Good golly, Miss Molly; this is the last day of 2008 and I ain’t near finished—not even close! I mean, heck, the clothes are still hangin’ on the line; the hogs ain’t been kilt the yards ain’t been swept; the cemetery ain’t been cleaned; the barn ain’t been painted; the pigs ain’t been cut; the wood ain’t been chopped; the fence ain’t been mended; the soap ain’t been made; the eggs ain’t been gathered; the hay ain’t been kevered; and of all things the cow ain’t been milked, so we ain’t got no milk, cream, or butter. Shoot, I ain’t hardly got time to finish by the end of the day. I shore am glad that someone else done figured out that “what don’t get done today, will still be there a waiting tomorrow (although I do feel sorry for the cow)!” I shore hope the sun will be a shinin’; otherwise, I ain’t never gonna get all caught up!
Even so, I am trusting that, during 2009, you will not allow all the stuff of life to distract you from the simplicity and purity of knowing Christ, whom to know is eternal life; that you will find yourself consistently resting in His finished work and, thereby, avoiding spiritual burnout; that you will have ears to hear what most miss—His still, small voice—and, thus, be clued-in to what really needs to be heard; and that you will have eyes to see what many cannot see—the miraculous truth of the one True Gospel—and, thus, not be deceived by the well-intentioned religious, who would rob you of the joy and freedom of knowing Him!
I have truly enjoyed writing these perspectives this year and, even more, I have appreciated all the comments you have made (both positive and negative!), but most of all, I appreciate you and your love and friendship!
May He continue to bless your life with the riches of His lavished grace,
Mac Goddard
12/31/08
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Blackberry & Facebook
Well, I have finally arrived—almost: I upgraded my cell phone to a Blackberry AND I joined Facebook; all I have left is to figure out how to use both (I am old but I am doing the best I can, so be patient with me!).
This Blackberry thing is quite something! It is almost like walking around with your Desktop attached to your side (might even be better). Amazing. indeed! My Daddy would have loved this thing; He bought the first gadget ever to go on sale and everyone that followed, until his death. He carried a pager long after he had any reason to be paged; he just liked gadgets, and he kept hoping that he would get one more page (Now that I think about it, we probably should have put a pager in his casket, so we could have paged him from time to time; he would have liked that). I don’t think I am quite the gadget enthusiast that he was, as is evidenced by the fact that I wasn’t brave enough to get the new Storm (too hard to type on it), but I must admit that this thing is more-than-fascinating. Why, I’ll bet it signaled me ten times during last night that I had received an email! Most days I would have had to wait until morning to find that out, but not any longer! Imagine!
Now this Facebook thingy is really an incredible self-esteem lifter; it allows you to connect with other people who willingly identify themselves as your friend! Heck, I thought I had almost run out of friends, but either lots of folks are pretending, or I am rich in the friend department (which is probable the most valuable department!). Anyway, if you haven’t tried this gadget out, you should; I mean, you even get to see pictures of friends you haven’t seen in a long time (the names are included, so you will be able to recognize them!) and some of those you saw just yesterday, even some of friends you have never seen, e.g. Tamera and Kelly and John.
To add more amazing to the already amazing: my Blackberry came with this Facebook thingy already installed, which means that all during the night and day, I get sounds, aka “ringtones” or “vibrations”, alerting me to the fact that one of my friends is writing on my Facebook wall. Now, if that ain’t the stuff! I mean, this is wonderful, especially for those of us, who thought we had almost run out of friends! Why, I even have one friend who lives in California! Heck, I am now thinking about inviting all of my friends (which you can do on Facebook!) to a party in Hawaii or some such place. Now that I know I have them, I feel sure we would have a grand time!
And then I remember: God has always had a Blackberry (the Holy Spirit) and Facebook (justification comes with it installed), and one day soon, He is going to send a simultaneous message to all of His friends (already invited friends!) and it is going to say something like this: Your place is ready and the party is about to begin; so, come on Home!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Take a Deep Breath!
Lord have mercy, Christmas has come and gone! How did that happen? Not to worry, however, because it will be here again before we know it! In the meantime, we are in the transition period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, which is really a rather interesting time. I say “interesting” time because we tend to look backwards and forwards at the same time. It is much like driving on an interstate highway, where we look ahead through the windshield and behind via the mirrors, and we do both almost at the same time. The truth is, it is this skill that prevents us from causing highway accidents.
Because God is eternal (The Eternal Now, to use the words of Paul Tillich), I seriously doubt that He bothers with a calendar; in all probability, He isn’t too concerned about 2008 ending and 2009 beginning. Furthermore, I am rather certain that He never looks backwards, or forwards, for that matter. Why would the “I Am that I Am” look anywhere other than the eternal present? I mean, after all, this ain’t rocket science. However, the fact that God is living in the eternal now, does not mean that we are doing what He is doing. Actually, we are, but we simply aren’t far enough along the journey of the not-so-eternal-now, to realize it. When we finally get home (before dark!), I think it will all make sense, but I doubt that it will really matter then. Yes, I know that some folk say that it is the journey that matters most, but I think the destination is rather important; after all, at least from my understanding, Home is quite the place, certainly more-than-worth the journey!
Thankfully, God has an ability in His repertoire, that He has chosen to omit from our ours: He sees the entire picture and He sees it fully and completely developed, with the highest of resolutions and in living color. In other words, even though He doesn’t use a calendar, He knows exactly what will take place in every moment of our lives—clean, clear through ‘till next Christmas (even further, to be honest, much further). I say “thankfully” because I don’t think any of us really want all of the details of the next year served up to us on a silver platter. Well, I guess we would, if we could know ahead of time that everything would be A-OK, but the truth is this: everything ain’t going to be A-OK, at least not in our humble opinions, and (I might add) we all know this to be true. Knowing that can be a bit frightening (you can say it isn’t, but you might be lying, too).
So what is our modus operandi, as we face the unknown 365 days of 2009? We operate much the same as we do when we are driving down (up) the interstate: we look ahead and behind at the same time, trying to do all we can to avoid any painful experiences. Some even make New Year’s resolutions, in an attempt to perform a bit more efficiently than in previous years and, thus, decrease the “chances” of painful crashes.
Now don’t go and misunderstand me because I am all-in-favor of each of us attempting to improve; however, I guess I need to tell you that God, the One who is the I AM that I Am, has already decided in your behalf that you won’t miss a thing He has planned for your journey. So take a deep breath and trust you life to the one who knows you best and loves you most! And by the way, keep your eyes on Him, “forgetting the past, and pressing on to know Him . . .”!
Because God is eternal (The Eternal Now, to use the words of Paul Tillich), I seriously doubt that He bothers with a calendar; in all probability, He isn’t too concerned about 2008 ending and 2009 beginning. Furthermore, I am rather certain that He never looks backwards, or forwards, for that matter. Why would the “I Am that I Am” look anywhere other than the eternal present? I mean, after all, this ain’t rocket science. However, the fact that God is living in the eternal now, does not mean that we are doing what He is doing. Actually, we are, but we simply aren’t far enough along the journey of the not-so-eternal-now, to realize it. When we finally get home (before dark!), I think it will all make sense, but I doubt that it will really matter then. Yes, I know that some folk say that it is the journey that matters most, but I think the destination is rather important; after all, at least from my understanding, Home is quite the place, certainly more-than-worth the journey!
Thankfully, God has an ability in His repertoire, that He has chosen to omit from our ours: He sees the entire picture and He sees it fully and completely developed, with the highest of resolutions and in living color. In other words, even though He doesn’t use a calendar, He knows exactly what will take place in every moment of our lives—clean, clear through ‘till next Christmas (even further, to be honest, much further). I say “thankfully” because I don’t think any of us really want all of the details of the next year served up to us on a silver platter. Well, I guess we would, if we could know ahead of time that everything would be A-OK, but the truth is this: everything ain’t going to be A-OK, at least not in our humble opinions, and (I might add) we all know this to be true. Knowing that can be a bit frightening (you can say it isn’t, but you might be lying, too).
So what is our modus operandi, as we face the unknown 365 days of 2009? We operate much the same as we do when we are driving down (up) the interstate: we look ahead and behind at the same time, trying to do all we can to avoid any painful experiences. Some even make New Year’s resolutions, in an attempt to perform a bit more efficiently than in previous years and, thus, decrease the “chances” of painful crashes.
Now don’t go and misunderstand me because I am all-in-favor of each of us attempting to improve; however, I guess I need to tell you that God, the One who is the I AM that I Am, has already decided in your behalf that you won’t miss a thing He has planned for your journey. So take a deep breath and trust you life to the one who knows you best and loves you most! And by the way, keep your eyes on Him, “forgetting the past, and pressing on to know Him . . .”!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Well,the day we call Christmas is almost over and we now begin the journey to New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Bittersweet is the descriptor for me. Today was good in every way, even the Standing Rib Roast (succulent, tender, and wow!)! The presents were opened and appreciated, the grands and mom were then off to another destination, Michael left to meet one of his friends, and Annis and I had a bowl of Ambrosia and whipped cream and began to clean the kitchen! Tomorrow the entire Goddard clan will gather at my brother's house (George & Jaye) in Atlanta (Kennesaw) for fellowship, barbecue, and Brunswick stew, along with many laughs and carrying ons.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Confused? Missing the point?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 [CHRISTMAS EVE!—a bit sunny and 470],
Maybe the entire universe is confused! As I sit at my computer, thinking about what I want to say to you today, it suddenly dawns upon me that I am watching a most unusual happening: there are about 50 robins pecking around in my backyard, looking for worms. Folks, this ain’t springtime; it’s Christmas Eve and 470F!
As if that were not enough, as I watch the robins, I also watch as a golfer walks to the edge of the small lake on #16, to approach his ball. In order to hit it, he has to stand in the edge of the water and he does (he can only be my friend, Travis; no one else loves golf that much)! Folks, this ain’t springtime; it’s Christmas Eve and 470F!
Today is Christmas Eve and that means that tomorrow is Christmas Day, and unless I am confused (which is entirely possible!) this is the time we (Christians) celebrate the Birth of our Savior, aka Jesus; however, the part of the population I can see is just about as confused as the robins and the golfers. Yes, I realize that not everyone “celebrates” His birth the same way I might celebrate it, but Robins in December seems a bit strange to me. Surely, golfers standing in water in December is more than a bit strange (well, for everyone but my friend, Travis).
Yesterday afternoon, I took my granddaughters from our house to their paternal grandmother’s house in Byron, via Gray, which meant that I was privileged to travel the highways for quite a spell. Trust me on this: it seemed that everyone was taking somebody someplace and they all chose the same time I chose to make the trip. In other words, the traffic was horrendous!
As you might imagine, I was in no hurry, as I just don’t hurry much anymore, espe-cially at Christmas. At this point in my life, I am designed more for comfort than I am for speed, or so one of my friends told me, so I was just tooling along, enjoying Sydney and Caroline, as we sang various Christmas songs—celebrating Christmas—and wondering why everyone was in such a rush to get someplace. Didn’t they know it is Christmas?
Later in the evening, Annis, Michael and I decided to go out to eat, as no one wanted to cook, and Annis needed to pick up something at one of the stores at the new mall. Eating was a piece of cake, but EVERYONE in Georgia had gathered at the mall (or so it seemed) and EVERY ONE of them was in a HURRY to do what they apparently did not want to do, in the first place (or so they acted!)—buy Christmas presents for people they apparently didn’t even like.
I don’t know for sure, but it surely seemed that they were missing the point, aka confused, as to what this season is really about, namely Him, not us! Maybe the entire universe IS confused! Slow down! Take a deep breath! Celebrate Jesus!
Maybe the entire universe is confused! As I sit at my computer, thinking about what I want to say to you today, it suddenly dawns upon me that I am watching a most unusual happening: there are about 50 robins pecking around in my backyard, looking for worms. Folks, this ain’t springtime; it’s Christmas Eve and 470F!
As if that were not enough, as I watch the robins, I also watch as a golfer walks to the edge of the small lake on #16, to approach his ball. In order to hit it, he has to stand in the edge of the water and he does (he can only be my friend, Travis; no one else loves golf that much)! Folks, this ain’t springtime; it’s Christmas Eve and 470F!
Today is Christmas Eve and that means that tomorrow is Christmas Day, and unless I am confused (which is entirely possible!) this is the time we (Christians) celebrate the Birth of our Savior, aka Jesus; however, the part of the population I can see is just about as confused as the robins and the golfers. Yes, I realize that not everyone “celebrates” His birth the same way I might celebrate it, but Robins in December seems a bit strange to me. Surely, golfers standing in water in December is more than a bit strange (well, for everyone but my friend, Travis).
Yesterday afternoon, I took my granddaughters from our house to their paternal grandmother’s house in Byron, via Gray, which meant that I was privileged to travel the highways for quite a spell. Trust me on this: it seemed that everyone was taking somebody someplace and they all chose the same time I chose to make the trip. In other words, the traffic was horrendous!
As you might imagine, I was in no hurry, as I just don’t hurry much anymore, espe-cially at Christmas. At this point in my life, I am designed more for comfort than I am for speed, or so one of my friends told me, so I was just tooling along, enjoying Sydney and Caroline, as we sang various Christmas songs—celebrating Christmas—and wondering why everyone was in such a rush to get someplace. Didn’t they know it is Christmas?
Later in the evening, Annis, Michael and I decided to go out to eat, as no one wanted to cook, and Annis needed to pick up something at one of the stores at the new mall. Eating was a piece of cake, but EVERYONE in Georgia had gathered at the mall (or so it seemed) and EVERY ONE of them was in a HURRY to do what they apparently did not want to do, in the first place (or so they acted!)—buy Christmas presents for people they apparently didn’t even like.
I don’t know for sure, but it surely seemed that they were missing the point, aka confused, as to what this season is really about, namely Him, not us! Maybe the entire universe IS confused! Slow down! Take a deep breath! Celebrate Jesus!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Forerunner of Jesus
Saturday morning, December 20, 2008 [cloudy and 670],
During this Christmas season, let us not forget John, the son of Zacharias and Eliza-beth; you probably remember him as John the Baptist (although I don’t remember reading anything about him ever joining a Baptist church!). Actually, it is probably a bit more accurate to call him John the Baptizer, but, then, that will probably make all the Baptist folk angry, because some of them really do think he founded the Baptist church. Oh, well—
Call him whatever you choose, but this is the truth of the matter: God was rather emphatic that the folk call him John: “And it came about on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. And his mother answered and said, ‘No indeed; but he shall be called John.’ And they said to her, ‘There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.’ And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished (Luke 1:59-63).
In case you have forgotten, this is what Gabriel (the angel) said to Zacharias prior to the aforementioned meeting: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while he is yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:13-17; emphasis, added).
Sometimes (all the time, really!), it is best to stop arguing and fussing and making excuses and to simply do what God says do—even if it doesn’t make any sense. Heck, I have no idea why it mattered so much to God that this child be named John; as far as I am concerned, He could have named him Zacharias (at least it would have made more sense). Actually, I would have been completely satisfied with “Little Bo Peep,” or even John Calvin, but the fact of the matter is that He wanted him named John, and that is enough for me.
If you will go back and read the third paragraph, you will readily see that God had a very specific and quite wonderful purpose for John; I mean, this is awesome! Were it not for the last sentence, one could confuse him with Him! There was, however, this one drawback: “And the child continued to grow, and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:8; emphasis, added). Why would God want this handpicked “John” to live in the desert, eating locusts and wild honey and wearing leather skins, for such a long time, prior to his actually doing all those important things? Hmmm, I thought you would want to remember him during these days!
During this Christmas season, let us not forget John, the son of Zacharias and Eliza-beth; you probably remember him as John the Baptist (although I don’t remember reading anything about him ever joining a Baptist church!). Actually, it is probably a bit more accurate to call him John the Baptizer, but, then, that will probably make all the Baptist folk angry, because some of them really do think he founded the Baptist church. Oh, well—
Call him whatever you choose, but this is the truth of the matter: God was rather emphatic that the folk call him John: “And it came about on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. And his mother answered and said, ‘No indeed; but he shall be called John.’ And they said to her, ‘There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.’ And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished (Luke 1:59-63).
In case you have forgotten, this is what Gabriel (the angel) said to Zacharias prior to the aforementioned meeting: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while he is yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:13-17; emphasis, added).
Sometimes (all the time, really!), it is best to stop arguing and fussing and making excuses and to simply do what God says do—even if it doesn’t make any sense. Heck, I have no idea why it mattered so much to God that this child be named John; as far as I am concerned, He could have named him Zacharias (at least it would have made more sense). Actually, I would have been completely satisfied with “Little Bo Peep,” or even John Calvin, but the fact of the matter is that He wanted him named John, and that is enough for me.
If you will go back and read the third paragraph, you will readily see that God had a very specific and quite wonderful purpose for John; I mean, this is awesome! Were it not for the last sentence, one could confuse him with Him! There was, however, this one drawback: “And the child continued to grow, and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:8; emphasis, added). Why would God want this handpicked “John” to live in the desert, eating locusts and wild honey and wearing leather skins, for such a long time, prior to his actually doing all those important things? Hmmm, I thought you would want to remember him during these days!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
He Touched My Friend!
Thursday night, December 18, 2008 [warmer, PTL!],
This afternoon I visited someone who has lung cancer and is presently living in a rehab facility. He is trying to regain the strength that both the illness and the treatment have robbed from him. The mountain he is attempting to climb is much too high, every step leaves him almost breathless; yet, he looks forward to being released from this facility and returning to his home, where he lives—alone.
When I walked into his room, he had a visitor, but he interrupted their conversation to tell me that he had been meaning to call me, but just hadn’t done it, then he motioned for me to have a seat in his wheel chair. He obviously wanted to talk about something that was important to him. To be sure, I already knew that I was there by Divine appointment because of the circumstances that led me to him, so I sat down, waiting for the other visitor to leave, so he could say whatever he need to say. He didn’t wait; instead, he started right in with his story. Soon the visitor excused himself, and I think he did so because he knew that our friend had more to say than he was saying in his presence.
As soon as the visitor left the room, my friend got up out of his bed, took the several, labored steps necessary to reach his chair, and plopped down, looking directly at me. I knew he had something on his mind, a burden that he needed to release. He was fighting tears, as if men aren’t supposed to cry. Then these words came forth: I can’t tell you when it happened, all I can tell you is that it happened; I have truth in here (pointing to his heart), but I need to know how to pray; I need to know how to pray so that I am not sounding selfish. I knew what he meant, what he was asking.
I find it so sad that so many have been taught such erroneous things about God, things that say I am being selfish, when having been diagnosed with lung cancer, I am asking God for healing; things that say I am being selfish, when I am scared to death (not of death, but of dying), and I am asking God to take away my fear; things that say I am being selfish, when my life is completely out of my control, and I am asking God to bring some sense of hope and security to me.
As you might imagine, I told my friend not to worry about sounding selfish because God already knows that he is, and it doesn’t offend Him one bit. I told him to tell God whatever he wanted to tell Him, and He would understand. I told him to yell and to scream at God, if He needed to, and He would gather him up in His big arms and hug him. I told him to tell God that he wanted Him to heal him, that he really wanted Him to heal him, and God wouldn’t see it as selfishness, but as honesty.
Before I finished that piece of this conversation, I told him that most of my prayer life has to do with my getting to the place, where I desire His will for me, more than I desire my own will, and I told him that it was hard, very hard. Then, of all things, He asked me to pray for him. I mumbled something, probably something asinine, but I know God heard me and I know that He touched my friend! I really like it when He touches my friends!
Have I told you lately how blessed I am to be able to spend my life doing this? Talk about grace!
This afternoon I visited someone who has lung cancer and is presently living in a rehab facility. He is trying to regain the strength that both the illness and the treatment have robbed from him. The mountain he is attempting to climb is much too high, every step leaves him almost breathless; yet, he looks forward to being released from this facility and returning to his home, where he lives—alone.
When I walked into his room, he had a visitor, but he interrupted their conversation to tell me that he had been meaning to call me, but just hadn’t done it, then he motioned for me to have a seat in his wheel chair. He obviously wanted to talk about something that was important to him. To be sure, I already knew that I was there by Divine appointment because of the circumstances that led me to him, so I sat down, waiting for the other visitor to leave, so he could say whatever he need to say. He didn’t wait; instead, he started right in with his story. Soon the visitor excused himself, and I think he did so because he knew that our friend had more to say than he was saying in his presence.
As soon as the visitor left the room, my friend got up out of his bed, took the several, labored steps necessary to reach his chair, and plopped down, looking directly at me. I knew he had something on his mind, a burden that he needed to release. He was fighting tears, as if men aren’t supposed to cry. Then these words came forth: I can’t tell you when it happened, all I can tell you is that it happened; I have truth in here (pointing to his heart), but I need to know how to pray; I need to know how to pray so that I am not sounding selfish. I knew what he meant, what he was asking.
I find it so sad that so many have been taught such erroneous things about God, things that say I am being selfish, when having been diagnosed with lung cancer, I am asking God for healing; things that say I am being selfish, when I am scared to death (not of death, but of dying), and I am asking God to take away my fear; things that say I am being selfish, when my life is completely out of my control, and I am asking God to bring some sense of hope and security to me.
As you might imagine, I told my friend not to worry about sounding selfish because God already knows that he is, and it doesn’t offend Him one bit. I told him to tell God whatever he wanted to tell Him, and He would understand. I told him to yell and to scream at God, if He needed to, and He would gather him up in His big arms and hug him. I told him to tell God that he wanted Him to heal him, that he really wanted Him to heal him, and God wouldn’t see it as selfishness, but as honesty.
Before I finished that piece of this conversation, I told him that most of my prayer life has to do with my getting to the place, where I desire His will for me, more than I desire my own will, and I told him that it was hard, very hard. Then, of all things, He asked me to pray for him. I mumbled something, probably something asinine, but I know God heard me and I know that He touched my friend! I really like it when He touches my friends!
Have I told you lately how blessed I am to be able to spend my life doing this? Talk about grace!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Believing the Unbelievable
Wednesday night, December 17, 2008 [cloudy but warmer, thank the Lord!],
After the shock had calmed a bit (a wee bit!), Mary uttered those words that most of us find very difficult, if not impossible, to utter—“ . . . be it done to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38b). Interestingly, after this profound utterance, the scene changes and we find Mary quickly (hastily!) making her way to a city in the hill country called Judah and to the house of Zacharias, to visit Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John (the Baptizer!).
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, two very significant things happened—the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit! This is her response, the cry of her heart, to Mary: “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord” (vs. 42-43).
I know you are picking up on this, but just to be sure: Elizabeth is referring to this yet-to-be-born baby as her Lord! Not bad, if you ask me! I can only imagine that the Holy Spirit whispered something in her ear and did it in such a way as to convince her of its truth. I mean, we either have to believe that or this entire thing is a farce.
By the way, have you ever wondered how Elizabeth knew that the Lord had spoken to Mary about the coming of Jesus, and not only that, but also that Mary believed what He said? If you pay attention to the text, you will notice that there was not enough time for Mary to have told her anything, much less that story. Again, we either believe that the Holy Spirit told her, or this entire thing is a hoax, a farce.
All I know to say is this: I am so very thankful that Mary was able to utter those al-most-unutterable words—Be it unto me according to your Word! Obviously, His Word was quick and active and powerful, even living!
By the way, if YOU are a believer, you are for the very same reason that Mary and Elizabeth were believers—the Holy Spirit spoke the same unbelievable truth into your ear, and He did so in such a way as to convince you of its truth. I repeat, you either have to be-lieve that, or this entire thing is a hoax, a farce. This is for certain: you did not come to be-lieve it on your own; in fact, you like all the rest, did not even want to believe such an un-believable story. Thankfully, He loves you (and me) enough not to allow us to have our own way!
By the way again, He still speaks today, even (and especially) to those who have no interest in what He is saying, and He does it in such a way as to convince them (even them) that His Word is Truth—The Truth!
After the shock had calmed a bit (a wee bit!), Mary uttered those words that most of us find very difficult, if not impossible, to utter—“ . . . be it done to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38b). Interestingly, after this profound utterance, the scene changes and we find Mary quickly (hastily!) making her way to a city in the hill country called Judah and to the house of Zacharias, to visit Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John (the Baptizer!).
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, two very significant things happened—the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit! This is her response, the cry of her heart, to Mary: “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord” (vs. 42-43).
I know you are picking up on this, but just to be sure: Elizabeth is referring to this yet-to-be-born baby as her Lord! Not bad, if you ask me! I can only imagine that the Holy Spirit whispered something in her ear and did it in such a way as to convince her of its truth. I mean, we either have to believe that or this entire thing is a farce.
By the way, have you ever wondered how Elizabeth knew that the Lord had spoken to Mary about the coming of Jesus, and not only that, but also that Mary believed what He said? If you pay attention to the text, you will notice that there was not enough time for Mary to have told her anything, much less that story. Again, we either believe that the Holy Spirit told her, or this entire thing is a hoax, a farce.
All I know to say is this: I am so very thankful that Mary was able to utter those al-most-unutterable words—Be it unto me according to your Word! Obviously, His Word was quick and active and powerful, even living!
By the way, if YOU are a believer, you are for the very same reason that Mary and Elizabeth were believers—the Holy Spirit spoke the same unbelievable truth into your ear, and He did so in such a way as to convince you of its truth. I repeat, you either have to be-lieve that, or this entire thing is a hoax, a farce. This is for certain: you did not come to be-lieve it on your own; in fact, you like all the rest, did not even want to believe such an un-believable story. Thankfully, He loves you (and me) enough not to allow us to have our own way!
By the way again, He still speaks today, even (and especially) to those who have no interest in what He is saying, and He does it in such a way as to convince them (even them) that His Word is Truth—The Truth!
A Fair Question, if You Ask Me!
Tuesday afternoon, December 16, 2008 [a bit sunny; 680; my kind of weather!]
This is Mary’s response to what the anger, Gabriel, told her: “How can this be, since I am a virgin” (Luke 1:34)?
1. A Totally New Concept: In my mind, that was a fair question. Virgins do not give birth, certainly not in Mary’s day! How was she going to give birth when she had never, ever, had sexual intercourse? I do not know about you, but I can remember several times when God told me what was about to happen and I raised the very same question (my call to preach, for example). It is my guess that you can remember several such experiences, as well. This, however, was different—really different—over the line.
2. A Concept with Much Perceived Risk: What was Mary supposed to tell Joseph? What would she tell the Jewish leaders, when it became evident that she was pregnant? Rest assured that adultery was not considered a virtue; in fact, it carried the sentence of death by stoning! I can remember several times in my life when God’s direction for me carried considerable risk, or so I thought. The truth is this: There is NEVER any risk involved when we are following His direction—never! Oh, yes, it can appear to be risky, even dangerous, but in the end (and in the beginning for that matter), He is in control!
3. An Unbelievable Concept: Truth is, I have no idea how Mary convinced Joseph that the Holy Spirit had come upon her and she had conceived the Son of God. Now, folks, this simply an unbelievable story! I can only imagine the twisted gossip! “Mary is pregnant and she is going around telling everyone that she and God had some kind of affair, and she is pregnant with God’s child!” I am telling you this story is unbelievable. The fact is, you cannot believe it, and you will not believe it! Well, you won’t until He gives you the faith to believe it. Trust me about this! It ain’t going to happen, otherwise!
4. An Essential Concept: Nothing short of this virgin birth, whereby the Holy Spirit entered Mary’s virgin womb, could have wrought about our redemption. Had any other route been chosen, we would have continued on with Adam’s corrupt seed, passing it on from generation to generation. Thankfully, however, we have been born of the incorruptible, imperishable, sinless, seed of God!
“Hail Mary, full of grace; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!”
Let us not throw the baby out with the bath water; instead, let us honor the woman who was the mother of our Savior. To be sure, God did!
This is Mary’s response to what the anger, Gabriel, told her: “How can this be, since I am a virgin” (Luke 1:34)?
1. A Totally New Concept: In my mind, that was a fair question. Virgins do not give birth, certainly not in Mary’s day! How was she going to give birth when she had never, ever, had sexual intercourse? I do not know about you, but I can remember several times when God told me what was about to happen and I raised the very same question (my call to preach, for example). It is my guess that you can remember several such experiences, as well. This, however, was different—really different—over the line.
2. A Concept with Much Perceived Risk: What was Mary supposed to tell Joseph? What would she tell the Jewish leaders, when it became evident that she was pregnant? Rest assured that adultery was not considered a virtue; in fact, it carried the sentence of death by stoning! I can remember several times in my life when God’s direction for me carried considerable risk, or so I thought. The truth is this: There is NEVER any risk involved when we are following His direction—never! Oh, yes, it can appear to be risky, even dangerous, but in the end (and in the beginning for that matter), He is in control!
3. An Unbelievable Concept: Truth is, I have no idea how Mary convinced Joseph that the Holy Spirit had come upon her and she had conceived the Son of God. Now, folks, this simply an unbelievable story! I can only imagine the twisted gossip! “Mary is pregnant and she is going around telling everyone that she and God had some kind of affair, and she is pregnant with God’s child!” I am telling you this story is unbelievable. The fact is, you cannot believe it, and you will not believe it! Well, you won’t until He gives you the faith to believe it. Trust me about this! It ain’t going to happen, otherwise!
4. An Essential Concept: Nothing short of this virgin birth, whereby the Holy Spirit entered Mary’s virgin womb, could have wrought about our redemption. Had any other route been chosen, we would have continued on with Adam’s corrupt seed, passing it on from generation to generation. Thankfully, however, we have been born of the incorruptible, imperishable, sinless, seed of God!
“Hail Mary, full of grace; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!”
Let us not throw the baby out with the bath water; instead, let us honor the woman who was the mother of our Savior. To be sure, God did!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Be It Unto Me According to Your Word
Friday morning, December 12, 2008 [clear skies, and 470; too cold for me!],
To say the very least, these words of Mary should capture our attention : “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). On the surface, they might not seem like much, but the next time an angel leads you into a place where “angels, themselves, fear to tread,” try them on for size, and, then, let me know what you think.
This is the “where angels fear to tread” place that Gabriel (the angel) was leading Mary into: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over-shadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God” (vs. 35). You think about this: Mary is a virgin, engaged-to-be-married, but a virgin, none-the-less—no hanky-panky, whatsoever (what a novel idea!); although she was probably looking forward to having a quiver filled with children, who would be the sons and daughters of the man to whom she was engaged, aka Joseph, she had no idea (none, nada, zilch!) that God had chosen her to give birth to, of all people, the Son of God (her “how can this be” question evidences this!) and certainly NOT before being married (As you know, in her day adulterers were not looked upon very favorably; to say the least her “political future” would be placed in serious jeopardy, not to mention that she would be stoned to death. Can you imagine her trying to convince anyone that this conception was, well, that it was Immaculate?); and, finally, she saw herself as God’s bondslave, which was a good thing—a very good thing—otherwise, she would have “cut and run” faster than a beagle hound chasing a rabbit through a sage field on a cold winter morning (Of course, running would have been futile because God had already made His decision and His decision always stands, regardless of how fast we run!). Yes, I can see why she would have “double clutched” with “how can this be” before she came through with these words that will live in infamy (Yes, I intended to use that word!): “. . . be it done to me according to your word.”
Oftentimes, the Lord leads us (maybe it is angels!) into places where “angels fear to tread,” places where we would NEVER volunteer to go, places we know we have no business being in, places that scare the wits out of us, places that move us so far out of our comfort zones, that we feel completely out of control, and when He does, it becomes OUR time to say, “Be it unto me according to your Word.”
Don’t think you will escape this, as Jesus Himself could not! Remember His words: “Not my will but Thine be done!” Need I remind you that these words did NOT come easily for Him, it took the sweating of blood, and, I might add, they will not come easily for you, but they will come; He will see to it!
I hope you will think about this-
To say the very least, these words of Mary should capture our attention : “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). On the surface, they might not seem like much, but the next time an angel leads you into a place where “angels, themselves, fear to tread,” try them on for size, and, then, let me know what you think.
This is the “where angels fear to tread” place that Gabriel (the angel) was leading Mary into: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over-shadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God” (vs. 35). You think about this: Mary is a virgin, engaged-to-be-married, but a virgin, none-the-less—no hanky-panky, whatsoever (what a novel idea!); although she was probably looking forward to having a quiver filled with children, who would be the sons and daughters of the man to whom she was engaged, aka Joseph, she had no idea (none, nada, zilch!) that God had chosen her to give birth to, of all people, the Son of God (her “how can this be” question evidences this!) and certainly NOT before being married (As you know, in her day adulterers were not looked upon very favorably; to say the least her “political future” would be placed in serious jeopardy, not to mention that she would be stoned to death. Can you imagine her trying to convince anyone that this conception was, well, that it was Immaculate?); and, finally, she saw herself as God’s bondslave, which was a good thing—a very good thing—otherwise, she would have “cut and run” faster than a beagle hound chasing a rabbit through a sage field on a cold winter morning (Of course, running would have been futile because God had already made His decision and His decision always stands, regardless of how fast we run!). Yes, I can see why she would have “double clutched” with “how can this be” before she came through with these words that will live in infamy (Yes, I intended to use that word!): “. . . be it done to me according to your word.”
Oftentimes, the Lord leads us (maybe it is angels!) into places where “angels fear to tread,” places where we would NEVER volunteer to go, places we know we have no business being in, places that scare the wits out of us, places that move us so far out of our comfort zones, that we feel completely out of control, and when He does, it becomes OUR time to say, “Be it unto me according to your Word.”
Don’t think you will escape this, as Jesus Himself could not! Remember His words: “Not my will but Thine be done!” Need I remind you that these words did NOT come easily for Him, it took the sweating of blood, and, I might add, they will not come easily for you, but they will come; He will see to it!
I hope you will think about this-
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Seed of God
Wednesday afternoon, December 10, 2008 [raining cats & dogs!],
Listen carefully to these words, spoken by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary: “And behold you shall conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Then, as you remember, she responded with, “How can this be, since I am a virgin” (vs. 34)? His answer was clear—very clear: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God” (vs. 35).
As you also remember, Gabriel told Mary of Elizabeth’s unexpected pregnancy: “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month” (vs. 36). I want to encourage you to read this entire story, beginning in verse 5 of chapter one, continuing through verse25, as I think it will be meaningful to you. Anyway, as you can see in verse 23, Zacharias, Elizabeth’s husband, returned home, which is key in this story. Verse 24, unlocks the door to the secret: “And after these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant . . .” In other words, after Zacharias’ meeting with his angel, he finished his priestly duties and returned home to enjoy a bit of hanky-panky with his wife, hanky-panky that proved to be productive, much to his (and her) surprise!
I said all of that to say this: there is a significant difference between these two pregnancies: on the one hand, Elizabeth conceives as the result of hanky-panky (sexual intercourse!), but Mary conceives without any hanky-panky whatsoever! The seed (spermatozoon!), that produced the zygote that became the embryo that became John, came from old Zack; however, the seed (spermatozoon!), that produced the zygote that became the embryo that became Jesus, came from, well it came from none other than the Holy Spirit! Wow! Talk about threading camels through the eyes of needles!
Why is this so significant? Simple! This means that those who are born into the family of God are born without any of Adam’s seed whatsoever; instead, we are born with the Seed of God, the Holy, blameless, perfect, righteous, imperishable, sinless, eternal seed of God! No longer Adam’s kindred, but altogether children of God!
Now you give this some thought, especially if you are a preacher, but even if you aren’t a preacher, give it some thought, as it will bless you abundantly. If you do give it some thought but still cannot see the blessing, ask the Holy Spirit to take the blinders off your eyes, so you can see. I’m telling you, this is good stuff!
Listen carefully to these words, spoken by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary: “And behold you shall conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Then, as you remember, she responded with, “How can this be, since I am a virgin” (vs. 34)? His answer was clear—very clear: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God” (vs. 35).
As you also remember, Gabriel told Mary of Elizabeth’s unexpected pregnancy: “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month” (vs. 36). I want to encourage you to read this entire story, beginning in verse 5 of chapter one, continuing through verse25, as I think it will be meaningful to you. Anyway, as you can see in verse 23, Zacharias, Elizabeth’s husband, returned home, which is key in this story. Verse 24, unlocks the door to the secret: “And after these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant . . .” In other words, after Zacharias’ meeting with his angel, he finished his priestly duties and returned home to enjoy a bit of hanky-panky with his wife, hanky-panky that proved to be productive, much to his (and her) surprise!
I said all of that to say this: there is a significant difference between these two pregnancies: on the one hand, Elizabeth conceives as the result of hanky-panky (sexual intercourse!), but Mary conceives without any hanky-panky whatsoever! The seed (spermatozoon!), that produced the zygote that became the embryo that became John, came from old Zack; however, the seed (spermatozoon!), that produced the zygote that became the embryo that became Jesus, came from, well it came from none other than the Holy Spirit! Wow! Talk about threading camels through the eyes of needles!
Why is this so significant? Simple! This means that those who are born into the family of God are born without any of Adam’s seed whatsoever; instead, we are born with the Seed of God, the Holy, blameless, perfect, righteous, imperishable, sinless, eternal seed of God! No longer Adam’s kindred, but altogether children of God!
Now you give this some thought, especially if you are a preacher, but even if you aren’t a preacher, give it some thought, as it will bless you abundantly. If you do give it some thought but still cannot see the blessing, ask the Holy Spirit to take the blinders off your eyes, so you can see. I’m telling you, this is good stuff!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Nothing is Impossible with God!
Tuesday morning, December 8, 2008 [Sunny and 670!],
An angel came to Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:30-33). And Mary thought, “Yea, right!” Then she said (probably before she thought again!), “How can this be, since I am a virgin” (vs. 34)? Then she thought some more: “I am not married, I have never had sexual relations with anyone; truth is, I am a virgin and proud of it. Something is wrong with this picture—terribly wrong! How CAN this be?”
The angel’s response makes it evident that he (that is correct, as every time the word “angel” is used in the Scriptures it is in the masculine NOT the feminine) came equipped with extra-sensory perception, i.e., he could sense the anxiety and fear in Mary’s heart, so he said to her (my paraphrase), “You haven’t heard anything yet! Listen to this: Your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived (past tense!) a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month!”
You know, sometimes God can come up with some outlandish ideas, ideas that make all of us nervous, anxious, and afraid, and these are two very good examples! I can understand why Mary might have been just a tad nervous, even anxious. In the society in which she lived, this could only go in one direction—DOWNHILL—or so she thought.
Then the angel reveals the punch line to Mary: FOR NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD! As you remember, Jesus spoke these very same words to His disciples in response to His telling them that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. I don’t know who was most relieved to hear them, Mary or the disciples, but I do know this: THEY ARE POWERFUL WORDS, WORDS THAT BRING FAITH—INCREDIBLE FAITH—THE KIND THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, THE KIND THAT THREADS CAMELS THROUGH THE EYES OF NEEDLES, AND THE KIND THAT ALLOWS FOR A VIRGIN TO GIVE BIRTH TO THE SON OF GOD! To be sure, His ways are not our ways, not even close, but aren’t we all glad, as in very glad!
Now, listen up: because nothing is impossible with God, it is entirely possible and highly probable that you will make it through this Christmas season without being distracted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus, the same Jesus who was conceived in a virgin womb, who moves mountains, and who threads camels through the eyes of needles. If my prediction is true, you can say on December 26, I have just witnessed a mountain-moving, miracle!
An angel came to Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:30-33). And Mary thought, “Yea, right!” Then she said (probably before she thought again!), “How can this be, since I am a virgin” (vs. 34)? Then she thought some more: “I am not married, I have never had sexual relations with anyone; truth is, I am a virgin and proud of it. Something is wrong with this picture—terribly wrong! How CAN this be?”
The angel’s response makes it evident that he (that is correct, as every time the word “angel” is used in the Scriptures it is in the masculine NOT the feminine) came equipped with extra-sensory perception, i.e., he could sense the anxiety and fear in Mary’s heart, so he said to her (my paraphrase), “You haven’t heard anything yet! Listen to this: Your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived (past tense!) a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month!”
You know, sometimes God can come up with some outlandish ideas, ideas that make all of us nervous, anxious, and afraid, and these are two very good examples! I can understand why Mary might have been just a tad nervous, even anxious. In the society in which she lived, this could only go in one direction—DOWNHILL—or so she thought.
Then the angel reveals the punch line to Mary: FOR NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD! As you remember, Jesus spoke these very same words to His disciples in response to His telling them that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. I don’t know who was most relieved to hear them, Mary or the disciples, but I do know this: THEY ARE POWERFUL WORDS, WORDS THAT BRING FAITH—INCREDIBLE FAITH—THE KIND THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, THE KIND THAT THREADS CAMELS THROUGH THE EYES OF NEEDLES, AND THE KIND THAT ALLOWS FOR A VIRGIN TO GIVE BIRTH TO THE SON OF GOD! To be sure, His ways are not our ways, not even close, but aren’t we all glad, as in very glad!
Now, listen up: because nothing is impossible with God, it is entirely possible and highly probable that you will make it through this Christmas season without being distracted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus, the same Jesus who was conceived in a virgin womb, who moves mountains, and who threads camels through the eyes of needles. If my prediction is true, you can say on December 26, I have just witnessed a mountain-moving, miracle!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Loss and More Loss!
Sunday evening, December 7, 2008 [way too cold for me!],
On December 7, 1941, I was shaping up pretty well and scheduled for delivery on February 15, 1942. Gosh, if I had known what was taking place on that infamous day in 1941, I would have probably ducked behind my Mother’s breastbone! The Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor and they were doing one hell of a job of it (or so I have been told; I think I could hear the bombs, but it might have been Mama attempting to crack a coconut, for all I know). Anyway, I think it is safe for me to say that America was completely surprised by this attack; if we were not, we surely didn’t act as if we were expecting it. As a result, more than 2300 Americans lost their lives, while serving this country.
On September 11, 2001 America was surprised again! With all the military might of the Armed Forces of the United States, it seemed that all we could do was watch and wonder how this could happen. On that infamous morning, 19 Islamic terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in NYC, killing everyone on board and many others working in the building. Both buildings collapsed within two hours. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, DC. There are no survivors from any of the flights. Excluding the 19 hijackers, 2,974 people died in the attacks, while enjoying the American way of life.
As most of you know, very recently the stock market took a nose dive that, again, took many Americans by surprise. As in these other surprises, there was major loss, not in terms of human lives (though there were and continue to be some who chose the avenue of suicide) but in terms of a lifetime of savings. Many who were preparing to retire suddenly realized that that was now impossible. Sadly, this entire loss was the result of greed, or should I say GREED.
I don’t say this to make you nervous or to cause you to lose sleep, but I am pretty certain that America is in for some more surprises, surprises that will result in even more loss. You see, it is very difficult for me to understand how anyone who lives in this great nation can be so ungrateful. Sadly, there is a generation of people walking around on this soil today, people who have no appreciation whatsoever for those who fought to keep this soil safe and to keep America free, whose lives are completely centered in the cesspool of greed. Interestingly, most of these want and expect instant gratification and they will do whatever might be necessary to feed that desire.
We have already lost any sense of moral compass and who knows what is next. I hope you will give this some thought.
On December 7, 1941, I was shaping up pretty well and scheduled for delivery on February 15, 1942. Gosh, if I had known what was taking place on that infamous day in 1941, I would have probably ducked behind my Mother’s breastbone! The Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor and they were doing one hell of a job of it (or so I have been told; I think I could hear the bombs, but it might have been Mama attempting to crack a coconut, for all I know). Anyway, I think it is safe for me to say that America was completely surprised by this attack; if we were not, we surely didn’t act as if we were expecting it. As a result, more than 2300 Americans lost their lives, while serving this country.
On September 11, 2001 America was surprised again! With all the military might of the Armed Forces of the United States, it seemed that all we could do was watch and wonder how this could happen. On that infamous morning, 19 Islamic terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in NYC, killing everyone on board and many others working in the building. Both buildings collapsed within two hours. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, DC. There are no survivors from any of the flights. Excluding the 19 hijackers, 2,974 people died in the attacks, while enjoying the American way of life.
As most of you know, very recently the stock market took a nose dive that, again, took many Americans by surprise. As in these other surprises, there was major loss, not in terms of human lives (though there were and continue to be some who chose the avenue of suicide) but in terms of a lifetime of savings. Many who were preparing to retire suddenly realized that that was now impossible. Sadly, this entire loss was the result of greed, or should I say GREED.
I don’t say this to make you nervous or to cause you to lose sleep, but I am pretty certain that America is in for some more surprises, surprises that will result in even more loss. You see, it is very difficult for me to understand how anyone who lives in this great nation can be so ungrateful. Sadly, there is a generation of people walking around on this soil today, people who have no appreciation whatsoever for those who fought to keep this soil safe and to keep America free, whose lives are completely centered in the cesspool of greed. Interestingly, most of these want and expect instant gratification and they will do whatever might be necessary to feed that desire.
We have already lost any sense of moral compass and who knows what is next. I hope you will give this some thought.
Friday, December 5, 2008
This is the Gift from God!
Friday afternoon, December 5, 2008 [sunny and still too cold for me!],
This is what Solomon had to say: “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. And this also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So, what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger. Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift from God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart” (Ecclesiastes 5:13-20; emphasis, mine).
This is what Jesus had to say: “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (Luke 12:15; emphasis, mine).
He also said this: “Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these” (Luke 12:27; emphasis, mine).
I really wish you would take the time to meditate upon these passages, especially during these days of our lives.
This is what Solomon had to say: “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. And this also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So, what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger. Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift from God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart” (Ecclesiastes 5:13-20; emphasis, mine).
This is what Jesus had to say: “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (Luke 12:15; emphasis, mine).
He also said this: “Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these” (Luke 12:27; emphasis, mine).
I really wish you would take the time to meditate upon these passages, especially during these days of our lives.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
God's Economy is in Fine Shape!
Thursday morning, December 4, 2008 [cloudy and too cold for me!],
As you well-know, Christmas is upon us, in spite of the "official" declaration of recession. Can you believe it? It is Christmas and we are officially in a recession and trying to dodge a depression! I thought God was the all-powerful and good God with infinite resources, but I guess I was wrong. How in the wide-world could this all-powerful, good God, who has infinite resources, allow such a terrible thing to happen to us? How does He expect us to have a Merry Christmas when the financial world is going to Hell in a hand basket? Where does He expect us to get enough money to buy presents, when we can barely make ends meet? How does He expect those who have lost their jobs to have Happy Holidays? Bah humbug!
Actually, I have another question: Have we come to the place where the joy of Christmas is somehow linked to the size of our bank accounts? If we have (and I am afraid we have), we have really been deceived. I never will forget Ma Stumph; she didn't even have a bank account, much less money to put into one, but she did know the joy of Christ-mas—every single day! On one Christmas Eve, just before going to church, her young son told her that he wanted some supper. Knowing that there was no food in the house what-soever, she replied with, “We will eat when we get back from church.” As you might imagine, this young lad was very hungry by the time they returned, and Ma was most concerned about feeding her young son! For some reason, as soon as he walked into the door of the house, he went onto the back porch and let out a scream that scared Ma nearly to death! “Ma, Ma,” he exclaimed, “look at all these groceries! Where did they come from?” She caught her breath, walked calmly out onto the porch, looked at the many bags of groceries and replied, “Son I have no idea where they came from, but I know who sent them!” Ma died without ever knowing where those groceries came from, but she also died without ever forgetting who sent them, nor did she ever lose the JOY of Christmas!
Instead of chasing around trying to find figure out how to come up with enough money to buy presents for those who already have everything they could ever possible need, ask the Holy Spirit to show you someone who really has a need, and then ask Him to use you to meet that need. You might be surprised at what happens! I will tell you this: doing so will remind you that the JOY of Christmas is NOT tied to how well Wall Street or Main Street is doing; instead, it is tied to the fact that it really is more blessed to give than it is to fret and worry about whether we are in a recession or a depression! Just for the record: God’s economy is not in either, and He is good all the time and every time!
As you well-know, Christmas is upon us, in spite of the "official" declaration of recession. Can you believe it? It is Christmas and we are officially in a recession and trying to dodge a depression! I thought God was the all-powerful and good God with infinite resources, but I guess I was wrong. How in the wide-world could this all-powerful, good God, who has infinite resources, allow such a terrible thing to happen to us? How does He expect us to have a Merry Christmas when the financial world is going to Hell in a hand basket? Where does He expect us to get enough money to buy presents, when we can barely make ends meet? How does He expect those who have lost their jobs to have Happy Holidays? Bah humbug!
Actually, I have another question: Have we come to the place where the joy of Christmas is somehow linked to the size of our bank accounts? If we have (and I am afraid we have), we have really been deceived. I never will forget Ma Stumph; she didn't even have a bank account, much less money to put into one, but she did know the joy of Christ-mas—every single day! On one Christmas Eve, just before going to church, her young son told her that he wanted some supper. Knowing that there was no food in the house what-soever, she replied with, “We will eat when we get back from church.” As you might imagine, this young lad was very hungry by the time they returned, and Ma was most concerned about feeding her young son! For some reason, as soon as he walked into the door of the house, he went onto the back porch and let out a scream that scared Ma nearly to death! “Ma, Ma,” he exclaimed, “look at all these groceries! Where did they come from?” She caught her breath, walked calmly out onto the porch, looked at the many bags of groceries and replied, “Son I have no idea where they came from, but I know who sent them!” Ma died without ever knowing where those groceries came from, but she also died without ever forgetting who sent them, nor did she ever lose the JOY of Christmas!
Instead of chasing around trying to find figure out how to come up with enough money to buy presents for those who already have everything they could ever possible need, ask the Holy Spirit to show you someone who really has a need, and then ask Him to use you to meet that need. You might be surprised at what happens! I will tell you this: doing so will remind you that the JOY of Christmas is NOT tied to how well Wall Street or Main Street is doing; instead, it is tied to the fact that it really is more blessed to give than it is to fret and worry about whether we are in a recession or a depression! Just for the record: God’s economy is not in either, and He is good all the time and every time!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Object of our Worship?
Wednesday morning, November 19, 2008 [clear and COLD; 330F],
[CONTINUED FROM MONDAY, 11/17/08]
Admittedly, you will probably disagree with my opinion but I am going to make it, nevertheless: There are more church-goers who worship themselves than worship God. Yes, I realize that money, especially during these financially precarious times, seems to be the god of most; however, a more careful look will reveal the truth—the worship of money takes a back seat to the worship of self.
To be sure, you can determine what/who a person worships by the way he reacts when the object of his worship crumbles, and the present financial melt-down has certainly evidenced this. Some have reacted with remarkable faith and peace, while others have reacted with incredible fear and anger; however, there is no reaction like the reaction most church-goers have when someone tells them that keeping the Ten Commandments has no more to do with righteousness than does the singing of the National Anthem. If you have ever tried to take away a child's pacifier, then you know something of the kind of reaction to which I am referring.
You see, if you believe that pleasing God has to do with your behavior, then the rules that define the correct behavior become all-important. For most, these rules are known as The Ten Commandments (I find it interesting that although few believers can even name the Ten Commandments, most see them as the way to holiness and righteousness. Go figure!). Of course, these Ten Commandments have to be interpreted and this presents us with an entirely new set of gods to worship—keeping the Sabbath Day holy; loving your neighbor, as you love yourself; tithing; church attendance; financial responsibility; stewardship; faithfulness, to name a few.
I say these (both the Ten Commandments and our interpretations of them) are gods we worship because we place far more confidence in our ability to keep (obey) them than we ever place in the finished work of Jesus, the work he accomplished in our behalf through His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating.
The real tragedy begins when a believer begins to think that he/she is being successful at keeping the rules! Believe it or not, I actually had someone (a preacher) tell me that he keeps all of the Ten Commandments! Yes, he was being serious—very serious! Sadly, the more one believes that he is being successful at keeping the "rules," the more confidence he places in his own ability to please God (this was Adam's and Eve's problem!); obviously, in the end, this person is worshipping himself—a sad state of affairs, to be sure.
So you see, what begins as a sincere, albeit terribly misinformed, desire to please God, ends in self-worship. Sadly, most are taught that the way to holiness is through the keeping of the Ten Commandments, which quickly become a very long list of interpretations of the commandments (the Jews developed 210 rules on how to keep the Sabbath Day holy; my mother had 211); consequently, we strive very hard to meet the standards set before us. In our deception, we honestly believe that we are making progress and, consequently, we soon begin to place much confidence in our own ability to please God, thus the beginning of our worship of the commandments. As we see more progress being made (or so we sincerely believe), we begin to put even more confidence in our own ability to please God and begin to worship ourselves! A slippery slope, indeed! When the god of self begins to crumble, even money looses is luster!
By the way, and just for the record: Jesus is our righteousness—period! Your keeping the commandments has no more to do with your righteousness than does your singing of the National Anthem.
[CONTINUED FROM MONDAY, 11/17/08]
Admittedly, you will probably disagree with my opinion but I am going to make it, nevertheless: There are more church-goers who worship themselves than worship God. Yes, I realize that money, especially during these financially precarious times, seems to be the god of most; however, a more careful look will reveal the truth—the worship of money takes a back seat to the worship of self.
To be sure, you can determine what/who a person worships by the way he reacts when the object of his worship crumbles, and the present financial melt-down has certainly evidenced this. Some have reacted with remarkable faith and peace, while others have reacted with incredible fear and anger; however, there is no reaction like the reaction most church-goers have when someone tells them that keeping the Ten Commandments has no more to do with righteousness than does the singing of the National Anthem. If you have ever tried to take away a child's pacifier, then you know something of the kind of reaction to which I am referring.
You see, if you believe that pleasing God has to do with your behavior, then the rules that define the correct behavior become all-important. For most, these rules are known as The Ten Commandments (I find it interesting that although few believers can even name the Ten Commandments, most see them as the way to holiness and righteousness. Go figure!). Of course, these Ten Commandments have to be interpreted and this presents us with an entirely new set of gods to worship—keeping the Sabbath Day holy; loving your neighbor, as you love yourself; tithing; church attendance; financial responsibility; stewardship; faithfulness, to name a few.
I say these (both the Ten Commandments and our interpretations of them) are gods we worship because we place far more confidence in our ability to keep (obey) them than we ever place in the finished work of Jesus, the work he accomplished in our behalf through His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating.
The real tragedy begins when a believer begins to think that he/she is being successful at keeping the rules! Believe it or not, I actually had someone (a preacher) tell me that he keeps all of the Ten Commandments! Yes, he was being serious—very serious! Sadly, the more one believes that he is being successful at keeping the "rules," the more confidence he places in his own ability to please God (this was Adam's and Eve's problem!); obviously, in the end, this person is worshipping himself—a sad state of affairs, to be sure.
So you see, what begins as a sincere, albeit terribly misinformed, desire to please God, ends in self-worship. Sadly, most are taught that the way to holiness is through the keeping of the Ten Commandments, which quickly become a very long list of interpretations of the commandments (the Jews developed 210 rules on how to keep the Sabbath Day holy; my mother had 211); consequently, we strive very hard to meet the standards set before us. In our deception, we honestly believe that we are making progress and, consequently, we soon begin to place much confidence in our own ability to please God, thus the beginning of our worship of the commandments. As we see more progress being made (or so we sincerely believe), we begin to put even more confidence in our own ability to please God and begin to worship ourselves! A slippery slope, indeed! When the god of self begins to crumble, even money looses is luster!
By the way, and just for the record: Jesus is our righteousness—period! Your keeping the commandments has no more to do with your righteousness than does your singing of the National Anthem.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Released from the Law!
Monday morning, November 17, 2008 [beautiful, clear, sunny and 420F],
[CONTINUED FROM Thursday, 11/13/08]
For reasons beyond me, Steve Brown also said this (my paraphrase, as I do not have the tape): There is a shallow teaching going around that says we have been released from the Law; however, we have NOT been released from the Law.
As you might imagine, when he spoke these words, I really wanted to stop him and question him, but Annis was sitting next to me, so I managed to contain myself, barely but enough to continue listening. I do think I know what he was attempting to accomplish because He followed with this: God's Ten Commandments were not His Ten Suggestions!
He went on to say that God has not changed His mind about any of His commandments from the first to the last. In other words, Steve was reminding us that each of His commandments is off limits for us; we have no business "fishing" where these "no fishing" signs are posted. Amazingly, I agreed with him; however, I must admit that I was wondering what he was going to do with his "we have NOT been released from the Law" comment.
Surely, every Christian (with the possible exception of those 'fresh born') knows that God was serious about the Ten Commandments, that He really meant for us to obey them, not violate them. I mean that has been preached long enough that even the heathen should know it is true.
But IS it really true? I don't think so (oops, I probably won't get a return invite!) and this is my reason: God knew from the very beginning that we would not obey the Ten Commandments, so He was not really expecting us to do so. You see, He gave us the Ten Commandments to show us our need for a Savior, not to give us "God's Rules for Righteousness." He gave us the Ten Commandments to show us how foolish it is for us to think we can become righteous in our own strength, i.e. by keeping the commandments.
Specifically, God gave us the Law (the Ten Commandments) to (1) define sin; (2) to show us its exceeding sinfulness; (3) to give sin its strength [power]; and finally (4) to be a schoolmaster that would drive [actually, drag] us in utter desperation to Jesus. When that job has been accomplished (and it has been in the life of every believer!), we are, thus, released from the Law!
Listen to Paul's own words: "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace" [Romans 6:14; emphasis, mine]; "Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound (the Law), so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter [Romans 7:4-6; emphasis, mine]; "Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, 'The Righteous man shall live by faith.' However the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, 'He who practices them shall live by them.' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree . . .'" [Galatians 3:11-13; emphasis, mine].
You can draw your own conclusions—
[more to come!]
[CONTINUED FROM Thursday, 11/13/08]
For reasons beyond me, Steve Brown also said this (my paraphrase, as I do not have the tape): There is a shallow teaching going around that says we have been released from the Law; however, we have NOT been released from the Law.
As you might imagine, when he spoke these words, I really wanted to stop him and question him, but Annis was sitting next to me, so I managed to contain myself, barely but enough to continue listening. I do think I know what he was attempting to accomplish because He followed with this: God's Ten Commandments were not His Ten Suggestions!
He went on to say that God has not changed His mind about any of His commandments from the first to the last. In other words, Steve was reminding us that each of His commandments is off limits for us; we have no business "fishing" where these "no fishing" signs are posted. Amazingly, I agreed with him; however, I must admit that I was wondering what he was going to do with his "we have NOT been released from the Law" comment.
Surely, every Christian (with the possible exception of those 'fresh born') knows that God was serious about the Ten Commandments, that He really meant for us to obey them, not violate them. I mean that has been preached long enough that even the heathen should know it is true.
But IS it really true? I don't think so (oops, I probably won't get a return invite!) and this is my reason: God knew from the very beginning that we would not obey the Ten Commandments, so He was not really expecting us to do so. You see, He gave us the Ten Commandments to show us our need for a Savior, not to give us "God's Rules for Righteousness." He gave us the Ten Commandments to show us how foolish it is for us to think we can become righteous in our own strength, i.e. by keeping the commandments.
Specifically, God gave us the Law (the Ten Commandments) to (1) define sin; (2) to show us its exceeding sinfulness; (3) to give sin its strength [power]; and finally (4) to be a schoolmaster that would drive [actually, drag] us in utter desperation to Jesus. When that job has been accomplished (and it has been in the life of every believer!), we are, thus, released from the Law!
Listen to Paul's own words: "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace" [Romans 6:14; emphasis, mine]; "Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound (the Law), so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter [Romans 7:4-6; emphasis, mine]; "Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, 'The Righteous man shall live by faith.' However the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, 'He who practices them shall live by them.' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree . . .'" [Galatians 3:11-13; emphasis, mine].
You can draw your own conclusions—
[more to come!]
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Penny's Wedding (11/15/08)
It took place at Briarcliff United Methodist Church in Atlanta on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 6:00 in the evening. Penny is now Mrs. Ross Collins. The new bride and groom will reside in Rome, Georgia. Let me simply say that everything was FIRST CLASS,to say the very least! Enough, as pictures, well you know the rest!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Free from Sin and Enslaved to Righteousness
Thursday morning, November 13, 2008 [raining cats & dogs; 550F],
[CONTINUED FROM Wednesday]
OK, so we have now established that man is evil—period—and in desperately need of a Savior—One who can do for him what he cannot do for himself, even with God's help. Thankfully, we have also seen that God has provided that Savior in the Person of Jesus Christ.
The good news is this: in sending our Savior, God did not, simply, refurbish us; instead, He crucified us, buried us, and raised us up as new creations in Him—born of the seed of God! In other words, the person that you were in Adam was crucified in Christ on the Cross, buried with Him, and, finally, raised up with Him and seated at His right hand in the Most Holy Place in the heavens (see Romans 6 & Ephesians 2, if you do not believe me).
When we were born into the world, we were born in Adam bearing his seed—sinners, separated from God, with no interest in Him, not to mention helpless to do anything about our dire situation, even if we were interested in doing so. To be sure, we had no inclination for good; instead, our inclination was for self, even when we fed the poor or took warm, apple pies to widows or gave some money for the local soup kitchen or attended a funeral visitation. The ONLY reason we would ever show interest in helping another person was to make ourselves look "good," or at least better.
Thank God for Jesus! He is the Head of the family of God and has no Adamic seed whatsoever (He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not by man!); consequently, when we are born into His family, we are born free of Adam's seed.
This is significant for several reasons: (1) We are, therefore, as righteous as Jesus is righteous; (2) We have an inclination for Jesus; (3) We are privileged to do good works, the works that He prepared beforehand for us; (4) We have the option of allowing love to motivate us, instead of self; (5) It evidences God's love for us—His unconditional love; (6) and finally, (7) We are freed from the power of sin and made slaves of righteousness.
Sadly, even though they are staring Truth in the face, many believers choose to live as if they are "good with an inclination for evil." Hopefully, you can now see just how far short this falls from the Truth, not to mention how much it deprives them of the glorious freedom of living in complete dependence upon Him, the One who is our righteousness.
[more to come]
[CONTINUED FROM Wednesday]
OK, so we have now established that man is evil—period—and in desperately need of a Savior—One who can do for him what he cannot do for himself, even with God's help. Thankfully, we have also seen that God has provided that Savior in the Person of Jesus Christ.
The good news is this: in sending our Savior, God did not, simply, refurbish us; instead, He crucified us, buried us, and raised us up as new creations in Him—born of the seed of God! In other words, the person that you were in Adam was crucified in Christ on the Cross, buried with Him, and, finally, raised up with Him and seated at His right hand in the Most Holy Place in the heavens (see Romans 6 & Ephesians 2, if you do not believe me).
When we were born into the world, we were born in Adam bearing his seed—sinners, separated from God, with no interest in Him, not to mention helpless to do anything about our dire situation, even if we were interested in doing so. To be sure, we had no inclination for good; instead, our inclination was for self, even when we fed the poor or took warm, apple pies to widows or gave some money for the local soup kitchen or attended a funeral visitation. The ONLY reason we would ever show interest in helping another person was to make ourselves look "good," or at least better.
Thank God for Jesus! He is the Head of the family of God and has no Adamic seed whatsoever (He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not by man!); consequently, when we are born into His family, we are born free of Adam's seed.
This is significant for several reasons: (1) We are, therefore, as righteous as Jesus is righteous; (2) We have an inclination for Jesus; (3) We are privileged to do good works, the works that He prepared beforehand for us; (4) We have the option of allowing love to motivate us, instead of self; (5) It evidences God's love for us—His unconditional love; (6) and finally, (7) We are freed from the power of sin and made slaves of righteousness.
Sadly, even though they are staring Truth in the face, many believers choose to live as if they are "good with an inclination for evil." Hopefully, you can now see just how far short this falls from the Truth, not to mention how much it deprives them of the glorious freedom of living in complete dependence upon Him, the One who is our righteousness.
[more to come]
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Putting Off the Old and Putting on the New
Wednesday morning, November 12, 2008 [cloudy and 510],
[CONTINUED FROM MONDAY]
Thankfully, Steve did point out that God imputed the righteousness of Jesus to every believer (whether he is good with a tinge of evil or evil with a tinge of good or just plain mean as a snake)! To be honest, I always cringe a bit when I hear a teacher use the word "impute" in this context and for good reason: it doesn't do justice to the Greek word that is being translated, not to mention that most of us seldom even use the word, in any context. Try using it in a common, ordinary, everyday sentence!
Sadly, most of the time (for theology teachers) its use implies that God has given us something that is really not ours. It is as if they see the finished work of Jesus as amounting to an adoption, an adoption that says, "I am giving you My name and my righteousness but remember that neither are really yours." To be sure, we have been adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5, among others); however, this adoption is much more than a legal and limited declaration. As a result of this adoption, we have actually changed bloodlines; we have been removed from the family of Adam and placed into the family of God [You think about that!].
Having said that, allow me to show you Paul's rendition of what Steve said: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21; emphasis added). As you can see, Paul's rendition is clear: we actually become the righteousness of God in Christ!
Why am I making this point? Well, for one reason, it needs to be made; we need to know that we are no longer who we were. As believers, we are no longer good with a proclivity for evil and, certainly, not evil with a proclivity for good; instead, we are the righteousness of God in Christ. We are no longer in Adam, but in Christ! We have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the Heavenly places (the Most Holy Place) at God's right hand! We are no longer sinners but saints!
Now stay with me: Even though we have become the righteousness of God in Christ, we have nothing about which to boast, except in the cross of Jesus, and we do not because He gave His righteousness to us, we did not manufacture it on our own. A thing of grace, indeed!
Maybe it is time for us to put off the old man and put on the new man! "But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth" (Ephesians 4:20-24).
[MORE TO COME!]
[CONTINUED FROM MONDAY]
Thankfully, Steve did point out that God imputed the righteousness of Jesus to every believer (whether he is good with a tinge of evil or evil with a tinge of good or just plain mean as a snake)! To be honest, I always cringe a bit when I hear a teacher use the word "impute" in this context and for good reason: it doesn't do justice to the Greek word that is being translated, not to mention that most of us seldom even use the word, in any context. Try using it in a common, ordinary, everyday sentence!
Sadly, most of the time (for theology teachers) its use implies that God has given us something that is really not ours. It is as if they see the finished work of Jesus as amounting to an adoption, an adoption that says, "I am giving you My name and my righteousness but remember that neither are really yours." To be sure, we have been adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5, among others); however, this adoption is much more than a legal and limited declaration. As a result of this adoption, we have actually changed bloodlines; we have been removed from the family of Adam and placed into the family of God [You think about that!].
Having said that, allow me to show you Paul's rendition of what Steve said: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21; emphasis added). As you can see, Paul's rendition is clear: we actually become the righteousness of God in Christ!
Why am I making this point? Well, for one reason, it needs to be made; we need to know that we are no longer who we were. As believers, we are no longer good with a proclivity for evil and, certainly, not evil with a proclivity for good; instead, we are the righteousness of God in Christ. We are no longer in Adam, but in Christ! We have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the Heavenly places (the Most Holy Place) at God's right hand! We are no longer sinners but saints!
Now stay with me: Even though we have become the righteousness of God in Christ, we have nothing about which to boast, except in the cross of Jesus, and we do not because He gave His righteousness to us, we did not manufacture it on our own. A thing of grace, indeed!
Maybe it is time for us to put off the old man and put on the new man! "But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth" (Ephesians 4:20-24).
[MORE TO COME!]
Monday, November 10, 2008
Continued from yesterday
Monday morning, November 10, 2008 [sunny and a bit chilly—430],
[CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY]
In an effort to be "Fair & Balanced," I must hasten to tell you that Steve Brown also said this: "Man is basically evil with a proclivity for good." As you might imagine, he was using these two opposing notions in an effort to cause his listeners to think, and I am certain that his pedagogical method worked (I was there and saw it with my own eyes!).
Although no poll was taken, I am certain that there were decidedly more "takers" for the "Man is good with a proclivity for evil" notion than there were for "Man is evil with a proclivity for good" notion. I mean, after all, man is so selfish and self-centered that he cannot imagine that he is anything but good, with, yes, maybe a hint of evil surfacing every now and then.
Now, if you can, imagine yourself sitting at a lunch table with several people you have never before seen, having a discussion around these two opposing notions. Imagine trying to convince even one of them that man is basically evil with a proclivity for good. Trust me, it is difficult enough to convince one that man is good with a proclivity for evil; however, when both are used together, most always choose the "man is good with a proclivity for evil" notion.
Now, imagine yourself sitting at the same table having this discussion KNOWING that both notions are incorrect—terribly incorrect—and also knowing that Steve Brown (and they had come to hear him, not you!) had just come down on the "man is evil with a proclivity for good" side of the fence. If your imagination is working, you have probably already broken out in hives, or at least a sweat!
Imagine that you knew that there is a third piece of this "pie" that Steve never mentioned, the piece that, in your opinion, is THE truth of the matter: "Man is evil—period! I can imagine that your part of the conversation would have gone something like this: Man not only has no proclivity for good, he doesn't even have the capacity for it. Scene change: you are now sitting at the table alone!
For the life of me, I cannot imagine why Steve never mentioned this piece of the "pie!" Yea, right! I can, however, imagine that, if he had mentioned it and claimed it as truth, this trip to the Cove would have been his last one and I don't fault him for wanting to make return trips!
I, however, don't have to be concerned with that concern, so I will take the liberty of pushing the envelope even further with this: there is not one blessed (no pun intended) thing man can do about his complete and total depravity. Really! I am not teasing. The fact is, there is nothing he can do even to desire to be Good!
Again, man does not need God's help; instead, he needs for God to do for him what he could never do for himself, even with God's help—snatch him out of the pit and give him Life!
MORE TO COME—SOON!
Grace & peace,
Mac
[CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY]
In an effort to be "Fair & Balanced," I must hasten to tell you that Steve Brown also said this: "Man is basically evil with a proclivity for good." As you might imagine, he was using these two opposing notions in an effort to cause his listeners to think, and I am certain that his pedagogical method worked (I was there and saw it with my own eyes!).
Although no poll was taken, I am certain that there were decidedly more "takers" for the "Man is good with a proclivity for evil" notion than there were for "Man is evil with a proclivity for good" notion. I mean, after all, man is so selfish and self-centered that he cannot imagine that he is anything but good, with, yes, maybe a hint of evil surfacing every now and then.
Now, if you can, imagine yourself sitting at a lunch table with several people you have never before seen, having a discussion around these two opposing notions. Imagine trying to convince even one of them that man is basically evil with a proclivity for good. Trust me, it is difficult enough to convince one that man is good with a proclivity for evil; however, when both are used together, most always choose the "man is good with a proclivity for evil" notion.
Now, imagine yourself sitting at the same table having this discussion KNOWING that both notions are incorrect—terribly incorrect—and also knowing that Steve Brown (and they had come to hear him, not you!) had just come down on the "man is evil with a proclivity for good" side of the fence. If your imagination is working, you have probably already broken out in hives, or at least a sweat!
Imagine that you knew that there is a third piece of this "pie" that Steve never mentioned, the piece that, in your opinion, is THE truth of the matter: "Man is evil—period! I can imagine that your part of the conversation would have gone something like this: Man not only has no proclivity for good, he doesn't even have the capacity for it. Scene change: you are now sitting at the table alone!
For the life of me, I cannot imagine why Steve never mentioned this piece of the "pie!" Yea, right! I can, however, imagine that, if he had mentioned it and claimed it as truth, this trip to the Cove would have been his last one and I don't fault him for wanting to make return trips!
I, however, don't have to be concerned with that concern, so I will take the liberty of pushing the envelope even further with this: there is not one blessed (no pun intended) thing man can do about his complete and total depravity. Really! I am not teasing. The fact is, there is nothing he can do even to desire to be Good!
Again, man does not need God's help; instead, he needs for God to do for him what he could never do for himself, even with God's help—snatch him out of the pit and give him Life!
MORE TO COME—SOON!
Grace & peace,
Mac
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A Proclivity for Good?
Sunday evening, November 9, 2008 [clear and 620],
After having spent several days at The Cove, listening to Steve Brown and intermingling with others, who were listening to him, I am more convinced than ever that the message of grace is the message that God is bringing alive within the church today. As we sat at the breakfast table, the morning after the first session, I took the liberty of interjecting myself into a conversation that some folk were having about something Steve said the night before. This is what he said: Man is basically good with a proclivity for evil. What I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears served to confirm what I already knew: many people attend church for years without ever being taught the true gospel. Sadly, the gospel they have been taught puts man at the center of the universe and God somewhere on the sidelines—man becomes a god and God becomes his victim.
As you might imagine, I challenged Steve's comment, suggesting that man is basically evil with no proclivity for good—none whatsoever. It soon became obvious that the people, whose conversation I interrupted, were not about to accept my suggestion; that is, none of them but the one man who was obviously being drawn to The Truth.
One of the men said he knew several lost people, not to mention Christians, who consistently did some really good things. He even mentioned Warren Buffet, reminding us that he has given millions to help the needy. Sadly, he really believed that the "good" works to which he was referring translated into "a proclivity for good" in man. As I gently (honestly, I was being gentle!) pursued my premise, he left the table, along with two of his friends, one of whom was the sister of the man who was, obviously, being drawn to The Truth. It was if I could read her mind: "Let's get out of here before he convinces my brother of this heresy."
The truth is this: until we realize our own depravity, we will not realize our own need for a savior! We will think much like the Galatians, who agreed that Jesus was good but insisted that circumcision was essential. In other words, salvation is the result of what Jesus did and what we will do (or not do, as the case may be). There is a Greek word for this mindset—baloney! (No, I did not tell them that!).
Anyway, just for the record, I will share with you what Paul had to say about man's proclivity for good: "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is not one who does good, there is not even one. There throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:10-18; emphasis added).
No, we do not need God's help; instead, we need Him, in the person of Jesus, to do for us what we could never do for ourselves, even with His help. We need to get over thinking that we have a proclivity for good and accept the fact that we are rotten to the core. A young man came up to Jesus one day and addressed Him with this: "Good Teacher . . . ". Jesus immediately stopped him and said, "Why do you call me good? There is but One who is Good and He is My Father."
Enough said? I think so!
There is more to come—
Blessings with grace lavished,
After having spent several days at The Cove, listening to Steve Brown and intermingling with others, who were listening to him, I am more convinced than ever that the message of grace is the message that God is bringing alive within the church today. As we sat at the breakfast table, the morning after the first session, I took the liberty of interjecting myself into a conversation that some folk were having about something Steve said the night before. This is what he said: Man is basically good with a proclivity for evil. What I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears served to confirm what I already knew: many people attend church for years without ever being taught the true gospel. Sadly, the gospel they have been taught puts man at the center of the universe and God somewhere on the sidelines—man becomes a god and God becomes his victim.
As you might imagine, I challenged Steve's comment, suggesting that man is basically evil with no proclivity for good—none whatsoever. It soon became obvious that the people, whose conversation I interrupted, were not about to accept my suggestion; that is, none of them but the one man who was obviously being drawn to The Truth.
One of the men said he knew several lost people, not to mention Christians, who consistently did some really good things. He even mentioned Warren Buffet, reminding us that he has given millions to help the needy. Sadly, he really believed that the "good" works to which he was referring translated into "a proclivity for good" in man. As I gently (honestly, I was being gentle!) pursued my premise, he left the table, along with two of his friends, one of whom was the sister of the man who was, obviously, being drawn to The Truth. It was if I could read her mind: "Let's get out of here before he convinces my brother of this heresy."
The truth is this: until we realize our own depravity, we will not realize our own need for a savior! We will think much like the Galatians, who agreed that Jesus was good but insisted that circumcision was essential. In other words, salvation is the result of what Jesus did and what we will do (or not do, as the case may be). There is a Greek word for this mindset—baloney! (No, I did not tell them that!).
Anyway, just for the record, I will share with you what Paul had to say about man's proclivity for good: "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is not one who does good, there is not even one. There throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:10-18; emphasis added).
No, we do not need God's help; instead, we need Him, in the person of Jesus, to do for us what we could never do for ourselves, even with His help. We need to get over thinking that we have a proclivity for good and accept the fact that we are rotten to the core. A young man came up to Jesus one day and addressed Him with this: "Good Teacher . . . ". Jesus immediately stopped him and said, "Why do you call me good? There is but One who is Good and He is My Father."
Enough said? I think so!
There is more to come—
Blessings with grace lavished,
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Obituary: Buffy Goddard
BUFFY GODDARD
Macon, Georgia—Graveside services were held today at 5:45 PM for Buffy Goddard, who died today, November 1, 2008, after a lengthy illness. Interment was in the Goddard yard (111 River North Court) at a carefully selected and prominent place, near the back steps. Buffy was born in August of 1993 and, thus, lived a mere 15 years, according to human standards. According to dog standards, she lived to the ripe old age of 105! In either case, she lived out her entire life as a beloved member of the family of Mac & Annis Goddard. Those of us who knew and loved her are quick to say that she was the sweetest dog we have ever known. To be sure, she brought us much happiness and joy during her life with us. She is survived by her twin sister, Taffy, along with Mac & Annis, Michael, Amy, Sydney, and Caroline. To say the very least, she will be sorely missed!
I don't know much about Heaven and I know less about who will and will not be there, but I do know this: these times make those of us who love our pets wish that God had made some provision for our pets to have eternal life with us. As Annis and I stood over Buffy's gravesite this afternoon, that thought was clearly in the forefront of our minds, as I uttered these words: maybe the biggest surprise of all is that when we get to Heaven, we will be greeted by our beloved pets. I certainly hope so!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
In Too Big a Hurry?
Thursday morning, October 23, 2008 [a beautiful day but a bit cool for me; 540],
Because only a few of you responded to my last perspective, I am tempted to move on from those questions, but for some reason the temptation to stay-the-course a while longer is winning out. So, I invite your attention to John 3:1-4: "Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter the second time into his mother's womb, can he?'"
Now, take a minute and think about this situation: Jesus came as Messiah to the Jews, God called them the apple of His eye, and in this moment, He has not just an ordinary a Jew, but a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, standing before Him, apparently "ripe and ready for the picking." One would think that Jesus would have jumped all over the chance to make this convert; by anyone's standards, this "catch" would have qualified as a good night's work for any evangelist!
Let's pretend for a few minutes that we have not read the rest of the story. How would Jesus have responded to Nicodemus question (How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter the second time into his mother's womb, can he?), if He had followed the protestant, evangelical mentality of the last 100 years or so regarding evangelism?
The plea would have gone something like this: Nicodemus, you must be born again and this is how that is accomplished. (1) You must recognize that you are a sinner and, therefore, desperately need Me, the Savior; (2) You must confess your sins; (3) You must repent of your sins; (4) You must ask Me to forgive you and, then, receive My forgiveness; (5) You must invite Me to come and live in your heart; and (6) You must be baptized. Got it, Nicodemus? Good!
Now, close your eyes and pray this prayer after Me: I Nicodemus recognize that I am a sinner and in desperate need of You, Jesus, to be my savior. I confess that I am a sinner and that my sins are many. I promise to turn from my sins and to get out of the sin business. Please, I beg of You, forgive me for my many and grievous sins. I gladly receive your forgiveness. Please, now, come and live in my heart. Thank you so much.
If Jesus had truly followed the aforementioned mentality, He would have responded with something like this: Nicodemus, I want you to drive a stake into the ground (pretend) to mark this spot and this time; it will serve you well when the Devil comes in an attempt to rob this experience from you. Then the closing comment: Nicodemus, how do you feel?
If you notice, Jesus did NOT follow this plan, not at all; in fact, I have to believe that, at least for the next few days, Nicodemus wondered why he ever got into that conversation in the first place. The truth is Jesus response had more to do with the wind blowing than it had to do with confession, repentance, and forgiveness!
Go figure! Maybe He wasn't in as big a hurry to evangelize as He should have been!?
Your comments?
Because only a few of you responded to my last perspective, I am tempted to move on from those questions, but for some reason the temptation to stay-the-course a while longer is winning out. So, I invite your attention to John 3:1-4: "Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter the second time into his mother's womb, can he?'"
Now, take a minute and think about this situation: Jesus came as Messiah to the Jews, God called them the apple of His eye, and in this moment, He has not just an ordinary a Jew, but a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, standing before Him, apparently "ripe and ready for the picking." One would think that Jesus would have jumped all over the chance to make this convert; by anyone's standards, this "catch" would have qualified as a good night's work for any evangelist!
Let's pretend for a few minutes that we have not read the rest of the story. How would Jesus have responded to Nicodemus question (How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter the second time into his mother's womb, can he?), if He had followed the protestant, evangelical mentality of the last 100 years or so regarding evangelism?
The plea would have gone something like this: Nicodemus, you must be born again and this is how that is accomplished. (1) You must recognize that you are a sinner and, therefore, desperately need Me, the Savior; (2) You must confess your sins; (3) You must repent of your sins; (4) You must ask Me to forgive you and, then, receive My forgiveness; (5) You must invite Me to come and live in your heart; and (6) You must be baptized. Got it, Nicodemus? Good!
Now, close your eyes and pray this prayer after Me: I Nicodemus recognize that I am a sinner and in desperate need of You, Jesus, to be my savior. I confess that I am a sinner and that my sins are many. I promise to turn from my sins and to get out of the sin business. Please, I beg of You, forgive me for my many and grievous sins. I gladly receive your forgiveness. Please, now, come and live in my heart. Thank you so much.
If Jesus had truly followed the aforementioned mentality, He would have responded with something like this: Nicodemus, I want you to drive a stake into the ground (pretend) to mark this spot and this time; it will serve you well when the Devil comes in an attempt to rob this experience from you. Then the closing comment: Nicodemus, how do you feel?
If you notice, Jesus did NOT follow this plan, not at all; in fact, I have to believe that, at least for the next few days, Nicodemus wondered why he ever got into that conversation in the first place. The truth is Jesus response had more to do with the wind blowing than it had to do with confession, repentance, and forgiveness!
Go figure! Maybe He wasn't in as big a hurry to evangelize as He should have been!?
Your comments?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Few Good Questions
Tuesday evening, October 21, 2008 [clear and 680],
In all probability I will be misunderstood; however, I am going to take the risk and ask this question: During Jesus' life on earth, how many converts did He make? Let me ask it another way: How many examples are there in the Scriptures of Jesus making a convert to Christianity? Let me ask it this way: How many examples can you find in the Scriptures where Jesus presents the gospel to someone and they repent, ask for forgiveness, pray the sinner's prayer and make a confession of faith? Let me regroup and ask my risky question this way: How many times in the Scriptures do we see Jesus preaching, then giving an altar call that is followed by a group "walking the aisle" and, thus, inviting Jesus into their hearts? After you do your research, I would really like for you to forward your responses to me, as I am very interested in learning what you find.
Now, let me ask you another question: How many examples can you find in the Scriptures where Jesus is presented with a golden opportunity to make a convert but, instead, He throws the opportunity to the wind? Look carefully because I think you will find more of these than the other. If you choose to look carefully, I think you will find that Jesus would flunk Evangelism 101 in most (if not all) Seminaries; to be sure, He would be excluded from Tuesday Night Visitation.
Ready? Good! Now see how many examples you can find where Jesus not only "throws the golden opportunity to the wind" but also offends the one who seems to be interested, so much so that one would wonder if he/she would ever return. Again, if you should look carefully (really you won't have to look very carefully at all) you will find that He never made coming to Him attractive or easy; much to the contrary, His "theme song" went something like this: If you want to join my team, if you want to follow me, then you had best fasten your seat belt because it ain't going to be what you think (I said that "G" rated in order to keep you reading; When He spoke, He didn't seem to care whether we continued or not).
OK. Do your homework and let me hear from you.
Have a great night,
Mac
In all probability I will be misunderstood; however, I am going to take the risk and ask this question: During Jesus' life on earth, how many converts did He make? Let me ask it another way: How many examples are there in the Scriptures of Jesus making a convert to Christianity? Let me ask it this way: How many examples can you find in the Scriptures where Jesus presents the gospel to someone and they repent, ask for forgiveness, pray the sinner's prayer and make a confession of faith? Let me regroup and ask my risky question this way: How many times in the Scriptures do we see Jesus preaching, then giving an altar call that is followed by a group "walking the aisle" and, thus, inviting Jesus into their hearts? After you do your research, I would really like for you to forward your responses to me, as I am very interested in learning what you find.
Now, let me ask you another question: How many examples can you find in the Scriptures where Jesus is presented with a golden opportunity to make a convert but, instead, He throws the opportunity to the wind? Look carefully because I think you will find more of these than the other. If you choose to look carefully, I think you will find that Jesus would flunk Evangelism 101 in most (if not all) Seminaries; to be sure, He would be excluded from Tuesday Night Visitation.
Ready? Good! Now see how many examples you can find where Jesus not only "throws the golden opportunity to the wind" but also offends the one who seems to be interested, so much so that one would wonder if he/she would ever return. Again, if you should look carefully (really you won't have to look very carefully at all) you will find that He never made coming to Him attractive or easy; much to the contrary, His "theme song" went something like this: If you want to join my team, if you want to follow me, then you had best fasten your seat belt because it ain't going to be what you think (I said that "G" rated in order to keep you reading; When He spoke, He didn't seem to care whether we continued or not).
OK. Do your homework and let me hear from you.
Have a great night,
Mac
From Sunday's Message
In my continued quest to answer the question, "What difference does my being a Christian make in my life," I shared the following with my congregation this past Sunday, prefacing them with this comment: My living according to the will of God, i.e. my doing the things that God desires of me for my good and for His glory, requires the following:
1. I must rest in the finished work that Jesus accomplished for me through His vicarious death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
2. I must spend significant amounts of time in solitude.
3. I must invest my life in the lives of others, even when doing so seems to be to my disadvantage.
4. I must read what others have to say about the things I believe.
5. I must study the Bible not merely for the purpose of teaching and preaching, but to know Him whom to know is eternal life.
6. I must never forget that life is not about me, but about Him.
7. I must never forget that everything belongs to Him; consequently, I am only a steward of what He has entrusted to me.
8. I must remember that I do not become a man of prayer and then pray; instead, I pray and, thus, become a man of prayer.
9. I must use my giftedness freely and frequently.
10. I must never get so caught up in any aspect of life that I neglect any of the above.
1. I must rest in the finished work that Jesus accomplished for me through His vicarious death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
2. I must spend significant amounts of time in solitude.
3. I must invest my life in the lives of others, even when doing so seems to be to my disadvantage.
4. I must read what others have to say about the things I believe.
5. I must study the Bible not merely for the purpose of teaching and preaching, but to know Him whom to know is eternal life.
6. I must never forget that life is not about me, but about Him.
7. I must never forget that everything belongs to Him; consequently, I am only a steward of what He has entrusted to me.
8. I must remember that I do not become a man of prayer and then pray; instead, I pray and, thus, become a man of prayer.
9. I must use my giftedness freely and frequently.
10. I must never get so caught up in any aspect of life that I neglect any of the above.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Anxious about Tomorrow?
Monday morning, October 20, 2008 [sunny, beautiful and cold; 380],
This is a portion of what Jesus had to say in that well-known sermon He preached from the mountain side, aka The Sermon on the Mount: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where you treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6: 19-21). He went on to add this: "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (vs. 34). At the very least, we cannot blame Him for not warning us!
Yesterday, General Colin Powell endorsed Barak Hussein Obama—surprise, surprise. Obama made it clear that he was "humbled and honored" to have received his endorsement, not to mention that Powell would surely be one of his advisors, possible even have a "formal" position, if he (Powell) should so choose.
Powell made it clear in his endorsement of Obama that, in his opinion, there is nothing wrong with the US President being a Muslim—surprise, surprise, again. I must assume that, in his opinion, there is nothing wrong with the Pope being a Southern Baptist, or a United Methodist, for that matter. I wish he would travel to some Muslin country and suggest that a Christian become their leader; even better that a Christian woman become their leader. Why, I feel sure that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is already considering Sarah Palin as his immediate replacement! If not her, then, surely, an orthodox Jew.
Folks, I don't give a rip what Colin Powell says, God said this: "You shall have no other gods before Me" and from what I can see, i.e., in my not-so-humble opinion, He meant what He said, and He has NOT changed His mind, and Allah is NOT another name for the God who spoke those solemn words!
Now, that ain't the end of the story; Powell also said this: Barak Obama (he left out his middle name for some strange reason; maybe, just maybe, oh never mind!) has the advantage of big bucks and a big name. I guess he thinks, that of all the requirements that must be met for one to become a US President, these rank at the top of the list, kinda' like a five-star General ranks above a four star. Well, for some reason the same God who made it clear that we will have no other gods before Him, the One who is the creator of the universe, the One who put the stars in space and counted them, the One who is all-knowing did not choose to follow Powell's philosophy in making His decision, as to who would be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He chose a man who had not bucks at all, not even a place to lay His head and a name that, well a name that was completely rejected!
I find it noteworthy, however, that God did say this about that Name: ""Therefore God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
I really don't think we need to be anxious about tomorrow!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Don't Count Your Chickens before They Hatch!
Thursday morning, October 16, 2008 [beautiful and 520],
Last night I watched the final episode of the 2008 Presidential debates. This morning I read Psalms 1-3. Listen to a few excerpts from these Psalms: "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers" (1:1); "Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed: let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us! He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them: but as for Me, I have consecrated My king upon Zion, My holy mountain" (2:1-6); "O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, 'There is no difference for him in God.' But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about" (3:1-6).
A few weeks ago, I took advantage of the opportunity to vote early; consequently, the debate did not determine my vote. The truth is my decision was made long before I voted. The more I learned about Obama's world view, the more I realized that his entire life is a strong statement against everything I believe and for which I stand. Furthermore, I do not trust him—not at all—and I do not because he has not given me any reason to trust him but every reason not to trust him. On the other hand, both McCain and Palin have given me many reasons to trust them, reasons that have been a part of their lives for many years.
Yes, if you listen to the polls, it appears that my vote will be lost; however, need I remind you "not to count your chickens before they hatch" and as best I can tell, they haven't "hatched" as of yet. So hold on but do vote! Whatever you do—vote!
Sadly, regardless of who the next president might be, the future looks pretty bleak, especially if seen through the eyes of those who cannot see the larger picture, the picture that is quickly coming into focus (much like the old Polaroid) for those who have eyes to see, to really see. The fact is this: there is a God in heaven, the Only True God, who is sitting in the heavens laughing and scoffing at His enemies BUT this same God is a shield about His children, our glory and the lifter of our heads!
As you journey through these days, remember this: "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose . . . in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us" (Romans 8:28, 37).
Grace & peace,
Mac
Last night I watched the final episode of the 2008 Presidential debates. This morning I read Psalms 1-3. Listen to a few excerpts from these Psalms: "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers" (1:1); "Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed: let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us! He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them: but as for Me, I have consecrated My king upon Zion, My holy mountain" (2:1-6); "O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, 'There is no difference for him in God.' But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about" (3:1-6).
A few weeks ago, I took advantage of the opportunity to vote early; consequently, the debate did not determine my vote. The truth is my decision was made long before I voted. The more I learned about Obama's world view, the more I realized that his entire life is a strong statement against everything I believe and for which I stand. Furthermore, I do not trust him—not at all—and I do not because he has not given me any reason to trust him but every reason not to trust him. On the other hand, both McCain and Palin have given me many reasons to trust them, reasons that have been a part of their lives for many years.
Yes, if you listen to the polls, it appears that my vote will be lost; however, need I remind you "not to count your chickens before they hatch" and as best I can tell, they haven't "hatched" as of yet. So hold on but do vote! Whatever you do—vote!
Sadly, regardless of who the next president might be, the future looks pretty bleak, especially if seen through the eyes of those who cannot see the larger picture, the picture that is quickly coming into focus (much like the old Polaroid) for those who have eyes to see, to really see. The fact is this: there is a God in heaven, the Only True God, who is sitting in the heavens laughing and scoffing at His enemies BUT this same God is a shield about His children, our glory and the lifter of our heads!
As you journey through these days, remember this: "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose . . . in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us" (Romans 8:28, 37).
Grace & peace,
Mac
A Shield about Me; The Glory and the Lifter of My Head
Thursday morning, October 16, 2008 [beautiful and 520],
Last night I watched the final episode of the 2008 Presidential debates. This morning I read Psalms 1-3. Listen to a few excerpts from these Psalms: "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers" (1:1); "Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed: let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us! He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them: but as for Me, I have consecrated My king upon Zion, My holy mountain" (2:1-6); "O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, 'There is no difference for him in God.' But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about" (3:1-6).
A few weeks ago, I took advantage of the opportunity to vote early; consequently, the debate did not determine my vote. The truth is my decision was made long before I voted. The more I learned about Obama's world view, the more I realized that his entire life is a strong statement against everything I believe and for which I stand. Furthermore, I do not trust him—not at all—and I do not because he has not given me any reason to trust him but every reason not to trust him. On the other hand, both McCain and Palin have given me many reasons to trust them, reasons that have been a part of their lives for many years.
Yes, if you listen to the polls, it appears that my vote will be lost; however, need I remind you "not to count your chickens before they hatch" and as best I can tell, they haven't "hatched" as of yet. So hold on but do vote! Whatever you do—vote!
Sadly, regardless of who the next president might be, the future looks pretty bleak, especially if seen through the eyes of those who cannot see the larger picture, the picture that is quickly coming into focus (much like the old Polaroid) for those who have eyes to see, to really see. The fact is this: there is a God in heaven, the Only True God, who is sitting in the heavens laughing and scoffing at His enemies BUT this same God is a shield about His children, our glory and the lifter of our heads!
As you journey through these days, remember this: "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose . . . in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us" (Romans 8:28, 37).
Grace & peace,
Mac
Last night I watched the final episode of the 2008 Presidential debates. This morning I read Psalms 1-3. Listen to a few excerpts from these Psalms: "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers" (1:1); "Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed: let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us! He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them: but as for Me, I have consecrated My king upon Zion, My holy mountain" (2:1-6); "O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, 'There is no difference for him in God.' But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about" (3:1-6).
A few weeks ago, I took advantage of the opportunity to vote early; consequently, the debate did not determine my vote. The truth is my decision was made long before I voted. The more I learned about Obama's world view, the more I realized that his entire life is a strong statement against everything I believe and for which I stand. Furthermore, I do not trust him—not at all—and I do not because he has not given me any reason to trust him but every reason not to trust him. On the other hand, both McCain and Palin have given me many reasons to trust them, reasons that have been a part of their lives for many years.
Yes, if you listen to the polls, it appears that my vote will be lost; however, need I remind you "not to count your chickens before they hatch" and as best I can tell, they haven't "hatched" as of yet. So hold on but do vote! Whatever you do—vote!
Sadly, regardless of who the next president might be, the future looks pretty bleak, especially if seen through the eyes of those who cannot see the larger picture, the picture that is quickly coming into focus (much like the old Polaroid) for those who have eyes to see, to really see. The fact is this: there is a God in heaven, the Only True God, who is sitting in the heavens laughing and scoffing at His enemies BUT this same God is a shield about His children, our glory and the lifter of our heads!
As you journey through these days, remember this: "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose . . . in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us" (Romans 8:28, 37).
Grace & peace,
Mac
Monday, October 13, 2008
On Living the Life
Monday evening, October 13, 2008,
As some of you know, I have been pondering the answer to this question for several weeks: What difference does my being a Christian, one who believes the gospel of Jesus Christ, makes in the way I live my life. To say that another way: How does my being a Christian influence my living for the will of God? I offer the following (from my message this past Sunday morning), and I trust they will be meaningful to you:
1. My living for the will of God has little to do with following someone's list of rules, even the Ten Commandments, and lots to do with following the leadership of the Holy Spirit; consequently, I can live free from the burden of trying to keep the rules and, thus, focus on what He is actually saying to me.
2. My being a Christian has taught me that another's opinion of me does not define or determine my identity; consequently, I can live free from the power of the mirrors of a thousand opinions, and thus free from the shackle of control.
3. My being a Christian has taught me that you do not have to agree with me in order for you to be correct, especially in areas of theology; consequently, I can live free from the shackle of having to prove you "wrong" so I can be "right" or vice versa.
4. My being a Christian has taught me that I do not have to know the answer to every question; in fact, it is quite fine that I do not; consequently, I am able to live free from the burden of having to impress you with my "spiritual" knowledge.
5. My being a Christian has taught me that I can relate to others without thinking I have to "win" them to Jesus; consequently, I can enjoy the company of another without having to judge whether or not he/she is a Christian and, thus, free from the burden of attempting to do the impossible.
6. My being a Christian has taught me that God is not only sovereign over all, but also that He is love, every time and all the time; consequently, I can live free from the burden of having to manipulate my circumstances in order to avoid His wrath.
7. My being a Christian has taught me that suffering is not only a normal part of the Christian life, but also that God uses it to conform me the image of Jesus; consequently, I can live free from the fear that the suffering that comes into my life is the result of some sin that I have committed.
8. My being a Christian has taught me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness; consequently, I can live, boasting about my weaknesses, rather than feeling that I have to hide them.
9. My being a Christian has taught me that my job is to love you, not to judge you; consequently, I can live free from the burden of having to point out your faults, in order to hide my own.
10. My being a Christian has taught me that because God orchestrates the steps of my life, I never meet another person by accident; consequently, I can live in the eternal state of expectancy, knowing that He will open doors for ministry that I could never open, try as I might.
Blessings to you in your journey,
Mac
As some of you know, I have been pondering the answer to this question for several weeks: What difference does my being a Christian, one who believes the gospel of Jesus Christ, makes in the way I live my life. To say that another way: How does my being a Christian influence my living for the will of God? I offer the following (from my message this past Sunday morning), and I trust they will be meaningful to you:
1. My living for the will of God has little to do with following someone's list of rules, even the Ten Commandments, and lots to do with following the leadership of the Holy Spirit; consequently, I can live free from the burden of trying to keep the rules and, thus, focus on what He is actually saying to me.
2. My being a Christian has taught me that another's opinion of me does not define or determine my identity; consequently, I can live free from the power of the mirrors of a thousand opinions, and thus free from the shackle of control.
3. My being a Christian has taught me that you do not have to agree with me in order for you to be correct, especially in areas of theology; consequently, I can live free from the shackle of having to prove you "wrong" so I can be "right" or vice versa.
4. My being a Christian has taught me that I do not have to know the answer to every question; in fact, it is quite fine that I do not; consequently, I am able to live free from the burden of having to impress you with my "spiritual" knowledge.
5. My being a Christian has taught me that I can relate to others without thinking I have to "win" them to Jesus; consequently, I can enjoy the company of another without having to judge whether or not he/she is a Christian and, thus, free from the burden of attempting to do the impossible.
6. My being a Christian has taught me that God is not only sovereign over all, but also that He is love, every time and all the time; consequently, I can live free from the burden of having to manipulate my circumstances in order to avoid His wrath.
7. My being a Christian has taught me that suffering is not only a normal part of the Christian life, but also that God uses it to conform me the image of Jesus; consequently, I can live free from the fear that the suffering that comes into my life is the result of some sin that I have committed.
8. My being a Christian has taught me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness; consequently, I can live, boasting about my weaknesses, rather than feeling that I have to hide them.
9. My being a Christian has taught me that my job is to love you, not to judge you; consequently, I can live free from the burden of having to point out your faults, in order to hide my own.
10. My being a Christian has taught me that because God orchestrates the steps of my life, I never meet another person by accident; consequently, I can live in the eternal state of expectancy, knowing that He will open doors for ministry that I could never open, try as I might.
Blessings to you in your journey,
Mac
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Clergyfied or Not!
Thursday afternoon, October 9, 2008
This past Monday, I was in Clayton and found myself doing something I frequently do—eating! For those of you who know me, I know you will find that hard to believe; however, it is the truth and nothing but the truth.
Just for context, I will tell you that immediately prior to my eating, I had been washing the vinyl siding on our mountain cabin, and for some reason, I went to the cafe without changing clothes; in other words, I did not look very "clergyfied." Truth is, I looked more like the man who rides on the back of the garbage truck, after and 8 hour day in the summer heat, and I probably smelled accordingly. I might add this to my "statement of context": I went to the cafe to eat, not to do ministry; in fact, ministry was not even on my mind. As soon as I saw that Southern Fried Chicken was the special of the day, I completely forgot about everything but my mission purpose—to eat.
Have you ever noticed that the Holy Spirit often has plans for you, plans that for some strange reason He chooses to keep to Himself prior to your arriving in the middle of them? Any logical person would think that when He has something important for you to do, He would, at the very least, notify you ahead of time, so you could look "clergyfied" but trust me, for some reason, He is NOT always logical, or so it seems.
Have you also noticed, however, that when someone really needs to hear from Him, they aren't too concerned about how the messenger is dressed, or about the aroma that exudes from his earthsuit. Truth is they couldn't care less if he is a Wesleyan or a Calvinist or a Hindu or a Chickendu, for that matter. Once the messenger begins to speak the message of hope and life and freedom, the one who needs to hear from Him comes to attention like a private in Marine boot camp.
Innocently enough, the owner walked over to our table to speak and to be sure we were enjoying our meal. Just as innocently, I asked her if this was the first Sunday they had been open this fall, thinking that they did so during the leaf season, to accommodate hungry leaf-lookers (hardly any stores, even restaurants, are open on Sunday in that area). Immediately, she apologized for being open, telling us that their pastor and many of their friends were disappointed that they had chosen to do so, but she assured me that their "ox was in the ditch."
I really want to tell you what happened next but that is for Sunday's message. Suffice it to say that The Holy Spirit can do His work without giving me any notice whatsoever and regardless of whether I am wearing smelly clothes or the vestments of the clergy.
That really is good news for me because the older I become, the less inclined I am to look "clergyfied"!
This past Monday, I was in Clayton and found myself doing something I frequently do—eating! For those of you who know me, I know you will find that hard to believe; however, it is the truth and nothing but the truth.
Just for context, I will tell you that immediately prior to my eating, I had been washing the vinyl siding on our mountain cabin, and for some reason, I went to the cafe without changing clothes; in other words, I did not look very "clergyfied." Truth is, I looked more like the man who rides on the back of the garbage truck, after and 8 hour day in the summer heat, and I probably smelled accordingly. I might add this to my "statement of context": I went to the cafe to eat, not to do ministry; in fact, ministry was not even on my mind. As soon as I saw that Southern Fried Chicken was the special of the day, I completely forgot about everything but my mission purpose—to eat.
Have you ever noticed that the Holy Spirit often has plans for you, plans that for some strange reason He chooses to keep to Himself prior to your arriving in the middle of them? Any logical person would think that when He has something important for you to do, He would, at the very least, notify you ahead of time, so you could look "clergyfied" but trust me, for some reason, He is NOT always logical, or so it seems.
Have you also noticed, however, that when someone really needs to hear from Him, they aren't too concerned about how the messenger is dressed, or about the aroma that exudes from his earthsuit. Truth is they couldn't care less if he is a Wesleyan or a Calvinist or a Hindu or a Chickendu, for that matter. Once the messenger begins to speak the message of hope and life and freedom, the one who needs to hear from Him comes to attention like a private in Marine boot camp.
Innocently enough, the owner walked over to our table to speak and to be sure we were enjoying our meal. Just as innocently, I asked her if this was the first Sunday they had been open this fall, thinking that they did so during the leaf season, to accommodate hungry leaf-lookers (hardly any stores, even restaurants, are open on Sunday in that area). Immediately, she apologized for being open, telling us that their pastor and many of their friends were disappointed that they had chosen to do so, but she assured me that their "ox was in the ditch."
I really want to tell you what happened next but that is for Sunday's message. Suffice it to say that The Holy Spirit can do His work without giving me any notice whatsoever and regardless of whether I am wearing smelly clothes or the vestments of the clergy.
That really is good news for me because the older I become, the less inclined I am to look "clergyfied"!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
I tried to tell you to pray for Valorie, as she would be Douglas' primary caregiver during this time of his life. Hopefully, you remember that he had a surgical procedure done at a very delicate anatomical address this past Tuesday. Well, as I tried to tell you, Valorie needed our prayers! Hopefully, this picture is worth a thousand words and I will say no more.
I must tell you, however, that Douglas developed a fever early this AM, so he is not out of the woods, yet. Valorie still needs your prayers!!
Blessings,
Irrefutable Evidence and Complete Devotion?
Thursday morning, October 2, 2008 [gorgeous day; 630],
Presently, I am reading George Barna's book, "Revolution" along with Jim Palmer's book, "Wide Open Spaces." The doing so has caused a "stirring" within me. Listen to this portion of what Barna has to say and I'm betting that you will experience your own heart-stirring: "The hallmarks of the Church that Jesus died for are clear, based on Scripture: your profession of faith in Christ must be supported by a lifestyle that provides irrefutable evidence of your complete devotion to Jesus . . . He died because He loves you and me, He wants an everlasting relationship with us, and He expects that connection to be so all-consuming that we become wholly transformed—Jesus clones . . . " (p. 25-26).
Now listen to this portion of what Palmer has to say and I'm betting that you will experience a different kind of heart-stirring (be warned!): As a pastor, I began having ambivalent feelings toward the Bible, but I suppressed those feelings because of my obligation to study and teach it. Despite this, even after leaving professional ministry, I maintained a regular time of personal Bible study. Quite honestly it was simply one of the many items on my daily to-do list, but there was very little joy or meaningful connection with God in it. My negative feelings toward the Bible intensified as my discovery of God apart from religion continued. After all, it seemed like the Bible was at the center of my Christian religion, a religion that had left me empty, exhausted, and disillusioned. During my process of shedding religion I put away by Bible for a season, and it's one of the best things I've done for my relationship with God. I quit reading it. I tuned out preachers and others quoting or referring to it . . . The results? God deepened His life in me during my hiatus from the Scriptures in ways I'm still coming to grips with. At the top of the list was the experience of God's unconditional acceptance . . . For me, God went from being locked up in a book that I accessed during morning quite times, sermon preparation, and Bible study to being everywhere all the time" (p. 48-49).
Now, listen up: I believe that Barna's intention is, well, it is well-intentioned; however, I must hasten to say that after 60+ years as a Christian, I have NEVER seen a clone of Jesus, not even close. Yes, I could simply be blind, but I do not think so, and I do not because there is nothing in the Bible that even hints that we are to be clones of Jesus. Disciples? Yes! Friends? Yes! Clones? Absolutely not! Admittedly, the notion of living a lifestyle that provides irrefutable evidence of one's complete devotion to Jesus might sound a bit intriguing; however, please do not take the "bait" to quickly. The terms "irrefutable evidence" and "complete devotion" give me the "willies," as I have never known even one person whose lifestyle provided me with either, certainly not my own.
Yes, I do strongly believe that faith in Jesus does affect the way one lives his/her life, but I am wondering if genuine faith in Him doesn't free us from thinking we have to live in such a way as to provide irrefutable evidence of our complete devotion to Him, and, instead, empower us to stop reading the Bible for a season, to stop having a quiet time, to stop thinking we have to "win the world for Jesus" and to simply take a rest in His finished work.
Having said all of that, I have this question: How has your being a Christian affected the way you live your life? Please think about this, and, by the way, I would love to hear your answers.
Blessings!
Mac
Presently, I am reading George Barna's book, "Revolution" along with Jim Palmer's book, "Wide Open Spaces." The doing so has caused a "stirring" within me. Listen to this portion of what Barna has to say and I'm betting that you will experience your own heart-stirring: "The hallmarks of the Church that Jesus died for are clear, based on Scripture: your profession of faith in Christ must be supported by a lifestyle that provides irrefutable evidence of your complete devotion to Jesus . . . He died because He loves you and me, He wants an everlasting relationship with us, and He expects that connection to be so all-consuming that we become wholly transformed—Jesus clones . . . " (p. 25-26).
Now listen to this portion of what Palmer has to say and I'm betting that you will experience a different kind of heart-stirring (be warned!): As a pastor, I began having ambivalent feelings toward the Bible, but I suppressed those feelings because of my obligation to study and teach it. Despite this, even after leaving professional ministry, I maintained a regular time of personal Bible study. Quite honestly it was simply one of the many items on my daily to-do list, but there was very little joy or meaningful connection with God in it. My negative feelings toward the Bible intensified as my discovery of God apart from religion continued. After all, it seemed like the Bible was at the center of my Christian religion, a religion that had left me empty, exhausted, and disillusioned. During my process of shedding religion I put away by Bible for a season, and it's one of the best things I've done for my relationship with God. I quit reading it. I tuned out preachers and others quoting or referring to it . . . The results? God deepened His life in me during my hiatus from the Scriptures in ways I'm still coming to grips with. At the top of the list was the experience of God's unconditional acceptance . . . For me, God went from being locked up in a book that I accessed during morning quite times, sermon preparation, and Bible study to being everywhere all the time" (p. 48-49).
Now, listen up: I believe that Barna's intention is, well, it is well-intentioned; however, I must hasten to say that after 60+ years as a Christian, I have NEVER seen a clone of Jesus, not even close. Yes, I could simply be blind, but I do not think so, and I do not because there is nothing in the Bible that even hints that we are to be clones of Jesus. Disciples? Yes! Friends? Yes! Clones? Absolutely not! Admittedly, the notion of living a lifestyle that provides irrefutable evidence of one's complete devotion to Jesus might sound a bit intriguing; however, please do not take the "bait" to quickly. The terms "irrefutable evidence" and "complete devotion" give me the "willies," as I have never known even one person whose lifestyle provided me with either, certainly not my own.
Yes, I do strongly believe that faith in Jesus does affect the way one lives his/her life, but I am wondering if genuine faith in Him doesn't free us from thinking we have to live in such a way as to provide irrefutable evidence of our complete devotion to Him, and, instead, empower us to stop reading the Bible for a season, to stop having a quiet time, to stop thinking we have to "win the world for Jesus" and to simply take a rest in His finished work.
Having said all of that, I have this question: How has your being a Christian affected the way you live your life? Please think about this, and, by the way, I would love to hear your answers.
Blessings!
Mac
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Trusting His Voice
Tuesday afternoon, September 30, 2008 [a beautiful, sunny day; 880],
The following is a quote from Henri Nouwen: "Conversion is certainly not something you can bring about yourself. It is not a question of willpower. You have to trust the inner voice that shows the way. You know that inner voice. You turn to it often. But after you have heard with clarity what you are asked to do, you start raising questions, fabricating objections, and seeking everyone else's opinion. Thus you become entangled in countless often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and ideas and lose touch with the God in you. And you end up dependent on all the people who have gathered around you. Only by attending constantly to the inner voice can you be converted to a new life of freedom and joy" ("The Dance of Life;" p. 75-76).
One of the questions I have heard most frequently during my years as a pastor and counselor is this: How can I know that I have heard God speak to me? It most often comes out of fear and frustration. The person really wants to know what God is saying, desperately need His direction, but is frustrated in the trying and fearful that missing His voice will end in disaster. Truth be known, each one of us has been in this difficult place numerous times. I feel sure that most of us would agree that it would be much easier for us, if God would simply speak audibly or send us a letter in His handwriting, even an email; however, for reasons best left to Him, He has chosen for us to walk in faith and, therefore, without much clarity.
Although, I do not think it is necessarily a negative thing for us to seek the counsel of another, I do agree with Nouwen, in that far too many of us put more trust in the opinions of others, than we do in Him. Sadly, when we finally believe we have heard correctly, we do tend to second guess what we heard and begin raising all kinds of questions and objections, and rush to someone else for confirmation. Most often this leads only to more confusion, fear, and frustration.
For some reason, most Christians are of the opinion that other, more mature believers, are able to hear more clearly what God is saying, than they, themselves, can hear. Over the years, I have noticed that there is no short supply of those, who are willing to tell you, unequivocally, what God is saying to you, and most of the time you do not even have to ask them. Sadly, most of the time, their "spiritual" advice is anything but what God is saying to you. To be sure, many people have been led down unnecessarily difficult paths because they did not trust the Voice that shows the way.
Yes, learning to trust that Voice takes a bit of practice, along with a willingness to completely misunderstand it; however, doing so with the inner-knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you, only allowing what He deems best to come into your life.
It really is safe to trust Him, even when He wispers--
The following is a quote from Henri Nouwen: "Conversion is certainly not something you can bring about yourself. It is not a question of willpower. You have to trust the inner voice that shows the way. You know that inner voice. You turn to it often. But after you have heard with clarity what you are asked to do, you start raising questions, fabricating objections, and seeking everyone else's opinion. Thus you become entangled in countless often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and ideas and lose touch with the God in you. And you end up dependent on all the people who have gathered around you. Only by attending constantly to the inner voice can you be converted to a new life of freedom and joy" ("The Dance of Life;" p. 75-76).
One of the questions I have heard most frequently during my years as a pastor and counselor is this: How can I know that I have heard God speak to me? It most often comes out of fear and frustration. The person really wants to know what God is saying, desperately need His direction, but is frustrated in the trying and fearful that missing His voice will end in disaster. Truth be known, each one of us has been in this difficult place numerous times. I feel sure that most of us would agree that it would be much easier for us, if God would simply speak audibly or send us a letter in His handwriting, even an email; however, for reasons best left to Him, He has chosen for us to walk in faith and, therefore, without much clarity.
Although, I do not think it is necessarily a negative thing for us to seek the counsel of another, I do agree with Nouwen, in that far too many of us put more trust in the opinions of others, than we do in Him. Sadly, when we finally believe we have heard correctly, we do tend to second guess what we heard and begin raising all kinds of questions and objections, and rush to someone else for confirmation. Most often this leads only to more confusion, fear, and frustration.
For some reason, most Christians are of the opinion that other, more mature believers, are able to hear more clearly what God is saying, than they, themselves, can hear. Over the years, I have noticed that there is no short supply of those, who are willing to tell you, unequivocally, what God is saying to you, and most of the time you do not even have to ask them. Sadly, most of the time, their "spiritual" advice is anything but what God is saying to you. To be sure, many people have been led down unnecessarily difficult paths because they did not trust the Voice that shows the way.
Yes, learning to trust that Voice takes a bit of practice, along with a willingness to completely misunderstand it; however, doing so with the inner-knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you, only allowing what He deems best to come into your life.
It really is safe to trust Him, even when He wispers--
Friday, September 26, 2008
Correction!
Friday morning, September 26, 2008 [a bit overcast and a cool 600],
In yesterday's perspective, I inadvertently placed the national debt at $9 billion—just an honest mistake—instead of the $9 TRILLION (or $10, or $11) that it actually is. It was this morning before I realized what I had done, and when I did, I almost let it go, thinking it really didn't matter, as my point was clearly made.
The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that I was thinking exactly like most of the politicians who are meeting in Washington attempting to "fix" our problem and, thereby, to avoid a financial disaster, like, say, another Great Depression.
Please allow me to explain just how "insignificant" my "honest mistake" is: The words “million,” “billion,” and “trillion” look and sound pretty much the same; however, if you stacked up thousand-dollar bills to reach one million, it would reach four inches high; one billion thousand-dollar bills stacked up is around 333 feet high; one trillion is about 63 MILES high. As you can see, the difference between a billion and a trillion is hardly noticeable. Yea, right!
If you cannot relate to that example, try this one on for size: A million seconds is 12 days; a billion seconds is 32 years; a trillion seconds is almost 32 decades (32 years). Reread that, so you get it clearly fixed in your mind. This means that 9 billion seconds is 288 years (32 x 9); whereas, 9 trillion seconds is a mere 288 decades (or 2880 years!). As you can see, my "honest mistake" was off by ONLY by 2848 years! Now, let us put this in more practical terms: Assume that the national debt is only $9 trillion, rather than 10 or 11 trillion. This means that my "honest mistake" was off only by $8,991,000,000,000 (that's 8 trillion, 991 billion dollars!). With that, try this on for size: Let us assume that your annual income is $85,000. This means that should you have to pay off this debt and you used your entire annual income to do just that, it would take you only 105,882,353 years (that is 105 million, 882 thousand, 352 years!)! However, if you chose to pay it off at the rate of $1 per second, it would take you only 2,880 years! What a bargain!
I think you see, these "honest mistakes" that our leaders often make can be very costly, so much so that, well I think you can see where greed will take us.
Gosh, I hope I haven't made another "honest mistake" in my calculations! If I have forgive me because it really was an honest mistake. These numbers are much too huge for my feeble mind.
One more thing: the national debt is increasing faster than a speeding bullet, so be sure to keep your facts up-to-date; otherwise, you might get in over your head and not live long enough to pay off your share of this ever-increasing debt and I would HATE for that to happen!
I just thought I would remind you—
In yesterday's perspective, I inadvertently placed the national debt at $9 billion—just an honest mistake—instead of the $9 TRILLION (or $10, or $11) that it actually is. It was this morning before I realized what I had done, and when I did, I almost let it go, thinking it really didn't matter, as my point was clearly made.
The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that I was thinking exactly like most of the politicians who are meeting in Washington attempting to "fix" our problem and, thereby, to avoid a financial disaster, like, say, another Great Depression.
Please allow me to explain just how "insignificant" my "honest mistake" is: The words “million,” “billion,” and “trillion” look and sound pretty much the same; however, if you stacked up thousand-dollar bills to reach one million, it would reach four inches high; one billion thousand-dollar bills stacked up is around 333 feet high; one trillion is about 63 MILES high. As you can see, the difference between a billion and a trillion is hardly noticeable. Yea, right!
If you cannot relate to that example, try this one on for size: A million seconds is 12 days; a billion seconds is 32 years; a trillion seconds is almost 32 decades (32 years). Reread that, so you get it clearly fixed in your mind. This means that 9 billion seconds is 288 years (32 x 9); whereas, 9 trillion seconds is a mere 288 decades (or 2880 years!). As you can see, my "honest mistake" was off by ONLY by 2848 years! Now, let us put this in more practical terms: Assume that the national debt is only $9 trillion, rather than 10 or 11 trillion. This means that my "honest mistake" was off only by $8,991,000,000,000 (that's 8 trillion, 991 billion dollars!). With that, try this on for size: Let us assume that your annual income is $85,000. This means that should you have to pay off this debt and you used your entire annual income to do just that, it would take you only 105,882,353 years (that is 105 million, 882 thousand, 352 years!)! However, if you chose to pay it off at the rate of $1 per second, it would take you only 2,880 years! What a bargain!
I think you see, these "honest mistakes" that our leaders often make can be very costly, so much so that, well I think you can see where greed will take us.
Gosh, I hope I haven't made another "honest mistake" in my calculations! If I have forgive me because it really was an honest mistake. These numbers are much too huge for my feeble mind.
One more thing: the national debt is increasing faster than a speeding bullet, so be sure to keep your facts up-to-date; otherwise, you might get in over your head and not live long enough to pay off your share of this ever-increasing debt and I would HATE for that to happen!
I just thought I would remind you—
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