Llove Letters

Pot Calls Kettle Black

2008-05-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Congress of the United States of America never ceases to amaze me. I only heard snippets of the grilling of oil company executives, but it seems to me it is a classic example of the "pot calling the kettle black."

Do I wish I had invested in oil rather than airlines? Yes! But oil company executives don't set the price of oil --speculators do. Isn't our whole economy based on the premise that one charges what the market will bear? That's Capitalism. It's better than Socialism, right! And these people in Congress who do NOTHING but talk (there have been 45 such excursions into "gas" pricing without so much as one change in law or any attempt to allow for the increase in production of domestic oil and refinery capabilities) are the same folks who keep raising their own salary and benefits, spending your money on barrels of pork that benefit the few, using your grand-children's income to pay entitlements today, and showing up for work a couple of days a week between endless vacations and junkets abroad, or of course, not at all (except to pick up a paycheck) if running for some other office.

If God ran His personal business in this fashion, He would be all talk and no blessing. Instead He keeps lavishing His grace on our Nation while we seemingly try to shut Him out at every turn.

Is it hot in here?

In Good Faith

2008-05-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

I understand that Israel and Syria are conducting "talks" through an intermediary, Turkey. Associated Press reported, In statements issued minutes apart, the two governments said they "have declared their intent to conduct these talks in good faith and with an open mind," with a goal of reaching "a comprehensive peace."

Isn't that God's plan for people? Each individual is "at war" with God, and the only resolution is through the intermediary Jesus Christ who through His sacrificial death provides for "peace with God."

I don't know if Israel and her enemies will every reach a comprehensive peace, but I do know that no one has to continue to be separated from God. Jesus Christ has provided and open door through which one may, by faith, be reconciled to God. If you have not made that step of faith, today would be a good time.

Increase? Decrease?

2008-05-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here a paragraph from an Associated Press story:

Energy prices fell by 0.2 percent in April after a 2.9 percent surge in March. The PPI report showed that gasoline costs fell by 4.6 percent. However, that decline reflected the government's seasonal adjustment methods. Since gasoline prices rose less than they usually do in April, that translated into a decline in the government's figures.

While I am confident every Economist understands this thinking, I admit I am a little fuzzy. Does it say that because the prices rose less than they normally do, that means they actually went down?

Now the reason that is important to me is because my Preacher asked me to study the trends in Worship attendance at our Church. So I have been trying to be creative in my approach. I'm thinking. . .that if attendance went down less in May than it normally does, that would mean we actually had an increase in Worship attendance. So this Summer, when attendance goes down due to vacations, or company coming, or it being too hot to pray, even if our attendance drops below what we normally have from a numbers perspective, we will actually be able to report an increase in attendance for this Summer because it is more than what was less than last time we reported more.

Yep, I think the preacher is going to like this thinking!

A Million Dollar Bill

2008-05-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've got a one million dollar bill on my desk. It has a picture of Ronald Reagan on it. Of course it is an advertising piece. It it a Gospel tract (of sorts) that someone handed to me on the street.

Don't you wish we had another Ronald Reagan in the wings ready to lead our country? Maybe you were not a Reagan fan, or maybe you think he was not a great President. That's OK. Everybody is entitled to their opinion.

One thing that is true, however, is that he had a handle on the problems that faced our nation, and during his tenure, some wonderful results were seen and received by the people of the United States.

I don't personally see that kind of leadership on the current political scene. Perhaps I am blind, or at least in need of glasses, but one thing I know for sure; if we ever needed to pray for our nation and its leadership, it is now. Pray for those in office. Pray for those who will be in office with the next election. Pray like you have never prayed before from a political perspective. I am confident that God is going to allow one of the current candidates to win the Presidency (even thought I keep praying otherwise).

Fundamental Change

2008-05-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer, reported: SAN FRANCISCO - In a monumental victory for the gay rights movement, the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation's biggest state to tie the knot.

It's a sad day in the neighborhood. Here's why. Our forefathers, the framers of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were careful to establish a democratic republic and not an oligarchy. Yet, every year (or less) we move toward the polar opposite of what they envisioned and what we have celebrated all these years since the founding of our great nation.

Now, those who are in positions of authority - the California Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of the United States, and other Courts in other places, have decided that it is their job to "legislate from the bench" and override the will of the public and the electorate. Who knows if this ruling, and others in many places around our country, and, of course, in Washington, D. C., will stand up. But the drift is on and moving ever forward. When we become an oligarchy, you might want to make sure you are in the right "class."

If you're concerned about my take on the issue of "gay marriage" here is that tidbit: God must be running his patience in hyper-drive to keep from destroying this nation, given that "Sodom and Gomorrha" thing.

The End Is Near

2008-05-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about getting one of those "sandwich board" signs that says, "The End Is Near," and standing on the corner, or walking up and down in front of the mall.

I've been hearing about the bad economy, taking a look at our national debt, recognizing that entitlement programs (Social Security is my focus) are funded out of the imagination, hearing all the Presidential candidates promising to raise taxes, cut services, ignore illegal immigration, and those in power encouraging everyone to produce more oil except us (which I think will get the price of gasoline up to around $8.47 per gallon), and recognizing that the only thing growing faster than immorality in the United States is the birthrate in China and India (they should have enough people to take over the World in about twenty minutes).

Today, I got this quote in my e-mail: “Well, the conference met today and appointed a commission to meet tomorrow and appoint a delegation which will eventually appoint a subcommittee to draw up ways and means of finding out what to start with first.” —Will Rogers

I'm beginning to believe that if things don't improve fast, our only resort will be to turn back to God.

Force Them To Take It!

2008-05-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

"You have to think it through — do you want to secure an area of the country by military force? What kinds of potential security risks would that create?" says Jan Egeland, the former U.N. emergency relief coordinator. "I can't imagine any humanitarian organization wanting to shoot their way in with food."

This quote from a CNN news source points up a real sticky problem. Here's the gist:

The disaster in Burma presents the world with perhaps its most serious humanitarian crisis since the 2004 Asian tsunami. By most reliable estimates, close to 100,000 people are dead. Delays in delivering relief to the victims, the inaccessibility of the stricken areas and the poor state of Burma's infrastructure and health systems mean that number is sure to rise. With as many as 1 million people still at risk, it is conceivable that the death toll will, within days, approach that of the entire number of civilians killed in the genocide in Darfur.

The military regime that runs Burma has imposed so many conditions on those who would actually deliver it that barely a trickle has made it through. That's why it's time to consider a more serious option: invading Burma. Some observers, including former USAID director Andrew Natsios, have called on the U.S. to unilaterally begin air drops to the Burmese people regardless of what the junta says.

That means we are going to force them to take our aid, whether they want it or not. After all it would save lives and every life is precious. Isn't that the same position the Church of Jesus Christ is in today. We have the "life-saving" goods and the "World" does not want it. Barely a trickle of the Good News is getting through. It's easy to just ignore the dying when they are not on your doorstep. But just as we have a mandate to provide aid to those who have physical need, so the Church has the commission to meet the spiritual need of all by sharing the Good News far and wide. We can't force anyone to take it, but we can find those holes (for the trickle) and get it done when and where we can.

Who's In Charge?

2008-05-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

As I write this note, in the Spring in North Texas, another storm is blowing in and "severe" weather is forecast for later today. As always, there have been several storms already and the season has a while to run.

I believe in being careful, taking precautions, getting prepared for the worst eventualities. What I don't believe in is being afraid. Being afraid means I do not know who is in charge of the weather. Being afraid means I am not sure God will always do what is best and right for me. I hope it is never best for me to suffer the loss of my home or possessions, or to be injured in some manner, but I trust that God is absolute in His sovereign power to bring events to pass or passover me.

Again, I listen for the storm warning, the emergency siren, and keep the radio handy. But, I am not afraid. Even though "I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger for He is with me." (Psalm 23:4a HCSB)

Home! At Last.

2008-05-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

What does someone with $50 Billion do when they need new digs?

Build a billion dollar home of course! Below, thanks to Mumbai Mirror are some of the specs:

According to the plan, the house will rise to a height of 173.12 meters, equivalent to that of a regular 60-story residential building. However, (Mukesh Ambani, owner) will have only 27 stories in all, which means each floor will have a ceiling considerably higher than the current average of nearly three meters.

Six floors for parking including space for a total of 168 ‘imported’ cars. A floor for car maintenance is included. An entertainment floor will have an entertainment centre comprising a mini-theatre with a seating capacity of 50. The rooftop of the mini-theatre will serve as a garden, and immediately above that, three more balconies with terrace gardens.

The ‘health’ floor will provide a ‘refuge’ floor - meant to be used for rescue in emergencies. One of these will have facilities for athletics and a swimming pool, while the other will have a health club complete with the latest gym equipment.

For guests there will be a two-story glass-fronted apartment for the Ambani family’s guests above the health floors. One more refuge floor and one floor for mechanical works will be built on top of these apartments.

The four floors at the top, that will provide a view of the Arabian Sea and a superb view of the city’s skyline, will be for Mukesh, his wife Neeta, their three children and Mukesh’s mother Kokilaben.

The plan states that three helipads are to be built on the top floor terrace.

The place will require 600 full time staff to keep it running on a day to day basis!

I know we’ve all seen Trump’s gold encrusted New York apartment, but this guy is in another league entirely.

And I thought my plans for a 1800 sq. ft. log cabin were extravagant! But it's all nothing when compared to the home that awaits those who will be joining the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for eternity. I'll wager Mr. Ambami hasn't prepared for that at all.

Have you?

Engineered To Perform

2008-05-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's message with the Preacher using his Harley-Davidson motorcycle as the prop for making a comparison between the engineering which make a Harley do what a Harley does, and that which God does to make His Church do what it is supposed to (accomplish its task), I am thinking I need to get my part RIGHT. If I am really vital to the operation, then perhaps I need to be regular in my attendance, studied in God's Word, and "prayed-up" as if everything depended on me.

It is vital to know what the Church is designed to accomplish. We may have lost sight of that in the attempt to market the Church as if it were a commodity. Just because it looks pretty or even sounds good, it is not necessarily true that it is succeeding in being the Body of Christ in the World.

Lots of Churches need a "tune-up." Don't freelance! Use the manual. Get it right. A correctly engineered Body of believers is an awesome force in a dying world.

Solomon In His Splendor

2008-05-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to drive Hwy 80 East of Dallas on my way to work today. I was reminded of Jesus' words from Matthew 6 regarding the flowers of the field. You'll recall He said we should not worry because the wild flowers don't labor or make clothes; yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

I saw yellow flowers beside that ribbon of highway that went on for miles, brighter than the sunlight it seemed. I saw pink flowers, literally hundreds of thousands in the median between Forney and Dallas and they reminded me of my exquisite bride long ago dressed in pink as soft as angel hair. I saw blue and purple, red and orange, a multitude of colors and hues, and they were ablaze with life and health.

I am reminded of how we ought to live; for He will do much more for us than He does for the flowers of the field. We need only "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you." (Matthew 6:33)

Don't worry about tomorrow, just see the beauty today.

Just Preach the Word

2008-04-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of paragraphs from Associated Press reported:

An angry Obama told reporters yesterday he was "outraged" by what he called a "performance" by Jeremiah Wright at the National Press Club in Washington on Monday and added that he was "saddened by the spectacle."
Wright used the forum to reiterate some of his charges against the U.S. government, including his suggestion that the government invented the AIDS virus to destroy "people of color."

Here's what I told my preacher (hope he was listening!). First, you are not in the "performance" business. There is way too much performance in the Church of Jesus Christ now. Just stop it. No "performance!" Secondly, we don't need any "spectacles." Just do what you have been called to do. Preach the Word of God. Do it with clarity, do it with consistency, do it with compassion. You have no calling to "suggest" anything about Government (except what the Bible teaches about our obedience to law), so do your JOB. Just do your job!

Where's Dad?

2008-04-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

"Miley Cyrus apologized to fans April 27, 2008 for photographs taken by famed photographer Annie Liebovitz for Vanity Fair magazine, which Cyrus now says 'embarrassed' her."

I don't know this child (she's 15) and I have never seen "Hanna Montana." In fact, I don't even know what it is - or is about. But I have seen her picture displayed all over the place - the one mentioned above - and my question is, "where is dad or mom?"

Fame, fortune, popularity - all more important than protecting our children, stemming the sewer of teen nudity, crimes against children, pornography, child prostitution, etc., etc. Yes, I know it's ugly and not something we want to think or talk about. I don't know that this particular picture is lewd, or even distasteful - only that she is 15! 15! "Dad, Mom - c'mon!"

This Is The Day!

2008-04-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

I hope you have a song in your heart. I don't mean one from the radio or your latest CD, but one that God has placed there. The Psalmist said, "Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely."

It's a beautiful day where I am. I am surrounded by wonderful people. I am clear in my understanding that "the Lord values those who fear Him, those who put heir hope in His faithful llove."

I've been talking a lot lately about all the things that are wrong in life. But, lots of things are just right. . .and getting better. I have a song in my heart, I have the joy of my salvation, and I see the Spirit of God at work in our lives producing llove, joy, peace, and all the other fruit that are products of His presence.

Hallelujah!

End Times in the United States

2008-04-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

There was a time when you could practice your religion, or be a Bible-believing Christian, or get a fair shake from the police. Are all three of these quotes from various news sources related?

Three detectives were acquitted of all charges Friday in the 50-shot killing of an unarmed groom-to-be on his wedding day. (Officer) Oliver squeezed off 31 shots; (Officer) Isnora fired 11 rounds; and (Officer)Cooper shot four times.
The truth emerged when the smoke cleared: There was no weapon inside Bell's blood-splattered car.

Last week, the 3rd U.S Circuit Court of Appeals told Marcus Borden he cannot participate in prayer with his players, including bowing his head or bending a knee. The court ruled the East Brunswick High School coach, who has prayed with his team for 23 years, was promoting or endorsing religion.

Emotions were frayed Thursday as tots from the FLDS polygamous clan were torn from their mothers in the biggest custody case in Texas history.

Is our nation out of control? Have we moved so far from God and our Nation's history of the absolute sovereignty of human rights that these kinds of things are becoming more and more commonplace? Is it possible that laws were broken in these matters? Yes (though it is hard to see in the second quote). But our response to law breaking is supposed to be careful, deliberate, due process, and always with an eye toward mercy. We don't need to shoot unarmed men till our 15 shot mag has been emptied twice. We don't need to punish those who are protected by the Constitution of the United States because someone might be offended, and separating mothers and children, when no one even expects that those "tots" are being abused, just because we "feel" that something "might" happen when they become teenagers, is beyond the boundaries of law and order.

We are facing a Godless society. Don't expect that to be pretty. When we act like there is no God, no Truth, no Justice, no Mercy, don't be surprised at the outcome.

Missing Something

2008-04-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Last night in Bible Study the preacher was talking about how important it is that our life exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) because that is the proof of the presence of God's Spirit dwelling in us (Romans 8:1-11).

Afterwards I heard someone say to him that he needed to repeat those things on Sunday, and it got me to thinking. Some of us just won't miss an episode of our favorite show on TV if it is humanly possible. But just in case we do, there are "summer re-runs" and we can watch for the one we missed.

It is unfortunate that we would miss the teaching of God's Word at Church for some lesser thing (often one of those TV shows), especially when it only happens two or three times a week at best. Here is the most important, vital, life-giving resource in the World and we are just too busy to give an hour or two to its pursuit. Be that as it may, here's my solution:

Summer re-runs! Beginning in June and running thru August -- the preacher will just re-run what he taught during the previous months. Maybe he could just play the CD's through the sound system on Sunday morning and evening and he could take the summer off for lots of fishing and traveling. You could show-up for what you missed. I think the preacher is going to like this a lot! I am not sure how God is going to like it. . .but lots of folks don't care much about that in the first place.

State May Be Oversteping Bounds in FLDS Case

2008-04-23T07:21:00.001-07:00

I plan to make this my last comment on this matter. It's a "no-win" argument no matter how it goes. There are many issues here including parental rights, religious freedom, deprivation of freedom without due process of law, and others.

Michelle Roberts, AP writer, reported, "with a court order signed Tuesday, about a quarter of the children were moved from the San Angelo Coliseum, loaded onto buses and taken to foster care facilities around the city and elsewhere. By week's end, all 437 children are likely to be scattered across the state in 16 facilities."

Here's an idea. Why not send these kids "home." If the Court is concerned that they are going to be abused during the sorting our of this mess, assign CPS workers, Deputy Sheriffs, Constables, foster care parents, or any responsible persons, for that matter, to the compound to monitor all this abuse that is supposedly occurring.

These people should not lose their kids without due process of law. Don't tell me they will get due process in the next months or (more likely) years while the kids are carted off to a life they don't understand, shuffled through a system that has never been accused of adequacy, and denied the security of their homes and families without seemingly (and the outsider has only the words of the Media) any PROOF that they are being abused. I think we can rest assured that if any proof existed the Media would have it exposed it by now with great relish.

I repeat (see my first publication on this matter), if there is actual abuse of anybody, prosecute the perpetrators. We have laws - enforce them. But this. . .this seems almost, in my opinion, like the abuse is being carried out by the Court.

It's A Miracle

2008-04-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

My Grandfather died in 1942. He was a man who collected various items and when my Grandmother died about 30 years ago, I picked up a few things from their home in Dallas. I did not pay much attention to some of it, it seems like there was little if any value to many of the items.

I do remember one very old little box that was half full of watch parts. My Dad told me that Granddad had tinkered with watches on occasion and had thrown the parts and pieces of various models into that box. I'm guessing those part had been in there for over 75 or 80 years.

Yesterday, I went to my study at home to find a particular book I needed, and in moving some things around I found that old box. I opened it slowly and carefully and found the shock of my life! There, surrounded by a few left over parts was a very inexpensive, simple, Timex. It was certainly no chronograph, and had none of the bells and whistles of today's fine watches, there was no band, but it was running, and although the time on it's face was wrong, and of course there was no second hand, when I put it to my ear, I could hear the tiny sound of a real watch.

Can you imagine how Granddad would react today, not knowing that those little wheels and springs and tiny screws would someday become a time piece. He would have been so proud of his collection.

I guess it's time to modify my thinking about the origin of life. I mean, this find changes everything!

The Avenger

2008-04-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.
Romans 13:4b

Reading this verse, and those that surround it, over and over again I can’t help but believe that Government is supposed to be “good.” Obviously, for Government to be good, the people who make up its organization must be good people. Sometimes I have real doubts about that.

So much of what we see today in the Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) is really discouraging. Politics (which has nothing to do with good Government) takes up almost all of the time and effort, and little of real value appears to be accomplished.

Unfortunately that does not give the Believer an option about being “subject to the governing authorities.” (Romans 13:1) Paul, the Apostle, reminds us that there is no authority except from God, and that all authority that exists is appointed by God.

That is why it is so important to be informed, and actively involved in the process established by our Government to elect people to offices in that Government. Ignorance in relationship to issues, and the policies and procedures of Government operation is inexcusable. For a believer to say, “I just don’t want to get involved,” is to make excuse which ultimately leads to bad or poor Government.

When Godly men and women are reluctant to stand up for what is right (the Bible is clear about what is and is not right), unwilling to oppose corruption and vice, and choose not to take the time necessary to support morality in the Governmental sphere, we are simply allowing evil to prevail. Knowing the voting records of those who represent the people of the United States and those who represent us in our individual State is mandatory. That information is easily obtained, and candidates for public office must be held to the highest standards of honesty, decency, and what is arguably “right and good” for the people they represent.

I believe this year, 2008, is a pivotal year for the future of our Republic as we know it. Do not sit on the sidelines. Get in the know. Get to the voting booth. The quality of our Government depends on it.

See the Movie

2008-04-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

I don't often recommend movies - the last I recall was "The Passion of the Christ." You need to see "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed." The Bible warns us to guard against "false knowledge," and perhaps especially this ignorance that comes with the capacity to destroy society.

When the academic community reaches the point where it is no longer allowing students (beginners or Ph.D's) to inquire into the fields of study which move beyond the absolute embrace of the theory of Darwinian Evolution, we are on dangerous ground.

One must have irrational fears to refuse to allow inquiry into one's belief. If Darwinian Evolutionists had nothing to hide, they would welcome divergent research and opinion. Continuing to restrict students to this one philosophy, flawed as it is, can lead only to ignorance that separates men from God.

While I am a Creationist, and not a big supporter of Intelligent Design, failure to stand up for the rights of those who would seek such study, is to ultimately have no one stand up for me.

Making A Mess of a Mess

2008-04-17T08:55:00.001-07:00

The further it goes the worse it gets. Does the State of Texas have a complainant or just an unsubstantiated phone call in relationship to this FLDS group? Were kids being abused prior to the abuse that they are going through now (torn from their homes and parents without so much as a hearing)? Here's a quote from Associated Press writer, Michelle Roberts:

If the judge gives the state permanent custody, CPS will have an enormous challenge in finding homes for the children in an already tight foster system.
CPS has relied on volunteers to help feed the children, launder linens and provide crafts and games for them in a dorm-style setting for the past two weeks. But the agency will have to find stable homes and try to decipher sibling relationships that should be preserved if it gets permanent custody.

This is a mess, and I know too much about the Courts and Attorneys and CPS to believe that these kids (and probably the adults) are going to get a fair go at getting this right.

If you are a praying person, pray. If you are able to open your home to someone, get ready.
If you are concerned about State intrusion in religious matters, worry now!

This is going to turn out badly!

I Wish I'd Said That!

2008-04-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the story from AP:

President Bush has quite a birthday present for Pope Benedict XVI: at least 9,000 excited guests gathered on the White House's South Lawn for a 21-gun salute, a famed soprano's rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" and an emotional presidential welcome.
Bush was to tell the pontiff and the crowd how glad America is to have him visit — and to tell Americans they should listen to his words. (emphasis mine)
"He will hear from the president that America and the world need to hear his message that God is love, that human life is sacred, that we all must be guided by common moral law, and that we have responsibilities to care for our brothers and sisters in need, at home and across the world," (emphasis mine) said White House press secretary Dana Perino.

Well, now! Isn't it great that someone on American soil is finally saying something that Americans and the world need to listen to? Don't you wish someone here had been saying that kind of stuff all along. . .wait a minute! Wait a minute!

What Else Is On

2008-04-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

While I don't spend a lot of time with the TV, my favorite TV watching experience is "to see what else is on." My wife says I keep the remote hot during my brief encounters with what's on TV.

Didn't someone say a long time ago that TV was a "vast wasteland?" Obviously you can watch the news on dozens of channels, and that must have some value. You can watch our Government at work, but that has almost no value. You can find all kinds of "Christian" programming, which is more scary than informative. I am astounded that you can watch people competing to lose weight, bachelors looking for wives, people losing huge sums of money they have earned by answering questions or picking briefcases because they are greedy for just a little more. And then, of course, you can watch people losing their money at the World Championship of Poker, or some such thing. Did I mention golf, racing, soccer, tennis, football, basketball, hockey, ultimate fighting, and maybe the greatest of all sports - Gladiators! (Oh my, I repeat, Oh my!)

TV programming is successful in part because people:
Have abandoned time with the family (no, watching TV together is not family time);
Don't have gardens;
Know all they want to know about the Bible;
And their conversational skills are a mess.

You can add your reasons to my short list (I have a longer one).

If God's people spent as much time with Him, in His Word, with His folks, ministering grace to others around them, as they do watching TV, this would be a different world.

And that would be a GOOD thing.

Guarding the Truth

2008-04-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Apostle Paul told Timothy, pastor of the Church at Ephesus, that he was responsible for guarding the Truth. It seems incumbent on all believers in the Church of Jesus Christ that they must do so too.

That is becoming a full-time job. If one accepts the Bible as God's revealed Word to mankind, keeping that Word pure and clearly disseminated is of vital importance. In a world where there are so many divergent views, one can only hope and pray that the voices of Truth will not be drowned out in the clamor for "something new."

The Truth is very old. It has never, and will never, change. Progressive societies seek change. The two often collide, and the results can be devastating. The Truth can never be less than it is. Hold on to the Truth. It will set you free.

Need a new Job?

2008-04-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

I arrived home yesterday to find an accounting from my retirement investments. The news wasn't all bad. In the first quarter of this year I had an account that earned $10. On the other hand, the overall loss for the first quarter of 2008 was five (5), I repeat, five (5) times the amount invested.

So then I read this tidbit in the news from Iraq:

William Odom, a retired three-star Army general, has spelled out just how shaky our alliance with the Sunnis is. "Our new Sunni friends insist on being paid for their loyalty," Odom told the Senate Foreign Relations committee last Wednesday. He cited one estimate that the U.S. military is paying a local strongman $250,000 a day to keep the peace in a 36-square mile swath of the country. "Remember, we do not own these people, we rent them — and they can break the lease at any moment."

So how do I get that job? Of course, the way things are going, if I invested most of that, I could lose about a million dollars a day.

Aren't you glad your future is in the hands of the Lord God of Heaven and not the stock market, or, God forbid, the hands of Congress? The Scripture tells us that God will provide for His own. I think I'll just bank on that.

Free Exercise Thereof

2008-04-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

This business with the "church" in Eldorado, Texas is a mess. Children being abused, by anyone, need to be free of such abuse and cared for. Anyone who is being held captive must be set free, either by their captors or by authorities. Violations of the laws of Texas and the United States of America must be obeyed by everyone, and such violations must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

We must not forget, however, that these kinds of sensationalism from a journalistic perspective often create an environment where the truth is hard to discern. The "slippery slope" looms large in such matters. Different religions have divergent views. While being out of the "mainstream" is fraught with problems, it is not necessarily illegal.

It is possible to put every "church" in jeopardy if we are not prudent. I am reminded that if I do not speak on behalf of those who are "innocent," even though I disagree with their Theology (and there may be no one innocent here except the children), what will happen when they come for me?

Known By Their Company

2008-04-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

I made an attempt to attend what some are calling "Oprah's Church" last evening. No luck. I think you can't just "walk" up and get in. Anyway I decided to look up Eckhart Tolle, seemingly the "teacher" at "A New Earth, Awaking To Your Life's Purpose."

I am not surprised by what I found. . .

He was born as Ulrich Tolle in Germany. He lived with his father from about age 13 until he moved to England in his early 20s around 1970. Tolle did not attend formal schooling after age 13, although we are told he was educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. No information is published as to whether he graduated or earned any degrees, which normally means he did not.

At the age of 29, after suffering long periods of depression, Tolle experienced what he considered a "spiritual transformation" that marked the beginning of his function as a counselor and spiritual teacher.

His bestselling book, The Power of Now, emphasizes the importance of being aware of the present moments as a way of "not being lost in thought." (Thinking is never a good thing with these kinds of folk) In his view, "the present is the gateway to a heightened sense of peace" (one of those statements that means absolutely nothing, but sounds as if it does)

He states that "being in the now" brings about an awareness that is beyond the mind, which awareness helps in transcending "the pain-body" that is created by the identification of the mind and ego with the body. (Say what? Psycho-babble at its best)

Tolle is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition. However he has acknowledged a strong connection to J Krishnamurti and Ramana Marashi ( it figures) and stated that his teaching is a coming together of the teachings of both those teachers.

Influences which are alluded to in The Power of Now are the writings of Meister Eckhart, Advaita Vendanta, Sufism, mystical Islam, Rumi's poetry, as well as Zen Buddhism's Lin-Chi (Rinzai) school. The book also interprets sayings of Jesus from the Bible (wonder where he learned that?)

Well, forgive me for being unkind, but you had best avoid this gentleman like the plague. Oprah seems lost in this foolishness. Don't join her!

Command Them To Stop

2008-04-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

In the first Chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul told Timothy that to protect the Church he needed to command those who were leading the people astray through "idle talk" and "fruitless discussion" to cease and desist. That is still necessary today.

I am not sure about what is now being called "Oprah's Church" and the claim that in March there were over 3,000,000 people "attending" (that would have to be on-line"). I am sure my voice would have no effect in calling Oprah to stop with the "spiritual thing." But I hope my voice will have some effect on those of you who read this note.

Oprah has nothing to say to believers. Her "far out" musings and collection of "prophets" with which she has surrounded herself is un-Godliness at its worst. I would suggest that any of you who listen to Oprah need to stop. With her own voice she has denied God, clearly called Jesus Christ a liar, espoused new age teachings that are clearly anti-Biblical and anti-Christian, and embarked on a pathway which leads only to destruction.

How will the "lost" find the Gospel if we do not sound a clear note, a clarion call, which can be heard above the din of evil and godlessness?

The Couch in the Office

2008-04-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

I've got this couch in an office. It's a big, expensive couch, you know, the kind that is beautiful but not very comfortable. It's time to move that office to another place and use the room the couch is in for something else. Problem is, how do you get the couch out? It won't go through the door. Even if I fold it once or twice, I can't make the turn into the hall. You will probably ask how it got in there in the first place. It's a long story and suffice it to say, things have changed.

Anyway it got me to thinking about the sin in the closet of my heart. It won't fit through the door of my mind, and I am having no success in folding it in half. Anyway the turn into the hall is too short. I am stuck with it, but I need the change.

Jesus said He has the capacity to make it disappear. No, really. With a confession (that is, agree with Him about the reality of it's existence and it's violation of His will) He will remove it forever; a real disappearing act.

Does anyone know a couch magician?

Charge Who?

2008-04-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press Writer, Wed Apr 2, WAYCROSS, Ga. - "A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward, police said Tuesday."

This article goes on to say that the kids are too young to be charged with anything (third graders would be about 8, right?). So how about we charge the parents with something? I would be willing to wager that these kids did not learn about how to plan and carry out this "attack" at AWANA, or in Sunday School. I'd be willing to wager they did not read about it in a James Patterson novel.

The reality is they have probably seen it on TV, or in the movies, or one of those incredibly bad video games. Now don't get me wrong. Parents cannot and do not always have control of the mind of their kids. . .but eight year old kids shouldn't even know how to begin such planning, much less carry it out. So charge the parents with "lack of attention," or "failure to watch what your kid is taking to school," or "unwillingness to listen and provide a solution when your kid is fuming over a perceived sleight from a teacher."

Does that all sound to harsh? It probably is. But let's face the fact that eight year old kids ought to be riding bikes, building sand castles, playing hide and seek with the neighbor's kids. Shut that TV down and go outside. Too hot (or cold)? Play Monopoly.

Preaching Truth

2008-04-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

. . . Their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. Jude 16c

There is not much I admire more than a smooth, fluent, charismatic orator. I remember years ago when I was in college our guest speaker was Paul Harvey (ABC News). He spoke for over an hour and I would have sworn that it had not been more than fifteen minutes. I am always intrigued by those men who can persuade, inspire, motivate, and capture the minds of others by the consummate perfection of their rhetoric.

The issue is not that those people have no place. It's that they have no place in the Church as the proclaimers of God's holy Word. I am convinced that genuine "preaching" is a supernatural gift from God whereby the Holy Spirit uses a human vehicle to reach through the ears of people the heart of people. And while the Preacher may possess all the rhetorical expertise of the best of orators, it is the message that is different - and primary.

Jude warns the Church that there are those who will stand before them who have a wonderful message, but it is not the Truth revealed in God's Word. Rather it is that which focuses on the value of humanity, the upward momentum of individual effort, and appeals to the desire we have within us to believe that we can overcome the vicissitudes of life by sheer will power alone. That's a flattering message.

Warning the Church is critical in the 21st century as well. While we cringe at the prospect of criticizing these "dreamers" (Jude 8) who inhabit pulpits and airwaves, allowing the Church to be wrecked on the "dangerous reef" of human wisdom (Jude 12) is not an option.

John Piper said, "The Gospel does not offer what the unbeliever wants." The Gospel is an offense to those whose life is caught in the destructive cycles of sin. No matter how much one may wish to be "popular" or to "nurture themselves" (Jude 12) by drawing crowds of people to hear their humanistic philosophy, they violate the very principles of Truth they claim to espouse.

God will ultimately hold those who do such things accountable. (Jude 15) Perhaps He will not hold guiltless those of us who fail to oppose them now.

Credit Crisis

2008-03-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer, WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is proposing the biggest overhaul of financial regulation since the Great Depression. The 200-page document. . .proposes giving broad new powers to the Federal Reserve to combat the type of severe credit crisis currently gripping financial markets.

I don't want to be accused of over-simplifying, but the real problem in our economy is greed. Money is a wonderful servant but a horrible master. Lloving it can create real problems, and create multitudes of means for exploiting others. From overspending our paycheck to racking up massive amounts of credit card debt, average, everyday folks find their lives in the same kind of mess in which our National economy finds itself. Trying to own more house, or automobile, or goods than we can afford is always a path to ruin.

Here are some simple principles we'd do well to follow:

Do not llove money.
Do not set your heart on riches.
Be content with what you have.
Give God praise and thanks for any and all resources you have.
Building your life around money can lead to dangerous results.
Wealth is a gift from God and must be used with thanksgiving, generosity, and stewardship.

Money can buy almost anything except peace with God.

Can You Afford It?

2008-03-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called on Thursday for a second economic stimulus package of $30 billion and for greater oversight of the U.S. financial system to prevent another housing crisis. "

First, this plan is not much different from those proposed by all candidates. I have no ax to grind with Mr. Obama. But, I doubt he has $30 billion he is planning to inject into the economy. Neither do any of the other candidates. So where does the money come from? The United States Government produces no income. They have only the money they take from you. Most of the people in trouble now are there by their own choosing and mistaken idea that one can "have it all, right now." ARM's, interest only mortgages, million dollar homes in the hands of folks who make $70,000 a year and have no savings, investment, or collateral, what did we think was going to happen?

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and the folks in the middle (that's most of us) get tapped for another $30 billion to fix it. . .for now. Then it will all happen again. . .at least it always has.

We need to learn that life does not consist in the abundance of things. One should be able to work hard and trust God, live sensibly, help to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, and care for those who are sick, and visit those in prison.

If we could just learn to live by God's Biblical revelation, we wouldn't have these issues.

Fishing

2008-03-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

From a story by JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press Writer: BOSTON - "Call them Pavlov's fish: Scientists are testing a plan to train fish to catch themselves by swimming into a net when they hear a tone that signals feeding time."

What will we think of next? That does not sound like a lot of fun for the fishermen among us.

Of course, the Church is way ahead in this game. We have figured out how to get people to come to Church by creating an environment that looks like the World and sounds like the World, and then when they arrive, give them worldly information.

Jesus sent His disciples forth to be "fishers of men." His plan is to "go and tell." The hoopla around "come and hear" often leaves the hearer, while part of the nickels and noses, still lost on the broad road that leads to destruction.

Maybe the Church needs less scientists and more fisherman.

Words

2008-03-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

Word: an articulate sound or series of sounds which symbolizes and communicates an idea.

Have you noticed how many words are being used during these days for which we have no "symbol" or "idea?" Hope is one of those words. One can say they have great hope for the future, but if there is no articulation of the idea for which one hopes, it is just a word, that standing alone means nothing. "Change" is one of those words. If there is no understanding of what one needs or wants changed, or if what one needs or wants changed is unchangeable, it is just a word, that standing alone, means nothing.

Everyone I know hopes to go to Heaven someday. Everyone I know wants change for a more positive future. But standing alone neither of those concepts make any sense. They are just words without ideas of how they are to be accomplished.

Maybe its time to listen to those who can communicate the ideas and understand the Truth. Otherwise we will end our lives still hoping for change.

Let's Study That

2008-03-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

From an AP story: "PHILADELPHIA - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton called on President Bush on Monday to appoint 'an emergency working group on foreclosures' to recommend new ways to confront the nation's housing finance troubles."

Don't you just love politicians? Republicans, Democrats, whoever, know that when there is a problem, and no one wants to take responsibility, form a study group. Seems to me everyone with a lick of sense knows how we got into this housing mortgage mess, but no one wants to face the music of getting out. So lets study it for a while - at least long enough to get past the election, keep as much blame as possible focused on President Bush, get Congress focused on something else for which they have no Constitutional authority, and, if at all possible, be reminded again and again which "candidate" is solving problems (i. e. creating study groups).

One task the Government is much better at than the Church is getting people to study stuff. Maybe if the Church studied the Bible a little more diligently, we would be smarter than the politicians, which isn't saying much, then, is it?

Got Sin?

2008-03-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

How happy the man whom the Lord will never charge with sin. Romans 4:8

This past week the Vatican (seat of the Roman Catholic Church) announced seven new deadly sins to join their list of seven others. According to the Associated Press, a Vatican official has listed drugs, pollution, genetic manipulation and social and economic injustices as new areas of sinful behavior. “Sins increasingly manifest themselves as behavior that damages society as a whole,” Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti said in an interview published Sunday by the Vatican's daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. “While sin used to concern mostly the individual, today it has mainly a social resonance, due to the phenomenon of globalization."

Here’s the real news, and it’s nothing new. Sin is a violation of God’s holiness. If we take the time to enumerate all the ways that can be accomplished, we will be a long time in the discussion. I am convinced we need to have great concerns about “social resonance, due to the phenomenon of globalization." We don’t need to purposefully or carelessly pollute the Earth or ourselves. I suppose I can even identify with the hazards of extreme wealth, after all, Jesus talked about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Once again, however, all this hype about the pronouncements of the Vatican regarding sin obscures the reality that the sin we need to be concerned about is the sin of unbelief. We are charged with sin because we have rejected the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Lord. The Good News is that God will never charge us with that sin when He has imputed the righteousness of Christ to our account. Once that righteousness is in us, His indwelling Holy Spirit is the Teacher of all things regarding obedience to the Truth of God’s revealed Word, which in turn keeps us from sin altogether.

I can’t get too excited about Rome’s pronouncements. What I could get energized about is when the Vatican begins to teach the Truth about the Savior and the Lordship of Christ. They’ve got a long way to go – but it’s possible it could happen. Imagine that army of folks, fully redeemed, being obedient to the Scripture, and using the Truth to help stamp out sinful living. Now that would reduce “behavior that damages society as a whole.”

Do Your Job

2008-03-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Martin, writing for Politico said, "Now, with the emergence of the notorious video showing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright damning the country, criticizing Israel, faulting U.S. policy for the Sept. 11 attacks and generally lashing out against white America,. . . . "

Herein lies a serious problem from my perspective. Where does one find this subject matter in the Word of God? The answer is, one doesn't. In fact there is a lot of rhetoric being spewed from the pulpits of America that has no basis at all in the Word of God. And when that is true, it is no longer a "Church," and the speaker is no longer a "pastor." The focus of the Church is to be slave to Christ and servant to one another, and the community at large. The focus of the pastor is to proclaim the Truth of God's Word and care for the people. Nothing more, nothing less! Period! Paragraph!

Same Old Stuff

2008-03-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Seems like everybody is checking the mail, watching the ads, and asking around, about all the new things that are going on at Church. So many Churches have new stuff every week; a new rock band, new and unique kinds of preaching, new ways to worship and learn, and new stuff for everyone to do.

It's no wonder the Church I attend is not setting attendance records. We're not looking for a new model. We just keep on doing the same thing week after week. We're singing the great hymns and songs of the faith (many written in the last few years --along with those written a couple of centuries ago) and the preaching is still an exposition of the Word of God. We're still praying, confessing sin, and learning how to llove one another. Some folks find that's pretty boring, at least by today's standards.

Value

2008-03-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

I cannot help but think about the value men place on their wives. Watching the publicity regarding the Governor of NY, and the repeat videos of other men who have made similar confessions, Clinton, Bryant, Craig, etc., while their bride stands by them, looking like betrayed women look, I am heart-broken for them. Surely these men can see the damage they have done.

It is not unlike those who betray the bride of Christ. By our inattention, our commitment to lesser things, our unwillingness to assume and complete the assigned tasks given clearly in the Word of God, we damage Christ's bride regularly and with seeming carelessness.

Neither ought to be! We must seek forgiveness (our bride's and God's) when we are insensitive, thoughtless, inconsiderate, unconcerned and cavalier with our bride or His.

Sin Destroys Lives

2008-03-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that at some point in time most folks would recognize how sin infects, affects, and the effects of its reality. Just this morning I am hearing about the prominent Dallas couple who took their lives in a murder/suicide pact, the mother who decided to throw her two kids and herself off a bridge near Dallas, and the Governor of NY who threw away his career, destroyed his reputation, and damaged his family for a few moments of pleasure.

Most of the discussions I am hearing regarding these matters are about the vagaries of human nature. The Truth is human nature is flawed by the sin of unbelief in the grace and mercy of God. And while believers still possess that "old sin nature" they are transferred from death to life, and that life is capable of overcoming the damage of sin through a renewed mind.

It's possible that all of the folks mentioned above are believers. If so, they have missed the power of Jesus Christ to bring victory in the despair of life. Perhaps they are not believers, and that is, in part, the great failure of the Church to spread the Gospel far and wide. The point is, these are the actions and outcomes of sin. Rebellion against God always brings consequences.

New Sins

2008-03-11T06:50:00.001-07:00

How could I, a person who often rails against sin, not be excited these days? The Vatican has upped the ante with some new "sins." As if we didn't have enough to worry about from a sin perspective, here's more. I especially like the one about not "polluting." Does that mean we can't drive our cars anymore? Do we have to stop using plastic bags at the grocery? What? No more hair spray? And what about those plastic rings that hold the six pack of cans (Coke, of course)? How do we get rid of those things without sinning?

If one believes God experiences a laugh now and again, He must be laughing now. One thing I know for absolute sure -- if sin is involved, the blood of Jesus Christ my Savior is sufficient to cleanse and make righteous every heart. His death on Calvary solved the sin problem - pollution and all.

What's Next?

2008-03-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

"A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans," an Associated Press investigation shows. My soul, except for maybe cutting the pharmacy bill for a few folks, I can't see much good in this sort of thing.

Aren't you glad there is a spring of living water to which you as a believer have unfettered access? And it is never contaminated with the things of this World. It is never subject to the uncleanness that is a part of so much of life.

Make sure you don't allow that spring in you to get stifled through lack of faith. Jesus said, "he that believes in me. . .out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)

Growing Wealth

2008-03-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

A blurb from Daily Wealth that crossed my desk this morning said, "How to collect growing paychecks month after month." That certainly sounds intriguing does it not? I'll bet my employer would be interested in keeping that information out of my hands.

What is even more exciting is that I can have monthly, weekly, or daily a growing wealth of wisdom as I continually inculcate God's Word in my mind. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said it like this, "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6).

I'm going to check on that growing paycheck thing, but reality tells me I am going to gain more by spending time in God's Word. Find a Bible Study near you and get involved!

Involvement

2008-03-05T07:16:00.000-08:00

John McCain (Republican Party nominee for President of the United States) is quoted in the press with this statement, "Americans aren't interested in an election where they are just talked to and not listened to; an election that offers platitudes instead of principles and insults instead of ideas."

He's only partly right. It's the first part of his statement that is true. The reality is, "most Americans are not interested in an election." While this primary season has brought out thousands of unexpected voters, (credit the love/hate relationship folks have with the front runners in the Democratic Party) the vast majority of Americans seem to have no interest in politics, or elections, or anything else that has to do with the operation of Government.

Ditto that for the Church of Jesus Christ. Most folks say they care, but their actions belie the reality that actual involvement beyond casual conversation and sporadic attendance is limited to the few. How else does one explain that most members of most Churches cannot be found, or at least found involved in active ministry on a regular basis.

It's a shame, really. Both entities, the U.S. Government and the Church of Jesus Christ are vital to life as we know it. Either one could go away, you know?

Who To Vote For

2008-03-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

It's Primary Voting Day in Texas. I'm looking for a "new candidate."

I'm looking for one who hasn't taken money from anyone, and is therefore "tied" to no one.
I'm looking for one who holds no "religious" views, and therefore can't offend any religion.
I'm looking for one who has vast experience running a government, but has never been associated with government waste, bad laws, poor judgment, mismanagement, or mistakes.
I'm looking for someone who can make the economy work so that everyone has everything they want and need, win the war(s) and keep all the troops at home, fully supplied, well trained, and on leave, because there is no more discord around the world.
I'm looking for one who has no skeletons in the closet, never "mis-speaks, always engenders hope, and has the ability to "change the world," end poverty in third world countries, and draw all political parties together. It would be nice if he/she can fix the United Nations too.
I'm looking for someone who all World leaders look to for counsel, personally admire, and long to be like.
I'm looking for someone faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and who has no weaknesses, like Kryptonite - or something.
Did I mention 39 cents per gallon gasoline?

I may need to wait till next year to vote ---

Miracles

2008-03-03T07:24:00.001-08:00

Although I commented on "A Course In Miracles" before (see my post for 12/27/07), I am again being asked about this program which I am told is being aired on XM radio's "Oprah and Friends."

Here's a quote: "A Course in Miracles is allegedly “new revelation” from “Jesus” to help humanity work through these troubled times. This “Jesus”—who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible’s Jesus Christ—began delivering his channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology by the name of Helen Schucman."

I am convinced that people are looking for a "new revelation" because they have such a problem with the "old" revelation. Sin does that to a fellow. It makes us want the things of Earth more than the things of Heaven. If we can just get "Jesus" to lighten up, get past this insistence on holiness (which is provided by God as a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ), and get on with the "pleasures of sin for a season," we would be much happier. If you're happy knowing that sin, when it comes to harvest brings death, go for it. If you're interested in finding eternal life in the presence of Jehovah God, you'd best stick with the "old" Jesus.

New Baptist Covenant

2008-02-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

I've just been reading about the "New Baptist Covenant Celebration" in Alanta at the beginning of February. (Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, William Shaw, Tony Campolo, etc.) I though I would give you the benefit of my astute, concise observation -

Oh My! Oh My!! Oh My!!!

Intolerant

2008-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

I think my blog yesterday sounded a bit intolerant. I wrote about some folks who are just trying to find some unity in the midst of diversity, some hope in the midst of despair, some equality for all those competing views of how to successfully reach God.

In regard to that intolerance, I wanted to quote my "boss." After all it is Him to whom I answer.

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Enter through the narrow gate. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but, only the one who does the will of My Father in Heaven." (from His well known book, the Bible)

I think I'll go with Him on this matter.

Loving Religion

2008-02-27T06:19:00.000-08:00

According to the Los Angeles Times, Swami Sarvadevananda, of Vedanta Society of Southern California, was among about a dozen Hindu leaders honored during a St. Patrick's Episcopal Church service. He called the stance of the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, "a great and courageous step" that binds the two communities. "By declaring that there will be no more proselytizing, the bishop has opened a new door of understanding," Sarvadevananda said. "The modern religious man must expand his understanding and love of religions and their practices."

Let me take a stance. Loving religion and its practices could be a time-wasting hobby, I suppose, but the Truth is God hates religion. Religion is man's attempt to reach God by some "practices" which are the epitome of unrighteousness. God lloves mankind, has sent His only begotten Son to redeem us from the curse of sin and religion. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has made it abundantly clear; there is one door to the presence of God, and it is He, Himself. All others are thieves and robbers (see John 10:7). Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27)

Expand your understanding all you want. Understand this: God said, Jesus Christ "is the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Urban Legend

2008-02-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when I have a spare moment, I look at the Snopes.com - Urban Legend of the day. Yesterday they commented on the narrative, "Who Will Take the Son." I am sure you have heard this story; it's been around a long time. In their explanation of the source or origin of the story they gave their usual interesting, and supposed factual, account of the details.

What surprised me was at the end of their commentary. Who are these people who search for truth and end up proclaiming Truth? I could not have been more pleased when I read these words at the closing of their comments:

"It is a parable that illustrates the riches to be earned by accepting the Son of God into one's heart. The person who cherished the son rather than sought to plunder a wealthy man's riches was the one who was rewarded with untold wealth, just like the one who accepts Jesus will earn entry into the Kingdom of Heaven."

I would not have said it exactly like that (the above words are a quote, after all), but I'll take all the help we can get. And I say, thanks SNOPES.COM for the Truth.

Big Night

2008-02-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

Strange clothing, even more so the hair, and some idiot blathering on about how he was trying to expose our Guantanamo atrocities, I painfully watched a few minutes of the Oscar presentations last evening.

I had just come from a worship experience were the preacher talked about a couple of keys to discovering genuine happiness. As I juxtaposed the two in my mind, I wondered if these folks I see on TV are happy, joyful, people fulfilling their dreams and living life to its fullest. Are these people our society tends to idolize good examples of the best in life?

Somehow, I think not. Rather it is the folk sitting in Church pews (or chairs) who have received the grace of God in their lives by faith, established a relationship with God's family (the Church), and are actively using their time to genuinely llove one another. That is where real happiness lies.

It might be a wonderful thing to win an Oscar (if acting is your field of endeavor), but winning the "crown of life" is the real deal. I'll press on toward the latter.

Moving Fast

2008-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

He in the (DFW) Metroplex where I work and live there are lots of new highways. Now we learn the speed limits (on some) were set without proper review. The limit supposedly has some connection to the "average" speed of traffic. Now that the studies are finished, it's clear that the limit is well below the actuality. So, the powers that be say they will raise the limits "unless it increases air pollution."

Here's NEWS - Leaving the speed limit lower will not change the speed of the traffic - as it obviously hasn't so far. It's just more "feel good" rhetoric (about air pollution). If we want to slow the traffic -that's easy. If we're not going to slow the traffic, just raise the limit. How hard is this stuff anyway?

Of course we have the same problem in the Church of Jesus Christ. It's not that we're moving too fast, but rather we get caught up in what I call the "feel good" movement. We want everything to feel good, go our way, make our day. The reality is, life is tough, some people are hard to llove, it's impossible to please all the people all the time, and being a believer in a world gone mad with sinful passions, we're swimming against the tide. There are some times you can get your shot at feeling good (and at the Church I attend there's a significant number of them). But most of the time, in the real Church of Jesus Christ, it's just hard work - meeting need, lloving the people, working through the struggles, and slowing down enough to hear the Spirit's still, small voice. But then, that's why I llove it! I have come to understand the calling to "work, for the night is coming when no man can work."

Just Ordinary

2008-02-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - "Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew returned to Earth on Wednesday, wrapping up a 5 million-mile journey highlighted by the successful delivery of a new European lab to the international space station.The shuttle and its seven astronauts landed at 9:07 a.m. at NASA's spaceport at Kennedy Space Center, where the crew's families and top space program managers gathered to welcome them home."

Did you watch this particular piece of history? I think more and more it becomes less and less noticed. If you were alive and old enough to understand, do you remember John Glenn and his near first assault on space? How about Neil Armstrong? Wow! Almost everybody was paying attention. Now, by and large, it's just routine. Who has time?

Is "Church" becoming like that? We used to see the majesty and glory, God's presence was palpable in the gathered believers as "worship" ascended to His throne. Now, if one attends, it's often boring and inane, or it's just another entertainment venue with big bands and a life coach. It may be that we are less and less able to see the "glory" of Heavenly things, the awesome power of His Spirit moving among us because something has changed. It's either us or Him.

It's probably going to take a mission to Mars (or somewhere), or another space disaster to capture our attention and get us once again excited about space exploration. I wonder what it is going to take to return the power and wonder, the enthusiasm and amazement, to "Church."

His Side

2008-02-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

“If the Lord had not been on our side— Psalm 124:1

Remember when we were kids and it was time to choose sides for whatever it was we were going to do? Maybe you were one of those who were always picked first because you were good at baseball or football or whatever. Perhaps you were one of those who were always the last to be chosen. Not a fun experience, as I remember.

The Psalmist proclaims that God is “on our side.” The reality is that we are on the same side because He has chosen us. Because that is true, we have a Protector when the burning anger
of men assaults the Church of Jesus Christ, when the flood of evil in our society attempts to rip us apart—sometimes with words, other times with deeds.

It seems at times that the Church (read: the men and women who make up the Body of Christ) is slandered and hindered from its mission by those who would marginalize the value of living a moral life, scoff at obedience to God’s revealed Word, and attempt to remove from the public eye any reference to the historical Christianity of our Nation’s past.

A significant number of individuals both inside and outside Christianity are ensnared by immorality, selfishness, unbelief, a non-Biblical worldview, and ignorance. As a society we have by-in-large abandoned, to one degree or another, “the maker of Heaven and Earth.” (See Psalm 124:8) We are content to believe that we are capable of minding our own affairs, ruling our world, and blind to the insidious plot of the Enemy to separate us from God for eternity.

The only help for our situation is Jehovah. He is on our side—because He has chosen us for His team. He is the sustainer when otherwise we would be overcome and swept away.

I am excited about being on His side. It is the side that has set us free to become victorious in life, to be an over-comer rather than swept away in the torrent of despair, and to have no fear for the future, because His team wins in the end.

Speaking of Change

2008-02-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Presidential race has come to Texas. I haven't seen any McCain or Huckabee ads yet, but the airwaves are thick with Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton.

The one thing they say they are going to do is "change" things. I'm not sure how they will accomplish that, but I wish them Godspeed with it. There are a couple of things I would like changed.

I would like for US to change our focus on "me, me, me," to "what can I do for other folks." I've learned over the years that the people who focus their attention on ministry to others find their own lives enriched beyond measure.

I would like US to change our National obsession for immoral entertainment to an obsession for the things of God. I've learned that a focus on following Him though obedience to His revealed Word brings so many good things to my life that I don't need to be entertained by the World at all -- especially at meetings of the Church.

I'd be willing to wager those changes are not on the agenda. Too bad! Just those two would change our society for the better beyond our wildest dreams.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

I can never decide what to do for my bride of almost 45 years. She has everything a woman could want, even me! (Come on, lighten up!) So I did what I often do, I wrote her a note. Not just a regular note, but a special note. (Maybe she'll let me publish it for you to read) It's about genuine llove.

That is what I wish we were all about; not just flowers and candy on a holiday, or presents both expensive and plain, but real llove. If the World, whom God lloved so much that He gave His only Son to redeem, could just see, understand, and appropriate that llove, it would overflow in a manner that would change society, eliminate anger and hatred, forestall crime and war, well, that would be Heaven on Earth and even I am smart enough to know that will happen only when God himself arrives to make that change.

In the meantime, I am going to practice all the llove I can. Join me, will you!

It's Over!

2008-02-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Hollywood screenwriters voted to end their three-month long strike here Tuesday, union officials said, bringing to a close the US entertainment industry's most damaging dispute in 20 years.

Well finally! People can get back to watching their favorite programs. Although I don't watch a lot of TV, I never cease to be amazed that once you leave the Travel Channel, or National Geographic, or the chick flicks on Hallmark Channel, (and my favorite show, which I seldom get to see, "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader") you find yourself mired in crime, adultery, homosexuality, bi-sexuality, crude and disgusting language, filthy innuendo perceivable by the typical 5th grader, and a rampant distortion of anything even remotely connected to Christianity.

As a nation we are convinced that we are "just showing forth reality. People need to know the real world around them and TV and movies portray accurately our society. We can't hide from life."

Ok! So let's make Earth as much like Hell as possible, right? Read that first quote again - the Truth is, I am not sure anything has damaged the US more than the entertainment industry.

But that's just my opinion. What's yours?

The Right Thing To Do

2008-02-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

It is reported that Christopher Reeve said these words, “I think we all have a little voice inside us that will guide us...if we shut out all the noise and clutter from our lives and listen to that voice, it will tell us the right thing to do.”

That sounds so good. I wish it were true. Some of us have "a still, small voice" inside us who is the Spirit of God. Many, if most, do not.

With all the talk about being "values-driven," most of the talkers never get around to the source of values - language like the following, which I copied from an e-mail sent to me by "Simple Truths," makes the point.

"You see, being values-driven means two things:
Doing what’s right – following our conscience; refusing to compromise our principles, despite pressures and temptations to the contrary, and
Taking a stand against what’s wrong – speaking out, whenever we see others do things that are incorrect or inappropriate.
Unquestionably, both of those require guts and fortitude...they require courage."

That's pretty good stuff. What does not appear, however, is the source of what is "right" and what is "wrong." We want to believe that every person has the ability to determine what is right or wrong based on some nebulous system of positive thinking, and that is just not true.

Right and wrong come from God. They are made clear in His Word, the Bible. If we fail to understand that, we have only the thoughts and actions of unGodly men on which to base our values.

I can promise you, that is dangerous.

God's Teaching

2008-02-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

A survivor of the tornados that struck the Southern part of the US over the last part of last week said, "(He) put on sweat pants, grabbed a flashlight, drank a shot of whiskey, "and then I heard this noise." He headed for a door, "and all of a sudden I heard the glass breaking and it was sucking," he said. "When I tried to shut the door, [it] seemed like the door was lifting up. So I just dove and I lay flat on the floor."
Lying there, everything in the house flew over him, scraping and banging his back, then the chaos stopped. "I was laying in the dirt. There was no floor. No nothing." The house was gone, but he believes there's reason why he survived.
"I think God was holding my leg, beating my (expletive deleted), teaching me that I hadn't been doing everything He wanted me to do," he said.

Well, I don't know if that is the way God works or not, but I can assure you I don't want to be taught that way. There is no question that there are a multitude of things God's wants us to know and be about, but He has provided a process for that to occur. I believe I would rather find myself in a place where God's design and purpose are taught without all the drama and trauma.

You might try your local Bible-believing/teaching Church and avoid some, shall we say, "stuff."

Lent

2008-02-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

But the time will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. Mark 2:20

This is the season of Lent. Lent is defined as the “spring period of fasting in preparation for Easter; a penitential period extending from Ash Wednesday to Easter.” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary)

Jesus indicated in this passage of Scripture that the time was quickly coming when He would be taken captive and crucified. That would be a time of great distress for His followers. Who could eat when their heart was broken? It was only a few days (3 to be exact) after His crucifixion that He arose from the dead, conquering forever the curse of sin. Not long after that, He came to indwell His people in the person of the Holy Spirit, and the power for victorious living was ever present.

Lent seems to be the time of year when many folks who live like the Devil all the rest of the year, believe that by forsaking some “something” during this period, they will gain a little favor before God, and by the time Easter (I prefer “Resurrection Day”) rolls around He will be “in the mood” to overlook their sin and grant them some favor, hopefully a seat at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

I’ve got bad news. It doesn’t work that way. The Good News is that it doesn’t make any difference if you honor the Lenten season, or whether you practice some penance during the period of time set forth on the calendar, rather, your response to the death and resurrection of Christ makes all the difference. It may be that God is calling you from death to life, from darkness to light, from separation to reconciliation. Only you can know if that is happening in your experience.

We tend, as believers, to remain quiet regarding these matters believing it is not a good thing to offend those who might believe that there is some inherent value in such practices. But ignorance of God’s Word continues to exist because men and women who know the Truth remain silent and unwilling to bear the burden of rejection.

These days are a wonderful time to share the Good News. You don’t need to follow some activity introduced by religious men who profess a desire to somehow reach God. God has reached out to this World with His infinite llove. He chooses to call men and women to life in Christ Jesus. Whosoever will may come, and drink of the water of life, freely. That is Good News!

Vulnerable Kids

2008-02-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

Lauren Frayer, Associated Press Writer in Baghdad, Iraq reported today, "Videotapes seized during U.S. raids on suspected al-Qaida in Iraq hide-outs show the terror group training young boys to kidnap and assassinate civilians, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Wednesday. "

We recoil in horror at such news, but the reality is that kids are products of their environment and training. They can be taught to steal and kill, even annihilate themselves and others in some false hope that they are serving God and righting wrongs.

Kids can be taught the Truth, learn God's design for life, and become mighty men and women of valor in the Kingdom of God.

Kids can also be left to their own devices. Seldom or never involved in learning God's Word and His purpose for life, their natural bent will draw them further and further from a life that is holy, and, often, left untrained as children, produce adults that miss abundant life and Heaven through the condemnation of sin.

What are you doing with your kids, for Heaven's sake?

Money Woes

2008-02-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

Michael Abramowitz and Jon Cohen, Washington Post Staff Writers. in an article on Monday, February 4, 2008; page A01, said, "Public views of the national economy are now more negative than at any point in nearly 15 years. . .more than eight in 10 Americans describe the economy as "not so good" or "poor. . ."

The Word of God is clear, we are to work hard and consistently. There is no "free ride" in God's economy for anyone who is able-bodied and capable of turning in a day's work. Providing for one's self and one's family is not just a good idea, it is mandatory.

But God is generous to a fault. When we have done the best we can, under the circumstances in which we find ourselves, His promise in Luke 6:38 stands like a beacon in the dark -- Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over-- will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

If you're struggling with that, test it!

Super Something

2008-02-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here we are stuck on the day between the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday. Everything seems to slow down around this time of the year except sports and politics (at least during an election year)

I have noticed that the Church of Jesus Christ is not enjoying a lot of Super Natural operations at the moment. I don't mean that some groups are not growing at super speed. Church buildings are becoming more elaborate and expensive with a super alarming consistency. Budgets are super rich with more and more groups introducing a web presence to sell their particular brand of wares and tap the financial potential of those who aren't about to attend a meeting in anybody's building.

I'm just wondering if what we need instead is a supernatural presence in our life; a supernatural Word that renews our mind; a supernatural forgiveness that allows for peace and joy in the day to day struggle; and a supernatural llove that invades and protects our relationships with one another?

That's a super I could get excited about!

Jesus Lloves Me

2008-02-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

I llove you, Jesus said.

He abandon the splendor of Heaven -

He took the characteristics of man, and the capacity to sin, and became one of us -

He walked the Earth and learned first hand the hardness of heart and bitter hatred of the very ones he had created.

He taught the Truth, lloved without reserve, lived without sin, always obedient to the voice and will of the Father in Heaven. The blind could see, the lame could walk, and death could not hold those He called to life from the grave.

He knew the anger of those He came to forgive. He felt the sting of rebuke in the words of those who had corrupted His law, and His torn flesh, bruised and bloodied face crowned with thorns, were emblematic of how far mankind had fallen.

He poured out His life blood on Calvary - for me, and for you, and for all who would receive God's grace by faith. Then He arose from the dead, victorious over sin and death, and sent His Spirit to live in us, providing the same victory to all who believe.

Yes! Jesus lloves me!

Simple Agreement

2008-01-30T06:26:00.000-08:00

From an Associated Press story on the Florida primary:
"Steadfast in a crisis, as a candidate Giuliani was a bundle of contradictions, so much so that he liked to joke that even he didn't always agree with himself."

Sort of reminds me of a significant number of Christians. Many times there is little agreement between what we say we believe and the actions we take. We believe we ought to pray consistently and frequently, yet seldom do. We believe we ought to attend the functions of the Church, but are often too busy or tired. We believe we should actively share our faith with others, but rarely take the opportunity. We are confident that we are to llove one another, yet find the actual discipline much to difficult.

It's as if we don't agree with ourself about who we are in Christ Jesus, or what we are to be about as believers. That needs to change, and quickly.

Communication Two

2008-01-29T06:36:00.001-08:00

Wow! I stand corrected! Did George W. Bush put me in my place, or what? His State of the Union address was as good a rhetorical offering as I have ever seen him deliver. He seemed at ease, happy, undeterred by the opposition, and willing to stand up for his administration's agenda. Whether you agree with his assessment of our Nation's position and future needs or not, there is no equivocation regarding his "presentation" of the material.

Now, that is exactly what we need when we share the Gospel. Be at ease (the Spirit is at work), happy (we're on our way to Glory), undeterred by the opposition (he's a loser), and willing to boldly present our Savior, Jesus Christ, to a lost and dying world.

We may be, like George Bush's Presidency, in our last days of opportunity. Let's move forward with enthusiasm and victory -- all the way to the end.

Communication

2008-01-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight the President of the United States will present his State of the Union Address. It will be received with mixed reviews from a policy perspective and almost everyone knows that it will be rather poorly delivered from a rhetorical perspective.

One of the realities of the current Presidential race is that Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee (for example) are very charismatic and rhetorically astute. Significant numbers of people will judge the content of the message less objectively when it is poorly presented. Even bad ideas get a hearing when the "speechifying" is outstanding.

My point (I have no political objective here) is that the message you and I have to deliver when we proclaim Jesus Christ is in itself offensive to a lost world. We further limit its hearing when we say it poorly. You have the greatest task in the World, promoting the Gospel through a shared testimony. Learn to do it well!

Hang On!

2008-01-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Don't you know those folks who jumped off the stock market roller coaster on Tuesday are kicking themselves on Thursday? I know some folks who sold their AMR stock on Tuesday just to watch it rise almost two dollars per share on Wednesday. It's always the folks who jump off the ride when it's still in motion that get hurt.

Life is a series of up's and down's. There are good times and bad, tough times and easy living. Sometimes we have the idea that we ought to abandon the Church, or God's people, or the Truth that we live by because things are going badly. Don't! Instead, follow the Psalmist's counsel:
Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Bad News

2008-01-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Fred is out of the race (if you care, and some do). The stock market is an absolute mess (not the first or last time). Calvinism is growing in the SBC (and that's bad news for many). The city of Allen is trying to get folks to obey the law and some are screaming that regular folks moving into the city would rather be homeless and live under a bridge than pay a $5 registration fee (that anyone would believe that to be true means the idiocy level is way up, and that's bad news). Airline fares are going up (cancel that trip to the coast). Church attendance is down (hey, I care!). Heath Ledger is dead (another life cut way too short).

Isn't there any good news out there? Well, yes! You and I need to report it, shout it out, make it heard above the din of despair. And if you're having trouble finding it -- you need to get your self into a Bible believing, Bible teaching, Bible preaching Church. Hey, the whole thing is GOOD NEWS!

If you don't know where to find one of those Churches - drop me a note! I know of several.

In Between

2008-01-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

My enquiries yesterday included a full scale of life. One person I asked about is late in life (near 90 years) and working well on recovery from various problems, and one is a tiny baby (just three pounds or so) with multiple concerns, as you can imagine, yet with a bright future on the horizon.

As I look forward for one, and back over the years of the other, and pray for the future of both, I wonder about their life. . .and think of us, those in the years between these two. Whether one is 14 or 40, 27 or 70, the only thing we possess is today, and a clear understanding that when today is over (remember, tomorrow never comes) we have eternity, either to know the incredible joy of dwelling in God's physical presence forever, or separated from Him in everlasting death. I have no concerns about the safety of these two examples of life, because they are both clearly clasped in the hand of God. There are others, however, about whom I worry.

We have such an awesome responsibility regarding this "treasure we hold in earthen vessels." The Good News of God's grace, the payment of the ransom to release us from the curse of sin, the hope that lies in an intimate, personal relationship with the Savior, are bound up in those of us who are His, awaiting release in the minds and hearts of those He will quicken from death to life.

Today is a good day to enquire of others. You may see new life spring forth, and hope born anew.

Encouragement

2008-01-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our Preacher asked us if our mouths are used for encouragement or discouragement. I think the answer is: both. Sometimes we encourage others, and sometimes we discourage.

We also need to remember that it is not just our mouth that speaks discouragement, but the way we fail to take responsibility for our actions, or lack thereof. I cannot help but find myself discouraged when many of our folks, those who are part of the Body of Christ at the Church I attend, are so irregular in their attendance and participation. It's discouraging to see the Choir with several empty chairs. It's discouraging to see empty pews, more than a few empty seats in classrooms, or teachers with only one or two children when there ought to be several. (Our Church is blessed with many more members than seats.)

It's important to understand that the reason it is discouraging is because those empty places represent people that are lloved, who are vital to the life of the Body, and are genuine friends.

Don't hear me saying that people don't get sick, take needed days off, visit with families in far away places, or have to work. Whatever the reason they are absent, genuine or manufactured, it is hard not to be discouraged that another opportunity to share llove and joy while worshiping together has been missed.

I know our Preacher is wise enough to focus on the encouragement that exists because there are so many who do come, and are always faithful to the task of "doing Church." I'll try to take a lesson or two from him. Discouragement is a good thing to avoid.

Light Out

2008-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

Around the building where I attend Bible Study and Worship there are a lot of lights after it gets dark. Last evening, one of those that illuminates a parking area and sidewalk to the building was out. It wasn't that there was no light. Other lights partially illuminated the walk, and fortunately everyone could see well enough to get by.

It reminded me that we often attempt to negotiate a part of our walk through life with the Light out. God's Word is clear that the Truth "is a lamp for my feet, and a light on my path." I am not sure I understand why so many of us are content to walk in the Light that radiates from others, never taking the time and making the effort to implant the Light (read: Truth) in our life through a diligent effort to inculcate Scripture in our minds and hearts.

When the Preacher found out about the light being out, he promised to see to it that it was repaired or replaced. I hope he continues to focus on keeping the Light coming through our Bible Study programs as well. No sense in stumbling around, right?

Today's Business

2008-01-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

Intel Slips, Boeing Dawdles - according to Harold Maass of The Week, and business is looking bad. Citi-Bank is in trouble, Country-Wide is if they don't get bought up, and the Market is crashing down around a lot of folk's future.

Kind of reminds me of the Church of Jesus Christ when we get our eyes off the Master and on other things. We slip and dawdle, find ourselves in trouble with the enemy and things begin to crash around us.

The writer of Hebrews was exactly correct when he reminded us to "lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. . ."

Our National economy is only as strong as the confidence of those who invest in it. Our Spiritual experience is only as strong as our willingness to commit to the source and perfecter of our faith.

Cowboy Blues

2008-01-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

Time for a new coach! Get a real quarterback! Blow the whole thing up, starting with TO and the offensive line!

I've been hearing this kind of foolishness since 7pm, Sunday (that's when Church was over). Didn't these guys just give us one of the best seasons ever? I think they won more games than almost anybody else, and managed to get to the second round of the play-offs. There's the reality that they did not play their best ball in the end, but neither did all but a few other teams, so far, and ultimately only one can claim the prize. I'm really proud of "the Boys" and looking forward to next year.

Aren't you glad God doesn't "blow-up" His Church when we perform poorly? If we fired our preacher every time his sermon was a little dull, we'd go through a lot of guys (sorry for that, preacher). If we emptied the pews of all the folks that don't always "play" well from week to week, we probably couldn't field a team.

God lloves us when we do well, and when we don't. We need to get better at what we do, and so do the "Boys." Let's make 2008 a better year than last year, for both. Support your team, will 'ya?

Wise Counsel

2008-01-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

For almost all of us there comes a day when we wish we had said something, or done something, taken some action of llove, before it was to late. We kept thinking we had plenty of time. There was no doubt the end of the opportunity was coming, but surely it wouldn't be today. Tomorrow would provide another opportunity.

Take a moment to remind yourself that everything happens today! Tomorrow never comes, and yesterday is gone forever. Whatever it is you are planning to say, or whatever action you know you need to take toward someone you llove or care about, do it today!

Although I may not know who you are - I am pleased that you are reading this note. Thank you for doing so!

Study! Ugh!

2008-01-12T07:48:00.000-08:00

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. . . 2 Timothy 2;15

If you look at my Dad’s birth certificate under the “name” box, it says, Jewell Able Weaver, 2 Timothy 2:15. He was awfully proud of that name and believed that it spoke directly to his calling in life. Granted, we are not all called or gifted to be teachers of the Word of God, but we are all commanded to know the Truth. It was Jesus who said, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I confess my concern is in relationship to the “be diligent” part. I am sure most folks who have any interest in “the faith” are aware of the importance of knowing Truth, and developing the wisdom to utilize that Truth in day-to-day living. The question that arises is what does it mean to “be diligent?”

Webster defines diligent as “to esteem highly plus to choose. Perseveringly attentive; assiduous, industrious; prosecuted with careful attention; painstaking.” I wonder if we are practicing diligence in regard to learning Truth? One might ask, “Do we know more about the Truth of God’s revealed Word than we do any other thing? Would it be safe to say we are painstakingly attentive to our study?

Some Churches are committed to offering people the opportunity to learn God’s Word. Amazingly, many fail to appropriate the time and effort required to avail one’s self of that opportunity.

And that thought begs the question – Are we ashamed? Are we ashamed that we are ignorant to one degree or another of Truth and its applicability to life? Are we approved by God? Does He approve of our haphazard acquisition of His Word, leaving us without the sure foundation of Biblical acumen from which, by the power of His indwelling Spirit, to build a life He will approve?

Here’s a question. Do you believe the old saw – “No pain, no gain?” Becoming the person God has chosen us to be involves a little painstaking work, but then, so does memorizing your multiplication facts. Have you considered a little tutoring? Sunday morning, perhaps, at your Church if they have anything beyond Praise and Worship, or maybe they have a Bible Study during the week or on Wednesday evening. It’s not as painful as you might think!

I Reckon

2008-01-10T06:54:00.000-08:00

I remember hearing the phrase, "I reckon," a lot more often as a kid than I do now. Someone would ask if dad was going to do a particular thing, and dad would say, "I reckon." It meant that he had made up his mind, and something was going to happen.

Struggling to stay awake last night in Bible Study, I heard the Teacher talking about the passage in Romans 6:11 where Paul exhorts the folks to "reckon themselves to be dead to sin and alive to Christ." Evidently there are a multitude of folks in the family who have yet to accomplish that prerequsite for holy living.

I reckon we need to get on with that!

Throwaway Kids

2008-01-09T07:13:00.000-08:00

BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. - Authorities searched Wednesday for the bodies of four children believed to have been thrown off a bridge by their father. (from an Associated Press story, January 9, 2008)

This news note grabbed my attention because it seems so common anymore for kids the be the object of revenge for some adult's failure in life. Our children suffer for our misdeeds. That is just not right!!

There is a spiritual perspective in view here. When we allow our kids to miss or blow-off Bible Study and Worship (kids are still writing notes in Church -except now it "texting"), when we are too tired to bring them to AWANA, or Sunday School (read: Age-appropriate Bible Study), when we fail to teach them how to pray and focus on Heavenly things, we are helping to throw away their spiritual life. As parents we are responsible for our kids. They will be old enough, soon enough to make their own decisions. We will lose our opportunity to influence their choices. We best make sure that in the early years we are effectively building some safeguards in their life.

Surely It's Important

2008-01-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hillary Clinton is weeping (important to Republicans), Tony Romo is traveling in Mexico (important to Dallas Cowboy fans), Brittany Spears is losing her kids, perhaps her career, and maybe her mind (important to her mother, I hope), and the Hollywood writers are refusing to write (important to TV addicts). I am not sure how our society has managed to survive these major crisis situations.

It makes one think seriously about what really is important in life. Don't hear me saying that these things are not important, indeed they are to one degree or another, but what we need to see clearly is the trivialization of our thought process when we ignore the really significant facts that face our Nation and our World.

If Hillary can't cry, what does that say about her and us? It's only a game (Cowboys vs. anybody), right? Brittany is a valuable human being, but makes her own choices about how she abuses life. TV already takes up too much of our time, and the more creative the writers, the more we get sucked into the maelstrom.

Find something really important in life. Focus on that! The world needs people who will commit to better, not lesser, things.

Out of Date

2008-01-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

At the Church I attend there is a big push to get folks involved in Wednesday evening Bible Study with the coming of the New Year. Heaven knows we need more Bible Study in our lives.

There is not a lot said about Sunday School, however. That's the longest running, and most efficient Bible Study operation in the Church of Jesus Christ. The problem is, lots of folks ignore it, and I think I know why. It's the name. We all think school is for kids, and therefore Sunday School has to be trite and boring. Plus, if it's been around for a thousand years (give or take a few hundred), it can't possibly have any contemporary importance. Besides, a significant number of Churches have dropped it, opting instead for a Children's Church, a Youth Church, and an extended session of "Worship" for Adults.

First, let's make sure we call it what it is - Age Group Bible Study. Secondly, let's make sure that people understand that what takes place is a thorough, intensive study of God's Word (and make sure that is what happens), and lets make it a priority in our lives.

Let's also make sure we see and utilize the by-product of this resource in our arsenal of Truth proclaimation, which is the llove and care that comes through the interaction of small groups. It's there that we get to know one another, care about one another, and learn the disciplines of llove in a unique environment quite different from the Church-at-large.

Get thyself to Bible Study!

What's A Believer To Do?

2008-01-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Philippians 2:1-2

I know what the problem is! Of course, everyone says it doesn’t count to know what the problem is if you don’t know the solution. Good News!! I also know the solution. What I am having a struggle with is the implementation of the solution while drowning in the problem.

How easy would it be to elect a President of the United States this year if we all thought the same way? How difficult would it be to end crime in this land we llove so dearly if we all genuinely lloved each other? Isn’t it true that most of our mental anguish and bitterness would disappear if we all felt the same way about one another? What if every person in the United Sates of America had the same goal? No fighting, no arguing, no rancor, no distress, no discourage-ment, and no disappointment, would be the outcome of such a united purpose.

Chances of that happening are, well, nil is a good word.

Naturally, (since I understand the problem and the solution) I know that God’s design for the World does not, and never did, include that kind of operation. But, and this is vitally important, it is God’s design for His people who constitute the Church of Jesus Christ. It is possible that you have noticed, if you have been “in Church” for any length of time, we are not accomplishing this goal, or, I think, even moving closer toward it. Sometimes I am sure we are moving away from it more quickly than ever. There was a time when those who made up the Body of Christ did not find their life so infiltrated by the manner and conduct of our failing society. Was there more separation from the “world” and commitment to obedience to Truth in prior generations? I don’t know – maybe, maybe not. What I do know is that we are a long, long way from an intimacy with God, a llove of Truth, an intuitive relationship with God’s Spirit, and affection and mercy for one another, that would allow us to experience the admonition of Paul (read: God) for a righteous operation of life.

So, what if we established a single goal for our life (individually and collective) in 2008, and that goal being to focus our attention on focusing our attention on llove, mercy, unity, understanding, joy, and peace? One can’t do that without an unswerving commitment to obedience to the Truth revealed in Scripture. This, of course, brings up our capacity for “knowing Scripture.” I’ve been meaning to talk to us about that!

Got Life Insurance?

2008-01-03T06:34:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of hype about life insurance, health insurance, and insurance for kids these days. However you feel about that issue, let me tell you about another life insurance.

Paul tells us clearly in Romans 6 that we are to have "newness of life," or resurrection life and power in our daily walk. Lots of people are not experiencing that overcoming victory. There is a reason.

Life insurance is found in the vicarious experience of the death of Christ. As he died for sin, we must indeed die to sin and self. Reckoning ourselves to be dead is the insurance that gives us the key to experiencing His resurrection life. If we don't "die" with Him, we cannot "live" with Him.

Got life insurance?

New Year - 2008

2008-01-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

Did you make a resolution for the New Year? Some folks do that, and almost all of them fail at some point to follow through. Many decide this is the year they will get their health in order. Some decide it's time to be happy more, llove more, give more, even read their Bible through during the year.

Resolutions are fine. More important, however are the two items the preacher at our Church mentioned in his last 2007 message. Concentration and Consecration. One allows us to reach goals and milestones along the path of our life. The other, to become more Godly in the way we live that life.

I pray 2008 is a great year for you. I plan to share some thoughts with you along the way, and I hope you will respond. Make it one of your commitments to send me a note or two this year. That way, I will know you are out there in cyberspace reading away and becoming more wonderful than you already are!

Oprah - Again?

2007-12-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me about a new series on XM Satellite radio sponsored by Oprah and Friends regarding A Course in Miracles. Since I was not familiar with XM Radio (I get all the radio I need on AM/FM) nor A Course in Miracles (I find all the miracles I need in the Bible), I decided to do a little research.

I found two really interesting things --before I quit looking-- and, while I may do some more research, I will not be rushing out to buy an XM radio. While looking at the workbook for A Course in Miracles, I found the following which is to introduce me to some part of this "work" of genius:

The schism is the nonexistent occurrence of objective reality producing an apparent separation of cause and effect.
The Quantum Identification of the Universal mind is dimensionless. All of its points are interconnected in a non-local instantaneous inclusion. So points A, B, C and D are the same point.
The apparent distance between cause and effect establishes a holographic self-identity projected as space-time.

I don't want to be unkind, but take my word for it -- this is the hokiest thing I have seen lately. The "Master Teacher" (some guy who writes or teaches this baloney) wants you to think there is something really worth while in these words -- there isn't. And what follows this foolishness is radically worthless (as far as I read before getting totally bored).

But, the whole experience so far is not without good. I found another statement included in this workbook (at least I think it's in the workbook, or maybe it's in the "novel," or only the mind of the "Master Teacher"): Truth is true and nothing else is true.

You know what? That is the truest statement one can make. What is important to understand is that the entirety of that Truth is revealed in God's Word. All the rest, and I am including A Course in Miracles, is worthless drivel.

Let me know if I am not being clear.

Post Christmas

2007-12-26T07:19:00.000-08:00

Great food! Great gifts! Great times with the family and friends. The tree will be coming down as soon as the wife gets a break in shopping the "after Christmas" sales. (I can't believe she was gone before 7 o'clock this morning)

Some folks will forget the Savior. At least from the perspective of being a "faithful servant" during the coming months. Some will get another dose of concentration on a Sunday in Spring, but many will forget the basic responsibilities of ministering God's grace and llove to those who are part of the family, and reaching out to those who are not.

Warm fuzzies about a baby in a manger, shepherds and wisemen and such, are not worth much if we are not driven to a commitment to the Bride of Christ 364 day a year. It is the Bride for which He died, and will soon return. Get to work! Seriously!

Birth of A Savior

2007-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know where in Bethlehem Jesus was born. A few days ago I walked thru the tiny entrance to the Church of the Nativity where many say the Savior was born. Perhaps it was there, in that darkened building occupied by three major religions, replete with a maze of icons, a thousand years of dust and grime, and pushing, surging knots of people attempting to reach a point that exists, ostensibly, to honor the Christ child.

In a sense it reminds me of Christmas. The brilliant light of a guiding star and a host of Angels speaking glory to God for His incomparable, unimaginable grace, now drowned in a sea of selfishness and greed, focus on self-worth and worldly success, attempting to reach some place where an infinite God will value our human goodness.

I would rather have come with the first shepherds who visited the place where God, robed in humanity, slept quietly in His virgin mother's arms, to then hurry off to "report the message told about this child," and return to my field of labor "glorifying and praising God."

I urge you to bypass the Earthly spotlight on lesser things, and concentrate your undivided attention on He who was born that you might live.

Llove Story

2007-12-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

I am profoundly disappointed and disturbed when I discover that someone I llove does not know it with certainty. It means that there is a failure on my part to practice whatever discipline is necessary to demonstrate that genuine llove. The discipline may be no more than an occasional phone call, a brief visit, or an extended handshake. It may take much more than that, but, whatever is needed -- well, that's my task, and my joy.

God never disappoints in demonstrating His llove. The gift we celebrate at Christmas is one expression of God's infinite llove. But He does not stop there. He is utilizing the characteristics of llove He revealed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, every day, in your life and mine.

Oh, that we would be more like Him!

Politically Correct

2007-12-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

Our society has lost its senses in this business of making an attempt to always be politically correct. That would be especially true of the multitude of people who are seeking the nomination for President of the United States.

Now, if you have not heard Mike Huckabee's most recent advertisement in the Iowa race for votes, you should. What is that man thinking? Has he completely lost his mind? Doesn't he get it?

Well in the words of one "hope to be famous" author - "I Wish I'd Said That!"

What To Say

2007-12-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Joyous Tidings, Peace On Earth; what does one utilize as a greeting at this time of the year? We spend a lot of time concerned about how society takes Christ out of Christmas, but I am not sure He was ever in. I don't mean that people have failed to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, but the holiday has always been more about other things than about a total allegiance to the Son of God. Not many people around the World will be preparing a gift to honor God for sending His Son in human flesh to dwell among us. (The only appropriate gift, by the way, is a righteous life presented consistently through the year.)

I'm going to try a new greeting this year - God lloves you! That's the message of Christmas. That's what all of the fuss misses. God lloves you sufficiently to provide the perfect sacrifice for the sin that condemns you to separation from Him forever. You have the opportunity to receive His grace through faith, and present to Him a life of obedience to His revealed Truth.

When we find that in Christmas, we've discovered the value of a celebration.

It's My Right

2007-12-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

It is right for me to be angry, even to death. Jonah 3:9b

We’ve done a fairly good job of getting people in this marvelous Country of ours to recognize that we have “rights.” The Declaration of Independence says you have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The United States Constitution gives you the right to have a Government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” I have a right to consult an attorney if I am arrested, and I have the right to carry a concealed weapon if I have a license. I have, by law, the right to worship as I please, and by calling to make that worship an act of total obedience to the LORD of Heaven and Earth.

Good Christian folk have brought that “rights” concept across the threshold of the Church house. While we can’t find any documentation to support our ideas, we are confident we have rights regarding the behavior of other believers, and when someone offends me, I have a right to be angry. When someone whispers unkind things behind my back, or speaks positively of that which I do not approve, I have the right to “trash” them in my Bible Study class, and share the news far and wide.

I like Jonah. When I was a kid I was enamored by the narrative of the big fish, and poor Jonah being spit out like a sunflower hull. I had no real appreciation for Jonah’s anger when he did not get his way, until I discovered as I grew older the insensitivities we have toward God and others. Jonah was so angry at God’s kindness and mercy he would rather die than admit his hard heart had separated him from an understanding of God’s grace.

I know people like Jonah in the 21st century Church. They would rather wither away (spiritually) than admit they are angered by God’s willingness to forgive. They harbor resentment that God is “slow to anger and abundant in llovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.” (Jonah 4:2)

Christmas is not the time to focus on caring for others. Every day is the time to focus on lloving the brethren, caring for one another, forgiving one another, and establishing clear channels for edifying one another as the number of days before His next coming grows smaller.

This Christmas season is a great time (because it is NOW) to stop wrangling over your right to anything. Instead embrace the gift, a Child born, a Son given. Establish your ability to live under authority, the authority of one who is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Start focusing on forgiving because you have been forgiven, lloving because you have been lloved, giving because you have been given eternal life, which now is and forever will be.

Avoiding Evil

2007-12-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

In our study of Romans, going on in the Bible Study I attend on Wednesday evenings, we heard from Chapter 6 that the word sanctification is used in the New Testament regarding the separation of the believer from evil things and ways. I have to admit that I fail to understand how individuals who have been redeemed for some time (5 years/50 years; I don't know) continue to struggle with an understanding of evil things and/or ways.

I am not saying I fail to understand how one can get caught suddenly, or even continually, in an evil thing or way, and find themselves "in sin." What I am saying is that such a one should never be confused about Truth and whether a particular action or behavior is an evil thing or way.

As I read, I find my self confused as to how this matter of Truth is being discussed at a Ft. Worth, Texas Church. Heaven help us if we don't do all we can to share the llove of God with sinners. But let's not be confused about what is and is not sin. That's not a matter of conscience -- it's a matter of ignorance.

Security

2007-12-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

From somewhere in my past of hearing lots of things I seem to remember the phrase, "Praise the Lord and pass the bullets." The reality of life is that some folks are going to do violent things, and others are going to suffer for that. My heart hurts for the families of the two who have died, seemingly randomly, in this area, and for those who lost family members in the Colorado incidents. We can always trust the Father, but I for one am thankful Life Church had security guards prepared to do whatever it takes to protect life.

We have a responsibility as husbands and fathers, to protect our homes and families, and as those who work in leadership, to do everything possible to protect those who attend our Church facilities.

We have a good security plan at the Church I attend. I am one who is going to insist, however, that we make it even better. That is not a result of fear, because fear is not of the Lord, but of a knowledge that comes from observing the actuality of life. I have learned, for example, to ride my motorcycle very defensively. That is not because I am aprehensive or a poor rider, but because there are still multitudes of motorists who have no regard or concern for those on two wheels.

We owe it to our family to acknowledge that many things can be dangerous. Doing everything possible to forstall that danger, or deal with it effectively, is wise and prudent. The overwhelming likelyhood is that nothing of great concern will happen. If and when it does, we will have assurance we are as prepared as possible.

Someone For President

2007-12-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

I heard a very popular radio personality (in this area) say, while talking about who should be President of the United States, that if he believed two candidates were equally matched in all the necessary ingredients, he would vote for the individual "that could do the most for me."

I am sure I know what he means, but let me for a moment be critical of what he said. That seems to be a major problem in our society. What can be done for me? What do I get out of this? How am I going to prosper under this leadership? All important questions, no doubt. But is that what we really want?

I am going to support the individual who I believe will do what is right and best for the United States of America. Sometimes what I want is not what is best for our Nation. As a young man I watched my friends die in Vietnam, and I sought "peace at any price." I am much wiser now.

So much of the rhetoric we hear on the "campaign trail" is about what some individual is going to do for "me" (which is probably an impossibility, and most likely untrue, e.g. "my Government will give you more and charge you less," unhuh!) I, for one, don't want to hear that. I want to know what you are going to do, and how you are going to do it, in leading our beloved United States of America to continued prosperity, safety, and individual freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

Have you considered Mike Huckabee? I'm taking a real close look.

Pain

2007-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the hurt is so great you feel as if something doesn't help, the pain will sweep over you in an overwhelming, life-ending agony. When it is a physical pain you are confident that if you can just tell the physician how and where it hurts he will be able to empathize sufficiently to render the pain harmless and end it.

Emotional pain is a different story. When you can't (or won't) share the source of the pain, or explain why a state of lethargy and apathy plague your days, people are quick to assume you are angry, or indifferent toward them, or just being a pain in the neck.

The reality of life is that "things happen." In any group of folks (a Church, for example) there are multitudes of things going on in the life of indivduals, some physical, some emotional, and, as a matter of fact, some folks are just a "pain."

Is there a "spiritual solution?" Yes. Cut everyone some slack! That may sound a little "worldly," but it really isn't. If someone you meet seems a little "off" their game, just mention that you llove them, and are available if they have a need you can meet. It may help their pain, and it will certainly help lower the conflict quotient. That's a good thing!

The Best Gift

2007-12-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

“. . .a son will be given to us. . .” Isaiah 9:6b

What is the best gift you can give someone? I know over the many Christmas seasons I have celebrated the Incarnation, I have received some really great gifts. My life-mate, unlike me, pays attention during the year and always knows what I have looked at, longed for, made reference to during the year. I find myself, as we approach Christmas Eve, asking everyone who knows her what they think I should get her for Christmas. If she has given any indications during the year, I have long since forgotten.

We can break most gift thinking into two categories. What does one need, and what does one want. Sometimes they are the same, often they are widely diverse. I always need socks, a new pair of jeans, a key to the lock I’ve been unable to open since August, and, of course, I need, really need, an additional do-hickey for my Harley. Usually there are some things I want as well. She is always on top of all that. I wish she were so fortunate in relationship to her gifts.

I am convinced that God gave us what we needed. Place it before history, or some two thousand years ago, God came, dressed in humanity, because we needed a Savior. Without Him we would surely die, separated from God forever. The expense of God’s gift is beyond our understanding and Christ’s willingness to abandon Heaven for the cross is incomprehensible. All that I need I find in Him. The llove He shares in my heart overflows to the need of others until He comes in all His fullness to their life as well.

I am as surely convinced that God gave us what we wanted. I longed for peace with God and found it. I sought for the peace of God, and it fills my days. I hunted llove and discovered it in Him who is llove. My heart required hope, and Christ became my hope – both now and beyond this Earthly life.

Perhaps, during this season of the year, you need to decide what it is you really want. I can tell you clearly what you need, explain to you your future without it, and show you clearly how to find it. But, in its finality, it must be something you want because God has awakened in you the desire for grace though faith which leads to life abundant.

The best gift is both what you need and what you want. I have experienced that many times with my family, and with my Lord. That is what I will celebrate during these days. If you are truly longing for life – let me know. I know how to access the Giver.

God's Beautiful World

2007-12-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

I believe God created the Earth and all that is in (on) it. Much of what I see is beautiful. We have polluted it, scarred it, burned it, covered it over with concrete, but there is still much that is beautiful beyond description.

Sometimes we make things beautiful (at least in our own estimation). I know my wife makes our home beautiful at Christmas. It's not that it is not beautiful (and you can create your own idea of what beauty is, for indeed it is always in the eye of the beholder) at other times, but it is always "ordinary" except at Christmas. She uses the tree with it's scores of ornaments, the nativity scene, decorations of winter, and items we have both purchased and received as gifts, to create a unique reminder that God is the great giver of life and health and every good and perfect gift.

I never forget that, during the rest of the year, but this is the time or "season" when we choose to make that the focus of our home, our thoughts, our family. Some would say that is wrong. We should not decorate or utilize the baubles of life to create an environment for celebrating.

I want to assure you that the beauty of the Earth is here to remind me of His gracious goodness. The beauty (again, in our estimation) we create is to remind us of His incredible gift. It's not that I need the reminder, but that I want the reminder. I want these few days of focus each year to heighten the awareness I have the rest of the year of what He has done.

Paul (the Apostle, writer of much of the New Testament) says you can't judge me for that. (see Colossians 2:16) I have the freedom in Christ to celebrate Him and His wonderful infinite grace as I see fit within the confines of His revealed Truth.

I don't see "Santa" at Christmas. You may, if you like. I see Jesus. Not just a baby in a manger, but the God of Creation, the God of Heaven, the God of infinite llove, incarnate, taking on the flesh of humanity so that He might give Himself a ransom for my life and that of many others, on Calvary's Cross. How, you say, do you see that when our society is so fraught with disbelief and ignorance? I choose to see that, beloved. I choose that!

Christmas Celebration

2007-12-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

My dad was not fond of Christmas. He was a bit more "reformed" in his thinking than a lot of Baptist preachers, and thought we ought to celebrate the birth of the Savior 52 Sundays a year. Consequently, when I was a boy, we didn't decorate much, if at all, for Christmas. Some years we would have a very small tree, sometimes not. I remember getting gifts, but the extravagance many of us now know was non-existent.

My wife says I am moving in that direction (and have been for many years). I assume she is right (isn't she always?). I think we are too inward focused during these days. I know the Church I attend is lavish in helping those less fortunate, and my family is part of that help. I cannot help but wonder, though, if Dad was better on track, Biblically speaking.

We who write, or speak, or teach for the family of God are not going to change by our thoughts and words much about how people celebrate Christmas. But we can place a greater emphasis on celebrating His birth, His sacrifical death, and His resurrection from the dead every week of the year. That would change our lives much more than spending less on ourselves during December.

I think I'll speak to the preacher at my Church about how to do that!

Favor

2007-12-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

I promise to spare you all of the details, but I found it necessary to "call in a favor." Sometimes along the way one gets involved in other peoples lives, and as a result they say, "if you ever need a favor, let me know." Well, no matter how I try to avoid it, that time came for me.

I called my friend, and of course, he said he'd handle what I needed. I'm blessed.

I am reminded that we are caught up in this life with one another. Things that we do, or fail to do, become a part of the fabric of our existence. We become both debtor and supplier at times, and we give and receive, we do and are done to, we care and we are cared about. That is llove!

God saw our need, met it in Christ Jesus whose birth we celebrate during these days. Now we see those around us who have need, and by meeting that need, handling that problem, expending that energy, going that extra mile, we demonstrate our llove for them and for Him who died in our place. We reach to touch the face of God by reaching out to touch the face of others.

Look around for someone who needs what you have been given. To whom much has been given, much is required.

Celebration

2007-12-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

I was in New York City on 5th Avenue, around the 42nd street area, a few days ago. The tree at Rockefeller Center is just beautiful. Too bad it has to die for the celebration. I never cease to be amazed at what is spent from a financial perspective to attract attention. I know much of our economy as a Nation is dependent on this season as we tally what we have managed during the year. I can't stop thinking about how many mouths in the Sudan countryside could be fed with just a little of our excess. I know we are not doing nothing about that, but still, it's just a drop of water in a big, dry lake.

Christmas is about us. God sent His son to us and for us. He lloved us infinitely, and He gave His very best, totally and completely. And yet, we can't make Christmas just about us. It has to be about others, the poor, the needy, the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned. It has to be about those who have never heard the Good News.

Just 22 more days before the day. Now is a good time to get thinking and planning for others. Right?