A Trip Down Memory Lane - Pt 5

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:12-16 ESV).

What we’ve been doing the last few days is to give a mini theology of the past. The past is a great reservoir of knowledge and wisdom. Where else can we learn anything except from the past? The future has not happened yet. We can’t learn anything from what hasn’t happened yet. The present is ephemeral. I mean try to learn something from the present. I mean try to focus on the present. As soon as you have got the present focused it is the past. I mean it is every millisecond is flowing over the waterfall of the present turning into a past reservoir just as soon as you see it go over the waterfall. As soon as you focus on a moment, it has become a past moment. The only thing we can focus on that has any stability at all is the products of the past. Think of it. All books are from the past. All video or audio recordings are, by their nature, from the past. However, if we were having a conversation, and I said anything at all, that sentence would be a part of the present. It would shortly fade into the past though. Time simply will not stand still. This means that all the means of stored knowledge and wisdom are from the past. It is the only place we have to go to learn anything or to grow in knowledge or in wisdom. So for the Christian that means even the Bible, which was, like all other books written in the past. Therefore we may come to the conclusion that the best is always yet to come. And I really mean it. I mean for eternity starting right now the best is always yet to come for the Christian. So the future is massively important. We are people of hope and therefore we do not live in the past. We draw thankfulness from the past. We draw life giving repentance from the past. We feed our faith and hope on the faithfulness of God in the past and we learn everything we know and get all the wisdom we have from the past. But all of it is for the sake of this afternoon’s joy and this afternoon’s faith and this afternoon’s obedience and the joy of all eternity.

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Pt 4

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:31-34 ESV).

The past is a source of faith for the future. Our reading is a part of a larger passage that I often quote to others who may be struggling in difficult times. The past serves the future by feeding faith, because of all the faithful works of God to make a future for us in the past. Israel failed precisely to do this and that is why they were undone in the wilderness (cf. Psalm 106). They rebelled because they didn’t remember. They didn’t remember and they didn’t have faith to walk with Moses through the sea the way they should have. And they grumbled on the other side. All of it was rooted in forgetting past grace. So they didn’t trust him for future grace, because they didn’t remember past grace. No one disagrees about the complexity of our world. That does cause us to wonder how we will manage and get to “our future”. Globally, it is not a time of peace and harmony. That makes us wary and unsure, because we have to live in these times and try to pull some happiness and success into our lives out of that lack. It can make our own lives off balance; and, combined with our own individual issues, it can be discouraging. These times take our courage and strength to get through. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it so well in our meme today: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” He said that a full year before his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. It was on September 12, 1962, as he spoke at the Park-Sheraton Hotel in New York City to commemorate the centennial of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. I wonder if he could’ve imagined all that would transpire in the next six years, ending with his assassination in 1968. I rather doubt he thought about that; he thought about the first step! We have that opportunity in our lives. We know the God who has gone before us winning our deliverance. We can remember Him and trust the future into his capable hands!

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Pt 3

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV).

The past is a source of healthy repentance. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12). Isn’t it amazing that he told us to remember that? I just think that is amazing. I think it would be natural to desire to foirget that. However, we should not desire to forget that, because if we forget from what we were saved, our sense of repentance will be shallow and our enjoyment of grace will be thin. So it was a healthy remembering that Paul was calling the Ephesians to do for the sake of a healthy repenting. The apostle also wrote something very similar to the Corinthians. We have that in our reading today. Notice verse ten: “Godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” In other words, there is way to think about our past that leads to repentance, leads to salvation, leads to life, leads to joy through and beyond regret and there is a worldly way to think about the past that paralyzes you and brings death. Neuroscientists have discovered that when someone recalls an old memory, a representation of the entire event is instantaneously reactivated in the brain that often includes the people, location, smells, music, and other trivia. In fact, recalling old memories can have a cinematic quality. Memories often seem to play out in the mind's eye like an old home movie or even a Technicolor film. The importance of this is supported by recent research. New studies have indicated that people who look at the past through rose-tinted glasses are happier than those who focus on negative past experiences and regrets. “Godly grief” is the key. This kind of regret should always produce an understanding of our position as forgiven and restored. These are the components of Biblical repentance. It is only when we fail to remember the work of Jesus on our behalf that we fail to overcome our sense of failure. We are not failures, even when we fail. We are forgiven! There’s a huge difference in those concepts!

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Pt 2

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. (Psalm 107:1-3 ESV).

Well, let’s continue the “trip down memory lane” with the first of the principles necessary to balance our past and future. It is the principle of gratitude. Our reading encourages us to be thankful for the goodness and steadfast love of God (v. 1). In other words, history is an ever-growing reservoir of past grace where the thankfulness of our hearts can drink and drink with continual pleasure. That is what it is for, the drinking of thankfulness. And when I say past I mean five seconds ago to five thousand years ago. It is all past. Let me illustrate a bit. I may lose things, but I never want to lose sight of what God’s done for me. I never want to become like the Israelites in the Old Testament. The psalmist says, “When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.” (Psalm 106:7). When I’m facing “Red Sea” challenges, it’s easy to forget God’s miracles and kindnesses. Often I look at the mountain in front of me instead of at the God who stands with me. I forget His hand on me. I focus on the problems around me instead of on the God whose Spirit lives inside me. Sometimes it’s not even a mountain in front of me. It’s a little molehill that takes on gigantic proportions. When I bend down and look at it long and hard, it grows. I lose sight of the big picture of God’s love and faithfulness. This is symptomatic of the human condition. We all struggle with spiritual amnesia. Gratitude is the answer for that. When we thank God, it is impossible to take Him for granted. That means we tell our stories. We need to tell them to our children, our grandchildren, our friends. I call these “stories” talking in color. I’m often questioned about my use of stories in conversation. I must admit that a part of my propensity for story-telling is in my comfort of using them. It is what I know best. However, story-telling is also very intentional with me. Not only does it recall for me the basis of my hope and gratitude, it encourages me to anchor my dreams in the present. Perhaps you should “color” your memories more. If you do not already journal, I encourage you to start. It is a great way to allow the work of God to be evident in your daily life and color it with hope and peace.

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Pt 1

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. (Psalm 77:11-14 ESV).

Old picture albums can be both wonderful and terrible. As I mentioned yesterday, I have been more nostalgic than usual lately. My frequent trips down “memory lane” have given me a wide range of emotions. Of course there has been a recall of spectacular experiences. However, there has also been a renewed sense of the failures along that path also. Memory Lane is like that. The psalmist in our reading today encourages us to remember “the wonders of old” (v. 11). My experience with memories is that I can’t merely restrict my path through the past to just the “wonders”; I also easily recall the pain and trial of the path of my life. So, I began to do some work in achieving a balance with nostalgia. It is possible to sin against God and hurt our soul by failing to remember the past and by remembering it in the wrong way. In other words, you could blow it both ways. You can wreck your life by neglecting the past and you neglect your life by an excessive living in the past. The word nostalgia may point to something innocent and healthy or something excessive and unhealthy. It would be unhealthy, however, if you thought about those past experiences continually and felt burdened by the fact that they are never going to come again. That becomes a kind of paralyzing regret that it is all over and the best days are in the past. That starts to be unhealthy. So what we need, I think, is a theology of the past. The past is not for fueling and paralyzing regret and disappointment. The past is not meant for fueling anger and grudges. A lot of people use the past for regret and use the past for disappointment and use the past for grudges and use the past for anger. Those are all misuses of the past. That is not what the past is for. God didn’t give us the past to make us regretful and to paralyze us with disappointment or rage or grudge. There are positive uses of the past that God does ordain. There are at least four that I can think of: gratitude, repentance, faith, and knowledge or wisdom. We’ll look at each of these in the coming days. However, for today, might I encourage you to simply pray that the Lord will grant you a peace about both the past and the future? Adopt the truth that past failures and future fears must not rob you of present joy.

The Tracks We Leave

For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:9-12 ESV).

I suppose I am more reflective than usual as a result of two “milestones” in the near future. One is my 70th birthday. Though that won’t happen for a few weeks, I have caught myself thinking about the past more than is typical for me. The second milestone is our 50th wedding anniversary, which won’t take place for several months. Both of these together, however, are powerful incentives to become a bit more nostalgic and reflective. Finding a proverb accredited to the Dakota Tribe, I was taken to our reading today. I have made a conscious effort to ignore the most obvious reference of verse ten which detail the number of our years. My intention is to focus on verse 12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” That speaks to the concept of “legacy.” Leaving a legacy involves far more than handing down a monetary inheritance or passing on a good family name. For those things will surely pass away and forever be forgotten. A lasting legacy, one that continues for eternity, is written on the hearts of our loved ones. Of course, from my perspective, this ought to contain a strong belief in Jesus; however, there ought to be more than that left behind. This requires more than a “religious” education. As our children (and, if possible, our grandchildren) grow up, they may not see faith as something precious and invaluable. Especially if they have been raised in the church and surrounded by Christianity their whole lives, the value of a godly heritage may not be immediately apparent to them. My hope is that they will remember the “tracks” of faith I’ve lived out in their experience. I remember a critical time in my career years ago as I was charged with the accusation that I believed my family was more important than the church. I often regret not having the wit quit enough to answer with a more powerful response than I gave. I was guilty of that charge; I still am today. That brings me to a bit of encouragement to you as you read these words. The best of what I have done is poor; and, we certainly don’t want to look at the worst! However, my hope is that I have left deep tracks of love, care, and understanding along the trail so that my family might easily follow that path. My hope is that is has become well worn and clearly visible. I am convinced it is never too late to begin making those tracks in the hearts and minds of those whom we love. Wherever you are in your journey, forge that trail clearly!

Route 66 - Pt 10

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 ESV).

Today we come to the end of our road trip along Route 66. It is entirely fitting that we end it at the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino, California. In the 1930s and 1940s, Wigwam Villages used to be all over the U.S. from Kentucky to Louisiana to Florida. Today, only a few remain. And one of these is near the western end of Route 66 in San Bernardino, California. It is unique and amazingly ahead of its time, given that it was built in 1949. The air cooled units even have individual bathrooms. The Wigwam Village was conceived in 1933 by Frank Redford of Horse Cave, Kentucky, when he built a cone-shaped building to hold his collection of Native American artifacts. Adding a few more similarly shaped structures a few years later around the original building designated for sleeping, he christened the compound Wigwam Village. To modern visitors, it is somewhat surprising to learn that this collection of distinctive triangular buildings is considered by some to be the precursor to the chain motel. The consistency with which these conical structures would be designed as they were increasingly built across the country was helped along by the patent that Redford was granted in 1937 for a "new, original and ornamental design for a building.” Despite their eye-catching look and family-friendly appeal, once the interstates bypassed Route 66, the San Bernardino Village fell on hard times in the 1960s and ‘70s like most secondary road businesses. The Wigwam Motel is now being run by another family who acquired the property in 2003. Under their care, the motel has been restored to its former glory ready for weary travelers. How like the promise of God! These “earthly tents” Paul speaks of in our reading today are being passed by, each day deteriorating little by little. However, God is making plans, completing the construction of our eternal home! It will be perfect in every way. When each unit is finished, we receive the keys, and a personal escort to it from our God and Savior. Now that’s how you end a road trip!

Route 66 - Pt 9

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” (Matthew 21:1-5 ESV).

Now we travel to Oatman, Arizona. After driving the narrow, winding roads of this part of Route 66, arriving in Oatman, Arizona is a welcome relief. What at first appears to be a pleasant town, soon reveals itself to be anything but thanks to the wild burros there. They roam the street freely, sometimes holding up traffic, and sticking their heads in the cars to see if there are any carrots to be had. The business owners sort of take care of the burros, seeing that they get enough food and yet try to prevent the tourists from overfeeding them, especially food that they shouldn’t eat. The baby burro can’t eat the same tourist food (carrots and apples) as the parents because of their sensitive stomachs, so the townfolk came up with the brilliant idea to put stickers on their foreheads: “STOP! Please don’t feed me”. The wild burros in Oatman are the descendants of burros brought by gold miners in the late 1800s. With the mining running out and the mines not being useful for the War Effort (World War II), most mines were closed in 1942. The miners abandoned the burros to the surrounding hills. These days, the burros come into Oatman in the morning to beg for food from tourists and disappear back into the hills at dusk. Many of the stores in Oatman sell pellets and carrots to feed to the burros. They are a big tourist attraction. However, they are still indeed wild and prone to unpredictable behavior. Donkeys are mentioned in the Scripture, fulfilling the role of a “beast of burden” by taking the responsibility and burden of others, being the symbolic representation of versatility, hard working, determination, will power, obstinacy, dedication towards work and devotion. Donkeys have a well known reputation of being a stubborn creature. This being true, there is another aspect to the donkey’s use in the Scripture. Our reading gives us one of those. Though Jesus had been to Jerusalem several times to celebrate the feasts, his final entry into Jerusalem had a special meaning. He was solemnly entering as a humble King of peace. Traditionally, entering the city on a donkey symbolized arrival in peace, rather than as a war-waging king arriving on a horse. Jesus came in peace. He would leave the King and conqueror of all! Follow Him!

Route 66 - Pt 8

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:20-25 ESV).

Angel & Vilma’s Route 66 Gift Shop in Seligman, Arizona. In 1987, two years after Route 66 had been decommissioned, Angel Delgadillo turned his barbershop and pool hall into the world's first Route 66-themed souvenir store. Others thought he was crazy, but Angel believed in the history of road. He became the first president of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona and convinced the state to declare the dead highway "Historic Route 66." That was the start of the revival of Route 66, and it has led to hundreds of Route 66 themed souvenir stores in a half-dozen states. But Angel's was the first. And it was the most difficult. Everyone has days they’d rather forget. Delgadillo’s has a time and date. At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, 1978, the world disappeared. At least in Seligman. Two and a half hours earlier and 87 miles down the road, roughly 100 people gathered on a patch of smooth new pavement and killed Route 66. Dignitaries and civic leaders were in Kingman to cut the ribbon on Interstate 40, opening a $94 million stretch of freeway that immediately made Route 66 obsolete. At least that’s the way Delgadillo came to see it. “We were getting 9,000 cars a day,” he said. “You had to be so careful crossing the street. If your driveway backed up to the highway, it could take you 10 to 20 minutes to get out. “And then there was nothing. We were forgotten. Left to die.” But, there would be a happy ending to this unfolding drama. In November 1987, the state Transportation Board added Route 66 to Arizona’s list of historic roads. The designation not only breathed new life into the Mother Road, but into a vindicated Delgadillo as well. “All that time, almost 10 years, we’d been ignored,” he said. “But not anymore. Route 66 wasn’t dead after all.” The disciples of Jesus didn’t understand it; many of the religious Jews didn’t understand it; however, God knew precisely what He was doing in the death of His son, Jesus. This was not just the only way, it was THE way. Jesus’ died to bring us freedom and victory from death. Nearly 2,000 years has elapsed since that moment, there are still those who will not believe the declaration of God in the efficacious atonement He has made through Christ. Don’t be one of those people. Jesus died that we might have life!

Route 66 - Pt 7

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:8-9 ESV).

Today we travel along Route 66 to Tucumcari, New Mexico, arriving at the Blue Swallow Motel. W.A. Huggins, a carpenter by trade, began construction on the Blue Swallow Motel prior to the outbreak of World War II, and Ted Jones, a prominent eastern New Mexico rancher, opened the motel in 1942. Facing Route 66, the Blue Swallow offers access to motorists from both the highway and a side street. When Mr. Jones and his wife died in the 50’s, Lillian Redman and her husband bought the motel and successfully operated it until her death in the late 90’s. From the start, the Redmans put their customers first. When guests didn’t have enough money for a room, the Redmans accepted personal belongings in trade or provided the room for free. Ms. Redman and the Blue Swallow became icons of Route 66 folklore. She described the special and close connection she had with the Route 66 motorists who came in each night this way. “I end up traveling the highway in my heart with whoever stops here for the night." When Lillian ran the Blue Swallow Motel, each guest was provided with a copy of this benediction. A printed copy is in each room even today. An excerpt from the greeting is: May the business that brought you this way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe. We are all travelers. From “birth till death,” we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those you know and love best. It was intentionally named “The Blue Swallow.” The swallow, as well as bluebirds and sparrows, has always had a symbolic meaning for sailors because these birds were usually the first sign that land was near. For a sailor, a swallow tattoo reflected his hope of coming home safely. Swallows return home every year, no matter where they are. and no matter what the struggle was The swallow is a bird symbolizing a return home after a struggle, surviving a hardship, and a victory gained. I don’t know if we will be able to stay in the Blue Swallow Motel when we make our trip west along Route 66. I do know that the unalterable promise of God, secured by the resurrection and guaranteed by the presence of the Holy Spirit within every believer, is to bring us home safely. It will be THE ultimate road trip!

Route 66 - Pt 6

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. (Psalm 96:1-6 ESV).

About fifty miles west of Amarillo and the Cadillac Ranch, we come to one of the more interesting geographical points along Route 66. It is MidPoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. As the name of the café suggests, Adrian, Texas is the midpoint of Route 66. The MidPoint Cafe was built during the early days of Route 66 (late 30s, early 40s) by Jennie Van der Wort. It is one of the route’s most famed places to eat, is at the “geo-mathematical” halfway point in Route 66’s long ride between Chicago and Los Angeles, both of which are 1,139 miles away. The marker post for the midpoint is just west of the big sign on the north side of the highway across from the Mid-Point Cafe. The Cafe happily proclaims themselves as “The Home of the Ugly Pie Crusts.” Initially called “Zella’s” after the original owner, it was simply a one-room cafe with a packed dirt floor. After changing hands and names over the years, it was sold in 1991, with plans to open an antique store. Plans changed. By 1995 the owner realized the cafe was ideally located and changed the cafe’s name to “MidPoint Cafe and Gift Shop,” changing direction yet again to replicate the cafe in the ’50s and ’60s. Great bakers have always worked at the cafe, turning out pies “just like Grandma used to make.” Using a recipe handed down as the “best pie crust ever”, one pie baker could NOT seem to make her crusts as beautifully shaped as she remembered her grandmother doing; they were misshapen, lumpy, and just plain ugly, but just as tasty. The name stuck. It’s strange how easily we deny the truth proclaimed in the Scripture. The MidPoint Café reminded me of that truth. The exterior of this building is certainly not an architectural classic. In fact, there are those who would say it is much like the nickname given to its pie crust, “ugly.” However, the truth is that beauty is always found in the eyes of the one looking. The Scripture teaches us that all of God’s creation is seen through His eyes as beautiful. By simple progression, that means we are also beautiful. By all means, declare the differences which lead to our personal preferences. Just as some geographical locations are not preferred by some, they are cherished by others. Just as some people are not as appreciated as others, God declares that he loves “the world” (cf. John 3:16). His value is based on his unlimited knowledge and incredible creative power. We are beautiful; and, we are loved!

Route 66 - Pt 5

Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you. (Psalm 71:3-6 ESV).

We finally reach a destination on our trip down Route 66 that I have actually already traveled! It is the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. This world-famous and definitely odd ranch is a few miles off the official Route 66 path. Even so, it is worth the extra mileage to swing on by. This ranch of a different color began as an art installation in the 70’s and has never lost its appeal. Visitors are even encouraged to add their own touch of paint to the cars. They just have to bring their own can of spray paint. Cadillac Ranch was invented and built by a group of art-hippies imported from San Francisco. They called themselves The Ant Farm, and their silent partner was Amarillo billionaire Stanley Marsh III. He wanted a piece of public art that would baffle the locals, and the hippies came up with a tribute to the evolution of the Cadillac tail fin. Ten Caddies were driven into one of Marsh's fields, then half-buried, nose-down, in the dirt (supposedly at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza). They faced west in a line, from the 1949 Club Sedan to the 1963 Sedan de Ville, their tail fins held high for all to see on the empty Texas prairie. That was in 1974. Decades have passed. The Cadillacs have now been in the ground as art longer than they were on the road as cars. They are stripped to their battered frames, splattered in day-glo paint, barely recognizable as automobiles. This aristocrat of roadside attractions has been raised over the years: glorified in photo essays, calendars, blogs, and social media fiefdoms; spotlighted in video and film; instantly recognizable as an American icon. These “Great Monuments,” we are told, represent America's hopes and dreams, art and commerce, materialism and spiritualism, folly and fame. Well, they certainly are an interesting attraction; however, they are not a source of hope that may stand the test of our circumstances. Only God can do that. The psalmist is so clear in our reading today. God is our “rock of refuge” (v. 3). Whatever you may be facing today, lean on Him. He will rescue you from every enemy, even death itself!

Route 66 - Pt 4

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54 ESV).

Well, we’re going to “drive” into Oklahoma for the next stop along our scenic trek across Route 66. We can stop at the “Whale of Catoosa” in Catoosa, Oklahoma. After all, this big blue whale and its adjacent pond are hard to miss. The story of this unusual roadside attraction is unique. Hugh Davis had a job as a director of a Tulsa zoo, and he and his wife Zelta ran an alligator farm just off of Route 66. In 1972 Hugh surprised Zelta on their 34th wedding anniversary by unveiling an 80-foot-long sperm whale that he had built out of pipe and concrete in a little pond on their property. He originally built it for the use of just the Davis kids, with a diving platform on its tail and a slide coming out of its head. By the mid-1970s, however, the happy whale with the toothy smile had become the centerpiece of Hugh and Zelta's new attraction, Nature's Acres, which also featured Animal Reptile Kingdom (A.R.K. -- housed in a replica of Noah's Ark) and a Trading Post run by Hugh's brother-in-law. The spring-fed pond had been enlarged by Hugh into a commercial swimming hole, and the Blue Whale became a Route 66 icon. Hugh and Zelta eventually got old, and they closed the attraction in 1988. The pond got scummy. The Ark was abandoned and, although still standing, is now beyond repair. That fate could have befallen the Blue Whale as well, which for a decade fell into disrepair. But it was too visible and too beloved, and every few years Whale boosters now converge on Catoosa to patch its concrete and give it a fresh coat of paint. A cluster of picnic benches sit on the shore near the Blue Whale's open mouth, and the whale even has its own souvenir and concession stand, open in the summer on weekends. Today, people can stroll through the whale’s mouth and climb a ladder up the tail for a better vantage point. This one is pretty easy to see the eternal perspective. Our lives are always going to in need of “repair.” And, sometimes, they will take more than a little plaster patch or paint! We are simply mortal. The good news is that there is a day coming when “this mortal, shall put on immortality” (v. 53); and, “death is swallowed up in victory” (v. 54)! Now that’s worth the trip!

Route 66 - Pt 3

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV).

Continuing to the west on our road trip across Route 66, we come to a little unincorporated town, Fanning, Missouri. We can find the world’s second-largest rocking chair, at least according to the Guinness World Record Book. This giant rocking chair used to be the largest rocker in the world; now it's been demoted to the second largest. Casey, Illinois stole Fanning's thunder by building an even large one, a 56.5-foot tall giant. Despite it being the second largest, it’s still a whopping 42 feet tall. Sam Vitali owned a General Store on the south side of the tracks, but when Route 66 was paved through town in 1930, he relocated on the north side of the new highway. Next to it, Mary Vitali's brogher, Joe Bacialli built his Speedway Garage gas station which later became a tavern, Joe's Place. Sam passed away in 1964 and Mary kept it open until 1972. The store was torn down in 1980 and the tavern which at one time was the Community building was closed. The Sanazaro's bought it and refurbished the old tavern as Fanning US 66 Outpost General Store. To attract those passing buy, Dan Sanazaro came up with the "World's Largest Rocking Chair." It still stands, attracting people to stop. When I read the story about this stop along the route, I was reminded of the practical proverb that “the grass is always greener on the other side.” You may have followed that philosophy at one time or another in your life. It is the embodiment of the statement that if we reach for something different, something greater, we’ll somehow step into a new, better life. It usually plays itself out in thoughts like: If I just find the perfect job, I’ll feel valuable. If I just exercise more, I’ll feel confident. If I just find the right home in the right neighborhood, I can begin to host my friends. The problem is that as I longingly fix my eyes on this “greener grass,” I make false assumptions about life. The only eternal fix for my life is in Christ. Contentment can only come through Christ. I remember years ago when I adopted a philosophy of not trying to “keep up with the Jones’”. Even if I could catch them, they’d just build a bigger rocking chair, and I’d be back to second. My joy must be in my position in Christ. I’m always first with Him. That’s true for all of us. He is the one who strengthens us, keeping us right where we belong. That’s the real victory!

Route 66 - Pt 2

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:31-33 ESV).

As we begin our road trip along Route 66, I have chosen to start in Illinois. In fact, I’ve chosen to begin at the Muffler Man Statue in Atlanta, Illinois. This over 19-foot tall fiberglass statue is a glorious example of the kind of roadside kitsch that evokes memories of Route 66. For years this hot-dog-holding giant advertised a hot dog restaurant in Cicero, Illinois. When the restaurant closed, the statue moved about 150 miles south to its current home in Atlanta, Illinois. There were others through the decades of the 60’s and 70’s that were erected along the route. These giant statues, often in different costumes, were always holding something; lumberjacks holding axes, pirates holding swords, cowboys holding rifles, even spacemen holding tiny rocket ships. Almost all of these figures, which came from International Fiberglass in Venice, California, had a body formed from the same mold (arms out, right hand up, left hand down), and subtle tweaks could be made; heads and the object in their hands could be swapped in or out, and different clothes could be painted on. It is that last little bit of trivia that intrigues me as I think about our spiritual journey. The Apostle Paul had something to say in this regard found in our reading today. He is writing to the Corinthians concerning the issue that had developed over eating certain foods and other ritualistic practices. His ultimate conclusion is “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (v. 31). That is great news for all of us who find ourselves enduring circumstances that were never a part of our dreams. It may be a relationship failure, or financial setback. Whatever the circumstance, it was not a part of your plan; and, it is difficult and painful. Now, let’s get back to “Muffler Man.” There were thousands of these fiberglass statues manufactured, all basically the same. Slight differences were built according to the use, though the basic mold was always the same. Some were even changed when they were sold from one vendor to another. They would replace the object being held by the giant depending on the advertising goal. Here’s the point I have come to in my life. It hasn’t mattered whether I in a pleasant circumstance or not, I can find contentment in doing it all with the knowledge that God is both in control and working it all for my good. Maybe I’m a muffler man, actually holding a muffler, or I’m standing with a hot dog in my hands. Either way, I’m traveling the path God has ordained and is orchestrating good in it all. I can trust Him! I don’t need to trust my circumstances.

Route 66 - Pt 1

[Jesus said] “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:12-14 ESV).

As you may know, Mary loves to travel. The statement that her “bags are always packed” finds new meaning in our retirement. We don’t have the ability to just pack up and go as some might; however, we do try to get away every few months. And, Mary also satisfies her travel desires more since she and her sister find themselves going to various destinations around the world. She and I are planning a trip to Boston in the fall, but we wanted to take a road trip sometime before then. One of those trips has always been leisurely making our way across the United States on Route 66. I am told that Route 66 is over 90 years old, and definitely, “a road less traveled.” All the information I have been able to glean from various articles and travel books indicate it is a trip worth taking. There are plenty of weird attractions to be seen along the iconic road that starts in Chicago and ends in Los Angeles. Heavy on nostalgia, Route 66 still provides plenty of interesting experiences. It is also known as the Will Rogers Highway. It was one of the original highways constructed by the U.S. Highway System in 1926. From its beginnings, U.S. 66 was designed to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its route because, at the time, most small towns had no access to a major national roadway. I know that exploring this route is a bit counter to the concept of Morning Devotionals; however, I thought it might be interesting and encouraging to take a few of the sights known to be of interest along the route and use them for inspiration as we are traveling our own “routes”. The Scripture has a lot to say about our journey through life. In our reading this morning Jesus encourages us to take a path that is difficult (it is “narrow”), but it leads to “life” (v. 14). Hopping in our modern vehicles and traveling down the road is certainly not difficult today. With climate control systems, satellite music, and plush interiors we certainly don’t lack for comfort. So, you may ask how there is a comparison? After all, most of us have experienced circumstances that are the very antithesis of a vacation trip across America. I think that we will see it is not the traveling that provides us with encouragement; rather it is what we discover along the way that makes the trip worthwhile. And, our ultimate end to any trip being “home” makes it the ultimate prize!

The Wilderness - Pt 5

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. (Psalm 139:7-12 ESV)

The Big Bend State Park located along the Trans-Pecos, is an inhospitable place. It would be considered by anyone as a great place to visit; however, living there would present a great challenged to all but the experienced survivalists. The daytime temperatures can easily reach 110 degrees. Even with the rain, which is greater that some other deserts in the world, it is hot enough to cause significant health challenges. The wilderness the Bible speaks of is even worse than we see in Texas. We saw yesterday that the wilderness allowed Jesus to better learn his Father’s voice; however, it also gave him a chance to pull into sharp focus his self-understanding. Faced with repeated temptations to exploit the power structures of an earthly kingdom, Jesus chose the way of sacrifice and love, sealing his identity in the process. Perhaps there is a related gift of self-understanding in the wilderness for us. Typically, it’s almost impossible to resist defining ourselves in terms of how we measure up to others. It might be the fact that the isolation of the wilderness serves as an invitation to extract ourselves from our elaborate networks of comparison. Henri Nouwen contrasts the “relevant self” (the self that can do and earn things) with the “unadorned self” (who we are when we are not proving anything; it is the self that is “open to give and receive love regardless of any accomplishments”). It often takes an experience that strips us bare of our usual armor (and our résumés) to get us in touch with our unadorned selves. The process can be terribly painful. But the Spirit is with us, working to move us towards wholeness. This truth is not better stated than in our reading today. Whether we are high or low, far or close, the Spirit of God is present with us. Whatever theories we might hold, there is no wilderness so isolated that the Spirit is not there. There is no terrain so barren that it cannot yield the Father’s gifts. With God, it turns out that time in the wasteland is never wasted. Perhaps it is time for you to take some time today and thank God for the wilderness. It is divinely ordained and designed to bring you good. None of your experiences will be wasted.

The Wilderness - Pt 4

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. (Luke 5:12-16 ESV).

Today we come to a relatively difficult theory; however, it is none-the-less vital to our understanding. It is the “Voice Recognition Theory.” In the Gospels we see that Jesus hears two voices in the wilderness. The voice of the Father says: You are my beloved Son. The voice of the enemy counters: If you are the Son of God, prove it. I have often been asked for help in “hearing” the will of God. This is often associated with some difficult decision in the midst of a challenging circumstance. I love the wonderful truth found in the Prophet Isaiah’s writing: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’.” (Isaiah 30:21). The real key is in being able to recognize who’s voice it is that we hear. In his book Prototype, Jonathan Martin argues: “The Spirit sent Jesus into the wilderness, rejuvenated with the affirmation of His identity in God’s eyes, and allowed Him to step away from His day-to-day life until the noise and hurry of the world around Him was stripped down to the point where He could easily distinguish the voice of the accuser from the voice of the Father. The same can be true for us.” It is entirely possible that the wilderness experiences of our lives offer us the gift of distraction-free listening. That leads me to believe that this developed ability might cause us to voluntarily withdraw to lonely places to pray? (v. 16). While Aaron is in France for the summer, Mary and I look forward to have a weekly video call each Sunday. Seeing him is much better than just hearing him; however, I am positive that I don’t need to see him to recognize his voice. Even though it has change a bit over the years as he has matured, it is still entirely recognizable to us. This is true simply because we have heard it clearly for over three decades. Greater knowledge brings greater familiarity. Challenging circumstances always bring us to a position where we are afforded the opportunity to hear the voice of God with clarity. I never go looking for the wilderness; however, I am never closer to the Lord than while I’m in it. If you find yourself in one of those times in your life, let the Holy Spirit use it to familiarize you more than ever with the voice of the Father.

The Wilderness - Pt 3

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5 ESV).

The second theory explaining these “wilderness” experiences is known by some as the Formational Furnace Theory. It is closely related to the Boot Camp Theory suggesting that the heat of the desert and the severe pressures of loneliness, hunger, and temptation operated as a furnace that further forged Jesus’ character. The writer of the Hebrews says that Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered” (cf. Hebrews 5:8). And, perhaps our own character like plastic, metal, or even cake batter needs to be molded in a formative furnace. My picture today is a Bundt cake. Don’t laugh. How could anything so innocuous as this illustrate anything so devastating as the circumstances of life known as the wilderness? Well, I did a little research… surprise! Did you know there are thousands of web sites, references, and videos just to teach a person how to keep a Bundt cake from sticking to the pan? One used both text and pictures detailing the ten steps necessary to keep the batter from sticking to the pan once it was done. It ended with the following summary: If your cake doesn’t look like it’ll release, here’s a trick. If you have a steamer, apply steam to the exterior of the pan to help loosen the cake. If you don’t, place a kitchen towel in your sink and pour boiling water over it until it’s soaked and steaming. Remove your cake from the oven and place on top of the towel and let it sit and steam for about 10 minutes. If your cake really doesn’t look like it’ll release, try freezing it until hard then invert it. Let me just state the obvious in context of our discussion. If I’m the cake batter, won’t I be glad to have been finally taken out of the 350 degree oven where I have baked for 30 minutes. Stick to the pan or not, I don’t want to be steamed or frozen! I’m done. Can’t I just be left alone? And, that’s how I often feel in my wilderness. However, the apostle Paul agrees with James that suffering produces perseverance, and he builds upon this idea, noting that perseverance produces character (vv. 3-5). That still doesn’t bring me a lot of comfort, unless I recognize that God is not principally concerned with anything but my good. I might be willing to settle for the absence of pain; however, God is doing something far greater in my life than that. He is forming me to His perfect design which will ultimately end in glory. I never need settle for a broken cake!

The Wilderness - Pt 2

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).

Yesterday we began a brief look at some of the perplexing truth of the “wilderness.” Today we will examine one of the theories proffered for the reason we are led into these experiences. Some have called it “The Boot Camp Theory.” Perhaps you remember the scene in the movie “Forest Gump” when he is in boot camp and the drill sergeant is in his face yelling about something with his only reply being, “Yes, Drill Sergeant!” Somehow he survives, actually thriving in the experience. There are those who adhere to this theory of explanation suggestion that, like Jesus going into the wilderness, we must endure the most extreme regimen imaginable to prepare us for our mission. The mandates and methods of the Kingdom of God need to be so deeply ingrained that we can stay true to them under any degree of pressure. Truthfully, though it may feel like boot camp in our wilderness, I find this theory a bit shallow, perhaps even frightening. This being said, we must look at the truth in our reading today. James, Jesus’ brother, offers a similar interpretation of wilderness experiences, saying that “the testing of our faith produces perseverance” (James 1:3). Perseverance is not giving up. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it's hard. Perseverance originally comes from the Latin perseverantia and means to abide by something strictly. At least some part of this ought to be a part of our understanding as we face the stark, desolate parts of our journey. James even indicates that we should “count it all joy” when we are in these experiences. I have found that especially difficult in my own journey. Sitting with a physician and hearing words like “cancer,” or “cardio vascular disease” are not what I think of when I think of joyful moments. It is often easy to merely resign myself to the randomness of life, as if God is somehow absent and has left life to run its own course. Nothing could be further from the truth. My life is not running on autopilot. God has been, and still is directing my path for His good purpose that will produce good in my life. In fact, with every trial, I do become stronger, able to persevere, perhaps just one more step. But, it is one more step toward my ultimate eternal home. That will not be a wilderness! That truth is the source of my encouragement when the tumbleweeds blow across the path through my wilderness!

The Wilderness - Pt 1

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 3:13-4:4 ESV).

“Wilderness” seasons in our lives are bewildering and lonely. Sometimes it’s easy to identify how you arrived in a desolate place. Many of us have heard these words that introduce us to the wilderness. These are those words that describe the path with names like Diagnosis, or Loss, or Depression. Other times we find ourselves in a malaise or a spiritual wasteland seemingly out of nowhere. We were making progress, arranging our lives appropriately, and then, for some unexplained reason, we took a left turn at Lubbock and the landscape became inhospitable at best. It’s natural to want to avoid wilderness experiences. Yet the Scripture tells us that the wilderness is an expected and even necessary part of walking with God. Nowhere is this made clearer than in our reading today. Matthew’s Gospel lays out for us a vivid depiction of Jesus’ most prolonged wilderness season. First, Jesus’ public ministry is launched with a dramatic moment of affirmation in his baptism and the incredible affirmation from God. And, then he is directed to “the wilderness” where he will be spiritually, emotionally, and physically tried. If I were scripting the story, I’d move Jesus from that profound confirmation of his identity directly into his mission. But, instead, the plot takes a sharp twist. I remember a Theology professor of mine saying the phrase “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” reminded him of the day his parents led him by the hand into a hospital ward for a tonsillectomy. The kind of love that wants us to be well is not the kind of love that always leads us somewhere easy. In the coming days we’re going to look at some of the theories explain why we are often taken through these times in our lives. However, I want us to remember that regardless of “why” we know the “who.” It is the Spirit of God who leads us into these desolate, painful parts of our journey. He has not forgotten or forsaken us. And, He is in control of it all, working it for our good!

A Sabbatical from Technology

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9-11 ESV).

I’m running a bit behind this week. It is actually Tuesday as I sit down and write. I’ve busied myself with other things and gotten off schedule (for those of you who know me, you also know that plays havoc with my psyche). At any rate, as I posted today’s devotional on the various sites I use, I also scrolled through some of the social media I use from time to time. I’m especially fond of Instagram as it is one of the best sources for pictures of family and friends. However, I also noticed one post on Face Book from someone who had left their cell phone at home. They were pondering whether they should go back home and get it. I’m not sure how they posted that without their phone; but, there it was. My first thought was that perhaps I should lose my phone for a day. Perhaps extending that to a full sabbatical from all technology would be even better. It is true that most of us are tied to technology, incessantly connected through at least one device. Our phone is always on us or close at hand. We use a laptop to work remotely or conduct meetings. Our calendar links across our devices to keep us organized and maybe our whole family too. Digital technology has become a central part of our lives; however, we must examine whether this dependency is simply benign, or not. Could our attachment to devices be eating away at our attachment to those we love, especially to our families? Is it possible that our habitual over-consumption of digital media is eroding our relationship with God? It doesn't take much self-reflection to realize that always being connected is a good way to stay disconnected from the Lord. Life completely "off the grid" seems impossible, and for most of us, would require a career change, but we need to keep our technology use in check. We need to create healthy boundaries that protect our minds and our relationships from its damaging effects, especially as it relates to our spiritual health. That thought led me to the Scripture for today’s devotional. God, the master of time itself, took time to rest after creating the world (cf. Genesis 2:2). He built the need for rest into our DNA and even commanded us to follow His example. In our frenetic culture of digital connectivity, I think I’ve forgotten how to rest. It is essential that we re-learn how to take a sabbatical. When we take time to truly rest, we can regain control. Technology no longer ensnares and controls us. We are able to use it to enrich our lives. There's a quietness of spirit that returns to our hearts. We are able to re-engage in meaningful relationships and activities that we previously neglected or ignored. Most importantly, we discover that God was speaking to us all along. We were just too distracted to listen. Taking a break once a week puts technology back into its proper place, where we control it to benefit ourselves and society, and it does not control us. Go ahead, forget your device for a while, even if it’s only an hour or so.

Happy Birthday, Kyle!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 ESV).

There’s nothing quite like browsing your way through old family picture albums. Fortunately for me, Mary was always one to both document and arrange all of these photos for safe-keeping. They are treasured items in our lives. Today is my oldest son’s 45th birthday. I’m not quite sure how that happened so quickly, but as I get older, time seems to pass much more quickly than when I was younger. This photo was taken at Mary’s mom and dad’s home in April of 1980. I could have chosen any one of many other photos to accompany today’s devotional; however, this one seemed to be “right” for the things I wanted to write in encouragement for all who are parents today. The desire of most parents is that their child grows to become better than they are. Perhaps this is at the root of the reason I take the opportunity on the birthdays of my family to recognize the day as a landmark moment thanking God for His work of grace in their lives in making this hope a reality. They are better than I am in so many areas of life. While I often find others acknowledging who assign that as a work that Mary and I are responsible for accomplishing, we have really just been along for the ride! It is a work of God from start to finish. My encouragement to all of you who are parents this day is to recognize the truth that it is never too late to communicate both the love of God and your love for them. One of the great difficulties children must deal with is the lies that can come into their minds masquerading as truth: “I’m not loved,” “I’m not accepted,” “I’m not appreciated,” “I’m not attractive,” “I’m not good enough,” “I’m too fat,” “too thin,” “too tall,” “too short,” “too dumb,” “too smart,” “too everything.” These lies escalate as children move into their teenage years and often are carried into adulthood. The truth of God is anything but that! That’s why I’m convinced it’s never too soon to start praying for a child to feel loved and accepted, first by God, then by family, then by peers and others. We should start this process when they are babies; however, it is never too late. Whatever age your child is at this moment, commit yourself to show them God’s love and grace. Tell them of the great love God has shown to us in Christ. Pray for them throughout their lives. Mark each landmark in their lives with the joy that God is doing a great work in them! I do… Happy Birthday, Kyle! I am so grateful God has given you to me for these last 45 years. I pray there will be many more!

Raising Your Ebenezer - Pt 2

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 ESV). Robinson must have been thinking about this truth when he wrote the lyrics to “Come Thou Fount” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG1WDdFab3g): Here I raise my Ebenezer: Here by Thy great help I’ve come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wand’ring from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood. Of course, this would not be the end of Israel’s story. Many more dangers, toils, and snares were to come. Samuel raising the “stone of help” was in no way a declaration that the final victory had been won, but that up to that point God had helped them. And because God’s people weren’t yet out of the woods, this Ebenezer had a part to play in reminding the nation to keep the faith in the days ahead. So it is with us today, who sing Robinson’s hymn and remember Samuel’s prayer. Our stories are not yet over, and we are not yet out of the woods. Many more threats await us and will assault our faith. And we know our hearts are helpless apart from the tuning and sealing of God’s grace. We are prone to wander. Yet as we live in the tension of this moment called the present, where the rapids of the future rush at us and collect behind us into the pool of the past, we know who our God has shown himself to be. He indeed is the fountain of every blessing. He is the one whose streams of mercy never cease and will be new again tomorrow (cf. Lamentations 3:22-23). And not only has he shown himself faithful in countless small kindnesses and rescues, but chiefly in the death of his own Son for us (v. 8), the mountain peak of his redeeming love, the Ebenezer we call Calvary. Jesus spilled his own blood to rescue us when we were wandering. How much more will he now save us from the dangers to come? He has raised the stone of help, and our hope to arrive safely home, come what may, is no mere wish, but a sure and steady hope, as sure as God is God. If we belong to Christ, he will fetter us to himself and seal our hearts for heaven’s courts.

Raising Your Ebenezer - Pt 1

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. (1 Samuel 7:12-13 ESV).

Today we will begin a short look at an event in the life of Samuel from the Old Testament. Our reading is the brief description of Samuel erecting a memorial of the nation’s victory over the Philistines. The verse says he set up an Eben-ezer, which means “the stone of help.” If ever the people should forget the providence and protection of God, it was intended to not only remind them, but encourage them to thankfulness for God’s great mercy and deliverance. The place where this memorial was set up was the same where, twenty years before, the Israelites were beaten by the Philistines (cf. 1 Samuel 4:1). Samuel himself took care to set up this monument. He had been instrumental by prayer to obtain the mercy, and therefore he felt obligated to make this grateful acknowledgement of it. 3. The reason he gives for the name is how God had proven himself so many times in the past. It is a reminder for us that the beginnings of mercy and deliverance are to be acknowledged with thankfulness and hope. The meaning of the Hebrew word Ebenezer may be the least known among all our most cherished English hymns. Baptist minister Robert Robinson (1735–1790) wrote “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” at age 22, not long after his conversion, which was influenced in part by the preaching of evangelist George Whitefield. The meaning of Ebenezer originates more than a thousand years before Christ, in this memorial of the prophet Samuel, who played a pivotal role at a key juncture in the history of God’s people. Long has he been remembered as one of Israel’s greatest figures, alongside names like Moses (cf. Psalm 99:6; Jeremiah 15:1) and David (cf. Hebrews 11:32). God raised up Samuel as the first prophet (cf. Acts 3:24) after the tragic period of the judges (cf. Acts 13:20) to serve as God’s instrument to establish the kingship in Israel. And yet, apart from the extraordinary stories of his birth and calling (cf. 1 Samuel 1–3), his extensive involvement with anointing (and rebuking) Israel’s first king, Saul, and anointing the second king, who was just a mere boy named David, we know fairly little about Samuel. What we do know is his unwavering understanding of the power and purpose of God as well as the tendency of the people of God to wander from this foundation of hope. Samuel wanted the people to remember, not just for a few days, but for years, for decades, for generations, how God had come to the rescue of his people when they humbled themselves before him. They were vulnerable, with their enemies approaching, and they did not deserve God’s rescue, having been chronically unfaithful. Yet, God delivered them. It is the story of all the ages. God has delivered us through Jesus when we were yet “in our sin” (cf. Romans 5:1-12). To this we “raise our own Ebenezer!” It is a cross and an empty tomb!

Listening Well

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21 ESV).

Our reading today may be the charter text for listening. It’s simple enough in principle, and nearly impossible to actually accomplish. Too often we are slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to anger. I have found that listening well only happens when I am determined to really hear what someone else is saying. When I am thinking more about my response that really hearing what is being said, I often miss the whole point of the conversation in my effort to compete. Learning to listen well won’t happen overnight. It requires discipline, effort, and intentionality. You will get better with time; however, becoming a better listener does not depend on one “big thing.” It depends on developing a pattern of little habits allowing us to focus in on particular people in specific moments. Perhaps the most essential of these habits to develop is patience. We must learn to avoid listening with half an ear that presumes we already know what the other person has to say. This is no more than an impatient, inattentive listening, that is only waiting for a chance to speak. Perhaps we think we know where the speaker is going, and so already begin formulating our response. Or we were in the middle of something when someone started talking to us, or have another commitment approaching, and we wish they were done already. Or maybe we’re half-eared because our attention is divided, by our external surroundings or our internal rebounding to self. Whatever the reason, we must learn to patiently listen. Good listening asks perceptive questions. This counsel is written often in the Proverbs. It is the fool who “takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:2), and thus “gives an answer before he hears” (Proverbs 18:13). And Solomon also writes, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water” (Proverbs 20:5), “but a man of understanding will draw it out.” Good listening asks perceptive, open-ended questions that don’t force people into yes-no answers. We must learn to gently peel the onion and probe beneath the surface. We should also practice watching carefully for nonverbal communication. We should not interrogate or pry into details the speaker doesn’t want to share, but meekly draws them out and help point the speaker to fresh perspectives through careful, but genuine, questions. Commit yourself to being such a listener, especially to your children.

Mowing the Hill

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:11-14 ESV).

From our house to the top of “the hill” is a steep fifteen feet climb. While this may seem negligible to some, however, as an old guy, push mowing this section is not fun! Last week I decided it was time to give it a try. After all, I’ve got two new stents making my heart work again; and, I’ve lost over thirty pounds, doing exactly as the doctors have instructed. Surely I can push the mower up the hill again. I mean, downhill is not a problem. So really I’m only mowing half of it with any effort at all. Right? Well, I fired up the old push mower and began the work. I got downhill and back once until both Brandy, my daughter-in-law, and Mary came out of the houses scolding me for trying to do this task. They reminded me it was the middle of the day, with a heat index of nearly 100 degrees, and I am, after all, nearly 70 years old. After some congenial discussion the decision was made to get my grandson, Logan to come out and mow the patch. He finished it and said, “Grandpa, that’s way too hard for you.” I guess I’ll need to work on that! That little experience brought me to our reading today. I am an imperfect man, physically and spiritually. These verses are full of encouragement for imperfect people like us. It means that we can have assurance that we stand perfected and completed in the eyes of our heavenly Father not because we are perfect now, but are “being sanctified” by faith in God’s promises. We are moving away from our lingering imperfection toward more and more holiness. We really are getting stronger and better by His work of grace in us. This is the kind of faith that in the midst of imperfection and weakness can look to Christ and say, “You have already perfected me in your sight.” This faith says, “Christ, today I have sinned. But I hate my sin. For you have written the law on my heart, and I long to do it. And you are working in me what is pleasing in your sight (Hebrews 13:21). This is not the boast of the strong. It is the cry of the weak in need of a Savior. Whatever hill you are trying to climb on your own, I invite you, I urge you, to be weak enough to trust Christ in this way. Your weakness will fade away in His strength.

Independence Day!

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 ESV).

The fireworks display as seen from the Trinity River looking toward downtown Ft. Worth, Texas, is always spectacular. It is one of the many ways we celebrate our freedom. Today is that day. It was 243 years ago when the Founding Fathers declared the 13 colonies would be known as the United States of America. We know the British did not initially agree, and though six years of fighting their soon-to-be former colonists did not persuade them those colonists had the right to leave the British Empire, it did convince them it wasn’t worth the fight. And so the United States was born. As such, we annually celebrate in the most American ways possible: colorful explosions, baseball games, large portions of food cooked over a backyard’s open flame, “salads” made with lots of mayonnaise, parades and shopping. While the 4th of July is known for its extreme patriotism, it is not known as much of a spending holiday, mainly because most people don’t exchange gifts for it. And yet, Americans find ways to spend during any season of celebration, and America’s birthday has some staggering numbers all of its own. Did you know that $6.8 billion will be spent stocking up for BBQs. The bulk of this cost comes in the purchase of 700 million pounds of chicken for the grill. Red meat and pork come in at a distant second with 190 pounds purchased. And, we will spend another $750 million for the fireworks detonated by everyday pyrotechnic enthusiasts in their backyards. That amounts to 200 million pounds of gunpowder detonated. Nearly 25 percent of Americans will set off fireworks at home, and about 12,000 of those will find themselves in an emergency room this holiday season. It is also interesting that just a mere 12% of the population will actually attend a parade celebrating their freedom. Some folks will be working to provide goods and services for the others in the population who will be celebrating at home with their family and friends. We will be a part of that group. I’m sure the grill will be fired up, there will be some teenagers swimming in the pool, and we’ll gather with our lawn chairs at dark to see the fireworks in the distance. I hope more people than not will take the time to celebrate their real freedom. That freedom was won by Jesus in the cross. It is there that we were set free from death and its penalties. That’s eternal freedom. It cost God His only begotten Son. And, it is given freely to all people of faith! Happy 4th, y’all!

Guardians - Pt 4

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. (Revelation 10:1-3 ESV).

Pietro da Cortana painted “The Guardian Angel,” seen here, in 1656 AD. It is now a part of the collection of the National Gallery of Ancient Art located in Rome, Italy. It is a fitting choice for the end of our little series. As beautiful as this art is, I rather doubt its accuracy. The baroque style of religious art often portrayed these heavenly beings as weak, pale, effeminate characters. That is not how the Scripture describes angels. Our reading today gives us a very different picture. We see them as beings who comprise the entourage of titans surrounding the throne of God! We would do well to remember that as we go forward. Let me illustrate a bit. Suppose you were going to receive the son of the greatest king today. You know that he is the son of a king. He might arrive at your estate walking with two guards. In that case, he would be worthy of the greatest respect, simply because he is a king’s son. But in fact, he is going to arrive with one hundred terrifying titans of greatest strength and beauty surrounding him on every side. These beings are the elite guard and agents of the king. When you see this entourage, the point is not that this entourage gives the king’s son a greater glory than he already had simply by being the king’s son. Rather this is a reminder of what it is like to be the king’s son. I think this is what Jesus wants us to think when the least impressive disciple of Jesus walks into a room. There is no counting these angels, since more or less every angel in the world serves “for the sake of” this disciple (cf. Hebrews 1:14). And these angels always see God’s face — they have a rank and dignity corresponding to direct access to God. We ought to be reminded that this angelic entourage affirms who his older brother is. No wonder the Apostle Paul instructs us to put our hand over our critical mouth, and show great esteem (cf. Philippians 2:3) to all ordinary, childlike disciples. If having God as their Father, and Jesus as their Lord does not cause us to exchange our derision for deference, then let the terrifying advocacy and rank of their magnificent angels wake us from our ignorant stupor! Or as Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10).

Guardians - Pt 3

[Jesus said] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:10-14 ESV).

We understand so little of the impact of the names of God in Scripture. El Shaddai is mere one of the many that speak of the mighty nature of God. He is all-sufficient and all-powerful. Applying this truth to our study of angels we can see that everything angels do, everywhere in the world, at all times, is for the good of Christians. An angel who does something by God’s assignment anywhere in the world is fulfilling the promise that God will work all things for the good of all Christians, everywhere. This is a sweeping and stunning promise. All angels serve for the good of all Christians all the time. And, the power of God insures their success! As amazing as that is, the jolting point of our reading is not the wonder that angels serve us, but the wonder that angels serve others. Remember, the context is about how we treat other believers: “these little ones.” “See that you do not despise one of these little ones” (v. 10). The argument Jesus gives for why we should not treat other believers in belittling ways is because “in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” The point of saying that these angels “see the face of my Father” is that they have the immeasurable rank and privilege to be in the immediate presence of God (cf. Esther 1:14 and Revelation 22:4). So, how are we to be motivated to honor the lowliest Christian (cf. Matthew 11:11) because the angels who attend them have immeasurably high rank and privilege? Let me suggest you begin with the understanding that every Christian has the Creator of the universe as his Father (cf. Romans 8:16-17), and has the Lord of the universe as his elder brother (cf. Romans 8:29). You cannot have a safer, more exalted position as a human being than to have God as your all-caring, all-providing Father (cf. Matthew 6:32-33), and Jesus as your sovereign Lord (cf. Matthew 28:18). Having a hundred or a thousand of the highest ranking angels serving you does not increase your safety or your dignity. However, it does motivate to treat all believers with deep respect “because” they are served by these many high-ranking angels. When you see that beggar on the street, they may a legion of angels surrounding them. Treat them with kindness and compassion.