Anger Management

For many Christians, anger management means to suppress any feelings of anger, to strive toward a state of equilibrium where there are no moments of heightened emotional response. The idea seems to be that a follower of Jesus would always exhibit self control and be at peace.

The only problem with that theory is "it ain't so!"  Jesus was loving and kind to the degree that he is called "The Lamb of God" (Jn 1:36).  But, on the other hand, he had the ability to so aggressively stand against wrong-doing that he would also be referred to as "The Lion of Judah" (Rev 5:5).  You may recall the time in the Temple when Jesus fashioned a whip out of cords and drove the greedy money changers out (see Jn 2:15).

So, what is anger management to look like for the disciple of Jesus Christ?  Paul put it this way, “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold" (Eph 4:26-27).  In other words, when you get angry, as you surely will when you are  wrongly injured or witness injustice, don't allow your anger to morph into sin by becoming hatred or doing wrong yourself.

We should be angry when evil rises it's ugly head, only "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21).  We need to seek to bring good out of a bad situation. By that may mean facing down the evil doer so that justice can prevail. So, allow yourself to be angry but do not let the anger manage you - choose to do good. Jus' Say'n.

Higher Purpose

I was listening the other day to someone speak about a study completed recently correlating wages and job production.  The study compared the output of workers in relation to the amount of salary paid and found that workers paid more for the same job, did not perform better on the whole.  In fact, the ones paid less tended to do better.

It seems that the ones who were paid less placed more value on their job and the ones who were paid more placed more value on themselves.  That being true, the higher paid workers felt their job was beneath them and the lower paid workers felt lucky or blessed to have a job.

However, there was another group which outperformed everyone else - the ones who found a higher purpose in their job or vocation.  Those who saw their work as bigger than themselves and/or more important than their individual lives, tended to have very high output, regardless of the pay.  These kind of workers often put in extra hours for no pay, many simply volunteer.

As another chaplain and I were traveling yesterday to a conference in Oklahoma  City, we both were receiving calls from our offices regarding concerns with veteran population.  He, a chaplain working with the VA and me a chaplain coordinating veteran services for Arkansas Hospice, took those calls and helped to work out their issues even though we were released from regular duties to present at this conference.  Why?

We both believe that what we do is important work.  We both work more hours than we're paid for and take calls after hours because we believe our cause is great.  We serve a segment of our population that has served our country and many are in dire need of being ministered to now. And, as the Blues Brothers said, "We're on a mission from God!"

We both believe that we are working for the Lord and that fact alone makes whatever we do vitally important, having a higher purpose then ourselves.  But the truth is, every Christian should approach his/her work in this light: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (Col 3:23).

Think what a better world this would be if we all approached our jobs with this kind of attitude.  Consider how your witness for God would be amplified as you worked with joy and purpose instead of drudgery and complaints.  How much more productive would we be and therefore our communities and our country if all Christians worked as though for the Lord and not for man.  What if indeed we all set about our tasks as a mission for God?  Jus' Ask'n.

Choices

While visiting family in Missouri over the weekend, my brother Gary, who is battling cancer, said he knew an old man back in the woods whose refrigerator and freezer had stopped working and he needed my help and the help of our other brother Larry to get a freezer to him.

The three of us piled into Larry's truck in search of a freezer, which we found at Home Depot.  We loaded it up and headed back in the woods to a terribly run down shack surrounded by worn out vehicles and assorted piles of junk.

An old toothless man appeared from somewhere out of the rubble.  He seemed a little hesitant seeing the three of us but he knew my brothers and Gary has kind of adopted him, trying to help him out by taking him to town and seeing to his needs.  He was very happy to see the freezer and very apologetic for the mess, explaining that he hasn't been well and saying "my brain isn't all there."

He seemed so hopeless and helpless although not entirely penniless as he kept offering each of us money, which I assumed came from his social security check.  But we weren't there to make money and refused his offers, although he did insist that Larry at least take some gas money.  I think the old man just wanted to have some investment in the gift.

I keep thinking about that old man, his shanty of a dwelling and what brought him to such a place in life.  Surely this was not his dream as he was growing up, not the goal he had in his working years, not his choice for a retirement home.  And yet, there he is, living a third-world lifestyle in the Land of Opportunity.  How did he get there?

The short answer: choices.  I don't know his past but I do know that he has been on journey, having chosen a particular pathway.  We don't just end up somewhere, we travel there, each step a choice along the way.  Jesus is very clear in saying: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Mt 7:13-14).

Jesus is not saying and I'm no suggesting that people choose death and destruction necessarily but that by not choosing the path leading to life, we, by default, choose the path of destruction.  I don't think the old man had been making choices to get him to his destination in a purposed way, but that he had not been making better choices along the way that would have brought him to a much different place in life.

Given his mental state currently, I'm not sure he's capable now of making different choices.  He may be too far down that road to even conceive of a different path.  He is truly now an unfortunate, someone in need of help.  Unless there is someone, like my brother, to look after him, he will likely die out there of exposure.

But wouldn't it have been wonderful if he had made some different choices along the way?  He might still have family in his life, friends who really cared about him, a church to help in his spiritual struggles, a Savior to lift him up...  

I don't know about all his choices and I don't know what if anything can be done at this point.  But I do know that you and I have choices every day to be more like Christ or more self-determined.  We can sow seeds of grace, love, generosity, health, etc. (see Gal 6:7 "reap what we sow").  Where we wind up in the future depends on the choices we make today.  What are your choices?  Jus' Ask'n.

Fearless

In the Book of Daniel, we read of the time King Nebuchadnezzar built an image of gold, 90 ft tall and 9 ft wide, commanding that everyone bow down and worship before it at certain times.  Three men in particular refused: Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego - three Hebrew slaves.

Because they refused, they were brought before the king, who told them to comply with his command or they would  be thrown into a blazing furnace. Their fearless response sets the gold standard for trust and faithfulness:

“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:16-18).

They were committed to faithfulness and fully trusted in God to deliver them, even if the deliverace meant death.  Their fearless faith response reminds me of the aposttles Peter and John, who were threatened with severe punishment if they did not stop talking openly about Jesus: "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19-20).

Although controversial in her stand, I see the county clerk down in Kentucky in a very similar vein.  The Supreme Court struck down the laws that prohibit same sex marriages, but the Lesgislators have not produced a new law allowing for it.  The courts do not have the power to right laws.  And, even if a law was written, it would still violate her conscience.

You can say, "She should just resign."  But she would counter, "The government should make accommodation for her faith just as they have in many other cases, where faith and law collide, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Regardless of what your faith or mine would allow, hers does not allow signing off on same-sex marriages as a county clerk and she is taking a stand that has already brought her some jail time and may very well end in a prison sentence.

Of course, I don't think marriage is a government thing, I believe it is a God thing: "what God has joined together..." (Matt 19:6).  And, if God doesn't endorse it, it isn't marriage.  So, while I might be able to sign a governmental license (I'm not certain), I could not perform any marriage I thought God did not approve.  That is my right, my faith and my stand.  She has taken hers.

So my question is, unlike Obama's red line drawn for Syria that Bashar al-Assad skipped over without pause or retaliation, where is your red line of faith over which you will not step?  Do you have a line that you would refuse to cross over, at the penalty of jail or even death?

I believe that each of us, as children of God, must have a point at which we say "This far and no more," even if it costs us all we have for "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matt 16:26).  At the end of the day, we ought to be fearless "of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul" (Matt 10:28).

Jus' Say'n.

The Lock Box

I was talking with an elderly veteran couple the other day who had sold their house and moved into an assisted living facility due to declining health and mobility.  It made sense to liquidate the assets in their house to allow them to pay the ALF rent.  It made sense to everyone but the Federal Government, who will see that they are trading one dwelling place for another, but rather see that they now have assets.

This is important because the veteran is drawing a need-based pension, and the amount of money they got for their home to pay the high cost of an ALF will disqualify them for that tiny pension they have been depending on.  Their financial situation has not changed in real dollars but it has on paper, and that is all the beaurocrats seem to understand.

So, what are they to do?  Well, they have to make the assests above the allowable to go away.  When I explained that to them, the wife said, "So we should take that amount and put it into a lock box?"  I replied, "No," for two reasons: 1) That would be fraud and 2) they could lose everything.

I told her that, since the amount over the limit wasn't all that much, they each could give their daughter a certain amount, which would not cause a tax liability, and hopefully she would in turn use it to help them out as they might need.  But it had to be given freely, without strings - no longer under their control.  This wouldn't work for Medicaid but it does for VA Pension as there is no VA look-back period.

Here's the deal: The couple needed to move into an ALF, they had to sell their house to afford the monthly cost so it was a trade of dwelling for dwelling.  A dwelling is not considered countable assets in their case but the proceeds from a sale is.  They were in a catch 22.  The lock box seemed to be the answer except that would be a crime (as if the Federal Government's policy isn't).

The real answer, gifting the money to their daughter, is only a movement of assets off their papers (assuming, of course, that their daughter doesn't decide to just spend the money and not help her parents), but it doesn't involve a lie or fraud.  While essentially the same outcome, it can be openly disclosed when discussing assets.  One is in the dark and the other is in the light.  And that difference makes all the difference for "A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish" (Pr 19:9).

God does not bless lies and deceit, even to short-sighted beaurocrats who haven't the capacity to look at things from a real-life vantage point.  They live in a world of papers and the rules are born out of that context.  Yet we are "to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience" (Rom 13:5).  Jus' Say'n.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

After the major campaign to secure the Promised Land was over, Caleb came to Joshua and said, "So here I am today, eighty-five years old.   I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said" (Josh 14:10-12    

Yesterday, I met with a 95 year-old veteran and his bride of 11 years.  He had been a bachelor the first eighty-four years of his life, before meeting and marrying the woman he had been waiting for.  Just when most men would consider their lives pretty much over, this gentleman was just beginning a new chapter.

Perhaps you've read about the 100 year-old Santa Clara man, Don Pellmann, who just set five world records for Senior Olympics in 100 degree weather.  He blew the top off  of records set in the high jump, the long jump, 100-meter dash, shot put and discus over a five-hour period of competition.  Since he began Senior Olympics, at the tender age of 70, he has won hundreds of gold medals.

So, why am I talking about these rare exceptions to the human condition?  Because they are not.  They are not rare exceptions to the human condition, they are rare exceptions to human conditioning. In other words, it's not that we can't keep on keeping on as we reach advanced age, it's that we don't choose to do what it takes to begin exercising at 70, marry at 84 or take the hill country at 85.

Proper rest, exercise, diet - conditioning, not condition.  The human condition allows for  us to reach advanced ages and still be healthy.  This is true physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Our conditioning, or lack thereof, will determine whether we experience that healthiness or not (of course, things can happen to us regardless of conditioning but the exceptions do not discount the rule).

So, let me ask you: Do you eat right, sleep right, exercise right, pray right, study your Bible right, serve others right, do right, etc.?  Is it your goal to be an effective servant of God, even in your closing years?  Are you willing to condition your mind, body and soul to keep on keeping on?  You know, as Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."  But it's over when you choose to stop.

Solomon said, "Whatever your hand find to do, do it with all your might" (Eccl 9:10).  Your might will not always be the same, but you can always use all of your might.  Instead of laying down and giving up, why not get up and lay down a new challenge, a renewed effort, a reset on life?  Jus' Ask'n.

What Do You Want?

I listened to a comedian the other day on the radio talk about the last dust up he and his wife had.  It began when he asked her what she would like for dinner to which she replied, "Oh, I don't care, just pick something."  So he said, "OK how about Mexican?"  She replied, "Oh no!  That gives me heart burn."  Each choice he brought up, she declined.  He said, "Why don't you just tell me what you want?"  She answered, "I don't care, just pick something."  And around and around they went until frustration gave way to anger and they just dropped the idea of eating out.

The problem wasn't an unwillingness to provide what was wanted, the problem was the uncertainty of what was desired and the inability to ask for what she wanted.  The fact that there were so many she did not want, clearly indicated that there was something she did want, but she was not forth coming in her request for one reason or another.

James says, "You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God" (Js 4:2).  He is speaking to people who get frustrated because they do not have what they want because they have not bothered to ask for it.  They are somehow expecting to receive what they want without asking.  Perhaps you've heard your spouse say or you've said, "Well, if I have to ask, just forget it!"  Really?  Of course we have to ask.  Sometimes things come our way unexpectantly, without asking, but more often, we don't have because we don't ask.  And I would add, ask directly.

Last night, I sat across the table from someone who could help provide some of the needs of our We Honor Vets program where I work.  I shared with him what we were doing, the reason why we chose those things and then I asked for his help.  He replied, "So, how much do you need?"  I then replied, in a very specific way what we needed and why, and then a very specific number.  He said, "I'll have your check drafted in the morning."

Now, I can't tell you that you will get everything you ever ask from every person you ask it, but I can say that if you don't ask, and ask specifically, your chances of receiving it drop considerably - wouldn't you agree?  Further, and more importantly, when it comes to God, your request will be answered.  "Ask and you will receive" (Mt 7:7).

Now God may have to make some modification based on his righteousness and goodness and his love for you, but he will listen and he will answer.  But you must first be willing to ask for what you truly want.  Do you know what you truly want?  Maybe that should be your first request, to know what it is that you truly desire.  It may not be what you think.  Jus' Say'n.

Burdened Down

Interestingly, in Galatians 6:2, we read, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ," which clearly says we are to share the weight of each other's burdens.  But then, in verse 5, Paul says, "carry your own load."  So, is it share in carrying burdens or is it each one carry his/her own?  Yes!

Yes, we are to carry our own load.  In fact, Paul will elsewhere say, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat" (2 Thess 3:10).  The one unwilling to pitch in and carry his/her own weight is to be allowed to go hungry long enough to provide sufficient motivation to pick up his/her own load.

However, there are times when our burden is too heavy to carry alone, when we become burdened down, crushed under the weight of what we must now bear.  James tells us that "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (1:27).  An accident, an illness, a financial collapse, or any number of crisis points in our lives can render us "burdened down" to the point we can't carry it alone.

Do you recall Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me all who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest..."  In that passage, just after saying he would give us rest he says, "take my yoke upon you."  Really, how does that help?  His is a double yoke.  The heavy burdened was already in a yoke, pulling a burden too heavy for him/her alone.  Jesus doesn't offer to carry the burden for us, he invites us to get in a double yoke with him so he can help us pull our over-burden.

This is the synthesis of carry your own load and carry each other's loads: carry your own weight until it reaches a point when you are burdened beyond your capacity, then allow others to come along side of you to assist in that load until it is manageable again.  If you see another bending under the weight of their burden, extend your help if you are able.

Have you ever heard of "barn-raising"?  It used to be so that when a young man was starting out in farming or if a fellow farmer's barn burned down, the other farmers in that community would come together and help him build a barn.  The Amish still practice it.  The other day, I was privileged to help build a "Habitat For Humanity" house - a kind of barn-raising and certainly the practice of helping a family who has become burdened down in life.

So, readily carry your own load until your load brings you to your knees and then gratefully accept the help of others until you can get back on your feet.  And, then, be ready to help someone else who you see burdened down.  Jus' Say'n.

New Life from Old Bones

I suspect that most people throw their chicken bones away after they finished eating the chicken, but not my wife.  She puts them back in the same pot the chicken was cooked in, adds a little more water, tosses in some dry beans and some of the best bean soup you've ever tasted comes to life.

In my reading of Ezekiel, I came to chapter 37, where the prophet is shown a valley of dry bones - the bones of dead warriors scattered across a field, never to battle another day.  Well, at least it seemed that way: 'Son of man, can these bones live?' I said, 'Sovereign Lord, you alone know.'  Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones and say to them, Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life'"(37:3-5).  What appeared to be a useless pile of bones became a great army, ready for battle.

What may appear to be used up, dried out bones, may not have seen their last days, depending on whether or not they are subjected to the power required to bring life out of them.  For the chicken bone, it took the culinary skills of my wife.  For the dry warrior bones in the valley, it took the life-giving power of the Lord.

If you are not living up to your potential, getting into a little hot water might get you back on track.  But if you are dead spiritually, dried out and lifeless, it will take more.  It will take the power of the Living God to bring life back to your soul.  But life can be brought back.  If you know someone who seems to be spiritually dried out, the power of God can bring them back to life as well.

You may be depressed and lying in the dust of disappointment but you walk with God does not have to be over.  He can revive you.  The Lord Jesus can breathe new life into your spirit, new hope into your soul and a newly claimed future can rise out of the ashes.

If you have gone as far as you can go, carried as much as you can carry, now is the time to come to Jesus, who calls, “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Mt 11:28-30).  Jus' Say'n.

Ah Ha Moment

I was speaking to a small group of men in a recovery house last night who are living on the streets, coming off drugs or coming out of prison.  A voice came out of the group of mean as I was speaking, it was an older man (by that I mean about my age) who simply said, "That was a good point!"

He had an "Ah ha" moment where he reached a bit of clarity in what had been a confusing maze of religious thought: "a successful journey to heaven is like following some one's tail lights."  Really?  Really!  Illustrating Jesus call to his disciples, "Come follow me" (Mt 4:19), I reminded them of the simple act of following someone home.  You don't have to know all the twists and turns, distance or even what the house looks like.  All you need to do is keep the tail lights in view and you will arrive wherever they wind up.

The "Ah ha" point was simply that we don't have to be experts in doctrine, theology or worship, what we have to be is followers of Christ - disciples.  Being well studied in biblical history, ancient languages, critical thought and so on, is very good but not necessary.  What is necessary is that we know who Jesus is, what he did, what he said and what his mission was.  As we come to know him through study of the Gospels, spending quiet time in prayerful reflection and seeing him live in fellow disciples, we are moving down the path he traveled.

Paul had a very clear understanding of this principle, which he shared with us in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ."  Paul knew the way home was to follow the one who knew the way, Jesus.  And he also knew that those who followed him as he followed the One would also find the way home.  That is why we need Christian fellowship, to give us living examples and practical support as we seek to follow Jesus.

This may not be an ah ha moment for you, but maybe it is or should be.  If you think that by belonging to a certain denomination, attending a certain church, following certain doctrines, completing certain rituals, performing certain tasks; you will insure your arrival in heaven, you need an ah ha moment.  And, here it comes:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20)

This is it!  That one thing we really need to understand and come to grips with.  We need to follow Christ, making him our life so that we are with him in our death.  Ah ha!  Jus' Say'n.

Standing In The Gap

“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one" (Ezek 22:30).  If you are a regular church-goer, you've probably heard this phrase before used to encourage us to pray for one another.  And, certainly prayer is an important part of standing in the gap.  But there is more.

Notice the analogy of the wall in the prophet's words.  Between the rocks or between the bricks, mortar is placed in the gaps to support, strengthen and hold them together.  The mortar fills in the gap in a wall as a weld would fill in a crack in one's armor.  We need to turn to God in prayer for protection against the attacks of the Enemy, but God also calls us to turn to each other.

The "more" is how God goes about answering our prayers for each other, He calls for us, like the mortar, to hold on to one another, to support one another, to fill in the gaps in each other's wall of defense or armor against the Evil One.  God does not call us to be lone wolves but flocks of sheep.  A sheep by itself is easy prey, but within the flock, led by the Shepherd, there is safety.

In the song, Lean On Me, by Bill Withers, the refrain speaks to this truth:

"Lean on me, when you're not strong,
I'lll be your friend, I'll help you carry on.
For, it won't be long,
Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on."

Family, church, community are all built on the God-ordained premise that we need to be involved in each other's lives.  We need to care enough to come along side of each other, standing shoulder to shoulder as we "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way...fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2).  Jus' Say'n.

Legacy

In ancient Israel, there was a proverb that said, "The father eats sour grapes and the son's teeth are set on edge."  In other words, the sins of the father were passed down to the next generation.  The notion of original sin is based on this idea.

However, the prophet Ezekiel proclaimed, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.  For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child---both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die: (18:3-4).

The words of the prophet are clear in saying we are not guilty or responsible for the sins of our parents, that we do not inherit their legacy of wrong doing.  But that does not mean that the sins of the fathers and mothers do not visit their children, grandchildren and even beyond.  How so?

In a direct sense, a man who is a drunk is likely to mistreat his children, neglect them or scar them in any number of ways.  A woman who smokes heavily around the house and while taking her kids to school will not only destroy her own body, but will injure her children with second-hand smoke (I'm not suggesting that smoking is a deadly sin but it certainly has deadly consequences).  A chronic gambler may lose everything, bringing his children into unnecessary poverty.

In an indirect sense, the bad habits learned by a parent's children may be passed on to theirs.  In  the study of family systems, it is clearly seen where repeated manifestations of divorce or addiction or abuse are seen in multiple generations.

It becomes clear that what you do and how you live, does not necessarily end with you.  So, for those who say, "It's my life and I'll live it the way I want.  It's nobody else's business!"  Wrong!  If you  are a parent or ever will be a parent, it is not just your life - it is the life of your children and perhaps their children or beyond.

You are going to leave a legacy.  What's at question is whether is will be one that is life giving or death producing, healthy or diseased, productive or parasitic, faith affirming or faith affronting, uplifting or depressing.  What is the legacy you intend to leave to your children; what will you impart to the generations that follow you?  Jus' Ask'n.

The Standard

The story is told of two brothers, Bill and Bob, who were know to be liars, drunks, cheaters and thieves.  They were just the worst sort of people.  But one day,  Bill dies and his brother Bob goes to the local preacher asking him to officiate Bill's funeral.  The preacher reluctantly agrees.

Bob says, there is one thing: I want you to say my brother was a saint.  The preacher objected strongly saying, there is no way.  Your brother was one of the worst men I ever met!  Bob then said, "I'll pay you $10,000 to which the preacher replied, "Well, maybe there is a way.

At the funeral, the preacher says, "You all know that Bill was just the worst sort of person.  He was a liar, a drunk, a cheater and a thief.  But, compared to his brother, Bob, Bill was a saint."

If your standard is low enough, anyone can feel pretty good about his/her conduct.  Paul warns those who set the bar low instead of raising the standard, "When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Cor 10:12).  In other words, when we look around for others like ourselves to judge our conduct, we are only fooling ourselves.

When someone says, "I'm just as good as those hypocrites who attend church every Sunday," you are probably right, but so what?  How does it benefit you to be equal to people who are failing to live up to their profession of faith?  That's like saying, "My dog doesn't have any more fleas than my neighbor's dog; and calling it good."  Really?

How about comparing your life to the faithful church attender who is striving to be godly in every way?  How do you come off then?  Better yet, how about using the Standard God raised for us to judge ourselves: Jesus Christ?  How are you looking now?

The apostle Paul didn't just say, "Imitate me," rather he challenges us to "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1).  That is the Standard, the life of Christ.  When you judge yours against his, you will see that, like the hypocrite, you fall short of his glory (Rom 3:23) and stand in need of his grace.  Churches are filled who are perfect, there aren't any (Rom 3:10).  Church is a gathering of those saved by grace, those approaching grace and some who are just posing.

The  point isn't whether you are as good as some who attend church, the point is, are you good enough to make it to heaven on your own.  The short answer is no.  We need a Savior and we need a company of saints to support and encourage us along the way.  Jus' Say'n.

Abandoned

In Ezekiel 16:4, the prophet uses a very graphic analogy of Israel's humble beginnings as an abandoned newborn: "On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths."  The picture is clear that she was cast off and left to die.  As King David would later lament, "Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life" (Ps 142:4).

You've felt that way at times, haven't you?  You've had those days when you felt abandoned, alone in a world where no one gets you and no one really seems to care.  Undoubtedly, you've even been at the point where you doubted your worth to God, when you wondered if he really had time for you.

But what so often happens when we get past that point, when we feel His love and acceptance, when we know that we aree desired of God?  What do we tend to do when we feel self-assured in our acceeeptance, when everything seems right in our word?  We often begin to take pride in ourselves, in our own abilities and accompishments - in our own worth.

At that point, confident and self-assured, rather than humbly seek out the Master's willl, we begin to think about our own.  We even say things like, "It's time for me."  "I need to think about myself."  "I need to focus on what I want."  At about that time, we begin to turn our backs on the one who loves us, who lifted us up.  We then abandon God  Ironic, is it not?

Turning back to Ezekiel, listen to this play out in Israel's life as the prophet continues his graphic analysis: "And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord. But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute" (16:14-15).

I know the imagery is graphic and unsavory, but doesn't it ring true for each of us as we go through the same motions as Israel?  Don't we go from feeling worthless to being rather prideful; from being dependant on God to not thinking we really need him - that we've got this?

But do we?  Did Israel?  The answer is no, we do not have things under control and soon they begin to control us again and we begin to fee overwhelmed and under appreciated.  We, once again, feel alone, abandoned and worthless.  We, once again, feel the need for God.

News flash!  We always need God.  There is never a time when we could make it without him - never a time when we are truly self-sufficient, worthy and able on our own: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked" (Rev 3:17).  We think we've got it, right up to the point where we realize our worthlessness again and, once again feel abandoned.

The truth is, however, we are are never worthy and we are never abandoned.  We are saved by grace (Eph 2:8,9) and He will never abandon us (Jn 14:18).  We are the ones who abandon him and then feel the loss of his presence.  Jus' Say'n.

Heritage

Many people put a lot of stock in heritage, thinking it says something about the individual.  If one's ancestors fought in the American Revolution, that makes them somehow more American.  If your grandparents marched in the Civil Rights Movement with Martin Luther King, that makes you a civil rights activist.  If your parents helped lay the bricks for the church building, that makes you a stalwart member of the church.

Really?  No, not really!  The truth of the matter is that while your ancestors provide you a heritage upon which to build, that heritage does not automatically transfer to you.  You may benefit from it, using it as a springboard to help propel you to greater heights, but does not work its way into your being or simply show up in your DNA.

When the Lord warned Ezekiel of the Israelites' Judgment, he warned, "even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness" (14:20).  The good, or the evil, our parents have done is certainly a foundation upon which we can build our own character but it is not something that can be handed down like an inheritance.

Later in Ezekiel's writing, he makes this abundantly clear in saying, "The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them" (18:20).

If we can legitimately say, "My ancestors helped settle this land" or "my grandparents helped establish this church" or "my parents helped build this senior center;" none of that has anything to do with you.  You have to leave your own footprints, you have to make your own contribution, you have to pass on your own legacy from which the next generation can benefit but not claim as their own.

The point is that we are each responsible for our individual lives.  We cannot rest upon what was accomplished in the past but must instead build upon it, reject it or just ignore it.  Whatever we are to do is not directly tied to our heritage, it may be influenced by it and even enriched by it, but not determined by it.  We must choose.

Do you recall the words of Joshua after the death of Moses?  Moses afforded Israel a great heritage, his legacy was off the chart, but Joshua words were not, "We have Moses as our heritage!"  Instead he challenged the people, "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).  Heritage or no, the choice is yours.  What do you choose to do with you life?  Jus' Ask'n.

Marked

Reading again from Ezekiel, the Word talks about a vision the prophet had where six "men" came from the north gate of the temple.  One of them had a writing kit on his side with which he was to identify the faithful: “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it" (9:4).

This is similar to what John saw and recorded in the Book of  Revelation, where those who gave in to the Beast were made "to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads" (13:16).  The difference being that in Ezekiel's vision, it was the righteous who were marked and in John's it was the unrighteous.

So, why the good marked in one occasion and the bad marked in another?  The answer is that everyone is marked on their forehead.  Everyone is clearly identified before the Lord as to whom he or she belongs.  The Lord knows his people.  As Jesus puts it, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me" (Jn 10:14)

So how does the Lord know his sheep or identify his people?  What mark is placed on us?  The actual identifier is not a mark per se but rather that we are marked, not by religious symbols or by a name over a church door or a certain way of dressing, we are marked by how we respond to the Lord's call: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (Jn 10:27).

Our marking, our distinction as Children of God, is clearly seen according to our walk with the Lord. If we are his, we are his disciples, his followers.  Our lives will therefore, clearly resemble His.  We will be kind and loving.  We will hunger for God's Word.  We will separate ourselves from the sinful living of the world around us without passing judgment upon them.  We will be listening to the words of our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and we will be following in his steps.

Being a Christian is not a matter of just believing in God, "even the demons believe and shudder" (Js 2:19).  Those who belong to God "show their faith by by they do" (Js 2:18), living out their faith daily - they don't just believe that God is, they believe God is to be trusted and obeyed.  Just like the words of the old gospel hymn, "Trust and obey for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey."  Jus' Say'n.

Hidden Places

I was reading from Ezekiel this morning, where the prophet was told to dig into a wall, where he found a door.  The Lord told him to go through it and see what the people inside are doing.  He saw, among others, the seventy elders of Israel, who were doing detestable things saying, "He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, 'The Lord does not see us..." (Ezek 8:12).

It seems amazing that these ancient religious and spiritual leaders of the land would think that what they did in a hidden place would not be seen by the Lord.  However, not only was it true of them, it is true of many church leaders today.  Hotel and motels have found that pornography channels spike upward when a convention of ministers stay at their facility.  There seems to be the thought that what they do out of town or in a hidden place is not noticed by God.

Of course, this mentality is not reserved to religious leaders - husbands, typically, across the country stay up after their children and their wife is in bed to do the very same, logging on to porn channels or watching television programming they wouldn't want their family or others to see.  It is foolish to think that one can keep their hidden activities hidden forever.  But it is absolutely laughable to think that God will not see it considering "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).

The truth is that there are no hidden places, no secrets, nothing that is not known by God and will not be discovered by others.  Your life is an open book before God and your choices will be recorded in His Book.  Those things one chooses to do in what they believe to be a hidden place will be recalled by the Lord on the Day of  Judgment - and on that Day, you will have to give an account.  What will you say then?  How will you answer Him?

May I offer a suggestion?  Lay your hidden choices, hidden agendas, hidden desires before God now instead.  Fully and freely confess your sins, seeking God's healing, for "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn 1:9).  Chose to do and say the same things in the open as you would  do in hidden places.  And, stay out of hidden places, live your life in the light not the dark.  Jus' Say'n.

Nothing Left

The prophet laments that Judah has been carried off into exile, that the great city lies in ruins, that there is nothing lift of its former glory.  He laments that everything they had worked for was gone, reduce to ashes and they themselves we being carried off into captivity.  The book he writes is the Book of Lamentations, in which he laments the absolute loss of Judah.

And yet, in the middle of the lament, he finds reason to rejoice: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him" (Lam 3:22-24).

They had lost everything except the One Thing that really mattered: God Love."  Max Lucado once mused, "If all God ever did was save my soul, wouldn't that be enough?"  If we did, in fact, lose the whole world that we know, but gained our soul salvation, wouldn't we have gained everything? (the flip side of Matthew 26:16).

I remember when my wife, Gayla, died and I wound up losing my business, my house, my savings and even my pick-up truck.  I thought to myself that I had lost everything except for my faith in God, which was all I really needed from the start.  I had nothing left except the One Thing that really matters in the end: My relationship with the Lord.

I minister to hospice patients daily who have nothing left.  Their jobs are a fading memory, their houses are owned by someone else, they live in a bed in a nursing home, they have nothing to call their own.  And yet, so many of them greet me with a big smile and always have something encouraging to say because they know they have, as "Curly" in the movie "City Slickers" once quipped, "That one thing."  They had their faith and everything was lying before them.

The great mystery of the Christian faith is that when you lose everything in your life except the Lord, you discover that all you ever needed was Him.  In fact, it is not until we give up on everything else that we finally gain what is truly valuable: "Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples" (Lk 16:33).

Job said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart" (1:21).  We come in with nothing and we leave with nothing.  So why do we wrangle our whole lives for things that we don't need coming or going?  Why not instead work to develop such a deep abiding relationship with the Lord that we have nothing left of remotely comparable value - until we, in truth, have nothing left?  Jus' Say'n.

Going Nowhere

We have those days when we have a hard time getting it into gear.  As we take stock of our sluggish attempts to get it going, we conclude, "I'm just going nowhere today."  Actually, while it may appear certain that you are going nowhere, you are most certainly going somewhere.

Life doesn't have a pause button, where we can "sit this one out."  Our journey continues whether we like it or not and whether we are on track or off the rails.  We might not make much progress today, we might even loose some ground, but we are going somewhere.

Life is a bit like a river, always flowing.  In a lake you can climb on your air mattress and float in one place.  In a river, if you are not paddling against the current, you are being drug downstream.  Unlike a lake, a river is not static - neither is life.  Time keeps moving on, regardless of what we do or not do.  If you are not swimming upstream, you are being carried downstream - you are always going somewhere.

In Hebrews 9:27, we read, "people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."  We have an appointment, an appointment with death and judgment.  We don't get to reset that appointment, we are moving closer to it every day.  The only question really is how prepared we are to arrive there.

It is often said that Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.  And it is in this life that our preparation takes place or not.  “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3).  Did you notice the action word "change" and the object "heaven?"  We are called to move toward a childlike faith in Jesus, trusting in him for all things.  Each day is an opportunity to make progress toward that goal.

Even on days when you feel like you're going nowhere and perhaps even especially on  days like that, we have an opportunity to increase our trust factor as we admit that we do not feel up to par and need to rely on Him more today than yesterday.  Facing a day that seems overwhelming, while you feel like you are running in mud, turning to Christ only makes more sense.

You are never going nowhere.  You are either making progress or you are regressing, either paddling upstream or carried downstream.  On days when it seems to be too much, accept Jesus' offer: "Come unto me all who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you..." (Matt 11:28-30).  Taking his yoke means to get in the yoke with him so that he can help you and teach you how to more easily carry your burden.

If it seems like you are going nowhere, turn your face toward Jesus and invite him to provide you with the strength and the help you need to make forward progress in your journey home.  Jus' Say'n.

The Power Within

I've began chewing on a book that someone brought to me, asking if I would read and share my thinking about it.  I haven't read enough to know whether I could endorse it or not, so I'm not going to share it's title or author at this point.  But I do want to talk about a concept that is opened in the first part of the book: The power within.

The author talks about the fallacy of looking for answers outside ourselves when all the answer lie within ourselves.  I'm not sure exactly where he is taking this yet or if I could agree with him, but I do know that people often search a lifetime for love, happiness and fulfillment in the world around them and end up lamenting, “Meaningless! Meaningless!...Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Eccl 1:2).

The Book of Ecclesiastes chronicles Solomon's quest to find meaning, purpose, happiness and so on.  But "under the sun" as he says, or in the world, his search comes up empty or meaningless.  He built great projects, he acquire great wealth, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines (or as one four-year old said, "300 porcupines") but nothing filled his longing, nothing satisfied.

What Solomon concluded is that there is an emptiness within us that cannot be filled by the riches or the passions found in the world - that contentment and happiness and fulfillment are not out there somewhere.  We will never fill that void with what the world has to offer.

What satisfies, what fulfills our soul is only found in the Kingdom of God, and that kingdom is not found in the world around us: "The kingdom of God is not something that can be observed.  Nor will people say here it is or there it is.  For the kingdom of God is within you" (Lk 17:20-21).

The Power to bring happiness, fulfillment purpose does not reside in the world, it resides in us but we are not the source of it.  God is the Source and we can only be truly content when His Spirit resides within us.  There is no meaningful thing that can be had in the world without God, for "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (Js 1:17).

The power for every good thing we desire is within as long as The Power is within.  Without God, one may feel superior and think he has it all, but the truth is "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked" (Rev 3:17).  Jus' Say'n.

The Enemy

A deputy sheriff is shot in the back while putting gas into his cruiser.  The "Black Lives Matter" crowd marches, while chanting, "Pigs in blankets, fry like bacon."  A war is brewing in our country between a segment of the population and our police forces across our nation.  Lines are being drawn and the enemy is clearly defined except the Enemy is not at all who they imagine.

The "Black Lives Matter" extremists, have decided that the police are the enemy because they are "killing young black men daily."  But the truth of the mattter is that less than 0.1% of all arrests ends in a shooting of anyone.  And, caucasions are shot at roughly twice the rate as African Americans.

A young black man is 100 times more likely to be shot by another young black man than a police officer.  The daily taking of black lives is within the black community and the real Enemy is blinding those who are set out to undermine and even kill our country's police officers: "“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts" (Jn 12:40).

This movement found traction in the Ferguson, MO shooting of a young black man named Michael Brown, who was called "A gentle giant."  A young black man gunned down while innocently walking home from a convenience store, begging the officer with hands held up, "Don't shoot, don't shoot!"  Except that the "Gentle Giant" had just robbed that convenience store and forensic evidence clearly proved that not only were his hands not up, he had been trying to wrestle the gun from the officer.

The movement whose standard is "Hands up don't shoot," should be "Pants up don't loot" because their champion was looting a store before being shot by a police officer in self-defense and the crowd burned and looted their own community in protest incited by the Enemy.

There are problem officers in virtually every police force just as there are criminals in virtually every black or white community in the country.  But the enemy of the young black man is not the police officers who daily go into harm's way to keep the peace.  The enemy is not truly the other young black men who are doing 90+% of the shootings: "For 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"(Eph 6:12).

The truth of the matter is that "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pett 5:8).   And he is devouring a large part of an entire nation as he turns one segment of society against another.  Jus' Say'n.