Sep 2011
Everlasting Joy
Friday, September 30 2011
There is no joy in Mudville tonight. Or is that Boston? The mighty Red Sox who on September 1 had a 99.6 percent change of being in the playoffs have choked. It’s over – not even a wildcard. Remind me now what does I Corinthians 10:12 say. Wasn’t it something about something thinking he stands and then falling? New England eyes will henceforth this year be focused on the Patriots. At least there will be, for the next few weeks, glorious leaves to console broken-hearted fans who will watch their nemesis, the Yankees, soar into the playoffs.
I was chastised once by one of the saints (Not someone from New Orleans) for expressing some knowledge of sports. “Times,” according to my rebuker, “were too intense and too fraught with peril to be distracted from being ready for Jesus to come.”
Perhaps he had a point. Except he made it sound like getting ready for Jesus to come was a full time task that should occupy our every waking moment. I must confess I don’t quite understand that considering in John 5:24 Jesus promised us if we believe in Him we have already crossed over from death to life. I thought how strange it would have been for one on Noah’s sons to be constantly worried about having a place in the ark. Why should we worry about what we have? Yet, the caution is I Corinthians 10:12. Lest we think we stand. Perhaps the answer is why we stand. If we stand on our righteousness then we are fallen. If we stand on Jesus’ righteousness it really is a sure thing. Standing on, living on the promises is what brings lasting joy into our lives.
I was chastised once by one of the saints (Not someone from New Orleans) for expressing some knowledge of sports. “Times,” according to my rebuker, “were too intense and too fraught with peril to be distracted from being ready for Jesus to come.”
Perhaps he had a point. Except he made it sound like getting ready for Jesus to come was a full time task that should occupy our every waking moment. I must confess I don’t quite understand that considering in John 5:24 Jesus promised us if we believe in Him we have already crossed over from death to life. I thought how strange it would have been for one on Noah’s sons to be constantly worried about having a place in the ark. Why should we worry about what we have? Yet, the caution is I Corinthians 10:12. Lest we think we stand. Perhaps the answer is why we stand. If we stand on our righteousness then we are fallen. If we stand on Jesus’ righteousness it really is a sure thing. Standing on, living on the promises is what brings lasting joy into our lives.
The Honking Driver
Wednesday, September 28 2011
This afternoon I watched with a mixture of amusement and disgust a very impatient driver just laying on his horn at the truck in front of him. The light was green. Of course the truck should go. However the driver of the honking car could not see what was in the crosswalk in front of the truck. There was a lady with one small child in one hand as she was trying to push a baby carriage with the other hand.
I was a bit chagrined as I realized that I and many of my former colleagues at our little college that closed were just like the honking driver. We complained and we criticized and we had all kinds of advice for what should have been done when we could not see everything that was going on. It is easy to sit back and offer all kinds of critical advice when we speak in ignorance. How often we critique others behavior when we have no idea what kind of home they come from. It has taken me many years to learn what I am about to say. But I totally believe the following. “Most people are doing the best they can.” Just because they do not do something the way we would do it does not make what they do wrong. It merely means they do it differently.
I love Galatians 6 in The Message paraphrase. “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day is out.” I think I like this so much because I have so often been the one needing the forgiveness.
I was a bit chagrined as I realized that I and many of my former colleagues at our little college that closed were just like the honking driver. We complained and we criticized and we had all kinds of advice for what should have been done when we could not see everything that was going on. It is easy to sit back and offer all kinds of critical advice when we speak in ignorance. How often we critique others behavior when we have no idea what kind of home they come from. It has taken me many years to learn what I am about to say. But I totally believe the following. “Most people are doing the best they can.” Just because they do not do something the way we would do it does not make what they do wrong. It merely means they do it differently.
I love Galatians 6 in The Message paraphrase. “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day is out.” I think I like this so much because I have so often been the one needing the forgiveness.
Sin is -
Tuesday, September 27 2011
When most of us are asked to define sin we respond with 1 John 3:4. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Which is correct, it is. But if we stop there we don’t really grasp the impact of what Paul means when in Ephesians 2:1 he said we were dead in our trespasses and sins. The Greek word Paul used for sin was “hamartia” which means missing the target. The target isn’t merely obeying the Ten Commandments. The target is the old army slogan, “Be all that you can be.” That is huge. Sin isn’t merely an act or lack of, it is a state of being.
I once had a church member who told me he had gone an entire week without sinning. He very carefully reviewed all of his waking activities, compared them with the Ten Commandments and decided he had a perfect week. But was he the best citizen he could be, was he the best husband and father that he could be, was he the best employee, was he the best _____ ? (You fill in the blank.) Of course he wasn’t. I didn’t shatter his pride, a gross sin, because I didn’t want to argue with him. How can one deal with such a narrow mind?
But you are thinking, if that’s what sin is then we are all lost. Not one of us is all we can be. And that is exactly Paul’s point in Ephesians 2. We are dead in our sin. All of us. But by God’s abundant grace we have been quickened, raised, to a new life. It was all God’s idea and all His doing. We have nothing of which to brag about. All we can do is praise God for His love.
I once had a church member who told me he had gone an entire week without sinning. He very carefully reviewed all of his waking activities, compared them with the Ten Commandments and decided he had a perfect week. But was he the best citizen he could be, was he the best husband and father that he could be, was he the best employee, was he the best _____ ? (You fill in the blank.) Of course he wasn’t. I didn’t shatter his pride, a gross sin, because I didn’t want to argue with him. How can one deal with such a narrow mind?
But you are thinking, if that’s what sin is then we are all lost. Not one of us is all we can be. And that is exactly Paul’s point in Ephesians 2. We are dead in our sin. All of us. But by God’s abundant grace we have been quickened, raised, to a new life. It was all God’s idea and all His doing. We have nothing of which to brag about. All we can do is praise God for His love.
Paul's Grammar in Ephesians 2
Monday, September 26 2011
Greek purists (every language has them*) must have gone crazy when they initially read the first part of Ephesians 2. Paul pays little attention to the rules of grammar. He starts sentences and doesn’t finish them. Sentence fragments dangle. Translators have tried to clean it up. So what was going on? Paul was a highly educated man. He knew better. Understanding that makes the passage just so much more wonderful. Ephesians 2 is Scripture’s preeminent passage on grace. Paul is so overwhelmed by God’s incredible gift to us he just soared. He paid no attention to construction he just opened up his heart to the wonder of salvation being God’s gift from start to finish with nothing left for us to do except accept it.
The idea that we are saved so God can spend eternity showering us with gifts of grace was and is so amazingly overwhelming there wasn’t time to grammar check. This is a bird singing who cares not about music theory. This is a child bursting past speechlessness when she receives the most beautiful doll of her dreams. It is no wonder Paul says we best get busy doing the things God desires for us to do. There is a plan for each of our lives so let’s live it lest we disappoint God and ourselves.
Before you go to bed tonight, please read Ephesians 2 for yourself. If you are not moved we can help you with a heart transplant.
* While sitting in a college committee I was challenged by an English teacher who said, “That is not a word.” “Did you understand what I meant to say,” I asked. “Yes,” she said. To which I responded, “Then it’s a word.”
The idea that we are saved so God can spend eternity showering us with gifts of grace was and is so amazingly overwhelming there wasn’t time to grammar check. This is a bird singing who cares not about music theory. This is a child bursting past speechlessness when she receives the most beautiful doll of her dreams. It is no wonder Paul says we best get busy doing the things God desires for us to do. There is a plan for each of our lives so let’s live it lest we disappoint God and ourselves.
Before you go to bed tonight, please read Ephesians 2 for yourself. If you are not moved we can help you with a heart transplant.
* While sitting in a college committee I was challenged by an English teacher who said, “That is not a word.” “Did you understand what I meant to say,” I asked. “Yes,” she said. To which I responded, “Then it’s a word.”
Old Books and Scripture
Friday, September 23 2011
I discovered Stephen Meader when I was in fifth grade. My school library had several of his books which I quickly gobbled up. Decades later I began to collect them. It was an almost impossible task until the advent of eBay. Today was a rainy day. It was a perfect day to take one off the shelf and be eleven again. As my hands opened the book and the smell of aged paper and ink filled my nostrils, I was with an old friend. Sinking deep into my reading chair I traveled back to another time and relived the experience of a young boy in early America.
Old books are like old friends. They warm us with life. As I read the last page and once again closed the cover I wondered if reading the Gospels produced such wondrous nostalgia. I concluded that for me they do not. Instead of filling me with memories, John, Matthew and Paul fill me with incredible thoughts of a glorious future. Instead of reminiscing about times past I want to travel to what is yet to come. In John Jesus tells us that we can right now step over from death to life. In Matthew Jesus challenges us to grow into His likeness. Paul tells me that God wants us to be saved so forever He can shower us with grace and gifts of love.
I find reading books from my childhood fill me with memories; reading Scripture fills me with excited anticipation that the best is yet to come and once there, the best will still be yet to come. Scripture is about our future. Scripture is reading a travel brochure. Scripture is our ticket to endless adventures.
Old books are like old friends. They warm us with life. As I read the last page and once again closed the cover I wondered if reading the Gospels produced such wondrous nostalgia. I concluded that for me they do not. Instead of filling me with memories, John, Matthew and Paul fill me with incredible thoughts of a glorious future. Instead of reminiscing about times past I want to travel to what is yet to come. In John Jesus tells us that we can right now step over from death to life. In Matthew Jesus challenges us to grow into His likeness. Paul tells me that God wants us to be saved so forever He can shower us with grace and gifts of love.
I find reading books from my childhood fill me with memories; reading Scripture fills me with excited anticipation that the best is yet to come and once there, the best will still be yet to come. Scripture is about our future. Scripture is reading a travel brochure. Scripture is our ticket to endless adventures.
Our Photo-Lined Hallway
Thursday, September 22 2011
We have a long hallway on our second floor lined on both sides with family pictures. I love to move slowly from photo to photo relishing the memories each image produces. I see my sons when they were little guys and move along the progression of time that made them fine men. Today I found myself wondering if God has some great family album lining a hall in His house. Not only can He see us now but He can remember how we were. One of my friends told me that God can move through time like it was a circle and go back to whenever. I don’t think so. In my very limited intelligence I see time being linear and God sees us in the past like we see in the past, by using His memory.
One of the reasons I do not care for the idea of time being in a circle that God can easily go to at His will is that would make all things forever. Sin would be forever. Jesus would be on the cross forever. He would be dead in the tomb forever. In Hebrews we are told He died once for time. It is done. It is finished. I can only think that it is really over, never to be experienced again, but to have forever benefits.
So the question arises, “Can He see us as what we will be?” In His dreams as we do so in our dreams. I realize I am very limited when thinking about God. I am sure He is many times and many ways more expansive than what I can begin to imagine. I am speaking and thinking in ignorance. Yet I do believe time is linear. Someday we will know the truth. How grand.
One of the reasons I do not care for the idea of time being in a circle that God can easily go to at His will is that would make all things forever. Sin would be forever. Jesus would be on the cross forever. He would be dead in the tomb forever. In Hebrews we are told He died once for time. It is done. It is finished. I can only think that it is really over, never to be experienced again, but to have forever benefits.
So the question arises, “Can He see us as what we will be?” In His dreams as we do so in our dreams. I realize I am very limited when thinking about God. I am sure He is many times and many ways more expansive than what I can begin to imagine. I am speaking and thinking in ignorance. Yet I do believe time is linear. Someday we will know the truth. How grand.
Malleable
Wednesday, September 21 2011
It is a bit embarrassing to learn that I have been mispronouncing a word all my life. I wish someone had told me. This morning I was observing a teacher in a middle school classroom and heard the teacher use the word “malleable.” “No,” I thought to myself, “it’s mallable.” So I got out my iPhone and checked the dictionary app. Well, so much for appearing educated all these years. Now I am wondering how many other words I have been either misusing or mispronouncing. This must be a case where someone has to be a really good friend to tell you that you have spinach between your two front teeth. People are embarrassed for you but don’t have the courage to say, “Hey.”
I think even Jesus is a bit hesitant to tell us all our faults; at least not all at once. We would be so discouraged we would just give up and say, “What’s the use.” Little by little as we are successful in some areas He very gently reveals new areas where growth is needed. Jesus created us. He is the great psychologist. He knows just how much we can handle and makes sure He doesn’t overwhelm us. However, sometimes church members are not so gentle and have driven a lot of people out because of harsh pushing to try to make others like them.
We seem particularly bad about this with our young people. We don’t stop to consider their world is not the same world we grew up in. And we forget how we felt about the older people telling us how to dress and comb our hair. We have to remember young people are “malleable” and with love will become what Jesus wants them to be and not necessarily what we want them to be.
I think even Jesus is a bit hesitant to tell us all our faults; at least not all at once. We would be so discouraged we would just give up and say, “What’s the use.” Little by little as we are successful in some areas He very gently reveals new areas where growth is needed. Jesus created us. He is the great psychologist. He knows just how much we can handle and makes sure He doesn’t overwhelm us. However, sometimes church members are not so gentle and have driven a lot of people out because of harsh pushing to try to make others like them.
We seem particularly bad about this with our young people. We don’t stop to consider their world is not the same world we grew up in. And we forget how we felt about the older people telling us how to dress and comb our hair. We have to remember young people are “malleable” and with love will become what Jesus wants them to be and not necessarily what we want them to be.
New Clothes
Tuesday, September 20 2011
I am sitting here looking at a coupon that will enable me to purchase thirty dollars worth of clothing at a consignment store for only fifteen dollars. Now that’s a bargain. Usually thirty dollars worth of clothing for thirty dollars is a bargain at a consignment store. But this is really over the top. How can I refuse to use it? Except there is one small detail. I have stopped buying clothes. I have enough clothes. I will die before I wear out the clothes in my closet. Except maybe I might need a new pair of church shoes. The pair I have now I bought in 1988. I have had them reheeled four times and resoled twice. Perhaps I can get that done one more time and then they will last me to the end. They are wingtips and if I polish them nicely they will look good in the coffin; except they won’t show.
If you don’t need something it isn’t a bargain no matter how inexpensive. So I will pass up on this coupon.
When it comes to getting new clothes there is one garment all of us need. It’s actually mentioned in the Old Testament. In Zachariah 3 is the story of the high priest getting new clothes. They were spotless. Again in Revelation 7 the redeemed are wearing white robes. They are made white by the blood of the Lamb. How grand that is! They were not purchased at a consignment store. Oh no. These were purchased at Calvary. Jesus paid for them with His life and we will have them in our wardrobes forever. They will never go out of style. They are the best.
If you don’t need something it isn’t a bargain no matter how inexpensive. So I will pass up on this coupon.
When it comes to getting new clothes there is one garment all of us need. It’s actually mentioned in the Old Testament. In Zachariah 3 is the story of the high priest getting new clothes. They were spotless. Again in Revelation 7 the redeemed are wearing white robes. They are made white by the blood of the Lamb. How grand that is! They were not purchased at a consignment store. Oh no. These were purchased at Calvary. Jesus paid for them with His life and we will have them in our wardrobes forever. They will never go out of style. They are the best.
Doors
Friday, September 16 2011
This afternoon a gust of wind found an open door in our house. It would be difficult for me to describe how high I must have jumped when it slammed shut with the force of a small nuclear weapon. There is something very unnerving about a slammed door, especially when it cannot be reopened. Just try to imagine the sound of the closing door of Noah’s ark. Surely the finality of that sound must have reverberated in heaven itself.
In Revelation 22 at the close of Scripture there is a closing. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” As difficult as it is to imagine, there will come a time when God’s mercy is no longer available. People’s decisions not to accept the gift of grace will seal their eternal destiny. It is not a pretty picture. John speaks of God wiping away our tears. He will need to do so. This is not a time for the Redeemer and the redeemed to rejoice. There will be family members who are dear to us who will not be spending eternity with us. For Jesus all of them are precious. Can you imagine dying for someone only to have them spurn your act of love?
Life is a series of closed doors. One closes when we graduate from elementary school and another when we leave secondary school. But when one door closes another opens. When we step over the new threshold awesome opportunities may await us. What follows is what we decide to do with them. Right now the door of grace is still wide open.
In Revelation 22 at the close of Scripture there is a closing. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” As difficult as it is to imagine, there will come a time when God’s mercy is no longer available. People’s decisions not to accept the gift of grace will seal their eternal destiny. It is not a pretty picture. John speaks of God wiping away our tears. He will need to do so. This is not a time for the Redeemer and the redeemed to rejoice. There will be family members who are dear to us who will not be spending eternity with us. For Jesus all of them are precious. Can you imagine dying for someone only to have them spurn your act of love?
Life is a series of closed doors. One closes when we graduate from elementary school and another when we leave secondary school. But when one door closes another opens. When we step over the new threshold awesome opportunities may await us. What follows is what we decide to do with them. Right now the door of grace is still wide open.
God and OCD
Wednesday, September 14 2011
I’m not sure what it is about the word “free” that I do not understand. I wanted to find out who called me so I googled the words “reverse phone number lookup.” Almost instantly I got a list of websites that promised me they would do it for free. Every single one of them told me they found it but then wanted me to pay to see what they found. I finally figured out that “free lookup” meant just that. The “lookup” was free. They just would not tell me for free. Alas.
I guess the old saying, “There is no free lunch” is still true. There is a price for everything. So when I say to you that salvation is free. I also have to explain there is an expectation that once one accepts God’s gift of grace, one will with God’s help embark upon a quest to be a better person. Being a better person is not a reverse payment for the gift. It’s a desire implanted in our hearts that comes with the gift. It’s all God’s work from start to finish. He doesn’t start it and we finish it. Oh no. It’s just that once we let Him in, He starts cleaning house. Maybe God has OCD and needs everything to be in order. In I Corinthians Paul speaks of God living in us. We are His temple. I guess He just can’t quite stand to live in a messy place.
I never thought about God having OCD prior to this. I do know that when I meet people who need everything to be perfect that is the usual diagnosis. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus did mention His Father’s perfection.
I guess the old saying, “There is no free lunch” is still true. There is a price for everything. So when I say to you that salvation is free. I also have to explain there is an expectation that once one accepts God’s gift of grace, one will with God’s help embark upon a quest to be a better person. Being a better person is not a reverse payment for the gift. It’s a desire implanted in our hearts that comes with the gift. It’s all God’s work from start to finish. He doesn’t start it and we finish it. Oh no. It’s just that once we let Him in, He starts cleaning house. Maybe God has OCD and needs everything to be in order. In I Corinthians Paul speaks of God living in us. We are His temple. I guess He just can’t quite stand to live in a messy place.
I never thought about God having OCD prior to this. I do know that when I meet people who need everything to be perfect that is the usual diagnosis. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus did mention His Father’s perfection.
Our Greatest Task
Friday, September 09 2011
Our President has spoken to our nation regarding jobs and the importance of labor and hard work. It’s a topic dear to our hearts. We know good things do not happen unless someone or some group pours toil and sacrifice into projects. I believe it because of this understanding that some of us grow uneasy when we hear people like me say that salvation and eternal life are free. We become fearful that we have cheapened salvation and have given people license to continue in their sinful ways. Therefore, it is important to say just because salvation is free it does not mean it was cheap. It was by far the most expensive purchase ever made. God gave His Son who bought salvation for us with the most expensive price tag ever written.
The next important thing to say is because it is a gift; we cannot sit back and fail to recognize the incredible obligation of grace. While we cannot purchase something already given, we must realize the task set before us, which is nothing less than never-ending character development. Our task is not to be saved. Our task is to become like the One who saves us. In a world saturated with selfishness, in a mind and body driven by appetites, this is an unbelievably difficult task. Anyone who says or thinks otherwise has yet to tackle the high standard to which we are called.
The Good News is this. We are not in this fight alone. We are called to battle and we have an ally. Jesus promised that He would not orphan us but send us the Holy Spirit, who upon our request, will pour out heaven in support of our quest. While victory is promised, the confrontation can be fierce.
The next important thing to say is because it is a gift; we cannot sit back and fail to recognize the incredible obligation of grace. While we cannot purchase something already given, we must realize the task set before us, which is nothing less than never-ending character development. Our task is not to be saved. Our task is to become like the One who saves us. In a world saturated with selfishness, in a mind and body driven by appetites, this is an unbelievably difficult task. Anyone who says or thinks otherwise has yet to tackle the high standard to which we are called.
The Good News is this. We are not in this fight alone. We are called to battle and we have an ally. Jesus promised that He would not orphan us but send us the Holy Spirit, who upon our request, will pour out heaven in support of our quest. While victory is promised, the confrontation can be fierce.
Strawberries
Thursday, September 08 2011
My wife just walked in with a container of strawberries freshly picked in the rain. They are so fragrant. Immediately my brain splashed across the inside of my eyeballs pictures of a mile high strawberry pie, heaps of sliced strawberries on bowls of cereal or better yet vanilla ice cream, and jars of fresh strawberry jam. I wondered if Jesus ever had strawberries when He was a boy. The only berries mentioned in the Bible are olive berries mentioned by Isaiah and James, Jesus’ brother. There is no mention of blueberries, raspberries or huckleberries. If this lack of mention meant lack of berries I find myself feeling sorry for their depravation of nature’s bounty.
What is interesting is what James had to say about olive berries. He mentions them in chapter 3 where his illustration is that a fig tree cannot bear olive berries. His point is that if we call ourselves Christians we cannot praise God one moment and then use the same mouth to say vicious and cruel things about people. After all whether we like it or not those people we dislike were also made in God’s image. His point is quite legitimate. Consistency of character is the real fruit of a genuine walk with God.
When people know they are going to see us they should have a very good idea what they are going to encounter; basically unselfish kindness and concern for their well-being. I know this can be difficult, because let’s face it, it is delicious to say things that belittle others. It makes us feel clever, big and important. Guess what? Our feelings are lying to us for it is just the opposite. When we do so we aren’t belittling others. We are belittling ourselves.
What is interesting is what James had to say about olive berries. He mentions them in chapter 3 where his illustration is that a fig tree cannot bear olive berries. His point is that if we call ourselves Christians we cannot praise God one moment and then use the same mouth to say vicious and cruel things about people. After all whether we like it or not those people we dislike were also made in God’s image. His point is quite legitimate. Consistency of character is the real fruit of a genuine walk with God.
When people know they are going to see us they should have a very good idea what they are going to encounter; basically unselfish kindness and concern for their well-being. I know this can be difficult, because let’s face it, it is delicious to say things that belittle others. It makes us feel clever, big and important. Guess what? Our feelings are lying to us for it is just the opposite. When we do so we aren’t belittling others. We are belittling ourselves.
Sawdust and Salt
Wednesday, September 07 2011
One of the most fascinating places I ever visited occurred on a hot summer day when my father took me to a large red wooden building that was full of ice. Mounds of sawdust covered large blocks of ice that had been hewn from a local Pennsylvania lake during the winter months. I could not understand how on such a hot day the entire pile did not turn to water. I watched as they loaded a wagon to deliver it around the city for people’s iceboxes. Only rich people had electric refrigerators then so you can tell how long ago this was. My dad explained to me how the sawdust insulated the ice keeping it from melting. Years later I learned that salt had the opposite effect on ice.
That is all a distant memory but I still think about preserving things that are precious. I long to preserve my relationship with my family. I long to preserve my memories. I long to preserve my health. I long to preserve my relationship with Jesus. Each one of these requires attention. Family members must not be ignored but be nurtured. The same goes for memory and health and one’s spiritual life. Neglect of any of these will see them melt away in the heat of life. I wish it could be as simple as covering them with sawdust and keeping them away from ice. (Interesting that in many cases salt is a preservative. But in this case it is the opposite.)
Common sense living, paying attention to the needs of others, getting enough exercise, eating properly, eliminating stress and feeding one’s soul by feeding on God’s word. These are the sawdust that will enable us to keep what is precious to us.
That is all a distant memory but I still think about preserving things that are precious. I long to preserve my relationship with my family. I long to preserve my memories. I long to preserve my health. I long to preserve my relationship with Jesus. Each one of these requires attention. Family members must not be ignored but be nurtured. The same goes for memory and health and one’s spiritual life. Neglect of any of these will see them melt away in the heat of life. I wish it could be as simple as covering them with sawdust and keeping them away from ice. (Interesting that in many cases salt is a preservative. But in this case it is the opposite.)
Common sense living, paying attention to the needs of others, getting enough exercise, eating properly, eliminating stress and feeding one’s soul by feeding on God’s word. These are the sawdust that will enable us to keep what is precious to us.
On The Home Keys
Tuesday, September 06 2011
I had this fairly lengthy passage to copy from a book into my computer. As my fingers typed away I knew I was on a roll. It was one of those days when everything was functioning in high gear. My typing teacher from high school would have been so proud of me. I was way over fifty words a minute. It felt so good. Then I paused and looked at the page I had just blazed into my document. I gasped. It was gibberish. It made no sense. Then I saw my error. The fingers of my right hand were not on the home keys. Even though the J key has a raised dash on the bottom edge I never felt for it.
One of the classes I used to teach at our little college is Intro to Philosophy. I loved the class. It was great fun to see the students light up to new ideas. One of the things I discovered while teaching that class was a person can develop some very tight logic and yet end up with a wild position because they did not start on the right foundation of truth. Jesus said it so well when He spoke of building a house upon the sand. Some very great minds developed some very strong positions by carefully going from one logical step to the next. But because they began on sand they ended up with positions that have grown dusty and musty.
Paul had it right. He wrote, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” When you start there you end up with life and there is nothing dusty or musty about that. Please see I Corinthians 3:11
One of the classes I used to teach at our little college is Intro to Philosophy. I loved the class. It was great fun to see the students light up to new ideas. One of the things I discovered while teaching that class was a person can develop some very tight logic and yet end up with a wild position because they did not start on the right foundation of truth. Jesus said it so well when He spoke of building a house upon the sand. Some very great minds developed some very strong positions by carefully going from one logical step to the next. But because they began on sand they ended up with positions that have grown dusty and musty.
Paul had it right. He wrote, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” When you start there you end up with life and there is nothing dusty or musty about that. Please see I Corinthians 3:11
The Perfect Job
Monday, September 05 2011
Since our little college will not be opening this fall and I have been locked out of my office and classroom I am looking for a job. I think I found it. I looked on Craig’s list under Gigs/Writing. Oh this sounds way too good to be for real. Someone (I almost started that sentence with “they.” But who is “they?”) is looking for an ice cream evaluator. Now that is my kind of job. They even offer free ice cream. They don’t say much about any other compensation so just maybe it is not the perfect job. (But close)
Perhaps I should respond to the ad asking for writers who have seen UFOs. As a Christian I most likely could say I have seen UFOs sometime in my life but didn’t know it. The Bible is filled with texts regarding extra-terrestrials visiting us. One of my favorite verses regarding this is Psalm 91:11. “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” When I was a little guy I loved to hear angel stories. If you grew up as a Christian you most likely have your favorite one.
Some of the references I find most interesting are the ones regarding Jesus’ life on earth and the angel visits. The first one would be the angel talking with Mary about her pregnancy followed by the angel telling Joseph to marry her. I think the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem must have been one of the more spectacular visits. We must not forget to mention resurrection morning when the angel sat by the empty tomb to explain what had happened. Maybe writing about angel stories or anything to do with Jesus would be the perfect job. The compensation is out of this world.
Perhaps I should respond to the ad asking for writers who have seen UFOs. As a Christian I most likely could say I have seen UFOs sometime in my life but didn’t know it. The Bible is filled with texts regarding extra-terrestrials visiting us. One of my favorite verses regarding this is Psalm 91:11. “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” When I was a little guy I loved to hear angel stories. If you grew up as a Christian you most likely have your favorite one.
Some of the references I find most interesting are the ones regarding Jesus’ life on earth and the angel visits. The first one would be the angel talking with Mary about her pregnancy followed by the angel telling Joseph to marry her. I think the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem must have been one of the more spectacular visits. We must not forget to mention resurrection morning when the angel sat by the empty tomb to explain what had happened. Maybe writing about angel stories or anything to do with Jesus would be the perfect job. The compensation is out of this world.
Persistence
Friday, September 02 2011
The sign in front of the barber shop beckoned with the message, “First Time $5.” I’m not sure how many hundred times I have driven by without responding. However, today I was very shaggy and decided to check it out. Sure enough they (two very talkative ladies) only charged me $5 and it is a good haircut. I will go back. My regular barbers (two not so talkative ladies) are going to miss me. I enjoyed the chatter.
Persistent advertising finally got me. When I was a little guy there was a map in our church where someone was keeping track of and marking countries that had been sent a missionary. The inspiration for this was the idea that when the Gospel had gone to the whole world then Jesus would come. What intrigued me was the idea that a single presence or a single event of witnessing meant we could check off an entire country. We were one step closer to the Kingdom. But does a one-time exposure really do the job? I once heard someone say they passed out pamphlets to a neighborhood; therefore, those people had their chance. Come on. Really?
We are talking about something so much more significant than a haircut and it took hundreds of times before I responded. When we are talking about totaling changing one’s life we have to realize, while some people will see it right away, it will take multiple years before another person gets it. So, don’t give up. If there is someone you have been praying for keep on praying. If there is a family member who needs to respond, keep on being the kindest, most caring, most self-sacrificing person in their life. Someday it will make a difference.
Persistent advertising finally got me. When I was a little guy there was a map in our church where someone was keeping track of and marking countries that had been sent a missionary. The inspiration for this was the idea that when the Gospel had gone to the whole world then Jesus would come. What intrigued me was the idea that a single presence or a single event of witnessing meant we could check off an entire country. We were one step closer to the Kingdom. But does a one-time exposure really do the job? I once heard someone say they passed out pamphlets to a neighborhood; therefore, those people had their chance. Come on. Really?
We are talking about something so much more significant than a haircut and it took hundreds of times before I responded. When we are talking about totaling changing one’s life we have to realize, while some people will see it right away, it will take multiple years before another person gets it. So, don’t give up. If there is someone you have been praying for keep on praying. If there is a family member who needs to respond, keep on being the kindest, most caring, most self-sacrificing person in their life. Someday it will make a difference.
Salesmen
Thursday, September 01 2011
They seemed so sincere I don’t think they got it. They were convinced they were not salesmen. They were only knocking on doors to see if we needed new windows. They would help us determine so. Should they so decide they would then arrange to send a salesman. Therefore, they were not selling anything. I could not convince them they were selling.
They were like car sales people who rush out to snag you if you pause for a moment to look at a car. After they schmooze you, they bring in the big gun from the backroom to seal the deal. It is also like people who bring friends to church hoping the pastor can convince them to join. Everyone is part of the process. Even the people who brought casseroles to the potluck are part of the team. Convincing someone to buy or become a part of something is a team effort. The pastor will never succeed if the members do not create a welcoming atmosphere.
One would think it to be easy to give someone eternal life. Perhaps it is difficult because we complicate it. Often we make people think they have to join “our” church if they are to be saved. “We” are God’s exclusive little club and they need to dress like us, eat like us and pray like us. God must sometimes smile at our ridiculous behavior. At other times He must shake His head in exasperation. The point is we do have a marvelous product to share with the world. And the way we sell it or give it is to make it attractive and the way to make it attractive is for us to be as much like Jesus as we are capable.
They were like car sales people who rush out to snag you if you pause for a moment to look at a car. After they schmooze you, they bring in the big gun from the backroom to seal the deal. It is also like people who bring friends to church hoping the pastor can convince them to join. Everyone is part of the process. Even the people who brought casseroles to the potluck are part of the team. Convincing someone to buy or become a part of something is a team effort. The pastor will never succeed if the members do not create a welcoming atmosphere.
One would think it to be easy to give someone eternal life. Perhaps it is difficult because we complicate it. Often we make people think they have to join “our” church if they are to be saved. “We” are God’s exclusive little club and they need to dress like us, eat like us and pray like us. God must sometimes smile at our ridiculous behavior. At other times He must shake His head in exasperation. The point is we do have a marvelous product to share with the world. And the way we sell it or give it is to make it attractive and the way to make it attractive is for us to be as much like Jesus as we are capable.