Rules of the Road - Part 5

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. (Proverbs 3:13-18 ESV). These are pretty tough words and a good question for those who are suffering under challenges of life. So why do people suffer? Quite simply, I don't know. I know the question we always ask: “Did I do something wrong? Was it me?” At those moments we forget about God's sovereignty and even the fact that He is the giver of life itself. We have a tendency to assert our rights as humans, even to God, yet in the end the truth is He has the final say. Someone once told me that they wouldn't want to serve a God like that. A God that would for any reason allow such pain in our lives as often is experienced. Well, that is the easy way out. And, that is the way to kill all hope of the resurrection within your soul and spirit. It is cowardice not courage. What about courage? What about that hope, that anchor "... both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil"? (cf. Hebrews 6:19). Courage says that through our afflictions and through our struggles we still believe, we still hold on to faith when nothing else works. I know that often those words come from those who have never suffered. I can assure you that I am not speaking from that perspective. This is not a principle developed from the safe vantage point of the “ivory tower” of study. It has been forged within the experiences of life, some of which have been difficult. They call it hemachromotosis. It is a medical term for an incurable hereditary blood disorder. I shall never forget the first time I heard it. I was sitting in the exam room listening to my doctor tell me that I had one of three diseases causing the severe pain in my joints. She said, “It could be cancer, lupis, or hemachromotosis.” Since I was familiar with the first two of those, I asked if she had listed them in order of the least debilitating. She said, “no.” It is a very long story, but the gist of it is that I have good days and bad days with it. I can’t do some of the things I would love to do, and without regular treatment and medication life would not be very pleasant! I must confess that I asked the question “why?” After some struggle the answer became clear to me. I was asking the wrong questions! It is not a matter of why, but who. God allows into our lives many experiences of life. All of these may bring us to wisdom. That wisdom is the road to delight. I can honestly say that there are many days when I don’t enjoy the things that happen. However, as I trust the Lord for the ultimate outcome, I find more blessing than I could possibly imagine. The last rule for the road is very plain. Trust him through it all. He will bring you to life with joy and peace! Allow every experience to be your teacher. The wisdom you gain will be greater than any earthly treasure you might amass. God bless you on your own road!

Rules of the Road - Part 4

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:7-8 ESV). Soon I will have been a father for 39 years! I have mentioned in other devotionals that there is nothing more special, more rewarding, more blessed, than to hear the words, I love you dad. I am very blessed in that I hear those words often from my three boys! I have made the transition from knowing very little (the teen years) to being a rusted friend and advisor (the adult years)! It is great! For many of those years I was a Pastor as well. You might say a "spiritual father" even to many who were much older than I was, yet they treated me with great respect, and I always felt blessed by that position. Often, in both roles as father I had to administer some attitude adjustments, and the result wasn't always pleasant. But all in all, the office father (dad), and father (pastor), held pretty well. Today’s fourth “rule for the road” contains an entreaty to fear the Lord and to turn your back on evil. The promise that follows is that we will have “renewed health and vitality.” It speaks to me of those better times in life, when you actually hear the crickets singing and catch the glow of the sunset, rocking in your easy chair out on the back porch after a long hard day. You glance up to catch a glimpse of it all, and for a moment it's almost as though your heart stops while you countdown the last seconds of daylight, waiting for the encapsulating call of a hoot owl, and the patter of little feet as they scamper out on the porch to crawl up in daddy's lap for that last kiss good night. So I'm a dreamer, but I have had days like that. And I know how I felt inside, and it was, if I could borrow the Campbell's Soup slogan, "Um, Um, GOOD! It was what families were once made of. It was the marrow that held would-be "broken" bones together, wrapped in the "muscle" of family. Oh, you may think you are too big to be crawling up into anyone's lap for those late-night kisses, and your sunset might be nothing more than the fade of daylight through a window in your office building or place of employment. The singing of the crickets so many of us take for granted, may be nothing more to you than your car radio trying to keep yourself alert and awake while you drive home to hamburger helper, kids screaming; and the only encapsulating call of the wild you hear is the neighbor's dog barking or the blaring sounds of the television playing the same episode of Friends that you've seen three weeks straight. Talk about "defining moments". The point is that there is no greater enemy to the "power" of faith, and the reverential fear of God in the heart, than the conceitedness of our own wisdom, our own self-sufficiency. In fact, many who have become "self-sufficient", and have utilized "God-given" talents to catapult themselves to a place of wealth and success find it hard to hear God, or even listen for Him. For those who live in the reverential fear and admonition of the Lord, our encouragement is promised in that it shall be as nourishing as a well rounded meal, and will strengthen and calm our hearts through prudence, temperance, and sobriety, the calmness and composure of mind, and a good sense of proper appetites and passions, which our faith teaches. Crawl up in God’s lap again! You won’t be disappointed!

Rules of the Road - Part 3

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV). Recognition is not such a hard pill to swallow. Everyone likes to be recognized for their achievements and for the difference they have made in life. Now the inverse of that is a different story. It hurts when recognition is not forthcoming, especially when something you may have worked long and hard for. But stop and think about it, our reading today brings out a very interesting question. When was the last time that you acknowledged God for the part that He plays everyday? In yesterday's devotional I wrote that we should believe that there is an ever-ruling and compassionate hand of God ordering and guiding us in all our affairs. And, we ought to come to a place that we live our lives in that the presence of Him at all times. That brings us to the second “rule for the road.” We must also “seek his will in all we do.” One of the main attributes in recovery classes for alcoholics is to "believe in" and have ongoing "interaction with" a higher power. Those who have succeeded in the program, have found that "higher power" to be the key to sobriety and good health physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These same ideas have been carried over into "life-skills" classes for those who are not necessarily alcoholic, but have problems coping with life issues, usually centering on knowing how to establish boundaries. This is the essence of “seeking his will,” or as one translation puts it: “acknowledging God in all we do.” What does it mean to acknowledge God? First, it is to believe that He is. Jehovah means "The Existing One". That suggests an "eternal entity" that has always been. He did not start with a big bang - nor will He go out with a whimper. HE IS THE ALMIGHTY GOD - mighty in power, and boundless in compassion, unmeasured in mercy. However, it is also to acknowledge him as he is. To discern, to distinguish, to know by experience the reality of his presence as a daily "life-force" in all that you do. To acknowledge the Lord Jehovah is to experience Him in worship, and in personal and private fellowship, to wait on him in the night watches, and to listen for His voice. To acknowledge the Lord Jehovah means to recognize our shortcomings and failures without Him, and not see Him as stealing the "limelight" for a job well done, but admitting that without Him it would not have been possible, no matter what. To acknowledge The Lord means to be so surrendered to His will in our lives, that we wish to keep nothing from Him; but desire to be so open to Him that we allow Him to "catch us" when we fall into temptation, and not think that we can muddle through on our own, dealing with the insurmountable guilt of our wrongs, but allowing Him to take us "as we are", and clean us up, and establish in the faith. How’s your journey so far? Use these “rules” to determine if you’re on the right track. The promise is that when we do, we will gain renewed health and vitality! I’m in on that! Aren’t you?

Rules of the Road - Part 2

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV). The fear of being duped is one of the greatest struggles we face on a daily basis. What if they is not who they say they are? What if they are only after my money? I'm sure there are a few those type questions that you have asked yourself, and what's interesting is that we all want to believe, don't we? We really want to believe. Today’s devotional is about trust. It’s the next “rule for the road.” Recently, Former Speaker Of The House Newt Ginghrich told FOX News that what was once considered to be a "cover-up" of major proportions in Iraq concerning the Weapons of Mass Destruction, has turned up something very interesting. It seems that where the powers to be thought that the Iraqi Government might keep kind of shoddy records just the opposite is true. It turns out that they kept extremely accurate records, and the investigating team has uncovered a money laundering scandal to the tune of over $50 billion. That's right $50 billion. Included in the scandal was said to be the French Government and the United Nations. Just about 30 days ago the Canadian government found itself in a scandal tipping the scales at over $100 Million. Here in the U.S., besides Martha Stewart, we have heard of nothing but scandal after scandal, and identity theft on the rise, it's no wonder we are skeptical almost to the point of paranoia. But what troubles me are those who claim to be believers. These "new age" believers are calling the masses to them, and creating new chapter and verse on what the Bible "really" says, and they are causing men and women who once just simply believed to "doubt" that they are even saved, and what's worse, if they are, what does it really mean? Our text reminds us once again of the basics. It really is a matter of trust! Let me just ask the question. Do you believe in God? Do you believe that He sent His only Begotten Son, and that He lived the life of a carpenter's son, and then was rushed through 3 years of ministry here on the earth only to be beaten, scourged, spat upon, crucified, and then on the third day just as He said, rise again? Do you believe it? We must not only through our judgment "believe" that there is an ever-ruling and compassionate hand of God ordering and guiding us in all our affairs; but we must come to a place as the psychologists say, that we "own it", and live our lives in that the "presence" of Him at all times. We must seek His pleasure and design to do His Will; that just happens to be something else that is inbred - knowing when we are out of fellowship with Him, and out of His will. As believers, we must come to a place where seek Him, and believe that His Will is what is best, and that according to His promise, if we love Him, and serve Him, we will have everlasting life. With entire submission and satisfaction, we must daily learn to depend upon him to perform "in us" all things that are good for us, and to lean not to our own understanding. It's interesting to think of how many times we think that in and through our own lives we can work things out on our own, without God, and "make" everything turn out right. Those who truly know themselves - understand that to place trust in their own ways is like owning half a round-trip ticket. You may get where you going in life, but how do you get home? Rule #2: You must trust Him!

Rules of the Road - Part 1

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:1-6 ESV). If your future depended on a single definition of yourself, what would it be? There have been many single phrases used to describe the generations. We have seen the emergence of boomers, busters, gen-xers, and others. But who are you? That is the question to ask as we look at Proverbs for the next few days in our devotionals. These are “The Rules for the Road.” So what does it take to define one's self? Solomon gives us some incredible insight in today’s reading. Within this first sentence alone, he lays the blame for the folly of man right where it belongs, right where it has always belonged - at the feet of every individual. Now remember, when Solomon uses the phrase "My son," he is in his role as prophet to Israel. He is speaking the words that he believes he is being inspired to speak through the direction of God. So, these are words for everyone. Solomon makes it very clear that remembering the Laws of God and keeping the commandments of Moses, given by God, were in the hands of the individual. The words are indicative of an act of the will. Let me put it another way. You can tell your children not to do something, but unless they choose to remember what you told them, or to keep or obey the orders you have given rest solely on them. Of course in the family situation, we would have direct cause to bring about retribution and see to it that our orders were not forgotten or disobeyed again. Solomon herein calls on the Jewish Nation to shut out all hatred and selfishness, to shut out all deliberate hypocrisy and falsehood, and to not let mercy and kindness and truth forsake them, but to wear it around their neck as a priceless treasure, a symbol of their heritage as children of The Living God, and to write it upon their hearts as a stone carver would etch ornate designs into fine granite or marble walls. It was a time to define themselves as men and women of God, and to find favor in the eyes of other nations 'round about them. It was a call to define themselves to one another as well. To seek out from among them men of Good report, honest, and trustworthy, and full of the Spirit of God. That’s our direction! It’s a lesson to shut out all hatred and selfishness, to shut out all deliberate hypocrisy and falsehood. To not let "mercy and kindness and truth" become bywords, but to brandish the integrity of a man or woman of God, living a life of strength and virtue, a true pillar of our churches and communities. I believe this is the greatest calling of Christians everywhere, especially in these last days, to define ourselves as men and women of "good report", honest and trustworthy, and full of the Holy Ghost. That’s the first rule for the road. How’s are you doing?

Fire Dances

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 ESV). In many tribal cultures, there are dances and rituals that members perform to please the gods they worship. Ceremonies for rain, cleansing rituals, sacrifices, and even fire dances keep their schedules full making sure their gods are happy and not mad. It is as easy to make our walk with God complicated. We can as easily make the bible so complicated that it is hard to tell when the writing is right side up. The "fire dances" of the bible keep us so caught up we can barely face God daily, not sure if we are in good standing or not. While there is a few basic principles set forth for us to follow in the bible, they are there to ensure that we live a life that restores us to God's loving arms. They are not there to keep us performing a "fire dance" afraid at any moment that God's judgment will find us lacking in a performance or fear of failure. God has already judged the world including us; other than death, we are worthy of nothing else. Nevertheless, God has restored us to Him through His son Jesus. Christ's death on the cross for us is the only performance we will ever need for God's love. God does not want our performance, neither does God want ceremonies designed to get His approval of us. God wants us to just believe that He has our lives under His control and to live out the basics. God calls us to live out the basics and then believe that He will carry out the details of our lives. The simple basics are to believe in God with all of our hearts, soul, and strength and to show everyone we meet His love. Part of maturing as a Christian is to enjoy the freedom that God has everything in His control. What may have looked like mistakes in the past are springboards to put you where He wants you to be today. It is impossible for anything to go wrong and nothing can be out of control when they are God's plans. We need to stop fretting about the past and areas where we have failed. There are no complicated "fire dances" that we need to perform and no intricate ceremony to complete. God's plan for us is simple and the path that we are to follow is basic. We need to believe that God is everything to us with finality. Second, we need to love Him with all we have and love others as much as we love ourselves. Let’s get back to the real basics of life!

The Doughnut or the Hole

You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah. Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. (Psalm 68:18-20 ESV). As a minister was addressing a group of men, he took a large piece of paper and made a black dot in the center of it with a marking pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw. One person quickly replied, “I see a black mark.” “Right,” the preacher replied. “What else do you see?” Complete silence prevailed. “Don’t you see anything other than the dot?” he asked. A chorus of no’s came from the audience. “I’m really surprised,” the speaker commented. “You have completely overlooked the most important thing of all, the sheet of paper.” Then he made the application. He said that in life we are often distracted by small, dot-like disappointments or painful experiences, and we are prone to forget the innumerable blessings we receive from the hand of the Lord. But like the sheet of paper, the good things are far more important than the adversities that monopolize our attention. A little boy was eagerly looking forward to the birthday party of a friend who lived only a few blocks away. When the day finally arrived, a blizzard made the sidewalks and roads nearly impassable. The lad’s father, sensing the danger, hesitated to let his son go. The youngster reacted tearfully. “But Dad,” he pleaded, “all the other kids will be there. Their parents are letting them go.” The father thought for a moment, and then replied softly, “All right, you may go.” Surprised but overjoyed, the boy bundled up and plunged into the raging storm. The driving snow made visibility almost impossible, and it took him more than half an hour to trudge the short distance to the party. As he rang the doorbell, he turned briefly to look out into the storm. His eye caught the shadow of a retreating figure. It was his father. He had followed his son’s every step to make sure he arrived safely. Not long ago I read a short verse, which, though I admit is somewhat trite, does express good practical advice. Someone has written: As you travel down life’s pathway, may this ever be your goal: Keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole!” Rather than concentrating on the trials of life, we should fix our attention upon is blessings. He does follow us every step of the way!

Do You Have the Answer?

“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” (Job 40:2 ESV). And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. (Job 42:12 ESV). The book of Job is the premier discussion about good and evil. The central question is why bad things happen to good people. On February 15, 1947 Glenn Chambers boarded a plane bound for Quito, Ecuador, to begin his ministry in missionary broadcasting. But he never arrived. In a horrible moment, the plane carrying Chambers crashed into a mountain peak and spiraled downward. Later it was learned that before leaving the Miami airport, Chambers wanted to write his mother a letter. All he could find for stationery was a page of advertising on which was written the single word “WHY?” Around that word he hastily scribbled a final note. After Chambers’ mother learned of her son’s death, his letter arrived. She opened the envelope, took out the paper, and unfolded it. Staring her in the face was the question “WHY?” In the three chapters revolving around our reading today (Job 40-42) Job discovers the answer to this question. Like the disciples of Jesus, he came to understand that faith is the answer. This was the question Jesus’ disciples asked when He was arrested, tried, and crucified. And it was probably the question Joseph of Arimathea asked himself as he approached Pilate and requested the Lord’s body. It must have nagged at him as he wrapped the body in a linen cloth, carried it to his own freshly hewn tomb, and rolled the massive stone into its groove over the tomb’s mouth. In the face of his grief, Joseph carried on. He did what he knew he had to do. None of Jesus’ relatives were in a position to claim His body for burial, for they were all Galileans and none of them possessed a tomb in Jerusalem. The disciples weren’t around to help either. But there was another reason for Joseph’s act of love. In Isaiah 53:9, God directed the prophet to record an important detail about the death of His Messiah. The One who had no place to lay His head would be buried in a rich man’s tomb. Joseph probably didn’t realize that his act fulfilled prophecy. The full answer to the why of Jesus’ death was also several days away for Joseph and the others. All he knew was that he was now a disciple of Jesus, and that was enough to motivate his gift of love. God’s reasons for allowing evil to continue are not always apparent to us in the midst of our trial. However, when we can come to a faith that God knows best and we are always in the best of care when we trust him, good always triumphs. Perhaps you’re in such a place now. Trust God for the next step. Take the one he has shown you and rest in the assurance you are in the best of care! His love for you will prove true.

Little Blue Box

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 ESV). Popularity is not always the companion of righteousness. About halfway through a PBS program on the Library of Congress, Dr. Daniel Boorstin, the Librarian of Congress, brought out a little blue box from a small closet that once held the library’s rarities. The label on the box read: CONTENTS OF THE PRESIDENT’S POCKETS ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 14, 1865. Since that was the fateful night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, every viewer’s attention was seized. Boorstin then proceeded to remove the items in the small container and display them on camera. There were five things in the box: • A handkerchief, embroidered “A. Lincoln” • A country boy’s pen knife • A spectacles case repaired with string • A purse containing a $5 bill—Confederate money • Some old and worn newspaper clippings “The clippings,” said Boorstin, “were concerned with the great deeds of Abraham Lincoln. And one of them actually reports a speech by John Bright, which says that Abraham Lincoln is “one of the greatest men of all times.” Today that’s common knowledge. The world now knows that British statesman John Bright was right in his assessment of Lincoln, but in 1865 millions shared quite a contrary opinion. The President’s critics were fierce and many. His was a lonely agony that reflected the suffering and turmoil of his country ripped to shreds by hatred and a cruel, costly war. There is something touchingly pathetic in the mental picture of this great leader seeking solace and self-assurance from a few old newspaper clippings as he reads them under the flickering flame of a candle alone in the Oval Office. Someone has said: “loneliness stalks where the buck stops.” Sadly this seems to be a principle lost on many leaders today. Commit yourself to doing those things that are right simply because they are right! Don’t put your hand to the plow and look back!

The Beauty of Water

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:13-17 ESV). Scott Michael Ringo quotes: "With the Sunrise the frost turns a sparkling orange as the waking sun breaks the morning into yet another day. Frosty crystals dance with light in their brief and brilliant life as the sun's warming glow change them into a soft mist that gently rises from the earth. In one brief moment, creation breathes the first breath of the new day, granting yet another day to many, while some left yesterday. The song of morning again creation sings, and does not forget, His ancient melody that has been playing since time began. A whisper of wonder and of awe repeated each morning since that light glistened the first morning of creation". Water comes in many forms and all of them have a beauty of their own. The ocean waves crashing on the shore soothes the ears and the sound runs through the mind like a gentle wind. Mist rising from the earth in the morning brings serenity to the eyes and its fragrance calms the spirit. Snow sparks the imagination as it clings to the trees and smoothes the landscape into gentle rolling hills. Gentle raindrops falling bring peace and relaxation to the busy world it falls on. Water, regardless of its form, comes to continue life by giving of itself so life around it can live. Water brings life and refreshment to all it touches. As water in its different forms fill brief moments of time, so do our lives. James helps us to remember that in our reading this morning. He says our lives are like “the morning fog.” It is here a little while, and then it's gone. As real and tangible the world seems to us, it is but a vapor. For each of us it is here today but one day will be gone. God promises to create a new heaven and a new earth for us that will remain forever. That life and earth to come is the life we long for, though this one has taken its place. While we are here on this earth, we are to fulfill the same role as the different forms of water. We are to bring life to all that our lives touch. Allow God to transform your life into a gift that is as uniquely beautiful as the forms of water, bringing life to all that it touches. As we allow God use our life as water pouring out on this earth, do not hold on to the temporary that is just a vapor. Instead, hold on to the promise of the life that we will have in a new and perfect world to come. You are beautiful in all the forms that God makes your life.

Sun Ray, Heather, and Fruit Stand

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all. (Proverbs 22:1-2 ESV). When the 1960s ended, San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district reverted to high rent, and many hippies moved down the coast to Santa Cruz. They had children and got married, too, though in no particular sequence. But they didn’t name their children Melissa or Brett. People in the mountains around Santa Cruz grew accustomed to their children playing Frisbee with little Time Warp or Spring Fever. And eventually Moonbeam, Earth, Love and Precious Promise all ended up in public school. That’s when the kindergarten teachers first met Fruit Stand. Every fall, according to tradition, parents bravely apply nametags to their children, kiss them good-bye and send them off to school on the bus. So it was for Fruit Stand. The teachers thought the boy’s name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it. “Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?” they offered. And later, “Fruit Stand, how about a snack?” He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the day, his name didn’t seem much odder than Heather’s or Sun Ray’s. At dismissal time, the teachers led the children out to the buses. “Fruit Stand, do you know which one is your bus?” He didn’t answer. That wasn’t strange. He hadn’t answered them all day. Lots of children are shy on the first day of school. It didn’t matter. The teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children’s bus stops on the reverse side of their nametags. The teacher simply turned over the tag. There, neatly printed, was the word “Anthony.” According to the 2012 BabyCenter, Jacob and Emily were the most popular baby names in the United States for the third year in a row. The “Baby Names List” compiled by BabyCenter L.L.C., the leading online resource for new and expectant parents had very few major upheavals in the rankings below the number-one spots. The use of classic feminine names like Emily, Abigail and Isabella increased significantly for girls, a move away from the TV-inspired names that have been popular since the mid-1990s, such as Alexis and Brianna. The boys' names list, which typically varies very little year to year, also saw unusual movement but in the opposite direction. Newcomers such as Aidan, Ryan and Zachary are edging out long time classic boys’ names such as Michael and Christopher. So what? It only serves to remind us that a good “name,” or as the reading today indicates, a good reputation, is essential. There is only one way to maintain such a name. It is not what it is, but what it represents. Fruit Stand or not, if you stand for integrity and goodness, then you will have true riches. All the money in the world cannot buy those qualities.

Pretending to be Superman

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1-3 ESV). The newest installment in the Superman movies has been released setting box office records! It reminds me of a story I read the other day about a little boy who loved to play Superman. Each morning three-year-old Ray would ask his mother to pin a bath towel to the back shoulders of his size two t-shirt. Immediately in his young imaginative mind the towel became a brilliant magic blue and red cape. And he became Superman. Outfitted each day in his "cape," Ray's days were packed with adventure and daring escapades. In his mind, he not only played Superman, he WAS Superman. This fact was clearly pointed out when his mother enrolled him in kindergarten class. During the course of the interview, the teacher asked Ray his name. "Superman," he answered politely and without pause. The teacher smiled, cast an appreciative glance at his mother, and asked again, "Your real name, please." Again, Ray answered, "Superman." Realizing the situation demanded more authority, or maybe to hide her amusement, the teacher closed her eyes for a moment, then in a voice quite stern, said, "I will have to have your real name for the records." Sensing he'd have to play straight with the teacher, Ray slid his eyes around the room, hunched closer to her, and patting a corner of the frayed towel at his shoulder, answered in a voice hushed with conspiracy, "Clark Kent." We laugh at this child's imagination and childish self-deception. But you know what, far too many of us as adults put on a public face (our "Super-whatever" mask) and pretend to be outwardly what we're not on the inside so that we will be liked and accepted and as a means of avoiding facing our own reality. And when we live with this deception for so long, we end up believing our mask is the real us. People may "like" my public mask but as long as I hide my true self, I will never feel loved and will end up living among people alone apart. The realty is that I can only be loved to the degree that I am known. Furthermore, unless I admit to myself and to God who and what I really am, I will never be able to feel truly forgiven nor fully loved. We try, like Adam did when he sinned, to hide from God, which is totally unrealistic, since we can never hide from God no matter how we try. As David wrote, "Where can I go from Your Spirit [Oh God]? Or where can I flee from your presence?" (Psalm 139:1-7, NIV). It is much wiser and much healthier to come to God and admit who we truly are, ask for and find his forgiveness, and be freed to grow and become all that God envisioned for us to be and do. You may pretend to be “Superman” for fun, but for forgiveness and peace, don’t just pretend!

Making yourself Uncomfortable

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV). Welcome, come in and sit down. Make yourself uncomfortable. Have you ever greeted a guest at your door that way? I haven’t either, but maybe we should consider doing so. Personal growth comes when we push through discomfort. Some say life begins at the end of our comfort zone. Yet think of the time and energy we spend keeping ourselves comfortable. I know I often expend my energy to stay in my comfort zone. At home and work I resist change. Eating the same foods, going to the same restaurants, using the same services and businesses, and associating with the same people, all these keep us feeling comfortable. But with hindsight I recognize that the major leaps of growth in my life always followed periods of discomfort. Familiar surroundings and situations allow us to live in a sort of autopilot mode. Do you take the same route to work every day? Have you ever realized half way there that you don’t recall getting where you are? You just navigated a familiar route with little conscious effort. Which situation do you associate with adventure, the routine or the new and unknown? Which do you call boring, endless repetition of that which we always do or trying something we’ve never done before? Now I’m not suggesting that our lives should be one constant adventure. The routine, the known, helps us to complete our daily tasks with minimal energy output. Calmness and quiet are conducive to meditation and introspection, important to our understanding. But living full time in a comfort zone equates to a life with little growth and growth is why we’re here. So don’t always strive to be comfortable. Strive instead for some regular discomfort in your life. Think of it as a stretching. Most of us are operating below our highest self. So we’re comfortable at our current level because it’s familiar. But joy comes when we’re being our highest self. The transition in between, a necessary stepping-stone, is uncomfortable. We’re out of the familiar, but not yet at the joyous level of highest self. Welcome that feeling of discomfort as an opportunity to advance your life. The old adage “no pain, no gain” may contain more truth than we might have imagined. Trust the Lord to work it all together for good in your life and live in the joy!

When Believing Is Seeing

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). Perhaps no more graphic illustration of this truth can be found in the Scriptures than the events recorded in Isaiah 36 and 37. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, had opened a campaign against Judah by attacking the fortresses in her southland. Apparently the Assyrians felt that King Hezekiah would surrender Jerusalem without a fight if Rabshakeh could dishearten the Jewish warriors. The Assyrian cupbearer made light of Judah's possibilities of victory. The servants of King Hezekiah came to seek advice from Isaiah, the man of God. Isaiah assured Hezekiah that God took the blasphemies of Rabshakeh as uttered against Him personally and would destroy the armies of Sennacherib because of their blasphemy. Isaiah predicted that the king of Assyria would never enter God's holy city nor shoot an arrow at it. God would somehow miraculously deliver His city because of the blasphemy of the Assyrians against Him. Hezekiah and the Jews must live lives of faith, for they would not be told how this deliverance would come about; they must trust God. That very night the predicted catastrophe for the Assyrian armies occurred. Early in the morning they arose to find 185,000 Assyrian corpses. They never had opportunity to move against God's holy city because God always performs what He promises. On July 4, 1952, Florence Chadwick attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. It was not the distance that was the great challenge to her but the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific. To make matters worse, a dense fog enshrouded the entire area, making it impossible to see the land. After she had swum for 15 hours and was within half a mile of her goal, Florence Chadwick gave up. Later she told a newspaper reporter, "If I could have seen land, I might have made it." Not long thereafter she again attempted this same feat. Once again the fog shrouded the coastline and she could not see the shore, but this time she successfully completed her swim because she kept reminding herself that the land was out there, somewhere. With that confidence she bravely swam on and achieved her goal. In fact, she broke the men's record by more than two hours. Sometimes we do not achieve our goals in life because we cannot clearly see God's hand moving in our behalf. Although we desire with all our heart to reach our goal, the fog of doubt sets in and makes it impossible for us to see clearly. Still, if believing in God we continue to press toward the mark, early in the morning we will see our goal achieved and the battlefield littered with the corpses of the enemy. We must trust God in the dark; we must remember that faith is the evidence of things not seen.

Mary Poppins Babies

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4 ESV). It is hard to believe that Faith and Logan are growing so quickly. They will soon be ten! Kyle and Brandy are doing such a wonderful job with them. In fact, what I began calling them years ago is proving to be correct. When they were little I called them “Mary Poppins’ babies” (you know, “practically perfect in every way”)! Seriously, they are doing an incredible job as parents. It is a joy to see how their family is now developing. One of the things I have noticed as they have grown and changed is in the use of their facial expressions. Faith has a smile that literally lights up the room. She has learned to use it well. When she really wants to wrap Grandpa around her finger, all she needs to do is flash that smile at me! Logan has a wonderful smile as well; however, he has also learned to use his eyes to express himself more. He can raise his eyebrows nearly to his hairline! They can engage me immediately with just a look. The more I thought about that, the more I realized that we are supposed to be involved with our children. Of course that doesn’t mean indulging them in activities that are bad for them. When they need to go to sleep, as irresistible as their antics might be, they need to go to sleep. However, here is some really good news that might surprise you: Kids with involved parents do better in school than kids who have less connected parents. This is especially true with children and their dads. They not only do better in academics, they are strong social learners as well, feeling more satisfaction with school and friends. This is not to say that the father's touch is a guarantee. In this era of increased paternal involvement, some voluntary and some not, researchers have been spending more time trying to figure out if more fathering is a blessing or a curse. So far the bottom line is: Having a dad in your life, or someone who acts like one and feels like one, is an enduring resource for children. This works in some interesting ways, starting with babies at six weeks of age, all of whom are born with the ability to relate differently to fathers than to mothers. Babies respond differently to their fathers' approach and touch, and the dads take the bait. If the paternal presence is this good a deal for your kids, how can busy and over-committed men stay close to kids' lives in meaningful ways? Sure, talking is nice but doing is so much better. There are lots of ways, however, the most important thing is to get time alone with your kids. It is simply irreplaceable and they won't want it forever. And the benefits go both ways. The positive effects don't just change your kids. They also change you. Spouses of men who are closely connected to kids find them more open, loving, affectionate, and emotionally powerful partners. Never underestimate what your fathering means to your children. Just remember what you liked about being fathered, or how you wish you had been, and then let your kids help you make it happen. Happy Father’s Day!

Wild America

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV). Sometimes I watch National Geographic. Recently I saw a program that compared the amount of land that could be considered “wilderness” in both America and Africa. The statistic was surprising. The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% while the percentage of North America that is wilderness 38%. That certainly didn’t fit my imagination of the “Dark Continent.” In fact, just to add a little more surprise to the wilderness of our country, did you know that California, which is home to one of the most populous cities in the world, is more than 90% wilderness? Images can be very misleading. The amount of media play a topic gets makes it loom in our minds as more important than items that fly under the public radar screen. Friends in broadcasting tell me that a story is news when it has great impact on a few people, or moderate impact of a great number of people. And the more sensational the impact, the more likely it gets into the news. I don't know about you, but I sure am tired of hearing about violence and illicit sex every day of the year! And I just don't run into those issues in my own life very often. What I experience is the loving support of friends, the daily working out of relationships among families who want things to work, the hard work to put food on the table and a bit of savings in the bank for a rainy day and concern that spiritual time is so hard to get in the hubbub of the everyday bustle of modern life. In Paul's writings, he encourages Christians to live simple, loving lives. To let the ways of the world go its way and make deliberate choices to live according to the simple rules laid out by Christ. Love God. Love one another. TV is fun. Microwaves are speedy. Cars are consuming. And there are many, many things to distract us from honoring the God who made us, our parent in the greater sense of the word. And there are so many complications when we set about to love one another. Today’s reading speaks of love. It is not simple, but it is essential. Use it to give you a few guidelines to draw upon when living together gets complicated. Put love’s power into perspective in your life. When love is shared in simple little ways, it gets passed on. My prayer for you is that love will become simpler for you, as natural as breathing, as simple as nurturing touch. Life is not about violence and pain. Look for and practice the good in life and you will be surprised how much more you see and receive.

Wild America

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV). Sometimes I watch National Geographic. Recently I saw a program that compared the amount of land that could be considered “wilderness” in both America and Africa. The statistic was surprising. The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% while the percentage of North America that is wilderness 38%. That certainly didn’t fit my imagination of the “Dark Continent.” In fact, just to add a little more surprise to the wilderness of our country, did you know that California, which is home to one of the most populous cities in the world, is more than 90% wilderness? Images can be very misleading. The amount of media play a topic gets makes it loom in our minds as more important than items that fly under the public radar screen. Friends in broadcasting tell me that a story is news when it has great impact on a few people, or moderate impact of a great number of people. And the more sensational the impact, the more likely it gets into the news. I don't know about you, but I sure am tired of hearing about violence and illicit sex every day of the year! And I just don't run into those issues in my own life very often. What I experience is the loving support of friends, the daily working out of relationships among families who want things to work, the hard work to put food on the table and a bit of savings in the bank for a rainy day and concern that spiritual time is so hard to get in the hubbub of the everyday bustle of modern life. In Paul's writings, he encourages Christians to live simple, loving lives. To let the ways of the world go its way and make deliberate choices to live according to the simple rules laid out by Christ. Love God. Love one another. TV is fun. Microwaves are speedy. Cars are consuming. And there are many, many things to distract us from honoring the God who made us, our parent in the greater sense of the word. And there are so many complications when we set about to love one another. Today’s reading speaks of love. It is not simple, but it is essential. Use it to give you a few guidelines to draw upon when living together gets complicated. Put love’s power into perspective in your life. When love is shared in simple little ways, it gets passed on. My prayer for you is that love will become simpler for you, as natural as breathing, as simple as nurturing touch. Life is not about violence and pain. Look for and practice the good in life and you will be surprised how much more you see and receive.

Epitaphs

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (John 11:38-44 ESV). It is not unusual for many people to spend a little time at the cemetery where their loved ones are buried. A grave is a reminder of the person who had lived. It might be asked if we must be buried or can we be cremated. As I thought about that, I was taken to the tomb of Lazarus and wondered what might have been written there after Jesus raised him from the dead. Epitaphs are always interesting to read. In Lazarus’ case, he might have had chiseled something like “I’m not here any more!” In any case the following are some that I have pulled off the web for your consideration. Each of them has some interesting impact. Epitaph #1: Of a Young Worldly Woman: Here lies, what once, in beauty's bloom was every eye's delight; But now, the tenant of a tomb, its form would shock our sight. The soul that breath'd within the clod, fled in the pride of youth; learn hence betime to seek thy God, And choose the way of truth! Epitaph 2: Forbear to ask, whose dust lies here, beneath the turf or stone? Remember, thou must soon appear before thy Judge's Throne! Epitaph 3: Where is thy sting, O Death? And where thy victory, Grave? The ransom's sinner yields his breath to Him, who died to save. Epitaph 4: Is there some fond enchanting tie, that fetters thee to earth? And does the thought, that thou must die, make thee lament thy birth? O rise beyond these meaner things, these poor terrestrial toys; peace from a heavenly fountain springs, and swells to endless joys. Epitaph 5: Our body, as the food for worms, is loath'd, A shroud is all that it can boast of dress; But every soul for heav'n that's duly cloth'd shines in the robe of Christ's own righteousness. What will your epitaph read? As for me, I hope it says something about the wonder of life both before and after death! In Christ you may find joy in this life and surely you will know joy in the next!

Putting Out the Fleece

Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. (Judges 6:36-38 ESV). Today’s verses refer to the famous “putting out the fleece” story of Gideon. Gideon wanted to be certain of what God was calling him to do, so he put out a fleece and ask God to do a miracle with it. If you know the passage then you also know that God did just as Gideon requested and Gideon asked him to do it again. God performed two miracles to help Gideon overcome his uncertainty and fear. In my forty years as a Christian I have heard people “putting out a fleece” many times. They will attempt to put God to the test, so to speak, to insure that God is indeed speaking to them. I’m not going to advise anyone NOT to “put out a fleece”, but I am going to caution against putting God to the test. Christians today have a distinct advantage over Gideon. Gideon lived in the days of the law. We live in the days of grace. Gideon had the rare opportunity to talk with God face to face. Not everyone in those days had that experience. Today, if you are a Christian, you can talk to God anytime, because you have the Scripture and the Holy Spirit of God. Again, I’m not saying don’t use the fleece test, but what I am saying is that God wants a relationship with us so strong that we can clearly understand the counsel of God through the Scripture and the Holy Spirit’s influence in our life. God wants us to be able to discern His guidance. God has given us His Spirit, the counsel of the Word, and wise men and women who also have His Spirit within them, so that we can walk in the Spirit of God and always know and obey His commands. If you are having trouble understanding God’s plan for your life or hearing from God, my advise would not be to improve your testing of God’s will, but to improve your knowledge of and relationship with God.

Another Day, Another Time

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 ESV). With so much uncertainty in our world, many commentaries have been written and aired in the media that call us to remember another day and another time. While watching the news recently I began to think about our day. George Carlin said it this way: The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, and throwaway morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete. There are some things we have forgotten in our rush to be successful. We should remember to spend more time with our loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

The Little Teacup

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV). Yesterday I told you about a new blend of tea that has been recommended to me. I began to muse a little further in that thought. Did you know that house dust is made up of 97 percent skin cells? Isn't that thoroughly fascinating and utterly disgusting all at the same time? I suppose we should start saving all the dust from the vacuum and build a MAID! There’s probably enough under the couch or refrigerator to do it now! Maybe we could train her to do laundry, clean windows and serve high tea (see, I told you I was thinking about tea)? Good tea is hard to beat as a thirst-quenching drink. Mary and I have always had tea in the house. It is a staple on our table for meals. That aside, do you remember the "I'm a Little Teapot" song? I like the song. Perhaps I like it so much because it reminds me of how I am starting to look, you know, "short and stout" and all! There’s another version that I have heard that is pretty funny, it goes like this: "I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, Here is my handle... Hey, I'm a sugar bowl!" It makes me think of how God crafted and shaped us to be exactly who we are. He didn't get to the finished project and say, "Oh no! I was trying for a teapot on this one!" There's big-time frustration in trying to be something or someone God has not designed us to be. It's like a teapot trying to be a sugar bowl or a vacuum cleaner or a stealth bomber! It's just not going to work. But as the teapot surrenders to the purpose its designer had in mind, do you know what happens? The teapot is filled up with goodness and warmth. Then, as it serves, it shares that warmth and goodness with others. It's doing exactly what it was made to do. What could be more satisfying for a teapot? The Apostle Paul urges us to pour ourselves out in good deeds in our reading this morning. They may be simple and almost insignificant, however each kindness given is like a refreshing drink to the thirsty. We are all different, with many gifts, however, in this regard we are all alike – we are like teapots with refreshment to be poured out for others. Look for you “cup” today!

Kombucha

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 ESV). Having a relatively obscure malady that affects my iron levels I have been the recipient of many “home remedies.” The most recent is “Kombucha.” It is an increasingly popular home-brewed unique tea, which has a reputation for being beneficial to your health. Brewing it is not be easy though, for unlike most store-bought teas you can simply purchase at the local grocery store, this drink must be passed on from a friend. Kombucha is a beverage, which is typically made by fermenting common black tea and white sugar using a special Kombucha colony. It is this active culture, which is first needed before you can brew the tasty drink which some people compare to tart apple cider. The culture, however, may only be obtained and utilized while it is live, and since each time a batch of Kombucha tea is prepared it produces a new culture, you must first find someone who is willing to share their new culture so that you can then make your own tea. I haven’t found any yet, though I have found a popular auction web site on the Internet that makes the claim to be able to supply the culture. It seems there is a site with contact information on the Internet, which basically hooks up private Kombucha sellers with individual buyers. What intrigued me about the ad was that it stated she offered Kombucha cultures for free! In fact, several of the sellers made note that they were so blessed by the acclaimed health benefits of the exotic drink, giving away an active Kombucha culture to someone who needed one was their way of giving back to society. I was somewhat suspicious, thinking that there must be some sort of catch as no one gives something for nothing these days. "The clincher must be in the shipping and handling," I thought. "They probably offer the product for free and then double up on the shipping expense!" That theory was proven wrong however when I was written back saying there was no added or hidden costs, and any shipping charge would come out of her own pocket. Now I was really baffled! I know that Christ taught us about the beauty of giving and receiving with a cheerful heart, but I had never seen it applied in such a situation like this one. I received an email assuring me not to worry, that everything I would need to brew my first batch of Kombucha would also be included in the package. I haven’t written back yet, however I did begin to think of how great an illustration of the truth from our reading today this is! Not only does God encourage us to give cheerfully, but also he has already given to us such a great gift in Christ as an example. He gave us His Son so that we may have life more abundantly. He gave to us the ability to call out to Him for forgiveness, comfort, praise and salvation. His gifts are free, and the only price to pay is the simple peace and joy making Him a part of your life will offer your heart. Then we may give what we have freely to others! No shipping or handling charges!

The Blademaster

The following is taken from Teddy Roosevelt's Speech before the Hamilton Club, Chicago, April 10, 1899. I quote it directly for its insight and impact: “This is the tale of making a good sword, a really good one like the blademakers to the samurai made them. Damascus steel was folded a thousand times by hand and finished only with a stone-never shaped by other steel. The steel is purified by plunging it again and again into the fire-and not just any fire but the fire produced by bellows that others are pumping continually to get hot enough to melt the imperfect steel. The blade that is beginning to form is allowed to almost cool, and then it is hammered and re-plunged into the fire, over and over, and over again. Each time it comes out it is examined by the Master Craftsman to see if there is any flaw, any imperfection at all. “Each blade is thought to have a spirit of it's own and some believe that the metal tells the Blademaster when it is finished, only he knows what this particular blade will be for. Once or twice in the master's entire career comes the chance to shape metal that has a truly great soul residing in it. When that happens the Blademaster stops work and goes and purifies himself and then comes back to the work that he will not cease doing until the blade is finished-he will not eat or sleep and will drink water only. He takes up the steel again and listens to it's heart and begins again, heat... cool some and hammer, fold and heat... again and again. When the blade has been folded a thousand times or more and it speaks to him that it is done-only then does he rest. For only the soul inside the steel can say when it has been shaped enough. But the blade is still not finished. “A handle needs to be fitted so that the weapon-which now has become a work of art- can be wielded. Before the handle is set onto the blade though, the Blademaster sets his own secret emblem on the handle where it will remain hidden for all time, the handle is then wrapped and the tsuba, the guard that keeps your hand from slipping onto the blade but is more than just that is fitted. The tsuba also balances the blade and communicates the tastes and beliefs of the owner. But the blade is still not finished. For this is a weapon with a soul, one that comes singing out of it's scabbard and will not return to it without tasting battle. The Blademaster now starts to hone the blade but he does not use steel-for to abrade so great a soul against another would diminish both. He does it all by hand, and he uses a stone... a rock. Carefully he wets the stone and draws the blade across it-one way only, with the grain of the soul... again and again... sometimes for weeks while all other pursuits are abandoned he concentrates all he has on that one edge, making it sharper that any other edge. “During this process the soul of the sword tells the maker to whom it belongs, and the Blademaster gives the masterpiece he has created to that and only that person. Never anything so crass as for a fee to be paid- the gift of the blade is the most precious thing that can be given to a warrior... a person who is both a soldier and philosopher in one. The house that the warrior belongs to will bless the Blademaster with all that it has for the gift of the honor of housing so great a blade...and when the warrior dies or grows old-the sword goes back to the Master who made it and no one else.” For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV). I am convinced that we all have the opportunity to become a great blade for the Master; only you can say when you have been shaped enough and have reached the point where you feel you are finished. God will use you there, make no mistake about that. No one ever said this life thing was easy. You have the opportunity to be of great value to the Master if you let him shape you. And, as the house that receives the blade is greatly honored and blessed, so too will you bless the house you come to. Roosevelt went on to say: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat".

Shattered Hopes and Dreams

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words. (Luke 24:1-8 ESV). Shattered hopes and dreams. Perhaps you thought that you had the perfect job, and then lost it. Maybe you thought that this would finally be the right relationship for you and it ended. Or maybe your dream of having children was dashed by a miscarriage or some other unfortunate circumstance. Life throws us all kinds of twists and turns. That’s one of the stories of the first Easter. Our reading this morning is only a part of the whole story of the first Easter. The entire Luke 24 passage is beautiful in relating the story of the disciples' dashed hopes. The first story is of the women who come to the tomb early in the morning to finish the necessary preparations to the entombment of Jesus’ body. Of course the angels tell them of Jesus’ resurrection. I love the question, Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? It is how we live our lives at times. Later in the chapter there are two disciples walking along the road disheartened at the events of the past few days. Jesus has been crucified and now the tomb is empty. It is of course empty because of the resurrection of Christ. So in their disheartened state, He comes to them and begins talking to them and hears them talk about their dashed hopes and dreams, "we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel..." Soon after, he appears to all of the disciples and their eyes are finally opened to the fact that it is Christ and they are overjoyed and feel like it's too good to be true. Now they have returned to the joy that they had and they enter into a new level of understanding and belief, so much so that they returned to the temple praising and blessing God. Just as it took the resurrection for the disciples to enter into another level of worship and praise, we need a personal resurrection of Christ in our lives. We've got hopes and dreams or we have had them and many of them were dashed. We trusted in our dreams, whether they are in job, family, marriage, or another. We believed they would be glorious and now they are in ruins. Well it's resurrection time. Christ is there for you and ready to talk about your dashed hopes and dreams just as He did with the men walking along the road. Tell Him about it. He's ready to tell you that what you thought was dead, in Christ, can be made alive again. It didn't work out according to your plan, but God will raise it up in His own timing and according to His plan. Let's begin to worship and praise Him now for the dead things in our lives because without death, there is no resurrection and sometimes it simply takes a resurrection for us to enter a new level of worship and praise.

Leading or Driving

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. (Matthew 23:1-8 ESV). There is a story from World War II about Mussolini's car breaking down in a little town in Italy. While they were repairing the car, he decided to go to the movie theatre down the street. He sat down in the middle of the crowd. They brought up an image of Mussolini himself on the screen and everybody rose, except, of course, Mussolini. The theatre manager came down and tapped him on the shoulder and said firmly, "Sir, I know exactly how you feel. I feel the same way, but it's dangerous to sit there. You better stand." When you stand or bow before any religious authority you demean yourself. And when your demeanor requires that others stand before you, you have violated the very essence of your faith. Religion leads to the placing of heavy burdens on the shoulders of others. Shepherds lead. Butchers drive. You can always tell the people of God and the leaders they have by whether they are driven or led. I can't tell you the number of letters I've received from Christians who have left the church. They left because they were tired of building an empire for someone else. The philosophy seems to be “put a saddle on the back of a new Christian and ride him 'til he dies.” New Christians are given the rules and stuff to do; soon the leader finds that everyone stands in his presence. Booker T. Washington has a great story in his autobiography. He has a wonderful reference to his older brother. The slaves were required to wear flax shirts. When they were new they were stiff and rough because it was inexpensive flax. And his Brother loved him. His brother would take the new shirts and wear them until they were soft and would then give the soft shirts to his little brother, Booker Washington. When I read that I thought, you know, that's what we're supposed to do as religious professionals. But, we give them the harsh shirts. We make them wear them until they are soft then we require them to present the soft shirts on the altar of our own self-aggrandizement. Whenever you build an empire, be very, very careful. We should be leaders not drivers! Jesus was a leader. Shouldn’t we follow his example?

“Making Bad People Good and Good People Nice”

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12 ESV). I want to talk to you about the most dangerous thing in the world. It's not bad theology, it's not bad doctrine, and it's not the religious fundamental right or the liberal left. The most dangerous thing in the world is religion. In Ireland you can kill a Catholic for Jesus. In the Middle East you can bomb a church in the name of God. In India you can worship a cow, while a child dies of starvation. In the Sudan you can create a slave for Allah. In America you can kill a baby, blaspheme in the name of freedom, or hate a homosexual in the name of Christ. Peter Berger has said that the Swedes are the most atheistic unreligious people in the world. And in India we find the most religions of all nations. He said, "In America we are a nation ruled by Swedes and we're a bunch of Indians. The problem is that the Swedes bow in the name of God as a mantra to get votes." The prayer of the little boy makes the point. "Lord can you make all the bad people good and could you please make all the good people nice?" It's very hard to be right and nice at the same time. It’s not always bad to be wrong. It's very hard to be righteous and real at the same time. You should see your sin and any righteousness you have you should be unaware of it. It's very hard to be successful and godly at the same time. That's why it’s not always bad to fail. Garrison Keillor tells about a man in Lake Woebegon who was a drunk. Everybody liked him OK. He was a nice drunk and he went to AA. When he got sober they found out he was a jerk. And there was no 12-step program for jerks. It's very hard to be known as a Christian at work, or in the pulpit, the classroom, and at a church meeting, and be poor in spirit at the same time. Often it's more dangerous to be right than to be wrong because the downside of truth is truth's perversion. There is an observable and inverse correlation between true religion and necessary repentance. Don’t be too religious! Pray that God would make the bad people good and the good people nice… including yourself!

Square Pegs in Round Holes

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:1-6 ESV). Sometimes it’s easy to feel like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole! A part of that is due to working outside our abilities and gifts. Often we encourage people to do things because they are willing to work, rather than honestly evaluating their gifts and abilities and placing them where they may succeed. Ed McManus, editor of The Jokesmith newsletter, has put out a booklet of humor about folks in human resources. It’s called “What is a Human Resource?” And in it he explains how people get assigned to particular jobs.  You leave them in a conference room for four hours.  Then, you go back to see what they’re doing.  If they don’t look up when you enter the room, assign them to the Security Department.  If they’re counting the butts in the ashtray, put them in Finance.  If they’ve taken the table apart, put them in Engineering.  If they’re screaming and waving their arms, send them off to Manufacturing.  And if they’ve left early, put them in Sales. I’m sure not advocating that kind of management! But, it does emphasize the difference in people. Once we find the right task for our gifts, we may give ourselves to it completely. Our responsibility is not how much talent we have, but what we do with what we’ve been given. S. D. Gordon wrote, “We have nothing to do with how much ability we’ve got, or how little, but with what we do with what we have. The man with great talent is apt to be puffed up, and the man with little (talent) to belittle the little. Poor fools! God gives it, much or little. Our part is to be faithful, doing the level best with every bit and scrap. And we will be if Jesus’ spirit controls.” Be honest with yourself and give yourself to the things God has gifted you to do. That’s the place you will find peace and happiness. Floating downstream is much easier than swimming upstream! Square pegs don’t fit in round holes!

The Special Gift

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. (Revelation 2:17 ESV). Most of us enjoy getting special gifts for no reason. A time when somebody thinks about us during part of their day and goes out hunting for something special to give us. The value of the gift is not important at all and even a gift from the dollar store is grand. When others have those types of thoughts about us, it makes our day light up. We feel special when someone thinks of us enough to put just a little energy into helping us understand their thoughts. There is a special gift that God has prepared and is waiting until we get to heaven to before He gives it to us. It might be perhaps the most special gift other than the gift of life forever in heaven. God has prepared a White Stone for each of us with a name on it. The name on the stone is a name only He knows and the name one lover calls another in private because it reveals something very personal about their relationship. God will give us a gift of immeasurable proportions a gift that gives us a name based on our relationship with Him. God is the most passionate of lover waiting for us every day to romance us. We forget and think that our identity even our capacity to receive gifts from God comes from our merit. We stay caught up in the thought of striving for everything we want or need, even love we search for daily. The most romantic lover of all is waiting for us; yet, we try to find other places that we would rather be. These other places are spiritual abiding places not of God that we go to find comfort and belonging. We often wander from place to place, thing-to-thing never fulfilled. In John 15, Jesus tells us that we must stay with Him and Him only. We must make our home with Him and He will make His home in us. To stop the wandering we must realize that our identity comes from simply "staying at home" and not trying to fill the void in other ways. It may be surprising but holiness also comes not out of doing, but staying at home. Our real home, which as Christians is Christ, remains in us. When we go out place-to-place searching for love and fulfillment, that fulfillment is as close as simply stopping to find it. Our home, our love, and our fulfillment is Christ who is in us. Where are you looking for love today? If you will turn to Christ, you will certainly find the deepest love and care that you could imagine. Nothing can compare to Him. Give yourself completely to Him and see the difference it makes in your life.

Jelly Beans

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV). The exact origins of the jellybean are lost in time, and only a part of its history is known. Most experts believe the jelly center is a descendent of a Mid-Eastern confection known as Turkish Delight that dates back to Biblical times. The shell coating is an offspring of a process called panning, first invented in 17th century France to make Jordan Almonds. The panning process, while done primarily by machine today, has remained essentially the same for the last 300 years. The French began by rocking almonds in a bowl filled with sugar and syrup until the almonds were coated with a candy shell. Today, large rotating pans do the heavy work, while master confectioners apply their true art in adding the ingredients to create just the right shell. Somehow the two processes made their way to America. The earliest known appearance of a jellybean combining the two techniques is in an 1861 advertisement for William Schrafft of Boston that promoted the sending of jellybeans to soldiers in the Union Army during the civil war. Jellybeans quickly earned a place amongst the many glass jars of "penny candy" in general stores where they were sold by weight and taken home in paper bags. It wasn't until the 1930's, however, that jellybeans became a part of Easter traditions. Over 13.5 billion jellybeans were enjoyed at Eastertime in 1996. If they were lined up end-to-end, they would circle the earth nearly 3 times. So what does the history of the jellybean have to do with a devotional? Dr. Elizabeth Bard has revealed to the American Psychological Association the results of a survey, which indicate that your choice in jellybeans may reveal fundamental traits, especially if one's choice of color has nothing to do with the flavor. The most popular color, especially among men, was black, followed by red. Least popular was purple and white. According to the experts, here are traits indicated by choice of color: Black: A man exercises great personal charm in dealing with others. A woman is considered persistent in her demands and desires recognition and control. Red: A man is capable of powerful emotional involvement; a woman has great charm. White: A woman "seeks a relationship offering peace and intimacy." A man "attempts to control his own destiny and yet needs praise and reinforcement from others to maintain self-confidence." Whether your choice of color in a jellybean reveals your character or not is open to debate. However, your actions do. Jesus’ teaching in our reading this morning gives us clear instructions that our “walk ought to match our talk.” Examine the actions of your life. Commit yourself to producing good fruit!