The Way I Ought To Be

 

There is an expression sometimes used to explain behavior. It goes something like this – “That’s just the way I am” or “That’s just the way they are.” People sure enough do have their “ways”. 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 continue lying just because he has always been a liar. The same could be said for any other sin in one’s life. The fact is that we choose our way of living. Every day we make decisions about who we are and what we believe. Our lifestyle adapts to our ever changing environment all the time. 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’ve 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 lost soul.

[Joshua 24:14-24] We can live our life as our relatives before us. We can serve God in the same way they did, with the same zeal, or the lack thereof. We can worship like they worshipped. We can do all in religion, just the way our relatives have; just because that’s the way they did it, regardless of the right or wrong of it all and regardless of what the Bible says. Before Joshua died, he recognized the temptations the people would face, the temptation of falling away from Jehovah and going back to the idols of their ancestors. Jesus said, “He that loves mother or father more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). We can live our life like everyone around us. We can call it peer pressure, social pressure, cultural pressure – but it’s really all the same, the temptation to be like everybody else. The false gods of the world promote fornication, gluttony, drunkenness and all sorts of self-satisfying depravity. The land in which we now dwell in is full of idolatry and covetousness, and there is a great deal of pressure put on Christians to conform and compromise the truth of God’s Word. “…but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 10:37). 

Regardless of what mom or dad believe and do, regardless of what people around us are doing, we can choose to follow Jesus. What we need to do to get started is really very simple. We need to pray earnestly that God will change our hearts and make us aware of our spiritual shortcomings. Then we need to follow up by changing our behavior and making it a habit of doing things we have always wanted to do for Christ. With God’s help, we can change our way of life! We can do things differently than we have ever 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 4:1-3). The point is that God not only has the power to save us from spiritual death; he has the power to change our life for today. That is a very exciting proposition! We don’t have to wait for Jesus to return to be blessed of God. We can be blessed immediately by simply making the choice to live for God today. 

Faithfulness; Commitment; Evangelism; Humility; Kindness – These are ways of life that please God (Ephesians 5:8-14). We must stop saying to ourselves who we are and what we practice is “good enough”. Because of God’s authority as the Creator, the blessings and goodness of his love, and his severity as Judge, may we all declare as Joshua did, “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Amen!

Fathers

 

When they came home from school disappointed about something or looking for a snack, the first thing out of most children’s mouth is, “Where’s Mom?” When money is needed or a parental final decision has to be made it’s always, “Go ask your father.” Such is the common pecking order in the typical family. Moms are always needed, expected to be on call 24-7. Dads, well… perhaps not so much, until maybe there’s a loud thunderstorm, or when there’s something lurking outside a bedroom window, or when a bicycle is broken, or when it comes time to acquire a driver’s license, or… well you get the idea. Most dad’s sort of figure that “need” and “love” go hand in hand. To be needed is a way of being loved by family. Dad’s like for their children to depend on them since they have a heart full of love for them. Dad’s want their children to need him and love him. It’s an outright shame that some of the world portrays the father figure as an oppressive, domineering dictator who enslaves a woman to have his children and then abandon the whole situation to pursue his own desirers in life. That’s like saying, “I’ve had three flat tires in my fifty years of driving so in my mind all tires are weak and can’t wait for the opportunity to ruin my day with another flat.” Yep, makes about as much sense. Unfortunately, there are some deadbeat dads out there, but I’m happy to say the family as a whole is still intact and fathers are doing a great job with wonderful kids.

Here are a few quotes from some people you may be familiar with, name wise anyway, that may surprise you. * “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person… he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano * “A father carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be.” – Steve Martin * “When a father gives to his son; both laugh. When a son gives to his father; both cry.” – William Shakespeare * “By profession I am a soldier and take great pride in that fact, but I am also prouder, infinitely prouder, to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys.” – Douglas MacArthur * “The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.” – Tim Russert * A father sits back and sighs, and maybe even sheds a tear, when a son or daughter rings the phone just to say, “Thanks, dad. I love you.”

[Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21] “A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.” – Unknown

Our God is the greatest father ever, period. He invites all of his children to trust in him. Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Needing God and leaning upon God like a father is a way that we express our love for him. John writes to the baptized believers in Christ: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3). Isn’t it great to know God does not have any grand-children, or step-children. God has only children, born of the spirit (John 3:1-8) as God is spirit. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Fathers, you have no idea what the Lord has in mind for your children’s future. Teach them to be responsible living in this life and prepare them for the next life – eternal life with God the Father.

The Death of Death

 

If you’ve read any of Mark twain’s famous “Adventures of Tom Sawyer” you know that he (Sawyer) was quite the prankster. One time Sawyer convinced friends Huck Finn and Joe Harper to run away from home. By cover of night the three left their homes, snuck down to the river, and set out down-stream on a raft. They end up on Jackson’s Island where they fish and swim and have a jolly good old time for several days. Meanwhile, back at home, three families are in a state of near hysteria. After a few days of searching they concluded that the boys had gone to the river to fish and drowned, and planned their funeral for the following Sunday. Tom quietly returns to town and discovers the plan for the big funeral. On Sunday almost the entire town gathers at the church building where the preacher leads the sad and grieving crowd in eulogizing and mourning the poor boys whom death has claimed so early in life. Twain tells us that the congregation became more and more moved till the whole company broke down and joined the weeping mourners in a chorus of anguished sobs. Twain described the scene as the supposedly dead boys crash the funeral (chapter 17 of “Tom Sawyer”). “There was a rustle in the gallery (balcony) …a moment later the church door creaked; the minister raised his streaming eyes above his handkerchief, and stood transfixed! First one and then another pair of eyes followed the minister’s, and then with almost one impulse the congregation rose and stared while the three dead boys came marching up the aisle …They had been in the unused gallery listening to their own funeral sermon!” You don’t have to guess what happened next as the boys were smothered with kisses and hugs, and the once gloomy atmosphere turned to one of ecstasy and joy!

A long time ago in Persia, a benevolent ruler named Shah Abbas reigned. The story of him is told - to get to know his people better he wore disguises to mingle among them. One day he went as a poor man to the public baths and sat by the fireman tending the hot water furnace. At mealtime, he shared his food, and talked with the man as to a friend. Again and again he visited the fireman until the man grew to love him. Finally, the emperor revealed his identity to the fireman. The emperor expected the fireman to request a gift of him. However, the fireman requested nothing. With love and wonder, the fireman declared, “You left your palace and your glory to sit with me in this dark place, to partake of my coarse fare, and to care whether my heart was glad or sad. On others you may bestow rich presents, but to me you have given yourself.”

[1 Corinthians 15:50-58] Of course, we know a ruler far more benevolent than that Persian monarch. We know a ruler who left the ivory palaces of heaven to come and live among us. We know a ruler who became poor that we might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). We know a ruler who was such a friend to us that He gave His life to save us from Hell (John 15:1-15). Our King is Jesus Christ and the story isn’t over – He’s coming back (John 14:1-3)! Can you imagine the day when God robs the grave once and for all and buries death itself? The Bible invites us to do just that when it promises death will be swallowed up in victory (v. 54-55) as we finally defeat death and the grave through our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. John the apostle stretches our minds with his apocalyptic description of the day of judgement when he saw, “…death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire…” (Revelation 20:14). Can you fathom the death of death itself and the day Jesus Christ presides over the funeral of death and the devil burying them in the lake of fire!? Surprise! I’m going to live in heaven with Jesus!

The Noise is Suppressing the Truth

 

A man who had just purchased his first house in the country came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. With suspicion the proprietor asked where he could find so many frogs. “I’ve got a pond at home just full of frogs,” the homeowner replied. “They’re driving me crazy with their crooking day and night.” It wasn’t long before the two came to an agreement for several hundred of the frog legs to be delivered over a specific period of time. The men went back home with a smile on his face and visions of grandeur in his head. One week later the restaurant owner was waiting with great anticipation when the owner of the frog sanctuary showed up. With a rather coy attitude and a sheepish look on his face the frog wrangler approached the restaurant owner holding two scrawny frogs in his hands. “I guess I was wrong,” he said. “I’ve grossly overestimated the size of my frog herd. All I found were just these two frogs in the pond - but they sure were making a lot of noise!” I tell that to say this. There’s a lot of croaking going on in the world today and most of it has much to do about nothing. If one would just investigate where all the noise is coming from you’ll discover a very small pond full of money and a few schemers’ screaming about how bad this or that is and it will continue until either the money runs out or the rest of us give in. Don’t assume the worst just because someone with a notable name squawks.

One day a teenage boy, a weakling who was ridiculed by all the other boys in the area, rescued a newborn calf by picking it up and carrying it to the barn. The next day the boy held the calf in his arms to comfort it and befriend it. The boy continued that practice day after day. Since the calf’s weight increased only a little each day, the youth didn’t notice he was lifting an even greater weight. As the calf grew larger, he got stronger. Eventually, the farm boy was lifting a full-sized bull, and was hailed as the strongest boy in five counties. Lol. It has been said that ‘success is the result of working hard, playing hard, and keeping your mouth shut’. The Book of Proverbs reads: “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent” (Proverbs 17:28 NASB). One travels further in life by quietly moving forward.

[John 17:14-15] “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” Why doesn’t the Lord just take us out of this crooked and perverse world as soon as we are saved? (Acts 2:40-41). He has a purpose for us here! *We are here for His sake. He wants us to continue the work He himself started. He described that work in Luke 19:10 as seeking and saving the lost. He said in John 20:21, “…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” * We remain here for the sake of others. Most people in this world are not interested in their own spiritual welfare. The god of this world has blinded their minds to keep them from seeing the danger they are in. So we remain in the world to carry the Gospel (The Good News) to as many people as possible. * We are here for our own sake. The Christian life is a maturing process. We must “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This world is our schoolroom throughout our lifetime. The Gospel doesn’t promise escape from problems, but power to overcome them (Philippians 4:13). “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Listen to those who love and obey God (1 John 5:1-5).