I Know Who's I Am

Most New Year’s resolutions contain some sort of serious change in ones life. I did exactly that many years ago, without regret. I don’t know where you are in life and I certainly can’t solve your problems for you, but I can witness from my own annals.
Drugs and Alcohol from “A” to “Z”: The evil of drugs and alcohol Arms more villains, Breaks more laws, Corrupts more officials, Destroys more homes, Engulfs more fortunes, Fills more jails, Grows more gray hairs, Harrows more hearts, Incites more crimes, Jeopardizes more lives, Kindles more strife, Lacerates more feelings, Maims more bodies, Nails down more coffins, Opens more graves, Places more feet on a downward path, Quenches more hopes, Raises more sobs, Sells more virtue, Tells more lies, Undermines more youth, Voids more contracts, Wrecks more men, X-cites more murders, Yields more disgrace and Zeroes more hopes than any other enemy of mankind. The world and its solutions to everyday living can become a veritable destructive force in anyone’s life. I used to depend on worldly fabricated solutions for reducing stress and frustration, but they never really worked. In fact most of the time they amplified a normal solvable situation into an unreasonable discourse. I’m still not perfect, still over express myself at times, but I do it sober and have no one to blame but myself. I once was lost in the sea of regret and remorse, but I have been redeemed.

Now, I know who I am. I am God’s child (John 1:12); I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15); I am united with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17); I am bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20); I am a saint [set apart for God] (Ephesians 1:1; Romans 1:7); I am a personal witness for Christ (Mark 5:18-20); I am the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14); I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27); I am free forever from condemnation (Romans 8:1-2); I am a citizen of heaven (Ephesians 2:19; Philippians 3:20); I am free from any charge against me (Romans 8:31-34); I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21); I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18); I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:4-7); I cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39); I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22); I am assured that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28); I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16); I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12); I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13); I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15:1-5); I am God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16); I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10); I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4); I have been justified (Romans 5:1); I am God’s co-worker (1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1); I am God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10); I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected (Philippians 1:4-6); I have been redeemed and forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14); I have been adopted as God’s child (Ephesians 1:5); I belong to God. I am not sinless (Romans 3:23), but all these statements apply to me as an obedient baptized believer in Christ Jesus, my Savior. God loves all who are obedient to His Word and the first step to obedience is found in Acts 2:14-41. If the new year is full of frustration and confusion, put your spirit on a diet. Get away from the worldly temptations sickening your soul. If you don’t find God’s way of living a lot more comfortable, don’t panic; the devil will always take you back. Happy New Year, Y’all.

Christmas in Heaven

I walked my yard for the last time this year with the expressed purpose of picking up pecans. The drought hasn’t been kind to my old tree and its production has noticeably dwindled the past few years. Unfortunately, I think the squirrel population has doubled and the competition as to who gets to the yard first to collect nuts has been intense. I’ve put up with the squirrels for years without too much grief, but this year they’ve done some things I’ve never seen them do before. I came home one day during the summer to find green nuts all over the front yard. The nuts were set and growing, and all I can figure is, a couple of delinquents started running through the trees biting chunks out of the green nuts, dislodging them from their umbilical, because every nut on the ground had a bite taken out of it. I hoped they had gotten a belly ache like I used to get from eating green apples. Not much changed over the summer because as I harvest the yard this fall those same squirrels are taking bites out of the mature nuts on the ground and just leaving them behind. Ooooo that makes me sooo mad!! Well, several of the wasted nuts in fact didn’t go to waste as my little Chihuahua has discovered the delights of fresh pecans upon the palate. So there I am kneeling in the fall leaves, pealing shells from half eaten pecans, feeding nuts to Bella and wondering why a squirrel hates me.

This is the time of year when the food police come out of the woodwork with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining ten pounds. One can’t pick up a magazine without finding a list of holiday do’s and don’ts. “Eliminate second helpings, high-calorie sauces and cookies made with butter,” they say. “Fill up on carrot sticks,” they say. Good grief! Is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas a carrot stick? I don’t think so. Isn’t mine, either. A carrot was something we threw up on the roof for Rudolph to chomp on while waiting for Santa to get back. Hey! Go and enjoy the parties. Just don’t get squirrely and take a bite out of something, then deciding you don’t like it, putting it back on the serving dish. That’s worse than double-dipping a chip. Yuck! Cookie-less January is just around the corner, so, what other time of the year can you have a piece of apple, pumpkin and pecan pie at the same time on one plate without anyone really taking notice? Labor Day? Enjoy.

[2 Corinthians 5:1-8] I know some of you have had loved ones depart from you this year. Here’s a little poem for you; “Christmas In Heaven” by Wanda Bencke. “I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below; With tiny lights like heaven's stars reflecting on the snow. The sight is so spectacular please wipe away that tear; For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year. I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear; But the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here. I have no words to tell you of the joy their voices bring; For it is beyond description to hear the angels sing. I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart; For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year. I can't tell you of the splendor or the peace here in this place; Can you just imagine Christmas with our Savior face to face? I'll ask him to lift your spirit as I tell you of your love;
So, then pray for one another as you lift your eyes above. Please let your hearts be joyful and let your spirit sing; For I am spending Christmas in heaven and I'm walking with the King.” I pray you have a blessed day and all is well with you and your family.

Give With Wisdom and Love

I noticed this past week that Rudolph the “Red Nosed Reindeer” has entered his fiftieth year of service as lead sleigh hauler. That kind of makes one sit back and think about all the years that have whizzed past, marked by the season of giving thanks and sharing with love. I too have fifty plus years of work and service behind me and like Rudolph, I hope I have many more ahead. Of course we’ve all had to adjust to the ever changing ways the world has to deal with new technology and business management. Even the North Pole has recently had some organizational changes. The recent announcement that Donner and Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced and about other restructuring decisions at the North Pole. Streamlining will be necessary due to the North Pole’s loss of dominance in the season gift distribution business. Home shopping networks and internet shopping have greatly diminished Santa’s market share. He could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of profits. The purchase of a late model, lighter weight, and streamlined sleigh, has made reindeer downsizing possible. Reduction in reindeer will also lesson airborne emissions to comply with new EPA regulations, and hopefully reduce the unfavorable world-wide press editorials of years past. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole and management is pleased to announce that Rudolph’s roll will not be diminished. Well, I guess the evening sky spectacle won’t be as big a deal as it used to be. I’m saddened.

[Romans 12:1] From, “Gift of the Magi” a Christmas story written by the famous short story author, O. Henry. Jim and Della, a young married couple, lived in a tiny flat in New York City around the turn of the twentieth century. On the day before Christmas, although they had no extra money to spare, each secretly desired to give the other a special gift. Over the course of the previous year, Della had only managed to save a dollar and eighty-six cents - mostly in pennies. At the suggestion of her friend Maggie, Della reluctantly decided to cut her long, beautiful auburn hair and sell it to a wig maker so that she could afford to buy her beloved husband a proper Christmas gift. Jim, on the other hand, had failed to get his hoped-for Christmas bonus. He left work that day penniless and desperate. So in order to buy Della a gift that would show his love, he pawned his treasured gold watch that had once belonged to his grandfather. On Christmas Eve night, with great fear, Della showed her husband her short locks and gave him his gift - a beautiful gold watch chain to replace his worn leather fob. Shaking his head and almost in tears, Jim confessed to his wife he had hocked his grandfather’s watch to buy her a Christmas present - a pair of jeweled combs for her beautiful flowing hair. At first they thought, “What fools we are!” But then, with powerful irony, O. Henry asserts that, far from being foolish, their extravagant gifts of love to each other made them as wise as the Magi who traveled far to bring their gifts to the Christ child. Their seemingly useless presents turned out to be the priceless gift of love (Matthew 2:1-11). I ask myself, is this Christmas hub-bub all worth it? Are we all fools? The story reminds me that any time we give our best in love to others a miracle of sorts occurs. God has given us the ultimate gift, in love. He gave us His only Son to be sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins (John 3:16). Give with wisdom and love.

A Partnership Of Three

I have an anniversary coming up, one year short of thirty, with the woman I don’t deserve. She has the patience of Job and can squeeze a nickel so tight it changes to a dime. Without her I would probably be destitute and boo-hooing over my wretched life.

A husband happened into the bedroom and overheard his wife, as she was sliding hangers full of clothing across the steel rack one by one, to say, “Oh I wish I were eight again!” Without interrupting her he slipped out of the room with a brilliant idea for their upcoming wedding anniversary. All the arrangements had been made and on the eve of their anniversary he announced, “Tomorrow we are going to spend the whole day together.” She retired excited about what the morrow might bring. The alarm rang and she was greeted with kisses and instructions to get dressed they were going out to breakfast. At the pancake house she could have anything her heart desired. Following breakfast they went to the park to ride horses. Then they went to the mall where he bought her the doll she had always wanted as a little girl but never had. It was pizza for lunch with games and a silly side show. A walk in the park led them to the bumper cars, the Ferris wheel and the merry-go-round all of which they rode over and over again. Supper was at a burger place topped off with sharing a banana split. Popcorn and soda during an animated fantasy movie, which made her laugh and cry, finished a day she’ll never forget. Exhausted, she thanked her husband for a wonderful day. He told her he got the idea from her after one day hearing her sigh and exclaim, “Oh, I wish I were eight again.” So, I thought I would take you out for the day hoping you would return home feeling like a little girl again. Breaking out in laughter she looked her husband in the eye and said, “I meant my dress size!” I don’t know what I’ll do this anniversary but it never seems to be enough to express the thanks for putting up with me another year. Keep trying guys. We’ll get it right some day; we can be so stupid!

[Hebrews 13:4] “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” There is no doubt that God frowns upon the cheating spouse. And, there is no doubt in my mind that it will take more than the forgiving spouse of a repenting adulterer to avoid the wrath of God. It will take the love of Jesus to forgive the adulterer and reconcile ones spirit to God in peace. Is it important to have Jesus in the marriage? Yes! Jesus, God’s Word, (John 1: 1-5; 10-14) is the disciplined love that brightly shines in the marriage and in the home. The Word of God has not been given to us merely for our enjoyment, but to furnish us with life. As blessed as God’s Word is, Jesus said to the twelve, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). “If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:10). “A Happy Marriage Takes Three” by J. Morse. “Most people think a marriage is, a partnership of two; But these little words of wisdom, I will relate to you. The happiness of marriages, Has another partner near; Who can handle every storm of life, And make problems disappear. He’s the guide along life’s pathway, He’s the glue that bonds with love; He’s the one that makes a dream come true, And sends blessings from above. This partner’s name is Jesus, Always trust him and you will see; Marriages are sweeter, in a partnership of three.”

Thank God

I pray your celebration of thanks was peaceful and meaningful. We have so much to be thankful for in this country. As a spoiled people wanting it all right now it’s a shame to see a great tradition beginning to fade like a sunset. The metaphor “Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we (used to) go…” for an annual family gathering had meaning and some reverence to it in my younger years. There were no businesses open and if you forgot to gas up the car on Wednesday you weren’t going far Thanksgiving Day. One doesn’t have to worry about that nowadays. Some people in fact skip the whole thanks day in exchange for an up front place in line at Suzy Q’s What-cha-ma-call-it Emporium for a chance at snagging the newest, biggest, greatest ever, one of a kind, on sale, limited amount of purple widget’s, by camping over night at the front door and getting into the store before anyone else. Triumphantly returning home with bragging rights and the spoils of life is always far better than humbling one’s self before the One who so lavishly gives us all we possess; right?

[Psalm 100; Psalm 136] I fear because we have such a comfortable lifestyle in this part of the world we fail to observe the greatness of our Creator and the free gifts he has surrounded us with. The very air we breathe, the water we drink, the complex and elaborate environment and eco-system we live in, is all maintained just for our existence. Our relationship, man and Creator, has become a tradition being observed by less and less people every day because they believe more in themselves than the One who gave them life. The late Dr. Louie Talbot once told of a visit to the gigantic Niagara Falls on the border of Canada and the United States. Talbot just stood there awestruck as the millions and millions of gallons of water poured over the cliffs into that great abyss of roaring, turbulent water below. Then Talbot noticed that when the falling cascades of water hit the debts below, the turbulence created a spray which rose in the form of a mist, higher and higher until it reached the top of the falls. As he observed the magnificent phenomenon, Talbot thought, “Why, that mist coming up is just a picture of worship.” Describing the experience he wrote, “Those millions of gallons of water, pouring and pouring and pouring down upon that open abyss showed something of the river of God’s grace - all of His goodness and all His mercy being poured down on mankind.” Talbot’s picture of the rising mist represented the praise and thanksgiving of God’s people in response to the cascading ocean of grace, represented by the waterfall, is an excellent metaphor of the way our man and Creator relationship ought to function. Praise and thanksgiving as a response to what God has done for us should be like the mist that rises from the turbulence of Niagara’s waterfall. Grace describes what God has done for mankind and a generation of men and women today need to discover that in all of the wisdom of the world there is nothing that parallels this marvelous act of God toward an undeserving people. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever (Psalm 100:3-5). God bless you, always.

Does He Really Care?

I’m about to enter the crescendo of life which has been reserved for those of us who have managed to live long enough to see it. I’m discovering that it takes a lifetime of wisdom to deal with Social Security and Medicare issues and decisions. Shopping for health insurance that won’t leave one penny-less has always been a problem. Like the old TV commercial used to remind us, “Pay me now, or pay me later” it still seems to hold true whether we’re fixing our vehicle or maintaining our body. Choices have befuddled my wife her entire life, extending from the grocery shelf to a simple burger menu, she has a real tough time making a decision. It’s hard for her to grasp the concept of paying for good insurance over a period of time or going bankrupt if and when everything goes south. We don’t like to think about it, but life doesn’t seem to get any easier and it will take wisdom to press forward. Old age ain’t for sissies.

There was a man who had worked all his life and saved all his money. He was a real miser when it came to cash. He loved money more than just about anything and just before he died he said to his wife, “Now listen. When I die I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife.” So he got his wife to promise him with all her heart that she would do that for him. Well, one day he died. He was stretched out in the casket and his wife was sitting next to her close friend. When the ceremony was ended, just before the undertaker was going to close the casket, the wife said, “Wait just a minute” whereupon she produced her dead husband’s favorite briefcase and placed it in the casket. The undertaker locked the casket down and rolled it away. Her friend protested, “I hope you weren’t crazy enough to put all that money in the casket.” She replied, “Sure I did. I promised. I got all the money together, put it in my bank account and wrote him a check.”

[1 Peter 5: 7] “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” That’s true! But it’s also true that God doesn’t care about some things – some of the things we care about deeply. God doesn’t care about how many Facebook friends we have. His concern is that we are Jesus’ friend. “When Jesus saw their faith he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 5:20). God doesn’t care how many Twitter followers we have. He only cares that we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). God doesn’t care about how many minutes we have on our cell phone plan. He cares about the minutes we spend talking with Him (1 Thessalonians 5:7; Ephesians 6:18). God doesn’t care if we have the fanciest watch. He wants us to watch the use of our time (Ephesians 5:16). God doesn’t care about the size of our homes or how much money we have. He wants us to realize that material things don’t last, “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matthew 6:19-21); “…put (your) hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). God doesn’t care about what work we do. He wants us to do all things in His service and to His glory (Colossians 3:23-24). God doesn’t care about the color of our skin. He cares about the content of our character. (Galatians 5:22-23). God doesn’t care about a lot of things we care about. But God does care about us! He cares about us so much that he gave his son Jesus to die on the cross, the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. “…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish…” (2 Peter 3:9). He cares for you!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I can remember a time when one didn’t dare whisper the word Christmas until the last of the Thanksgiving turkey was gone from the refrigerator. Today it’s practically illegal to relate Christ to the “Holiday Season” for fear of offending someone, but that’s another issue all together. This year seems to be completely out of control with all the “gift giving” experts submitting their perfect time to shop analyses. They have fine-tuned the proper schedule for you to do your holiday shopping, netting you the greatest savings on your spending budget. There is a Greek word for all this hype – “Hog-wash!” All the retailers are trying to do is get you to come to their store with a certain thing in mind and they will be ready to accommodate you in that area. Face it. Retailers couldn’t wait to get school supplies and Halloween stuff off the shelf to fill them with goodies tempting you to empty your wallet over and over again before the end of the year. It’s all a hoax to make you think you’re sharing your God given love.

[1 Kings 20] Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered an army, with the alliance of several other kings, to attack Ahab, king of Israel. The account reveals God sending a prophet to Ahab with instructions of how to overcome this attack. Ahab followed God’s orders and war was averted. Ben-Hadad came to Ahab and asked for a treaty of peace whereupon Ahab called Ben-Hadad “brother” and signed a treaty with him. As far back as the Exodus from Egypt, God told the leaders of the Israel nation, “…I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you. (Exodus 23:31-33). The prophet took this matter to King Ahab that he might pass judgment, thus convicting himself (1 Kings 23:35-42). God has given you and I his very own son as the full sacrifice for our sins. In verse 40, the prophet illustrated King Ahab’s disobedience to God’s will, “…While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” I’m afraid too many of us are getting so busy here and there that Jesus, our Savior, has disappeared. We are writing far too many treaties with the world and the gods in it, instead of slaying the tempters snares.

Dear Friend; I’m sending you this note to tell you how much I love you and care for you. I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends. I waited all day hoping that you would want to talk with me as well. As evening drew near, I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you. I waited, but you never came. Yes, it hurt me, but I still love you. I saw you fall asleep last night and I longed to touch your brow, so I spilled moonlight upon your pillow and face and again I waited for a chance to talk with you – but you never came. I have so many blessings I want to bestow upon you, but you never seem to have time for me. This morning you awakened late and rushed off without our being able to visit. My tears fell with the rain. If you would only let me tell you how much I love you. I try to tell you in the blue sky and in the quiet green grass. I whisper in the leaves and breathe it in the colors of the flowers. I shout it from the wind rustling through the trees and give the birds love songs to sing. If you only knew how much I long to visit and talk with you. Please call me …and don’t forget …I love you! Your friend forever; Jesus. Are you too busy to notice He’s there?

He's a Liar!

Praise God for our recent rains and I pray you got a decent amount in your back yard. With the winter months creeping up on us combined with the time change, it gets dark outside way too early making for a long evening indoors cooped up with a hyper-active Chihuahua. Little Bella easily contracts cabin fever and tends to take her pent up energy out on her toys, picking them up and shaking the devil out of them. Not being very good at entertaining herself she does her best to get me involved in her aerobic activities by sitting in front of me, with toy in mouth, staring at me as if to say, “Play with me! Play with me!” Well, the tug-of-war game begins making her happy as a little kid in an amusement park. Eventually she’ll let go of the toy, I’ll throw it across the room and she’ll chase it, pick it up and shake it, as if killing it, then bring it back to me to start the cycle all over again. Of course, after about a dozen cycles my throws start to get a little wild jeopardizing favorite knickknacks and frayed nerves to the point my wife makes us stop our antics before something bad happens. The short fun and games periods aren’t enough to burn off all that energy and believe it or not she tends to become a little depressed when the weather keeps her indoors for a couple of days. We finally got outside and while I was picking up pecans she began to run around the yard like a wind-up toy gone wild, funny to watch and good to see her happy again.

Have you ever run across someone you found hard to impress with your life? A Maine potato farmer and a Texas rancher were engaged in conversation at a political rally. The rancher asked, “How much land do you tend?” The farmer replied, “Oh, about a hundred acres.” The Texan bragged, “I’ve got six thousand myself.” The farmer didn’t seem very impressed so the Texan continued, “My neighbor’s place is huge. He can drive his pick-up truck from early morning till noon and still not be half way across his place.” The Maine farmer noted, “I had a pick-up truck like that once.”

[Luke 12:13-21] It is said that life is like a coin; you can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once. So, when it comes to a lifetime of spending, which is the wiser investment: Godliness or Worldliness? We are in a tug-of-war every day of our life making decisions as to the best way to carry out our life. God has given us a hope of bigger and better things to come in the after-life and Satan says it ain’t gonna get any better than this. The devil is a liar! (John 8:42-47). He knows he can’t win over God with worldly materials, yet he dangles them before us and says, “Come play with me!, Come play with me!”, taking pop shots of temptation at us in an attempt to lure us away from God. He uses the disappointments of life to discourage our faith in God and get us to invest in the world. And guess what? He’s doing a good job! But: God’s eternal purpose cannot be overthrown (Acts 5:39). No person can live after the flesh and please God (Romans 8:8). A person cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). No one can take anything out of this world (1 Timothy 6:6-10). One cannot avoid reaping what he has sown (Galatians 6:7-8). Man cannot escape death or the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). “What good will it be for a men if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). The world is full of cons looking to prey on your well meaning investments. The Liar is wanting you to gamble your soul on worldly pleasures against eternal life. Can you afford to lose?

Yes, Sir!

Two buddies were out and about running around in a hot rod pick-up, on some unfamiliar country back roads, when they came upon a sign that read, “Road Closed – Bridge Out!” Stopped along side the road they discussed weather they should go forward and to possibly ford the stream or whatever when they came to the bridge problem, or to turn around and go another way. Because they saw fresh tire tracks in the dirt road ahead they reasoned the sign was old and forgotten about after the bridge repairs and should have been taken down long ago. So they decided to go forward with their trip. Rounding a sharp curve in the road the driver of the speeding truck suddenly slammed on the brakes causing the truck to slide to a stop just short of diving off into a deep ravine. Sure enough there was no bridge. The two looked at each other knowing they had just averted certain death. Returning to where the warning sign was posted they noticed on the reverse side another sign that read, “Close Wasn’t It?”

Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier, continued to carry out orders given to him by his commanding officer upon landing on Lubang Island in the Philippines, December 26th 1944, until his surrender on March 10th 1975. Why did he continue fighting World War II for 29 years after Japan surrendered? Because he didn’t know? That was very unlikely because Allied troops and islanders alike knew of the presence of Japanese soldiers in the jungle and both had distributed fliers throughout the island jungle by land and by air informing the soldiers the war was over. All but Onoda had eventually succumbed to the harsh jungle life or believed the fliers and surrendered. Onoda believed the fliers to be propaganda lies and refused to surrender. Over the years he became a danger to the populous, shooting at uniformed people, killing soldiers of Filipino army patrols and stealing food from farmers. In 1974 a college student found Onoda and tried to convince him to leave the jungle and return to Japan. He refused saying he would not leave unless he heard from his commanding officer, personally resending his previous orders. The college student would not tell of Onoda’s location but did find and arrange for Onoda’s commanding officer to meet Onoda and give him new orders. Upon hearing from his commanding officer Onoda couldn’t believe Japan had lost the war but was obedient to his new orders. Dressed in full uniform he marched out of the jungle and surrendered his sward to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Onoda was pardoned of his crimes because he thought he was still at war.

[Matthew 28:18-20] There’s a sign post up ahead, “Man is Destined to Die Once – Then to Face Judgment!” (Romans 9:27). The world is cruising on down the road to forever at break-neck speed with death staring each and every one of us straight in the eye. I guess you do know there are no brakes on the death of the body, which means we’re all going to slide right into eternity head first. Do you know we’re at war? We fight every day to survive being a righteous person (Ephesians 6:12). Jesus, our commanding officer, has left orders to “…make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” As unpopular as that may be, are you obeying orders? Are you carrying out those commands until your commanding officer returns? Who has the right to change those orders? Jesus’ order, is God’s Word.

You Are Invisible

Our relationship with the world is at times so paradoxical it becomes confusing and frustrating. Comedians and satirists exploit this situation in “paraprosdokian” sentences which are a figure of speech where the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. For example: * “Light travels faster than sound and this is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.” * “It seems we never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.” * “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” * “The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” * “The evening news is where a reporter begins with ‘Good Evening’ and then proceeds to tell you why it isn’t.” * “I thought I wanted a career but it turns out I only wanted paychecks.” * “A bank is a place that will lend you money, but only if you can prove you don’t need it.” * “Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for President and 50 for Miss America?” * “I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not sure.” * “You’re never too old to learn something stupid.” * “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” And probably my very favorite – “Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason.” - Don’t forget to vote November 4th.

Have you ever considered the relationship between two healthy eyes? They blink together; they move together; they cry together; they see things together; they sleep together; but they never ever see each other. (I know – the mirror thing. Humor me:-)
[John 14:1-11; 20:24-29] Have you thought about your relationship with God? Most people have a problem with wrapping their arms around something they can’t see. When Jesus says, “…Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), his closest followers had a hard time understanding that, until they learned more and witnessed more of his works and the fulfillments of prophecy. Later Jesus said to the same followers, “…Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” There’s where you and I come in. Our faith in God and his promises comes from the Bible; God’s Word; the inspired writings of the patriarchs, prophets, Apostle’s and church founders. “…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We have never seen God, or Christ, or the Holy Spirit, but we have an intense inner feeling of spiritual connection we cannot explain, and sometimes go so far as trying to explain it away. Why should I deny myself (Mark 8:34-38), or become a slave (Matthew 20:25-28), or love my enemies (Luke 6:27-36) so I can please a being I can’t relate to one on one? I hear ya. I’ve had the same thoughts. Unlike worldly situations, nobody is going to make you go to heaven if you don’t want to. You’ll not be dragged into heaven kicking and screaming. God has given you the right to decide for yourself. God is not complicated. He has given us everything we need to live a righteous life, free of self and greed (Luke 12:22-34). We question: What if it’s all a fairytale, like the modern day scholars are telling us? I’ve got nothing to lose. I ask: What if it’s true? Now you have everything to lose. Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:25) Listen to your spirit; the real invisible you.

Have Courage

My little Chihuahua is now one year old and a constant shadow. Compared to other pets I’ve had, she’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you know what I mean. She has more toys than she knows what to do with and generally picks a toy of the day to bug me with by standing in front of me with it in her mouth and an ears up frisky look that says, “Play with me! Play with me!” I try to push everything to the back burner for a couple of minutes as often as possible to play tug-of-war or fetch until she calls time out. Well, lately I’ve found I must be careful what I’m doing around the house because I find Bella’s nose right there and I’m scared I’m going to hurt her. She’s not afraid of anything if I’m right there guessing she figures that it must be okay. She’s not afraid of the vacuum cleaner and worst of all, the lawn mower. I use this little grunting sound to warn her of danger and/or my disapproval and she reacts immediately, keeping her safe.

I can remember as a child going on road trips with my parents and siblings. When we would come to a big high bridge, looking out the window of the car would bring on a bit of anxious feelings I didn’t know how to deal with, but were calmed by the fact that everything must be okay because dad was driving. I also remember that as I got older those scary pass-over’s became beautiful panoramic views offering awesome insights into the creation that God has given us and the beauty which it holds. But not all people are that way. Every day, it seems, at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the state of Maryland, there are motorists who arrive at that point and will not drive across. They, like some of us when we were children, want to lock their doors, close their eyes and hide in the trunk while trying to drive across the frightening bridge. Maryland’s Transportation Authority has police officers on duty as surrogate drivers for those who freeze at the wheel or there is a tow service to help those in need. They average five vehicles a day. Bridges like Michigan’s Mackinaw Bridge offer a similar service.

[Philippians 4:4-9; 2 Timothy 1:7] Isn’t it amazing? We all have our fears. For some it’s bridges or flying or crowds. Today it’s Ebola and terrorism; tomorrow who knows? What do you do with your fears? “…Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). According to Wikipedia, Telemachus (also Almachus or Tilemahos), described as being an ascetic (monk) in the writings of Theodoret, came to Rome from the East. He tried to stop a gladiatorial fight in a Roman amphitheatre and was stoned to death by the crowd. The Christian Emperor Honorius, however, was impressed by the monk’s martyrdom and it spurred him to issue a historic ban on gladiatorial fights. The last known fight in Rome was on January 1, 404 AD. Considering our fears of injustice, indifference and immorality, we need the spirit of courage exemplified by Telemachus to be alive in Christians today as we struggle against deeply entrenched evils of the world. The Lord’s church is a fellowship of courageous souls banded together to grapple with wickedness and all unrighteousness. “…God did not given us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline”(2 Timothy 1:7). Only by being courageous can we swim against the world’s current and move in the direction of God. Repent and seek His kingdom.

Just a Couple of Croakers

It’s been said that we only have two seasons in South Texas, hot and cold, and that can come with or without rain or snow in any month, except August which is always HOT. About the only true barometer of what season it is, summer or winter, is the day-light hours which are significantly different. Another indicator is the presence of migrating birds in the neighborhood; by the hundreds! The noise they produce can be almost deafening at times and still scares my poor little Chihuahua. Today was one of those transition days from Summer into Fall. A cold front sailed through bringing a little wind, rain and lower temperature, for about three hours. Now it’s summer again, except it will be dark out by seven-thirty this evening. Just another day in paradise.
I’m generally out and about before six-thirty each morning, and because my wife doesn’t do coffee, I frequent a café for a cup or two and a taco with a friend, and to also talk about stuff. Some would call it gossip, but men don’t gossip, we exchange important information and work on solving the problems of the world. Some have asked me in the past why I don’t make my wife fix me coffee in the morning. I can relate that to a story I heard back in the eighties when self help books were in fashion. It seems a man had just finished reading a new book entitled, “You Can Be the Man of Your Own House”. He stormed into the kitchen and announced to his wife, “You need to know that from now on I’m the man of this house and my word is law!” After a short silent pause he continued, “You’ll prepare and serve me a gourmet meal tonight topped off with a sumptuous dessert. After dinner you’re going to draw me a bath so I can relax. You’ll wash my back, towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then you’ll massage my feet and hands. And tomorrow, guess who’s going to dress me and comb my hair?” His wife didn’t even hesitate before saying, “The funeral director would be my first guess.” No sir, I don’t need to be boss of my wife, if you know what I mean.
[Psalm 73] A man who had just purchased his first house in the country traveled to the nearby rural town and asked the owner of the restaurant there if he could use a million frog legs. The proprietor asked where he could find so many frogs. “I’ve got a pond on my new property that’s full of them” the new resident replied, “they drive me crazy day and night.” After they made an agreement for several hundred frogs, the gentleman farmer went back home. A week later he returned to the restaurant with two scrawny frogs in hand and a sheepish grin on his face. “I guess I was wrong” he stammered, “there were just two frogs in the pond, but they sure were making a lot of noise!” The world today sure is making a lot of noise and on the forefront of it all is war and pestilence. It’s a shame to hear that more and more people are becoming loud complain-ers and gossiping blame-ers rather than pray-ers looking to God for strength to endure and overcome the vile of the world. “…each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor… “In your anger do not sin”; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4: 25-27). The next time you hear a lot of noise about how bad things are, remember, God is still on the throne and His power is far beyond our comprehension (Job 37:1-13). The noise you hear may be nothing more than a couple of chronic complainers who have little more to do than sit around like a couple of scrawny frogs croaking their time away.

Would You Eat It?

So you say there are no jobs out there? Do you think of yourself as a rather good salesperson? I’ll let you in on the opportunity of a lifetime, perfect for any qualified entrepreneur. Do you know what a Myocastor coypu is? It’s an animal that looks like a beaver without the flat tail. In fact it has a rat tail and is commonly known as a nutria, or river rat, or muskrat, among other names. They were introduced to this part of the world for their fur, and the fact they are herbivores’, used for grass and plant control around waterways. Their fur is still sought after and valued, but the little critters are out of control when it comes to being environmentally friendly. In Louisiana the nutria is eating the plant life and destroying the wetlands by the hundreds of acres every year. In the state of Louisiana there is a move to convince people to hunt, kill, and then eat them. Now the hunting and killing I can understand, but it’s going to take a pretty good salesperson to get people to eating rats. So, here’s your opportunity to make a fortune in the Myocastoridae Bar-B-Que business. Invent your own sauce and you’re in!

There are a lot of things in this world that we can take opportunity of and there are a lot of things in this world we wish we had never known of. Two little teardrops were floating down the stream of life. One teardrop asked the other, “Who are you?” “I’m a teardrop from a girl who loved a man and lost him. And, who are you?” The first teardrop replied, “I’m a teardrop from the girl who got him!” Life is like that. We cry over the things we cannot have, but we might cry twice as much if we received them. Buddy Post of Oil City, Pennsylvania won the lottery in the amount of $16.2 million. Set for life, right? From that day, his world collapsed. He found himself caught up in a preposterous law suite, arrested for assault, his own brother was convicted of plotting to kill him and his wife left him. His winnings were lost in court battles with his ex-wife and the state of Pennsylvania. Buddy would have been much better off if he had never won the lottery. If I ever win the lottery, I’m running away from home.

[1 John] “…Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever…” (1 John 2:15-17). In your travels, would you pull into a Myocastoridae Bar-B-Que place of business for some delectable rat meat? Probably not, because now you know what it is. Yuk! What if it was served with the best Bar-B-Que sauce in the world on it; would you eat it then? Did you know, spiritually, we are what we eat? It would do well for each of us to ask what kind of spiritual diet we are on. It may in fact be rat meat and making us sick. What we see and what we hear goes into our heart and adds light or darkness to our souls. We have all seen the notice on some movies or books, “for adults only” or “adult content”. In reality, those items should be marked as “poisonous to the mind!” “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8). This will make a difference on how we look at and feel about the world. Over 25 times John writes that we can know God and the eternal life that awaits us.

If

I received a phone call one day last week from a fellow identifying himself as the prize van driver for Publishers Clearing House and that I had won second place in a drawing. My prize consisted of $350 million and a new Mercedes Benz convertible. The first thing that ran through my mind was, “Wow! I wonder what first place won.” A millisecond later my logical side pulled in on the reins of my foolish excitement to explain the ridiculousness of what I had just heard. The scammer told me to get a piece of paper to write down a name and number of his boss to confirm who I was before the prize could be delivered. I knew better but found myself actually looking for something to write on. This guy must have caught me at a weak moment because I had already hung up on him three times and I generally never spend more than four seconds on the phone with sales cons. Well, he called back two more times wanting to know why I hadn’t called to confirm my identity. I humored him with some excuses. He told me he was waiting right down the street and that the sun was beating down on the van and it was getting very hot so I should hurry for his sake. The sun was not shining neither was it hot out, so I laughed and hung up on him again. “If I had a hammer, I’d…”
“If” is a big word and the world would be a totally different place if “if” would be actively and appropriately applied. *If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. *If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. *If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. *If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment. *If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective. *If you plant hard work, you will reap success. *If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. So, be careful what you plant early in life for it will determine what you reap later. Always be careful of what you plant. Remember, what goes around comes around. Do what is right and you’ll never be wrong.
[Genesis 4:6-7] “If” can be rewarding and at the same time very restrictive. “If” can look good on the surface and wrong in practice. “If only we had better equipment” was the request, and in the early 70’s the firefighters of Fairfax County, Virginia received new helmets. They were sharp looking, colorful, size adjustable, made of high-impact plastic and scuff resistant. There was only one problem with the helmets; when they were worn near the heat of a fire, they melted. This, of course, made the helmets useless to the firefighters. They needed helmets that could take the heat. In the same way, we need a faith that can take the heat; a faith that endures the fires of temptation and protects us in the midst of the blazes of sin. If Christ were to stand before you right now and said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16), what would you do? If the Lord will save us without baptism, why did Peter command it? (Acts 10: 23-48) If sprinkling and pouring are scriptural baptism, why did Paul say there is only one baptism? (Romans 6:1-6; Colossians 2:11-12) If we can receive forgiveness of sins without baptism, why did Peter say baptism is for the forgiveness of sins? (Acts 2:38) If we get into Christ without baptism, why did Paul say we are baptized into Christ? (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3) If we get into the body of Christ without baptism, why did Paul say we are baptized into the body? (1 Corinthians 12:13) The body and the church are the same. (Colossians 1:18) “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15) Do you truly love and obey Jesus?

Slowly Eaten Away

A published article reported that a young man who once found a $5 bill on the street resolved that from then on he would keep his eyes on the ground while walking. The article went on to say that over the years this man had accumulated, among other things, 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents, a bent back and a miserly disposition. But he had lost some things also, including the glory of the sunlight warming his face, the radiance of the stars twinkling in his eyes, the smiles of want-to-be friends and the fresh air of clear blue skies. It amazes me the priorities people assign their focus, as to what is note-worthy national and world news, needing to be shared each day of the week. It seems what goes on across the back-yard fence of the typical neighborhood is of nobodies business, that is unless they are a public servant of some kind, or a high profile sports figure, or the CEO of a large company. Then everybody wants to get on the bandwagon to crucify whomever they think is in the wrong. Society of today is becoming like that of a major league baseball pitcher who plugs his ears with cotton to cut out all the distractions that might be coming from unruly fans in the bleachers. Don’t get me wrong here. It thrills me that people take a stand against thoughtless law-breakers who profit from their lawlessness, or who think they are better than the law and untouchable. But these problems of behavior started in the home many years before their ultimate decent from fame. What I’m saying is, our focus on life has to extend beyond our personal interests looking up and taking the cotton out of our ears, at least once in a while, to give attention to fathering and mothering our self-centered children with some basic moral and ethical ideals of honesty and fair gain. Folks, there are things going on in the world that deserve a lot more of our attention. There are things happening in the world today that should make you very afraid about the future of our very existence as a nation free of terror and pestilence. It all starts at home.

[2 Timothy 3:1-9; 3:10-17] A lady from the city was visiting members of her family who owned a farm. As she talked with the farmer, she noticed a pig in the back yard with a wooden leg. “What happened to that pig?” the woman asked. “Oh, that’s Betsy” the farmer said. “She’s a fine pig! One night while we were all asleep the house caught fire. Betsy started snorting and grunting waking us all up. We were able to call the fire department and save the house!” “Wow! That’s amazing!” exclaimed the woman. “Not only that” continued the farmer, “but one day my daughter fell into the pond and Betsy came gruntin’ and snortin’ and led me to the pond where I was able to pull her out. Betsy saved my daughter’s life!” The lady was impressed, also curious, “But that still doesn’t explain the wooden leg.” “Well” the farmer replied, “When you have a pig like that, you don’t eat it all at once.” The moral and ethical decay of our society today is eating away at the very fabric of this country’s Christian garb. The first public school book of knowledge was the Bible. Today it’s illegal to shelve the Bible in our school libraries yet every other worldly religious organization has a reserved space in the card catalog. The do-gooders of this country have successfully performed a God-fearing lobotomy on our most recent generations and we are now being led around by a crippled government. God is still in the hearts of most Americans, but if we keep allowing the mutilation of His Word, before long there will be nothing left. Doom!

You Can Change Your Way Of Life

I have had one of those weeks. I really devoted my time to working around the house this past week and the heat flat wore me out. Of course we’ve experienced a nice cool change in the weather since so I guess I won’t have any excuses to not continue my domestic exploits this coming week. I have to tell you as I sit to write this week I’m so tired I can’t even think straight. Just when I thought I was about to take a good rest near weeks end, I had a brother-in-law pass away from a long time illness and the family asked me to preach the funeral for them. That added two late nights and a full Saturday to my already weary body. Don’t get me wrong as I was honored to do it, let alone asked to do it. Here’s an article I hope you will gain insight from.

[Matthew 19:25-26; Mark 10:24-27; Luke18:18-30] “Way of Life” by Jeremiah Tatum: “There is an expression sometimes used by people to explain behavior. It goes something like this – “That is just the way I am” or “That’s just the way he/she is.” People do have “ways.” Singer/song writer Billy Joel wrote the lyrics, “She’s got a way about her, don’t know what it is, but I know I can’t live without her.” Everybody is unique, and every person has a certain way they go about living their life. But one thing each individual should keep in mind is that we are not locked into a specific lifestyle. The liar doesn’t have to lie just because he has always been a liar. The same could be said for any other sin. The fact is, we choose our way of living. We make a decision about who we are and what we believe every day. Since such is the case, then we can also change the way we practice our Christianity. We don’t have to be Sunday morning only Christians, even if that is all we have ever been. We don’t have to keep from being more involved in the work of the church, just because we have never been involved in the past. We don’t have to lack zeal for evangelism, just because in our former days we have lacked the nerve necessary to save a soul. What we need to do is really very simple. We need to pray earnestly that God will change our hearts and make us aware of our spiritual short-comings. Then we need to follow up by changing our behavior and making a habit of doing things we have always wanted to do for Christ. We can change our way of life! We can do things differently than we have done them in the past! Peter wrote about the importance of no longer living the rest of our time in the flesh for the sake of sin, but instead, living for the will of God (1 Peter 4:1-6). The point is that God has the power to not only save us from death; He has the power to change our life for today. This is a very exciting proposition! We don’t have to wait for Jesus to come again to be blessed. We can be blessed immediately by simply making the choice to live for God today. We need to stop making excuses for our lack of involvement in the kingdom. We must stop saying to ourselves that who we are and what we practice is good enough. We must stop telling ourselves that the way we live our Christian life is as good as we can do, because that is just the way we are. Faithfulness is a way of life. Commitment is a way of life. Evangelism is a way of life. Humility and Kindness are a way of life. We can do anything we want to do. We can be anything we want to be. Nothing is impossible with God.” When I decided to change my way of living twenty-something years ago I gave my life to the Lord and I haven’t regretted it a minute. I’m not who I used to be; still not the person I need to be.

Without Mistake or Error

I promised myself I’d get to work on some of the things that desperately need tending to around the house before winter breaks and I have another excuse. My latest surgery went smooth and I’m still cancer free so I figure I ought to put my good health to work. I’ve started by building some extra space in my storage shed making room for more junk and re-organizing what’s already there. Where does it all come from? It took me several days to plan and get back in the groove of measuring, cutting and fastening, it’s been a while since my last project. Remembering that patience and accuracy are what finished products are made of, this project, so far, has turned out level and square, functional as planned and it looks good too. I just love it when a plan comes together.

It’s amazing how our Creator was so meticulous with all the things around us. Here are some of the things that God’s accuracy and wisdom produced. *The eggs of a potato bug hatch in 7 days; *those of the canary in 14 days; *those of a barnyard hen in 21 days; *the eggs of ducks and geese in 28 days; *those of a mallard in 35 days; *and, parrot and ostrich eggs hatch in 42 days. (Notice they are all divisible by seven.) The largest of land mammals (at least in our time) is the elephant. God gave these great beasts four legs that all bend forward. No other quadruped is so made, but with four fulcrums it can rise easy from the ground in spite of its great weight. The horse rises from the ground with its two front legs first. And the cow rises using its two hind legs first. Further evidence of God’s wisdom and accuracy can be seen in a number of other things found in nature. *Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind; *each orange has an even number of segments; *each ear of corn has an even number of rows; *each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains; *each bunch of bananas has an even number on its largest row. Each row decreases by one making one row an even count, the next row odd, and so on; *The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute, no matter the weather conditions; *All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks. The Lord has specified thirty fold, sixty fold and one hundred fold (all even numbers). God has caused flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day, so that Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the blooms that were open and those that were closed.

[Romans 6:16-23; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:3-4] As a human being, the zenith of God’s creation, the longer I live and the more I learn, the more mistakes I realize I make, and have made. With God’s Word in hand, however, there are no errors. God’s Word does not make mistakes. The Bible is God’s Word and it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). Because the Bible is without error, it fulfills all of mans needs. The Bible teaches us that if we wish to be saved, we must obey its truth. The Bible is inspired and authoritative, and should be accepted by all men. The entire Bible provides instruction, doctrine, reproof and correction. Everything that we need to know concerning life and godliness are contained within its pages. We are all going to be judged by the Word of God. “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. …I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me…” (John 12:48-49).

The Fullest Of Measure

Have you ever been searching for something and come across something else which leads you completely away from what you were doing in the first place? I do it all the time. My biggest problem is while digging deep trying to find something, I’ll un-bury a treasure of long ago and sit down to fiddle with it, reminiscing of a time when it was important in my life. I can’t recall what I was looking for the other day when I came across my old slide rule. I would venture to guess that most anyone born after 1975 has probably never seen a slide rule let alone know what it was. A slide rule was pretty much basic equipment for those who quickly needed answers to simple mathematical calculations, i.e. building engineers, on site architects, draftsmen, etc. The slide rule was a precursor to the hand calculator of today. It was very accurate to one decimal point, but generally needed long-hand calculation verification to take a solution out to three places plus. I never really got too proficient with it as the military draft took me away from my blossoming profession and only a few years passed until the world was enlightened by the electronic age and the hand-held calculator with precise accuracy. Anyway, I sat and played with it for nearly an hour then packed it away once again till the next time. I forgot what I was looking for in the first place, but I’m sure I’ll go looking for it again as soon as I discover the unfinished job I was working on.

While watching the TV weatherman, as he pointed out areas of rain across the country on his computerized map, a young boy overheard his parents saying how they wished the rain would come to their drought stricken area. The boy suggested, “Why doesn’t he just click on the rain and drag it down to us?” Our world today is being shaped by our unique pollex, opposable thumbs, working in unison at lightening speed “sharing information” and/or the click of a mouse dragging data from one place to another. It won’t be long before a printed book on the shelf is a marvel of the past.

[1 Timothy 6:17-19] As Paul teaches Timothy how to be an effective preacher and leader in the church, he says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” Today our lives are being measured for success by how much each of us is worth by our monetary possessions. Most are willing to look at life with simple calculations carrying solutions out to one decimal place saying, “That’s close enough.” Of course, there is nothing wrong with having a good job with a good salary. That we are to work to sustain our existence is God’s will for us. Paul also instructs Timothy, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). Success from a worldly standpoint is one thing, but in view of heaven and hell, success must be viewed from a spiritual perspective. Nothing can compare to the glory, beauty and joy of heaven. Nothing can compare to the pain, suffering and eternity of hell. In the final analysis, success must be defined in the light of God’s judgment. We must carry out God’s Word to the fullest measure (James 1:22).

One Thing Leads To Amother

Have you ever done something for yourself to make life easier and in the long run it only produced a new problem in your life? Example: This year I resolved to chemically eliminate the need to use the grass trimmer around my chain link fence, thus saving on the aggravations of tearing up and replacing so much trimmer string on the unforgiving metal fence. Besides, my lazy side is becoming more dominant as the years pass and I just don’t want to do it anymore. Well, my now one-year-old Chihuahua, who loves her fenced in yard, has been caught outside the fence several times. The little Houdini found a way out which after inspecting the entire fence remained a total mystery to me how she was doing it. The best way to solve problems is to observe, so on the porch I sat watching the magician at work. It didn’t take long before I heard the fence rattle and there she was on the other side of the fence. By ridding the fence-line of grass for ease of maintenance, it caused the bottom of the fence to become loose and flexible enough for a little dog to scoot under and go exploring the big world. Good thing she didn’t run into a big dog. Well, some cheap tent stakes solved the problem, for now.

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. While eating breakfast near a window, the first morning in their new home, the young woman sees her equally young neighbor hanging her wash outside to dry. “That laundry isn’t very clean,” she mentioned to her husband. “She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.” Her husband looked on but didn’t say anything. Every time her neighbor hung her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments. About two months latter the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and commented to her husband, “Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her.” The husband casually remarked, “By the way, did you notice I finally got around to washing all the windows yesterday?” So remember, what we see while watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

[Matthew 24:24-26; Romans 15:1-6; Philippians 2:1-11] There was once a rather rough man, who for some reason, fell in love with a beautiful vase he found in an antique shop. He purchased the vase and placed it on the mantel in his living-room. The piece became a kind of judgment on his surroundings. The curtains looked dingy beside it. The sofa with the stuffing coming out of the seats would not do. The wallpaper and paint needed redoing. So, the man slowly started cleaning up the room to make it worthy of the beautiful vase. Gradually the whole room was transformed. Who is your biggest opponent? From whom do most of your troubles and struggles come? Maybe you guessed it right. The greatest challenge any of us face is self. It seems no matter what we do in the pursuit of happiness, it’s never exactly what we were looking for. Even in our relationship with God, most people never get passed the first requirement to follow Jesus: deny self. Our culture is of no help. All day, every day, we are told self is to be indulged, satisfied, served and fulfilled. Happiness itself, we’re told, depends on satisfying self. Happiness comes from the freedom of self-slavery which binds us in the slavery of sin. It takes a transformation of worldly thinking to spiritual living to move us from selfish living to servant loving. When a person puts the Lord on the mantel of his heart, his whole life begins to change. Amen?

God's Seed - No Other Will Do

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives of the company together for a meeting. “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.” The executives were shocked as the boss continued, “I am going to give each of you a seed today – one a very special seed. I want each of you to plant your seed, care for it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown. I will then judge the plants and the one I choose will be the next CEO of this company.” One man, Jim, went home and excitedly, with seed in hand, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and some compost, and together they planted the seed. He watered it every day, but it didn’t seem to grow. After three weeks the other executives began to talk about their plants that were beginning to grow. Weeks turned into months. As the others bragged about their plants, Jim kept quiet about his empty pot. He felt like a failure and knew he must have killed the seed. He thought about replacing the seed but knew that would be dishonest so continued to water and nurture the seed given to him. The day came to meet again. He felt sick to his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing day of his life. When Jim arrived with his empty pot he was amazed at the variety of beautiful plants the other executives were presenting. As Jim coward near the back of the room he heard the CEO say, “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown! Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO of this company.” Jim was spotted and ordered to come forward with his product. When Jim got to the front the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story… The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim whom he asked to remain standing. Motioning toward Jim, the boss announced, “This is you next Chief Executive Officer.” Nobody could believe what they just heard. Then the boss said, “One year ago today I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, care for it , and bring it back to me today. What I gave you were boiled seeds, impossible to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that your seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. He is a worthy successor.

[Luke 8:1-15; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 Corinthians 3; Isaiah 55:6-11; Galatians 1:6-9] * “…The seed is the Word of God.” * “…the Word of God is living and active.” * “… I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” * “…so is my Word that goes out from my mouth, it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” * “…if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.” God has given man all he needs for righteous living through His Word. When man thinks it isn’t working, he tends to substitute it with his own seed of earthly salvation. Plant God’s seed only. Water it with sound Biblical teaching and God will make it grow. We sometimes think we are failures because we don’t see the results we expect, but “Well done my good and faithful servant” will be the greatest of rewards.

There Are No Loopholes

I’m often asked what I think about this or that and there is never a shortage of subjects that need solving at the coffee table. When asked about the multiple conflicts erupting throughout the Middle East, all I can say is, the world is in a mess and most everybody has an opinion on what the best solution for each situation should be to bring about peace. The rub in coming up with the perfect plan for peace is – there has never been peace in the hearts of some men and cultures. The stigma of, you hurt me – I hurt you back, that prevails on both sides of a fence of superciliousness (look that up in your Funk and Wagnall), in my opinion, can’t be fixed. Then there’s the question of what to do about our own domestic backsliding. I’m afraid that in the interest of fair play, even our legislators have painted themselves into a corner of political correctness. They have tied their own hands behind their backs and are now too afraid to stand up, shake a fist in the air and say, “We’re going the wrong way!” I think we’re all turning into a bunch of Wooses sitting around complaining about our constrained law oppressed lifestyle in the land of milk and honey ignoring the fact that the foundation of our great nation is crumbling beneath us. The degradation of moral and ethical standards in this country has already produced cultures of hate and discord resulting in lawlessness in neighborhoods of some metropolitan areas. Ask the citizens of Colorado if they’re real happy with their decision to legalize ‘whacky tabacky’. All I can say is, since discipline and the will of God have been shelved, we’re going the wrong way!

The story is told of a young lady who came to a preacher for advice on her upcoming marriage. She considered herself a Christian with high Godly standards and was about to marry a ‘good ole boy’ but not a Christian. The preacher asked her to step up on a chair and then proceeded to help her step up onto his desktop. He said to the girl, “Now pull me up to where you are.” She tried with all her strength, but failed. The preacher, still holding the girl’s hand, gave a very slight tug and pulled her to the floor. He said to the young lady, “It is more probable that this non-Christian boy will pull you down to his level than it is that you will ever pull him up to your level.” Keep compromising the ideals of our founding fathers, drawn from God’s Word, and you too will find yourself being gently pulled down into the depths of ignorant bliss. For the lack of wisdom, the land of milk and honey is turning sour and beginning to smell rotten.

[Proverbs 11] One of the most popular entertainers of the Vaudeville era was W.C. Fields (1880-1946) While Fields could make audiences roar with laughter, he was certainly not a Christian and made no pretense of his disdain for the Bible. Thus, it came as a great shock when one of Fields’ close friends, visiting him in the hospital near the end of his life, found him reading the Bible one day. When asked what he was doing, Fields, ever the comedian, said, “Just looking for loopholes.” God’s law, unlike man’s, has no loopholes. No lawyer will be able to fool or sway the judge of all men or be able to negotiate a plea bargain. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, “…man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”, and 2 Corinthians 5:10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” If you were to die this very day, where would you spend eternity? God knows and he wrote it down for you.

Unexpected Troubles

If you are a regular reader of my column you probably know my history with vocal cord problems. If not, I have had several surgeries on them to remove growths and pre-cancerous tissues all of which, thank God, have never shown full blown cancer. Because of this condition I have a regular inspection of my throat and vocal cords just to keep an eye on them and jump in whenever an unfavorable change is noted. The inspection of my throat is done with a camera all-the-while I am squeaking out funny “he-he-he” in a high pitch then “he-he-he” in as low a pitch as possible. Then it’s inhale and exhale two or three times getting the throat and cord a good workout and recording it all on the computer. During my last check-up, about six weeks ago, one cord had a noticeable change in color and when I inhaled this great big cyst jumped out of hiding taking the tech by surprise. Here we go again! My ENT of twenty years asked what I thought we aught to do about it. I trust him enough to tell him whatever he thinks we need to do. The challenge of each of these surgeries is to get my voice back and sing praises to my Lord, which is still a mystery to my doctors. I continue to achieve this goal each time. Well, I had surgery last week to remove and biopsy all the bad stuff. I don’t have an answer yet but the surgeon was very positive about what he saw. This was unexpected for me, but as I’m healing from this most recent surgery I can confidently say, I feel great and can’t wait to get singing again. God loves me.

[Luke 21:34-36] If you think life isn’t fair, you’re absolutely right. Just about the time you become complacent, thinking everything’s going perfect, grab your wallet, because easy living is about to cost you something. “…The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them” (Ecclesiastes 9: 11-12). A father was watching his young son struggle to lift a heavy rock. The little fellow grunted and strained, but couldn’t move it. The father said, “Are you sure you’re using all your strength?” The exhausted boy said, “Yes, I am!” The father replied, “No you’re not. You haven’t asked me to help you.” How true. We grunt and struggle with our burdens in this earthly life, often forgetting that our Father in heaven is always willing to aide us. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Have you ever thought about how easy Adam had it? He’s the only man who has never been compared to the man she could have married. He had no in-laws to drop in unannounced. There were no “Jones’” for him to keep up with. There were no credit cards or shopping centers to deal with. His dinner was never interrupted by a telemarketer. His wardrobe was simple. He never had to shovel snow. I thank God I can go to surgery with the total confidence that He is in charge, and my faith in Him brings peace into my world of unexpected happenstances. How do I gain such contentment? It is through Jesus: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Stop struggling and ask God. “But Tom, he doesn’t seem to ever help me.” Okay; read James 4:1-8 and 1 John 5:14-15 and ask with the heart. Then, read the Bible daily and learn of the one who loves and will always care for you.

Who Are We Trying To Impress?

What was billed as the world’s most expensive new book went on display in 2008 at the New York Public Library. There are more expensive old books, but this is a new book produced by the Italian publisher Marilena Ferrari. It costs over $100,000! The book depicts the life and works of Michelangelo, including photographs of his drawings and sculptures, creations from the Sistine Chapel, and his personal poetry. The book weighs sixty-two pounds, has a front cover of white marble and is covered with red silk velvet. Its paper is from one of Italy’s oldest paper mills, the same mill where Picasso bought his art paper. Each copy of this book takes six months to make, and comes with a 500 year warranty! More than twenty of the books have been sold to buyers around the world. What I need to know before I invest in one of these books, is the warranty transferable and if repairs are needed in four hundred and fifty years, who is going to honor the warranty? Can it legally be called the Ferrari of books?

Having satellite TV has its advantages but lately I have to express my opinion on about half of the programming as redundant nonsense skirting the fringe of insanity. To call some of the “entertainment” sublimely ridiculous would actually be giving them a compliment hence I bypass the circus for fools in favor of a little education, of which some must still be received with much scrutiny. What really makes me wonder is, who are we (mankind) really trying to impress, when having to endure the commercials on TV about all the fountain of youth chemical concoctions available to the baby boomers that refuse to gracefully grow old. It brings to mind Californian, Jack LaLanne, famed diet and exercise guru, whom we expected to live to be at least 100. Pneumonia overcame the health Jack at 96 years. It seems most people today want to be 30-years-old forever. Ain’t gonna happen my friend. After one reads all the warnings and possibly fatal side effects of most of these elixirs, Jack’s way does appear to be a lot healthier in the long run. In the final analysis, what I conclude after listening to all those snake-oil sales is, a lot of folks are going to look healthy, lying in their coffin.

[Job 14; 1 Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 40:6-8] One day a lady had to show her drivers license at a store for identification. She told the cashier, “Please don’t pay any attention to that picture, it’s awful! I guess that’s what I’ll look like when I’m dead.” Staring at the picture the cashier said, “Oh, they’ll make you look a lot better than that!” We spend a lot of time worrying about our outward appearance, don’t we? And yet the most important thing about us is who we are on the inside. “…The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Do you clean and dress your inner being as well as your outer body? You can do that by practicing kindness and consideration, and remembering God in all that you do. What about nourishment for your inner being? For the spirit of man to be healthy it must be fed regularly with the truth of God’s Word. Other books are valuable because of their outward appearance, craftsmanship, quality of materials and the time that goes into their production, but they will never surpass the value of God’s Word. Why? Because it is God’s inward appearance revelation of himself to man. Its warranty is forever. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31). God bless you and may he make you healthy, wealthy and wise.

Keep Swimming

The world is becoming more challenging every day and in the words of Oliver Hardy as he numerously reprimanded Stan Laurel, “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into.” I suppose as long as there is hatred, jealousy and greed, wars and rumors of wars will always be on the earth for how ever long man exists. Recent world events have shown that mankind is traveling down a road to major world conflict once again and I can’t see North America escaping the ravages of global war this time. Why do I feel this way? Technology has removed the need for most of the face to face combat of past wars and it seems there is no conscience in the finger that pushes the button of electronic guidance. August of this year will be the 100th anniversary of what H.G. Wells said would be the “war that will end all war”, World War I. In these past 100 years all man has accomplished in his intellectual advancement of the “greater good” is the hardening of his own heart. Ones own life and possessions is far more important than the life of a fellow human being. It’s really sad when you think about it.

In the Dr, Seuss book, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” there is a section that talks about experiencing the bumps and bruises that come in the journey of life. “You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t; Because sometimes you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true; That Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickie-ly perch; And your gang will fly on; You’ll be left in a lurch. You’ll come down from your lurch with an unpleasant bump; And the chances are then, that you’ll be in a slump. And when you’re in a slump, you’re not in for much fun; Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.”

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl; The one was wise and a cheery soul; The other took a gloomy view; And bade his friend a sad adieu. Said the other frog, with a merry grin, “I can’t get out, but I won’t give in; I’ll swim around until my strength is spent; Then I will die, the more content.” And as he swam, though ever it seemed; His struggling began to churn the cream; Until on top of pure butter he stopped; and out of the bowl he quickly hopped. The moral of the story you ask? Oh, it’s easily found! If you can’t get out, keep swimming around.

[Galatians 6:1-10; Revelation 21:1-8] I know the world sometimes feels like we’ve fallen into a cesspool of sin, pulling us down into an abyss of a slump, complaining and crying because of the great bump, there where we’re tempted to just give up. But let me encourage you to keep swimming around. No matter what happens in this world, if we hold true to our faith we’ll hop out of here into the arms of God who has promised to, “…wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain; …To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this…” We all need to “de-slump” ourselves. Look to God’s Word (Acts 20:30-32); look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2); look to God’s love (2 Corinthians 5:1-5); and look to God’s grace (1 Corinthians 15:9-11). Life is not fair, but the justice of our God will be righteous, deserving and eternal.

Incontrovertible Truth

There’s a lot in this world that can be confusing and some of it holds no truth so I have to be refusing. For example: Have you ever met Miss Under Standing? Have you ever seen a cat fish or a house fly; how about a horse fly; maybe a dragon fly or a fire fly? I’ve heard say that there’s butter fly, but have you ever seen a lemon punch, a waffle iron or a milk shake? Maybe you’ve seen a clam bake, or a hog wash, but I’ll bet you’ve never seen a barn swallow or a house paint. The play on words probably gained its popularity with the song, “Did You Ever See An Elephant Fly?” in the Disney movie “Dumbo”. The circus entertainers were mocking an act they had heard about but had never witnessed as yet and the song went like this: “Did you ever see a elephant fly? Well I’ve seen a horse fly; I seen a dragon fly; I seen a house fly. I seen all that too! I seen a peanut stand and heard a rubber band; I seen a needle that winked its eye. But I’ve been, done, seen about everything, when I see a elephant fly. What’d you say boy? I said when I see a elephant fly! I seen a front porch swing; heard a diamond ring; I seen a polka dot railroad tie. But I have been, done, seen about everything, when I see a elephant fly. I saw a clothes horse and he rear up and buck; And they tell me that a man made a vegetable truck, I didn’t see that, I only heard. Just to be sociable, I’ll take your word. I heard a fireside chat, I saw a baseball bat; And I just laughed until I thought I’d die. But I’ve been, done, seen about everything, when I see a elephant fly. But I’ve been, done, seen about everything, when I see a elephant fly; When I see an elephant fly.” Personally, I thank God, elephants and cows don’t fly.

[Psalm 25:4-5; John 8:31-32; 17:17; 1:1-5, 14] Remember what your elders have told you, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.” In the case of “Dumbo”, it took imagination and animation to make an elephant fly. But in today’s world it’s a lot easier to make one convinced that un-truth is truth by using made-up words and double talk based on “scientific examination”. So, what about God’s Word? Winston Churchill, I love this guy, said, “The truth is incontrovertible (a real word). Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” What did Churchill mean when he said that truth was “incontrovertible”? Hidden away in the word is the word “controversy”. Mr. Churchill was saying that truth is incapable of controversy. Truth is incapable of being contradicted. Truth cannot be denied! Truth is unchangeable. It is true! God’s Word is truth. In his prayer, Jesus said, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” In John 1, John states, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. Through him (Jesus) all things were made; …The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. David penned, “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” We will be judged by the Word of God (John 12:48). Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Man is not reading God’s Word, rather, “…what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

238 Years Old

On July 2, 1776, as year long battles with the British army lingered, the Continental Congress secretly voted for independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was first published two days latter on July 4, 1776. The first public reading of the document was on July 8, 1776. Delegates of the colonies began to sign (ratify) the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. In 1791, July 4th was dubbed “Independence Day” and was the beginning of day long celebrations with parades and shows, picnics and games, ending the day with bonfires and illuminations. In 1870, Independence Day became a national holiday. The “Fourth of July” ought to rank right up there with birthdays and anniversaries. The men who had the fortitude to forge this document knew they were placing their lives on the line for the sake of freedom from tyranny. If King George could have gotten his hands on some of these men he would not have hesitated to do away with them. Today we face the same threat with people wanting to dispose of the freedoms those men fought for. Slowly but surely, the hands of our founding fathers are being tied behind their backs in ready for execution. The American public had better wake up and get to the poles if they expect to retain their freedoms and pass them on to their grandchildren. This country is in a sad state of affairs with less than 20 percent of its citizens voicing their freedom of speech. At 238 years old, our government is beginning to show signs of serious illness.

George Washington, first president of the United States, had this to say in his farewell speech September 19, 1796: “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensible supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” Some claim Washington wasn’t a Christian. Consider these words from his personal prayer book: “Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, oh Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of thy son, Jesus Christ.” When was the last time you prayed for your success by the strength of Jesus? It’s our only hope now.

[Ephesians 1:7-8] “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” When we live in, and for, Christ, we become more and more like him. Our ethics and moral standards grow strong, into a love for one another that cannot be broken. In this process, God’s grace abounds and we experience peace. Max Lucado wrote: “God wants to emancipate his people; he wants to set them free. He wants his people to be not slaves but sons. He wants them governed not by law but by love. We have been liberated from our own guilt and our own legalism. We have the freedom to pray and the freedom to love the God of our heart. And we have been forgiven by the only one who could condemn us. We are truly free.” Hold on to God.

Contentment

I suppose anyone with a pet has the desire of wanting the ability to have better communication with their little friends. Our relationship with our pets seem to be rocking right along without any problems and then we come home to find the flower beds uprooted and holes dug all over the lawn, or walk inside to discover what looks like a miniature tornado has passed through the interior of our house. They certainly don’t start purring and rubbing against your leg or stand there looking at you with their tail wagging asking for approval for what they have done. On the contrary, for if they have been disciplined in the past they generally tuck tail and cower away to get as much distance between you and them as possible. As you cool off you begin to wonder why, you probably start talking to your pet like a child, actually expecting an answer. Pet owners have to figure out what the complaint is all about and adjust for it. I know for me it’s a lack of attention and exercise that sets my little one off and she definitely expresses her displeasure in very noticeable ways. Some more of those growing pains.

A rabbit, a mouse and a chicken all took up residence together. They worked up a very good plan wherein all of them shared in the workload. The rabbit cooked the meals, the chicken brought in the firewood and the mouse acquired water from a nearby brook. They were all very happy. One day as the hen was going into the woods to collect firewood, she was approached by a busybody crow. He inquired as to what she was doing. Upon hearing her responsibilities he began to tell her how the rabbit and the mouse were taking advantage of her by doing the easy work. She just could not rid her mind of this discussion. On her way home she grew angry thinking how she was being abused by her roommates. She made up her mind to do something about it. Arriving at home she started complaining about her workload, “It’s not fair that I always have to do the hardest work. Why don’t we switch things up?” Well, a heated discussion ensued and the other two decided that they were also doing the hardest work and that a change would indeed be the best solution. As discontentment will do, it had spread from the chicken to the others. Now they were about to change their lifestyle with which they were very satisfied. The rabbit would get the firewood while the mouse cooked and the chicken brought the water. As the rabbit hopped into the woods to get the firewood, a fox saw him and followed him, until he got the chance to catch and eat the rabbit. The chicken took the pail to the brook and dipped it into the water. The current however was too strong for her and it pulled her under. The mouse sat at home on the edge of the pot of stew he had made and waited for the others to arrive. Sitting there he dosed off, lost his balance and fell into the pot. The, dreadful, end.

[Philippians 4:10-13; Proverbs 26:20-21] It all began as discontentment with life. It ended with all of them losing their life. Paul wrote: “…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. …I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Don’t get me wrong here. Change can be good, but if it is to benefit you alone, it could destroy everything around you. Sometimes we have to learn to live with some circumstances of life. The next time you complain about something, don’t be so ready to cause upheaval. Express your opinion without heavy opposition and the willingness to listen to others. I’m still trying to learn this very difficult lesson myself.

Understanding Takes Time

I had been without a dog around the house for years and insisted that if I do get another dog it would be one off the street or from a shelter. I just decided I didn’t need the hassle of potty training and the chewing up of everything in sight while cutting teeth. But I have to tell you my wife and I are so happy seeing our Chihuahua grow and mature over the past nine months. She came to our home a two pound dynamo power-puff of fur that had to be caged and taught how to control herself. Like I’ve said before, it’s like raising another child at an accelerated rate. She came into heat about eight weeks ago and everything changed. She became mopey, irritable and disagreeable. She would eat like a horse a few days and then wouldn’t eat a bit for days. She would be active as a hamster one day and hibernate the next. I was constantly worried something was wrong with her but the internet assured me all this was normal. I know one thing; I’m not doing this every six or eight months. So off to the vet we went; snip, snip, tie, tie, no puppies and no more cycles to deal with. Two weeks later I have a new dog. She’s obedient and has a renewed spirit of puppy-ism. Now that’s what I’m talking about and I’m glad I got her as a puppy. At four and one half pounds she’s a lot of fun.

As children grow and mature they don’t always get everything they’ve learned exactly right. * Billy and his father entered the cabin late in the evening on their first day of vacation, leaving the lights off until they were completely inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies managed to get in. Noticing them Billy exclaimed, “It’s no use dad. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights!” * A second grader came home from school and said to her mother, “Guess what? We learned how to make babies today!” Mother, more than a little surprised, trying to keep her cool, “That’s interesting,” she said, “how do you make babies?” “It’s simple,” replied the youngster. “You just change the ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.” * After putting her visiting grandchildren to bed, grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse then proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into the bedroom, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say in a trembling voice, “Who was that?”

[Romans 6:3-4 & 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:17-5:21] “…all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death …buried with him …in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead …we too may live a new life. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! …offer your bodies as living sacrifices …Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Most people in this world will at some time wrestle with themselves over their physical and spiritual well-being, wondering how they fit together or even if they could, or should. Too many attempt to solve this by adjusting their environment, generally by changing their geo-location, advancing their education, changing jobs, drugs, alcohol, etc. I can stand up and testify, one cannot settle a restless spirit by working on it physically. It is only through the Word of God, feeding the spirit nutritional truths, does real growth occur. Don’t give up on God. Spiritual maturity and understanding takes disciplined time.