to enjoy, grow, love, serve, overcome and moves on to the next season until we are graciously allowed to return home, to our Father's house?

One day, our train, so to speak, will pull into life's terminal. But that is not an end to fear, it is a destination to embrace, a homecoming to enjoy and the end of the journey that brings us to the existence for which we were created: Heaven!

Until then, rather than drive down stakes or lament our stake in life, let us joyfully "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14). Jus' Say'n.

Prayer Warriors

Are you familiar with the term "Prayer Warriors?"  It generally is used to refer to certain people who seem to be specially gifted in prayer.  It lends itself to the idea a group of people who are called upon to pray in an especially dedicated way.  It seems to be used chiefly to indicate a special class of Christians and Christian ministry.  But let me assure you that is not so.

Anyone who prays is a prayer warrior as our prayers are not only petitions to God, they are an affront to or an attack on Satan.  While God loves and encourages prayer, Satan despises and wars against them.  If you are to bring your requests to God in prayer, it will be over Satan's best efforts to stop you.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul warns us, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  Then he commands, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground" (v. 13).  "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (v. 18).

Do you see the connection?  Paul tells us to acknowledge our enemy is the spiritual forces of evil and we need, therefore, to put on the full armor of God so that we can take our stand against the Evil One in prayer.  To pray is to engage in spiritual warfare.  Prayer qualifies you as a prayer warrior.

Now, how good of a prayer warrior you are and how effective your prayers tend to be are separate matters.  Some soldiers cringe in the foxhole while others take aim from there.  Some advance on the battle field, others retreat.  There are some Bravehearts and there are some faint of heart.  All of us who pray are prayer warriors but just how much of one depends.

The effectiveness of our prayers to God depend upon three things: 1) How righteous we are ("the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (Js 5:16).  2) How godly our prayer is ("if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 Jn 5:14).  And, 3) Perseverance or the act of continuing in prayer regardless ("will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?" (Lk 18:7).

Live right, ask right and keep right on praying until you have seen the results of your prayer or you have the assurance in your heart that it will be so.  Once you begin to pray something for someone, don't stop until you see the result.  This might take a day or years.  I've been praying for my children since before their births.

Being an effective prayer warrior does not require a special skill in the art of prayer, it requires only a special commitment or a heart of prayer.  Effective prayer is prayer that comes from one who yields to the Father, seeks the Father's will and waits on the Father's answer.  If you pray, you are a prayer warrior.  To be an effective one, seek God's will from an honest heart and do not give up.  Jus' Say'n.

Acting The Fool

Growing up, church was serious business.  Every time the doors were opened, we were there.  Clean clothes, hair combed, faces washed all the way around behind the ears.  We were to sit quietly unless singing, listen attentively to the preacher and, most importantly, no monkey business would be tolerated.  Church was a somber, sober time of reverence to the Lord, not a time to act the fool.

I remember the time when I was about 10 and the preacher was taking a break from hellfire and damnation preaching to talk about heaven.  He painted such a marvelous picture that I found myself smiling from ear to ear.  My Dad, noticing my exceptional display of teeth, said under his breath, "Wipe that silly grin off your face!  We're in church."  No sir, no acting the fool allowed.

King David's wife, Michal, felt the very same way.  When the Ark of The Covenant was finally brought back to Jerusalem, he took off his outer clothing, "dancing before the Lord with all his might" (2 Sam 6:14).  But when Michal "saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart" (vs. 16).  This would have risen to the level of "Tom foolery" except  there weren't any Toms yet, so it was just David acting a fool as far as Michal was concerned, and, in front of the slave girls at that!

David, however, was having none of her judgment and refused to allow her view of decorum to douse the flame of joy and celebration he felt within his heart.  Rather then feeling ashamed as her words were meant to inspire, he double-downed and shot back across the bow, "I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes  But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor" (v. 21b-22).

David danced for an audience of One.  The slave girls could see what Michal could not, the King was authentically worshipping and celebrating the Lord - an act of reverence, bounded by joy.  The apostle Paul had a similar attitude as that of David.  He knew that people looking on as he and the other apostles gave up their careers, families and positions within their communities, would see them as fool hardy.  Rather than apologize, he proudly proclaimed, "We are fools for Christ" (1 Cor 4:10).  Moreover, he challenged those who considered themselves too wise to lower themselves in such a foolish way, "you should become 'fools' so that you may become wise" (1 Cor 3:18).

David and Paul were not concerned that others thought they were acting the fool because they were not acting or performing for the benefit or consideration of others.  They thought only to honor and celebrate God.  What other might have to say had no bearing on what their authentic worship or service would look like.

I have known so many who say they would like to raise their hands in worship or shout hallelujah or fall to their knees in prayer but were constrained by their fear of being judged by others for looking the fool.  Two of the greatest men of God in the Old Testament and the New chose to appear to act the fool in the eyes of others in order to authentically celebrate and worship the Lord.  Wouldn't you say that they are a pretty fair endorsement of risking being seen as foolish or even leaving that silly grin on your face as you celebrate the Lord?  Jus' Ask'n.

God is Good

Just over a decade ago I was in Honduras for the first time.  It was also the first time I heard the refrain "God is good all the time, all the time God is good."  It was a message we were sharing in a place where the more fortunate lived in metal roofed shacks with roughly the square footage of a medium-sized Tuff Shed but not nearly as nice.

Others lived in cardboard boxes or hovels put together with whatever scraps could be found.  Many simply slept under a tree or whatever overhang was available.  Few had shoes, virtually no children were seen with footwear.  Health and dental care were non-existent in the villages, and even simple medicines like aspirin were not to be found.  Even food and potable water were in short supply, making for many bellies empty except for the parasites that came from the drinking supply and sleeping on dirt floors.

How could we claim that God is good all the time to a people who had so little and suffered so much?  More importantly, why would they believe it?  Where was the goodness of God to be seen?  It was seen in the children of God who came at their own expense, bringing medical and dental supplies, food, shoes and building little metal roofed shacks that seemed like mansions to those who had no place to lay their heads.

While the world was not always good, God was good and he had sent Christian workers, many of whom were teenagers, to share their faith and their goods.  We helped erect church buildings and community centers, provided portable water filtration with each house built, taught marketable skills, provided more of a hand up than a hand out.  They began to see clearly how good God was when invited into their families and communities.  The world continued to be harsh but God's presence was a healing balm.

In my work as a hospice chaplain, I deal daily with people dying and their families.  I share this truth with them and part of the reason they agree is because they see the goodness of God in Arkansas Hospice nurses, aides, social workers, doctors and chaplains.  I hear them describe our people as angels as the families express how grateful they were for the blessing of hospice.

I see the same thing at the recovery group home called Samaritan House, where I volunteer to preach.  I hear it when the area churches gather to go out in teams to complete community projects, pass out clothes and provide food for the hungry and homeless.  His goodness is revealed anytime, anywhere that His children go in His name, doing the "good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph 2:10).

God is good all the time and when his children are living as his children are called to live, his goodness is seen continually in and through us.  If you and/or people around you are not seeing the truth of His constant goodness, what on earth are you doing for goodness sake?  Jus' Ask'n.

No Doubt

When we say something like "No doubt we'll get the job done on time or no doubt he'll come through for us," there actually is some doubt.  It is part of the human condition to go through some doubt as we come to a solid foundation of faith.

It is simply too easy to fall into the "What if?" pit.  The great lawgiver and leader of Israel, Moses, illustrates this well when God told him to go to Pharaoh to "Let my people go," to which Moses replies, "What if they do not  believe me or listen to what I say?" (Ex 4:1).

Today, we wonder: "What if she says no?"  "What if it rains before we finish the job?"  "What if I can't handle this promotion?"  "What if I can't handle the college work?"  "What if I can't live up to the expectations of being a deacon?"

Sometimes the doubt comes from the simple enormity of the idea.  The apostle Thomas, who witnessed Jesus walk on water, heal the sick and raise the dead, still declared, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" (Jn 20:25).

Regardless of the reason or the form of the doubt, you need not doubt that it will come.  To actually have "no doubt" would require perfect faith in the person, the power and the process of whatever you are called or challenged to believe.  The barrier to that happening is the fact that we live in an imperfect world, operating with an imperfect faith.

Regardless of what the weatherman promises, we cannot be 100% certain that it will not rain tomorrow.  Why is it that we are so prone to make back up plans?  How many of you would go ahead and spend that check that is said to be in the mail?  And, let me ask you, why is it that any Christian would fear death.  Or, for that matter, fear any outcome when God promises to "work all things to the good of those who love him" (Rom 8:28) and when Jesus promises "I will never leave you as orphans" (Jn 14:18)?

The very reason we are called out of doubt, that we are commanded not to doubt in Scripture is because we do doubt.  But it is not the doubting that is our problem.  No one alive has no doubts.  The problem is continuing in doubt.  Jesus didn't tell Thomas that he should never have doubted.  Instead, he said, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe" (Jn 20:26).  The challenge is not to never have any doubt but not to linger in them, not to allow them to paralyze us or keep us from a faith response.

Reaching the point of perpetually having no doubt is not a reasonable goal considering the human condition produced by a fallen world.  But, overcoming those doubts and coming to faith is more than doable, it is our calling.  It is just there, in the wake of our doubts that the beachhead of faith is to be established.  Jus' Say'n.

Chariots and Horses

The Psalmist wrote, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (20:7).  And his words, though antiquated in symbolism, ring just as true today as when they were penned millennia ago.

Today we don't trust in chariots and horses particularly, with the exception of those who "play the ponies" at the track, but we do trust in that which we believe gives us power or position.  On a national level, we trust in nuclear weapons, superior conventional weaponry and an unmatched satellite capacity.  We trust in a military machine without rival and resources unparalleled in history.

On a personal level, Americans tend to trust in things such as their wealth, their education and their appearance.  Good looks, a graduate degree and a generous portfolio would be the trifecta.  Any one of the three gives one a sense of value and importance - something in which to trust.

While the trappings have changed over the course of history, the trap has stayed the same.  Satan entices us to believe that we have life under control, that we the ability to rein things in, that we are the captains of our destiny.  As the ending stanza of William Ernest Henley's poem, Invictus, reads, "It matters not how straight the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."

Jesus disagrees pointing out that we "cannot make even on hair black or white" (Matt 5:36) or "add a single hour to our lives" (Matt 6:27).  While we say, "I am rich, I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing" (Rev 3:17a), he rebuffs saying, "But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked" (3:17b).

My patients know that Jesus is right and Henley was wrong.  Having reached the end of their lives, one of the constants is the realizaton that it was not what they thought it would be.  All their attempts to assure control by setting aside funds or making special arrangement did not stop them from losing control and their displacement from the familiar.  It has been for them much like what Jesus said it would be for Peter: "when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go" (Jn 21:18).

While it may appear that you have the world on a string, you actually have a tiger by the tail and one day you won't be able to hang on any longer.  On that day, the tiger will devour you for "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet 5:8).  OK, he's called a lion not a tiger, but lion, tiger or bear "Oh, my" they will eat you up.

There is but one hope, one way of victory over the Enemy: "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls" (Joel 2:32).  Jus' Say'n.

Dying Rich

At the age of 21, in a Silicon Valley garage, college dropout Steve Jobs co-founded the Apple Computer dynasty.  Selling his Volkswagen van to help finance the venture, he teamed with Wozniak and two others to produce a primitive computer, priced at $666.66, which had no keyboard or display, and customers had to assemble it themselves.

35 years later, at the age of 56, Jobs died of cancer, leaving behind a company with a multi-national presence and hundreds of retail stores selling hundreds of millions of their iconic iPods, iPads and iPhone - not to mention Apple Computers and accessories.  Also, amassing a personal net worth of some $11 billion dollars, which is only a fraction of Bill Gates $79.3 billion USD, but still amazing to say the least.

One could easily say that he died a very rich man.  But one might easily be wrong.  When Steve Jobs died, he personally owned nothing of the Apple dynasty or the $11 billion USD wealth he had amassed.  All of it belonged to his wife, his partners and others.  He did not get to keep even one cent.  As Solomon once wrote: "For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it" (Eccl 2:21).

A bit shocking to think of it in that way.  Solomon called it "a meaningless chasing after the wind," but true nonetheless.  As Job put it, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart" (Job 1:21).  That truth applies to all of us.  Whatever amount of material wealth you have managed to amass, you will not get to keep it.  It will go to someone who did not work for it.  And, by the way, whether that is your children or not, they will not keep it either.  Your wealth will go on to someone that you do not even know.

Nothing we gain in this world truly belongs to us except that which we gain in Christ.  Only the heavenly treasure he bestows on us will follow us into the world to come as well as enrich our lives in this world.  The only way to die rich is to die in Christ, which is why Jesus warns us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (Matt 6:19-20).  So tell me, how's your portfolio looking?  Jus' Ask'n.

Influence

Yesterday, while driving from one patient's house to another, I listened to Geraldo Rivera interview a ball player and a rap singer who were leading a peaceful march down the streets of Baltimore.  He asked them what they were doing there and the response of both was pretty much the same: They came because they both had grown up on those streets and they wanted to remind those angry young men that there is hope, that there are possibilities and that there was a better way than rioting and looting.  They were both there to exercise their influence for the benefit of others.

I also listened to Al "Sharptongue," who, surrounded by his entourage, got to a microphone and announced that he was there to demand justice, then marched off with his body guards.  He brought his influence there as well, influence that he has been peddling for years, amassing great wealth and power for himself, not bringing peace or encouragement to anyone, simply lining his pockets and increasing his national profile.

The Book of Esther narrates the time when Haman conspired to get the king to make an edict to kill all the Hebrews.  When Mordecai found out about it, he got word to Queen Esther, asking her to speak to the king on behalf of the Jews from which she came.  She responded at first that, even for her, to go in to the king's presence with his invitation was to put your life on the line.  Mordecai then gave her this word: "Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14)?

Mordecai was suggesting that her influence came from God and ought to be used for the good of others.  Even though he knew there was a risk involved, he encouraged her to use what God had given her in a godly way, depending on God to bring good from it.  Then Ester sent this answer, "I will go to the king, even though it is against the law.  And if I perish, I perish" (4:16).

Esther was determined to use the influence God had allowed her for the good of others.  Putting her own self-interests aside, putting self-preservation at risk, she weighed in so that Israel might be saved.  She is the model for using influence - determining the right thing to do and putting your stamp of approval on that, leaning in against evil, using it for good not using it just for self-advancement.  

And, it is extremely important to realize that everybody influences someone and usually several someones.  Some influence a great number but everyone influences some.  You influence others.  How will you use your influence?  Jus' Ask'n.