As you can see, I am finally getting a bit or work out of Ralph (he is installing a window unit in the GCF kitchen. (I guess he is trying to encourage someone to do more cooking!) So take note!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Getting A Bit of Work Out of Ralph!
As you can see, I am finally getting a bit or work out of Ralph (he is installing a window unit in the GCF kitchen. (I guess he is trying to encourage someone to do more cooking!) So take note!!
A SingleTrip to the Cross
Thursday morning, July 31, 2008
Don't faint, but I have another excerpt from Mason's book: "One cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant. Either one's sin is completely forgiven (including not just sinful behavior but the innate sinfulness of the heart) or it is not. Christ's great principle of prayer—'Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours' (Mark 11:24)—applies first of all to the unconditional forgiveness that is the basic promise of the gospel. If God accepts us at all, He accepts us wholeheartedly, and He covers us completely with the spotless robe of righteousness. The robe of divine acceptance does not come in gray, but only in dazzling white, and one either has the robe or not. One is either righteous or wicked. And anyone who is wicked can have that status quickly amended by a trip to the cross" (p. 26).
This notion of being a "little bit righteous" reminds me of the concept of "balance scales" that I heard so much about in my growing-up days. It was made obviously clear to me that God kept a pair of balance scales by which He measured my ability to measure-up to His standard. As you can see, the object of this inanity was to make the "good" side of the scales outweigh the "bad" side of the scales. The sad thing was this: During those early years, I thought I was pretty good at it! One the one hand, I didn't smoke, drink, dance, cuss, chew, or have sex; on the other hand, I studied the Bible, witnessed like zealot, prayed faithfully, never missed church, Sunday school, youth meetings, or Wednesday night prayer meeting, and I might add, I made it my business to help God "win the world" to Jesus by winning at least one lost soul to Him every day (even kept a list of the "winnings"!). As you can see, the "good" side of my balance scales far out-weighed the "bad" side—or so I thought.
Although you would have never talked me into admitting it, the problem was that I always a some "items" that belonged on the "bad" tray of the scales (I will continue to let you wonder what they were!), although never so many, as to tilt the scales in the "bad" direction. As you can see, as long as you believe that "a little bit of righteousness" is good enough, you will also believe that "a little bit of sin" ain't so bad; however, when it finally dawns upon you that "one cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant" it also dawns upon you that "a little bit of sin is more-than-enough to send you to a deserving hell. When this happens, the "balance scale theory" is in heaps of trouble, not to mention the one who is attempting to keep things "balanced."
You see, the fact is this: We need a Savior, a Redeemer, One who would do for us what we could never do for ourselves, namely, deal with our sin problem—perfectly and permanently. Mason is correct, all it takes in one trip to the cross, but I think most of us (even Mason) have mistakenly believed that it is our trip to the cross that makes the difference; however, nothing could be further from the truth. It was His trip to the cross that made the difference, not mine or yours!
Have a wonderful last day of July!!
Don't faint, but I have another excerpt from Mason's book: "One cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant. Either one's sin is completely forgiven (including not just sinful behavior but the innate sinfulness of the heart) or it is not. Christ's great principle of prayer—'Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours' (Mark 11:24)—applies first of all to the unconditional forgiveness that is the basic promise of the gospel. If God accepts us at all, He accepts us wholeheartedly, and He covers us completely with the spotless robe of righteousness. The robe of divine acceptance does not come in gray, but only in dazzling white, and one either has the robe or not. One is either righteous or wicked. And anyone who is wicked can have that status quickly amended by a trip to the cross" (p. 26).
This notion of being a "little bit righteous" reminds me of the concept of "balance scales" that I heard so much about in my growing-up days. It was made obviously clear to me that God kept a pair of balance scales by which He measured my ability to measure-up to His standard. As you can see, the object of this inanity was to make the "good" side of the scales outweigh the "bad" side of the scales. The sad thing was this: During those early years, I thought I was pretty good at it! One the one hand, I didn't smoke, drink, dance, cuss, chew, or have sex; on the other hand, I studied the Bible, witnessed like zealot, prayed faithfully, never missed church, Sunday school, youth meetings, or Wednesday night prayer meeting, and I might add, I made it my business to help God "win the world" to Jesus by winning at least one lost soul to Him every day (even kept a list of the "winnings"!). As you can see, the "good" side of my balance scales far out-weighed the "bad" side—or so I thought.
Although you would have never talked me into admitting it, the problem was that I always a some "items" that belonged on the "bad" tray of the scales (I will continue to let you wonder what they were!), although never so many, as to tilt the scales in the "bad" direction. As you can see, as long as you believe that "a little bit of righteousness" is good enough, you will also believe that "a little bit of sin" ain't so bad; however, when it finally dawns upon you that "one cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant" it also dawns upon you that "a little bit of sin is more-than-enough to send you to a deserving hell. When this happens, the "balance scale theory" is in heaps of trouble, not to mention the one who is attempting to keep things "balanced."
You see, the fact is this: We need a Savior, a Redeemer, One who would do for us what we could never do for ourselves, namely, deal with our sin problem—perfectly and permanently. Mason is correct, all it takes in one trip to the cross, but I think most of us (even Mason) have mistakenly believed that it is our trip to the cross that makes the difference; however, nothing could be further from the truth. It was His trip to the cross that made the difference, not mine or yours!
Have a wonderful last day of July!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Irreproachable Blamelessness
Wednesday morning, July 30, 2008
Another quote from Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job": "In Job we read the remarkable story of an Old Testament believer who somehow intuitively grasped and accepted this astounding message—so much so that even when he was tempted to the very uttermost to let go of it, still he held to it firmly against all odds. Under attack Job groaned, he wailed, he doubted and fell into deep depression, he lashed out like an infuriated animal—and yes, he even sinned. Yet when it came to this one point regarding the settled fact of his status of irreproachable blamelessness before the Lord, he refused to give an inch. Having placed his trust totally in God, he violently resisted the notion that there might still be some other step he should take, something else he must "do," to gain God's favor under adverse circumstances" (p. 22).
The thing that amazes me is that Job had this incredible insight without the benefit of the New Testament! Somehow, he knew beyond question that his standing with God was a settled fact that had nothing to do with Job or with Job's performance. He had to have known that Someone had done for him what he could never have done for himself, and he knew it without the benefit of the New Testament! Like Abraham, in hope against hope, he believed God.
Sadly, most people who call themselves Christians, who attend church every Sunday, who do have the benefit of the New Testament, never see what Job saw, they never come to know the settled fact of their irreproachable blamelessness before God; consequently, they are always seeking to find that illusive "one more step" they can take that will rid them of their sense of guiltiness. Talk about self-centeredness; this is probably the epitome of it!
You see, until one accepts the settled fact of his/her irreproachable blamelessness before God AND the reason for that "irreproachable blamelessness," that one will continue down the endless road of self-centered religion, futilely attempting to earn what is already his/hers.
Have a wonderful, grace-filled day!
Mac
Another quote from Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job": "In Job we read the remarkable story of an Old Testament believer who somehow intuitively grasped and accepted this astounding message—so much so that even when he was tempted to the very uttermost to let go of it, still he held to it firmly against all odds. Under attack Job groaned, he wailed, he doubted and fell into deep depression, he lashed out like an infuriated animal—and yes, he even sinned. Yet when it came to this one point regarding the settled fact of his status of irreproachable blamelessness before the Lord, he refused to give an inch. Having placed his trust totally in God, he violently resisted the notion that there might still be some other step he should take, something else he must "do," to gain God's favor under adverse circumstances" (p. 22).
The thing that amazes me is that Job had this incredible insight without the benefit of the New Testament! Somehow, he knew beyond question that his standing with God was a settled fact that had nothing to do with Job or with Job's performance. He had to have known that Someone had done for him what he could never have done for himself, and he knew it without the benefit of the New Testament! Like Abraham, in hope against hope, he believed God.
Sadly, most people who call themselves Christians, who attend church every Sunday, who do have the benefit of the New Testament, never see what Job saw, they never come to know the settled fact of their irreproachable blamelessness before God; consequently, they are always seeking to find that illusive "one more step" they can take that will rid them of their sense of guiltiness. Talk about self-centeredness; this is probably the epitome of it!
You see, until one accepts the settled fact of his/her irreproachable blamelessness before God AND the reason for that "irreproachable blamelessness," that one will continue down the endless road of self-centered religion, futilely attempting to earn what is already his/hers.
Have a wonderful, grace-filled day!
Mac
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
An Excerpt from Mike Mason
Tuesday morning, July 29, 2008
Last night I began my third reading of Mike Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job," and I must say that it is just as fresh and just as powerful as it was the first time I read it. I really wish I could get every believer to take the time to work through it, as it is jam-packed with truth.
Listen to this excerpt from the introduction: "A few years ago I went through a difficult time. Never mind what the problem was. It was nothing compared to the trials of Job. In fact, it was nothing at all compared to the sufferings of many of my neighbors right there on the quiet street where I lived, But pain is pain, and suffice it to say that my pain was enough to drive me to my knees, totally defeated, half-crazy at times, and crying out for relief. Month after month the battles raged on, think, dark, agonizing. I prayed, but somehow prayer did not "work." Usually nothing at all worked, except lying low and gritting my teeth until, for reasons entirely obscure to me, the straightjacket of oppression began to loosen a little—at least enough for me to get on with my life for another day or so before the screws tightened again. What else could I do? How was I to fight this? In retrospect I can see that a large part of my anguish was rooted in the fact that there really was nothing I could do to control what was happening to me. I was absolutely helpless, and it is this, perhaps, that is the soul of suffering, this terrifying impotence. It is a little taste of the final and most terrifying impotence of all, which is death. We Christians do not like to think about being absolutely helpless in the hands of our God" (p. x).
In this excerpt, Mason is saying very clearly what I was attempting to say in my last perspective: My problem is not that I do not trust God, but that I do trust Him to do (always!) exactly what He deems best (which usually involves far more pain that I care to endure!). To use Mason's words, I am seldom comfortable being absolutely helpless in the hands of God (neither are you, if you are honest). This is probably one of the reasons the gospel is so offensive, why Jesus was called (in Peter's first letter) a ROCK of OFFENSE! The fact is the gospel places us in what Mason describes as a place of "absolute helplessness in the hands of God!" In other words, whether or not we make it to Heaven depends upon God, not us, and THAT makes us nervous, so much so that we feel we must do SOMETHING to ensure our eternal destiny, to gain some kind of control over our perceived sense of helplessness.
To be sure, the most terrifying impotence of all is death, IF we trust God to do always what He deems best and our behavior is somewhat questionable and it is up to us to control our circumstances.
Blessings to you,
Mac
Last night I began my third reading of Mike Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job," and I must say that it is just as fresh and just as powerful as it was the first time I read it. I really wish I could get every believer to take the time to work through it, as it is jam-packed with truth.
Listen to this excerpt from the introduction: "A few years ago I went through a difficult time. Never mind what the problem was. It was nothing compared to the trials of Job. In fact, it was nothing at all compared to the sufferings of many of my neighbors right there on the quiet street where I lived, But pain is pain, and suffice it to say that my pain was enough to drive me to my knees, totally defeated, half-crazy at times, and crying out for relief. Month after month the battles raged on, think, dark, agonizing. I prayed, but somehow prayer did not "work." Usually nothing at all worked, except lying low and gritting my teeth until, for reasons entirely obscure to me, the straightjacket of oppression began to loosen a little—at least enough for me to get on with my life for another day or so before the screws tightened again. What else could I do? How was I to fight this? In retrospect I can see that a large part of my anguish was rooted in the fact that there really was nothing I could do to control what was happening to me. I was absolutely helpless, and it is this, perhaps, that is the soul of suffering, this terrifying impotence. It is a little taste of the final and most terrifying impotence of all, which is death. We Christians do not like to think about being absolutely helpless in the hands of our God" (p. x).
In this excerpt, Mason is saying very clearly what I was attempting to say in my last perspective: My problem is not that I do not trust God, but that I do trust Him to do (always!) exactly what He deems best (which usually involves far more pain that I care to endure!). To use Mason's words, I am seldom comfortable being absolutely helpless in the hands of God (neither are you, if you are honest). This is probably one of the reasons the gospel is so offensive, why Jesus was called (in Peter's first letter) a ROCK of OFFENSE! The fact is the gospel places us in what Mason describes as a place of "absolute helplessness in the hands of God!" In other words, whether or not we make it to Heaven depends upon God, not us, and THAT makes us nervous, so much so that we feel we must do SOMETHING to ensure our eternal destiny, to gain some kind of control over our perceived sense of helplessness.
To be sure, the most terrifying impotence of all is death, IF we trust God to do always what He deems best and our behavior is somewhat questionable and it is up to us to control our circumstances.
Blessings to you,
Mac
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Syd's Farewell Party!
This is the group that gathered at GCF today to wish Syd "Farewell" as she begins this new leg of her journey Home. We will all miss her, as she has profoundly influenced each of our lives. We wish her God's very best and look forward to what He has in store for all of us. We had a great day today, one that none of us will ever forget!
Friday, July 25, 2008
The End of All Things is At Hand!
Friday morning, July 25, 2008
Listen to these words of Peter—the Impetuous One: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:7-11).
You know, I am convinced that Peter sincerely believed that the end of all things was, indeed, at hand. He woke up every morning expecting Jesus to return, just as He had promised. Every day brought greater disappointment to Peter, as he waited, expectantly, for Jesus' return. For some reason, the "end of all things" did not occur during Peter's lifetime but this does not change the fact that the "end of all things" continues to be at hand. In the big scheme of things, it is only "moments" away. Sadly, we have grown cold and complacent, almost cynical, towards Peter's expectations. We live, as if the "end of all things" is far, far away—out of mind, out of sight! Even so, you can take this to the "bank": THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND!
Whether or not you believe it does not change the fact that Peter did and because he did, his priorities are especially interesting: be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer; keep fervent in your love for one another; be hospitable to one another without complaint; serve one another using your special gifting, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; whoever serves, let him do so by the strength which God supplies; speak the utterances of God; and, finally, in all things may God be glorified through Jesus Christ!
I find it quite interesting that, as Peter faces what he sincerely believes to be truth (the end of all things is at hand!), his focus is on relationships. But, then, what would one expect from one, who learned the hard way that the "heart and essence" of Christianity is just that—our relationship with God through Jesus and our relationships with one another.
Somehow, this gives fresh meaning to Peter's words—"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God"—and it, certainly, gives fresh meaning to Jesus' response—"Upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it"!
You can count on this: the kind of relationships Peter had in mind are the stuff against which the gates of hell cannot prevail! The rest? Well, isn't it obvious?
Listen to these words of Peter—the Impetuous One: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:7-11).
You know, I am convinced that Peter sincerely believed that the end of all things was, indeed, at hand. He woke up every morning expecting Jesus to return, just as He had promised. Every day brought greater disappointment to Peter, as he waited, expectantly, for Jesus' return. For some reason, the "end of all things" did not occur during Peter's lifetime but this does not change the fact that the "end of all things" continues to be at hand. In the big scheme of things, it is only "moments" away. Sadly, we have grown cold and complacent, almost cynical, towards Peter's expectations. We live, as if the "end of all things" is far, far away—out of mind, out of sight! Even so, you can take this to the "bank": THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND!
Whether or not you believe it does not change the fact that Peter did and because he did, his priorities are especially interesting: be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer; keep fervent in your love for one another; be hospitable to one another without complaint; serve one another using your special gifting, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; whoever serves, let him do so by the strength which God supplies; speak the utterances of God; and, finally, in all things may God be glorified through Jesus Christ!
I find it quite interesting that, as Peter faces what he sincerely believes to be truth (the end of all things is at hand!), his focus is on relationships. But, then, what would one expect from one, who learned the hard way that the "heart and essence" of Christianity is just that—our relationship with God through Jesus and our relationships with one another.
Somehow, this gives fresh meaning to Peter's words—"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God"—and it, certainly, gives fresh meaning to Jesus' response—"Upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it"!
You can count on this: the kind of relationships Peter had in mind are the stuff against which the gates of hell cannot prevail! The rest? Well, isn't it obvious?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Glad or Bad Tidings?
A friend sent this to me and I think you will appreciate it. Go ahead and see what you think. To say the lease, if you allow it to, it will lighten the load you possibly carry.
GLAD TIDINGS VS. BAD TIDINGS
Those persons who are convinced that they may in some way be instrumental in the eternal salvation of other men's souls would, if they thought about it correctly, ever live with the terrible burden of wondering if perhaps by their failure to do as much as they could have done toward that work they might possible be responsible for the eternal damnation of others. Such failure would carry such horrendous consequences that a person who was truly sincere about it could not bear the thought. Not only that, but they would constantly question whether their own soul should be spared the fires of hell if, as a consequence of their neglect, others were eternally damned. Such a burden would be an impossible weight for anyone to try to carry. If they were to view the matter as seriously as its repercussions called far, it would literally drive them insane.
O! How good it is to know that such an awesome responsibility does not rest on the frail shoulders of puny man, but that the matter of eternal salvation is wholly in the hands of God. As hard as it is for most people to believe, it is nonetheless a fact that no one but God has ever saved a single soul in that sense. Christ died on the cross to save, not try to save—"His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21 & 1st Tim. 1:15) and the Scriptures make it very clear that He is the only Savior. There is salvation in no other and there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we "must,"—not might be, saved (Acts 4:12). The apostle Paul made this point in such plain language that we are without excuse if we fail to grasp it. He tells us that God "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9). If this were the only scripture we had to prove this truth, it would be sufficient, but there are too many others to mention in this format.
There are ways in which we may be instrumental in saving a soul from a kind of living death (See James 5:20) and from a multitude of other temporal calamities, but we cannot save a single soul from eternal damnation. That required the blood of Christ and His imputed righteousness. And by His "one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). Nothing can separate them from the love of God (Rom. 8:39) and none of them can be eternally lost (See John 6:37-39). This fits the definition of the word "gospel." It is good news or glad tidings. But any contrary view is a religion of bondage and should not be embraced.
GLAD TIDINGS VS. BAD TIDINGS
Those persons who are convinced that they may in some way be instrumental in the eternal salvation of other men's souls would, if they thought about it correctly, ever live with the terrible burden of wondering if perhaps by their failure to do as much as they could have done toward that work they might possible be responsible for the eternal damnation of others. Such failure would carry such horrendous consequences that a person who was truly sincere about it could not bear the thought. Not only that, but they would constantly question whether their own soul should be spared the fires of hell if, as a consequence of their neglect, others were eternally damned. Such a burden would be an impossible weight for anyone to try to carry. If they were to view the matter as seriously as its repercussions called far, it would literally drive them insane.
O! How good it is to know that such an awesome responsibility does not rest on the frail shoulders of puny man, but that the matter of eternal salvation is wholly in the hands of God. As hard as it is for most people to believe, it is nonetheless a fact that no one but God has ever saved a single soul in that sense. Christ died on the cross to save, not try to save—"His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21 & 1st Tim. 1:15) and the Scriptures make it very clear that He is the only Savior. There is salvation in no other and there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we "must,"—not might be, saved (Acts 4:12). The apostle Paul made this point in such plain language that we are without excuse if we fail to grasp it. He tells us that God "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9). If this were the only scripture we had to prove this truth, it would be sufficient, but there are too many others to mention in this format.
There are ways in which we may be instrumental in saving a soul from a kind of living death (See James 5:20) and from a multitude of other temporal calamities, but we cannot save a single soul from eternal damnation. That required the blood of Christ and His imputed righteousness. And by His "one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). Nothing can separate them from the love of God (Rom. 8:39) and none of them can be eternally lost (See John 6:37-39). This fits the definition of the word "gospel." It is good news or glad tidings. But any contrary view is a religion of bondage and should not be embraced.
Such Love, Such Wondrous Love
Thursday morning, July 24, 2008
Each time I begin to consider the incredible gift that God has given to His elect, I am quickly overcome with thanksgiving. It is simply mind-boggling to me that the God of creation would go to such grace-filled extremes and give to the likes of you and me the gift of righteousness and of eternal life. To think, that He would take the extreme grace-filled actions necessary to mark our debt "paid in full" and set us free from its fetters, simply brings me to my knees in humble adoration. Such love, such wondrous love, that God could love a sinner such as I, how wonderful is love like this! I can't remember who wrote the song from which those lines came but here it is for your reading:
That God should love a sinner such as I,
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss,
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh,
How wonderful is love like this!
That Christ should join so freely in the plan,
Although it meant His death on Calvary,
Was ever nobler theme sung by the tongue of man
Than love divine that ransomed me?
That for a willful outcast such as I,
The Father planned, the Savior bled and died;
Redemption for a worthless slave to buy,
Who long had law and grace defied.
And now He takes me to His heart—a son,
He asks me not to fill a servant's place;
The "Far-off country" wand'rings all are done,
Wide open are His arms of grace!
CHORUS:
Such love, such wondrous love,
Such love, such wondrous love,
That God should love a sinner such as I,
How wonderful is love like this!
Each time I begin to consider the incredible gift that God has given to His elect, I am quickly overcome with thanksgiving. It is simply mind-boggling to me that the God of creation would go to such grace-filled extremes and give to the likes of you and me the gift of righteousness and of eternal life. To think, that He would take the extreme grace-filled actions necessary to mark our debt "paid in full" and set us free from its fetters, simply brings me to my knees in humble adoration. Such love, such wondrous love, that God could love a sinner such as I, how wonderful is love like this! I can't remember who wrote the song from which those lines came but here it is for your reading:
That God should love a sinner such as I,
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss,
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh,
How wonderful is love like this!
That Christ should join so freely in the plan,
Although it meant His death on Calvary,
Was ever nobler theme sung by the tongue of man
Than love divine that ransomed me?
That for a willful outcast such as I,
The Father planned, the Savior bled and died;
Redemption for a worthless slave to buy,
Who long had law and grace defied.
And now He takes me to His heart—a son,
He asks me not to fill a servant's place;
The "Far-off country" wand'rings all are done,
Wide open are His arms of grace!
CHORUS:
Such love, such wondrous love,
Such love, such wondrous love,
That God should love a sinner such as I,
How wonderful is love like this!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
He Is Trustworthy!
Wednesday afternoon, July 23, 2008
Let me see, if dare to say this: In my not-so-humble opinion, it is time for those of us who lay claim to being Christians to face some of the hard facts of the gospel, not the least of which is this: although we have been saved, as a gift of God—altogether His doing—ONLY those of us who actually trust Jesus for everything regarding our salvation have received the gift, the rest are just dilly-dallying around, playing some silly religious game, daring to call God a liar (that's right—daring to call God a liar!). Paul said the same thing, albeit, with a bit more finesse that I used: "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Galatians 2:21; NASB).
Take this for an example: How many protestant, church-goers do you think refrain from "working" on Sunday because the Law tells us to keep the Sabbath Day holy? Bunches and bunches, to be sure! Yes, I know that some of you are thinking, "Since the Bible tells us to keep the Sabbath Day holy, how can I by doing so be calling God a liar?" Simple! In the New Covenant, the Sabbath is not a day in the week, but a person, namely, Jesus, and, just for the record, He is Holy (was, is, and will be) without our intervention; consequently, to live as a New Covenant believer and designate a day of the week as the Sabbath is to call God a liar—plain and simple! You see, He has called us into an eternal Sabbath Rest, as we rest in the finished work of Jesus. By the way, because He finished the work, there is nothing left for you or me to do! Happy, happy!! Glad, glad!
Let me give you another example: How many protestant or Catholic church-goers do you think view the Eucharist (Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper), as something they must avoid at all costs until they have paid their "indulgences" for their sins? Bunches and bunches, I can assure you! How is this practice calling God a liar? Simple. Jesus has done everything that could ever be done to perfectly and permanently deal with our sins. To live by any other modus operandi is to call God a liar—plain and simple.
Yes, it is true: the gospel is offensive, oftentimes even to those of us who have received the gift; even so, I think it is time (past time) to move on from pious pabulum and begin eating some seriously offensive food, to taste and see that the Lord is, indeed, good—very good! It is, indeed, a strange phenomenon to taste that which seems to be so offensive and find that it is better than good—far better!
You think on this: we either trust Him or we do not, and not to trust Him is to call Him a liar, for He IS trustworthy!
Let me see, if dare to say this: In my not-so-humble opinion, it is time for those of us who lay claim to being Christians to face some of the hard facts of the gospel, not the least of which is this: although we have been saved, as a gift of God—altogether His doing—ONLY those of us who actually trust Jesus for everything regarding our salvation have received the gift, the rest are just dilly-dallying around, playing some silly religious game, daring to call God a liar (that's right—daring to call God a liar!). Paul said the same thing, albeit, with a bit more finesse that I used: "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Galatians 2:21; NASB).
Take this for an example: How many protestant, church-goers do you think refrain from "working" on Sunday because the Law tells us to keep the Sabbath Day holy? Bunches and bunches, to be sure! Yes, I know that some of you are thinking, "Since the Bible tells us to keep the Sabbath Day holy, how can I by doing so be calling God a liar?" Simple! In the New Covenant, the Sabbath is not a day in the week, but a person, namely, Jesus, and, just for the record, He is Holy (was, is, and will be) without our intervention; consequently, to live as a New Covenant believer and designate a day of the week as the Sabbath is to call God a liar—plain and simple! You see, He has called us into an eternal Sabbath Rest, as we rest in the finished work of Jesus. By the way, because He finished the work, there is nothing left for you or me to do! Happy, happy!! Glad, glad!
Let me give you another example: How many protestant or Catholic church-goers do you think view the Eucharist (Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper), as something they must avoid at all costs until they have paid their "indulgences" for their sins? Bunches and bunches, I can assure you! How is this practice calling God a liar? Simple. Jesus has done everything that could ever be done to perfectly and permanently deal with our sins. To live by any other modus operandi is to call God a liar—plain and simple.
Yes, it is true: the gospel is offensive, oftentimes even to those of us who have received the gift; even so, I think it is time (past time) to move on from pious pabulum and begin eating some seriously offensive food, to taste and see that the Lord is, indeed, good—very good! It is, indeed, a strange phenomenon to taste that which seems to be so offensive and find that it is better than good—far better!
You think on this: we either trust Him or we do not, and not to trust Him is to call Him a liar, for He IS trustworthy!
Monday, July 21, 2008
A Thorn in My Saddle!
Monday evening, July 21, 2008
Today, I enjoyed my annual physical, along with all the "blessings" that are typical for such an experience. If you haven't enjoyed one of these, I highly recommend that you schedule one ASAP! There are some things that you do NOT want to miss, and this is one of them—trust me.
Anyway, I really do like my doctor (internist), as he is not only personable, but also a very thorough physician (this is what I was referring to in the first paragraph)—far removed from the helter-skelter medical complexes downtown. Thankfully, he chose to move away from all the mass-confusion, sit-and-wait nonsense, that is so typical in most medical practices, into a small house he renovated on a rather quiet street far-removed from the hospital sites. He has a solo practice, and believe it or not, he actually takes the time to listen to whatever I have to say and to carefully and thoroughly do his exam. Listen to this: His wife works in his office!
Just for the record, I did pass the exam, with flying colors, or so he said. I do have to have my blood work done in the morning, so I am trusting that it will agree with his assessment! I will let you know, when I know.
Now to my point: A major part of our conversation centered in his disappointment and frustration with the direction the medical profession is taking. He is no longer able to do what he was trained to do because some insurance company(s), who has NO medical expertise, certainly none about my body, tells him what he can and cannot do and what they will pay him to do it. Then of course there is the ever-present dread of lawsuits that the greedy want to file and all-too-often win! Of course, this is the "biggie"—universal health care.
Folks, we have the finest medical system on this planet and, yet, it seems that politicians are determined to "fix what ain't broken" by providing medical insurance for everyone, with an even greater control over how the Doc practices and what he gets paid. Listen up: Universal health care will NOT work and you can take that to the bank. You will NOT like having to wait a year to have your appendix removed by a doctor that you do not know and, worse, does not know you. You will be happy to return to an hour's wait in YOUR Doc's reception room!
Before everyone jumps on this universal health care "freebee," let me remind you that there will be no doctors practicing medicine because there will be no students going to medical school and enduring THAT grind and expense, only to have the government and insurance companies tell them how to practice and what they can be paid.
Let me correct that: there will be doctors because foreigners will be flowing into our medical schools, filling all those vacant seats, attempting to get in on the American Dream. Dream on, dear one, while you throw the best-of-the best under the bus! In case you can't tell, I am NOT for universal health care—positively and absolutely NOT.
Today, I enjoyed my annual physical, along with all the "blessings" that are typical for such an experience. If you haven't enjoyed one of these, I highly recommend that you schedule one ASAP! There are some things that you do NOT want to miss, and this is one of them—trust me.
Anyway, I really do like my doctor (internist), as he is not only personable, but also a very thorough physician (this is what I was referring to in the first paragraph)—far removed from the helter-skelter medical complexes downtown. Thankfully, he chose to move away from all the mass-confusion, sit-and-wait nonsense, that is so typical in most medical practices, into a small house he renovated on a rather quiet street far-removed from the hospital sites. He has a solo practice, and believe it or not, he actually takes the time to listen to whatever I have to say and to carefully and thoroughly do his exam. Listen to this: His wife works in his office!
Just for the record, I did pass the exam, with flying colors, or so he said. I do have to have my blood work done in the morning, so I am trusting that it will agree with his assessment! I will let you know, when I know.
Now to my point: A major part of our conversation centered in his disappointment and frustration with the direction the medical profession is taking. He is no longer able to do what he was trained to do because some insurance company(s), who has NO medical expertise, certainly none about my body, tells him what he can and cannot do and what they will pay him to do it. Then of course there is the ever-present dread of lawsuits that the greedy want to file and all-too-often win! Of course, this is the "biggie"—universal health care.
Folks, we have the finest medical system on this planet and, yet, it seems that politicians are determined to "fix what ain't broken" by providing medical insurance for everyone, with an even greater control over how the Doc practices and what he gets paid. Listen up: Universal health care will NOT work and you can take that to the bank. You will NOT like having to wait a year to have your appendix removed by a doctor that you do not know and, worse, does not know you. You will be happy to return to an hour's wait in YOUR Doc's reception room!
Before everyone jumps on this universal health care "freebee," let me remind you that there will be no doctors practicing medicine because there will be no students going to medical school and enduring THAT grind and expense, only to have the government and insurance companies tell them how to practice and what they can be paid.
Let me correct that: there will be doctors because foreigners will be flowing into our medical schools, filling all those vacant seats, attempting to get in on the American Dream. Dream on, dear one, while you throw the best-of-the best under the bus! In case you can't tell, I am NOT for universal health care—positively and absolutely NOT.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Free, Enslaved, or Both?
Sunday evening, July 20, 2008
As you can see, it is Sunday evening; what you can't see is just how tired I am. Preaching tires me out like NOTHING else (yet, I love doing it with a passion!) and when I have to add an afternoon of busyness to that, it really gets the best of these old bones (maybe it is just old age and there is no cure for it). Anyway, these old bones are too tired to be writing tonight but I am doing it anyway, so hold on for the ride.
As most of you know, I just finished reading Luther's book, "The Freedom of a Christian" and I must say that I loved it not only because he wrote it, but also because of what he said! In my opinion, modern-day Christians do not read nearly enough of these GIANTS of the church. This book was originally written in 1523 (that is close) but it is still relevant for today—very relevant! Sadly, far too many Christians have grown accustom to what amounts to pious pabulum and, consequently, never eat a meal of solid spiritual food, the kind that stretches one out of his comfort zone and makes him think—really think—about what he believes, the kind that oftentimes requires the casting aside of long-held beliefs in order to embrace the truth.
Just as an appetizer, maybe a heavy hors d'oeuvre, listen to this quote from his book [p.50]: "In order to make the way smoother for the average or common readers (for only them do I serve), I will put forth two themes concerning the freedom and bondage of the spirit: (1) A Christian is lord of all, completely free of everything; (2) A Christian is a servant, completely attentive to the needs of all."
How is that for an apparent contradiction? Sounds a lot like the apostle Paul, if I am not mistaken [See 1 Corinthians 9:19; Romans 13:8; and Philippians 2:6-7]. This should not be a surprise because Paul is the very man (with all of his "apparent" contradictions) that God used to open the eyes of Luther and allow him to taste of the graciousness of God, a taste that forever changed the course of his life!
If anyone ever believed that a Christian is free, Paul did and that without reservation; obviously, Luther was smitten with the very same truth. Even so, both of these men would be the first to tell us that because we are free, we have the privilege of serving those whom God places in our lives. The truth is they [Paul & Luther] would tell us that you cannot have one without the other and in my opinion they would be correct.
You see, it works kinda' like this: God does NOT need any of us; in fact, He can carry on quite handily without our help. The truth is He doesn't even need our help to win the world to Jesus; actually, He doesn't even want it! However, our neighbor DOES need us and God has sent us on a mission to be salt and light to him or her or them (for that matter).
If you are free (and you are, whether or not you know it), then you have the time to be on His mission! If you don't, then you are probably like most freed slaves—afraid to be free! Go ahead and taste of the graciousness of the Lord! You will not regret it!
Have a wonderful night's sleep!
-Mac
As you can see, it is Sunday evening; what you can't see is just how tired I am. Preaching tires me out like NOTHING else (yet, I love doing it with a passion!) and when I have to add an afternoon of busyness to that, it really gets the best of these old bones (maybe it is just old age and there is no cure for it). Anyway, these old bones are too tired to be writing tonight but I am doing it anyway, so hold on for the ride.
As most of you know, I just finished reading Luther's book, "The Freedom of a Christian" and I must say that I loved it not only because he wrote it, but also because of what he said! In my opinion, modern-day Christians do not read nearly enough of these GIANTS of the church. This book was originally written in 1523 (that is close) but it is still relevant for today—very relevant! Sadly, far too many Christians have grown accustom to what amounts to pious pabulum and, consequently, never eat a meal of solid spiritual food, the kind that stretches one out of his comfort zone and makes him think—really think—about what he believes, the kind that oftentimes requires the casting aside of long-held beliefs in order to embrace the truth.
Just as an appetizer, maybe a heavy hors d'oeuvre, listen to this quote from his book [p.50]: "In order to make the way smoother for the average or common readers (for only them do I serve), I will put forth two themes concerning the freedom and bondage of the spirit: (1) A Christian is lord of all, completely free of everything; (2) A Christian is a servant, completely attentive to the needs of all."
How is that for an apparent contradiction? Sounds a lot like the apostle Paul, if I am not mistaken [See 1 Corinthians 9:19; Romans 13:8; and Philippians 2:6-7]. This should not be a surprise because Paul is the very man (with all of his "apparent" contradictions) that God used to open the eyes of Luther and allow him to taste of the graciousness of God, a taste that forever changed the course of his life!
If anyone ever believed that a Christian is free, Paul did and that without reservation; obviously, Luther was smitten with the very same truth. Even so, both of these men would be the first to tell us that because we are free, we have the privilege of serving those whom God places in our lives. The truth is they [Paul & Luther] would tell us that you cannot have one without the other and in my opinion they would be correct.
You see, it works kinda' like this: God does NOT need any of us; in fact, He can carry on quite handily without our help. The truth is He doesn't even need our help to win the world to Jesus; actually, He doesn't even want it! However, our neighbor DOES need us and God has sent us on a mission to be salt and light to him or her or them (for that matter).
If you are free (and you are, whether or not you know it), then you have the time to be on His mission! If you don't, then you are probably like most freed slaves—afraid to be free! Go ahead and taste of the graciousness of the Lord! You will not regret it!
Have a wonderful night's sleep!
-Mac
Saturday, July 19, 2008
How Can it Be?
Saturday evening, July 19, 2008
Today was a day to remember! In the first place, today is our 44th wedding anniversary! We celebrated it by taking Carla and Summer to the airport in Atlanta for their return flight to Dayton and on to Yellow Springs (The had been here to get Summer enrolled in Georgia Southern University for the Fall Quarter).
On the way home, we did manage to stop a an Olive Garden in Morrow for lunch and, I must admit, my dish was about as good as food gets! After the meal, I told the waitress that this was our 44th and before we knew it all the waiters and waitresses were at our table singing the Olive Garden version of Happy Anniversary. I cannot remember all of the words in the song but I do know that garlic and pasta were used frequently! After that we made a quick detour in an effort to locate her grandmother's house that had been moved from Reynolds to Morrow for historical restoration. Believe it or not, we found it! She spent many hours in the house during her growing-up days, so it was quite a find for her.
Then, upon arriving at home, I checked the mail and you will never guess what I found! No, not even close! I found my Medicare Card, indicating that I have Part A and Part B with D (prescription plan) in place (Annis already has hers. Go figure!). We are now "insurance poor," unless of course we need it, which I hope we will not! Anyway, we are now officially OLD, but what can you expect on your 44th anniversary.
I thought you would want to know, so I told you!
Blessings and love,
Mac
Today was a day to remember! In the first place, today is our 44th wedding anniversary! We celebrated it by taking Carla and Summer to the airport in Atlanta for their return flight to Dayton and on to Yellow Springs (The had been here to get Summer enrolled in Georgia Southern University for the Fall Quarter).
On the way home, we did manage to stop a an Olive Garden in Morrow for lunch and, I must admit, my dish was about as good as food gets! After the meal, I told the waitress that this was our 44th and before we knew it all the waiters and waitresses were at our table singing the Olive Garden version of Happy Anniversary. I cannot remember all of the words in the song but I do know that garlic and pasta were used frequently! After that we made a quick detour in an effort to locate her grandmother's house that had been moved from Reynolds to Morrow for historical restoration. Believe it or not, we found it! She spent many hours in the house during her growing-up days, so it was quite a find for her.
Then, upon arriving at home, I checked the mail and you will never guess what I found! No, not even close! I found my Medicare Card, indicating that I have Part A and Part B with D (prescription plan) in place (Annis already has hers. Go figure!). We are now "insurance poor," unless of course we need it, which I hope we will not! Anyway, we are now officially OLD, but what can you expect on your 44th anniversary.
I thought you would want to know, so I told you!
Blessings and love,
Mac
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Martin Luther's "The Freedom of A Christian."
Wednesday evening, July 16, 2008
Hopefully, tonight I will finish Martin Luther's book, "The Freedom of a Christian." If you haven't read it, I strongly encourage you to do so, as it is quite worth the read, especially, if you love the gospel. The following is an excerpt that I thought you would appreciate: "When the soul firmly trusts the promises of God, it regards God as truthful and righteous. Nothing greater than this can be said of God. It is the highest worship of God to ascribe to him truthfulness, righteousness, and whatever other qualities ought to be predicated of a power in whom one trusts. When this is done, the soul consents to God's will. It hallows God's name and allows itself to be treated according to God's good pleasure. The soul clings to God's promises, does not doubt them, and trusts that the one who is true, just, and wise will act in a way so that all will be well" (p.60).
You know, when you get to the bottom of the matter, faith is simply ascribing to God the attributes of truthfulness and righteousness; to do anything less is to call Him an unrighteous liar, which is anything but faith. Certainly, none of us would knowingly do that, but when we fail to trust His promises, that IS what we are doing. For example, God unequivocally promised to meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus; however, most of us are very familiar with the doubts that come, when it seems that He isn't going to come through in our particular situation. In this example (and many others like it) what are we doing, if we are not declaring that we think He isn't going to prove to be honest?
Faith simply declares that God is truthful and righteous—period! Obviously, this "faith" is God's gift to us (we could certainly never muster it on our own!) and when God sees this faith (really His faith) in our lives, He imputes to us His righteousness! Remember: Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness!
To be honest, I am very thankful that God chose to do for me what I could never have done on my own! Thankfully, His strength really is made perfect in my weakness!
Blessings with grace lavished,
Mac
Hopefully, tonight I will finish Martin Luther's book, "The Freedom of a Christian." If you haven't read it, I strongly encourage you to do so, as it is quite worth the read, especially, if you love the gospel. The following is an excerpt that I thought you would appreciate: "When the soul firmly trusts the promises of God, it regards God as truthful and righteous. Nothing greater than this can be said of God. It is the highest worship of God to ascribe to him truthfulness, righteousness, and whatever other qualities ought to be predicated of a power in whom one trusts. When this is done, the soul consents to God's will. It hallows God's name and allows itself to be treated according to God's good pleasure. The soul clings to God's promises, does not doubt them, and trusts that the one who is true, just, and wise will act in a way so that all will be well" (p.60).
You know, when you get to the bottom of the matter, faith is simply ascribing to God the attributes of truthfulness and righteousness; to do anything less is to call Him an unrighteous liar, which is anything but faith. Certainly, none of us would knowingly do that, but when we fail to trust His promises, that IS what we are doing. For example, God unequivocally promised to meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus; however, most of us are very familiar with the doubts that come, when it seems that He isn't going to come through in our particular situation. In this example (and many others like it) what are we doing, if we are not declaring that we think He isn't going to prove to be honest?
Faith simply declares that God is truthful and righteous—period! Obviously, this "faith" is God's gift to us (we could certainly never muster it on our own!) and when God sees this faith (really His faith) in our lives, He imputes to us His righteousness! Remember: Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness!
To be honest, I am very thankful that God chose to do for me what I could never have done on my own! Thankfully, His strength really is made perfect in my weakness!
Blessings with grace lavished,
Mac
Monday, July 14, 2008
God Said it and That Settles it!
Sunday evening, July 13, 2008
It seems like it has been ages since I last offered my perspective (at least to me!) but I do have several good (I think) excuses: (1) I was out of town and away from my computer for several days; (2) My computer died, as in "grave yard dead"; consequently, I had to purchase another one and THEN get it up and running (which I may never do completely!); and finally (3) There have been some things going on in my life that took precedence over my writing. Oh well--
This morning my text was from 1 Peter 23-25, where Peter made it clear that the word of our God abides forever: "For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever." I am certain that this means much more than I was able to communicate today but I did, hopefully, make this clear: When He speaks, His word (whatever He says) continues forever and ever--eternally, as a matter of fact! In other words (no pun intended), we can depend upon what God has said and we can do so throughout eternity. A word of caution: there is oftentimes a significant difference between what God said and what we think He said; consequently, we need to be sure we are depending upon what He said, not what we think He said. Just to be safe: Do not wander too far from the written Word!
As I was driving to GCF this morning, I remembered what God said in the first chapter of Genesis, specifically, "Let there be light!" Now I, obviously, cannot speak for you but I can tell you that, although I have wondered about most of what God has said, I have never wondered if that light would ever be extinguished. Never one time in my life have I been concerned that I would awaken one morning to find that that light had gone out, not once! Interestingly, the end result of that light being extinguished would be dire, very dire, but I never worry about having to experience those dire consequences. Sadly, I do worry sometimes (oftentimes, to be honest), if His grace will prove sufficient for me and what will happen to me if it doesn't; if His strength really be made perfect in my weakness and what I will do if it doesn't; if He will really never forsake me or leave me and what will happen to me if He should; if He really will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus and how I will deal with life, if He should come up short--to mention a few.
I wonder why I put so much confidence in the light He created by His word and so little confidence in the promises He made by the very same word.
It seems like it has been ages since I last offered my perspective (at least to me!) but I do have several good (I think) excuses: (1) I was out of town and away from my computer for several days; (2) My computer died, as in "grave yard dead"; consequently, I had to purchase another one and THEN get it up and running (which I may never do completely!); and finally (3) There have been some things going on in my life that took precedence over my writing. Oh well--
This morning my text was from 1 Peter 23-25, where Peter made it clear that the word of our God abides forever: "For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever." I am certain that this means much more than I was able to communicate today but I did, hopefully, make this clear: When He speaks, His word (whatever He says) continues forever and ever--eternally, as a matter of fact! In other words (no pun intended), we can depend upon what God has said and we can do so throughout eternity. A word of caution: there is oftentimes a significant difference between what God said and what we think He said; consequently, we need to be sure we are depending upon what He said, not what we think He said. Just to be safe: Do not wander too far from the written Word!
As I was driving to GCF this morning, I remembered what God said in the first chapter of Genesis, specifically, "Let there be light!" Now I, obviously, cannot speak for you but I can tell you that, although I have wondered about most of what God has said, I have never wondered if that light would ever be extinguished. Never one time in my life have I been concerned that I would awaken one morning to find that that light had gone out, not once! Interestingly, the end result of that light being extinguished would be dire, very dire, but I never worry about having to experience those dire consequences. Sadly, I do worry sometimes (oftentimes, to be honest), if His grace will prove sufficient for me and what will happen to me if it doesn't; if His strength really be made perfect in my weakness and what I will do if it doesn't; if He will really never forsake me or leave me and what will happen to me if He should; if He really will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus and how I will deal with life, if He should come up short--to mention a few.
I wonder why I put so much confidence in the light He created by His word and so little confidence in the promises He made by the very same word.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Is it Really July?
Tuesday morning, July 1, 2008
How in the wide-world did it get to be July 1? Why, we still have the Christmas tree up and blinking in my house! Old age must fight against time passing by so quickly and for good reason: we senior citizens are using up our days much too fast. Yes, I know that everyone is looking forward to Heaven, but I still have a few things that I want to do here on good ole Mother Earth before I board the flight that will take me to that Celestial City. The Bible tells me that God has my days numbered (yours too!) but for some reason, it doesn’t tell me how many He allocated to my account. That means that I feel the need to live each day to the fullest, to squeeze every bit of life out of every moment, not to miss any of the good stuff, and finally to arrive at Home completely spent and ready for whatever He has prepared for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose!
I have no idea how he did it but my paternal grandfather managed to do just that. One morning at the ripe old age of 98, after having lived one incredibly full life, he finished breakfast, told his wife that it was good to be alive, sat down to read the morning paper and then and there he boarded the flight that took him to that Celestial City—no pain, no illness, no shortness of breath, no financial woes, no enemies, no regrets (none that I know of!)—where he began living the life for which he was created. Not bad, if you ask me!
There were some things about his life that simply would not fit into today’s society. For example, he owned and operated the business his father started back in 1866, even survived the Great Depression (barely, but he did survive it!); he walked from his office to his house for lunch every day, where he enjoyed the cooking of the best cook I have ever known; after lunch, he enjoyed a brief nap and, then, a time of gardening (he always had a huge garden and gave most of its fruit away), then back to his office; around 4:00 in the afternoon, he either went fishing or quail hunting or dove shooting, depending upon the time of the year, unless, of course, he had a funeral service to direct (during my teens, he took me with me on most of the excursions!); of course, there were the several fishing trips to Florida he made every year (no schedule, he would just wake up one day and decide to go to Florida for a couple of days of fishing!); he meticulously took care of everything he owned—everything—probably as a result of the Great Depression; I never saw him throw anything away—never; he rose early every morning and went to bed early every night but only after a bedtime toddy (Scotch! I never saw him intoxicated—never!); and, finally, he maintained a scuppernong arbor—scrupulously so—for as long as he lived.
In today’s society, well, life is just too busy and too complicated for such an incredible lifestyle and, trust me on this (not much else, but this!): it is a bad thing—really bad! Most people are slaves to their employers, to pride, to peer pressure, to church, to debt, or to something that robs them of life and, sadly, most of them blame someone else for their dilemma. I never heard my grandfather blame anyone for anything; he didn’t have to because he was never anyone’s or anything’s slave, even during the Great Depression. Oh, he had some difficult times—very difficult—but he managed never to lose focus, to get sidetracked, to be drawn into things that tend to enslave.
I really do think Paul was on to something when he mentioned that we should never lose sight of the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ; that we should work with our hands and attend to our own business!
Blessings and Happy July!!
Mac
How in the wide-world did it get to be July 1? Why, we still have the Christmas tree up and blinking in my house! Old age must fight against time passing by so quickly and for good reason: we senior citizens are using up our days much too fast. Yes, I know that everyone is looking forward to Heaven, but I still have a few things that I want to do here on good ole Mother Earth before I board the flight that will take me to that Celestial City. The Bible tells me that God has my days numbered (yours too!) but for some reason, it doesn’t tell me how many He allocated to my account. That means that I feel the need to live each day to the fullest, to squeeze every bit of life out of every moment, not to miss any of the good stuff, and finally to arrive at Home completely spent and ready for whatever He has prepared for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose!
I have no idea how he did it but my paternal grandfather managed to do just that. One morning at the ripe old age of 98, after having lived one incredibly full life, he finished breakfast, told his wife that it was good to be alive, sat down to read the morning paper and then and there he boarded the flight that took him to that Celestial City—no pain, no illness, no shortness of breath, no financial woes, no enemies, no regrets (none that I know of!)—where he began living the life for which he was created. Not bad, if you ask me!
There were some things about his life that simply would not fit into today’s society. For example, he owned and operated the business his father started back in 1866, even survived the Great Depression (barely, but he did survive it!); he walked from his office to his house for lunch every day, where he enjoyed the cooking of the best cook I have ever known; after lunch, he enjoyed a brief nap and, then, a time of gardening (he always had a huge garden and gave most of its fruit away), then back to his office; around 4:00 in the afternoon, he either went fishing or quail hunting or dove shooting, depending upon the time of the year, unless, of course, he had a funeral service to direct (during my teens, he took me with me on most of the excursions!); of course, there were the several fishing trips to Florida he made every year (no schedule, he would just wake up one day and decide to go to Florida for a couple of days of fishing!); he meticulously took care of everything he owned—everything—probably as a result of the Great Depression; I never saw him throw anything away—never; he rose early every morning and went to bed early every night but only after a bedtime toddy (Scotch! I never saw him intoxicated—never!); and, finally, he maintained a scuppernong arbor—scrupulously so—for as long as he lived.
In today’s society, well, life is just too busy and too complicated for such an incredible lifestyle and, trust me on this (not much else, but this!): it is a bad thing—really bad! Most people are slaves to their employers, to pride, to peer pressure, to church, to debt, or to something that robs them of life and, sadly, most of them blame someone else for their dilemma. I never heard my grandfather blame anyone for anything; he didn’t have to because he was never anyone’s or anything’s slave, even during the Great Depression. Oh, he had some difficult times—very difficult—but he managed never to lose focus, to get sidetracked, to be drawn into things that tend to enslave.
I really do think Paul was on to something when he mentioned that we should never lose sight of the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ; that we should work with our hands and attend to our own business!
Blessings and Happy July!!
Mac
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