George

It is with mixed emotions that I share with my readers the death of my father this passed week at the age of 91. I cannot, nor would I testify for my siblings as to their relationship with our father, but without remorse I can speak for myself. Never lacking emotion in conversation, George would normally work his way into dominating control of nearly any situation he happened upon. This was a very bad habit I inherited and have had a tough time keeping under control for years. I think I’ve seen every emotion under the sun ever expressed by man come forth from my father except the one that eluded him, a true compassionate love. This too has been a learned trait I wrestle with regularly. I know he looked forward to seeing his children successful in the world, but success was based on his understanding of the world, so even I was limited to any thoughts of being praised for what I had ever accomplished. Well, I’m not here to judge his life. I feel I did my best to honor and obey my father during his life, and Lord knows I too could have been a much better father in time past. This is all I have to say about that, for now.
One day a small boy was taking a walk with his father. When they passed an unusual looking truck, he asked, “What’s that daddy?” “I don’t know”, answered the father. Then while passing by a large old warehouse, the boy asked, “What’s in there daddy?” The father answered, “I really don’t know son.” Then they saw a man with a pneumatic hammer breaking up the pavement in the middle of the street. “What’s that man doing daddy”, asked the boy. “I haven’t a clue”, replied the father. After a short while of walking in silence, the boy asked his father, “Daddy, do you mind me asking so many questions?” “Of course not”, replied the father, “how else are you going to learn?”
A man was sitting on a hard, bumpy, elevated piece of rock, fishing. His wife watched him for a while and then commented to their daughter, “Is this the same man who complains every Sunday that the cushioned church pews are too uncomfortable?”
[Genesis 2: 18-24] God arranged it from the beginning that man was to leave his mother and father at an appropriate age to make his own way in the world. Parents are tutors to prepare children for life in the world and a good bit of what they learn is by example. How we handle problems and how we love one another is a learned trait by example. It is said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but I say if you can get past the old dog’s routines of life he’ll open up to learning new tricks. I had many bad habits when it came time to leave my parents and I had lots of trouble handling life, though not as bad as others I’ve known. The church has been a redeeming lifestyle for me. It seems every time I get one of those unsavory routines of life out of the way to make room for God’s will in my life a little more of that love-by-example that has eluded me enters into my life. “Father’s, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 NIV) A man once said he found no use for going to worship for he couldn’t remember what was said in the lesson the next day anyway. He was asked if he could remember what he had for dinner six weeks ago. He said no. He was reminded he probably couldn’t remember all the meals his mother prepared for him, yet he grew into adulthood. Applied early, God’s word can bring a person to maturity in thought and deed, physically and spiritually. No new tricks needed.

I'll Take Heaven, Thank-You

Two ninety-year-old women, Rose and Barb, had been friends all of their lives. When it was clear that Rose was dying, Barb visited her every day. One day, in conversation, Barb said, “Rose, we both loved playing women’s softball all our lives, we even played all through High School and College. Please do me one big favor. When you get to Heaven, somehow, you must let me know if there’s women’s softball there.” Rose looked up at Barb from her deathbed and said, “Barb, you’ve been my best friend all my life. If it’s at all possible, I’ll do this favor for you.” A short period passed, then came the day when Rose passed on. At midnight the following Friday, Barb was awaken from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to her, “Barb! Barb!” “Who is it?” asked Barb, sitting up suddenly. “Who is it? Barb, it’s me, Rose!” “You’re not Rose. Rose just died”, said Barb. “I’m telling you, it’s me, Rose”, insisted the voice. Now fully awake, Barb yelled in excitement, “Rose! Where are you?” “In Heaven”, replied Rose. “I have a lot of good news and a little bad news for you.” “Tell me the good news first”, said Barb. “The good news”, Rose started, “is that there’s softball in heaven. Better yet, all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we’re all young again. Better still, it’s always springtime, and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play softball all we want, and we never get tired.” “That’s fantastic”, said Barb. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams! So, what’s the bad news?” “Oh”, said Rose, matter-of-factly, “You’re scheduled to pitch next Tuesday.”
[Matthew 24: 36-51] We all know that no one will be contacting us from the other side of death to let us know how great heaven is, or how horrible hell is. (Luke 16:19-31) That’s already happened once and we shouldn’t have the need for any further explanation of what to expect after our death. God loves us so much He sent His Son to save us from the second death. That’s sort of verse two of the redemption song. Think about this. If heaven is life eternal, then hell has to be death eternal. Are you willing to lie on your deathbed for eternity, wishing you would just die and end it all, but you’re unable to die? Maybe you’ve never really contemplated that. Existence in Hades, one will find himself all alone, in the darkness, friendless, suffering in agony, forever and ever. (Revelation 21:8) That’s the other side of the coin of eternal life. Existence in Heaven is being in the presence of God. God is love. (1 John 4:8 & 16) God is light. (Revelation 21:23) There will be no more night. (Revelation 22:5) There will be no more death, no pain or agony, no mourning or crying. (Revelation 21:3-4) Why do we have so much trouble and rebellion in the world today? People do not have love; God. People do not believe in a spiritual life. And many who do want to make the spirit something mystical, something that no one can fully understand, so push it aside because it “bugs” them too much. Consequently, they attempt to silence their spiritual side with the pleasures of life. Those who refuse to listen to the calling of God, those who keep trying to bury their beckoning spirit to answer God’s call, will in the end, “…stand before God’s judgment seat. ‘As surely as I live’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God’. So then, each of us will give an account to God” (Romans 14:11-12) “…be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 16:28) Seek God.

It's HOT!

“Happy Birthday America!” I guess I don’t have to tell any of the local residents how hot and dry it is around here. But, as my weekly article has no boundaries of circulation, I thought maybe I’d come up with a top ten list of “How To Explain South Texas Heat To A Yankee”. #10 – Your dog has stopped chasing cars, but digs holes all over the yard looking for a cool place to lie. #9 – There’s water running down your back and the hardest work you’re doing is breathing. #8 – Less & less clothing. #7 – The cold water and the hot water in the house is the same temperature. #6 – Everything in the sunshine is too hot to handle, bare handed. #5 – Grass burrs thrive in the hot dry ground, and bedroom carpets. (You find them with your bare feet at two in the morning.) #4 – When you park your car at Wal-Mart, a half a dozen birds swoop down to drink the water dripping from the air conditioner. #3 – When you start your car first thing in the morning the temp gage instantly moves off of cold. #2 – After you start your car you hear a whimpering sound. You discover it’s coming from your GPS system. The poor thing thinks it is in Hades and has no directions to give on how to get out. And the # 1 way I can best explain heat in South Texas is; The thermometer reads 110 in the shade. Needless-to-say, we are in a serious drought situation here and we could use the prayers of everyone for some much-needed rain. It’s too late for the seasonal crops as they are all dried up and dead, but the ranchers are void of water for their cattle and without rain they will be void of hay and other feed. Fire is of great concern right now with hundreds of acres of dry grass ripe to be harvested in flames. Pray it doesn’t happen.
While getting some gardening tools from the shed, a preacher heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made him wilt in shame. Apparently, his five-year-old son, and his playmates, had found a dead robin. Feeling a proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole at the edge of the garden and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The preacher’s son was chosen to say the appropriate prayer and with sonorous dignity, intoned his version of what he thought he had always heard his father say, “…glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnnn, and into the hole he goooes.” Kids; Ya’ got to love ‘em.
[2Peter 3: 10-14] The whole point of my writing is to help others discover the meaning of life and the rewards awaiting those who live a righteous life before God. It’s promised in God’s word that a very hot day is coming, without warning. That day will bring an end to all of creation and every soul will enter into an eternal existence. Luke records a story spoken by Jesus about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. (Luke 16: 19-31) Jesus gives us a glimpse of heaven and hell, and the permanent situation souls will find themselves in after their physical death. The rich man had it all and ignored the beggar at his doorstep. The beggar willingly accepted what life brought him. The beggar died and became rich. The rich man died and became a beggar. Are you waiting for concrete confirmation from heaven or hell before you are willing to believe? No new messages are forth coming before the end. What God has given us in His word is clearly enough for everyone to make a decision on where they want to spend eternity. If you don’t believe the Bible, you won’t be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.