Do I Have To?

 

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).

 

Charles Shultz always had a way of singling out a very real truth in his Peanuts cartoons. The one I’ve attached today is way too close to the truth we live out each day. Most of the time we can love “mankind;” however, people are another story altogether. It shouldn’t be surprising that when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, his answer was very clear. Of the many commands and regulations in the law of God, those that topped the list were simply: “Love God above all”—and he quickly added the second: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Well, now creates a bit of a conundrum.

 

First, we need to know what kind of love Jesus is talking about. In connection with God’s love for us, this is unconditional love. That’s the kind of love that is totally gracious, generous, and with no strings attached. Then Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This means that if we are to love our neighbors unconditionally and generously, we will need to love ourselves that way too! God doesn’t make junk. We are created in God’s image; we are his masterpieces. It’s not just okay to love myself: God expects me to celebrate the person he created me to be! The Golden Rule Jesus gave us—“Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12)—is another way of saying this command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving others well depends at least partly on our capacity to love ourselves.

 

But then we must come to the conclusion that this is not remote love. Giving to the hungry and homeless of other nations is good; however, taking care of the hungry and homeless down the street as well. This kind of love needs to be practical and purposeful. It must be grounded in the love we have been shown through grace and forgiveness. And, yes, we have to do this!

 

Hope

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter1:3-9 ESV).

 

Three years ago Blake Adami gave me a very unique Christmas gift. It was a small tree sapling. That might cause you to react with “huh?” However, it was not just any tree. It had been grown from an acorn dropped by the famous “Century Oak” on the campus of Texas A&M University. The tradition surrounding this Aggie landmark is storied to be sure. It is over 150 years old and spreads its limbs far into the courtyard in front of the Academic Building in the center of the campus. Just one of the traditions declares that if you propose marriage under its boughs your marriage will be long lasting and full of happiness. It is certainly a piece of history from Aggieland. And, we have one in our yard. When we first got it, it was no bigger than a pencil and about two feet tall. I followed the instructions before planting in its present location. It seemed to love the spot we picked for it, at least until the record winter weather hit later that year. Like many other plants it froze to the ground. We had hope it might have somehow survived with roots going deeper than we thought possible. You can imagine our delight when later that spring it sprouted new growth from the ball. It now has turned into a very nice healthy Live Oak. It now has twin trunks and has grown over five feet in two years!

 

Our hope was fulfilled. Don’t you wish that could be the case all the time? It's easy to lose hope in our everyday lives. Often circumstances beyond our control will quickly sap our hope and leave us despairing about our future. In the midst of such circumstances, the apostle Peter writes of hope. Jesus has risen from the dead! This new reality does not mean all of our suffering will disappear. But just as Jesus' sufferings gave way to resurrection, so also our trials will be followed by glory.

 

This New Year can be filled with hope for each of us. Through Jesus, God has given believers "a living hope." The greatest good news of all is that God has given us hope. We do not remain victims of our sins or of our circumstances. Jesus has the power to redeem every dying expectation and replace it with living hope. Renew your hope today!

 

Pure Cane Sugar

The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Good sense is sa fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. (Proverbs 16:21-24 ESV).

 

The history of Dublin Bottling Works begins in 1891, but the real story begins a few years earlier and 40 miles to the southeast of where I live now. In 1885, the wild frontier town of Waco, Texas, was nicknamed “six-shooter junction.” Wade Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store was a prominent business and popular meeting place in downtown Waco. People came in for everything from flea powder to stationery, from cigars to fountain drinks. One of Morrison’s employees, pharmacist Charles Alderton, noticed how customers loved the smell of the soda fountain with its many fruit, spice and berry aromas. He wanted to invent a drink that tasted the wonderful way the soda fountain smelled. After much experimentation he finally felt he had hit on “something different.” Patrons at the drug store agreed. Soon other soda fountains were buying the syrup from Morrison and serving it. People loved the new unnamed drink and would order it by simply calling out “shoot me a Waco!” But Morrison named it Dr Pepper, after the father of a girl he had loved back in his home state of Virginia. Over the years, Dublin Bottling Works became known for the Kloster family’s commitment to friendly service and quality products, including the distinctive taste of what came to be called “Dublin Dr Pepper” and a host of other fantastic sodas, all made with pure cane sugar. Although Dublin Bottling Works no longer produces Dr Pepper, they do produce a variety of Craft Sodas. And, they are wonderful!

 

Our reading today is from the Wisdom of Solomon. Here he writes that “gracious words are like a honeycomb” (v. 24). In my paraphrase it would go something like “kind words are like Dublin Sodas”! Seriously, isn’t it easier to be kind and gracious than harsh and unforgiving? This New Year gives us all an opportunity to think more about what we say and when we say it. I am not advocating for silence in view of the unjust and wrong of our world. I am advocating using liberal amounts of pure cane sugar to “make the medicine go down.” See if it won’t produce better results for you as the days wear on.

  

The Last Time

 

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11 ESV).

 

WARNING: That sounds a bit ominous, but I hope you don’t skip over the following enjoinder. Today I am going to be writing some things that may cause you to think a bit deeper and more seriously about your mortality. I do not want to insinuate that this life is the “end.” It is not. For the child of God is merely the prelude to an eternity of life without limits and full of unimaginable joy. However, that does not lessen the truth that we do things that might be our “last time” often without thinking. So let’s think a bit deeper together today.

 

The picture I’ve attached today comes from the collection of photos Mary and I took on one of our trips to Cades Cove. We don’t often go early in the day, but other considerations this time put us there when the mist had not fully lifted in the cove. If you have been there you know this is at the beginning of the loop around the cove. Typically the stable horses are near the fence on the left and we almost always see a few wild turkeys making their way across the open field. Mary and I have been to this spot over a hundred times in the past. This year as I began to slowly drive through there were three horses near the fence. I decided to stop and get out taking a few photos. There’s really nothing special about such an experience, unless, of course, it is your last time to visit that place.

 

In many ways every moment in time is our last time. No matter how carefully we try to recreate a scene from the past, it is not the past. And, as soon as we begin the process, the present fades quickly into the past. Perhaps we ought to be more intentional about that truth. What if today is the last time you get to say or do something for someone else? What if today is the last time you will be able to go and do something, even if it is a relative routine experience? Earlier today I began my list of things to do. What if it is the last time I’ll get to do them?

 

It shouldn’t surprise us that the Apostle Peter thought of this in the close of his letter. Our reading says, The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. (vv. 7-8). “Loving one another” and “showing hospitality” are keys to living a life without regret. I do know how difficult that can be at times. However, think of how much easier it becomes if you are able to visualize that it may be the last time you get to do it.

 

It is a maudlin thought in many ways, but it is true. None of us know when this moment may bring us to a point where we have no time left to say or do the things we can and should do. Let me leave you with two thoughts today as we finish this devotional. First, never end a conversation with someone you love without making sure they know how much they mean to you. You will never be in such a hurry that you cannot express your love to them. Second, apologize quickly, no matter who’s “at fault.” I might add the reminder that we are called to forgive as we have been forgiven. Let that sink in and become a part of your foundation for every relationship. Time is the only non-renewable resource we have. Don’t squander it in things that really won’t matter in eternity.

 

The Subtlety of God

 

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11 ESV).

 

Thinking of the plan and purpose of God I am often reminded of the subtlety of God’s thoughts are in reference to our journey. The picture I’ve included today is of a carnal in the woods of Cades Cove. It was taken by the National Park Service and included in one of their brochures. It is lovely; however, the great beauty is found in how God sees to it that such beauty can be found so commonly around us. Our reading today shows us this principle. We might think that the world-changing and history-making beginning of Jesus’ ministry would begin with a major announcement. We might expect that this would come out as THE news of the day.

 

But the heavenly declaration that opens Jesus’ ministry is rather low key. It is also rather private—Jesus hadn’t yet gathered any disciples or followers to witness this event. What’s more, the heavenly power does not swoop in like a great eagle with exposed talons. Instead it is described as gently arriving like a dove. The Spirit of God, who had hovered over the waters of creation (cf. Genesis 1:2), similarly graces the person of Jesus, giving us a sign that a new creation is getting under way and that this new effort will also be good, very good. Here in Mark we are given the heavenly insight that Jesus is the unique and truly loved Son with whom God is well pleased.

 

No matter what you think of yourself, here is a wonderful hint: God has come into the world with the loving intention of bringing about a new creation that includes you. Whatever needs to be re-created by the transformation and blessing of Jesus Christ in your life God’s promise is to do just that. It may not be “earth shattering,” but it will be life transforming. That is His preferred method of ministry. It is in the little things that the greatest changes can be made. What “thing” is there in your life that God desires to make such a difference?  

 

Outside of Myself

 

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. (Psalm 86:5-7 ESV).

 

I often find it relaxing as I sit at the computer to begin writing. Perhaps it is simply because of the way it takes me outside of myself and the hills I have yet to climb in my journey. Writing demands that I become very present tense; however, it also insists that I think in terms beyond myself. I like that. Today is no different. As is typically my custom, I write ahead so that these short encouraging briefs might be posted at a time that can be convenient for others. The date of this writing is actually the morning of New Year’s Eve. In our part of the world the weather is pleasant. The sun is shining and the temperature has warmed to a comfortable degree. I have Anthem Lights playing in the background with some of the “old hymns” and I find my mind wandering.

 

The questions I’m pondering are very task oriented: What should I write about? What might be helpful in the days ahead to my readers? Is there something that is essential to the lives of others that I may have inadvertently left unwritten? Some might simply shrug and say this is the picture of writer’s block; however, my problem is not what to write, but what to say. There is a difference. I recall a wonderful scene from the movie “I Walk the Line.” Johnny Cash makes his way into the studio for the first time to sing in his effort to get a recording contract. He and his small band play an old hymn, which is good, but completely rejected as “the same old tired sound that no one wants to listen to.” He is then challenged to sing something that if he were lying in the street about to die would be the last thing he’s want people to hear. Johnny Cash has one song he wrote years before and they sing it. It was “Cry, Cry, Cry.” It’s a song about rejection and hope for the future. I wonder what might have been had he not felt that way and written that song?

 

Most of the time our lives are like that. We don’t fully understand all the experiences in our lives until later when just at the right time past pain and triumph, success and failure, difficulty and ease all come into clear relief and we see the purpose of God and it’s immeasurable good. To do that we must get outside of ourselves. I mean that we must see the world from God’s perspective. We must trust His absolutely proven consistent work of grace in our lives. That is our beginning point for 2023. I pray you will enjoy the ride with me.

Fireworks, Festivity, and Forgetfulness

 

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 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. (Philippians 3:7-14 ESV).

 

Happy New Year! The title today is “Fireworks, Festivity, and Forgetfulness.” I know that must seem a bit odd, especially the latter of those three. However, once I explain it a bit in light of our reading today, the easier the connection will become. You see we spend literally millions of dollars here and abroad on beautiful, awe-inspiring fireworks displays. The one I’ve included a photo of is from Dallas last year. I have read where it takes days and dozens of licensed and trained explosives experts to place and sequence the fireworks from Reunion Tower. It is a beautiful display; however, as good a way of beginning the New Year this may be, it will not insure finishing it well. I could talk about the festivities, but simply let your mind wander just a bit to imagine all the wonderful celebration help in your community and abroad. The forgetfulness is a bit more complex.

 

I have read that in America, 25% of us blow or discard our resolutions by the end of the first day. Change can be so difficult that even people who want to change will most likely fall back into old patterns and not make change permanent. One reason permanent change is so hard is because we continue to associate with people who knew us before the change. We do and go to the same old habits and expect to get different results. It’s often easier to change who you are when you make a clean break and get a fresh start. Paul had everything going for him from a human point of view—he was THE guy and had it all. But nothing he could DO could make him right in God’s eyes. Paul had to change his perspective—to reframe the things he thought were important.

 

Christians are given a new goal—to know Christ and to be conformed to him. And, just as Paul had to change his orientation, we need to change ours. Fixating on the past prevents us from focusing on the now or moving forward into tomorrow. Turn around—refuse to go back. It means we know where we’ve come from but focus instead on where we are headed (it’s like Lot’s wife yearning for the old life when God was trying to move them forward).

 

There’s an old legend about the Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortés. While many history books gloss over the dark elements, the nitty-gritty was something like this. While on a mission in the New World, some of his men were loyal to the Governor of Cuba and conspired to seize a ship and escape to Cuba. Cortés moved swiftly to squash their plans. Two ringleaders were condemned to be hanged, two were lashed, and one had his foot mutilated. To make sure such a mutiny did not happen again, he decided to scuttle his ships, on the pretext that they were no longer seaworthy. There is a popular misconception that the ships were burned rather than sunk. With all of his ships scuttled, except for one small ship with which to send his representatives and booty to the King of Spain, Cortés effectively stranded the expedition in Mexico.

 

Extreme… yes, but it’s the kind of mentality we need to have when we think about moving on in our own lives. We’ve come to a new point with God. Forget about that old way of life and practice intentional, deliberate living.