When I was in the Air Force during the 70s, I bought a 65 Mustang and drove it from Kansas to my home town of Poplar Bluff, MO. On the way, the starter wouldn't turn after I got gas at a station outside of Springfield. I had to replace take it apart and replace the coil. Before I made it all the way home, my radiator developed a leak. Not being able to afford a new one or fix it, I nursed the car the rest of the way home. While trip was anything but uneventful, it was successful because I made it home.
When I was 8, my family traveled to Europe on the SS Bunker. There were some very rough waves as we made our way across the Atlantic. I spent a good deal of time with my head hanging over the rail recycling my for whatever scavenger fish might have following the ship. It was years before I would even try cottage cheese or shrimp cocktail again. But, despite the listing of the ship and the turning of my stomach, the trip was a success as we made it to Europe.
All journeys, regardless of their genre, are judged, not on their comfort level but on their outcome. You may have a very difficult time in college, but if you receive your degree, it was a success. On the other hand, you may have sailed right through your college years, having a great time and no worries at all, but if you didn't receive your degree, it was a failure. By the way, failure is an event, not an individual. That thought has nothing to do with this post, it was an added bonus, free of charge. You can apply this truth to marriage, parenting, vocation, anything - even life.
There were a series of movies a while back called "Final Destination," which pictured death as that point. If that were true, then all of us would successfully navigate life as "people are destined to die" (Heb 9:27a). However, that is not the final destination for "after that to face the judgment" (9:27b). Heaven and hell, eternal life and eternal death are the destinations. As Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad the road that leads to death but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life" (Matt 7:13-14). Deth is a portal that opens to the judgment, which delivers you to the destination of the path you have been traveling.
The comfort level of the journey does not relate to the destination. In fact, the path to life is more narrow than the path to death. The successful journey of life is dependent on the arrival at the desired destination. Regardless of how difficult life is, if you arrive at heaven's shores, it was successful. If life was a continual walk down Easy Street but brought you to Hell, it was not successful - unless Hell is your preferred destination.
This was Paul's "secret of being content in any and all circumstances" (Phil 4:12). He took solace and gathered strength in the knowledge of what Christ was doing in his life and beyond (cf. Phil 4:13). He could endure all things because his faith in Christ and God's promises carried him through. Knowing that you will arrived at the final destination of heaven can give you strength for the journey as well. You can endure anything that is just another step toward your home on high. Jus' Sayn.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Friday, November 28, 2014
Keep Watch
I was just reading a brief commentary on Matthew 24 in which the author said, "If there ever was a time when the Christian should be keeping watch for the Lord's return, it is now." He, of course, was reflecting on Jesus statementt about the end coming being like childbirth in verse 8, suggesting that it meant the pains and tribulations of "wars and rumors of wars...earthquakes and famines" (vv. 6-7) would increase in frequency and intensity. Looking around, one has to agree that there has been a market increase of such things.
I have to disagree with his assessment - not the assessment that these things are on the rise nor that Christ might be coming soon. I have to disagree with the notion that we can know that to be so, that what we are seeing is the sign of imminent return. I think he was off base because he focused on whatt Christ did not say about birthpains instead of whatt he did say. The Lord said nothing about the increase of frequency or intensitty, but he did say that "all these things are but the beginnings of birth pains" (v. 8). In other words, like the Braxton-Hicks contractions, which rush pregnant women into the hospital only to be told they have a long way to go, so it is with these signs.
Jesus, in fact said, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see tto it that you are not alarmed" (v. 6). Later in this chapter, he said that "two men will be working in a field; one will be taken and the other left" (v. 40). "Therefore keep watch, becuase you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (v. 42). Jesus didn't tell us to watch the stars or wars or weather to know when to start getting ready, he said that we should simply be ready all the time, keeping watch for his return.
If you are ready, it does not matter when Christ will come again. And, if you are not ready, it will not matter either. It is not important when he will return but that he is returning. He may come soon or it may be quite some time. If you did know when he would returrn, whatt makes you think you will be alive to see it? His coming for you might be today or tomorrow. You need to be ready and keep watch daily, and then you will be able to rejoice whether you see Him coming again or you are taken to glory before then. Jus' Sayn.
I have to disagree with his assessment - not the assessment that these things are on the rise nor that Christ might be coming soon. I have to disagree with the notion that we can know that to be so, that what we are seeing is the sign of imminent return. I think he was off base because he focused on whatt Christ did not say about birthpains instead of whatt he did say. The Lord said nothing about the increase of frequency or intensitty, but he did say that "all these things are but the beginnings of birth pains" (v. 8). In other words, like the Braxton-Hicks contractions, which rush pregnant women into the hospital only to be told they have a long way to go, so it is with these signs.
Jesus, in fact said, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see tto it that you are not alarmed" (v. 6). Later in this chapter, he said that "two men will be working in a field; one will be taken and the other left" (v. 40). "Therefore keep watch, becuase you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (v. 42). Jesus didn't tell us to watch the stars or wars or weather to know when to start getting ready, he said that we should simply be ready all the time, keeping watch for his return.
If you are ready, it does not matter when Christ will come again. And, if you are not ready, it will not matter either. It is not important when he will return but that he is returning. He may come soon or it may be quite some time. If you did know when he would returrn, whatt makes you think you will be alive to see it? His coming for you might be today or tomorrow. You need to be ready and keep watch daily, and then you will be able to rejoice whether you see Him coming again or you are taken to glory before then. Jus' Sayn.
Looking Out For Number One
Most people seem to subscribe to the notion of looking out for number one. They want to make sure they get their piece of the pie, even if no one else does.. It is their rights, their feelings, their needs that come before everyone one else's. The video tape of Michael Brown, taken just before his encounter with officer Wilson, was of him taking a box of cigars from a convenience store and shoving the shop owner to the side. He wanted some smokes and either didn't have the money or didn't want to spend the money to buy them, so he just took them. His behavior, while making national headlines because his death promotes a narrative of white police abuse on Black America, is not uncommon, it is seen daily throughout America in people of all colors - selfishness.
His death, while tragic and so foolish at the same time, is also not uncommon. Young black men die every day in this country, although not often by the hand of police (less than 1%); most often it is by the hand of other young black men (93%). Interestingly enough, most white men are killed by other white men as well. It would seem the real race war is inside, not between, the races. And the reason is less about prejudice and more about selfishness. People want what they want and are willing to get it or take it regardless of who is hurt in the process.
The trait is common enough and perhaps even normal, but it is not good and should not be acceptable. Self interest is the original sin that caused Satan to be cast out of heaven and man to be cast out of the Garden of Eden. It is exactly opposite of why Christ came to the earth and to the cross. Conversely, he "did not think his equality with God something to be used to his own adantage; rather, he make himself nothing...becoming obedient to death" (Phil 2:6-8).
The follower of Jesus Christ, therefore, will be one who does not "look out for number one," but instead looks out for the other one. As the apostle Paul wrote, "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you...who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests...But you know that Timothy has proved himself" (Phil 2:19-22). Unlike the average man of the world, Timothy, a man of God, cared more about serving others than being self-serving.
Looking out for number is choosing a path other than Jesus took (path of life) and instead choosing the one Satan calls us to (path of death) (Matt 7:13-14). Death is the end result of following that path, not particularly at the hands of a police offier and not necessarily by thugs or punks with guns; it may not come until the Day of Judgment itself, but it will come unless you choose a different path.
Moses put it this way, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life life, so that you and your children might live" (Deut 30:19). If you truly want to look out for number one, you should first look out for the other one. Jus' Sayn.
His death, while tragic and so foolish at the same time, is also not uncommon. Young black men die every day in this country, although not often by the hand of police (less than 1%); most often it is by the hand of other young black men (93%). Interestingly enough, most white men are killed by other white men as well. It would seem the real race war is inside, not between, the races. And the reason is less about prejudice and more about selfishness. People want what they want and are willing to get it or take it regardless of who is hurt in the process.
The trait is common enough and perhaps even normal, but it is not good and should not be acceptable. Self interest is the original sin that caused Satan to be cast out of heaven and man to be cast out of the Garden of Eden. It is exactly opposite of why Christ came to the earth and to the cross. Conversely, he "did not think his equality with God something to be used to his own adantage; rather, he make himself nothing...becoming obedient to death" (Phil 2:6-8).
The follower of Jesus Christ, therefore, will be one who does not "look out for number one," but instead looks out for the other one. As the apostle Paul wrote, "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you...who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests...But you know that Timothy has proved himself" (Phil 2:19-22). Unlike the average man of the world, Timothy, a man of God, cared more about serving others than being self-serving.
Looking out for number is choosing a path other than Jesus took (path of life) and instead choosing the one Satan calls us to (path of death) (Matt 7:13-14). Death is the end result of following that path, not particularly at the hands of a police offier and not necessarily by thugs or punks with guns; it may not come until the Day of Judgment itself, but it will come unless you choose a different path.
Moses put it this way, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life life, so that you and your children might live" (Deut 30:19). If you truly want to look out for number one, you should first look out for the other one. Jus' Sayn.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thanksgiving To God
A while back I was in a rather passionate Internet discussion about the Christian roots of our nation. The antagonist (from my perspective) affirmed that our Founding Fathers were not particularly religious, at best Deists who don't think God is active in the world. Her notion was that all this religious trapping came later on.
A good example of her argument would be the fact that it wasn't until 1941 that congress passed a law establishing Thanksgiving as a holiday, hardly the Founding Fathers. I can't argue the truth in that fact but I can argue that the fact doesn't contain the whole truth. While Thanksgiving became a law in 1941, it was established as a time of national thanksgiving by presidential proclamation during the Civil War by Abraham Lincoln, who wrote, in part, "...set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Fahter who dwelleth in the Heavens."
Of course, Abraham Lincoln was not one of the Founding Fathers, being the 16th president, but George Washington was and he proclaimed on October 3, 1789, that Thursday the 26th of November 1789 a day of "public thanksgiving and prayer" devoted to "the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Aughor of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
Thanksgiving in America actually goes back a good deal earlier than our Founding Fathers. In the early autumn of 1621, the 53 surviving Pilgrims celeebrated their successful harvestt who proclaimed, in part, "And although it be not always so plentiful, as it ws at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty." They did not call this harvest a "Thanksgiving" as to them a Day of Thanksgiving was purely religious. The first recorded religious Day of Thanksgiving was hel in 1623 in response to a providential rainfall.
So, are we a Christian nation? I wouldn't say that. Do we have Christian and biblical roots? Yes, without doubt. Thanksgiving to the God of the Bible has been a part of our national landscape from the very beginning. And, I would add, thanksgiving to God ought to be the natural response of every right thinking American for we are truly blessed above all other nations of the world. There is a reason we have an immigration crisis: Everyone wants to come to America where we are viewed to have won the Lotto of Life by simply being born here. They are, of course, wrong. It had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with blessings from God. Let us give thanks. Jus' Sayn.
A good example of her argument would be the fact that it wasn't until 1941 that congress passed a law establishing Thanksgiving as a holiday, hardly the Founding Fathers. I can't argue the truth in that fact but I can argue that the fact doesn't contain the whole truth. While Thanksgiving became a law in 1941, it was established as a time of national thanksgiving by presidential proclamation during the Civil War by Abraham Lincoln, who wrote, in part, "...set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Fahter who dwelleth in the Heavens."
Of course, Abraham Lincoln was not one of the Founding Fathers, being the 16th president, but George Washington was and he proclaimed on October 3, 1789, that Thursday the 26th of November 1789 a day of "public thanksgiving and prayer" devoted to "the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Aughor of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
Thanksgiving in America actually goes back a good deal earlier than our Founding Fathers. In the early autumn of 1621, the 53 surviving Pilgrims celeebrated their successful harvestt who proclaimed, in part, "And although it be not always so plentiful, as it ws at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty." They did not call this harvest a "Thanksgiving" as to them a Day of Thanksgiving was purely religious. The first recorded religious Day of Thanksgiving was hel in 1623 in response to a providential rainfall.
So, are we a Christian nation? I wouldn't say that. Do we have Christian and biblical roots? Yes, without doubt. Thanksgiving to the God of the Bible has been a part of our national landscape from the very beginning. And, I would add, thanksgiving to God ought to be the natural response of every right thinking American for we are truly blessed above all other nations of the world. There is a reason we have an immigration crisis: Everyone wants to come to America where we are viewed to have won the Lotto of Life by simply being born here. They are, of course, wrong. It had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with blessings from God. Let us give thanks. Jus' Sayn.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Not My Fault
When someone fails at a task, a bad choice is made or a crime has been committed, whose fault is it? The most natural answer is "not mine." When we do wrong our defense is most often, "It's no my fault." Our parents didn't show us enough love, our teachers didn't take enough interest in us, our employer isn't sensitive enough, the rules are too restrictive, the police are too reactive, the moon was too full, the planets just weren't lined up properly - whatever, whoever, just not me.
I didn't know better, I couldn't help myself, no one told me, there was not enough warning... People are still suing tobacco companies after decades of warnings from every corner. I smoked, I developed lung cancer but it was not my fault. It was my choice but it was someone else's fault.
This is not a new trend, although I think modern America has taken blaming others to a new level, evidenced by the litigious landscape in which we live, where someone can be sued by anyone for any reason. I'll never forget the California case where a thief broke into a house and exited through the door to the garage. The door he came out of locked behind him and the garage door itself would not open. He was stuck and the family was away for the week. He survived on dog food and warm sodas. When he got out, he sued the family and won becasue their door was not functioning. It was his choice, his crime but not his fault.
The "not my fault" blame game was born before the birth of nationss. It goes back to the very beginnings of mankind. Adam and Eve were given one command, "You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden..." (Gen 3:3). The serpent said, "no so," the woman "ate and gave some to her husband" and "he ate it" (Gen 3:4-6). When the Lord confronted them about their sin, the man said, "the woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit" (v. 12) and the woman said, "the serpent deceived me" (v. 13). It was both of their choices but neither of their fault.
God did punish the serpent for his deception, but he also punished Adam and Eve for their choice to do wrong. No matter what the serpentt said, Eve knew what God had said. Regardless of the fact Eve offered it to Adam, God denied it to him. They both were entticed but they both were responsible for their choice, it was their fault, it was their sin.
Regardless of how we were raised or what we have gone through, we always have a choice and a responsibility for our own actions. God may judge someone for enciting another to sin but he does not excuse the one who chooses to sin because another bore some culpibility. It is your life, your choice and your responsibilty. Jus' Sayn.
I didn't know better, I couldn't help myself, no one told me, there was not enough warning... People are still suing tobacco companies after decades of warnings from every corner. I smoked, I developed lung cancer but it was not my fault. It was my choice but it was someone else's fault.
This is not a new trend, although I think modern America has taken blaming others to a new level, evidenced by the litigious landscape in which we live, where someone can be sued by anyone for any reason. I'll never forget the California case where a thief broke into a house and exited through the door to the garage. The door he came out of locked behind him and the garage door itself would not open. He was stuck and the family was away for the week. He survived on dog food and warm sodas. When he got out, he sued the family and won becasue their door was not functioning. It was his choice, his crime but not his fault.
The "not my fault" blame game was born before the birth of nationss. It goes back to the very beginnings of mankind. Adam and Eve were given one command, "You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden..." (Gen 3:3). The serpent said, "no so," the woman "ate and gave some to her husband" and "he ate it" (Gen 3:4-6). When the Lord confronted them about their sin, the man said, "the woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit" (v. 12) and the woman said, "the serpent deceived me" (v. 13). It was both of their choices but neither of their fault.
God did punish the serpent for his deception, but he also punished Adam and Eve for their choice to do wrong. No matter what the serpentt said, Eve knew what God had said. Regardless of the fact Eve offered it to Adam, God denied it to him. They both were entticed but they both were responsible for their choice, it was their fault, it was their sin.
Regardless of how we were raised or what we have gone through, we always have a choice and a responsibility for our own actions. God may judge someone for enciting another to sin but he does not excuse the one who chooses to sin because another bore some culpibility. It is your life, your choice and your responsibilty. Jus' Sayn.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Staying Positive in a Negative Environment
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the apostle Paul says that we are to "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all cicumstances..." You may well have read this passage or heard it preached on and agree that it is how a Christian should live. However, it not really how we should live, it is how we ought to live and how we must live in order to fulfill God's will for us.
How do I know that? What makes me so sure that it is more than a "best practices" for the Christian community? Because, verse 18 doesn't end with the word circumstances; it goes on to say, "...for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." You may not have heard that part preached on and you may even have missed it when you read it. Nonetheless, it's there. Don't take my word for it, go back and read the passage for yourself.
OK, having looked a little closer at the passage, what then? How do we go about rejoicing always and giving thanks in all circumstances. Pray always, I get as I can offer thanks or petition for help, but rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances? What about when I'm having a root canal or a job loss or facing cancer treatments? How does one go about rejoicing or being thankful then?
One doesn't do it on his/her own. The praying continually part is extremely important just here. I can't know the outcome of my cancer but I can know that God has my life in his hands. I can trust God to do good even when I cannot see the good up front. I can pray that God will help me tto accept his will for me and embrace whatever comes down the pike. A tragedy can move me closer to God as I lean in to find strength and power to face the worst.
Christian character is more often hammered out on the anvil of adversity than it is fostered in the lap luxury or at the corner of Easy Street and Winsome Lane. Trusting God with your mortality helps you come to grips with the fact that God is faithful and that life is bigger than just the here and now. In Christ, we really do have the victory.
Have you considered that losing a job could be precisely what is necessary for you to move forward in life? Have you thought what that tooth would eventually feel like if you didn't get the root canal? Recently I talked to a man who said he hated being in a wheelchair. I told him I could fix that by dumping him out. He laughed but then he said, "I get it. What if I didn't have this wheelchair." Precisely, the thing he had seen as evil was a blessing.
To embrace God's will in this context is to embrace the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:22-23, where he says that "the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness." If we have a healthy outlook - eyes of faith in God's goodness - we will have a joyous cener. We can thank God for all things, knowing he has good in store. We can rejoice always knowing God is with us. As we continue daily in prayer, we keep close to God in our walk. This is God's desire. Jus' Sayn.
How do I know that? What makes me so sure that it is more than a "best practices" for the Christian community? Because, verse 18 doesn't end with the word circumstances; it goes on to say, "...for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." You may not have heard that part preached on and you may even have missed it when you read it. Nonetheless, it's there. Don't take my word for it, go back and read the passage for yourself.
OK, having looked a little closer at the passage, what then? How do we go about rejoicing always and giving thanks in all circumstances. Pray always, I get as I can offer thanks or petition for help, but rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances? What about when I'm having a root canal or a job loss or facing cancer treatments? How does one go about rejoicing or being thankful then?
One doesn't do it on his/her own. The praying continually part is extremely important just here. I can't know the outcome of my cancer but I can know that God has my life in his hands. I can trust God to do good even when I cannot see the good up front. I can pray that God will help me tto accept his will for me and embrace whatever comes down the pike. A tragedy can move me closer to God as I lean in to find strength and power to face the worst.
Christian character is more often hammered out on the anvil of adversity than it is fostered in the lap luxury or at the corner of Easy Street and Winsome Lane. Trusting God with your mortality helps you come to grips with the fact that God is faithful and that life is bigger than just the here and now. In Christ, we really do have the victory.
Have you considered that losing a job could be precisely what is necessary for you to move forward in life? Have you thought what that tooth would eventually feel like if you didn't get the root canal? Recently I talked to a man who said he hated being in a wheelchair. I told him I could fix that by dumping him out. He laughed but then he said, "I get it. What if I didn't have this wheelchair." Precisely, the thing he had seen as evil was a blessing.
To embrace God's will in this context is to embrace the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:22-23, where he says that "the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness." If we have a healthy outlook - eyes of faith in God's goodness - we will have a joyous cener. We can thank God for all things, knowing he has good in store. We can rejoice always knowing God is with us. As we continue daily in prayer, we keep close to God in our walk. This is God's desire. Jus' Sayn.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Staying The Course
I remember when the pressure was on President Bush to pull out of the mid-east, he kept saying, "We have to sttay the course." His critics didn't want to stay the course because it was difficult and did not have a terminus date. President Obama agreed to the notion of a terminus date and pulled out right on time but now we are back fighting ISIS over the same ground we had previously won because we didn't stay the course.
Couples find that marriage is hard and often in the first couple of years they give up because they don't see an end to the struggle in sight, because it requries so much effort, they didn't just ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after. Divorce seems to be so much more defined with a clear terminus. It appears to be a much easier answer than working out differences and working on problems for an indefinite period. However, nearly 80% of couples who divorced before reaching their 5th year state they wished they had given it more time.
The workforce is another place where people decide so often that it just isn't worth all the grief, that there has to be an easier way, a better boss, a clearer picture of future outcomes. Too often the next job has many of the same problems and the same uncertainties, and whatt appears to be your former boss' evil twin. Staying the course, however, most often finds the individual overcoming the problems and rising in rank, priviledge and pay.
Have you ever noticed that most preachers seemed to be called to a larger church with a better salary rather than to stay and build a church, overcoming its problems and facing setbacks to achieve something better for the Kingdom? Staying he course in church work can be very difficult but the largest churches with the greatest impact tend to be those with the longestt tenured preachers.
I know that staying the course isn't easy and sometimes it is truly not the best choice. But in general, staying the course is the right thing and we have the power to overcome as "God can do more than we can ask or imagine by his power at work within us" (Eph 3:20). And Jesus promises, "I will be with you always (Matt 28:20). God is with us always and provide all the power we need to stay the course if only we will trust in him over ourselves. Jus' Sayn.
Couples find that marriage is hard and often in the first couple of years they give up because they don't see an end to the struggle in sight, because it requries so much effort, they didn't just ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after. Divorce seems to be so much more defined with a clear terminus. It appears to be a much easier answer than working out differences and working on problems for an indefinite period. However, nearly 80% of couples who divorced before reaching their 5th year state they wished they had given it more time.
The workforce is another place where people decide so often that it just isn't worth all the grief, that there has to be an easier way, a better boss, a clearer picture of future outcomes. Too often the next job has many of the same problems and the same uncertainties, and whatt appears to be your former boss' evil twin. Staying the course, however, most often finds the individual overcoming the problems and rising in rank, priviledge and pay.
Have you ever noticed that most preachers seemed to be called to a larger church with a better salary rather than to stay and build a church, overcoming its problems and facing setbacks to achieve something better for the Kingdom? Staying he course in church work can be very difficult but the largest churches with the greatest impact tend to be those with the longestt tenured preachers.
I know that staying the course isn't easy and sometimes it is truly not the best choice. But in general, staying the course is the right thing and we have the power to overcome as "God can do more than we can ask or imagine by his power at work within us" (Eph 3:20). And Jesus promises, "I will be with you always (Matt 28:20). God is with us always and provide all the power we need to stay the course if only we will trust in him over ourselves. Jus' Sayn.
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