Matthew 22:16 is one of hose Bible verses often quoted even by those who never read it and have no idea of the context. It is not surprising that non-Christians or those nominally attending church services but not given to Bible study would misapply the passage but I am surprised how many faithful Bible class attenders misunderstand the quote as well.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard seasoned Christians talk about the last being first and the first sing last as if they would be trading places. The thought expressed is that of perhaps the poor becoming rich while the rich become poor or the powerful becoming weak wile the weak become powerful. I can even recall illustrations where people were lined up an then the end of the lie went in first - good illustration for a poorly conceived point.
He context of the passage is that of day workers being hired for a day's wages. Some were hired early in the day, others hired as the day progressed and some at the last hour of the day. When they lined up to be paid, the last ones hired were the first ones o be paid, going up the line to the first to be hired. They assumed that he would pay them more but he paid everyone the a full day's wages, even those only working an hour. Those working a fully day received the same wage - a day's pay.
Everyone was stunned but the wee of the field reminded them of their agreement on wages and that they had been paid in full. The fact that he wanted to be generous to others was not their call r when their business. The point was that the owner rewarded wanted to give everyone enough. A day's wage would feed a family for a day, paying anyone less, though he had the right, would leave them short. Instead he determined that all, from last to the first, would be the same in receiving enough.
The point isn't about trading places but being placed together in standing so that each had enough. The greater point is that it is the owner's prerogative to give not the workers' right to demand. What we determine as fair has no bearing on the decisions of a Sovereign God. We cannot obligate him by our perceived standards of conduct.
God will do as he pleases and he pleases to elevate everyone who comes to him, regardless of when in life they come. Early or late, his grace covers all our sins and we all stand equally righteous before him by that grace, not our works. Giving equally to all that come to him, whenever they come to him - that's so God. Jus' Say'n.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
Understanding God
"Why God?" I hear that question quite often as I minister to terminally ill patients and their families. Of course, there is no answer I could give them that would truly suffice. What possible response would allow them to think, "Oh, I see! I'm glad to hear that. I am totally good with thus death, niw that you say that." Really? No, not really!
The fact of the matter is that we don't need clarity in times like these, we need faith. To even know that God caused or simply allowed the loss and why that might have or have not been is beyond us to begin with for as the prophet revealed, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa 55:9).
We see and understand from a very narrow and limited viewpoint, while "He [God] sits enthroned above the circle of the earth" (Isa 40-:22). God sees everything and everyone. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). What we don't know is how or why there wasn't some other way. Nonetheless, we can trust in God's love, power and goodness.
Do you remember the biblical narrative where Jesus is in the garden and his weakened humanity cried out, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matt 26:39)? His human frame was stretched to the limit and could not fully understand, in the moment, why the burden of the cross was absolutely necessary. Nonetheless, while his clarity was dimmed by the emotional strain of what lay before him, his trust factor allowed him to say "Yes, Father, let your will be done."
What allowed Jesus to accept the burden of the cross along with the weight of mankind's sins and the subsequent separation from the Father was not clarity but faith. Jesus trusted the Father to be good and holy and righteous. He trusted Him to do the right thing even while he himself struggled with it.
You and I need to adopt the same posture of faith and humility that allows us to let go and let God be in charge of our lives regardless of our understanding of the moment. We need to allow our faith to inform our circumstances rather than the other way around. It is not his purpose we need to understand but his person we need to trust. Jus' Say'n.
The fact of the matter is that we don't need clarity in times like these, we need faith. To even know that God caused or simply allowed the loss and why that might have or have not been is beyond us to begin with for as the prophet revealed, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa 55:9).
We see and understand from a very narrow and limited viewpoint, while "He [God] sits enthroned above the circle of the earth" (Isa 40-:22). God sees everything and everyone. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). What we don't know is how or why there wasn't some other way. Nonetheless, we can trust in God's love, power and goodness.
Do you remember the biblical narrative where Jesus is in the garden and his weakened humanity cried out, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matt 26:39)? His human frame was stretched to the limit and could not fully understand, in the moment, why the burden of the cross was absolutely necessary. Nonetheless, while his clarity was dimmed by the emotional strain of what lay before him, his trust factor allowed him to say "Yes, Father, let your will be done."
What allowed Jesus to accept the burden of the cross along with the weight of mankind's sins and the subsequent separation from the Father was not clarity but faith. Jesus trusted the Father to be good and holy and righteous. He trusted Him to do the right thing even while he himself struggled with it.
You and I need to adopt the same posture of faith and humility that allows us to let go and let God be in charge of our lives regardless of our understanding of the moment. We need to allow our faith to inform our circumstances rather than the other way around. It is not his purpose we need to understand but his person we need to trust. Jus' Say'n.
Friday, January 27, 2017
New Hope
The couple had done everything asked of them by the Veteran Service Officer (VSO), the VA received all the necessary documentation bt their claim was denied. The VSO assured them that their claim was solid but the VA denied them just the same.
Their social worker contacts me, asking that I try to help. I went to their home to assess their claim, which I found to be very solid. I told them that I would be willing to help them file. However the spouse was not convinced it would be worth it as they had already went through the process and were turned down. She was beaten down and absent hope.
I told her I understood and it was their choice but I was not asking them to do it all again but would be lodging a formal disagreement with the VA, challenging their ruling, asking for a hearing by a Decision Review Officer (DRO) at the Regional Office. We would not be going through the same thing again, we would be going over it.
I told them I cLyle not promise what the final outcome would be but that their was real hope for a better outcome. Their pained looks and tearful eyes turned to hopeful expressions of light dancing in those eyes and hopeful smiles upon their faces.
While I could not give them guarantees, I could offer new hope. That is what so many are looking so desperately for today, something to hold on to, a bit of new hope. The final thing I offered them was a prayer. We stood in their living room, holding hands and petitioning the Father for his blessings in their life and intervention with the VA. They were beaming as I left, expressing extreme gratitude though I had done nothing, nothing except helped them come to hope again.
When we carefully and prayerfully intervene in the lives of people wth whom God intersects our lives, we can be agents of hope. In Christ there is always hope and my prayer for you is, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15:13). Jus' Say'n
Their social worker contacts me, asking that I try to help. I went to their home to assess their claim, which I found to be very solid. I told them that I would be willing to help them file. However the spouse was not convinced it would be worth it as they had already went through the process and were turned down. She was beaten down and absent hope.
I told her I understood and it was their choice but I was not asking them to do it all again but would be lodging a formal disagreement with the VA, challenging their ruling, asking for a hearing by a Decision Review Officer (DRO) at the Regional Office. We would not be going through the same thing again, we would be going over it.
I told them I cLyle not promise what the final outcome would be but that their was real hope for a better outcome. Their pained looks and tearful eyes turned to hopeful expressions of light dancing in those eyes and hopeful smiles upon their faces.
While I could not give them guarantees, I could offer new hope. That is what so many are looking so desperately for today, something to hold on to, a bit of new hope. The final thing I offered them was a prayer. We stood in their living room, holding hands and petitioning the Father for his blessings in their life and intervention with the VA. They were beaming as I left, expressing extreme gratitude though I had done nothing, nothing except helped them come to hope again.
When we carefully and prayerfully intervene in the lives of people wth whom God intersects our lives, we can be agents of hope. In Christ there is always hope and my prayer for you is, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15:13). Jus' Say'n
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Profit and Loss
Everything costs something. For everything we gain we can expect to give up something. It is not an anomaly or even a negative, in particular, it is just the cost of exchange. Even a gift is not free as it costs the giver somethings. As the old saying goes, "There ain't no free lunch. "
The concern is not that there is a cost but how much of a cost relative to the gain. Jesus spoke of a man who sold all he had in order to purchase a single pearl that was of great worth (Matt 13:45-46). On the other hand, there has been more than a few younger siblings that have traded a tiny little dime for five bigger pennies - their profit was not equal to their loss.
Often times an individual will spend an evening gambling and walk away saying they won a certain amount of money when, in fact, they have spent more than that amount winning it. Some gamblers have gone as far as losing their home and family in pursuit of the elusive "Big Win!" But even if they were to win it, would it truly be worth the price? Would their profit outweigh their loss?
How much profit would be enough to make up for the loss of your family, your health, your integrity? "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).
It has been said that we spend the first half of our lives sacrificing our health to gain wealth and then spend the last half spending our wealth trying to regain our health. What we took for granted while we were young we cannot regain when we are old. Too often we pass up making memories and maintaining relationships, which are the only two things that can last forever. in favor of accumulating wealth that must be left behind.
So tell me, if you were called on to present a P&L sheet (profit and loss) for your life, what would it show? Are you satisfied with the exchange rate? Will your profit be worth your loss? Jus' Ask'n.
The concern is not that there is a cost but how much of a cost relative to the gain. Jesus spoke of a man who sold all he had in order to purchase a single pearl that was of great worth (Matt 13:45-46). On the other hand, there has been more than a few younger siblings that have traded a tiny little dime for five bigger pennies - their profit was not equal to their loss.
Often times an individual will spend an evening gambling and walk away saying they won a certain amount of money when, in fact, they have spent more than that amount winning it. Some gamblers have gone as far as losing their home and family in pursuit of the elusive "Big Win!" But even if they were to win it, would it truly be worth the price? Would their profit outweigh their loss?
How much profit would be enough to make up for the loss of your family, your health, your integrity? "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).
It has been said that we spend the first half of our lives sacrificing our health to gain wealth and then spend the last half spending our wealth trying to regain our health. What we took for granted while we were young we cannot regain when we are old. Too often we pass up making memories and maintaining relationships, which are the only two things that can last forever. in favor of accumulating wealth that must be left behind.
So tell me, if you were called on to present a P&L sheet (profit and loss) for your life, what would it show? Are you satisfied with the exchange rate? Will your profit be worth your loss? Jus' Ask'n.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Solitary Thinking
One definition of a fool would be "one who I never in doubt but seldom correct,". What cause that state o being is what I would call "solitary thinking" or coming to conclusions while refusing to hear any outside rationale. The fool is comfortable resting on his/her solitary thoughts without the burden of weighing in any dissenting voices. Having come to a conclusion, the foo does not allow even facts to sway him/her. As the saying goes, "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts."
There is a lot of that going on from the city streets to the halls of congress. I listened to a reporter ask a woman in the recent march in Washington, "What exactly are you marching about?" Rather than engage in dialogue, she began to accuse him of being a racist, a misogynist, a homophobe, etc. Her mind was fully made up, she had no interest in discussing, defending or even defining what her reasoning might be. Apparently, one ether supported her actions wholesale, without question or he/she was an enemy. There would be no give and take of conversation, only capitulation to unipolar thinking.
Regardless of how pervasive this kind of thinking may be, it is perverse. It is childish, it is divisive, it is patently foolish: "The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice" (Prov 12:15). The fool, despite how strongly they hold to their beliefs, are weak thinkers because they do not allow the pain of cross-examination to sharpen their thinking.
The truth of Solomon's statement, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Pr 27:17) would not be true if the two pieces of iron always went in the same direction or the two individuals always agreed. Growth in intellect only happens when confronted with dissension of thought. And, even then, only when the ears are employed in concert with the mouth. Jus' Say'n.
There is a lot of that going on from the city streets to the halls of congress. I listened to a reporter ask a woman in the recent march in Washington, "What exactly are you marching about?" Rather than engage in dialogue, she began to accuse him of being a racist, a misogynist, a homophobe, etc. Her mind was fully made up, she had no interest in discussing, defending or even defining what her reasoning might be. Apparently, one ether supported her actions wholesale, without question or he/she was an enemy. There would be no give and take of conversation, only capitulation to unipolar thinking.
Regardless of how pervasive this kind of thinking may be, it is perverse. It is childish, it is divisive, it is patently foolish: "The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice" (Prov 12:15). The fool, despite how strongly they hold to their beliefs, are weak thinkers because they do not allow the pain of cross-examination to sharpen their thinking.
The truth of Solomon's statement, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Pr 27:17) would not be true if the two pieces of iron always went in the same direction or the two individuals always agreed. Growth in intellect only happens when confronted with dissension of thought. And, even then, only when the ears are employed in concert with the mouth. Jus' Say'n.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
The Pot And The Kettle
There is an old saying to express hypocrisy, "Well, that's the pot calling the kettle black." Back when meals were prepared over an open fire of wood, every pot and kettle turned black. Pointing out the discoloration in another while ignoring your own is hypocrisy.
Jesus called out the religious leaders of his day saying, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean" (Matt 23:27). They presented themselves as one thing but in reality were the other. This too is hypocrisy.
Pretending to be what you are not or accusing another of what you are just as guilty is hypocrisy. I saw it in some if the celebrities protesting against President Trump for lowering the value of women in some comments he has made over years while they have made a career of doing precisely that. Celebrities like Madonna, Lady Ga Ga and Miley Cyrus sexually objectify womanhood in their acts daily. They are lewd, crude and rude while accusing him of being insensitive. While I have no desire to defend the President's crude statements, I cannot help note their extreme hypocrisy.
The objectification of women as sexual objects is a multi-billion dollar industry that exists partly because women like those mentioned above gain notoriety and wealth while promoting it. Rap music, which is misogyny on steroids, is popular among women as well as men. There is a bug problem in this country of women being sexually objectified but it is not being introduced by the President.
He has had his problems and I hope he will do better but the problem runs much deeper and wider than any one person. And the answer will not be found in a new President, it will only be found in a new attitude among the women who accept and/or project objectification of womanhood.
My wife, who has taken a dim view of these crude displays and loud protests for a change, offered this suggestion: "Be the change you want to see." Brilliant! If you want to take the power out of the sexual devaluation of women, refuse to participate. Don't support lewdness in the arts or media, don't mimic it in your dress or actions, choose a different path and others will begin to follow.
Our President needs to do better, men in general need to do better, but women cannot afford to leave the change needed in the hands of men alone. Women need to reject it in the women they choose to follow and in their individual lives. Change can come if we expect it and encourage it in others and ourselves. Jus' Say'n.
Jesus called out the religious leaders of his day saying, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean" (Matt 23:27). They presented themselves as one thing but in reality were the other. This too is hypocrisy.
Pretending to be what you are not or accusing another of what you are just as guilty is hypocrisy. I saw it in some if the celebrities protesting against President Trump for lowering the value of women in some comments he has made over years while they have made a career of doing precisely that. Celebrities like Madonna, Lady Ga Ga and Miley Cyrus sexually objectify womanhood in their acts daily. They are lewd, crude and rude while accusing him of being insensitive. While I have no desire to defend the President's crude statements, I cannot help note their extreme hypocrisy.
The objectification of women as sexual objects is a multi-billion dollar industry that exists partly because women like those mentioned above gain notoriety and wealth while promoting it. Rap music, which is misogyny on steroids, is popular among women as well as men. There is a bug problem in this country of women being sexually objectified but it is not being introduced by the President.
He has had his problems and I hope he will do better but the problem runs much deeper and wider than any one person. And the answer will not be found in a new President, it will only be found in a new attitude among the women who accept and/or project objectification of womanhood.
My wife, who has taken a dim view of these crude displays and loud protests for a change, offered this suggestion: "Be the change you want to see." Brilliant! If you want to take the power out of the sexual devaluation of women, refuse to participate. Don't support lewdness in the arts or media, don't mimic it in your dress or actions, choose a different path and others will begin to follow.
Our President needs to do better, men in general need to do better, but women cannot afford to leave the change needed in the hands of men alone. Women need to reject it in the women they choose to follow and in their individual lives. Change can come if we expect it and encourage it in others and ourselves. Jus' Say'n.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Hidden Figures
My wife and I just went to see "Hidden Figures," a movie based on the true story of three African American women marginalized as workers in NASA's "Colored Computer Department." Each of these women were brilliant Anne one was pure genius but all were held to low-paying temporary number cruncher positions due to race and gender.
Against all odds and the racially bigoted social norms of the day they persevered, courageously proving themselves worthy of a place beside and even ahead of white male and female counterparts. They held positions never held by a black woman before and became indispensable parts of our Space Program taking our astronauts into orbit and back, and even to the moon.
They overcame the inequities of the day, not by the angry and even violent protests of today demanding something be given them. But rather with grace and quiet strength they proved themselves and turned not only hearts but turned a government agency on its ear, raising them to the positions in which they deserved to be.
They weren't loud and proud, in your face noise-makers, window-breakers and car burners I've watching on the news, they were quiet and humble forces of nature that would not accept the limits placed on them but steadily pushed the social boundaries, winning the respect of white counterparts and eroding the color and gender barrier of 1960s NASA.
As I think about these women, I am reminded of the words of Jesus: "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matt 23:12); the non-violent movement of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the quiet strength of Mother Teresa. Jesus words were lived out in their lives, rocking the world and advancing real change.
The three women, upon which the movie was based, stand in that same square, becoming powerful forces effecting real and lasting change emulating the humble spirit of Christ found in heroes of faith and action like Martin and Teresa. I was humbled by their strength and their spirit. Jus' Say'n.
Against all odds and the racially bigoted social norms of the day they persevered, courageously proving themselves worthy of a place beside and even ahead of white male and female counterparts. They held positions never held by a black woman before and became indispensable parts of our Space Program taking our astronauts into orbit and back, and even to the moon.
They overcame the inequities of the day, not by the angry and even violent protests of today demanding something be given them. But rather with grace and quiet strength they proved themselves and turned not only hearts but turned a government agency on its ear, raising them to the positions in which they deserved to be.
They weren't loud and proud, in your face noise-makers, window-breakers and car burners I've watching on the news, they were quiet and humble forces of nature that would not accept the limits placed on them but steadily pushed the social boundaries, winning the respect of white counterparts and eroding the color and gender barrier of 1960s NASA.
As I think about these women, I am reminded of the words of Jesus: "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matt 23:12); the non-violent movement of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the quiet strength of Mother Teresa. Jesus words were lived out in their lives, rocking the world and advancing real change.
The three women, upon which the movie was based, stand in that same square, becoming powerful forces effecting real and lasting change emulating the humble spirit of Christ found in heroes of faith and action like Martin and Teresa. I was humbled by their strength and their spirit. Jus' Say'n.
Friday, January 20, 2017
From Civil Rights To Uncivil Left
Democrat Congressman Lewis is regarded as a Civil Rights Icon. He stood with Martin Luther King against the injustice of segregation and was unjustly beaten as they crossed the bridge in the march to Selma. He was a man with a cause and as a result, he helped bridge the gap becoming an African American member of Congress, and living to see the first African American president.
But just now his cause is leading far lest members of Congress in an uncivil resistance to the peaceful transfer of power from the left to the right by refusing to attend the inauguration of the President-Elect, Donald J. Trump because he disapproves and denies his legitimacy (He boycotted George W. Bush's as well).
He, along others like Congresswoman Elizabeth Warren have vowed never to work with the new President. Considering that he will be signing bills into law for the next four to eight years would suggest that they intend to accomplish nothing or at least not be a part of getting anything done for their next two to four terms in Congress.
So, it would appear to me that their intent is to continue fueling a divided America. But to what end? Will this dug in form of opposition bring about an advancement in the common good of our nation? Will insisting that everyone move left result in righting the failures of our nation state? Will we be safer, more prosperous, more peaceful or make more progress as a nation?
Le me take you where I always want to go for answers to life's questions, the words of Jesus: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand" (Matt 12:25).
Drawing lines and closing doors leads only to disruption and derailing. Unless we choose to work together, hammering out our differences instead of hammering on each other, the inner cities will continue their downward spiral, poverty will continue its strangle hold on the most vulnerable, the disrespect of other nations will continue to rise, nothing good will come from the bad posture of a nation divided. Jus' Say'n.
But just now his cause is leading far lest members of Congress in an uncivil resistance to the peaceful transfer of power from the left to the right by refusing to attend the inauguration of the President-Elect, Donald J. Trump because he disapproves and denies his legitimacy (He boycotted George W. Bush's as well).
He, along others like Congresswoman Elizabeth Warren have vowed never to work with the new President. Considering that he will be signing bills into law for the next four to eight years would suggest that they intend to accomplish nothing or at least not be a part of getting anything done for their next two to four terms in Congress.
So, it would appear to me that their intent is to continue fueling a divided America. But to what end? Will this dug in form of opposition bring about an advancement in the common good of our nation? Will insisting that everyone move left result in righting the failures of our nation state? Will we be safer, more prosperous, more peaceful or make more progress as a nation?
Le me take you where I always want to go for answers to life's questions, the words of Jesus: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand" (Matt 12:25).
Drawing lines and closing doors leads only to disruption and derailing. Unless we choose to work together, hammering out our differences instead of hammering on each other, the inner cities will continue their downward spiral, poverty will continue its strangle hold on the most vulnerable, the disrespect of other nations will continue to rise, nothing good will come from the bad posture of a nation divided. Jus' Say'n.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Despising Wisdom
In Proverbs 1:7 we read, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." The word for fear in this passage is equivalent to having proper respect. It is to fully appreciate that God is not man but rather Creator, just as Thomas Jefferson penned in our Declaration of Independence.
Our nation was not built on the notion that we are are so great that all must give way to us but rather that God is so great and that he has given us the right of self-determination, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
That is not to say that we get to have everything we want, every time we want it but that we have the right to pursue it. Too many think they have the right to demand what they want, believing it only right to get what they demand.
Their are many in Hollywood, the media, in Congress and Democrats from across the nation who feel they have been robbed of their right to have their candidate ascend to the office of president. But the fact is that while they had the right to pursue that outcome, their is no right to demand it.
We, as humans, are not in charge of the outcomes of life. We can do our best to raise our children right, only be very disappointed. We can save for retirement, only to see it swallowed up in health costs. Non-smokers sometimes get lung cancer, healthy eaters can develop diabetes, college graduates can wind up flipping burgers.
This, to me is the laughable part of the climate change initiative, that we think we can actually determine the climate of the earth. I have no doubt that the earth's climate is changing. There is amble evidence the world has gone through multiple Ice Ages and periods of warming to follow. Are we to believe that we could cause or prevent these global shifts in climate - really?
Are we to believe that we can actually bring peace to the Middle East when there has bee fighting going on for as long as it has existed? We can't even bring peace to the streets of Chicago. While you or I can choose not to be prejudiced, can we really wipe out prejudice and bigotry from the land entirely? Can we really wipe out all diseases? There is a "Super Bug" that antibiotics are not containing already and cancer cells are morphing to defeat our treatments as I'm writing.
There are thing so out of our control and we are fools to believe otherwise, and even greater fools to not recognize that our only true hope is in God, in his promise of redemption and life in Christ. Many are fools indeed, refusing to acknowledge The Creator and his power over the creation, thinking themselves "Captain of their own Destiny." We're not even first mate.
Think about your life and all that has happened. Have you really been in control? Think of the state of our union, have we really got things under control? Consider the world around us, do we have that under control? Do we really think that we don't need a Savior?
We think we are really wise but the truth is that to think so highly of ourselves is to foolishly despise the wisdom of knowing God and living under his banner. Rejecting God is to reject his good and righteous control over our lives and the life he offers. Jus' Say'n.
Our nation was not built on the notion that we are are so great that all must give way to us but rather that God is so great and that he has given us the right of self-determination, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
That is not to say that we get to have everything we want, every time we want it but that we have the right to pursue it. Too many think they have the right to demand what they want, believing it only right to get what they demand.
Their are many in Hollywood, the media, in Congress and Democrats from across the nation who feel they have been robbed of their right to have their candidate ascend to the office of president. But the fact is that while they had the right to pursue that outcome, their is no right to demand it.
We, as humans, are not in charge of the outcomes of life. We can do our best to raise our children right, only be very disappointed. We can save for retirement, only to see it swallowed up in health costs. Non-smokers sometimes get lung cancer, healthy eaters can develop diabetes, college graduates can wind up flipping burgers.
This, to me is the laughable part of the climate change initiative, that we think we can actually determine the climate of the earth. I have no doubt that the earth's climate is changing. There is amble evidence the world has gone through multiple Ice Ages and periods of warming to follow. Are we to believe that we could cause or prevent these global shifts in climate - really?
Are we to believe that we can actually bring peace to the Middle East when there has bee fighting going on for as long as it has existed? We can't even bring peace to the streets of Chicago. While you or I can choose not to be prejudiced, can we really wipe out prejudice and bigotry from the land entirely? Can we really wipe out all diseases? There is a "Super Bug" that antibiotics are not containing already and cancer cells are morphing to defeat our treatments as I'm writing.
There are thing so out of our control and we are fools to believe otherwise, and even greater fools to not recognize that our only true hope is in God, in his promise of redemption and life in Christ. Many are fools indeed, refusing to acknowledge The Creator and his power over the creation, thinking themselves "Captain of their own Destiny." We're not even first mate.
Think about your life and all that has happened. Have you really been in control? Think of the state of our union, have we really got things under control? Consider the world around us, do we have that under control? Do we really think that we don't need a Savior?
We think we are really wise but the truth is that to think so highly of ourselves is to foolishly despise the wisdom of knowing God and living under his banner. Rejecting God is to reject his good and righteous control over our lives and the life he offers. Jus' Say'n.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Humble High
If there is one dish that Americans are loathe to eat, it is humble pie. Having been born a nation by casting off the British Crown, our DNA is encoded to resist humbling ourselves before any man. Dozens of Democratic congressional leaders are boycotting the Inauguration of our new President because they feel he is not fit to be their president, despite the fact that he overwhelmingly won the Electoral Vote.
They feel their candidate and their ideology to be superior in every way, and the effort of the Russians to disrupt and disqualify our political process is the nail upon which they hang their angst. Rather than look to the flaws their candidate brought to the race, the missed opportunities to visit certain states that were lost, the fact that over a billion dollars was spent and the backing of media elites and the current Administration did not sway the Electorate enough mover come the reality of the state of affairs; they choose to look own their noses at the other flawed candidate, who happened to win.
How American, how human to stand so proudly defiant against an authority for whom they have no respect, but how ungodly. To begin with, "The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves" (Rom 13:1-2).
And the call God is not to refuse to recognize those Authorities but instead "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made...for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Tim 2:1-2).
They feel their candidate and their ideology to be superior in every way, and the effort of the Russians to disrupt and disqualify our political process is the nail upon which they hang their angst. Rather than look to the flaws their candidate brought to the race, the missed opportunities to visit certain states that were lost, the fact that over a billion dollars was spent and the backing of media elites and the current Administration did not sway the Electorate enough mover come the reality of the state of affairs; they choose to look own their noses at the other flawed candidate, who happened to win.
How American, how human to stand so proudly defiant against an authority for whom they have no respect, but how ungodly. To begin with, "The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves" (Rom 13:1-2).
And the call God is not to refuse to recognize those Authorities but instead "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made...for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Tim 2:1-2).
The answer to the disappointment and even disbelief of the disaffected Democrats is to resist, not the flawed President-Elect who was elected despite those flaws over their preferred flawed candidate, but to instead "...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time" (1Pet 5-6). Jus' Say'n.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
The Way Down
The Psalmist declares, "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers" (Ps 1:1). In this declaration, he clearly lays out the progression of sin as opposed to something that just happens.
So often someone caught in an affair will say, "I didn't mean for this to occur, it just happened." Or one one caught taking money from til might say, "I don' know how this happened, one thing just led to another and..." The defense is an innocence of ignorance, that the sin had a life if its own, not something put in motion by the one caught. Really? No, not really!
The reality is that one takes a path down into the pit of sin, he doesn't just suddenly fall without warning. For instance a man may respond to some "innocent" flirting (walk), then go for an "innocent" lunch (stand) and finally light the flame of an affair by going somewhere to be alone (sit)."
We really don't just wake up one day transformed into a thief or an adulterer or an addict or a whatever type of sin condition one might find himself hip-deep involved in. We take a journey the step-by-step brings us along a downward path.
The New Testament puts it this way: "When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (Jas 1:13-15).
The way down is not so much a slip and a fall as it is a step followed by another and another until one is reaches a place he/she might never have believed he/she would have gone. From where you started to where you wind up feels like it took a life of its own and just happened but it mist certainly did not. The way down is a progression of decisions every step of the way. Jus' Say'n.
So often someone caught in an affair will say, "I didn't mean for this to occur, it just happened." Or one one caught taking money from til might say, "I don' know how this happened, one thing just led to another and..." The defense is an innocence of ignorance, that the sin had a life if its own, not something put in motion by the one caught. Really? No, not really!
The reality is that one takes a path down into the pit of sin, he doesn't just suddenly fall without warning. For instance a man may respond to some "innocent" flirting (walk), then go for an "innocent" lunch (stand) and finally light the flame of an affair by going somewhere to be alone (sit)."
We really don't just wake up one day transformed into a thief or an adulterer or an addict or a whatever type of sin condition one might find himself hip-deep involved in. We take a journey the step-by-step brings us along a downward path.
The New Testament puts it this way: "When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (Jas 1:13-15).
The way down is not so much a slip and a fall as it is a step followed by another and another until one is reaches a place he/she might never have believed he/she would have gone. From where you started to where you wind up feels like it took a life of its own and just happened but it mist certainly did not. The way down is a progression of decisions every step of the way. Jus' Say'n.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Harvest Time
I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I've heard someone say, "I wish I new what my purpose was." The idea being that they really I sure God had something for them to do, only it has 't been revealed or hasn't presents itself yet. It is as if they are waiting on the wheat to be ready for harvest so they can began the work that will then be obvious.
The truth of the matter, however, is that they are waiting in vain. While there may be additional or more focused work in the future, God's work for all his children is not going to be prepared, it has been prepared: "For you were created in Christ I do the good works God has prepared for you to do" (Eph 2:10).
And while you may not have recognized it, this work is all about you: "Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (Jn 4:35).
I'm not discounting the fact that you may have a special ministry in your future or that there is something very specific God has in mind for you. What I am getting at is there is never a time to sit back and wait for God to show up with a job list as there are endless opportunities to serve God all around us, all the time.
Until you get clarification as to a specific ministry, every child of God Is instructed, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:9-10).
God does have a purpose for you and one day that may be revealed as a very specific ministry opportunity. However, for now the work is all about you. Just find a need and meet it. Open your eyes to the pain and loss of others. Offer a smile, offer a hand, offer to share or help in some was - get involved with those with whom you come into contact. Don't wait, the harvest time is here. Jus' Say'n.
The truth of the matter, however, is that they are waiting in vain. While there may be additional or more focused work in the future, God's work for all his children is not going to be prepared, it has been prepared: "For you were created in Christ I do the good works God has prepared for you to do" (Eph 2:10).
And while you may not have recognized it, this work is all about you: "Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (Jn 4:35).
I'm not discounting the fact that you may have a special ministry in your future or that there is something very specific God has in mind for you. What I am getting at is there is never a time to sit back and wait for God to show up with a job list as there are endless opportunities to serve God all around us, all the time.
Until you get clarification as to a specific ministry, every child of God Is instructed, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:9-10).
God does have a purpose for you and one day that may be revealed as a very specific ministry opportunity. However, for now the work is all about you. Just find a need and meet it. Open your eyes to the pain and loss of others. Offer a smile, offer a hand, offer to share or help in some was - get involved with those with whom you come into contact. Don't wait, the harvest time is here. Jus' Say'n.
Friday, January 13, 2017
The Ladder
The proverbial "Ladder of Success" can be a very elusive thing indeed. While climbing it to the top is a challenge in itself, just finding it can be overwhelming. Many have simply given up ascending to the top and settle for less than they had dreamed. Others still have given up dreaming altogether, believing the ladder has been denied them.
We accept the diminished capacity of our lives saying things like, "Times are tough" or "There just aren't any opportunities" or we lay the blame on others insisting they are holding us back because of our color or gender or whatever. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: We settle.
Some settle for what they would say is good enough and others settle for far less than they had hoped, while some are just trying to survive. Many give up the struggle and look to their family or the government to take care of them, becoming lifelong dependants or wards of the state. Some just take to the streets looking for handouts and places to sleep - they simply check out of normal society.
What is so sad is that we are not created to settle or give in or give up. We were created for greatness: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor" (Psa 8:3-5).
God has sown the seeds of glory and honor in our hearts, not so that we may become proud or arrogant but that we might accept our place at the table as sons and daughters of the Most High. When we settle instead of stretch, we deny our calling to soar instead of sink.
The problem is that our definition of success and the power to succeed are misplaced. Success is not accumulating a certain amount of money or level of education or job status, success is being who God called you to be, doing what he called you to do, advancing the boarders of the kingdom where you live and serve.
Was Jesus ever rich, were his apostles or prophets or so many other of very noted servants of the kingdom? Not particularly, but they were successful indeed. While we tend to view success through the lens of materialism, Jesus plainly warns us: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Mt 6:19-20).
And when we Lise. To our Lord, "Seeking first the kingdom of Gid and his righteousness, all these things [material needs] are given to us as well" (Mt 6:33). The point isn't how much you gain in personal wealth or power or prominence, it is accepting God's claim on your life and living it fully for him. When we do that, we are succeeding and we will reach the very top of the ladder of success in glory. There is nothing to compare. There is no real substitute. Jus' Say'n.
We accept the diminished capacity of our lives saying things like, "Times are tough" or "There just aren't any opportunities" or we lay the blame on others insisting they are holding us back because of our color or gender or whatever. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: We settle.
Some settle for what they would say is good enough and others settle for far less than they had hoped, while some are just trying to survive. Many give up the struggle and look to their family or the government to take care of them, becoming lifelong dependants or wards of the state. Some just take to the streets looking for handouts and places to sleep - they simply check out of normal society.
What is so sad is that we are not created to settle or give in or give up. We were created for greatness: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor" (Psa 8:3-5).
God has sown the seeds of glory and honor in our hearts, not so that we may become proud or arrogant but that we might accept our place at the table as sons and daughters of the Most High. When we settle instead of stretch, we deny our calling to soar instead of sink.
The problem is that our definition of success and the power to succeed are misplaced. Success is not accumulating a certain amount of money or level of education or job status, success is being who God called you to be, doing what he called you to do, advancing the boarders of the kingdom where you live and serve.
Was Jesus ever rich, were his apostles or prophets or so many other of very noted servants of the kingdom? Not particularly, but they were successful indeed. While we tend to view success through the lens of materialism, Jesus plainly warns us: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Mt 6:19-20).
And when we Lise. To our Lord, "Seeking first the kingdom of Gid and his righteousness, all these things [material needs] are given to us as well" (Mt 6:33). The point isn't how much you gain in personal wealth or power or prominence, it is accepting God's claim on your life and living it fully for him. When we do that, we are succeeding and we will reach the very top of the ladder of success in glory. There is nothing to compare. There is no real substitute. Jus' Say'n.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
The Gift
What is the best gift you can give to your wife? Flowers, perfume, jewelry? How about for your husband? Golf clubs, a new watch, power tools? Mate you need to find something for your mother or your child or a good friend - what is the best gift?
The truth of the matter is that the gift matters much less than the spirit in which it was given. An old pocket knife given to a boy by his Grandfather who wanted to give him a connection will still be treasures long after myriads of much more expensive gifts received from people who gave because an occasion demanded it. And certainly an expensive gift from a husband in the doghouse means far less than a simple token of a loving husband's true affection.
As parents, we are quick to receive and exalt to the coveted place on the refrigerator any art attempt our small child makes for us. Those inexpensive treasures are held on to because they are given and received from and by the heart. But, what if we knew that our child ad to be fired by his teacher to make a Mother's Day card, that he only made it out of fear of penalty?
What if your husband tosses a piece of fine jewelry at you saying, "Here, I didn't want to spend the money but I felt I had to because it's our anniversary!" Do we rally want gifts that are given under duress or required etiquette or out of some sense if responsibility against their true wishes? Neither does God!
When we attend church services just because we think it required to stay out of hell, when we pay a tithe instead of making an offering from the heart, when read our Bibles or about out a prayer because of a perceived requirement; God is not moved, he is not honored, he is not touched by our perfunctory.
"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinner" (Matt 9:10-13).
What God is looking for, what our loved ones hold dear, the gift that really makes a difference and holds a place in our hearts is the gift that comes from our hearts. It could be something with a big price tag or a simple craft made by hand, it could be something that wows ours or something other's would not notice, it could be virtually anything as long as it is wrapped in your love. Your heart's affection is the gift your loved ones desire as does God. Jus' Say'n.
The truth of the matter is that the gift matters much less than the spirit in which it was given. An old pocket knife given to a boy by his Grandfather who wanted to give him a connection will still be treasures long after myriads of much more expensive gifts received from people who gave because an occasion demanded it. And certainly an expensive gift from a husband in the doghouse means far less than a simple token of a loving husband's true affection.
As parents, we are quick to receive and exalt to the coveted place on the refrigerator any art attempt our small child makes for us. Those inexpensive treasures are held on to because they are given and received from and by the heart. But, what if we knew that our child ad to be fired by his teacher to make a Mother's Day card, that he only made it out of fear of penalty?
What if your husband tosses a piece of fine jewelry at you saying, "Here, I didn't want to spend the money but I felt I had to because it's our anniversary!" Do we rally want gifts that are given under duress or required etiquette or out of some sense if responsibility against their true wishes? Neither does God!
When we attend church services just because we think it required to stay out of hell, when we pay a tithe instead of making an offering from the heart, when read our Bibles or about out a prayer because of a perceived requirement; God is not moved, he is not honored, he is not touched by our perfunctory.
"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinner" (Matt 9:10-13).
What God is looking for, what our loved ones hold dear, the gift that really makes a difference and holds a place in our hearts is the gift that comes from our hearts. It could be something with a big price tag or a simple craft made by hand, it could be something that wows ours or something other's would not notice, it could be virtually anything as long as it is wrapped in your love. Your heart's affection is the gift your loved ones desire as does God. Jus' Say'n.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Rock Solid
Using the metaphor of building a house, Jesus contrasts two ways of approaching life:
1. Solid Foundation. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock" (Matt 7:24-25).
2. Shifting Foundation. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (vv 26-27).
One foundation, being the rock solid words of our Lord, withstands the storms of life and the tsunami of sin, death and judgment. The other foundation, being anything other than the Words of Life, which come only from Christ (cf. John 6:68), does not survive the withering storms of life and will be completely washed away in the tsunami of death.
Something worth noting in these two house is that there was nothing said about the layout or materials or effort put into their construction. As far as we can tell, the two houses were constructed identically apart from their foundations.
Reversing the metaphor, these two individuals may have grown up in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, attended the same church, etc. However, one entrusts his life in Jesus, following Hus words as a template to address life and as a cover to weather the storms therein. The other trusts in self or science or wealth or whatever other than Christ thing seems best to him in which to hang his hopes.
The one standing on the words of Jesus - it's promises and power and provisions - stands firm and survives everything thrown against him, all the same kinds of struggles and sorrows the man on the sand has to endure only the man on the sand doesn't endure to the end - he doesn't survive the storm.
The storms come - that is the bad news. There is a Rock Solid Foundation upon which to build - one that will never give way no matter how the storm rages in this life and remains Rock Solid even into death. As Jesus himself promises, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (Jn 14:18).
So, Rock Solid - Jesus Christ or really shifting - anything but Jesus. The choice is yours. Upon what shall you build your life. Jus' Ask'n.
1. Solid Foundation. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock" (Matt 7:24-25).
2. Shifting Foundation. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (vv 26-27).
One foundation, being the rock solid words of our Lord, withstands the storms of life and the tsunami of sin, death and judgment. The other foundation, being anything other than the Words of Life, which come only from Christ (cf. John 6:68), does not survive the withering storms of life and will be completely washed away in the tsunami of death.
Something worth noting in these two house is that there was nothing said about the layout or materials or effort put into their construction. As far as we can tell, the two houses were constructed identically apart from their foundations.
Reversing the metaphor, these two individuals may have grown up in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, attended the same church, etc. However, one entrusts his life in Jesus, following Hus words as a template to address life and as a cover to weather the storms therein. The other trusts in self or science or wealth or whatever other than Christ thing seems best to him in which to hang his hopes.
The one standing on the words of Jesus - it's promises and power and provisions - stands firm and survives everything thrown against him, all the same kinds of struggles and sorrows the man on the sand has to endure only the man on the sand doesn't endure to the end - he doesn't survive the storm.
The storms come - that is the bad news. There is a Rock Solid Foundation upon which to build - one that will never give way no matter how the storm rages in this life and remains Rock Solid even into death. As Jesus himself promises, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (Jn 14:18).
So, Rock Solid - Jesus Christ or really shifting - anything but Jesus. The choice is yours. Upon what shall you build your life. Jus' Ask'n.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Prayerful Concern
Corrie Ten Boom once penned, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength." Her quote is a reflection of Jesus' warning in Matthew 6:34, "Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble if it's own."
The point is that we are not to live in what Corrie calls "day-tight compartments," not worrying about tomorrow as Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25 but to instead, "Seek first the kingdom of God [allowing for Him to cause] all these things [needs of life] to be added to you as well" (v. 33).
God is not commanding and Corrie was not encouraging us to never have a concern, living as if troubles and sorrows don't exist. Rather, the message is to turn to resist taking on the worries of our lives and the lives of our lived ones, trusting in God instead.
The point would be to resist worrying by taking our concerns prayerfully to God and leave the outcomes to Him, accepting His answer, trusting in His love for us and His power to answer prayer according to His goodness and righteousness.
Be concerned about the struggles you and your loved ones face. Be concerned about the state of our country and our world. But don't fall prey to Satan's worry-trap that saps your strength and weakens your spirit. Instead fall into God's arms as you pray, allowing Him to strengthen you and embolden your spirit: "Come unto me all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28). Jus' Say'n.
The point is that we are not to live in what Corrie calls "day-tight compartments," not worrying about tomorrow as Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25 but to instead, "Seek first the kingdom of God [allowing for Him to cause] all these things [needs of life] to be added to you as well" (v. 33).
God is not commanding and Corrie was not encouraging us to never have a concern, living as if troubles and sorrows don't exist. Rather, the message is to turn to resist taking on the worries of our lives and the lives of our lived ones, trusting in God instead.
The point would be to resist worrying by taking our concerns prayerfully to God and leave the outcomes to Him, accepting His answer, trusting in His love for us and His power to answer prayer according to His goodness and righteousness.
Be concerned about the struggles you and your loved ones face. Be concerned about the state of our country and our world. But don't fall prey to Satan's worry-trap that saps your strength and weakens your spirit. Instead fall into God's arms as you pray, allowing Him to strengthen you and embolden your spirit: "Come unto me all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28). Jus' Say'n.
Monday, January 9, 2017
The Quality of Mercy
I am not really a Shakespeare reading kind of guy. However, in my devotional reading this morning, I came across this line from "The Merchant of Venice" that reads: "The quality of mercy us not strained, It droppeth the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath: It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
When "Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'” (Acts 20:35), he was contrasting relative value, not discounting the value of either. There is a value in both the giving and receiving. When one gives, the one to which he gives receives the direct value of the gift itself, while the one giving receives the indirect value found in the act of giving.
When you give your spouse or your child a gift, they get something of relative value while you receive the warmth of having blessed someone you love. When you give to someone down on their luck, the get something they were in need if, while you get the satisfaction of having met their need. Giving is a two-sided blessing.
So, why aren't we looking for opportunities to give? Why is it that people so often keep from making eye contact with the homeless and the one at the street corner begging for help? What prevents us from making that gift that may well make their and our day as well? The lie does - the lie that we need to keep God's blessings to ourselves, that we can't afford to be generous with what God has given us.
The truth is that we cannot afford to hold on to what God intends to channel through us to another. Just as Jesus sent out the apostles with the mandate, "Freely you have received; freely give"(Mat 10:18), so we are blessed with a responsibility to carry that blessing to others. God's blessings are meant to be a path to healing not a pathogen to hoarding.
So, if you're in need of a blessing, look for the person God has sent hour way to make it happen. But don't necessarily expect to be the one on the receiving end. Maybe your blessing will be found in the giving. Either way, God can bless you mightily. That is the true quality of mercy. Jus' Say'n.
When "Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'” (Acts 20:35), he was contrasting relative value, not discounting the value of either. There is a value in both the giving and receiving. When one gives, the one to which he gives receives the direct value of the gift itself, while the one giving receives the indirect value found in the act of giving.
When you give your spouse or your child a gift, they get something of relative value while you receive the warmth of having blessed someone you love. When you give to someone down on their luck, the get something they were in need if, while you get the satisfaction of having met their need. Giving is a two-sided blessing.
So, why aren't we looking for opportunities to give? Why is it that people so often keep from making eye contact with the homeless and the one at the street corner begging for help? What prevents us from making that gift that may well make their and our day as well? The lie does - the lie that we need to keep God's blessings to ourselves, that we can't afford to be generous with what God has given us.
The truth is that we cannot afford to hold on to what God intends to channel through us to another. Just as Jesus sent out the apostles with the mandate, "Freely you have received; freely give"(Mat 10:18), so we are blessed with a responsibility to carry that blessing to others. God's blessings are meant to be a path to healing not a pathogen to hoarding.
So, if you're in need of a blessing, look for the person God has sent hour way to make it happen. But don't necessarily expect to be the one on the receiving end. Maybe your blessing will be found in the giving. Either way, God can bless you mightily. That is the true quality of mercy. Jus' Say'n.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Evidence
last night I watched an episode o the "Big Bang Theory" in which Sheldon rebuffs his mother's belief in "Noah's floating zoo" against the evidence of Darwinian Evolution. This morning I was reading the biblical account of God's call to Noah to build that boat. Which am I to accept, the evidence of science or the testimony of Scripture? Both!
Evidence does not mean proof. The fact that a man and a monkey have similar features and attributes can be seen as evidence that man came from apes but it is not proof that such an evolutionary path actually exists. When I was young, we had an outhouse. The house we lived in had similar features and attributes but the house did not evolve from the outhouse, they were simply designed similarly.
The evidence of the similarity of man and monkey is as much evidence of similar design as it is evolution. The proof of either is not in the evidence. There must be a leap of faith in either case to arrive at a conclusion. By the way - where is all the archeological evidence for all the intermediate forms from monkey to man? There are millions of monkeys and millions of men, so where are the millions of evolutionary forms in between? Yeah, they aren't there.
On the other hand, I see design and evidence of a common Designer everywhere I look. Why wouldn't there be similarities between species if the same Creator is responsible for them all. Would we expect God to use legs only once and then scrap them after that? Aren't lungs a pretty good idea for most land dwellers?
Noah's ark, by the way, isn't without evidence. There ish evidence for a world-wide lid such as aquatic fossils in mountains and a catastrophic shift allowed once temperate areas to become tundra. I've climbed on huge clay deposits in Kansas that have evidence of aquatic life forms embedded in them. Just how did they get there?
So no, Sheldon, evolution is not proven - far from it. You, like your mother will have to step out in faith based on the evidence of the world and universe around us. And I, for one, accept the biblical testimony that "...since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made..." (Rom 1:20). Jus' Say'n.
Evidence does not mean proof. The fact that a man and a monkey have similar features and attributes can be seen as evidence that man came from apes but it is not proof that such an evolutionary path actually exists. When I was young, we had an outhouse. The house we lived in had similar features and attributes but the house did not evolve from the outhouse, they were simply designed similarly.
The evidence of the similarity of man and monkey is as much evidence of similar design as it is evolution. The proof of either is not in the evidence. There must be a leap of faith in either case to arrive at a conclusion. By the way - where is all the archeological evidence for all the intermediate forms from monkey to man? There are millions of monkeys and millions of men, so where are the millions of evolutionary forms in between? Yeah, they aren't there.
On the other hand, I see design and evidence of a common Designer everywhere I look. Why wouldn't there be similarities between species if the same Creator is responsible for them all. Would we expect God to use legs only once and then scrap them after that? Aren't lungs a pretty good idea for most land dwellers?
Noah's ark, by the way, isn't without evidence. There ish evidence for a world-wide lid such as aquatic fossils in mountains and a catastrophic shift allowed once temperate areas to become tundra. I've climbed on huge clay deposits in Kansas that have evidence of aquatic life forms embedded in them. Just how did they get there?
So no, Sheldon, evolution is not proven - far from it. You, like your mother will have to step out in faith based on the evidence of the world and universe around us. And I, for one, accept the biblical testimony that "...since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made..." (Rom 1:20). Jus' Say'n.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
The Pride Pit
"In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering---fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast" (Gen 4:3-5)
Cain was upset because his brother brought "fat portions" from his flock for an offering and pleased the Lord while he brought simply "some of his fruits" and did not receive that favor. His pride was hurt, not because of Cain's faithfulness but because of his own lack of it.
Cain's lack of favor was born out of his focus on self rather than God and the downward pull of his pride of self brought him to a place where killing his perceived rival and brother was considered preferable to changing his attitude and his offering to God.
Cain wasn't favored by God because he had more or superior offerings to present, he was favored because he chose to give the best of what he had: "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have" (2 Cor 8:12).
The pit Cain found himself, which made deeper and darker by killing his brother, was being dug with the shovel of personal pride that continued to be concern only with self. The downward look of "navel-gazing" keeps one from looking up to God and release from the pit, for "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Pr16:18).
You don't have to be better or even as good as anyone else before God. His favor is not based on The outcome of competition but rather on the condition of one's heart. When we humbly approach God, presenting our best (not the best), he receives our offering raises us up in his presence "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matt 23:12).
Don't live in the pride pit, humble yourself before God, elevate others instead of seeking the spotlight on self, let God lift you up and walk in the light of his love. Jus' Say'n.
Cain was upset because his brother brought "fat portions" from his flock for an offering and pleased the Lord while he brought simply "some of his fruits" and did not receive that favor. His pride was hurt, not because of Cain's faithfulness but because of his own lack of it.
Cain's lack of favor was born out of his focus on self rather than God and the downward pull of his pride of self brought him to a place where killing his perceived rival and brother was considered preferable to changing his attitude and his offering to God.
Cain wasn't favored by God because he had more or superior offerings to present, he was favored because he chose to give the best of what he had: "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have" (2 Cor 8:12).
The pit Cain found himself, which made deeper and darker by killing his brother, was being dug with the shovel of personal pride that continued to be concern only with self. The downward look of "navel-gazing" keeps one from looking up to God and release from the pit, for "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Pr16:18).
You don't have to be better or even as good as anyone else before God. His favor is not based on The outcome of competition but rather on the condition of one's heart. When we humbly approach God, presenting our best (not the best), he receives our offering raises us up in his presence "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matt 23:12).
Don't live in the pride pit, humble yourself before God, elevate others instead of seeking the spotlight on self, let God lift you up and walk in the light of his love. Jus' Say'n.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Don't Fear, Do!
Some years ago, I came across a quote that is not anonymous but I just can't remember the author: "The fearful majority become experts in eloquently explaining why you can't accomplish extraordinary results with your ordinary faith."
The thing is, however, what we can or cannot do is not up to a consensus of the majority or determined by the limited thinking of man. It is rather God who created each of us with individual talent and abilities, and a measure of faith that allows for individual accomplishments not tethered to the degree or lack of another's faith: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you" (Rom 12:3).
We do have limits and as the old Clint Eastwood character, Dirty Harry, would say, "A man's got to know his limitations." But those limits are set by God not group think. We are created by God and called by the same to be no more or less than ourselves with a custom measure of faith that allows us to serve and do according to the template of our individual creation.
Let the sheeple of society follow others with herd mentality that holds them back, discouraging or even disallowing individual faith walks. Instead, choose for yourself to step out in your own God-given faith utilizing the skills, abilities and opportunities afforded by the Lord not limited by the small and fearful thinking of others.
God has made you who you are and placed you where you stand. Start there and fearlessly begin your own journey. Let the fearful limit themselves. As for you - Don't fear, do! Jus' Say'n.
The thing is, however, what we can or cannot do is not up to a consensus of the majority or determined by the limited thinking of man. It is rather God who created each of us with individual talent and abilities, and a measure of faith that allows for individual accomplishments not tethered to the degree or lack of another's faith: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you" (Rom 12:3).
We do have limits and as the old Clint Eastwood character, Dirty Harry, would say, "A man's got to know his limitations." But those limits are set by God not group think. We are created by God and called by the same to be no more or less than ourselves with a custom measure of faith that allows us to serve and do according to the template of our individual creation.
Let the sheeple of society follow others with herd mentality that holds them back, discouraging or even disallowing individual faith walks. Instead, choose for yourself to step out in your own God-given faith utilizing the skills, abilities and opportunities afforded by the Lord not limited by the small and fearful thinking of others.
God has made you who you are and placed you where you stand. Start there and fearlessly begin your own journey. Let the fearful limit themselves. As for you - Don't fear, do! Jus' Say'n.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Replacing Resolutions
Those New Year's resolutions are a few days old and some have already been broken while others are beginning to be in doubt of keeping. A few will actually keep them up but many will stack them up on the pile of unmet good intentions. The trouble with resolutions is that you have to be resolute, unwavering in your commitment and we tend to waiver a bit if not a bunch.
So what are we to do, forget about dropping our bad habits and replacing them with good ones? No, I'm not suggesting that, I would propose that we pass on making pronouncements of change and instead just work on making progress. What I am suggesting is replacing resolutions of what you are going to do with a goal of what you will be working toward.
A resolution can be broken with one failed day of keeping it while a goal can still be before you even when you have failed on a particular day. You simply refocus and keep pressing toward it regardless of weak or failed attempts. Any movement toward a goal is progress.
For instance, instead of resolving to read the Bible from cover to cover this year, how about making it a goal to become one "whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night" (Ps 1:2)? With that as your goal, you begin to increase your time in the word and allow it's transforming power to begin working on you.
With the goal of becoming one who lights in God's Word, you can begin reading it, listening to audio renderings while you exercise or drive to work, talking more about it - making it a more integral part of your day rather than setting yourself up to fail in an attempt to just get through it this year, which, by the way, may push you away in frustration instead of drawing you nearer.
Rather than try to insert a change into our lives, I challenge us to work toward change having set a goal of becoming rather than doing. In particular, setting a goal of becoming one who delights in the Lord's Word will have the effect of drawing you closer to Him and The Lord drawing closer to you: "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (Js 4:8).
Don't fall into a resolution trap that relies on your ability to insist upon and force change,,Set a goal before you of drawing and being drawn closer to God in which the Lord p's power to transform is the power upon which you rest. Jus' Say'n.
So what are we to do, forget about dropping our bad habits and replacing them with good ones? No, I'm not suggesting that, I would propose that we pass on making pronouncements of change and instead just work on making progress. What I am suggesting is replacing resolutions of what you are going to do with a goal of what you will be working toward.
A resolution can be broken with one failed day of keeping it while a goal can still be before you even when you have failed on a particular day. You simply refocus and keep pressing toward it regardless of weak or failed attempts. Any movement toward a goal is progress.
For instance, instead of resolving to read the Bible from cover to cover this year, how about making it a goal to become one "whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night" (Ps 1:2)? With that as your goal, you begin to increase your time in the word and allow it's transforming power to begin working on you.
With the goal of becoming one who lights in God's Word, you can begin reading it, listening to audio renderings while you exercise or drive to work, talking more about it - making it a more integral part of your day rather than setting yourself up to fail in an attempt to just get through it this year, which, by the way, may push you away in frustration instead of drawing you nearer.
Rather than try to insert a change into our lives, I challenge us to work toward change having set a goal of becoming rather than doing. In particular, setting a goal of becoming one who delights in the Lord's Word will have the effect of drawing you closer to Him and The Lord drawing closer to you: "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (Js 4:8).
Don't fall into a resolution trap that relies on your ability to insist upon and force change,,Set a goal before you of drawing and being drawn closer to God in which the Lord p's power to transform is the power upon which you rest. Jus' Say'n.
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