Living Faith

Back in November of 1972, Tom T Hall came out with a song called "Old Dogs and Children and Watermelom Wine."  In the song, he talks about the wisdom of an old white-hair gentleman, who had given up on people and now trusted in old dogs and children and watermelon wine.

The idea is that old dogs will always love you, little children haven't learned to hate and watermelon wine always remains the same. All three were trust worthy. OK, so what do you do with that. Do you go out and hang around dog parks, frequent children's playgrounds and later head to the liquor store? Putting your faith in those things causes you to live how?

Faith in something or someone isn't real, if all one does is romanticize about it. If there is no life change, no new direction, no action to take; there is just an idea, not an ideal. To have faith is to trust in, lean upon and move forward with. To have no change is to invalidate your faith. As James says, "Faith without deeds is dead" (Ja 2:26).

To believe capitalism is to get a job or start a business, not consider its merits while expecting the government to take care of you.to believe in eating healthy leads one past the fast food dive and instead dive into the produce section of the local grocery or farmers' market.  To believe or trust in, to have faith is transformational or it is a false narrative.

It is the same with faith in Jesus. To,just be a fan is not real, we must be followers. As Jesus put it, "Why call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things I say?" (Lk 6:46).   Why say the words if there is no action plan behind them?

So here's the Christian life plan as delivered by the apostle Paul: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Col 2:6-7).  Put your words in your walk. Just s' Say'n.

The Cost of Sin

Sin can look very appealing and seem to come without cost.  The soon-to-be meth addict thinks, "Just this once, what can it hurt."  The young husband opens the door to divorce as he takes his first peak at porn saying to himself, "It's just pictures, what can harm can it do?"  He teenage girl, violating her parents rules and dismissing their warnings, agrees to meet the man who is about to abduct her, assuring herself that "Tommy" is the one for her.

Regardless of how remote the prospect of harm may seem or how innocuous the sin may appear, it has a cost "and you may be sure that your sin will find you out" (Nu 32:23).  Sin choices are like seed planting: while the final results may be a ways off at the moment, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction..." (Gal 6:7-8).

We can't plant seeds of lust and grow fidelity in a marriage. We can't sow seeds of addiction and reap freedom from the drug's control. We can't sow seeds of recklessness and reap safety and security. Sin demands payment and "the wages of sin are death" (Rom 6:23) - the death of your marriage, the death of your personal freedom, the death of your health and even the loss of eternal life itself.

Sin always comes with a price to tag and the interest is always death. The Good News is, however, that Jesus has already absorbed the cost, already paid the price: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit" (1 Pet 3:18).

We need only accept his offer of grace, embracing Jesus as Lord and Savior.  We can't afford the cost of sin and we can't self-improve beyond its grasp as "all sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). What we need is a savior, someone able cover the cost of our sins, and that is Jesus alone!  He has, he can, he will - will you allow him to pay your cost?  Jus' Ask'n.

Unintended Consequences

You hear a lot about unintended consequences regarding laws that are passed and battles that are fought. When a law is passed to protect the environment, it often results in businesses being shut down and people losing their livelihood.   Attacking an enemy stronghold can easily cause the deaths of innocent civilians who had no part in the choice of war.

The possibility of unintended consequences isn't restricted to nation states. An individual choosing to answer a text while driving may wind up killing or being killed as their car careens into oncoming traffic or runs over a pedestrian. A young woman experimenting with drugs may give birth to an addicted baby. A police officer returning fire may hit a bystander.

Unintended consequences are always a possibility and should be given weight when making decisions. However, unintended consequences are not always negative nor to be avoided. For instance, laser weekend I was talking to people at an event regarding veteran issues when one veteran mentioned her fractured relationship with God.

I began to talk with her about God and his plans for her, how that her life mattered to Him and how turning back to Him could not only change her life but others as well. I talked about the fellowship of Christians an them impact of that fellowship. The young veteran told me what an encouragement our conversation had been and that she intended to find a church to be a part.

I hadn't gone there that day to talk about faith and Chritian community but I didn't pull back from the opportunity I followed the directions found in 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."  Her encouragement was not on my agenda that day but it was on God's. The unintended part of the consequence was only on my part.

When we set about the tasks of our day, there is always the possibility of unintended consequences for the kingdom, depending in our response to the opportunity before us. We need to be faithful to our calling as children of the King and be prepared for our day to be interrupted with kingdom work. As the apostle Paul put it, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Col 4:6). Jus' Say'n.

Value Added

In economics, the phrase "value added," is not just about the up side of a proposition - it is the value remaining after calculating the downside. Specifically, it is the sum of the unit profit, the unit depreciation cost, and the unit labor cost is the unit value added.

Yesterday I listened to a Dave Ramsey caller talk about the nearly half a million dollar student debt for a degree that promised a good but not great income. This individual wanted to know how much if a house to buy considering the starting income promised. Dave said to forget about buying a house or a nice car or making any unnecessary purchases until the debt was cleared up or the debt would follow them their entire adult life.

The problem the individual had was built on considering the sum of the promised income without considering the dollar cost of the education and the interest cost of the loan. What resulted was this individual becoming a highly educated but deeply indebted professional who would need to live like a poor college student for several years to dig out of it or face a life of making a good salary but a mediocre net income.

Some start but never finish a college degree program because they did not accurately factor in the time, effort and expense involved in acquiring that sheepskin. Many go on a diet but fail to achieve e the results or to maintain the results because it never occurred to them that the desired results required a lifetime of eating like a rabbit or drinking their nutrients. The actual cost of a lean body was more than what they had bargained for.

Exercise programs, self-improvement programs, foreign language programs, programs of all stripes promising fabulous results with minimum efforts and low dollar costs turning out to be difficult, time exhausting and expensive. Many have fine print lime a diet supplement adding at the end of an add, "Best results come with proper diet and exercise."  Trouble is most don't read the fine print or look closely at the cost verses reward ratio.

People often approach faith and religion in the same way, thinking that the new life in Christ is simply a matter of accepting some new ideas and perhaps showing up at the church building now and again.  Faith and religion is considered an add a n to their real life to be worked in when convenient.

But Jesus warns this is not so, that true discipleship warrants thoughtful consideration before taking it up:  “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish'" (Lk 14:28-30).

The true cost is a total life transformation and surrender to the Lord. The Christian Faith is not an add on, it is an adding up of everything you have, offering it to Jesus - your very life is demanded: "...whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14:27).

When one does count the cost verses the reward of this new life, the value added is immeasurably greater than the sum of the costs, but their is real and sustained cost to following the path of Jesus. He invites us to accept those costs and follow him but not without acknowledging them first. To follow Him is to stop charting your own course, it is to repent (change your mind and actions) a follow a new course. Consider the cost and the value added. Then come me to Jesus. Jus' Invitin'.

I Declare

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" (Rom 10:9-10).

So that's it, huh?  Just believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and verbalize that he is Lord, and you're in. That's easy enough. There's nothing to this salvation thing: Just believe it and announce it. Yeah...no!

Just believing something does not mean you accept it for yourself. Many believe they should stop smoking, eat more vegetables, get to bed earlier - whatever. That belief could be a life changer or it could only be an indictment of their poor choices. It depends on whether the belief makes the 12 inch journey from their head to their heart or not.

James tells us, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that---and shudder (Js 2:19).  The demons shudder because their head belief about God does not transfer to their heart acceptance of him as Lord. Paul's Staten of belief in the passage above results in a declaration of lordship.

A declaration is a statement of fact as in declaring at a border that you have or do not have certain things or intentions. The border guard isn't concerned with your words but the truth band them. And when he checks your car, your words had better match up with your declaration.

Paul says that a saving declaration is that you believe Jesus was raised from the dead - that you accept the prof of his divinity. And, based upon that truth, you accept him as Lord or as ruler if your life. That is fundamental to salvation but this declaration must match your life or it is a lie, which voids your declaration of belief.

Jesus asks us, "“Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Lk 6:46).  Why bother with the words ifs they do not match your actions?  If Jesus is your Lord, as you say, then your choices will be made based not his will not your will but his.

So, what about you, are your head and your heart in agreement?  Do you believe in the truth about Jesus and do you accept him as Lord?  Is your declaration real?  Does is resonate in your heart or just reside in your head?  Jus' Ask'n.

Crosswise

A word you don't hear much anymore is "crosswise."  It means to cut something from one corner to the other or from one side to the other.  It can also mean disagreement or conflict - to cut across as in drawing a line in the sand, so to speak.

It is a word that should describe the Christian life as our moral and ethical stands cut across the grain of secular society.  In a culture that debases human sexuality to the level of animal behavior, we are called to monogamous, marital purity and sanctity.  In a self-seeking world, looking out for number one; we are called to sacrifice self and seek the good of others as a priority.  In a world where the love of money is the root of all evil, we are called to the love of God, which is the root of all good.

We are not in this world to fit in, follow the crowd or accept cultural norms.  We are called to crosswise against the flow of society, to break the secular mold, to draw a counter-cultural line in the sand and invite others to join us in accepting the Kingdom of God, becoming followers or disciples of Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul put it this way: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Rom 12:2).

We are not to be "conformed" (form along with the grain of society) but rather to "transformed" (formed across or against the grain of society).  Rather than be cast in a secular mold, we are called to  cut crosswise society from one corner to the other, moving above and beyond its norms to that which reflects God's will for us, embracing Kingdom norms that transcend this world.

If you will allow me a little literary license, I want to close with a different slant on the word crosswise.  I want to challenge you to be wise in the way of the cross - to be crosswise in the sense of rejecting the foolishness of selfishness and embrace the wisdom of selflessness.  As Jesus put it: "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" (Lk 9:25).

So, here's the deal: Will you choose to be crosswise or cross-foolish?  Will you selfishly seek the treasures of this world that are limited to this world and its passing.  Or, will you selflessly choose the treasures of heaven and its eternal glory?  Will you be a modern day Moses, who "regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward" (Heb 11:26)?  Jus' Ask'n in a crosswise way.

The Last Train To Clarksville

The 1966 debut song of the Monkees, "The Last Train To Clarksville," was actually a protest song against the Veitnam War in which a young draftee pleads with his sweetheart to meet him at the train station before he gets shipped out.

His knows that there is a good possibility that he will not be coming home and he therefore never see her again.  He begs her not to be slow and miss the train for to do so would be to miss their one opportunity to be together, perhaps forever.

What if she decided she really wanted to sleep in that morning, deciding to catch a later train?  She would miss the only opportunity to see him as it was the last train or only train she could catch that would allow her to meet with him.  What if she chose to show up on time to the last train to Williamsburg?  Again, she would miss him as that was not his train.

Why was he being so narrow-minded?  Why didn't he tell her to take whatever train at whatever time she wanted?  Because there was only one train and one time slot that would connect her and him together before it was too late.  Any other train at any other time would not intersect the two sweethearts together.  He was not being closed-minded or bigoted against other trains or other times, he was just letting her know the only possibility of their being together.

When "Thomas said to [Jesus], 'Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (Jn 14:5-6).

He was not being narrow-minded or bigoted against other paths to the Father, he was honestly and openly revealing the only way to the Father.  It isn't that other ways aren't good enough, there are no other ways.  If we want to see the Father, Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only life.

As someone once said, "Jesus is the way - without him there is no going.  Jesus is the truth - without him there is no knowing.  Jesus is the life - without him there is no living."  He is poetically, The Last Train To Clarksville. Don't miss him.  Jus' Say'n.

Switching Seats

Decades ago there was a bumper sticker which read, "God Is My Co-Pilot."  It seemed like a good message of traveling with God next to you for the support and help needed along the way but it was soon debunked when another one came out with a corrective statement, "If God Is Your Co-Pilot, Switch Seats."

The second sticker rang out with a clarion clear message that having God along for support and help when the going got tough was allowing the wrong one to be in charge of the journey.  In fact, the first bumper sticker suggested being on the wrong journey entirely.

It is patently wrong to think that God's job is a support role in our journey, that we have a path to carve out and we will need God's help as we do it.  It is absolutely foolish to think that we are the one to choose our path and direct our steps, that rightly "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul" (from "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley).

The idea that I am the captain smacks of an elevation of self to the place of God himself, it is in keeping with the tradition of the original sin in which Eve was tempted to eat of the forbidden fruit by the serpent who hissed these words into hear listening ear, "...when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God..." (Gen 3:2).

A seemingly better focus can be just as misdirected when one wonders,"What is God's plan for my life?"  I hear this all the time and many put it forward in a plaintive way saying, "I wish I knew what God's plan is for my life!"  My life?  A custom-made plan for my individual journey?  Really?

Here's what's wrong with that query: It's not your life and it is not your plan!  "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).

You can stop wondering what God's plan is for your life and start listening to God as he reveals his plan and his call for you to join in his plan - to follow his path laid out before you, following in the steps of Jesus.  Through Bible study and prayer, his will and his path is laid out before us.  And, like Abram (later named Abraham), we are called to a journey in which God will show us as we follow his lead (cf. Gen 12:1ff).

We may never, in this life, fully see or comprehend that to which God calls us; it may always be just up ahead and out of view.  We may never see some grand plan laid out before us.  But we can see the opportunities to serve, give, help, teach, share, love that are all around us daily.  We can be follower of Jesus each day as we seek to be "salt and light" (Matt 5:13-16) in a dark and flavorless world.

Don't wait for the flight plan as if you were the captain, switch seats and let God have the controls.  Don't wait for a personal chart of your journey, instead daily strive to follow in the steps of the Master "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col 3:17).  Jus' Say'n.

Doing Belief

The day after Jesus had fed the crowd of 5,000 with five barley loaves and two fish, the crowd caught up with Jesus on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Upon their arrival, Jesus told them that he was aware that they did not seek him out because of the work of heaven in the miracle but because he provided a food source.

He warned them not to waste their lives just pursuing food that spoils but to work for food that endures to eternal life.  "Then they asked him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?' Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent'" (Jn 6:28-29).

Interesting that when they asked what works they should focus on, he told them instead in Whom to believe.  How was this the answer to the works or doing question?  Generally religious folk separate works on one hand and belief on the other, but Jesus puts them in the same hand.  How is that?

Here's the deal: To believe "in" is not simply to believe "that."  To believe that God exists, for instance, is not particularly a heavenly trait for "even the demons believe that" (Js 2:19).  But to "believe in" is the work of God because it changes the direction of one's life just as to believe in capitalism or to believe in socialism changes the course of a nation.  One could believe that either one exists without making any changes at all but cannot come to believe in without making changes.

So, to believe in is tantamount to placing trust in, to lean in or to walk in that direction.  To believe in is to adopt or to follow an ideal or an individual.  To believe in Jesus is to follow him, not just believe that he exists or even to be a a fan of his but to accept who and what he is to the point of following him as a course correction in one's life.

Real belief or biblical belief results in repentance (a change of mind that causes a change in direction).  When one comes to "believe in the one he has sent," he/she begins listening to and following after the teachings of Jesus - that person becomes a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ.

This is the work of God: To become a disciple of Jesus Christ, to pursue following in his steps as the primary direction in your life, to chose Jesus above all others, to make his life the template of your own.  Is that what you are doing?  Have you truly come to believe in Jesus Christ?  Are you doing belief or just having a belief?  Jus' Ask'n.

Too Much

When we take stock of what lies ahead of us, it can seem to be overpowering.  And, it may be, in fact, too much to handle as we consider the cost, the level of difficulty or the sheer volume of what we are called to face.

Just consider the cost of raising a child to the age of 18, which according to The Wall Street Journal is $245,340 (not adjusting for inflation) for one born in 2013.  If you have more than one child, do the math and think about earning the money needed to get the kids through high school.  Oh, and let's not forget the cost of college just to add the implausible to the impossible.

Now, think about all the hours, days, weeks, months and years you will put in on the job between starting to work and the day you retire, if you can afford to retire.  Consider all that will be required of you, all you will have to produce, all the people you will have to deal with, all the headaches that lie ahead.  And don't me started about lay offs, new job starts, retraining, and starting over.

What about all the challenges of building a marriage and family?  Or, all the gauntlets your kids will throw down before you, especially as they enter teen years?  And why not throw in house remodeling, auto repairing and computer upgrading - just to name a few of the constant variables.

There are much more and much more difficult things that lie ahead like failing health, deaths of loved ones, loss of jobs, relocating, failed marriages, blended families and storms of life that can boggle the mind.  It's all enough to cause the richest and wisest man in history, King Solomon, to lament, "Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Eccl 1:2).  In other word, "It's just all too much!"

The whole of life is just too much, seemingly impossible and yet Jesus promises, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible for you" (Matt 17:20).  The reason being is that while many things may be impossible for man, "With God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26).

I'm not saying that all things will be easy or even desirable, but I am saying that nothing is going to come your way that you and God can't handle.  Even too much is not so much when turned over to God and allowing him to bless us the way he wants.

Listen to the call of God's Son, “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" (Matt 11:28-30).  Jus' Say'n.

The Gift

So, Christmas is getting close again.  Chances are you'll be getting a gift.  Exactly what are you doing to earn that gift?  Maybe your birthday is between now and then.  If your spouse or parents or friends are planning on getting you gifts, how are you planning to pay them for their generosity?  What?  Oh, you didn't plan to pay?  Why not?  Because paying for gifts or earning them negates the gift.

So, if you pay for it or work to earn it, you are due what otherwise might be a gift.  Repaying, you say, takes the gift out of giving.  I see.  So, tell me then, why are we trying so hard to earn God's gift of salvation?  Why do so many people say to me, "I just don't know if I have been good enough or have done enough?"  Why do we wonder if we have earned God's gift of salvation?

The apostle Paul was more than a little clear in saying, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9).  Do you doubt he was being truthful?  Do you doubt the Spirit was revealing God's Word through him?  No?  Then perhaps it's time to stop trying to earn what God has given you.

Instead of trying to earn it, why not take the time and expend the energy being thankful for it and expressing your gratitude.  Why not try the gift on, wear it with pride, let others know how gracious God has been to you?  That is how a gift is received, not by trying to earn it or pay for it.  And, receiving a gift means that you actually embrace it.  The gift is taken out of the box and put to use as you thankfully integrate it into your life.

Freely receiving a gift doesn't mean there is no response on your part.  There is the expression of gratitude that naturally follows and there is the actual use of the gift.  This is true of God's gift as well.  Let's look at verse 10 of the passage above: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

God's gift of salvation from a world of sin and death brings us into a new life and a kingdom in which there are kingdom things to be doing, new life activities in which to be engaged.  His gift is not something to put on a shelf or tuck away for a rainy day (or fiery one, if you will).  His gift is not for then but for now and eternity.

Freely accept his gift and freely exercise it in your daily life.  Study his Word, spend time in relational prayer with him, bask in the freedom you have been given, share the glory of God that is yours.  But do not waste one second trying to earn the new life God has so graciously given you.  It is yours to enjoy not yours to repay.  Jus' Say'n.

Afraid? Not!

The words, "Afraid not" or the contraction often used "'Fraid not" come from the arduous and time consuming phrase "I'm afraid not."  Obviously too long and wordy to verbalize the entire collection of words at once.  In fact, 'fraid not has been finally taken down to "not."  Now we're getting somewhere.

Originally, the phrase meant, "I regret to say that I do not..."  Added to those words would be something like "...have anything for you," "...know where they are," and so on.  There is really not an element of fear in what is being said unless your were talking to someone who would not take no for an answer such as a taskmaster or a king or a brute of some sort.

The element of fear only comes because the relationship between the two principles is lacking in love.  When love exists, fear is replaced with understanding, acceptance and a willingness to forgive the shortfall of the other.  Where there is love, fear has no foundation.  Or as the Bible says:

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 Jn 4:18).

The grace imagery of the New Testament is in direct contrast to the law imagery of the Old, where failure often had immediate and direct consequences:

"You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: 'If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.'  The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, 'I am trembling with fear.' But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all...to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant...." (Heb 12:18-24).

Is there any reason at all for the child of God to fear in His presence?  I'm afraid not - 'fraid not - not. OK, one more: Not Even!  So, should you and I entertain the notion of fear knowing God is present and in control of our lives?  Should we be afraid?  Not!   Jus' Say'n.

Surprise Endings

Sitting in a chair next to her husband's bed, watching the man she has loved for decades slip away as she contemplates life without him.  What she is sure of is that this isn't how she thought life would turn out.  She pictured them growing old together but not going on without him.

Looking into her blank eyes that no longer recognize him as the man she married and raised a family with, he sees the bride he has loved all his adult life but she sees a stranger.  He had imagined so many things as he had dreamed of their life together but he had not imagined this.

The young mother of three sits on the edge of her husband's hospital bed as he gasps for breath with the aide of pumped oxygen, barely alive and soon not to be.  She had looked forward to so many things as they planned their lives together.  This was not one of them.

I have long since lost count of the number of people I've been with in their final days and hours but I can tell you with certainty how many were surprised at how life turned out: All of them.  Without exception, when I asked them if they had envisioned life turning out the way it had, they said, "No."

We dream of growing old together as in the words of the poet, "Come and grow old with me, the best is yet to come."  But we don't dream of growing frail, losing our memories and losing our mates.  We don't look down the road and see dementia or cancer or care taking for our bedridden mate.

We see time for coffee in the morning, long walks in the afternoon, cozy moments by the fireplace, bouncing grandchildren on our knees, traveling around the country, visiting old friends - golden years of a well-deserved retirement.  But we rarely envision life at the end and it, therefore, never ends the way we thought it would as we do think about the end.

Yet, we know.  We know that our heal will fail, that we will become elderly and frail, that we and our loved one will die one day, only not today, not yet, not now.  But that day does come and it comes for us all for "it is appointed man once to die and then the judgment" (Heb 4:29).

What if we did look forward to that day and that "great gettin' up day in the morning?"  What if we fully embraced the day of our death in Christ as we did our birth in him?  What if we talked about the wonder and the glory of dying in the Lord as our greatest goal in life?  What if we took the surprise out of the ending by keeping it in sight as the journey's end leading home?

What if death were a topic of discussion instead of a terror to be denied as we so often do when one expresses a sense of mortality: "Oh, don''t talk like that, you're going to be fine!"  He's old and sick, and he will be fine as soon as the Lord takes him home, but he is not fine now.  Death is as natural as life and it is the gateway to life eternal.  Why let it be a surprise that unhinged your world?  Why not let it be the icing on the cake of a life well lived?  Jus' Ask'n.

The Real You

So often you hear that a certain actor, who always seemed to be such a down-to-earth person in the movie rolls and even on the interview circuit, but in real life turn out to be a totally self-absorbed megalomaniac (super inflated sense of self-importance).  Politicians, perhaps, are the masters of this Jekyll and Hyde persona, where they are all smiles, hand shakes and baby-kissing machines on the stump but are rude, crude and condescending when the cameras are turned the other way.

It's easy to find examples of this kind of hypocrisy in the public arena, where being the focus of so much attention and the recipient of so many accolades, has produced a head-swelling, ego-inflated sense of self.  However, this disease is not limited to the celebrities, politicians and others for whom camera personas are projected to attract and maintain public support.

The two-faced posture of the professional actor or politician is a commonly employed ruse of the common man and woman.  What you see at church on Sunday and what you would see in their home on Monday can be totally different looks.  How one appears to the boss and how one looks to co-workers can be two completely separate pictures.

Back in the days when people still made sculptures, there would often be mistakes made that would be covered over with a colored wax.  A truly great sculpture would be described as "without wax."  This term became applied to anything that was authentic or "sincere."  The word sincere itself is a construct of two Latin words: sin (without) and cera (wax) - without wax.

In psychology circles, you hear the term "masking," which is hiding of one's true self by projecting a different persona - one that we think will be acceptable to whomever it may be we are facing at the moment.  We, in fact, don't have one mask but many as there are so many different settings in which we find ourselves.  Many just want to be accepted, some want to gain an advantage, others want to hide the ugliness they know is inside.

Whatever the reason, people tend to wear masks.  It takes time, effort and a genuine desire to get down to the real you as opposed to the projected you.  It takes the hard work of building trust ad providing safety found in a genuine relationship to get to the genuine person behind the mask.  It is not just a matter of asking someone to be authentic, there is also the matter of allowing them to do so.

Imagine, for instance, a Trump supporter being authentic at a Hillary rally or vice versa.  Or, imagine the wife of a jealous husband admitting she finds certain other men attractive.  Imagine a deacon admitting he is struggling with pornography.  Yeah, fun times - not!

But then imagine a world in which we could admit such things and be loved through the struggle instead of castigated or dismissed.  What if we truly followed the teachings of the Bible that instructs us to "confess your sins one to another so that you can be healed" (Js 5:16)?  Of course, we'd have to believe that we'd be lifted up instead of beat down, helped out instead of thrown out.

Question: Is you marriage a safe place to admit struggle?  Is you church a safe place to admit sin?  Are you a safe person to whom another can admit fault?  "The real you" we want to see as we look into the eyes of another is not truly possible to find as long as we are poised to attack that which is different than we are wanting to see.

Can we let the real them come to forefront and accept them as they are or while they are working to change?  Don't you want others to see the real you and still love you?  We need to change the paradigm of what unmasking leads to.  We need it to lead to help, healing and hope.  Jus' Say'n.

From Truth to Freedom

An often misunderstood passage of Scripture is found in John 8:32, which reads, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."  The misunderstanding is how the truth sets us free.  It is not, as many suppose that discovering the truth somehow takes away the chains that bind us as if realizing that one is an alcoholic suddenly frees one from the addiction or discovering that one has an eating disorder causes it to disappear.

While uncovering the truth is paramount in finding freedom from whatever holds us, that discovery itself will not break the chains of addiction, bad behavior or the like.  There is another component that is too often lest out as people tend to read the passage as a stand-alone text, which it is not.  There is a context in which it sits that must be discovered as well, which is the fullness of this "truth" that does result in freedom.

Let's read the passage again but this time with a bit of the context in which it was given: "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (Jn 8:31-32).  Jesus was not talking about simple head knowledge, he was talking about transformational knowledge that is based on trust and behavioral modification.

Moving from truth to freedom begins in trusting that following Jesus is the answer and then actually following or "holding on to" his teaching.  As we listen to the words of Jesus and begin to apply them to our lives, we discover his way is not only right but in him we receive power from above to free us from what has overpowered us for "he is able to do more than we can ask or imagine according to his power at work within us" (Eph 3:20).

So many discover that their addiction is bad and want to change, to give up alcohol or pornography or drugs or tobacco but are not able.  They are unable not because they have not found the truth but because they have not fully given in to the Author of that truth, they have not released the addiction to His power that lives within them, they have not yet found the truth that they really can "do all things through Christ who strengthens them" (Phil 2:13).

When one says "I can't stop drinking or smoking or lusting or whatever," they are correct.  But the truth found in trusting Jesus, holding on to his teaching, embracing his Spirit, can and will break the hold of whatever has been keeping you prisoner.  Jus' Say'n.

Three Little Words

Three little words, words of a children's song used in Sunday school for generations.  Perhaps the first song you learned, it was mine.  It is one of my earliest memories.  It is also a life-changing, soul-saving dynamic power when applied with that love channeled from the Father.

Yesterday, I was reading a story about a pastor in Juarez, who was sent to prison when he was two years old.  No, he was not part of the Mexican Diaper Mafia, his mother was a drug addict who found herself in prison and the authorities let her take him along.  He spent the next seven years roaming the prison halls as he wasn't seen as a threat.

He was, however, seen as a perfect candidate as an inside "mule," perfect for carrying drug orders between the adult prisoners.  He wasn't a criminal going in but he became a seasoned drug-runner by the time he and his mother were released when he was 11.

As you might imagine, he applied his trade on the outside and found himself back in prison on his own merits.  He said it was like a homecoming to him as he knew nearly everyone there and had a place immediately upon returning to the inside.

In and out of prison until he finally was finally put away for a minimum 40-year sentence for murder.  By this time, he was done with life.  He had no hope and no way out.  He attacked other inmates trying to get himself killed.  He was wounded very badly more than once but the authorities just didn't let him die.  Has confined to bed for six months after one such encounter.  Still he did not die.

Angry with the world, more than ready to find a way out, he was enraged one day when someone on the other side of the bars shared three little words with him: "Jesus loves you!"  Angered, not believing that anyone could love him, certainly not God, he turned away.  Shortly after, his mother died and he felt absolutely lost and unworthy of anyone's love or even of being allowed to live.

Instead of attacking another inmate, he asked to see the man who had told him that Jesus loved him.  In their conversation, he heard the love of God for the first time and his life was changed forevermore.  He said that he felt the need to shower and when he did, all his sin and worthiness seemed to wash off and run down the drain with the dirt from his body.

He then started a church in the prison, which grew to 500 inmates meeting regularly.  He had to learn how to read so he could know the Word better and share it more powerfully.  His was allowed to build a chapel on the prison grounds with money sent from the outside.  The chapel still stands today. The same chapel in which he met and married his wife who was also a drug dealer.

They were both released early and now pastor a church in Juarez, where they have taken in and are raising 19 children, many who were orphaned on the streets.  Those children who had no hope now make up the praise team of his church, with growing talents in leadership and a hope in Jesus that has set them on a new path of life and love.

Three little words, "Jesus Loves You," shared with conviction and love from one soul to another has set in motion a wave of life, hope and love that has impacted hundreds, if not thousands, and will continue rolling through the streets of Juarez as long as those three little words, "Jesus Loves You," keep being shared from one soul to another.

By the way, did you know that Jesus loves you too?  Jus' Shar'n.

The Wrong Stuff

The 1983 movie, "The Right Stuff," chronicled 15 years of the United States' space program.  The movie depicted the challenges and frustrations of the Mercury astronauts who were responsible for the first manned space flights in our country's history.

But what if they didn't have the right stuff?  What if they had everything else but?  What if they had all the talent, all the equipment, all the resources, all the opportunities but did not have that thing within them, which allowed them to persevere and accomplish what seemed impossible back in the 1940s and 1950s when they pushed the limits of technology, physical ability and personal circumstance?

What if they had focused on their personal level of comfort and safety instead of the necessary demands and rigors required of test pilots pushing the envelope of space itself?  What if they insisted on their personal rights instead of what was right for the space program?  What if they allowed themselves to settle for doing what was required of them instead of going above and beyond what should have been expected?  What if they had the wrong stuff?

America became the leader in space because men like the Mercury Seven had the right stuff, the stuff that allowed them to do what others would not dare to do.  What they had was an inner desire that would not accept ordinary or conventional.  They set aside personal for purpose because they had a vision of greatness.  Our success in outer space rested on the stuff these men had.

It is no different among people of faith in pursuing kingdom goals.  Success in overcoming the challenges and frustrations of following Jesus in doing the right thing requires the right stuff.  Insisting on what is best instead of good enough, isn't easy.  Choosing to do the right thing instead of the safe or comfortable thing is risky business.  Putting kingdom purpose above your personal desires is not common, it is courageous.  But, that attitude, that willingness, that desire is what produces the right stuff.

The apostle Paul declared, "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Phil 3:7-10).

Too many settle for the wrong stuff, the stuff of personal safety, personal comfort, personal gain and, generally speaking, personal pursuits instead of godly purpose.  As Christians, we need to develop an inner desire that seeks nothing less than the will of God in our lives.  Anything else is the wrong stuff.  Jus' Say'n.

Getting There

You had a dream and you just knew that when you got there everything would be great.  You envisioned yourself in that better job, in that bigger house, having finished that degree, whatever the dream at the journey's end, you imagined how fulfilling, how wonderful, how awesome it would be.  But in reality there was a bit of a let down, it wasn't what you thought, it left you feeling there should be more.

What we find is that the anticipation in getting there and the actual process of getting there are often more meaningful than actually getting there.  Each step along the way we feel this sense of accomplishment, we watch as the goal gets closer and closer in view.  Emotions rise and the growing nearness of achieving that goal heightens our senses.

The thing is that while we tend to put all our focus on finally getting there, what we often miss out on is that the process of getting there is where much of the excitement and reward is found.  It is not just reaching the top, it is the journey to the top as well.  What we miss by focusing only on the goal is the value of the journey.

Taking time to savor the steps in between the beginning and the end is so important.  In order to get the full benefit of getting there, we must take joy in getting there, celebrate the steps along the way, allow yourself to feel the sense of accomplishment as you achieve smaller and intermediate goals.

The prophet Zechariah warns us "do not despise the day of small things" (4:10).  The Psalmist proclaims, "The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad" (118:24).  And the apostle Paul tells us to "Rejoice always!  Again I will say, 'Rejoice!'" (Phil 4:4).  The point being that it is not someday when that something big happens that we should allow ourselves to celebrate.  We ought to be celebrating every day along the way.

It is not in the accomplishing of goals God sets in our hearts alone but in every step of the journey as we humbly and obediently serve God along the way in small and big things.  The joy of the journey's end can be found just as much in the getting there as in having got there and to miss that part leaning forward, living in the future, we miss the joy of today and diminish the joy of tomorrow. Jus' Say'n.

Chickens and Christians

When the subject of church attendance comes up, people often tell me: "I don't need to go to church, I can worship God anywhere."  My response generally surprises them as I will say they are correct and then go further in saying: "Sitting in a church house will not make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a hen house will make you a chicken."

They typically smile or chuckle in agreement just before I add, "But you will find that chickens do gather in hen houses for the same reason that Christians gather in church houses: Other chickens are there."  Christians gather in churches, not to be saved but for the support and encouragement of other Christians.

This is, of course, a natural desire to gather with like-minded folk but, more than that, it is God directed: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another---and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb 10:25).

The fact one can worship anywhere, with or without others, does not negate God's call to assemble to encourage each other. You can worship by yourself but you can't encourage or be encouraged by others by yourself.

God didn't intend for Christians, anymore than chickens, to go it alone. It is not just about you or me, church is about us. Specifically, it is about us helping each other to be about God's business of reaching, teaching and enriching the lives of others. God's purpose for you never includes you by yourself. Jus' Say'n.

One Thousand

As I opened up my Dr Ds Chaplain Chat page, I was greeted with the notation "previous blogs available, all 999."  That makes this blog # 1000.  When I began this back in 2013, I couldn't imagine I had 1000 thoughts in my head, let alone articles.  And, of course, I didn't - not original thoughts at least.

I have a firm belief that an original thought is the sign of a poor memory.  None of our thoughts are original.  Every thought in our heads comes from an outside source to begin with.  We don't create thoughts, we cogitate on, mull over or chew on ideas.  In the end, we have perhaps branded a thought with our research, experiences, personality and reflection.

What I have to say comes from a lifetime of experiences, countless discussions, a parade of college and graduate classes, scores of seminars and enough books to have required a small forest to produce.  But, the ultimate Source and the final stamp of my thought come from my relationship with God.  He is the foundation of all I know as "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (Js 1:17).

True, my education and experiences have shaped my thinking process and content, but those along with the ability to think come from God who gave me life, opportunities and the ability to think.  But at the end of the day, all I know comes from God "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:3).  Every other source is secondary, pointing me back to the Creator of everything there is to be known.

So, the only credit I can honestly take for the 1000 blogs over the last three years is that I have been willing to take what God has given me, shaped by the very gifts that come from Him, and pass them on to you.  Perhaps there is some application of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30 (take a moment to read it sometime).  Hopefully I have been faithful in taking what God has given me and put it to work in the Kingdom.

Thank you for taking the time to read my musings and thanks be to God for gifting me with the ability and opportunity to share what I have been afforded.  Jus' Say'n for the 1000th time.

Strength and Dignity

Missy Franklin is a multi-gold medal Olympic champion with a University of Berkly education and lucrative endorsement deals.  But Missy has something much more valuable than all of that, something that is reflected in a tiny inscription inside her brightly colored swimming goggles: "With Strength and Dignity."

Pulled from the pool during a workout at the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia and carried back to her motel room, unable to move she was struck with the realization that she was not in control and that she needed to give everything over to God.

Knowing that she cannot control everything but can trust in God has allowed her to be satisfied with doing her best whether her performance is up to her usual standards or not.  She works hard to achieve the strength and endurance needed to win but chooses to face the outcome with the dignity of one who trusts in the Lord.

Missy's mantra comes from the pages of the Bible that talks about the character of a worthy woman: "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come" (Prov 31:25).  While she appreciates all the advantages and opportunities her swimming skill has afforded her, she puts her trust in God alone, which allows her to face the future unafraid, regardless of the current turn of events.

At a very young age, Missy has learned the secret of a truly blessed life.  She has come to accept and appreciate what God has given her but not to put her trust in herself or what she has.  She has chosen a path, which keeps God in her sights at all times: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Prov 3:5-6).

Whether you are young or vintage, male or female, skilled or novice; I encourage you to walk this path, following in the steps of Jesus, unafraid, confident that wherever he leads you, you will be on solid ground.  Jus' Say'n.