What a Disappointment

Today we had to fire a young engineer.  Or, at least we thought he was an engineer.  Turns out he never got his degree.  We hired him as he was supposedly graduating from college.  While he thought he was about to get his diploma he got a letter telling him his GPA was too low to graduate.  Unfortunately he kept it to himself and started another lie.  Under the guise of taking classes towards a master’s degree, he was really retaking classes to get a better grade to hopefully officially get a degree.  In the year and a half that he worked for us he did pass his E.I. exam but did not officially get a number from NSPE since he had not officially graduated. 

This all came to a point when an opportunity presented itself for him.  A company we often work with needed a young degreed engineer to go to Hawaii for a year and be a construction quality reviewer on-site.  This person would need to go to a class for a week and get a certification, then go live in Hawaii for a year.  We naturally submitted the young engineer with no family for an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  But that lie he was living wouldn’t let him go.  Unfortunately rather than come clean, his dad came in and spoke to one of the company’s partners. 

It’s a disappointment that he didn’t come to us as soon as he knew about it.  If he would have done that, we would have worked with him then and he would probably still be an employee.  It’s a disappointment that he didn’t accept responsibility for his reality.  If he would have done that, it would have been reflected in his accepting responsibility for his work as this was an obvious problem in his work output.  It’s a disappointment that he can’t go and experience this opportunity.  Sin always costs more than we think it will.  It’s a disappointment that his dad came to us and he didn’t make him face his reality and be responsible for his actions.  This is probably where the problem originates, but he should be responsible for himself, especially at his age.

Yet again I see an application for Jesus in all of our lives.  … What a disappointment.

The Father of Lies

You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. – John 8:44

I often wonder what the time is that Jesus is referring to when He said this.  Was He referring to the beginning of all that ever has been?  Was He referring to the beginning of Creation?  Was He referring to the beginning of man?  I’m not sure it really matters, but my mind thinks and wonders these things.  One thing is for sure, it is definitely since the beginning of man.  Satan’s first words to woman were lies.

The serpent said to the woman, you shall not surely die – Genesis 3:4

We all know as descendants that she most certainly did die.  The truth was she would not die if she didn’t eat the fruit.  By lying to the woman the devil was able to cause her death, so he effectively murdered her by convincing her to oppose God’s Word.  Since all of humanity is descended from Adam and Eve and all must die because of this sin, the devil did effectively murder all.  So when Jesus says he was a murderer from the beginning and that he is the father of lies it is the truth from man’s existence.  The devil fathered the first lie to man.  Man soon lied to each other and murdered one another. 

I am a man and I am a liar.  I am a man and I am a murderer.  If I do not acknowledge these things to myself then I am a fool.  This is my inheritance.  It is my sin disease contained in my DNA.  However, Jesus changed my DNA when I accepted Him as my Savior.  I believe in Him as the Son of the only living God and when I did His Spirit came inside of my heart and resides in my soul.  Does this mean I am no longer a liar and a murderer?  Unfortunately no.  It does mean that now I have a choice.  I can choose not to lie or murder.  Before I did not have the strength to fight the sin nature pull to do these things but with Jesus within me, He has conquered the death caused by sin, so I can overcome the sin nature by letting go of myself and following Jesus in all moments. 

A false witness will utter lies – Proverbs 14:5b

A Christian following Christ cannot be a false witness.  The conviction from the Spirit will cause him to have to decide to not believe or to believe at some time.  I believe the Spirit is constantly convicting someone living in lies, but if those are ignored long enough, there will come a crisis moment.  A person who claims to be a Christian, but who blatantly does not follow God’s Word does not truly believe in God as the single authority over all, which means they do not believe in the one true living God.  People can want to believe, but if they insist that they can alter God’s Words and they seek to convince everyone around them to believe their words then they are a false witness.  What a terrible name to be qualified for!  God has some awful Words for the fate of such people.

It is my constant prayer that I will always be under conviction.  The worst thing I can imagine is not being under any conviction as this would mean God has left me to myself.  I hope that I can be used to lead people to God's Word, not away from it.  My prayer for everyone in my family and all my friends is that God is upon them and they hear His Words upon their heart and feel His presence over their heart.  That they are convicted of their own sin and comforted by His grace and mercy.  We must know we need a Savior at all times in all moments until that glorious day when we are released from this sinful shell.

The DNA of Jesus

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.  …  Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”  And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you”. – Luke 1:30-31,34-35a

This is known in Catholicism as the Immaculate Conception.  I find this very hard to reflect upon this event by this term ever since Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris miraculously caught a deflected pass in the waning seconds of their 1972 playoff game against the Oakland Raiders and ran it in for a touchdown.  This play became known as the Immaculate Reception and the terms sound so much alike that I can’t hear the term without seeing a replay of that play in my mind.  (1972 was also the year the Miami Dolphins went undefeated and won the Super Bowl and I was a Dolphins fan when I was a kid of 12 at that time.)

If we look at what this means biologically, it means that Jesus had DNA that combined Mary’s and God’s.  I have to believe that God’s was perfect.  The sequence would have been without fault, a perfect creation.  Mary’s would have been imperfect, as is all of ours.  It would have contained the sin disease that we have all inherited from Adam and Eve.  I do not see how this could be different unless God healed her and made her perfect before the conception.  But I do not see where this is indicated in Scripture. 

The importance of this for me is to realize that Jesus felt that nature inside which calls away from God because it was a part of His genetics.  When we read in Hebrews 4:15 that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet He did not sin,” we can realize that this is indeed true.  I used to brush the tempting portion of this verse off in my thoughts since Jesus was God.  In my reasoning, there was no real way He could effectively know the deep sometimes overwhelming pull inside of all that I am against all that I know and hope.  I mean, He was God and that type of temptation couldn’t exist.  But that is error in thinking and reasoning.  Since He had a part of Mary in Him, He most definitely felt the sin nature.  It was within His DNA.

I am confident in how Satan attacks man.  He watches us very closely and then creates every effectual way for the world to be presented so that it does not look like sin and is sharply pointed and focused on that one area we are most likely to sin in or obviously haven’t given God authority over.  Knowing that, I can only reason that Satan attacked Jesus all the time in every way looking for that weakness.  If only he could get Jesus to commit a single sin, he wins.  I can only naturally assume the attack was way more intense than words can describe. 

“Yet He did not sin.”  The perfection of God is more than the sin nature.  Where God is the authority and rules, sin does not live.  Jesus did not sin.  This means His Godly DNA was more than his human DNA.  Inside of every saved Christian is the Spirit of God.  This same Spirit is able to be more than our human DNA if only we give up ourselves and let that Spirit rule our lives.  It is more and we can live in its perfection.  We can let its perfection live through us.  It is a constant battle and we will have to choose decidedly over and over that our single desire is to live however and wherever that Spirit directs us.  This doesn’t mean we won’t sweat drops of blood in anxiety as Jesus Himself did.  We will.  But we must also trust God’s direction for us, as He did.

Merry Christmas!

Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” – Luke 2:34-35

Here was Simeon, someone that Joseph and Mary did not know, who had been given a prophesy for his own life by God that he would not die until he saw the Messiah.  Luke tell us that this prophesy had come because the Spirit of God was with him.  When he sees Jesus, he prophesies again to Joseph and Mary concerning his coming life.   I am sure that Simeon’s prophesy concerning Jesus was centered on Israel.  But it reflects into the whole world as Jesus’ life and death was for the whole world.

“[He] is destined to cause many … to fall, but He will be a joy to many others.”  This is an accurate statement.  Many people fall because the characteristics and truths of God do not change.  They live as long as they can and as stubbornly as they can against God.  Yet there is always a time of falling, even it doesn’t come until death without God.  It is unfortunate that many fall, yet God acknowledges this.  Jesus Himself would later say “the gate is narrow” and “many are called but few are chosen”.  But just as many do fall because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, many are joyful.  He is the source of their life and they strive to follow Him in all His ways.

“He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him.”  Not only will many fall because of Jesus, but many will directly oppose Him.  This was definitely the story in Jesus’ life with the religious leaders in Israel and it has been the story of the world itself ever since.  Jesus said “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.”  Those who oppose Jesus will oppose you also because Jesus is in you.  Where He rules in your heart, you are a sign from God and those opposed to God will oppose Him inside of you.

“The deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your very soul.”  This must be the single most striking description of how the message of Jesus in word or action settles upon our hearts and convicts us to accept His reality as Son of the one true living God or to declare that we do not believe it.  This sword pierces all of our character and all of our actions.  Every part of our character that isn’t given to Him is revealed for its origin and every action that isn’t from Him in us is revealed for its origin.  The very desires of our heart are presented to us for their source.  Only Jesus could do such a thing.

Jesus fulfilled Simeon’s prophesy and that prophesy continues to this day.  I thank God for His loving grace and mercy who allowed Jesus to be born and in who allowed His perfection to be willing to die for such a sinner as I am.  Glory in God today who shows His love over and over to such a hard headed insulant son as me.  I praise God this Christmas morning.

A New Church?

My question this morning, to myself, is “Are we supposed to hold others accountable to the Words of Jesus Christ?”  That said, let me describe some points in that question.  “We” means Christians who follow Christ.  “Others” means others, those who believe in Jesus and those who don’t.  “Words” mean the words in the Bible.  So, the question could be reworded in a more formal manner to say, “Are those who follow Jesus the Christ supposed to hold all others accountable to the words in the Bible?”

As I consider this question, I am reminded that the history of man is full of wars, battles, and all kinds of evil done to “others” by those who considered that they were following Jesus.  Obviously, people start with good intentions but fail miserably, often because they forget there is only one king and one ruler, the One True Living God.  Many times history has recorded a “holy war” where supposed followers of Jesus on one side is fighting, killing, followers of Jesus on the other side.  Again, obviously something was seriously wrong in the beliefs of one or the other, or both.

These quick thoughts on history are just an expanded view of smaller daily lives of people everywhere and there seems to exist this constant war and battles in the life of every Christian I know who is personally following Jesus.  In my life, which is limited in the number of people around me since I am only one person, there is children who have fought parents, parents who have fought their families, spouses who have fought spouses, brothers who have fought brothers, parents who have fought their children, and friends who have fought friends.  In each situation, I can easily point out where one of the participants is a follower of Christ and are trying to live their life in that manner but are engaged in a war and constant battle for trying to have an influence in the lives of those around them.

It seems their life would be so much easier if only they would live to themselves.  I understand why some religions separate themselves out of the world.  This concept is a large part of why America was started.  The Puritans simply wanted to go somewhere away from the worldly government so they could live in a society based on their beliefs.  In our world, where is there to go?  Should we board up our windows and doors and live quietly as hermits?  I am not convinced that Jesus wants this for us.  He specifically said to us “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first” and “since they persecuted Me, naturally they will persecute you” (Jn 15:18,20).   He also gave us assurance saying, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).  But, are we to be in the world following Him and letting the world be the world?  Or are we to be in the world following Him and reaching out to all others knowing we’ll be hated for following Him and be in wars and constant battles and hurt deeply by those who “love” us?

This question is a deep subject but it is real life.  If I avoid this question and pretend like it doesn’t exist then how can I possibly know what direction I’m going in or have the courage in purpose to sustain the fight, if I will even enter the fight?  This is where I see the failure of the modern church.  It does not talk towards real life and teach how we are to be in this daily fight.  For me, it didn’t used to be a fight, it was a choice in a way to live.  But today’s society is so strongly opposed to all things Christian that living a life following Jesus is a real fight and there is an attack on every side.

I believe this topic should be studied and considered in how we live our lives and steer the direction of our churches.  If we are to be reaching out to those around us then considering the intentional hate and persecution from the world that we should expect, how can we create a body of believers that is set up in a way to encourage, support, and train us to survive in such an environment?  

The Shepherds

In the Christmas story, I find the story regarding the shepherds of great significance.  This is found in Luke 2:8-20. 

First, these guys were living out in the fields with their sheep.  They were probably young and had no knowledge of deep theological issues.  Yet, “an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them”.  Did this happen to the leaders of the church?  No.  Did this happen to the kings on the earth?  No.  Did this even happen to the leaders of the town of Bethlehem?  Again, no.  … Has this ever happened to me?  No.  … However, not only did that happen, they heard “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”  Wow!  What a privilege to these poor young shepherds living in the fields with the sheep.  An angel, the glory of the Lord, and heavenly singing were all revealed to them the night Jesus was born.

Second, because of this unbelievable miracle, they are moved to action and they quickly descend upon Bethlehem to the manger leaving their sheep, their worldly responsibility behind.  They find the manger and they get to see Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the world.  They, the shepherds, were the first people outside of Mary and Joseph to see Jesus. 

Third, these shepherds testified.  They gave testimony of their experience to Mary and Joseph which undoubtedly gave them confidence about all they had been through already.  The miraculous pregnancy, the direction to Joseph to keep Mary, and then to have to travel to Bethlehem with your pregnant wife.  Hearing the testimony of these shepherds would have been overwhelming and confirming.  I have to believe it would help strengthen their resolve to follow God’s guidance that they would soon need. 

The shepherds didn’t stop there, when they left the manger to return to their work, they “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”  They testified concerning God’s call to them about Jesus.  They saw Jesus.  Then they testified about having seen Jesus.  If only we would do the same with such vigor.

Knowing God has nothing to do with our physical, societal, or theological location, status, or knowledge.  It has everything to do with hearing God’s call, choosing to see Jesus, then believing that He is the Son of God.  I pray that I’ll find time to be as simple as these shepherds in mind and spirit and hear the call of God to Himself in this season of celebration over the birth of our Savour.

Jesus Knows how to Recharge

John 4:6  Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

There is much debate in social media these days about whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God.  Franklin Graham published an excellent brief expose pointing out that salvation for a Muslim is assured by dying for Allah, while the God of the Bible sent us himself in the form of Jesus to die in our place.  What other religion worships a God who sacrificed Himself in pursuit of a relationship with mankind?
I'm  comforted today knowing that Jesus cam and dwelt among us.  He felt weariness just as I feel currently.  Interestingly, however, His solution wasn't to totally withdraw from His mission, but to always be sensitive to the needs of others.  In this case, Jesus had sent His disciples in search of sustenance while he rested beside Jacob's well.  When someone desperately in need of salvation appeared, Jesus ministered to her needs.  Upon their return, the disciples found Jesus refreshed and reenergized as He engaged the Samaritan woman.  It's noteworthy to me, by the way, that Jesus sermon was one of harsh accountability, yet the woman marveled at His rebuke and His claim to be the Messiah. 
Verse 34 gives us the key to refreshment:  "Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work."  May I remember this lesson during this season of self-centeredness, and be sensitive to seek true refreshment through obedience to a God who pursues me. 

Jesus Is Life!

“For God so loved the world He gave …” – John 3:16a

Why did God give?  It was because His character demanded it.  He is love and cannot hate, which many argue is the absence of love.  Psalm 63:3 says “because Your lovingkindness is better than life”.  That says that the character of God is better than our very life.  God’s gift of Jesus to the world to create a way for God and man to be reconciled in relationship demonstrates how His character is greater than life as It enables life to happen.  Not only is God the Creator of life, it is His love and kindness to us that allows life to keep going.

It is written in John 6:48 that Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”  He is the source of life, the energy that makes it happen.  In John 8:12 He says, “I am the light of the world.  He who follow Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  He is the spark for living and of wisdom of life.  In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” and in 11:25 says “I am the resurrection and the life.”  Jesus is not only the source of life, the spark of life, and the wisdom of life, He is life.  It cannot be found in any other thing or person or spirit or entity.  Jesus is life.

“So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).

The source of life was given to the world.  If only man would trade the temporary for the eternal, wishes for hope, fear for faith, hate for love, idols for the one true living God.  We have a choice.  What a gift!  Nothing is as depressing or disheartening as not having a choice.  We can choose life, an eternal forever life given by a God Who’s character is love and kindness.  What a gift!  What a God!

Be thankful today for the rich and powerful graces and mercies of our Father Who is in heaven.  Choose life from Him, in Him and through Him today.

Its all about ME

Col 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

This is the season of me.  Its all about me.  My focus is on what I want for Christmas, how much I have to do before Christmas, why I can't get a break, what I want to give others, and what I want to do if and when I actually get a break from work I have to do and chores I want done around my house.  Nine references to me in a single sentence.  I should have tried harder, so here's some more: I'm beyond tired, I'm burned out, I'm not in the Christmas spirit, and I feel guilty about it all.
I'm also mature enough that I know I've brought this on myself.  Clearly I need a different approach to get out of this cesspool of self-centeredness and self-pity. 
When Jesus came to earth, he came to simplify the complexities of the law to two simple things that even I could wrap my brain around:  we are to love GOD with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love others as ourselves (Matt 22:37-40).  Is it possible my own myopic focus on myself is causing me to spiral down into a state of seasonal depression that I know God didn't intend and certainly didn't thrust upon me. 
Perhaps if I simply demonstrate my love for God by following his commands (John 14:15) a change in focus will change my heart and mind.  I need to change my focus on God and how to better love Him and His people (1 John 5:2). 
God forgive me for my self-centeredness especially in this of all seasons where we remember and celebrate not what we've done for ourselves or even for you, but what YOU did and continue to do for each of us.  As I attempt to shift my focus from the mountains of desires and issues in life to you, may I revel in all that you've already blessed my with and use all of those blessings to be a blessing to others. 

Save Me with Your Strength

Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;

    ruthless people are trying to kill me—

    they have no regard for you.

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,

    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Turn to me and have mercy on me;

    show your strength in behalf of your servant;

save me, because I serve you

    just as my mother did.

Give me a sign of your goodness,

    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,

    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. – Psalm 86:14-17

Have you ever felt like the whole world was attacking you?  It seems everywhere on every side there was something not going right, or worse, it was purposely directed towards you.  I don’t know a single person who hasn’t felt that way at some time.  I have found myself praying at times for relief and only relief.  I am embarrassed to say I found I didn’t really care how things went away, but I just had to have some relief.  Sometimes we feel that life is too much and overwhelming and we plead to God to save us from it all.  It is like the old Calgon commercial where the person would say in the midst of a terrible day, “Calgon take me away”, and they would instantly be in a hot bath with soap bubbles resting comfortably away from those stresses of the day.  I believe that most of us, including myself, too often want this type of relief from our stresses and pain.   I think a more honorable and better prayer would be for strength to stay in the fight.

David confesses to God what God already knows, people are trying to kill him.  David takes the moment to clarify to God that these people have no regard for God in their heart.  David then pleads for God to put His eyes on him, have mercy on him, and show His strength on his behalf.  He asks God to save him.  David prays for God to give him what he doesn’t deserve.  He asks for God’s mercy to be shown through His strength on his own behalf.  He asks God to show a sign of goodness to him so his enemies, which are also the enemies of God as they do not acknowledge Him as God, will be put to shame as they plainly see God is with him and helps him.  

Samson's last prayer was for strength.  With his eyes gouged out he was put on public display for ridicule by his enemies to honor their false god and this after being betrayed from a false love, he prayed for strength.  He did not pray to just be taken away from the pain and humiliation.  He prayed for strength one more time so he could destroy the Lord's and his enemies.

David is continuing the theme in the prayer of God helping him so God will get the glory and praise.  Also, David does not pray for the fight to end, but for God’s strength and favor to be revealed to those who turn to Him.  David wants to succeed in the fight so God can be praised and everyone who doesn’t believe will know God did this.  He acknowledges that it is God and God alone who can save him and he prays for God to show His strength so God’s name will be glorified. 

When good things happen, we should be ready and willing to show how great God is for what He has done for us.  This is easy actually.  But when bad things happen, how ready and willing are we to be excited knowing God will use this to show Himself in a mighty way to someone?  Do we look for every opportunity in every person to see how God can show Himself in a great way to them through our trials?  This is an incredibly hard thing to do and attitude to have.  But that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong one to have.  Then, when we are delivered, we can testify to everyone how God delivered us and they can see how our faith in knowing He would deliver us was answered.  Hopefully, this might lead someone to believe.

Our Purpose in Prayer (Ps 86, Part IV)

Teach me Your ways, O Lord,

    that I may live according to Your truth!

Grant me purity of heart,

    so that I may honor You.

With all my heart I will praise You, O Lord my God.

    I will give glory to Your name forever,

for Your love for me is very great.

    You have rescued me from the depths of death. – Psalm 86:11-13

Here David shows the desires of his heart.  “Teach me Your ways” and “Grant me purity of heart” are his requests but why does he ask for these things, so he can “live according to [God’s] truth [Word]”, so he can “honor [God]”, and so he can “give glory to [God’s] name forever”.  His desire is to be a blessing to God.  He wants everyone who comes into contact with him and who sees his actions or hears his words to know that the Lord is his God and He is a great God. 

The more I study prayer, the more I believe this is the foundation of all powerful prayer.  I have found myself asking questions about the purpose of the many things I ask for.  Why do I want God to protect my wife and sons?  Why do I want God to protect our family?  Why do I want God to bless us?  Why do I want this or that person to be healed?  Why do I want God to heal this or that relationship? And so on.  Do I want these things because I just want them?  Or because I think they’re the right things to pray for? 

No.  I must want these so that they honor God and that they bring glory to His name.  I want my sons to be protected so they can learn more about Him and become a witness to show everyone they come in contact with how great God is.  I want Julie and I to be protected so we can be a witness of what God can do when a marriage turns itself over to God and God alone.  I want our family to be protected and blessed so we can be a witness of what God will do if you depend upon Him.  I want those needing healing to be healed so everyone will know it was God who healed them and He gets glory for it.  I want painful relationships healed so everyone will give God the praise for it.

David testifies here that God’s “love for me is very great.”  God’s love for all of us is very great and He will rescue us from the depths of death.  In fact He has already done so if we believe in Jesus as His one and only Son.  That great love of God wants to answer all our prayers at all times, as any loving parent wants to do.  But He obviously has to answer them in the way that is not necessarily best for us, but best for those around us who need to meet Him, see Him, and be a witness to His glory. 

Through all our struggles and pain and intense desire for God to remove these things, let us be certain that the desires of our heart, above all else, is for God to be honored and praised.  

In View of Death

This cloudy rainy morning I sit contemplating the fragileness of life.  This is a normal reaction I think anytime you’re about to go to a funeral.  Someone we met when we first arrived here in FWB almost exactly 20 years ago died last week.  This person was always nice to us as a person and family, even if he was somewhat less reliable as a client (Architects are just that way).   But he always had a smile and a chuckle every time I spoke to him and he never treated us as new young people not quite worthy of his stature or class even though he was very well connected and thought of in the community.  As much as I can remember, every time I asked him for something he helped.

Oddly enough, even though I know this is a time to remember him and who he was, I can’t help but have thoughts about the kind of person I am.  What will some young person think about me one day when I am no longer here?  Will there be a lasting impact or any impact at all upon this world?  Or, does it even matter? 

My thoughts move towards a more difficult question.  Will anyone know the truth of life simply because I was alive?  Are those around me or within my realm of contact influenced to know God or at least to have seen at least a small characteristic of God?  …  Ultimately, did I allow the desires of my heart to change from being for me to being to Christ so He could love others whom I could not; so He could forgive others when I could not; so He could help others where I could not?  …  There is still so much work to do in this heart of mine and time stands still for no man.

Yet, even in the reality of the sin in my own heart stands victory.  1 Corinthians 15:54-57 reads, “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?’  For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.  But thank God!  He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I am not forced to stay bound by the pain of sin in my heart.  It has been conquered, for when I gave that part of me inherited from Adam and Eve to God He destroyed it as a road block between us.  He reached out with the power of all of life and accepted me forever.

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.

    Remind me that my days are numbered—

    how fleeting my life is.

You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.

    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;

    at best, each of us is but a breath.

We are merely moving shadows,

    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.

We heap up wealth,

    not knowing who will spend it.

And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?

    My only hope is in you. - Psalms 39:4-7

He Alone is God (Ps 86, Part III)

⁸  Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.

⁹  All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.

¹⁰ For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God. – Psalm 86:8-10

I find the words, “among the gods” amusing.  I understand having to refer to man made pagan gods as a reference for contrast but truly no such thing exists.  There is one true living God.  Everything else is dead and exists only as someone’s imagination. 

I am reminded of Elijah and his confrontation with the prophets of their pagan gods Baal and Asherah (reference 1 Kings 18).  After 3 ½ years of a drought Elijah confronts 850 priests of these false gods in a contest to show who’s god was real.  Elijah even taunts them as they cannot get their god to answer.  Elijah prays in verses 36 and 37 for God to burn the altar.  His prayer is barely 32 words long.  He prays for God to answer him so “these people will know that You, O Lord, are God”.  After the Lord answers, the people fall face down on the ground and cry out, “The Lord – He is God!”

David says in his prayer that all nations that God has made will worship Him and they will glorify His name.  Philippians 2:10 says “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  David completes this thought with “You alone are God.”  There is no other and there never has been and there never will be.  The question is when everyone comes to this knowledge.  Will it be while they are physically living or will it be after they are dead as the rich man in Jesus’ story of Lazarus the beggar?

Sometimes I wonder why my prayers are not more powerful.  I am praying to an all-powerful God.  The only true living God, Creator of all that is or ever will be.  If I conceive that my prayer is unanswered then I must reach one of three conclusions: either I am out of God’s will so I am praying incorrectly, I don’t believe with all my heart so God can’t answer it, or my motive is wrong. 

Here in these verses and in the story of Elijah we learn what our motive should be in our prayers.  We should desire that all people will know that the Lord alone is God.  There is no other.  If our heart truly desires this for those we are praying towards, I believe God answers powerfully.  Unfortunately, the person we are praying for may refuse to believe.  This does not mean God didn’t answer.  It is simply the heart breaking realization of God’s love which allows all men to choose.

Glorify the living Lord today!  Praise Him for His greatness!  Know that He alone is God.

Christmas

It will be so nice to get home today even if it is late tonight after traveling for seven of the last nine days.  It is difficult to me to capture what Christmas means being away from family.  Being close and spending time with my family and snuggling with Julie eating gingerbread or sugar cookies with hot chocolate while listening to Christmas music and looking at twinkling lights.  Hard to do when you’re not there.  Every year I feel the need to purposefully and consciously capture each moment.  Live in it and enjoy it.  Don’t let the world steal it from you.

Every year it seems this conflict goes on.  If it's not work it’s Christmas itself trying to steal the joy from the season.  Party planning, parties, kid events, helping with events, putting up the lights and decorations, taking down the lights and decorations, making cards, mailing cards, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, and figuring out to be at who’s house when.  The movie Christmas Vacation does a good job poking fun at all of this.  It’s the world trying to steal the essence of Christmas from you.

The essence of Christmas is the celebration of Jesus the Messiah, the only Son of the one true living God.  He was a gift to all of mankind as the single way for man to approach, communicate, and commune with God.  “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.”  The celebration of Christmas is the “God so loved the world that He gave” part of His message.  This is the time when we acknowledge that for all our wrongs, for all our bad attitudes, bad character, ill-will, pain, suffering, and desperation, God so loved us He made a way for us to be with Him.  We are loved even as we are so very unlovable. 

Christmas is a time of reflection upon all that is good that comes from God.  Love, Joy, Peace.  These still exist.  It does exist no matter how much the news tries to tell you differently.  And they will always exist because the Lord will always exist.  He is before; He is now; He is tomorrow. 

We can be thankful and grateful for such love, no matter what else is going on around us.  We get to do the one thing that He did, give to others.  It is more than just making a list and being so glad when we’ve checked the last name off the list.  It’s being excited and thankful that we get a set aside opportunity to give to others.  It should always be our privilege to give to others as a reflection of how He gave, even if it is only in a small way.

If we take the time to reflect correctly, we are reminded of when we were young or younger and the good times of Christmas and its warmth grow in our hearts.  Psalms 103:2-5 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.  And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  It is Christmas and when we reflect upon all that God has done for us and upon Him, we do feel younger and the warmth of that glows inside.

May I take the time in each moment this season to reflect upon its single importance as no matter where I am or who is doing what around me.  It is a moment for me to be thankful and grateful as I grasp the essence of God giving so freely to even me.  I don’t know what will happen in the world today or tomorrow; I don’t know if I’ll be alive tomorrow; I have no guarantee of a single thing except that God is and that is enough.  Every moment know that God is, He gave, and you have that in your heart.  This realization will make that moment very special this season.  Consciously fight for it.

The Hurrier I Go

Ps 46: 10 “Cease striving and know that I am God;
            I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Whew!  I'm exhausted.  Between the physical stress of long hours and too much to do, and the mental/emotional stress of numerous high-profile events, I'm worn down and burned out.  Perhaps I expected too much of this particular holiday season.  I had hoped that I would continue a season from earlier in the fall where work and home activities certainly kept me more than busy, but I felt like I was keeping a manageable pace.  That pace picked up, however, in about early to mid Nov and has been relentless.  I'm going to work earlier, staying later, and coming home to help around the house. 
As I briefly pause to reflect, I read a short devotion by Chris that talked about the frustration of being on the highway at 4:02 in the morning and being held up by two cars driving slowly in formation on a divided highway.  As a high type A personality, I can't find a more frustrating example of what happens when I'm busy, except maybe yesterday. 
Yesterday I left for work early with NOTHING on my calendar.  I arrived at work to find I was scheduled for a 2.5 hour meeting and was already late.  On my way out of the meeting, I ran into the boss who demanded to know what happened in Washington last week.  That meeting went on long enough to miss my other meeting.  And so the day went.  My time was simply not my own.  As I got out of my truck, I realized I had locked my keys in it and called Reja who graciously did a drive by to unlock it for me in the middle of the day.  Unfortunately, the ignition was on and killed the battery, which I learned at 9pm as I tried to leave.  So I had to bother Reja who was trying to pack for a trip to come and rescue me. 
During this of all seasons, I'm frustrated by not having time to simply be still.  I think that's why as I age I'm learning that I like still hunting more and more.  By investing in the effort to get there, I'm rewarded by some time to just sit still and reflect on all the good things (more like people) God has blessed me with and it helps put times like this into better perspective.  It also reminds me that when I'm feeling like the world is on my shoulders, that I should stop and remember who really shoulders the world.  My very own frustration is self-centered and I've got to break the self-absorbed pity party.  After all, feeling put-upon and sorry for myself won't get anything done.
So today, I broke the cycle and disciplined myself to take time and reflect on Ps 46.  I like the NASB version today that reminds me that it is unhealthy to continue striving to the point that I ignore the fact that God WILL be exalted whether I pause to acknowledge that fact or not.  I would do better to fall in line with God than to continue striving to be a hero on my own. 

Serve Others

On Tuesday I found myself on a four-lane highway at 4:02 in the morning.  There were two cars ahead of me.  One in each lane.  There wasn’t another car as far as I could see in front of them, behind me, or in the opposing two lanes.  Yet these two cars are so spaced that I can’t pass.  It’s 4:02 in the morning and I’m on a four-lane road and I can’t pass because two people are side-by-side on the highway and they don’t speed up or slow down so I can get by. 

Julie says people no longer are even aware that that are unaware of the needs of others.  It’s not that they don’t care, but they don’t even know they should be aware of others.  Life is about them and they’ll notice you if they need something.  She says she finds this consistently in the grocery store where someone will put their cart in the middle of the aisle with no thought or concern that other people might or will need to get by. 

As I was following behind those cars I spoke openly to God saying, "I can't believe they do not have the courtesy to see that I am here.  There is only two people on the road and I am stuck behind them."  To my surprise, God answered with "I created a whole world and put only two people in it and look what they did."  Yes, my mind was blown.  Suddenly I saw how His comment pointed out to me that all men, from the first two to these two in front of me are sinful.  The when doesn't matter.  As I backed many car lengths away from the car ahead of me, I contemplated how my own sin was affecting the drivers ahead of me.  Here I was, thinking about me as much as they were thinking only of them.

It seems we have so lost our way as a culture that we have bypassed looking out for the needs of others first to simply living for ourselves and the needs of others doesn’t exist.  How opposite this is to the teaching of Jesus who came solely as a service for the benefit of others.  The single benefit to Jesus is that He did the will of the Father.  I also believe He is joyful when any person chooses to believe in Him and the desires of their heart follow His heart.  I should also be sensitive to how my own sinful nature can be unserving to others even when they are wallowing in their own sin.

 If we want to show ourselves as a peculiar people, an obvious way is to be kind and conscious about what the needs are of those around us and looking for ways to serve them, even if it is only making a way for them to pass us on the road or get by us at the grocery store.

Look around.  What are the real needs of those around you?  Does someone need an encouraging word?  Does someone need a friend?  Does someone need …?  Find a way to do what they are unwilling to ask for and in so doing show the love of Christ to them today.

Faithful Prayer (Ps 86 - III)

¹ Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;

    answer me, for I need Your help.

² Protect me, for I am devoted to You.

    Save me, for I serve You and trust You.

    You are my God.

³ Be merciful to me, O Lord,

    for I am calling on You constantly.. – Psalm 86:1-3

Verse 3 jumps out at me when I read this Psalm from a position of desperation.  So many terms point out to David's desperation.  "Bend down and hear my prayer", "answer me for I need your help", and "protect me .. save me".  Then, comes verse 3.  "Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on You constantly."  In other words, "I call upon you so much, do not get tired of hearing me.  Show me mercy as a needy child that must have You to make it."  While David is humbly asking his Lord to be patient with his constant cries for help, I think God answers such a position in prayer.  Alternately to the desperation, David says "I need Your help", "I am devoted to You", "I serve You and trust You", and "You are my God."  He has a heart of desperation and a heart of faith and complete dependence.  

Too often I think I have a heart of desperation, but not enough faith and dependence.  What answer can God give that is unacceptable to me?  Every answer He gives is the right answer.  It doesn't matter if I like it or not.  He is so far above me that I cannot possibly think I have to have a say in the response.  I must trust His character of love for me and His words to me that assure me He has me in His thoughts and He will do what is best for not just me, but all those around me.  I need to grasp this dual concept of faith and complete dependence with my desperation.

Humbly requesting from a desperate heart trusting wholly upon Him.  Welcome to faithful prayer.

Getting to the Heart of the matter

1 Tim 5:8 “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

‭Over my years I've had numerous trouble with tires. Once I left for a hunting trip with a badly out-of-balance tire. Noting that it would require rebalancing I pressed on out of town. Later that night on a dark road, the tire blew due to extreme uneven wear. I really struggled to change it on a very dark narrow road in the mud (ever tried to jack up a truck in mud?). On another trip, I had an alignment problem and it revealed itself in two blown tires within 60 miles.  My family and I enjoyed an unplanned tow and an overnight in Little Rock, Ark to have the tires replaced and the truck aligned.  On yet another occasion we missed a day at Disney due to failed tires. The problem proved to be simply due to lack of use of that particular vehicle which convinced my mother to finally part with a vehicle she really didn't need and couldn't properly maintain.  The point is that tires weren't the issue.  In each case these failures were symptoms of an underlying problem. In order to truly fix these problems, I had to get to the root cause and fix it.  

There is a great debate going on in America over how to respond to the Syrian refugee problem. Clearly the vast majority of these people are truly oppressed and persecuted to the point where they feel compelled to leave their homeland of thousands of years.  Obviously caring Christians need to respond in real and tangible ways to aid and assist these people through the motivation of the love of Christ.  I don't think any of my Christian friends are advocating turning a cold shoulder to people truly in need.  

Yet a debate rages in all forms of media, especially social media.  At issue is our ability to find and separate those that would attempt to come to America with intent to harm from true refugees.  People quote statistics and Bible verses in a running and heated debate, but the debate fails to address the underlying root cause of the refugees in the first place.  

When I was young teen, our church and our family sponsored a Vietnamese refugee family. We paid for their legal fees to immigrate, transportation to Gulfport, MS, bought them a house and arranged jobs in our community all through a little church with only a few hundred members. My role was to clean up the yard from years of neglect and then periodically mow and trim.  The family adjusted to America, joined our church, and were Baptized. I believe we made a difference not only in their earthly lives, but more importantly, in their external lives.  

The ongoing Syrian refugee issue is of similar magnitude with a sinister twist.  There are those among the refugees who mean to commit random and horrible violence.  I had the privilege of sitting next to Rep Jeff Miller on my trip this week and after bragging on our sons recent hunting successes (His son recently took a white tail deer in the morning and a monster mule deer in the same afternoon on a trip to Texas - what are you doing Ryan?), I asked him about our claim of "robust vetting."  He clearly stated that the claim was a lie. The refugees often have no identification to include licenses of any kind or even birth certificates.  So the evil intent of the few has instilled fear in the masses, me included. I'm not afraid so much for myself, but the images of victims have shaken me as I picture my kids, wife, friends and relatives subjected to random acts of degrading and horrible violence.  The resulting nightmares have interrupted sleep on several occasions that I can't simply eradicate from my mind.  While I'm confident that God is ultimately in control, I pray his protection from this type of earthly pain and anguish.  When not fearful, I sometimes wonder why God chose to put me here in America rather that anywhere else in His creation. While feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude, I am compelled to demonstrate my appreciation in measurable ways.  

Which brings me to my point:  I'm concerned that we in America are not truly addressing the root cause of these refugees.  The ongoing debate regarding refugees totally ignores both the physical and spiritual root cause behind the great violence and resulting diaspora throughout the world.  Physically, the problem is both random and targeted acts of in inhumane violence throughout the Middle East, regions of Africa, and other spots around the world.  Targeted acts of violence are especially disheartening as Christians are being singled out for execution by the thousands. Radical extremists simply don't share our western (never mind Judeo/Christian) value of life and our live-and-let-live secular mentality. This fact points to the underlying spiritual issue that these extremists and those that support them and advocate for their cause need Christ.  The fact that many, but admittedly perhaps not all, espouse a false god called Allah complicates sharing the gospel message resulting in the martyrdom, persecution, and in-prisonmeant of many courageous Christians. 

So how are we as Christians to respond?  Clearly we are minister to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of all those truly in need (1 Tim 5 does caution us to be somewhat selective, but I don't want to digress into discernment). So we need to reach out to refugees as they are clearly in need.  Yet to limit our assistance to Facebook debates  is clearly useless.  Moreover, merely welcoming refugees doesn't create a system of long term support to ensure successful transition to a new life.  Finally even a systematic approach to immigration and integration into society won't address the root cause of their refugee status.  Clearly our strategy of "containment" has not succeeded and needs an altogether different approach.  Unfortunately a part of that plan requires a comprehensive and overwhelming military response as clearly simply abandoning the aforementioned regions won't result in immediate peace and prosperity.  The recent attacks in Paris afford an unprecedented (at least in recent history) to establish a worldwide coalition to not only provide a military response, but also galvanize Non-Government-Organizations to provide "soft power" to those in need of assistance.  

Just like a bad alignment will chew up both the old and new tires, failure to deal with the root cuss of the ongoing refugees will damn them, their families, and the world to an unstemmed tide of endless refugees.  We need to reach out with the hand of Christ to the truly needy 1 Tim 5), but we also must deal with the root causes of these refugees.  

Angst

Joshua 10a:  13So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
Just when I thought I was going to have a steady period of work through the holidays, a wrinkle gets thrown in that will have me working long hours, traveling more and standing before a "Red Team" of very senior leaders to defend not just my own, but wholly other organization's work.  At least through early Dec, I look to be very busy and I had so looked forward to a steady pace through the holidays to take some time and rest. 
Joshua essentially prayed for God to multiply his time and as recorded the sun and moon stood still until God could lead Joshua's army to a complete victory.  I know scripture goes on to say that there has never been a day like it before or since, but I need a similar miracle.  I need time multiplied to accomplish all before me. 
Moreover, I need to have a better attitude about what lies ahead.  As Dad always said, God didn't bring me this far to abandon me now, but this isn't what I had in mind for the holidays.  I need to learn to rest in Him more completely and then not pick up my problems when placed at the alter. 

What am I living for?

2 Peter 1:3  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
The world puts so much pressure on me!  I've got to succeed in everything I do from appearance to career, wealth accumulation, material possessions, and even hobbies.  I just can't get it all done! 
Someone once said that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience (1 Ptr 1:17).  This realization puts things in a different perspective.  If this life is simply preparation for the eternal life to come, then I need to focus, organize and execute my life differently (James 4:4).  I need to have an eternal focus, not a here-and-now focus.  I need to understand that I was made to reflect God's glory (Is 43:7) throughout eternity, not just live for this relatively short physical life on earth.  So the real priorities in life are to: 1) worship God, 2) love others, 3) become like Christ, 4) serve others through gifts of the Spirit, and 4) tell others about Him (both evangelism and discipleship.  Now that list provides a completely different perspective.  Sure I need to do a good job at work (Col 3:17), but instead of doing it for personal gain, I need to view it as a means to bring honor and glory to God - an act of worship and ministry.  Other earthly priorities should be examined and re-focused likewise. 
So what am I living for isn't the right question.  The question in every second of every activity should be "For whom am I living?"  Not only is it grammatically correct, that question focuses the way to view and live our temporary lives here. 
Lord may I live this day with eternal focus.  May my actions reflect your glory such that others are drawn to you. 

Trust Him (Ps 86 - II)

¹ Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;

    answer me, for I need Your help.

² Protect me, for I am devoted to You.

    Save me, for I serve You and trust You.

    You are my God.

³ Be merciful to me, O Lord,

    for I am calling on You constantly.

⁴ Give me happiness, O Lord,

    for I give myself to You.

⁵ O Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive,

    so full of unfailing love for all who ask for Your help.

⁶ Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;

    hear my urgent cry.

⁷ I will call to You whenever I’m in trouble,

    and You will answer me. – Psalm 86:1-7

There is a foundation of trust in this prayer of David.  David trusts the Lord to be the Lord.  He trusts Him to hear him because the Lord says He does; He trusts Him to not forsake him because the Lord says He won’t; He trusts the Lord loves him because He says He does.  David calls upon the Lord to do what the Lord says He does.  Hear me, protect me, be merciful to me, and give me happiness David cries out to the Lord.  All aspects that are only performed by God Himself.  David calls upon God to show His characteristics towards Him and he trusts that God will do it.  He acknowledges that the Lord is ready to forgive and full of unfailing love for those who ask for His help.  Characteristics only found in God Himself.

David places his whole life into the Lord’s hands.  I need Your help; save me; I will call to You whenever I’m in trouble.  David is not depending upon anything or anyone else in the created world.  It is God and God alone.  David trusts the Lord with the only thing he has, his life.  Even then he realizes that his life isn’t his, but the Lords when he says, I serve You and trust You, You are my God, and I give myself to You.

What a powerful life it is when we learn to simply trust God to be God.  We call upon Him to show us His characteristics.  We learn that He will answer as Himself at the time He has declared to answer.  Whatever the answer is, we know He has answered in the manner that is best for us because He can’t answer in any other way.  His perfect love demands the best for us.  So we can pray confidently upon that perfect love and walk assured in our circumstances that He has it covered, our faith can be full, unwavering, and our lips can be ready to declare His goodness and hand upon lives.

Pray confidently, trusting completely upon God for His deliverance.  Make the Lord your God.  Depend upon Him and Him alone.  Know that He will hear you and answer you.  Trust in Him.