The Crooked Road

Growing up in Missouri, I often heard people talk about the distance from one place to another in two different ways: 1) As the crow flies and 2) as the road goes.  The crow tend to fly straight from point A to point B, the roads in Missouri, like Arkansas, tend to wind about a bit and add considerably to the distance.

While preaching both in the Western Plains of Kansas and in the Panhandle of Texas, I found that there wasn't any difference.  While in Arkansas and Missouri, the roads had to follow the contour  of the land, in Texas and Kansas, there was no contour.  From one town to another, there was a straight line drawn between them and asphalt laid over it.

In our minds, we tend to lay out our future as if we were living in Texas or Kansas, drawing a straight line from where we are to where we want to be at some point in the future, but God, not us determines our paths, and God apparently isn't from Texas or Kansas: "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps" (Prov 16:9).

In our mind's eye, we can see where it is that we want to go - it's straight up the way, as the crow flies.  But we lack the ability to see the spiritual topography around which a path must be laid to actually get there, and not being able to fly like the crow, our journey takes us up and around, including switchbacks and detours.  Life's journey takes us down a crooked road, not allowing us to see what is around the next curve or over the next hill.  "you do not even know what will happen tomorrow" (Js 4:14).

So, how do we plan for this journey, not knowing what is around the bend or over the next hill?  May I suggest that we prayerfully make our plans, laying before the Lord, seeking his guidance and direction?  "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans" (Pr 16:3).

Committing what we do to the Lord means that we invite Him to take charge of our lives and set us on the right path.  It says that we desire to live according to His will, not our own.  He in turn will establish us in righteousness and bring about our greatest good, but not as the crows flies, instead as the Lord determines, according to his will and our benefit: "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).  Jus' Say'n.

Cliff Walking

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights" (Hab 3:19).  After reading this passage, I turned to Google and typed in "deer climbing mountain."  I thumbed through dozens of pictures of deer climbing, not just on top the peaks but on the side of sheer cliffs.  It was incredible to see these creatures with no ropes, no pylons, no opposable thumb, climging to the face of massive cliffs.

When the minor prophet, Habbakuk, wrote about the Lord making our feet like the feet of deer, he was talking about enabling us to continue in the face of seemingly impossible passages.  He wasn't talking about making us fleet of foot or even steady in stance but unshaken and unstoppable against overwhelming circumstances.

Come with me as I go back to the words of the prophet and listen as he paints a picture of the rocky crags and sheer cliffs that the Lord will enable us to climb up and over: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Hab 3:17-18).

Impossible condiions.  For an agarian culture, no crops and no livestock means no life.  But then there is God.  While such conditionns may be impossible for man, "...with God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26).  When the going gets tough, the tough get going.  When the going becomes impossible, the disciple gets on his knees before God.

I have been in impossible circumstances, facing cliffs too verticle, to sheer and too high for me to climb.  But the Lord set my feet firmly in the rock and enabled my weak and weary frame to walk where walking was impossible.  He emabled me, like the deer he enabled to walk up the side of a cliff, to continue my journey when I saw no possible way.

Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Phil 4:4-6).

In every situation, do not be anxious becasue the Lord is near.  Instead of wringing your hand, fold them in prayer.  Instead of pacing the floor, get on your knees.  Instead of fearing what you are facing, turn your face toward God.  Instead of giving up on your struggle, give it up to the Lord above.  You may not have the strength or ability for cliff walking, but then there is God.  Jus' Say'n.

The Lord's Anointed

Few would argue the point that America, even the world, is in quite a state.  The Islamist terrorists are taking their unholy war to nearly every spot on the globe.  The war on poverty has proven to be bankrupt after 50 years of pumping in hundreds of billions of dollars only to have more people dependent on the government than ever.  The war on drugs is being won, however the winners are the drug cartels and our biggest impact on the criminal element has been in the recent movement to decriminalize the use of marijuana.

In the past, America has been the leader in pushing back the bad guys and lifting up the helpless.  In recent years, our red line was crossed by a despot of  third-world country with no push back from us. The helpless citizens of Ukraine have been pounded by Russia and we wag our tongues and point our fingers but don't even provide weapons for our ally against its aggressor.  And, the rogue terrorist state of Iran negotiates every concession it wanted from us while we get nothing except a "deal" that allows a path to nuclear weaponry in the end.

Oh, did I mention that we have incurred more national debt in the last 7 years than in all the rest of our history?  We are at $19 trillion in the red currently and more than $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities.  Have you ever heard the phrase, "we owe our soul to the company store?"  It referred to the poor who lived and worked on company land, buying necessities on company credit, leaving them forever in debt with no possibility of ever being free from its control.  It seems that America is the new poor and China is the new company.

And to fix all of this mess, which Obama still blames solely on Bush, we are about to select a new leader of the free (really?) world.  While Miss Reset Button on Russia, Lost an Ambassador in Benghazi and Scrubbed Her Email Server, Hilary is still not out of thee race; it is beginning to look like we might be choosing from either Donald Trump or Joe Biden.

Which one of these two do you think has the moral compass, the intestinal fortitude, the critical thinking skills, the personal vision and the diplomatic ability to turn back the tide of the World-wide geo-political Tsunami about to sweep away every remnant of freedom and prosperity off the map?  Yeah, me neither.  While I have more faith in one than in the other, I don't have any real hope that either of these two are the Lincoln or the Churchill of our day.

Nonetheless, whoever is elected will be the Lord's Anointed.  What?  Are you serious?  Yes!  "There is no authority except that which is established by God.  The authorities that exist have been established by God" (Rom 13:1).  Even if Hillary makes it?  Yep, even so.  Even Cyrus, king of Persia.  Who?

After the Israelites were carried off into Babylonian captivity, it was not a great Hebrew leader that arose to bring them back to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, it was the world-dominating Cyrus of Persia. “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them' ” (2 Chron 36:23).

So, who could God use to bring peace and prosperity in our time?  Anyone, He chooses - even Biden or Trump.  And yes, dare I say, Hillary.  The future of America and the world, for that matter, is in God's hands.  That future might be long and prosperous or a rather short and bumpy ride.  In either case, God raises up countries and leaders or brings them down.  Whatever his decision, He is God and the leaders are the Lord's Anointed.  I choose to trust in God and in his will, regardless of who is in office, because it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is in power.  Jus' Say'n.

Two Cemeteries

Yesterday, I drove to the little town of Roe, Arkansas.  It has a population of just over 100, a post office, a community center and two cemeteries.  The two cemeteries is an important fact because I went to this little hamlet to perform a grave side service at "the" cemetery in Roe.  "You can't miss it, just look for the sign."

Well, I could miss it and I did.  The first person I saw in a pickup truck I asked for directions to the cemetery and he didn't know as he was there working on the railroad tracks, not from there.  I saw the little white post office and stopped in, thinking that whoever was running that office would surely know - she did.  In fact, she knew too much.  "Which cemetery?", she asked.  Two?  Two cemeteries in what was barely a one-horse town?  Yes, two!

"It's probably the one down the way," she went on to say.  She gave me direction that included turning just past a church, taking the second left and then right just before the woods.  Of course, it was not the right one and it was almost time to begin the service as I headed back to the post office.  I

I received a call from my office from the daughter of the deceased, wondering if I was going to make it since it was just about time to begin.  The receptionist gave me her number and I called, getting refined directions, that still included, "Just look for the sign."

I drove in and out of Roe for the second time, not seeing the sign.  I called her again, asking for clarification.  She asked, "Do you drive a little white car?"  I had driven right past the sign, the cemetery and the daughter standing by the sign.

I turned around for run number three, drove slow enough to replicate the speed of a shadow moving on a sun-dial and still did not see the sign, which was forty feet off the road, obscured by a tree and pointed in a direction, which required you be driving perpendicular to the road to read the 2 x 3 foot rectangle.  I did, however, see some flagging me down.

The daughter got in my car and we drove as far down the road as we could, parked and walked the other half of the way to the second cemetery, which was hidden by the trees.  The directions were accurate, as far as they went.  They did not include helpful information such as there were two cemeteries, that neither could actually be seen from the road and that the sign was obscured by a tree.

As important as it was to get good directions to the cemetery yesterday, there are much more important spiritual directions that we need to share, which too often we pass on without clear, accurate and sufficient information.  Our need, as we begin sharing the Gospel is to "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15).  Jus' Say'n.

The Drop

Yesterday, in the first five minutes of the opening of the Stock Market yesterday, the DOW dropped over 1000 points, which is the single greatest drop in its history, leading some to predict a 40% slide in a new Bear Market following on the heels of "Black Monday."

So, what should we do?  Should we set out hair on fire and jump off a building or sell off what ever is left of our stocks, cash in our 401ks and stock up on can goods and bottled water?  I'm thinking not since stocks have gained 200% since 2009 and this drop of 6.7% pales in comparison to the October 1987 drop of 22.6%, since which we not only survived but thrived.

But, what if I'm wrong?  What if the Black Monday crowd is right and China's weakening economy and shaky stock market drives us into a huge, prevailing Bear Market and stock values drop through the floor?  Well, I plan to start each day the same with Bible study and prayer, ending each day praying to the same God above.  While I'm not worried about the Market or the economy, I realize that it all could go south.  I just don't intend to go with it.

I've been very poor.  I've experienced the loss of every material thing I own and a mountain of debt so high that I couldn't climb it.  I was in a whirlwind of loss that was totally out of my control and yet, here I am, sitting in my recliner, writing today's blog.  Do I not think I could suffer another great loss?  Do I not realize the power of Market forces?

I do realize both.  I am fully cognizant of the fact that I am not in control.  But I also know that God is in control.  Be it Bull Market or Bear, hospital debt or holiday dining, I am never in control but God is never lacking control.  He has the whole world in his hands - just like the children's song proclaims.  He has you and me brother, you and me sister, the whole wide world in his hands.

I am reminded of what Moses said to the children of Israel has they prepared to enter the Promised Land: "Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory" (Deut 20:3-4).  The point?  The battle is not our but the Lord's.  God will go ahead of us.  We can rest easy in his care - regardless.

The apostle Paul puts it this way: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil 4:12-13).  As a child of God, we can face any circumstance because God's got this.  Jus' Say'n.

Killing The Messenger

I was reading from the Book of Jeremiah this morning, where he came with a warning to King Zedekiah: "“This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live" (38:2).  The response of the officials was classic: "This man must die!" (v. 4).

Jeremiah had earlier prophesied that Babylon would come against Judah but his words were not heeded in preference to the court appointed prophets who said it would not happen.  When it did happen, as Jeremiah had prophesied from the Lord, he came again with a word from the Lord but they still did not like it and chose to kill the messenger rather than deal with the message.

They put Jeremiah down into a cistern, where he would have most certainly died except that when it was reported to the king what the officials had done, he ordered that Jeremiah be brought to the courtyard of the guard to be held instead as thee king wanted to hear more of what Jeremiah had to say.

When the king had Jeremiah brought into him, he told Jeremiah, "Do not hide anything from me" (v. 14).  Jeremiah revealed all that the Lord had said would happen and then the king said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die" (v. 25).  Again, the messenger's life is threatened rather than heed the message.

Just like the king and the officials of Jeremiah's day, we  see the same attitude in politics today.  Instead of weighing out what is said by someone who disagrees with a particular position or part line, a personal attack is typically the response.  It is so much easier to rail against the messenger than weigh out and deal with the message, which might require a change in policy or position.

Sadly, this tactic is not reserved for kings and politicians.  Too often this is the response in churches, families and among friends, when someone points out a wrong or a falsehood.  The apostle Paul was obviously on the receiving end of this strategy when he lamented: "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?" (Gal 4:16).

This must be one of Satan's most cherished snares.  Relationships are fractured, churches are split and countries are polarized by the kill the messenger rather than seriously contemplate the message.  Jesus' brother, James addresses this in saying, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?" (Js 4:1).  He identifies the problem as the inward struggle with sin and the answer to this divide is found in verse 7, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Killing the messenger instead of listening to and contemplating the message is the devil's work, and he does it well.  Don't fall for his trap.  Instead, share and listen, come to decisions without attacking the one who does not agree with you.  Seek to lay down bridges instead of erecting walls, "For where two or three come together (agree) in my name, there am I with them" (Matt 18:20).  Jus' Say'n.

If You Build It...

In the 1989 film, "Field of Dreams," an Iowa farmer, Ray (Kevin Costner), builds a baseball diamond on his farm and ghosts of great ball players of the past, led by Shoeless Joe Jackson, started coming out of the cornfield to play ball.  It was a very spirited film (sorry, I lost control for a moment).

The building, however, was not truly the transformation of the field that was the deeper point of the movie.  The transformation was found in the heart of Ray, whose heart was opened to invite the presence and receive the love of his own Father.  In the process, enough player from the past came to field two teams and people came from all over to bear witness to this remarkable game.

Although they came, the players and the fans, it was not "they" but "he" that was promised to come if it was built.  The building was not really field and the coming was not really the crowds.  Think about the theological implication and the religious application of this tag line: If Ray's heart was conditioned properly, his Father would come and when his Father came, so did all the rest.

Many a Christian congregation have built a new facility or launched a new program with the hopes that people will be drawn to it or by it but have been disappointed with the outcome.  The problem has been that we so often focus on drawing a crowd to a building or event instead of inviting our Father by the transformation or building of our hearts.

The crowds are not drawn or sustained by our building something and the crowds ought not be the object of our focus.  We ought to be focused on our Father and seeking to invite him into our hearts and lives.  When that happens, then others will come as they "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps 34:8).

It is not when we elevate ourselves, build up our buildings or highlight our programs that others are drawn but rather when Jesus is lifted up, he will "draw all men to [himself]" (Jn 12:32).  If we will make room for the Father in our hearts, the Spirit of God will move in.  The love and holiness of God will attract others and sustain those who come.  Jus' Say'n.