Chewing Our Cud

Another new year and, as most of us do, time for a little self-examination, thinking about the year passed and just what sort of changes in our life, and/or lifestyle, we could implement that would make this year, 2009, the best ever. Well, if it’s like any other year the majority of us will find ourselves doing pretty much the same thing next month as we were doing last month. Change is difficult and major lifestyle changes, which we tend to try to put ourselves through, is nearly impossible. A well thought out plan is always best for change and the slow methodical implementation of that plan generally brings about favorable success. But, if you’re the sort of person that’s happy chewing the cud of last year, January 26th is your day. It’s the Chinese New Year and this will be the year of the Ox. Everybody knows what a cud is, right? When a cow grazes it fills it’s first stomach with grasses and feeds, then settles down in a quiet place and brings up that which has been eaten, so that it can chew it more fully, preparing it for proper digestion. The regurgitated food is called cud. Probably the worse thing we can do for ourselves in the New Year is to sit around chewing on unpleasant experiences of the past. Bringing up the past is not good for our digestive system, or our blood-pressure. If you do nothing better for yourself this year, resolve issues of dissension. Get happy with yourself.
The young graduate asked the elderly farmer, “Which is correct: Is the hen setting or is the hen sitting?” The old farmer replied rather slowly, “Don’t matter! What’s important is, is the hen laying or is the hen lying.”
The Bible teacher asked, “If I sold my house and my car and gave the money to the church, would that get me into heaven?” “NO!”, shouted all the students. “If I clean the church building and mow the yard every week”, he asked, “would that get me into heaven?” Again the class yelled out in unison, “NO!” “Okay”, the teacher continued, “if I were kind to all the animals, gave candy to the children, and loved my wife more, would that get me into heaven?” The answer again, “NO!” “Well”, the teacher insisted, “then how can I get into heaven?” A five-year-old boy shouted, “You gotta be dead!”
[Psalm 119: 97-112] I suppose the “cud chewing” process could be disgusting to some. Here’s a little “food for thought” from a disciple of Christ. I think too many people approach God’s Word as a fast food item, you know, show up to worship once a week, maybe twice a year, quickly gobble something down, then go about their business. That’s not very nourishing and most such dieters simply get fat on what they think they know about God. The Word of God needs to be approached as a feast. We need to fill ourselves, as often as possible, with its goodness and then find a quiet time and place to “bring it back up” and “chew on it” for a while. Go to a dictionary and you’ll find a human application to “chewing the cud”. It relates to meditation: to consider; to mull over. Throughout Psalm 119 the poet speaks repeatedly of the spiritual value of meditation – what one scholar, perhaps with the cud chewing cow in mind, called mental mastication. We live in a society dominated by the demand for instant gratification, fast food and quick fixes. The people of God need to promote a calmer, quieter, more reflective approach to life. Let us fill our innermost parts with spiritual food and take the time to chew and re-chew this life-sustaining feast from God’s lush pasture, His Word.

Knight Or Lord?

Chivalry is described as a medieval system of knighthood; knightly qualities, bravery, courtesy, respect for woman. True knighthood, professional military officers, only lasted less than one hundred years as leaders of cavalry forces. The knight grew to be what was described as a moving fortress, with his armor developing from reinforced leather to sheets of molded metals. Well anyway, with the introduction of gunpowder and advanced infantry strategies, the knight was just getting in the way of the battle and soon found himself out of a job. The warrior may be gone, but knighthood, in a sense, still exists as an honor bestowed upon those found to highly possess the aptitudes of chivalry. Now, I’m no knight in shining armor, nor a Romeo romantic, but I tend to think that bravery, courtesy and respect for women courses in my veins enough I’ve not been domed to a life of wimp-hood. What I really want to know is, what happened to the door lock on the passenger side of our automobiles? How’s a man suppose to shine his chivalry when he can’t even open the door for his wife anymore? Even the little remote pushbutton door unlocker thingy doesn’t unlock any door but the drivers. Then the rest of the doors have to be manually unlocked from the drivers door. First they took away the bench seat, whereupon you just slid your girlfriend in on the drivers side, put in bucket seats, and now in the name of paranoiac security we have to leave our loved one out in the open, unattended, while we unlock the doors. What’s this world coming to?
A group of women were debating what constituted the perfect man. You would have thought they would decide on some actor or athlete or even a wealthy tycoon. They decided that the perfect man was Mr. Potato Head. They gave four reasons for their conclusion. He’s tan; he’s cute; he knows the importance of accessorizing; and if he looks at another woman you can rearrange his face. Now, that’s just not right!!
My father said he didn’t like women who drive from the back seat. My mother said back-seat-drivers were no worse than men who cook from the dining room table.
[John 14:6] Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus came into the world “to seek and save what was lost”. (Luke 19:10) His salvation is offered to all without distinction. Christ invites the poor, the oppressed, peoples of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, all to be saved in exactly the same way. Slaves and masters stand as equals in His sight. (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 14:21-23; Acts 10:1-11:18; Ephesians 2:11-22; Galatians 3:28) Though He has assigned men and women their respective roles, He treats them both as fellow heirs of the grace of life. (1 Peter 3:7) Is Jesus your knight in shining armor? Do you see Him sitting on a white horse, “Defender Of Righteousness”? Maybe that’s why people are looking to religion as “out dated” and needing revision. Jesus is much more than a knight. Peter said, “He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which he must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12) Paul said, “...God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Jesus is Lord, Ruler, over all things. (Hebrews 1:1-4) Jesus has unlocked and opened the door to salvation.

The Bride of Christ

My wife, Paula, and I recently celebrated our twenty-third year together traveling through life. We’ve had our ups and downs the same as any marriage, but our devotion to one another and the lifestyle we have built has been a good bond for our love. I’m not a dominant, but I do worry when she’s a little more than a few minutes past an expected rendezvous time. We don’t always think the same or agree on everything, but being tolerant and compromising generally keeps peace under the roof of our humble home. We owe nothing to nobody, except that which we choose to spend, of which Paula has always been very frugal, the only reason I have anything today. I joke that I started with nothing and still have most of it, but have to admit, if it weren’t for my wife I’d probably be a worthless bum. It’s true, behind every good man, there’s an encouraging woman.
Comedian, Red Skelton, had some pretty good tips for a happy marriage. He used his own wedded bliss as an example. “Two times a week we’d go to a nice restaurant, have a soft drink, then some good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays and I’d go on Fridays. ...We also sleep in different beds. Hers is in Ontario and mine is in Tucson. ...I used to take my wife everywhere, but she always found he way back. I once asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. ‘Somewhere I haven’t been in a long time’, she said. So I suggested the kitchen. ...We still hold hands when we’re together. If I let go, she goes shopping. ...The last fight we had was all my fault. My wife asked, ‘What’s on the TV?’ I said, ‘Dust’. ...Actually, I haven’t talked to my wife in eighteen months. I don’t like to interrupt her. ...I have to admit, I married Miss Right. I just didn’t know her first name was Always. ...Remember this; marriage is the number one cause of divorce, and statistically, 100% of all divorces begin with marriage.”
Because of a shortage of maids in the area, a minister’s wife advertised for a manservant. The next morning the minister answered the door to find a neatly dressed young man standing before him. Already late for an appointment the minister fired off some questions, “Can you start breakfast by 7 a.m.?” “I guess so”, answered the man. “Can you polish all the silver, wash all the dishes, do the laundry, take care of the lawn, wash windows, iron clothes, and keep the house neat and tidy?” “Well”, said the young man, “I came here to ask if you would perform my upcoming wedding, but if marriage is going to be as much work as all that, you can count me out right now!”
[Ephesians 5: 22-33] Marriage is not to be taken lightly. “Two shall become one” means leaving a lot of ones former life behind. Thus, Paul lifting up the church as the bride of Christ is very fitting. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Why can’t we understand the concept of giving up our lusts for the world when we become one with Christ through baptism and become a part of the church? (Romans 6: 3-8 & Galatians 3:27) Lifestyle changes must be implemented when entering into a physical marriage for it to become profitable and productive, and so it must also be, when giving yourself to the church, the world must be left behind. We have taken on the name of Christ, as in marriage – Christian. Christ is the head over one spiritual body (the church), as the man is the head of the house in a physical marriage, as designed by God. The church is expected to be productive. Are you bringing lost souls to God’s saving grace?

Boasting & Bragging

To boast is to brag; speak proudly of; to possess with pride. Have you ever bragged on something just to see it go sour right before your eyes? I think we’ve all had that happen once or twice in our lifetime. We’ll go to braggin’ on our children or grand-children just to have them disappoint us by getting into some sort of unexpected trouble. We brag about our job and how long we’ve been employed at a certain company only the get laid off the next week. We tend to boast about our fine homes, just to open the door one day to find the hot water heater had bust, flooding the whole house. I guess the classic subject is how we boast about our automobiles. Just about the time we tell someone, “It’s been a good one. I’ve maintained it well and it’s never let me down. I tell ya, if dies tomorrow, it doesn’t owe me a thing.” And then it dies! Sometimes I think we jinx the things we brag on. I was braggin’ on my van the other day, how it turned over two hundred thousand miles and I wasn’t afraid to take it anywhere with confidence. In fact I drove it to Houston for Thanksgiving dinner without a thought of it breaking down. Ya, well, two days later the transmission, without warning, exploded. Having been rebuilt only less than three years ago, a part inside simply decided to give up, rendering itself useless. Of course the vehicle we love when functional, is the same one we want to fire a bazooka at when it’s broke down. Mother said there’d be days like this.
At a banquet a man complained his false teeth were hurting him. The diner to his left looked intently at his face, then reached for his briefcase on the floor beside him, opened it and produced a denture plate, “Here”, he said to his fellow diner, “try these.” “No , they’re too tight”, replied the other, whereupon the kind gentleman exchanged that denture for another. “Well then, try these”, he insisted. The second denture fit perfectly. After the meal, while returning the teeth, the man said to his benefactor, “Those teeth fit beautifully. You a dentist?” “Nope!” was his answer, “Undertaker.”
The minister had been invited back to dinner after coming two months prior. Immediately after giving thanks for the food one of the children at the table said, “Ya know what? That’s the first time we’ve said grace since you ate with us before.”
Sanitary hot-air driers were installed in the church building restrooms, but were removed two weeks later. When asked why, the preacher confessed they worked great but he found a sign hanging on the one in the men’s room that read, “For a sample of next weeks sermon, push the button.”
[2 Corinthians 10 & 11] (NIV) Paul has a lot to say about boasting. Paul says he himself must be careful not to boast about himself, and his work, that people might think he’s somebody. And in the same way, not to boast about someone else and their work, too much, that his boasting might destroy them and their work. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he instructs that we are saved by grace through faith “...it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2: 8-9) James says that when we boast and brag on ourselves, such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16) Paul says, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (2 Cor. 10: 17-18) The broken transmission belongs to God, not me. If it be God’s will, it’ll soon be back on the road, doing His good work.