Saturday, June 29, 2013

I Declare

      The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies, presented by the Continental Congress dated July4, 1776 began: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for the people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separation and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” The document goes on to say that this is not just some whimsical want of change, but a declaration of separation from the tyranny of an uncompromising King George III, and then it lists all the complaints the colonist have concerning the king. “…We therefore, the representatives of the Unites States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right aught to be Free and Independent States; …And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”


      [Proverbs 2 & 3] In the year 1776, Patrick Henry wrote, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here.” Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well-worn Bible: “I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also.” Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first, Harvard University, chartered in 1636. The student handbook read: “Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him.” In light of the whimsical “needs” of some people, the Constitution of the United States is constantly being challenged to interpretation, which tends to make me believe the wisdom that is derived from God is not being sought after more than gold or silver. Well, Happy Birthday, America and I pray you have many, many more. I pray that God will continue to be merciful to its righteous citizens.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Chewing The Cud

      Painters and poets have long appreciated the picture of peace and contentment conveyed by a cow lying in a pasture, chewing its cud. Time seems to stand still for these carefree creatures as they tranquilly chew and re-chew the food they’ve previously consumed. Why do cows spend so much time chewing their cud? And just what is a ‘cud’, anyway? When a cow grazes in a pasture it fills its first stomach (yes, cows have more than one) with grass and other food. Then it settles down in a quiet place and brings up that quickly-swallowed food so it can chew it more thoroughly and prepare it for digestion. This regurgitated food is the ‘cud’. For the past few months the fast pace of the NBA finals has had many folks on the edge of their seats in anticipation of ‘bringing home’ the championship trophy, especially, in the case of my local, supporters of the San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately, only one team can claim the trophy which means the other has to go home empty handed. In today’s social setting “Everybody’s a winner” and “It’s not who wins or loses, it’s how you play the game” are only bandages on mental battle wounds of players. I imagine the team is sitting in a quiet place somewhere, replaying the whole championship series in an attempt to make sense of their loss, befriending one another as they ‘chew their cud’, so to speak. This may be a good place to discuss the ‘ABC’s of Friendship’. A friend; Accepts you as you are, Believes in ‘you’ and Calls you, just to say ‘Hi’. A friend; Doesn’t give up on you, Envisions the whole of you and Forgives your mistakes. A friend; Gives unconditionally, Helps you and Invites you over, Just to be with you. A friend; Keeps you close at heart, Loves you for who you are and Makes a difference in your life. A friend; Never judges, Offers support and Picks you up. A friend; Quiets your fears, Raises your spirits and Says nice things about you. A friend; Tells you the truth when you need to hear it, Understands you and Values you. A friend; Walks beside you, X-plains things you don’t understand and Yells when you don’t listen. A friend; Zaps you back to reality. Ideally, a friend will take time to sit and quietly chew the cud with you.


       [John 15:19-17; 1 Corinthians 13] “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24) “A friend loves at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17) As Jesus taught the twelve he called them his friends, because he was teaching them, in love, the very depths of God’s thoughts and will for mankind. Paul writes: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails.” My friends, here is some food for thought. When we approach the Word of God to feast upon its nourishing contents, we should fill ourselves with its goodness and then find a quiet place to ‘bring it back up’ and ‘chew on it’ for awhile, some serious personal meditation. We need to find ways to incorporate God’s will into our life and live as God intended us to live. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” I want to be a friend of God, because too often, only He can pick me up.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Lord Has Instructed Fathers

      “When the Lord Created Fathers” by Erma Bombeck (abbreviated) When the good Lord was creating Fathers he started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, “What kind of Father is that? If you’re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.” And God smiled and said, “Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?” And when God made a Father’s hands, they were large and sinewy. And the angel shook her head sadly and said, “Do you know what you’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can’t manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats.” And God smiled and said, “I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day...yet small enough to cup a child’s face in his hands.” And then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. And the angel nearly had a heart attack. “Boy, this is the end of the week, all right,” she clucked. “Do you realize you just made a Father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?” And God smiled and said, “A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, and hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus.” …God worked throughout the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, he added tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, “Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a Mother?” The angel shutteth up. “Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.” (Proverbs 17:7).
      [Genesis 17:4-7] Abraham is revered throughout the world. Nearly every religious sect pays tribute to ‘Father Abraham’, and rightfully so. God chose him to be a father – a father with descendants as numerous as the sands of the sea. God had a plan in mind for Abraham. Can you recall what it was? “For I have chosen him, so he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him” (Genesis 18:19). The responsibility laid upon Abraham by God is the duty and responsibility of every father today. As was Abraham, we are to direct our children and household to keep the way of the Lord. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). It is sadly true that much of the trouble we see in society today can be traced to fathers who neglected their duty. There is also the charge to do ‘what is right and just’. One must never forget the power of setting a good example before his children. Long after spoken admonitions have been forgotten, a life well lived is remembered. God told Abraham, “I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.” We never know who our children will become and in my mind it is a sin to try and make them a mini-me. God has given our children gifts to use throughout their life and as fathers we should never alter God’s plans. Our duty is to live a righteous life in the midst of our children, teaching them of God, who gave them life and will love them for eternity.



Saturday, June 08, 2013

Resistance Is Not Futile

      I awoke this morning to the song of a mockingbird just outside my bedroom window. Nothing too unusual, except it was two o’clock, a little early for a wake-up call. The song was never ending and the repertoire was that of imitating every bird-song it had ever heard, over and over again. It was so loud I had to find my earplugs to escape the irritant. I don’t fault the bird for singing its praises to the Lord, but I still think it’s a little early in the morning to be singing at the top of your lungs. Remember when you used to be a pest around the house at the wrong time? Mama or some other adult would suggest, “Why don’t you go fly a kite?” The great winds this spring almost tempted me enough to go buy a kite. I remember taking my kids out to a vacant field and flying kites. My son and I would dive and sore our kites seeing how close we could come to one another without crashing. The dynamics of kite flying are rather weird. As long as one keeps a taut string on the kite the resistance keeps the kite aloft. Slack up on the string and the kite doesn’t fly away uncontrolled, it falls like a rock. Pull back on the string, causing resistance again, and the kite begins to climb. I was reminded of all this by a story on the radio the other day. It was an object lesson about breaking away from authority and doing whatever you want to do. A father had not allowed his son to do something and the son replied, “I’ll be glad when I’m not tied to your rules anymore and I can do what I want to, when I want to.” While father and son were kite-flying, the boy wanted his kite to be up in the air higher than any of the others around him. When he had all the string let out and his kite was way up in the air, it still wasn’t as high as one other. The dad suggested cutting the string and letting it fly higher on its own. The boy realized he would lose the kite if they did that, but dad said, “That’s okay. We’ll get another one.” The string was cut, and without any resistance to hold the kite against the wind, it fell to the ground with a mighty crash. The father explained to his son that that is why there are rules in this world that must be followed. If one were to just cut lose from the rules, the inevitable “crash” will occur. We can’t simply separate ourselves from those things we feel are a resistance to our way of life. Rules are in place to help us stand strong and proud of who we are as we soar through life.
      [Psalm 2] I know everybody’s life is different and each of us has a will to go and do what our heart desires, hey, it’s the American way. The problem lies in the fact that many are no longer following the American way, which is God and country. This country soared high when it held firm to the teachings of the Bible, but, selfishness, individual personal unearned rights, total tolerance and immorality are cutting the strings of resistance held by God. Once we do that, we’re going to fall with a mighty crash. Read your world history. In-fighting of leaders, political corruption, failing economy, decline in morals, ethics and values, and natural disasters, have brought devastation to past empires. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Folks, we need to physically embrace Faith, Hope and Love, and spiritually embrace Father, Son and Holy Spirit if we truly expect to soar to satisfying personal heights and to ever reach heavenly heights. These two, three-strand cords, are the resistance we need to avoid the meism that tears down righteous living. Resistance helps us fly under control.

Sunday, June 02, 2013

Worldly Preoccupation

      Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, carrying 163 passengers and 13 crew members, left New York's JFK Airport on Friday, December 29, 1972 at 9:20 p.m., en route to Miami International Airport. The flight was routine until its approach into Miami International Airport. After lowering the gear, the co-pilot noticed that the landing gear indicator, a green light identifying that the nose gear is properly locked in the "down" position, did not illuminate. The pilots cycled the landing gear, but still failed to get the confirmation light. They then told the tower that they would discontinue their approach to the airport and requested to enter a holding pattern. The tower cleared the flight to climb to two thousand feet, then hold west over the Everglades. The second officer was dispatched into the avionics bay beneath the flight deck to check visually if the gear was down through a small viewing window. Fifty seconds after reaching their assigned altitude, the captain instructed the co-pilot to put the jet on autopilot. As they worked on the light, the jet began a descent into the black night sky so gradual it could not be perceived by the crew. The altitude warning chime, located under the engineer's workstation, was triggered, but the engineer had gone below, and there was no indication by the recorded pilot's voices that they heard the chime. The plane was at half its assigned altitude as they started another turn, and noticed the discrepancy. Co-Pilot: “We did something to the altitude.” Pilot: “What?” Co-Pilot: “We're still at 2,000 feet, right?” Pilot: “Hey! What's happening here?” Less than 10 seconds after this exchange, the jetliner crashed. The crash occurred as a result of the entire flight crew becoming preoccupied with a burnt-out landing gear indicator light and failing to notice the autopilot had inadvertently been disconnected.


      [2 Corinthians 4] “…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (1John 1:5-7) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (v.16-18). Nearly everything being sold to the consumer of the world today is in some way related to improving ones lifestyle. The world is constantly reminding me that I’m getting older, but that there is a solution to my every problem in life, and most of the time all I have to do is take a pill. The focus of man has become so self-centered that he can no longer feel in his heart, his separation from God. The worldly man is unaware that his attitude and altitude toward a safe landing in the heavenly realm, is in reality, going to crash short of his goal, because he’s so focused on himself; he’s taken his eyes off of God. I think some treat Jesus, our Savior, like an auto-pilot, and at the same time, ask God if they can go into a holding pattern while they live life in the world as they please. Man can not perceive the depths he is falling into and one day it is going to be too late to avoid eternal punishment. Read the last Old Testament book, Malachi. Man’s behavior then, which brought about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, wasn’t much different than it is now. The Day of the Lord is coming again and this time all of creation will be destroyed. Are you a crippled and blind “living” sacrifice to your God? (Malachi 1:14; Romans 12:1-2) Are you robbing God with worldly self-centered thinking? (Malachi 3:6-18)